Add 'Tahini' to your vocabulary

Turker Burger Pitas With Tahini Sauce A tangy and spicy treat that will leave you fully satisfied

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plain 2% Greek-style yogurt

1 tablespoon tahini (sesame seed paste)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

Dash of salt

1/4 cup chopped green onions

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 pound ground turkey

Cooking spray

2 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, cut in half

4 green leaf lettuce leaves

4 (1/4-inch) tomato slices

Directions:

-Combine first five ingredients in a small bowl.

-Combine onions, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, onion powder and turkey in a large bowl. Divide mixture into four equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

-Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan, and cook for four minutes on each side or until done.

-Line each pita half with one lettuce leaf; add one patty, one tomato slice and 2 tablespoons tahini sauce to each pita half. Yields 4 servings.

Nutrition Info: 302 calories per serving

Cheers! White wine goes well with white meat. Try a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, such as Marlborough.

Origin: Cooking Light. What would I do without it?

Notes: The tahini sauce can be hard to find - I know from personal experience. If you've never used it before, it's basically a (good for you) fatty paste derived from sesame seeds. You can usually find it in the Asian or Indian section of your grocery store, or perhaps the "ethnic" section. You might have to ask an employee. Also, if you'd rather not deal with pitas, feel free to buy the pre-shaped pita pockets, which we like. I'm sure even a bun would be fine, but it would alter the nutrition info slightly.

The Healthiest Pad Thai You Can Find

Pork Pad Thai A spicy combo of pork, noodles and peanut-buttery sauce that will leave you wanting more

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon olive oil (canola is fine too)

1/2 pound pork tenderloin, trimmed

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

8 ounces uncooked fettuccine (spaghetti noodles work fine too)

1/4 cup low-fat peanut butter

2 1/2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 1/2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce

1 cup thinly sliced green onions

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 425.

-Drizzle oil in a glass baking dish. Sprinkle pork with 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper; place pork in dish. Bake at 425 for 12 minutes. Turn pork over, and bake an additional 12 minutes or until thermometer registers155. Place on cutting board; let stand 10 minutes. Cut or shred pork into small pieces.

-Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 2 tablespoons pasta water; keep pasta warm. (I find that using 2 tablespoons warm water from the tap works fine too.)

-Combine peanut butter, 2 tablespoons water, remaining salt, soy sauce, vinegar and chili garlic sauce. Divide pasta evenly among 4 bowls; top evenly with sauce, pork and onions. Yields 4 servings.

Nutrition Info: 398 calories per serving

Cheers! I find that white goes well with the pork. Try a Chenin or Sauvignon Blanc.

Origin: Cooking Light. Of course.

Notes: This is not a hard recipe once you get the hang of it. However, the timing is tricky. Between baking the pork and cooking the pasta, you may have to microwave everything at the very end. And that's okay. I have yet to perfect it. Also, you can buy a pound or so of lean pork in a long tube at Target or Cub. We usually cut this into fourths and freeze the rest. It works great and serves as a good "back up" recipe since we usually have almost all the ingredients.

Something Light Before The Turkey Hangover

Pan Fried Egg Rolls A fresh, healthy recipe to counteract holidays when you stuff your face

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sweet chili sauce

12 oz. fresh bean sprouts, chopped

12 (8-inch) egg roll wrappers

12 cooked jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined and split in half lengthwise

6 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 cup peanut oil

1 tbsp. rice vinegar

2 tsp. less-sodium soy sauce

1/4 tsp. grated peeled fresh ginger

1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Combine 3 tablespoons chili sauce and bean sprouts, tossing well to coat.

Working with 1 egg roll wrapper at a time (cover remaining wrappers to prevent drying), place wrapper onto work surface with 1 corner pointing toward you (wrapper should look like a diamond). Spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons bean sprout mixture into center of wrapper; top with 2 shrimp halves and 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro. Fold lower corner of wrapper over filling; fold in side corners. Moisten top corner of wrapper with water; roll up jelly-roll fashion. Place egg roll, seam side down, on a baking sheet. Repeat procedure with remaining wrappers, bean sprout mixture, shrimp and cilantro.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 6 egg rolls, seam side down; cook 7 minutes or until golden, turning occasionally. Place on a wire rack. Repeat procedure with remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 6 egg rolls.

Combine remaining 1 tablespoon chili sauce, vinegar and remaining ingredients. Serve sauce with egg rolls. Yields 12 servings (serving size: 1 egg roll and 1 1/2 teaspoons sauce).

Nutrition Info: 103 calories per serving

Cheers! Try a light white with this. Perhaps a Yellow Tail sauvignon blanc.

Origin: Cooking Light. What would we do without it?

The bean sprouts can be hard to find in a typical grocery store; they run out fast. A good bet would be a co-op or whole foods location. Also, you can do without the cilantro or the ginger if that doesn't float your boat. We often go without and it still tastes great.

And you thought tater tot hot dish was good...

Deep Dish Pizza Casserole Want pizza? Want casserole? Done and done.


Ingredients:
1 pound lean ground turkey
1 15-oz can chunky italian style tomato or marinara sauce
1 can diced tomatoes, partially drained
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1 10-oz can refrigerated pizza crust dough
6 oz (1 1/2 cups) pre-shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425.

Cook turkey meat in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring until it crumbles. Drain, if necessary, and return to skillet. Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, and cook until heated.

While meat cooks, coat a 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Unroll pizza crust dough, and press into bottom and halfway up sides of baking dish. Top bottom of pizza crust with meat mixture.

Bake, uncovered, at 425 for 12 minutes. Top with cheese, and bake 5 minutes or until crust is browned and cheese melts. Cool 5 minutes. Yields 6 servings.

Nutrition info: Approximately 277 calories per serving.

Cheers! Red wines go well with pizza. Try a shiraz. Or, if beer fits the bill, go with a Summit Pale Ale.

Origin: Weight Watchers.

This recipe is good for leftovers, but watch that the crust doesn't get too soggy upon re-heating. It's a surprisingly low-calorie meal for such a deep dish taste. It's also good for shaking things up if you're tired of having regular pizza.

The perfect fall meal that won't give you gas... maybe

Turkey Chili Perfect for a crisp Fall evening

Ingredients:

1 lb or more of extra lean ground turkey

1/2 to 1 red onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

3 cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 small can corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp crushed hot red pepper

1 jalapeno pepper, halved

1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:
Spray large pot with cooking spray on medium high heat. Add ground turkey. Ground into little bits as it cooks until lightly browned, approximately five minutes. Add onion and green pepper. Saute and mix with turkey for three minutes.

Add tomatoes, beans and corn. Mix, then add garlic, hot pepper and jalapeno pepper. Mix again, then add chicken broth and water. Add chili powder and cumin, then bring to a boil. Add salt and pepper.

Keep mixing with spoon. After pot boils, reduce to low heat and let simmer as long as needed, from 15 minutes to a couple of hours. The longer you simmer, the longer the flavors will mix. Yields 8 servings.

Nutrition info: Approximately 250 calories per serving.

Cheers! Any wine will go well with this. For whites, try a slightly sweeter sauvingon blanc blend. For reds, try a light shiraz.

Origin: This is a mish-mash recipe. My lovely wife came up with this one. Feel free to tailor your own. There's no way to go wrong. You could also use real beef, lentils, ketchup or other typical ingredients. Make it your own.

This'll Add Some Spring to Your Step

Linguine With Spicy Shrimp A Spicy and playful blend of seafood and pasta

Ingredients:

8 oz. uncooked linguine

2 tbsp. butter

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 plum tomatoes, chopped

1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp

1 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning

1/2 tsp. ground red pepper

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 cup half-and-half

1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Place pasta in large bowl; keep warm.

Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and tomatoes; saute 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Sprinkle shrimp with Cajun seasoning, red pepper and salt.

Add shrimp mixture to pan; saute 3 minutes or until shrimp are almost done; remove from heat. Stir in half-and-half. Pour shrimp mixture over pasta; toss. Sprinkle parsley. Yields 4 servings.

Nutrition Info: 436 calories per serving

Cook/prep time: 35 minutes

Cheers! Since it's pasta, I'd say any Pinot Grigio or a light red (perhaps a Cabernet) would be appropriate.

Origin: Cooking Light, yet again. So dependable.

Special tips: Nothing in particular. It's pretty straightforward. If you get fresh shrimp, it's spectacular. We made this in Long Beach Island, NJ with huge, fresh shrimp, and it was amazing.

You Say Potato, I Say Gnocchi

Gnocchi With Shrimp, Asparagus and Pesto A Satisfying Blend of Hearty Pasta and Veggies

Ingredients

2 quarts plus 1 tbsp. water, divided

1 (16 oz)package vacuum-packed gnocchi

4 cups (1 inch) slices asparagus (about a pound)

1 pound peeled and deveined large shrimp,

coarsely chopped (but not necessary for small shrimp)

1 cup basil leaves

2 tbsp. pine nuts, toasted

2 tbsp. pre-shredded Parmesan cheese

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

2 tsp. minced garlic

4 tsp. olive oil

Directions:

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a Dutch Oven.

While water boils, compose pesto mixture. Combine 1 tbsp. water, basil and next 4 ingredients (through garlic) and the oil in a food processor; process until smooth, scraping sides.

Add gnocchi to Dutch Oven; cook 4 minutes or until done - gnocchi will rise to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon (or pour into a colander) and place into a large bowl.

Add asparagus and shrimp to pan; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done. Drain and add shrimp mixture to gnocchi.

Add pesto mixture to shrimp mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediately. Yields 4 servings.

Nutrition info: Approximately 355 calories per serving

Cook time/prep time: 30 minutes

Cheers! For a wine pairing, try a Voga Pinot Grigio.

Origin: Again, this is a Cooking Light recipe. Obviously, we subscribe to their wonderful magazine.

Special Tips: I had a little trouble cutting the recipe in half (for two people rather than four) because there wasn't enough pesto mixture in the food processor for it to mix properly. It finally worked - just keep pushing the mixture down with a spoon and run it a little longer. Ultimately, it turned out beautifully. Also, it clearly requires quite a bit of basil, and it helps to have your own basil plant.

You Might Get Funny Looks When You Ask for Polenta

Grilled Polenta and Flank Steak A Surprisingly Fine Mix of Spice and Texture



Ingredients
4 tsp. olive oil, divided
3/4 tsp. kosher or sea salt, divided
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chipotle chile powder
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1 (1 pound) flank steak, trimmed
1 (18 ounce) tube polenta, cut into 8 slices
1 ripe peeled avocado, sliced
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese
1/2 cup refrigerated fresh salsa
2 lime wedges (optional)



Directions:
Heat grill to medium high heat. Combine 1 tsp. oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, cumin, chile powder and pepper; rub evenly over steak. Add steak to grill; cook 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steak from pan; let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.


While steak cooks, or before, brush remaining 1 tbsp. oil over both sides of polenta slices; sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/4 tsp. salt. Add polenta to grill, being mindful they can fall through the cracks. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until slightly charred. Arrange 2 polenta slices on each of 4 plates; divide avocado evenly. Top each serving with 3 ounces steak, 2 tbsp. cheese and 2 tbsp. salsa. Yields 4 servings.



Nutrition info: Approximately 400 calories per serving

Cheers! A good wine pairing is a red zinfandel. If it's summertime, try a Berlinger White Merlot. (Warning: Sweets for the sweet!)

Origin Courtesy of Cooking Light. A highly recommended resource! Enjoy! This is a good summer meal, but you can always broil it during the long winter months.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye...

Homemade Pizza The Healthy and Tasty Version of an American Staple

Ingredients

2 tsp yeast

3 tsp sugar

1/2 to 1 cup warm water

1/8 to 1/4 cup of olive oil

1 pinch salt

1 to 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1 16 oz can pizza sauce

1 6 oz bag mozzarella cheese

1 3.5 oz tub of feta or goat cheese

1/4 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/4 cup chopped green pepper

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 roma tomato, chopped in thin slices

15 pieces pepperoni

Directions:

Pour between one half and one cup warm water in a mixing bowl. [The more water you use, the more flour you use, so it depends on how thick you want the crust.]

Add yeast and sugar. Mix with whisk until bubbly or frothy. Let sit and mix occasionally for 5 or so minutes.

Add pinch of salt and oil. Pour in flour with a large spoon - or straight out of the bag - a little bit at a time. Mix with a large spoon. It will look globby and watery at first, but it will get thicker the more flour you add. When it becomes sticky and thick, put the spoon aside and kneed with your hands. Keep adding the flour until the mixture is smooth, cohesive and not too sticky. Cover, put in a cool and dark place, and let sit a half-hour to an hour.

In the meantime, chop up your vegetables - anything you want. After yeast has risen, roll it out on a cookie sheet - but I prefer a baking stone. Preheat your oven to 375 or so. If you use a cookie sheet, cover it with cooking spray first. If you use a stone, cover it lightly with the whole wheat flour so it doesn't stick. You can roll out with a pin, but I find it easiest to simply push the dough across with my hands. It's good exercise for your hands and arms, actually.

After the dough is in place, place in the oven for approximately 10 minutes. Remove when golden brown spots appear.

Remove dough from the oven, cover with pizza sauce (a spoon works well to spread) and add some spices. Then, add your chopped veggies and pepperoni (sausage is good too). Then the cheese - crumbled cheeses first, then the mozzarella. Finally, top with mozzarella and tomatoes on the very top.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, but you need to watch it because time may vary. Remove from the oven when golden spots appear and the cheese gels.

Let sit 5 minutes and slice with a roller.

Background My parents made this recipe frequently when I grew up. It was more basic then: usually tomato paste and hamburger meat. I've fine-tuned it to seem slightly gourmet. Either way, it tastes healthy but wonderful, which can't be said of many pizzas I've tried. It might take you a while to perfect, but once you do, it will become one of your favorites. People will be impressed that you can make dough from scratch. It might even inspire you to try bread sometime. :)


Nutrition info: Approximately 250-300 calories per slice

Cheers! Recommended drinks: Red wine goes well with pizza, but stick to white in the summer. Beer is always a good companion - I personally recommend Bell's Two Hearted Ale.

Toppings This is obviously up to you. I usually prefer the peppers and onion, with tomato and even a little jalapeno for those who dare. Pepperoni is my favorite, but spicy sausage is great too. My sister prefers pineapple and sometimes Canadian bacon. Make it your own.

This is not a difficult recipe, but it can take a while. The first few tries will be the hardest. Then, you're home free, and people will be impressed. Enjoy!

Bon Appetit!

Hello there! Welcome to the blog. I'd like to give a brief introduction before going forward with "real" posts.

My goal is simply to show you what I've made for dinner, give the recipe along with special tips and observations and share pictures of the process. Simple enough, right?

My lovely wife and I tend to eat pretty healthy food - but honestly, it can be as tasty as any homemade food I've tried. We try to attempt a new recipe or two every week, and we have lots of staples we enjoy.

I'll try to update the blog once or twice a week. I'll do my best to make it fun and easy. First up: my favorite food to make, homemade pizza.

Photos Top: My kitchen; Bottom: Barley Risotto, a recipe to be shared in the near future.