Steak and Cheese Egg Rolls

Ingredients:

1 lb Shaved steak
1 white onion
1 package of mushrooms
1/4 lb white american cheese from the deli
Spring roll wrappers
Non-stick spray

Directions:

Slice the onions and mushrooms to desired size. Place in a medium sized frying pan and spray with non-stick spray. Cook on medium.

When they are just about finished cooking, add the shaved steak to the frying pan. Continue cooking until the onions, mushrooms and steak is cooked to your desired liking.

Pre-heat your deep fryer to 365 degrees and make sure it is full with the recommended about of oil. Next, lay out 1 spring roll wrapper. Line with the cheese and fill with the meat and vegetable mixture and fold into a spring roll. Click this link for a useful video on how to roll a egg roll wrapper.  Be sure to lightly wet the edges of the wrapper to create a seal.

Create an assembly line to make this process easier. 

Place into the fryer. Make sure that the egg rolls are not touching in the fryer. Rotate half way with tongs once the egg roll starts to get bubbly looking. Continue to cook until it is golden brown.

Place on a paper towel and allow to dry for about 1-2 minutes.

Serve whole or cut in half!

Coconut Shrimp over Mango Salsa with Zesty Orange Dressing

So tonight I was in the mood for coconut shrimp since I just bought my new deep fryer.I know frying things isn't the healthiest but mixed with healthy ingredients, it's not so bad!  Here is a little twist on the idea inspired by Bobby Dean.

Mango Salsa:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of diced mango

1/4 cup of chopped green onion

1/4 cup chopped purple onion 

1/2 of a limes juices

1/2 of a lemons juices

Directions:

Chop up all of the ingredients as specified. Mix together with the juices of the lemon and lime. Let this sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. 

Zesty Orange Dipping Sauce:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of orange marmalade

2 teaspoons of rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:

Add the marmalade, rice vinegar and red pepper flakes in a small sized pot. Cook on low for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you want to serve this chilled, allow it to sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.

Coconut Shrimp:

Ingredients:

1 lb of shrimp cocktail

1/2 cup of all purpose flour

a teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

2/3 cup of water

2 cups of shredded sweetened coconut

1/2 cup of plain breadcrumbs

Directions:

Heat up your deep fryer to 325 degrees. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and water. Let this sit for 15 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine the shredded coconut and bread crumbs and mix together. Butterfly your shrimp and form an assembly line of shrimp, batter, the coconut and break crumb mix, then your deep fryer. Take 1 piece of shrimp and dip it in the batter, coat in the coconut and breadcrumb mix and then slowly drop it into the deep fryer. These should cook for about 2 minutes in the deep fryer or until they are golden brown. Lay out a paper towel on a plate and place the cooked shrimp on there for about 2 minutes after cooking to allow them to dry out a little bit.

Serving:

I placed arugula on top of the plate, topped with the Mango Salsa , put the Zesty Orange Dressing in a ramekin and topped with the Coconut Shrimp. it was definitely a big hit!

Crab Meat Stuffed Mushrooms

These are such a hit whenever I make them! Sadly, there are never any leftovers! I think I'm going to start making a double batch and hide some aside for myself! Definitely a comfort food so I used real butter! It happens! This recipe calls for the same stuffing I use to make my Baked Stuffed Shrimp. You could put this stuffing on anything and make it taste delicious! 

Ingredients:

-30 mushrooms

- 1 stick of butter

- 1/4 cup of white onion

- 2 sticks of celery

- 1 can of crab meat

- 2 sleeves of reduced fat ritz crackers (should equal about 64 crackers)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350. Chop up the onion and celery into little pieces and put in mixing bowl. Add butter to the bowl. Microwave until the butter is melted. While the butter is melting in the microwave, take a large baking sheet and spray with non-stick spray. Core out the mushrooms (take off the stems) and place on the pan with the round side facing down and the hole where the stem used to be facing up. Once the butter in the mixing bowl is melted, stir well. Add the crab meat to the mixing bowl. In a large ziplock bag, add all of the ritz crackers and seal tightly. Mash the ritz crackers until they look like small breadcrumbs. Pour the Ritz into the mixing bowl and mix together all of the ingredients until it is a thick stuffing-like texture. Begin making 1 tablespoon sized balls and form with your hands. Place firmly on the mushroom and continue until every mushroom has a stuffing ball on top. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the stuffing is crispy looking and the mushrooms are cooked through.

Nutrition Information for 1 Stuffed Mushroom (this recipe should make 30 stuffed mushrooms)

Calories - 62

Carbs - 5

Fat - 4

Protein - 1

Sodium - 98

Fiber - 0

Smothered Filet Mignon

Who doesn't just love a big juicy steak smothered with onions and mushrooms? My boyfriend loves filet night! The first time I cooked for him, I made him filet and its safe to say that a year and a half later we are still happily together. So I guess its true what they say, the way to a man's heart is through food?

Ingredients: 

1 tablespoon of EVOO

(1) 4.5 oz filet mignon steak

1/2 teaspoon of Beef base stock

1/2 cup of mushrooms

1/2 cup of vidalia onion

1/4 teaspoon of sea salt and garlic grinder or any other seasoning spice

non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 350. Take out your steak fillets out of the fridge (you want them to set in room-temperature air for 30 minutes.) Rub half of the EVOO on each side of the filet, along with dusting each side with the sea salt and garlic.Chop up the onion and mushrooms to desired size. Place them in a medium sized frying pan. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and put on medium heat. Continue to stir while they are cooking.Once they are cooked through, reduce to low heat. Add in the beef stock and mix well, allowing it to coat the onion and mushroom mixture and it will look like the below picture. Keep the burner on low heat to keep the mixture warm.

Next, get another medium sized frying pan and place on medium heat. Once the pan is hot (about 1 or 2 minutes to heat up), place the desired filet in the pan. Allow the steak to sear on each side for 3-4 minutes. Do not play with the steak. Just let it do its thing.

Once both sides of the steak have a beautiful sear, place in a non-stick sprayed casserole dish. Now I like my steak cooked medium-rare. Especially a fillet! I think anything more ruins the whole idea of a fillet being able to "cut like butter." So I leave the steak in the oven for about 8-10 minutes for medium-rare. If you want your steak cooked more, leave it in longer. Other than that, once you take the steak out, smother that baby with the onion and mushroom mixture and enjoy! This dish would pair well with my Greek Orzo Summer Salad  or my Not Your Average Wedge Salad !

Nutrition Information for 1 Filet (About 4.5 oz steak)

Calories - 429

Carbs - 10 

Fat - 26

Protien - 38

Sodium - 482

Fiber - 1

Loaded Sangria

Ingredients:

4 oz moscato wine
1 oz peach schnapps
3 oz diet raspberry ginger ale
Ice
2 slices of lime
2 slices of lemon
2 slices of peach
1 strawberry
1 watermelon wedge

Directions:

Slice the lime, lemon and peach. Fill cup half way with ice. Pour the moscato over the ice, then the peach schnapps and top with the ginger ale. Take 2 slices of lime, lemon and peach and squeeze the juices into the cup and place the, in the cup. Mix with a mixing spoon. Garnish with the strawberry and watermelon wedge!

Nutrition Information - (For 1 glass - recipe makes 1 serving)

Calories - 200
Carbs - 24
Fat - 0
Protein - 0
Sodium - 64
Fiber - 1

Baked Stuffed Shrimp

Yummm, baked stuffed shrimp! One of my favorites! I hate when you go out to a restaurant and you pay about $20 for 5 pieces of shrimp, a little salad and rice! I made the same dinner for 6 people for about $30! This is one of my meals that I love to make at home because its cheaper, healthier and it tastes better! Now let's be honest, I do use real butter in this recipe so I'm not claiming it's healthy but definitely healthier than the amount of butter they use in restaurants! 

Ingredients:

-30 large shrimp cocktail already cooked

- 1 stick of butter

- 1/4 cup of white onion

- 2 sticks of celery

- 1 can of crab meat

- 2 sleeves of reduced fat ritz crackers (should equal about 64 crackers)

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350. Chop up the onion and celery into little pieces and put in mixing bowl. Add butter to the bowl. Microwave until the butter is melted. While the butter is melting in the microwave, take a large baking sheet and spray with non-stick spray. Butterfly the shrimp and place on the pan. Once the butter in the mixing bowl is melted, stir well. Add the crab meat to the mixing bowl. In a large ziplock bag, add all of the ritz crackers and seal tightly. Mash the ritz crackers until they look like small breadcrumbs. Pour the Ritz into the mixing bowl and mix together all of the ingredients until it is a thick stuffing-like texture. 

Begin making 1 tablespoon sized balls and form with your hands. Place firmly on the piece of shrimp and continue until every shrimp has a stuffing ball on top. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the stuffing is crispy looking.

Serve with your favorite sides! I served mine with rice pilaf and Not Your Average Wedge Salad ... and of course a nice big glass of wine!

Nutrition Information for 1 Piece of Shrimp (This recipe should make 30 pieces of shrimp)

Calories - 70

Carbs - 5

Fat - 4

Protein - 3

Sodium - 126

Fiber - 0

Not Your Average Wedge Salad

I just love a nice wedge salad! It so refreshing and satisfying!

Ingredients:

1/4 of an iceberg lettuce
1/4 cup of diced tomatoes
1/8 cup of diced purple onion
1 slice of turkey bacon
2 tablespoons of fat free or light blue cheese dressing

Directions:

Cook the turkey bacon as directed on the package. Wash the ice berg lettuce and cut into quarters. Place 1 quarter on a plate. Chop up the tomato and onion. When the turkey bacon is finished cooking, crumble into pieces. Drizzle the blue cheese dressing on the ice berg wedge. Sprinkle and top with the bacon, tomato and onion. Serve with your choice of wine ;)

Nutrition Information - (This recipe makes 1 serving)

Calories - 127

Carbs - 12

Fat - 5

Protein - 10

Sodium - 143

Fiber - 1