Corn, Tomato and Basil Salad

Ingredients

4 large ears white corn, husked
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 cup (packed) thinly sliced fresh basil
4 roma tomatoes, seeded, chopped
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
fresh black pepper, to taste

Directions

Using large knife, cut corn kernels from cob. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add corn; sauté until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add half of basil.

Transfer corn mixture to large bowl. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, vinegar, 3 tablespoons oil and remaining basil. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover and chill until cold, about 3-5 minutes.

Pork Tenderloin with Seasoned Rub

This is another Ellie Krieger recipe. I love her, her recipes are always figure friendly and pretty simple.

The hubs and I have started eating clean and along with that we have cut out all wheat and dairy for two weeks. Hard to do? Not really, it isn't much of a change from the way we normally eat. Eating clean basically means "if man made it, don't eat it." So what's on our menu? A lot of veggies, fruit, nuts, egg whites, lean meat and fish! After our two weeks of no dairy and wheat we can add in greek yogurt, oatmeal and brown rice. Oh and don't forget dark chocolate. One should never live without it!

This recipe was great for dinner served along some roasted veggies. I made enough to feed us for lunch, for the week! How nice is that?
P.S. If you want to try eating clean I suggest you plan a menu for the week ahead of time. It's always easier to stick with something if it's already planned and at your fingertips!

Ingredients

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon dried thyme

salt to taste

1 1/4 lb pork tenderloin

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In separate bowl mix dry ingredients. Stir mixture with a fork until all ingredients are well combined and they form a seasoning.

Sprinkle the rub over the tenderloin with a dry hand, then rub the pork with the seasoning over both sides of the meat, pressing gently so the seasoning adheres well to the tenderloin.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, all the olive oil and heat. Add the garlic and saute, stirring for 1 minute.

Put the tenderloin in the pan and cook for about 10 minutes searing each side using tongs to turn the meat.

Transfer meat to a roasting pan and bake for 2o minutes. Let rest 5-10 minutes then slice and serve.

Raw Broccoli Salad

I saw this recipe on another blog and thought it looked pretty good. I will tell you that it is a cinch to make and very healthy but good? I definitely didn't fall in love with it. After the first few bites it reminded me a lot of Tabbouleh. A middle eastern salad made with Bulgar and finely chopped parsley, tomatoes, green onions, lemon juice and olive oil. Now Tabbouleh I like, so the second time I made it I followed this recipe and added little parsley, some tomatoes and a tad more lemon juice. It was much better the second time around. So I say make this, try it, then kick it up your own way :)

Ingredients

3 cups of chopped broccoli
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 tbs of finely minced coriander
1 tsp of cumin
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp of sea salt

Directions

Wash and finely chop the broccoli, several florets at a time. Include 1 garlic clove in the chopping. Chop for another minute and then add the second clove. Keep chopping until the broccoli is a similar size to that in the picture.

Place the broccoli into a large, non-reactive bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients and then mix well with a metal spoon.

Cover and let the broccoli sit in the fridge for one hour.

Chilli Chicken and Basil

This recipe is from one of the many magazines I receive and although I don't have great luck with the most recipes I see, this one made me take a second look. I mean with ingredients like Serrano peppers, red chili paste and basil it's bound to be good right? Well it really was and it's under 200 calories per serving. Serve this with brown rice or Quinoa and you have an easy, healthy and very flavorful meal!

* This dish is SPICY. If you don't do spicy then use one pepper and remove the seeds! Other wise enjoy the heat!


Ingredients

1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breast ( or 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs )
3 cloves garlic
2 Serrano's
1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tbsp red chili paste
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
2 cups fresh basil

Directions

Cut the chicken into small pieces, then finely chop the garlic and chillies.

Preheat a wok over medium-high heat. Add the oil, the garlic and the chilis and fry for 2-3 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the chicken pieces to the pan, cooking them until they're lightly browned, about 3-4 minutes. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce, red chili paste and sugar, and continue to cook until the chicken is done all the way through, another 3-4 minutes.

Add the pepper and basil and cook until the basil is just wilted, about two minutes. Serve immediately.

Indian Lentil Soup

This soup is full of flavor and spice. If you want to make this a vegetarian dish you can substitute the chicken broth for water. Serve with cool Greek Yogurt and some Naan bread and you have yourself a gorgeous dinner!

Ingredients

1 1⁄2 cups uncooked lentils
2 cups water

2 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1⁄4 cup plus 1 tablespoon light vegetable oil (divided use)
2 tablespoons black mustard seeds
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1⁄2 teaspoon Madras curry powder
1 fresh jalapeño chile, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1⁄2-inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric
2 onions, chopped
1⁄2 cup dried unsweetened coconut
1 quart canned chopped or diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons ground coriander
1⁄4 teaspoon cayenne

Greek Yogurt to garnish

Put lentils, water, chicken broth and bay leaves into a medium-size pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally to keep lentils from sticking. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.

In a soup pot, heat 1/4 cup of the oil. When you drop a mustard seed in the oil and it sizzles, the temperature is right. Pour in mustard and cumin seeds and cook until most of them pop.

Lower the heat and stir frequently so you don’t burn any of the seeds. Stir in Madras curry powder, then jalapeño, garlic, ginger and turmeric. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the onions. Stir and cook for 10 minutes

Add the coconut along with the remaining tablespoon of oil, then cook for 10 minutes more.

Add the canned tomatoes to the soup, along with the accompanying tomato juice and the salt. Cook for 20 minutes, or until hot. Stir frequently so nothing sticks.

Stir in cumin, coriander and cayenne. Add the cooked lentils and water, removing bay leaves. Continue to simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Serve with Greek Yogurt!