Berry Apple Pecan Salad with Greek Yogurt Sauce and Toasted Coconut

This is a very healthy and low calorie dessert.

1 pint raspberries

1 pint blackberries

1 pint strawberries, sliced

2-3 apples (I shredded mine, but you could also dice them)

Toasted Pecans

Toasted Coconut

For the sauce:

1 container Greek yogurt (any flavor is fine, I used vanilla)

1 T Splenda (feel free to use sugar if you want)

1 T lime juice

1/3 cup coconut milk (I used unsweetened, 45 calories per cup)

This makes a pretty good amount of salad, so I would only make up half, and store the leftover sauce separate from the fruit.

Skinny Bang Bang Shrimp

These skinny (not breaded) Bang Bang Shrimp make a great appetizer, but would also be very good on a salad, or in a taco or quesadilla.

Grill 1 lb Shrimp. (You could also cook in a pan, but the grilling makes it a bit smoky)

Bang Bang Sauce:

1/3 cup Mayo (look for a low calorie option, I used the Olive Oil Mayo from Kraft)

1-2 T Sriracha sauce

1/4 cup thai chili sauce

Toss with the sauce, garnish with chives, and serve!

I am going to try this with chicken cubed up next time. 

Grilled Tilapia w/ Nectarine Salsa and Sweet Potato Wedges

Tilapia:

Mix together 

1/2 t onion powder

1/2 t garlic powder

1 t paprika

1 t salt

1 t pepper

1 t chili powder

Grill fish (spray the grate down well with Pam or brush with olive oil).

Nectarine Salsa:

2 nectarines

1 avocado

1 Serrano pepper

1/4 red onion

2 T lime juice

Dash salt

Do this 30 minutes in advance to let the flavors mingle.

Sweet Potato Wedges

Cut sweet potatoes into wedges and boil for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Brush with oil and salt the wedges. Grill until browned on each side.

Light Greek Yogurt Blue Cheese Dressing

Mix together:

8oz plain Greek yogurt

4 oz blue cheese

1 T apple cider vinegar

1 t lime juice

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t onion powder

1/2 t salt

1/2 t black pepper

Chicken Yakotori with Baby Corn and Scallions

I love yakotori (also known where I live as "chicken on a stick"). The recipe is pretty basic, with the addition of scallions and baby corn to the skewers, to dress it up and bit (and pump up the flavor).

I used chicken breast instead of the traditional chicken thighs, just to lighten it up a little.

Cook the following over medium heat until reduced by half:
2 cups mirin
1 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup sugar
3 garlic cloves
chili flakes or sriracha

Marinate 1 lb of 1 inch cubed pieces of chicken in half of the above sauce, once it has cooled. Reserve the other half of the sauce.

After marination continues a for a few hours, skewer the meat and grill it. Baste with the remaining sauce. Baste and baste and baste. The glaze that forms is delicious. You will wish you basted more than once if you ignore me...

You could serve this with rice and/or a grilled vegetable like asparagus or green beans.

Asian Volcano Scallop

I have had something similar at a sushi restaurant so I wanted to make it at home.

Bottom to top, this is how I assemble these tasty little appetizers:

Lettuce leaf
Soy/Mirin sauce
Scallop
Crab Salad
Sweet Potato Strings
Soy/Mirin sauce

The lettuce leaf is easy, and any kind will do. You could use romaine, bibb, or even iceberg if you had it on hand.

The soy/mirin sauce is easy, just reduce:
1/4 cup mirin
1/2 cup soy
1/4 cup sugar

For the scallops, I sear them in a super hot pan with sesame oil for 2 minutes on each side. Don't let them sit around long, you should serve them warm.

Crab salad is also simple, just mix:
crab
1/4 cup mayo
sriracha sauce (really depends on how spicy you want it)
1 t sugar

For the sweet potatoes use a potato peeler to make thin strips, bake at 325 til brown.

Double Chocolate Low Calorie Zucchini Muffins

These are delicious, and healthy with the greek yogurt. They are about 125 calories per muffin.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix together:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup splenda
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 container greek yogurt
1 cup grated zucchini
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Then add:
1 t salt
1 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Bake 15-20 minutes.

Homemade Soft Pretzels with Cheddar Beer Chipotle Dipping Sauce

I was wanting to bake something, but didn't want to eat a bunch of cookie dough/cookies, so I opted for something savory. Pretzels popped into my head. I found a generic pretzel recipe from Alton Brown and made a few tweaks.

Combine and let set 5 minutes:
1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast

Add in:
4 cups flour

Knead dough for 5 minutes until elastic. Then oil, cover, and let sit for an hour in a warm place. Your dough should double in size.

Divide the dough into 20 pieces. Then roll each piece into a long strand and fold into whatever shape you want.

Boil each pretzel for 45 seconds in water/baking soda mix (about 1/2 cup baking soda per 6 cups water)

PPreheat oven to 450 degrees.

Spray pan with nonstick spray.

Brush pretzel tops with:
1 large egg yolk beaten with 2 tablespoons melted butter

Sprinkle with salt and bake for 10-12 minutes (until tops are brown).

Then you can make a dipping sauce. I chose a spicy cheddar beer sauce.

Melt together in a saucepan:
3/4 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 cup beer
1 T corn starch
2 T adobo sauce (from chipotle peppers)
2 finely diced chipotle peppers
1 t garlic powder

You could really do so many things with these. I want to try making 'bites' and sprinkle with ranch dressing mix next.

Light Parmesan Peppercorn Dressing over Grilled Shrimp Cobb Salad

I love Parmesan peppercorn dressing but have always bought a high calorie bottles version. Last night I made an attempt at a lighter version and it was very good.

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

3/4 cup olive oil mayo

1/4 cup low fat buttermilk 

2 to 3 T fresh ground pepper

1/4 cup Parmesan 

2 T lime juice

2 cloves minced garlic 

1 t salt

I used the dressing with a grilled shrimp cobb salad that had: grilled romaine and shrimp, grilled onion and corn, tomatoes, avocados, hard boiled egg, pancetta, and homemade croutons.

Shrimp Pancetta Goat Cheese Calzone

I decided to make homemade dough, but you could also buy pre made.

Ingredients
1 package yeast
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F.)
3 cups flour 
1 1/2 t salt

1 t garlic powder
1 1/2 T olive oil

Directions
Combine yeast with water, olive oil, salt and stir well to proof. After 5 minutes, add half of the flour and mix. Add all remaining flour except 1/2 cup and mix.

Knead dough for at least 5 minutes. Dough should not be sticky. Put dough to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place for an hour.

Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

Calzone ingredients:

Shrimp

Pancetta

Goat cheese

Mozzarella 

Garlic

Green onion

Spinach 

Cook pancetta in a pan, when almost done add the garlic and then the green onion.

You will also want to cook your shrimp, I threw mine in with the pancetta but you could also grill it.

Then roll out your dough and add your filling. Crimp the edges together and cut slits on the top so it can vent.

Brush with olive oil and bake until browned (8-10 min).