Salmon Tikka with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

Menu:
Salmon Tikka with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce || Jamie Oliver
Butter Lettuce Salad

Ingredients:
4 naan breads
1 fresh red chili
1 cucumber
1 lemon
4 tablespoons natural yogurt
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a few sprigs of fresh cilantro
1-1/2 lb. salmon fillets, skin on, scaled and bones removed (NOTE: I removed the skin)
2 heaped tablespoon thai red curry (Patak’s tandoori curry paste was recommended)
olive oil

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 225°F. Pop your naan breads into the oven to warm through

Halve, deseed and finely chop your chili. Peel and halve your cucumber lengthways, then use a spoon to scoop out and discard the seeds.

Roughly chop the cucumber and put most of it into a bowl. Halve your lemon and squeeze the juice from one half into the bowl. Add the yogurt, a pinch of salt and pepper and half the chopped chili.

Pick the cilantro leaves and put to one side.

Slice salmon filet across lengthways 1/2" slices. Spoon the heaped tablespoon of tandoori paste into a small dish, then use a pastry brush or the back of a spoon to smear the tandoori paste all over each piece (don’t dip your pastry brush into the jar!)

Heat a large frying pan over a high heat. Once hot, add a lug of olive oil, put the salmon into the pan and cook for about 1½ minutes on each side, until cooked through.

Place a warmed naan bread on each plate. Top each one with a good dollop of cucumber yogurt and 3 pieces of salmon. Scatter over a little of the reserved cucumber, chili and cilantro leaves and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Pork Chop Sandwiches

Menu:
Pork Chop Sandwiches with Radish, Alfalfa Sprouts, and Sriracha Mayonnaise
Salad with Avocado, Red Onion & Pepitas
Hand-Cut Potato Chips (Butter, from Sendik's)

Open-Faced Grilled Cheese with Apple & Bacon

Menu:
Open-Faced Grilled Cheese with Apple & Bacon || Every Day Food
Cabbage and Lime Salad with Roasted Peanuts || Smitten Kitchen

NOTE: The cabbage salad was supposed to be what we had for dinner last night, but we were out of town and didn't get around to making it. It was supposed to be served with potstickers, not a grilled cheese sandwich. Both recipes are delicious, but not what I'd normal serve together. Just an FYI.


Open-Faced Grilled Cheese with Apple & Bacon
 4 slices bacon
4 thick slices whole-wheat sandwich bread
8 ounces cheddar cheese, sliced
1 large red apple, quartered, cored, and sliced crosswise

Preheat oven to 350°. Place bacon on a rimmed baking sheet (lined with parchment paper for easy cleanup); bake until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels; tear each slice into quarters.

Place bread on clean baking sheet. Top with cheese, apple, and bacon. Bake until cheese has melted, 10 to 12 minutes.

Portabella Sandwiches

Menu:
Grilled Portabella Mushroom Sanwiches
with Mixed Greens, Avocado, Caper Mayonnaise
Green Beans

Turkey Burgers with Caper Mayonnaise

Menu:
Turkey Burgers with Caper Mayonnaise
Sweet Potatoes

Turkey Meatball Pitas

Menu:
Turkey Meatball Pitas || Women's Health
Herbed Sugar Snap Peas
Prep time: 8 minutes || Cook time: 5 minutes

1 Tbsp olive-oil
8 Tbsp low-fat tzatziki or yogurt dip*
4 c baby spinach leaves
12 fresh or frozen precooked turkey meatballs (plain or home-style)
1 Tbsp allspice
1 Tbsp oregano
4 whole-wheat pita pockets, cut in half
1 Tbsp mint flakes
1. If needed, arrange meatballs on a plate and microwave about 2 minutes on defrost setting.

2. Place olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mint, allspice, and oregano; mix. Break meatballs into small chunks and add to skillet. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Stuff pita pockets with baby spinach leaves. Spoon turkey mixture into pita and top with a dollop of tzatziki or yogurt dip. (*If you can't find prepared low-fat tzatziki or yogurt dip, make your own by mixing 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/4 cup minced cilantro.)

Herbed Sugar Snap Peas

12 oz. fresh sugar snap peas (NOTE: make sure they are stringless or you remove the strings)
1 t. olive oil
1 t. chopped garlic
1 t. thyme

1. Steam peas in microwave or steamer until tender-crisp.

2. Drain water. Add oil, garlic an thyme and toss.

BLTs

Menu:
Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwiches

NOTE: We used turkey bacon.

Italian Beef Sandwiches

Menu:
Italian Beef from Buona Beef (thanks to my sister-in-law who brought us some from a recent trip to our old neighborhood)
Caprese Salad

Turkey Meatball Pita

Menu:
Turkey Meatball Pita || Women's Health, April 2008
Herbed Sugar Snap Peas

Turkey Meatball Pitas

1 Tbsp olive-oil
8 Tbsp low-fat tzatziki (picked ours up at Trader Joe's)
4 c baby spinach leaves
12 fresh or frozen precooked turkey meatballs (again, from Trader Joe's)
1 Tbsp allspice
1 Tbsp oregano
4 whole-wheat pita pockets, cut in half
1 Tbsp mint flakes

1. If needed, arrange meatballs on a plate and microwave about 2 minutes on defrost setting.

2. Place olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mint, allspice, and oregano; mix. Break meatballs into small chunks and add to skillet. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Stuff pita pockets with baby spinach leaves. Spoon turkey mixture into pita and top with a dollop of tzatziki or yogurt dip. (*If you can't find prepared low-fat tzatziki or yogurt dip, make your own by mixing 1 cup plain nonfat yogurt, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1/4 cup minced cilantro.)

Herbed Sugar Snap Peas

1 bag (12 oz) fresh or frozen sugar snap peas + 1 tsp olive oil + 1 tsp jarred chopped garlic + 1 tsp thyme

1. Steam peas in microwave or steamer until tender-crisp, about 3 minutes.
2. Drain water. Add oil, garlic, and thyme and toss.

French Vietnamese Bahn Mi Sandwiches

Menu:
French Vietnamese Bahn Mi Sandwiches || Inspire Mel
Mung Bean, Carrot, Cucumber, Micro Cilantro and Jalapeno Aioli

My friend Melissa made this awhile back, and I finally got around to making it. She was right -- it was delicious. Plus, it's made in a crockpot, so is simple to make and my house smelled amazing.

Turkey & Cheese in Puff Pastry

Menu:
Turkey & Cheese in Puff Pastry || The Perfect Pantry
Mache, Red Quinoa, Pistachios, Avocado Salad

Keftedakia Marinata

Menu:
Keftedakia Marinata (Greek Marinated Meatballs) || Cook, a oui chef journal
Tzatziki
Whole Wheat Pita
Greek Salad - Romaine, Red Onion, Feta, Cucumber and Dressing (2T lemon juice, 2 T olive oil, 1t oregano, 1/4t salt)

Tzatziki is really easy to make, but I went the even easier route and bought some at Trader Joe's. The meatballs were really good.