Skinny Greek Bitch Meal: Lemon Chicken Greek Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

I have a few friends that are on a carb free/sugar free diet, and I'm constantly on a carb free diet..hahah.  This is a great salad, topped with homemade hummus for extra protein.  It is a good idea to keep a batch of hummus just laying around and dip carrots, celery and cucumber slices into it..for a no carb snack.  Its so easy to  make and so much better for you without all the preservatives and crap that is in the packaged kind.  You can make the hummus plain, herbed, artichoke, garlic..whatever flavor you want.
  So enjoy skinny bitch, Greek style.

Lemon Chicken Greek Salad with Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Lemon Chicken Greek Salad:
Serves 4

1 lb chicken breast fillets  (free roaming happy chickens only please!)

1 cup feta cheese

A big crunchy bunch of romaine lettuce

1 cucumber sliced

cherry tomatoes-halved

1/4 cup Greek olives-halved

1/2 red fine diced red onion

4 stalks celery chopped

1 cup artichoke hearts-halved

1 red pepper julienned

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

3 T olive oil

Sea Salt

Pepper


Dressing:

Juice and zest from 1 lemon

3 T champagne or white wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

Sea Salt

Pepper

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus:

1 roasted red pepper-peeled

1 clove of garlic

1 T tahini

2 cups garbanzo beans (canned, organic ones are cool)

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 t lemon zest

1/4 cup olive oil

2 T water

Sea Salt

Pepper

Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.  Cook them in the 3 T of olive oil, lemon juice and lemon zest for about 5 minutes on each side.  Set aside.

Chop the Romain lettuce and prepare the other veggies.  Put them in a huge salad bowl with olives and artichoke hearts. 

For the dressing- mix the lemon juice, zest, and vinegar in a small bowl.  While whisking, stream in the olive oil until emulsified.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Slice the red pepper in half and seed it.  Place in broiler, skin up for 10 minutes.  Let cool and peel the skin off, the pepper is done for sure when the skin is blackened and peels off easily. 

Drain the garbanzo beans and rinse them off.  Put them in a food processor with lemon juice, zest, tahini, garlic clove and the roasted red pepper.  Mix it on high, and stream in the olive oil and water.  Blend until your preferred consistency.  I blend the heck out of mine cause I like it smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Chill in fridge before serving.  You can do this in a blender, but you may have to do it in batches.

Toss the salad with dressing and top with feta cheese, lemon chicken and a dollop of hummus. 

Refreshing, healthy and easy!  Don't forget to make extra hummus!  It stays good in the fridge for a week.  Helping women around the world become more of a skinny bitch day by day...

-Domesticated Peacock

Skinny Bitch Meals: Grilled Pineapple and Prawn Skewers with a Crunchy Fennel and Arugula salad-tossed in Pineapple vinaigrette.

Grasp the end of summer with this fresh and healthy recipe.  Its light, colorful and guilt free! 

Smart and Innocent: Grilled Pineapple and Prawn Skewers with a Crunchy Fennel and Arugula salad-tossed in Pineapple vinaigrette.
Serves 2

Shrimp Skewers:

1 lb large prawns (please be careful choosing quality prawns.)

1 red bell pepper

1/2 of a cubed pineapple (save juice from cutting for the vinaigrette, and 1/2 cup of the cubes)

1 white onion

2 T honey

1 T red pepper flakes

1 clove chopped garlic

1 T chopped parsley

1 T sea salt

1 T fresh ground pepper



Fennel and Arugula salad:

2 bulbs fennel

1 bag arugula

1 avocado

1 shallot

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

2 T chopped parsley

Reserved 1/4 cup pineapple juice and pineapple

1 T sea salt

1 T fresh ground pepper

1 t cayenne

3 T champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

2 T honey


Shrimp:
Marinate the skewer items first.  Shell and de-vein the shrimp, leaving the tail on and put them in a medium bowl.  Cut pineapple in 1x1 inch cubes and put them in the bowl with the shrimp along with 1x1 chunks of red bell pepper and 1x1 chunks of onion.  Add the honey, red pepper flake, parsley, salt, pepper and chopped garlic.  Toss this around and let marinate while you prepare the salad. 

You can grill or broil the prawns.  Skewer a prawn, a pineapple, onion and bell pepper.  Repeat.  Do not over pack the skewer, it does not look pretty that way, just do it twice.  Grill/broil for 3 minutes each side.  That's it!

Salad:
Trim the fennel bulbs and rinse them...wash the arugula too.  Julienne the fennel bulbs very thin, avoiding the core.  Throw the core away, its just too tough.  Toast the pine nuts for about 3-5 minutes-  Julienne the shallot and toss with the arugula, fennel, parsley and the pine nuts (cooled).

Pineapple vinaigrette:
Crush the pineapple, put in a bowl with pineapple juice, vinegar, honey, and cayenne.  While whisking, slowly stream in the olive oil.  This is a good time to let an overly eager friend or spouse finally help you in the kitchen.  Jason gets really excited to help me with the dressing...

Whisk until the dressing has emulsified and is thick.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Toss into the salad and top with sliced avocado. 

Roasted Peacock

As most of you know I just had jaw surgery  because my braces could not correct my deformed jaw.  I have been laying here for days now, with my face the size of a large melon.  Thank you everyone for sending me flowers, bringing me fun things like coloring books and stuffed animals (a chicken and a koala) and entertaining me via words with friends.  In the middle of my drug induced oblivion, I had to make a cheesecake for a client.  It took me an hour to figure how to get it out of the spring form pan (I never figured it out, Jason came and released it for me-thank goodness because I was about ready to throw it.)  Here is a photo of it, it looks like it came out pretty good.  I can hardly type right now, or hold up my large head to do so, I need a kickstand.  I'm just going to continue on with my day which consists of waking up, laying in the shower, strapping an ice sac to my face, falling in and out of sleep and itching myself with a large wooden fork because my pain meds make me itch and my acrylic nails fail at tickling me properly.  Soon I will be up, in the kitchen again and posting recipes.

Hell in a Hand Basket Lasagna with Sourdough herb garlic bread..Meat lasagna with spinach, layered in a pink bechamel sauce.

Sometimes life calls for a recipe that is so bad its good.  I'm not counting anything in this recipe besides how many different cheeses I'm using.  So if your sad, its a rainy day, PMS, you just love pasta or your having surgery and wont be able to eat for 2 weeks, this is a lasagna that will make you curl in a ball and you may even purr....actually I oinked after but whatever...

Hell in a Hand Basket Lasagna with Sourdough herb garlic bread

Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees

Grease with olive oil a 11 x 17 baking pan

1 Loaf nice sourdough bread

1 Box lasagna noodles  (12 noodles of your rolling your own but that's another recipe)

8 oz Ricotta cheese

16 oz Mozzarella Cheese

8 oz Parmesan Cheese

1 Cup  Fresh Basil leaves , 1/4 cup chiffonade, the rest for garnish on plates.

1 egg

1 T dried red pepper flakes

2 T garlic powder

1 Onion

4 cloves garlic

1 lb ground beef

4 tomatoes

salt

pepper

1/2 cup flour

1 cup cream

1 cup milk

2 T tomato paste

1/2 stick butter

1 t freshly grated nutmeg

1 bag of baby spinach

Noodles:

Boil a huge pot of salted water and boil noddles for only about 8 minutes, they need to be AL Dente. 

 

Ricotta Filling:

In a medium bowl mix the ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup of Parmesan, the egg, the chiffonade basil, 1 clove garlic, salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Meat Filling:

First saute the chopped onion and  2  cloves of the chopped  garlic.  Add the ground beef and chopped tomatoes.   Mix all together on med-high for about 5 minutes.  Add garlic powder, red pepper flake, salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside.

Pink Bechamel Sauce:

Melt the half of stick of butter, and add the flour to make a roux.  Cook the roux for about 7 minutes, so its light brown in the golden roux stage.  Whisk in the cream and the milk until smooth.  This will thicken up quickly.  Add the tomato paste and a 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese.  Whisk again and season with grated nutmeg,  salt and pepper to taste.  Set aside on low.

Build the lasagna:

Lay down a layer of noodles on the bottom of the pan.  Spoon an equal amount of meat on the noodles, then layer some mozzarella on the top, then a layer of spinach, spread a layer of the ricotta mixture, then pour half the sauce over all of that.  Repeat with another layer of noodles, meat, cheese, spinach, ricotta mixture and sauce.  Top with a layer of noodles, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan on top of that.  Bake uncovered for an hour.  Let sit for 10 minutes.

 Herb Garlic Bread:

 

While the lasagna is sitting, split the bread in half and put a compound butter mixture of basil, the last clove of  chopped garlic and some Parmesan, salt and pepper in it.  Wrap in foil and throw in the oven for the 10 minutes.

Slice, break bread and enjoy with a nice red wine.  Oink!

Skinny Bitch Meals: Thai Halibut En Papillote with Stir fry Baby Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushrooms

Thai Halibut En Papillote with Stir fry Baby Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushrooms

Please note that the fish only cooks 10 minutes, and the bok choy only takes 10 minutes, so once you are prepped, this is a very quick dish to make!

You can eat the heck out of this ...as much as you want!  No carbs, all protein..Woot!

Halibut En Papillote:

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
Serves 4

First of all for those who do not know, En Papillote just means in paper.  Just follow the photographs and directions, and this seared and steamed fish dish will impress everyone...especially grand to entertain with because it stays warm and has a nice display.

 4- 6 oz portion of Halibut

1/4 cup of low fat coconut milk

2 t red curry

2 T chopped lemongrass

2 T chopped garlic

2 T grated ginger

1 Sliced Scallion

2 T Soy Sauce

2 t Red Curry powder

2 T Sea Salt

2 T Pepper

2 Portions of Parchment paper cut into proper shapes

Lime for garnish

Stir fry Baby Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushrooms:

1 lb Shiitake mushrooms

6 bunches of Baby Bok Choy (they really shrink down like spinach so don't scrimp on the bok!)

2 T Lemongrass

2 T Ginger

1 Sliced Scallion

2 T chopped garlic

3 T Soy Sauce

3 T Cilantro (plus some for garnish)

Zest of 1 lime

Juice of one lime

2 T peanut oil

1 t Sesame seed oil


Halibut En Papillote:

Take your fish out and bring to room temp.  Season both sides with sea salt and pepper.  Get a dry pan really hot and sear both sides of the fish for 1 minute each...set aside.
Fold a big piece of parchment paper and cut a half of a heart out of the folded side.  Brush both sides of the paper with oil  peanut, olive whatever-not really vegetable oil though..ew.  Put a tablespoon of coconut milk down, 1 teaspoon of the red curry, a tablespoon of the ginger, lemongrass and garlic.  Put the seared piece of fish on top of that, with sliced scallions, one more tablespoon of coconut milk, and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce on that.  Fold over the parchment paper and crimp the edges.  (see photo)
Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  NO LONGER!!!!  Serve in the paper and the person enjoying this will tear open the package and squeeze fresh lime over the top before eating.

Stir fry Baby Bok Choy and Shiitake Mushrooms:

Put the oils in a wok, or a large frying pan, if you don't have a wok. (get a wok).  Swirl the oil around to coat the pan.  Put the ginger, and lemon grass in the pan and let saute for a minute.  Lay the mushrooms in one layer in the pan.  If they are stacked on top of each other they will steam and get all limp, they will not saute.  DO NOT MESS WITH THEM.  Just let them saute on their own, you don't have to peck at them with a spatula or anything.  Once they are brown and smell really good, add the garlic and lime zest.  Now you can give them a toss.  Its OK if some of them are sticking to the pan, you will De glaze the pan soon and scrape up all the yummy bits.  Wash, spin to get extra water off and chop the bok choy.  Add it to the pan with soy sauce and lime juice.  Give everything a big stir, mix in all the mushroom that may have stuck on the bottom.  Finish off with chopped cilantro.  Serve immediately.  Do not over saute this dish, you want your bok choy to be bright green and with a bit of a crunch.   Limp, brown greens are nasty.  This should only take you 10 minutes...the same amount of time the fish is in the oven!

Haaaaaaaa...Enjoy!  Vedy good!

Skinny Bitch Meals: Lemon Braised Chicken Thighs with Baby Artichokes and Stuffed Sunburst Squash...NO simple carbs here!

I refuse to count veggies (besides the guilty potato) and fruit as a carb.  I just stay away from simple carbs, the jerks that make you fat.  So here is a easy and exciting chicken recipe, great for the summertime!

Lemon Braised Chicken Thighs with Baby Artichokes and Stuffed Sunburst Squash
Serves 4
Pre-Heat oven to 350 degrees

Lemon Braised Chicken Thighs with Baby Artichokes:

1 lb boneless, skinless Chicken thighs (I know some of you only eat the breast.  It might be tougher though...)  FREE RANGE YO!

1 Cup Chicken stock

1/2 cup White Wine

2 cloves chopped garlic

Zest of one lemon

Juice of one lemon

1lb of Baby Artichokes

1/4 cup green olives

1 T Salt

1 T Pepper

1 T Garlic Powder

1/4 cup Rice flour  ( regular flour is fine but it adds carbs, but its only to dust with so whatever..)

Stuffed Sunburst Squash:

9 Yellow Sunburst Squash

1 diced whole squash

1 diced red pepper

2 green onions sliced

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 T Olive oil

1 clove garlic diced

1 t salt

1 t pepper

1 Clove Garlic

1 t garlic powder

1 T Worcestershire sauce

Ok....

Take your chicken out so its at room temp.

Mix flour, salt, garlic powder and pepper together and lightly toss your chicken in it.  Do not make a heavy coating, this is just a dust.  Set chicken aside.

Prepare an ice bath with a whole lemon soaking in it (so your chokes don't turn brown)

Take your artichoke babies and wash them off.  Trim off 1/2 inch from the tips, and trim the stem off...be sure to leave the heart.  Peel away the outer leaves until you just see tender yellow leaves.   If you leave too much the guests will be spitting out fibrous material from their mouths and that's bad news.  Cut each artichoke in half.  Throw prepped artichokes in the ice lemon water.

Turn a frying pan/large dutch oven on high and dry, no oil or anything, and let get hot.  Sear the chicken on both sides for 1 minute each.  Don't worry about sticking or dark stuff in the pan..this will make some flava later.

With chicken wildly sizzling, add the drained artichokes and let them sizzle for a bit too.  Add the garlic and green olives.

When the pan is dry and waiting, add the wine...it will steam and that is grand...scrape all the dark bits and everything together.  Let reduce until dry again.

Add the chicken broth, lemon juice and the lemon zest.  Turn on low, cover and cook it slow!  Stir occasionally, but keep covered most of the time for 30 minutes from when you put the lid on.

While you are waiting for these things to reduce prep your squash...

Rinse and dry the squash.  Take 8 of them and with a paring knife, cut the bottoms so they stand up straight and cut the top off, saving the top so you can have a lid.  Set tops aside and with the knife cut around the inside and scrape the seeds out.  This should make a nice hollow area for you.  Sprinkle the inside with Olive oil, salt and pepper.

In a bowl add the fine diced remaining squash, Olive oil, cheese, green onion, garlic,  fine diced red pepper, spices and Worcestershire sauce.  Mush together with your hands.

Fill the squash with this mixture and put the lids back on.  Sprinkle some Olive oil on top and put in the 350 degrees oven for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes your Lemon braised chicken and artichoke hearts should be all saucy, and the squash should be browned on the tops and soft. 

Plate and serve with lemon wedges.