appetizer

Greek Salmon Salad

Posted on by Mariah

Spice up your salads this week with salmon! Packed with omega 3’s and protein, salmon is one of the healthiest fish you can eat! So toss it into this delicious Greek salad recipe and enjoy!
Greek Salmon Salad
Serves: 2
Ingredients
Salad
  • 1 large salmon filet (8-10 ounces)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 lemon (you will use the juice from the lemon for the marinade and for the dressing)
  • 1 tomato, chopped
  • ½ of cucumber, chopped
  • ¼ cup chopped fennel (optional and can substitute red onion instead)
  • Feta cheese
Dressing
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice from your lemon
  • 1 ½ teaspoon stevia
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
Instructions
  1. Turn your grill on medium-high heat. In a bowl add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon black pepper. Add the salmon filet to the bowl turning a few times so the salmon is completely covered with the marinade. Spray grill with non-stick spray. Grill salmon on both sides for about 6-8 minutes (the amount of time will depend on how thick the salmon is, mine was pretty thick about 1 ½ inches). The salmon should have grill marks and be cooked all the way through, set aside to cool then shred lightly with a fork.
  2. To make the dressing, add all of the ingredients to a bowl and whisk. Prepare the salad and pour the dressing over top. Garnish with chopped dill if desired.
Notes
Optional: If you are using fennel add it to a bowl with a little salt and 3 dashes of red wine vinegar. Let it sit for about 10 minutes then pat dry with a paper towel. This lightly pickles the fennel which adds extra flavor.

Asian Quinoa Meatballs

Posted on by Mariah

My parents celebrated their birthdays this week by going out to dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in uptown Charlotte, Emzy! It’s a Japanese restaurant with the most amazing glazed orange chicken on the planet (no joke!) We got to indulge for a night, and it was well worth it… but being me I had to come up with some healthy recipes that make you feel like you’re indulging! So I gave this recipe a shot, and these asian quinoa meatballs were a hit! Instead of going out this week, stay home and enjoy a delicious home cooked meal that will make you feel like you’re at a restaurant!

ASIAN QUINOA MEATBALLS
Yield 20 meatballs

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground turkey
3/4 cup cooked quinoa
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
1 large egg
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sesame seeds, for garnish
FOR THE SAUCE
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste
2 teaspoons cornstarch

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9×13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, quinoa, garlic, onions, egg, soy sauce, sesame oil, Sriracha, salt and pepper, to taste. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 1 1/4-to-1 1/2-inch meatballs, forming about 18-20 meatballs.
Place meatballs onto the prepared baking dish and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until all sides are browned and meatballs are cooked through.
To make the sauce, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, ginger, sugar, sesame oil, Sriracha and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan over medium high heat.
In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water. Stir into soy sauce mixture until thickened, about 2 minutes.
Serve meatballs immediately with sauce, garnished with green onion and sesame seeds.

Let me know what you guys think! Enjoy 🙂