Sesame-Crusted Seared Tuna with Tahini-Yogurt-Soy Dipping Sauce

Delicious!  Tuna is one of my favorite things to eat and the sauce that I made to go with it this time made it even better!

What you need for the Tuna:

1 6-ounce Ahi Tuna Steak
Sesame seeds
Salt, Pepper
Olive Olive Spray (or maybe try sesame oil or chili oil- I used olive oil because that's what I have)

Dry the tuna with a paper towel.  Lightly coat it with oil spray and then season with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle both sides heavily with sesame seeds.  Let sit for a few minutes.  Heat saucepan on high and coat with oil spray.

What you need for the Tahini-Yogurt-Dipping Sauce:

1 tablespoon wasabi ginger sauce
1 teaspoon hot soy sauce
2 tablespoon plain yogurt (I used fat-free, which was great.  You could also try full-fat for a creamier sauce)
2 teaspoons tahini paste
1-2 teaspoons garlic powder
A bit of black pepper and red pepper flakes (if you like a little extra heat)

NOTE:  These ingredients are just what I had on hand.  You could try switching things around a bit using the same flavors and I'm sure it would turn out great.  For example, skip the wasabi ginger sauce and just use plain soy sauce, wasabi powder, ginger (fresh or powdered), and then the yogurt, tahihi, garlic, and pepper.

Oven-Roasted Asparagus

This is quick, simple, delicious, and so healthy!  Great for a snack or a side, or even chopped up into your salad, omelet, or whatever else you're eating.

What you need:

One bunch of asparagus- I think about a pound (I've done this with both white and green, thicker and thinner stalks)

Olive oil spray 

Kosher salt

Black Pepper

Garlic Powder

Red Pepper Flakes (optional, if you like a little heat)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Spray a baking sheet or 13 x 9 pan with olive oil.  Arrange asparagus evenly across it.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.  Spray again with olive oil.  Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and tender.  Enjoy!

Greek-Style Chicken Wraps or Salad with Yogurt Tahini Sauce

YUMMM!  The yogurt-tahini sauce is what REALLY makes this.  It is so good.

The wrap version, pre-folding.

And in salad form.

Since the sauce is the big deal here, let's start with that.  Just mix the following ingredients together:

1.5 cups low-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon salt
1.5 teaspoons black pepper (freshly ground is preferable)
1-2 tablespoons garlic powder (or less, if you're not a garlic fiend like me)
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup minced onion
juice of one lemon

Now, to make the wrap or salad:

Base: Wrap plus a little lettuce OR bed of lettuce

Toppings:
-Cooked Chicken ( I pan-fried some chicken tenderloins in a teeny bit of olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper.  You could also use some leftover chicken, grilled chicken, or whatever.  Or some cooked ground beef or lamb if you wanted)
-Sliced tomatoes, cucumber, olives, onion
-Feta Cheese

Layer your toppings on top of the wrap or bed of lettuce and then drizzle with the sauce.  Enjoy!

Healthy Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes

Low fat, low sugar (if you want) and low carb.  And pretty tasty (tastier if you opt for real sugar, I'll admit).  I made these for my boyfriend and I- started out with one batch and then split it to add real sugar to half and Splenda to the other half.  You can chose to go either way. :-)

What you need:

4 ounces fat-free cream cheese

2-3 ounces 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese

2 ounces lowfat plain yogurt

2 teaspoons amaretto  (or maybe a teaspoon of vanilla- I just like the amaretto flavor in general)

teeny pinch of salt

1 egg

1/3 cup cocoa powder

EITHER: 1/2 cup sugar OR 10-12 packets Splenda (or try using more or less, to taste)

About 20 mini phyllo  pastry shells (I used Athens brand)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.  Blend together the two cream cheeses and yogurt until smooth.  Add in the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.  Fill the phyllo shells with the mixture and bake for 20 minutes, or until mostly firm to the touch.  The sugar ones look a bit shinier, and the Splenda ones were completely dry on top.

Let cool and store in the refrigerator.  Top with some whipped cream and enjoy!

Other ideas to try with these: stir some mini chocolate chips into the batter, try making a peanut butter filling/ layer, add a dollop of low-sugar jam (like the all fruit kind, no added sweetener) on top....

Almond Christmas Cookies

These get requested every Christmas!  I made up the recipe a few years ago and haven't changed it since.

What you need:

8 ounces almond paste, room temperature
1 cup butter/ margarine ( I usually go with half and half)
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs
3+ cups flour (you may end up adding an extra half cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon amaretto
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Start by beating the butter/margarine and almond paste until there are no more lumps ( I use a handheld mixer).  Beat in the sugar and the eggs until smooth.  Stir in three cups of flour, the salt, vanilla, and amaretto.  Add extra flour if needed to create a stiff dough.

At this point, you can put the dough in a cookie press or roll into a log to slice and bake.  Either way, refrigerate afterwards for half of an hour or so.  Then either press the cookies or slice and place on a lightly greased or non-stick cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees Farenheit for 7-9 minutes or until the bottom JUST begins to brown.  The top should still be VERY light colored.  Let cool for a couple of minutes and enjoy!

Pumpkin Pork Chops

I needed to use up some extra pumpkin and came up with this.  Delicious!

What you need:

2 pounds bone-in pork chops (or boneless, we just don't have those here)

Salt and Pepper

1 cup chopped onion

3-4 hot peppers, chopped (something moderately spicy, or else use less)

2 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, chopped

4 cups pureed roasted pumpkin (see how to roast pumpkin under my Curry Pumpkin Soup post)

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup hot water with 4 chicken bouillon dissolved into it

1-2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon sage

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

Start by sprinkling the pork chops with salt and pepper and then searing in a large frying pan on both sides until lightly browned.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Spray the same pan with oil and saute the onions and the peppers until softened and browned.  Add a splash of soy sauce as you do this to help them cook.  Next, add the pumpkin, applesauce, water, rest of the soy sauce, vinegar, honey, and spices.  Stir to mix.  Now put the pork chops back into the pan, spooning the sauce over them until they are covered.  Reduce heat and let simmer for 20-25 minutes, occassionally moving the chops around to ensure even cooking and prevent things from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Top with some chopped green onions.  

You could serve this over rice or do it my style- over a bed of lettuce.  Enjoy!

Curry Pumpkin Soup

A thick and spicy pumpkin soup for colder weather.

What you need:

3/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 finely chopped ginger

3-4 chopped hot peppers (I'm not sure what variety mine were, but they probably comparable to jalapenos on the spiciness level)

1.75 ounces red curry paste (this is the amount that came in the packet I bought- probably 2 tablespoons.  My soup was pretty spicy, so you may want to use less)

1/2-1 3/4 cup coconut milk, depending on how creamy you want it.  I didn't use much because I was trying to keep it light, but I added a bit more to a small bowl later to see the difference and would say that using more does taste better and also cuts the spiciness.

5 cups roasted fresh pumpkin, pureed (see note below on roasting pumpkin)

4 cups of chicken broth or 4 chicken bullion and 4 cups water

2 teaspoons soy sauce

Greek Yogurt, Goat Cheese, Cilantro, and Roasted Pumpkin Seeds (garnish)

Saute the onion, ginger, and hot peppers in a skillet sprayed with oil until slightly browned and softened.  Add the red curry paste and mix in, allowing the spices the brown slightly before adding the coconut milk.  If you are not sure how much to use, just start with a little right now, and add more after the soup is about done if you think it needs it.  Add the pumpkin, chicken broth, and soy sauce.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.  You may need to add more water during this if it becomes too thick.

After it is finished, you can puree everything if you want a completely smooth soup.  I didn't, and thought that the chunks of pepper, onion, and ginger were nice to come across.

Serve with a dollop of the yogurt or cheese, cilantro and pumpkin seeds.  Enjoy!

Roasting Pumpkin:

Cut your baking pumpkin (not the same as the type you make jack-o-lanterns out of) in half if it is small, or quarters if it is larger.  Scrape out the messy inside, saving the seeds if you have plans to roast them.  Spray the inside with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place on baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour or until soft and cooked through.  Let cool before pureeing.