Italian-style Shrimp with Lemon and Garlic

From Cooking Light

Serves 4

2 t dried Italian seasoning
2 t Hungarian sweet paprika
2 t grated lemon rind
1/2 t salt
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 C hot cooked angle hair pasta
2 T fresh lemon juice
1 T chopped fresh parsley
Lemon zest (optional)

Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bow; stir well. Add shrimp; toss well to coat. Thread shrimp evenly onto each of 4 (8-inch) skewers.

Place kebabs on broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 2 minutes on each side. Remove shrimp from skewers; arrange over pasta. Drizzle with juice; sprinkle with parsley. Garnish with zest, if desired.

**Notes from Em**
Really yummy really EASY shrimp dish. I didn't do this on pasta, I did it with a side of Rice-a-Roni's rice pilaf, which I'll admit I have a slight addiction to.

Corn-Mango Salsa

From Better Homes and Gardens
Serves 6

2 ears fresh corn
1 medium mango, seeded, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 C red pepper, finely chopped
1/4 C red onion, finely chopped
1/4 C fresh lemon juice
2 T olive oil
2 T fresh mint, finely chopped
1 T fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 t salt

Heat grill to medium-high.

Husk the ears of fresh sweet corn and brush with olive oil, coating all sides. Grill corn on an uncovered grill directly over medium heat until kernels are tender and just begin to brown, turning often. Remove from grill; cool.

Cut kernals from ears. In a bowl gently combine corn kernels and remaining ingredients until well mixed.

**Notes from Em**
I haven't made this yet, but my mother-in-law made it for dinner last night and it was delicious. I have most of the stuff on hand to make it, and will be doing it some time this coming week probably. It's intended to be paired with pork chops, but it would go well with anything.

Chiles Rellenos Made Easy

From Cooking Light
Makes 4 Servings

1 1/4 C coarsely chopped onion
2 C chopped tomatoes
1/2 C low-sodium salsa verde
1/4 t salt
1/4 C fresh cilantro
4 poblano chiles
1 C shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
2 T goat cheese
3 large egg yolks
3 large egg whites
1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
3 T cornmeal
1/4 C canola oil

Preheat broiler to high.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Stir in chopped tomatoes, salsa verde, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Place tomato mixture in a food processor; add cilantro. Process mixture until smooth. Set aside.

Place poblanos on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 3 inches from heat 8 minutes or until blackened and charred, turning after 6 minutes. Place in a paper bag; fold to close tightly. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel and discard skins. Cut a lengthwise slit in each chile; discard seeds, leaving stems intact. Spoon 1/4 cup Jack cheese and 1 1/2 teaspoons goat cheese in cavity of each chile.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly beat egg yolks in a small bowl. Place egg whites in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold egg yolks into egg whites. Combine flour and black pepper in a shallow dish. Place cornmeal in another shallow dish. Dredge poblanos in flour mixture, and dip into egg mixture. Dredge in cornmeal.

Heat oil in a large stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat until hot; reduce to medium heat. Add coated poblanos to oil; cook 6 minutes or until crisp, turning to cook on all sides. Place chiles on a baking sheet, and bake at 350° for 8 minutes or until cheese melts. Serve with tomato sauce.

Pairs really well with Black Bean & Corn Salad

**Notes from Em**
Chiles Rellenos seem to have a learning curve. I thought they would be really easy, but there are definitely a few things that I learned this time to do differently next time I make them.

1 - Don't cut the chile all the way down. Leave an inch or so uncut at the bottom.
2 - Use toothpicks to hold it closed after you've stuffed the cheese in, otherwise it makes a cheesy mess in your pan.
3 - Do a really THICK dredging in the eggs. This is 90% of your batter, and the batter adds a really fun texture.

Black Bean & Corn Salad

From the Kroger black beans can
Serves 6

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/4 C lime juice
1 t cumin

In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together until well combined. That's it folks, and it's amazingly good.

Fruit Pizza

From AllRecipes.com
Serves 10

1/2 C butter, softened
3/4 C white sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 t cream of tartar
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 C white sugar
2 t vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until smooth. Mix in egg. Combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Press dough into an ungreased pizza pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 12/ cup sugar and vanilla until light. Spread on cooled crust.

Arrange desired fruit on top of filling, and chill.

Lemon Chicken

From AllRecipes.com
Serves 6

3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 T dry sherry
1 T soy sauce
1/2 t salt
2 eggs
2 C vegetable oil
1/4 C cornstarch
1/2 t baking powder
1/3 C white sugar
1 T cornstarch
1 C chicken broth
1 T lemon juice
1 t salt
1 lemon, sliced
2 T vegetable oil

In a large bowl combine the chicken, sherry, soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Mix together, cover and refrigerate. Let marinate for 15 to 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, beat together the eggs, 1/4 cup cornstarch and baking powder to form a batter. In a work, heat 2 cups oil to 350 degrees F. Coat chicken with batter an fry in wok until browned. cut into bite sized pieces and set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, 1 T cornstarch, broth, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix together and add lemon slices. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in wok and slowly stir in lemon sauce mixture. Cook, stirring until sauce is clear. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

**Notes from Em**
I've never bothered to do the marinating part of this recipe, and it has always been really tasty.

Cooking the sauce in the hot oil is somewhat unnecessary. I usually just combine it all in a sauce pan, bring to boil stirring regularly, and it makes a pleasant, thick sauce.

Thai Chicken Salad

From Cooking Light
Makes 4 servings

6 cups torn romaine lettuce
2 cups shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
2 cups fresh bean sprouts
1 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup sliced celery
2/3 cup light coconut milk
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts
4 lime wedges (optional)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine coconut milk and next 5 ingredients (through red pepper) in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and cool for 2 minutes. Pour warm coconut milk mixture over lettuce mixture. Sprinkle with peanuts; serve with lime wedges, if desired. Serve immediately.

~*Veg*n Options*~
I left the chicken off but still felt the need for something 'meaty'. I didn't have any tofu handy, and honestly I'm still afraid of cooking it, so I threw some canellini beans on there, and it was really tasty.