Citrus Sauce

** This is a great sauce for pork, chicken or fish.

1/2 cup Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
Juice of 2 Oranges, or 1/2 cup Orange juice
Juice of 1 Lime
1 T Apricot Preserves
1 Garlic clove - minced
1 Green Onion, chopped

For Sauce:
1.  Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan, whisking to combine.
2.  Simmer over medium/low heat until reduced by 1/3, or until somewhat coats a spoon, about 15 minutes.
3.  Serve over cooked meat or fish.

You can also use as a marinade.  Combine the ingredients in a ziploc bag and add your meat.  When ready to cook, remove meat and reserve marinade.  Then follow instructions above to reduce sauce.

Sweet Potato and Kale Gratin

2-3 Large Sweet Potatoes - peeled.
1/2 bunch curly kale - chopped
Parmesan Cheese - grated
Milk - 1 cup
Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2.  Slice potatoes on a mandoline at 1/8 inch.  Toss with olive oil.
3.  Drizzle bottom of casserole dish with olive oil to prevent sticking.
4.  Place one layer of potatoes on bottom of dish.  Sprinkle with parmesan, salt and pepper.  Add a layer of kale and drizzle with olive oil.
5.  Place a second layer of potatoes, parmesan, salt, pepper and kale drizzled with olive oil.
6.  Place a third layer of potatoes.  Pour on one cup of milk (we usually have 1 or 2%).  Then sprinkle generously with parmesan, add salt and pepper to taste.
7.  Bake covered for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and bake an additional 20 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

Chicken Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

1/2 pound spicy chicken sausage
2 green onions - chopped
1 garlic clove - minced
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
3 T mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
10 large white button mushrooms

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Brown the chicken sausage in a large pan until no longer pink, breaking it up with your spoon.
2.  While the sausage is browning, remove the stems from your mushrooms and chop the stems finely.
3.  When sausage is browned, add the mushroom stems to the pan and cook until partially done, three minutes or so.
4.  Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.
5.  Add the panko breadcrumbs to the pan, stirring to combine with the other ingredients.
6.  Add the mascarpone cheese to the pan and stir until fully combined and a little creamy.
7.  Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.
8.  Stuff your mushrooms (generously!) in a shallow baking dish and bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until the tops are slightly browned.

Italian Salad

Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup greek yogurt
1/8 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 T white wine vinegar
1 small clove garlic- minced
1/2 tsp salt
Black pepper
Pinch of red pepper flake
Juice of 1/2 a lemon

Salad
Romaine Lettuce
Chopped tomatoes
Sliced black olives
Thinly sliced red onion
Sliced Pepperoncini
Parmesan Cheese
Croutons

1.  Shake all ingredients for the dressing in a sealed jar.
2.  Mix desired amount of salad componants with desired amount of dressing and top with parmesan cheese.

Similar to a "lightened" Olive Garden Salad.  Enjoy!

Tomato Feta Olive Bruschetta

6 Roma tomatoes - seeded and diced
20-30 Kalamata and/or green olives - quartered
2/3 cup feta cheese (about 1/2 a block) - diced
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 tsp oregano
Toasted baguette slices

1.  Mix tomatoes, olives, cheese, garlic and oregano in a bowl.  Pour into a baking dish.
2.  Bake uncovered at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
3.  Serve with toasted baguette.

Sorry for the bad picture, I will post a better one next time I make it!

Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad

4-5 chicken breasts
1/2 an onion in chunks
3-4 smashed garlic cloves
3 ribs celery - diced
1.5 cups grapes - halved
3 green onions - chopped
Poaching Spices

1 6oz container Fage Greek yogurt (0% fat)
1/4 cup light Mayo
1 T dijon mustard
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1.  Poach the chicken.  Fill a large pot with the chicken and enough water to cover the breasts.  Add the chunks of onion and smashed garlic.  Add 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper and any other spices you have on hand.  I usually throw in whole thyme leaves, dried oregano and whole mustard seed.  Poach the chicken until done, about 25 minutes.
2.  Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid and cool.  Dice the chicken into small pieces when cooled.
3.  Combine all dressing ingredients.
4.  Toss chicken with the celery, grapes and green onions.  Toss with the dressing to coat and enjoy!

Greek Salad

Salad
Tomatoes - cut in chunks (usually 3 or 4 large ones)
Cucumber - Peeled and cut in chunks (usually 2 regular or 1 seedless)
Kalamata olives - halved (usually 1/2 a cup)
Feta cheese- crumbled (usually 3-4 oz)
Green bell pepper (optional) (just 1)
Red onion (optional)

Dressing
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp dijon mustard
pepper

1.  Combine dressing ingredients in jar and shake.  Toss desired amount of dressing with salad ingredients.

I generally serve with grilled chicken tenders, pita bread and greek yogurt.  Toss tenders with olive oil, garlic powder and oregano.  Then grill.  Mix greek yogurt (Fage is best) with salt, lemon juice and garlic powder.