Gina Homolka's Blog, page 216

Grilled Balsamic Steak with Tomatoes and Arugula

This grilled balsamic flank steak with tomatoes and arugula salad is an easy weeknight dinner solution –marinate the steak overnight with balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs, then fire up the grill and serve with a simple tossed arugula-tomato salad, on the table in less than 20 minutes!

This recipe was adapted from the Malibu Farm Cookbook, a beautiful book that totally gave me farm envy! After reading this book I wanted to pick up, move to Malibu, get some chickens, goats and honey bees and grow all my own food. But since that’s not a reality (and I’m sure it’s a lot more work than I can even imagine) thumbing through this beautiful book gave me a small taste of life on the Malibu Farm.

The original recipe in the book was made with skirt steaks, but to lighten it up I used leaner flank steaks instead which are perfect for cooking on the grill.

(more…)

Avocado Toast with Lemon and Kale

Avocado toast with lemon and kale is an easy, healthy lunch that takes about 5 minutes to make!

Yes, I have an avocado toast obsession. Avocados are a staple in my home, I always buy a bunch of unripe avocados then leave some in my fridge and some on my counter so they ripen at different times throughout the week. Plus they are so darn good for you, loaded with healthy fats, vitamins and nutrients and a great way to get more plant-based meals into your day.

This sandwich was inspired by my daughter, Karina who always orders this for lunch at Le Pain Quotidien in Manhattan when she’s at work. It’s so simple to make yourself, I made this for myself and my husband Tommy last week, and now he’s been asking me to make it again and again. Hope you enjoy!

If you like this recipe you may also like:

Avocado Toast with Sunnyside Egg

Avocado Toast Egg in a Hole

Miami Avocado Crab Toast

Avocado Egg Salad Toast with Smoked Salmon

 

(more…)

Skinnytaste Dinner Plan (Week 26)

Skinnytaste Dinner Plan Week 26. You may notice Picadillo is back on my rotation this week. It’s one of my kids favorite recipes so I make it often. Leftovers are wonderful in quesadillas, tacos, empanadas and just about anything you can think of!

Pictured below is The Skinnytaste Meal Planner where I plan my dinners for the week (you can of course use any meal planner). Meal planning is a great way to get organized before heading to the supermarket to get ready for the week! My breakfast is usually something quick like eggs with fruit, a smoothie or avocado toast. We’re a family of four, so if a recipe serves more, it’s either packed up for everyone’s lunch or eaten the next day as leftovers. If you would like to see some of the previous week’s dinner plans, click here.

Skinnytaste Dinner Plan (Week 26)

Monday: Skinny Baked Broccoli Mac and Cheese

Tuesday: Crock Pot Picadillo

Wednesday: Picadillo Quesadillas

Thursday: Bacon Topped Petite Turkey Meatloaf with Cauliflower Puree

Friday: Pizza night!

Saturday: Date night!

Sunday – Grilled Pesto Chicken and Tomato Kebabs with Broccoli Orzo

(more…)

Easy Braised Chicken Drumsticks in Tomatillo Sauce (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker or Stove Top)

An easy Mexican-inspired chicken dish made with just a few ingredients!

The chicken comes out so tender it literally falls off the bone! Serve this over rice with a salad on the side (pictured here is my spiralized carrot salad) and call it a meal.

I’ve been getting lots of requests for more Instant Pot recipes, now that I am done with cookbook testing I will be adding more recipes here. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, no worries! I’ve included slow cooker directions too, but this can also be simmered, covered on low on the stove until the chicken is tender, about 35 to 40 minutes (you may have to add a little water).

(more…)

Spiralized Carrot Salad with Lemon and Dijon

My husband and I are not fans of raw carrots, but add lemon juice and Dijon and it’s a game changer – we LOVE them!!

An easy 5-ingredient carrot salad that is lemony, bright and delicious! You don’t need a spiralizer to make it, you can use pre-shredded carrots or use a potato peeler to cut the carrots into ribbons.

If you do happen to come across really thick carrots, they are perfect for spiralizing (they should be at least 1 -1/2 inches in diameter). You can usually find thick carrots at the farmers market or sold loose in the grocery store. And for those of you who often ask what spiralizer I use, pictured below is the Inspiralizer, the best quality spiralizer if you want to easily spiralize those tougher vegetables like carrots and butternut.

A perfect side dish for chicken, grilled steaks or even fish. If you want to turn this into a main dish for lunch, I think it would be great with grilled chicken and crumbled feta added.

(more…)

Breaded Chicken Cutlets with Deconstructed Guacamole

Breaded chicken cutlets cooked in a skillet topped with everything I normally add to my guacamole – sliced avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion and lime juice. If I had some jalapeño I probably would have added a few slices on top as well.

This was one of those meals that came together by cleaning out my fridge. Don’t you love those nights? It almost makes me feel like I’m on Chopped, without the cameras, strange ingredients or time limit. I seasoned the chicken with some Latin spices and loved how this turned out. You could even serve it over some chopped lettuce to make it a big salad. Perfect for weeknight cooking, hope you enjoy!

Print Recipe

Breaded Chicken Cutlets with Deconstructed Guacamole




7 Smart Points



286 calories

Total Time: 30 minutes

Breaded chicken cutlets cooked in the skillet topped with everything I normally add to my guacamole – sliced avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion and lime juice.


Ingredients:
For The Chicken:

2 (8 ounce) boneless chicken breasts, cut in half legthwise
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt (such as adobo seasoning)
2 large egg whites, beaten
1/2 teaspoon sazon (homemade or packaged)
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 -1/2 tbsp olive oil

For the Deconstructed Guacamole:

4 ounces avocado (from 1 small Hass)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup slivered red onion
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
juice of 1/2 lime
4 lime wedges for serving


Directions:
Season cutlets with seasoned salt. Place bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. In another bowl beat egg whites sazon together. Dip chicken cutlets in egg whites, then breadcrumb mixture, shaking off excess.
Heat a large nonstick frying pan on medium heat. Add the olive oil. When hot add the cutlets and cook about 6 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through.

In a large bowl combine the avocado, red onion, tomato, cilantro, salt, pepper, cumin, and lime juice. Gently toss and serve over the chicken with additional lime wedges.





Nutrition Information

Yield: 4 Servings, Serving Size: 1 piece chicken, 1 oz avocado plus toppings

Amount Per Serving:
Smart Points: 7
Points +: 7
Calories: 286
Total Fat: 13g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Cholesterol: 83mg
Sodium: 568mg
Carbohydrates: 12g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 1g
Protein: 31g

SKINNYTASTE DINNER PLAN (WEEK 25)

Week 25 of sharing my weekly dinner plans.  This week I have a short trip on Thursday for work, so I have my Tommy’s favorite slow cooker recipe planned for two nights while I’m away. The rest of the week I have some quick dishes planned.

Pictured above is The Skinnytaste Meal Planner where I plan my dinners for the week (you can of course use any meal planner). Meal planning is a great way to get organized before heading to the supermarket to get ready for the week! My breakfast is usually something quick like eggs with fruit, a smoothie or avocado toast. We’re a family of four, so if a recipe serves more, it’s either packed up for everyone’s lunch or eaten the next day as leftovers. If you would like to see some of the previous week’s dinner plans, click here.

 

Skinnytaste Dinner Plan (Week 25)

Monday: Grilled Veggie Towers with salad

Tuesday: Skillet Chicken in Tomato Chipotle Sauce with brown rice

Wed: Chicken Spiralized Zucchini Noodle Caprese

Thursday: Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches

Fri: Away, Leftovers for the family

Sat – Away

Sun –  Cheese Baked Penne with Eggplant (Skinnytaste Cookbook)

 

(more…)

North African Spiced Shrimp and Chickpea Salad

Grilled shrimp seasoned with Moroccan spices served over a bright and healthy chickpea salad.

I was in Charleston, SC last week, finishing the photo shoot for my upcoming cookbook. This was third time back there this year as my photographer, Helene Dujardin lives there. I’ve grown so fond of Charleston I could actually see myself living there.  Beautiful city, so much history and charm, and the food scene is incredible. One of my favorite cozy neighborhood restaurants there is Lana’s where they serve Mediterranean cuisine with a southern flair.

This salad was a dish I had while there. It was so different, fresh and flavorful I asked Chef Ondo if he would mind sharing the recipe. He was kind enough to share so I made this for lunch yesterday and Tommy and I really enjoyed it. The shrimp gets marinated in a Moroccan style pesto called Chermoula made with fresh mint, cilantro and spices which I shared here yesterday on it’s own because it makes enough for several recipes and can be used on chicken, fish and even stirred into couscous if you wish.  Then the shrimp is grilled and served over this simple salad – SO good!!

This was perfect as a light Spring lunch, Tommy loved it! If you want to make this more substantial for dinner you can increase the amount of shrimp and add more veggies to the salad. Hope you enjoy!

(more…)

Chermoula

Chermoula is a sauce, similar to a pesto, used in North African cooking as a marinade to flavor fish or seafood, but it can be used on other meats, vegetables or stirred into couscous.

Last week I had a Grilled Shrimp Chickpea Salad at Lana’s in Charleston, SC (I will be sharing that recipe tomorrow) that was flavorful and healthy, I asked Chef Ondo for the recipe.  Since this sauce can be used in so many ways, I thought I would share it on it’s own first as I know I plan on using the rest in other dishes this week.

(more…)

Asparagus-Pancetta Potato Hash

This Spring hash is made with a combination of sauteed asparagus, diced Yukon gold potatoes, pancetta and shallots then topped with an egg – fantastic!

The potatoes are so flavorful and the shallots get caramelized as they cook. I prefer my egg a little on the runny side, but you can cook them to your preference. This makes a wonderful breakfast or brunch ready in under thirty minutes.

(more…)