Gina Homolka's Blog, page 218

Updated Waldorf Salad Cups

A lighter take on the classic Waldorf Salad served in lettuce leaves so you can eat them with your hands instead of a fork!

I'm really excited to share this recipe for more reasons than one.

First, these lettuce wraps are delicious and easy to make, the chicken can easily be made ahead to pack for lunch throughout the week. 

Second, I {heart} Andie Mitchell who's not only my friend, she's also one of the nicest and most inspiring people I've met (you may remember her memoir, It Was Me All Along about her incredible weight loss story, her struggle with overcoming food addiction and learning how to find self-acceptance). Well, now she came out with her first cookbook, Eating In The Middle where she shares her realistic approach to eating "mostly" healthy meals plus "sometimes" foods because life just needs dessert.


The serving size is extremely generous, and I had friends over for lunch when I made this and everyone enjoyed them. I ever so slightly adapted her original recipe by cutting back on the dressing just a touch. Hope you enjoy!


Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Korean Beef Rice Bowls

Here’s an easy weeknight Korean inspired dish you can whip up in about 20 minutes! 



I came up with this rice bowl the other night and they tasted so DANG good I new I had to share.  I used to work 2 blocks away from Koreatown when I worked full-time in Manhattan and loved having lunch with co-workers in nearby restaurants. Since then, Korean food is becoming really popular with Korean restaurants popping up everywhere. Unfortunately not as popular here in Long Island (yet) so if I don’t want to travel all the way to Manhattan I cook it myself. 





One essential ingredient you will need is Gochujang sauce. It’s a Korean condiment that’s a little spicy and sweet, and has very distinct flavor only found in Korean cuisine. It also comes in a paste which requires you to thin it down. I use Annie Chun’s Gochujang Sauce since it’s available in my local supermarket and it’s ready-to-use, or buy it on Amazon!



And I’m obsessed with frozen brown rice from Trader Joe’s! It takes 3 minutes to heat up and the texture is perfect! If you live near a TJ’s, it’s a must!

Korean Beef Rice Bowls

Skinnytaste.com

Servings: 4 • Size: 1/4 • Points +: 10 • Smart Points: 10

Calories: 394 • Fat: 9  • Saturated Fat: 3 g • Carb: 47 g • Fiber: 4 g • Protein: 30 g 

Sugar: 7 g • Sodium: 801 mg • Cholesterol: 70 mg

Ingredients:



For the beef:





1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce*
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
cooking spray
1 pound 93% lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger

For the bowls:





3 cups cooked brown rice
1 small sliced cucumber, skin on
2 tablespoons Gochujang, or more if desired*
1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds, plus more for topping
2 sliced scallions, white and green parts

*check labels for gluten-free

Directions:



Combine the soy sauce, 2 tablespoons water, brown sugar, sesame oil and red pepper flakes in a small bowl.









Heat a large deep nonstick skillet over high heat, spray with oil and add the ground beef. Cook, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute. Pour the sauce over the beef, cover and simmer on low heat 10 minutes.











To assemble the bowls, place 3/4 cup rice in each bowl, top with scant 2/3 cup beef, cucumbers, Gochujong, sesame seeds and scallions.  

Korean Beef Rice Bowls

Here's an easy weeknight Korean inspired dish you can whip up in about 20 minutes! 
I came up with this rice bowl the other night and they tasted so DANG good I new I had to share.  I used to work 2 blocks away from Koreatown when I worked full-time in Manhattan and loved having lunch with co-workers in nearby restaurants. Since then, Korean food is becoming really popular with Korean restaurants popping up everywhere. Unfortunately not as popular here in Long Island (yet) so if I don't want to travel all the way to Manhattan I cook it myself. 
One essential ingredient you will need is Gochujang sauce. It's a Korean condiment that's a little spicy and sweet, and has very distinct flavor only found in Korean cuisine. It also comes in a paste which requires you to thin it down. I use Annie Chun's Gochujang Sauce since it's available in my local supermarket and it's ready-to-use, or buy it on Amazon!
And I'm obsessed with frozen brown rice from Trader Joe's! It takes 3 minutes to heat up and the texture is perfect! If you live near a TJ's, it's a must!



Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Skinnytaste Dinner Plan (Week 21)

Hope everyone's having a great weekend! Time seems to be flying by, I can't believe next Sunday is Easter! With that in mind, I planned some meals for the week and I'm leaving the weekend open as I am not sure what I'm making yet.

This is week 21 of sharing my weekly dinner plans. I use The Skinnytaste Meal Planner pictured below to plan my dinners for the week (you can of course use any meal planner). 



A 52-week meal planner, food tracker and exercise tracker in one. I've included the Smart Points next to the recipes since I am currently on Weight Watchers. Also, if you have The Skinnytaste Cookbook, and currently on Weight Watchers, I have all the Smart Points listed here for your convenience.

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 21) 

Monday: Quinoa Enchilada Bake (Meatless Monday!) 
Tuesday:  Steak & Caramelized Onion with Pasta and Arugula
Wednesday: Grilled Korean Chicken with brown rice, sliced cucumbers
Thursday: Shrimp Zoodle Parmesan                    with House Salad from The Skinnytaste Cookbook
Friday:  Broiled Miso Salmon with brown rice and salad              Saturday:  Grandmas House  
Sunday: Easter!
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Creamy Cauliflower Mash with Kale (Low-Carb Colcannon)

Colcannon is an Irish mashed potato dish mixed with greens and sometimes cabbage. I've also seen it with bacon, and most often topped with a knob of butter. This low-carb mashed swap uses cauliflower, which I have to say is really darn good!

Great as a side dish with pork tenderloin, corned beef, or any type of roast.



Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Rueben Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

The inspiration for this recipe came from the classic Reuben sandwich. I was trying to think of ways I could enjoy the elements of that sandwich (pastrami, sauerkraut, Thousand Island dressing and Swiss cheese) without actually having a sandwich and this idea came to mind. I felt pretty good it would work, because if you have The Skinnytaste Cookbook, you may be familiar with my Cuban Sandwich Stuffed Pork Tenderloin which is a similar idea (if you don't have my cookbook, you can order it here).


This turned out even better than I could have imagined! The pork with juicy, cheese was hot and melted and this had so much flavor. Pork tenderloin is very lean cut, if you don't eat pork, you can use a turkey tenderloin instead.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Raw Spiralized Beet & Mandarin Salad with Mint

 

If you think you don’t like beets, try eating them raw, you may change your mind! I got this idea from a meal at a raw vegan restaurant where I tried raw beets for the first time, and loved them. The trick is to cut them thin and let them marinate a little while, perfect for spiralizing! Truth is, I love them BETTER uncooked, and with mandarin oranges and some fresh mint, this is not just delicious, but also beautiful!

Sorry I haven’t updated here lately, I just completed my new cookbook and spent a week in Charleston shooting the photos. I’m finally getting back into my routine so there will be lots of new recipes coming soon! I shared this on Snapchat a few weeks ago (username Skinnytaste) and loved how this turned out. If you make it, snap me a photo! And if you’re wondering what my favorite spiralizer is, it’s the Inspiralizer picture above.

Raw Spiralized Beet & Mandarin Salad with Mint

Skinnytaste.com

Servings: 2 • Size: 1 salad • Points +: 5 • Smart Points: 6

Calories: 184 • Fat: 10  • Saturated Fat: 1 g • Carb: 23 g • Fiber: 2 g • Protein: 1 g

Sugar: 20 g • Sodium: 148 mg • Cholesterol: 0 mg

Ingredients:

2 (4 oz) snack cups mandarin oranges, in juice
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 medium beets, ends trimmed
1 sprig mint, leaves torn

Directions:

To spiralize the beets, using gloves to prevent staining your hands, peel the beet and trim off the stem end then insert the thinner end into the round blade of the spiralizer, keeping it centered. Spiralize using the blade with the smallest triangles. Using scissors, cut the beet spirals into smaller 6-inch-long pieces so it’s easier to eat.

Drain the mandarin oranges, reserving 2 tablespoons juice. In a mixing bowl, combine the juice, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Toss with the beets and let it sit for 15 minutes.

Divide in 2 plates, top with mandarin oranges and and mint. 

Raw Spiralized Beet & Mandarin Salad with Mint

 
If you think you don't like beets, try eating them raw, you may change your mind! I got this idea from a meal at a raw vegan restaurant where I tried raw beets for the first time, and loved them. The trick is to cut them thin and let them marinate a little while, perfect for spiralizing! Truth is, I love them BETTER uncooked, and with mandarin oranges and some fresh mint, this is not just delicious, but also beautiful!


Sorry I haven't updated here lately, I just completed my new cookbook and spent a week in Charleston shooting the photos. I'm finally getting back into my routine so there will be lots of new recipes coming soon! I shared this on Snapchat a few weeks ago (username Skinnytaste) and loved how this turned out. If you make it, snap me a photo! And if you're wondering what my favorite spiralizer is, it's the Inspiralizer picture above.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Skinnytaste Dinner Plan (Week 20)

Hi everyone! I'm back from another week in Charleston where I was shooting the second half of my new cookbook, Skinnytaste Fast and Slow (comes out this Fall). While there I did a book signing at the Charleston Wine + Food Festival, got to try some new restaurants and did some sight seeing, if you haven't been there yet it's a must! 

This is week 20 of sharing my weekly dinner plans. I use The Skinnytaste Meal Planner pictured below to plan my dinners for the week (you can of course use any meal planner). 


A 52-week meal planner, food tracker and exercise tracker in one. I've included the Smart Points next to the recipes since I am currently on Weight Watchers. Also, if you have The Skinnytaste Cookbook, and currently on Weight Watchers, I have all the Smart Points listed here for your convenience.

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 20)


Monday: Asparagus Leek Soup (SP 2) + Bell Pepper Potato Fritatta (SP 5)Tuesday: Sweet Potatoes Irish Nachos (SP 6) and leftover soup Wednesday: Honey Balsamic Grilled Chicken and Vegetables (SP 5)
Thursday: Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage (8 SP)                   with Cauliflower Mash (SP 1)
Friday: Shepherd's Pie, Lightened Up (3 SP)               Saturday:  Date Night Out! 
Sunday: Corned Beef and Cabbage Soup (8 SP)  Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Thai Basil Chicken

This simple Thai dish known as Pad Grapow is insanely quick and inexpensive to make. It's light, yet flavorful with lots of heat and tons of basil.
I recently got my hands on Chrissy Teigen's new cookbook, Cravings. What a beautiful book, love the photography and food styling, with lots of interesting recipes. Although not exactly a low calorie book, I found some dishes in the book that can easily be made light. This simple chicken dish is a great example, I slightly modified it to make it lighter, and plan on adding some vegetables to the mix to make the portion a little more substantial the next time I make it.





Click Here To See The Full Recipe...