2012 November

It’s Friday, and I don’t usually do recipes on a Friday… but I thought this was a quick one that you guys might enjoy trying over the weekend!

During my trip to Baltimore for Fitbloggin, my dear friend Hilary and I and our 150 closest friends took a tour of the McCormick Consumer Testing Site and fell in love with McCormick and their passion for healthy cooking! We loved it so much that we took a trip to their local super store in the Inner Harbor to get some spices to bring home!

With Hilary at McCormick Spice Store in the Inner Harbor

There was one spice I saw on the shelves at the HQ site that I just had to find… it seemed like the perfect combination of some of my favorite flavors…

SMOKEHOUSE MAPLE GRILL SEASONING

Are you kidding me???

I absolutely love maple… and I love the smoky flavor that comes with smoked meats and cheeses. I had to have this seasoning.

Well, then I got it home…. and I couldn’t think of what to do with it. The packaging says it’s great on chicken, salmon, and pork. The ingredients list included garlic, maple syrup, brown sugar, cayenne, red bell pepper, paprika… still loving it. But what the heck should I make with it?

Then, it came to me!

I adore brussels sprouts… and I roast them like crazy. What if I roasted them with this seasoning?? At that moment, Smoky Maple Brussels Sprouts were born. It’s a super easy and amazingly delicious idea… I may have to eat them again tonight!

You barely need this “recipe.” You moreso just need the ingredients. You’re welcome.

Smoky Maple Brussels Sprouts

Inspired by my friends at McCormick

INGREDIENTS

brussels sprouts

McCormick Grill Mates Smokehouse Maple seasoning

Cooking Spray

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Prepare your brussels sprouts by trimming the stem, removing outer leaves and washing thoroughly. Depending upon the size of your sprouts, slice them or quarter them. Note: Mine were GINORMOUS, so I quartered them for faster cooking.

2. Spray your cooking sheet with cooking spray. Place your sprouts on the pan.

3. Spray the veggies lightly with more cooking spray. Note: This is my secret to avoiding olive oil when roasting veggies. A little spritz of cooking spray is all you’ll need!

4. Sprinkle the sprouts with the Smokehouse Maple seasoning making sure each sprout has a little seasoning on it.. Note: I was a little conservative the first time around, because I wasn’t sure how much flavor this would bring. Next time, I’ll add a few extra shakes.

5. Cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring the sprouts about half way through so that they get toasty brown on both sides.

6. Serve and enjoy!!!

Roasted Cabbage with Lemon

Lightened Up Baked Creamed Spinach

Jenny Volumizing: Cheesy Spinach Florentine Soup

I really would have liked to have shared one more recipe using the delicious Popchips tortilla chips that are part of this week’s giveaway. But, my stash of Popchips has vanished! Meaning, that I’ve sadly eaten them all…

If you haven’t entered yet, by the way… click here to enter!

In the absence of my new favorite chip, I was forced to move to a different type of cuisine. Quickly, I found myself craving Mongolian Beef. How better to enjoy Mongolian Beef than with a yummy low-fat, low-calorie version? I can’t think of anything better.

I’ve had a recent obsession with quinoa, so I used quinoa instead of rice in my healthier version of this recipe. When you choose quinoa, get ready for a protein rich and really filling grain. I’ll show you how to make it in the below as well. You’re going to love it!

Mongolian Beef

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
4 green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 pound flank steak, trimmed and cut crosswise into thin strips
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons brown sugar
Toasted sesame seeds
1 cup dry quinoa

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Measure out your quinoa and place in a strainer. Rinse thoroughly.

2. Place rinsed quinoa and 2 1/4 cups of water in a rice cooker. Note: See rice cooker instruction books to determine cooking time and water proportions. My rice cooker shuts off once the liquid has been absorbed.

3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; add green onions, and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute.

4. Add beef, and cook 5 minutes or until beef is browned, stirring frequently.

5. While beef cooks, combine water and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl.

6. Pour mixture over beef, cook 2 minutes or until sauce is thickened and beef is cooked through.

7 Garnish with sesame seeds if desired. Serve with 1/2 cup quinoa (optional.)

Per 1 cup serving:

CAL 234, FAT 11g; FIB 0.7g

Note: If you add the quinoa, adjust your nutritional information according to the package labeling. I added 1/2 cup of cooked quinoa in the picture above.

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