Broiled Salmon with Grapefruit Avocado Salsa

I haven’t been doing a lot of home cooking lately due to weekends away and weeknights traveling for work, so when I had a day off and a chance to feed my body something healthy and fresh, I immediately knew I wanted this for lunch. Simple broiled salmon, whole wheat couscous, and a citrusy salsa with rich avocado and piquant jalapeno.

Salt and Vinegar Crusted Oven-Fried Fish Sandwiches with Old Bay Mayo

I wish this picture properly portrayed how AWESOME these sandwiches are. I’ve been craving fish and chips lately but wanted it to be slightly healthier if I was going to make it at home. Fresh, thick pieces of cod coated in crushed salt and vinegar chips and baked until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Slather a roll (whole wheat for health!) with mayo seasoned with old bay and go to town.

And, yes, I realize that instead of frying (to be healthier), I just coated it in already fried things (chips), but it’s the kind of girl math that works for me.

BBQ Pulled Pork and Jalapeno Pizza

It’s the age old question. What to do with a ton of leftover pulled pork. I’ve been pretty inventive with this dilemma in the past (pulled pork sweet potato waffle cheese fries, pork stuffed peppers, porky cornbread). This time, I craved pizza (shocking). The crispy multigrain crust (Hannaford has a yummy one…so does Whole Foods) holds up really well to the pulled pork and the jalapenos puts it over the top with a fresh punch.

Crispy Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu

This is a super easy way to make stuffed/rolled chicken of any kind – in this case, I used ham and thin slices of swiss cheese. These are coated in a crispy panko coating and baked until crispy on the outside and moist and cooked through on the inside. Also, and this really is an unnecessary addition and a bit of an indulgence, since I try to avoid super processed foods, but I ALWAYS heat up Campbell’s Golden Mushroom soup thinned out with a little water or chicken broth to use as a sauce. It’s delicious and mandatory for me, mostly because that’s what my mama does.

Slow-Cooker BBQ Pulled Pork

This was a bit of an experiment. I wanted to see how little work I could actually do to make something so incredibly yummy. Seriously – the only thing you have to do is season a huge hunk of pork and toss it in the slow cooker with some garlic, onions and maybe some fennel if you’re feeling fancy. Cook on low for 10 hours, which to me is the perfect length of time for a slow-cooker recipe because that’s how long I am usually out of the house on a work day. What’s up with those 4-hour slow-cooker recipes? If I could slow-cook something in 4 hours, then I could real-cook that same thing in probably 30-45 minutes, which would probably be less work in the planning department. I digress. This pork is amazing and will be the only way I make pulled pork in the future. I served it on some whole wheat buns with some greek yogurt coleslaw on top. YUM.

Chicken Pot Pie Biscuits

Biscuits filled with homemade and healthy chicken pot pie filling. Comes together in about a half hour and is perfect when you want a dose of comfort food with a nice hit of veggie goodness.

Chicken Sausage and Kale Soup with Cannellini Beans

I would like to start this whole shebang by saying this type of dish is my favorite kind. One, it’s loosely inspired by a recipe, but really much more based on ingredients you already have in the fridge that you didn’t have a plan for. Two, it comes together in about 20 minutes. Three, it’s freaking delicious. And finally, it’s healthy! Made with flavorful andouille chicken sausage (Trader Joe’s), a bunch of chopped kale, and some other pantry staples, this is a weeknight winner.

Guinness French Onion Soup

This is my go-to french onion soup recipe. I’ve made it countless times but have never been able to get a decent picture. Melted cheese in a bowl, while in theory is AWESOME, isn’t the most appetizing thing to look at on a website. This french onion soup has a nice sharpness due to the sherry vinegar and guinness, which I just love. The original recipe calls for irish cheddar, but I add in a little gruyere for it’s melty-ness.

Escarole-Stuffed Haddock with Sherry Tomato Sauce

This dish is perfect to start the year off on a flavorful note. Serve with pasta or some crusty bread for mopping up the yummy sauce.