Marty, Author at What the Forks for Dinner?

Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Spaghetti Squash

Spring Break……….a whole week of sunshine and spring like temperatures………if you live somewhere other than Northern Illinois. Woke up this morning to, you guessed it, more snow. The wind is blowing ninety miles an hour and it actually hurts your skin………that should not be happening on March 25th………..just saying!

So, since the weather is, well what it is, I have more time to cook. Tim and I have a mild affliction to Mexican food.

When we started dating again, we frequented a Mexican restaurant called La Mex, and when we dated all those years ago……for the story check out the Poor Mans Lobster post, we went to an Irish bar called Kelly’s that is still serving the best Mexican food.

For me, I still remember with longing, two places where my Mexican food affliction began. One was a place whose name I cannot for the life of me remember, but I remember the burritos ………….they were to die for. If anyone can enlighten me on the name, it was below the Poison Apple Disco, which eventually became Waldo Stubbs. My girlfriends and I would go to the Disco early to get a table, then go downstairs to have a bite to eat before the dancing began. But, alas it closed.

Enter Mexican restaurant #2……….Vince’s Taco Inn. Awww the memories. After a night of partying, when you really needed something to eat, the Mexican food at Vince’s was just the ticket. It was a small, quaint, little hole in the wall…….you know one of those local iconic places. The food was awesome, and it was amazing how many of us could fit in one of their booths. Continue reading “Chicken Enchilada Stuffed Spaghetti Squash”

Salmon Florentine

Salmon Florentine

Date Night Dinner……….as I have said in recent posts……….I AM TRYING TO COOK HEALTHIER………..key word is trying…….

I know posting recipes like Chocolate Stout Bundt Cake really does not seem like I’m trying, but I swear I am.

So…….. fish…..especially Salmon. Salmon is high in protein and low in calories and saturated fat. Salmon is also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which offers a wide range of health benefits. Salmon is very versatile and lends itself well to a variety of recipes and spice combinations.

When I was a kid my Mom and Grandma liked salmon patties, you know from the canned salmon, with the little bones and cartilage ……sorry but YUCK! If you are going to have salmon buy the real thing, and buy wild if at all possible. The tastes is so much better and you don’t have the pesticides, antibiotics and other dangerous chemicals that accumulate in their flesh when they are farm raised.

OK……. sermon is over! Having said all of that, I really like salmon….a lot!

Add to the salmon, spinach…….totally healthy……some shallot, garlic, red pepper flakes……spice for my hubby. Mix in a small amount of low fat cream cheese, and top with some parm………….baked until golden. Serve with some whole grain garlic pasta………..a meal worthy of any “Date Night”.

So if you are trying to do the healthy thing and still keep flavor, try Salmon Florentine.

Salmon Florentine

★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆ No reviews

Author: Marty Boyd
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 2 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

1/2 pound fresh baby spinach
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 small shallot, chopped
1 clove minced garlic
3 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Pinch of red pepper flakes, more if you like spicy
1 ounce low fat cream cheese
1 ounce freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 skinless salmon fillets (6 oz each), rinsed and patted dry

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Heat oven to 375°. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot, sauté, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add spinach, tomatoes, pepper flakes and Italian seasoning; cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted. Remove from heat; let cool about 15 minutes. Add cream cheese; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Place fillets in a cast iron skillet or a rimmed baking sheet. Divide the spinach mixture between the salmon fillets. Sprinkle on parmesan cheese. Bake 15 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with garlic spaghetti.

Notes

Serve with Garlic Spaghetti

Keywords: salmon, spinach, pasta, dinner, parmesan cheese

Apple Bacon Chicken Burger

Apple Bacon Chicken Burger

Shhh! ……….I don’t want to say this too loud, but I think the weather is taking a turn ……for the better 🙂

That means its time to dust off (maybe you will still have to shovel,depending on where you live) the grill. An nice burger on the grill would really hit the spot, huh????

Maybe this Apple Bacon Chicken Burger would be just the ticket. I said it a million…slight exaggeration …….times but I love ground chicken for a burger in place of turkey. For me, it has a better flavor, but if you are a lover of the turkey, please substitute it in this recipe.

As anyone who has used ground chicken (or turkey) knows it can be a little dry, but in the case of this burger the add ins make it nice and juicy. One other tip, I know its poultry and you do need to cook it through, but do not over cook it. If you do, no matter what you have added, it will be dry. A little bit of bacon, onion, sage and maple syrup add a nice flavor to the burger and a topping of Maple Dijon sauce and grilled granny smith apples and wow!!!

Tim and I love burgers and we will be adding more burger’s like the Apple Bacon Chicken Burger as the weather improves………we may even end up with our first e-book on Burgers……….Boyd’s Book of Burgers…….I like the sound of that . So stay tuned for more burger recipes and maybe that e-book.