Mango Salsa Recipe

You will see that a lot of my recipes call for mango salsa or pineapple salsa. If I plan to make something that calls for a lot of it or if I want to save some money I will make my own. It is also always a huge hit at parties when I bring it as a dip with chips. If I am just making once recipe with mango salsa in it or if I don't want to go through the whole process of making my own, I will buy it at Frazier Farms or Sprouts. Both are equally delicious!
Here is a basic recipe that I use from AllRecipes.com when I make my own.


Ingredients
1 mango - peeled, de-seeded, and diced
1/4 cup red bell pepper - finely shopped
1/4 cup red onion - finely chopped
2 Tbsp. cilantro - finely chopped
1 fresh jalapeno - finely chopped.

Note: I leave the seeds in if I want it spicy, I remove the seeds if I do not. I suggest wearing plastic gloves whenever working with peppers. I learned my lesson here! The oils stay on your skin for hours and when you forget and touch your eyes later it will not be fun. 

2 Tbsp. lime juice

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Directions

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving to allow all of the juices and flavors to work together. It also tastes better cold :)

Original recipe : http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mango-salsa/

Sesame and Pineapple Salsa Mahi Mahi

This tastes like a mini vacation to Maui. It is probably in my top 3 favorite fish recipes! 

Competition Prep Note: Do not use the added coconut sugar. 

Ingredients
8 ounces of mahi mahi
1 cup pineapple salsa (or mango salsa) 
1/4 cup sesame seeds

1-2 tbsp. coconut oil

1 tsp. coconut sugar (optional!)

Directions

Thaw mahi mahi. Heat coconut oil in skillet. Pat dry the mahi mahi with a paper towel. sprinkle the sesame seeds over the white flesh (not on the skin). Gently press the seeds into the skin to make sure they stay put. Once the pan and oil is very hot, add the mahi mahi to the skillet with the seeds facing down. Cook for approx. 3 minutes (depending on thickness of fillet). If you would like, you can sprinkle the skins with the coconut sugar while the seeded side is facing down. This recipe doesnt need it, but is delicious with it. Flip over the fillets. The sesame seeds should be a delicious golden color. Cook for another 2-4 minutes approx. 

Remove from skillet once the fish is white and flakey and serve with pineapple or mango salsa on top. 

Enjoy! 

Vegetable Quinoa Soup (Competition Prep Notes Included!)

This soup is AMAZING. It is delicious and filling. I never get sick of it. 

Competition Prep Notes: When I am prepping for a competition I add Chicken to this soup. To add the chicken, just add 1.5-2 lbs. (based on how much chicken you need per meal and how many meals you want this to be) of cubed chicken breast to the pot with the onions in the first step. I will also leave the quinoa out entirely and add the correct amount (per my diet) to each individual bowl so that I can measure everything. If your diet no longer calls for quinoa at all (sad times, I know!), I will add pre-cooked, 1 inch thick cubes of sweet potatoes. If you do this you may need extra vegetable broth since the potatoes seem to absorb a lot. 


Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced (I like a lot of garlic, so I double it)
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
32 ounces vegetable broth + 2 cups of vegetable broth - Note: Do not use the low sodium options. I have tried half low sodium/half regular and it still does not taste the same at all! 
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves - Note: These are CRUCIAL! They really make the soup.
1 teaspoon thyme
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
2 cups cooked quinoa
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions for Quinoa
Add 1-1.5 cups of quinoa and 2 cups of vegetable broth to a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Allow to boil uncovered for 2-4 minutes. Turn the heat to the lowest possible setting, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. This is, in my opinion, the best way to make quinoa in general. You can use water instead of vegetable broth for different recipes. 

Directions for Soup
Heat the olive oil in large pot over medium-low heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, zucchini, yellow squash, and mushrooms and continue to cook for 4 to 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
Now add the vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, and basil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the vegetables are fork tender, approximately 20 minutes. Stir in the cooked quinoa and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve warm.

After I turn off the heat I let this sit for a while to keep absorbing the flavors before I eat it. I like to make it a couple hours before I want to serve it. It is ready to eat right away, but get gets better with time :) 



See the original recipe (before my modifications) here: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/vegetable-quinoa-soup/

Greek Marinated Chicken

Ingredients

3½ to 4 lbs chicken thighs and drumsticks (This is not as good with the breasts and tenders because there isn't as much fat on them to cook in. I normally will make half the pan tenders and half the pan thighs and drumsticks. This way they all get to cook in the fat from the thighs and drumsticks but I am cutting the fat in half!)
1 cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced 
½ Tbsp Trader Joes 21 Season Salut (You can substitute with oregano)
1 lemon
½ tsp salt
pepper 
¼ bunch fresh parsley 

Marinade Directions

Combine the yogurt, olive oil, minced garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add a thin layer of lemon zest to the bowl and the juice from half of the lemon. Stir well and add a handful of chopped parsley.

Add all of the chicken to a large freezer bag and pour in the marinade to soak for a few hours. If you have less time, then just put it all into a baking pan and put in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. 

Baking Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 45-60 minutes or until the skin on the drumsticks is a golden brown. 

Cajun Tuna Salad

For this recipe you need to have McCormick Gourmet Cajun Seasoning. I have tried so many different types of cajun and nothing compares to this one. I use this spice in so many of my recipes, so I think it is totally worth the $6 at Ralphs to buy it! 
This is a healthy version of tuna salad. I love tuna salad, but for competition prep dairy (mayonnaise) is a no-no. I don't even miss the mayo in this because it is a totally different flavor. 

Ingredients
2 cans of white tuna in water
McCormick cajun seasoning (I put this on everything!)
1 tsp. olive oil
1 small cucumber 

Directions

Drain the tuna and put into bowl. Add olive oil, peeled and diced cucumber, and sprinkle with cajun seasoning to taste. I like it spicy so I add a lot, but taste test to see what you like. I would guess around 1tsp. - 1Tbsp. 

Refrigerate and enjoy in a tuna sandwich or eat as is. I eat this just like a salad. Since it has so much cucumber in it, it doesn't need anything else. If you aren't worried about calories or carbs, this is amazing in a tuna melt! 

Pesto Almond Crusted Flounder

Ingredients
1 lb. wild caught flounder or tilapia
4 Tbsp. of pesto (homemade or store bought)
almond slices 
4 Tbsp. Panko (optional)

Directions
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
Line a baking sheet with tin foil and lightly butter or oil to prevent sticking. Lay flounder fillets onto baking sheet. Spread 1 Tbsp. of pesto over each fillet. I LOVE pesto so this is a lot of pesto. You could easily cut the pesto in half. 
Sprinkle almond slices and Panko (optional) on top of the pesto. If this is before a competition I omit the Panko (still delicious!), otherwise I put it on. It adds extra crunch and is amazing. Regular bread crumbs are not the same! 
Bake for 8-10 minutes. 
Switch to broil for an additional 2-5 minutes until the edges are golden brown. 

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients
1 large sweet potato
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
salt
pepper
cayenne (optional: sprinkle if you want them spicy) 

Directions
Cut the potato lengthwise and then into long french fry size pieces. Toss into a bowl with olive oil and seasonings. Toss to coat the sweet potatoes. Line a baking sheet with foil and spread out the fries so that they are not overlapping. Put the whole baking sheet into your freezer. Preheat oven to 425. While the oven pre-heats, leave the sweet potatoes in the freezer. Starting with cold potatoes will make them crispier. You don't want them to freeze, just to get good and cold. Pop the baking pan into the oven and set a timer for 20-25 minutes (depending on how thick you cut the fries. The thinner they are the less time they will need.) When they are a golden brown, pull them out and enjoy!