Healthy Cobb Salad

First of all, let me say I am so excited about the new recipes just posted! Can't wait to try them all!
Thanks! Having a stalemate with my dinner menus...need quick during the week yet healthy and child friendly! We have been eating a lot of Turkey burgers, sweet potato fries, and veggies. Getting burned out!

I found this one in my People magazine...it is from Jillian Micheals from the Biggest Loser. I haven't tried it yet but it is on the menu for this week!

1 oz. Roquefort or other blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (my sister has been eating this for breakfast and loves it)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp water
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
4 slices turkey bacon (another new fav of mine! don't hate til you give it a try! ;)
8 cups or 2 heads thinly sliced Romaine lettuce
1 lb poached or grilled chicken breast, thinly sliced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
3 hard boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
1 firm, ripe avocado, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced

1. Blend the Roquefort, yogurt, vinegar, water and pepper until smooth; reserve.
2. Cook turkey bacon, until crisp, about 8 min
3. Arrange lettuce on platter, scatter bacon, followed by chicken, tomatoes, eggs, avocado.
4. Drizzle with dressing and serve.

Serves 6
(Sorry no picture...yet!)

Spaghetti with Eggplant & Tomato Sauce

These last 3 recipes I have all gotten from magazines and I like them because 1) they taste great! 2) ingredients that are fresh and I have on hand 3) different from the recipes I usually make. Plus I want to put these on this site because I know I will lose the magazine clipping and I know I will make these again and again.

1 medium size eggplant, diced (2 cups) I use a Japanese eggplant, more skin less flesh
2 T salt (for soaking eggplant)
3 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lb. ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped (or use a couple cans of chopped/diced tomatoes like I did...less work)
2 T tomato paste
12 oz. spaghetti
oil for frying
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (very important ingredient)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper and salt, to taste

Put diced eggplant into a colander over a plate. Sprinkle with 2 T salt; toss. Set aside to drain 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels (I didn't rinse mine and I really liked it with the salty taste). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes over medium-low heat until light golden. Add tomatoes and tomato paste; cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes soften and sauce is slightly thickened.

Meanwhile, when water comes to a boil, add pasta and cook as package directs. While pasta cooks, heat 1/2 in. vegetable oil in another large skillet. Add eggplant and fry until golden, about 8 minutes (I found it to be longer because you want a crispy shell on the outside).
Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Stir eggplant into tomato sauce.

When pasta is cooked, reserve 2 T pasta cooking water, then drain. Return pasta to pot. Stir in sauce, reserved water, basil and cheese. Season with salt, pepper if desired.

Stir-Fried Pork in Lettuce Leaves

Have you had the lettuce wraps at P.F. Chang's? Well these are just as amazing...and something a little different from the same ol', same ol' meals. Rave reviews by everyone, even my picky eater.

1/3 cup stir-fry sauce
1 T dry sherry (I just used a red wine I had sitting around)
1 t. cornstarch
1 lb. ground pork (not sausage)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 t. dark sesame oil
Iceberg lettuce leaves (green leaf and romaine work as well)

In small bowl, combine stir-fry sauce, sherry and cornstarch; set aside. Heat wok or large skillet over medium-high heat; add pork, onion, and garlic. Stir-fry until pork is no longer pink. Drain any excess fat. Add sauce mixture. Cook stirring often until pork is evenly-coated with sauce. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro and sesame oil. Place 1/4 cup of the meat mixture in each lettuce leaf; wrap to enclose.