The family party was last Sunday, and it was a hit. I ended up doing lime jello jigglers, a huge green salad, broccoli pasta salad, rolls dyed green, and chicken kabobs with onions and green pepper. To go with the salad and chicken, I made homemade pesto sauce and homemade Cafe Rio salad dressing, which were both yummy. I had a little bit of chicken, broccoli, and pesto leftover, so I made this for dinner Monday night:
1 chicken breast, diced and seasoned with McCormick's Rotisserie Chicken seasoning
1 shallot, diced
1 1/2 Tbs. olive oil or butter
1 cup broccoli, cut into florets
1/3 to 1/2 box of penne pasta (I like whole wheat or Barilla Plus)
2 Tbs. flour
1/2-2/3 cup skim milk
3 heaping Tbs. prepared pesto sauce
4 sundried tomatoes, chopped
parmesan cheese, for garnish.
In a large pot, boil water for pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions, adding in broccoli for last 2 minutes of cooking. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, melt butter or heat olive oil. Saute shallot until it begins to soften, then add chicken, seasoning with salt and pepper. When chicken is browned and nearly cooked through, sprinkle with flour and cook an additional 1-2 minutes. Whisk in milk and bring mixture to a bubble. Add in pesto, sundried tomatoes, and cooked pasta and broccoli, until heated through and thoroughly combined.
This made a big, hearty meal for just the two of us, but it can easily be doubled for larger families.
Showing posts with label healthy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label healthy. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Whole Baked Sweet Potatoes
We have baked Sweet Potatoes at our house about once a week or so and I usually wrap them like a baked potato in tin foil, but for our Thanksgiving feast I thought I would actually look up a recipe and figure out how you are supposed to do it. ;) I found one (which I can't find now to reference) that was perfect.
Wash your whole sweet potatoes (or yams...whichever you buy). Place on a rimmed cookie sheet and brush vegetable oil over each one. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes at 450 degrees or until a fork goes in easily.
I found that this method carmelized the outside a little better than the tin foil method and was much faster as well.
Wash your whole sweet potatoes (or yams...whichever you buy). Place on a rimmed cookie sheet and brush vegetable oil over each one. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes at 450 degrees or until a fork goes in easily.
I found that this method carmelized the outside a little better than the tin foil method and was much faster as well.
Monday, July 26, 2010
The best traditional homemade pizza recipe
Pizza
Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 2 wedges)
Ingredients
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°), divided
10 ounce bread flour (about 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons)
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
4 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup Basic Pizza Sauce
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup small fresh basil leaves
Preparation
1. Pour 3/4 cup warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attached. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and spoons; level with a knife. Add flour to 3/4 cup water; mix until combined. Cover and let stand 20 minutes. Combine remaining 1/4 cup water and yeast in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes or until bubbly. Add yeast mixture, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to flour mixture; mix 5 minutes or until a soft dough forms. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; cover surface of dough with plastic wrap lightly coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate 24 hours.
2. Remove dough from refrigerator. Let stand, covered, 1 hour or until dough comes to room temperature. Punch dough down. Press dough out to a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured baking sheet, without raised sides, sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges to form a 1/2-inch border. Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap.
3. Position an oven rack in the lowest setting. Place a pizza stone on lowest rack. Preheat oven to 550°. Preheat the pizza stone for 30 minutes before baking dough.
4. Remove plastic wrap from dough. Sprinkle dough with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread Basic Pizza Sauce evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Arrange cheese slices evenly over pizza. Slide pizza onto preheated pizza stone, using a spatula as a guide. Bake at 550° for 11 minutes or until the crust is golden. Cut pizza into 10 wedges, and sprinkle evenly with basil.
Nutritional Information
Calories:
421
Fat:
10.9g (sat 4.7g,mono 4.7g,poly 1g)
Protein:
16.9g
Carbohydrate:
62.8g
Fiber:
6.5g
Cholesterol:
22mg
Iron:
4.4mg
Sodium:
754mg
Basic Pizza Sauce
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1/3 cup)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Remove tomatoes from can using a slotted spoon, reserving juices. Crush tomatoes. Stir tomatoes, juices, salt, and oregano into garlic mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Nutritional Information
Calories:
66
Fat:
4.7g (sat 0.7g,mono 3.3g,poly 0.6g)
Protein:
1.2g
Carbohydrate:
6.2g
Fiber:
1.4g
Cholesterol:
0.0mg
Iron:
1.4mg
Sodium:
175mg
Calcium:
48mg
Try it and let me know what you think. It makes your house smell soooo yummy. Just an FYI, the dough is INCREDIBLY sticky and is supposed to be. I mixed it with my hands and spent 5 minutes trying to rub off as much as possible into the bowl. To make the crust I just kind of held it by the edge and rotated it around and let gravity do it's work. It really is a very simple recipe, just needs planning to make the dough the night before. But it's tasty and filling without the heavy food coma afterward!
Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 2 wedges)
Ingredients
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°), divided
10 ounce bread flour (about 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons)
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
4 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup Basic Pizza Sauce
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) thinly sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup small fresh basil leaves
Preparation
1. Pour 3/4 cup warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attached. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and spoons; level with a knife. Add flour to 3/4 cup water; mix until combined. Cover and let stand 20 minutes. Combine remaining 1/4 cup water and yeast in a small bowl; let stand 5 minutes or until bubbly. Add yeast mixture, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt to flour mixture; mix 5 minutes or until a soft dough forms. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; cover surface of dough with plastic wrap lightly coated with cooking spray. Refrigerate 24 hours.
2. Remove dough from refrigerator. Let stand, covered, 1 hour or until dough comes to room temperature. Punch dough down. Press dough out to a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured baking sheet, without raised sides, sprinkled with cornmeal. Crimp edges to form a 1/2-inch border. Cover dough loosely with plastic wrap.
3. Position an oven rack in the lowest setting. Place a pizza stone on lowest rack. Preheat oven to 550°. Preheat the pizza stone for 30 minutes before baking dough.
4. Remove plastic wrap from dough. Sprinkle dough with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread Basic Pizza Sauce evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Arrange cheese slices evenly over pizza. Slide pizza onto preheated pizza stone, using a spatula as a guide. Bake at 550° for 11 minutes or until the crust is golden. Cut pizza into 10 wedges, and sprinkle evenly with basil.
Nutritional Information
Calories:
421
Fat:
10.9g (sat 4.7g,mono 4.7g,poly 1g)
Protein:
16.9g
Carbohydrate:
62.8g
Fiber:
6.5g
Cholesterol:
22mg
Iron:
4.4mg
Sodium:
754mg
Basic Pizza Sauce
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1/3 cup)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-ounce) can San Marzano tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Preparation
1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Remove tomatoes from can using a slotted spoon, reserving juices. Crush tomatoes. Stir tomatoes, juices, salt, and oregano into garlic mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Nutritional Information
Calories:
66
Fat:
4.7g (sat 0.7g,mono 3.3g,poly 0.6g)
Protein:
1.2g
Carbohydrate:
6.2g
Fiber:
1.4g
Cholesterol:
0.0mg
Iron:
1.4mg
Sodium:
175mg
Calcium:
48mg
Try it and let me know what you think. It makes your house smell soooo yummy. Just an FYI, the dough is INCREDIBLY sticky and is supposed to be. I mixed it with my hands and spent 5 minutes trying to rub off as much as possible into the bowl. To make the crust I just kind of held it by the edge and rotated it around and let gravity do it's work. It really is a very simple recipe, just needs planning to make the dough the night before. But it's tasty and filling without the heavy food coma afterward!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Healthier Taco Salad
So, in line with my post about trying to eat healthier and cook more often, tonight I went to the grocery store. There's nothing more refreshing for me than to clean out my fridge, clean out my cupboards, clean the kitchen, then go to the store and fill up my fridge and cupboards with healthy, fresh foods. I'm also making an effort to make better choices at the store when I can--watching sales, using coupons, and buying organic and local as much as possible. Since my fridge was practically bare, I can't believe I was able to buy about 10 days' worth of meals (3 a day plus snacks), all organic produce, for under $200.
Anyhow, I had some ground turkey breast in my freezer that I wanted to use up, so I came up with this recipe (it made enough for 2 very generously portioned salads--probably too generous--and enough leftovers for lunch tomorrow too):
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained*
1 packet of organic, low sodium taco seasoning mix
1 medium red onion, diced
1 avocado, diced and tossed in 1 tsp. lime juice
blue corn tortilla chips**
romaine lettuce
green onions
shredded cheese
fat free sour cream
fresh salsa
sliced olives
1. In a nonstick skillet, saute onions in 1 tsp olive oil. Add ground turkey breast and taco seasoning, letting it brown while breaking up with a wooden spoon. Add black beans when turkey is nearly cooked through.
2. Layer turkey-bean mixture with a few chips, cheese, romaine lettuce, olives, green onions, diced avocado, sour cream, and salsa.
*I used to really hate beans. But since my husband grew up eating tons of Mexican food in southern California, he made me try them again...and now I love them! They are such a quick way to get protein and complex carbohydrates, plus they're super cheap. I think black beans have the most health benefits, but feel free to substitute whatever you have.
**I had blue corn tortilla chips from Whole Foods in my pantry. I read that as far as tortilla chips go, blue corn chips have at least some antioxidants in them despite the fact that they're chips and therefore a splurge. They're really tasty too, but again, substitute what you have.
Anyhow, I had some ground turkey breast in my freezer that I wanted to use up, so I came up with this recipe (it made enough for 2 very generously portioned salads--probably too generous--and enough leftovers for lunch tomorrow too):
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained*
1 packet of organic, low sodium taco seasoning mix
1 medium red onion, diced
1 avocado, diced and tossed in 1 tsp. lime juice
blue corn tortilla chips**
romaine lettuce
green onions
shredded cheese
fat free sour cream
fresh salsa
sliced olives
1. In a nonstick skillet, saute onions in 1 tsp olive oil. Add ground turkey breast and taco seasoning, letting it brown while breaking up with a wooden spoon. Add black beans when turkey is nearly cooked through.
2. Layer turkey-bean mixture with a few chips, cheese, romaine lettuce, olives, green onions, diced avocado, sour cream, and salsa.
*I used to really hate beans. But since my husband grew up eating tons of Mexican food in southern California, he made me try them again...and now I love them! They are such a quick way to get protein and complex carbohydrates, plus they're super cheap. I think black beans have the most health benefits, but feel free to substitute whatever you have.
**I had blue corn tortilla chips from Whole Foods in my pantry. I read that as far as tortilla chips go, blue corn chips have at least some antioxidants in them despite the fact that they're chips and therefore a splurge. They're really tasty too, but again, substitute what you have.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Spicy Asian Lettuce Wrap
This is from "Cooking Light"
Yield
4 servings (serving size: 3 lettuce wraps)
Ingredients
2 1/2 ounces bean threads (cellophane noodles) (I used Rice Noodles, just as long as they're really really thin)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon chile paste with garlic
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken (I just grabbed a Rotisserie chicken)
12 large Boston or Romaine lettuce leaves (I used Green Leaf Lettuce)
Preparation
Cover bean threads with boiling water. Let stand for 5 minutes or until softened. Drain, and rinse under cool water. Chop noodles.
While bean threads soak, combine cilantro, soy sauce, chile paste, and oil in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add noodles and chicken to soy sauce mixture; toss well to coat. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each lettuce leaf; roll up.
Nutritional Information
Calories:
213 (21% from fat)
Fat:
4.9g (sat 1g,mono 1.8g,poly 1.5g)
Protein:
23.2g
Carbohydrate:
18.3g
Fiber:
0.7g
Cholesterol:
60mg
Iron:
1.7mg
Sodium:
641mg
Calcium:
31mg
Yield
4 servings (serving size: 3 lettuce wraps)
Ingredients
2 1/2 ounces bean threads (cellophane noodles) (I used Rice Noodles, just as long as they're really really thin)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon chile paste with garlic
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken (I just grabbed a Rotisserie chicken)
12 large Boston or Romaine lettuce leaves (I used Green Leaf Lettuce)
Preparation
Cover bean threads with boiling water. Let stand for 5 minutes or until softened. Drain, and rinse under cool water. Chop noodles.
While bean threads soak, combine cilantro, soy sauce, chile paste, and oil in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add noodles and chicken to soy sauce mixture; toss well to coat. Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken mixture down center of each lettuce leaf; roll up.
Nutritional Information
Calories:
213 (21% from fat)
Fat:
4.9g (sat 1g,mono 1.8g,poly 1.5g)
Protein:
23.2g
Carbohydrate:
18.3g
Fiber:
0.7g
Cholesterol:
60mg
Iron:
1.7mg
Sodium:
641mg
Calcium:
31mg
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Jamaican Banana Bread
This recipe is from Cooking Light and it is so yummy!
Bread:
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 Tbsp. (1 oz.) 1/3-less-fat-cream-cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup fat-free milk
2 Tbsp. dark rum OR 1/4 tsp. imitation rum extract and 2 Tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. grated lime rind
2 tsp. lime juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut
Cooking Spray
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed. Add sugar; beating well. Add egg; beat well.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, stirring well.
Combine banana and next 5 ingredients (through vanilla), stirring well.
Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternatively with banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix after each addition. Stir in pecans and coconut.
Pour batter into an 8x4 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool slightly on a wire rack.
Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. butter
2 tsp. lime juice
2 tsp. dark rum OR 1/8 tsp. imitation rum extract and 2 tsp. water
2 Tbsp. chopped pecans, toasted
2 Tbsp. flaked sweetened coconut
In a saucepan combine brown sugar and butter, lime juice, and rum. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in pecans and coconut. Spoon over loaf.
Bread:
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 Tbsp. (1 oz.) 1/3-less-fat-cream-cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup fat-free milk
2 Tbsp. dark rum OR 1/4 tsp. imitation rum extract and 2 Tbsp. water
1/2 tsp. grated lime rind
2 tsp. lime juice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/4 cup flaked sweetened coconut
Cooking Spray
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed. Add sugar; beating well. Add egg; beat well.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, stirring well.
Combine banana and next 5 ingredients (through vanilla), stirring well.
Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternatively with banana mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix after each addition. Stir in pecans and coconut.
Pour batter into an 8x4 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour. Cool in pan 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool slightly on a wire rack.
Topping:
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. butter
2 tsp. lime juice
2 tsp. dark rum OR 1/8 tsp. imitation rum extract and 2 tsp. water
2 Tbsp. chopped pecans, toasted
2 Tbsp. flaked sweetened coconut
In a saucepan combine brown sugar and butter, lime juice, and rum. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in pecans and coconut. Spoon over loaf.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Homemade Granola
I saw this recipe a couple of months ago on one of the many many craft blogs that I read and now I can't remember which one so I can give them credit, but it is so easy and so yummy...not to mention WAAAY cheaper than store-bought granola. There is so much you can do with it too...eat it as cereal, add some m&ms, nuts and craisins to make trail mix, or add it to yogurt and fruit for a yummy parfait. I plan to try some variations on the recipe to change things up...maybe add coconut, cashews and dried mango for a tropical version or almonds and dried raspberries and blueberries for a version that just sounds really yummy!
Enjoy!
7 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup wheat germ (I used wheat bran instead - found it at Sunflower Market in the bulk section)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup cinnamon
1 cup oil
1 cup honey (I ran out of honey mid-recipe and made it with just 1/4 cup last time and it was still yummy, just not as many clusters)
1/4 water
2 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
Mix all ingredients and spread on a greased cookie sheet (I lined my cookie sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup). Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Stir and bake another 15 minutes. Scrape the bottom of cookie sheet as soon as it is doneto prevent sticking (not neccesary if using parchment paper).
Added bonus: your house will smell all cinnamony and delicious!!! :)
Enjoy!
7 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup wheat germ (I used wheat bran instead - found it at Sunflower Market in the bulk section)
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/8 cup cinnamon
1 cup oil
1 cup honey (I ran out of honey mid-recipe and made it with just 1/4 cup last time and it was still yummy, just not as many clusters)
1/4 water
2 Tbsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
Mix all ingredients and spread on a greased cookie sheet (I lined my cookie sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup). Bake at 325 degrees for 20 minutes. Stir and bake another 15 minutes. Scrape the bottom of cookie sheet as soon as it is doneto prevent sticking (not neccesary if using parchment paper).
Added bonus: your house will smell all cinnamony and delicious!!! :)
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