It's been really hot here and a cold, crisp salad makes the best dinner. This one is hearty with grilled chicken but still light enough for a hot summer evening. Add whatever vegetables you have on hand and enjoy!
Recipe: (serve 4-6)
Ingredients:
For the salad:
1 head Napa cabbage, finely chopped
2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 English cucumber, chopped
2 large carrots, grated
8oz fresh bean sprouts
1 cup fresh sugar snap peas, roughly chopped into bite sized pieces
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and cubed
fresh orange segments for garnish
sesame seeds and toasted nuts for garnish (toast nuts on a baking sheet in a 350'F oven for 2-5 minutes until golden and fragrant)
For the dressing:
1/3 cup grape seed oil
3 tablespoons Tamari (gluten free soy sauce)
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons honey (or agave nectar)
salt & pepper
Directions:
1. Lightly season chicken breast with salt and pepper and grill until cooked through to an internal temperature of 165'F, set aside to let the meat rest. Once chicken has rested for 5-10 minutes, cut it into cubes.
2. Combine cubed chicken, cabbage, lettuce, bell pepper, cucumber, shredded carrot, bean sprouts, snap peas and any other veggies you have on hand in a large bowl, chop everything about the same size into bite sized pieces.
3. Combine all dressing ingredients in a salad dressing maker or in a liquid measuring cup and whisk together well. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can dress the whole salad or I prefer to dress each salad portion separately so leftover salad stays crisp. Top each salad with sesame seeds, oranges and toasted nuts such as slivered almonds. Store remaining dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
...click here for the recipe!
These are a new variation of an old favorite,
J's Turkey Burgers. We recently tried quinoa turkey burgers while visiting family and loved them! It's an easy way to stretch out your ground turkey while adding in the nutrition of quinoa and shredded carrot! Have you tried Udi's gluten free breads yet? They are some of the best we've found. For our burgers we love
Udi's gluten free whole grain buns, they are phenomenal (no, they don't pay me to say that). They are soft and fluffy and I also love that they are a smaller, more reasonable portion size. We served our burgers up with fresh grilled corn on the cob and thin cut
sweet potato fries. Enjoy!
Recipe: (makes 8-10 burgers)
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (~2/3 cup dry quinoa cooked in 1 1/3 cups water)
1 lb ground turkey
1 medium carrot, finely shredded
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/3 cup favorite bread crumbs (we like gluten free corn flake crumbs)
Directions:
1. Place ingredients in a medium bowl and mix until well combined. Shape meat into 8-10 patties (press into flat patties, not domed)
2. Spray patties with cooking spray on both sides to prevent sticking, place on a hot GRILL.
4. Once the lower 1/3 of the patty is browned and the meat is easy to turn, FLIP ONCE, continue cooking until the patty reaches an internal temperature of 160'F. Remove from the grill and place on your favorite bun and top with all the fixings!
...click here for the recipe!
Have you tried Kale chips yet? I keep reading about them and how delicious they are, so I finally decided to give it a try. Turns out they are tasty! They have a great light and crispy quality and it's so fun how they disintegrate on your tongue, they really do resemble a light potato chip. The kids loved them, of course they also love roasted seaweed, but really these are sure to be a hit. This is a fun one, give it a try. Enjoy!
Recipe:
Fresh kale leaves roughly chopped into bite size pieces, thick stems removed
olive oil
Directions:
1. Spread kale leaves in single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle very lightly with olive oil and gently massage the oil into the leaves until they are lightly coated.
2. Bake @ 350'F for 9-11 minutes until crisp to the touch. Watch them and do not overcook or they will be bitter. If they are under cooked they'll be a bit chewy, we're going for light and crispy. Pull them out while they are still dark green, not brown. We didn't put anything else on them and they were delicious but you could try a light dusting of salt or garlic powder. Enjoy!
...click here for the recipe!
This is a fast and easy way to kick your chicken up a notch! Toasted sesame oil really adds a great dimension of flavor and the cilantro is a bright and fresh contrast. Everyone loved it! Add this to your menu this week and enjoy!
Recipe: (serves 4)
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, very finely chopped
Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag and massage marinade into the chicken. Let the meat marinate for 15-30 minutes in the refrigerator.
2. Remove from plastic bag and grill chicken for 5-8 minutes, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165'F. Serve hot with roasted potatoes and some spring asparagus.
...click here for the recipe!
It's been awhile since I've posted any new recipes because it's been awhile since we've made anything new. Just getting by with all our good 'ole standby dinners. This week before our shopping trip I had the itch to try something new. We've experimented with pumpkin before with our
Pumpkin Chili,
Pumpkin Buckwheat Pancakes, and
Pumpkin Pie Bread and had wonderful success! This pumpkin enchilada sauce has a warm mix of spices and it's savory and delicious! When all my corn tortillas kept splitting I decided to go with layers rather than your typical rolled enchiladas, either way would work! Everyone had seconds and cleaned their plates...a winner! Enjoy!
Recipe: (serves 4-6)
Ingredients:
for the filling:
4 chicken breasts (frozen is okay)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cumin
a few twists of fresh ground black pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
for the sauce:
1 can (15oz.) 100% pure pumpkin puree (don't use pumpkin pie filling!)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 cups chicken broth (reserved from chicken or from pantry)
8-10 corn tortillas (or flour)
1 cup jack cheese, shredded (optional)
cilantro for garnish
Directions:
1. Prepare your chicken ahead of time (or use left over chicken from another dinner). Combine 4 chicken breasts, salt, cumin, pepper and chicken broth in a slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 4 hrs. Remove the chicken (SAVE the remaining broth for your sauce) and shred using two forks.
2. Add cilantro to the shredded chicken and a few tablespoons - 1/4 cup of broth if it seems at all dry. Stir to combine.
3. In a medium bowl combine pumpkin puree, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and reserved 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth and whisk until well combined.
4. Spread 1 cup of sauce on bottom of large 13x9 baking dish. Here you can either stuff some chicken and a tablespoon of sauce into a tortilla and roll them all up traditional enchilada style or go the easy way like me...tear four tortillas in half and lay them in your dish covering the sauce.
5. Dump half of the chicken mixture on top of the tortilla layer then dollop on 1 cup of sauce over the chicken.
6. Repeat with a second layer...torn tortillas, then the rest of the chicken, then spread all the remaining sauce on top of that. Top with shredded cheese.
7. Bake at 425'F for 20 minutes until heated through and the cheese is melted and bubbling. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot along side a fresh green salad.
...click here for the recipe!
What a treat, my hubby made us some sushi! Now this isn't your ordinary sushi, this is chicken teriyaki sushi stuffed with sauteed portabello mushrooms, carrots and bok choy! What a fun and delicious play on flavors. I was so impressed with his creativity and his perfect sticky rice on the first try that I had to share. Go ahead, try something different for dinner tonight. Enjoy!
Recipe: (makes 15-20 pieces)
Ingredients:
For the sticky Rice:
2 cups sushi rice
3 cups water
1 T rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 T water
2 tsp olive oil
Directions:
1. Rinse the rice in strainer with cool water. Using a rice cooker or small pot add the water and rice and cook per package instructions.
2. In a small sauce pan over medium heat prepare your sticky rice syrup; add vinegar, sugar, 2 tablespoons of water and oil until warmed and combined.
3. In a large bowl mix the rice and syrup together, then allow to cool enough to handle.
For the stir fry:
cut all veggies into thin strips about 2 inches long
1 large portobello mushroom
2 large carrots
3 celery sticks
3 bok choy
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1-2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
1 T olive oil
Chicken:
3 chicken breasts (pounded flat)
marinade in organicville sesame teriyaki marinade
grill until 160F internal temperature.
cut into thin strips
Nori
Directions to assemble sushi rolls:
1. Place nori (seaweed sushi roll paper) down and cover with sticky rice (wet finger tips keeps the rice from sticking to your fingers). Leave about 3/4" inch of nori without rice on one edge.
2. Place a few small spoon fulls of the stir fry mixture and a few strips of chicken and then roll towards the edge without rice. I used parchment paper to help roll instead of a bamboo mat.
3. Moisten the strip of nori that you left without rice on it with wet fingertips before it is rolled up and it will help it stick and seal shut. Roll tight and cut into slices with a very sharp knife (wipe your knife clean between each cut).
I was lucky enough to get the leftovers again for lunch today with my favorite sushi meal beverage...green tea. Remember not to scorch your green tea. Green tea is best served at about 150'F says the internet. Or you can just do what I do and pour an inch of cold water into your mug before adding the boiling water from the teapot. ;-)
green tea brewed to perfection
...click here for the recipe!
It was a cold and rainy day today so I thought it would be fun to make soup with my boys. They love to help in the kitchen and it was welcome distraction as they were starting to get a bit stir crazy staying indoors with the rain and all. We served up our warm and flavorful tomato soup with some grilled cheese sandwiches. They loved it. I enjoy the added decadence of a sprinkling of goat cheese on my soup. Simply delicious!
My four year old even wrote out our lunch menu. Another great way to keep him occupied while my two year old helped measure the ingredients and assemble the sandwiches.
Recipe: (serves 4-5)
Ingredients:
2 (15oz) cans Organic stewed tomatoes with their juices
2 cups low sodium chicken stock or broth
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper
5-6 fresh basil leaves, finely minced or substitute 1/2 tablespoon of dried basil or Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 Tablespoon butter
Directions:
1. To a soup pot add tomatoes with their juices and chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil for 8-10 minutes until tomatoes begin to break down. Add in garlic powder, pepper, herbs and sugar and stir to combine.
2. Lower the heat and add in the milk and butter. Blend soup with an immersion blender until smooth or in a blender working in batches. Serve hot with warm bread or grilled cheese sandwiches. For an added level of decadence add a sprinkle of goat cheese to the soup. Delish!
...click here for the recipe!
Happy Leap Day! This is a hearty stew with a sweet addition of apples and cabbage. A great way to use up your veggies. Choose a firm, crisp apple such as a Fuji, that will hold up in the slow cooker. Serve with rice or quinoa for dinner tonight. Enjoy!
Recipe: (serves 4-6)
Ingredients:
1/2 pound small Dutch yellow potatoes
4 carrots, cut into large chunks
3 celery stalks, sliced
3 -4 chicken breasts, frozen is okay too
3 apples, peeled and cubed, choose a firm, crisp apple such as Fuji or Granny Smith
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon fennel seed
1/2 teaspoon salt
a few twists of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
1 cup water
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
1/2 of a large cabbage, cut into large wedges
Directions:
1. Place potatoes, carrots and celery in the bottom of a 6-quart slow cooker. Arrange chicken breasts and apple cubes on top of the vegetables.
2. Sprinkle thyme, fennel seeds, salt, pepper and cumin over the chicken. Add vinegar, apple cider, water and chicken stock to the slow cooker and finally, top with the cabbage wedges.
3. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. Serve with brown rice, quinoa or on it's own with some crusty bread. To prepare quinoa; add 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups of water to a small pot, add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer for 10-15 minutes until water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and serve hot.
...click here for the recipe!
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