Granol-un Bars {Gluten Free}

We call these Granol-un Bars at our house, partly because our 3 year old son has trouble saying "granola" and it comes out granol-un but also because these aren't your typical granola bars. In this version of a granola bar, clusters of toasted quinoa, apricots, nuts, and sunflower seeds make a sweet and chewy snack. I'm not gonna sit here and say, "these are a cinch to make, easy peasy". Yes, the recipe is straight forward and you will all understand the directions (smart people) but it is a bit time consuming and involves several steps, during which you should not really leave the kitchen lest you burn your rolled oats {ahem}. Don't fear though, these are amazing and worth the time and like all things, we'll get better, faster and more efficient with practice. These make a great snack as they are filled with fiber and protein, all natural and most importantly delicious!

Recipe: (Makes 18-20)
Ingredients:
Click here for the main recipe

We also added
* 1/2 cup raw cashews, chopped (or you may substitute shelled raw pistachios, chopped)

Dry ingredients:

...click here for the recipe!

Chicken Saltimbocca

We had our first taste of Saltimbocca back in college at a tiny little Italian restaurant we went to when we were dating. The first time my hubby ordered it we thought it was raw, actually it was just the Prosciutto that was wrapped around the chicken. After the first bite we were hooked, delicious. Saltimbocca means "jumps in the mouth" in Italian and it does. We served it up tonight with some sautéed asparagus and my new favorite wild rice blend!  The rice does take awhile to cook but it's very simple, just get it started in advance and you'll be in for a treat.  It's nutty, fluffy, full of fiber and delicious.

Chicken Saltibocca Recipe: (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
10-12 fresh sage leaves
8 strips sliced prosciutto
olive oil
1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Juice of half a lemon 
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Lemon wedges for garnish

Directions
1. Lay a few sage leaves on each chicken breast, wrap 2 slices of the prosciutto around each chicken breast.

2. Cook chicken in a large skillet over medium-high heat with olive oil (~1 tablespoon) for 2-4 minutes on each side or until done and prosciutto is rendered. Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165'F, we typically use our instant read thermometer and pull it off the heat around 160'F as it will continue to cook once removed from the heat. Once chicken is cooked through set aside and keep warm with foil.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the broth, lemon juice, and cornstarch.  Add cornstarch mixture and 1 teaspoon olive oil to pan and simmer, stirring often, about 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Wild Rice Recipe: (serves 4-6)
Ingredients:
2/3 cup Brown Rice
2/3 cup Wild Rice (also called black rice)
3 cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth

Directions:
1. Combine the brown rice, wild rice and broth in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer about 45-50 minutes, or until all the liquid is evaporated and the rice is fully cooked.  Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork and serve.

Sautéed Asparagus:
Wash thoroughly. Snap the bottom 1-2 inches of the stems off, they will break naturally with gentle pressure, discard tough ends.  Lightly toss the asparagus with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper and sauté over medium-high heat for about 10-15 minutes until crisp tender and still bright green. I like to use our cast iron grill pan for these! ...click here for the recipe!

Quinoa Soup with Beef

This is a hearty meat and potato soup with quinoa for something different. It's simmered a long time over low heat to get the meat really tender. You can add any vegetables you like. Be sure to season this as you go and try adding some jalapeños if you like your soup spicy, enjoy!

Recipe: (Serves 6-8)
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
5 green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
6-8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
3/4 teaspoons paprika
3/4 - 1 pound beef tenderloin, cubed into small bite size pieces
4 cups Organic Beef Broth
3 cups water
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (I used 1/2 yellow and 1/2 red)
8 small Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
2 cups cooked quinoa (prepared per package instructions)
2 cups fresh or frozen green peas (or you favorite vegetable, diced)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
avocado for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, add scallions and garlic and sauté until tender 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes, cumin and paprika, cook ~1 minute until spices are fragrant. Lightly salt and pepper the meat and add to the pot, brown slightly on all sides no more than 2 minutes.

2. Add broth, water, carrots, celery, bell pepper and a dash of salt and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low about 1 1/2 hours, until meat is tender.*

3. Add potatoes, cooked quinoa, peas, garlic powder, a dash of salt and pepper and simmer another 30 minutes. Season to taste and serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro and sliced avocado.

*This soup can be made in advance the night before; prepare it through step 2, cover and refrigerate.  On the day you are planning to serve it, warm soup on stove top, add potatoes, cooked quinoa and peas and cook as per step 3 for 25-30 minutes or until heated through and potatoes are cooked. ...click here for the recipe!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies {Gluten Free}

We have been experimenting with gluten free foods in our house this week and my hubby made this incredible cookie recipe. I would never guess that these were gluten free, they taste great and the texture is like any other chewy oatmeal cookie! You'll likely need to stock up on a few gluten free pantry items but it's worth it if you are eating gluten free, plus you'll be able to make many batches of these cookies. You can also use regular oats, all purpose flour and Corn Flakes if gluten free is not needed. They are not exactly low calorie but they are loaded with fiber and a very tasty treat!

Recipe: (makes 24-28 cookies)
Ingredients
1 cup Gluten-Free all-purpose flour mix
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups gluten free corn flakes, smashed before you measure
2 tablespoons flax meal
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup gluten-free oats
1 packed cup flaked coconut
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick unsalted butter (8 Tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs room temperature

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350'F.
1. Whisk first 8 ingredients, through coconut, together in a large bowl.
2. In a large stand mixer blend sugar, butter, salt, vanilla and eggs until well combined ~1 minute. Add the dry ingredient mix 1 cup at a time to the wet ingredients while the mixer is on low speed until combined. Don't over mix
3. Scoop cookies using a small kitchen scoop or spoon onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Space them out so they won't touch as they bake. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden brown around the edges, be careful not to overcook. ...click here for the recipe!

Honey-Lemon Rosemary Chicken with Wild Rice Salad

This chicken is my hubby's new favorite, he compares it to a gourmet Asian restaurant dish!  It is smothered in a tasty lemon-honey sauce with hints of rosemary.  It went perfectly with this rice salad, which is a mix of nutty brown rice and wild rice, brought to life with some bright orange, fresh basil and crunchy pistachio nuts.  The rice salad can be made in advance and served at room temperature.

Lemon-Rosemary Chicken Recipe: (serves 4)
Ingredients:
extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (~6 ounces each)
1 large shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 sprigs rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Juice of 1 lemon

Directions:
1. Season chicken lightly with salt and pepper, cook in a large skillet with 1 tablespoon olive oil for 5 minutes per side.  Remove chicken, keep warm with foil.
2. Reduce the heat and add tablespoon oil to the pan. Add the shallots, garlic and rosemary to the pan and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.  Add the honey, then stir in the Dijon mustard and lemon juice.  Add the chicken back to the pan and stir to coat on all sides with the glaze. Remove from the heat.

Wild rice for salad, also called "black rice"

Wild Rice Salad Recipe: (Serves 4-6)
for the salad:
2/3 cup brown rice
2/3 cup wild rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons pistachio nuts, chopped and toasted
1 orange
1 teaspoon orange zest
10 fresh basil leaves, sliced into ribbons
1/4 cup red onion, diced

for the dressing:
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
1. Add the rice and broth to a medium pot and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer about 45-50 minutes, or until all the liquid is evaporated and the rice is fully cooked.  Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
2. Toast the pistachios in a pan about 3 minutes, stirring often, cool.
3. Slice the orange into segments and add to the rice once it's cooled.  Add the basil, onion and orange zest, stir to combine.
4. Prepare the dressing by whisking together the vinegar, oil, orange juice, mustard, honey and salt in a small bowl.  Pour over the rice mixture and toss to combine.  Serve, topped with toasted pistachio nuts.
...click here for the recipe!

J's Country Sweet Potato Breakfast Hash

I woke up this morning to my hubby making some tasty breakfast, a breakfast potato hash he came up with on his own.  It was colorful and delicious and the kids loved it too!  Here's his recipe and what he had to say about it...
"Your house will smell like a gourmet breakfast diner. Sweet potato is something I haven't had in a country potato hash but it sounded like a good way to sweeten things up to have a potato dish taste a little more breakfasty and a little less dinnery."

Recipe: (serves 4-6)
Ingredients:
6-8 small potatoes (such as gold, red & purple), about 1 lb, diced into 1/4" pieces
2 large sweet potatoes (diced into 1/4" pieces)
1 small zucchini (diced into 1/4" pieces)
3 strips of bacon (nitrate free), diced {*omit and add a tbsp of olive oil for vegetarian}
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 sprig of rosemary finely chopped (leaves only)
2 dashes of paprika
2 dashes of chili powder
3 dashes of garlic powder
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 pinches of sea salt
1 pinch of pepper (fine ground)

Directions:
1. Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp of oil and the bacon and shallots saute about 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the rosemary leaves and zucchini and cook until al dente (~5 minutes)
3. Remove the bacon zucchini mixture to a plate, reserve any oil and grease in your pan and add the potatoes and sweet potatoes as well as the rest of the spices, salt and pepper, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes stirring occationally
4. If the potatoes are sticking and appear dry add a couple of tbsp of water as needed.  Cook potatoes until they are just about done, then add the bacon and zucchini back in and stir to combine.  Serve hot. ...click here for the recipe!

Quinoa Stir-Fry

I chuckled alittle to myself when I heard a lady ask the clerk in Trader Joe's, "could you help me find the 'quinn-oh-ah'?".  Quinoa, pronounced keen-wah, is a tasty grain that has more protein than most other grains but is somewhat unknown.   Good for her for trying someting new!  You can often find it in the bulk bins of most markets.  It has a delicate flavor similar to rice or couscous.  You can use it in soups, salads, breads or even as a breakfast cereal.  This stir-fry was delicious and I couldn't help but smile as our 3 year old shouted, "this stuff is really delicious Mom".  Add whatever vegetables you like, I hope you give it a try.  Enjoy!

Recipe: (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
1 cup Organic Quinoa
2 cups Low-Sodium chicken broth
1-1 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless, chicken breast tenders
olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
2 medium zucchini, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
4 oz Crimini mushrooms, sliced
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
fresh basil, julienned, for garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. Place 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of chicken broth in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until all broth is absorbed about 10-15 minutes.  When done, the grain will appear soft and translucent, and the germ ring will be visible along the outside edge.
2. While the quinoa is cooking, season the chicken tenders lightly on both sides with salt and pepper, grill on a grill pan or flat skillet over medium-high heat about 3-4 minutes per side or until they reach an internal temperature of 165'F.  Set aside.
3. In a large skillet over medium-high heat add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, add onions, bell peppers, zucchini, carrots and mushrooms, saute for 5-7 minutes.  Dice the chicken tenders into one-inch pieces.  Add the chicken, minced garlic and Italian Seasoning to the vegetables in the pan and reduce the heat to low, saute another 2-3 minutes until the garlic becomes fragrant.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and add the quinoa, stir to combine; garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped basil. *substitute vegetable broth and omit the chicken to make this dish vegetarian.
Recipe adapted from Trader Joe's Organic Quinoa box recipe ...click here for the recipe!

Kathleen's Spinach and Rice Casserole

Do you have a favorite dish that reminds you of your childhood? I have several and this is one of them. It's a recipe my Mom used to make and she got it from her friend Kathleen, hence the name. It's comforting and warm, perfect for a cold winter evening. The brown rice is full of fiber but takes awhile to cook so I like to assemble this a day in advance, cover and stash in the fridge and then bake it for dinner tonight. It would make a great side dish or in our house we serve it as the main course with a nice green salad on the side. Both our boys (ages 1 & 3) loved it and ate a ton. If you want to pump up the heat, I like adding some diced jalapeños. Enjoy!

Recipe: (Serves 4)
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked brown rice (1 cup raw prepared per package instructions)
2 (10 oz) boxes frozen spinach, thawed & drained
1 cup low fat cottage cheese (8oz)
1 small can diced green chilies
1 egg, beaten
1 1/4 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375'F. Squeeze any excess water from spinach.
2. Mix all ingredients and 1 cup of the cheese together in a large bowl until well combined.
3. Spoon mixture into an 8x8 inch glass baking dish and top with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese. Bake at 375'F for 50 minutes - 1 hour or until cheese is melted and golden. ...click here for the recipe!