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March 17, 2009

so good to be back!

Filed under: Blog,Dinner — Tags: , , , — Kristen :) @ 1:31 am

100_2470 I am so glad to finally have my computer back and running smoothly.  I’ve really missed the blog world!  The HP service was actually very timely and I got my laptop back within 4 days.  Wow!  Talk about quick customer service.  I also got a laptop surge protector for added protection.

While I don’t have a brand new website (still in the works!), I have much to make up for my absence and several yummy recipes to post ASAP!  Well, both of my midterms are finally over with and I’m glad to get started a new.  The first one for my adv exercise physiology class was quite the challenge, but the human physiology one was not as bad as I had anticipated.

Rotisserie chicken can be a great asset to quick and delicious meals because it’s always tender, juicy and already all cooked!  Sometimes it is even cheaper than the un-cooked bird.  While it’s not the leanest choice, it’s nice to mix up the white with the dark meat sometimes.  For this post, I feature rotisserie chicken in two really great recipes:  Chicken Enchiladas Verde and Chinese Chicken Salad.

Chicken Enchiladas Verde

Ingredients

  • 4 oz. low-fat cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 cup green salsa (I use Trader Joe’s brand)
  • 1 large can (28 oz) Green Enchilada Sauce (I like the Macayos brand)
  • 2 cups grated 2% Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
  • 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
  • 1 cup canned no-salt/no-sugar corn kernels
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • handful of cilantro chopped plus more for topping
  • 12 to 14 soft round 6 to 8-inch flour or corn tortillas

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a medium bowl cream together the cream cheese and the Greek yogurt. Stir in 1/2 cup of the salsa. Stir in 1 cup of the grated cheese. In a second bowl toss together the chicken, the corn, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, cilantro and 1/2 of the scallions. Add the chicken mixture to the cheese mixture and stir to combine.

In a large baking dish spread about a 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce over the bottom. Place the rest of the enchilada sauce in another wide, flat bowl.  Dip a tortilla in the sauce to coat and shake off excess.  Place about a 1/3 cup of the filling on a tortilla, tuck the sides in, roll up and transfer to the baking dish with the seam side down. Repeat process for remaining tortillas. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over enchiladas, spreading to coat all of them. Sprinkle remaining grated cheese over the top.  Transfer to preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes until hot and bubbly; increase oven to 400 for about 5-10 minutes until nice and golden.  Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and serve with Greek yogurt (I like to add lime zest/juice) and non-fat refried beans!

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These are delicious for leftovers too!

Chinese Chicken Salad

Ingredients

(I don’t have exact measurements, because I just threw things in!)

  • 2 heads Napa Cabbage, finely sliced
  • bell pepper, diced – You could use all kinds of veggies
  • small can mandarin oranges
  • slivered almonds, toasted
  • corn (leftover from the enchiladas)
  • rotisserie chicken (leftover from the enchiladas – about 1 1/2-2 cups)

For the Dressing:

  • 1/2 cup Non-fat Greek yogurt
  • couple splashes rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • small handful chopped cilantro
  • salt and pepper to taste

Simply mix everything together!  This is really refreshing, especially with the warm weather approaching.  Yea, for sunshine!  If it ends up being a little more ‘wet’ than you would like, it’s great as a topping for salad greens like romaine too.

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Do you miss it when you can’t blog, or if you aren’t by a computer to peruse your favorite blogs?

March 3, 2009

Sometimes you feel like a nut & BPA-free bottle giveaway!

Filed under: Blog,Dinner — Tags: , , — Kristen :) @ 5:56 pm

100_2388 Walnuts that is!  I first found this recipe in FOOD magazine and it’s a great alternative to your traditional chicken fingers.  Plus you get a healthy dose of omega-3s.  The walnut coating really keeps the chicken moist and it has a wonderful roasty toasty flavor.

I also tried to brine the chicken breasts before coating them to increase their moisture and juiciness.  I wouldn’t brine them longer than 45 minutes to an hour or else they can get too salty and dry out.  Since my taste buds have grown accustomed to less salt, I can really notice salty flavors.  But, brining for about an hour made the chicken really moist and flavorful.

Here’s what I did for the brine:

  • 4 cups H20
  • 1/3 cup salt
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 2 smashed garlic cloves
  • pinch of black pepper and an all-purpose seasoning
  • 1-1.25 lbs chicken breasts cut lengthwise to make flatter

Place all ingredients into a zip-lock bag and mix well until dissolved.  Place prepped chicken breasts in bag and let marinate for 45 minutes to an hour.  Pat dry before coating.

Now for the lovely coating (these measurements are approximate depending on how much chicken I have):

  • 2 cups roasted walnut pieces
  • 1/4 loaf TJ’s garlic ciabatta bread pulsed into breadcrumbs in the   food processor (or about 1/2 cup of your favorite breadcrumbs)
  • 1/3 cup parmesan/romano cheese blend
  • garlic powder and all-purpose seasoning like Mrs. Dash
  • 1 egg or 2 egg whites
  • 1 cup of flour
  • 1-1.25 lbs brined chicken breasts

Place the walnuts, breadcrumbs, parmesan and seasonings in a food processor and pulse until a course crumb coating forms.  Place this mixture into a shallow wide dish.

Place beaten egg or egg whites in another shallow wide dish, and the flour in another shallow wide dish.

100_2380Let’s get coating!  Place brined chicken breasts on a plate lined with paper towels to pat dry.  For each breast coat in flour; shake off access.  Then coat in egg; shake of access.  And finally dredge in walnut coating.  Place chicken in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat with a little olive oil for about 5-7 minutes each side (depending on the thickness) until golden and slightly firm to the touch.  You may have to do several batches, wiping out the pan.  Let rest on paper towels to absorb excess oil and enjoy!

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Enjoy with a nice side salad and roasted veggies.  These also make for great leftovers like baked chicken pasta parmesan.

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The Health Nut is giving away BPA-free Nalgene bottles to a lucky winner and the contest ends soon, so get over there and make some comments!  I haven’t quite made the complete switch to BPA-free bottles, but I would like to just out of precaution with the studies out there and the possible dangers with BPA.  I love those bottles because they really keep me drinking enough while at work and on the go.

February 18, 2009

how could I forget!

Filed under: Blog,Breakfast,Comfort foods,Dinner — Tags: , , , , — Kristen :) @ 3:58 am

I forgot to mention the greatest thing about the marinara and pasta chicken-stew-ck-1662823-lrecipe is . . . . lots of leftovers!  Not only does it taste even better the next day, it saves on time and money.

One of my favorite ways to use the marinara sauce in another recipe is Chicken, Pasta and Chickpea Stew adapted from CookingLight.  It tastes like it simmered for hours when you use the crock-pot marinara from my last post.

Chicken, Pasta and Chickpea Stew

(adapted from CookingLight)

Yield

6 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups soup and 1 tablespoon cheese)

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 1  cup  thinly sliced celery
  • 3/4  cup  small diced carrot
  • 1/2  cup  chopped onion
  • 2  garlic cloves, minced
  • 4  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 3  cups  crock-pot marinara (from the previous post)
  • 1  cup canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
  • 3/4  cup  uncooked small pasta (I used mini farfalle)
  • 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
  • 8  ounces  skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (I used 1/4 lb extra lean ground beef this time and it was plenty!)
  • 6  tablespoons shaved fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add celery, carrot, and onion to pan; cook 12 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add broth and next 4 ingredients (through pepper); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 12 minutes or until pasta is tender. Add chicken to pan; cook 3 minutes or until chicken is done. Sprinkle with cheese if desired and serve with an ooey gooey grilled cheese sandwich for dipping!

Nutritional Information

Calories: 237 (27% from fat)
Fat: 7.1g (sat 2g,mono 3.2g,poly 1.5g)
Protein: 15.5g
Carbohydrate: 28.1g
Fiber: 5.8g
Cholesterol: 29mg
Iron: 2.5mg
Sodium: 724mg
Calcium: 138mg

And if you can imagine it, with the leftover pureed beets from the beet cakes I made ruby red oatmeal!  I’ve never tried this before, but it actually wasn’t too bad!

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For two people:

  • 1 3/4 cups non-fat milk
  • tons of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice (I like it warm and spicy)
  • 2 tbsp raisins
  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1/3-1/2 cup pureed beets (washed and peeled)
  • 1 tbsp of dark honey
  • 1 banana (1/2 mashed in and 1/2 sliced on top)
  • 1 pear to chop on top
  • 2 tbsp toasty walnuts
  • scoop of TJ’s toasty peanut butter and more cinnamon for sprinkling

I start with the milk, spices, raisins and beets and warm them to a small boil, then add the oats, 1/2 mashed banana and honey; stir to combine.  Keep stirring and let it thicken to desired consistency (I like it thicker than most).  And then top with your favorites!  Yum and look at that ruby red color!

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve done with an ingredient or a recipe? Did it turn out really well or absolutely terrible?

January 6, 2009

Happy New Year!

Filed under: Blog,Dinner,Holidays,My Travels — Tags: , , — Kristen :) @ 7:00 pm

I can’t believe yet another year has come and gone already! Along with all the New Year’s resolutions and returning to the daily grind, I hope you all had a joyous holiday season and can approach this year with an optimal outlook for the future.

After spending Christmas with my dad, step mom and cute kiddies, I went to Mooresville, NC to visit with my family there and had a really great time. There’s is nothing like going to the comforts of home and family to make a person feel calm, content and back on track. When it seems like everything may be crumbling around us, family is always there, no matter the circumstance. I know that I am truly blessed to have the family that I have.

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If we must speak of resolutions, I myself have a few to keep in my back pocket and hopefully they will stay there as a reminder. Resolutions should really be lifestyle changes, because quick fixes don’t really stand strong in the long term. And then we get frustrated with ourselves when we make such unrealistic ambitions that don’t really work in real life. Really look at things that need changing in your life and try to come up with doable strategies that will work for you. Then make a commitment to gradually adjust and become aware of the triggers that may bring you back to your old habits. Simply recognizing they are there is the first big step to change.

For me, of course I need to get back on my usual gym schedule since I didn’t get a chance to go when I was out of town. I would also like to incorporate more vegetables into my diet. I do eat them of course, but I want to try new ones and experiment with them in new unconventional ways. Chris got me a cookbook titled “The Splendid Table,” which highlights the cuisine of northern Italy. I would like to try some of these interesting, regional recipes and try new Italian wines. I want to get away from the traditional wines from California that are most commonly known, and understand the regions and names of international wines. Fish is another great health food that I don’t eat enough of. Too many resolutions can also be detrimental to sticking with them, so I am going to stop now! But, just one more thought . . .

I also saw the movie “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” while I was out of town and really enjoyed this movie. The essence of the message behind it was very humbling. I would like to center this message around my life by not worrying so much about everything and just simply being. One’s habits and thinking patterns are hard to break, but I’m going to try! We are truly the creators of our world and we can choose how we react to any situation. I always like my dad’s saying to not have a good day . . . MAKE it a great day!

In light of New Year’s and all the weight loss/health related resolutions out there, I decided to post a recipe that utilizes a grain that most people don’t use or haven’t heard about. Quinoa is a higher protein grain that is a lot like couscous, but with more protein and fiber and is not made from semolina flour. This is great mixed with low-fat cheese, chicken sausage, walnuts and then stuffed into a bell pepper to bake. There is also a great salad that can be used for a refreshing lunch and stuffed into some green leaf lettuce. Hope you have a healthy and happy 2009!

CousCous Salad with Chicken and Vegetables
(adapted from CookingLight)

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Yield

4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

Salad:

  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup uncooked whole wheat couscous or any grain like quinoa or bulgar (just watch the ratio of water because these grains tend to need more and take longer to cook)
  • 1 cup chopped bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped zucchini
  • 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken
  • 1/2 cup (1/8-inch-thick) diagonally cut carrot
  • 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • 1/4 cup dried currants or raisins
  • 1-2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint (optional)
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Dressing:

  • 1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
  • Fresh lemon juice and zest from 2 medium lemons
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

Preparation

To prepare salad, bring water, 1 teaspoon oil, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually stir in couscous. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Place in a large bowl; cool to room temperature.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining oil to pan. Add the bell pepper, zucchini, and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes or until bell pepper is tender. Add bell pepper mixture, chicken, carrot, onions, currants or raisins, mint, and black pepper to couscous; toss gently to combine.

To prepare dressing, combine yogurt and remaining ingredients, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle over couscous mixture, tossing gently to combine and refrigerate. Serve salad in green leaf lettuce cups.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 368 (20% from fat)
Fat: 8g (sat 2.1g,mono 4g,poly 1.2g)
Protein: 24.1g
Carbohydrate: 49.4g
Fiber: 6g
Cholesterol: 46mg
Iron: 1.8mg
Sodium: 540mg
Calcium: 148mg

Quinoa Stuffed Bell Peppers
(adapted from everyday food)

Yield

4 servings as a filling main, or 6-8 as a lighter dish with a nice salad

  • 4 red bell peppers
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 chicken sausage links (any flavor and removed from casings)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp ground coriander or any blend like Mrs. Dash or Italian seasoning would work
  • salt and black pepper
  • 1 cup quinoa, rinsed
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup grated Fontina cheese (great nutty flavor), or your favorite type

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450, with rack in upper third. Slice a very thin layer from the base of a pepper so it sits upright. Slice off top, just below stem, and remove ribs and seeds from the pepper, Repeat with remaining peppers. Discard stems; chop tops and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add onion, sausage (remove meat from casings), coriander, and chopped tops; season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is soft and sausage is cooked through with browning.

Add quinoa and garlic, and cook until fragrant, 1 minute. Add 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until water has been absorbed and quinoa is tender, 11-13 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in parsley, walnuts, and 3/4 cup cheese; season with salt and pepper.

Divide evenly and stuff peppers with the quinoa mixture; place in a 2-quart baking dish. Place 1 cup water in the dish, cover with foil and bake until peppers are tender, about 1 hour. Uncover, and top with remaining cheese and bake until cheese melts and gets bubbly. Yummy and fillling!

Other great whole grains to try include: Bulgar, barley, wheat berries, brown rice, whole grain pasta, kamut, kasha, wild rice, millet, popcorn, rye and good ol’ oatmeal to name a few. I like to peruse the bins at whole foods market for new grains to try along with their preparation instructions.

I hope you like them! Get out there and try new recipes and ingredients! And remember to make half your grains whole for better health.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are
tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

December 20, 2008

Perfect for grillin’ and chillin’

Filed under: Blog,Dinner,Lighter Fare — Tags: , — Kristen :) @ 6:44 pm

This is the perfect recipe for summer grillin’ and chillin’ in the backyard with a nice frosty margarita. Yum!

~Jamaican Jerk Chicken~


For the Jerk Chicken:

In a ziploc bag place the following ingredients:

1 tsp lime rind, 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1 tbsp ground allspice, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp finely chopped jalepeno, 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp dried thyme, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg, 3 garlic cloves chopped, 2 scallions chopped, and 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (pound down so they are not too thick). Marinate this mixture at least 2 hours in the fridge, turning occasionally.

For the Sweet Potato base: (Do this while the Chicken is marinating)

Stab 3 yams with a fork, spray lightly with oil or pam and wrap in foil. Place in a 375 F oven for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours depending on the size of them. They will feel very tender when done.

For the Mango Salsa: (Do this while the sweet potatoes are baking)

Place all the following ingredients in a medium bowl:

1 tsp finely diced jalapeno (you can add more if you like it hot), zest of 1 lime, juice of one lime, 1 tbsp honey, 1 red bell pepper diced, 1/4 – 1/2 an english cucumber diced, 1 mango diced, 1 avocado diced, 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, 1 scallion sliced thinly, 1/4 cup non-fat greek yogurt. Mix all ingredients and place in fridge until ready to plate.

Time to Grill the Chicken:

Prepare the grill. Grease grill with canola oil to keep the chicken from sticking. For great grill marks place chicken on grill for 5 minutes, turn chicken about 35 degrees and cook another 5 minutes on the same side. Baste chicken with the extra marinade. Turn chicken over and repeat on the other side. Total cooking time, depending on the thickness, should be about 20 minutes. Instant Thermometer should read about 160 in the thickest part. Let chicken rest 5 minutes when done.

For the Presentation:

Cut the sweet potato in half widthwise then in half again lengthwise and fan open on plate, place about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of salsa mixture over the sweet potato, slice chicken thinly and fan slices on top. Dollop with more greek yogurt, lime slice, and sprig of fresh cilantro. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle with cinnamon. Yum!

This recipe will serve about 4-6 people.

Tweaked and adapted from cookinglight.com’s Jerk-Style Chicken recipe.

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