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Saturday, January 31, 2015

Whole Wheat Waffles (with a jam-filled heart)

This makes a pretty quick but impressive breakfast, and you probably already have the ingredients on hand! 


Whole Wheat Waffles


  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 ¾ cups milk (any kind)
  • 1 tablespoon oil 
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour 
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • fresh fruit, warm maple syrup, or jam for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat your waffle iron.
  2. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, honey, cinnamon, and baking soda until well combined.
  3. Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk together just until the large lumps disappear.
  4. When the waffle iron is hot, ladle some batter onto the center of the iron. Follow the instructions that came with your waffle maker to know how long it should be cooked (mine takes about 3 - 4 minutes each).
  5. Keep waffles warm until you finish cooking all of them. Top with pure maple syrup and fruit. Or, for an extra loving touch, cut a heart-shaped whole with a sharp knife out of one waffle, stack it on another whole waffle, and fill the heart with red jam, strawberries, or your choice of fruit. I cut a heart out of paper first, and used it as a stencil to get it just right. 
                                                                       Recipe adapted from http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/

CUCUMBER RADISH YOGURT DILL PASTA SALAD

Ingredients
For the Salad
  • 1 cucumber (any kind!)
  • 1 bunch radishes
  • 2 cups cooked spiral pasta (may also use macaroni, shell, or penne pasta)
  • 1/4 cup chopped red onion
For the Yogurt Dill Dressing
  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh dill, chopped (may use dried)
  • salt to taste
Instructions
  1. Wash the cucumber and radishes and thinly slice.
  2. Place sliced veggies in a colander with a large bowl or towel underneath and place in fridge for at least 2 hours to allow moisture to drain from the veggies. This step is important or too much liquid will end up in your salad.
  3. Mix together the dressing ingredients and keep cool in fridge until the cucumbers and radishes are ready.
  4. Before serving, pour the yogurt dressing over the cucumbers, radishes, pasta, and red onion and mix well. Taste and add additional salt if necessary.
  5. Sprinkle salad with additional dill to garnish (optional)

Recipe modified from laurendamarie.com

ROASTED GARLIC CAULIFLOWER MASHED POTATOES

  • INGREDIENTS
  • 2 medium heads garlic
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil(divided)
  • 1 medium onion  (finely chopped)
  • 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes  (cut into small chunks)
  • 1 medium head cauliflower(coarsely chopped)
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth or stock
  • 1/4 cup fresh chives  (finely chopped)
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
DIRECTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 400°. Peel away loose outer layers of garlic bulb skin, leaving head intact. Cut off top ¼ inch, exposing individual cloves. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil; then wrap in foil and bake for 1 hour or until cloves feel soft when pressed. When cool enough to handle, squeeze cloves into a small bowl. Set aside.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté onion until caramelized, 20–25 minutes. Set aside.
  3. Place potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add cauliflower. Cook for another 5–10 minutes, until everything is fork-tender. Drain and return to saucepan. Turn heat to medium and add remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus broth or stock. Mash with a potato masher, adding more stock if needed to reach desired consistency. Stir in roasted garlic, onions, and chives, mashing as desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, transfer to a serving dish, and sprinkle with smoked paprika. Serve immediately.
Recipe from deliciousliving.com

BAKED APPLES AND SWEET POTATOES


2 large sweet potatoes
3 Large Apples or 4 medium
 (Braeburn, Fuji, Gala or Granny Smith)
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 Tbl cold butter cut into small pieces
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoon nutmeg

1 ½ Tablespoon honey (opt)

Cut sweet potatoes into 1 inch bite size pieces. Boil until tender, not over soft. Drain and cool. Cut apples into 1 inch bite size pieces. Combine apples, cooked potatoes, sugar, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Drizzle with honey  and add cold butter. Gently combine and pour into a sprayed 9x13 casserole dish. Bake @ 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

PINEAPPLE SALSA



3 cups fresh pineapple, diced 1 yellow or green bell pepper, diced
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
1⁄4 cup lime juice
1⁄2 small red onion, finely diced 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped 1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced Pinch salt

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl and mix well. Serve over any meat, poultry, or fish or with tortilla chips.
Makes 5 cups. 

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

BEEF BROCCOLI STIR-FRY

1/2 lb boneless tender beef steak (I like top sirloin or petite sirloin for this)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon minced ginger (can use fresh or prepared found in a tube in the produce section)
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1 lb fresh broccoli
1 1/4 cups water
4 teaspoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 onion, chunk cut
Hot Cooked Rice

Prep- 

1. Cut beef across grain into thin slices. To make it easier to cut have steak slightly frozen. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine 1 tablespoon each cornstarch and soy sauce with sugar, ginger and garlic; stir in beef. Allow to stand for 15 minutes.
2. While beef marinates, cut the florets off the broccoli stems and cut in half (unless it is a small piece already). Peel the stalks and cut into 1/8 inch slices.
3. Chunk onion by cutting in half, and then quarters, then half again, creating long crescent shapes.
3. Combine water, 4 teaspoons cornstarch and remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce; set aside.

Cook- Moves quickly from here so have everything else ready to go. Set the table, your that close!!

1. Heat 1 tablespoon in a hot skillet or wok over high heat. Add beef and stir-fry 1 minutes; remove.
2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in skillet or wok. Add broccoli and onion; stir-fry 4 minutes
3. Stir in beef and soy sauce mixture (give this a quick stir before pouring over beef and veggies). Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens.


Serve immediately over hot rice.

Makes 2- 3 servings. Can be doubled.

* I have been making this recipe for years. I originally found it in a cookbook named Great American Favorite Brand Names, contributed by Kikkoman

Sunday, January 25, 2015

BAKED POTATOES


  1. Baked Potatoes (produces crisp and flavorful skins):
    • An oven temperature between 350425 degrees works best.
    • Poke some holes in potato with a sharp knife to help release steam and prevent explosions
    • Bake for about an hour or until a knife goes in easily.
    • Do not wrap in foil unless you want a “steamed” potato with moister flesh and skin. 

FRESH COCONUT SMOOTHIE


Ingredients
  • 1 cup young Thai coconut water
  • Flesh from 1 young Thai coconut
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen mango chunks
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder or pure vanilla extract
  • 4 – 6 ice cubes (optional)
Optional Add-ons
  • 1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
  • 1/2 tablespoon cacao powder
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds or chia seed gel
  • 1 serving of your preferred protein powder
  • Something else you have on-hand that sounds delicious!
Show Time
Put the ingredients into your blender and blend for anywhere from 30-45 seconds – or until the desired consistency is reached.
recipe modified from healthysmoothiehq.com

AFRICAN BEAN SOUP

INGREDIENTS

1⁄2 cup water
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 onion, sliced
2 small sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and diced
(about 2 cups)
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced 1 (15 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth
1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans
1⁄2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 - 2 teaspoons curry powder
4 cups cooked brown rice  (or sometimes I use lentils instead and that's yummy too)

DIRECTIONS

Heat water and soy sauce in a large pot. Add onion and cook over high heat, stirring often, until onion is soft, about
5 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except for rice. Stir to mix, then cover and simmer until vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork, about 15-20 minutes. To serve, place 1⁄2 cup cooked rice in a bowl and top it with a generous ladle
of soup.
Yield: 8 servings

LEMON GLAZED CARROTS


1- 1 1/2 lb carrots
1 1/2 Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 lemon zested and juiced
Pinch of salt and pepper
Parsley (opt)

Directions
1. Peel and cut carrots into desired shape. You could cut in half or quarters longways (like large carrot sticks) or into medallions. Cook carrots until tender by steaming or boiling. Steaming will retain more nutrients. This will take about 8 minutes.
2. Heat butter in a skillet over med-low heat; add brown sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. (be sure to zest the lemon and then squeeze the juice) Continue to heat and stir until sugar dissolves.
3. Place the cooked carrots on a platter and drizzle the glaze over the carrots. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley.

This glaze could easily be halved. I felt like it was a bit much. I loved the lemon zing it had.
Yummy!

FISH TACO WITH NAPA CABBAGE

This recipe can be done two ways.
To prepare this inexpensively and quickly, you can use fish sticks or a prepared fish from frozen section of the grocery store. This method is simpler and less complicated. If you have the time, starting from scratch is the way to go.

From Scratch you will need
1 lb white fish-halibut, cod, tilapia would all work well.
 2 cups napa or green cabbage shredded (I prefer Napa for this)
16 corn tortillas
Pico de Gallo
Fresh chopped cilantro

Blackening Seasonings
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
 In a small bowl combine all  dry ingredients, sprinkle evenly over the fish.

To prepare fish
Heat 1 Tablespoon of canola oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add fish to pan and cook about 3 minutes on each side until cooked through.

Or....  you can grill on a BBQ, Grilling fish can be difficult because of the fragility of the fish. Using a grill pan would be best.

Sauce
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1/2 cup  reduced calorie mayonnaise (olive oil mayonnaise is a good choice)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime to taste, start with only half and add more if you feel it is needed
Thin with a little milk to the consistency you like.

* You can use 2 tsp taco seasoning if you don't have individual seasoning, or just to make it easier.

To serve
Divide fish among 8 double layered corn tortillas. (16 total)
Top with shredded Napa cabbage and pico, and drizzle with the sauce.
Sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Serves 4




Wednesday, January 21, 2015

NOT SO SPICY, SPICY CORNBREAD

1 cup all purpose flour (can use whole wheat flour)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 Tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2/3 cup low-fat sour cream
2/3 cup low-fat milk
2 large eggs
6 Tablespoons melted butter
3/4 shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup sweet corn kernels (fresh, frozen or canned, canned will add a sweetness to the bread)
1/2 jalapeno chile, diced with seeds and ribs removed

Preheat oven to 400˚ F.  Spray a 10" oven safe skillet (like cast iron) or a 9x9 casserole. In a large bowl, mix together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, salt and cayenne pepper. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, milk and eggs until well blended. Combine wet and dry ingredient, but be careful not to over mix. Fold in the cheese, corn and jalapeno. 

Pour batter into prepared pan, bake until the cornbread is golden brown and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, this will take appox. 20 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and serve. 

* Feel free to play with this recipe a little. Keep the basic bread part the same but change up the add-ins (Cheddar, corn and jalepeno). I am a huge fan of the jalepeno cornbread muffins at Paradise Bakery so I love the jalepeno, but don't want it so spicy it is uncomfortable. The half works best for me. If you like it hot, go all in. You could also try making it a little sweeter by increasing the sugar another tablespoon.  

**This recipe is lightened and modified from Comfort Food by Rick Rodgers 




BLACK BEAN SOUP

1 lb dried black beans, soaked in water overnight
(or if you are making it last minute use 4 cans of black beans, drained but not rinsed
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 lb bacon
1/4 lb Ham hocks or use you can use a left over ham bone from leftover baked ham (this can be stored in the freezer if you don't want to use it right away)
4 medium sized onions, chopped
4 cloves of garlic
3 stalks of celery including leaves
1/4 tsp ground red pepper
2 tsp cumin
12 cups of chicken broth or 2 of the large 49 1/2 oz cans
1/8 cup red wine vinegar (mom says this is the secret to it, don't skip)

Cook bacon in a separate pan until juicy (not crispy). This is just to render off some of the fat. Remove the bacon from the fat and set aside. Heat oil in large pot. It will need to be large enough to add the ham bone and still hold all the liquid. Cook celery, onion and garlic until they're soft. Add drained beans, chicken stock, pepper cumin ham hock and bacon. Bring everything to a boil then let simmer on low few hours, stirring occasionally. Remove the ham hock and set out to cool. When they have cooled enough to work with and not burn your fingers, pull the meat off the bone and return the meat to the pot. Add red wine vinegar. Stir to combine.
This is great served with cornbread. I like to top it with low-fat sour cream. You can also use salsa, cilantro and fresh diced tomatoes.

Friday, January 16, 2015

WHITE ASPARAGUS AU GRATIN

INGREDIENTS
15 white asparagus spears
small bunch of fresh herbs such as lemon thyme, thyme, dill, basil, or chives
3/4 cup fat-free evaporated milk
2 tbsp fat-free plain regular or greek yogurt
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
3 1/2 oz parmesan cheese
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley


DIRECTIONS
1.  Prepare the aspargus:  Peel and trim the asparagus to remove the outer layer and break off the bottoms.  Slice the spears lengthwise and lay them in an oiled casserole dish.  Sprinkle with fresh herbs.

2.  To make the sauce: Pour the evaporated milk, yogurt, and mustard into a pan and place over medium heat.  Stir to combine and bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat slightly and let bubble to reduce by about a quarter.  Season the reduced mixture with salt and pepper to taste.

3.  To make the breading:  Combine the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley, and black pepper in a bowl.

4.  Layering the dish:  Pour the sauce over the halved asparagus spears in the dish.  Then sprinkle with the breading mixture.  Drizzle the remaining oil and melted butter over the top.

5.  Bake it on the middle shelf of the oven until the top is crisp and golden and the cream bubbles up around the sides of the dish, about 15 to 20 mins.  Sprinkle with remaining fresh herbs and serve.

Recipe modified from epicurious.com

KRISTI'S HOME STYLE CHILI

INGREDIENTS
2 LBS ground beef (may use ground turkey or 1/2 pork sausage and 1/2 ground beef)
One 29-ounce can tomato sauce
One 29-ounce can kidney beans with liquid (or black beans)
1 cup diced onion (1 medium onion)
1/2 cup diced green chile (about 2 chiles)
1/3 cup diced celery
1 cup diced bell pepper
3 medium tomatoes, chopped (may use fresh or canned)
2 tsp cumin powder
3 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
2 cups water

For serving:
chopped fresh lettuce
chopped fresh tomatoes
Fry Bread (if making Navajo tacos)

DIRECTIONS
1. Brown the ground meat in a skillet over medium heat.  Drain off the fat.
2.  Using a fork, crumble the cooked meat into pea-sized pieces.
3.  In a large pot, combine the meat plus all of the remaining ingredients, and bring to a simmer over low heat.  Cook, stirring every 15 minutes, 2 to 3 hours.

When ready to serve, top with a pile of fresh chopped lettuce and tomatoes and serve.  This is also delicious with fry bread.

Makes about 12 servings

ORZO W/GRAPE TOMATO SALAD


INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

6 cups chicken broth
1 pound orzo (or riso)
2 cups red and yellow teardrop or grape tomatoes, halved
1 7-ounce package feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups) (may use another kind of cheese such as fresh mozzarella, or pepper jack.)
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 cup chopped green onions - optional
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted (may use sliced almonds) - optional

DIRECTIONS
Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, and honey in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season vinaigrette with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.)
Bring broth to boil in large heavy saucepan. Stir in orzo, reduce heat to medium, cover partially, and boil until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Transfer to large wide bowl, tossing frequently until cool.
Mix tomatoes, chopped pepper, cheese, basil, and green onions into orzo. Add vinaigrette; toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.) Add pine nuts; toss. Serve at room temperature.

Modified from epicurious.com
Submitted by Raven Albertson

RICOTTA SPINACH SPAGHETTI SQUASH CASSEROLE


INGREDIENTS
1  
3-pound spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded 
1  
tablespoon  
olive oil 
1  
15-ounce container ricotta 
1  
large egg 
4  
cups  
baby spinach, chopped 
1  
garlic clove, chopped 
1/8  
teaspoon  
ground nutmeg 
kosher salt and black pepper 
2  
cups  
grated mozzarella (1/2 pound) 

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat oven to 400° F. Place the squash on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle the cut sides with the oil, place cut-side down, and roast until tender, 40 to 50 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, spinach, garlic, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper.
  3. With a fork, gently scrape out the strands of flesh and add to the ricotta mixture. Mix gently to combine.
  4. Transfer the mixture to an 8-inch square baking dish, sprinkle with the mozzarella, and bake until browned and bubbling, 18 to 22 minutes.

Recipe from realsimple.com

PAN ROASTED CHICKEN WITH LEMON-GARLIC GREEN BEANS

INGREDIENTS

6  tablespoons  olive oil 
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced 
4 cloves garlic, minced 
1  teaspoon  kosher salt 
1/2  teaspoon  
freshly ground black pepper 
3/4  pound  trimmed green beans 
8 small red potatoes, quartered 
4 chicken breasts (bones left in, with skin, about 3 1/4 pounds) 

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking dish or cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish or skillet.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper; add the green beans and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices. Add the potatoes to the same olive-oil mixture and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, arrange the potatoes along the inside edge of the dish or skillet on top of the green beans. Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive-oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish or skillet. Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.
  3. Roast for 50 minutes. Remove the chicken from the dish or skillet. Place the beans and potatoes back in oven for 10 minutes more or until the potatoes are tender. Place a chicken breast on each of 4 serving plates; divide the green beans and potatoes equally. Serve warm.

Recipe contributed by Kristi Strong
Modified from:  realsimple.com

CROCK POT LEMON RICE SOUP

INGREDIENTS
5 cups Chicken Broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 egg yolks
3/4 cup brown rice or barley
Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
  • Cook broth and rice in crock pot on high for 3 hours or until rice is fully cooked.
  • Whisk egg yolks and lemon juice in separate bowl.
  • Mix one cup of broth from the crock pot and slowly at it to the bowl of egg yolks and lemon juice. Be sure to continuously stir while your adding broth.
  • Add the ingredients from your bowl into your crock pot, continuously stirring
  • Cover and cook on low for approximately 10 minutes
  • Add salt and pepper to your liking

  • GREEK CHICKEN LEMON RICE SOUP

    INGREDIENTS
    6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
    3/4 cup long-grain white rice
    2 cups cooked chicken, diced (a rotisserie chicken works great for this)
    2 large eggs, at room temperature
    2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (do not use bottled)
    DIRECTIONS
    • Add broth and rice to a large saucepan. Bring to a boil.
    • Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook 15 minutes or until rice is cooked.
    • Add chicken to pot.
    • Remove soup from heat and cover.
    • In a separate bowl, whisk lemon juice into eggs until frothy.
    • Ladle out about 1 cup hot broth from soup pot and slowly whisk it into the eggs, whisking continually.
    • Slowly stir the warmed eggs into the pot of soup.
    • Serve immediately.

    Saturday, January 10, 2015

    ZESTY ZUCCHINI STICKS

    INGREDIENTS
    1 cups Italian breadcrumbs
    1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
    4-5 small zucchini, cut into sticks or cubes
    2 eggs, beaten well

    DIRECTIONS
    Mix breadcrumbs and parmesan.
    Dip zucchini strips in beaten egg, then in crumb mixture.
    Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.
    Place strips on sheet.
    Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.  (turning about half way)

    CREAMY RED PEPPER SOUP

    INGREDIENTS
    1 large onion
    1/8 cup butter (may use olive oil as a healthy substitute)
    1 7oz jar roasted red peppers or 2-4 fresh pepper, roasted*
    2 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
    2 garlic cloves, minced
    1 large potato, peeled and diced
    1 15oz can pears in juice
    dash cayenne pepper
    dash black pepper
    Heavy cream for serving (use fat-free half & half for a healthy substitute)

    In a large pot saute onions and garlic in the butter.  Add potato, red peppers and broth.  Boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until tender.  Remove from heat.  Add pears.  Puree mixture to desired consistency.  Stir in cayenne and black pepper.  Heat through.  Add a splash of cream to each bowl.  Serves 6.

    *To roast fresh bell peppers:

    Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

    Place the whole peppers on a sheet pan and place in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until the skins are completely wrinkled and the peppers are charred, turning them twice during roasting. Remove the pan from the oven and immediately cover it tightly with aluminum foil. Set aside for 30 minutes, or until the peppers are cool enough to handle.

    Remove the stem from each pepper and cut them in quarters. Remove the peels and seeds and place the peppers in a bowl along with any juices that have collected. Discard the stems, peels, and seeds. Pour the oil over the peppers. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

    Saturday, January 3, 2015

    BROILED PINEAPPLE

    INGREDIENTS
    1 fresh pineapple
    1/2 cup brown sugar
    1 tbsp lime juice
    1 tbsp lemon juice
    2 tbsp honey
    1/2 - 1 tbsp cinnamon

    DIRECTIONS
    Prehead grill or broiler.  Peel, core, and cut pineapple into 1/2" inch slices. Make a glaze with the remaining ingredients.  Spread glaze on all sides of each pineapple ring.  Grill or Broil 4-5 inches from heat for 5-10 minutes, turning once, until sugar mixture melts and pineapple is tender.

    SPAGHETTI SQUASH PRIMAVERA




    • Directions

    • Pierce the shell of the spaghetti squash with a fork and place in a microwave-safe dish; cook in microwave on High for 12 minutes. Set aside to cook until cool enough to handle. Slice in half lengthwise; remove the seeds. Use a fork to pull the flesh of the squash away from the shell and place into a large bowl; fluff with the fork to separate the strands as much as possible.
    • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the onion in the hot oil until just tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking and stirring another 3 minutes. Stir the zucchini and green bell pepper into the mixture; season with the Italian herb seasoning and black pepper. Pour the tomatoes into the skillet. Continue cooking just until the tomatoes are warmed, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the squash to the skillet and toss until evenly mixed. Sprinkle with the feta cheese and toss again to serve.
    Recipe modified from allrecipes.com 

    CHICKEN DIVAN

    Ingredients
    • 8 to 12 ounces broccoli flowerets
    • 2 cups chopped cooked chicken (optional)
    • Salt and ground pepper to taste
    • 1 can (10.75 ounces) 98% fat free cream of chicken soup (Or use our healthier SOS Mix instead)
    • ¼ cup low fat mayonnaise (or equivalent of nonfat plain regular or greek yogurt)
    • ½ teaspoon curry powder
    • ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
    • ½ cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
    • ½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
    • 1 tablespoon butter, melted (may use oil)

    Instructions
    1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    2. Lightly coat a 9 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange broccoli in the bottom of the prepared dish. Season the chicken to taste with salt and pepper. Distribute the chicken evenly over the broccoli.
    3. In a small bowl, stir together the soup, mayonnaise(or yogurt), curry powder and lemon juice until well blended and spread over the chicken and broccoli. Top with grated cheese.
    4. In another small bowl, toss together the bread crumbs and melted butter and then sprinkle over the cheese.
    5. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees until golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes.
    Recipe modified from simple-nourished-living.com