Single Dish, 6 Ingredients: Rosemary Garlic Chicken with White Beans and Mushrooms

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Do you ever have those nights where you really don't have time to cook? I do! My daughter sometimes has what I like to call the 5:00pm blues. There are nights where she gets extremely fussy around this time and I have to devote 99% of my attention to her. That is where meals like this come in to play. I can throw all of my ingredients in to one dish and toss that sucker in the oven. This meal is quick, easy and delicious.

Tip: Do you feel like buying herbs can be expensive? I do! Mostly, because I rarely use all of what I buy. I'll just need a little rosemary, or a little thyme for a recipe and the rest usually goes to waste. The fix, plant a small herb garden. Herbs are easy to care for. Plant your herbs where they will get plenty of sun and clip them as you need them. You can start them from seedlings in April or May, depending on where you live or you can buy the small potted kind for less than $5.00. It is the gift that keeps on giving and personally saves me money and waste. In the winter, bring them inside and keep them near a sunny window.

Ingredients

3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 10 ounce package of baby bella mushrooms, quartered
2 cans of navy beans or great northern beans, rinsed and drained
3 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste

In a large baking dish toss together garlic, mushrooms, white beans, rosemary (reserve two pinches) and olive oil. Place chicken in dish, sprinkle with rosemary and try to coat in a little mixture, salt and pepper to your liking. Bake covered at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, remove cover and bake addition 20 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.

Serves 4. Approx 350 calories and 9 grams of fat

Fusion Tacos: Asian Style Beef Tacos

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I love fusion cuisine. Today I am combining two of my favorite style foods: Asian and Mexican. These tacos are absolutely delicious. They are very easy to make, however you need at least 4 hours of marinate time, so plan ahead. The beef in these tacos feature bold Asian flavors like garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil. I always use fresh garlic and fresh ginger. The flavor cannot be matched by powders or minced garlic in a jar.  If sesame oil and soy sauce are not staples in your pantry, they should be! They keep well, and are essential in Asian cuisine. They both give that authentic Asian flavor and are great in stir fry’s,  Asian dipping sauces, ramen, etc.

Here is a fantastic tip for grating ginger: after you buy the ginger, peel off the skin, place in a Ziploc bag and put in the freezer until you are ready to use. When you are ready to use it, grate it on a micro plane and place the unused portion back in the freezer. This will keep the ginger fresh and accessible. Also, frozen ginger is extremely easy to grate.

For the Marinade

1 lb flank steak

3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup minced green onions
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp ginger
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp lite soy sauce

Marinade flank steak in vinegar, sesame oil, green onions, garlic, ginger, honey and soy sauce for 4 hours.

When ready to cook, grill on high heat for 6 minutes per side. Remove from grill. Allow meat to rest for 5- 10 minutes. Slice meat in strips about ¼ inch thickness.

Sriracha Sauce

1/4 cup low fat mayonaise (the kind with a green lid and one gram of fat)
1 tbsp sriracha
1 tbsp water

Mix together.

Slaw and Tortillas

1 1/2 cups sliced red cabbage
1/2 cup green onions
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
8 corn tortillas


In a medium sized bowl combine cabbage, green onions, vinegar and sesame oil. Toss together and set aside.

When you are ready to assemble your tacos, place your tortillas in the microwave for 45 seconds.

To compile  taco add beef to tortilla, top with slaw and sriracha sauce.Serves 4. Approx  510 calories and 17 grams of fat for two tacos.

Baked Panko Macadamia Nut Chicken Fingers with Mango Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

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For those of you who follow my blog, you've probably noticed I have been using macadamia nuts in my recipes lately. I've also been using a lot of mangoes. About a week ago my husband and I decided we really needed to work on our baking. We didn't want Sophie's friends to tell her our cookies sucked. We've made a few batches of chocolate chip cookies (sucessfully, might I add!), but we also bought ingredients to make White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cookies. My husband banned me from making cookies until we get back from our beach vacation in Cabo, so I decided to use the nuts in my cooking. As for the mangoes, the store I shop at has had them for $1.00 each. I a huge sucker for tropical fruit, like pineapples and mangoes so I have been loading upon them when they go on sale.

Baked Panko Macadamia Nut Chicken Fingers

4 chicken breasts
2 eggs
1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
½ cup flour
¼ cup crushed macadamia nuts
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
A few sprays of non stick cooking spray.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pound chicken breast to ¼ inch thickness. Cut each chicken breast in to four strips.  Whisk two eggs together in a bowl.  In a separate bowl mix together panko, flour, macadamia nuts, salt and cayenne pepper.

Dip chicken in egg batter, then coat chicken in panko mixture and place on a lightly greased baking sheet and spray each strip with a little cooking spray.

Bake chicken at 425 for 12- 15minutes, until cooked through with light golden exterior.

Mango Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

½ cup diced mango
¼ cup course ground mustard
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil

Process all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Serves  4. Approx 316 calories and 8.5 grams of fat.

Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches with Grilled Pineapple

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4 chicken breasts (4-6 ounces each)
½ cup Yoshida’s teriyaki sauce
4 slices of fresh pineapple ¼ inch slices
¾ cup sliced red cabbage
¼ cup sliced green onion
1 tbsp macadamia nuts
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp  soy sauce (divided)

4 whole wheat sandwich thins

In a large Ziploc bag add chicken, teriyaki sauce and 1 tbsp of soy sauce. Marinade in refrigerator for 1 hr. Meanwhile, in  a medium bowl combine sliced cabbage,  green onions, macadamia nuts, rice wine vinegar and 1 tbsp soy  sauce.  Set aside.

On preheated grill cook chicken on each side for about 7 minutes each side, until cooked through.  Grill pineapple on each side for 3-4minutes.

Compile sandwiches. Place chicken on a bun, top with grilled pineapple and cabbage mix.

Approx 340 calories and 4 grams of fat

A Family Recipe: Corn Chowder, but it's really not chowder

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When I first started dating my husband he told me about Corn Chowder. It's one of his childhood favorites and to this day, he asks his mom to make it for his birthday. I remember the first time I had it, I was expecting Corn Chowder. You know, the soupy stuff that tastes good. This isn't chowder, or anything like soup. In fact, it's made with noodles, ground beef and corn, so I'm really not sure where the name came from. My mother in law learned this recipe when she was in girl scouts as a child. The original recipe was made using potatoes instead of noodles, but at some point my mother in law decided noodles were better. I haven't tried the potato version of Corn Chowder yet, I guess I am just such a fan of the dish as is. It's a very simple dish and requires just a few ingredients. I love this dish, because they are ingredients I always have on hand.

1 medium red onion diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 lb lean ground beef
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 cups of water
8 ounces whole wheat or multigrain shell pasta
1 14 ounce can of corn drained

In a large pot sauté diced onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, ground beef, salt and pepper. Cook until beef is browned, about 5 minutes Add can of tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce, two cups of water and pasta shells. Cover with lid and cook on medium until noodles are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in corn and serve.

***Serves 4. Approx 454 calories and 9.5 grams of fat.

Island Tacos with Avocado, Mango, Macadamia Nut Slaw

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These tacos are super delicious and really easy to make. If you need to have dinner on the table in 20 minutes, this is a great meal. I made my tacos with shrimp, but you could easily substitute a white fish like Mahi-Mahi, chicken or tofu to make these vegetarian. I found some really great tortillas by Mission called ancient grains. They are made with quinoa and other healthy grains and are only 100 calories each.

Slaw

1 cup sliced red cabbage
1/4 sliced green onion
1 diced avocado
1 diced mango
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp chopped macadamia nuts
1/4 tsp salt
Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.

Shrimp

1 lb shrimp (25 to 30)- peeled and deveined (or white fish, chicken, tofu)
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Caribbean Jerk seasoning
Juice of one lime

Marinade shrimp in olive oil, jerk seasoning and lime for 5 minutes. Cook on preheated skillet until opaque, about two minutes each side. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Tortillas

8 tortillas (whole grain is best)

In the same pan you used for the shrimp, warm your tortillas. Cook tortillas on each side for about a minute.

Add 3-4 shrimp per taco and top with the slaw.

***Serves 4. Approx 440 calories and 12 grams of fat for 2 tacos

Thin Crust Barbecue Chicken and Pineapple Pizza

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I love pizza. Quite frankly, I don't know anyone who doesn't. I don't know what it is, but it's all I want to eat lately. I have to fight off cravings left and right and I have to keep reminding myself that I am not pregnant anymore! However, every once and a while it's okay to give in to those cravings. For me, that doesn't mean calling up the local pizza shop though. Cooking at home is always going to be a healthier option. Why, you ask? The answer is simple. When you make it yourself you are fully aware of what you are putting in to your food. The pizza place down the street probably uses full fat cheese and a lot of it. Cooking at home gives you the freedom to lighten things up a little.

The Dough

2 cups of flour
1/4 ounce packet of quick rise yeast
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup of warm water (110 to 125 degrees)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tbsp corn meal

Start by dissolving the yeasts in 3/4 cup of warm water. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes. In large mixing bowl add 2 cups of flour, tsp of salt and tbsp of olive oil. Add in the water with the dissolved yeast. Knead using a dough hook attachment or knead by hand for 5 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 525 degrees. Spray cooking spray on pizza pan and dust pan with 1 tbsp of corn meal.

Flour surface and rolling pin and roll dough to desired thickness, flouring as needed to prevent sticking. Transfer dough to a pizza pan. Once dough is on pizza pan let rise for another 15 minutes and begin topping.

Topping

1/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 1/4 cup part skim mozzarella cheese
1 chicken breast, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup diced pineapple
Thinly sliced red onion (if desired)

Spread barbecue sauce evenly on dough. Top with 1 cup of cheese. Add chicken, pineapple and onions. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.

Bake at 525 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Cut in to 8 slices.
**Approx 202 calories and 4.6 grams of fat per slice

Healthy Morning Smoothie: Blueberry, Green Apple, Spinach and chia

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Smoothies are a great way to start the day. I love blueberries in my smoothies. They are packed full of antioxidants, they help neutralize free radicals, which help fight off disease and aging, some studies show they help fight off belly fat and let's all just be real here, blueberries are delicious. They also really help mask the taste of the raw spinach in this smoothie. Yes, raw spinach. It is so good for you and to be honest doesn't affect the taste of this smoothie whatsoever. This drink also has coconut water in it. Coconut water is extremely hydrating and has tons of electrolytes, if you don't have coconut water, sub purified water, the point of this smoothie is to start your day with antioxidants and hydration.

In a blender combine the following

2/3 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup raw spinach
1 cored green apple
1 tbsp chia seeds
8 ounces of coconut water
Juice of 1/2 lemon
small handful of ice

Blend together until smooth and icy.

*Approx 165 calories and 4.5 grams of fat

Try adding vanilla protein powder to make this a complete breakfast

The World's Healthiest Tamales

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I bought some corn husks a while back and they have been sitting in my pantry for months. To be honest, I thought making Tamales would be a lot more labor intensive than it actually was. Another reason I haven't made them is because most Tamales are made with lard and lots of it. The thought of feeding my family lard really grosses me out and just isn't my style. My blog features delicious healthy food, not waist busting, coronary disaster recipes! So, of course I made a recipe omitting the lard and as a bonus added one of the healthiest super foods out there. Chia seeds. For those of you who don't know what Chia Seeds are, they are a seed native to Mexico with amazing health benefits. These seeds are packed full of fiber, Omega 3's and protein. You can buy them in bulk at your local health food store. I bought mine at Whole Foods. If you live in a small town and don't have access to a place like this, consider buying them online. Every panry in America should have Chia Seeds in them. You can add them to your hot cereal, burgers, meatloaf's, smoothies, juice, water.. the possibilities are endless and the health benefits are amazing.

Making Tamales is about the prep work. You need to make sure your corn husks are soaked, your filling is made and your masa dough is ready. From there it is as easy as rolling them and steaming them. The thing I like about making Tamales is with this recipe you should get about 10-12 tamales. After you steam them you can wrap them up in foil or plastic wrap (husks on) and freeze them for later. When I was a kid, my mom always had Tamales in the freezer, they were the kind from Costco, but my brother and I would just heat them in the microwave for a few minutes and they were good to go. I was the type of kid that thought ketchup belonged on everything, so I would eat them with ketchup... a habit I have found hard to break. :/. The point being, these are great for reheating and really not too diffucult to make.


The Husks

10- 12 corn husks (soaked in warm water for 30 minutes... I soak mine in the sink)

Soak your corn husks in warm water for atleast 30 minutes.

The Masa Dough

2 1/2 cups of Masa de Harina (also known as Harina de Maiz)
1 1/4 cup water
1 15 ounce can of corn (drained, food processed until completely broken up)
1 4 ounce can of green chiles
2 tbsp reconstituted chia seeds (soaked in water for 10 minutes)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 tbsp corn oil

Reconstitute the Chia Seeds in warm water for 10 minutes. Strain through a mesh strainer and add to. In a blender or food processor blend corn and green chiles until fully broken up. In a large bowl, combine masa, water, corn, green chiles, chia seeds, baking powder, salt and oil. Mix with your hands until ingredients are fully incorporated.

The Filling (I made a chicken filling. You could do pork, beef, or black beans to make it vegetarian)

1/2 pound of chicken breast
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup of reduced fat Mexican blend cheese
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper

Start a pot of boiling water. Add your chicken when the water comes to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Once chicken is fully cooked shred using two forks. In a mixing bowl add shredded chicken, salsa, cheese, cumin, salt and pepper.

The Assembly

Pat corn husk dry and add 3 tbsp of masa. Spread out thinly using your hands and getting close to the edge.

Add 2-3 tbsp of the filling

Roll tamale. Start by folding in the left side, then the right side making sure the masa dough meets in the middle and then fold under the bottom.

Steam for 25-30 over a pot of boiling water (adding water as needed throughout the cooking). Ensure the water does not touch the tamales. You will know the tamales are finished when the husk easily pulls away from the tamale.

Yields 10. Approx 235 calories and 8 grams of fat each.

Meatless Monday: Capellini Pomodoro with Baby Bella Mushrooms

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Capellini Pomodoro is one of my favorite dishes. I love the simplicity of this dish paired with the freshness of the tomatoes and basil. Capellini (Angel Hair) noodles are perfect for this dish, because they are so thin and delicate. This dish is super quick and easy to make. It won't take more than 20 minutes. I have some baby bella mushrooms I need to use, so I am going to add them in tonight. If you don't like mushrooms, simply leave them out.
For additional protein, try using noodles with protein added. Barilla brand makes a multigrain noodle with protein and omega 3's. This is the pasta I typically use.

14 ounces angel hair pasta
1 cup quartered baby bella mushrooms
8 plum tomatoes seeded and diced in to 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 cup basil (chiffonade)
4 garlic cloves minced
4 tbsp olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup pasta water reserved

Cook pasta according to package. Strain noodles and reserve 1/4 cup pasta water. In a saute pan add olive oil, mushrooms, garlic and tomatoes. Saute on medium for 5-6 minutes. Next add strained pasta, reserved pasta water and basil. Toss together. Add salt and pepper to taste.

***Make sure to salt your pasta water and for better flavor season your sauce as you cook. Season throughout the cooking process helps build the flavor.

You can top with parmesan, asiago, romano, or mozzerella cheese.

Serves 6. Approx 386 calories and 11 grams of fat