Meatless Monday - Roasted Garlic Hummus

I love hummus, it makes such a satisfying dip and spread for sandwiches. Its too expensive to buy pre-made all the time so I like to whip up a cheaper version at home. I used to use only chickpeas but I saw someone once make it with great northern beans and have made it that way since.  Jeff also is a fan of the northern beans, it is slightly creamer and sweeter than chickpeas. I omit the Tahini usually used in hummus cause frankly I have a hard time finding it here and it saves me a little extra $$.

Roasted Garlic Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 (15oz) can of Great Northern Beans
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 bulb garlic
• salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut top off garlic bulb and drizzle a little olive oil on the cut portion.  Place on baking sheet top side up and roast in oven for 40 minutes.  Cool and the roasted garlic should be able to be easily squeezed from the skin.

2. In a food processor combine the can of beans (drained), olive oil, lemon juice, roasted garlic cloves, salt & pepper. Pulse till smooth.

My delicious lunch veggie wrap: tortilla with hummus spread, grated carrots, onion, spinach, cucumber and sliced tomato.

Yum Yum!

Meatless Monday - "Meaty Quesadilla"

Meatless Monday Number 2!
I found an excellent way to use leftover filling from the Lentil Walnut Mushroom burgers... make some quesadillas!  This was super filling and a big hit with the man. Its also a great way to use leftovers from the meatless burgers making it fast to whip up.

This was also my first attempt at making homemade tortillas, I love how rustic it looks

Follow the recipe for Lentil Walnut Burgers until you get to the part where you form them into patties.
Put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan and fry up the filling as if it was ground beef until browned.  Place a large clean frying pan on medium / med high heat on the stove.  Get a tortilla and spread lentil mixture evenly on one side, place in frying pan lentil side up.  Sprinkle some cheese and spinach on filling and cover with another tortilla.  It will be ready when the cheese is all melted.  Serve with a side of salsa!

Lentil, Walnut, & Mushroom Burger!

I think I have a solution for when hubby tells me he really hates certain foods that are good for you ... grind them till they are unrecognizable and make into burgers! Everything is made better with burgers.
Yes the evil healthy wife has dominated this week, but don't worry the Butter Princess will probably return soon with a vengeance :) 

Doesn't the picture make you hungry though?  The only problem is I made the burger really too thick (I wanted to take a nice picture) and as soon as I took a bite it squashed out the sides of the bun a little.  Whoops!  So for the rest of the batch I made thinner patties and they were perfect.  We both enjoyed this even after I revealed what was in the burger.  Score one for the super-food burger!

Lentil, Walnut, & Mushroom Burger

Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• 1 cup dry lentils
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
•  1 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup whole grain oats
• 8 oz container of whole white mushrooms, cleaned
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp olive oil + 3 more for the pan
• 1/4 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1. Bring water to boil in a small saucepan.  Add lentils and lower heat.  Simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed.  In a small skillet saute the onions in 1 Tbsp olive oil till tender.  For the last 30 seconds stir in the fresh spinach and let them wilt a little. Set aside in a bowl.

2. In a food processor combine the walnuts, oats, mushrooms, vinegar, thyme, salt & pepper and pulse till thoroughly chopped (if you have small food processor like me you can just chop it all separate). Add the lentils and give just a couple more pulses so that some lentils are still whole. Add to the bowl with the onions and mix well.

3. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Form mixture into patties with your hands (skinny patties!) and cook on each side 7-8 minutes till brown & crispy.  Serve while still nice and hot.

Spaghetti Squash Toss

Spaghetti squash is just so much fun to make.  I get such a silly kick out of flaking the insides with a fork, maybe in my past life I was a squash farmer.  I'm trying to get more creative but besides this recipe below and just eating it plain with loads of butter that's about it for now.  One day I will be more than a 2 trick pony with my fun squash!  :)
What I do really like about this recipe is that it makes tons, enough for leftovers, and it tastes great next day.

Spaghetti Squash with Feta & Veggies

Ingredients:

• 1 large Spaghetti Squash
• lots of Olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• 1 cup Broccoli, broken in bite size pieces
• large handful fresh spinach
• 4oz pkg crumbled Feta cheese
• Salt & pepper to taste 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice squash in half and remove seeds with a spoon.  Drizzle lots of olive oil, salt and pepper on the cut portions.  Place cut side down on a large baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes, until squash is tender and you can stick a knife in its side easily. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

2. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat.  Add garlic, cook for 1 minute, then add tomatoes and saute till tomatoes become tender, about 5 minutes. 

3. While the tomatoes are cooking you need to steam the broccoli to get it tender.  Place in microwave in a safe bowl with 1/8 cup water.  Cover and cook on high for about 3 minutes.

4. Get out your favorite fork and begin to flake out the inside of the squash away from the skin.  Place in bowl and toss with tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, and feta cheese.  Add more salt & pepper to your liking.

Meatless Mondays

I came across this really interesting site last week:

Meatless Mondays  

www.meatlessmonday.com

Our goal is to help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.  We're a non-profit initiative, in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

I love this idea. One day a week to cut out meat!  Jeff & I eat way too much meat everyday already.
I wonder who is making all these meaty meals .... cough cough..

The fact it is on Monday really suits us because
   1. We usually relax on weekends and eat whatever, and
   2. This is a great way to start off the week!

I'm not a stranger to meatless eating either.  All in my 20's I went from being a vegetarian for years...to eating some fish....to just not eating red meat....to just throwing it all out the window when I hit 30.  Ironically 30 is also when I gained a lot of weight and became so unfit I couldn't climb a flight of stairs without sweating...hmmmmmm....
I brought this idea up with hubby and he seemed a bit weary but willing to try it with me, or at least until he has too many hungry Mondays.
So my goal is to make Mondays Meatless and fill the empty cavern of a stomach on Jeff at the same time.  Whew!

Today the menu is pretty simple and easy:

Breakfast:

Bowl of Oatmeal with a little cinnamon and honey

Lunch:

Butternut Squash Soup (thawed from the batch I made this winter)

Homemade little French loaves

Dinner:

Pasta with homemade marinara sauce

Whole wheat garlic bread

See...nothing threatening there :)
For the Pasta sauce I just did what I do with my Pizza sauce except use a plain can of tomato sauce instead of diced tomatoes.
For the Whole wheat garlic bread I just lightly butter whole wheat bread slices and sprinkle garlic powder (not salt) over. Broil for 5 minutes until browned.

So far so good!

Brussels Sprouts (& cute baby ducks!)

Ok, cheap trick to try to get you to read about brussels sprouts but honestly how can I not show pictures of the baby ducks at our pond.  I have a new hobby of "duck watching" and reporting what cute things they are doing at the moment to Jeff who in turn is obligated to oooh and awwww with me.   :)  I just want to cuddle them all!
Now back to that vegetable that is so feared amongst my friends....
When I say that this simple recipe might change your mind if you are not a fan of brussels sprouts I really mean it.  The first time I made them I had it as a side dish with a thick steak and potatoes to try to soften the presentation to Jeff.  After one bite he was hooked and even the little crisp leaves that fell off were gobbled like potato chips.
If being rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, folic acid, and dietary fiber doesn't convince you to try to include this in your diet a research study reveled eating brussels sprouts may help prevent colon cancer. Now that's what I'm talking about!

Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

• Brussels sprouts
• Olive oil (enough to evenly coat)
• fresh ground black pepper
• sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Rinse off brussels sprouts.  Using a small knife, trim off a little of the the stem end and remove any dark or damaged outside leaves and discard.  Place in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, salt & pepper to taste, coating completely. Pour out on a large baking sheet and bake in oven for 45 minutes, shaking occasionally.

3. Add more salt & pepper if desired and serve immediately.

 now back to my duck watching... 

Healthy Snacks of the moment

Call me weird but I just love to have these as snacks.  Yes I know not too imaginative but really quick to chop up and delicious.   This satisfies my munchies without the guilt.

On the Left:  Sliced red bell pepper
On the Right: Sun ripened tomatoes with a little salt & pepper  and  sliced avocado with lime juice and ground pepper.

mmmmmmmm...... so good

Avocado Dip and Corn tortilla chips

As you probably can tell from previous posts Jeff & I have kinda fallen off the wagon of healthier and lighter eating. It started with "if the girl scout cookie is broken you dont have to count it" ... to eating a whole pan of Lasagna.  Since smashing an entire box of Thin Mints to feel better about inhaling it is not really where we want to go its back to eating healthy!  As fun as it was to eat naughty, and I will admit it's kinda fun for a while, I am excited to eat healthy again and to not feel like a blob.
My favorite food at the moment is avocado, I seriously love it better than any Easter chocolate. So last night I made something really light for dinner since I was still stuffed from the lasagna feast earlier.
This is a really simple dip that celebrates the fresh flavor of all the ingredients.  The corn chips go great with it and are definitely better for you than your bagged chips.  Plus how can you not impress people with your own little "homemade" corn chips.

Guacamole

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 Tbsp lime juice
• fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Remove avocado from skin and mash with a fork in a bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly

Corn Tortilla Chips

Ingredient:

• 5 corn tortillas

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut corn tortillas into quarters and place in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for 8 - 10 minutes till chips are crispy.
(if you feel the chips are too chewy bake them a little longer!)

Delish Cold Remedy a.k.a "Witch's Brew"

Jeff & I have been fighting a cold for a couple of days so I decided to whip out the big guns....a drink I've made in the past that has always made me feel sooooo much better and is really fun to make. The name "Witch's Brew" came from my roommate Melissa who came home from work one night to find a large pot of all sorts of interesting things boiling on the stove and me cackling over it (granted I was cackling from the cold but you get the picture). 
The Ginger in this gives such a nice little kick and is so soothing for your tummy. Jeff was really digging it.

Witch's Brew

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of raisins 
• One large ginger root (about 4 oz)
• 24 oz of honey (two honey bears)
• 1 cup Lemon Juice (or 6 fresh squeezed lemons)
• 1 1/2 cups Pure Orange juice, not from concentrate (or 4 fresh squeezed oranges)
• 1 gallon purified water

1. Put water in a large pot on high heat.  Peel and grate the ginger root.

2. Add grated ginger, honey, & raisins to pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat & simmer uncovered for an hour, occasionally skimming foam from the top.

2. Cool, strain, & place in a tightly closed container in the fridge overnight. You can either throw out the raisins or snack on them :)

4. Add the orange & lemon juice the next day and drink up! Stir before pouring each time.

Grandma's Chicken Spinach Soup

This recipe comes straight from the grandma herself!  Raising 5 kids on a dime made her come up with a simple, fast, healthy dinner that is still requested to this day.  Now she used frozen spinach and sometimes canned chicken but in all respect I just can't bring myself to use frozen spinach in this soup, fresh gives it such a nice texture and flavor and just pops with color.  If you want to go with the can-o-chicken fine, I'll look away, but I take my spinach seriously!

If a picture is worth a 1000 words then this recipe would be a whole encyclopedia set. I just couldn't put the camera down (step away from the soup...). One of the reasons for all the pictures is that this recipe was passed on to me with the measurements "handful of this, a dash of parm, and some of this...".  I thought it would be fun to keep the whimsy of making this soup intact but for those who want a visual of what a "handful" is to me just check out the storyboard below :)

Grandma's Chicken Spinach Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 (32oz) box of Chicken broth, low sodium preferred (try to use a box-o-broth as the canned broth tends to leave a metallic taste in this soup)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1-2 large chicken breasts
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 handfuls of fresh Spinach
• 2 eggs
• several good size dashes of Parmesan cheese 
• 1 fist-full of whole wheat Spaghetti (reg. ok)

1.  Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and cook in a skillet with a little bit of oil over medium heat till done (about 3-4 min each side). Set aside.  Meanwhile place a pot of plain water on the stove on high heat to cook the spaghetti separately.

2. Pour the chicken broth and 1/2 cup of water into a separate saucepan on medium high heat.

3. Chop the spinach (removing any large woody stems) and dump in pot with the chicken broth.

4. When the plain pot of water comes to a boil take the handful of spaghetti, break it into fourths, and add to the boiling water. Cook according to the package directions to "al dente".

5. While pasta is cooking cut the cooked chicken into chunks. Add to the simmering chicken broth pan.

6. When pasta is done drain and add to the saucepan with the chicken broth.

7. Whisk eggs in a bowl and add Parmesan cheese.  Season with fresh ground pepper to taste.

8. Bring the broth pot back to a boil with the added spaghetti and chicken.  Turn off heat and carefully drop spoonfuls of the beaten eggs into the soup. 

9. Remove from heat and (this is my favorite part) stir with a large serving spoon.  So much fun to see the eggs take over!  :)

 

Kale Soup with Sausage and Chickpeas

This is my first attempt at making Kale Soup and I was surprised at how easy and versatile this dish can be.  My initial fear was that the tomatoes would come out too chunky and overpower the rest of the soup but they cooked down to be tender and delicious.  The original recipe is from Kalyn's Kitchen and I only did slight modifications. Its worked out great too cause I had enough of the ingredients to make this soup again a couple of days later...and trust me it was wanted again!
This was a great lunch, I went for seconds and Jeff went for thirds!

Kale Soup with Sausage and Chickpeas

Ingredients:

• 1-2 tsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary (if using dry kinda crush the big pieces)
• 2 tsp fresh sage or 3/4 tsp dried sage
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chopped sausage links (I found a wonderful Italian seasoned Chicken sausage)
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes (no salt added preferred)
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce (save the rest of the can for spaghetti later)
• 1/2 tsp seasoning blend, like Mrs Dash (optional)
• 1 small bunch of Kale
• 1 (15 oz) can of Chickpeas (Garbanzos)
• fresh ground pepper to taste
• sprinkle of Parmesan cheese for serving (optional)

1. Heat 1 tsp olive oil in heavy frying pan over medium heat.  Add chopped onion and saute for 3-4 minutes until onions are soft (not browned).

2. Lower heat a little and add minced garlic, rosemary, and sage and saute 2-3 minutes more.  Pour mixture into large soup pot with chicken stock and start to simmer.

3. Return frying pan back to medium heat and add sausage, cooking till browned. Add to soup pot.

4. Add to soup pot canned tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, black pepper, and seasoning blend. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes over low heat.

5. While soup simmers wash kale and cut into bite sized pieces.  Drain chickpeas in colander and rinse very well, removing any loose shells.

5. After soup simmers for 30 minutes add kale and chickpeas and simmer for 45 minutes more until kale is completely softened.  Serve hot with grated parmesan.

Kale and Avocado Salad

Kale........ sigh
I wish I knew more about you... you sweet, tough kale but I don't.  I wish I knew a way to make you more appealing towards my husband (yes we have that kind of relationship ;) and give him the nutritious powerhouse he needs.  But noooooooo I cant seem to do it short of dipping you in chocolate.  Any chocolate/kale recipes out there please let me know!
My current food obsession has turned to kale, and with all the delicious nutrition it provides I really want to be able to make it part of our diet.  Tons of vitamin A, C and K and low in calories it is something that we should be eating more of, but somehow we are not.  Its a total winter green and I have decided that I will buy tons and try to make Jeff looooove it.
This recipe has been showing up, in its various forms, on many of my search inquiries for kale and has been sloshing around in my head for a while.  I adjusted some of the measurements to my particular tastes but feel free to make this your own.  I have to say the massaging process breaks down the kale nicely (check out the difference from pic 1 to pic 3 below) and the cayenne pepper gives it a kick.  I was licking my fingers after I finished prepping ... it was sooo good.
Unfortunately "the man" was not too thrilled at the taste and texture and he only ate a couple of bites before calling it quits.  Oh well, I really enjoyed this recipe and playing with my food.... I'm a kid again!

Kale and Avocado Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1 large bunch of kale
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• pinch of sea salt to taste

1. Wash Kale and shred into pieces

2. Half, pit, and remove avocado from skin.  Add all ingredients in a large bowl.

3. Using both hands massage all ingredients together till kale is wilted. This will take about 10 minutes to get the kale really tender so set the timer and put a show on to watch  ;)

4. Try it with chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, or any salad veggie.

"Marry Me" Whole Wheat Pizza

Oh pizza, how we love you, in all your forms....but especially in this one :)
A nice whole wheat dough with milled flax seeds adding their goodness ... a thick and spicy hearty sauce .... fresh spinach peaking out of the mozzarella....  ahhhhhhhhhh.....
I developed this recipe to its current drool-worthy state when I was dating Jeff.  Every time he saw me making pizza he would look at me with lovey dovey eyes and fall to his knees in silent worship of the Goddess of the Kitchen ....  ok maybe I'm stretching it a little but he did ask me to marry him after I made this final version so something must of been right :)

The key to making a knock-out pizza of course is the dough, but the sauce is just as important.  I usually measure out ingredients by the palm full but today when I made this I made sure to check exactly what on earth I was doing.  Don't be alarmed at the lack of heavy doses of salt in this, cheese naturally is salty so when it all merges together it comes out perfect.  Also of course fresh basil is divine to drape on the top of the pizza with the spinach but we are on a budget these days so I didn't include it in this recipe.  The cost of making this pizza is less than $5 so it definitely is healthier and cheaper than just buying a pizza.
I do have a habit of being distracted while the dough rises (one day I WILL pay attention to my timer) but never has the dough come out bad cause of going over like 15 minutes; going under 15 minutes is never good though. One trick to letting rise in a warm place if our house is too cold is turning the oven to warm, turning off a little before the ready timer goes off, and placing the dough in there to rise.  Once I forgot to turn the oven off when the dough was in there and it came out hard as a rock so don't forget to turn it off, preferably before it reached the set "warm" temp.
I'm not a professional baker by any means and I know a chef is probably crying somewhere at my little shortcuts, but hey, they work for me!

Ok long introduction for just a pizza but this one has a history   :)
Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Homemade Pizza

Pizza Dough

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (you can do half regular flour and half whole wheat)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp rapid rise yeast
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup warm water
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup milled flax seed (optional)

1. Sift flour and salt together in a large bowl.

2. Stir in yeast and flax seed. Make a well in the center, pour in water and oil.

3. Mix with a spoon till crumbly.

4. Using your hands finish gathering pieces of dough into a ball - adding a little warm water or extra flour if necessary.

5. Kneed on a lightly floured surface for about 10 minutes until smooth. Form into a ball.

6. Place in a lightly oiled bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot till doubled in size (about 30-45 minutes).  Meanwhile prepare the sauce recipe below.

7. After rise punch down dough and kneed for 2-3 minutes.

8. Roll out on lightly oiled baking sheet or baking stone.  Don't worry about being a perfect shape on a cookie sheet...its homemade!

9. Pinch up edges to form a rim. Let rise again for about 20 minutes.

Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 1 (14.5 oz) can of unsalted Diced Tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 3 medium cloves of garlic, crushed or grated
• 1 bay leaf

1. Open can of tomatoes and place in a food processor with all spices except garlic.

2. Pulse till tomatoes are chopped.

3. Heat olive oil on medium lo heat in a small/medium saucepan.  Add crushed garlic and saute for 1 minute. Remove from heat and carefully add tomato sauce mixture.

4. Return to heat, add bay leaf, and simmer on low for 30 minutes.

And it all comes together:
Ingredients:

• Tomato sauce recipe above
  
• Handful of fresh spinach leaves
• 8 oz of Mozzarella
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Remove any large stems from the spinach leaves and roughly chop them. If using mozzarella from a block of cheese chop into pieces. 

2. Spread sauce over crust, you will probably have about 1/4 cup left over (I save this for sandwiches or mix with spaghetti sauce later). Sprinkle half the mozzarella on top of the sauce.

3. Sprinkle all of the chopped spinach on top of the mozzarella.  

4. Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella on the pizza.

5. Add grated Parmesan on top and extra fresh ground pepper.

6. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes till the top begins to brown.

7. Let pizza cool about 5 minutes before serving. 

Chickpea Pasta

A while back I was stuck trying to figure out a better way to serve whole grain pasta.  Not that I don't like it but you know how it is switching from regular to whole wheat, quite the flavor and texture change.  This recipe really compliments the penne pasta and the chickpeas cook up with a lot of flavor.  You know its good when the picture has the steam rising off - we just couldn't wait for it to cool off for a pic so we can gobble it down!

Chickpea Pasta

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of whole grain penne pasta
• 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 medium cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley (dry does not work here, must use fresh)
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes no salt added
• 1 (16 oz) can of chickpeas/Garbanzos
• 2 medium bay leaves
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup fresh parmesan  cheese

1. Drain and rinse the can of chickpeas in a colander.  If you have lots of loose chickpea shells place in a bowl of water and using a slotted spoon skim off the floating shells.  Place drained chickpeas in a small bowl with a paper towel on the bottom.

2. Place a colander on top of a bowl, open can of diced tomatoes and pour in colander.  Using a fork smash down each piece of tomato.  Save liquid for later.

3. Roughly chop the fresh parsley.  Peel skins off garlic and thinly slice.  Go ahead and put a large pot of water on the stove on high heat to get ready to boil the pasta in.

4.  In a large skillet heat the olive oil on medium heat.  Add the garlic, cook for about 30 seconds, then toss in the parsley and red pepper flakes.  Cook for about 1 minute.

5. Add the chickpeas, slightly crushed tomatoes, a pinch of salt, and the bay leaves.  Cook on medium heat stirring constantly until the chickpeas start to brown, about 8 minutes.  About 5 minutes into the cooking put the pasta in the pot of boiling water, cook till al dente. (this way it all finishes at the same time).

6. After the chickpeas and tomatoes cook down add the saved tomato juice and cook for about 5 more minutes.  Add a little of the pasta water if it looks like the liquid is getting completely cooked out.

7. When pasta is done drain and toss it in the skillet with the sauce, cooking for about 30 seconds.  Remove from heat and stir in the cheese.

Chicken in Herb Sauce

Look out calories I'm going to knock you out!!!!  muhhahahahaha ...
This meal is what we ate today for lunch; chicken in herb sauce with brown rice and steamed veggies.  Such a filling lunch with very few calories.  This chicken recipe is very quick, juicy and delicious....makes really good leftover chicken sandwiches that don't even need sauce.  And it seems like there is a lot of oil but most of the oil is left in the pan.  I like to put this together in the morning and marinate in the fridge till evening, makes me feel like I put no effort into dinner.

Chicken in Herb Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed (I throw mine in the blender)
• 1/2 tsp ground sage
• 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
• 2 tsp dried parsley*
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 5 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp minced onion
• 3 cloves crushed or grated garlic
• 1/4 - 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce (i.e. Tabasco sauce)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 3-4 chicken breasts cut in half

1. In a bowl combine all ingredients except chicken, mixing well.

2. Add chicken to mixture making sure all pieces are coated well.  Marinate in fridge for 1 hour or more (optional).

3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

4. Place chicken breasts in 9x13 inch pan and pour remaining herb mixture all over.  Cover with aluminum foil.

5. Bake for 20 minutes covered.  Remove cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes, occasionally spooning juices over chicken until chicken is done.

*a fun trick I do with large leaf spices such as parsley - pour out in palm of your hand and crush with your thumb to release any pent-up flavor :)

Super Green Sandwich

Check this bad boy out:

Talk about a healthy sandwich!  After eating this you just feel so good.  And don't you go sticking your nose up at the fact that it has tofu and alfalfa sprouts in it...trust me it tastes really good and is super filling.  After one bite Jeff was hooked on it and he hates almost all the ingredients.  The secret is the flavor combination and how you stack it. So give it a shot, you will surprise yourself ... if not then I will make sure to make this the next time you are over at my house to convince you.  :)
Jeff even has his own name for it, "Captain Tofu"!

Super Green Sandwich

Ingredients:

• A nice soft, nutty Whole wheat bread (we love to use Arnold's Oatnut - very tasty) 
• Avocado
• Juice from 1/2 lime
• Alfalfa sprouts
• Cucumber, thinly sliced
  
• Provolone Cheese
• Tofu (extra firm - I like to mix it up and use different seasoned tofu)
• Fresh Spinach

1. Slice the avocado and place it on one or both sides of the bread. (If you are new to slicing avocado just cut in half, remove the pit, and using a small knife slice into slivers while it is still in the skin - making sure you don't cut thru the skin. Push it out and voila!). Add a little crushed ground pepper to jazz it up if you want.

2. Place a layer of alfalfa sprouts on top of avocado on one slice of the bread.

3. Squeeze lime juice all over sprouts.

4. Place a layer cucumber on top of the sprouts.

5. Place cheese on top of cucumber.

6. Drain liquid and cut tofu* into thin slices and lay on top of cheese.

7. Finish with fresh spinach on top of tofu.

* store leftover tofu in an airtight container with a little water. Change out water daily.

Mexican Casserole

Since Jeff was lovin on my Mexican Casserole Enchiladas I decided to make the healthier and less caloric version (minus the enchilada part).  This recipe makes 6 cups worth, each cup being about 280 calories.  I ate mine with a large flour tortilla on the side and Jeff wrapped his up in the tortilla like a burrito.  This was really good and filling even without all the sour cream and cheese, and the spicy kick is nice too (if you are not a fan of spicy foods then make sure to use mild salsa and omit the red pepper flakes from the homemade taco seasoning recipe).

Mexican Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2-3 Tbsp oil
• 4 large chicken breasts
• 2 cloves crushed or grated garlic
• 1/2 half package taco seasoning mix or taco seasoning recipe
• 1 (15oz) can Kidney Beans, drained
• 1 (15 oz) can sweet corn, not drained
• 3/4 cup salsa

1. Cook chicken in oil in large skillet over medium/ med high heat till no longer pink inside.  Remove pan from heat and cut chicken into chunks on cutting board.

2. Drain any excess liquid from pan and place back on medium heat with crushed garlic.  Cook garlic for about 1 minute and add chicken and taco seasoning, mixing well.
3. Add can of undrained corn, beans, and salsa mixing thoroughly. Cover and let simmer about 10 minutes, adding water if it looks like it is getting dry.

Pumpkin Muffins

I got this great recipe for pumpkin muffins from my mother-in-law Barbie when we were visiting last.  Emma fell in love with them and, as they are not loaded with sugar and pretty healthy for a muffin, I was grateful for the addition of this to the super picky eater's diet.  To give it a little extra healthy punch for her I sift in (to keep the big pieces out) some milled flax seed .... & to make it not so healthy for Jeff I add chocolate chips to his.  Yes I am the evil stepmother who doesn't let her stepdaughter know there are chocolate chip versions out there - I figured she gets enough sugar in her life & she already thinks the muffins are a treat (for breakfast this morning she ate 3 big muffins and 2 little ones .. yikes!)

The best part about this is that it freezes well and with a quick zap in the microwave for 30 seconds you have yourself a nice warm snack.  I copied Barbie's method of freezing by wrapping each one individually in clear plastic wrap. 

My friend Jen found the best combination  - pumpkin muffins and hot Chai!   Breakfast of Champions

Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 large can (29 oz) pumpkin
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp ground cloves
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
  
• 4 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 6 oz chocolate chips (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Beat oil and sugar together. Add eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin and beat once more.

3. Sift in spices, baking soda & powder.  Sift in flour and mix well.  Add chocolate chips last.

4. Line a muffin pan with cupcake wrappers or use nonstick cooking spray.  Drop spoonfuls into cups and bake 15-18 minutes till a toothpick comes out clean (for medium sized muffins).

5. For a pumpkin cookie version drop spoonfuls on a grease a cookie sheet and bake 18-20 minutes.

Saving for later. .....mmmm... maybe later today

Butternut Squash Soup

We had a great thanksgiving!  We spent it at my sister's house and her husband's family was in town so it really felt like a big family celebration.

The best thing about the food at thanksgiving is being able to have all your traditional comfort food...and eating lots of it!  We were so stuffed hubby & I both fell asleep on the couch (ironically when dishes were being done...don't know how that happened!). 

I made my homemade Butternut Squash Soup and little french bread loaves.  It was really hard driving all the way to Vivi's house with fresh bread in the car but somehow we survived.  I'll post later my recipe for french bread :)

I love this recipe for the soup.  Its a one-pot easy soup that when you freeze it to store it tastes even better.  I usually this time of year buy up lots of cheap, in-season squash, make a big batch of soup, and freeze it in small containers as a quick meal for months to come.  Trust me, the soup with bread is enough of a filling meal to satisfy even Jeff's appetite.  And even better it's super low in calories.

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients: 

• 2 Medium Golden Delicious Apples
• 2 Medium butternut squash
• 2 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
• 1 small purple onion
• 1 can (14 1/2 oz) vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 cups water
  
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 cup half-n-half or light cream

1. With a large sharp knife peel and slice into chunks the butternut squash.  Chop the onion and peel, core, & chop into medium pieces each apple.

2. In a large pot heat the oil over medium heat; add onion and cook till tender (but not browned)

3. Stir in broth, water, thyme, squash, apples, salt & pepper.  Heat to boiling over high heat.  Reduce heat to low; cover & simmer, stirring frequency, 20 - 25 minutes until squash is tender. (don't worry when you first add the liquid that it isn't enough - the veggies will cook down into it)

4.  Remove from heat and spoon mixture into a blender (you may want to cool slightly before).  Set blender to puree and blend till very smooth.  Repeat with remaining batch.

5. Return puree mixture to saucepan, stir in half-n-half, and heat through over medium heat, stirring constantly.  Be sure not to let soup come to a boil!

When I reheat this soup from frozen I either place in fridge the day before or I put the frozen container in a  pot of cool water for a couple of hours to help thaw.  When reheating its important not to let soup come to a boil or the cream will separate from the soup.  Use a whisk to mix up the soup when heating.

I had to show a picture of how cute all the bread loaves looked.  I meant for them to be smaller but they got a bit bigger than I planned....no complaints from anyone though.
:)