Chickpea Salad with Cilantro and Spinach

Chickpeas?  Spinach?  What?  Okay, this recipe is über healthy.  If you're thinking enough with the health stuff, why don't you check out this, my bacon cornbread recipe? :)  For those of you still reading, this recipe may not look like much, but it is packed with lots of flavor, protein and nutrients!

I would have to say this is my new favorite thing to eat for lunch.  Chickpeas are tossed with chopped onions, garlic, cilantro and spinach.  Two full cups of spinach are incorporated into the recipe.  The best part is you don't even notice them!  Amazing.  Cumin, one of my favorite seasonings, compliments the protein rich chickpeas.  Altogether though, cilantro shines as the star of this meal.  

It is easy to prepare, and you can make a big batch in advance.  Nothing is simpler than just reaching into the fridge for a fully prepared, don't have to do anything for, lunch! 

Ingredients
recipe adapted from Oh She Glows

1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cups baby spinach
1/4 cup yellow onion, chopped finely
1 tbsp lime juice
3/4 cup fresh Cilantro
1/2 tsp sugar (or to taste)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt (more to taste, I ended up salting it each time I had some)
freshly ground pepper

Method

In a food processor, add the spinach and pulse a few times until chopped very small. Add the processed spinach, drained chickpeas, and chopped onion into a large bowl.

In the food processor (no need to rinse the bowl), add the lime juice, onions, cilantro, sugar, garlic, cumin and oil. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Pour the dressing on top of the spinach chickpea mixture and stir well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let stand for about 10 minutes to let the flavors develop.  Serve cold alone or over a whole grain such as brown rice.  Enjoy!

Butternut Squash 'Mac-n-Cheese'

It's January.  It's cold.  If you are craving comfort food, or are trying to be good this winter, this recipe is for you!  Actually, it's for Stacey, one of my readers and good friends :)  Stacey asked me last month to post a recipe for mac and cheese that is super healthy.  I was kind of stumped, because I wasn't sure if you can really "healthify" mac and cheese, and I wasn't sure if I wanted to.

But then I went to Christmas party and a friend, who is a RD and knows a ton about healthy eating, brought this dish.  I was impressed.  This healthy mac and cheese sauce was delicious and is actually vegan. I don't think I could ever stick to a vegan diet (the whole cheese thing obviously is a problem) but I am always willing to give something new a try.  The sauce is made by combining cashews with nutritional yeast, herbs, spices, and almond milk.  This results in a thick and creamy vegan cheeze sauce that extremely good.    Don't be scared of the nutritional yeast - it's a vegetarian protein source that is often used as a Parmesan cheese substitute.  For a similar outcome you could use Parmesan instead, it just wouldn't be dairy free.  I found nutritional yeast in the bulk food section at our local health food store.  It kind of looks like cornmeal and is full of B vitamins, mineral, protein and is naturally low in fat.

Nutritional Yeast

The butternut squash is roasted and processed in a food processer.  It's a another sneaky way to add more veggies.  Tumeric is also added to give the sauce a beautiful orange color.  Just like the boxed mac and cheese stuff!  But healthier.  For the pasta, I used a brown rice based pasta, but you could also use a quinoa based pasta or just regular whole wheat pasta.  This meal is everything my friend Stacey asked for - comforting, nutritious, and tastes good!

Ingredients
recipe adapted from Oh She Glows

1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped (yields: 3.5 cups raw)
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened + unflavored soy milk), or more to thin out
3 garlic cloves
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
6-7 tbsp nutritional yeast (provides the cheesy consistency)
1/2 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 tsp Paprika
1 box brown rice pasta

Method

Preheat oven to 375F.  In a bowl, season chopped squash with some extra virgin olive oil and sea salt and stir. Add to a baking sheet and roast in oven for 40 minutes, flipping once half way through baking.

Assemble your cheeze sauce ingredients (cashews, non-dairy milk, garlic, lemon, salt, nutritional yeast, pepper, seasonings) and add just the cashews to food processor. Process until a fine crumb forms similar to corn meal. Add in the rest of the cheese sauce ingredients and process until smooth. Leave the sauce in the processor as you will be adding the squash.

Cook your pasta according to package directions. When squash is finished roasting, add it to the food processor and blend it with the cheese sauce until smooth. Adjust to taste. The sauce will thicken up with time. If at any point the sauce becomes too thick, you can add a bit of milk to thin it out.

Drain and rinse pasta with cold water. Now add the pasta back into the same pot and add your desired amount of cheeze sauce on top. Stir well.  Serve warm and enjoy!

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Grapefruit Brûlée

I was in the mood for something healthy but since it was Sunday, something a little bit decadent.  When I saw this recipe featured on Bon Appétit's website I couldn't stop thinking about it.  I enjoy eating grapefruit as a mid-morning snack, even more so since I recently bought myself a grapefruit spoon.  Grapefruit is also a super food, and this month we're all about the super foods!!

This old-school breakfast treat is delicious and smells heavenly.  I tried this first using splenda's brown sugar, but I think that regular sugar is worth the splurge!  IF I had a culinary kitchen torch, I would use that.  But who really has one of those?  Broiling worked great.  It doesn't though give that dark crystallized layer as in other brûlée type of things.  But overall I still think this would be an excellent yet surprising breakfast item to serve overnight guests.  I would serve this as the perfect dessert to a farm fresh egg white omelet!

Ingredients
serves 2

1 grapefruit, halved crosswise  
2 tbsp sugar (use raw sugar is you have it)


 
Method 

Preheat broiler. Place grapefruit, cut side down, on paper towels to dry for 5 minutes. Invert grapefruit and sprinkle 1 Tbsp. sugar evenly over exposed flesh of each grapefruit half.

Transfer grapefruit, cut side up, to a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Broil grapefruit, but watch it closely so it doesn't burn.  Broil until the sugar is melted, about 8 minutes. Let grapefruit cool before serving.  Bon Appétit!

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Lean Green Smoothie

I've been sick all week, I've had a nasty cold.  Thankfully I started feeling better today. In the past 48 hours I've only worn pajamas, been in bed, slept for almost 40 of those hours and watched 3 pretty terrible chick flicks.  The only saving grace was Chris bringing a endless supply of soup, DayQuil and Nyquil.  Oh, and snuggling with my puppy, he never left my side.  That was a bonus :)

I knew I was feeling better when only 8 hours of sleep was sufficient and I was motivated to shower and put on some yoga pants to run a few errands.  This included a stop at the farmers market to load up on fruit and veggies because I had a recipe in mind I really wanted to try. While I was sick in bed, I caught up on reading some of my favorite blogs. Camille Styles is a fashion, food, entertaining, overall chic blog that is always inspiring.  I highly recommended you check out what Camille and her team come up with.   She recently posted a recipe for a smoothie that sounded fresh, healthy and full of vitamins.  After a weekend of bacon cornbread, it was exactly everything I needed! 

True to it's green name, this smoothie is nutrient packed and delicious.  It is loaded with a fresh spinach, which I have never included in my smoothies before. (I don't know why, but I think I always will now).  The highlight of the smoothie is the fresh pineapple which is complemented by ripe pear, fresh cucumber and mint.  A little bit of agave nectar adds a touch of sweetness.  Make this!!

Ingredients

1/2 of a pineapple, peeled, cored and chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 ripe pear, peeled, cored and chopped
juice from 1 lime
1 cup baby spinach leaves
10 mint leaves, chopped
1 tsp agave nectar
1 tsp of chia seeds 
crushed ice


Update!! I recently made this smoothie with a peach (peeled) instead of a pear and it was excellent!!!  (And I omitted the line and mint... still tasted great!)

Method

Purée ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Pour into 2 glasses, garnish with a cucumber spear and serve.

 Enjoy!

 

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Bacon Cornbread

Disclaimer:  This post is not for anyone sticking to their New Year's diet

It's funny, there are certain dishes that only I make, and certain dishes only my husband makes.  It's like we have an established unspoken rule.  For instance, I don't touch a steak, and he doesn't go near salmon.  One of Chris' specialties is his chilli.  It is soooooo good, he doesn't stick to a recipe each time, it's more about what we have on hand.  On Sunday, we woke up took the puppy for a long walk, and then Chris started prepping lots of ingredients and got a pot of chilli on the stove.  This time he used a little bit of leftover coffee and also added some Abita Turbo Dog (a dark brown ale), two surprisingly excellent flavors that might of made this chili his best batch yet.

As he was busy tending to the chili while watching some football, I got the urge to add my own touch to our Sunday dinner.  Other than topping your chilli with lots (and lots) of cheddar cheese, what else goes best with it?  Cornbread!  Then, I thought what makes ordinary cornbread amazing cornbread... bacon.  Yummmmmmm.  I was also inspired to make this after having some amazing bacon skillet cornbread in Charleston's Husk Restaurant.  Husk was voted Bon Appetit's number one new restaurant in 2011, and it was simply one of the most amazing meals ever.  This is my version of their to-die-for bacon cornbread (pictured below in Charleston, SC).  


My cornbread is moist and fluffy, yet still holds together after you cut into it.  I added a little bit of honey into the batter for a touch of sweetness. The secret to this cornbread is to whisk the bacon drippings into your wet ingredients.  It makes a huge difference and you'll start to ponder what else you can whisk bacon drippings into....

Ingredients

1/2 lb bacon
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup corn meal
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup milk (I used non-fat b/c that's what we had on hand)
1/3 cup honey
1 egg
1/2 cup frozen yellow corn
5 tbsp bacon drippings

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a cast iron skillet, cook bacon and crumble into small pieces.  Set aside.  Pour most of the bacon drippings into a separate bowl leaving enough fat so it still coats the pan. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and frozen corn.  In another mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, honey and egg.  Add 5 tablespoons of the bacon drippings, whisk together.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients into one bowel.  Pour into the skillet and top with cooked bacon pieces.  Bake for 30 minutes until you can cleanly stick with a toothpick.  Enjoy with a bowl of chili for dinner or on its own with some honey butter for breakfast!

Grilled Salmon with Hazelnut Butter

Does this flavor combination surprise you?  I was skeptical that hazelnuts and salmon would actually pair well, but I was intrigued to give it a try.  I try to make salmon twice a week because it is so good for you, but I grow tired of the 3 ways we usually make it.  I found this recipe in Betty Crocker's Quick and Easy Cookbook which we received as wedding gift.  I don't know why I don't cook from it more often, all the recipes look good.  In my opinion, Betty Crocker puts Martha Stewart to shame!  Martha's recipe tend to be over complicated and a tad bit long.  But my girl Betty didn't disappoint with this simple and easy recipe.  I loved this meal.

The hazelnut butter is really a rich and flavorful way to finish grilled salmon.  Roasting the hazelnuts complements the salmon in an intense fabulous way.  I didn't have any parsley on hand, but I would definitely add it next time.  Serve with a simple green salad or mixed grilled veggies. 

Ingredients
Adapted from Betty Crocker
serves 4

1 lb wild caught sockeye salmon
1/2 cup hazelnuts

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

sea salt
freshly ground pepper 

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Add the roasted hazelnuts to a food processor and process until almost finely grounded.  Combine the hazelnuts, butter, parsley and lemon juice.  Set aside.

Generously season each salmon filet with salt and pepper.  Place flesh side down on the grill and grill for about 10 minutes.  Flip the salmon and top with the hazelnut butter.  Grill for another 5-10 minutes depending on the thickness of your fish.  Enjoy!

Spicy Navy Bean and Kale Soup with Turkey Sausage

Ahhhh, Happy New Years!  Chris and I just got back from a Caribbean cruise with his family over Christmas break.  That means after a holiday weekend full of rich dinners and sweat treats, we boarded a fancy boat known for endless around the clock multi-course meals, and unlimited frosty cocktails.  Amazing time, but I don't think my pants fit anymore.

So it's definitely that time of the year where we resolve to eat healthy and exercise every day.  Riiiiiight.  But we do have the best intentions, I know we all do.  With that in mind I made this simple yet extremely healthy soup.  Both ingredients are really good for you.  Navy beans lower your cholesterol and area  good source of protein, folate and other vitamins.  Kale is known to be a big player in the body's detoxification process and is full of antioxidants.  A pinch of cayenne pepper and spicy turkey sausage adds a nice little bit of heat.  Grate some fresh parmesan into the soup and you're ready to kick off all those New Year resolutions ;)

Ingredients
serves 4

1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped white onions
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 cup shredded carrots
2 1/2 cups chicken stock (I used 99% fat free)
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 cups chopped kale
2 turkey sausage patties, diced
1 cup white navy beans
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
parmesan rind (optional but I think it really adds to the soup)
salt and pepper to taste


Method

In a heavy bottomed soup pan, saute the garlic, onions and carrots in EVOO until tender.  Add the chicken stock and water and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat.  Add the mushrooms, navy beans, turkey sausage, parmesan rind, cayenne pepper and kale.  Let simmer for 20-30 minutes over medium low heat.  Enjoy!

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Browned Butter Sage Cashews

Cashews........ Mmmmmmmmm........

There is something about these nuts that stand out from the rest.  They are not as hard as other nuts and feel luxurious to me.  Cover them in butter and I'm in heaven. 

So do yourself and favor and make these!  Browned butter gives the cashews a complimentary nutty flavor that is enhanced with sage, sea salt and little bit of honey.  These would make an excellent gift, and are sure to be popular next time you are entertaining! 

Ingredients
recipe adapted from The Kitchn

1/2 pound roasted, unsalted cashews
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

Preheat oven to 350° degrees. Spread the cashews on a cookie sheet and warm in the oven.

In a small skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, until the butter begins to turn golden brown. Add the sage and cook, stirring, for another 1 to 2 minutes, until the butter is dark golden and the sage is frizzled but not burnt. Remove from heat and add the honey.

Toss the cashews with the butter mixture and add salt to taste.  Enjoy!  These also go extremely well with a Cabernet Sauvignon... just saying! :)

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Lemon Chia Seed Dressing

I kinda have really been into chia seeds lately.  Have you tried using them yet? If not, give them a shot.  They are PACKED full of good for you stuff and don't have a strong flavor.   Chia seeds are an excellent source of fiber, antioxidants, calcium, protein and omega 3 fatty acids. 

Actually.... when I came home from the store my husband thought I was crazy.  Like I lost my marbles (which I swear, he must lovingly think once a day).  Our conversation went sorta like this:

Me: Look babe, I picked up chia seeds for us!  They are really good for you.
Chris:  Huh??  Chia seeds.. like the chia pet?  (starts to sing the chia pet commercial song)
Me: Yes, but now you eat them instead of growing things with them.
Chris: You've lost your mind.

So I started out adding them into our smoothie's in place of flax seeds.  We have a bag of whole flax seeds that your body can't break down unless you have put them through a coffee grinder - which we don't have.  So instead of grinding them by hand, I welcomed the idea of trying out these so-called chia seeds.  Worked pretty good!  Then I started sneaking them into all sorts of dishes... oatmeal, cookies, salmon seasoning, even vegetable sautes.   I also realized they sorta look like poppy seeds, and could be used in their place.

This dressing is one of my favorite ways to use chia seeds, it's simple and light.  And it can be used on a ton of different salads!  I served this with my Apple and Pomegranate Salad.  In an effort to be healthy, you can replace typically used granulated sugar with stevia, agave, etc.   But feel free to use whatever natural sugar substitute you prefer.

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp chia seeds
1 tbsp agave syrup (or stevia/your choice of natural sweetener)

Method

Whisk together all of the ingredients and enjoy right away.  Chi chi chi chia...........!!

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Pomegranate and Apple Salad

Things are going OK in our house in terms of eating healthy through this holiday season.  We do really well throughout the week... and then the weekend comes.  Our weekend was full of lazy days and evening holiday parties.  And pizza ordered from the couch.  Does this ever happen to you??  So in attempt to turn things around, we made this salad and it was exactly what we needed.  The pomegranate seeds add a juicy and crunchy addition to the tart granny smith apples.  (Be sure to buy organic apples, I just read in multiple places it is the numero uno fruit to buy organic as the skin of regular apples contains the most pesticide.  You can also learn how to de-seed a pomegranate here).  I added walnuts give the salad a wonderful nutty layer.  For one of the holiday parties I went to on Monday, I did a pomegranate, goat cheese (of course) and walnut combination.  Very delicious, but I really think this one using apples is the best.  Did you also notice how this salad is not only seasonal, but also in holiday colors?  I just love it!!

Ingredients
Serves 4

2 organic granny smith apples, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 package of spinach
1 pomegranate, de-seeded
1/2 cup walnut pieces

Method

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss with your favorite dressing.  Be healthy and enjoy!

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Bundled Chicken with Goat Cheese and Fresh Thyme

This recipe was sent to me by one of my readers and closest friends, Adelina.  Adelina is the type of friend who seems like she was born in the kitchen and has long been the culinary go-to in our group of friends.  When we were in college, Adelina would be whipping up scrumptious eggplant parmesean while the rest of us would pat ourselves on the back for making a box of mac and cheese.  I once had the privilege of eating Thanksgiving dinner with her Italian family - it was an incredible foodie experience. She and her family simply know how to cook.  So when she sent me a message saying you gotta try this recipe, I knew immediately it would be good!  And, in her own words, it is absolutely AMAZING!

This is an excellent meal to serve to guests or when you really want to wow someone.  Little bundles of chicken are tied up with kitchen twine and stuffed with a fresh herb and savory goat cheese mixture.   The combination of shallots and vidalia onions add a hint of sweetness while a reduced white wine sauce finishes the dish.  As Adelina has taught me, fresh herbs are a must.  No dried substitutions, you won't get the same result.  Tip:  There is a trick to getting thyme leaves easily off the stem.  Hold the top of the stems and run your fingers down the stem to the base.  The leaves will come off easily in your fingers!

Ingredients
Serves 4

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1 1/3 cups thinly sliced shallots and vidalia onions (About 4 large shallots and 1/2 vidalia onion)
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon fat-free milk
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (Cut them in half lengthwise and pound them out to make 4 pieces)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking spray
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Method

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to pan; cook 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Cover, reduce heat, and cook another 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until golden. Cool slightly. Combine onion mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cheese, parsley, milk, and thyme in a small bowl, stirring with a fork.

Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise, and pound out until thin.  Place a spoonful of goat cheese mixture in the middle of each chicken piece.  Roll up and secure with kitchen twine.  (I use twine a lot in the kitchen, but it definitely takes some practice!!!) Sprinkle chicken bundles evenly with salt and pepper.

Return pan to medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan and sauté for 5 minutes. Turn chicken and cover.  Reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done.

Remove chicken from pan and let stand 10 minutes.  Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced by half (about 2 minutes). Add broth, and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 9 minutes). Serve with chicken.  Enjoy!

Do you have a favorite recipe you want to share?  Let me know!

Roasted Butternut Squash, Ricotta and Fried Sage Crostinis

This is such a great appetizer for entertaining in the Fall. I recently bought a few butternut squashs and wanted to do something fun with them.  At first your standard soup came into my mind but then I had the idea of an autumn themed bruschetta.  Bingo! To be honest, I have weakness for bite size food... I can't help it. I just love small pieces that pack a lot of flavor in just one bite.  The additional benefit of having a fondness for bite sized food is that when entertaining you never freak out over what to serve with cocktails or as an appetizer!  Bite size food/crostinis are simply a win-win.

These butternut squash crostinis are served with a ricotta and lemon zest spread.  The ricotta compliments the squash and gives it a soft fluffy cheesy bed to rest on.  Sage was an obvious choice as it goes hand-in-hand with butternut squash.  But I upped this classic pairing by lightly frying fresh sage in olive oil for a minute.   It's a definite must-do and worth the few extra calories :)  These crostini's can easily be prepped ahead of time and assembled as company arrives. 

Ingredients

1 2 lb butternut squash
5 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided plus more for drizzling
1 tbsp brown sugar
freshly ground sea salt & pepper
24 fresh sage leaves
1 cup part skim ricotta
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 whole wheat baguette, sliced
1 garlic clove
fresh lemon juice

Method

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Clean, peel and dice squash into small pieces.  Toss squash with 2 tablespoons oil and sugar on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange in a single layer. Roast, tossing occasionally until squash is golden & tender, 23-30 minutes. Let cool on sheet.

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add sage; cook until edges begin to curl and turn dark green, 1-2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer fried leaves to a paper towel to drain. Mix ricotta and lemon zest in a small bowl. Season with salt & pepper.

Slice baguette into 1 cm pieces and place on a baking sheet.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Bake for 6-7 minutes or until lightly toasted.  Remove from oven.

To assemble crostini, top each piece with the ricotta mixture and then layer with a spoonful of squash. Drizzle crostini with lemon juice and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Top crostini with a fried sage leave and enjoy!

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