Monday, February 17, 2014

Lemon Garlic Chicken with Asparagus



What You Need:




For chicken:
3 Chicken breasts
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 lemons
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp fresh parsley, optional 
salt and pepper to taste

For asparagus:
1 bunch asparagus
goat cheese (to crumble over asparagus)
2 tbsp chopped walnuts
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste


What To Do:

For chicken:
Preheat oven to 400.  Place chicken in glass casserole dish and sprinkle with oregano, salt, and pepper.  Melt the butter in the microwave and pour it over the chicken.  Flip the chicken to coat.  Place garlic over chicken.  Squeeze juice from one lemon over chicken.  Bake for 20 minutes on 400. Flip the chicken and bake another 20 minutes on 400.  Reduce the heat to 300 and cook an additional 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and squeeze more lemon juice on top.  Slice a lemon and place on top of chicken breasts for garnish with parsley.  

For asparagus:
Cover bottom of baking dish with foil.  Wash asparagus and remove bottom of stalks.  Place asparagus on baking sheet in a single layer.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Place in oven with chicken for 10 minutes at 400.  While asparagus is cooking, toast walnuts in a skillet over medium heat until brown (2 or 3 minutes).  Remove asparagus from oven, let cool.  Place on serving dish, brush with balsamic vinegar, and crumble goat cheese and walnuts on top.  

The asparagus recipe came from www.boulderlocavor.com
The chicken recipe came from www.ownchef.wordpress.com
   

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Better Than Moms Steel Cut Oats


What You Need:
4 cups water
4 cups milk
2 cups dry steel cut oats
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 tsp cinnamon
tbsp honey
1/2 cup flax seeds or chia seeds optional
1/2 can unsweetened pumpkin
1 cup raisins


What To Do:

Bring the milk and water to boil in large pot, taking care not to scsld the milk.  While that comes to a boil mash the bananas.  When milk boils, add in the steel cut oats, a pinch of salt, and reduce heat to low. Let oats cook uncovered for 10 or 15 minutes, then add all other ingredients. Remove from heat when oats have softened, about 25 minutes.  Let oats cool then put them into 24 silicone muffin cups and freeze.  We eat two muffin cups at a time. Just nuke 'em for a couple of minutes in the morning and they turn out great!  We have also tried figs and dates instead of the raisins with good results.




Thursday, February 6, 2014

Power Protein Peppers





What you need:

1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 can red beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes
2 handfuls fresh spinach
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked per package instructions
1.5 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp salt




What to do:

Preheat oven to 350.  Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Throw spinach in with onions for 1 minute. 
Place onions and spinach in large pot with red beans, corn, tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, and salt.  Cook over medium heat.  While filling cooks, brown turkey in the pan you used to sauté onions.  Slice tops off of peppers, remove seeds, and rub with olive oil. Mix browned turkey with filling in pot. Add quinoa and mix.  Fill peppers and place in a small caserole dish.  Cover with a small bit of mozzarella if desired. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Black Bean, Lentil, and Chicken Tacos




What you need:

1 can black beans rinsed and drained
1 cup dried red lentils, cooked per package directions
1 cup chicken broth
1 large chicken breast
1 jalapeno diced
1 onion chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
8 whole wheat tortillas


What to do:

Sauté onions in olive oil and prepare lentils.  Put all ingredients except lentils in crock pot.  Cook on low 4 hrs until chicken begins to fall apart.  Pull chicken apart with forks.  Add lentils to mixture.  Use for tacos and top with your choice of ingredients.  We used tomato, avocado, sour cream, and Ortega taco sauce.  We also added a side of fruit which went well with it.



Thai Chicken Soup with Butternut Squash



What you need:

1.5 cups butternut squash, cut into small cubes
1 chicken breast 
1 onion, diced small
1tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 handfuls fresh spinach
1 can chickpeas, drained
16 oz chicken broth
2 tbsp green curry paste
2 tbsp curry powder
1 carrot, chopped 
1 jalapeño, chopped 
1tbsp red chili paste 

What to do:

Place chicken broth, chili paste, curry paste, and curry powder in crock pot. Stir and add chicken, jalapeño, carrot, chickpeas. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic to crock pot.  Cook on low for 4 to 6 hrs, until chicken begins to fall apart.  During last hr of cooking add spinach and butternut squash.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Baby Kale Egg Bake




What you need:

1 Tbsp olive oil
Cooking spray
5 oz baby kale
1/2 to 1 cup shredded mozzarella 
4 egg whites
4 whole eggs
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
1 cup mushrooms any kind (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste


What to do:

Wilt kale over medium heat in olive oil for 2 minutes.

Spray caserole dish with cooking spray.

Spread kale in caserole dish.

Sauté onion and garlic in frying pan.  

Whisk eggs and egg whites together in separate bowl.  

Add mushrooms in with onion to sauté if you are using them.

When ready pour sautéed veggies over the kale. 

Pour eggs over the rest in caserole. 

Top with cheese. 

Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes.