Easy Chicken Curry

I love Indian food and anything spicy!  This recipe can be modified to accommodate your taste bud.  I have written the recipe more on the mild side, but feel free to adjust for your personal spice level.  The flavors are bold and pungent, but the creaminess from the coconut milk balances the bold flavors nicely.  The consistency should be that of a stew, with large chunks of potatoes and chicken.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 or 3 potatoes, diced (depending on size)
• 1 tablespoon thai red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon ginger, grated or minced
• 1/2 jalapeno, minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 can light coconut milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 lime
• olive oil
• salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Season the chicken with a sprinkle of curry powder, a bit of salt and pepper, then sear chicken for 1 minute on each side until it has a nice crust on the outside, but is raw inside.
2. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat one tbsp olive oil, then add the onions, ginger and jalapeno.
3. Saute until the onions are just barely translucent. Add the potatoes and curry paste. Cook until the curry starts to brown a little.
4. Add tomatoes with juice, then bring to a simmer.
5. Add the coconut milk and curry powder. Bring back to a simmer and allow to cook until the potatoes are soft, but not mushy.
6. While the soup is simmering, shred or dice the cooled chicken breast, then add to the curry sauce.
7. Cook until chicken is fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add the cilantro and lime juice at the very last minute.
8. Stir to combine, then serve over rice and garnish with a sprinkle of cilantro.

Dark Chocolate Pumpkin Bars

Yes, I love pumpkin.  Yes, I love chocolate.  And, yes, I love  baking.  I made this recipe after church today because as we get into the month of November, I quickly feel Autumn passing us by and I want to make sure I get my fair share of pumpkin recipes in before Winter comes along (no offense peppermint and eggnog recipes).  This recipe is very healthy, very easy to make, and very tasty; Jon has already had 2 bars and I made them less than an hour ago. 

Makes about 15-20 squares

Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cupwhite whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup agave (or more brown sugar) 
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup non-fat plain greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup pumpkin from can
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Spray 13 x 9 pan with non-stick spray.
3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients – flours, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl mix sugar, agave, apple sauce, yogurt, oil, egg whites, and vanilla until well combined. Stir in pumpkin.
5. Slowly pour flour mix into the wet ingredients and mix well until everything is combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
6. Pour dough evenly into the greased pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when stuck into the middle of the bars (about 25-30 minutes).
7. Cool completely, cut and lift from pan.

Double Broccoli Quinoa

I came across this recipe on 101 Cookbooks and was intrigued.  I didn't know if it was something I could convince Jon to eat but turns out he loved it, as did I!   Quinoa is incredibly healthy and with the broccoli pesto it's extra nutritious and delicious.  In my opinion the optional toppings are a must but of course Jon opted out of the avocado and goat cheese.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked quinoa* (see cooking note below)
• 5 cups raw broccoli, cut into small florets and stems
• 3 medium garlic cloves
• 2/3 cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted
• 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan
• 2 big pinches kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup heavy cream (I never have this and therefore leave out completely; no substitues)
• Optional toppings: slivered basil, fire oil (cooking note below)**, sliced avocado, crumbled feta or goat cheese (I add fire oil, avocade, and goat cheese)

 Directions:

1. Heat the quinoa and set aside.
2. Now barely cook the broccoli by pouring 3/4 cup water into a large pot and bringing it to a simmer. Add a big pinch of salt and stir in the broccoli. Cover and cook for a minute, just long enough to take the raw edge off. Transfer the broccoli to a strainer and run under cold water until it stops cooking. Set aside.
3. To make the broccoli pesto puree two cups of the cooked broccoli, the garlic, 1/2 cup of the almonds, parmesan, salt, and lemon juice in a food processor or magic bullet. Drizzle in the olive oil and cream and pulse until smooth.
4. Just before serving, toss the quinoa and remaining broccoli florets with about 1/2 of the broccoli pesto. Taste and adjust if needed, you might want to add more of the pesto a bit at a time, or you might want a bit more salt or an added squeeze of lemon juice. Turn out onto a serving platter and top with the remaining almonds, a drizzle of the chile oil, and some sliced avocado or any of the other optional toppings.

*To cook quinoa: one cup of raw quinoa makes 3 cups of cooked quinoa so if you don't have pre-rinsed quinoa, rinse one cup of quinoa in a fine-meshed strainer. In your rice cooker add the cup of rinsed quinoa and a cup and half of water (or broth if you like).  After the rice cooker is finished, wait 5 minutes and fluff with a fork.  
**To make the red chile oil: You'll need 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes. If you can, make the chile oil a day or so ahead of time by heating the olive oil in a small saucepan for a couple minutes - until it is about as hot as you would need it to saute some onions, but not so hot that it smokes or smells acrid or burned. Turn off the heat and stir in the crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside and let cool, then store in refrigerator. Bring to room temp again before using.

Whole Wheat Focaccia

I absolutely loving baking and I absolutely love bread.  The first time I tried making whole wheat focaccia I used part whole wheat flour and part organic white all purpose flour.  It came out delicious and was gone in a matter of 48 hours but it did not look like focaccia.  This recipe uses white wheat flour (just as nutritious as whole wheat but "lighter" in flavor and texture) and came out resembling focaccia more than the whole wheat flour recipe.   We had this with whole wheat pasta, homemade pesto, and a glass of wine.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 1/2 cups white wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3 teaspoons fresh rosemary

Directions: 

1. In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water and then stir in the honey.
2. Let mixture sit at least 5 minutes and when the yeast mixture is bubbly or foamy, add in the white wheat flour, salt and olive oil.
3. Lightly oil a large bowl, place dough in bowl, and turn to coat with oil.
4. Cover with damp cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in warm place for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Dough will double.
5. Punch dough down, place on greased baking sheet. Pat dough into 1/2-inch thick rectangle.
6. Using your knuckle, make indentations in the dough about 1/2-inch apart, then prick dough with fork.
7. Brush top with olive oil, then sprinkle with more rosemary if you wish.
8. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 15 minutes or until bottom of bread browns slightly.

Darv's Chicken & Green Bean Casserole

I like to pick on Jon and tell him that I am making "white people" food aka casseroles, but the truth is that I love casseroles because you just mix a bunch of stuff together, add cheese, and bake!  My mother-in-law, Donna, passed this recipe on to me recently and I am so glad she did!  This dish was fairly uncomplicated and extremely delicious.

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons of smart balance butter
• 6 tablespoons of flour
• 1 1/2 cups fat free low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cups (soy or fat free) milk
• 2 teaspoons lite soy sauce
• 2/3 cup light grated parmesan cheese
• 8 cups green beans, cooked (fresh, frozen, or canned)
• 2 cups coooked chicken, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• pepper to taste

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan melt butter, then stir in flour, add chicken broth, milk, soy sauce, salt & pepper.
2. Bring to a boil - cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.
3. Stir in 1/3 cup parmesan cheese.  (Sauce will be thick! Do not try to thin out)
4. Add green beans and chicken.
5. Put into a 2 quart greased baking dish and sprinkle remaining cheese.
6. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes.

Spiced Pumpkin Bread with White Chocolate Chips & Walnuts

We were in Savannah for the long weekend and I've just been a little lazy in the kitchen the rest of the week, but today I got an itch to bake something - something with pumpkin in it!  We're also going to North Carolina this coming weekend for a wedding and to see my family so I like to have some kind of newly baked good to share.  Hope they like it :-)

Ingredients 

• 1 cup organic all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 15 oz pure pumpkin puree
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

 Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray loaf pan with Pam.
2. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices together in a small bowl and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix pumpkin, sugar, buttermilk, vanilla, and egg together.
4. Add the dry ingredients to wet, mixing just enough to moisten everything (overmixing will make the bread tough and dry). Fold in white chocolate chips by hand.
5. Spread the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for about one hour, until set.

Note: If you don't have buttermilk (like myself) just put 1/2 tablespoon white vinegar (or lemon juice) in a measuring cup and fill the rest with regular milk, let sit for 5 minutes and TADA you have buttermilk.

Maple Balsamic Marinaded Pork Chops

I love pork chops because they are a pretty lean meat and I really have to screw it up for Jon not to like.  I wanted to do something different because typically I have not planned ahead and so I have to just marinade in Goya's Mojo Criollo & Salsa Lizano.  Which makes an awesome Costa Rican style pork chop but I wanted something different and these were a hit!  I am already looking forward to having these again next week.

Ingredients:
(Marinade for 1lb of meat)

• 1 1/2 finely chopped cloves of garlic
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• zest of 1/2 orange
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 tbsp rough chopped fresh rosemary (or dried rosemary)

Directions:

1. Whisk together all ingredients and pour over pork chops in a gallon ziplock bag. Refrigerate 6-8 hours or overnight.
2.  Cook in 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat about 5-7 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove from skillet and serve!  I will often cook the chops with onions and green peppers on top - optional*

Choco Protein Bar

So I really wanted to make a "Superfood Bar" like the Odwalla bars but didn't have all the ingredients.  Then, I decided to make a Larabar but in the end I switched the cocoa powder with protein powder and made them into protein bars.  Very fun to play with the ingredients in this type of recipe! 

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup walnuts
• 1 cup pitted dates
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 scoop double chocolate whey protein powder (I'm sure any protein powder would work)
• 3 teaspoons natural creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (or semi-sweet)
• splash of soy milk (or skim milk)

Directions:

1. Blend all the ingredients, using a food processor, Magic Bullet, etc.  I used my MB and had to do it in batches but it worked just fine.
2. Line a small baking dish with parchment paper and form the dough into bars.
3. Cut, cover, and store in the refridgerator! (or eat one right away like I did...) Also, I cut the dough into 8 bars.
4. Note:  Feel free to experiment with different nut combinations. Try to sub almonds or cashews for some of the walnuts next time!

Chocolate Protein Balls

Wow!  I cannot believe how awesome and how easy these were to make.  I will definitely be playing with this recipe and adding mini chocolate chips, coconut, peanut butter, etc. in the future!  Enjoy as a pre or post workout snack (or just a snack in general!).  Jon seemed to be pretty impressed with these as well.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup raw, unsalted almonds
• 3 large dates
• 2 tablespoon rolled oats
• 1 scoop whey chocolate protein powder 
• 1 tablespoon soy or skim milk

Directions:

1. Blend almonds into a food processor/blender (I use the Magic Bullet short cup) and process until you reach the consistency of a medium-grain meal.
2. Add dates, and process until fully combined.
3. Add oats and protein powder, and process until fully combined.
4. Transfer dough to a small bowl, and add in milk. It will be a little crumbly at first, but work it with your hands until everything sticks together.
5. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into balls.
6. Store any unused balls in a tightly closed container in the fridge.

Lentil Soup with Chipotle Yogurt

Great for lunch or dinner, I made this big batch a froze half of it and ate the other half for lunch several days.  Huge time-saver and incredibly healthy.  This meal is high in protein and fiber and very very low in fat, plus the chipotle yogurt is to die for (although spicy, so don't go crazy with it).

Instructions: 

• 2 cups lentils
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup brown rice, cooked (or quinoa; any whole grain will work)
• 6 cups organic, low sodium vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 large bunch of kale (or combo of leafy greens)
• salt/ pepper
• 1 lemon

 CHIPOTLE YOGURT

• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo, chopped (no more than 2 teaspoon; although I add more but I love my food to be unbelieveably spicy)

Directions:

1. Cook your rice or desired grain and set aside. Boil about four cups water, and boil the lentils for 20 minutes until cooked. Add water as needed. 
2. Drain.
3. In a large soup pot, brown the yellow onion and green pepper in the olive oil for about 8 minutes, or until just starting to turn light brown. Add the stock and cumin. Bring the heat back up to a gentle boil, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the lentils and the brown rice and simmer about 10 minutes. While you are waiting, stem your greens and slice them into thin strips. Taste the soup for salt and pepper, add seasoning as desired.
5. Turn off the heat and add in the greens, stir. The greens will wilt in the hot soup, and avoid overcooking this way. Stir in the juice of half the lemon, add more to taste.
6. Mix the Greek yogurt with the chipotle chili and stir. Serve the soup with the dollop of the chipotle yogurt. Warning, chipotles are pretty spicy, so start with a small amount of sauce and you can add if you like it hot. If too spicy, add more yogurt.

South American Empanadas (Dough)

My family is going to kill me for posting an empanada recipe that is not Costa Rican, but I like to experiment with new recipes and this one has turned out perfectly.  I will post the Costa Rican empanada recipe one of these days in addition to the picadillo recipe that goes IN the empandas.  I made a South American picadillo but never again, I will most definitely stick to the Costa Rican picadillo next time. 

Ingredients: 
Dough for empanadas – makes about 15-20 (or more if you make small ones)

• 3 cups organic all purpose flour
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ cup of smart balance butter (I'm sure they use full fat butter in South America)
• ¾ cup to 1 cup of warm (skim) milk
• 1-3 tablespoon garlic and herb seasoning

Directions:

1. In a medium-sized bowl mix flour with garlic and herb seasoning and then mound flour so that in the center you can put in the yolk, butter, and milk.  
2. Mix everything together with your hands and knead for about 5 minutes,  If needed, add more flour or water to reach the appropriate consistency.  Work the dough with the balls of your hands and knead shaping into a ball.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes (most recipes call for 3 hours or overnight but I didn't have time to do so).
4. On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough into a thin sheet and cut out round disc shapes for empanadas (use round molds or a small plate).
5. Use the empanada discs immediately or store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to use.

 Note:  An important part of these empanadas – and empanadas in general – is the repulgue or the curvy ornate seal.  My strategy is to seal them brushing the edges with egg white, then I press the edges with my fingers, I attempt to fold the edges and to seal it I finish by pressing down again with the tip of a fork, it works and actually doesn’t look too bad when the empanadas come out of the oven.

Penne with Butternut Squash, Goat Cheese, & Walnuts

Fall is here!  Fall is here!  I absolutely love fall and the flavors of fall.  This was my first attempt at cooking with butternut squash and I was quite pleased.  Of course I could have eaten this sans meat but my dear sweet husband needs meat in his dinners.  I added 3 sliced chicken sausages stuffed with feta and spinach (from Sam's Club).  Also, this makes a lot (about 6 servings), so I froze half the finished product for another day.

Ingredients:

• olive oil cooking spray
• 1 (2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 1/2 onion, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 shallots, dicen into 1/2-inch pieces (or the other 1/2 of your onion) 
• olive oil, for drizzling
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound whole wheat penne pasta (or other tubular pasta)
• 1 cup (8 ounces) goat cheese, crumbled
• 1 cup hot soy or skim milk
• 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted (see note at the end of post)
• 1 packed cup chopped fresh thai basil leaves (or regular basil leaves)
• finely grated parmesan

Directions:

1. Put an oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Spray a baking sheet, liberally, with cooking spray. Set aside.
3. Mix the squash and onion together and arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bake for to 40 to 45 minutes until the vegetables are golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
4. While the squash mixture is cooling, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain and heat milk in microwave (or use 1 cup of pasta water). Put the pasta, goat cheese and 1 cup of hot milk (or pasta water) in a large serving bowl. Toss until the cheese has melted and forms a creamy sauce. Add the squash and onion mixture, the walnuts and the basil. Toss well and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with Parmesan and serve. Again, I served with chicken sausages for my husband.

Note:  To toast the walnuts, arrange them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F toaster oven or regular oven until lightly toasted, about 6 to 8 minutes Cool completely before using.

Banana Bread for Work

So... I've made several different banana bread recipes and I just tried this new one for Jon's Army buddies at work.  I didn't use whole wheat flour and yogurt/applesauce because I was running low on such ingredients but there will be another post at sometime with my healthier whole wheat banana bread.  This was a big hit with the guys and Jon said it was "super moist and delicious!"

 

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons smart balance butter
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar (loose)
• 2  eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4  average bananas, mashed (or 3 large bananas)
• 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• ½ cups skim milk
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped (or pecans, almonds, etc.)
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips (or semi-sweet chocolate chips)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan with nonstick spray.
2. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electic mixer at medium speed until it is light and fluffy. Add both sugers; beat well. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until well blended. Add the mashed bananas and beat on high for about 30 seconds. Set aside.
3. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add the flour mixture into the butter/egg mixture alternately with the milk, ending with the flour mixture. Fold the nuts and chocolate chips into the batter.
4. Pour the batter evenly into a greased loaf pan. Bake until browned and a tookpick comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes (depends on your oven).
5. Cool bread in the pan on a wire rack for about 20 minutes and then remove it from the pan and let cool completely on the wire rack. OR if you don’t have time, just let the bread cool completely in the pan. Then wrap the cooled bread in plastic wrap and store in a cool dry place.

Note: Try to wait about 12 hours before eating the bread, so that it can set up and the flavors marry, but if you simply can’t resist, it wouldn’t do any harm to go ahead and eat!

Chicken Stuffed with Zucchini and Mozzarella

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups (1 medium) zucchini, shredded
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp parmesan
• 3 oz part skim shredded mozzarella
• salt and pepper to taste
• 8 thin chicken cutlets, 3 oz each (I just sliced chicken breasts thinly)
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1 lemon, juice of
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and fresh pepper
• olive oil non-stick spray 

Directions:

1. Wash and dry cutlets, season with salt and pepper.  Preheat oven to 450°. Lightly spray a baking dish with non-stick spray.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add oil when hot then saute garlic a minute, or until golden. Add zucchini, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and saute about 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside to cool. When cool, add mozzarella cheese and mix to combine.
3. Lay chicken cutlets down on a working surface and spread 3 tbsp of zucchini-cheese mixture on each cutlet. Loosely roll each one and keep seam side down.
4. Combine breadcrumbs and grated cheese in one bowl; in a second bowl combine olive oil, lemon juice, and pepper in another bowl.
5. Dip chicken in lemon-oil mixture, then in breadcrumbs and place seam side down in a baking dish (no toothpicks needed). Repeat with the remaining chicken. When finished, lightly spraywith oil spray.
6. Bake 25 - 30 minutes. Serve immediately.  I served with whole wheat pasta in vodka sauce.

Low Fat Peanut Butter Brownies

I think it's clear that I have a strong (and healthy!) relationship with chocolate and peanut butter... But this is my favorite thing to do: turn something I LOVE and ADORE until a non-guilty treat!  Now that doesn't mean we should eat the whole pan but feel free to indulge in one or two tonight :)

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons smart balance light butter 
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cold water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup organic all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter  (or for lower fat I like to use "Better 'n Peanut Butter")
• 4-5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• nonstick cooking spray
• 1 tsp powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:

1. Melt butter in microwave and then mix in sugar in a medium bowl.  
2. Stir in vanilla, peanut butter and water.
3. Stir in flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. Mix well (batter will be thick!) and stir in chocolate chips.
4. Spray the bottom of an 8x8 pan with nonstick spray coating. Pour batter into pan.
5. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool thoroughly. Remove from pan. Cut into bars and sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional).

Ginger Pork Chops

I suggested to Jon that we try to do Meatless Mondays and his response to "What do you want for dinner on Monday?" was "We haven't had pork chops in a while!"  Oh well, I tried.  I serve this with my Asian Qunioa.

 Ingredients

• 1/2 cup orange juice (I used Simple Orange with a hint of Mango)
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
• 2 tablespoons grated orange zest
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 pork loin chops, 1/2 inch thick

Directions

1. In a shallow container, mix together orange juice, soy sauce, ginger, orange zest, garlic, and salt. Add pork chops, and turn to coat evenly. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Turn the pork chops in the marinade occasionally.
2. Preheat oven to broil (high), and lightly spray broiler pan.
3. Broil pork chops for 8 minutes per side and let sit for 5 minutes.  See my Broiling Pork Chops post for detailed notes on how to broil. 

Broiling Pork Chops

1. Trim fat.  If your pork chops are dry, add your spices and what-not, and then rub some oil on the meat to keep it from sticking and to help it to brown and get crispy. Turn the broiler on high and move a rack to the second from top position.
2. Let the broiler heat up for at least 10 minutes. Once the broiler is up to heat, put the pork chops in and close the door. Let the pork chops broil for about 8 minutes before checking them. There will be some smoke coming from the oven. If you have a vent fan, turn it on. Open a window if you don't.
3. After 8 minutes have passed, take a peek at your pork chops and see if they are brown enough to flip. If they are give, them a flip and repeat. There isn't much point in checking the temperature yet, as you still have another half a pork chop to cook.
4. After cooking the other side, take them out and check the internal temperature with a digital thermometer. To be safe to eat, the minimum temperature when cooking pork is 150 degrees F. So that is the temp that you are looking for with your pork chops. Once that internal temp has been reached 150, let them rest for five minutes before eating them.  To be safe, I let them sit in the oven after I've turned the broiler off.

Asian Quinoa

Quinoa (KEEN-wah) is high in fiber and high-quality protein. It contains more protein than any other grain while also packing in iron and potassium.  Plus, it's considered a "complete" protein, which means that, like meat, eggs, and dairy, it packs all of the essential amino acids your body needs to build muscle.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Quinoa
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil (or olive oil)
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 stalk broccoli, cut into small crowns
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, minced
• 1tablepoon light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

1. Cook the quinoa with the chicken broth in a rice cooker. Bring it to a boil over high heat, then cover and reduce heat. Let it simmer for 15 – 20 minutes until all the water is absorbed.
2. Heat oil in a medium skillet to medium-high and add the garlic, onion, ginger, mushrooms, and broccoli. Then, add in soy sauce cover. Lower the heat and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. When the quinoa is done, mix in the mushrooms and broccoli.

Zucchini & Carrot Muffins

I know, it seems like all I ever make is carbs!  I promise I cook other things, I just don't find them interesting enough to post.  I've mentioned this before, I like to make Jon muffins to have as an easy grab-n-go snack in the morning (and it's a great excuse for me to get to bake).  But, I am a little tired of the traditional fruity muffins so I went for a veggie oriented one this week!

Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients:

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup soy flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 3 tablespoons ground flax seed
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 heeping teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• ½ cup greek yogurt
• ¾ cup egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups grated carrot
• 1/2 cup grated zucchini
• 1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut
• ½ cup chopped walnuts 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease muffin pan. Whisk together flours, rolled oats, flax seed, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl. 
2. In a smaller separate bowl whisk egg whites and combine with the brown sugar, honey and yogurt, mix to incorporate. 
3. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and mix until just combined. 
4. Stir in carrot, zucchini, coconut and walnuts. 
5. Divide batter into muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the muffin comes out clean.  Let cool slightly, remove from muffin tins and enjoy.

Whole Wheat Beer Bread

So it's mid-September and whereas I do not imagine it will get cold in southern Georgia anytime soon, the mornings are a bit cooler which inspired me to make some comfort food!  Plus, I look for any excuse to bake.  We had this (surprisingly) tasty bread with chili and I say surprisingly because I hate beer.  A very nice stranger in the grocery store suggested I use Guinness but feel free to try other beers!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup organic all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 14 ounces Guinness (or 12 ounces beer & 2 ounces water)
• Optional glaze: 1 egg & 2 teaspoons water, beaten

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Slowly stir in beer and mix just until combined. The batter will be thick.
2. Spread in a greased 8-inch loaf pan, brush with the egg glaze if desired, and bake until golden brown and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
3. Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and cool 10 more minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Peanut Butter Hot Cocoa

So once again, I am combining the great chocolate with the magnificent peanut butter.  Jon has been studying since he got home from work so I thought he deserved a little treat tonight.  From the look on his face... I think it's a winner and I love it because it's so simple!

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1/2 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Whisk together milk, cocoa powder, vanilla and sugar in a small pot on the stove. Bring to a simmer and then add the peanut butter, stirring well to get rid of any clumps.
2. Pour into your favorite mug and serve with whipped cream and salted peanuts! (Believe it or not, I made this hot cocoa mess free!)

Powerful Protein Muffins

I am constantly trying to make healthier muffins because I love carbs.  These are great because of all the protein and fiber in them and it makes for a super easy snack, breakfast, or carb craving!  Jon also loves these because they're super easy to grab and go in the morning before Physical Training.

Ingredients:

• 8 egg whites (I buy the liquid egg whites and use those)
• 1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup brown sugar (optional)
• 2 scoops protein powder
• 1/3 cup crushed pineapple
• 1/2 cup quinoa or soy flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup oat bran
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 ripe bananas quartered
• 2 cups frozen blueberries (or other fruit if desired)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray muffin pan. (I like to use "PAM Baking with Flour")
2. In a medium bowl combine flours, oats, oat bran, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Beat bananas in large mixing bowl with electric mixer until mashed, then add crushed pineapple.
4. Combine egg whites, cottage cheese, protein powder, vanilla, sugar, and cinnamon in a blender and then add to the banana bowl.  Gently mix.
5. Stir in combined dry ingredients with wooden spoon until almost blended.
6. Stir in blueberries just until combined and spoon batter into pan. 
7. Optional topping: I like to sprinkle walnuts and brown sugar on top of the batter instead of using the brown sugar in the batter mixture because it uses less sugar.
8. Bake in the middle of oven until toothpick comes out clean; approx. 25 minutes.

Salmon with Habanero-Lime Butter

Three of my all time favorites: LIME, SPICY, BUTTER (healthy, smart balance butter of course).  Also, side note - my older brother, Luis, recently told me if you zap limes in the microwave for 10 seconds you get more juice out of them!

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 cup orange juice (I used orange juice with a hint of mango by Simply Orange, but regular is fine)
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon tequila (I used El Diamante Del Cielo Blanco Tequila)
• 1 tablespoon grated lime zest
• 1 tablespoon minced habanero pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 4 (5 ounce) salmon steaks
• 1/4 cup smart balance butter, softened
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 teaspoons minced habanero pepper
• 2 teaspoons grated lime zest

Directions:

1. In a bowl, stir together olive oil, orange juice, 3 tablespoons lime juice, tequila, 1 tablespoon lime zest, 1 tablespoon habanero pepper, and garlic. Reserve a small amount to use as a basting sauce, and pour the remainder into a shallow baking dish. Place the salmon in the shallow dish, and turn to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours, turning frequently.
2. In a small bowl, mix together softened butter, garlic salt, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 2 teaspoons habanero pepper, and 2 teaspoons lime zest. Cover, and refrigerate.
3. Preheat grill for medium heat (or preheat oven to 400 degrees if baking)
4. Lightly oil grill grate, and place salmon on the grill. Cook salmon for 5 to 8 minutes per side, (or bake for 12 minutes in the oven and let sit in foil 10 more minutes). Transfer to a serving dish, top with habanero butter, and serve.

Chocolate Pound Cake with Peanut Butter Glaze

Jon graduated from Airborne School last week!  He has been training for 3 very long weeks (3am - 9pm some days!) and we were both looking forward to putting this school behind us.  To celebrate him, I made this choco-cake with a pb "icing" since I know he loves both of those ingredients!  Bonus - NO SUGAR in the recipe :-)

For the Cake Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour + 2 tbl soy flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• 8 ounces (1 cups; 2 sticks) softened unsalted smart balance (or any "healthy") butter2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 extra large, room-temperature eggs

For the Topping Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (I used Natural PB)
• 5 to 6 tablespoons soy milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and spray a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a bowl.
2. Cream butter and sugar with a mixer on high speed until pale and fluffy, for 8 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Reduce speed to medium, and add vanilla extract.
3. Lightly beat eggs, and add to mixer bowl in 4 additions, mixing thoroughly after each and scraping down sides. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture in 4 additions, mixing until just incorporated. Divide batter between pans. Tap on counter to distribute; smooth tops.
4. Bake until a tester inserted into center of each cake comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack.
5. Make peanut butter glaze: Warm peanut butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add milk, and stir until smooth. Smooth over cooled cake.  Feel free to add shaved chocolate on top of the glaze to make it pretty.

Protein Packed Strawberry Muffins

My husband is in the Army and sometimes for breakfast he needs something quick and healthy with plenty of protein and fiber before PT (physical training).  Me? I eat these with my morning tea or coffee with a side of greek yogurt and honey.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup - quinoa or soy flour
• 1 cup - whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup - rolled oats
• 1/4 cup - oat bran
• 2 scoops - whey protein powder (I had double chocolate so I used that flavor)
• 2 tsp. - baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. - kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp - ground cinnamon
• 2 - ripe bananas
• 2 - large eggs
• 2/3 cup - firmly packed brown sugar
• 6 tblsp - smart balance light heart healthy
• 1 tsp - vanilla
• 3 cups - frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup - walnuts
• PAM Baking with Flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.  
2. Combine flours, oats, oat bran, whey protein powder, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
3. Beat bananas in large mixing bowl with electric mixer until mashed.
4. Add eggs, brown sugar, smart balance and vanilla, beating until blended.
5. Stir in combined dry ingredients with wooden spoon unitl amost blended.
6. Stir in blueberries just until combined.
7. Spray muffin pan with PAM and spoon batter into pan, dividing batter equally. Sprinkle each muffin with walnuts.
8. Bake in middle of oven for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown

Whole Wheat Garlic Breadsticks

I just made these little guys for the first time and quickly fell in love with them.  In the future, I will be playing with this recipe and stuffing my breadsticks with pepperoni and mozzarella for Jon and sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese for me!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup - whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup - all purpose flour (and a little more for rolling)
• 1/2 tsp - kosher salt
• 2/3 cup - fat free milk
• 4-5 tblsp - melted smart balance light heart healthy spread
• Parmesan Grated Cheese Light 
• optional - garlic and herb spices

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 425 degrees
2. Stir dry ingredients (including some garlic and herb if desired) and slowly add milk
3. Knead the dough 5 times in the bowl and then place the dough on a floured counter and roll out into a rectangle depending on how thick you want your breadsticks. (CAUTION: this is where I make the biggest mess so don't get discouraged if your dough is sticky and all over the place, I just keep adding more flour until I can handle the dough.)
4. Add melted butter to a 9x13 pan and stir in garlic & herbs if desired. 
5. Cut dough into strips and put the strips in the buttered pan.  Turn strips over to coat and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes