healthy eating Archives

Chicken With Angel Hair and Cherries Recipe

Updated: June 27, 2015 by Amy Brooks Leave a Comment

Chicken With Angel Hair and Cherries Recipe

Ingredients

8 oz uncooked angel hair pasta
¾ lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into ½ in cubes
1 tbsp cornstarch
½ tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pkg (6oz) fresh baby spinach
½ c dried cherries
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
½ c shredded Parmesan cheese
1/3 c chopped pecans, toasted
¼ c pine nuts, toasted

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss chicken with cornstarch, salt, and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture; cook and stir until no longer pink. Stir in spinach and cherries; cook 3-4 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted.
Drain pasta, reserving ¾ c pasta water. Place pasta in a large bowl; sprinkle with nutmeg and toss to combine, adding enough reserved pasta water to moisten pasta. Serve with chicken mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and nuts.

Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe

Updated: June 17, 2015 by Amy Brooks Leave a Comment

Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwich
Ingredients

1 cup cooked and shredded chicken (rotisserie)
1 avocado
Salt and pepper to taste
Toast
Toppings such as lettuce and tomato optional

Directions

In a bowl, mash the avocado with a fork. Then mix in the chicken and salt and pepper. Put some avocado chicken salad on the toast, and add some lettuce and tomato if you’d like! Quick, easy, healthy, and delicious. I also just heard that avocados can possibly protect against some cancers! Eat up!

Fruit Smoothie Recipe

Updated: July 17, 2014 by Amy Brooks Leave a Comment

Fruit Smoothie Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup organic vanilla yogurt
a handful of spinach or kale
6 strawberries
a handful of blueberries
1-2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chia seeds or flax seeds
1 tbsp honey

Directions:
Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth! You can feel free to add any fruits you would like to this recipe. I have done raspberries, apples, bananas, and I think I even tried grapes once. They were all good! Serve on ice to chill, or use frozen fruit.

One thing I have a question about is the flax seeds. These healthy seeds, well let’s face it any of of this healthy food, is pretty new to me. I always wonder if I need to puree the flax seeds before I put all the other ingredients in. This is what I have been doing, but is it necessary? I don’t puree the chia seeds first, so who knows? If you have any input on this topic, please let me know!

Vegetarian Soba Bowl with Miso Tahini Recipe

Updated: June 22, 2014 by Amy Brooks Leave a Comment

Vegetarian Soba Bowl with Miso Tahini

8 oz buckwheat soba noodles

2 cups cooked brown or green lentils

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into large florets

1 tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp salt

Several dashes fresh black pepper

For dressing:

¼ cup mellow white miso

¼ cup tahini

1 clove garlic

½ to ¾ cup water

Optional: fresh herbs for garnish (dill, cilantro and parsley)

Cook the lentils if you don’t already have prepared ones (1 cup dry is about 2 cups cooked.) While the water for the soba is boiling, preheat oven to 425 and chop cauliflower into large florets. It’s easy to do this by chopping it in half lengthwise, pulling off leafy base and then pulling off florets with your hands.

When the water boils, prepare soba according to package directions. Once cooked, drain and set aside, rinsing with cold water to prevent sticking.

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (I used aluminum foil) and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Toss cauliflower with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, flipping once, until aromatic and nicely toasted.

Meanwhile, place all dressing ingredients in a small blender. Start with ½ cup water, then add another ¼ to thin, if you like.

Assemble bowl:

Divide soba noodles into big bowls. Top with lentils, cauliflower, and plenty of sauce. Garnish with herbs and serve.

This Vegetarian Soba Bowl with Miso Tahini recipe was alright. It is not my favorite, but this was the first time I had ever eaten Miso. Maybe I have to acquire the taste first. Let me know what you think, or if you have any other tasty recipes that involve Miso. I’d love to try them!

Recipe credit: ThePPk

Roasted Vegetable Delight

Updated: June 22, 2014 by Amy Brooks Leave a Comment

Roasted Vegetable Delight

Ingredients

6 medium beets, ends trimmed

6 medium carrots, peeled

2 large fennel bulbs (I didn’t use, because I discovered I don’t much care for them, used onion instead)

4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp Champagne Vinegar

1/4 c fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Directions

Heat oven to 400. Wrap each beet in a sheet of aluminum foil. Roast for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, halve the carrots lengthwise, then cut them into 2 inch pieces. Cut each fennel bulb into eighths. In a roasting pan, combine carrots, fennel, 2 tbsp oil, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper, and enough water (about 3/4 c) to measure 1/4 inch deep. Cover with foil and roast 15 minutes. Uncover and cook until tender, about 15 min more; let cool.

Remove skin from beets, place them on cutting board lined with plastic wrap, and cut into quarters. Transfer the vegetables to a platter.

In a small bowl, whisk together honey, vinegar, and remaining oil, salt, and pepper. Drizzle vinaigrette over vegetables and sprinkle with parsley. Serve.

I served this recipe over rice.

Zucchini with Quinoa Stuffing

Updated: June 22, 2014 by Amy Brooks Leave a Comment

Zucchini with Quinoa Stuffing

Ingredients

1/2 c quinoa, rinsed

4 medium zucchini

1 15-oz can cannellini beans, rinsed

1 c grape or cherry tomatoes, quartered

1/2 c almonds, chopped (about 2 oz) I didn’t use

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3/4 c grated parmesan (3oz)

4 tbsp olive oil

Directions

Heat oven to 400. In a large saucepan, combine quinoa and 1 c water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender and the water is absorbed, 12-15 min.

Meanwhile, cut zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out seeds. Arrange in large baking dish, cut side up.

Fluff the quinoa and fold in the beans, tomatoes, almonds, garlic, 1/2 c parmesan, and 3 tbsp oil.

Spoon mixture into the zucchini. Top with the remaining tbsp of oil and 1/4 c parmesan. Cover with foil and bake until zucchini is tender, 24-30 minutes. Remove foil and bake until golden, 8-10 min.

This recipe was really good, but my husband thought it wasn’t really a meal. It has all the elements of a complete meal, but it did seem more like an appetizer. I enjoyed it, though. My daughter liked the filling, but she wouldn’t try the zucchini.

recipe credit: realsimple.com