Archive for June, 2011
Crunchy Apple and Cabbage Salad
Jun 18 2011 by | Comments
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So you want to add more cruciferous vegetables to your diet but you don’t really like brocolli, cauliflower or brussel sprouts? Well then, have some cabbage. Crunchy cabbage, tart apples, a dressing both sweet and tart and a few extra good things thrown in will make anyone a cruciferous vegetable lover. The nutritional components of this salad, cabbage, cherries, and pecans are especially healthy for men but really are good for everyone.
Kristy
Ingredients:
- 1 small head savoy cabbage (green cabbage or napa will work also), thinly sliced
- 1 medium apple, julienned (a tart and crunchy apple like Braeburn or Granny Smith works best)
- 1/4 cup dried unsweetened cherries
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tbsp neutral flavor oil
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Preparation:
- In a large bowl combine the cabbage, apple, and cherries.
Add the ingredients to the salad in one bowl and the dressing ingredients in another
- In a small bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar, honey, mustard, coriander and salt until smooth.
- Just before serving toss the dressing with the cabbage mixture.
- Serve garnished with the toasted pecans.
Nutritional Info:
Makes 6-8 cups depending on the size of the cabbage.
Serving size 1 cup.
Nutrients per serving: Calories: 130 , Cal. from Fat: 66, Total Fat: 7.8g, Sat. Fat: 1g, Carbs: 16g, Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 13g, Protein: 2g, Sodium: 89mg, Chol: 0mg
Notes:
If you plan on having leftovers keep the salad portion separate from the dressing portion. This will help keep the cabbage from getting soggy.
This is an excellent dish for potlucks and get togethers. It’s refreshing and great for summer!
Grilled Hawaiian Teriyaki Steak Tacos
Jun 17 2011 by | CommentsAdd to Recipe Box
These are hands down my new favorite taco (hubby’s too!). Which is surprising because I do NOT like pineapple any other way except freshly cut and slightly cool. My husband is a big fan of pineapple (he loves Hawaiian pizza) so I threw a few pieces on the grill along with the steak. I figured I would give it a try and I’m so glad I did! HOLY GOODNESS! The juicy pineapple was so delicious with the Teriyaki flavor of the steak and the cucumbers added a refreshing crispness to it all. The yogurt miso spread is great as a dip too. The kids had fun dipping the carrot and cucumber in it. This recipe works great with chicken too!
~Sarah
Ingredients for marinade:
- 1/4 cup low sodium organic soy sauce
- 1/4 cup pure pineapple juice
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tbsp Garlic Gold Oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small or 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger
Ingredients for yogurt miso spread:
- 6 ounces low fat or nonfat greek yogurt
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated ginger
- 2 tsp organic miso (I used a red miso but any sort will do – just make sure to get organic as miso is made from soy!)
- 1/8 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp raw honey or coconut nectar
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
Ingredients for tacos:
- 1 pound organic grass fed sirloin steak
- 1 fresh whole pineapple
- 2-3 carrots, julienned
- 1 large cucumber, finely sliced
- 2-3 green onions, finely sliced
- 6 tortilla shells of your choice
Preparation:
- In glass dish add all the ingredients for the marinade and mix together. Add the steak to the marinate, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. You can make this the night before and let the steak marinate overnight for a really flavorful steak.
- Remove the steak from the marinate and place on a preheated grill. Grill to your desired doneness. Let the steak rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Slice across the grain into strips.
Cut off the top and bottom off your pineapple and then slice in half
- Cut the top and bottom of your pineapple and then slice in half (you only need one half of the pineapple for this recipe).
Cut the pineapple into 1/2 inch slices
- Cut away the sides of the pineapple and then cut into 1/2 inch slices.
- Add the pineapple slices to the grill and grill for 1 minute, flip and grill another minute. They don’t take long to grill so watch them carefully. After grilling, slice the pineapple into 1 inch thick strips.
- To make the yogurt miso spread add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together until well blended.
- Assemble the tacos by placing 1-2 tbsp of yogurt miso spread on the tortilla. Top with 2 or 3 slices of steak, some cucumbers, carrots and a few green onions. Roll up and ENJOY!
Nutritional Info:
Makes 6 tacos.
Serving size 2 tacos.
Nutrients per serving: Calories: 396, Cal. from Fat: 82, Total Fat: 5g, Sat. Fat: 2g, Carbs: 58g, Fiber: 8g, Sugars: 12g, Protein: 31g, Sodium: 506mg, Chol: 66mg
Notes:
This recipe works well with chicken too. The only change is to marinate the chicken no longer than 6 hours.
Make sure to use a gluten free soy sauce or tamari if you follow a gluten free diet.
Ahi Tuna Salad
Jun 16 2011 by | CommentsAdd to Recipe Box
This salad’s inspiration came to me from a chicken salad I would get at a local deli in Michigan where I used to live. While you can make it with chicken I prefer tuna for the high omega-3 fatty acid, and not tuna from a can but a nice bright red piece of ahi tuna cooked with lemon to add a bright freshness to the entire salad. Grapes and toasted walnuts are added along with a wonderful mayonnaise replacement and there you have it, a tuna salad so good it will make the chickens jealous.
Kristy
Ingredients:
- 1 fresh tuna steak, about 8 ounces
- 2 lemons
- sea salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup low fat plain greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup low fat ricotta cheese
- 2-3 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 medium sized red onion, finely diced
- 1 stalk celery, finely diced
- 1/2 cup seedless red grapes, halved
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
- 4 cups mixed greens (optional)
Preparation:
- Zest one lemon, then slice in into rounds about 1/8 inch thick.
- Layer the lemon slices in a small skillet and place the tuna steak on top.
Layer the lemon slices in a small skillet and place the tuna steak on top
- Season the tuna with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle the lemon zest over the top.
- Cover the skillet and cook over medium-low heat until the tuna is no longer pink and flakes easily, about 15 minutes depending on how thick the tuna steak is. Try not to peak and let out the steam from the pan.
- Once the tuna is cooked transfer it to a large bowl and flake into small pieces with a fork. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled.
- In a small bowl mix the yogurt, ricotta cheese, mustard and juice from half a lemon.
- Mix the onion, celery, grapes and walnuts in with the tuna.
- Add the yogurt mixture and stir to thoroughly combine.
- Cut the remaining lemon half into wedges.
- Serve the tuna salad with a lemon wedge over 1 cup greens, if using.
Nutritional Info:
Makes 4 servings.
Serving size approximately 1 cup each.
Nutrients per serving: Calories: 198 , Cal. from Fat: 68 , Total Fat: 8 g, Sat. Fat: 2 g, Carbs: 15 g, Fiber: 1 g, Sugars: 6 g, Protein: 19 g, Sodium: 41 mg, Chol: 41 mg
Notes:
Any leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Cajun Shrimp Skewers
Jun 15 2011 by | CommentsAdd to Recipe Box
The last few weeks of my life have consisted of unpacking, unpacking and a bit of unpacking. It’s left little time for me to have fun and play around in the kitchen. So lately I’ve been planning meals that can literally be thrown together in minutes. This dish goes from the fridge to the dinner table in less than 10 minutes! It’s packed full of flavor and you can add any of your favorite veggies for a customized meal. For my husband who is not a veggie lover this was a wonderful way to work some veggies into his daily meals. I paired the skewers with a side of brown rice and dinner was complete!
Ingredients:
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1/4 tsp dry mustard
- 8 ounces thawed shrimp, uncooked, peeled, tail on (I used Henry & Lisa’s Natural Seafood Shrimp)
- vegetables of your choice (I used cherry tomatoes, green pepper and mushrooms)
Preparation:
- In a small bowl mix together the first 7 ingredients. (You’ll end up with more Cajun seasoning that you’ll need so place any leftover in a small glass jar for later use)
- Place the shrimp in a bowl and lightly sprinkle with the Cajun seasoning. This seasoning has quite the kick so use carefully!
- Assemble your skewers with the shrimp and veggies and place on a heated grill for 3-4 minutes, turning once during cooking.
- Serve with a side of rice, pasta or a salad.
Nutritional Info:
Makes approximately 12 skewers.
Serving size 6 skewers.
Nutritional info will vary greatly depending on what vegetables are use.
Notes:
My husband loves spicy food so this meal was a total hit with him. I think mild salsa is too spicy so I actually skipped the Cajun seasoning and grilled my shrimp and veggies with just a sprinkle of sea salt. Then I dunked them in this delicious dipping sauce I made. This is a great alternative for kids that don’t want the spice as well.
Zesty Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Homemade Ketchup
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp prepared horseradish
Preparation:
- Mix ingredients together and enjoy!
Tomato Quinoa Salad
Jun 14 2011 by | CommentsAdd to Recipe Box
This salad is so simple yet so tasty and most important, good for you, especially men. Cooking the tomatoes slightly boosts the lycopene and really brings out their flavor. Any type of tomato can be used in this salad but since I had some beautiful heirloom tomatoes on hand I used them for this recipe. This is a great side dish that pairs well with just about any main dish you are serving or by itself as a light lunch served with crispy slices of toasted whole grain baguette.
Kristy
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 1/2 medium red onion, cut in half moons
- 4 medium sized tomatoes sliced into half moons or about 1 pint cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp sea salt or to taste, divided
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
Preparation:
- In a medium size skillet, place the onions and olive oil over medium heat. Add 1/2 tsp salt and saute until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
Saute tomatoes untill heated through and soft
- Add the tomaotes and the other 1/2 tsp salt and saute until the tomatoes are heated through and softened, about another 5 minutes.
- Transfer the onion tomato mixture to a large bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients.
- You can serve warm at this point or chill in the refrigerator a couple of hours. I prefer it chilled as the flavors seem to meld together and intensify.
Nutritional Info:
Makes 4 servings.
Serving size approximately 1/2 cup.
Nutrients per serving: Calories: 174, Cal. from Fat: 74, Total Fat: 9g, Sat. Fat: 1g, Carbs: 21g, Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 2g, Protein: 5g, Sodium: 535mg, Chol: 0mg
Notes:
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Rotisserie Chicken
Jun 13 2011 by | CommentsAdd to Recipe Box
Have you ever made your own rotisserie chicken? I can’t say I had until this week that is! My husband and I recently bought a new grill and it came with a rotisserie attachment. (Btw, if you are in the market for a new grill we LOVE LOVE LOVE ours! We’ve used it just about every single day for the 3 weeks that we’ve had it. It’s amazing! You can check it out here.) Making your own rotisserie chicken is so easy and the results are unbelievable. You end up with fall off the bone, juicy, flavorful chicken that you can hardly stop eating. My husband had a blast making this on the grill and devoured the chicken when it was done. If you don’t have a grill that allows you to make a rotisserie chicken don’t despair – you can easily make this in your oven (see notes).
~Sarah
Ingredients:
- 1 whole organic air chilled chicken
- herbs and spices of your choice (I used garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt and pepper)
Preparation:
- Using butcher’s twine tie up the legs and arms of the chicken.
Tie the arms and legs with twine and season with your favorite herbs and spices
- Season the chicken with your favorite herbs and spices. You really can’t go wrong here. Add as much or as little as you’d like. I literally threw on a few dashes and it ended up tasting great.
Secure your chicken to the rotisserie stick and place on the grill
- Secure the chicken to your rotisserie stick and place on the grill.
Make sure to follow the specific grilling methods for your grill. Here's my husband with his new toy - our Weber S-670.
- Follow the instructions for your specific grill for grilling times and method. (We grilled our chicken for 2 hours and kept our grill temperature at 350 degrees. We used indirect heat by turning on the left and right burners and leaving the middle ones off.)
Your chicken is done when you have a golden brown crispy skin and an internal temperature of 180 degrees
- Your chicken is done when you have a crispy golden brown skin and the chicken has an inside temperature of 180 degrees.
- Carefully cut off the twine and enjoy your delicious chicken!
Nutritional Info:
Servings and nutritional info will vary depending on the size of your chicken.
Notes:
To cook your chicken in the oven preheat your oven to 250 degrees. Season with your favorite spices and place the chicken in a roasting pan. Bake uncovered for 5 hours or until you have a crispy golden brown skin and an internal temperature of 180 degrees.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Use your leftover chicken to make a delicious sandwich or eat it as is with a sprinkle of salt!
Summer Soupe au Pistau
Jun 10 2011 by | CommentsAdd to Recipe Box
I have to confess to a small lapse in judgement. I went to the market while very hungry. The consequence of my error was that I brought home just about every vegetable imaginable. Everything looked so good and was so fresh. When I got home, still very hungry, I wanted to eat all of it at once. Luckily, that morning I had been browsing through some reading material on farmers markets and came across a recipe called Soupe au Pistau. It is a very plain minestrone type vegetable soup that is then served with pesto that you stir into it as the seasoning. I had some Lemony Edamame Pesto in the refrigerator I had made the day before. This was perfect. I could use all the tasty produce of my over zealous marketing in one pot. The soup was fabulous! You can make it with any of the vegetables from your garden or local farmer’s market. Try it and you too can enjoy a bowl of summer’s bounty.
Kristy
Ingredients:
- any summer vegetables of your choice, I used:
- 1 leek, cleaned and chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 4 small new potatoes, diced
- 2 small zucchini, diced
- 2 small summer squash, diced
- 2 ears corn, husked and cut off the cob
- 1/2 cup green beans, cut into bite size pieces
- 2 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/2 cup whole grain pasta of your choice
- 1 can (15 ounces) no salt added chick peas (garbanzo beans)
- parmesan rind (any small piece will do – omit for a vegan soup)
- sea salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups Lemony Edamame Pesto or your favorite pesto
Preparation:
- Add the olive oil to a large soup pot and heat over medium heat. Add the leeks, carrots, celery, red pepper and potatoes.
- Saute until the potatoes are just tender.
Add the broth, remaining vegetables, beans, parmesan rind and pasta
- Add the broth, the remainder of the vegetables, beans, parmesan rind and pasta. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer and cook until the pasta is tender.
- Remove the parmesan rind.
Stir in pesto as the seasoning
- To serve, ladle the soup into a bowl and top with 3-4 tablespoons pesto. Stir and enjoy the taste of summer.
Nutritional Info:
Makes about 8-10 cups depending on the vegetables used.
Serving size 1 cup soup and 3 tablespoons pesto.
Nutritional info will vary greatly depending on what specific ingredients are used.
Notes:
Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. This soup also freezes really well.
Red Lentil Salad
Jun 09 2011 by | CommentsAdd to Recipe Box
Do you ever have one of those weeks when you are always hungry? I literally could sit down, eat a meal and 5 minutes later my stomach is growling and I’m ready to eat the first thing I can grab. It’s weeks like that where salads and fruits just don’t make the cut. I usually end up eating more meat than normal and while that is fine, I’m really not a big meat person. This is where lentils come in handy. While they may be small they pack a big punch when it comes to filling you up. They have a ton of fiber (and iron too!) which helps to regulate blood sugar from shooting up after eating. Plus they are wonderful for your heart! They prevent the arteries and veins from blocking, improving the circulation of blood and the absorption of nutrients and oxygen in the blood. Not bad for a small little legume! In the cold winter months I always have my Lentil Soup on hand but in the summer I prefer this delicious salad. It’s great for potlucks too – you can make it ahead of time and it just gets better the longer it ‘marinates’.
~Sarah
Ingredients:
- 1 cup dried red lentils
- 5 cups water
- 1 medium tomato, finely diced
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cooked bulgar (cracked wheat) *see notes
- 1 medium carrot, diced into small cubes
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (if you like a sweeter dressing use 2 tbsp)
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
- In a medium saucepan, bring water and lentils to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Rinse under cold water and drain. Place in a large bowl to cool.
- Meanwhile, in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the lemon juice, oil, garlic, vinegar, thyme and salt and pepper. Shake the dressing well and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine lentils, tomato, parsley, bulgar, carrots, and red onion. Pour the dressing over top and gently stir until evenly coated.
- Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving to let the flavors set.
Nutritional Info:
Makes about 5 cups.
Serving size 1 cup.
Nutrients per serving: Calories: 237.5, Cal. from Fat: 76, Total Fat: 8.5g, Sat. Fat: 1g, Carbs: 30g, Fiber: 13.5g, Sugars: 2.5g, Protein: 11g, Sodium: 13.5mg, Chol: 0mg
Notes:
If you’ve never cooked with bulgar before don’t let it scare you away from this recipe. It’s actually VERY easy to cook with. In fact, you don’t really cook it at all. To prepare the bulgar add 1/4 cup bulgar to a large bowl. Add in 1/2 cup boiling water, cover and let sit for 15-30 minutes. Drain away the excess water and you now have ‘cooked’ bulgar!
You can eliminate the bulgar completely from the recipe if you need to be gluten free. Try substituting with quinoa.
Store any leftover salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. This salad gets better and better the longer it sits. You can easily make this ahead of time for get togethers and potlucks.
Chicken Pitas with Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette
Jun 08 2011 by | CommentsAdd to Recipe Box
You know those people that say they are never going to move again and yet always end up moving again? Well, I’m one of them! I swore after we built our house in Chicago that I would never ever move again. Yet the allure of beautiful weather 24/7/365 was too much for me to resistant and we packed up our stuff and moved across the country to Oceanside, CA. Three weeks later I’m still unpacking and each day I remind anyone who will listen that I will NEVER move again!!!!! Thank goodness I have this quick and easy recipe to fall back on or else I would have gone many a day without lunch! I usually opt for a salad for lunch but will all the moving of heavy boxes and and running around I’ve been craving a more ‘hearty’ meal lately. This pita sandwich is perfect! It fills you up without making you feel weighted down. Plus you can eat it with one hand while unpacking with another – just in case you were wondering…
~Sarah
Ingredients:
- 2 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes (drained from oil), chopped
- 1 1/2 tbsp sun-dried tomato oil
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper or more to taste
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 1/2 cup grated asiago cheese
- 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (or basil)
- 6 Homemade Pita Bread or you favorite pitas, cut in half
- 3 cups spinach (you can substitute with any of your favorite salad greens)
Preparation:
- In a large bowl mix together the vinegar, sun dried tomato oil, sun dried tomatoes, pepper and garlic.
- Stir in chicken, asiago cheese and parsley. Mix well to evenly coat the chicken.
- Gently stir in the chopped tomato.
- Line each pita half with 1/4 cup of spinach.
- Divide chicken mixture evenly among pita halves and ENJOY!
Nutritional Info:
Makes 12 stuffed pitas.
Serving size 2 stuffed pitas.
Nutrients per serving: Calories: 259, Cal. from Fat: 94, Total Fat: 10.5g, Sat. Fat: 4g, Carbs: 23g, Fiber: 4g, Sugars: 2g, Protein: 23.5g, Sodium: 443mg, Chol: 49mg
Notes:
I like to have this meal made ahead of time and then just assemble it when I’m ready to eat. I follow steps 1 and 2 and store the chicken mixture in the fridge until ready to serve. Once I’m ready to eat the pitas I add in the chopped tomato and fill the pitas with the spinach and chicken mixture. You can add the tomato to the chicken mixture right away but the mixture tends to get a little soggy and I like the texture better when it hasn’t been sitting in the dressing for a long time.
Caprese Skewers
Jun 07 2011 by | CommentsAdd to Recipe Box
Father’s Day is coming up and while my father has been gone for quite a while now I have many fond memories of watching my father on Sundays after church grilling chicken and enjoying all the fixings that go along with it. These light and tasty skewers would be perfect for a Father’s Day bbq, picnic or any summer get together.
Kristy
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup Lemony Edamame Pesto
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
- 24 cherry or grape tomatoes
- 12 fresh mozzarella ciliegine or any fresh mozzarella cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 cup fresh baby spinach leaves (or basil leaves)
- 12 black olives (optional)
- 12 skewers (at least 4 inches in length)
Preparation:
- In a small bowl mix together the pesto and vinegar.
- Add in the mozzarella balls and marinade in the refrigerator at least 1 hour or up to 48 hours.
- To assemble, place 1 tomato on the skewer followed by 1 piece of cheese, 3 leaves spinach and another tomato.
- Arrange the skewers on a plate and drizzle remaining pesto over the top.
Nutritional Info:
Makes 12 skewers.
Serving size 2 skewers.
Nutrients per serving: Calories: 163.5, Cal. from Fat: 106, Total Fat: 13.5g, Sat. Fat: 4g, Carbs: 1g, Fiber: .5g, Sugars: .5g, Protein: 10.5g, Sodium: 55mg, Chol: 20.5mg
Notes:
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
