Category Archives: Healthy

Salad with Maple-Dijon Dressing

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It’s a new year and I tend to get inspired to eat a little healthier. This is a really simple, light but flavorful salad with lots of textures and flavors. Use whatever you have to make it interesting, because salads can be so bland and boring. I listed goat cheese in the ingredients even though I didn’t have any, but it would have been a nice tangy, creamy addition. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Maple-Dijon Dressing – adapted from The Six o’clock Scramble

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp. herbes de Provence

Salad –

  • grilled chicken, chopped
  • apple, sliced
  • tomatoes
  • almonds, chopped
  • crumbled goat cheese

Directions –

Place all dressing ingredients into a lidded jar and shake well to combine.  Spoon over your salad greens and toss.

Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup

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I had just enough leftover chicken to make this, plus everything else on hand to make this recipe – I love that! This was perfect for a Sunday lunch and we all enjoyed it with our favorite crescent rolls. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Creamy Chicken + Lemon Rice Soup – adapted from Simply Scratch

  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 medium peeled carrot, diced small
  • 2 stalks celery, diced small
  • 8 cups chicken stock or broth
  • 3/4 cup white rice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, strained
  • 2 whole eggs, beaten
  • kosher salt and fresh black pepper to taste
  • 1 heaping cup leftover shredded chicken

Directions –

Heat your Dutch oven over medium heat and add one tablespoon of olive oil.

Sauté the diced carrots and celery until they’re just starting to soften. Pour in the low sodium chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Pour in the 3/4 cup of long grain rice. Cover the pot with a tight fitting lid and reduce the heat to medium high. Cook the rice for 20 minutes; stand nearby just in case there’s a boil-over.

In a bowl, beat the two eggs and add in the lemon juice. Once the twenty minutes are up, remove the lid to the soup and gather some of the broth into a ladle. While stirring, slowly pour in the hot broth into the egg mixture. Then pour the warmed egg/broth mixture into the Dutch oven and stir.

Add in the shredded chicken and minced parsley. Taste the soup and check the seasonings, season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Roasted Vegetable, Goat Cheese and Pesto Sandwich

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The vegetables smelled amazing while roasting. I hope that is a good indicator of flavor 😉

Verdict: This is the best meatless sandwich I have ever eaten, and easily top five of all the sandwiches I have ever made. The kale pesto is so flavorful, the creamy goat cheese adds a tangy bite and the veg – seriously, this combination of ingredients is a match made in culinary heaven 😉 My husband would not touch this with a ten foot pole – it has the three out of four ingredients he refuses to eat. Oh well, more for me! My friend and I greedily/happily ate both of our sandwiches and can’t wait for the next time! I could have eaten this again for dinner…I may have a problem! 😉 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Roasted Vegetable Goat Cheese Pesto Sandwich – adapted from Wonderful Joy Ahead

  • 1 baguette (I bought mine at Panera Bread – totally worth the $2.79!)
  • 1/4 – 1/3 cup of fresh pesto (I used this kale pesto)
  • 2T+ chevre goat cheese
  • 2 portobello mushroom caps (*I had 12 oz of cremini mushrooms*)
  • 1 red bell pepper
  • 1 orange bell pepper
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 T balsamic vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
 Directions –
Preheat oven to 475. Line two baking sheets with foil.
Gently wash the mushrooms and cut out the stem. Cut all vegetables in large pieces. In a large bowl, mix together oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add the vegetables to the oil mixture and coat well. Place veggies in a single layer on the baking sheets, making sure each veggie touches the foil and is not on top of another vegetable. Place the vegetables in the oven. Roast for about 15 minutes, flipping the vegetables over at the 7 minute mark. They are ready to take out when the onions are starting to char on the edges and the peppers get nice blisters on the skin.
While the vegetables are in the oven, cut your bread to the length that you want your sandwich.  Slice in half and remove part of the inside to make room for the filling.
Spread 2-3T of pesto on one half of each sandwich. Then spread 1-2T of goat cheese on the other half of each sandwich.
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Remove the vegetables from the oven, and layer the vegetables in tidy layers over the bread. Close the sandwich up. Place on the baking sheets and put back in the oven to let the residual heat warm up the cheese for 5 minutes.

Spicy Fish Tacos with Avocado-Yogurt Sauce

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These tasted pretty good and the yogurt sauce is a must to cool down the spiciness of the fish. Thanks for stopping by! Enjoy 🙂
Spicy Fish Tacos with Avocado-Yogurt Sauce – adapted from Crumb
Spicy Lime-Chipotle Fish –
  • 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp chipotle powder (or chili powder, if you prefer)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 lb fresh mahi-mahi fillets (or any other firm white fish)
Avocado-Yogurt Sauce –
  • 1 large ripe avocado, pitted and roughly chopped
  • ¼ cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup water
Tacos and Garnishes-
  • 12 small corn tortillas
  • Shredded cabbage
  • Cilantro sprigs
  • Lime wedges
Marinate the Fish:
  1. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, olive oil, chipotle powder, cumin, paprika and salt, and stir until smooth.
  2. Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Rub on both sides with the lime-chipotle marinade. Transfer to a plate and cover tightly with plastic wrap, then transfer to the refrigerator to marinate for 15-20 minutes.
Prepare the Avocado-Yogurt Sauce:
  1. While the fish marinates, prepare the avocado-yogurt sauce.
  2. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the avocado, yogurt, lime juice, cilantro, salt and water, and process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cook the Fish:
  1. In a large heavy-bottomed skillet set over medium-high heat, saute the fish in the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil until opaque and flaky, about 4-5 minutes per side.
  2. Remove from heat, and transfer to a platter. Using a fork, break up each filet into bite-sized chunks. Cover with foil, and set aside while you warm the tortillas.

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Warm the Tortillas and Assemble the Tacos:
  1. In a heavy-bottomed skillet set over medium heat, warm the tortillas one at a time for 20-30 seconds per side, or until soft and flexible. Wrap the finished tortillas with a clean dishcloth to keep warm between batches.
  2. To assemble, place three tortillas on each plate and drizzle with avocado-yogurt sauce. Divide the fish evenly between the tortillas, then serve immediately with bowls of toppings so that everyone can top off their tacos as they please.

Pita Chips

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It was Mediterranean night for the group this week, (and because I am a food snob) I knew I would need to make pita chips to go with my fave tzatziki sauce. After a quick search, I stumbled upon this simple recipe. Caution: These are highly addictive! the kids and I eat them plain – they are perfectly crunchy, salty and a little savory 🙂 I think they’ll be a great addition to their school lunches instead of pretzels or chips. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

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Pita Chips – adapted from King Arthur Flour

  • 1 3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 cups AP flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
  • 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Topping –

  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • sea salt to taste

1) Mix and knead the dough ingredients together to make a soft, smooth dough.

2) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise for 60 to 90 minutes, until just about doubled in bulk.

3) Preheat the oven to 450°F, with a pizza stone on the bottom rack. If you don’t have a pizza stone, see tips, below.

4) Gently deflate the dough, and divide it into 8 pieces.

5) Shape each into a ball, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.

6) Working with two pieces of dough at a time, roll each into a 6″ circle. Transfer them to the hot stone.

7) Bake for 4 minutes, until puffy. Turn them over, and bake for an additional minute. Remove from the oven, and place on a rack to cool.

8) Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

9) Once the pitas are cool, carefully separate the two sides of each to make 16 thin rounds.

10) Brush rounds with oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

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11) Cut each round into 8 wedges. Divide the wedges between two parchment-lined baking sheets.

12) Bake the chips in a preheated 350°F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp; turn the chips over after 10 minutes of baking.

13) Remove chips from the oven, cool completely on the pan, wrap airtight, and store at room temperature.

Italian Antipasto Salad

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I made this salad for a group of ladies and judging by how little of this was left, it was a hit 😉 The salami and provolone combo is what makes this crave-worthy and I like the different textures of the lettuces. The vinaigrette compliments this salad perfectly, and thanks to the Dijon it stays well mixed for long periods of time. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

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Italian Antipasto Salad – adapted from The Food Network

  • 1/2 head romaine lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1/2 head butter lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 cup rinsed canned red kidney beans, patted dry
  • 1 cup rinsed canned garbanzo beans, patted dry
  • 8 ounces salami, cubed
  • 6 ounces Provolone, cubed
  • Grape tomatoes
  • Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions –

Combine the first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. Toss with enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

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Red Wine Vinaigrette – adapted from Epicurious

  • 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions –

Pour all ingredients in a 8 ounce jar, replace the lid and shake vigorously.

Pina Colada Popsicles

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I haven’t made popsicles since last Summer, but I have been so inspired by the pretty pictures floating all over Pinterest. The kids were excited about these – because you know I never make sweet things! But these are the kind of treats I don’t feel guilty about giving them and they’re quite healthy. These are so easy to make and I’m sure I will try out a few more popsicle recipes before school starts up again 🙂 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

**If you’re interested in making these “boozy”, you could swap half the water with light rum**

Pina Colada Popsicles –

    • 8 ounces frozen, diced pineapple and mango
    • 1/2 cup orange juice
    • 1/2 cup of coconut milk
    • 1/2 hot water
    • 1 TBSP unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions-

Simply mix ingredients together, by hand or in a blender/food processor, and pour into individual popsicles molds.  Add a popsicle stick in the center of the mold and place in freezer for at least 4 hours.

Remove popsicles from freezer and run exterior of popsicle molds under hot water for a few seconds and then gently pull on popsicle stick to release from mold.

Multi-Grain Bread

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I’m always looking for new sandwich bread recipes, so when I came across this one (thank you Pinterest!), I knew it was going to be the next loaf on my long list of recipes to try. This loaf tastes nutty and slightly sweet; and I like that there is a boost in flavor and fiber with this Bob’s Red Mill 7-Grain Hot Cereal. I’m glad the loaves turned out so well, because now I don’t have to find other recipes to make sure this doesn’t go to waste. Thanks for reading, enjoy!

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Multi-Grain Bread – adapted from Country Cleaver

  • 1 cup 7-grain Hot Cereal, such as Bob’s Red Mill
  • 2 ½ cups Boiling Water
  • ¼ cup Honey
  • 1 package Yeast
  • 1 Tbsp Salt
  • 3 cups All Purpose Flour, (15 ounces) *hold back at least 1/2 cup for kneading*
  • 1 ½ cup Whole Wheat Flour, 8 ¼ ounces
  • 4 Tablespoons Butter, melted and cooled
  • ½ cup Oatmeal

Directions –

1) Boil 2 ½ cups of water, pour over 7-grain hot cereal. Stir and let set until temperature cools to 100 degrees, about 1 hour.

2) Into stand mixer bowl fitted with dough attachment, pour in hot cereal. Add in honey and yeast. Turn on mixer and stir to combine. Lastly add in melted and cooled butter. Slowly add in flour. Knead until all ingredients combine. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes. Add in salt. Knead again until salt has been combined – about 1 minute.

3) Remove dough from mixer bowl, and onto a lightly floured surface. Flatten and knead until dough shapes into a large ball. Pour a small amount of oil into a large bowl. Add dough to bowl and roll around bowl gently to ensure it is coated with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and towel to keep away light. Set aside in a warm place for one hour.

4) Remove risen dough from bowl and place on lightly floured surface. Pull and stretch dough into a 18×12 inch rectangle. Using a sharp knife divide in half so it measures 2 9″x12″ sheets. Starting from the top, tightly roll each dough sheet into a log. Flip and pinch all ends together with thumb and forefingers. Repeat with other dough log. Temporarily set aside.

5) Sprinkle oatmeal out onto surface and carefully set into two loaf pans. Gently cover with plastic wrap and set in warm place to rise a second time. Let rise for one hour.

6) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you do have a pizza stone, it is a good idea to put in oven and let come to temperature – not necessary, but does make crusts of bread extra crispy and helps distribute heat evenly in the oven.

7) Unwrap loaves and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the center of the loaves reaches 200 degrees. Remove from loaf pans and let cool on wire rack.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

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I have made this twice in two weeks! My picky daughter loves this dinner and can't get enough of the peppers and pineapple 🙂 This is a fairly guilt-free take-out fake-out meal when you consider that Chinese restaurants bread and then deep fry their chicken, this is stir fried instead. Thanks for reading, enjoy! 🙂

Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken – adapted from Steamy Kitchen via The Shiksa

  • 1 egg white
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/2 tsp salt, divided
  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 can (8 to 10 oz) pineapple chunks in juice (reserve the juice)
  • 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
  • 1/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
  • 2-3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1-2 pinches cayenne pepper (or more to taste– spicy!)
  • 2 tbsp high heat cooking oil, divded (ex. grapeseed, peanut oil)
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks

Directions – 

    In a bowl, whisk together the egg white, cornstarch, and 1/4 tsp of the salt. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat evenly. Let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

    Meanwhile, whisk together 1/4 cup of the reserved pineapple juice, ginger, vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, remaining 1/4 tsp of salt, and 1-2 pinches cayenne pepper (or more to taste–optional).

    Set a wok or large saute pan over high heat. When a bead of water instantly sizzles and evaporates, pour in 1 tbsp of the oil and swirl to coat. Add the red and yellow bell pepper chunks and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the wok onto a plate. Wipe the wok or pan dry.

    Return the wok to the stove on high heat. When a bead of water instantly sizzles and evaporates, pour in the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and swirl to coat (be sure to fully coat the pan so the meat won’t stick). Add the chicken to the pan, spreading it out in one layer.

    Let the chicken fry, untouched, for 1 minute, until the bottoms are browned. Flip and fry the other side the same for 1 minute. The chicken will still be pinkish in the middle.

    Add the cooked bell peppers, pineapple chunks, and pineapple juice mixture to the pan. Let simmer for about 2 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes till the sauce thickens. Serve over Jasmine rice.

Oatmeal Banana Muffins

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The kids love to get muffins in their lunch; and these are easy and much healthier than your average muffin – and the best part? They don’t seem to notice 😉 Thanks for reading, enjoy!

Banana Oatmeal Muffins – adapted from The Lemon Bowl

  • 1¼ cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1½ c oat flour**
  • ½ c milk
  • ½ c plain yogurt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ⅓ c brown sugar – packed
  • ¼ c unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 tbsp canola oil
  • 2 large ripe bananas – mashed
  • 1 egg

Directions –

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a muffin pan with 12 liners or spray with non-stick spray. In a large bowl, combine oats with plain yogurt and milk. Meanwhile, mix together oat flour (see note above), baking soda, baking powder, sugar, spices and salt; set aside. Add applesauce, oil, egg and mashed bananas to the oat/milk mixture and stir well. Combine dry mixture with the wet mixture and stir until incorporated. Divide batter evenly into muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes.

**Oat Flour: To make oat flour, simply pulse 2 cups old-fashioned oats in a food processor to create a fine meal. This should only take about 60 seconds!