Saturday, January 23, 2010

THAI CHICKEN PASTA

This simple and very different recipe is based on a recipe from Taste of Home's "Healthy Cooking" magazine. I just made it for the first time tonight, and it was a hit with the family. It actually received the coveted "Make Again" award from the, shall we say, "Choosy" husband as well as the family teenager. My son declared, "It looks like that nasty sauce from Buffalo Wild Wings, but it's a pleasant surprise." --Thank you??? He redeemed himself later by using the word "delicious". Hope you also find it superior to something revolting that you've tasted... ;-)

You will need pre-cooked chicken. I used chicken from the Poached Chicken recipe on the blog. This dish is mildly spicy; if you prefer a bit more heat, use medium or hot salsa.

6 oz whole wheat fettuccine (I used multigrain spaghetti)
1 cup mild salsa
4 tbls creamy peanut butter
3 tbls orange juice
1 tbls honey
2 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
Optional, for garnish:
2 tbls chopped unsalted roasted peanuts
2 tbls minced fresh cilantro

Cook pasta according to directions. As pasta cooks, combine the salsa, peanut butter, orange juice, honey, and soy sauce in a medium saucepan. Stir well, and heat until almost boiling. Add chicken & stir well. Reduce heat to low, and keep warm, stirring occasionally. When ready to serve, drain pasta and place on plates. Top with chicken & sauce mixture. Garnish with peanuts and cilantro, if desired.

Per serving:
409 cals
33 g protein
10 g fat
54 mg cholesterol
474 mg sodium
46 g carbs
6 g fiber

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

ROASTED VEGGIES

This is the perfect cold-weather vegetable dish--hearty, warm, and delicious. Roasting veggies brings out their full flavors & natural sweetness. You can easily add variety by using different vegetables and/or spices.
Some vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes, will take longer to cook. You can either pre-roast those veggies for 20 mins (if you do this, reserve a bit of the oil & spices to coat the veggies added later), or remove some of the veggies as they are done to your liking.

4-6 carrots, peeled and sliced to desired thickness (I like them in large chunks, but they will take about an hour to cook this way. You may want to pre-cook them a bit.)
1 red onion, cut into 8 pieces
1 stalk celery, sliced about 1/4" thick
1 red pepper, seeded & cut into 1" pieces
1 yellow pepper, seeded & cut into 1" pieces
4-6 Yukon Gold or new potatoes, halved
2 zucchini, sliced about 1/2" thick
8 oz mushrooms, whole or sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced or sliced thin
1 tbls olive oil
olive oil cooking spray
spices, to taste:
dried basil, salt, pepper, dried rosemary
(I use approximately 1-2 tsp basil, 1/2 tsp rosemary, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper.)

Serves 8-10

Preheat oven to 400˚.
Wash & dry veggies. (Make certain that veggies are dry, or they will not brown properly.) In very large bowl, combine olive oil and spices. Break cut onion apart into single layers with hands. Add all veggies to bowl, and toss gently but thoroughly with hands or 2 large spoons. Spray large pan, such as a jelly-roll pan or a large, shallow casserole dish, with cooking spray. Spread veggies in pan in a single layer. Roast, uncovered, for about 25 minutes, then gently toss and/or turn veggies over in pan. Continue roasting, checking & gently tossing veggies every 10-15 minutes until nicely browned around some of the edges. Do not overcook, but veggies should pierce easily with a fork when done. If veggies seem to be drying out before they are done, you can spritz them with a bit more cooking spray, broth, or even apple juice. Total cooking time is usually 50-60 minutes.

Notes:
Other spices to try:
oregano, thyme, Italian seasoning, lemon pepper, marjoram

Other veggies to try:
sweet potatoes, cauliflower, cobbed corn, green pepper, green beans, asparagus.

When in a pinch for time, I've even micro-cooked the harder veggies, covered, with 1 tsp water until they just begin to soften (about 3 minutes). Then drain well, blot dry, and proceed with the recipe, adding oil & spices & roasting until done, about 30 minutes.
You can also increase oven temp to 425˚ to help speed cooking time.

Calories: Approximately 150 per serving


Sunday, January 3, 2010

FAVORITE BREAKFAST: CANTALOUPE WITH YOGURT & WALNUTS

The following recipe is my favorite way to start my day. It's quick, healthy, satisfying, and most important, yummy! You can change this up by using different fruits, nuts, or yogurt flavors.
Do you have a breakfast recipe to share?

1/2 container Cultural Revolution Blueberry Yogurt
(see previous post)
1/2 cup chopped cantaloupe
2 tbls chopped walnuts.

Combine all ingredients in bowl.
Eat.
Doesn't get much easier than that!

Makes 1 serving:
Cals: 161
Protein: 6.4g
Carbs: 12.75g
Fat: 10.8
Fiber: 1.8g
Chol: 5.5mg

HELPFUL PRODUCTS III: YOGURT

Yogurts, while a great source of protein, can be chock full of sugar or artificial sweeteners. (Check the nutrition label on your favorite brand.) I had just about sworn off yogurts when I found a brand called "Cultural Revolution". *NOTE: New name--Cultural Revolution yogurt is now called Kalona Super Natural yogurt.  It's an organic yogurt--very creamy & only 77 calories for the entire 6 oz container. It is low in sugar, too, with only 8.8 grams of sugar, compared to 20-30 grams for other brands. Consequently, it has a tart flavor. When I first started eating it, I added a bit of honey, but I quickly gave that up & now love it as is. I eat it almost every day with my breakfast. (I'll post that breakfast recipe next...) It has a very concise ingredient list, too, as opposed to other yogurts with numerous unpronounceable mystery ingredients.
Cultural Revolution is available locally at HyVee in the organic, "Health Market" section. It is also available at the new Price Chopper (not sure about the old one), also in the organic section. It is available in blueberry, peach, raspberry (especially tart), and vanilla (I've only found the vanilla @ Price Chopper). I especially like the blueberry flavor. Cultural Revolution costs more than regular yogurts, but I think it's worth it.