Asian Chicken with Mushrooms

If you're anything like me, you have the occasional craving for sweet and sour sauce, just to add a burst of flavor to your meal. Fortunately, I found a sauce recipe that satisfies my craving, and when you add it to chicken, it becomes a guaranteed crowd-pleaser. This recipe is good for a small gathering, but you can double it for a larger crowd.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes for sauce, 15 minutes for chicken


Ingredients


3/4 lb. chicken breasts (or 1 and 1/2 breast), cut into small, bite size pieces
1 package baby portobello mushrooms, chopped
1-2 tbsp. flour
1-2 tbsp. olive oil

Sauce

1 1/2 c. water
2 tbsp. orange juice
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/3 c. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 tsp. ginger (fresh or from a jar)
1 tsp. crushed garlic
2 tbsp. chopped vidalia onion (dried onion flakes work as a substitute)

Instructions

Combine all sauce ingredients into a pan and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. In a large skillet, add olive oil and chicken pieces with a few pinches of salt added to season the chicken, and cook on medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Add 1/2 of the sauce mixture to the chicken (reserve the rest for another recipe, or use it all if  you are doubling this recipe). Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms. Cook another 7-10 minutes. Stir well. During the last few minutes of cooking, add 1-2 tbsp. of flour to thicken the sauce.

Serve immediately, with a basic, garden salad and a slice of bread. And, maybe a glass of wine ;)

Serves 2-3

Pizza-Flavored Popcorn (Fat Free)

Popcorn. It's the perfect snack to help curb your appetite, AND enjoy a good movie. It's also high in fiber and and low in calories, so you can munch on it without worrying about overeating. This popcorn recipe incorporates one of my favorite flavors: Pizza. The secret is in the olive oil spray. It's fat free, and helps to bind the pizza mix to the popcorn.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 3-4 minutes

Ingredients

3 tbsp. unpopped kernels

2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. dried thyme (or oregano)

Olive oil spray

Directions

Pop 3 tbsp. corn kernels in a microwavable bowl, covered with a paper towel. No oil necessary. 

In a small bowl, mix together the parmesan cheese, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and thyme (or oregano). 

Spray the popcorn with olive oil spray until completely coated. Sprinkle the pizza topping over the popcorn until well coated.

Makes 2-3 servings

Sardine & Cream Cheese Dip

I know what you're thinking: Sardines?? Eww. Well, this recipe might just convince you to give the most under-appreciated fish a second chance.

I give full credit to my Dad for getting me hooked on sardines when I was just a kid. Growing up in Spain, sardines were a regular part my Dad's diet. Many years after coming to America, he became especially fond of sardines that came in a can, smothered in a red sauce. Many times, I would sit and watch (and giggle) as my Dad licked the inside of a sardine can, to savor every possible morsel. That's how much he liked sardines.

Nowadays, I try to incorporate sardines into my diet every once in a while, even if it's just to keep the sardine-can-licking tradition alive. This particular recipe is great for those watching their sodium intake, because you can use salt free sardines encased in spring water from Trader Joe's. The nutritional value of sardines is typically under-promoted, which is one reason why so few people incorporate it into their diets. One 3.75 oz. can of salt free, water-based sardines contain 17g of protein, 25% calcium, and 8% iron. What's really great about this recipe? The sardines virtually melt into the cream cheese mixture, so even the most squeamish person wouldn't know that they were eating sardines.

Prep Time: 15 minutes


Ingredients

1 3.75 oz. can salt free sardines, in spring water (Trader Joe's brand)
1/2 roasted red pepper (from a jar)
6 oz. low fat cream cheese
1 tbsp. dry parsley
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder

Directions

Place sardines and cream cheese together in a bowl and mix well. Add salt, garlic powder, and parsley. Place the roasted red pepper into a blender and puree for 30 seconds. Add the red pepper to the cream cheese mixture and blend well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Serve with crackers or raw vegetables.

Makes approximately 1 1/2 cups.

Turkey Panini (George Foreman Style)

Recently, I was craving a sandwich, and for some reason, a panini came to mind. Anytime I visit New York City, I absolutely have to get a chicken panini from the food court in Grand Central Station. I know, I know. Not so glamorous or adventurous, but I was hooked after the first bite. So I started to think about how to recreate that taste at home, based on ingredients (and equipment) that I had. Then the light bulb went on. Could it be that a George Foreman grill can double as a panini maker? It's a machine that I usually reserve for cooking hamburgers (to lighten up the fat content), but I decided to give a panini a try. Let's just say, it was a knock out.

Turkey Panini

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

2 slices of wheat bread
2 slices of cooked turkey breast
1 tbsp. melted butter
1/2 c. chopped swiss chard (or 1 giant swiss chard leaf, chopped)
1 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp. canola oil
salt (to taste)
sprinkle of garlic powder
2-3 slices of fresh tomato
2-3 thin slices of sharp cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat George Foreman grill. Cook the swiss chard in a small skillet on medium heat with canola oil, ketchup, and a sprinkle of salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until completely wilted. Remove from heat. Assemble the sandwich: Brush melted butter on one side of each slice of bread, so the butter is on the outside. Place the turkey, tomato, swiss chard, and cheese on top of the bread. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and garlic powder. Place the other slice of bread on top. Place the sandwich in the George Foreman grill for 3-5 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Sumptuous Salmon

 

Few things taste better than a well-cooked salmon fillet. And it's not just tasty. This fish packs a nutritional punch--loads of protein, combined with a good dose of omega 3 fatty acids can keep you feeling your best. This particular salmon recipe was a bit of an experiment for me. But isn't that what makes cooking fun? I combined tomato & basil hummus with fresh bread crumbs to create a delicious topping for the salmon. The result? Fabulous.

Read on for the complete recipe!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Preheat Oven: 375 degrees

Ingredients

2 raw salmon fillets (1/2 lb. each, approx. 1 inch thick)

1 cup bread crumbs (wheat bread)

1-2 tbsp. tomato basil hummus

garlic salt (to taste)

salt (to taste)

1/3 c. sharp cheddar cheese (shredded)

Directions

Place salmon fillets on baking sheet. Be sure to check for small bones before baking. Season the salmon with salt and garlic powder. In a small bowl, combine the hummus and bread crumbs. Spread evenly on the salmon. 

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven, then top with shredded cheddar cheese. Pop in the microwave for 10-20 seconds to melt the cheese. Serve immediately.

"Raise the Dead" Veggie Soup

Winter is here, which means that soup season is in full swing. Admittedly, I don't get enough vegetables into my body as I should, so I figured a good vegetable soup might just take care of that. This recipe isn't your ordinary, watered-down vegetable soup. It's about as thick as a soup can get, has amazing flavor, and gives you that warm and fuzzy feeling that we all need when the mercury drops. With five nutrition-rich vegetables, along with vegetable stock as a base, it is very possible that this soup could raise the dead...it's THAT good.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes (for veggies), 15-20 minutes for soup

Preheat Oven: 400 degrees

Ingredients

1/4 c. olive oil

1 small butternut squash (or 1/2 of a med. squash), peeled, seeded, and cubed

2 c. baby carrots

1 large parsnip (peeled and cut into small pieces)

1 med. zuchinni (peeled and cut into small pieces)

3-4 cloves of raw garlic (crushed)

1/2 vidalia onion, quartered

1 tsp. thyme

4 c. vegetable stock (32 oz.)

salt to taste

Directions

Place olive oil in a large bowl. Add the prepared vegetables and toss until coated in the oil. Add a few pinches of salt and 1 tsp. thyme. Spread out the vegetables in a single layer on one baking sheet.  Roast for 50 minutes until tender, turning the vegetables occasionally to make sure they brown evenly.

Remove from oven, and transfer the vegetables to a large pot. Pour the vegetable stock into the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, season to taste, and simmer for 10 more minutes. Transfer the soup to a food processor or blender (or use a hand blender) and process for a few minutes until thick and smooth. Return the soup to the pot to heat through.

Serves six.

Hungry for more? 

If you want to add a bit of protein to this soup, throw in some cooked shrimp, or even some left over meatballs that you may have in your refrigerator.

Happy Eating!

Mouth Watering Meat Loaf

For reasons I will never understand, meatloaf is one of those dishes that I absolutely had to figure out. It was almost like some sort of code I had to crack. Granted, a good meatloaf is all a matter of personal taste, but after many years of searching and experimenting, I think I may have finally cracked the code. Even my mother gave this recipe the thumbs up. (And she's a tough critic!)

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50-55 minutes

Preheat Oven: 350 degrees

Ingredients

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. ketchup (+ 1 tbsp.)
1 lb. lean ground beef

2 eggs

1 tsp. salt
1 small onion, chopped (or 1/3 of a large vidalia onion, chopped)
1 med. size green pepper, chopped

1/2 c. frozen spinach (thawed and drained)
1 c. whole wheat bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. dried thyme

canola oil

Directions

Chop the onion and pepper into small pieces. Cook the onion, pepper, and spinach in a skillet over medium heat (with 1 tbsp. canola oil) for about 10-12 minutes. Add 1 tbsp. of ketchup to the skillet, and blend. Remove from heat. Place 2-3 slices of wheat bread (or enough to make 1 cup bread crumbs) into a blender or food processor. In a large bowl, mix together the beef, eggs, salt, bread crumbs, garlic powder, and thyme. Add the vegetables to the beef mixture and blend well. In a 5x9 loaf pan, grease the bottom and sides of the pan with canola oil. Press a layer of brown sugar on the bottom of the pan. Spread ketchup over the top of the brown sugar. Shape the beef mixture into a loaf and place on top of the ketchup/brown sugar. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Serves 6-8.