Some cooking ideas!

1: Chicken tenders cut into smaller pieces, Celery, Two cups water, one bullion paste serving, and some spicy Mrs. Dash seasoning. Serving size amt of whole wheat toast.

2: Chicken tenders cut into long skinny pieces, Serving size of whole wheat crushed toast with lots of seasonings, raw chicken with breading. Cook at 350 degrees. Make sure the chicken is on a rack, so it doesn’t need any greasing or is cooking in fat. Yellow Squash sliced with Mrs. Dash, salt and a little water. You can choose to cook in micro or stove top, but I love stove top.

3. Onion cut into small pieces (how you like them), seasonings of choice. I really like Cayenne pepper, seasoned pepper, and the table blend of Mrs. Dash. Cook this until just before the onion becomes transparent. Add diced apples and small pieces of chicken… It is best that the chicken is pre seasoned and when you put it into the pan, make sure it’s getting seared right on the pan. If you have it on a med-high setting, it should brown nicely, but will not have a problem sticking without oil. Make sure the chicken is browned on all sides and since the pieces are so small it will be done in just about 2 min! This is my most favorite of all times! Sounds crazy with the apples, but hmmm so good!

4. A bed of spinach, boiled chicken and then a mix of (paprika, cayenne, mustard power, garlic powder, and onion powder) seasonings together. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides so it has some extra flavor. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and add diced tomatoes, Dressing: lemon juice, cilantro, salt and pepper. So good and I always think it’s better than a restaurants!
There are just a few ideas that I have come up with!

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Green Garlic and Fried Egg

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Green Garlic and Fried Egg

Another week, another whole wheat pasta recipe with a spring delicacy. I first fell in love with green garlic two years ago when I started food blogging. It has such a great flavor and cooking with it is easy and it doesn't burn as quickly as garlic cloves. I pretty much only use the white and light green parts, but in the LA Times version of this recipe, it looks like they use the whole thing. It's a great, quick cooking dish and the egg yolk helps create a lovely creamy sauce. It's been a little chilly here this week so this was a nice dish to curl up on the couch and watch some of my favorite trashy tv shows.






Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Green Garlic and Fried Egg
(Slightly Adapted from the Los Angeles Times)



Makes 2 servings

4 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
4-5 stalks green garlic, halved lengthwise, washed, dried and sliced thinly
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 eggs, at room temperature
Coarsely grated black pepper
Sea salt

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until just al dente, about 9-11 minutes, or according to the instructions on the package.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook until tender and beginning to caramelize, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently so as not to burn. Remove the garlic from the pan and put it into a large bowl. When the pasta is cooked, add it, with a bit of the pasta water, to the bowl with the garlic and toss to combine.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and turn the heat to high. One at a time, break the eggs into a small bowl and gently pour into the hot skillet, trying to keep them from touching. Cook until the edges are crispy and golden brown, the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.

Divide the warm pasta among plates. Gently slide an egg onto the top of each. Grind plenty of black pepper over each plate and add a generous pinch of sea salt. Serve immediately.

Couscous with Tomatoes, Basil, Scallions: Caring for those who care for your kids.

Couscous with Tomatoes, Basil, Scallions: Caring for those who care for your kids.

For CY, my favorite elementary school teacher and all the teachers out there who do it for our children. Thank you.

It's been busy at our house as Daughter #1 has started kindergarten. She has been at school since she was 20 months old so the adjustment of sending her to school wasn't difficult, but as the school year started, I wanted to be more involved at her school. I know, as a former high school teacher, that without strong parent involvement, public education has the high likelihood of failing the next generation of children. The reasons why are numerous and many and not the purpose of this post, but I will make my plea that if you can, you should definitely get involved in your child's school, however small the effort.

I've been in Daughter's kindergarten class once a week helping out since her school started back in July. (She attends a year round school.) The kindergarten day is short, but the things that Daughter's teacher deals with blow my mind. 22 kids in the classroom, all at different levels of achievement, different backgrounds, different cultures and native languages. In addition, there are numerous assessments, tests, and evaluations that need to be completed for every single child in the class. Even after only 1.5 hours of volunteering in the classroom, I'm pretty spent mentally and need a break. Daughter's teacher continues on for another couple of ours before her day is over.

I've always liked to cook and bake things for Daughters' teachers and this year is no exception. Something nice to eat at the end of the teaching day is an gift with an intangible value. It shows love, appreciation and the acknowledgment of your child's teacher's efforts on behalf of your son and daughter. I've baked for Daughter's teacher on quite a few occasions but today I wanted to bring her LUNCH, so I quickly made this couscous salad to bring to her. I topped the one I gave to the teacher with feta, so as to make it more substantial, but this is really excellent without the feta as a side to any grilled or simple protein as the balsamic adds a special flavor. It is simple, comes together very easily but is a wonderful way to show your child's teacher that you care and you want to thank him or her.

Here are a few more ideas of great and easy lunches to bring to the teachers:

Orzo Salad with Tomato, Feta, and Green Onions
Tri Colore Orzo
Curried Chicken Salad (in a sandwich or presented with some crackers)

Couscous with Tomatoes, Basil, and Scallions
Serves 4-6

2 cups boiling water
2 cups dry couscous (I use whole wheat couscous)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (depending on the size)
1 cup chopped scallions
1/2 cup basil, chiffonade

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

In a large bowl, pour in dry couscous, salt and olive oil. Carefully measure out two cups of boiling water and pour over couscous. Give a quick stir and find a lid to fully cover the bowl. Let sit and steam for 7 minutes.

Meanwhile chop scallions, basil and tomatoes and set aside. Whisk together balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Take off the lid of the couscous, and using a fork, fluff up the couscous. Add tomatoes, scallions and basil and drizzle balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing. Toss well.

Serve as a side to protein, or to make it a more substantial meal on it's own, top with feta cheese.

Printable recipe

A bowl of something delicious - who wouldn't want that!

chile and lime veggie bowls

chile and lime veggie bowls

These are so so good!

We've had them a few times since I first found the recipe in my Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

Chile and Lime Veggie Bowls

adapted from BHG

1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. fresh oregano, snipped, or 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp. olive oil
2 medium sweet potatos, peeled and cut in 1-inch cubes
1 15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 cup shelled edamame
1 medium avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and chopped
large cabbage leaves
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
lime wedges (optional)

directions
1. Make Dressing; set aside (if you can make this the day before....DO!! It has so much more flavor!)

Yogurt-Lime Dressing

In small bowl combine 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt, 2 TBS lime juice, 1 TBS soy sauce, 1 TBS chili powder, and 1 clove minced garlic, 2 TBS chopped cilantro, 1TBS chopped chives. Whisk in 1/4 cup olive oil until well combined.

2. In small bowl stir together soy sauce, lime juice, chili powder, oregano, and olive oil; add diced sweet potatoes and toss to coat. Roast at 425° for 30-40 minutes until done.

3. Divide potatoes, beans, tomatoes, edamame, and avocado among cabbage leaves. Sprinkle with green onions.

Drizzle veggies with dressing, and enjoy!

(we found it easiest to fold them up and eat them like tacos:)

Sauteed Chicken with Clementine Salsa

Does everyone  have a little box of Cuties or clementines on their kitchen counter right now?  We've been eating them like candy....a bowl of them on the coffee table in the living room, another bowl in the kitchen, and a stash in the fridge. They’re everywhere right now and absolutely irresistible.  I found this recipe in Bon Apetit magazine a while back and have been meaning to make it and, well, with 4,000 clementines in the house, it seemed like a good time, right?
So the clementine is the hesperidium of a variety of the mandarin orange.  I have no idea what that means, but I found it on Wikipedia.  I was just wondering if the clementine was actually a tangerine, and it turns out it’s a hybrid of sorts, the clementine being seedless.
You don’t really need to know all that to enjoy this dish though.  What we have is a nice organic, free-range chicken breast, topped with a flavorful salsa comprised of chunks of clementine, grape tomatoes, poblano chiles, basil, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil and a little red onion, the flavors of which meld into a very lovely salsa.  The juice of a few clementines are reduced to also create a sauce and it all just tastes dad-gum good together.
At the risk of sounding naggy, I must mention (once again)...DO NOT overcook your chicken breast!!  It’s certain death to any dish no matter how wonderful it’s accompanying components.  For tips on how to cook your chicken perfectly, check this out.
This salsa would also be fabulous over grilled fish or shrimp, and if you added some black beans and jalapenos, it could be a killer salsa with chips.

Sauteed Chicken with Clementine Salsa
Printable Recipe

Adapted from Bon Apetit Magazine
4 5-ounce chicken breast halves
4 clementines, peeled, diced (about 1 cup)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 serrano chile, seeded, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup fresh clementine juice (from about 6 clementines)
Pour 6 cups of water (for 3 or 4 breasts) in a large bowl .  Add 3 tablespoons of kosher salt and 3 tablespoons of sugar.  Whisk until the salt and sugar are dissolved and then add the chicken breasts.  Cover and refrigerate for an hour.
Mix clementines and next 8 ingredients in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Salsa can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature.
Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry.  Add a drizzle of olive oil to a 12"skillet, and heat to medium high. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and lay them salted side down in the pan.  Drizzle a little more olive over the top of the breasts and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Cook over medium high heat on the first side for about 4 minutes and then turn them.  Cook another 2 or 3 minutes and then cover the pan, remove from the heat and just let them sit covered for 15 minutes.  The residual heat will continue to cook them.
Transfer chicken to platter. Add clementine juice to skillet; boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, stirring often, about 2 minutes.

Drizzle sauce over chicken. Spoon salsa over and serve.

Could we get more refreshing? QUINOA-GRAPEFRUIT-CUCUMBER SALAD!

QUINOA-GRAPEFRUIT-CUCUMBER SALAD

I saw the inspiration for this on another blog and had to make it.  All the flavors sounded so beautiful together, and they are!

This is a light, summery salad, full of good-for-you carbs and protein from the quinoa.  With a slightly spicy dressing and undertones of fresh mint…what’s not to love?   Serve it with a moist chicken breast or some deli-turkey slices for a very filling lunch.

(Don’t let the carb count of this scare you.  Quinoa is something that doesn’t seem to cause cravings.  I am a carb-craver to the CORE, and have never had a problem with quinoa.)

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2 cups cooked quinoa (directions below)

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced

2/3 cup diced grapefruit (see what I used below…reserve juice)

2 green onions (scallions) sliced – green parts only

2 tablespoons sliced almonds

1 tablespoon fresh mint, minced

DRESSING:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons grapefruit juice

1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar (OR 1 tablespoon honey)

1 tablespoon rice vinegar – regular flavor

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ginger

1/8 teaspoon cumin

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt – or to taste

.

In a large bowl combine the cooked quinoa, cucumber, grapefruit, green onions, almonds, and mint.  Set aside.

In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, grapefruit juice, agave, vinegar, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, pepper, and salt.  Pour over salad and mix well.

I loved it as soon as it was made, but it only got more intense and yummy after it was chilled!

Makes approx. six  1/2-cup servings.

Per Serving: Calories 211; Protein 5 g; Fat 10 g; NET Carbs 20 g; Fiber 2 g; Sugar 7 g; Sodium 59 mg

.

Cooking Quinoa:  It cooks like long-grain rice…very easy.  For this salad I cooked it in salted water, but using chicken, beef, or vegetable broth works great, too.  I’ve also done it with half water, half coconut milk for a breakfast cereal-version.

Bring 1 cup water and a little less than 1/8 teaspoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan.  Stir in 1/2 cup rinsed quinoa.  (Rinse in a fine mesh sieve making sure the water runs clear.  Most on the market – even the bulk stuff – is very clean already.)

Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 18-20 minutes, or until all water is absorbed and the white ‘tail’ or ‘ring’ can be seen on each seed.  Fluff with a fork and allow to cool to room temp for this salad.  Or cool, cover and chill for later use.  It should stay nice and fluffy.

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I LOVE these little cups for use in recipes.  All the work has been done AND you get some juice to use for the dressing!  They can be found in the produce section, usually by the bagged salads or chilled dressings.  I used all of the grapefruit and 2 tablespoons of the juice for this recipe.

Also really good with Mandarin Oranges and orange juice! Little bit easier and cheaper that way too!

PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS AND TOASTED SESAME SEEDS

PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS AND TOASTED SESAME SEEDS

One of my food revelations when I moved here was to be able to get fresh asparagus without paying a fortune and getting healthy, vigorous ones as well instead of the scrawny ones I would find in Sweden in those days. I'm sure things have changed since then but when I lived there, either you bought canned asparagus or you bought not that great fresh ones, what a lousy choice. So you can imagine how I felt here, an ardent asparagus lover when the first Spring came and I saw all this wonderful asparagus on sale, I went mad. Nowadays I'm a bit blasé but I still can't resist their allure when spring comes. I think my favourite way of serving them is with really creamy scrambled eggs but you cannot live on that alone so I do serve it in other ways and this is one of them.





PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS AND TOASTED SESAME SEEDS
4 servings

400-500 g/0,88-1,1 lb pasta
1 bunch of asparagus, they usually weigh around 500 g/ 1,1 lb
2 small fresh onions
3-4 tblsp sesame seeds
salt
extra-virgin olive oil

- Start cooking the pasta.
- Clean the asparagus and break or cut off the woody arts of the stalks before cutting them into pieces. If you want to speed up the cooking, you can chop them now instead of later.
- Chop the onions finely and start frying gently them and the asparagus in a skillet in some olive oil. Add salt and cook until the asparagus is soft but still got a bite to them, we don't want mushy asparagus. Unless you like that of course.
- Toast the sesame seeds in a hot skillet.
- When the asparagus is ready, chop them roughly and taste for salt.
- When the pasta is ready, mix it with the asparagus and sprinkle the sesame seeds over before serving. Or why not let people sprinkle for themselves?

Asian Style Beans

Where to Find it: Kayotic Kitchens

Green beans, snap beans, string beans, French beans, whatever you want to call them, they’re in season, they’re cheap, tasty and healthy. Go for it!
We’re very high on vegetables here. We easily eat 10 oz a day (per person), so I’m always trying various ways to prepare vegetables making them slightly different every time we eat them. These have a little Asian twist to them and rank high on the ‘yummy delicious’ list here (‘yummy delicious’ being the English expression for my Dutch 2 year olds favorite foods, thanks to Dora).
For some reason the combination pine nuts & green beans works beautifully in this side dish.

Ingredients:
String beans
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
Garlic (I used 1 clove, grated)
Ginger (thumb sized piece, grated)
1 tbsp sweet soy sauce
1 dsp chili sauce
Chili powder
Handful pine nuts
Oil
Directions:
Coarsely chop the bell pepper and the onion. Trim the beans and break the long ones in half. Give them a good wash.

Parboil the beans in lightly salted water. I like a little bite to them, so I boiled them for about 13 minutes. You can give them a few minutes longer if you like, just don’t over-cook them!

Grate the ginger and garlic. I keep lots of ginger in the freezer, this way I always have some on hand. It works great! The flavor seems to intensify once frozen, so you even need less to get the same result. It’s also easier to peel and grate when still slightly frozen. Nothing but benefits!

Use vegetable oil rather than olive oil because you can use higher temperatures that way, which is much better for stir-frying. I use this oil – it’s an oil that has a slightly Asian flavor to it already. Seems they infused it with garlic, fenugreek, cardamom, cumin, celery, turmeric, coriander etc resulting in an amazingly fragrant oil.

Sautee the bell pepper for about a minute or two, then add the onion. Add the ginger and garlic as soon as the onion turns slightly translucent, not before or you’ll burn the garlic. Don’t let the onions brown, it just doesn’t look good in this dish.

In the mean time the beans will be ready. Drain them and quickly rinse them with cold water – this will stop the cooking process, leaving your beans fresh and green rather than all sad, shriveled up and brown.

Add a pinch of chili powder to the onion mixture. I use incredibly hot chili powder, no clue where they got those chilies from, and have a toddler eating this as well, so I only use a pinch (literally, see?) but feel free to use more. I always sautee my spices for a minute or so, it really gets the flavor going.

Add the beans to the bell pepper/onions and give them a good swirl. Add a tbsp soy sauce. I used sweet soy sauce, but you can also add regular soy sauce and add some additional sugar. Is this a Dutch cooking products 101 or what?

Add a heaping dinnerspoon chili sauce. You don’t want to drown the beans, you just want to coat them. It gives them a real pretty shine. Hey, I’m a girl, I’m all about the bling-bling. Let it all simmer for a few minutes now so the flavors can incorporate.

Toast the pine nuts in a hot skillet. Roughly 30 seconds should do, then shove them around a bit. Give them another 30 seconds and they’re done.

Serve the beans on a pretty platter, sprinkle some of the pine nuts on top and serve with a little extra soy sauce on the side. If you, unlike me, happen to like Coriander, this would be your cue to use it. I can’t stand the smell or taste of coriander, so I don’t even want to use it as garnish.


These taste absolutely great with steamed rice and stir fried chicken or beef strips!

Green Bean Delight


Eat a Veggie Dinner.

When you eat a veggie dinner like this it takes a little longer to eat, but it’s quick to cook. Also, keep in mind that since your body will digest this food faster than animal based food, you will likely need an early evening snack/dessert.

I love Onions, so added some to mine!

Green Bean Delight (feeds 1 person)
Saute in a frying pan:

• 1 large bag of fresh green beans
• 1 8 oz box of mushrooms (your favorite kind) (mushrooms boost your immunity!)
• 1 Tsp of olive oil and/or 1/4 cup water to steam/saute – at the end the water should be mostly all evaporated. Add more water a little at a time if needed during cooking.
• 1 clove grated garlic – add at the end.

Cook on medium high, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are cooked. At that point the beans will be cooked but still crisp. Add the garlic during the last 30 seconds to 1 minute of cooking and stir briskly to keep garlic from burning.

Eat a Green Lunch. Hearty Salad
Here are two great choices. 

The start of any amazing salad

• 3-4 cups greens (baby spinach, romaine, field greens, arugula)
• 1 diced tomato
• 1 chopped avocado
• onion
• olives
• 1/2 – 1 cup chickpeas

Dressing Ideas

• 1/4 cup Hummus, Tabouli, or Baba Ganouj
• 2 Tbsp your favorite dressing

Optional (non-vegetarian)

• 2-4 oz grilled chicken breast
• toasted whole grain bread (Alvarado, Ezekiel 4:9) with 1 tspn olive oil and shredded garlic

A bit of Salsa in the morning!

Well I'll tell you one thing... even though I stayed up till 2 AM packing to move, which made me ridiculously tired today. I accidentally slept in too late today and got off to a really late start. One great thing though! I found some great salsa that my dad made! He is a pro at salsa making and it's my favorite food ever! Chips and Salsa makes summer!

The most important thing about this blog that I want to convey is what different foods do to our body. I want to realize what foods make my day better or those ones that bring on the 2 PM plea for an afternoon nap. Even though I'm exhausted and want to go right to bed when I get home, I am quite alert and feel really good!

It's a great blend of Onions, Avocados, tomatos, salt, pepper and the best of all ingredients!!! Cilantro! It's light, strong in flavor, and since the avocados are a lot of protein I still feel full and it's been a couple hours.