Rosemary and Sage Chicken

“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.”- Luciano Pavarotti

This dish tastes like homemade chicken noodle soup, but without the carbs and tons of protein, so it is significantly healthier for you without sacrificing the taste. Enjoy!

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup organic chicken broth

1 tablespoon rosemary

1 tablespoon seasoned salt

1/8 teaspoon sage

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1 lb chicken breast

6 red potatoes

1/2 cup shredded carrots

Directions:

Step 1: Pour the chicken broth into a square casserole dish. Add the rosemary, seasoned salt, sage, and onion powder. Stir. Add the thawed chicken breast to the dish and spoon liquid onto the breast so they have been covered with broth and seasoning.

Step 2: Cut the red potatoes in fourths. Place the potatoes and carrots around the chicken and spoon on broth. 

Step 3: Preheat oven to 350 and cook for 50 minutes.  

Serves 4.  Approximately 234 calories per serving.

Fresh Mozzarella Balsamic Tomato Salad: World's Easiest Side Dish

"Time is an illusion." - Albert Einstein

Today I picked 12 gorgeous cherry tomatoes from my garden. I thought about just serving them with ranch, since the main dish I was making was almost done and I didn't have a lot of time.  Then I remembered a side dish I used to make a lot because it is healthy, and more importantly, super fast! This salad is only 3 ingredients and takes less than 5 minutes to prepare.

My parents actually had the cooked version of this side dish on their honeymoon, which I'll make and post another time!

Ingredients:

12 cherry tomatoes
4 ounces of fresh mozzarella 
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:
  
Step 1: Wash tomatoes and remove stems. Set on serving plate. 

Step 2: Cut fresh mozzarella into 1/2" cubes. Add to the tomatoes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Serves 2.

Summer Squash Cooked Two Ways: Skinny and Slightly Sinful

"What makes the farmers market such a special place is that you're actually creating community around food." - Bryant Terry

One thing I love about summer is shopping for fresh produce at the local farmer’s market.  I love the atmosphere, the colorful stands, and especially all the people who share similar goals: to support family farming and sustainable agriculture in our local economy.  I also like knowing where my meat comes from—that the animals are treated humanely.  I personally do my best to make my food purchases reflect my ethics, and I highly encourage you to adapt this to your life as well. 

A few things that I bought at the farmers market this week were some summer squash, zucchini, and onions. I made the summer squash two different ways—skinny and sinful. I actually preferred the skinny version.  

 Here are the recipes for both for you to decide for yourself.

Skinny Summer Squash and Oregano

Ingredients:

2 summer squash

1 clove minced garlic

½ yellow onion

1 teaspoon oregano

“I can’t believe its not butter” zero cal spray (or similar)

Dash of salt and pepper

Directions:

Step 1: Cut the summer squash and onion into bite sized pieces. Heat a small pan on medium and add garlic and  5 squirts of zero cal butter spray. Sautee for 2 minutes. 

 Step 2: Add the squash, onion, oregano, salt and pepper to the pan and cook, covered, for 7-10 minutes, flipping occassionally.

Serves 2.  50 calories per serving. 

(farmers market flowers from my hunny)

Slightly Sinful Summer Squash and Zucchini

Ingredients:

2 summer squash

2 zucchini

1 teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon onion powder

1/4 cup olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

Dash of pepper

Directions:

Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. 

Step 2: Cut summer squash and zucchini into bite sized pieces. Lay out on a cookie sheet covered with tin foil.

Step 3: In a small bowl combine olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and salt. Pour mixture on top of squash and zucchini. 

Step 4: Bake for 20 minutes.

Serves 4.  140 calories per serving (if all oil is consumed).

Kung Pao Beef

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." - Virginia Woolf

Kung pao beef is one of my favorite foods! This is the closest I've gotten to making it restaurant style.  I think the key is marinating the beef and lots of peanuts. Served best with jasmine rice.

Ingredients:
3+3 tablespoons gluten free soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon white cooking wine
2 cloves minced garlic
1 lemon
2 teaspoons corn starch
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 dried red peppers
1/4 cup dried peanuts, chopped
1/8 cup dried peanuts, halved
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 lb beef flank

Directions:

Step 1: Cut beef into bite sized pieces. In a gallon ziploc bag add beef, 3 tablespoons soy sauce, sesame oil, and cooking wine. Seal and let marinate for 30 minutes. 

Step 2: In a small bowl combine 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 cloves minced garlic, the juice from 1 lemon, corn starch, sugar, and salt. Stir and set aside.  

Step 3: In a large skillet or wok add 2 tablespoons canola oil, 1 tablespoon peanut oil, 1/8 cup halved dried peanuts, and dried peppers. Fry on medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, longer if you wish the beef to be extra spicy.

Step 4: Add beef, onion, and chopped peanuts to the skillet. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.

Step 5: Pour sauce from the small bowl over the beef in the skillet. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until sauce is thickened and bubbly. Serve over jasmine rice.

Serves 4.

Fresh Cucumber Asian Salad

"Look what I have created! I have made fire! *I* have made fire!!!" - 'Castaway' with Tom Hanks

To celebrate Labor Day (or Memorial Day, as I kept accidentally calling it), we had friends and family over for grilling and to try out our new fire pit.  It was great fun.

During our festivities, our sweet neighbor, who speaks zero English, stopped by and gave us a GIANT bowl of cucumbers to serve to our guests.Confession: I know zero cucumber recipes.

So I cut up some of the cucumbers and served them with salad dressing, when one of our friends said she usually eats them with vinegar and splenda (or sugar, as I didn’t have splenda). 

It was really good, and I still had about 10 cucumbers left, so I made it again this week, marinated it, and jazzed it up a bit.  Its very similar to the salad a lot of asian restaurants serve.

 

Ingredients:

3 cucumbers
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper 

Directions:

Step 1:  Cut the fresh cucumbers into thin slices. The thinner the slice, the more vinegary they will be!

Step 2: In a small bowl combine vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir. 

Step 3: In a large bowl, toss cucumbers, onion, and carrots. Pour vinegar mixture over the top and stir, ensuring every piece of cucumber is coated. 

Step 4: Cover bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably over night, before serving. 

Serves 4-5 sides.

 

Citrus Baked Salmon

"Luck affects everything. Let your hook always be cast; in the stream where you least expect it there will be a fish." - Ovid

 

Ingredients: 

1 salmon filet (1/2-1 pound)

½ orange

½ lime

½ lemon

3 tablespoons honey

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

Instructions:

Step 1: Place the salmon, skin down, in a greased oven safe baking dish. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Step 2: In a small bowl, squeeze the juices from the lime, lemon, and orange. Mix with honey, salt, pepper, and oil.  Pour onto the salmon.

Step 3: Bake the salmon for 6 minutes, then baste again with the sauce in the pan.  Cook an additional 6-10 minutes until done (flaky).

Serves 2.