Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
~ makes about 8 servings
After what seems like endless tinkering, I've finally come across a hummus recipe I really enjoy as much as any store-bought brand I've ever had... :)
Ingredients:
~ 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained
~ jar of roasted red peppers
~ 1/2 cup lemon juice
~ 1/2 cup tahini (sesame paste)
~ 4 Tbsp olive or canola oil
~ 1/4 tsp garlic powder
~ 1 tsp ground cumin
~ 1-2 tsp kosher salt, to taste
1) Combine lemon juice & tahini in food processor. Process for 1 minute, scrape down the sides, then process for 30 seconds more.
2) Add oil, garlic powder, cumin & salt. Process for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides, then process for 30 seconds more.
3) Add half the chickpeas and half the red peppers, then process for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides, add the rest of the chickpeas and red peppers, and process for 1-2 minutes until thick and smooth.
4) If the hummus is too thick, add 2-3 Tbsp of either the liquid from the red peppers (my preference), the chickpeas, or just plain water, and process until it reaches the desired consistency.
Grab some veggies or healthy chips, and get dippin! :)
Monday, March 11, 2013
Veggie Minestrone
[originally published May 2, 2010 on our previous blog...]
Veggie Minestrone
~ Makes 8 servings, 1.25 cups each
Ingredients:
~ 2 cans (15.5 oz each) Garbanzo beans
~ 1 cup dry rotini pasta
~ 1 large can (49.5 oz) Swanson's 100% Natural Chicken Broth
~ 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
~ 1 can (14.5 oz) green beans
~ 1 large handful fresh spinach, rough chopped
~ 4 medium carrots, diced
~ 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
~ dried, minced onion (or substitute fresh onion)
~ 2 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash Italian Medley seasoning
1) Place broth, tomato sauce, Garbanzo beans, green beans, carrots, bell pepper, spinach, minced onion, and seasoning in large pot and get boiling!
2) Once boiling, add pasta, reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes until pasta is cooked.
Quick and easy!
Nutrition Facts (per 1.25 cup serving):
Calories: 187
Fat: 1.5g
Fiber: 9.5g
Protein: 9g
Veggie Minestrone
~ Makes 8 servings, 1.25 cups each
Ingredients:
~ 2 cans (15.5 oz each) Garbanzo beans
~ 1 cup dry rotini pasta
~ 1 large can (49.5 oz) Swanson's 100% Natural Chicken Broth
~ 1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
~ 1 can (14.5 oz) green beans
~ 1 large handful fresh spinach, rough chopped
~ 4 medium carrots, diced
~ 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
~ dried, minced onion (or substitute fresh onion)
~ 2 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash Italian Medley seasoning
1) Place broth, tomato sauce, Garbanzo beans, green beans, carrots, bell pepper, spinach, minced onion, and seasoning in large pot and get boiling!
2) Once boiling, add pasta, reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes until pasta is cooked.
Quick and easy!
Nutrition Facts (per 1.25 cup serving):
Calories: 187
Fat: 1.5g
Fiber: 9.5g
Protein: 9g
Curry Popcorn
[originally published February 27, 2011 on our previous blog...]
Here is a slight adaptation on an Aarti Sequeira recipe from her YouTube "Aarti Paarti" days, before she went to Food Network, and they renamed her show "Aarti Party". :)
Curry Popcorn
~ serves two peepses
Ingredients:
~ 3 Tbsp canola oil
~
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
~
1 tsp salt, finely ground
~
1 tsp curry powder
~
1/4 tsp ginger powder
~
1/4 tsp garam masala (or you can sub cinnamon)
1) Put oil, along with 3 or 4 popcorn kernels, in a 3 quart pot on high heat, with lid on. Wait until all your tester kernels have popped.
2) Take the pot off the heat, then add the popcorn & all spices. Put the lid back on, shake to coat popcorn with oil and disperse spices. Wait 30 seconds.
3) Put the pot back on high heat, shaking periodically to prevent burning, until there are several seconds between popping sounds.
You're done! Remove from heat, toss in a bowl, and enjoy!
Italian Chicken Burger
[originally published January 16, 2011 on our previous blog...]
This is a burger I came up with several months ago, based on ground chicken and Italian spices. My wife quickly named it one of her favorite burgers ever! Bonus!
Italian Chicken Burger
~Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
~ 1 lb. ground chicken
~ 2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
~ 2 Tbsp. dried parsley
~ 1 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash Italian spice blend
~ 2 tsp. salt (we use a low-sodium variety)
1) Mix all ingredients in a bowl until combined.
2) Toss onto a hot surface until cooked (we use a two-sided contact grill for 7-8 minutes).
3) Eat up! :)
We serve open-faced with a slice of Nature's Own Double Fiber bread, throw on some mustard and pickles, and if we're feeling frisky, some low-fat cheese.
Nutrition Facts (burger only):
Calories: 180
Fat: 11.6 grams (only 3.5 is saturated)
Fiber: none
Protein: 18 grams
One slice of Double Fiber Bread adds 50 calories, 0.5 grams fat, 5 grams of fiber, and 3 grams of protein.
This is a burger I came up with several months ago, based on ground chicken and Italian spices. My wife quickly named it one of her favorite burgers ever! Bonus!
Italian Chicken Burger
~Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
~ 1 lb. ground chicken
~ 2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
~ 2 Tbsp. dried parsley
~ 1 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash Italian spice blend
~ 2 tsp. salt (we use a low-sodium variety)
1) Mix all ingredients in a bowl until combined.
2) Toss onto a hot surface until cooked (we use a two-sided contact grill for 7-8 minutes).
3) Eat up! :)
We serve open-faced with a slice of Nature's Own Double Fiber bread, throw on some mustard and pickles, and if we're feeling frisky, some low-fat cheese.
Nutrition Facts (burger only):
Calories: 180
Fat: 11.6 grams (only 3.5 is saturated)
Fiber: none
Protein: 18 grams
One slice of Double Fiber Bread adds 50 calories, 0.5 grams fat, 5 grams of fiber, and 3 grams of protein.
Chicken Posole
[originally published May 6, 2010 on our previous blog...]
Inspired by a dish that a co-worker brought to an office party, and our love for hominy... it's the perfect solution! :)
Chicken Posole
~ Makes 8 servings, 1.5 cups each
Ingredients:
~ 1.25 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
~ 1 large can (49.5 oz) Swanson's 100% Natural Chicken Broth
~ 3 cans (14.5 oz each) hominy
~ 4 medium carrots, diced
~ 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
~ 2 Tbsp. oregano (or blended Italian seasoning)
~ dried minced onion
~ garlic powder
~ black pepper
~ 1/2 Tbsp. salt
1) Place broth, hominy, carrots, bell pepper, and spices in a large pot and get boiling!
2) Grill chicken until cooked through, and dice.
3) Add chicken to soup pot and simmer together 10-15 minutes.
Quick and easy!
Nutition Information (per 1.5 cup serving)
~ Calories: 182
~ Fat: 2g
~ Fiber: 6.5g
~ Protein: 16g
Yum-o!
Inspired by a dish that a co-worker brought to an office party, and our love for hominy... it's the perfect solution! :)
Chicken Posole
~ Makes 8 servings, 1.5 cups each
Ingredients:
~ 1.25 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
~ 1 large can (49.5 oz) Swanson's 100% Natural Chicken Broth
~ 3 cans (14.5 oz each) hominy
~ 4 medium carrots, diced
~ 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
~ 2 Tbsp. oregano (or blended Italian seasoning)
~ dried minced onion
~ garlic powder
~ black pepper
~ 1/2 Tbsp. salt
1) Place broth, hominy, carrots, bell pepper, and spices in a large pot and get boiling!
2) Grill chicken until cooked through, and dice.
3) Add chicken to soup pot and simmer together 10-15 minutes.
Quick and easy!
Nutition Information (per 1.5 cup serving)
~ Calories: 182
~ Fat: 2g
~ Fiber: 6.5g
~ Protein: 16g
Yum-o!
Chicken Chili
[originally published April 23, 2010 on our previous blog...]
Here's a mild chili that I created using diced chicken breast instead of ground meat. We also make a version using all black beans (higher fiber) and ground chicken (higher calories)...
Chicken Chili
~ Makes 10 servings, 1 cup each
Here's a mild chili that I created using diced chicken breast instead of ground meat. We also make a version using all black beans (higher fiber) and ground chicken (higher calories)...
Chicken Chili
~ Makes 10 servings, 1 cup each
Ingredients:
~ 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
~ 1 packet chili seasoning (whatever heat you prefer, may want to use 2 packets!)
~ 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
~ 2 cans (15.5 oz. each) dark red kidney beans
~ 2 cans (15.5 oz. each) pinto beans
1) Put tomato sauce, all beans, and seasoning in pot and get cookin'!
2) Grill chicken until cooked.
3) Dice chicken and add to chili pot.
4) Simmer together 10-15 minutes.
Break out the bowls! :)
Nutrition Facts (per 1 cup serving):
~ Calories: 243
~ Fat: 0.5g
~ Fiber: 8.5g
~ Protein: 23g
Cost per serving: $0.61 (we found chicken on sale for about $1.50 per pound!)
Sweet Potato Fries
[originally published February 6, 2010 on our previous blog...]
Sweet Potato Fries
~ serves 2 people
Ingredients:
~ 2 medium sweet potatoes, washed with skin left on
~ 3/4 tsp. salt
~ 1/2 tsp. pepper
~ 2 tsp. garlic powder
~ 1 Tbsp. canola oil
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2) Cut sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch rounds, discarding the ends of the potatoes. Cut the rounds in half to make semi-circles.
3) Toss sweet potatoes in a bowl with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oil, coating all pieces evenly.
4) Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray or oil, and place sweet potatoes in a single layer, leaving a little room between pieces. (All I had was a rectangular cake pan below, ha ha...)
5) Bake 25 minutes on the first side, flip all fries, and bake 10-15 more minutes on second side to a dark golden brown on both sides. I've also found it helps to move the fries around the edge into the middle and vice versa, as the outside of the pan seems to cook faster than the center.
Time to eat! These times work perfectly for our oven, but you may want to play with the timing the first time to make sure nothing's getting OVERdone... Also, we use a lower sodium salt, so play with that to your tastes as well. And of course, this recipe lends itself SO well to trying out different spice combinations, so... have fun and explore!
Nutritional Info Per Serving:
~ Calories: 250 (for about a 9 oz. sweet potato, plus oil)
~ Fat: 6 grams (less than 1/2 gram of that is saturated)
~ Fiber: 7.5 grams
~ Protein: 4 grams
Sweet Potato Fries
~ serves 2 people
Ingredients:
~ 2 medium sweet potatoes, washed with skin left on
~ 3/4 tsp. salt
~ 1/2 tsp. pepper
~ 2 tsp. garlic powder
~ 1 Tbsp. canola oil
Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2) Cut sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch rounds, discarding the ends of the potatoes. Cut the rounds in half to make semi-circles.
3) Toss sweet potatoes in a bowl with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and oil, coating all pieces evenly.
4) Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray or oil, and place sweet potatoes in a single layer, leaving a little room between pieces. (All I had was a rectangular cake pan below, ha ha...)
5) Bake 25 minutes on the first side, flip all fries, and bake 10-15 more minutes on second side to a dark golden brown on both sides. I've also found it helps to move the fries around the edge into the middle and vice versa, as the outside of the pan seems to cook faster than the center.
Time to eat! These times work perfectly for our oven, but you may want to play with the timing the first time to make sure nothing's getting OVERdone... Also, we use a lower sodium salt, so play with that to your tastes as well. And of course, this recipe lends itself SO well to trying out different spice combinations, so... have fun and explore!
Nutritional Info Per Serving:
~ Calories: 250 (for about a 9 oz. sweet potato, plus oil)
~ Fat: 6 grams (less than 1/2 gram of that is saturated)
~ Fiber: 7.5 grams
~ Protein: 4 grams
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Greek Eggplant Casserole
Greek Eggplant Casserole
makes 6 servings
This is a riff on a Greek moussaka, a layered lasagna-style casserole that utilizes sliced eggplant rather than pasta.
Ingredients:
~ ground chicken [1 lb]
~ diced tomatoes [14.5 oz can]
~ tomato paste [6 oz can]
~ dried minced onion [1 Tbsp]
~ garlic powder [1/2 tsp]
~ ground cinnamon [1/2 tsp]
~ ground allspice [1/4 tsp]
~ eggplant [about 2 lbs, peeled & cut lengthwise into 1/4" thick slices]
~ cheese [1 cup, shredded]
~ cooking oil spray (I use canola oil in a refillable hand-pump sprayer)
~ salt, to taste
Directions:
1) Turn your oven to broil, and get it toasty. Spray with cooking spray: a 9x9 casserole dish, a large baking sheet, and a large skillet.
2) Heat your skillet on medium-high, and cook your ground chicken thoroughly. (Sometimes I find it helpful to get the chicken brown, then add 1/2 cup of water, put on a lid, and "steam" the chicken until the water cooks away, to ensure it's cooked through.)
3) While the chicken is browning & cooking, place half of your sliced eggplant in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Spray the top sides of the eggplant with oil to help browning. Broil 5 minutes, flip, and broil 5 minutes more. Remove the cooked eggplant, spray the baking sheet, and repeat the process with the remainder of the eggplant.
4) Once the chicken is cooked through, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, garlic powder, cinnamon, and allspice. Cook on medium-low until bubbly. Add salt to taste. (I usually add about 1 Tbsp of salt, as the eggplant is not seasoned.)
5) Layer half the eggplant in the casserole dish, then half the meat sauce, then the rest of the eggplant, then the remainder of the meat sauce. Top with your cheese of choice (I usually use cheddar since I always have it on hand, but you can use any good melting cheese). Broil for about 3 minutes, until just starting to brown.
Give it a few minutes to cool and set up, then... enjoy!!! :)
Nutritional Info Per Serving:
~ 270 calories
~ 12g fat (5.3g sat fat)
~ 23g protein
~ 18g carbs (6.6g fiber, 7.9g sugar)
Cost Per Serving: $1.57
[based on shopping trip 3/9/2013: $1.56/lb eggplant; $3.29/lb Purdue ground chicken; $0.67/can store-brand petite diced tomatoes; $0.43/can store-brand tomato paste; 1 cup of a $7.97/8-cup bag store-brand shredded cheese; plus 1/25th of a $2.76 jar of McCormick allspice which was purchsed especially for this recipe - I did not include the cost of these things which are always found in my pantry: dried minced onion, garlic powder, cinnamon]
Serve it with some veggies on the side, and you've got a flavorful, light lunch!
makes 6 servings
This is a riff on a Greek moussaka, a layered lasagna-style casserole that utilizes sliced eggplant rather than pasta.
Ingredients:
~ ground chicken [1 lb]
~ diced tomatoes [14.5 oz can]
~ tomato paste [6 oz can]
~ dried minced onion [1 Tbsp]
~ garlic powder [1/2 tsp]
~ ground cinnamon [1/2 tsp]
~ ground allspice [1/4 tsp]
~ eggplant [about 2 lbs, peeled & cut lengthwise into 1/4" thick slices]
~ cheese [1 cup, shredded]
~ cooking oil spray (I use canola oil in a refillable hand-pump sprayer)
~ salt, to taste
Directions:
1) Turn your oven to broil, and get it toasty. Spray with cooking spray: a 9x9 casserole dish, a large baking sheet, and a large skillet.
2) Heat your skillet on medium-high, and cook your ground chicken thoroughly. (Sometimes I find it helpful to get the chicken brown, then add 1/2 cup of water, put on a lid, and "steam" the chicken until the water cooks away, to ensure it's cooked through.)
3) While the chicken is browning & cooking, place half of your sliced eggplant in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Spray the top sides of the eggplant with oil to help browning. Broil 5 minutes, flip, and broil 5 minutes more. Remove the cooked eggplant, spray the baking sheet, and repeat the process with the remainder of the eggplant.
4) Once the chicken is cooked through, add the tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, garlic powder, cinnamon, and allspice. Cook on medium-low until bubbly. Add salt to taste. (I usually add about 1 Tbsp of salt, as the eggplant is not seasoned.)
5) Layer half the eggplant in the casserole dish, then half the meat sauce, then the rest of the eggplant, then the remainder of the meat sauce. Top with your cheese of choice (I usually use cheddar since I always have it on hand, but you can use any good melting cheese). Broil for about 3 minutes, until just starting to brown.
Give it a few minutes to cool and set up, then... enjoy!!! :)
Nutritional Info Per Serving:
~ 270 calories
~ 12g fat (5.3g sat fat)
~ 23g protein
~ 18g carbs (6.6g fiber, 7.9g sugar)
Cost Per Serving: $1.57
[based on shopping trip 3/9/2013: $1.56/lb eggplant; $3.29/lb Purdue ground chicken; $0.67/can store-brand petite diced tomatoes; $0.43/can store-brand tomato paste; 1 cup of a $7.97/8-cup bag store-brand shredded cheese; plus 1/25th of a $2.76 jar of McCormick allspice which was purchsed especially for this recipe - I did not include the cost of these things which are always found in my pantry: dried minced onion, garlic powder, cinnamon]
Serve it with some veggies on the side, and you've got a flavorful, light lunch!
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