Saturday, May 30, 2015

Ranch Dressing Mix

I got this recipe from my friend Stacy. She adapted it from:  http://heavenlyhomemakers.com/healthy-homemade-salad-dressing-ideas


5 Tablespoons dried minced onions
7 teaspoons parsley flakes
4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1-2 teaspoons dill weed



I usually double or triple the spice blend, and pulse it in a food processor (or Magic Bullet with the flat blade). Store in an airtight container.



For dressing: 2 Tbsp. of Ranch Mix with one cup of mayo and one cup of buttermilk. 
For dip: 1 cup of sour cream with 2 tablespoons of Ranch Mix.
Dairy Free option: 1 Tbsp. of Ranch Mix, 1/2 cup olive oil Mayo, 1 avocado, and a little bit of almond milk. *I think next time I will actually try just using avocado and almond milk with the mix.
It's really good sprinkled on vegetables or potatoes that are roasted in the oven or sprinkled on chicken for a Chicken Ranch Salad. 

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Healthy Thai Chicken Salad (single serving recipe!)

Recipe by Our Best Bites.
This salad recipe from Our Best Bites has been on my list to try for a while. I finally tried it tonight and was not disappointed! It is crunchy, fresh, filling, and delicious. The recipe is for a single serving, but I did it for the family. The kids ate it too, but I gave them less of the coleslaw mix. I think this would be a great lunch to pack and take to work. :)


Ingredients
1 cup coleslaw cabbage mix
1 cup shredded chicken (abt 4 oz) - I used rotisserie 
1/2 cup cooked, cooled quinoa
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 cup pre-shelled edamame (This was the hardest ingredient for me to find. I ended up getting it at Trader Joe's, but I'm sure a well-stocked grocery store would probably have it.)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/4 cup diced cucumber (or celery)

Dressing:
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter, PB2, or tahini would be good too
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil (try our yummy garlic oil!)
1 teaspoon agave or honey
1 teaspoon soy sauce

Other Toppings:
1 tablespoon chopped cashews or peanuts
A squeeze of lime


Instructions
Start the quinoa on the stovetop. (Twice as much broth/water as quinoa, bring to boil, reduce and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Make sure to rinse the quinoa if it isn't pre-rinsed.) Get the edamame out of the freezer to thaw. Cook the chicken if not using rotisserie.
Combine cabbage, chicken, quinoa, onion, edamame, cilantro, and cucumber/celery.  Whisk together dressing ingredients and toss with salad.  Top with chopped nuts and serve with a squeeze of lime juice.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Blackened Seasoning

Here is a seasoning mix we absolutely love. It is great on salmon! We also like it on chicken with a black bean and avocado salad. This is also the seasoning I put on shrimp for cobb salad. I just make up a big batch and keep it in my spice cupboard.
Recipe from: http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net/2009/08/grilled-blackened-salmon-with-pineapple.html
 
  • 2 teaspoons ground paprika
  • 2 teaspoons dried leaf thyme
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, or to your taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
*Sometimes I add some chipotle pepper too.

Friday, May 15, 2015

Maple Dijon Chicken (aka The World's Best Chicken)

We really enjoy this chicken and it is really easy to make with ingredients we pretty well always have on hand, plus it is moist and delicious! It is great served with Cabbage Steaks, sautéed cabbage, or Brussels Sprouts. We also like Trader Joe's Harvest Grains (cooked in chicken broth) with it.

Recipe and Picture from: http://rachelschultz.com/2012/07/11/worlds-best-chicken/
INGREDIENTS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
½ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup maple syrup (Use the real stuff!)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt & pepper
Fresh rosemary (I have used dry many times)

INSTRUCTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 425 °.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together mustard, syrup, and vinegar.
  3. Place chicken breasts into 9x13 lined baking dish. Season with salt & lots of pepper.
  4. Pour mustard mixture over chicken. Make sure each breast is coated. Put some more pepper on, if you please.
  5. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 165 °.
  6. Season with fresh rosemary. (If using dry, I add it before baking.)

Garlic Rubbed Cabbage Steaks

Recipe and picture from: http://www.everydaymaven.com/2012/garlic-rubbed-roasted-cabbage-steaks/
http://www.justapinch.com/recipes/side/vegetable/garlic-rubbed-roasted-cabbage-steaks.html
Ingredients:
1 (approx 2lb) head of organic green cabbage, cut into 1" thick slices
1.5 tablespoons olive oil (I just use my Misto and spray the olive oil)
2 to 3 large garlic cloves, smashed
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
spray olive oil OR non-stick cooking spray

Instructions

1
 Preheat oven to 400° F and spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Pull outer leaf off cabbage (it’s usually dirty and nasty looking), cut cabbage from top to bottom (bottom being root) into 1″ thick slices. *You can increase the temperature to 425°, decrease baking time to 20 minutes per side.

2
 Rub both sides of cabbage with smashed garlic.

3
 Use a pastry brush to evenly spread the olive oil over both sides of the cabbage slices or use an olive oil sprayer.

4
 Finally, sprinkle each side with a bit of kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

5
 Roast on the middle rack for 25 minutes. Carefully flip the cabbage steaks and roast for an additional 25 minutes until edges are brown and crispy. Serve hot and Enjoy!

Monday, May 11, 2015

Coconut Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

We have been loving these Coconut Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies from Our Best Bites! Ben likes "helping" me measure and has requested them as a reward for potty training a few times so we've been delivering a lot of cookies lately :) . It is a great recipe because it only makes about 2 dozen, but is easy to double if you want more. I am still tinkering a bit to get the texture just right but they taste great. I have noted some changes I've made in blue. I plan to try a gluten-free version, but I haven't gotten to it yet. I will update the recipe here when I do.

Recipe and picture from: http://ourbestbites.com/2015/03/coconut-chocolate-oatmeal-cookies/
Coconut Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup flour (I have been using 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (if using table salt, use closer to 1/4 teaspoon)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon coconut extract (optional)
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted (I have started using 1/2 unsalted butter, all coconut oil seemed a little oily to me.)
1/2 cup Quaker 3-Minute Steel Cut Oats (I couldn't find these so I bought Bob's Red Mill Quick, 5-7 minute, Steel Cut Oats.)
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut flakes
3/4 cup dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips


Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.  In a mixing bowl, combine brown and white sugars, egg, vanilla, extracts, and coconut oil (and butter).  Mix until well blended and add in flour mixture.  When well combined, add in oats, coconut, and chocolate chips and mix until combined.  Use a cookie scoop to portion dough into balls and place baking sheets.  Bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges are set and centers still appear soft.  Remove from oven and let sit for 2-3 minutes before transferring cookies to a cooling rack.  Yields: 2 dozen.

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Fajita Salad

We had a delicious Fajita Salad for Cinco de Mayo!


Start by preparing your dressing. I used this Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce but other dressings would work too. I know Erin has a good Avocado dressing or even ranch dressing works. This Ranch Mix is great too, using the Dairy-Free Avocado preparation method.

Creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce:
recipe source: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/creamy-cilantro-lime-sauce

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream 
1/2 cup light mayonnaise 
1/3 cup skim milk 
3 tablespoons lime juice 
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 
large garlic cloves, minced

Whisk or blend all ingredients. (I did a half recipe for our family so that we won't have it in the fridge forever.)

Once the dressing is ready shred the cheese, slice your peppers, onions, and chicken. While you let the chicken and pepper mix cook prepare the other salad ingredients.

Salad:
lettuce
cucumber
avocado
tomato, optional
onion and peppers mix (1/2 sweet onion and green, yellow, and red peppers sliced, seasoned with salt and pepper, and cooked just to al dente)
chicken (cut into chunks and seasoned with your favorite fajita seasoning, then cooked/grilled)
shredded pepperjack cheese