Romaine Boats

Work has been absolutely crazy the past couple weeks. From a four day commercial shoot to weeks spent at the editorial and finishing studios I have hardly seen my kitchen. Catered food starts out as a lot of fun. Decadent, delicious and an excuse not to follow my usual healthy routine. But a few days in and I'm DYING to get back to my high protein, low grain, green juice filled diet.

This was one of my first "detox" meals when I emerged from editing. I was so happy to be preparing my own food, especially food that didn't include bread, pasta, and heavy sauces.

Enjoy!

Ingredients: (Serves 4)
2/3 cup red or regular quinoa, rinsed
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1/4 in strips
3 green onions, sliced
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp dried dill (or 2 to 3 tsp chopped fresh dill, plus additional for garnish) 
1/2 tsp each sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 cups frozen green peas, thawed
8 romaine leaves
4 radishes, halved and thinly sliced
3 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Directions:
Prepare quinoa according to package directions
Meanwhile, in a large nonstick-skillet, head oil on medium. Add chicken and cook undisturbed for 3 minutes. Stir in onions, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper and saute, stirring often and breaking up chicken into smaller pieces with spoon, until chicken is cooked through, about 3 more minutes. 
Stir in peas and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in quinoa. Spoon mixture into lettuce leaves and top with radishes and cheese, divine evenly.

Cajun Jambalaya

I went through a weird phase recently (well, it actually lasted about six months) where I had a total aversion to shrimp. I mean the thought of eating it just didn't appeal to me AT ALL. And this was a bummer considering I have always loved shrimp.

I saw this recipe in a magazine recently and thought OMG...shrimp...delicious! So I credit this recipe for resurrecting my love of shrimp. The other "weird" phase I've been undergoing for, oh, three years now is avoiding grain whenever possible. For that reason I made my jambalaya grain free. But for the southerners who are horrified by this modification I have included rice in the preparation below.

Enjoy!

Ingredients: (serves 4)
1/2 lb raw shrimp, 26/30 size, peeled and deveined, tail on
4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into 1-inch pieces
1 all-natural low-sodium turkey sausage, sliced
1/2 medium white onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, stem and seeds removed and discarded, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 1/2 medium vine-ripe tomatoes, cored and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp salt-free Cajun seasoning
1 cup all-natural instant brown rice
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Olive oil cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.
In a large mixing bowl, toss together all ingredients except cooking spray, mixing well until combined.
Prepare 2 foil pouches. Spray each piece of foil with cooking spray. Divide mixture evenly among both pieces of foil and seal.
Place pouches on a baking tray and slide onto middle rack of preheated oven for 25 minutes or until rice and proteins are fully cooked. (NOTE: When cooked, rice will be soft and proteins will be firm and opaque.) To test for doneness, carefully open 1 pouch and taste a few grains of rice from the center of the pouch. If necessary, close pouch and return to oven for 5 more minutes.
Carefully open pouch and pour mixture into a large serving bowl; serve immediately.

Chicken Roulades Stuffed with Roasted Peppers

Some days I look at my photos and feel like I missed my calling as a food stylist. This is not one of those days.

However, as miserably as I failed at producing beautiful chicken roulades and/or photographing them to look that way I can't resist sharing this delicious and fairly easy recipe.

To save time I prepared them in two nights. Night 1: All preparation + browning. Night 2: Baking in the oven, cooling, slicing and serving.

They are photographed with mashed cauliflower topped with dill.



Ingredients: (serves 4)
4 oz chicken breasts each cut crosswise and opened (aka "butterflied")
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup jarred roasted red bell peppers, drained and sliced
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp flour or arrowroot
olive oil cooking spray

Directions:
Line up filleted chicken breasts on a cutting board and spread ricotta evenly over the top of each breast. Sprinkle peppers evenly over ricotta. Roll up (like a burrito) and secure each piece with 1 to 2 toothpicks. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp salt evenly over chicken. Transfer 2 tbsp flour or arrowroot to a medium sized shallow bowl and dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Mist a medium skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium. Add chicken and cook for about 6 minutes, turning over halfway until golden brown on both sides. Mist a a large baking sheet with cooking spray then carefully transfer chicken to sheet and bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Slice and serve.

Chicken and Bean Quesadillas

Don't be fooled by what looks like a huge dollop of sour cream. It's actually greek yogurt! That and grain free tortillas are substitutions that make these quesadillas super clean.

Enjoy!

Ingredients: (serves 4)
8 oz ground chicken
1 15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
4 6-to-8-inch tortillas -or- homemade grain free tortillas
1/2 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese blend, Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
olive oil cooking spray
1/2 tsp chile powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp unsalted tomato paste
1 tbsp raw honey

Directions:Mist a medium skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium. Add chicken, beans, chile powder and salt and saute until chicken is no longer pink and cooked through, about 6 minutes. Add tomato paste and honey abd cook for 1 more minut
On a work surface, place tortillas and divide chicken mixture amount them, spooning mixture onto one half of each tortilla. Top chicken mixture with cheese. Fold each tortilla over. Wipe out skillet, mist again and heat on medium high. Working in batches add quesadillas and cook until golden brown on both sides and cheese has melted, turning halfway, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with yogurt.

Baked Chicken with Peaches

Part of me is ready for pumpkin and squash. But with this 100+ degree heat wave it's really hard to get in the mood for fall!

There were still tons of peaches left at Trader Joes yesterday and this recipe looked (and was) so easy and perfect for the hot weather. The chicken was moist and flavorful and the ginger complemented it well without being overpowering. Oh and the peaches were, well, peachy.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 fresh peach - peeled, pitted and sliced
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
Place chicken in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with 1/8 cup of brown sugar.

Place peach slices over chicken then sprinkle with remaining 1/8 cup brown sugar, ginger, cloves and lemon juice.
Bake for about 30 minutes in the preheated oven, basting often with juices, until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.

Kale, Chicken and Beet Salad

The kale fairy aka my coworker Alicia made another appearance at the office! I've now made kale chips, kale smoothies, and kale latkes and have come full circle back to kale salads.

I'll warn you that this one is a little time consuming so you may want to save it for a special occasion. (I should have known that it would be based on that "one time" I made chicken noodle soup and vowed never to do it again!)

However, if you have the time and patience to boil chicken, cook quinoa and chop kale leaves (I bought my beets precooked, something had to give) this is a fantastic choice.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed
3 beets (precooked)
1 16 oz boneless, skinless chix breast
1/4 tsp course sea salt, divided
Juice of two lemons
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp honey
1 large bunch kale, ribs removed and leaves roughly chopped
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup roasted, unsalted hazelnuts, chopped

Directions:
Cook quinoa according to package directions
Meanwhile fill a large pot with water. Add chicken and 1/8 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let stand, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool slightly. With two forks shred chicken.
In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, oil, honey, 1 tsp water and remaining 1/8 tsp salt until combined, set aside.
Fill a large, deep skillet with 1/2 inch water and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium, add kale and cook, stirring until bright green and wilted, about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine quinoa, chicken, kale, and beets. Drizzle lemon mixture over top and toss to coat. Garnish with goat cheese and hazelnuts.

Raspberry Balsamic Chicken Breasts

Sorry for the delay. . . I've been on vacation in Santa Cruz! This annual vacation once included loads of beer, bagels, chips, crackers, and at least one corn dog at the boardwalk. However I'm happy to report, it was completely grain free this year!

That's not to say it was completely healthy. I did my share of indulging, especially when it came to cheese. (Mmmm. . . cheeeeeese.) But I'm happy that I was able to avoid grain and the accompanying "wheat belly" since I spent most of my time in a bathing suit.

One discovery that I've made since adopting the grain free lifestyle is that "healthy" whole grain boasts exactly one nutritional benefit. . . dietary fiber. However, there are many natural foods that include as much dietary fiber as bread: figs, raisins, avocado, papaya, broccoli, green peas, pears and sweet potatoes. There are also several natural foods that contain MORE dietary fiber than bread such as egg plant, collard greens, and raspberries. Raspberries are also low calorie and high in vitamin C and Omega 3s so they give you a much bigger nutritional boost than would a piece of toast with breakfast or a side of rice with dinner.

My only warning about this recipe is that it's spicy. I know that sounds strange but you just have to trust me when I tell you it's delicious. And if you're not grain-free and would like to add a starch barley is a great choice:)

Ingredients:
4 4-oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
coarse ground black pepper, sea salt, onion powder
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced shallots
2 tbsp white balsamic or white wine vinegar
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp raw honey
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 cup fresh raspberries

Directions:
Season chicken on all sides with black pepper, sea salt, and onion powder.  In a large, non-stick skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes. Turn chicken and add shallots. Coo, stirring shallots occasionally for 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Transfer chicken to a large plate and cover to keep warm; keep shallots on medium-high heat.
To shallots, add vinegar, soy sauce, honey and pepper flakes. Stir to combine and cook until slightly thickened, about 30 seconds. Stir in raspberries and cook for 30 more seconds until berries soften slightly. Divide chicken among serving plates and spoon berry mixture over them.

Brazilian Chicken with Coconut Milk

As promised below you will find a traditional Brazilian recipe - chicken with coconut milk. Coconut is a very popular ingredient in Brazilian cooking as is drinking coconut water (out of actual coconuts, not cartons!)

Another great chicken dish I tried was grilled chicken with pineapple and cinnamon. I've never cared for cooked pineapple but, in this dish, the pineapple is uncooked and the chicken is skewered on whole cinnamon sticks. Delicious!

Of course if you read my last post you know I ate pizza and pasta most of the trip! Combined with all the capirinha's (a traditional Brazilian drink made with cachaça) I drank I'm in need of a post-vacation detox! I look forward to getting back to my healthy lifestyle (Tone It Up nutrition plan and daily workouts) tomorrow:)

Ingredients:
1 tsp cumin, cayenne pepper, turmeric and coriander
4 chicken breast halves
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion (chopped)
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
1 bunch fresh parsley
salt and pepper

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix the cumin, cayenne pepper, turmeric, and coriander. Place the chicken in the bowl, season with salt and pepper, and rub on all sides with the spice mixture. 

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken in the skillet. Cook 10 to 15 minutes on each side, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from heat and set aside. 

Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet. Cook and stir the onion, ginger, jalapeno peppers, and garlic 5 minutes, or until tender. Mix in the tomatoes and continue cooking 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk. Serve over the chicken. Garnish with the parsley.