Saturday, August 30, 2014

Crunchy Asian Salad

Every person that has ever tried this has loved it! I had it for the first time at my best friend's house. Her mom learned how to make it from her friend. I make this for almost every party I go to and I have shared this recipe more than any other.

Ingredients

1 bag of cole slaw
2 packs of ramen noodles-chicken flavored
Scallions, finely chopped
Sunflowers seeds 
Sliced almonds
1/4-1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of oil (I use half canola oil, half olive oil)
1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. Put coleslaw mix in a large bowl or pan
2. Crush noodles and add to coleslaw mix
3. Add sunflower seeds 
4. Toast the almonds in a frying pan then add to coleslaw mixture
5. Mix ramen noodle seasoning packets, sugar, oil, and vinegar in a bowl to make dressing
6. Pour the dressing onto the salad and mix well
7. Refrigerate for a few hours then serve

Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork

One word...fantastic! This was so good. My husband was in heaven.

Ingredients

2 1/2- 3 lb pork tenderloin (You can use a pork shoulder)
2 cups of BBQ sauce (I used Stubb's)
1 chopped vadalia onion

Directions

1. Put the pork in the crock pot 
2. Cover it with BBQ sauce and chopped onion
3. Cook low for 8 hours (You may want to turn over the meat at least once after 4-5 hours if you can)
4. Once the 8 hours are up, take the pork out and place it into a baking dish then shred it (It will fall apart perfectly)
5. Serve how you would like (I made a sandwich using a potato bun and topped it with coleslaw and spicy brown mustard)

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Hummus-Crusted Chicken

I needed to finish up a container of hummus, so decided to make this. It turned out very well!

Ingredients

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt 
Pepper
1 cup of hummus
Coconut oil cooking spray
1 lemon
3 tablespoons of paprika 
tablespoons of mixed herb spices

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Prepare one large baking dish with cooking spray
2. Pat the chicken dry and season the chicken breasts with pinches of salt and pepper
3. Cover each chicken breast with the hummus so that the entire breast is covered
4. Place the chicken in the baking dish and squeeze the juice of thelemon over the chicken
5. Then sprinkle the chicken with paprika or herbs
6. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through




Crab Tacos

I was in the mood for crab and had an avocado in the kitchen, so I made crab tacos. It is simple and easy.

Ingredients

2 Cans of lump crab meat
1 Avocado
Red Cabbage
Shredded carrots
Spinach
Kale
3 Tablespoons of salsa (I used a crab salsa--it was salsa that already contained shredded crab)
1 Jalapeno
2 Tablespoons of minced garlic
1/4 Cup of lime juice
Soft corn tortillas

Directions

1. Toast the tortillas in a toaster or oven until crisp (optional)
2. In a large frying pan, brown garlic. Add carrots, jalapenos, and crab meat (drained). Mix well
3. Add lime juice and salsa and mix well
4. On the tortillas, place spinach and kale, then crab mixture, cabbage, and avocado (diced or sliced)



Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Jerk Chicken w/ a Homemade Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

I had some chicken breasts left so I sliced them to make them thinner. Then I rubbed them with Jamaican jerk rub that I had bought in a small little mom and pop shop. I had extra cilantro left over and I needed to use it, so I decided to make my own homemade cilantro lime vinaigrette. I loved it and so did my husband. He said it would taste great on tacos, especially fish tacos. I don't cook or eat fish--so he is on his own for that one. I bottled up the extra vinaigrette and put it in the fridge. Cannot wait to use it again.
Ingredients
1/4 cup of fresh lime juice
1/4 cup of white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons of minced garlic
1/2 teaspoons of salt
3 teaspoons of sugar
1 cup of olive oil
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro, stems removed (I used a little more than a 1/2 of cup)
Directions
1. In a food processor or blender, combine lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and sugar
2. Blend until ingredients are completely combined
3. Add the oil in a steady stream, while the food processor is running
4. Add cilantro and blend until the cilantro has broken down but still maintains some of its texture

Friday, August 15, 2014

Lemon Pepper Chicken with Green Beans

This was ok. Nothing special. I couldn't find chicken thighs with the bones and skin so I bought skinless ones with no bones. If I make this again, I will make sure to use the bone-in skin chicken thighs.

Ingredients

1/2 cup of  olive oil

1/2 cup of lemon zest
1/2 cup of  lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon of  dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
2 pounds chicken thighs, bone in and skin on (I used skinless--boo)
12 ounces of frozen green beans (I used organic)

Directions


1. In a bowl, combine olive oil, lemon zest and juice, thyme, salt, and black pepper
2. Mix well. Place green beans in baking pan
3. Place chicken on top of green beans
4. Pour marinade on top of chicken. Do not mix
5. Cover pan with foil and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees

Baked Crunchy Taco Casserole

This was good but you need to eat it as soon as it is done being cooked. My husband came home hours later and ate it. He said it was good but reheating it made it soggy. 

Ingredients

1 pound of ground turkey
1 (14.5 oz) can of petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 packet of taco seasoning
1  cup of cheese, divided (I used dairy mexican blend for my husband and vegan cheddar for myself)
1/4 cup of salsa verde
12 crunchy taco shells
Cilantro
Guacamole

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Brown and drain meat
3. Stir tomatoes, seasoning, 1/2 cup of cheese (I omitted this), and salsa into meat
4. Arrange taco shells standing up in a baking pan. Fill each shell with the meat mixture, dividing equally until all the meat is used
5. Sprinkle  cheese over the tops of the filled tacos and bake for 15-20 minutes. Cheese will be melted 
6. Top with  cilantro and enjoy with guacamole

Friday, August 8, 2014

Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Soup (Dairy free)

This was good, but it didn't really come out as a soup because I think I used too much chicken. Next time instead of using 3 chicken breasts, I'm only going to use 2. Anyway, it was delicious.

Ingredients

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped (I omitted this)
1 can crushed tomatoes (The 15 oz. can but I would use a little more next time)
Skinless chicken breasts
3 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup of chopped white onion
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish (I used dairy free)
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons of oregano
1/8 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
Whole wheat penne pasta
Fresh basil, for garnish

Instructions

1. In slow cooker, stir together garlic, bell pepper, crushed tomatoes, chicken, broth, onion, cheese, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes
2. Cook on high 3-1/2 hours or on low 7 hours (I did low)
3. Transfer chicken breasts onto cutting board and coarsely shred then return to slow cooker
4. Stir in pasta and cook on high 30 minutes longer or until pasta is cooked al dente
5. Serve garnished with extra Parmesan cheese and chopped basil 

Avocado Stuffed Pork Meatballs

Two words. Really good! Husband liked them. That's a plus, but basically he likes anything haha. 

Ingredients
For the meatballs:
Lean ground pork
1 scallion, finely chopped 
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 egg
½ teaspoon of paprika powder
½ teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon of pepper
½ teaspoon of dried oregano
2 tablespoons of plain breadcrumbs (I used whole wheat breadcrumbs)
½ ripe avocado, peeled and cut into pieces
Coconut oil spray

For the sauce:
¼ cup of low-sodium soy sauce
½ cup of ketchup
2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons of honey
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
¼ teaspoon of garlic powder
¼ teaspoon of ground ginger

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with coconut oil
2. Mix all the meatball ingredients (except the avocado) together in a large bowl 
3. Place 1 piece avocado in center of each meat portion and gently shape into ball. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until browned
4. Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally
5. Add meatballs to the sauce and gently stir to evenly coat
6. Cook for 1-2 min, stirring frequently then remove from heat
7. Garnish with additional chopped scallions

Monday, August 4, 2014

Found these in the grocery store. Had to try them. They are so good and very addicting! They taste good plain or with some humus.

Friday, August 1, 2014

Baked Honey Garlic Chicken

I really  enjoyed this. It was very tasty! I will definitely be making this dish again. I think kids would enjoy these little sweet chicken nuggets.


Ingredients

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Salt
Pepper2  eggs
Panko breadcrumbs
Coconut oil cooking spray

Honey Garlic Sauce:

1/2 cup of honey
Minced garlic (I used about 3 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of sriracha
1 tablespoon of  cornstarch
Sesame seeds

Directions1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray baking oil (I used coconut) on a baking dish
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, dip chicken into eggs, then dredge in Panko
3. Add chicken to baking dish. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes
4. In a medium saucepan, combine honey, garlic, soy sauce and Sriracha. In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 1/3 cup water
5. Stir cornstarch mixture into the saucepan until thickened, about 1-2 minutes
6. Then stir in chicken and gently toss to combine
7. Serve immediately, garnished with sesame seeds

Chinese Lemon Chicken

This was good! It was easy to make and my husband and I enjoyed it. However, he said it doesn't taste as good reheated the next day. So eat it all up when first served!

  • Ingredients
  • For the marinate:
  • 2 tablespoon of soy sauce
  • For the batter:
  • Boneless chicken breast (cut into cubes)
  • 1 egg
  • ½ teaspoon of baking powder
  • ¼ cup of water
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • ¾ cup of corn flour
  • For the sauce:
  • 2 tablespoon of lemon juice
  • ¼ cup of sugar
  • ¾ cup of chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon of corn flour
  • 2 tablespoon of butter (I used dairy free butter and it tastes the same)
  • Lemon slices
Directions

1. Marinate chicken with soy sauce 30 minutes in the fridge
2. Mix all the ingredients for batter. (I had to add some more corn flour.) Mix it so that it will coat the chicken nicely
3. Coat the chicken into the batter and fry it until golden brown. Don't overcook. Place the chicken in a dish
4. For the sauce, melt butter under low heat. Then pour chicken broth in. When boiling, add lemon juice and sugar.
5. Dissolve corn flour with some water, pour inside sauce. Stir until it thicken. Add lemon slices. Remove pan from heat
6. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve