~Swahili Chicken~

Yum. My favorite food in the world=Curry dishes of all sorts. I was given a curry cookbook for Christmas from which I made this Swahili Chicken last night.  Every so often, I try to follow a recipe (and not just make it up)...and each time, I am oh-so-impressed with what following a recipe can do! Crazy.  Anyways, this recipe is awesome; it has a really different bite unlike any curry blend I've had before.  It was a super easy, one-bowl recipe.  The variety of Indian spices, lemon juice and yogurt gives the chicken great flavor and requires no added fat. Enjoy!

Swahili Chicken

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces

4 tsp finely grated ginger root (or 1.5 tsp ground ginger)
6 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp ground turmeric

1 T paprika

1 tsp ground cinnamon

8 T lemon juice

2 tsp ground cumin

1 T ground coriander

2 tsp dried red pepper flakes

1/2 cup plain yogurt

(I used soy yogurt for lactose free, optional=more yogurt than called for )

1 T honey

salt and pepper

1/4 bunch fresh parsley

Yogurt Dip

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 tsp cumin

DIRECTIONS

Place the chicken pieces in a large mixing bowl.  Mix together the remaining ingredients, (minus parsley and yogurt dip ingredients) season well, and pour over the chicken.  Mix well to combine, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 6-8 hrs or overnight if time permits.

Place the chicken mixture in a shallow, lightly greased, ovenproof baking dish. Place parsley on top, and cook in a preheated oven at 300 degrees F for 1.5 hrs, covering the dish with foil for the last 30 minutes of cooking. 

Stir yogurt and cumin together to make yogurt dip. Set aside.

Serve with brown rice or flat bread, and yogurt dip on side for chicken.

Lastly, the chip-like food on the plate is made from udad-dal (lentil flour).  I ventured into an Indian food store a few weeks ago looking for spices; definitely a fun store to spend way too much time in-and any store that revolves around cooking is 10 x more exciting than going to a shopping mall to me:-)  These chips are served as an appetizer dipped in a yogurt sauce at my favorite restaurant, (in Boulder) Sherpas.  To prepare, heat in a skillet on both sides, and serve.  They are made up of lentil flour, a little oil and whole cumin. 

Recipes x Three!

Healthy, delicious and low-budget friendly- the recipes below provide all three!  My current rotation is centered around budget-friendly, delicious recipes to meet the population's needs we provide classes for. Working with the underprivileged continues to teach me so much each day...A few facilities we teach at are mental health clinics, inner city schools, a homeless group (my favorite class) and a church food pantry. 
Along with their nutrition lesson, the members learn how to cook new recipes each week with a professional chef; they are then given a grocery bag full of food to take home and make the same recipes that week for their families.  (This is their "homework" each week...not too bad of an assignment, I'd say;-)
Each week they report back to me whether or not their family enjoyed the recipe; they all LOVE these Turkey Tacos and Pineapple Salsa.  I won't bore you with the nutrition portion of the lesson, but will add in a few healthy nutrition facts that make these recipes so wonderful. Enjoy!

Turkey Tacos

Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 can pinto beans

1 pound ground turkey

1 cup tomato sauce, no salt added

3 T tomato paste

1 T chili powder

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp cumin

Sprinkle of cayenne (optional)

White Corn Tortillas (Make your own or store bought)

Toppings:

1/4 medium head of lettuce, chopped

2 large tomatoes

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

1 cup plain, fat free yogurt

DIRECTIONS:
1. Drain and rinse pinto beans.
2. Coat large frying pan with cooking spray.  Brown turkey over medium high heat.
3. Add pinto beans, tomato sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, garlic,oregano, salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne to the frying pan.  Stir well.
4.  Reduce heat to medium and cook until thickened, approximately 15 mins. (At this step, I added~1/2 cup water to thin/expand the sauce a bit.)
5.  Place portion of meat mixture into each taco shell, and add toppings as desired along with mango salsa on top. Enjoy!!!

(My favorite-Use leftover meat mixture and toppings the next day to make a taco salad!)

                                   -----------------------------------------------------------------

A nutrition bit: Using yogurt as a substitute for sour cream greatly reduces the fat and calories for a creamy topping-Our classes love it!

Using ground turkey in the place of ground beef reduces the amount of saturated fat you're consuming in this recipe as well.

Draining and rinsing the beans reduces the sodium content greatly; This recipe is lower in sodium, saturated fat and calories that your standard, beef tacos.

2 tacos: 300 calories

11 g fat

3.5 g sat fat

Fiber 5 g

Protein 24 g

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This Salsa definitely makes this meal; it has a bite from the jalapeno and is a great, sweet addition to the tacos.  We ate the salsa on top of our tacos; we also served it as a salsa with corn tortillas chips...Make this salsa with mangoes, grapefruit, watermelon, oranges-many fruits can be substituted, but pineapple is my top pick;-)

Pineapple Salsa

INGREDIENTS:

2 large cans pineapple tidbits or chunks

1 large cucumber

2 medium green onions

1 medium jalapeno pepper

2 medium limes (or lime juice)

1/2 tsp salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

1. Drain and rinse pineapples.

2. Dice pineapple and cucumber. Finely chop green onions and place all in a small bowl.

3. Cut jalapeno pepper in half and remove seeds. Dice and add to mixture.

4. Cut lime in half, squeeze juice into mixture.

5. Add salt, cayenne and cilantro.

6. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

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 One last fun recipe...3 in one tonight:-) (Way too many recipes to share, and not enough time to blog!) LOVE this salad...

Northwest Apple Salad

INGREDIENTS:

3 apples of choice

2.5 cups plain or vanilla fat free yogurt

1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

2 large carrots, shredded

1 tsp cinnamon

1 T honey

DIRECTIONS:

1. Chop apples into bite size chunks. Place in bowl.

2. Add yogurt, walnuts, cinnamon and honey. Mix well.

3. Fold in carrots.

Add currants, craisins or raisins (as pictured) if desired.

Enjoy!

~All 3 recipes are Gluten Free~

To make recipes lactose free, use soy or lactose-free yogurt

A few Spiced Breakfast Muffins

As Julie Powell baked her way through Julia Child's cookbook, I would love to (someday!) bake my way through the Gluten Free Gourmet's Bread cookbook by Bette Hagman. I highly recommend this cookbook; it is by far one of the best GF bread cookbooks I have experimented with yet!  The GF baker I was able to work with at CSU this summer recommended Bette's cookbooks to me.  They are super easy to make ingredient substitutions, and give a good basis to start a recipe.  I have altered these two muffin recipes out of her book, and came up with the following:
I love these two muffin recipes for a few reasons; They both are super moist, gluten & dairy free, and low in fat & sugar.  These both use some of my favorite winter veggies; butternut squash, sweet potatoes and pumpkin.  These ingredients all serve as a fat substitute (for a large part of the fat) and aid in keeping the muffin extra moist and flavorful. 
I may just have a slight obsession with winter squash, thus I always have some on hand, leading me to use it as a substitute in many of my baked recipes.  For the first muffin recipe...

 Date-Walnut Muffins

Serve these healthy muffins for brunches, teas, or as a breakfast muffins.

Yields: 8-10

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup Sorghum flour

1/4 cup Brown or White rice flour

1/4 cup Potato starch

1/4 cup Tapioca starch

1/4 tsp Xanthan gum

1 tsp Baking powder

1/4 tsp Baking soda

1 tsp Allspice

1.5 T Agave Nectar

1/4 tsp Salt

1/3 cup Pitted dates, chopped

1/3 cup Chopped walnuts

4 T applesauce

6 T Butternut squash, cooked and mashed (or canned)

1/4 cup-1 T Rice or almond milk

1 T Lemon juice

1 Egg, slightly beaten

1.5 T Molasses

1/2 tsp Vanilla

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400.  Spray muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray. 

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flours & starches, xanthan gum, powder, soda, spices and salt.  Add the chopped dates and walnuts, and tumble to cover them with flour.

In a medium bowl, blend together the applesauce, squash, milk + lemon juice, egg, molasses, and vanilla.  Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the liquids, stirring until just combined.  Spoon the batter into prepared cups and bake ~18-20 minutes.  Serve warm, with a cup of Joe:-)

 

Substitution: You may substitute any winter squash, including pumpkin for the butternut squash as you wish.

    Sweet Potato Cranberry Muffins

Yields: 6

These muffins have a tart, sweet taste and a wonderful texture.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup Brown rice flour

1/4 cup White rice flour

1/4 cup Potato Starch

1/2 tsp Xanthan gum

1/4 cup Agave Nectar

1 tsp Flaxseed meal

1 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 Egg

1/4 cup rice or almond milk

1/4 cup cold mashed sweet potatoes (or canned puree)

2 T pumpkin puree (optional, will increase moistness)

2 T canola oil

1/2 cup Cranberries, frozen, chopped

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375.  Spray muffin tins with non stick cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  In a smaller bowl, combine the egg, milk, sweet potato, pumpkin, and canola oil.  Beat with a fork or spoon until well blended and smooth.  Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened.  Stir in the cranberries & walnuts.

Fill the muffins cups 2/3 full and bake for 18-20 minutes.

Serve warm
&
Bon Appetit!

 TIP: I have found with all gluten free bread products, it is best to slightly underbake them; If baked to the total time suggested, products will turn out dry and the life of the product is decreased tremendously.

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A nutrition bit...

Using molasses in muffin/bread recipes adds a

great deal of the recommended daily intake of Iron. (Molasses

is a simple sugar (primarily sucrose), so use sparingly) 

With homemade GF products, I try to increase the nutritional

value of the product in every way possible by choosing

nutrient dense ingredients

to ensure the product is not simply a starchy bread with no

nutritional value. (As a large amount of GF

products on the market are-lacking nutritional value)

Warning: All molasses is not equal in value; pay close attention

when choosing which molasses brand to buy.

Molasses is the by-product of the juice of sugar cane or beets.

Based on the type of molasses you use, will determine the nutrition value of the molasses. This is all based on whether the molasses comes from the first, second or third boiling of the molasses.

Depending on the number of times it is boiled, the color of the molasses will vary. Blackstrap molasses provides 20% of the daily value of calcium, 9% DV of potassium, and 25% DV of Iron per 1 Tablespoon.

When purchasing, look for "Blackstrap Molasses" on the label; this

will ensure you are choosing the highest iron-containing type of molasses.

                                                             

Golden Barrel contains 25% DV of Iron, as compared to

Grandma's, which only contains 8% DV of Iron.

To convert the above recipes using regular, all purpose flour:

Substitute all starches and flours (first 3-4 ingredients) with all purpose flour with a  1:1 ratio.  Ex: Subsitute 3/4 cup all-purpose flour for the rice flour and potato starch in the above recipe.  Omit xanthan gum.  That easy. You have a non-gluten free recipe!

And lastly,

GO BRONCOS!!!
Picture from delectablyfree.com

Have a Mexican dinner night with Enchilada Soup!

Tonight I was craving Mexican food...chips, salsa, enchilada sauce and soup.  Those four things.  Soooo I raided my pantry, and found I was missing the key ingredient (enchilada sauce). Bum.mer.

 I looked to foodnetwork.com which had a great enchilada sauce recipe. I realized I have never made homemade enchilada sauce-so easy!  After making this simple (and quite tasty) enchilada sauce, I threw together a soup which turned out to be what I've termed: 

Smoky Chipotle Chicken Enchilada Soup.

This recipe is:

Quick (the quick after you get home from work late, and have no idea what to make for dinner)

Healthy

Mexican food craving satisfier

&

Gluten Free.

Enjoy!

Smoky Chipotle Chicken Enchilada Soup

                          INGREDIENTS

2-3 large chicken breasts, cooked and chunked

1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 can great northern beans, drained and rinsed

~2 cups chicken broth
1 c frozen corn

1 can diced green chiles
1/4 cup cilantro. chopped (or 1 T dried)

Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Place all ingredients in large soup pot on stove.  Turn on med-high and let simmer for ~25 minutes.

While the soup is cooking/simmering, make the following enchilada sauce recipe:

Smoky Chipotle Enchilada Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sorghum flour (or all purpose for non gluten free)
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 10 ounces tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 cup liquid smoke
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan heat oil, add flour, smoothing and stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook for 1 minute. Add chili powder and cook for 30 seconds. Add stock, tomato paste, liquid smoke, oregano, and cumin. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken and smooth out. Adjust the seasonings.

Lastly...

Add 3/4 of enchilada sauce mixture to soup pot.  Stir continuously and let simmer.  Will be a thick soup base when done.  Add more or less enchilada sauce & spices as desired. Refrigerate or freeze remaining sauce for an enchilada Mexican night...and your homemade sauce is already complete!

Top soup with crumbled tortilla chips, more cilantro and slices of avocado.

Tips:

• Experiment with enchilada sauce-If you have a favorite canned type you enjoy, use it in the place of the homemade sauce to save time. (will be ~ 2 cups of sauce needed)
• Omit the liquid smoke if you don't prefer a smoky, chipotle taste.

Garbanzo Beans...In a cake!

If you liked the espresso black bean brownie recipe that I posted a few months ago, you should try this cake out!

Below is a recipe I was pleasantly pleased with @ Christmas...Most Flourless Chocolate Cake recipes are loaded with added butter and sugar.  I tweaked a healthier version that I found on allrecipes.com (that uses garbanzo beans) and came up with this super rich, chocolate addict satisfier. This cake is high in protein and fiber, and much lower in added sugar than your average chocolate cake recipe.  There is no flour, making it gluten free!
Enjoy:-)

Garbanzo Double Chocolate Cake

Serves: 12

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 c semisweet chocolate chips

1 (19 oz) can garbanzo beans, rinsed

 (I used 1 16 oz can garbanzo's and 3 oz great northern beans)

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 T cocoa powder

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9-in round cake pan.

Place the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl.  Cook in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds after the first minute, until chocolate is melted and smooth.

Place the beans and eggs into a food processor.  Process until smooth.  Add the honey, sugar, baking powder, vanilla and cocoa powder; Blend well with bean and egg mixture, until you have a pureed batter.  Pour in the melted chocolate chips and blend until smooth, scraping down the corners to make sure chocolate is completely mixed.  Transfer the batter into prepared cake pan.

Bake for 40 mins or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.  Cool.

Pour and smooth glaze over top and sprinkle with ~ 1/2-3/4 cup sliced almonds. (toasted).  Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.  Serve with whipped cream or lowfat vanilla ice cream.

Glaze:  Melt 4 oz (1/2 c) dark chocolate chips and 3 T butter in small saucepan, stirring until smooth.  Remove from heat, stir in 1 T milk, 1 T agave nectar (or honey) and 1/4 tsp vanilla extract.  Let cool slightly, cover cake.







Homemade Larabars

Almost a month since I've blogged. Ah. A little internship update... I'll say my last rotation was very busy-I just finished my longest rotation at the hospital (clinical).  It was SO great... I definitely learned a ton working at the hospital and was challenged greatly- but, the rotation didn't leave much time for extras such as blogging:-)   At any rate, I am super excited about my next rotation with Cooking Matters, a program out of Denver which I will travel to various locations and teach cooking/healthy eating & nutrition classes to the less fortunate.  I don't think I could have picked a better degree!
I was able to come home for a few days for Christmas...Tomorrow, we (the fam) are headed to go cross country skiing. Tonight I made some homemade Larabars for tomorrow's little outing...

These are my favorite gluten free fruit and nut bars.  They contain anywhere from ~ 3-5 ingredients (which are all natural).  They are simple, healthy, and packed full of protein and fiber.
Homemade Larabars are super easy to make.  I went to the Larabar site (www.larabar.com) and created some flavors to mimic those of Larabar. (Note: This week Larabar released their new flavor-CAPPUCCINO. YUM!...can't wait to try my soon-to-be favorite flavor!) 
Below are the 4 different recipes I came up with...Enjoy!

LARABARS


Directions: (for all four bars)

1.  Coat a small clear baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. Combine all ingredients in food processor.

3.  Process until all ingredients are chopped well, and start to form a ball.

4.  Remove mixture from processor and press into bottom of baking dish, forming a layer approximately 1/2" thick.

5.  Place in refrigerator for 1 hr.  Remove and cut into bars. 

Enjoy!

Lemon Poppyseed

1/2 cup pitted dates

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

2 tsp lemon juice

1/8 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp almond extract

1/8 tsp salt

1 T poppyseeds

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Almond Cookie
1/2 cup pitted dates

1/2 cup almonds, toasted

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp vanilla extract

1/8 tsp almond extract

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cappuccino

1/4 cup pitted dates

1/4 cup raisins

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup + 2 T walnuts & pecans (mixed and toasted)

2 tsp instant coffee or whole coffee beans

dash of seat salt

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mocha Crunch

1/4 cup pitted dates

1/4 cup raisins

1.5 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup + 2 T walnuts & pecans (mixed and toasted)

2 tsp instant coffee or whole coffee beans

dash of seat salt

1 T dark chocolate chips

2 tsp cocoa powder

These bars (Larabar brand or homemade) are both gluten free!

Merry Christmas!!!

Sweet Sweet Pancakes

The idea of sweet potatoes in pancakes may not sound too appetizing...but-these are the most flavorful, moist and de-lish pancakes...give them a chance and you will be pleasantly surprised:-)
The base of this recipe comes from a vegetarian Moosewood cookbook that I loooove-it has unique recipes that you won't find in any ordinary cookbook-Such as putting sweet potatoes in pancakes!
I tweaked this recipe to make it a bit healthier, gluten and dairy free...
For my "syrup", I have a TON of fresh cranberries...so I made a spiced cranberry syrup-The cranberries and sweet potatoes go together great-you'll think you're feasting on another thanksgiving meal all over again;-)
Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Pancakes

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup peeled and grated raw sweet potatoes OR 1 cup canned sweet potato puree (@ any health food store by the canned pumpkin)

1/4-1/2 tsp freshly grated lemon peel (I just added a sprinkle of lem. juice)

1 large egg or 2 medium eggs

1 cup almond, soy or rice milk

2 T canola oil

3/4 cup sorghum flour

1/4 cup potato starch

1 tsp xanthan gum

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 T honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS: Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients.  Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients just enough to combine completely.  Do not beat or overstir.  Set aside to rest for 5 mins. Heat sprayed skillet on med heat for ~5 mins.  Pour batter in skillet-(If you feel the batter is too thick, you may need to add more water as I ended up adding a bit at the end) After about 2 mins, once pancakes are bubbling on top, flip & cook the second side until lightly browned. 

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Spiced Cranberry Syrup

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup fresh cranberries

1/4 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp smart balance spread (or any light oil spread)

1/2 c apple juice

1/2 c water

dash salt

sprinkle of cinnamon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan; cook on low-med heat for ~15 minutes with lid.  The last 5 mins, stir and remove lid so liquid can reduce.  Once the cranberries are a syrupy consistency, remove from heat and top pancakes.  Enjoy!!! 

 To make this recipe non-gluten & dairy free, omit the xanthan gum, and substitute 1 cup all purpose flour (or 1/4 c whole wheat flour & 3/4 c all purpose flour) in the place of the starch and sorghum flour. Use regular milk in the place of rice or almond milk.

Chicken Marsala and Sesame Kale

Tonight I was in a hurry to make something that was quick and didn't take a lot of time...well, actually, that's all of the time. Here's a great recipe that literally takes minutes (20 tops?) and is way de-lish, healthy, and of course, gluten free. This is a healthier alternative to a regular pasta marsala that is ladened-with-butter:-) (not your Olive Garden Marsala with 2000+ calories-yikes!) 
-Substitute regular flour for the rice flour and you'll have a "regular" marsala.
 Enjoy!

Chicken Marsala

INGREDIENTS:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 T rice flour (can use sorghum or white rice)

2 T Smart Balance spread or olive oil

2 cups mushrooms, sliced

3/4 c Marsala Cooking Wine

1/4 c water

2 T fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 tsp dried)

1 tsp rosemary

DIRECTIONS:

Pound chicken until thin.  Saute or boil until cooked in ~1 tsp olive oil.  In a separate skillet, melt spread (or olive oil) and saute mushrooms over med heat until browned, 10 mins.  Add wine, water, parsley and rosemary. Turn on low.  After chicken is cooked, cut in large chunks and dredge lightly on both sides with flour.  Stir coated chicken in w/ mushrooms mixture.  Keep on low heat, stirring once until sauce is thickened.

Sesame Kale

INGREDIENTS:

1 large bunch kale, chopped

1 tsp olive oil

1 T lemon juice

1/4 tsp pepper

1-2 tsp sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:

Heat olive oil on med heat, add kale.  Saute for ~5 mins until kale slightly cooked.  Sprinkle lemon juice, pepper and seeds and mix while on stove.  Saute for another 2-3 mins until kale is slightly wilted. 

Remove from heat, and place chicken marsala mixture on bed of kale.

Enjoy!!!

                         (The pictures don't quite do it justice-not my expertise by any means;-)



~Millet-Colorado's Top Grain~

 Last year, I discovered a new grain that makes hearty salads and is also great as an alternative gluten free flour.  Millet is the yellow, round grain (seed) that I have been baking  & cooking with recently. While researching for an intern project, I realized millet is Colorado's #1 grown grain! Millet flour is a great, nutritionally rich (high protein as well) gf flour I love to make yeast breads and pizza crusts with. 

The whole grain itself can be used to make salads,  pilafs, soups, breads, sides or hot breakfast cereals.  Millet's texture mimics a cross between brown rice and quinoa. 

        Gluten free yeast bread with Millet flour..................

This annual grass is grown as a grain crop and is used for bird and livestock feed. (This is probably where you've most likely seen it-as birdseed!)

This is a great recipe I adapted from Rudi's GF website-A local CO bakery out of Boulder.  I made this salad tonight, and let me tell you...it is definitely blog-worthy...

Enjoy!!!

Warm Millet Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup of Millet; rinsed about 2 or 3 times and drained

2 1/4 cups of Water

1/2 – 8 oz pkg of Shiitake Mushrooms

1 orange. red or yellow Bell Pepper; diced

½ of an Onion; diced

1/4-1/2 can of Corn; drained

2 small or 1 large Scallions; green and white parts

 Mustard Vinaigrette (see recipe below)

1.5 tsp parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

Basic Mustard Vinaigrette:

(Mix all ingredients below and whisk thoroughly to combine)

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 cup Rice Vinegar

2 tbsp Dijon Mustard

Method:

• In a large pot (or wok), add the rinsed millet and dry it out from the rinsing over a medium low heat; keep it moving in the pan so it does not burn.
• After it is dry (about 2 minutes), add 1 tbsp of olive oil and continue to stir to coat the millet for about 1 more millet; remove the pan from the heat.
• In a second large pot with a heavy or a snug fitting lid, bring the 2 cups of water to a boil.
• Add the millet to the pot or water and bring the pot back to a boil; place the cover on and lower the heat to low. Set a timer for 25 minutes (do not uncover or touch the millet again until it is done).
• While the millet is simmering; in a large sauté pan or wok, sauté the onions and bell pepper in about 3 tbsps of olive oil over a medium low heat for about 4 minutes until the peppers and onions are slightly tender.
• Now add the corn and the shiitake mushrooms to the pan and raise the heat to high and continue to cook mixture for about 3 minutes; you are only looking to warm the corn and mushrooms through at this point. After the mixture is done, set aside and cover the pan to keep warm.
• Remove millet from stove, use a fork and fluff by raking the fork through the millet.
• Dump the millet into a large mixing bowl (big enough for the millet and vegetable mixture), add the vegetable mixture to the bowl along with the scallions and gently fold to combine.
• Add all of the vinaigrette to the millet mixture with your desired amount of salt and pepper and again fold gently to combine.
• This salad is great warm or cold! Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan and Vegetarian

Spiced Pear & Fig Crumble

One of my favorite dried fruits to cook with is in this recipe-Figs...Next to dates (the most addicting dried fruit evvverrr), figs rank quite high on my list.  They are naturally sweet and are a great little addition to baked goods, salads, etc. Figs are high in potassium, fiber and calcium as well!  With the addition of figs & pears to spice up a standard crisp recipe, and the subtraction of WAY too much butter and sugar that normal recipes call for, here is what I came up with!
*If you find it's too dry while baking, simply pour more apple juice over the top-It works great and won't mess a thing up!

For some added variety, I used three different types of pears (asian, bosc and anjou)...

   Spice Pear & Fig Crumble

INGREDIENTS:

1 apple, in thin slices (of choice)

3 pears, in thin slices (varied kinds)

3/4 cup apple juice or cider

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ c brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

¾ c white rice flour

½ cup oats

10 dried figs, sliced in small rounds (any type will work)

1/8 cup canola oil-drizzled on top

1 T margarine, chopped in small slivers

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a 8x8 square baking dish w/ cooking spray. 

Mix 1/2 c of the apple juice, vanilla, apples and pears together in medium bowl.  In another medium bowl, mix the next 7 ingredients (dry ing+ figs) together.  Place pear & apple mixture into baking dish and spread evenly.  Next, sprinkle dry ingredient mixture over top, covering all the fruit.  Drizzle the remaining apple juice over the top of the dry mixture.  Then, evenly drizzle the canola oil over the top of the crumble.  Place the thin slices of margarine on top of the crumble. (Will melt in oven) Sprinkle walnuts on top.  Place in oven and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until fruit is tender to your liking.

Remove from oven and serve with a spoonful of vanilla yogurt, or low fat ice cream.....And don't forget a cup of joe on the side :-)

Once again, you can't mess up this recipe-add more liquid, spice, or whatever you'd like!

Gluten Free & Dairy Free

Enjoy!

Crockpotting with Herbes De Provence

I don't know about most of you, but I usually have a hard time branching out and cooking a variety of meats.  I usually stick to chicken and fish, and leave it at that. 
Well....yesterday, I bought a pork loin roast.  I usually am not a fan of roast due to the high fat content, but if you purchase a pork loin roast, it will save you many calories and fat as compared to buying a regular pork roast.  Pork is usually a meat most people stray from, for fear it is not a healthy choice....Crazy thing is, many pork tenderloins (leanest cut) are lower in fat and calories than a chicken breast! So, with that being said, don't be scared of pork recipes!  This recipe uses a French spice blend called Herbes De Provence (that you can purchase at any health food store and some grocery stores or make yourself). 

I love this recipe for three reasons:
1. It takes about 2 minutes total to prepare
2. It's in a crockpot-you come home to a wonderful, lavender/rosemary smelling home after work
3. It's healthy and soooo incredibly tender, and aids as a great leftover.

Some ideas for ways to use your pork once it's cooked:

Add BBQ sauce (GF or regular) and make pulled pork sandwiches
Make a pork stew/soup
Make pork tacos
Pork salad (like chipotle!)
Eat it plain
                                           Below is the easiest and tastiest recipe for pork! Enjoy!

Herbes De Provence Pork Loin Roast

Ingredients:

1- 3lb pork loin roast

~3/4 cup water

1/8-1/4 cup herbes de provence (I think the more, the better:-)

Directions:

Add water to bottom of crockpot. (make sure it is covering entire bottom w/ about 1/2-1" deep)  Add pork loin roast on top of water. (roast can be frozen still)  Sprinkle herbs de provence on top, completely covering sides as well.  This will look like a lot of herbs, but they should cover the entire top.  Turn crockpot on low for ~ 8-10 hours.  Come home from work, use fork to shred roast, and enjoy!

And of course, this recipe is naturally gluten free!

 Below are some nutrition facts for you who are skeptical about pork:-)

3-ounce cooked serving:	Calories	Total Fat (g)	Saturated Fat (g)	Cholesterol (mg)
LEAN CHICKEN
Skinless chicken breast*	139	3.1	0.9	73
Skinless chicken leg*	162	7.1	2.0	80
Skinless chicken thigh*	177	9.3	2.6	81
LEAN CUTS OF PORK
Pork Tenderloin*	120	3.0	1.0	62
Pork boneless top loin chop**	173	5.2	1.8	61
Pork top loin roast*	147	5.3	1.6	68
Pork center loin chop**	153	6.2	1.8	72
Pork sirloin roast*	173	8.0	2.4	76
Pork rib chop**	158	7.1	2.2	56

If you really want to go crazy and make your own herbs de provence spice blend, here is a recipe!

Herbes de Provence

Mix together

1 part marjoram

  1 part basil

2 parts thyme

1 part summer savory

1/2 part lavender

1 part rosemary

1/2 part fennel

1 part oregano