Wednesday, August 22, 2012

BBQ Dinner: Grilled Chicken and zucchini, and Salad

Salad: Peach and Black Bean - had left over so mixed in some lettuce.  Added a little honey.

Grilled chicken and sliced zucchini after marinating in a Mexican marinade.  (started with a storebought one in red packet and added some seasoned pepper, vegetable seasoning, and hot pepper).

Great meal.  Something we decided to share with company!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Romaine Salad with Pecans and Bosc Pear



Romaine Salad with Pecans and Bosc Pear
Makes 4-6 Servings

Ingredients:
1 pound Romaine Lettuce Leaves (or you can substitute with baby spinach leaves)
1 cup chopped raw pecans
1 Bosc pear, peeled, cored, and sliced
4 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped cilantro or parsley leaves
Juice of one small lemon
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
1. Combine pear slices, green onions, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, honey or maple syrup, and sea salt in a bowl and give all ingredients a good toss. Allow ingredients to sit and marinate for about 5 minutes.
2. Add romaine leaves, chopped cilantro or parsley, pecans, and gently toss again.
Serve immediately and enjoy this light, delicious, and healthy romaine salad with pecans and Bosc pear.
This recipe was adapted from a similar recipe found in a wonderful raw foods cookbook called Living Cuisine.




Chef Meg's Eggs Nested in Spicy Tomato Sauce

I haven't made this yet, but Jerri-Ann made it for one of the meetings I attended for HTH.  It was delicious!

From: http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=2013753

Nestle eggs into a spicy tomato sauce and bake them for a light and easy supper. Serve over pasta or with crusty whole-wheat bread for dipping.

Minutes to Prepare: 10
Minutes to Cook: 20
Number of Servings: 4

Tips

  • Always remember to remove any added bay leaves before serving a dish. Whole bay leaves should not be eaten.
  • You can skip the eggs and make this a vegan dish.


Ingredients
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 onion, cut in half and sliced into strips
1 garlic clove, minced
2 bell peppers, sliced into strips
28 ounces (2 14-ounce cans or 1 28-ounce can) diced tomatoes, no salt added
pinch cayenne pepper
1 bay leaf
1 bunch parsley, leaves only, reserve one tablespoon for garnish
1 14.5-ounce chickpeas, drained and rinsed
zest and juice of 2 limes
4 eggs
4 shakes of hot sauce


Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the cumin seeds in a large ovenproof skillet for 45 seconds, then add the paprika, stir, and toast for about 20 seconds, just until the paprika becomes fragrant. Stir in the oil and tomato paste, then add the onions and peppers. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often.
  2. Add the tomatoes, cayenne and bay leaf and simmer for 3-4 minutes.
  3. Place the chickpeas, parsley (reserve one tablespoon for garnish) and lime juice in a small food processor or food chopper. Pulse a few times to chop, then add to the tomato sauce with 1/2 cup of water.
  4. Stir to combine and remove the bay leaf.
  5. Crack four eggs on top of the vegetables. Take care not to overlap the eggs.
  6. Bake until the eggs are done to your preference. For soft to medium yolk, bake for 10 minutes; for a hard yolk, bake for 15.
  7. Garnish with reserved parsley and hot sauce.

Serving Size: Makes 4 servings, one egg and 2 cups of vegetable mixture per serving.

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 277.6
Total Fat: 10.7 g
Cholesterol: 185.2 mg
Sodium: 472.9 mg
Total Carbs: 36.3 g
Dietary Fiber: 7.7 g
Protein: 14.9 g

Monday, August 20, 2012

Salad: Peach and Black Bean

Made a delicious salad for dinner:  five diced peaches, one can black beans rinsed, about 4 T finely chopped mint (from the back yard garden), and squeezes of honey to taste.

This was inspired by a quick read of http://www.meatlessmonday.com/peach-black-bean-salad/

When we have tomatoes and cucumber I will make the real recipe - what I made though was very good and easy to make....



Peach Black Bean Salad

Sweet meets savory meets spicy as peaches, tomatoes, black beans and jalapeño come together to make the most of their delicious flavor contrast. This versatile dish is easily adapted by swapping the peach for your favorite Summer fruit. Or throw in a chopped avocado and eat it with tortilla chips for a refreshing fruit guacamole. This recipe comes to us from Jenné Claiborne of Sweet Potato Soul.
Serves 2
  • 1 peach, diced
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1/4 cup diced red onion
  • 1/4 cup diced cucumber
  • 1/2 jalapeño, diced
  • 1 cup cooked or canned black beans
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  • black pepper, to taste
Combine the diced peach, tomato, onion, cucumber and jalapeño together in a large mixing bowl. Add the black beans and stir, taking care to ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Season the fruit bean mixture with the lemon juice, vinegar, cilantro and black pepper, to taste. Toss well, chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Peach Black Bean Salad
  • Servings per Recipe: 2
  • Amount per Serving
  • Calories: 180
  • Calories from Fat: 86
  • Total Fat: 1g
  • Saturated Fat: 0g
  • Cholesterol: 0mg
  • Sodium: 9mg
  • Total Carbohydrates: 11g
  • Dietary Fiber: 11g
  • Protein: 10g
  • Sugars: 10g
  • The FDA recommends 2000 calories a day as a reasonable average guideline for most adults. Click here to learn how you can use the Monday 2000 to reset the calorie budget you have to spend each day. For specific calorie recommendations based on your age, metabolism and medical history, consult your doctor or nutritionist.