Link Love: Great Recipes from Food Bloggers

I have stumbled upon some great food blogs recently, so I thought I’d share a little “link love.”  Here are some recipes I have enjoyed:

Provencal Roasted Tomato and Arugula Pizza from Becca’s Kitchen

Healthy Skillet Lasagna from Paints and Pans

Creamy Wild Mushroom Soup from Dish By Trish

Apple, Goat Cheese, and Walnut Pizza from The Healthy Foodie

Do you have any great recipes from other Food Bloggers to share?

  

Photo credit: Images from food bloggers referenced above.

Pasta Primavera: Fresh, Local and Healthy

This delicious pasta recipe embodies the flavors of spring.  I bought the vegetables in this recipe from the local farmer’s market and all other ingredients from Nugget Market.  I enjoyed it all week long, served either hot or cold.

Ingredients:

• 10-oz whole grain kamut pasta (I used Eden’s Organic.  I was very impressed that the color and texture is just like traditional pasta.)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 8 oz turkey bacon, diced (I used Applegate’s Organic Nitrate-Free)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup sugar snap peas
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 bell pepper, chopped into thin strips
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Percorino-Romano cheese
• 2 Tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot as directed.  Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water
2. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet.  Add the turkey bacon and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, snap peas, broccoli and bell peppers.  Cook for 3-4 additional minutes, until the vegetables are bright and crisp.
4. Add the pasta along with the reserved pasta water and cheese.  Cook until the sauce is thick and creamy, about 2 minutes.
5. Stir in the parsley and serve.

 

 

5 MORE Healthy Meals in 5 Minutes or Less

My original 5 Healthy Meals in 5 Minutes or Less were so popular, I decided to make a sequel.  These 5 MORE Healthy Meals in 5 Minutes or Less feature all-new recipes that are just as fast, healthy and delicious.  They include:

The George Foreman Grill is great for fast and healthy meals!

• Fruit-Infused Oatmeal
• Shrimp and Zucchini Saute
• Black Bean and Corn Salsa
• Grilled Fish Tacos
• Grilled Bananas

These recipes use the microwave, a George Foreman grill, or the stove for quick, healthy cooking.  Enjoy!

Check out Nicole’s entire collection of healthy recipes here.

Recipe: Moroccan Chicken in the Slow Cooker

This recipe was so easy, I could not believe how delicious it was!  Almost no chopping required.  A definite must-try.  The below recipes serves 3.

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup tomato salsa
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons dried currants
• 4 teaspoons honey
• ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup whole wheat cous-cous
• 2 T slivered almonds

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients (except cous-cous and almonds) in slow cooker.
2. Cook on high for 2-3 hours or until chicken is cooked through.
3. Add the cous-cous in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
4. Top with almonds and serve.

Spaghetti Squash: Healthy, Easy, Fun!

I have a new love… spaghetti squash.  This nutrient-rich vegetable can replace pasta in any of your favorite recipes.  It adds a little color, a slight crunch, and will leave you feeling light and energized, because it has 1/4 the calories of regular pasta.

Here’s a quick and easy way to cook it in the microwave:

1. Cut the squash in half.  This is the hardest part.  Use a good knife and a little force.
2. Scoop out the seeds and toss.
3. Place the squash halves cut-side down on a plate and microwave, for about 6-7 minutes per half.  (So if you do both halves together, it willtake about 12 minutes.)
4. Allow it to cool, and then use a fork or spoon to tease out the spaghetti-like strands.

Top with your favorite pasta sauce and enjoy!  I really loved this recipe from AllRecipes.com.

What’s Cooking? Sunday, Part 2

1. Capellini with Shrimp and Creamy Tomato Sauce

This top rated recipe from Epicurious is delicious.  I used evaporated skim milk mixed with a little cornstarch in place of the heavy cream.  Regular, low-fat milk probably would have worked too.  I also threw in 2 cups of baby spinach to add some extra color and emulate the seafood pasta at my favorite Sacramento Italian restaurant, Lucca.

2. Cream of Asparagus Soup

Another gem from Epicurious.  For this one I did use 1% milk mixed with a little cornstarch in place of the heavy cream.  Next time, I plan to throw in a little garlic for some extra flavor.  Yum!

What’s Cooking? Sunday

Every Sunday, I take time to prepare 2 dishes to last me throughout the week.  It’s a great strategy for busy people to eat healthfully.  Here’s what I’m cooking today (click the links to get the recipe):

1. French Spring Soup

This recipe turned out great.  I love finding highly rated recipes on Allrecipes.com.  I substituted olive oil for the butter and evaporated skim milk for the heavy cream to make this recipe healthier.  I also threw in some spices like garlic, basil and poultry seasoning to jazz it up.

2. Moroccan Chicken

This dish also turned out delightful.  I used chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs, doubled the spice recommendations and threw in some diced zucchini and a can of diced tomatoes to add some color and nutrients.

Here’s how my revised preparation steps looked:

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Add onion to pan; sauté for 3 minutes or until tender. Dice chicken into 1-inch cubes and add to onions.  Add ginger and next 6 ingredients (through garlic); sauté until chicken is lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a simmer.  Add chicken, chickpeas, apricots, zucchini and tomatoes. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 40 minutes or until chicken is tender.  Serve with whole wheat couscous or quinoa.  (Note: Quinoa is a whole grain that is also a complete protein!  It cooks just like rice and tastes delicious.)

Nicole’s Favorite Recipe of All Time… Cumin Seed Stew

Today you’re in for a special treat… my favorite recipe of all time!  This has been a favorite of mine since I was 13 years old, and I have yet grow tired of it.  This recipe has more ingredients and steps than my other recipes, so I usually make it in large quantities.  Frequently, I’ll make a huge batch of this on Sunday and eat it all week long!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups brown rice
• 1 cup lentils
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion
• 1 pound pork tenderloin or pork loin, chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 3 heaping Tablespoons cumin
• 1 Tablespoon Better than Bullion Low Sodium Beef Base
• 3 cups hot water
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 large can diced tomatoes, low sodium
• 1/4 cup corn starch
• 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Directions:

1. Cook brown rice and lentils according to package directions.  When finished, mix rice and lentils together. 
2. In a large skillet or wok, heat olive oil and begin sautéing onions. Add pork and 1 Tablespoon of the cumin and cook, stirring frequently, until pork is almost cooked through. (About 4 minutes.) Remove pork from skillet and set aside.
3. Mix Beef “Better than Bullion” and hot water.  Add to skillet.  (If skillet is not very large, you can switch to a pot at this point.)  Add wine and tomatoes.  Heat until almost boiling, stirring occasionally.
4. Mix cornstarch and the remaining 2 Tablespoons of cumin with just enough cold water to make a thin paste.  Stir into skillet and allow sauce to thicken. 
5. Add mushrooms and pork to sauce, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
6. Add garlic and cilantro.  Add more cumin if desired to taste.
7. Serve cumin seed stew on top of rice/lentil mixture.

Bon appétit!

Craving more?  Click here for more of Nicole’s Healthy Recipes!

Nicole’s Healthy Homemade Granola

I love Nature’s Path Pumpkin Seed Granola, but at $3-4 per box, it was starting to get a little expensive.  So, I decided to make my own granola, and it is delish!  Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Old-fashioned oats
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds or walnuts
• 1/3 cup ground flax seed (I like Bob’s Red Mill, pictured above)
• 1/3 cup wheat germ (I like Kretschmer, pictured right)
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.  Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper.
2. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Spread granola onto cookie sheet and cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until desired crunchiness. 
4. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

The result? A delicious and crunchy granola, good enough to give away as a holiday gift!

I like to enjoy my granola on top of plain, fat-free yogurt, with a drizzle of honey and a chopped Fuyu persimmon.  Heaven!

Craving more?  Click here for more of Nicole’s Healthy Recipes!

Roasted Winter Vegetables

I never thought roasted winter vegetables could make my mouth water.  But, as I continue to experiment with new recipes, I continue to find new passions for foods I thought I disliked.  Take beets, for example.  The unwelcome canned beets I occasionally found on my salad at restaurants led me to believe I disliked all beets.  But fresh, oven-roasted beets, with their mildly sweet flavor and crimson crunch, I love.  You, too, might find you like them if you’re willing to give them a try.

Roasting vegetables is very simple, and practically fail-proof.  Here is the recipe I used today:

Ingredients:

• Vegetables of your choice, chopped into bite-sized pieces.  (I used about 5 cups of carrots, parsnips, beets, and apples today.  Apples, while not a vegetable, roast quite nicely too.)
• 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil or canola oil
• 1 Tablespoon honey
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon chopped herbs, like rosemary and sage

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix all ingredients in a baking pan or cookie sheet.  Spread out in a single layer.
3. Cook in the oven, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes or until desired tenderness.