Raw Coconut Macaroons

There's a place called Snap Kitchen that sells pre-made healthy dishes that my friend Brooke has been telling me about.  Saturday we had family photos taken and decided to stop by one on our way to lunch.  I grabbed their raw coconut macaroons because I was starving and having a major sweet craving.  They were fabulous!  So fabulous that I went home and made my own.  They weren't hard to figure out with such a short list of ingredients.  I hate to brag but mine are better!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Almond flour
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1 Tablespoon and 1 Teaspoon Coconut oil
• 2 Tablespoons Agave necter
• 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix until it is all sticking together like a dough.
2. Roll into individual balls.
3. Enjoy or refrigerate for later!

Makes 6-7 balls (depending on how much you sample while making it :) )

The bonus about this treat is that Coconut and Almonds are great for you!  It is still a sweet treat though because of the agave so don't make it every day!

Beet and Goat Cheese Salad

We were in Galveston this past weekend.  We decided to rent a house by the beach with some friends of ours and this trip surpassed my expectations!  I was shocked to find that the house was very nice and truly a 4 bedroom/ 4 bath with plenty of room for all of us and the kiddos.  Additionally, a gorgeous, clean, and almost vacant beach was only a short walk away.  We, and especially Noah, could not get enough of the beach and the water.  I really didn't know a beach this nice existed in Galveston.  Beautiful sand, nice sand bar, no seaweed, perfect weather... can't wait to go back!

OK even if you don't like the thought of beets please don't run away from this one!  I even let my pregnant friend Liz (who doesn't eat beets) try this and she ate every bite of her sample!  This recipe comes from Cooking Fresh magazine and is easy and super healthy.  I made mine with dried oregano and without the pecans and it was great!

(This pic doesn't do the salad justice!  I'll try to get a better one and post it later :) )

Ingredients:

• 8 to 10 medium beets (red, golden, or a combination)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (or 1/2 Teaspoon dried oregano)
• 1/4 cup lightly toasted pecans (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

1. If the beets have leaves and stems on them, remove them and thoroughly wash the beets.  Cut the beets in quarters and place in a steamer basket.  Steam for about 20 minutes or so until a fork enters them easily.
2. Transfer the beets to a large serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil and vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. Sprinkle the goat cheese, oregano, and pecans over the beets and serve.

Easy Smoked Paprika Chicken Tacos and Pear Salad

Happy September!  The days are flying by and I can't seem to sit down and get recipes on this blog to share :)  I finally committed some time today and I am going to share a recipe that we have weekly!  This recipe is so easy and a bit healthy too.  If you are like us, you probably pick up a rotisserie chicken frequently.  We love to get one from Costco because they are cheap and the largest you can buy - plus they are always tasty.  Now that I think about it, all of the Smoked Paprika Chicken Tacos ingredients come from Costco except for the corn tortillas!  (You would think they pay me to advertise.)  Well this recipe is one of the many ways you can use that chicken!

Smoked Paprika Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:

• 1 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
• 1 Teaspoon tomato paste
• 1/3 cup chicken stock
• 2 1/2 cups shredded leftover rotisserie chicken (approximately)
• 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
• 6  Corn Tortillas
• Kerrigold butter to taste (this comes from grassfed cows so better for you and is incredible)

Directions:

1.  In a saucepan mix the broth, tomato paste, and paprika. Add the chicken and warm over medium heat.
2. In a small saucepan, place a small amount of butter and warm your tortillas.
3. For each taco, place the smoked paprika chicken and top with cheese.

Pear Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 medium pear, sliced
• 1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
• 1 1/2 cups arugula
• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• salt, to taste
• pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Place the pear, blue cheese crumbles, and arugula in a salad bowl. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.  Dress the salad and toss.

Blackened Chicken, Cilantro Lime Quinoa, Roasted Beets, Grilled Carrots

Monday night we had a very healthy and delicious dinner!  (At least it would have been delicious if I could have eaten it all while it was hot but that's tough to do with a toddler).  August in Houston is a time when we really hate to use our oven if we can help it so this meal was all prepared on the stove top or on the grill.  I am going to do something I usually don't do - post original recipes.  These are all great recipes on their own.  I only made a couple of small modifications to the blackened chicken but not enough to make note of!  I stumbled across the recipe for the blackened chicken one evening and we have had it a couple of times now.  You must make the avocado sauce to go with it as it is really what makes it stand out.

You'll notice that half of the plate is vegetables.  This is the new way we have been trying to eat - adding more alkaline foods to our diet - which means more vegetables.  The simple way to do it is to try to incorporate vegetables into every meal - preferably half of your meal.   For example, at breakfast we always put spinach in our Shaklee protein shakes.  Additionally, I take a handful of Shaklee's Alfalfa Complex with every meal as alfalfa is alkaline and has so many minerals due to it's deep roots.  I have never had so much energy (and at a time when I have been struggling to get enough sleep)!

Blackened Chicken with Cilantro Lime Quinoa:
http://www.sarcasticcooking.com/2012/03/15/blackened-chicken-and-cilantro-lime-quinoa/

Roasted Beets on the Grill:
http://www.livestrong.com/article/448873-how-to-roast-beets-on-the-grill/

Grilled Carrots with Cilantro and Lime:
http://www.acouplecooks.com/2011/07/grilled-carrots-with-lime-and-cilantro/

Chicken with Herb Roasted Tomatoes

So sorry for the month long sabbatical!!  My intention has been to post a recipe weekly but life was a little crazy in July.  My son Noah finally started sleeping through the night regularly at 13 months (he's now almost 16 months), however my husband and I have had a tough time sleeping through the night again!  Lately we are dependent on Shaklee's Stress Relief Formula and Gentle Sleep Complex.  Both of them work wonders but it still isn't a fun experience.  Anyway, I have several recipes I have been meaning to post so I'm getting this one out there tonight!

This recipe originates from Bon Appetit magazine.  I simplified it a bit and have to say that it is an excellent dish to make for your spouse on a date night in as it surpasses many restaurant experiences!  Don't shy away from trying this because of the number of steps.  You will not be disappointed you tried it!

 Ingredients:

•  1.5 pounds cherry tomatoes
• 6 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 Tablespoons McCormick garlic and herb seasoning (original recipe called for herbes de province but I really can't imagine the recipe tasting as good as it does with the garlic and herb)
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pound organic chicken breasts
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Parsley, to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon on each plate)
• Tarragon, to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon on each plate)
• Salt and Pepper

Steps: 

1. Preheat oven to 450.  Combine tomatoes, 2 Tablespoons olive oil, and the garlic and herb seasoning in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper; toss to coat.
2. Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet until oil shimmers. (I used enamel-coated cast iron)
3. Carefully add the tomatoes to the pan.  Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast for about 10 minutes.  (The tomatoes should burst when you test them).  
4. Transfer the tomatoes back to the bowl they were mixed in previously.  Add the Worcestershire sauce to the bowl as well.
5. Pound the chicken out and season with salt and pepper.
6. Meanwhile, using the same pan from the oven (be careful to use an oven mitt so as not to burn yourself!), add 2 Tablespoons olive oil and heat over medium high and add the chicken.  The chicken should begin to brown.  Cook it for about 4 minutes on each side.  Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and allow it to rest.
7. Add the remaining Tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet on medium heat and add the shallot.  Stir until fragrant (about 1 minute)
8. Add the 2 Tablespoons of red wine vinegar, scraping the brown bits from the pan to add to the flavor.  
9. Add the tomatoes and their juices to the pan and stir.
10. Slice the chicken and divide among plates.
11. Spoon the tomatoes and sauce over and garnish with parsley and tarragon.

 Comments on Ingredients:

• Shallots are small, round vegetables related to the onion. Shallots resemble garlic in that their structure is composed of cloves and they also have a bold flavor and strong smell.  Shallots are rich in vitamin A and Potassium.
•  Tomatoes are widely known for their outstanding antioxidant content, including, of course, their oftentimes-rich concentration of lycopene. Researchers have recently found an important connection between lycopene, its antioxidant properties, and bone health.  Tomatoes are also widely known for their benefit to heart health but only recently are researchers beginning to identify some of the more unusual phytonutrients in tomatoes that help provide us with these heart-protective benefits.

Warm Spinach Salad with Proscuitto

My husband is out tonight so I just went to the gym and made a green shake (spinach, almond milk, banana, pineapple core, and Shaklee Strawberry Cinch) for dinner.  However my mouth is watering over the thought of this recipe - again I "lifted" it from the Penzy's magazine and changed a few things that I think make it better.  If I was not cooking for only myself, I would probably make it right now.  However, I can console myself with the fact that I had spinach in a healthier form - raw.  You should totally make it though and tell me how yummy it is :)  It's not the healthiest recipe I've posted but it does have merit with the spinach!

Ingredients:

• 1 9-oz bag of spinach
• 1/3-1/2 cup olive oil
• 4 oz proscuitto (original recipe calls for pancetta but I prefer the taste of proscuitto)
• 3-4 garlic cloves, pressed
• 3-4 Tablespoons white wine
• 1 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2-4 Tablespoons crumbled feta cheese to taste
• 1 tomato, diced

Directions: 

1. Pour 1/3 cup of olive oil into a large skillet and place over medium heat.  Add the proscuitto and garlic and brown slightly. (About 1-2 minutes)
2. Reduce the heat to low and add the white wine (careful that the skillet is not too hot before adding).
3. Stir in the pepper and oregano.
4. Add the spinach in batches, adding more as it begins to wilt.  You may need to add the rest of the olive oil during this time.
5. Add the feta and diced tomatoes and stir.  Serve warm.

 Comments on Ingredients:

• Among the World's Healthiest vegetables, spinach comes out at the top of our ranking list for nutrient richness. Rich in vitamins and minerals, it is also concentrated in health-promoting phytonutrients such as carotenoids (beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin) and flavonoids to provide you with powerful antioxidant protection.

Black Bean and Quinoa Salad

I've recently fallen in love with the spice store called Penzy's.  They are located in multiple cities and states.  Houston has one in the heights that my mother-in-law introduced to me.  She took me there and gave me a gift of selecting several spices.  I am now hooked.  Not only do they have great fresh spices but they have a store magazine that describes the spices and has recipes shared by people from all over.  I got this recipe from Penzy's but made a few alterations and it is so easy and tasty - perfect for the hot summer!

By the way, bear with me as I try to get better at this food photography thing.  Hopefully my pictures will begin to improve!

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 mango peeled and diced small
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 red onion, diced small
• 1 cup cilantro
• 1 Tablespoon grapeseed oil
• 2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 freshly ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon Penzy's Italian Salad Dressing Seasoning (You could probably substitute with some Italian Salad dressing)
• 1 cup cooked quinoa, cooled
• 1 15-ounze can black beans, rinsed and drained

 Directions:

1. Cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the box.
2. Mix everything together.  Serve chilled.

Comments on Ingredients:

• Benefits of Cilantro (just a few that I particularly care about)

1. Powerful anti-inflammatory capacities that may help symptoms of arthritis
2. Protective agents against bacterial infection from Salmonella in food products
3. Acts to increase HDL cholesterol (the good kind), and reduces LDL cholesterol (the bad kind)
4. Reduces minor swelling
5. Strong general antioxidant properties
6. Disinfects and helps detoxify the body
7. Contains immune-boosting properties
8. Helps ease conjunctivitis, as well as eye-aging, macular degeneration, and other stressors on the eyes.

• Benefits of Mango (just a few...) 

1. One cup of sliced mangoes supplies 25 percent of the needed daily value of vitamin A, which promotes good eyesight and prevents night blindness and dry eyes
2. Boosts the Immune System due to high levels of Vitamin C and A.
3. Mangos are a great source of vitamin E!