healthy

Seared Cod with Tangerines and Kale

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

The kids have been a little difficult lately.

Firecracker just turned 2.5 and I don’t know if there’s some cognitive leaping happening, physical growing, or it’s those 2 year old molars working their way in but his ability to listen and obey has taken a turn in the wrong direction. It’s been highly frustrating and our patience levels keep getting lower by the hour. It doesn’t help that he doesn’t nap and when he’s tired he becomes destructive and a bit of a Tasmanian devil. His ability to sleep through the night, a skill he’s never conquered, has reverted back to coming to our bed 2-4 times meaning none of us are getting the sleep we need!

Treat meanwhile is definitely working on teeth, he’s constantly hungry, and the cough he had at the end of the year has crept its way back into our lives. He’s following his brother around like a hawk and has developed quite the skills for climbing and “jumping.” There’s no room for a lapse in childcare with that one!

With two tired and hungry boys on my hands, my husband deserves a lot of credit on the execution of this recipe. I quickly made them a blue box of macaroni and cheese in the middle of trying to make our dinner. I pull out the freshly purchased cod from Whole Foods while my husband feeds the boys and I discover that one of the fillets was not deboned. And we don’t have proper fish cleaning tools. The adults switched places.

In a mode of determination, my husband grabbed a clean pair of pliers, washed them, and got to pulling. We’d definitely be “chopped” for execution skills as that fillet looked a bit mangled. He then proceeded to season the fish with S+P and sear it in olive oil while I get the kids cleaned up, put in pajamas, and started the bed time routine. I even stuck him on photography duty while I sat with Firecracker until he fell asleep.

He was able to eat his fish and accompanying salad warm while watching Treat and then getting him to fall asleep.

By the time I made my way back upstairs I had a cold plate waiting for me. And you know what, the fish was delicious cold! It was such a light, refreshing, and healthy meal.

The dish was inspired from a recipe in Giada de Laurentiis’ cookbook Happy Cooking. We followed her method for cooking the fish, but the salad co-star was changed. I omitted the olives, used dried oregano instead of fresh, and the main difference, used kale from the farmer’s market instead of arugula.

I prepared the salad first, allowing the kale to marinate in the dressing while the rest of the meal was prepared. It’d been a long while since I’d last had kale and it was a nice surprise to realize how much I like the dark green!

Seared Cod with Tangerines and Kale

Ingredients:

  • 2 tangerines
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tbsp + 4 tsp olive oil, divided use
  • 4 C chopped kale, stems removed
  • 4 6-oz filets cod

Steps:R

  1. Using a paring knife, cut of the top and bottom of each tangerine. Follow the curve of the fruit to cut off the entire peel. Place a strainer over a small bowl. Segment the tangerines over the bowl then squeeze the juice out of the remaining flesh.
  2. To the tangerine juice, whisk the mustard, oregano, and 4 tsp olive oil. Reserve 1/4 C of the dressing. Toss the kale and tangerine segments in the dressing. Set aside.
  3. Season cod with S+P. Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear cod, flesh side down, for three minutes. Flip, an cook another three minutes. Serve alongside kale salad and drizzle with reserved dressing.

Seared Cod with Tangerines and Kale | Sew You Think You Can Cook | http://sewyouthinkyoucancook.com

#MuffinMonday: Apple Carrot Muffins

~ lk529 ~ 15 Comments

Muffin Monday

#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins to brighten their Mondays. There isn’t a theme to #MuffinMonday posts so anything goes, as long as it’s a muffin!

You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday can be found on our home page.

My cookbook library received a well deserved expansion this past Christmas and we excitedly started cooking out of them immediately. One of the books I received was a signed copy of Giada’s Happy Cooking. This cookbook is quite different from her previous cookbooks in both feel and format. Looking through the book makes me feel like I’m going through a beautiful magazine instead of a book book. There’s even a very honest introduction written by Giada.

The first thing we made were the black bean brownies. All I can say is these were… different. To be fair, we changed it up and used a can of refried black beans instead of regular black beans. Stuart took the interesting result to work for others to try our experiment. Successful wouldn’t be the term to describe that baking adventure! Maybe we’ll give them another go and follow her recipe exactly.

Apple Carrot Muffins for #MuffinMonday from Sew You Think You Can Cook (2)

Today’s muffins came from Happy Cooking. I did have to use all AP flour because I was out of wheat flour and omitted the flax meal. As always, I used cinnamon applesauce in place of the unsweeted regular applesauce called for. I also substituted golden raisins in place of dried goji berries. (I wouldn’t recommend shredding baby carrots, but you do what you gotta do!) Even with my changes, these muffins were definitely successful!

This recipe makes one dozen muffins.

Carrot and Apple Muffins

Ingredients:

  • 6 tbsp butter, at room temperature
  • 1 C dark brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/4 C flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 C cinnamon applesauce
  • 1/4 C apple juice
  • 1/2 – 2/3 C shredded carrot
  • 1/4 C golden raisins

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with liners.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add in the eggs, one at a time.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and allspice. Add half of the flour mixture to the stand mixer and mix until combined.
  4. Add the applesauce and apple juice. Mix until incorporated.
  5. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix until combined. Fold in the carrot and raisins.
  6. Divide batter among the prepared muffin tin.
  7. Bake 18 – 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out cleanly. Allow muffins to cool in the pan 5 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

*This recipe is modified from Giada’s Happy Cooking*

Apple Carrot Muffins for #MuffinMonday from Sew You Think You Can Cook (1)

And don’t forget to check out these other muffin recipes:

Blueberry Cornmeal Sourdough Muffins from Karen’s Kitchen Stories

Cherry Chocolate Chip Muffins from Palatable Pastime

Cinnamon Molasses Muffins from Passion Kneaded

Cranberry White Chocolate Muffins from Making Miracles

Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Chocolate Muffins from Food Lust People Love

Sour Cream and Green Onion Corn Muffins from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Spicy and Sweet Hummus Muffins from Kelli’s Kitchen

Strawberry Vanilla Yogurt Muffins from Farm Fresh Feasts

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. 

Kale Soup

~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

Back in November my brother-in-law came to visit. We went grocery shopping to pick up some items for football watching and dinner making. Upon their departure we were left with a bunch of kale; a large quantity not a single bunch.

So I made kale chips.

And soup.

And still there was a little bit left to freeze and “sneak” into Firecracker’s smoothies.

So. Much. Kale!

Not that that’s a bad thing. I buy kale hardly ever, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve purchased said green. I have nothing against kale, but I guess I never jumped on the bandwagon a couple of years ago.

This soup though, I can get on board with. But only if there’s bacon with it. Before heating up some leftovers I had to fry a piece of bacon to provide that bit of crunch and salt.

Kale Soup

Ingredients:

  • 4 slices center cut bacon, chopped
  • 3 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 leek, sliced in half-moons
  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 1/2 tsp dried thyme
  • 4 C chicken broth
  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
  • 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • sour cream for serving (optional)

Steps:

  1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel lined plate.
  2. Add the potatoes and leeks to the pot and cook 3 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, S+P and cook another 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and 4 C of water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook 15 minutes.
  3. Reserve a little bit of the kale to make kale chips for garnishing the soup. Add the remaining kale to the soup, cover the pot, and cook 5 minutes until the kale is wilted. Stir in the Worcestershire.
  4. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. (Note: If using a stand blender you may need to puree the soup in batches. Leave the lid slightly open and cover with a towel to prevent burns.)
  5. Put the reserved kale on a baking sheet, spray with cooking oil, season with S+P and broil until crispy.
  6. Garnish the soup with kale chips, bacon, and sour cream.

*This recipe is adapted from Food Network Magazine, January/February 2015*

Kale Soup | Sew You Think You Can Cook

CIC: Chickpeas & Honey

~ lk529 ~ 12 Comments

CIC-header

This month’s Crazy Ingredient Challenge was to combine chickpeas aka garbanzo beans and honey. Two ingredients that were already in my pantry. How was I to turn down the challenge!?

I kept it really simple this month and added only a few more ingredients, cinnamon sugar and olive oil. The result was a snack that we devoured within the hour! Roasted chickpeas will become a new snack staple and I can’t wait to play around with some other flavor combinations.

These chickpeas would be beautiful atop a salad, too. Much like the one I shared yesterday!

Cinnamon and Honey Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients:

  • 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 2 tsp cinnamon sugar

Steps:

  1. Lay chickpeas out on a clean towel and pat dry. Remove any lose skins. Leave chickpeas out until completely dried, about 45 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  3. Lay chickpeas out on the prepared baking sheet. Roast 40 minutes, or until crunchy.
  4. Toss roasted chickpeas in oil. Add the honey and cinnamon sugar. Place chickpeas back on the baking sheet and roast another 5 minutes.

*This recipe is adapted from Debbie at http://www.madefrompinterest.net/roasted-chickpeas-recipe/*

Cinnamon and Honey Roasted Chickepeas for Crazy Ingredient Challenge from Sew You Think You Can Cook

To see the other bloggers who participated in this month’s Crazy Ingredient Challenge click on the link below.

#SundaySupper: Heart Healthy

~ lk529 ~ 28 Comments

I have recently joined a food blogging community movement. #SundaySupperMovement. This particular group of bloggers gather around the table every Sunday in an effort to slow down; to savour not just the food, but each other. In our fast-paced, smart-phone-addicted world it’s nice to take the time, if only once a week, to gather together as a family and enjoy a home cooked meal.

Like other blogging groups, each Sunday finds this group meeting up behind a theme. This week the theme is “Heart Healthy”. Did you know February is American Heart Month? (Last week was Congenital Heart Defect Awareness week. I’d like to ask you to please check out my post in honor of our friends’ little boy with a CHD.)

Today’s event is being hosted by Ethel of eating in instead and Lori of Foxes Love Lemons. Below the recipe I’m sharing for today’s Sunday Supper you will find a list of other great Hearth Healthy ideas to place on your table.

Stuart has been asking for fish tacos for a few weeks now. I think he must really be missing living in Florida. Especially since it snows and is cold here. His thoughts of fish tacos and my thoughts of fish tacos are slightly different. Mr. Fitness is picturing light, healthy, and bright. I’m thinking crispy, fried, and kinda-healthy. The recipe I present to you marries the two worlds together for a very diet friendly and flavorful fish taco.

Oven Baked Tilapia Tacos

Ingredients:

  • 2 tilapia fillets
  • 1 C flour
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 C breadcrumbs
  • 4 tbsp sour cream
  • 1/2 tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce
  • zest 1 lime
  • juice 1/2 lime
  • 1/2 tbsp sugar, or to taste
  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
  • 2 1/2 C broccoli slaw mix
  • 8 taco sized flour tortillas

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
  2. Slice each fish fillet into 4 strips (cut in half lengthwise and then cut those in half widthwise).
  3. In a shallow bowl whisk together flour, chili powder, and a little S+P. In a separate bowl beat the two eggs. Place the breadcrumbs in a third bowl.
  4. Dredge each fish strip in the flour mixture, then the eggs, and finally the breadcrumbs. Place strips on a lightly greased, aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, or until cooked through.
  5. Meanwhile make the slaw. In a small bowl combine sour cream, chipotle sauce, lime zest, lime juice, sugar, and salt.
  6. Pour dressing over the broccoli slaw. I suggest doing this slowly so as to not over dress the slaw.
  7. Assemble tacos: place two fish strips in each tortilla and top with the slaw. If desired, add other taco favorites – like cilantro, avocado, or tomato.

*This recipe is modified from Jennie at http://www.injennieskitchen.com/2009/09/baked_fish_tacos_my_favorite_kitchen_addiction/*

Oven Baked Tilapia Tacos | Sew You Think You Can Cook

Better for you breakfasts:

Jump start your health with these appetizers and snacks:

Soups that’ll win your heart:

Veggies, Sides, & Salads your heart will thank you for:

Healthy is the center of attention in these main courses:

Staying healthy doesn’t mean giving up desserts!

We heart wine.

Sunday Supper MovementJoin the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Clean-Eating Banana Bread

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

If you are looking for a healthy grab-and-go breakfast then stop your search. This recipe is just the thing you’re looking for! Banana bread. But not just any banana bread. This banana bread is oil free and sugar free*.

Wait, what’s that asterisk for? There’s already a catch?! Well, sorta. Honey replaces the sugar (or you could use agave!) and applesauce replaces the oil. This recipe remains sugar free IF you use a sugar free applesauce. I used my favorite organic cinnamon applesauce, but it wasn’t sugar free.

Clean Eating Banana Bread

Ingredients:

  • 3 overripe bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 C sugar-free applesauce
  • 3/4 C honey
  • 2 C whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a bowl mash bananas. Mix in the eggs, honey, and applesauce.
  3. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Pour batter into a lightly greased loaf pan. Bake 1 hour, or until a knife comes out cleanly.

*This recipe is adapted from Karli at http://8weekstoabetteryourecipes.blogspot.com/2012/09/banana-bread-8-week-friendly.html*

Banana Bread

Grilled Pork and Pineapple

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Before the summer disappears and the weather gets too cold for grilling you have to give this recipe a try! This dinner is ready in under 20 minutes and according to Better Homes and Gardens is under 320 Calories with only 7 grams of fat. So before you’re switching your menu to comfort foods, enjoy this summer meal.

Grilled Pork and Pineapple

Ingredients:

  • 4 pork chops
  • 1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced into rings
  • 1/2 C yogurt
  • 3 tbsp orange marmalade
  • 1/4 C cashews

Steps:

  1. Season pork with S+P. Grill pork over medium heat for four minutes on each side, or until cooked through.
  2. Grill pineapple.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt and marmalade.

*This recipe is adapted from http://www.bhg.com/recipe/pork/grilled-pork-and-pineapple/*

Grilled Pork and Pineapple

Roasted Shrimp and Avocado Pesto

~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

If you’re still keeping up with your New Year’s resolution, good for you! If you’re not – don’t consider it failure, pick it back up and try again.

On January first I promised you a healthy dish. I’m only 3 weeks late in delivering, but here it is! Brown rice pasta (pad thai noodles) and roasted shrimp tossed in avocado pesto.

I followed Amateur Gourmet‘s method for roasting the shrimp and was inspired by The Gracious Pantry‘s avocado pesto. Because I kept tasting throughout the cooking process, I ended up creating my own version of avocado pesto!

Roasted Shrimp and Avocado Pesto

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
  • 8 oz brown rice noodles
  • 2 avocados
  • 1/2 C fresh basil
  • juice of 2 lemons
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 C shredded asiago cheese
  • salt and white pepper, to taste

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 deg.
  2. Cook brown rice noodles according to package directions.
  3. Place shrimp on a greased baking sheet. Season with salt, pepper, and a little squeeze of lemon. Roast for 10 minutes.
  4. In a food processor combine the remaining ingredients.
  5. Toss noodles and shrimp with as much avocado pesto you want.

Avocado Pesto

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