Recipe: Almond/Peanut Butter Cups

With my new found love for peanut butter, I knew I wanted to try Reese's peanut butter cups and see if I would like them; but you know me, if I can make it at home, I would. So these were on my list to make after the show. These are super delish, super easy to make and waaay healthier and better than Reese's and without all the other crap.

Enjoy!

200g of organic dark chocolate chips

200g of all natural pure peanut butter or almond butter

2 tbsp of organic coconut oil

12 Cupcake liners

Melt chocolate with 1 tbsp of coconut oil in double boiler

Pour a tbsp of melted chocolate in each cup

Put in fridge for about 3 minutes for chocolate to set

 

Mix remaining coconut oil and almond butter

Spoon a little bit in set chocolate, put in the fridge for another 3 minutes to set

 

Spoon another layer of chocolate on top and put in the fridge to set until ready to be eaten! Try to be patient and not eat all of them in once seating! 

 

Brussel Sprouts

One of my favorite ways to cook veggies is to roast them. So simple and easy, yet oh so delicious.

I'm really not sure where or how did brussel sprouts get such a bad reputation but it's going to be hard to convince people that they are delicious if they're always served to you just boiled, unappetizing and bland.

Here's my favorite way to cook these tiny little cabbages.

I slice them into two, sometimes three if they're big enough. Spread them out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (easy clean up). I then spritz them (very lightly) with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with lemon zest and lemon juice, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven at 425 degrees for 25 minutes or until tender. They pair well with grilled chicken and quinoa!

Sometimes, make "chips" out of them as well. I loosen the brussel sprouts into individual leaves and I spray them very lightly with EVOO (sometimes with the chips, I don't even spray them with oil). I roast them for 25 minutes and I take them out and let them cool for a bit.

These are great to snack on or one of my favorite way is topping my kale and spinach salad with the chips. They add a little bit of smokiness and crunch to the salad. If it were okay for me to eat dried cranberries (I preferred unsweetened) at this time, I will add it to the salad along with some sunflower seeds. A simple homemade lemon vinaigrette dressing and it's salad heaven!  

Recipe: Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Pablano with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

This was inspired by an old recipe that I had (http://ronnielascano.blogspot.com/2010/10/chicken-chile-relleno.html)for chicken relleno.

This version is much leaner, lower in fat and calories but just as delish!

4 large poblano peppers
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 red (or orange, yellow, green) bell pepper, finely chopped
1 lb of ground lean turkey (ground chicken works as well)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-1/2 tbsp dried sage
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp fennel
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp ground mustard 
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1½ cups cooked quinoa

¼ cup low sodium, fat free chicken broth or water
Salt & pepper to taste

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves of garlic
4 red bell peppers
1 cup low sodium, fat free chicken broth or water
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat grill and oven to 350 degrees. Once the grill is hot, place pablano and red bell peppers on the grill and roast until blackened on all sides.

 

Put in ziploc bags for 10 minutes then carefully peel the skin off the peppers. 

Using small sharp knife, carefully slit peppers open along 1 side. Remove seeds, leaving stems attached and set aside.

 

Meanwhile, brown ground turkey in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, red peppers and dry seasonings. Cook until turkey is cooked through, about 7-8 minutes. Add cooked quinoa and chicken broth, season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Remove from heat.

 Stuff the pablano peppers with the turkey mixture placed on a baking dish.

In the meanwhile take peeled and seeds removed red bell pepper and transfer to a blender. Add roasted garlic and chicken broth (or water) and blend until smooth.

 Pour over the stuffed pablano peppers and bake in the oven for 25 minutes and serve hot! 

Note:
Ingredients listed in red above is my own mixture for italian seasoning. You can easily buy Italian chicken sausage in lieu of turkey and added seasoning. I prefer to do my own so I know exactly what goes in my food. It's also one of the benefits of having a well stocked pantry. :)

Recipe: Turkey Lettuce Wraps

I'm 10 weeks out and a lot of people are really noticing the changes with my body and I am too. People are always asking me what I eat and assumes that I'm eating nothing but boiled chicken and broccoli! BOILED CHICKEN!?? That's just silly! I cook clean, healthy and delicious food whenever we have people for dinner and quite a bit of them are asking for a lot of my recipes or suggest that I put together a recipe book. Not sure if I'm quite ready for that but I've always preached that healthy doesn't mean lack of flavor or grilled chicken and broccoli.

Yoko suggested that I create a food blog. I could be the Asian Julia Childs with clean recipes! It's definitely a thought but for now, I'll stick to this until all the things I have going on calm down a bit and maybe I'll start that! For now, I'll stick to this blog and share recipes whenever I can.



Turkey Lettuce Wraps

1 lb ground turkey or ground chicken (if you prefer)
1/2 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 carrots, julienned 
1 cup of chopped  mushrooms
Salt & pepper (to taste)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and julienne
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 1/2 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce (tamari for gluten free option)
1/2 tbsp. water
1 tbsp. natural peanut butter
1 tbsp. vinegar
2 tbsp. chili garlic sauce
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
romaine lettuce

It's all about flavor. Garlic, Onions, Ginger

Heat a large, non-stick skillet on high. Add ground turkey, stirring often to break up the meat and cook until it's done, drain if necessary. Set aside.

Add onion and garlic until onion is almost translucent. Add mushrooms and cook until soft. Add turkey back in the pan.

Meanwhile, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, water, peanut butter, vinegar, chili garlic sauce and pepper in a bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds, then stir until smooth. Add to skillet and stir to combine. 

Add green onion, carrots, ginger and water chestnuts into the skillet, then cook for 1-2 minutes until the onions are soft and the water chestnuts are heated through.  

Serve with cold lettuce leaves and a side of Siracha if desired. Unsalted peanuts are optional for extra crunch as well!

Recipe: Cravings (Spicy Chicken & Broccoli Recipe)

Another craving I had was beef and broccoli so with ingredients I had in hand, I whipped up a delish and healthy to satisfy my Chinese food craving.

I used 2 boneless and skinless chicken breast and cut into 1" cubes instead of beef, seasoned with salt and pepper.

I preheated my pan and heated 1 tsp of coconut oil. Added 1 medium chopped onion and sautéed for about 2 minutes. Add 4 cloves of chopped garlic and 2 tbsp of chopped ginger. Sautee for another 2 minutes.

Move aromatics to the side and brown chicken cubes on both sides.

Once the chicken is brown, I added my veggies. I had a head of broccoli in the fridge and some more snap peas. So I threw those in there.

I let it cooked for about 2 minutes then added my tamari and chili sauce mixture. (2 tbsp of low sodium tamari and 1 tbsp of chili sauce). This is where you would usually add 1 tbsp of cornstarch to help thicken the sauce but I'm not sure if cornstarch is allowed in my diet at this time so I omitted it.

Mix it well and let it cook for 2 minutes, add 1/2 cup of water and cover and let simmer for about 5 minutes. 

And done! I served this on a bed of quinoa/brown rice mixture and a side of extra chili sauce. 

It was delish! Vince thought that it'll probably be good if we added unsalted peanuts at the end for extra crunch and I agree. I didn't have any in the pantry. Maybe next time. 

Cravings (Chicken Masala Recipe)

This week, for some reason, has been hard when it comes to taming my cravings. Maybe it's because it's been really cold and I've been resting (nurturing my fat as I call it, lol) but I have been craving a lot of things that I can't necessarily have. Mostly savory dishes. Luckily, I'm not a really big sweets person.

Yesterday, since I was feeling a whole lot better, Vince took me out to the movies to watch The Hunger Games. We ate dinner before we left the house so we would not be tempted to eat unhealthy (and expensive) stuff from the theater. When we were walking to the theater, I immediately smell the savory and delish aroma of Indian Food. Vince and I usually eat at this restaurant (one of my favorite Indian food Restaurant) when we are around this area. My mouth was watering and I was still thinking about it when we got out of the theater. 

On the drive home, I was thinking about how I could make a clean and healthier version of chicken curry/masala which is usually loaded with heavy cream and butter. By the time we got home, I had a plan! 

I took the chicken breast out of the fridge, trimmed the extra fat off and cut it into cubes. I marinated the chicken with 1/2 cup of non fat Greek yogurt, freshly grated ginger root and minced garlic and a tbsp of curry. I covered it and let it marinate in the fridge overnight. 

The next day, we had breakfast and cleaned up the apartment. I timed cooking the masala so by the time it's done, it's time to eat lunch! 

I finely chopped medium onion, 5 cloves of garlic and ginger (we always have ginger root and garlic in our house). Set aside. On a pan, I heated 1 tsp of coconut oil and toasted some ground cumin for a couple of minutes. I added my aromatics and cooked until the onions are translucent. I then added 1/2 tsp of turmeric, 1 tsp of chili powder and 1 tsp of curry powder. I let that cook for two minutes. The aroma of spices cooking was amazing! Vince was getting hungry smelling it! 

I then added the marinated chicken and let it cook for about 8 minutes until the chicken are golden brown. 

I then added about 1 cup of water, about 2 tbsp of garam masala and 3 bay leaves. I turn the heat down to medium low, covered it and let it simmer for about 15 minutes. 

I knew that I needed to get my greens in somehow so I looked into our fridge and see what kid of veggies I had on hand. Perfect! Snap peas! It'll add a beautiful color, crunch and nutrition to the dish!

I cut about 2 cups of snap peas in half and added to the dish along with 2 tbsp of Greek yogurt to thicken the sauce a bit. I let it simmer for about another 3 minutes (I don't want to over cook the snap peas, I like them crunchy).

I made sure that I portioned out the right amount of chicken and veggies for my meal on top of quinoa. 

It was delicious and packedful of flavor.

I was able to satisfy my craving for Indian food and still stayed with my diet and saved money! I had everything I needed to make this dish at home! 

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep your pantry stocked with dried herbs and spices. Most dried herbs and spices have no calories and the ones that do are so insignificant that you probably burn those calories cooking that delish food! They add so much flavor without all the calories and fat. 

Healthy doesn't have to be bland, you just have to be creative!

Menu for Week 6:

Breakfast and snacks are my usual. I'm mixing it up with lunch and dinner though. If I have to eat lean protein (white fish, chicken breast, lean turkey), greens and grains for a while, I better get creative and mix things up! I usually cook brown rice & quinoa in the rice cooker and portion it into 4 oz servings in tupperwares and keep it in the fridge. That way I always have the right portion of grains that I need and I can eat it with whatever protein and greens I choose.

Sunday, we're going up to Breck for some snowboarding and I think coming home to delicious warm soup would be great!

Sunday: 
Dinner: Chicken Quinoa Kale Soup (This recipe makes plenty)

• 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 carrot, chopped
•  2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• salt & pepper
• 4 cups torn kale
• 4 garlic clove
• 8 cups of water (or fat free, low sodium chicken broth)
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 large chicken breasts (about 1lb), cut in half
• 2large sweet potato, peeled and chopped into 1/2″ cubes
• 2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat oil in large soup pot over medium heat. Add carrot, celery, garlic, and onion, season with salt and pepper, then saute until tender, about 10 minutes. Add 7 cups chicken broth, parsley flakes, dried thyme, bay leaf and bring to a boil.

Add chicken breasts to the pot then cook for 10 minutes, or until no longer pink in the center. Remove to a plate then add sweet potato and quinoa to boiling broth. Place a lid on top, lower heat to medium, then cook for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender and quinoa is cooked. Meanwhile shred chicken.

Add shredded chicken back to the soup, remove bay leaf, and kale. Taste and add more salt & pepper if necessary. Serve topped with parmesan cheese, if desired (Vince does). Use remaining 1 cup chicken broth to add when reheating soup, as quinoa will absorb much of the broth as it cools.

**I'm planning on making this in the slow cooker so it will be warm and ready after a day of snowboarding. I will saute the mirepoix and add the rest of the ingredients in the pot except for the kale and quinoa. I like my kale a bit more fresh instead of fully cooked. I just want the hot broth to wilt it right before serving. I'll probably have the quinoa cooked already and just add the soup on top of it. This way, I can better measure my portion.**

Monday 
Lunch: Grilled Chicken Breast with Zucchini Ribbon and Quinoa Salad

• 1 green zucchini, thinly sliced with a vegetable peeler
•  2 cups of arugula or baby spinach (I like arugula because of it's peppery taste)
• ¼ cup slivered almonds
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 1 cup of cooked quinoa
• oregano, salt and pepper to taste

Lightly spray/brush the zucchini with olive oil and grill on hot grill for a few minutes. Set aside, combine vinegar, mustard, garlic, evoo and mix well. Mix the zucchini, quinoa and arugula together and toss with a little bit of the dressing.

Dinner: Cilantro Ginger Baked Tilapia with Quinoa/Brown Rice & Oven Roasted Asparagus

• 2 large tilapia fillets
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 2 Tbsp reduced sodium tamari
• 1/4 cup water or fat free, low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Preheat the oven to 475 F.  Place the fish in a glass baking dish and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place the garlic, ginger, tamari, water/broth, sesame oil, and cilantro into a food processor and blend it up.  Pour the mixture over the fish. Bake for 8 minutes or until the fish flakes easily and is cooked through. Served with cooked grains and greens.

Tuesday:
Lunch: Italian Roasted Chicken Breast with Italian Roasted Snap Peas &  Mashed Sweet Potato

Italian Roasted Snap Peas: 

• 1 large leek, white part only, halved lengthwise and thoroughly washed
• 1 pound sugar snap and snow peas, trimmed
•  3 teaspoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon  salt
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut leek halves into 2-inch lengths and then very thinly slice each piece lengthwise, yielding 2-inch-long strips. Toss the leek strips, peas, oil and salt in a medium bowl. Spread evenly on a baking sheet.

Roast for 15 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Return to the oven and roast until the vegetables begin to brown, about 10 minutes more. Toss in dried oregano and serve.

Chicken:

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 chicken breast halves
• Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 425°.
Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well. Rub rosemary mixture on the chicken breast and place chicken on a baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of the breast registers 155°. Remove chicken from pan; let stand for 10 minutes.

Dinner:  Chicken Quinoa Kale Soup Left Overs
  
Wednesday:
Lunch: Spicy Baked Tilapia with Sauteed Brocollini & Kale and Brown Rice

• 4 Tilapia fillets
• 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• a pinch or more of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced

Preheat oven at 450°.
Lightly brush fillets with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and pepper flakes and lemon zest. Sprinkle lemon juice and bake fish for 10 minutes or until fish is flaky.

• 2 pounds broccolini, trimmed & steamed for 5 minutes or until bright green
• 8 ounces kale
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil

Heat oil in a pan. Fry lemon slices until lightly brown and set aside. Add garlic and pepper flakes to the pan for about a minute. Toss in broccolini and saute for 3 minutes. Add kale until wilted. Toss in salt and serve with lemon slices.

Dinner:  My less fat, less sodium yet still delicious version of Ginisang Bagiuio Beans (Filipino Food)

• 1 lb of very lean ground turkey
• 1 1/2 lbs of green beans, french cut
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoon of low sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 1 medium tomato, sliced
• 1/4 cup of water.

Cook turkey in a pan until brown. Set aside.
Heat oil in a pan. Saute onions until slightly transparent, add garlic and red pepper flakes. Add tomatoes and green beans. Add water and cover and let simmer for about 10 minutes or until green beans are tender. Add turkey back in the pan along with soy sauce and black pepper. Serve with quinoa or brown rice.

Thursday:
Lunch:  Grilled Chicken Kale Salad with Butternut Squash Soup

• 1 large butternut squash
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 tart, firm green apple, peeled, cored and quartered
• 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• few dashes freshly-ground black pepper
• healthy pinch red chili powder
• 5-6 cups vegetable stock

Pre-heat oven to 400 F.
In a large roasting pan, toss the squash, onion, garlic, and apples with the oil to coat. Season well with the salt, pepper and chili powder. Roast, stirring every 10 minutes, until the vegetables are fork-tender and lightly browned, about 40 minutes.
Put all of the vegetables into a big soup pot and blend until smooth with an immersion blender.  Return pureed soup to a large soup pot. Add more broth if the soup seems too thick. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Dinner:  Baked Salmon with Shredded Asparagus Salad and Quinoa

• 3/4 lb. asparagus, (the thicker the better)
• 1/4 red pepper, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 tsp. each: onion powder, sea salt (more or less, to taste), ground black pepper (more or less, to taste)

Using a sharp vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus into paper-thin slices into a large mixing bowl. Hold the tough ends/stems and shave towards the spear. Throw out the tough end once stalk is shaved down. Add all remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Friday: 
Lunch: Left Overs

Dinner: Tinola (Filipino Dish - cleaner version of course)

I still haven't decided on what to do for my cheat meal this week. Although sushi is sounding really good right about now! :)