Strawberry Beet Salad

Simple, easy and delicious for my beet lovers!


Ingredients:


2 cup greens
1/2 cup sliced beets (cooked) or (sliced canned beets work well too)
4 small strawberries, sliced
1/2 avocado 
1/2 tbsp balsamic glaze
1 tbsp sugar or sugar substitute


Method:
Combine all ingredients together!  


for protein add: sliced chicken breast
and 1 ounce of crumbled goat cheese is always a nice touch on this salad also :)


SOO simple- but all the flavors together are so good!


Enjoy! 
Peace and love,
Jenny

Light & Healthy High Protein Breakfast

Ingredients:
3 egg whites
1/2 cup sliced red or yellow bell peppers
1/4 cup diced white onion
3 basil leaves, chiffonade
1 garlic clove, minced
1 roma tomato, sliced
balsamic vinegar for tomato slices
1/2 avocado topped with 1 tbsp cream cheese
salt/pepper to taste

Method:
Heat skillet on medium-high and saute the peppers, and onion until translucent.  Add minced garlic and saute for another 1-2 minute. Add your egg whites and scramble all together and add basil.

Season with salt/pepper.

Slice your tomato and add balsamic vinegar.

Cut avocado down the middle and reserve 1/2 for use.  Mix in Cream cheese :) I also topped the avocado with balsamic vinegar!

I Hope you enjoy! You are getting all your protein you need to get your day started! :)

Peace and Love,

Jenny

Quinoa- Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Serves 4


Ingredients:


4 poblano chili peppers
1 cup water
1/2 cup quinoa
cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped tomato
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp cilantro, minced
1/2 tbsp tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 small avocado
1 tbsp cream cheese
garnish: sliced green onions
pinch garlic powder
salt/pepper to taste


Method:


Preheat bbq or grill, or preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 


Cut the top off of the chilies, remove stems and seeds. 


Bake or grill poblanos until softened. Make sure to flip on both sides and cook evenly.  Once cooked, set aside.  


Combine water and quinoa in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 13 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Set aside.


Spray a large non-stick skillet with non-stick cooking spray.  Place over medium high heat and wait until pan is hot.  Add onions, and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Add tomatoes and saute for another 2-3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in cooked quinoa.  Add the tamari or soy sauce, sugar and minced cilantro, and season with garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.


Stuff poblano peppers with the quinoa-vegetable mixture and garnish with green onions.


Slice avocado in half- and add cream cheese to the middle of the avocado.  I topped my avocado with balsamic glaze and sprinkled red pepper flakes.


Balsamic glaze = balsamic reduction... boil balsamic vinegar in a sauce pan with sugar until it becomes a glaze :)




** If you are a cheese fan- you can also add some cheese on top of the stuffed chilies and bake them for an additional 5-10 minutes.  If you are using a cheese that melts quicker you can remove them from heat as soon as the cheese is melted.




I hope you enjoy this dish!! :)


Peace and love,
Jenny

Low-Calorie Gluten Free Crepes

Breakfast and dessert are two of my favorite meals so why not combine them together!

Here is a crepe recipe and it may sound intimidating and you may mess up your first one, but don't get discouraged!!

Ingredients:
1 cup gluten-free All Purpose flour (I use Bob Mill's brand... you can find it at Whole Foods, King Soopers, Sunflower Market) and for my non-gluten free people you can just use 1 cup of regular All-Purpose Flour
1 1/3 cup Almond Milk
2 egg whites
1/2 cup water
pinch of salt

Method:
Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl with a whisk.  Blend until smooth.  Preheat a large non-stick skillet with non-stick Pan Spray.

Pour about 3 tablespoons onto the preheated skillet, and swirl the pan around to make a large circle with the crepe mixture until it covers the entire pan (it should be paper thin)

Cook each side until golden brown.

Serve warm with a filling of your choice! :)

(Note: Each crepe is roughly about 35 calories!!)

For my filling I used Cream Cheese and topped it with fresh strawberries and sprinkled it with a little Splenda  :)

Another amazing filling to try is an Apple Cinnamon Filling:

Ingredients:

2 small apples
1 tbsp sugar or sugar substitute
1 tbsp water
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
cinnamon to taste
Whipped cream

Method:
Core and skin apples and cut into little cube like pieces.  Combine sugar, water and vanilla extract in a skillet and cover and cook for a few minutes til the apples are soft and golden brown.  Cover apples in cinnamon and toss.
Remove apples from the skillet and mix with a little whipped cream.

Place a dab of cinnamon apple filling on half of the crepe and roll the crepe up :)

Other options for filling:

Sugar free jam
Peanut butter
Pie filling
Whipped cream and bananas
Scrambled eggs with cheese and bacon
Broccoli and Cheese
Mushrooms, feta and cooked spinach

Or whatever your little heart desires!!

Hope you enjoy!

Peace and Love,
Jenny

Baked Chicken with Sumo Tangerine-Mint Sauce and Roasted Butternut Squash with Mushrooms

Serves 2
Ingredients:


1 sumo tangerine, medium size (I found this tangerine at Whole Foods) or you can just use the small Cutie tangerines... if using those, use 2 or 3 to make sauce.
2 sprigs mint (about 6 leaves)
10 medium size white button mushrooms
1 medium butternut squash
2 chicken breasts, skin removed, be-boned
4 tsp brown sugar
salt/pepper to taste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp white sugar


You will need a food processor or blender to make the sauce!


Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 

Place butternut squash halves on a large baking sheet flesh side up. Place 1 teaspoon butter in the middle of each squash. Sprinkle brown sugar over each squash. Season with salt and black pepper. Roast 25 minutes, until flesh is fork-tender.  Remove, and set aside.

Keep oven at a 350 degree temp., and place chicken in a baking dish.  Depending on the size of the chicken breast will determine the cooking time.  Season with salt/pepper and a sprinkle of dried oregano.  Temp chicken with a meat thermometer or cut into it to determine if your chicken is cooked through.  Anywhere from 25-35 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, make your sumo-tangerine mint sauce.  Peel tangerine and get the fruit into segmented pieces.  Keep one mint leaf and one segmented tangerine for garnish.  Combine the tangerine, mint, and a tsp of sugar into a food processor or blender.  Blend until smooth.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  

Once the squash has cooled down, cut into small cubes. Heat up a saute pan with a little oil over medium heat and saute mushrooms until they are soft and cooked.  Season with salt/pepper.  Add your cubed butternut squash and sprinkle the remaining 2 tsp of brown sugar.  

Serve your chicken with your tangerine - mint sauce and roasted squash and mushrooms.

Enjoy :)

Peace and Love,

Jenny

Baked Stuffed Caprese Chicken with Balsamic Deduction

Baked Stuffed Caprese Chicken


2 cloves garlic, minced
6 slices sun-dried tomatoes, diced
4 basil leaves
2 ounces smoked gouda cheese, shredded
2 chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste


Preheat the oven to 400°F. 

Get your garlic minced, basil washed, sun dried tomatoes diced and set aside. 


Meanwhile, place each chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and flatten with a mallet until 1/4-inch thick. Divide the caprese stuffing between the two chicken breasts. Place the stuffing in the center of the chicken (see picture above). Fold the chicken up around the stuffing and place each chicken breast, folded side down, in a baking dish. Season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper.  I placed a toothpick to hold the chicken together in a roll while in the baking dish.  

Meanwhile your chicken is cooking, make your balsamic deduction.  (Recipe to follow)


** Leave about 2 tbsp of shredded gouda cheese on the side to sprinkle on the top of the chicken breast. 
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165.  Test with a meat thermometer.  If your need to cook it longer do as necessary.


Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top of the chicken and bake for another 1-2 min.


Serve with side of your choice and drizzle with balsamic reduction.

I served my dish with asparagus topped with garlic, gouda, and sun dried tomatoes (since I already had the ingredients from the Chicken) :)

Balsamic Reduction



1 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup light brown sugar

In a small saucepan, bring the vinegar to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer. After the vinegar has reduced by half, whisk in the brown sugar. Simmer until the sauce has become thick and syrupy and sticks to the back of a wooden spoon.

I hope you enjoy!


Peace and Love,
Jenny

Acorn Squash with an Asian Vegetable Slaw

This Asian-style slaw bridges the gap between a salad and sauteed vegetables but it is a nice filling for stuffing the acorn squash.  It is a fresh, healthy and a beautifully colored dish.


Serves 1-2


Ingredients:


1 small-medium acorn squash
3 stalks bok choy, chiffonade (thinly sliced)
1/2 cup red, yellow or orange bell peppers, cut into thin strips (I used a little of all for more color)
5 brussels sprouts, cut and trimmed, thinly sliced
1 small leek (green and white part only), thinly sliced
1/8 cup white onion, small dice
2 cloves garlic, minced


Dressing for the asian slaw:
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 tbsp sugar or sugar substitute
pinch salt/pepper




Garnish:
Toasted Sesame seeds


Method:
First start with the acorn squash.  With a large sharp knife cut the acorn squash down the middle and remove the seeds, and discard.  I am going to have you boil the acorn squash so in a large pot of salted water place the acorn squash flesh side down submerged in the water. A small to medium acorn squash will take about 15-20 minutes to boil.  You will know when it's cooked throughly when you can easily stick your fork into the acorn squash and it will easily go through the skin and the flesh.
Meanwhile the squash is cooking, you will now prepare your asian slaw.
In a saute pan cook add a little olive oil and add the onions.  Saute until slightly brown, then begin adding all the other vegetables. (bell peppers, brussels sprouts, leeks, garlic).  Lastly add the bok choy.  Saute uncovered for about minutes.  Add the dressing to the asian slaw and stir.  Taste the vegetable mixture and adjust the seasonings to your liking.  Toss everything and cook another 1-2 minutes.


Once your acorn squash is done cooking, remove it from the water and let it drain and cool.  As far as plating goes, you are going to want to place a heaping portion of the vegetable slaw in the middle of the acorn squash.  You will enjoy this almost like a warm salad inside a bowl of acorn squash.


Hope you enjoy!


Peace and Love,
Jenny