Top 20 Skinny Recipes from 2010

At the end of each year, I have a bit of "down time" to reflect on the past twelve months and think about the new year ahead. What a busy year this has been for me!

During these past 12 months my oldest daughter traveled to Europe, got a part-time job, went college hunting and got acceptance letters! I can't tell you how proud she makes me watching her mature into a young lady. And as this was all happening, my newborn, who just turned one experienced huge milestones each month, from cooing, to crawling, eating solids, standing, talking and now just about walking.

And somehow through this all, I managed to find the time to continue posting recipes. I just want to express how grateful and humbly thankful I am for the support of all of you, who faithfully follow my blog, leave comments, share your recipes, and spread the word. You all keep me motivated to do what I do.

I asked my facebook and twitter followers to share their favorite recipes from 2010, and the response was overwhelming so I narrowed it down to 20. Here they are in no particular order...

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Chicken Tagine with a Twist!

Some days I have to work a very long 12 hours. A 12 hours in a busy O.R. that wipes me out. A 12 hours that isn't as easy to recover from as it used to be. These are the days that cooking is the very last thing I want to do at the end of the day. Eating a hot, home-made dinner however, is just what I do need. Dilemma.

Crock Pot to the rescue! I keep most of these ingredients stocked in my pantry and only had to pick up some chicken thighs as we have been really limiting chicken lately for various reasons (read more about this life changing decision in my post/rant here). Also, I have been trying to not eat meat for dinner since IMO it isn't good for your body to be digesting meat while you sleep. Meat takes several hours of hard work for your GI system to digest and disrupts sleep.

Chicken Tagine is a classic Moroccan dish made several in several yummy variations but usually with the spices ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, paprika and turmeric.  Tajines are slow-cooked stews braised at low temperatures, resulting in tender meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce. The best thing about Chicken Tagine is that you can throw in any combination of your favorite ingredients such as dried fruits, nuts, olives, veggies, preserved lemon, honey ect. and as long as you use the classic base of spices and tomatoes you've got yourself a Moroccan Delight!

I love my veggies and so I threw in some diced eggplant along with my olives, dried apricots and fresh cranberries. *On a side note, I don't think I will use fresh cranberries next time as they were pretty tart, or maybe I'll just use less to compliment the other flavors without over powering them.

A pretty Tagine pot is on the top of my wish list. I use a 'crock pot' for now ;)

Image from Emily Avila

The traditional tajine pot is formed entirely of a heavy clay, which is sometimes painted or glazed. It consists of two parts: a base unit that is flat and circular with low sides, and a large cone or dome-shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking. The cover is so designed to promote the return of all condensation to the bottom. With the cover removed, the base can be taken to the table for serving

Recently, European manufacturers have created tajines with heavy cast-iron bottoms that can be heated on a cooking stove to a high temperature. This permits the browning of meat and vegetables before cooking.



PRINT THIS RECIPE

Ingredients


2 tablespoons olive oil

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 large onions, thinly sliced

4 large carrots, thinly sliced

1/2 cup dried cranberries

3/4 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup green olives, sliced

2 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons garlic salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 cup water

1 cup couscous



Directions:
* Searing the chicken before adding it to the crock pot is important to lock in flavour.

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken pieces and eggplant in the heated oil; stir and cook until the chicken is browned on all sides but not cooked through. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Place the browned chicken and eggplant on the bottom of a slow cooker. Layer the onion, carrots, cranberries, and apricots over the chicken.

Whisk together the chicken broth, tomato paste, lemon juice, flour, garlic salt, cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and ground black pepper in a bowl. Pour the broth mixture into the slow cooker with the chicken and vegetables.

Cook on Low setting for 8 hours.

Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Stir in couscous, and remove from heat. Cover, and let stand about 5 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed. Fluff with a fork.

PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION

 
 
 
  I'm sending this over to Potluck Fridays at eKats Kitchen!
 

Top 10 Lightened Up New Year's Day Brunch Recipes

Did you overindulge during the holidays? Too many holiday cookies? Start your 2011 right with my Top 10 Lightened Up Brunch Recipes from 2009 and 2010!

1. Mimosas
Nothing makes a brunch fancier than a glass of mimosa. It's the perfect brunch cocktail. Also a great way to use up any extra bottles of champagne from New Years Eve. I prefer freshly squeezed orange juice but if you're pressed for time, store bought will do. Cheers!



Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup

Thick and creamy lick-the-bowl good! This soup is loaded with potatoes, broccoli and cheese. A one-pot meal your whole family will love, ready in under 30 minutes.

Warm, creamy, broccoli cheese and potato soup.

Brrr!!

Snow Day!!

It's a blizzard out there, the East Coast got slammed with snow and winds and even thunder and lightning in some places. Almost everything shut down here in New York and the tri-state area today.

Being snowed in, I was craving something warm, hearty and satisfying and this soup hit the spot. I don't think my photo captured how good this was. My whole family devoured it, even my one year old. Luckily, I had all the ingredients on hand so I didn't have to plow my car out to head to the store. The ultimate comfort food in a bowl.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Skinless Chicken Thighs with Shallots in Red Wine Vinegar (Poulet Au Vinaigre)

This popular French chicken dish, made with vinegar, shallots, and white wine is quick and easy to make. Red wine vinegar gives it an intense, tangy flavor, that mellows as it simmers. Shallots are similar to onions, and are always a staple in my house along with onions and garlic. They can transform any ordinary dish and make it extraordinary. The ease of this dish makes it perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. I had a wonderful Christmas surrounded by family. Most of my gifts were cooking related. My husband surprised me with new Rachel Ray cookware, I got some fun kitchen gadgets and lots of cookbooks. I'm so excited to try some of the recipes from my new books and give them a makeover to share with all of you!

This recipe was adapted from Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking by Paula Wolfert. I used skinless boneless chicken thighs, to keep it lean and replaced the créme fraîche with low fat sour cream.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Skinny Artichoke Dip

A delicious hot artichoke dip baked with parmesan cheese, reduced fat mozzarella cheese and topped with bread crumbs. Your unsuspecting guests will have no idea they are indulging in lightened up party fare. Serve this with baked pita chips, crostini or any low fat chip.

I purchased these adorable Le Creuset Stoneware Petite Au Gratin dishes a few weeks ago in several colors, and finally found the perfect use for them, hot dips from oven to the table. Aren't they cute!

And just a little history on artichokes, did you know they are one of the oldest foods know to humans? Ancient Greeks and Romans considered artichokes a delicacy and an aphrodisiac and women were even banned from eating them in the 16th century. Well it's the 21st century so women, enjoy!

Cheesy yuminess!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Hot Spinach Dip

This lightened up cheesy spinach dip is perfect for any gathering. You can double or triple the recipe as needed.

My oldest daughter Karina loves this dip. I often made this for her as an after school snack. You can prepare this a day ahead and bake as needed. It can also be frozen before heating up if you want to prepare this a few days ahead.

Great for parties or

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Creamy Parmesan Spinach Dip

Classic full-fat spinach dip got skinny by using low-fat ingredients and getting most of it's flavor from Parmigiano Reggiano.

I love using crudites as low-carb dippers such as raw broccoli, celery or carrots, but I usually serve this with reduced-fat crackers or baked chips for my guests. A typical serving size for a dip is usually about 2 tablespoons depending how many appetizers are being served, but I calculated this based on a larger portion.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Sun-Dried Tomato Polenta with Lentil Putenesca

To my surprise, I have not gained any weight through this Holiday Season! Despite the fact that I've been to several parties with food a plenty and everyone at work brings in boxes and tins of goodies into work every day for weeks now, I've managed to not put on a pound! ........ *Oooooo's and Awwwww's inserted here.
Truthfully, I don't feel as good as I normally do which probably has to do with the occasional snacking on sweets and that I've been insanely busy and haven't been exercising regularly. I am however really being good about still making good, healthy home made foods most every day.

Breakfast: Either my Simple Chilled Gazpacho, Keifer smoothie w flax, berries and orange peel or a scrambled egg with veggies.

Lunch: Salad, salad, salad. Eat your veggies. I have a variety of salads with a small amount of lean meat.
I've been taught to eat a small amount of meat at lunch time and NOT at dinner. Meat takes several hours to digest and IMO your body shouldn't be working to digest a bunch of meat while your immobile and sleeping. Also, beans and legumes as well as potatoes actually promote a restful sleep.

Dinner:  A Light Vegetarian meal. Sometimes I add Chicken broth to things for flavour and nutrients, but mostly we eat vegetarian for dinner. Beans, lentils, brown rice, whole grains and of course, veggies! I have lots of simple recipes as examples on my blog. Click "What's For Dinner" picture on my right hand side bar.

This Lentil Puttenesca is one of my favorite simple and healthy dinners.

I can not believe I have never had Putenesca. It was one of those dishes that when you taste for the first time, you don't know how you ever lived without it. It is so simple to make too.

I always have a bag of soft sun-dried tomatoes as well as cans of anchovy fillets in the pantry for adding flavour to simple dishes. Anchovies are one of those foods that I never thought I would I would eat. Ever. I love fish but Anchovies always grossed me out. My uber healthy mom eats them straight out of the can and to make matters worse, for breakfast even!

*gag! 

In her defense, they are very good for you. An excellent source of essential Omega's which promote vascular and mental health.

 I do however love anchovies as a flavour enhancer in pastas and dressings.  This was actually a surprise discovery when we went to a wonderful Italian restaurant in Downtown Phoenix called Pasta Bar. I ordered some pasta dish and loved it so I asked the chef what was the wonderful taste I couldn't figure out. To my surprise, Anchovy was one of them! Now I'm hooked.

I came up with this simple Lentil Puttenesca recipe and you MUST try it, even if your an anchovy hater from way back! Trust me, would I lie to you?

TIME  15 MINUTES     SERVES 6

You Will Need: For Polenta

3 cups unsweetened Almond Milk ( can use reg. milk or water)

1/2 t Kosher salt

1 cup Polenta (corn grits)

1-2 T butter

1/4 cup Parmesan

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped


Directions:
In large pot over high heat, bring almond milk and salt to boil. Gradually stir in cornmeal and sun dried tomatoes. Reduce heat to simmer, cook 12-18 minutes or until very thick. Stir frequently with long handled spoon to avoid sputters.
When very thick, remove from heat and stir in butter and Parmesan. Pour into a buttered 9x9 casserole dish. Let it sit off heat for about 10-15 minutes to set, will be creamy.

TIME   40 MINUTES     SERVES 6 
For Lentil Putenesca:
 
1 cup mixed lentils
 
1 cup water or broth
 
1/4 cup olive oil


1 cup finely chopped yellow onion

6 cloves minced garlic

2 (28-ounce) cans Roma plum tomatoes, chopped, with juice

1 cup  pitted and sliced green olives (other olives will work as well)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons drained capers

2 tablespoons minced anchovy fillets (about 8 fillets)

1 teaspoon dried crushed basil

1-2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes



Directions:

Rinse lentils thoroughly under cool water. Preferably, soak lentils for 6-8 hours before cooking to reduce phytic acids.
In a large pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until soft and lightly caramelized, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the water, tomatoes and the remaining ingredients and simmer until the sauce is thickened and slightly reduced, about 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning, to taste, cover and set aside.

Serve with Creamy Sun-Dried Polenta.

PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!

 
 

No-Bake Fudgy Snow Balls

No oil, no butter, no baking required. There's much to love about these no-bake cookies, they are healthy, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, vegan, and they taste great too.

I'm a lazy baker, I love cookies that require minimal effort. All that's required to make these is a food processor (I used my mini).

I originally saw these on Snack Girl and decided to give these a try. The verdict is a moist, chewy dough-like cookie. I almost want to call them chocolate cookie dough balls. Perfect for many dietary restrictions.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Lightened Up Crème Brûlée French Toast

A make-ahead baked French toast casserole with a sweet sugar-coated bottom, perfect for a Christmas morning breakfast.

This was a recipe make-over requested by one of my readers I was excited to tackle. The original recipe calls for a stick of butter, lots of eggs and half-and-half cream. Although this has been lightened up by removing the butter, replacing the cream with milk and most of the eggs with egg substitute, your guests will never know it. What's better than waking up with a house full of guests and having a no-fuss breakfast when you wake up. Serve this with fresh fruit to complete your table.

This uses a half loaf of challah bread, so you can easily double this and make two if you have more guests. And as an fyi, portions are pretty large, if you cut this into 8 pieces, it would be 7 points plus.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Spinach Tortellini en Brodo

What can be more comforting than a hot bowl of soup on a cold winter night. I don't know if it's cold where you are, but here in New York, it's that kind of bone-chilling cold that requires you to wear hats, gloves and cozy sweaters.

I'm feeling a little under the weather today, and this hot soup is exactly what the doctor ordered. I've had my eye on Bell'alimento's tortellini en brodo and had all the ingredients to make this. I met Paula back in October at the Pom Wonderful Harvest Fest, she has a beautiful blog and a way with words.

This soup is great when you want to make a quick one pot meal. I used Buitoni Spinach Cheese Tortellini which were great tasting, and had the least amount of fat. I also added some fresh baby spinach for some added antioxidants. Enjoy!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

DIY~ Children's Tea Towel Aprons

I've been looking for cute, affordable aprons for Jack and Nolan, my 4 and 5 year olds, for some time. They love to help me in the kitchen almost as much as they love personalized gifts. I was in JoAnne's Fabric last week and saw what I thought were children's apron's. As I  unfolded one and looked closer I found that they were actually cute little tea-towels for the Holiday's. The bottom of each towel was trimmed with  gathered fabric making them look like aprons to me. Each towel had a different embroidered Christmas picture on it and so I grabbed the cutest ones and set off to sew my boys and
my nieces some aprons for their Holiday Cookie Baking!

This defiantly falls into the " If I can do it, Anyone can do it" category. Sewing is NOT my forte'! This took me all of an hour to make 4 aprons and that's with baby Mona 'helping' me........

So here is a little photo tutorial I put together to show you how simple it is,

and how cute my son's and nieces are! ;)

1. Find cute Holiday Tea-Towel's on sale for $1.99 at craft store.

2. Turn towel over, fold down top to create desired length.
Fold over sides to make a steep triangle.
Iron

3. Sew along very top edge.

4. Sew 1"-2"  from the side of apron, leaving enough room to slip in your ribbon.

5. Slip ribbon into slot (just an inch or two) and sew on securely.
Sew ribbon onto the sides of the apron.
I found it helpful to have my 4 year old nearby to measure the lengths for the ribbons.

6. Embroider names on chest of apron. You could also use iron-on letters.

Voila! Aren't they cute?

I sent them to my adorable nieces in New York just in time for Holiday Cookie Baking!

My boys couldn't wait to put on their Christmas Baking Aprons and make Peppermint Chocolate Cookies!

White Northern Beans with Aji Verde Sauce

Beans are high in complex carbohydrates, protein and dietary fiber, low in fat, calories and completely cholesterol-free. Eating as little as a half a cup of beans a day can be beneficial in reaching your dietary needs. These beans were a hit with my family, all that was leftover was this little bit shown here over rice, topped with aji verde sauce.

This past weekend my little girl turned one! It's hard to believe a year has gone by, it seems like just yesterday she was a born, and now she's a happy one year old, talking, singing, eating real food, and almost walking!

We had a small family gathering to celebrate her birthday, and I went with a Peruvian theme. We had Peruvian chicken with aji verde sauce, rice, avocados and beans. Sounds good? It was and everyone loved it!

Making beans are an economical way to make a lot of food without spending too much. A pound of dry beans makes about 6 cups cooked and usually costs around a dollar. I always make my beans in my pressure cooker because it cuts the cooking time in half. 

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Oatmeal Apple-Pecan Breakfast Cake

This is going to be our new Christmas morning breakfast tradition, it's that good and that easy.

This apple-pecan breakfast cake was absolutely delicious and with zero added sugar! Toasting the oats and pecans really add a wonderful old-fashion home-made quality. The baked apples were sweet and perfect.

 My 5 year old comedian Jack said "This apple cake tastes just like heaven!" ;)

Toasted Whole Grain Oats ( We love Coach's Oats brand)

Can you see the difference between these whole grain oats and 'quick oats'?

Simple

You Will Need:

1 cup toasted pecans

2-3 granny smith apples, peeled and chopped

1 cup whole-wheat (whole grain) flour

1 cup oat flour + 1 TBSP for sprinkling on top (I toast Coach's Oats in oven and grind in food processor)

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup flax meal

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon  + 1 tsp for sprinkling on top

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup Earth Balance (or butter), melted

1/2 cup pure maple syrup + 1 tbsp

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce





Directions:
Toast oats and pecans (separately) in 400F oven for 12-15 minutes. Remove from oven. Grind oats into flour using a mill or food processor.
Turn oven down to 350F. Peel and chop the apples. Grease a small casserole dish and then spread 1 tbsp of maple syrup on the bottom of dish. Now, spread a layer of chopped apples followed by a layer of pecans on the bottom of dish. Use just less than half of both the apples and pecans.

In a large bowl, mix the following dry ingredients (whole wheat pastry flour, Oat flour, baking powder, kosher salt, cinnamon).  In a small bowl mix the wet ingredients (applesauce, 1/2 cup maple syrup, vanilla, and 1/4 cup melted Earth Balance (or butter). Mix. If to dry, add a couple tablespoons of water.

Add the wet to the dry and mix well. Now spread on a layer of this batter over top of the apples and pecans. Use about half of the batter.

Now spread a layer of apples and pecans again, making sure to leave at least 2-3 tbsp of each for the top of the cake. Follow this by a final layer of the cake batter (use all of it up). Spread as evenly as possible.

Now sprinkle on the remaining apples and pecans. Mix a bit of oats with tsp of cinnamon and sprinkle all over top. Place in the oven for 55 mins at 350F. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.

recipe adapted from Oh She Glows!

I'm sending this over to Hearth 'n Soul and also Bella Vita Blog Hop's!

Butternut Squash Souffle with Sauteed Collard Greens

Follow my blog with bloglovin



I came across this recipe for butternut squash souffle in Cooking Light Magazine and couldn't think of a better way to use the squash sitting on my counter. I've never been in love with souffles in general, foamy eggs are not my thing. I did however want to try my hand at the art of souffle. This was so much better than I expected! A very mild butternut squash flavour with just a hint of nutmeg on your taste buds as an afterthought (I added the nutmeg to the recipe)  The texture was perfect, light and creamy and I thought that it resembled more of a creme brulee than a souffle'.  I was in heaven! It's a good thing all of the kids loved it too so I could actually savour each and every bite while I patted myself on the back for actually cooking a perfect souffle with 4 kids running around. It didn't poof up as a souffle made entirely of eggs but it divine I tell you, D-vine!

In all honesty, it was far simpler than I thought. I do suggest baking the squash well in advance, especially if you have children. Thankfully, for once, I had the foresight to stick the squash in the oven around 2 p.m. It took almost an hour to cook then I set it on the counter to cool for a bit while I leisurely did other things around the house and the rest of the prep-work for dinner.

I threw together a quick collard green and black eyed pea saute to accompany the souffle and it was a wonderfully light and flavourful dinner.





* TIPS: I suggest using a blender of food processor to blend the squash mixture instead of a hand held or stand mixer so it will be as blended and smooth as possible.
Also, like I mentioned before, this recipe is not a lot of work but the baking time is lengthy. Don't rush yourself,  make sure you bake the squash well ahead of time, it will sit on the counter and wait for you. It is easier to scoop out the flesh when it's a bit cooled also.



I doubled this recipe to feed my family of 6 and had a small amount of left overs for baby Mona and the little boys the next day.

TIME   90 MINUTES TOTAL    SERVES 4-6
Ingredients


1 butternut squash (about 2 3/4 pounds) to yield about 2 cups pulp


1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk


1/3 cup (1 1/3 ounces) shredded fontina cheese


1/4 teaspoon salt


1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg


1 large egg


1 large egg white

Cooking spray

8 cups finely chopped Swiss chard or collard greens
1 cup cooked or 1 can black eyed peas.
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water

* Note, I don't have a small souffle dish so I used my medium casserole dish.
Preparation


Preheat oven to 375°.






Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membrane. Place squash halves, cut sides down, on a baking sheet; bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until tender. Cool. Scoop out pulp from shell. Set aside 2 cups pulp, reserving remaining pulp for another use.


Combine  squash pulp, milk, and next 4 ingredients (milk through egg white) in a food processor; process until smooth. Pour into 1-quart souffle dish coated with cooking spray. Place souffle dishes in a 9-inch  square baking pan; add hot water to pan to a depth of 1 inch. Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until puffy and set.


While squash is baking, heat oil in a deep saute pan or dutch oven. Add garlic cook for 1 minute, add greens cook 2-3 minutes more. Add 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt and let simmer for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

PRINT THIS RECIPE!

My make-shift souffle dish sitting in a dish of water ready to be put into the oven and

make my house smell wonderful.

Unpretentious, non-poofy sweet souffle.

Served with quick side of Collard Green and black-eyed peas.

I'm sending this over to Hearth and Soul for 'Food prepared from scratch, seasonal and healthy'.

Roasted Broccoli Rabe with Garlic

Broccoli Rabe roasted with chunks of garlic and oil and a touch of crushed red pepper flakes.

Broccoli Rabe, otherwise known as rapini is a popular vegetable in Italian and Chinese cuisine. It has a slightly nutty, bitter flavor, and it is a good source of vitamins A, C and K, as well as potassium, calcium and iron.

Toss it with pasta, pecorino romano and chicken sausage and you have a wonderful meal. Blanching before roasting mellows the bitterness a bit, adding red pepper flakes gives it a nice little kick. This shrinks to almost half its size when cooked.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Happy Day! I'm featured on Two of my Favorite Foodie Sites!

I am so very excited to have been featured on two of my favorite foodie sites recently. I am relatively new at food blogging and am honored that my recipes and thoughts are finding their way into homes across the globe.

The first site I hope you find your way over to is Food with Kid Appeal. She featured my post "Simple Chilled Gazpacho, Give A Kid A Straw"  as part of her series on 'How to Get Your Kids to Eat Healthy Foods'. FwKA has been one of my favorite sites and resources since I started blogging. Jenna's blog is a wonderful resource for parents and caregivers who have picky eaters or just want to feed their family a variety of healthy foods.

I'm also thrilled to be on Hip Pressure Cooking.com  with my Sante Fe Style Stacked Enchiladas  recipe.
I love love love my Kuhn Rikon Swiss Pressure Cooker and use it several times a week for lightning speed dinners that lock in the nutrients and flavour of the food far better than traditional cooking. Hip Pressure Cooking is a very inspirational website for all things pressure cooker!

As I compile more recipes I hope to have a page dedicated to pressure cooking on Simply Healthy Family. I think everyone should own a pressure cooker, it's a busy mom's DREAM!

Thank you to everyone who reads my blog and leaves such sweet comments. I truly appreciate the time it takes to read, comment and hopefully try a recipe or two. I truly hope that more and more people will read this blog and be inspired to have a healthier home!


Happy Sharing!!!

Baked Rice and Peas

A simple rice dish with sweet peas baked in the oven. Perfect as a side for grilled shrimp or chicken. Adding vegetables to your rice, allows you to have a larger portion for less points and adds fiber.

I've been experimenting with baking rice in the oven all weekend and I finally got the rice to water ratio perfect. My husband thought I was crazy for taking the risk of wasting food, but there is something nice about being able to put something in the oven, setting the timer and forgetting about it. This also opens the doors to many possibilities with other one pot rice dishes in the future, but for today, this simple side dish. (I have not tried this with brown rice, I might have to experiment)
Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Shallots

These pork chops are juicy and flavorful, perfect with a side of roasted cauliflower. This was adapted from one of my favorite pork chop recipes, Pork Chops with Dijon Herb Sauce. The addition of mushrooms and shallots were delicious and my daughter decided she finally likes mushrooms. Fresh thyme would make a great substitution for parsley.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Rice Pudding All Around The World

When I was growing up Rice Pudding was a very common dessert in our home. My 3 brothers and sisters and I all thought we were really getting a special treat since it was so sweet and delicious. The truth about Rice Pudding is that it is a sweet dish that goes way back in time and all over the world. I think that this has to do with the fact that it is obviously cheap and rice is readily available almost everywhere and most importantly, it's simply sweet. We usually had our rice pudding served with left-over rice and cold milk mixed with a bit of brown sugar and raisins. My kids really love this simple dessert just like we did when we were little.

Most people cook up their rice pudding in a pot with milk and add spices and serve it hot. I thought this was funny since I always thought of it as a last minute treat made from leftover rice. Simply add milk, raisins, cinnamon and sometimes vanilla and Voila dessert is served. When it is chilly enough here in Phoenix, we just warm it up for a few minutes in a pot. I've discovered recently that Brown Jasmine Rice makes an excellent Rice Pudding. The leftover Jasmin rice holds up well and has a nice mild flavour. If you use long grain rice it will produce a pudding that is slightly drier and chewier than one made with a short grain rice. It's a personal preference I suppose.




The Way We Like It:

1 cup cooked  Brown Jasmine Rice
2 cups milk
1 teaspoon Tahitian Vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Mix, serve hot or cold and let the nostalgia comfort you



I did a little research and found it very interesting how many variations there were across the globe.



All Around The World:

In Italy ~  'Budino di Riso',  made with milk, eggs, raisins and orange peel


In Costa Rica ~  'Arroz con leche', made with milk, condensed milk, butter, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla


In Scandanavia and the United Kingdom Rice pudding is a long standing Christmas tradition. Made with dried fruits and nuts and spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, mace and vanilla.
 
In the colder countries;  Norway, Finland, Sweeden and Iceland Rice Pudding is a common dish served hot with butter and sugar to warm ones body and spirit.