Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca

I wanted to use the prosciutto I still had leftover in the fridge from a previous recipe, so I found this recipe for Chicken Saltimbocca in my cookbook collection.  Apparently, saltimbocca means "jump in the mouth."  I don't think it jumped, but it was pretty good. :)

Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca  (2013 Cookbook Challenge)
from Cooking Light: The New Way to Cook Light
Serves 4;  202 calories/serving

Ingredients:
4 (4-oz) chicken cutlets (or 8 smaller tenders)
1/8 teaspoon salt
8 fresh sage leaves
2 ounces very thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 8 strips
1 tablespoon olive oil plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
1/3 cup fat-free chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions:
Sprinkle chicken evenly with salt.  Place sage leaves on each cutlet.  Wrap prosciutto slices around each cutlet, securing sage leaves in place.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan and swirl to coat.  Add chicken.  Cook 2 minutes on each side or until done.  Remove chicken from pan.  Whisk together broth, juice, and cornstarch in a small bowl until smooth.  Add cornstarch mixture and remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Cook a minute until slightly thickened.  Spoon sauce over chicken to serve.

Beet and Beet Green Gratin

Here's another recipe using veggies I picked up at the Farmer's Market.  I got it in my head that I wanted to make a beet recipe, and I saw this one in the online version of New York Times and thought the picture looked pretty, so I gave it a try.  My creation didn't look like theirs (see link), but it still tasted pretty good.  I used both red and golden beets.

Beet and Beet Green Gratin
Serves 6
167 calories/serving

Ingredients:
2 bunches (6-8) beets (~2 lbs), preferably one red and one golden, with greens
salt to taste
3 eggs
3/4 cup low-fat milk
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup chopped chives
2 ounced Gruyere cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Slice off the beet greens about an inch from the beet, scrub beets cleans, wrap each beet loosely in foil, transfer to a baking sheet, and roast in the oven at 400º for about 50-60 minutes until easily pierced with fork.  Remove and let beets cool enough to handle.  Hold one beet with a paper towel and use the edge of the paper to rub the skin away. Repeat with remaining beets.  Slice thin.

Remove stems and wash the beet greens.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Meanwhile, fill another bowl with ice water.  When the pot of water comes to a boil, blanch the greens in the boiling water for about one minute.  Transfer to the ice water, then drain and squeeze out the water.  Chop coarsely.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet and add the garlic.  Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring until fragrant.  Stir in the greens.  Season with salt and pepper and remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 375º.  Beat together the eggs, salt, pepper, milk, chives, and cheese.  Gently stir in the beets and greens.  Scrape into a 2-quart casserole dish.  Bake 35-40 minutes until set and lightly browned on top.  Allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.  Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.  Leftovers keep for 4-5 days.

Curried Carrot Soup

I bought some carrots at the Farmer's Market.  The lady there was kind of funny.  She shoved a piece of carrot at me and enthusiastically proclaimed, "Try it!  Isn't it good?! Very sweet.  We have the best carrots!"  I was thinking to myself that it tasted like any other carrot, but I didn't want to hurt her feelings, so I just smiled and nodded and bought a bunch.  I decided to make a soup that was in my Conscious Cleanse book even though I'm not really doing the cleanse anymore.  I had heard good things about the soup so I gave it a try.  It was okay...something different.  I liked the curry seasoning with the carrots. 

Curried Carrot Soup

Yield: 4 bowls

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons curry powder
5 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
2 medium celery ribs, chopped
1/2 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2-3 cups chicken broth
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
nutmeg

Directions:
In a stock pot over medium heat, cook oil and curry powder, stirring, for 2 minutes.  Stir in carrots, celery, and onion; toss to coat and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes.  Stir in broth and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.  Skim grease from top if necessary.  

In a blender, working in batches of no more than 2 cups, purée soup.  Return to pot and heat through.  Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Add nutmeg if desired.  Serve.   Refrigerate leftover soup in a glass container for up to 3 days.

Crockpot Chicken and Zucchini "Pasta" with Asparagus, Peas, and Creamy Basil

I've heard a lot of good things about crockpot chicken, so I decided to try it out.  I found this recipe online which boasted to be the best crockpot chicken ever.   Hmmph.  It was okay, but I thought it needed more seasoning and more moisture.  It was pretty bland. I'm thinking I should have put the breast side down instead of up so that it absorbed more juices from the pot?  Oh well.  

The zucchini "pasta", on the other hand, was surprisingly good.  I was skeptical, and to be truthful, it didn't taste like spaghetti, but it was still tasty.   To make the spaghetti-like strands, I ran four sides of the zucchini and yellow squash lengthwise on the largest holes of a box cheese grater--much easier and faster than using a vegetable peeler--and cheaper than buying a spiralizer.

Zucchini "Pasta" with Asparagus, Peas, and Creamy Basil
Serves 4


Ingredients:
2 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 bunch asparagus (16-20 spears), peeled and cut ~1-2 inches below tops
1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon basil paste
1 tablespoon cream cheese
salt and pepper
lemon zest
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cut the ends off the zucchini and push lengthwise along the largest holes of a cheese grater until you get to the seeded section.  Repeat on four sides.  You should produce long, thin ribbons of zucchini.  Repeat with the yellow squash.  You can choose to peel the zucchini and squash first if you want it to appear more like spaghetti, but it's not necessary.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and add the asparagus, peas, and garlic. Lightly saute for a few minutes, then add the zucchini and saute a few minutes longer.  Add the basil and cream cheese and stir until coated. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with a little sprinkle of lemon zest and Parmesan cheese.

******

Crockpot Chicken

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, giblets removed from inside
1 onion
4 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pats butter
1/2 cup chicken broth

Directions:
Chop the onion and place in the bottom of the slow cooker.   Combine the spices and rub the mixture all over chicken.  Place chicken in slow cooker.   Pour the broth into the pot and place a couple pats of butter on the breast.  Cover, and cook for 4-5 hours on high or 8 hours on low until the chicken is falling off the bone.

Lemon Pepper Chicken

Here's a fast and easy recipe that also tastes good.

Lemon Pepper Chicken
Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
Sprinkle ground black pepper over chicken breasts and season lightly with sea salt.   In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, and olive oil.  Place a skillet over medium-high heat and fill the pan with the marinade.  Add chicken breasts and cook for 6-7 minutes on each side or until no longer pink, brushing occasionally with excess marinade to keep moist.  Serve and enjoy.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps

As far as healthy meals go, this was a nice filling and satisfying lunch.  I chose to use olive oil instead of sesame oil because I just don't like sesame oil very much, and I left out the mushrooms because I don't like those much either.

Turkey Lettuce Wraps
Yield: 12 wraps with ~1/2 cup filling each

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1&1/2 lbs ground turkey
6 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 cup celery, diced
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup fresh whole cilantro leaves
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 head romaine or Bibb lettuce

Directions:
In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil and garlic for 2 minutes.  Add ground turkey, stirring to break larger chunks into small pieces, and cook for 6-8 minutes or until turkey is crumbly and no longer pink.  Stir in onions, carrots, mushrooms, celery, ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes, and cook for 5 minutes.  Add cilantro leaves and cook for a few more minutes.  Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste.  Spoon ~1/2 cup of turkey mixture onto a leaf of lettuce.  Roll or fold in half and serve.

Raw Berry Pie

 
After going to a Baby Shower and being unable to eat the delicious-looking cake and cheesecake due to this 2-week cleanse, I decided to make a dessert I could enjoy.  It was surprisingly good. 

Raw Berry Pie

Ingredients:
1 cup raw walnuts
1/2 cup pitted dates
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch sea salt
3 cups organic fresh blueberries
1 cup organic fresh raspberries
1 tablespoon honey

Directions:
In a food processor, combine walnuts, dates, vanilla extract, cinnamon and sea salt until smooth.  Press mixture evenly into a pie dish and refrigerate for an hour until crust is hard.   Meanwhile, in the food processor, combine berries and honey.  Pour into the chilled crust and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Broiled Lamb Chops with Veggie Stir-Fry

 
Here's another fast dinner recipe I made to try to please both myself and the hubby.   I don't know why lamb is allowed on the Conscious Cleanse program, but it is, so I went with it. 

Broiled Lamb Chops
Serves 2

2 lamb chops
pinch sea salt
pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic

Sprinkle lamb chops with salt and pepper.  Rub garlic clove over lamb chops.  Place chops in a baking pan and broil 3-4 inches from the heat source for about 3 minutes per side or until nicely browned on each side.   Watch not to overcook.


Veggie Stir-Fry
Ingredients:  whatever veggies you have on hand

Fill a large saute pan with 1 inch of water and set over medium-high heat until water comes to a boil.  Add garlic, ginger, onions and any hard veggies like carrots, celery, green beans, and snow peas first.  Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and steam for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, etc, and cook, stirring occasionally.  Add leafy greens at the very end, cooking for just 1 or 2 more minutes.  Pour off excess water, season with salt and pepper if needed, and serve.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Homemade Balsamic Vinaigrette

I really like this homemade salad dressing.  For the salad, I tossed together spinach, kale, cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, grilled chicken breast, and a little bit of the dressing.    It made for both a delicious and nutritious lunch.


Balsamic Vinaigrette
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Whisk it all together.   May refrigerate in a glass container for up to 1 week.

Dijon-Tarragon Baked Haddock and Garlic Roasted Cauliflower

It's a bit of a struggle coming up with healthy meals for myself that will also satisfy my anti-diet  husband.  This is one that worked for us.

Dijon Tarragon Baked Haddock
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
4 (4 oz) haddock fillets
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon tarragon
pinch ground black pepper

Directions:
Arrange haddock fillets on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.   In a small bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients and brush over fish.  Bake at 450º for about 8 minutes or until fish flakes easily.


Oven-Roasted Cauliflower
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:
2 to 3 cups cauliflower florets
1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional)- I opted out this time

Directions:
Place cauliflower in a large resealable plastic bag.   Add the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, and toss to coat.   Arrange cauliflower on a roasting pan and bake at 450º for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally to get an even roast.   Remove from oven and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.