Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Kabobs with Mint Quinoa

 Really the main thing I changed with this meal is halving the dipping sauce that goes along the side- it made way more than we used. I prepared the chicken earlier in the day and let it marinate bit longer. I kept it in the refrigerator and pulled it out 20 minutes before putting it on the grill. Once everything was skewered it was pretty quick from there.

Yogurt-Marinated Chicken Kabobs with Mint Quinoa
adapted from Simply Healthy Family

 Ingredients

10-12 metal or wooden skewers
1 1/2 cups plain fat free yogurt, divided
1 1/2 tsp. garam masala
1/2 tsp. curry powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 -inch pieces
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup crumbled low-fat feta
1-2 Tbsp. minced red onion
1 tsp grated lemon zest
2 Tbsp. chopped mint leaves, divided
1 cup quinoa, uncooked

Directions

1. If using wooden skewers, soak in water for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine yogurt, garam masala, curry and garlic in a zip lock bag. Add chicken, seal bag, and shake to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, combine remaining yogurt, feta, onion, lemon zest, and 1 Tbsp. of chopped mint leaves. Set aside.

3. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Rinse quinoa thoroughly in a sieve. Bring quinoa to a boil, turn heat down to a simmer and cook covered for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove lid, cook for about another 5 minutes. Cover when done and remove from heat.

4. Preheat grill to medium-high (spray before heating). Thread chicken, onion, and bell peppers onto skewers. Discard left over marinade. Grill kabobs, turning only once (pick them up with a large tong in the middle, instead of by the stick). Cook til juices run clear, 10-15 minutes.
 Serve kabobs with quinoa sprinkled with mint and a bit of the dipping sauce on the side.

Swiss Miss Veggie-filled Pasta Sauce

 

Okay, probably not the Swiss you're thinking. It's going to be a cool 112 today and this is certainly not about hot chocolate. Swiss as in Swiss chard. We tried out an awesome grocery store the other day that had amazing deals on produce. Like bananas for $0.10, key limes for $0.04 (we made key lime pie), peaches for $0.18, plums for $0.07, cumbers for $0.25, and on and on. I wanted to frame my receipt. We also picked up some beautiful Swiss chard. We've pureed it in a food processor and added it to omelets as well as made a veggie-filled pasta sauce. Looks like a winner. Pretty much anywhere you would use spinach you can try Swiss chard.

Veggie-filled Pasta Sauce

Ingredients (estimations-everything was eyeballed)

drizzle extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1-2 large carrots, shredded or finely chopped
2-3 large Swiss chard leaves, shredded or finely chopped
1-2 cloves of garlic, diced
8-12 oz tomato sauce
oregano, to taste
basil, to taste
salt & pepper, to taste
 
1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté yellow onion and carrots. When soft, add Swiss chard and garlic til just cooked.  Add tomato sauce and season with oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Let simmer, the longer the better. Serve with favorite pasta and freshly grated Parmesan, to taste.


Other options: bell peppers

Southwest Rolls

slightly adapted from A Hint of Honey 

My friend, Jessie made these for my baby shower 2 years ago and I've also enjoyed them at a church activity where I was in charge of serving/replacing food trays = shoving these in my mouth behind the scenes. They are so delicious and worth making a lot at atime. We ate some the same evening and froze the rest, super easy to reheat-great as an appetizer or paired with something as a main dish.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and diced

2/3 cup green onion, sliced

2 large red bell peppers, minced
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed (I used fresh corn cooked, then cut off the cob)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
2/3 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained- I used fresh spinach, closer to 3/4 cup or 1 cup
1/4 cup diced jalapeno peppers, seeded and rinsed (1 medium sized)
3 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley (or 1 1/2 tsp dried)
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. garlic powder (or 5 cloves fresh minced garlic)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (or 1 Tbsp. dried)
1 tsp. salt
1/4-1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)

3 cups shredded Monterrey Jack or Cheddar cheese
20-30 (6-8 inch) whole wheat flour tortillas (or your favorite tortilla- like the ones you cook yourself)

Avocado Dipping Sauce

1 fresh avocado, smashed
1/4 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 Tbsp. buttermilk-- didn't have on hand, used a little fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. dried parsley

1/8 tsp. onion powder

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1 dash dried dill weed

1 dash pepper

Directions

1. Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add green onions and bell pepper and saute 5 minutes until tender.

2. Add diced cooked chicken, corn, spinach, black beans, jalapeno, parsley, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, cilantro, salt, and cayenne pepper. Cook and stir 5 minutes until well blended and tender. Remove from heat and stir in cheese so it melts.

3. Place tortillas between two moist paper towels and microwave 30 seconds-1 minute until hot and pliable. {I was using the tortillas you cook yourself, so this was bit different}

4. Spoon even amounts of mixture onto each tortilla. Fold in ends of tortilla, then roll tightly around mixture. Arrange in a medium dish, cover, and store in the freezer or refrigerator. Chilling them for several hours before baking helps hold them together, but is not absolutely necessary. They keep well frozen, and can be placed directly in the oven.

5. Lightly butter a baking sheet and place rolls evenly on the pan.

6. Bake rolls at 375 F for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and the edges begin to crisp, rotating them every 10 minutes.

7. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for several minutes before slicing in half. Serve with Avocado Dipping Sauce and garnish with chopped onion and tomato.

8. To prepare sauce combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whip until creamy. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Pork Chop Salad with Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette

adapted from allrecipes


I love that in summer I crave salads instead of much heavier foods. Unfortunately I also crave more ice cream, so it probably negates the simplicity of the salad. Regardless, this is perfect for a summer night and a great way to incorporate some seasonal favorites.

Ingredients

4 cooked pork chops, sliced {I took two pork chops and cut them in half width-wise)
marinade--salt and pepper, 1-2 cloves garlic, drizzle of olive oil
optional: bit of favorite BBQ sauce
greens of choice, romaine, spinach, mixed greens etc.
1-2 nectarines or peaches, cut into wedges
1-2 avocados, cut into wedges
cherry tomatoes {I used the tomatoes we had in the garden}
almonds, croutons, etc
sprinkle of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. honey
1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4-3/8 cup salad oil, or extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
 
1. Place pork chops in a container and drizzle olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic. Marinate, if desired by covering and placing in refrigerator, or proceed to grilling. When pork chops are done, remove from grill and allow to cool. Optional- while pork chops are cooling, brush on a thin layer of barbeque sauce to both sides. Once cooled, slice pork chops into bite-sized pieces.

2. For the vinaigrette, combine all ingredients except oil in a blender. Blend at medium speed for one minute. Next, with blender at medium speed, pour oil very slowly into blender. Add salt and pepper.

3. For each serving, toss greens with a little dressing, top with tomatoes, sliced pork chop, avocado wedges, and nectarine wedges. Drizzle with more dressing and sprinkle with toasted almonds or croutons. Serve immediately.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal: Afternoon Delight

I got some steel cut oats last week (my first time trying them, loved them) and was playing around with different things to accompany them. As someone who adds peanut butter to lots of things (brownies, ice cream, granola bars, etc.), I am kinda surprised I hadn't considered adding peanut butter to oatmeal. Not exactly something to eat every morning, I'll still only let Siena eat it with applesauce mixed in, but certainly there are worse things you could eat. I enjoyed it this afternoon and it was delightful.

Ingredients

1/2 cup steel cut oats
1 1/2 cup water (if using regular oatmeal,  it is a 1:2 ratio instead of 1:3)
1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter (or more!)
a handful of chocolate chips, if desired

Directions
 
Bring water to a boil. Add oatmeal and stir. Reduce heat to medium low and allow oatmeal to cook, stirring occasionally. Oatmeal is done with most of the water has evaporated. Remove from heat, stir in peanut butter and chocolate chips- adding a few on top, of course.

Lentil Burgers with Smoked Gouda

from Simply Healthy Family

The sound of this dish might not exactly make you drool like a double cheeseburger from Five Guys, but it give the arteries a nice break from all the summer cookouts. These are also a great meal for dining on a budget. We paired it with a this salad.


Ingredients

2/3 cup dry lentils
1 1/2 c water

1 onion, finely chopped
1/2-3/4 cup grated carrots
3 slices bread, crumbled in food processor
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. leaf oregano, crumbled
3 Tbsp. butter, ghee, or coconut oil
smoked Gouda or smoked cheddar, sliced
optional: roll or bun

Directions

1. Wash lentils; add water and bring to boil. Lower heat & simmer 15 minutes covered. Add onion & carrots. Cook 15 minutes longer. Drain, reserving liquid, & cool.

2. Stir crumbs, eggs, & seasonings into lentil mixture. Add some of the reserved liquid, if needed, to hold the burger together better.

3. Melt butter in skillet. Drop lentil mixture by rounded one-third cupfuls into hot butter. Flatten & cook until brown on one side. Flip, top with slice of cheese, and continue cooking until brown on the other side. Place on cookie sheet & keep warm in low oven until all patties are cooked.

makes approx. 6 burgers

Grilled Peach Salad

   This is from a random cookbook that my mom got free at Costco. They had a few good recipes in there that we'll be trying out.

Ingredients

2-3 peaches cut into wedges
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. salt
4-5 cups mixed greens
chopped glazed pecans
crumbled feta cheese

Dressing
3 Tbsp. rice or white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Directions

1. Preheat grill to medium high. To prepare dressing, combine vinegar and mustard in a small bowl. Slowly pour oil into the bowl, stirring constantly to emulsify. Stir in sugar and salt.
2. Place peaches in a bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and toss well. Place on grill and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side.
3. Place mixed greens in a bowl. Add pecans, feta, and grilled peaches. Drizzle salad with dressing and gently toss to coat.