EVERYTHING GREEN! Grilled Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Grilled Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Monday's are busy for most of us and thinking of easy, healthy, and inexpensive meals are often hard to think of during those busy days. Here is a simple, fast, and economically affordable meal that your family will love! This recipe will make 5 lettuce wraps.

Recipe

2 Thin sliced chicken breasts cut into strips.
Italian dressing
Romaine lettuce
Tomatoes cut into small pieces
1 Cucumber diced and seeded (Lightly salt diced cucumber and set aside for about 5-10 minutes. Drain excess liquid)
Purple onion
1/2 cup of sour creme
1/2 Plain Greek Yogurt
1 handful of cilantro
Italian seasoning. (Parsley, basil, oregano, and thyme)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
 Lemon -  The juice of 1/2 a lemon

Tzatiki Sauce

Add a 1/2 cup of plain Greek yogurt, and 1/2 cup of sour creme. If you do not have one or the other, this recipe will work with all sour creme, or all Greek yogurt. Next add about 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste, chopped cilantro, cucumber, and the juice of about 1/4 lemon. Stir.

Directions

Add salt, pepper and Italian seasoning to chicken. If you do not have an indoor grill pan, then use a regular frying pan. Add Italian dressing to bottom of frying pan. Add seasoned chicken. Cook until golden brown.  While chicken is browning. Slice 5 leaves of Romaine lettuce into strips and dice tomatoes. I used about 15 cherry tomatoes, or about 2 Roma tomatoes. Cut about 1/4 of a purple onion into strips. Add sliced lettuce,tomatoes, and purple onion to bowl. Toss lightly with Italian dressing. I only used about 1 Tablespoon of Italian dressing. Assemble. Add salad mixture to lettuce cups. Add chicken and Tzatiki sauce. Be creative! add Feta cheese or other cheese if desired.

NOTE: Adding salt to the diced and seeded cucumber before adding to tzatiki sauce will help to draw out some of the moisture, preventing the sauce from becoming too watery. It's a simple, fast trick that will improve the consistency of your sauce.

HERB SEASONED SWEET POTATO FRIES

HERB SEASONED SWEET POTATO FRIES

 

Recipe

Depending on how many people are eating will depend on how many sweet potatoes you will need. I used one medium sweet potato and it made 26 thin fries. 

1 Sweet Potato - I left the skin on as it contains many valuable nutrients.

Oil - I used vegetable oil, however any oil will do. Healthier oils are better choices such as olive oil and vegetable oils.

Italian seasoning which included the herbs parsley, basil, oregano, and thyme.

Garlic powder

Salt and Pepper

Directions

Toss cut fries in oil add herbs, salt and pepper and spread out on baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 15 minutes. 

HEALTH BENEFITS OF SWEET POTATOES

 

EVERYTHING GREEN! Spinach and Kale Stuffed Mushrooms

Spinach and Kale Stuffed Mushrooms

When we think of spinach we often think of Popeye the sailor man. Mothers around the world have been trying to get their kids to eat their spinach for centuries. Unless you can incorporate the nutrient dense green leafy vegetable into other ingredients, then chances are you might not be so lucky in getting your loved ones to eat their greens. 

This spinach and kale stuffed mushroom recipe is absolutely delicious. I made this recipe as an appetizer for a wine tasting party and it was a big hit. 

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

24 Baby Bella Mushrooms

1 package frozen spinach (Defrosted, and squeezed out in a clean towel)

1 bunch fresh baby kale (if you cannot find baby kale at your grocer, then use mature kale cut up and steamed). Steam the kale and let cool. Wring out any excess water in a towel the same way that you do with the frozen spinach.

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 stalks celery finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 lemon zested

1 cup of Panko breadcrumbs (Japanese style)

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper

Olive oil to drizzle

DIRECTIONS

Defrost frozen spinach and wring out with clean towel. Cook kale until it is wilted. After cooling, wring out the kale with clean towel. Add spinach and kale to bowl. Finely chop onion and celery and add to bowl. Chop and mince 4 cloves of garlic. Add remaining ingredients, salt and pepper to taste. Toss together, and add mixture to stuff the mushrooms. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 400 Degrees for about 25 minutes, or until slightly golden brown, cheese is melted and mushrooms are tender. 

Stuffed mushrooms before they are baked.

 

TOMATO, CUCUMBER, AND AVOCADO SALAD

TOMATO, CUCUMBER, AND AVOCADO SALAD

Are you looking for new ways to use avocado? Here is a simple salad that anyone can make. I used heirloom cherry tomatoes, mini cucumbers, and avocado. I had bought some delicious olives from the farmers market and added them to the salad along with some feta cheese.  

Recipe 

Cherry Tomatoes (Or tomato of your choice)

Cucumbers cut into bit size pieces

Avocado cut into chunks

Squeeze lemon juice over avocado to prevent browning. The lemon juice also adds a delightful flavor to the salad. 

Olives (Optional)

Feta cheese (Or other cheese of your choice-optional)

Italian salad dressing

Mix all ingredients and dress with Italian dressing. 

ENJOY!

HEALTH BENEFITS OF AVOCADO

BANANA PECAN MUFFINS

RECIPE

3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 tsp of baking soda
1/2 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of cinnomon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp of salt
4 ripe bananas (peel and mash)
2 cups of sugar
3 eggs
1 cup of vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup of pecans (or nut of your choice)

Frosting

8 oz of cream cheese
1 stick of butter
3 Tablespoon honey
1/2 cup pecans (You can toast them for a warm, nutty flavor)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners. Next Mix the dry ingredients into bowl, flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Beat the wet ingredients together, sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla, and add banana and nuts in. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

Add the batter to the cupcake liners in the muffin pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Beat the cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Next add the honey. Frost muffins as desired. Top with pecans if desired.

EVERYTHING GREEN! Baby Kale, Spinach, and Avocado Salad

BABY KALE, SPINACH, AND AVOCADO SALAD

We have all heard of the well known green leafy vegetable that is making its reputation around the world as one of the most nutritious vegetables, Kale. Most of us have heard of that kale is good for us, but how do we use it or cook with it? There are many recipes out there floating around the internet on the many uses of kale, however I wanted to show you one recipe that is simple palatable, and easy to make. If you have shopped around for kale you might have noticed the big dark leafy green. Although mature kale is great in many recipes I have found that baby kale is great for salads. Baby kale is much sweeter, tender, and finally making its way into grocery markets across the country. I found a bag of baby kale at Trader Joe's. Baby kale to me, has the mildness of spinach, and a milder version of peppery arugula. It really is a great flavor, nothing like raw, fresh mature kale which can be a bitter and rough unless it is cooked. This baby kale and baby spinach salad is a refreshing and good for you. We have included a video on the benefits of kale below. 

Recipe

Baby Kale
Baby Spinach
Avocado
2 Hard boiled eggs
1/4 Purple onion sliced
1 Orange
The juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and Pepper
Crushed Red Pepper flakes (As desired)
Garlic powder (a couple shakes)
Oil
Vinegar

Directions

Cut up baby kale, and spinach as desired. Section off orange segments. Slice purple onion. Chop one hard boiled egg. Slice avocado to preference. Assemble salad as desired. Drizzle with oil. I used avocado oil, however any oil of preference will do. Add the juice of 1/2 lemon, a splash of vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. 

ENJOY!!!

HEALTH BENEFITS OF KALE

HEALTH BENEFITS OF AVOCADO 

EVERYTHING GREEN! Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwich

AVOCADO CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICH

RECIPE

2 Chicken breasts (You can also use canned chicken if you prefer)

2 stalk celery diced

1/2 medium onion diced

1/4 cup of cran-raisins 

1/4 cup cashews chopped

1/2 avocado

2 Tablespoons of mayo

The Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/4 Teaspoon thyme

1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder (You will need about 1/4 for the chicken mixture and the avocado mayo.

1/4 Teaspoon Italian seasoning (Basil, oregano, parsley mixture)

1/4 Teaspoon Parsley

Salt/Pepper

Good bread (I used multi-grain bread)

Baby Kale

Baby Spinach

DIRECTIONS    

If you are using canned chicken you can disregard this first step. Boil chicken until cooked. Cut chicken into bite size chunks after boiling. Put chicken in bowl and add salt and pepper. Set aside. Next dice celery and onion and put in bowl with chicken. Chop the cashews into pieces large enough to bite into but not crushed. Add cashews and cranraisins to bowl. Add spices and toss together with all ingredients. 

Avocado Mayo

Some people love avocado while others do not eat it due to its bland taste but they want the health benefits from it. Mixing avocado with something else can provide the taste you are looking for and offering the excellent benefits that avocados offer.  I used about 3/4 of the avocado. You can use as much or as little as you like! Add 2 tablespoons of mayo, salt, pepper, dry parsley, garlic powder, and the juice of one lemon. In a food processor, or by hand, mix ingredients. Add the avocado mixture to the chicken ingredients.

SERVE THE CHICKEN SALAD ON GOOD BREAD. I USED A MULTI-GRAIN BREAD FROM TRADER JOE'S. TO MAKE A HEALTHY SANDWICH ADD BABY KALE AND BABY SPINACH!

 

HEALTH BENEFITS OF AVOCADO- V

Turkey Meatloaf

INDIVIDUAL TURKEY MEATLOAF

Recipe

1 lb of ground turkey

1 medium onion

2 stalks of celery

1 egg

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

Salt and Pepper

Thyme

Rosemary

Italian seasoning (Oregano, basil, parsley)

Note: You do not have to use egg or bread crumbs in this recipe. I have tried it both ways, and the texture and flavor are both very good. 

Sauce

Cocktail sauce

Ketchup

Barbecue sauce

You can doctor up your sauce any way you like! Some ideas include adding honey for a sweet flavor, or a pinch of red pepper flakes to heat things up! 

Another very simple recipe that anyone can do. Many of the recipe's that we post are simple and great for the novice cook such as many college students

Directions

Cut and dice one medium onion and 2 stalks of celery. Saute until translucent. Add to turkey. Add salt and pepper, spices, egg, and bread crumbs. Mix together. Form into one loaf or into individual loafs in a muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Mix the sauce ingredients while the meat is baking. The meatloaf will be slightly brown but not entirely cooked. Take out the tin and top each loaf with sauce. Bake an additional 30 minutes or until the sauce is baked nicely onto the loaf. 

  To carry out the simple menu buttery garlic noodles are just the thing, with a side salad. 

EVERY THING GREEN! Green Pea Hummus

 GREEN PEA HUMMUS

Keeping the Everything Green theme going! If you haven't read earlier posts, we are celebrating the color green for the month of March. We felt this was fitting since St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in March, and so is the first day of spring!
Today was one of those days that I could not think of a thing to make for dinner. My son was craving steak, and I had some red skin potatoes, so steak and potatoes it was.  Now for a vegetable...hmmm. I had froze peas in the freezer and the standard green peas with butter sounded okay, but I was feeling a bit more creative so I searched my cupboards and refrigerator and came up with the idea of a pea hummus. 

Now what would I use to put this lovely idea of pea hummus onto? I didn't have any good bread in the house however I did have frozen pre-sliced garlic bread that I had gotten on sale for only .88 cents. I bought a few of them and so far we had only eaten it with spaghetti.
The hummus spread on top of the toasted garlic bread would be a perfect match for the steak and potatoes. I also wanted to use my new found treasure, Avocado Oil! So I used it to fry up the steak, and I used it in the Pea Hummus. I hope you enjoy this delicious recipe as much as I did. This recipe will go down in the books as one of my favorite family recipes that I can pass down to my kids.

RECIPE

1 Bag of frozen peas

Avocado oil or other oil of your choice

Parmesan cheese 3/4 cup (More or less to your preference)

The juice of 1 lemon

3 medium cloves of garlic

1 handful of fresh parsley

2 tablespoons of dry basil (I would have used fresh basil, but I was out of it)

Salt and Pepper

A few shakes of garlic powder (If needed)

 DIRECTIONS

Another simple recipe. Heat one bag of frozen or thawed peas until they are heated through but not fully cooked or tender. The peas will be warm and they will still have that bright green appearance. Next in a blender or food processor add the juice of one lemon, about three tablespoons of avocado oil, garlic, peas, chopped parsley, basil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and blend. As you blend you will need to add additional oil in order to keep the peas moving. You can also add lemon juice to help thin out the consistency. I liked mine a little thicker. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder as desired. I liked mine a little more garlicy So I added a few shakes of garlic powder, making it just right!