Indian Spiced Kohlrabi and Quinoa Salad for Eat. Live. Be.Monday

What a wonderful weekend I had.  Friday night my hubby and I had a surprise date night that included dinner and a few drinks and then we were home early and Saturday we had dinner at one of our couple-friend's houses and our little ones played together.  I must compliment the dinner we had there....beer battered shrimp and fish tacos with corn tortillas, avocado salsa, cabbage and yogurt dipping sauce.  Each and every bite was more delicious than the last.  Sunday is usually my grocery and cooking day but I woke up feeling very un-inspired trying to think of recipe ideas to use what I already had on hand....when kohlrabi popped into my head. 

A while back I was browsing around Epicurious and had run across a curry dish with kohlrabi and couscous and thought it sounded delicious, but never got around to making it.  I had two kohlrabi, green onion and lots of cilantro on hand so I decided to revisit the idea but tailor it to the ingredients I had.  I was greatly rewarded the results.  Crunchy kohlrabi and aromatic curry and cilantro are a great counterbalance to the soft lentils and quinoa and sweet/tart dressing.  The satly, nutty sunflower seeds rounded out the whole thing.  I hope you enjoy!

Quinoa is a great source of fiber, protein, iron and calcium to name a few and kohlrabi has lots of vitamin C and potassium.  Overall this dish will    

Indian Spiced Kohlrabi and Quinoa Salad

Printable Recipe

6 1-cup servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup lentils
1/2 cup quinoa
3 3/4 cups water, divided
2 kohlrabi, tops removed, stems discarded and leaves chopped
2 green onions
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Sunflower seeds (optional)

Dressing
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 apple cider vinegar
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 to 2 Tbsp agave nectar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground dry mustard

Directions

1. Bring 3 cups water to a boil in a small pot of salted boiling water; add lentils, cover and reduce heat to simmer, about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in kohlrabi tops until wilted, about 1 minute.  Drain lentils and tops and pour into a medium bowl to cool. Meanwhile, rinse quinoa in fresh water several times and drain through a fine mesh sieve.

2. Add 3/4 cup water to original pot and bring to a boil.  Add quinoa, reduce heat and cover; cooking to package directions (about 15 minutes).  Meanwhile, dice kohlrabi and onions and add to bowl with cooled lentil mixture.  Once quinoa is finished cooking, uncover and set aside to cool.

3. Whisk dressing ingredients together.  Add cooled quinoa to lentil and kohlrabi mixture, season with salt and pepper and gently stir in cilantro and dressing. 

4. Top with optional sunflower seeds.

Nutrition Facts
***4 WW Pts Plus (not including sunflower seeds)
6 1-cup Servings


Amount Per Serving
Calories 148.1
Total Fat 5.7 g
Saturated Fat 0.6 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.4 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.4 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 29.1 mg
Potassium 125.9 mg
Total Carbohydrate 20.2 g
Dietary Fiber 5.7 g
Sugars 4.2 g
Protein 5.2 g

Vitamin A 3.7 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 2.6 %
Vitamin C 74.2 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 3.5 %
Calcium 1.9 %
Copper 3.6 %
Folate 10.5 %
Iron 13.2 %
Magnesium 2.8 %
Manganese 8.9 %
Niacin 1.6 %
Pantothenic Acid 1.5 %
Phosphorus 16.8 %
Riboflavin 30.3 %
Selenium 1.1 %
Thiamin 2.7 %
Zinc 2.3 %

Eat. Live. Be. for a better 2011

This week’s Eat. Live. Be. topic is; our favorite healthy change and how it's helping us to better our lives.


This is a tough one for me because it’s not as if I made a New Years resolution to start working out and eating healthier. So let me think. There are three changes I’ve made that are my favorites.


1. Finding and joining my CSA. I love that I’m getting new veggies I would never have found in my grocery store, that everything is so fresh, that I know who the farmers are and that I can expose my daughter to what farming should be. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if neighborhoods were all centered around a community farm and everyone took part in it? People could help with planting and harvesting, holding farmers markets or donating funds. In return, they would get fresh, organic vegetables and meats and the farmers would be well compensated for all their hard work. The way things are going now I find that the majority of people know so little about where their food comes from they have no idea what they are putting in their bodies. On top of this, most folks don’t seem to like change. They don’t want to LEARN about where their food comes from because they are afraid they might have to change what or how they eat. As a result our population is becoming more and more obese and our children will not live as long as we will. Why are parents not concerned about this???? I have one more thing to say on this topic. I am very disappointed in President Obama right now for approving genetically modified alfalfa. I know human scientists think they have nature figured out and that they can improve on what Mother Nature has already provided but, I’m sorry, they can’t, and we’re going to have to learn it the hard way apparently. Anyway, I digress…..


2. Weight Watcher’s new plan! I love that it promotes us moving to more fresh fruits and veggies, lean meats and whole grain breads. On top of this positive point, it’s actually working for me again. When I was on it previously and lost weight I had time to work out three times a day. Now, with a toddler and working at a job where I sit on my @ss all day, the majority of weight loss has to come from diet and what I was allowed on WW previously (18 points) was not cutting it. I was SO hungry all the time. The fact that I now reach for 0 point fruit over something processed, such as a Fiber One bar that used to have the same number of points as a banana is working. It’s a slow process but I can eat the foods I want, nothing is off limits, and I can really enjoy myself a few times a week with, say, wine and desserts.


3. Adding a little cardio. I confess that I’m not a cardio lover. I love power yoga. I love weights. I do NOT love cardio. BUT, my gym got new machines and one of them happens to be a Precor 100i and it’s actually sort of fun. If you run it almost feels like you are running underwater if you add some tension, you can use your arms, you can step up and down or go backwards. There is a heart monitor so I can make sure I’m in my target heart rate for fat burning and there is a TV so I can watch the Food Network and get recipe ideas.

The Perfect Egg with Peppers and Onions, in the Microwave!

It took a few tries to perfect this recipe. I wanted to create an easy how-to recipe for an over easy egg in the microwave, which happens to be my most favorite way to eat eggs. I see scrambled all the time, but I wanted my runny yolk damn it.

There are a lot of plus sides to this recipe so I’m really excited about it.

1) It is quick. I needed it to be fast enough to make in the morning before work. I think 3 minutes is pretty good.


2) Healthy. With the ½ tsp extra virgin olive oil in the egg dish, and the ½ tsp I add to my fresh spinach salad, I get one count of my healthy oil check point on weight watchers. Additionally, monounsaturated oils, such as olive and canola oil, will actually help lower cholesterol and are great for weight loss as fat is so satisfying and keeps you full. This is also the reason I included a WHOLE egg. Eggs get a bad rap. The yolks from free range chickens have lots of healthy omega-3 fatty acids which are essential for brain function, reduce inflammation and may help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and arthritis. The yolks are the most nutrient dense, antioxidant-rich part of the egg and include loads of vitamins and essential fatty acids.


3) There is no pan to clean up.


4) It utilizes some of my CSA veggies such as peppers and I add a fresh spinach salad on the side. I know, it is weird to have a salad for breakfast but it’s so good and good for you!

 

As usual, I encourage you to experiment with various spices. I use Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning a LOT because it’s the perfect balance of salt and heat, but I also like Italian seasoning mixes.

Tip: I chop up a few peppers and onions in the food processor on Sunday and put them in a container to use throughout the week for various recipes.

The Perfect Egg with Peppers and Onions

In the Microwave!

Serves 1

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Cooking spray

3 Tbsp diced onion and green pepper

1 egg white

1 whole egg

½ tsp extra virgin olive oil

Coarse sea salt, fresh ground pepper and Italian seasoning mix, to taste

Directions

1. Spray a small ramekin with cooking spray and place the diced onion and pepper in the bottom; microwave 1 minute on high. Pour the egg white over the onion and pepper; crack the egg on top of this. Pour ½ tsp extra virgin olive oil over the top and season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.

2. Gently poke a hole in the yolk; microwave 1 ½ to 2 minutes at half power until yolk is cooked to desired consistency.

3. Serve over whole grain toast sprayed with extra virgin olive oil spray, such as Ezekiel.

**Note: I stopped at 1 ½ minutes and checked and put it back in for another few seconds to firm it up a bit more.

Nutrition Facts

***3 WW Pts Plus and half a serving of your healthy oil!

1 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 117.5

Total Fat 6.8 g

Saturated Fat 1.7 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g

Monounsaturated Fat 1.7 g

Cholesterol 187.0 mg

Sodium 266.5 mg

Potassium 123.2 mg

Total Carbohydrate 3.8 g

Dietary Fiber 0.6 g

Sugars 0.8 g

Protein 9.9 g

Vitamin A 6.9 %

Vitamin B-12 7.3 %

Vitamin B-6 6.9 %

Vitamin C 30.9 %

Vitamin D 5.7 %

Vitamin E 3.2 %

Calcium 2.8 %

Copper 1.7 %

Folate 7.0 %

Iron 4.4 %

Magnesium 2.2 %

Manganese 3.3 %

Niacin 0.9 %

Pantothenic Acid 5.9 %

Phosphorus 8.9 %

Riboflavin 13.8 %

Selenium 19.6 %

Thiamin 3.3 %

Zinc 3.7 %

Carrot Beet Soup and Beet Relish with Raisins and Fresh Ginger

I am officially shocked.  As a self proclaimed beet hater, I have now fallen in love with beets.  When I knew I was getting them with my CSA last Thursday I figured I'd better browse around for some ideas.  I found a simple recipe at Blue Egg Kitchen that would be a great base and an interesting beet chutney recipe on several blogs that originally came from Bon Appetit.  

The soup turned out creamy and flavorful and was simple to prepare.  The only seasoning I used (and it needed) was a bit of salt.  The relish added a tangy/sweet flavor from the vinegar and raisins.  

Make them both together or they are great alone.  The relish would also be excellent with pork and if you make the soup I encourage you to experiment with different seasonings to change up the taste and make it your own.  Then report back, of course, so I can try it out!

Carrot-Beet Soup and Beet Relish with Raisins and Fresh Ginger

Printable recipe

Carrot-Beet Soup slightly altered Blue Egg Kitchen 

Beet Relish with Raisins and Fresh Ginger slightly altered from Bon Appetit

Carrot-Beet Soup 

4 Servings 

Ingredients

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion

4 carrots

3 clove of garlic

1 large sweet potato

2 beets

4 cups broth

Coarse sea salt, to taste

Directions

1. Roughly chop onion, carrot and garlic.  Place into food processor and pulse a few times to create a finer chop; pour into medium bowl.  Follow the same process with the sweet potato and beets but leave those in the food processor as they will be added later.

2. Melt the butter and olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat, then add the onion, carrot, garlic, and a splash of broth, and cover. Cook about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and beets and broth; simmer, mostly covered, until all vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes.


3. Remove pot from heat and blend using an immersion blender or in small batches in a standard blender.  Season with coarse sea salt, to taste.

Nutrition Facts
4 Servings
***4 WW Pts Plus


Amount Per Serving
Calories 150.1
Total Fat 7.0 g
Saturated Fat 3.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 4.5 g
Cholesterol 12.8 mg
Sodium 994.8 mg
Potassium 714.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate 20.5 g
Dietary Fiber 3.2 g
Sugars 3.1 g
Protein 2.9 g


Vitamin A 234.6 %  (WOW!)
Vitamin B-12 8.5 %
Vitamin B-6 14.2 %
Vitamin C 27.1 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 4.3 %
Calcium 4.7 %
Copper 19.3 %
Folate 12.5 %
Iron 9.3 %
Magnesium 5.3 %
Manganese 42.8 %
Niacin 31.1 %
Pantothenic Acid 5.2 %
Phosphorus 19.6 %
Riboflavin 12.7 %
Selenium 9.7 %
Thiamin 5.7 %
Zinc 5.6 %

Beet Relish with Sweet Raisins and Fresh Ginger
6 Servings

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 3/4 cups chopped red onion
1 2-inch-diameter beet, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup champagne vinegar (or sub any vinegar you like)
3 tablespoon raisins
3 tablespoons agave or honey
2 teaspoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 Tbsp whole grain mustard  
Pinch of whole cumin seeds


Directions


1. Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add chopped red onion, a bit of water and the beet cubes until onion is softened; stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and bring mixture of a boil until thickened, about 5 minutes.

2. Add vinegar, raisins, agave, ginger, mustard, and pinch of whole cumin seeds. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until beet cubes are tender and relish is thick, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

Nutrition Facts
6 Servings
***3 WW Pts Plus


Amount Per Serving
Calories 93.0
Total Fat 2.4 g
Saturated Fat 0.3 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g
Monounsaturated Fat 1.7 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 64.4 mg
Potassium 183.1 mg
Total Carbohydrate 18.9 g
Dietary Fiber 1.4 g
Sugars 13.4 g
Protein 1.0 g 

Eat. Live. Be. and Fresh Cilantro-Carrot Top Tabbouleh

The first round of carrot top tabbouleh was eaten so fast I had to make a round two.  This time I added lots of the cilantro I got from my CSA as well.  I absolutely loved this addition.  It is aromatic, tart and so fresh.  I topped it with a bit of feta cheese and called it a lunch!

(Feta not pictured here.)

Fresh Cilantro-Carrot Top Tabbouleh

Serves 6
Printable Recipe

Ingredients

3 cups chopped carrot tops
3 cups chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 3/4 cups cooked bulgur wheat (I used chicken broth in the preparation as the cooking liquid)
2 large carrots, shredded
1 cup chopped tomato
1 cup chopped green onion
1/3 to 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/8 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
2 clove garlic, minced
1 packet stevia powder
Coarse sea salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic powder, to taste


Directions

1. Mix the carrot tops through green onion in a large bowl; whisk the lemon juice, olive oil, stevia, garlic, salt, pepper and garlic powder in a smaller bowl and pour over carrot top mixture evenly. Toss mixture gently, taste and add additional seasoning, if needed. Divide evenly between 6 bowls.

Estimated Nutrition Facts
**Please note that I could not find carrot tops in the recipe calculator so I had to sub with parsley; therefore this is as close as I could get for a nutrition estimate
 6 Servings
**3 WW Pts Plus (estimated, see above note)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 130.2
Total Fat 5.1 g
Saturated Fat 0.7 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.4 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 53.6 mg 
Potassium 401.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate 19.4 g
Dietary Fiber 4.1 g
Sugars 1.3 g
Protein 3.5 g

Eat. Live. Be. for a better 2011

This week’s “Eat. Live. Be.” topic is, our biggest challenges and how we are tackling them.

One of my challenges is losing the last 5 to 7 lbs. Once I hit 32 and apparently celebrated without much moderation I gained about that amount and haven't been able to get it off and keep it off.

How am I tackling this? One way is that I joined the weight watcher meetings on Tuesdays at work. The only problem now is that the program ended so now I'm trying to start up a diet group where we still weigh in once a week and discuss a topic. In fact, I suggested we might discuss the same topics as we do here every Monday!

Another way is to work out as much as possible; which also happens to be one of my challenges.

My second challenge is finding time to work out now that I have a toddler on top of working full time. I used to work out before work, going for a quick jog; I would go to the gym at lunch to do weights and then occasionally, the trifecta, power yoga after work. Not so much any more...I still do the workouts at lunch and I try to pack as much into those as I can. I was doing my power yoga on Saturday and Tuesday night but now that I've injured my shoulder a bit I have to cut back on that for a while. At this point I can only do my best. I fit it in where I can and just have to not care that I go back to work with my hair not as in place as before I went to lunch. My motto for the working out is stolen from Nike. “Just do it.” I don't make any excuses. Period.

Another way I'm tackling my challenges is to always be learning. I read articles, and talk to people to see what they are doing. I learn as much as I can about food and exercise, farming and nutrition. I seek out new, creative and fun ways to work out. I think I've come a long way, but I think of myself as a student. There will always be more to know.

Over all, I've come to the realization that I also need to be accepting of myself. This does NOT mean I am giving up, this means I'm simply going to be nicer to myself in the mean time. I work hard and I can definitely say I am doing my best. I may not ever be as lean as I would like to be but I will not give up on being as healthy as I can.Ingredients

Spicy Slow Cooker Beef Soft Tacos

I find tacos to be very personal.  Some like flour tortillas and some like corn.  Some only eat the soft tacos and others prefer the hard shell and so on and so forth. 

Now take someone like my husband Chris.  Give him a flour tortilla with meat, sour cream and cheese.  Done deal. Every time.

Then there is me.  Some might consider me a bit on the picky side when it comes to tacos.  What might be called a "high maintenance" taco eater, if you will. 

Usually I just like to go naked.....and make it a salad.  Get your mind out of the gutters people.  If I'm feeling adventurous I like a low carb tortilla with just a little bit of meat.  When it's just me, it would be tofu, or occasionally chicken.  Today I'm going with beef since I'm feeding three boys as well and I got such a great deal at Native Sun on 1 lb of local, organic, humanely raised, grass-fed stew beef.  The price was $3 and it all came from ONE cow (unlike the factory farms where it could be from many different cows).  On top of my protein of choice I like a little pinto or black beans, lots of fresh salsa and cilantro (got a ton from my CSA), maybe a bit of sour cream but mostly non-fat Greek yogurt, if there is fresh avocado I like just a bit........you see where I'm going here.

 Enough about me, how do you like your tacos prepared?

Here's what I'm gonna do.  I'm going to give you the nutrition info and WW Pts Plus for just the meat part for 4 servings which is a rather large amount and then you have to figure out the rest....the site I use is SparkRecipes.

Good luck and may you always get your perfect taco.

Spicy Slow Cooker Beef Soft Tacos

Serves 4

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

1 lb cubed stew meat
2 cups broth
1 14.5 oz can fire roasted tomatoes with Adobo seasoning, such as Muir Glen
2 chipotle peppers, diced
1 tsp adobo
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh ground pepper
Tortillas and toppings of choice such as salsa, cilantro, cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt

Directions

1. Combine stew meat through fresh ground pepper.  Place in slow cooker and cook on low for 6 hours.


Nutrition info for beef mixture.  (Beef through ground pepper.)
***5 WW Pts Plus
4 Servings


Calories 214.6
Total Fat 5.2 g
Saturated Fat 2.0 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g
Monounsaturated Fat 2.5 g
Cholesterol 67.1 mg
Sodium 1,030.8 mg
Potassium 752.0 mg
Total Carbohydrate 13.0 g
Dietary Fiber 2.5 g
Sugars 7.9 g
Protein 28.2 g


Vitamin A 21.3 %
Vitamin B-12 57.9 %
Vitamin B-6 35.1 %
Vitamin C 38.2 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 1.0 %
Calcium 4.5 %
Copper 11.9 %
Folate 4.3 %
Iron 23.7 %
Magnesium 9.2 %
Manganese 18.1 %
Niacin 39.7 %
Pantothenic Acid 4.7 %
Phosphorus 33.6 %
Riboflavin 17.1 %
Selenium 38.5 %
Thiamin 9.0 % 
Zinc 24.0 %

A very sad Saturday morning waffle fail

I had such good intentions this morning.  I was going to make on old waffle recipe of mine that is just so delicious but calls for ricotta and the only thing I had was cottage cheese.  I whipped up an egg, egg white, the cottage cheese, vanilla and maple flavoring, stevia and a touch of salt and poured it on in. 

Now I'm not sure where I went wrong because I sprayed the waffle iron pretty well but when I tried to open it and take my waffle out it looked like this.....

This was very sad because the camera was all ready to go and I was going do a nice blog post about it and the bits I was pulling off were just so tasty.

I'm not proud to admit it but this was definitely a FAIL in waffle structure.

The only saving grace was the taste.  I gave it a 10 out of 10.  It was light and crisp on the outside but just totally fell apart.  I just need to work on the sticking factor and will get back to ya.

CSA (my) Week 6 and Daikon Radish Chips

Today was week 6 for my CSA veggies from KYV Farms but I haven't had a chance to make a recipe plan so we'll just have to wing it.  I can't wait to try the beets, mainly because I haven't liked them when I've ordered them in restaurants but I'm told I will like them fresh so I want to see if I really am a beet person after all.

Since I was having the minestrone soup leftovers I decided to make some Daikon radish chips (recipe below) in the toaster oven as an appetizer.  I was surprised the thinner ones actually came out crispy and they all took on the seasoning flavors beautifully. I didn't use a mandolin this time but next time I definitely will just so they all cook uniformly and I might try out some different seasoning mixes just to keep things interesting.

Can you believe how gorgeous these veggie photos always come out?  I can't take the credit. I almost never have to adjust the color or lighting.  They really are that fresh and gorgeous.

Thank you, Vivian and Francisco, for all your hard work to provide us with these organically raised vegetables that nourish me and my family.  I can only hope that more and more people will catch on to the value of the small farm and CSA.

Onions

Carrots

 Kohlrabi

 Beets

 Green Tomatoes, Lettuce and Cilantro

Spinach, Green Peppers and Broccoli

Lettuce and Spinach

And Daikon Radish!
I love these as they are so low in calories and have lots of vitamin C.

I did a quick radish recipe that is so easy it almost isn't a recipe but I'll tell you what I did...

Daikon Radish Chips

 Ingredients

1 Daikon radish, sliced thinly (a mandolin will yield the best results)

Olive oil spray

Coarse sea salt, fresh ground pepper, garlic powder, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat broiler.  Spray a baking sheet with olive oil and lay the radish slices down.  Spray the tops with olive oil.  Broil for 5-8 minutes until just beginning to brown.  Flip and broil second side 5-8 minutes.  Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

***Note:  Watch the radish closely under the broiler to ensure they do not over brown.  Cooking times will vary with thickness of radish slices and proximity to heating elements.

Chicken, White Bean and Kale Minestrone

This started out as a pasta dish and somehow morphed into a soup.

Mainly because I like food with volume and I like the comfortably full feeling, not stuffed, just not hungry.  Alternatively, I like to look pretty good in my bathing suit in the summer and to do this I can't eat the amount of pasta I would like to eat.

So here is my compromise.

Soup with pasta in it.  And lots o' fresh kale.  And a bit of parm.

Chicken, White Bean and Kale Minestrone

About 6 (1 1/2 cup) servings

***6 very filling WW Pts Plus
Printable Recipe

Ingredients (Assume all ingredients organic)


1 small free range, organic chicken breast
4 tsp extra virgin olive oil, I used some parmesan olive oil from Williams Sonoma
1 or 2 glugs white wine
4 cups chicken broth
1 14oz can cannellini beans, drained
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale, chopped
4 ounces whole wheat shell pasta
2 cup water
2 bay leaves
2 tsp Italian seasoning, such as Emeril's
Fresh ground pepper and garlic powder, to taste
Optional Parmesan


Directions


1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Season chicken with 1 tsp Italian seasoning, fresh ground pepper and garlic powder.  Sear on first side until chicken releases, about 2 to 3 minutes or until browned. If oil begins to smoke too much add a bit of white whine.  Flip once and sear on second side until chicken releases again, an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove chicken from pot to rest.  Deglaze pan with white wine. 


2. Add onion and garlic.  Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add chicken broth, water, bay leaves, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, garlic powder and pepper, bring to a boil.  Add pasta and cook until lower side of package directions.  (Mine stated 7 to 9 minutes so I cooked to 7 minutes).  With 5 minutes remaining on pasta cook time add kale and white beans.  Chop chicken breast and stir in cubes.  Top each serving with parmesan if desired.

**Note:  When I state that "chicken releases" I mean that the chicken doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. You can easily flip it.




Nutrition Facts (does not include parmesan cheese)
About 6 (1 1/2cup) Servings


Calories 246.6
Total Fat 4.2 g
Saturated Fat 1.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.2 g
Cholesterol 26.1 mg
Sodium 693.4 mg
Potassium 633.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 36.6 g
Dietary Fiber 9.0 g
Sugars 1.8 g
Protein 18.8 g


Vitamin A 236.6 %
Vitamin B-12 8.1 %
Vitamin B-6 20.9 %
Vitamin C 63.6 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 6.2 %
Calcium 8.8 %
Copper 17.3 %
Folate 6.3 %
Iron 17.7 %
Magnesium 8.7 %
Manganese 40.1 %
Niacin 43.1 %
Pantothenic Acid 4.7 %
Phosphorus 21.3 %
Riboflavin 10.7 %
Selenium 17.0 %
Thiamin 6.5 %
Zinc 6.2 %

What to do with left over roasted sweet potato: A standard and gluten/dairy free option.

The night before the wedding I had everyone back to our place for a BBQ cookout that included some gorgeous roasted sweet potatoes.  We had about five left over so I pureed them and then went in search of what to do with them.  I found sweet potato cakes and muffins but then came across a biscuit recipe that did not call for eggs and seemed pretty easy.  I subbed the regular flour for gluten free baking flour and made my daughter some biscuits.  She really like them so I had her help me make another batch with some super ripe bananas we had on hand. 

Tip: For the banana version simply sub 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas which worked out to about three.

Tip: When forming the dough be sure to coat your hands in flour as well to prevent sticking.

Tip: Don't add all the milk at once.  You don't want the dough so soft you can't form it into balls.  If this happens, no worries, just use a tablespoon to form a sort of cookie shape and bake normally.  Remove from oven when brown. (Even I couldn't mess these things up).

Sweet Potato Biscuits
Both Standard and Gluten/Dairy Free options in printable recipes
***3 WW Pts Plus
(See full nutrition info below for both gluten/dairy free version and standard)

Gluten/Dairy free Printable Recipe
Standard Printable Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups gluten free all-purpose flour, such as Bob's Red Mill

6 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp turbinado sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 Tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread

1 1/2 cups pureed roasted sweet potatoes (skins and all)

1/2 cup rice milk

1 tsp cinnamon

Additional turbinado sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Directions

1.Preheat the oven to 400F.

2.Whisk the flour, baking powder, cinnamon sugar and salt. Add the Earth Balance in small pieces and whisk to incorporate into dry mix. Add in the sweet potatoes, and enough of the milk to make a soft dough.

3.Turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll into large ball.  Cut in half, then each of those in half, and so on until 16 pieces are formed.  Roll into balls and place on two baking sheets covered in parchment paper.  Press bottom of glass dipped in flour onto top of each biscuit to form a uniform round shape. Dust with additional sugar if desired.

4.Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.

Nutrition Facts for Gluten and Dairy free

***3 WW Pts Plus

16 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 110.1

Total Fat 3.3 g

Saturated Fat 0.9 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1.4 g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.9 g

Cholesterol 0.0 mg

Sodium 306.3 mg

Potassium 0.4 mg

Total Carbohydrate 19.5 g

Dietary Fiber 1.9 g

Sugars 4.9 g

Protein 2.1 g

Vitamin A 73.1 %

Vitamin B-12 0.0 %

Vitamin B-6 0.0 %

Vitamin C 1.9 %

Vitamin D 0.0 %

Vitamin E 0.1 %

Calcium 12.0 %

Copper 0.0 %

Folate 0.0 %

Iron 2.9 %

Magnesium 0.1 %

Manganese 0.0 %

Niacin 0.0 %

Pantothenic Acid 0.0 %

Phosphorus 3.8 %

Riboflavin 0.0 %

Selenium 0.0 %

Thiamin 0.0 %

Zinc 0.0 %

Nutrition Facts with all purpose flour, unsalted butter and 2% milk

***3 WW Pts Plus

16 Servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 110.7

Total Fat 3.0 g

Saturated Fat 1.9 g

Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g

Monounsaturated Fat 0.9 g

Cholesterol 8.4 mg

Sodium 277.0 mg

Potassium 21.3 mg

Total Carbohydrate 19.0 g

Dietary Fiber 0.9 g

Sugars 4.7 g

Protein 2.3 g

Vitamin A 75.6 %

Vitamin B-12 0.1 %

Vitamin B-6 0.0 %

Vitamin C 1.9 %

Vitamin D 0.8 %

Vitamin E 0.3 %

Calcium 11.9 %

Copper 0.0 %

Folate 0.0 %

Iron 6.0 %

Magnesium 0.1 %

Manganese 0.0 %

Niacin 4.0 %

Pantothenic Acid 0.0 %

Phosphorus 3.9 %

Riboflavin 3.1 %

Selenium 0.1 %

Thiamin 5.0 %

Zinc 0.0 %

***Please note that when I state “allergy free” this is my attempt at gluten, egg, dairy, soy, peanut and cod fish free which are the allergies my daughter has. I am not a doctor or registered dietitian.