Spicy Jamalaya

Chicago is currently preparing for about 2 feet of snow – give or take a few feet. We are under a blizzard warning from the National Weather Service. The grocery stores are packed, people are freaking out and one of my friends has declared he is calling in “Blizzard” for work tomorrow.

Apparently the world is ending – at least in Chicago.

In this time of desperation I call for a taste of warmth, a taste of New Orleans…..Jambalaya.

The show must go on.

Spicy Jambalaya
Adapted from Eat, Live, Run

1/2 lb andouille chicken sausage
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 1/2 Tablespoon whole wheat flour
1 large onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup long grain brown rice
1.5 cups water
1 15oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
hot sauce, to taste

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Brown sausage and then remove and set aside.
2. Add the flour to the oil and make a dark roux by cooking the flour over medium high heat until golden in color, stirring continuously with a rubber spatula.
3. Add the chopped onions, celery and parsley to the roux and toss well to coat. Cook for about six minutes or until the onions are soft. Add the garlic and cook for thirty seconds more.

4. Add the water, tomatoes, rice, salt, pepper and cayenne. Add back the sausage as well. Stir well and bring up to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about one hour (no peaking!).
5. Before serving fluff jambalaya with a fork and add more hot sauce to taste.

Nutrition Notes: Brown rice, tomatoes, celery, onion – I’d say this is pretty healthy. Even though it’s not in traditional jambalaya, adding some sauteed spinach to this dish would be a great nutritional boost! I only used about 1/2 pound of sausage as well and make sure to look for a leaner version of andouille sausage. I used this one:

Taste Test: Another spicy dish but it was really good! Cut down on the cayenne pepper for less spice!

If I don’t make it out of this blizzard alive, It was nice knowing you all. 😉

Rolled Oat Bread

What a gloomy Sunday in Chicago. Apparently they are talking about a huge snowstorm mid-week. Huge as in feet of snow! We shall see…

My mom gave me a bread machine for Christmas and I love it. I have had fun making whole wheat bread for sandwiches, fruit filled breakfast breads, yummy cinnamon rolls and the list goes on and on. The biggest reason why I didn’t make much bread previously was the fear of making dough. I think that’s the hardest part about making bread or anything with yeast. This bread machine has a “dough” function so it just makes the dough for you so that you can bake it in your oven if you chose to do that. The dough always come out perfectly – not too sticky and not too dry.

She got me this bread machine from Food Network.

I think most of them are pretty similar so unless you own a bakery or something, I’d just purchase one that does basic functions. Now let’s make some bread!

Rolled Oat Bread
Adapted from: All Recipes

1 1/4 cups lukewarm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast

Directions:
1. Add ingredients to bread machine pan in order recommended by your manufacturer.
2. Put on regular or white setting.

Nutrition Notes: Let’s take a peek at rolled oats – soluble and insoluble fiber, slows digestion, good source of nutrients, high in protein, cancer-fighting properties, helps to lower LDL cholesterol levels. A study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine confirms that eating high fiber foods, such as oats, helps prevent heart disease. Have I convinced you to add rolled oats to your diet yet? 😉

So what’s the difference between rolled oats and steel cut oats? They are from the same plant, just cut differently. Rolled oats are steamed slightly to make them cook faster, but otherwise, they aren’t much different from steel cut oats. Steel cut oats have a nuttier flavor, the texture is much like mushy rice and they take a lot longer to cook. Their nutritional comparison is nearly identical but steel cut oats are less processed so many people tend to choose to eat them over rolled oats.

Taste Test: This is my favorite bread so far to come out of my bread machine. It’s soft in the middle and has a nice crust on the outside. It really tastes like fresh bakery bread! Enjoy!

Potato Leek Soup

It’s been a great but exhausting Saturday. I ran 3.4 miles on the treadmill again and we took Keenan for a 3.5 mile hike at a trail near our house. It was great to get some fresh air but it was also pretty chilly out there!

Let’s warm up with a big bowl of soup, shall we?

Potato Leek Soup

1 bunch leeks (about 4) dark green stems removed
1 white onion, chopped
2-3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 Tablespoon flour, whole wheat
1 Tablespoon butter
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock (or vegetable broth for vegetarians)
2 teaspoons thyme
1/2 cup 2% milk
salt and fresh pepper

Directions:
1. Remove the root end of the leeks and cut off the dark green tops and discard. Slice the white and light green portion of the leeks thinly. Wash leeks very carefully to remove all grit.

2. In a medium soup pot, melt butter and then add flour on low flame. Using a wooden spoon, mix well. This will thicken your soup and give it a wonderful flavor.
3. Add chicken stock, leeks, onion, potatoes, thyme and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for about 20-25 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth adding the milk and adjusting salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Notes: Leeks have similar nutritional benefits as onions and garlic and are also in the same family (Allium Family). They provide a good source of fiber, folic acid, vitamins B6 and C, manganese, and iron. In addition to their nutritional benefits, eating leeks also aids the body in certain medicinal needs. Leeks have antiseptic properties, which help the body fight infection, as well as laxative benefits. Leeks also help lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and increase HDL (“good”) cholesterol blood levels. Leeks are a good source of allyl sulfides, which help reduce the risk of prostate, colon and ovarian cancer and leeks also contain diuretic and anti-arthritic properties.

Taste Test: Try using leeks in soups in place of onions. You’ll find the flavor will be sweeter. This soup is delicious! I served it with rolled oat bread. If you like a chunkier soup, remove the potatoes before blending with an immersion blender.

Chicken Tikka Masala

I have decided to run the Shamrock Shuffle this year. It’s an 8k (just shy of 5 miles) run in Chicago and this year it’s on April 10th. I thought this would be the perfect motivation to keep up my running through the long winter months here in Chicago. I swear, it seems like winter lasts longer and longer each year. I just can’t wait until the ice melts outside so that I can get back to running outside. The treadmill is sucking the life out of me. Although I am thankful that I don’t have to go to the gym to run. I can just hop on it at home and catch up on some of my favorite shows!

So it was 3.35 miles done today and it felt awesome!

At least someone is loving this snow.

What else is there to do in this weather than cook? 🙂 Let’s get to it!

Chicken Tikka Masala
Adapted from My Bizzy Kitchen

1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup nonfat, plain Greek yogurt, divided
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 tsp ground cumin, divided
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp curry powder
2 dried Ancho peppers
15 oz. canned tomato sauce
1 small jalapeno, cut in half, seeded and chopped
1/4 tsp Sriracha chili sauce
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped (for garnish)

Directions:
1. Mix 1/4 of yogurt with the diced chicken, lemon juice, 2 tsp. cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper. Let sit for an hour.
2. Melt butter and add jalapeno pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons ground cumin, paprika, curry powder, sriracha sauce and stir for 2 minutes, until nice and fragrant.
3. Add chicken and cook for five minutes. Add tomato sauce and dried chiles and simmer for 15 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.
4. Remove from heat, stir in remaining 3 ounces of Greek yogurt. Garnish with cilantro and serve over brown rice.

Nutrition Notes: The recipe also calls for a good dose of cayenne pepper, which is made from the dried pods of chili peppers. This smokey flavored red powder has been known to decrease inflammation, increase circulation, aid in digestion, relieve pain, help with skin conditions like psoriasis, relieve headaches, overcoming fatigue and restoring stamina and much more.

Taste Test: Spicy! Ancho peppers are the dried version of poblano peppers, so they aren’t too spicy but it’s the cayenne and sriracha that make this dish spicy so just adjust the seasonings to your taste. You can find ancho peppers in the ethnic section of most grocery stores. I love the Indian flavors in this dish but it’s not for the faint of heart. So prepare your taste buds, get out your glass of milk and enjoy!

Black bean, avocado and corn salad

If you live in Chicago, check out Door to Door Organics. I’ve tried other organic delivery services and so far this is the best one that I’ve tried.

• You can see what produce is coming if you log into your account on their website. I love this. With other services I never knew what I was getting which made meal planning and grocery shopping at the store more difficult.
• You can substitute (up for 5 items for the small box). So if you need more of one fruit or vegetable you can change your order. I love this!
• They offer add-ons. So if you want something else delivered, they have anything from dairy to meat products! All organic and some local.
• You can put your order on hold, change to a bigger or smaller box as you need or skip an order. I love the flexibility.
• Pay as you go. No need to pay ahead of time…which can be daunting and difficult on the wallet.
• Look online for a $10 off your first order coupon!

I got everything in the picture below for about $35. All organic and mostly local.

Yesterday I explained all the great things about black beans. So I decided to make some salmon last night and to accompany it….

Avocado, Black Bean and Corn Salad

1 15oz. can black beans, drained
1 15oz. can low-sodium corn, drained
2 avocados, chopped
1 lime, juices
1 Tablespoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
optional: cilantro, green onion, tomatoes

Directions:
Combine all ingredients into a bowl and serve! How easy is that!

Nutrition Notes: This salad is packed with fiber and good fats (monounsaturated). It does not use oil so this cuts down on the fat and calories. Did you know avocado has more potassium than a banana? Avocados also provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They have been shown to help lower cholesterol, regulate blood pressure, decrease the risk of heart disease and protect against breast cancer to name a few.

(Source)

Taste Test: This is refreshing and light. I love lime juice and the addition of cumin gives it a perfect smokey flavor. You could easily use this as a taco topping. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Cornmeal Chili with Oven-Baked Corn Chips

Apparently I like corn today! Anyway, have you tried fire-roasted tomatoes?

If not, drop everything and pick these babies up. They will change your life. I will never buy regular diced tomatoes again. Fire-roasted tomatoes offer a more smokey intense flavor to your recipes. So good! Now on to the chili!

I love chili because there is usually no set recipe. You throw in the veggies that you have to use and it always turns out good. Don’t have kidney or black beans? Throw in whatever beans are in your cupboard!

Vegetarian Cornmeal Chili

1 medium onion, chopped
1 green or bell pepper, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 Tablespoon chili powder
1/2 Tablespoon cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of cinnamon
2 15 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
1 15 oz. can dark kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup cornmeal
scallions, for garnish

Directions:
1. Add olive oil to a dutch oven or large pot and heat on medium-high. Add onion, peppers, carrots, and garlic and saute for about 10 minutes until browned.

2. Add spices: chili powder, cumin, cayenne and cinnamon and mix until combined.
3. Add your fire-roasted tomatoes and beans and simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Next add in your cornmeal to thicken up the chili. Serve with scallions on top.

Nutrition Notes: Filled with beans, this chili is super high in fiber. Beans and other legumes also offer complex carbohydrates, which we need to power our bodies, and plenty of dietary fiber – around 15 grams per cup, which is half the 25 – 30 grams we should eat every day. Black beans are rich in anthocyanins, the same heart disease and cancer-fighting antioxidants that are found in cranberries and grapes. Kidney beans contain thiamin (vitamin B1) which protects memory and brain function.

Taste Test: I could barely eat one bowl – this chili is filling! I love the addition of cornmeal to chili. It adds a different flavor and thickens up the chili. You can always add ground beef, turkey or soy crumbles if that’s your thing.

Homemade Corn chips

5-6 corn tortillas
non-stick cooking spray
sea salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut each tortilla in 4 pieces and place on baking sheet in a single layer.
3. Spray non-stick cooking spray on each tortilla and add sea salt to taste.
4. Cook for 15 minutes or until crispy.

Once you make these, you’ll never buy the chips from the store. These are so easy and much healthier. They can be used in taco salads, with salsa, guacamole or hummus.

Get creative!

Garlic Shrimp Lightened Up

The yellowish hue that my kitchen light gives off is ruining all of my pictures! If I take pictures during the day, it is fine but at night when there is no sunlight, my pictures have an ugly yellow hue to them. I’ll have to do something different because in the pictures below it is really noticeable. Boo!! Suggestions?

Is anyone else getting sick of the winter yet? I did notice this morning that it may be getting a little lighter in the mornings. I’ll take whatever I can get. Shrimp always reminds me of the beach and I thought it would be the prefect thing to serve on a cold winter night in Chicago.

Garlic Shrimp Lightened Up
Adapted from: The Pioneer Woman

2 pounds Raw Shrimp, Deveined, Shells On
1/4 stick Cold Unsalted Butter or Smart Balance Cut Into Pieces
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
4 cloves Garlic, Peeled
¼ cups Fresh Parsley
½ teaspoons Crushed Red Pepper (more or less to taste)
1 whole Lemon, Juiced

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse frozen shrimp to separate, then arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, add cold butter, garlic, lemon juice, salt, parsley, and red pepper. Pulse until combined. Sprinkle cold butter crumbles over the shrimp.

3. Bake until shrimp is opaque and butter is hot and bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.
4. Peel and eat the shrimp.

Nutrition Notes: The original recipe used 2 sticks of butter, which I think was WAY too much! I cut that by a lot and the dish still had an amazing flavor. Shrimp is a low-fat and low-calorie protein source but usually it’s what we decide to put on it that makes it less healthy! Despite the fact that shrimp are low-fat, they do have a pretty high cholesterol content – about 200 milligrams in 3.5 ounces, or 12 large boiled shrimp. To give you perspective, one egg contains about 215 milligrams of cholesterol. Your daily intake should not exceed 300 milligrams of cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol comes only from animal products such as meats, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products so if you decide to eat shrimp just watch how much cholesterol you get from other foods. In moderate amounts, shrimp have a place in a heart-healthy diet. So dig in!

Taste Test: Delicious! The husband said this would also be good served over pasta. With a side salad and my rosemary popovers, I thought this was a delicious, lite meal. The crushed red pepper gave it a nice kick and who doesn’t love lemon butter sauce! Yum!

Have a great night!

Berry Love Smoothie

I have been loving smoothies lately, especially after a nice sweaty run. Even in the winter, they are refreshing and yummy! I have no problems getting my veggies in every day, but fruit is another story. Smoothies are a perfect way to add fruits to your daily diet!

Berry Love Smoothie

1/2 cup greek yogurt or almond milk
1 banana (you can use any fruit: pear, apple, orange etc.)
3-4 ice cups
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup blueberries (you can use any berries: strawberries, blackberries, raspberries etc)
1 Tablespoon Whey protein powder
1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds

Directions:
1. Blend all ingredients into blender until smooth.
2. Stick a straw in it and enjoy! Serves 2.

Nutrition Notes: This smoothie is packed with nutrients. The protein powder and greek yogurt add a good amount of protein to the smoothie. Have you heard about these wonderful chia seeds? Chia seeds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, as well as fiber, magnesium, manganese, calcium, copper, phosphorus, zinc and iron. Phew! You do not need to grind chia seeds and can add them whole in a variety of different ways: in oatmeal, smoothies (duh!), over salad and baked goods! The list goes on and on!

Taste Test: This smoothies is tangy and not too sweet. I love the thick consistency of smoothies. The chia seeds are definitely noticeable in the smoothie since they don’t blend down into the smoothie but this doesn’t bother me – it’s more like having strawberries or blackberry seeds in your smoothie.

Happy blending!

Lazy Bears Game Sunday

Today was a good day. A couple of good friends, Patti and Jess, and my brother Ryan came over for an impromptu get together for a HUGE football game. Our beloved Chicago Bears kicked some Green Bay Packers booty lost to the Packers and are sadly not headed to the Superbowl! Well there is always next year?

This calls for some good eats.

Crockpot Pulled Pork
Source: Apple A Day

2-3 chipotle chiles in adobo, finely minced
1/4 c. cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoons plus 2 tsp. sweet or smoked paprika
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tsp. dry mustard
1 Tablespoons chili powder
1 tsp. salt
3 lbs. pork tenderloin
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:
1. Stir tomato sauce, chiles, vinegar, honey, paprika, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, chili powder and salt in a 6-quart slow cooker until smooth.
2. Add pork, onion and garlic; stir to combine.

Nutrition Notes: Making this with chicken would have been healthier but my brother is allergic to chicken so, pork it was. I served this with a big salad and whole wheat buns for a pretty nutritious meal.

Taste Test: Within a few hours of cooking in the crockpot, you could smell the goodness in every room of the house. This pulled pork definitely had a little kick to it, but it wasn’t too spicy. My friends 5 year old son ate it with no problems. It was delish!

On a completely unrelated note, I just found out last night that my parents are taking my husband and I along with my brothers to go on an Alaskan cruise this July! That is definitely something to look forward to and help get us through these long winter months.

Can Not Wait!!

Winter Blues and Chocolate Cookies

Happy Saturday!

We woke to a fresh coating of snow here in Chicago. Winter wants to remind us that it is here to stay – at least for a while. Sigh. Normally I have no problem running outside during the winter but the past few weeks we have had a nice sheet of ice coating the sidewalks. So my workouts have been on the treadmill. I think Mr. Keenan misses his runs outside with me as much as I do.

Low-fat Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 eggs whites
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine wet ingredients: applesauce, oil and egg whites.
2. Beat in sugars and vanilla.
3. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl: flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
4. Add dry ingredients into wet. The mixture will be very thick. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour.

5. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray and drop dough by rounded tablespoon. Sprinkle with mini-chocolate chips.

6. Bake for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. YUM!

Nutrition Notes: Substituting butter for applesauce works in almost any recipe. Use a 1:1 ratio. 1 stick=1/2 cup applesauce. Using egg whites instead of a whole egg also cuts down on the fat and cholesterol. Use two egg whites to replace one whole egg in any recipe! Additionally, cocoa is packed with antioxidants and fiber. This tasty powder can be added to so many recipes in the kitchen.

Taste Test: I’ve made these cookies since college and I have always loved the soft texture and the yummy chocolate flavor. I am a sucker for soft cookies. I think using the mini-chocolate chips are better than the larger ones.

I ran out of brown sugar while I was making this recipe. But have no fear! You can substitute regular granulated sugar and molasses if this happens to you! Doing this also means you are eliminating the more processed brown sugar.

First, determine how many ounces of brown sugar you need by looking at the recipe. One cup of brown sugar equals 8 oz. by weight. So in the recipe above, I needed 3/4 cup of brown sugar and that equals 6 ounces. For each ounce of brown sugar that you needed, add 1 Tablespoon of granulated sugar and equal amounts of molasses. For example in the recipe above, you need 6 ounces of brown sugar. To replace that, add 6 Tablespoons of granulated sugar with 6 Tablespoons of molasses. That’s it! Just add this mixture to the other ingredients at the point where the recipe calls for brown sugar.

Enjoy your weekend!