Jeanette Chen at Jeanette’s Healthy Living has created this great recipe for the perfect comforting meal on a chilly winter day.
Continue readingSlow Cooker Red Wine Pot Roast
Slow Cooker Chipotle Chili
Jeanette Chen of Jeanette’s Healthy Living offers this hearty and satisfying chili, so inviting as the nights get cooler. The smokiness of the chilis reminds her of the taste of summertime grilling and the heat of the dish is easily adjusted with the number of peppers you chose to add. Since this chili freezes well, consider making a double batch to have a quick meal ready on a busy night or for game day.
Continue readingGrilled Brazilian Rub Salmon
Just in time for Labor Day we have a kid-friendly rub from Jeanette Chen at Jeanette’s Healthy Living to add some spice to your grilling. First, the salmon is marinated briefly in fresh orange and lemon juice and seasoned with salt and pepper. Jeanette mentioned you can use lime juice which worked well too. Next, the Brazilian rub is mixed together and spread on top of the salmon. The rub consists of fresh garlic, Spanish smoked paprika, paprika, and chili powder. The original recipe didn’t call for Spanish smoked paprika, but adding it can give it extra smoky flavor. Now onto the cedar planks. They are a great way to add extra smokiness to this salmon recipe. It makes a dramatic presentation too. Cedar planks need to be soaked for at least 30 minutes, if not longer. Otherwise, they might catch on fire. Drizzle some oil on the cedar plank, place the salmon on top and drizzle a little bit of extra virgin olive oil on top. If you don’t have a cedar plank (cedar planks are available at Walter Stewart’s), Jeanette suggests grilling the salmon on top of an oiled piece of foil. This will keep the fish from sticking to the grill. Enjoy!
Grilled Brazilian Rub Salmon
Ingredients
28 ounces salmon, cut into 6 portions
juice of 1 orange
juice of 1 lemon
sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons organic brown sugar
1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Directions
Place fish in pie dish. Sprinkle with orange and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper; let sit for 15-20 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, smoked paprika, paprika, chili powder, garlic and olive oil. Spread evenly on top of salmon.
Place salmon pieces on an oiled foil-lined baking sheet. Grill until cooked through.
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Hearty Chicken Chorizo, Kale, Bean and Farro Soup
Ready for a warm and delicious recipe for these cold winter days? Jeanette Chen from Jeanette’s Healthy Living shared this adaptable recipe to warm us all up. You can use whatever beans you have on hand (kidney, black bean, chickpeas, white beans, lentils), and substitute other grains for farro (e.g., whole grain pasta or barley; or for gluten-free version, substitute brown rice or quinoa). Instead of kale, you can also stir in some spinach (which cooks much faster).
This serves six and the total time with prep and cook time is only 50 minutes.
Hearty Chicken Chorizon, Kale, Bean and Farro Soup
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 (4-ounce) links fresh chicken Chorizo sausage (removed from casing)
1 carrot, peeled, thinly sliced
4 ounces mushrooms, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1½ cups or 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1½ cup or 1 (16 ounce) can beans, rinsed and drained (use your favorite)
½ cup quick cooking farro (or regular farro – you will have to cook it longer; use brown rice or quinoa for gluten-free option)
4 cups chopped kale (you can use frozen)
1 zucchini, quartered and cut into ¼ inch slices
Directions
Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add sausage and sauté for a few minutes, breaking up the pieces. Add carrots, mushrooms, onions and garlic. Sauté until sausage is cooked through, about 4-5 minutes. Add paprika, chicken broth, tomatoes, beans and farro. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook 15 minutes or until farro is tender (if you use regular farro, it may take 25 minutes). Add kale and zucchini and continue cooking another 6-7 minutes until kale is just tender.
Grilled Mediterranean Shrimp and Zucchini Noodles in a Packet
With only a few more weeks of summer vacation, Jeanette Chen from Jeanette’s Healthy Living has been savoring every minute, including doing lots of grilling and hanging out on the back patio. We all love grilling because an entire meal can be made at the same time, and there is minimal cleanup. This is all about the presentation so enjoy!
Note: If you don’t have a spiralizer, you can use thinly sliced zucchini instead
Grilled Mediterranean Shrimp and Zucchini Noodles in a Packet
Ingredients
2 zucchini, ends trimmed
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika or regular paprika
salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons white wine or chicken broth
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
12 cherry tomatoes
2 scallions, chopped
12 kalamata olives, pitted
4 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese, optional
Directions
Tear off 4 pieces of aluminum foil, 20″ long each.
Spiralize zucchini.
In a medium bowl, toss together shrimp, olive oil, garlic, oregano, paprika, wine, salt and pepper.
Divide zucchini, red bell pepper strips, tomatoes, scallions, kalamata olives, feta cheese and shrimp on 4 pieces of foil. Spoon sauce from marinated shrimp on top of ingredients.
Fold long end of foil over food. Fold up narrow ends. Fold last end over to seal packet.
Grill on high for 10 minutes. Serve.
Loaded Cauliflower Casserole with Bacon and Caramelized Onions
We are always trying to get more vegetables in our meals and Jeanette Chen of Jeanette’s Healthy Kitchen has a solution. The other day she had an overload of cauliflower so she knew just what to do. Instead of using potatoes with this recipe Jeanette’s reached for her cauliflower as the substitute. This may sound decadent but don’t worry, it only uses two slices of bacon and half a cup of cheese in the entire recipe. The trick is to crumble the crispy bacon up so there’s some in every bite, and to use an aged sharp cheddar cheese that has more flavor. Topping this Loaded Cauliflower Casserole with caramelized onions was also a hit for the whole family.
Loaded Cauliflower Casserole with Bacon and Caramelized Onions
Serves: 3-4
Ingredients
1 small head cauliflower
2 strips antibiotic-free, uncured bacon
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic
½ cup low-fat organic yogurt
½ cup aged sharp cheddar cheese
⅛ teaspoon paprika
salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 scallion, chopped
Directions
Cut cauliflower into florets and steam for about 20 minutes, until tender.
Meanwhile, brown bacon until crisp; drain and crumble.
Heat olive oil in small skillet and saute onion until translucent; add garlic and saute util onions are browned.
Transfer cooked cauliflower to food processor along with yogurt and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Scrape mixture into a baking dish and sprinkle cheese and paprika on top. Broil until cheese is melted.
Top casserole with sautéed onions, bacon pieces and chopped scallion.
Low Carb Pasta with Asparagus Pancetta and Pine Nuts
Pasta is always a favorite for Jeanette Chen of Jeanette’s Healthy Cooking, but too much of a good thing could pack on the pounds! Jeanette decided to swap out pasta with gluten-free, low-carb tofu shirataki noodles. Visually, these shirataki noodles look just like spaghetti, although their texture is a bit crunchy. One serving has just 10 calories and 3 grams carbs. You may also sub in Soba Noodles for Shirataki.
Low Carb Pasta with Asparagus Pancetta and Pine Nuts
Ingredients
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces diced uncured antibiotic-free pancetta
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1½” diagonal pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces tofu shirataki noodles, rinsed and drained
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
fresh grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
fresh lemon wedge
Directions
Place olive oil and pancetta in saute pan and cook until pancetta crisps up; use slotted spoon to remove pancetta to a bowl; reserve.
Add asparagus and garlic to same pan and saute until asparagus is crisp and a little tender, about 3 minutes. Add shirataki noodles and toss until heated through. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Transfer to serving bowls. Sprinkle with cheese, pine nuts and reserved crispy pancetta. Squeeze lemon wedge over pasta. Serve.
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Power Berry Avocado Almond Chia Salad
Jeanette Chen, from Jeanette’s Healthy Living, finds salads are a great way to get in your daily serving of fruits and vegetables. It’s easy to get two cups of leafy salad greens and one cup of fruit in at dinner this way. Including healthy fats like avocado, almonds and chia seeds (exceptionally high in omega-3 fatty acids) completes this Power Salad.
Power Berry Avocado Almond Chia Salad
All you need on this salad was a fresh squeeze of lime, but you can drizzle some raw honey on top if you like too. Since this salad already has some healthy fats in it, she didn’t use any oil.
Ingredients
2 cups leafy salad greens
1 cup mixed berries
½ avocado, cubed
2 tablespoons almond slices, toasted
2 teaspoons chia seeds
fresh lime juice
raw honey, optional
Here is the whole recipe
Breakfast Coconut Quinoa with Fruit
Get a healthy jump on your day! This high protein and nutrient rich breakfast from Jeanette Chen, Jeanette’s Healthy Living, is both delicious and easy to make. The quinoa, which can be prepared ahead of time, has become so popular these days because of its health benefits. Not only is it high in protein, but it’s a great source of vitamin B6, folate, iron, and zinc. One cup of cooked quinoa has 180 calories, 2 grams fiber and 7 grams protein. That with the delicious fruit is a real family pleaser.
Breakfast Coconut Quinoa with Fruit
Serves: 2
Ingredients
½ cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained well
⅓ cup coconut milk
¾ cup water
2 tablespoons organic raw coconut sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of salt
2 tablespoons toasted coconut
2 tablespoons toasted almonds
½ cup fresh strawberries
½ cup sliced bananas
additional coconut milk or almond milk, as desired for serving
Directions
Place quinoa, coconut milk, water, sugar, vanilla and salt in saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn heat off and let sit for 5 minutes. Spoon into serving bowls and top with toasted coconut, almonds, strawberries and bananas.
Crustless Sausage Spinach Mushroom Quiche
To start your New Year off right who can resist a quiche for brunch. Quiches are great foils for adding a variety of vegetables. Jeanette Chen from Jeanette’s Healthy Living blog thinks the vegetables actually make a prettier quiche, and it certainly doesn’t hurt that they add extra nutrition to this brunch dish. For the meat lovers, she added some Italian style chicken sausage. Happy New Year!
Crustless Sausage Spinach Mushroom Quiche
Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
½ cup chopped mushrooms
⅛ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 ounces Italian style chicken sausage (~ 1½ links), diced
¾ cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1 cup fat-free or low-fat cottage cheese, processed until smooth in a food processor.
¼ cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
½ cup gluten-free baking mix (King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Pancake mix)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet and add onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms; saute until vegetables are just soft, about 3 minutes. Season with pepper. Add sausage and saute another 2 minutes; let cool to room temperature. Sprinkle ¼ cup shredded Swiss cheese in bottom of pie pan. In a large bowl, mix together, remaining ½ cup Swiss cheese, spinach, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, and eggs. Add gluten-free baking mix and stir until blended. Pour into pie pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until center of quiche comes out clean when a knife is inserted.
