Hearty Greens with Garlic

I love trying new things! I have never tried Kale before, I didn't even think it was edible. The first time I saw kale was when I worked for a food place and we put it in between all of the different foods when we had buffets, I just thought it was there to make your food look pretty. It turns out it is very healthy for you. Try this if you don't like the kale in it, try another type of green.

 

Hearty Greens with Garlic

Serves 6-8

What You'll Need:

1 1/2 pounds hearty greens, sliced thinly (we like kale or Swiss chard, but collards or beet greens are great alternatives)

1 pound baby spinach

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

Salt

Optional: 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

What to Do:

1. Heat oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook until the garlic is golden around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove garlic from skillet and set aside (so it doesn't burn).

2. Add hearty greens to the pan, cover, and cook until tender (about 10 minutes).

3. Add spinach and season with salt and red pepper flakes to taste.

4. Cook until spinach wilts, stirring frequently (about a minute). Return garlic to pan and stir.



Steak and Pepper Tacos

 

 

Steak and Pepper Tacos

Ingredients

·         1 tablespoon olive oil

·         1 teaspoon cumin

·         1 garlic clove, minced

·         3 ounces steak strips

·         1 1/2 cups sliced green and red bell peppers

·         1/2 cup sliced onion

·         2 small (6-inch) whole-grain tortillas

·         4 tablespoons salsa

·         2 tablespoons low-fat sour cream

Make It
In a skillet, saute olive oil, cumin, and garlic for 1 minute. Add steak strips and cook about 5 minutes. Add pepper and onion slices and cook for another 8 minutes. Place mixture in tortillas and fold. Top with salsa and sour cream.

 

Italian Sausage and Veggie Pasta



Italian Sausage and Veggie Pasta

Ingredients

·         2 ounces uncooked whole wheat pasta

·         1/2 cup spaghetti sauce

·         1 precooked Italian-style chicken sausage, sliced into rounds

·         2 garlic cloves, minced

·         1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

·         1/2 cup chopped onions

·         1/2 cup chopped zucchini

·         2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Make It
Cook pasta according to package directions. Heat spaghetti sauce, sausage, garlic, and vegetables for about 12 minutes, until veggies are tender. Top pasta with sauce mixture and sprinkle with cheese.

Honey Soy Salmon

I LOVE trying new fish recipes, I always get bored with the same one that I always use. This was very yummy!! It's so simple and fast too! Just have brown rice veggies and some fruit for a perfect healthy dinner!

All that you need is...

½ tbsp. honey 

½ tsp. soy sauce

Salmon filets

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions...

 

  1.Preheat the broiler

 2. Combine honey and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside

3. Season  1 5-oz. salmon filet with salt and pepper and broil for five minutes. 

4.Drizzle with honey-soy sauce and broil an additional 2-5 minutes. 

 

Soccer power cookies

These are the perfect cookies to give your little soccer players during halftime. They give back some energy and fill them up too. My kids loved these! I was a little scared they wouldn't like them, but the ate them up fast!!

What you need...

4 T butter, softened

1 cup applesauce – natural, no sugar added

1 ripe banana smashed (little more than 1/2 cup)

¼ cup loosely packed brown sugar (basically just get a 1/4 cup scoop of brown sugar without packing it in)

2 tablespoons agave syrup

2 eggs

1 t vanilla

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cup oats

1/2 cup almond meal (finely ground almonds)

3 tablespoons fresh ground flax seeds

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup chocolate covered raisins 

Directions...

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly spray two baking sheets. 

2.In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the soft butter, applesauce, smashed banana, brown sugar and agave syrup. Mix on medium until combined, about 1 minute (it will not look smooth). Add the eggs and vanilla and mix for another minute.

3. In a separate bowl whisk together the whole wheat flour, almond meal, ground flax seed, baking powder, and salt.

4. Slowly add to the wet ingredients with the mixer on low. Once the dry ingredients are incorporated add the oats and mix for 30 second on medium low until all ingredients are combined. 

5.Add the chocolate covered raisins and stir in by hand. 

6.Drop spoonfuls onto the baking sheet the same way you would do with a regular cookie dough. 

7.  Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown and top springs back when touched. Makes 24.

 

Lip Smacki'n Smothered Chicken

This is such a yummy meal!! A very good comfort food. I serve it over some brown rice. It's one of my top chicken recipes.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil

1 Cut up whole chicken (3-3 1/2 lbs)

1 1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

3 green onions, cut into 1- inch pieces

1 1/2 C. all purpose flour

2/3 C. soy sauce

7 C. hot water

2 tsp. onion powder

Directions

1. Heat oil in deep 12 inch skillet over low heat for 5 minutes. Sprinkle chicken with salt and 1/2 tsp. of the black pepper; place in hot skillet. Cover chicken with yellow and green onions.

2. Cook chicken over medium heat for 10 minutes; turn chicken. Cook 10 minutes longer or until golden brown. Reduce heat to low; cook 5 minutes longer. Turn; cook 5 more minutes.

3. Remove chicken from skillet. Place in a large pot (dutch oven); set aside.

4. Continue heating skillet over low heat. Stir together flour, 1/3 C of the soy sauce and 4 cups of the hot water in a medium bowl with a wire whisk or fork until smooth.

5. Cook flour mixture in hot skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly with wire whisk or fork, until mixture boils and thickens. Stir in remaining water, 1 cup at a time, stirring after each addition, until smooth.

  6. Stir in remaining 1/3 c.  soy sauce, the onion powder and remaining 1/4 tsp. black pepper. Pour gravy over chicken in the large pot. Reduce heat to low. Cover  and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. ( Gravy may stick to the pot) 

Skillet Lasagna

This is by far the fastest way to make lasagna!! It can be made in 30 min!! You don't have to worry about layering at all!! It might not look as pretty on a plate, but it sure taste just as good!! The only thing I changed was I added hamburger to it, but you can add or substitute whatever you would like.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped

 

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans Italian diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce
• 3 basil leaves, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup skim ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup part skim mozzarella cheese
• 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• About 6 ounces lasagna noodles, broken into thirds & fully cooked
• 2 tablespoons parsley (dried or fresh)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and cook until garlic is fragrant, about one minute. Add in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, salt and pepper. Cook mixture until it thickens up a bit, around 5 minutes.

 

2.Add noodles to skillet and stir into the mixture well. Add scoops of ricotta cheese over the noodles; add in mozzarella and Parmesan. Stir in parsley.  Cook about 2 more minutes, or until mixture is thick.
3.Serve immediately with additional basil or parsley.