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Don't you just love all the color!


Ratatouille Chicken Tray Bake
* From The Secret Ingredient by Sally Bee

Zest and juice of 1 lemon
handful of fresh rosemary
sprinkling of fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast portions
600g/1lb 5oz white potatoes, cut into wedges
4 leeks, rinsed and cut into four
1 green, 1 red, 1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
2 parsnips, peeled and quartered lengthwise
2 carrots, cut into chunks
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
½ Tsp garlic powder
½ Tsp celery salt
fresh ground pepper
200g/ 7oz cherry tomatoes

1. Preheat over to 400F
2. Mix the lemon zest with the herbs and crushed garlic. Lightly slash the chicken breasts using a sharp knife and rub the mixture all over and into the chicken.
3. Put the chicken, potatoes, leeks, peppers, parsnips, and carrots in a large, deep roasting tin. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Season lightly with garlic powder, celery salt, and black pepper.
4. Roast for 25 minutes, stir everything around, then add the cherry tomatoes and stir again so that everything browns evenly. Roast for a further 25-30 minutes or until cooked through.
5. Check that the chicken in cooked through by piercing the thickest part of the breast with a sharp knife: The juices should run clear. Serve immediately.

Note: From what I found the veggies needed to be roasted a little longer but the chicken was cooked perfectly. Next time I might cook it at 425 instead. Everything is cooked well I just like my veggies a little darker. Also make sure you cut your potatoes fairly small because they have a hard time cooking through I've found.


From the New Lighthearted Cookbook by Anne Lindsay
(Best cookbook I've ever used!)
3 C peeled, cubed pumpkin or squash (I used butternut squash and it was perfect!)
3 C Cubed Zucchini
2 Medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 large onion, sliced
2 C Vegetable or Chicken stock
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¾ C 2% Milk
1 Tsp Dried Basil
1 Tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

In a large saucepan, combine pumpkin, zucchini, potatoes, onion, vegetable stock, oil, parsley, and garlic. Cover and Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. If stock simmers down, add water to reach original level.
In food processor or blender, puree mixture in batches. (at this point, soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days) Return to saucepan. Add milk and basil; heat until hot. Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste and garnish each serving with shredded basil.

Makes 8 Servings, ¾ C each.

Note: I just suggest using about half the amount of basil. It's delicious with it but it can be a little over powering. It's purely preference, it's amazing either way.


Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup peanut butter
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  2. In a medium bowl, cream together shortening, brown sugar, and peanut butter until smooth. Stir in egg, milk, and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the peanut butter mixture until well blended. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. lightly flatten with a fork to make a criss-cross pattern.
  3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: I took them out of the oven while they were still pretty soft at 8 minutes and they are perfect!
Seal in an airtight container to keep soft.


When Troy refused to eat fruits and veggies I had to get creative so I decided to try smoothies. This worked so well and I love them too! I put any fruits I have in my fridge or freezer, plain greek yogurt, a little squeeze of honey, tons of spinach, I squeezed two oranges for fresh juice, and about 1/4 tsp of cinnamon. They turn out so delicious and I promise you will never taste the spinach! Sometimes I throw in shredded carrots but you can be pretty sneaky with smoothies. I am going to start using pomegranate juice now because it is so healthy and full of antioxidants. 

Give it a try!

I just wanted to take the time to share all the nutritional information that I have been learning. I hope this is helpful and encourages you all to make a change towards a healthier lifestyle.

Why we need fat: Fat in our diet helps us absorb fat-soluble vitamins that are essential to our health and well-being (Vitamins A, E, D, and K)

The Right Fat:

This actually was something new for me but canola oil is actually a healthy fat that is good to use and I will explain why.
Canola oil is full of omega 3 fats!
This helps to...
-Lower LDL cholesterol (which is the bad cholesterol that clogs our arteries)
Cholesterol is something we all need to pay attention to and most people don't until they either are having problems with it or are getting older and are told by their doctors. This effects us and our children and needs to be a big focus is our diet.
-Canola Oil also has a balanced amount of omega 3 and omega 6 fats. These are two types of polyunsaturated fats and are the healthy fats that we need to live day to day. A balance of these two fats provides for optimal protection from diseases.

Olive Oil is another healthy fat that we could incorporate into our diet. People who regularly consume olive oil actually live longer.
-Olive oil has the healthy monounsaturated fats and beneficial plant compounds.
-It helps to lower rates of heart disease and cancer.
-It lowers the LDL Cholesterol
-The healthy plant compounds in olive oil are phenols. These have very strong antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects.
-To spell this out clearer it means it promotes heart health, and protects against cancer.

The Fats you DONT want:
Saturated and Trans fats are nasty! 
-Saturated fats cause the LDL cholesterol in your blood to increase.
  -This increases heart attack and stroke, type 2 diabetes, and Alzheimer's.
Saturated fats are found in high fat milk products and fatty meats:
 -Butter, cream, ice cream
 -burgers, hotdogs, sausages, bologna, and chicken wings
You don't have to become vegetarian to avoid saturated fats you just have to choose lean meats and low fat milk products.
-Also Coconut, palm oil, and lard should be avoided because these are high in saturated fats.
Trans Fats- Stiffen the arteries and increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.
-Trans fats are found in:
 -processed foods like cookies, crackers, chips, microwave popcorn, and hydrogenated margarine.
 --You can buy trans fat free versions of these. (I like the salt-free becel margarine)
 -Deep fried foods, like french fries, donuts, and chicken nuggets are a major source of trans fats.

When choosing your heart-healthy margarine look for
 -non-hydrogenated  (trans fat free)
 -Low in saturated fat (2g or less per serving)
 -at least 0.4g omega 3 fats per serving
  --Use the margarine to replace butter too.


Your Daily fat Quota: 
consume 3-6 servings of healthy fats each day.
A few examples are:
-olive and canola oil
-nuts and flax seeds
-olives, avocado, natural peanut butter.


I actually made this without the apples this time because we accidentally ate them as a snack.

4 servings as a side dish

I don’t bother to remove the seeds from the cucumber but do so if you like.

1 cucumber
2 apple (preferable tart apples)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 green onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon honey
4 tablespoons yoghurt
fresh dill


For the salad:
Cut cucumber and apples into fine slices or use your food processor or mandolin. Add to a bowl with the lemon juice, green onion and toss well.
For the salad dressing;
Add the remaining ingredients into a small bowl and stir until combined.
Pour over the salad and stir well.
You can eat this salad right away but it tastes even better after it sats around for two hours in the refrigerator. Makes a great lunchbox salad even the next day.

some notes
Crystallized honey is difficult to stir, heat it in your microwave oven just for a few seconds to liquify. A pot of hot water does the same job.



Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground turkey
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs (I made my own salt-free italian seasoning and added it to bread crumbs)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 3/4 pound Colby cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1/2 cup ketchup (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  2. In a bowl, mix the turkey, milk, bread crumbs, and eggs by hand. Season with salt and pepper. Fold the cheese cubes into the mixture. Transfer to a loaf pan, and top with ketchup.
  3. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C).




From Perrysplate.com

ingredients:

1 poblano chile, cut into matchsticks (I couldn't find one so I just left it out)
2 red bell peppers, cut into matchsticks
1/2 head of cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 1/2 cups)(If you can, use a sweet potato, not a yam)
1 medium onion, halved and slivered
1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen
3 T heat-safe oil like grapeseed or coconut or olive
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and black pepper(I used garlic salt instead of regular salt)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (fresh is a must)
2 cups homemade or store bought salsa/pico de gallo (I used medium salsa)
2 ounces baby spinach leaves (I just used as much as it took to cover each layer)
9-10 corn tortillas, halved (We liked it with the small flour tortillas)
2 cups shredded cheese (I used a cheddar-Monterey Jack blend)(I used extra cheese)
sour cream and thinly sliced scallions (green onions) for garnish, if desired

directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly oil a large shallow roasting pan or rimmed cookie sheet.
Place poblanos, red bell peppers, cauliflower, sweet potato, onion, and corn kernels onto cookie sheet. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle the cumin and minced garlic over top. Add a generous pinch or two of salt and black pepper, then use your hands to mix everything together. After everything is coated well, spread the vegetables evenly in the pan. Roast for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender and begin to brown in spots. Stir or shake the pan every 10 minutes for even roasting. Remove pan from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Prepare an 8x8x2 or 9x9x2-inch square baking pan with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, stir the cilantro into the salsa. Spread 1/4 cup of salsa into the bottom of the baking pan. Add a layer of tortilla pieces, to completely cover the salsa. Top with 1/3 of the vegetables, a handful of spinach, and 1/3 of the cheese. Make a second layer of tortilla, salsa, vegetables, spinach, and cheese. Top with with a layer of tortillas, salsa, vegetables, and cheese. Cover with aluminum foil.
Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.
Let it sit for 5 minutes and cut into squares. Serve with sour cream and a sprinkle of sliced scallions.
Serves 4-5

Note: I used a big baking dish and did two layers
This is by far the best broccoli cheddar soup I've ever had!



Broccoli Cheddar Soup
from FoodNetwork.com
havent made yet

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups broccoli florets
1 large carrot, diced
8 oz (about 2 1/2 cups) grated sharp cheddar cheese

Add the butter to a large saucepan or Dutch oven set over medium heat. Once melted, add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the flour to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes (or until golden), whisking frequently. Gradually add the half-and-half, whisking constantly - the mixture may look lumpy at first, but it will smooth out. Stir in the chicken broth, bay leaves and nutmeg. Season to taste with salt and pepper then bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli and carrot to the soup and continue simmering until the veggies are tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Turn off the heat under the pot and puree the soup with an immersion blender (or, if you don't have one, in a traditional blender - you'll probably want to do it in a few batches.)

Set the pot over medium-low heat and gradually add the cheese to the soup, whisking constantly to melt and incorporate. Adjust the seasoning to taste then serve.


Note: This will feed about 4 people so I suggest doubling it!

Island Chicken
  • 16 ounces boneless, skinless chicken
  • Marinade:
  • 1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, juice only, (reserve fruit for salsa)
  • 1 T low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 T honey
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 t red pepper flakes
  • Salsa:
  • Pineapple from strained can
  • 1 mango, peeled and diced
  • 2 kiwis, peeled and diced
  • 1/4 c red onion, diced fine
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1 T cilantro, chopped
1 T jalapeno pepper, diced fine (optional)

Directions


Open pineapple and strain to separate juice from fruit. Place juice in a baking dish. Add soy sauce, honey, garlic and red pepper to the dish and stir. Slice chicken breasts into 4 4-ounce strips. If thick, pound out to flatten with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Place chicken in themarinade and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight. Prepare salsa by combining all ingredients. Preheat grill to medium heat or turn on broiler and place rack in the middle of the oven, about 6" away from the heat source. Grill or broil chicken for 4-5 minutes per side or until the meat is no longer pink. Serve with fruit salsa.

Sweet Broccoli Salad

Serves about 6
3 fresh broccoli crowns
6-8 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 C chopped red onion
1/4 C dried currants
6 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
1 C mayonaise
2 tbsp white vinegar
1/4 C granulated sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt, black pepper to taste
Wash broccoli well and remove any tough stalk at the ends. Cut the crowns into flowerets and the stem into bite-sized pieces. Place in a large bowl. Add the crumbled bacon, onion, bacon, currants, and cheese. In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper, stir well. Add to broccoli mixture and toss gently. Serve immediately. If you want to make-ahead, all the ingredients can be combined except the bacon. Keep it separate and add it just before serving so it stays crisp! 

Note: I left out the bacon to make it a little healthier and use fat free mayo.
This lovely salmon recipe was inspired by my lovely sister-in-law. I tweaked the idea so it can be baked and so it is a little thicker so the topping doesn't fall off. Hope you like it, it was a huge hit with my picky eaters! 


Salmon:
Ingredients


1 large slab of salmon
1 lime
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 Tsp Parlsey
1 1/2 Tbsp Mayo 


Preheat oven to 350F
In a heated saucepan, melt butter and add the minced garlic, let saute for about a minute. Just until glistening and very lightly browned. You don't want to over cook the garlic. Add the juice from 1 lime and continue to cook for about 30 seconds or until everything is nicely combined. Add parsley and stir a couple of times then remove from heat. 
Combine butter mixture with mayo.
Place salmon in a lightly greased baking dish and generously cover with mayo and butter mixture.
Bake Salmon at 350F for about 20 minutes or until it flakes easily.


Acorn Squash


Acorn Squash

Ingredients

  • 1 medium acorn squash, halved and seeded
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Turn acorn squash upside down onto a cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven until it begins to soften, approximately 30 to 45 minutes.
  3. Remove squash from the oven and turn onto a plate so that the flesh is facing upwards. Place butter and brown sugar into the squash, and place remaining squash over the other piece. Place squash in a baking dish (so the squash wont slide around too much) while baking.
  4. Place squash in the 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven and bake another 30 minutes.
Monday- Lime and Garlic Salmon with Acorn Squash
Tuesday- Island Chicken and Sweet Broccoli Salad
Wednesday- Broccoli and Cheddar Soup
Thursday- Apple and onion pork chops with spice Roasted Cauliflower
Friday- Caramelized Baked Chicken with Apple and Cucumber Salad
Saturday- Vegetarian Enchiladas and Salad
Sunday- Cheesy meatloaf

Orange and Thyme Chicken

4 chicken breasts
3 tablespoons olive oil + extra
salt
pepper
1 small red onion, diced
3 cups of orange juice
2 teaspoons dried thyme
scant 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken thighs on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a small saucepan and saute onions for about 8 minutes. After onions have sauteed, place chicken in preheated oven and roast for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, add orange juice and thyme to sauteed onions and bring to a boil. Cook for about 20 minutes or until reduced to about 1/2 cup stirring occasionally.
4. When orange juice mixture has reduced to 1/2 cup, add maple syrup, soy sauce, pepper and salt. Continue to boil for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Remove chicken from oven and brush with a generous amount of the sauce. Return to oven and continue roasting for about 10 – 15 more minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from oven and serve with remaining sauce.

Glazed Baby Carrots
Serves 4-6
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 lb baby carrots, peeled
2 Tbsp sugar
2 C Chicken broth
¼ Tsp salt
⅛ Tsp Pepper

In a shallow saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat until it bubbles. Add the carrots and saute for about 2 minutes.
Add the sugar and saute for another minute.
Add the stock, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for about 20 minutes. Or until the liquid is almost evaporated and the carrots are soft. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.


Crispy Parmesan Potatoes
5 medium potatoes, cut in chunks
about 3 – 4 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and/or a Ziploc bag.
2. Spread on a greased or lined baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for about 30 to 40 minutes.
3. Turn occasionally so they don’t burn. The potatoes should be tender and lightly browned.
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