Indian Inspired Chicken

Serves 2-3

Served with lemon garlic brussels sprouts!

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 tbsp. canola oil
• 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
• 4 bay leaves
• 2 tsp. garam masala
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 fresh thai bird chili, finely sliced
• sea salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Season chicken with sea salt, black pepper and olive oil.  Cook each side for 20-25 minutes.  Then set aside to cool.
2. In a large saute pan on medium high heat add 2 tbsp oil.  Then add ginger, garlic, bay leaves.  Stir.  Add chicken (sliced) once garlic starts to brown.
3. Turn to medium low heat, then add garam masala, cumin, tumeric, cayenne pepper, green chile and salt.
4. Add 2 tbsp. of water and cover.  Cook for 5 minutes. 
5. Stir in black pepper and lemon juice.

Lemon Garlic Brussels Sprouts

adapted from What's Gaby Cooking
serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 lb brussels sprouts
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tbsp gruyere, grated (optional)
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt 
• ground black pepper

Method:

1. After rinsing the brussels sprouts, remove the outer layer and trim off the ends.  Cut the spouts in half.
2. In a large pan, bring the olive oil to medium-high heat.
3. Once heated, add the brussels sprouts - cut side down and cook for 7 minutes or until fully cooked.
4. Add garlic and reduce the heat to low.  Add lemon zest and juice.  Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Stir to combine ingredients. Serve and top with gruyere.  Enjoy!

Fantastic Juicing Recipes

My colleague (Kirsten) and I were talking about the health benefits of a juice cleanse and the 3-day juice cleanse that Babo in A2 offers.  She recommended that we watch the documentary "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead." So we did.  Here's the synopsis written by my wife (Link).  The documentary was good, however like us if you need the "clinical aspect" of how vegetable and fruits can reverse poor health - I recommend that you watch the documentary: "Hungry for Change".        

So...
Before we invested in a juicer, I wanted to try "juicing" with our blender. I figured we had the Breville Hemisphere Mini and it was worth the shot.  I was wrong.  What we needed was a machine that was designed to extract the juice out of the fruits or vegetables instead of "blending" everything together.  (1 apple, 2 beets, 2 carrots, and a piece of ginger was wasted because I was being stubborn.)  

We bought our juicer (Breville, Ikon multi-speed juice fountain)  from Bed Bath & Beyond because their 20% coupons NEVER expire (expired coupons are accepted) and they had the best pre-coupon price.  Another added bonus, if we weren't completely satisfied with our purchase (EVEN after using it) - with the receipt, we can get a refund or store credit without one.  

3 oranges, 2 beets (raw), & 1 inch piece ginger

Success! It was really really good.

   Tropical Juice

• 1 Fuji apple
• 1 whole pineapple, quartered and cored
• 3 mangos, seeded (we used Ataulfo mangos)
• 1 beet, raw and remove stem
• 1 orange, peeled
• 7 carrots 
• 1 inch piece of ginger
• Put ingredients in Juicer and Enjoy!

Another Benefit of Juicing: Having FUN!

"Fresh" Apple Juice

• 10 Fuji apples, quartered and seeded
• 3 cucumbers, peeled
• 1 inch piece of ginger 
• 2 cups of spinach
• Put ingredients in Juicer and Enjoy!

Pineapple & Greens

• 1 whole Pineapple, quartered and cored
• 6 Fuji apples, quartered and seeded
• 4 navel oranges, peeled and cut in half
• 2 cups spinach
• 8-10 celery stalks
• Put in Juicer and Enjoy!

For more Juicing Recipes:

• 30 Days of Juicing - The Williams Sonoma Blog
• 3-day Juice Cleanse - Babo: A Market by Sava, Ann Arbor, MI
• Juice Cleanse 101 - What's Gaby Cooking
• Green Kitchen Stories blog
• 3 Day Detox Plan - Hungry for Change
• Juicing Recipes - Reboot with Joe - "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead"
• Smoothie Recipes - Martha Stewart
• Healthy Blends - Women's Health Magazine

    

Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup

adapted from Cookie and Kate
serves 6

Ingredients:

• 8 tomatoes, cored and quartered (Any variety, we chose roma)
• 3 red bell peppers, seeded and quartered
• 2 small yellow onions, cut into wedges
• 8 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika (We used Hungarian sweet paprika)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• sea salt and black pepper, to taste
• olive oil

Method:

1. Preheat Oven to 375 degrees F with two racks placed in the middle of the oven.
2. Using two baking sheets: Place tomatoes, skin side down, on one of them.  Place onions and red peppers (skin side down) on the other.  Lightly drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper. Place the unpeeled garlic on the sheet too.
3. Bake for 45 minutes.
4. Heat the vegetable broth on medium-high heat and add the peeled garlic.  Add roasted vegetables and simmer for ten minutes.
5. Purée the soup using an immersion blender or transfer the soup to a blender - blending a few cups at a time.
6. Serve with a french baguette or a grilled cheese sandwich! Enjoy!   

Artichoke Spinach Breakfast Sandwich

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 can of artichoke hearts, chopped (We like Trader Joe's brand)
• 2 eggs, boiled
• 2 pieces of bread, toasted
• baby spinach, 2 -4 handfuls
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Add cold water, enough to cover eggs, to small pot and bring to a boil.  Once boiled, cook for 6 minutes and 25 seconds.  Then remove from heat and put eggs into a ice bath to stop the cooking. Peel and set aside.
2. In a large pan with olive oil, heat at medium high.  Then add spinach, sauté for 1-2 minutes.  Then add artichoke hearts and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Toast the bread and then top it with artichoke and spinach, and the egg.  Enjoy! 

Jalapeno Chicken Burgers with Guacamole

adapted from What's Gaby Cooking
serves 4

Enjoy this with the Breakfast Stout from Founders

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons chopped jalapeño
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• sea salt and black pepper
• 4 hamburger buns
• chipotle salsa (Frontera Brand - optional)
• spinach (optional)

Ingredients (Guacamole):

• 3 avocados
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
• 1/8 cup chives, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon of your favorite salsa (We like anything Frontera brand)
• salt and pepper to taste
• Mix ingredients together!

Method:

1. Prepare an indoor or outdoor grill over medium heat.
2. In a large bowl, mix ground chicken, onion, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, paprika, salt and black pepper. Using your hands, mix everything together - allowing all the ingredients to be evenly dispersed. 
3. Form 4 patties with the mixture.  Grill burgers over medium heat until cooked through, 5-7 minutes per side.
4. Serve each patty in a burger bun topped with spinach, guacamole and chipotle salsa.  Enjoy!

Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas

adapted from Cookie and Kate
serves 6-8

Ingredients (Filling):

• 1 - 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 cups sweet potatoes, cubed & baked beforehand
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted green chiles 
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 Jalapeño, diced
• 1 Fresno pepper, diced
• Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste

Ingredients (other):

• 1 jar of salsa verde - 16oz (Herdez brand is the best)
• 12-14 corn tortillas
• Monterey Jack cheese (shredded or sliced from a block)
• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Avocado, sliced
• Your favorite Salsa!

Method:

1. Preheat Oven to 425 degrees F.  Bake sweet potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil, salt & pepper for 20-30 minutes, or until cooked through. Then remove from oven and set aside.
2. Turn oven down to 350 degrees F.
3. In a baking pan or large pyrex pan, pour enough salsa verde to lightly cover the bottom.
4. In a large bowl, mix together the filling ingredients.
5. Warm your tortillas, one-by-one, in a pan at medium heat - so that they won't break when you bend them.  Add filling to each tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, wrap and place in the baking dish.  Repeat for all the remaining tortillas.
6. When all the tortillas are filled, top with more salsa verde and cheese.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese has melted and tortillas look slightly golden.
7. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro, serve with avocado and your favorite salsa! Enjoy!

Bigoli Pasta

adapted from Zingerman's Deli recipes

Serves 2

Cento Brand at Trader Joe's and Ortiz at Zingerman's Deli

Found at Zingerman's Deli - A2, MI

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1 tin anchovies in extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tin sardines in extra virgin olive oil
• 8 oz spaghetti, cooked & drained
• extra virgin olive oil

Method:

1. In a large pan, generously coat the bottom with olive oil at medium-low heat.  Add the onion and 1/3 cup of water.  Cook slowly for 20 to 30 minutes or until the onions have broken down into a creamy texture.
2. Add the sardines and the anchovies, reserving the oil from the tins.  Gently break apart the fish and stir them into the onion. Cook until the fish have completely broken down.
3. Toss the sauce with freshly cooked pasta and add black pepper to taste.  Drizzle the leftover olive oil from the tins over the pasta (optional).  It adds a wonderful flavor to the pasta. Enjoy! 

Notes:

• This dish can be common or gourmet.  It just depends on the quality of ingredients you choose to use.  
• Ortiz brand anchovies are very very good, however since it's imported from Spain - the price is higher than using the Cento brand from Trader Joe's.  The price difference is at least 13 dollars.
• Les Mouettes d'Arvor brand sardines are so delicious.  I would use this brand for this dish until I find a cheaper, yet still tasty brand of sardines.  
• Just yesterday, I used a sardines brand from Trader Joe's that was preserved in water instead of extra virgin olive oil.  Perhaps that was the element that was missing, the sardines tasted and smelled extremely "fishy."  This made the pasta dish less appetizing.
• This recipe is very simple and it's very tasty.  If you are able, buy quality ingredients and enjoy this on its own or with a glass of Italian pinot grigio.