Friday, August 15, 2014

Recipe: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus
Makes About 8 Servings (1/2 cup each)

Ingredients:
Tahini (Sesame Paste), 3/8 cup
Lemon Juice, 1/2 cup
Canola or Vegetable Oil, 2 Tbsp
Salt, 1 tsp
Ground Cumin, 1 tsp
Garlic Powder, 1/4 tsp
Chickpeas, two 15oz cans, drained
Roasted Red Peppers, 12oz jar

Directions:
[1] Combine lemon juice & tahini in food processor. Process for 1 minute, scrape down the sides, then process for 30 seconds more.
[2] Add oil, garlic powder, cumin & salt. Process for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides, then process for 30 seconds more.
[3] Add half the chickpeas and half the red peppers, then process for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides, add the rest of the chickpeas and red peppers, and process for 1-2 minutes until thick and smooth.
[4] If the hummus is too thick, add 2-3 Tbsp of either the liquid from the red peppers (my preference), the chickpeas, or just plain water, and process until it reaches the desired consistency.
[5] Grab some veggies or healthy chips, and get dippin! :)

Nutrition Info (per 1/2 cup serving): 215 calories, 11.1g fat (1.4g saturated), 21g carbs (6.9g fiber, 1g sugar), 9.1g protein ... Cost Per Serving (at my store, anyway): $1.18

Enjoy, and until next time... rock on!
--Jay :)

Foodie Friday: Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

Here's a bonus Foodie Friday episode... It's hummus time!



Recipe: Mexican Quinoa Bake

Mexican Quinoa Bake
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
Quinoa, 1 cup
Canola or Olive Oil, 4 tsp
Chicken or Vegetable Broth, 2 cups
Green Bell Pepper (1/2 pepper, chopped)
Zucchini (1 cup, cubed)
Black Beans, 15 oz can, drained & rinsed
Diced Tomatoes 28 oz can, drained
Frozen Corn, 1 cup
Dried Minced Onion, 1 Tbsp
Garlic Powder, 1/2 tsp
Ground Cumin, 1/2 tsp
Dried Oregano, 1 tsp
Chili Powder, 1 tsp
Lime Juice (1/2 lime, squeezed)
Salt, to taste
Shredded Cheese, 1 cup

Directions:
[1] Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
[2] Place quinoa in a fine mesh strainer and rinse with cool water for about 2 minutes. In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tsp oil over medium-high heat. Add quinoa and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. The quinoa should begin to dry out and pop a bit. Add chicken or vegetable broth, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
[3] Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat 2 tsp oil over medium heat. Add bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until soft, about 7 minutes. Add zucchini and cook 3 more minutes.
[4] In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked quinoa, bell pepper/zucchini mixture, beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, chili powder, lime juice, and salt to taste (about 1 tsp). Mix thoroughly and and transfer to 13x9 baking dish that has been prepared with cooking spray.
[5] Bake 30 minutes, top with cheese, and bake/broil 10 minutes more until melted and just beginning to brown.

Nutrition Info (per serving): 318 calories, 8.1g fat (4g saturated), 45.8g carbs (6.8g fiber, 7.5g sugar), 16g protein ... Cost Per Serving (at my store, anyway): $1.25

Original Recipe "Crispy Quinoa Bake" from Lindsay Moe at The Live-In Kitchen Blog:

http://www.theliveinkitchen.com/2012/12/11/crispy-quinoa-bake/

Enjoy, and until next time... rock on!
--Jay :)

Foodie Friday: Mexican Quinoa Bake

It's Foodie Friday time again! We're delving into the mysterious grain that calls itself "quinoa" with this easy casserole filled with Mexican flavors!



Sunday, August 10, 2014

Diaita Vlog #3 - Where We Been? - Healthy Lifestyle Vlog

It's a Diaita vlog for our Foodie Friday series, explaining why there haven't been any Foodie Friday episodes for two weeks! What?! :)



Friday, July 25, 2014

Recipe: Chicken & Chickpea Thai Curry

(Before you print this, click the post title above to open this post by itself on a page, THEN hit print... otherwise, you might end up printing the entire blog!)


Chicken & Chickpea Thai Curry
makes 6 servings

Ingredients:
Light Coconut Milk, 15oz can
Chicken or Vegetable Broth, 1/2 cup
Light Soy Sauce, 1 1/2 Tbsp
Red Curry Paste, 1 tsp
Dried Minced Onion, 1 Tbsp
Ground Cumin, 1/2 tsp
Ground Coriander, 1/2 tsp
Chickpeas, two 15oz cans, drained
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast, 1 lb
Rice, 1 cup uncooked
salt, to taste

Directions:
[1] In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine coconut milk, broth, soy sauce, curry paste, onion, cumin & coriander. Whisk to combine and bring to a boil.

[2] Once bubblage has been attained, add chickpeas. Return to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes
[3] Meanwhile, grill chicken breast and cut into bite sized pieces.
[4] Also meanwhile, cook your rice according to package directions and have it on standby.
[5] After the chickpeas have bubbled for 10 minutes, add cooked chicken to the pot and let simmer for 2-3 more minutes.
[6] Adjust salt to taste, and add more curry paste if more heat is desired.
[7] Serve over rice, and you're ready to roll! :)

Nutrition Info (per serving, including rice): 331 calories, 5.3g fat (3.3g saturated), 44.9g carbs (8.9g fiber, 0.1g sugar), 25.1g protein ... Cost Per Serving (at my store, anyway): $1.26

Enjoy, and until next time... rock on!
--Jay :)

Foodie Friday: Chicken & Chickpea Thai Curry

Our culinary adventure for this Foodie Friday takes us to a chicken & chickpea curry, featuring coconut milk & red curry paste! Yum! :)



Friday, July 18, 2014

Recipe: Spinach Lasagna with Homemade Meat Sauce

(Before you print this, click the post title above to open this post by itself on a page, THEN hit print... otherwise, you might end up printing the entire blog!)

Spinach Lasagna
makes 8 servings

Ingredients:
9 Lasagna Noodles
Ground Chicken (1 lb)
Tomato Sauce, two 15oz cans
1 Tbsp Mrs. Dash Italian Seasoning (or your fave Italian seasoning)
1 Tbsp dried minced onion 
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Frozen Spinach, two 10oz boxes
Ricotta, 15oz part-skim
1/2 cup Egg Substitute
2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt, to taste

Directions:
[1] In a large pot of salted water on high heat, boil your 9 lasagna noodles to the minimum time recommended on the box (mine was 10 minutes). Strain & place in an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

[2] In a pot over medium-high heat, brown ground chicken until cooked through. Add tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, onion, basil, oregano, garlic powder & salt (I used 1 tsp). Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let hang out.
[3] Microwave frozen spinach until cooked (my microwave took about 15 minutes), breaking apart the ice chunks every so often. Drain spinach well, and combine in a large bowl with your ricotta, egg substitute & salt (I used 1 tsp again).
[4] In a 13x9 casserole dish, place a little bit of sauce on the bottom to prevent noodle stickage, then layer: 3 noodles, 1/3 spinach mixture, 1/3 meat sauce, 1 Tbsp parmesan, 3 noodles, 1/3 spinach mixture, 1/3 meat sauce, 1 Tbsp parmesan, 3 noodles, rest of spinach mixture, rest of meat sauce, then top with cheddar cheese.
[5] Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes until bubbly, then broil at 500 degrees F until golden brown.

Nutrition Info (per serving): 384.5 calories, 13.8g fat (6.4g saturated), 34.6g carbs (3.5g fiber, 5.3g sugar), 25.8g protein ... Cost Per Serving (at my store, anyway): $1.57

Enjoy, and until next time... rock on!
--Jay :)

Foodie Friday: Spinach Lasagna with Homemade Meat Sauce

This is one of our favorite hearty casserole meals... spinach lasagna with a homemade sauce using ground chicken... Enjoy!!! (Written recipe will be listed in a separate blog post for easy printing.)


Friday, July 11, 2014

Recipe: Sweet Potato "Fries"

(Before you print this, click the post title above to open this post by itself on a page, THEN hit print... otherwise, you might end up printing the entire blog!)

Sweet Potato "Fries"
makes 2 servings, 1 sweet potato each

Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes, washed w/skin on
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil
Directions:
[1] Place your oven rack in the center position, and preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
[2] Cut sweet potatoes into 1/4-inch thick pieces.
[3] In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes with all remaining ingredients and mix until evenly coated.
[4] Spray a large sheet pan with cooking spray, and arrange sweet potatoes in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes on the first side, until nice and brown.
[5] Flip all sweet potato pieces, and bake for 10-15 more minutes. (Watch them, they burn easily!)
[6] You're done! Grab a plate, and let's eat!!!

Nutrition Info (per serving): 226 calories, 3.5g fat (0.25g saturated), 45.6g carbs (6.8g fiber, 9.4g sugar), 3.6g protein ... Cost Per Serving (at my store, anyway): $0.62

Enjoy, and until next time... rock on!
--Jay :)

Recipe: Italian Chicken Burger

(Before you print this, click the post title above to open this post by itself on a page, THEN hit print... otherwise, you might end up printing the entire blog!)

Italian Chicken Burger
makes 4 servings, 1 burger each

Ingredients:
Ground Chicken (1 lb)
2 Tbsp dried minced onion 
2 Tbsp dried parsley
1 Tbsp Mrs. Dash Italian Seasoning (or your fave Italian seasoning)
2 tsp salt
Directions:
[1] In a la
rge bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
[2] Form ground chicken mixture into four burger patties, about 1/4 pound each.
[3] Grill to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. (Using a two-sided contact grill, I reach this temperature in about 5-7 minutes. Adjust your time based on cooking method.)
[4] You're done! Let's eat!!!

Nutrition Info (per serving): 180 calories, 9g fat (2g saturated), 1g carbs (0g fiber, 0g sugar), 22g protein ... Cost Per Serving (at my store, anyway): $0.95

Enjoy, and until next time... rock on!
--Jay :)

Foodie Friday: Italian Chicken Burger & Sweet Potato "Fries"

Here's our take on summer grilling season: an Italian Chicken Burger & oven-baked Sweet Potato "Fries"! (Written recipe will be listed in a separate blog post for easy printing.)



Sunday, July 6, 2014

Vloggy Vlog

Hey, it's a vlog! As an accompaniment to our Foodie Friday videos, I hope to vlog at least once every couple of weeks with helpful hints on how to put our recipes together to develop healthy eating habits and stuff. Yay! :)


Friday, July 4, 2014

Recipe: Black Bean Chicken Chili

(Before you print this, click the post title above to open this post by itself on a page, THEN hit print... otherwise, you might end up printing the entire blog!)

Black Bean Chicken Chili
makes 8 servings, about 1.5 cups each

Ingredients:
Ground Chicken (1 lb)
Black Beans (four 15.5 oz cans)
Tomato Sauce (15 oz can)
Chili Seasoning Packet, OR my blend:
-- 1 tsp each: chili powder, paprika dried oregano
-- 2 tsp each: cumin, dried minced onion, garlic powder
-- 1 Tbsp seasoned salt

Directions:
[1] In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, brown your ground chicken. (During the browning process, this would be an appropriate time to add optional things that you enjoy, such as onions, bell peppers, chili peppers, etc.)
[2] Once chicken is browned and cooked through, add black beans with liquid, tomato sauce, and chili seasoning, and bring to a boil.
[3] Once you've got bubbles, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10-15 minutes (add a lid to help prevent from getting a messy stovetop), stirring occasionally to ensure that nothing is sticking to the bottom of your pot.
[4] You're done! Kill the heat, grab a bowl, and let's eat!!!

Nutrition Info (per serving): 318 calories, 4.5g fat (1g saturated), 42g carbs (11g fiber, 2g sugar), 25g protein ... Cost Per Serving (at my store, anyway): $0.91

Enjoy, and until next time... rock on!
--Jay :)

Foodie Friday: Black Bean Chicken Chili w/Homemade Seasoning Blend

Enjoy this lightened-up chili, featuring ground chicken, black beans & my homemade chili seasoning blend! (Written recipe will be listed in a separate blog post for easy printing.)