Chickpea Cutlets

These are some of my favorites!  They are delicious with squash, sweat potatoes, and rice.  The recipe makes four cutlets.  I generally quadruple the recipe and freeze the leftovers.

1 cup cook chickpeas (chickpeas can be cooked in a crock pot and frozen)
2 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin is best)
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs (Italian also work just fine)
1/4 cup vegetable broth (you can also use faux beef or chicken broth)
2 tablespoons soy sauce (I like reduced sodium)
2 cloves of garlic pressed or grated (heirloom garlic from the farmer's market is best)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage (normal sage works too)
Olive oil or grape seed oil for pan frying

In a mixing bowl, mash the chickpeas together with the oil until no whole chickpeas are left.  A potato mashers works really well for this.  Add the remaining ingredients and knead for about 3 minutes until strings of gluten have formed.

Preheat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat.  Meanwhile, divide the cutlet dough into four equal pieces.  To form the cutlets, kneed each piece in your hand for a few moments and then flatten and stretch each one into a roughly six by four inch rectangular shape in yours hands and then place the cutlets on a clean surface to flatten and stretch them. 

Add a moderately thin layer of olive oil to the bottom of the pan.  Place the cutlets in the pan and cook on each side for six to seven minutes.  They will brown up nicely.  Add more oil if needed when you flip the cutlets.  They're ready when lightly browned and firm to the touch.

You can also bake the cutlets, though I prefer them fried.  Preheat the one to 375 and lightly oil baking skeet.  Brush both sides of each patty with olive oil.  Cook for 20 minutes, turning once.

Chicken Enchiladas

From:  America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed & pounded if necessary
Salt & pepper
2½ cups of enchilada sauce (I used 2 cans of green enchilada sauce)
1 cup finely crumbled queso fresco or feta cheese
1 (4 oz.) can of green chiles
½ cup minced fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas
Vegetable oil spray (or you can use vegetable oil in a little bowl with a brush)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used Mozzarella)
Lime wedges (optional)
Sour cream (optional)

1.      Preheat oven to 350. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.

2.      Combine the chicken and enchilada sauce in a medium saucepan & simmer for 10-15 minutes over medium-low heat. Then flip the chicken over, cover and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until chicken is done.

3.      Remove chicken from pan and shred well. Combine shredded chicken, ½ cup of the enchilada sauce, queso fresco, chiles and cilantro in a bowl. Add salt and pepper if desired. Cover to keep warm.

4.      Lightly coat both sides of 6 tortillas with vegetable oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake until tortillas are soft & pliable, about 2 to 4 minutes. This helps make them soft and not tear.

5.      Quickly place tortillas on a flat surface and place ⅓ cup of the chicken mixture into each one. Tightly roll each tortilla around the chicken and place in a 9×13 baking dish. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the remaining 6 tortillas.

6.      Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Pour 1 more cup of enchilada sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with the cheese. Cover with foil and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes to melt the cheese.

7.      Serve with remaining enchilada sauce, optional lime wedges and optional sour cream.

Creamy Quinoa Primavera

Compliments of the Betty Crocker Cookbook:

1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups chicken/vegetable broth
3 oz. cream cheese (I used reduced fat, or I puree 3 oz of low fat cottage cheese, which works out great)
1 T chopped fresh basil, or 1 tsp dried
2 tsp butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 cups thinly sliced or bite-size pieces assorted uncooked vegetables (such as asparagus, broccoli, carrot, zucchini - I also did red pepper and green beans, but they needed a little extra cooking time)
2 T grated romano cheese

1. Rinse quinoa thoroughly; drain.  In 2 qt saucepan, heat quinoa and broth to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 - 20 minutes or until all broth is absorbed.  Stir in cream cheese and basil.

2. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Cook garlic in butter about 30 seconds, stirring frequently, until golden.  Stir in vegetables.  Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender (the recipe said 2-4 minutes, I like my vegetables a little softer than that, so I probably cooked them about 8 min.)

3. In skillet, toss vegetables and quinoa mixture.  Sprinkle with romano cheese before serving.

We had this as an entree, and thought it was delicious and filling.  It would also make an awesome side dish.

Pina Colada with a Side of Green Smoothie

I have been experimenting with green smoothies for breakfast lately, and have learned a lot of things.

1. They can be really tasty - most of the time adding a serving of veggies doesn't affect the flavor or texture of the smoothie (at least not in a bad way).  It's also the only way I can get vegetables into a certain picky 2-year-old I know.
2. No matter what the recipes say, and no matter what ugly color your smoothie ends up without it, under no circumstances should you put a beet in your smoothie.  They taste like dirt, and they make your whole smoothie taste like dirt.
3. When in doubt, keep blending. It's hard to get into the "smoothie" mode if you are chewing up little bits of spinach with every... sip?
4. I'm not into the protein powder thing - it's weird and I'm not a fan of the texture.  We really like chia seeds around here, though - a natural complete protein that also serves as a thickener.  So I usually throw in a half tablespoon of those.
5. Other than that, they tend to be pretty forgiving.  Put enough fruits and juice/yogurt in and they end up alright - I usually use carrots, broccoli, or spinach.

This is the best recipe for a green smoothie I have found so far -- I really do enjoy it.  Serves two.

½ cup coconut milk
1 cup coconut water, filtered water, or fruit juice
2 handfuls spinach
2 kale leaves
1 cup mango
1 cup pineapple (I use frozen mango and pineapple chunks)
½ orange , peeled
1 banana

I don't always have all those ingredients on hand, so I have tried a bunch of substitutions.  The original version is still best, but the others have all been good, too.  In spite of my vocal distaste for kale, it actually doesn't affect the flavor of this much.  However, if you don't have a high-powered blender, the kale can leave little stringy things in your smoothie, so I usually substitute in some broccoli.  I have also put in an apple instead of a banana, or strawberries (tops on, as long as they aren't starting to wilt) if I don't have an orange.   

No Sugar Baked Oatmeal Breakfast Cups

Makes 24 - You can make these ahead of time and freeze them or keep them in the fridge for a few days and warm up a few each morning for breakfast. I usually halve the recipe.

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups applesauce, unsweetened

1/2 cup honey

5 cups, Old Fashioned rolled oats

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

3 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 3/4 cups milk

Optional mixins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, honey.
3. Add in oats, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and mix well.
4. Pour in milk and combine.
5. Pour mixture evenly into greased or lined muffin tin cups
6. Add mix ins.
7. Bake 30 minutes until a toothpick in center comes out clean.

Mixins I have tried: Banana - I didn't love the banana. Chocolate chips - good but don't go overboard because it makes it too sweet. Apple and walnuts - my favorite.

Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta with Pumpkin Sauce

Makes 6–8 main-dish servings or 10–12 side dish servings

1 butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1⁄2-inch pieces (about 3 cups, see tip)

1 medium yellow onion, diced into 1⁄2-inch pieces (about 11⁄2 cups)

4 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves

1 1⁄2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

3⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil

8 strips bacon

1 pound shell pasta

Pumpkin Sauce

1 cup low-fat milk

3⁄4 cup chicken broth

2 ounces (1⁄4 cup) cream cheese

2 tablespoons flour

3⁄4 teaspoon salt

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1⁄2 cup Parmesan cheese, additional for topping, if desired

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with foil. Place squash, onion, sage, rosemary, salt, and pepper on one of the sheets. Drizzle with oil and toss gently with your hands until everything is well coated. Spread into a single layer.

2. Lay bacon in a single layer on another baking sheet. Place both baking sheets in oven and cook 15–20 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Remove bacon pan from oven and use tongs to lay bacon strips on paper towels to drain. Crumble when cool enough to handle. Continue cooking squash an additional 13–15 minutes until it is soft and tender. (It only took about 20 min. to cook the squash when I did it.)

3. While the bacon and squash are in the oven, bring a large stockpot of water to boil and cook shell pasta according to package directions.

4. For the sauce: Combine milk, broth, cream cheese, flour, salt, and pumpkin puree in a blender and process until smooth. Pour mixture into a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a simmer. Simmer 4–5 minutes, until thickened. Add Parmesan cheese, stir until melted, cover saucepan, and remove from heat.

5. Drain pasta and return to stockpot. Add sauce, squash mixture, and crumbled bacon and toss to combine. Serve immediately or transfer to a casserole dish, top with additional Parmesan cheese, and bake 15–20 minutes.

From LDSLiving Magazine 

Chicken Tikka Masala

Serves 4-6
This could easily become a vegitarian dish by substiuting the chicken for something like peas, garbonzo beans and coliflower.
Ingredients:

For the chicken marinade:

• 2 lbs chicken - cubed
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• ½ cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

For the masala sauce:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup finely diced onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions:

1. Marinate the chicken: Mix together cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and place in ziplock or bowl. Mix in spices and refrigerate so that spice mixture is absorbed into the chicken for 1 hour. Whisk the garlic, ginger and yogurt in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to cook.
2. Make the masala sauce: Heat butter in a large, tall-rimmed Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, and garam masala. Stir and allow the mixture to cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, sugar, and salt; bring to boil. Turn heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. (I will also throw in the remaining 2 oz. of yogurt leftfrom the merinade.)Take the Dutch oven off of the burner, cover to keep warm, and set aside while you make the chicken.
3. Start you rice. I like to use Jasmine rice and use about 2 1/2 cups uncooked.
4. Make the chicken: Preheat your broiler. Place your top oven rack about 10 inches from the heating coils. Line a baking sheet with foil, grease well with canola oil. Mix chicken into yogurt mixture, leaving a thick layer of yogurt clinging to it, and lay the chicken onto the sheet. Broil chicken until it is lightly charred in spots, about 15 minutes, flipping halfway.
5. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it sit on the baking sheet for five minutes to cool slightly and retain its juices. Stir into warm sauce. Stir in cilantro and serve.