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Stuffed Fig

Healthy Appetizer
Stuffed Fig

Healthy Appetizer

Stuffed fig for the win!  A friend gave me a giant bowl of figs from her backyard tree the other day.  They were so sweet, I actually couldn’t believe it.  Obviously some fig jam was in order.  But, I still had quite a few figs left over.  I decided that this amazing sweetness needed a touch of savory and started working on a sweet and savory stuffed figs healthy appetizer.  With just a bit of work I think I’ve come up with a new family favorite and an easy dish to take to holiday parties in the future.

Healthy Appetizer Prep
Healthy Appetizer Prep

A few notes for stuffed fig ingredients:

There’s really not much to this stuffed fig recipe – figs and soft cheese in a savory meat wrap.

Personally, we found we liked the smaller figs best as they made perfect bite size morsels.  If you have the larger figs you can cut them in half and stuff them like a boat.  Learn about figs if you’re going shopping for them.

We tried a couple different kinds of cheese; just what we had in the refrigerator.  Soft cheeses worked better than hard.  Creamier cheeses “mixed” into the soft sweet fig meat the best.  Once I did a little research (yes, after I finished the stuffed fig recipe), I noticed many other recipes use goat cheese.  Personally, I think any mild, soft cheese would taste fine.

Finally, I had pancetta and proscuitto.  Since I wanted to bake the figs, pancetta seemed to work better but either is fine.  You could also choose not to bake the stuffed figs, especially if they are super ripe, and just wrap them in proscuitto.  This works great for various fruits; try Watermelon Appetizer.  Any thin cured meat would be fine.  Just something to give a salty, savory addition to the sweet fig and the creamy cheese.  Gosh, just writing this makes we want to go grab a few to munch on!

Prepping Stuffed Fig

Remember to remove the stem of the fresh fig.  If it’s a small fig just cut a bit of the seeds from the core and you can stuff cheese in the hole.  With a medium sized fig you can score the top of the fig in an “X” and then stuff cheese in the hole.  Using a larger fig you may need to cut the fig in half from stem to bottom, remove a bit of the core, stuff the cheese in the hole, wrap the meat around and bake cheese size up.

Stuffed fig

Cut the pancetta vertically for the smaller figs and horizontally for the larger stuffed figs.

Stuffed fig wrap

If you aren’t baking the stuffed fig then wrap it so people can see the cheese in top.

Stuffed fig exposedWhen baking the stuffed fig then wrapping it depends on the type of cheese you choose.  With a cheese that will melt easily and therefore possibly run out of the fit, then fully encase the stuffed fig with the meat (see below).  If the cheese is a slower to melt type of cheese, then you can leave the cheese exposed or just cover a bit (see the very first picture in the blog).

Stuffed fig wrapped

Finally, place on a parchment covered baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees.  Or until the meat is crispy.

Stuffed fig cooked

Enjoy a delicious, healthy appetizer of stuffed figs.

Stuffed Fig Appetizer Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 20 small to medium figs
  • 3 oz soft cheese
  • 4 oz pancetta

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. With a paring knife cut the stem from the fig.  Cut a small “core” in the fig or “score” the top in an X.
  3. Gently “stuff” a small piece of cheese inside the fig.
  4. Cut pancetta pieces in half and wrap a ½ piece around the fig.
  5. Place figs on prepared baking sheet.
  6. Bake for 10-15 minutes until pancetta is crispy.

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Healthy Dinner Ideas – Kung Pao Chicken

Healthy Dinner Ideas
Kung Pao Chicken

Easy Dinner Recipes – Kung Pao Chicken

Summer – okay really any time of year – means I need healthy dinner ideas that are super easy dinner recipes.  Kung Pao Chicken is one of my favorite go-to dinners.  It’s healthy, easy and can be planned or made with whatever is leftover in the fridge. (Sorry about the less-than picture but we were already dishing up when I remembered I needed to grab a quick pix – no staging time allowed when my family was already serving up).

If you need an even faster dinner meal, chop up all your vegetables for this easy dinner recipes or for the entire week.  Then when you need the items they’re ready to go.  Because, let’s be honest, the cutting and prepping work is the most time consuming.  I’d love for my son to be my sous chef but as a teenager now, he’s just not that interested in helping in the kitchen.  He does make one meal a week for the family and some version of noodles with meat and vegetables is his quick solution.

This is also one of my favorite healthy dinner ideas because you can virtually add almost any vegetable and it’ll taste great with the Kung Pao Chicken sauce.  Plus, you can add any meat . . . it could be Kung Pao Pork or Kung Pao Tofu . . . it all tastes great.

Kung Pao Chicken Substitutions

So let me point out some ways that you can make this easy dinner recipes without committing to any particular ingredients.

  • Tamari – if you don’t have tamari, use soy sauce or coconut aminos.
  • Corn starch – feel free to use agar or arrowroot.  I like the glossy look of corn starch and my co-op has non-GMO corn starch.
  • Dry sherry – if you don’t have dry sherry, use dry white wine.
  • Chicken breasts – use whatever meat, or meat substitute, you like.  I’ve even used leftover rotisserie chicken.  Or go no-meat; it’s still a tasty, healthy dinner ideas.
  • Crushed red peppers – these are absolutely optional.  If you don’t like too spicy, stick with just the chilies in the oil.  If you want to bring up the heat, add the crushed red peppers.
  • Vegetables – I wrote up red pepper, celery, mushrooms, snow peas, green onions and bean sprouts.  But, you can chop up summer squash, any color pepper, green beans, asparagus, etc.  You can also use canned mushrooms instead of fresh.  The only vegetable that I feel is kind of required are the green onions.  A regular yellow onion, even a sweet one, just doesn’t have the same flavor.  So, if you can, keep the green onions.
  • Peanuts – I think I actually used cashews in this picture because that’s what I had in the refrigerator.  But, usually I like the taste of peanuts better in this recipe but don’t get too caught up in the specifics.
  • Noodles – use fresh or dried.  Find the one that you like best.  We’ve found we enjoy ramen noodles and plain old brown rice spaghetti noodles but we’ve used various types and styles of noodles and they’ve all tasted great.

Don’t Change with Easy Dinner Recipes

  • Thickener – don’t skip a thickener on this Kung Pao Chicken recipe.  You want that saucy feel over all the noodles and vegetables.
  • Tofu – if you choose tofu, don’t use the cornstarch on the tofu.  But, do marinate the tofu in the broth, tamari, sherry and cornstarch for about 30 minutes for a better flavor.
  • Oil – don’t skip the oil; it adds so much flavor!  Also, make sure you saute the chilies until browned.  This spices up the oil and the whole dish.
  • Green onions – there’s really no substitute in this recipe.

Tips for Easy Dinner Recipes

As I noted earlier, chop up as many vegetables in advance as possible.  Use leftovers whenever you can.  Use whatever combination you have in your refrigerator – no celery, no problem – this healthy dinner ideas will still taste great!

Kung Pao Chicken Ingredients:

  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • ½ cup tamari
  • ½ cup dry sherry
  • 2 T cornstarch
  • 1-1 ½ lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
  • 2 T sesame oil, divided
  • 5 dried chilies
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
  • 2 T fresh garlic, minced
  • ½ t dried crushed red peppers (optional)
  • 1 red pepper, chopped
  • 2-3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 5-6 mushrooms, chopped
  • 2 cups snow peas, trimmed
  • 6 green onions, cut into 1-in pieces
  • 1 cup bean sprouts
  • ½ cup roasted unsalted peanuts
  • 4-5 servings of noodles or linguine
  • 2 T sesame seeds

Directions:

  1. Chop all ingredients. Allow onions and garlic to rest 5-10 minutes.  Boil water for noodles.
  2. Combine chicken broth, tamari, sherry and 1 tablespoon cornstarch in small bowl. Toss chicken with remaining tablespoon of cornstarch.
  3. Cook noodles al dente.
  4. While noodles cook. Heat a wok over high heat.  Add 1 tablespoon oil.  Sauté the chilies for 1-2 minutes, until browned.
  5. Add the garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper if using. Sauté for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
  6. Add the chicken and sauté until almost cooked through. Transfer chicken to plate.
  7. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil. Add all vegetables and sauté for 1-2 minutes.
  8. Return chicken to wok; add peanuts and chicken broth mixture. Cook until mixture thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.
  9. Add noodles to the wok and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.

 

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Fudgesicle Recipe

Fudgesicle Recipe
Healthy Desserts

Healthy Desserts – Fudgesicle Recipe

Summer always bring the need for healthy desserts and this fudgesicle recipe is perfect.  I know deep chocolaty fudge doesn’t always seem to go hand in hand with summer heat but when it’s frozen it’s delicious.  Plus, I’ve already made healthy desserts such as watermelon sorbet and cantaloupe sorbet.

 So it seemed like it was time to make something frozen and chocolate.  But, it needed to be healthy desserts, which isn’t always easy.

Healthy Desserts Ingredients

First, I realized it needed some sort of healthy fat to make this fudgesicle recipe.  Reminder, not all fats are bad for you.  A good, healthy fat like avocado will slow the absorption rate of the sweetener, make you feel full and satisfied.  This is really what we want out of healthy desserts so we aren’t over consuming.  Plus, look, it’s a hidden green fruit in the dessert . . . diabolical!

Second, I realized it needed a healthy sweetener.  Let’s be honest, we aren’t going to make healthy desserts that aren’t sweet.  I tried a few different versions of sweeteners.  I even tried fruit juices.  But honey created the feel in my mouth of an old-time fudgesicle recipe.

Third, was milk or milk alternative.  My whole family actually liked the unsweetened cashew milk the best but the difference was minimal.  Use whatever you have available for healthy desserts.

Don’t Wait

As you can see by the picture, my son had already started eating this fudgesicle, which was the last one, before I could get an acceptable picture.  So, it was a quick shot before he devoured this fudgesicle recipe.  You can even see the finished mold tops in my kitchen sink.  So classy!  But, I guess I’m glad to know as far as healthy desserts go, this fudgesicle recipe was a winner.

Hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we did.

Fudgesicle Ingredients:

  • 1 large, ripe avocado
  • ½ cup raw honey
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 1/3 cup milk or unsweetened milk alternative
  • 1 t vanilla
  • Pinch salt

Directions:

  1. Peel and pit discarded.
  2. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth.
  3. Distribute mixture evenly in ice-pop molds and freeze until completely frozen. Keep frozen until ready to serve.
  4. If needed to loosen a pop from its mold, carefully run the outside of the mold under hot water.

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Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Enchiladas
Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Enchiladas or Enchiladas Suiza?

My family always called this recipe chicken enchiladas but when serving it one day a friend told me it was called enchiladas suiza.  Huh?  I have no idea how the name Enchiladas Suiza came about.  I know I could Google it, but I’m good with this being a mystery in my life (there’s not enough of those anyway).  Plus, I think Suiza means Swiss, so how did anyone think the Swiss made enchiladas?  Is this some sort of old-timey fusion meal?

Anyway, I don’t know and truly, I don’t care.  I’ve messed with this recipe long enough to know that I just love it.  Maybe the Suiza just means cheesier and creamier?  One of my best friends, who is Mexican, constantly is dismayed by the amount of cheese American’s put on their “Mexican” food.  So, maybe the Swiss do to?  I also think Suiza is supposed to include tomatoes and onions.  But, over the years I’ve found I like tomatillos better; onions optional.  Whatever, my family loves it so call it whatever makes you happy.  We go with Chicken Enchiladas.

Substitutions for Chicken Enchilada recipe

Let’s talk a few minutes about substitutions in this chicken enchiladas recipe.

  • Bone-in, skinless chicken breasts – go with what you have available.  Skin on is fine it’s just usually a bit more grease in the reserved liquid.  Make sure you remove the skin before shredding.  Also, boneless is fine.  Cook about 5 minutes less.  I prefer the flavor of bone-in, plus more minerals are absorbed.
  • Tomatillos – if these aren’t available you can use tomatoes.  Personally, I don’t think it has the same great flavor but it does work.
  • Onions – if you’re an onion lover, chop some up and cook with the tomatillos and chiles.  I’ve also waited and added chopped onions at the blender level.  Both are good and gives a wonderful savory addition.  In the final product I liked the focus on the tomatillos so I left the onions out.
  • Chilies – really you can use any chili that has a bit of a kick.  Choose your chili based on how much kick you’d like.  In the mild realm, I’ve used anaheim, poblano, and ancho with great success.  Overall ancho is my favorite for a mild sauce.  In the moderate realm, I’ve used jalapeno and serrano with great success.  Overall serrano is my favorite for a medium sauce.  Obviously you can go hotter but be careful not to overpower the flavor of the tomatillos with just heat.
  • Oil – chicken enchiladas don’t require any particular oil for cooking the tomatillo-chili mix down.  I like the depth of flavor or ghee; it adds a real richness.  But, any neutral flavor, higher heat oil will work fine with this recipe so don’t go purchase anything special.  Just don’t use a high flavor oil like peanut or toasted sesame; stick with the neutrals.
  • Diary – since chicken enchiladas, or suiza here, includes cheese you probably don’t need a dairy alternative but if you do, anything with the consistency of Greek yogurt of sour cream will work great.  Personally, my family has come to like the richness of sour cream over yogurt but if rich flavors aren’t your thing than go with yogurt.

 And Now . . . The Recipe

 Chicken Enchilada Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ pound bone-in, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 4 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 10 peppercorns
  • 1 pound tomatillos, husked
  • 2 ancho or serrano chilies
  • ¼ cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
  • 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil or ghee
  • ¼ cup yogurt, non-dairy yogurt, or sour cream
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 1 ½ oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Directions:

  1. Place chicken in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover by at least one inch.  Add 1 tsp salt, 2 of the garlic cloves and peppercorns.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer; cover.  Simmer 15-20 minutes.  Remove chicken from liquid.  Once cooled enough to touch, pull meat from bones and shred; set aside.
  2. Heat oven to 350 degrees. While chicken cooks, place tomatillos and chiles in a medium saucepan.  Cover with water and boil over medium heat about 8 minutes.  Drain, reserving ½ cup liquid.  Transfer tomatillos and chiles to a blender.  Add cilantro and remaining 2 cloves of garlic; blend until smooth.  Add reserved liquid if necessary.
  3. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add tomatillo-chile puree; reduce heat to medium.  Simmer, stirring constantly or until sauces reduces to about one cup (about 10 minutes).
  4. Reduce heat, add yogurt or sour cream and remaining 1 tsp salt. Stir for one minute; set aside.
  5. Place tortillas on racks in oven and warm for 1-2 minutes until pliable but not stiff. Wrap in cloth towel to keep warm while assembling enchiladas.
  6. Spread 1/3 of the sauce in a 9” baking dish.
  7. Divide shredded chicken evenly among tortillas and roll up. Arrange each enchilada in a single layer in the baking dish, seam side down.
  8. Cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with cheese.
  9. Bake until the cheese starts to brown, about 25-30 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Make Ahead for Enchiladas

The sauce in this Chicken Enchiladas recipe is great for to make ahead so if you need something a bit faster, try my Enchilada Sauce.  Use some store bought rotisserie chicken, left over chicken or even make the shredded chicken ahead.  Through it all together the same way and dinner is served in about 45 minutes with only about 15 minutes of work that day.

As always I highly advocate Meal Planning.  Learn how to plan with this link.  It’s the key to success.  I have no idea how I’d ever get food on the table around the whole family’s schedule if I didn’t know exactly what we’re having for dinner each night.  So a little make ahead for the Chicken Enchiladas makes this a much faster and easier meal.  Plus, unless you’re a big family there’s almost undoubtedly left over enchiladas for someone’s lunch.

Enjoy!

 

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Crustless Quiche

Crustless Quiche

No Crust Quiche

A few years ago I found out I needed to remove gluten from my diet in order to lower a cancer marker.  If you’ve read my health journey then it comes as no surprise that I didn’t want to increase my risk of cancer on top of everything else!  So – no gluten.  And, for the most part I haven’t really missed it.  Today there are so many gluten free options that it’s pretty easy to make substitutions.   But, I’ve never really liked a quiche.  I feel like the crust just gets in the way of all the deliciousness.  Obviously making a crustless quiche was on my agenda.

Now, with a bit more free time, I’ve really enjoyed creating a delicious no crust quiche.  So, I decided it was time to share the recipe.

Cooking Notes

A few notes are in order when it comes to making a no crust quiche.

First, you don’t need as much moisture as a traditional quiche.  If you try to just substitute a regular quiche recipe it’ll probably end up too runny.

Second, load up with any vegetables you like.  Personally I found that using frozen spinach or asparagus was easiest year round.  But, the best crustless quiche uses fresh ingredients.  So, when in season chop up fresh veggies.  I’ve also found zucchini very tasty.  Don’t feel stuck with a red pepper . . . no crust quiche doesn’t mean no flavor quiche, so use a pablano or green pepper.  Enjoy whatever fresh veggies you have available.

Third, any milk alternative works fine.  Personally, my body doesn’t like cows milk so I tested out a number of different options in the milk alternative world.  If you prefer a thinner consistency of milk alternative (like rice) maybe use a bit less than 1/2 cup.  If you prefer a thicker consistency of milk alternative (like coconut) use the full 1/2 cup.  The no crust quiche even works using water in place of the milk.  The point is to beat the eggs and liquid so they are super fluffy making a beautiful crustless quiche.  The flavor will suffer a little with water though.

Fourth, don’t forget to let those chopped onions and minced garlic sit before cooking in order to bring out all the health benefits.  If you’re going crustless you’re looking for healthy so don’t skip the easy health benefits.  If this is a new concept to you, check out this post that explains the science behind letting onions and garlic rest.

Fifth, cheese is really optional with a crustless quiche.  I think the heaviness of a regular quiche with crust lends itself to needing a heavier top, like cheese, for balance.  But a no crust quiche doesn’t need the extra weight.  So, if you’re watching your calories, skip the cheese and trust me, you won’t miss it.

No Crust Quiche

Crustless Quiche Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbs coconut oil
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 8 brown mushrooms
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 package (10 oz) organic, frozen spinach or asparagus
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1/2 cup milk or milk alternative
  • 1/4 cup shredded raw cheese (optional)
  • salsa (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Chop onions and mince garlic. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
  3. Slice mushrooms and chop red pepper.
  4. Thaw spinach or asparagus by placing in strainer and running water over it until thawed. If spinach, use the back of a spoon to squeeze out most of the liquid. If asparagus, roll in paper towels.  Chop asparagus.
  5. Beat eggs and egg whites with the milk until light yellow and frothy.
  6. Heat oil over medium heat in a 10″ skillet. Add the onion and mushrooms. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
  7. Add garlic and red peppers.  Cook, stirring, for another minute.
  8. Stir in spinach or asparagus.
  9. Reduce heat to low.
  10. Pour egg mixture over spinach in skillet. Cook for 5-7 minutes without stirring. Mixture should be cooked on the bottom and almost set on top.
  11. Sprinkle with cheese if using.
  12. Bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Eggs should be set and cheese melted.
  13. Serve topped with salsa.

 

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