Chicken and Curry Vegetables

For this warm fall dinner, I use fall produce and chicken breast from the freezer. It is a similar cooking method to my chicken, kale, and white bean stew with some changes in the vegetables and a big flavor switch up in the broth. So easy and filling, and easy to make vegetarian! The chickpeas can stand alone as the protein in the dish.

Chicken and Curry Vegetables

Serves 2.

- 1 chicken breast

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1/4 yellow onion, diced

- 1 carrot, diced

- 1/4 bunch kale
- 1 roma tomato
- 1/2 cup mushrooms
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1/4 cup chicken broth

1. Cut chicken into strips, about 1 inch. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat and add chicken to the pan. Brown the chicken on all sides for about 5 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and rest it on a plate.

2. Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and add the onion and carrot to the pan. Cook for about 4 minutes. Add garlic, kale, tomato, mushrooms, and chickpeas and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add curry powder and cook one more minute. Add chicken broth to saucepan and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to get all of the flavors off.

3. Place chicken back in the pan, and nestle it in between the vegetables so that it is direct on the heat. Cover and cook for about 12-15 minutes, turning chicken once. Continue to simmer until chicken is white all of the way through. Season with red pepper flakes and top with chopped parsley.

Enjoy!

Shrimp Linguine with Lemon Ricotta

This pasta dish sounds fancy, tastes fancy, but is so cheap and easy to make. A delicious and hearty pasta dinner, accompanied by a glass of white wine. Pop in a movie and you have a nice relaxing Saturday night.

Shrimp Linguine with Lemon Ricotta

Serves 2.

- 2 cups whole wheat linguine (or any long pasta)

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 1/2 zucchini, diced

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- Shrimp (6-8 shrimp per person)

- 1/2 cup chicken broth

- 1 tablespoon lemon juice

- 1 tablespoon butter

- 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

- Zest of a lemon 

- Handful of parsley, chopped

1. Cook pasta according to directions.

2. In a saucepan, heat oil over medium high. Sauté zucchini for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, and cook for another minute more. Season with salt and pepper. Add shrimp, and cook shrimp one side down for 2-3 minutes. Turn shrimp and cook for another minute. Add broth and lemon juice, and simmer for a couple minutes. 

3. In a small bowl, mix ricotta cheese and lemon zest . 

4. Drain pasta, and add the pasta into the saucepan. Mix together for a minute, and add butter and season with red pepper flakes. Serve pasta on a plate, and top with about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture. Top with chopped parsley. 

*Next day idea: Ricotta Stuffed Zucchini

Using the leftover lemon ricotta mixture, this recipe is an easy and healthy football Sunday snack. 

- Remaining half of zucchini

- Remaining lemon ricotta

- 1/2 teaspoon italian seasoning

- 1 teaspoon bread crumbs

- Drizzle of olive oil

1. Half zucchini in length

2. Scoop out seeds of zucchini and spoon ricotta mixture into the zucchini.

3. Mix italian seasoning and bread crumbs with a pinch of salt and pepper. Top zucchini and ricotta with bread crumb mixture. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 375 for 10 minutes. 

Sweet Potato "Fries"

If I'm going to eat a burger, I need some fries. Sticking with my healthy burger meal makeover, I made my favorite side dish - sweet potato "fries." These fries are so tasty and easy, and healthy!

Sweet Potato Fries

Serves 1. 

- 1 small-medium sweet potato

- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

- Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Skin sweet potato and cut into big wedges. 

3. On a cookie sheet, toss the wedges with olive oil and salt and pepper until all of the fries are lightly coated. Spread on a single layer.

4. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, turning the fries once or twice.

Healthy fries never got easier!

Goat Cheese & Spinach Burger

When the mood for a burger hits, there is no stopping it. In an attempt to change up my running route because of too many hills, I ended up running uphill for about 30 minutes. Exhausted, the only thing to change my night around was going to be a burger.

This is a burger that you can actually feel good about. With a healthy version of a creamy cheese sauce and served on a wheat flatbread wrap, my red meat craving was satisfied, and hopefully my run wasn't a wash.

Goat Cheese & Spinach Burger

Serves 1. 

- 1/4 lb lean ground beef

- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

- 1/2 teaspoon Worchestire sauce

- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Goat Cheese Sauce:

- 2 tbsp crumbled goat cheese

- 1 tablespoon nonfat greek yogurt

- 1 teaspoon light sour cream

- Handful baby spinach leaves

- 1 Flatout 5-Flax Flatbread Wrap

1. Combine meat, mustard, worchestire sauce and garlic powder in a bowl. Using your hands (and careful not to overwork the meat) combine the ingredients and form a patty. 

2. I grilled my burger on my George Foreman grill, for 5 minutes (flipped once). 

3. In a separate bowl, combine cheese, yogurt, and sour cream until creamy. Season with salt and pepper. 

4. Place spinach on one side of the wrap, and spread the cheese sauce on the other. Place the burger in the middle, close, and enjoy!

Stewed Chicken with White Beans and Kale

It was a beautiful fall Monday in Nashville, and I wanted a nice warm dinner to start my week off right. I was in the mood for chicken, and wanted a dish that reflected the beginning of October. Full of hearty veggies and juicy chicken, this meal is not only filling and hearty, but healthy!

Stewed Chicken with White Beans and Kale

Serves 2

-1 chicken breast (about 1/3 pound), cut in half

-Italian seasoning

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1 clove garlic, minced

-1/2 yellow onion, diced

-1 cup sliced baby portabellos

-1/2 bunch kale, chopped

-1/2 cup chicken broth

-1 can white beans (I used Great Northern), drained and rinsed

-1 can diced tomatoes

-Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and italian seasoning to taste

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper, italian seasoning. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil on medium high. Add the chicken and brown the meat. It will take about 2-3 minutes on each side of the chicken. Once the chicken is browned, remove it from the pan and have it rest on a plate.

2. Turn down the heat on the pan to medium. Add onions, kale, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, and cook one more minute.

3. Add the chicken broth, and using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to get all of the seasonings from the chicken. Add tomatoes and beans. Add chicken back to the pot. (Nestle the chicken breasts into the veggies, so that they will cook).

** I cut my chicken breast in half for two reasons. The first, the have two smaller portions (dinner tomorrow night!). The second, so the chicken cooks quicker.

4. Keep the heat at medium, and simmer the chicken and vegetables for 15-20 minutes. Check the chicken, and flip halfway through cooking. Once chicken is cooked all of the way through, serve. Place one chicken breast in the bottom of a big bowl, and spoon vegetables over top. Using a ladle, scoop some of the sauce into the bowl Top with red pepper flakes and italian seasoning as desired.

This is one of the best chicken dishes I've made. I suggest you try it!

Grocery List 10/3

My last two meals put my refrigerator officially on empty, and the recent cold weather excited me to buy my favorite fall vegetables. Chilly weather and football leaves me wanting big warm stews and soups and nice hearty dinners. I went to Publix for my groceries, and stocked up on the fall essentials for produce. Remember, I only list my interchangeable produce, cheese, and items unique to this list. Refer back to my penniless pantry page to stock up on my essentials.

Total for this list: $29.28

Broccoli crowns - $1.65
Sweet Potatoes (2) - $0.97
Zucchini Squash (1) - $1.00
1 Bunch Kale - $1.49
Sliced Baby Portabella Mushrooms - $2.29
1 Lemon - $0.67
Garlic - $0.39
1 Bunch Parsley - $1.19
1 lb Petite Baby Red Potatoes - $1.49
Stoplight Peppers (Red, yellow & green) - $3.99  *This was a great sale at Publix. Stoplight pepper packs (which I splurge on because I cook with peppers so often, are usually priced around 5 or 6 dollars). 
Baby Spinach - $3.99
4 oz Crumbled Feta - $2.39
4 oz Crumbled Goat Cheese - $2.39
Pillsbury Pizza Crust - $2.39
Part Skim Ricotta Cheese (15 oz) - $2.49

Happy shopping... happy cooking!

Homemade Banana Almond Ice Cream

This recipe is adapted from Claire Robinson's recipe from Food Network and her show, "5 Ingredient Fix." When I saw her make this recipe, my jaw nearly dropped with how easy and cheap it can be.

My roommate and I both teach. The difference is: I teach middle school--she teaches kindergarten. After one of her lessons about teaching patterns with fruit - we had too much fruit to even handle. As the bananas began to brown (which also means sweeten) I remembered this recipe. This recipe is so easy and simple- and its so healthy and decadent that you really feel you are eating ice cream. Now all I need is a recipe to use the rotting apples and limes... 

Here is what I used:

- 4 bananas (the browner, the sweeter - and also past the point of being eaten alone)

- 2 tablespoons almond butter (or peanut butter, based on your preference)

- 2 tablespoons honey 

- 1/4 cup milk

1. Cut the bananas into inch slices, picture belowed. Place on a foil covered cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet into the freezer. 

2. Freeze bananas for at least 1 hour. 

3. In a food processor (or blender) add the bananas. Process until creamy and smooth. Add the milk and process until creamy. Add almond butter and honey to flavor the ice cream. Once all of the ingredients are evenly blended, serve!

If you add too much milk - freeze before serving to get the ice cream texture.

Healthy and delicious - you'll be thanking Claire Robinson! (or maybe me for posting!)

Here's to you- sweet tooth's!