2012 Resolutions

Part of our family's new year's resolution was to eat healthier, lose weight and get my husband's cholesterol down. The first thing I did was do some research on cholesterol-healthy foods. Then I came up with a menu for the week to serve these ingredients.

Last night I created broccoli-gruyere stuffed chicken divan with a kidney bean puree and southern collard greens. It was packed with flavor and nutrients to boost our healthy bodies for the new year.

Broccoli-Gruyere Chicken Divan
4 chicken breasts
1 head of broccoli
3 leaves of kale
1/2 cup shredded gruyere cheese
2 garlic cloves
fresh oregano
olive oil
salt
pepper

Start by roasting your broccoli, kale and garlic in the broiler for 15 minutes. Meanwhile work on your kidney beans. Once the puree is ready to go take out the roasted vegetables and let cool for five minutes. While cooling start on your southern collards. Once the collard greens are on their way, shred up your gruyere cheese. Then pull your chicken breasts out of the fridge and slice a line in the middle of them, push through with your fingers to make a pocket inside each breast. Roughly chop up your roasted veggies and mix with the cheese. Stuff this mixture into each breast, place the breasts back on the roasting pan and broil for 25 minutes, until cooked through and golden brown on top.

Rosemary-Kidney Bean Puree
1 can of kidney beans
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1/2 cup chicken stock
salt
pepper

First I roughly chopped the rosemary and added that to the beans in a saucepan. Add chicken stock and bring the bean mixture to boil, in order to release the rosemary flavor. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Then use your emulsion blender (or blender) to emulsify the bean mixture. You may have to add more chicken stock if the mixture gets too thick. Then put on low and stir occasionally until ready to serve.

Southern Collard Greens
1 bunch of collard greens
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup chicken stock

Chop up the collard greens and get rid of the inner spine (hard to eat). Pour a little olive oil into a larger sauce pan and add greens plus diced tomatoes. Cover and let greens wilt- about 5-7 minutes. While the chicken is broiling, stir around your collards to make sure they are being evenly coated by the tomatos. Put on low until ready to serve.

Once all components are cooked, plate by adding the puree first, curve your collards around the puree and place a chicken breast on top of the puree. Your company will love this dish!!

Happy 2012 everyone!!

xo Lo

Spooky Spaghetti Squash

During the Autumn season there are several different kinds of produce to take advantage of, there are many squashes, gourds, etc to dive into for your meals. One of my favorite kinds of squash is the spaghetti squash, not only is this squash pretty awesome in creation but it's tasty too. The best part about spaghetti squash is you can make savory or sweet dishes when using it. This time I decided to go savory.

Spaghetti Squash with Baby Portabella Mushrooms and Marinara Sauce

1 spaghetti squash
1 package of baby portabella mushrooms
1 jar of marinara sauce (or see recipe below to make your own)
1 yellow onion
3 garlic cloves
olive oil
fresh oregano
salt
pepper

Firstly, you want to get your spaghetti squash tender, cut in half length-wise, de-seed and bake at 425 degrees for an hour.

Meanwhile, saute mushrooms, onion and garlic in a saute pan over medium heat until tender. Put marinara sauce over medium heat to warm and add mushroom mixture.

Once the squash is tender, let cool for 10 minutes then take a fork and scrape the squash, as you scrape pieces that look similar to spaghetti pasta should start to come off. Scrape all of the "spaghetti" into bowls.

Homemade Marinara Sauce

3 12 oz cans of plain tomato sauce
1 12 oz can of plain tomato paste
2 12 oz cans of tomato pieces
2 yellow onions
5 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 bunch of fresh basil
1 bunch of fresh oregano
water (as needed)
salt
pepper
meat (if you are making a meat sauce, use ground beef, ground turkey or turkey sausage)

Cook tomato sauce, paste and pieces over medium-low heat. Add in spices (if dry), water, onion, garlic and herbs. Let simmer for one hour and add fresh herbs for last 15 minutes. Marinara sauce should reduce down, add any veggies or meats you like to it.

Pour marinara sauce over spaghetti squash and grade a little bit of mozzarella or parmesan over the top and dig in!

xoxo Lo