Food Combos

Ok, I found some great tips in a Family Circle magazine for maximizing the health benefit of some foods. These are some great combinations that will help you get the most out of your food!

1. Vinegar and high-carb foods like bread, pasta and potatoes. This can help with easier weight loss. When we eat high-carb foods it causes a spike in the glucose in our blood and then drops quickly making us feel hungry, so we eat more. Vinegar helps to moderate that spike in glucose, so we feel full longer. A recent study showed that people who ate 4 tsp of apple-cider vinegar with bagels and juice consumed 200 less calories during their day then people who ate the exact same meal minus the vinegar. I personally know that this works. I took apple-cider vinegar in a pill form every morning and within just a few short weeks I lost 5 pounds.I know its not huge but... if we could keep ourselves from gaining weight by splashing a little vinegar on our bread or pasta, why not?!

2. Tomatoes, olive oil, and broccoli. These simple foods eaten together can mean fewer colds. Tomatoes and broccoli are packed with vitamin c and beta-carotene that help strengthen your immune system. However, to be properly absorbed, beta-carotene must be consumed with fat. Hence the olive oil. According to a study, adding 1/2 tsp of monounsaturated fat allows our body to absorb 5 times more beta-carotene from the veggies we eat. Steaming is the best way to get those veggies to let out their beat-carotene and are also easier to digest after a quick steam bath.

3. Bananas and yogurt. Everyone talks about how yogurt has great probiotics and can help with tummy and digestive trouble, but what most don't know is that in order for probiotics to be reach their full potential, they need prebiotics. Probiotics feed on prebiotics so when we consume probiotics we need to feed them. This is where the bananas come in. Bananas supply inulin and ologofructose, prebiotics to feed the probiotics thus providing our intestines with the stuff they need to replenish good flora.

4. Spaghetti and red peppers. Iron gives oxygen to our brain which in turn gives us much needed energy. 12% of women are iron-deficient. Grains are great sources of iron but iron from plant foods are not easily absorbed. Vitamin C helps iron to be absorbed. By adding vitamin C rich food like red peppers (or tomatoes or broccoli), it creates a chemical reaction that allows the intestines absorb the iron.
~~~ So, if you make a pasta dish with great veggies like roasted tomatoes, steamed broccoli, roasted red peppers, throw in some chicken for protein, drizzle with olive oil for some good fats, add a dash of vinegar (you'll want some acid anyway) and add garlic and whatever else you like (onions, spinach, salt, pepper, etc.). Now with this dish we have moderated the spike in glucose causing us to be fuller faster. We have boosted our immune system. And we have more energy from all the iron we allowed to absorbed. Look at all the good we can do with one delicious meal!

I hope some of these tips will help you as you plan your meals and think about what you eat!

Monte Cristo Hot Dog

I just realized that I haven't posted in a really long time so I thought I'd throw a recipe on here really quick, I don't have a picture and this is kind of a different thing but it's really easy and a fun change from your everyday hot dog.
You start by slicing a hot dog in half. Then fry it flat side down. After it's browned turn it over and top it with cheese, any kind of cheese you like and let it melt while the other side cooks. You can put a metal bowl on top if it needs a little help melting the cheese. Meal while toast your buns in the pan along side your frying hot dog. Then when everything is browned, melted, and toasted being the assembly. Lay the buns open and top with strawberry jam then top that with your hot dog with melted cheese. That's it! I know it sounds a little weird but the salty form the hot dog and the sweet from the jam and the savory from the cheese is amazing! You can also top with hot chili, onions, crumbled bacon, the list is endless! I promise to post more recipes of REAL meals later!

Dessert from the Grill

My step-mom gave us this amazing grilling cookbook and I've loved experimenting with all the fun recipes in it. The next three recipes are from the grilling cookbook. I don't have a picture to show this one and I wish I did because it is so pretty! Its called Dessert from the Grill. I made it for a BBQ we had out at my parent's house last Sunday. It was AMAZING!
Ingredients:
1 can (20 oz) sliced pineapple
1 TB butter
1 tsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cinnamon
*1 loaf pound cake
Vanilla ice cream
Caramel ice cream topping
*The recipe calls for 6 slices but I used a whole loaf, about 8 or 9 slices. I used a box mix for the pound cake and cooked as directed on the box EXCEPT I added about 1/2 cup of homemade raspberry jam and just swirled it through the batter a bit.

Directions:
Drain pineapple reserving about 1/2 cup of juice. In a microwave-safe dish combine pineapple juice, butter, brown sugar, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Microwave on high for 1-2 minuted until bubbly. Brush half the mixture on both sides of the sliced pound cake and the pineapple rings. Grill cake and pineapple, uncovered, over medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until golden brown, brushing occasionally with butter mixture. To serve, top each slice of cake (you can cut them in half) with a pineapple ring, scoop of ice cream and drizzle with caramel topping. I combined the remainder of the butter sauce with caramel topping, heated it again and drizzled that over the top instead of the regular caramel topping.

Grilled Fish Sandwiches

Ingredient:
4 4oz cod fillets
1 TB Lime juice
1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning
1/4 cup mayo
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
4 hamburger or hoagie buns
lettuce
tomato slices

Directions:
Pat fish fillets dry with paper towels. Brush both sides with lime juice (I also brushed them with a little olive oil) and sprinkle with lemon pepper. Coat grill with non-stick cooking spray or oil before starting grill. Grill fillets, covered, over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily.
In a small bowl combine mayo, Dijon mustard, honey and a pinch of salt. I also added a dash of lime juice. Spread mayo on buns, top with fish lettuce and tomato.

Potatoe Skins

This is a super easy and tasty side to almost any entree. Wash potatoes, about 1 per person. Cut in half long ways and then in half long ways again. Cut off the middle white part of the potato, leaving about 1/4 inch on the skin. I put my middles in a freezer bag to use later. Put potato skins on a microwave-safe plate and cook in microwave 8-10 minutes, till cooked through. Brush both sides of each slice with olive oil or melted butter and sprinkle with salt, pepper and rosemary. Grill skin sides up (or bake on a cookie sheet at 350) on direct, medium heat 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn over and move to indirect heat, top with cheese and crumbled bacon, grill (or bake) another 3-5 minutes till cheese is melted.

Chili & Breadsticks

I know chili is usually served with cornbread but I was craving breadsticks and they were actually Really good together! Chili is another one of my go-to meals. You just use whatever you have.
I had some cooked ground beef in the freezer that was left over from a few weeks ago when I made dinner in a roll. It had ground beef, celery, onions and a bit of gravy with it. So I tossed that in a big pan then I went to the pantry. I dumped in a can of chili beans, kidney beans and corn. I added tomato juice till it had the right amount of liquid. I seasoned it with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Let it simmer as long as you can. Top with cheese.
You could also add black beans, baked beans, sausage, bacon, diced tomatoes, shredded beef etc. Or do a white chili with chicken, great northern beans, green chilies, diced tomatoes and seasonings.

Breadsticks
I got this recipe from my visiting teacher. They are SO good! I would like to eat them with every meal from now on!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup warm water
1 heaping TB Yeast
1/4 cup honey
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp salt

Directions: Combine water and yeast in bowl and let raise a few minutes. Than add all other ingredients and mix well. Add 1 1/2 cup more of flour, mix well. Continue adding flour while stirring and kneading till dough is no longer sticky. Let raise till double. Roll out dough and cut into strips with a pizza cutter. Melt 1/2 cube butter on cookie sheet. "Flop" strips of dough around on butter till coated and place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and salad supreme. (I didn't have Salad Supreme so I just used garlic powder, onion powder and parsley for color) Let them Raise while the oven preheats to 425 degrees. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Baked Potato Soup

Okay, this is a favorite in our house and my go-to meal. It is one of the easiest and cheapest meals you can make! Plus its easy to change up a bit every time!
Ingredients:
3 potatoes
1/2 cup butter (You can get by with 1/4 cup)
1 small onion diced
1/2 cup flour
2 cups hot water with 2 cubes chicken bullion dissolved in it OR 2 cups chicken stock
2 cups milk
Salt and Pepper
Optional other seasonings like garlic powder, parsley, or a bay leaf.

Toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, chives

Directions:
Bake potatoes. If you don't have time to bake them in the oven, toss them in the microwave for 10 minutes or so to bake. Saute onion in butter in a pot till tender. Add flour. Slowly add water with bullion or chicken stock. Add milk. Dices potatoes leaving the peel on or taking it off. I usually leave mine on for sake of time and added fiber! Stir with whisk till thickened. I also season with parsley and garlic powder. Add salt and pepper to taste. This is an easy one to stretch. Simply add more flour at the beginning and more liquid. I also sometimes add corn, peas, carrots, or broccoli, whatever I have on hand. Top with shredded cheese, bacon bits, sour cream and chives.

Pasta

My brother Josh made this for my Grandma's birthday dinner last night and it was amazing! He made a complete meal with an appetizer and dessert that was delicious! I wish I had pictures of all the things but I forgot my camera. Anyway, this is the pasta recipe. It is very simple and has very clean, bright flavors. I don't know exact measurements, sorry. We made this for 7 people and had half left over, it made so much so I will list the amounts as half of what we used, then you can half it again if you want depending on how many people you are cooking for and how much you want for left overs the next day.

Ingredients:
uncooked shrimp 1 pound
Penne pasta 1 pound
tomatoes, the smaller the better 1 pound
Arugula half pound - 1 pound, depending just add a little at a time till it looks good to you.
Garlic
Olive Oil

**Substitutions: If you don't like shrimp or you don't want to spend that much money use Chicken
Arugula is a little bitter and peppery, if you don't like it or aren't sure, use spinach or half arugula and half spinach.
Of course you can always add other things too, zucchini, asparagus tips, artichokes, etc.

Directions:
Boil water for penne. Add lots of salt as this is the only time to really season the noodles.
Drizzle olive oil on tomatoes and roast in oven till they begin to split. If you don't have cherry or grape tomatoes cut the tomatoes into bite size pieces.
Saute shrimp (or chicken) in olive oil and minced garlic, start with a couple cloves of garlic then add more to your liking.
When everything is done toss it all together adding your greens a handful at a time. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you want more acidity you can squeeze a bit of lemon juice on top. Serve and enjoy!

Bambinos

Amy worked at La Pizzeria for a long time so she told me how to make these. I don't have the pizza dough recipe though.
2 cans refrigerated pizza dough OR a recipe of your own (1 can makes 3 Bambinos)
Pizza sauce (from the store or a recipe of your own)
Pizza toppings of your choice.

I used the pizza dough out of the can for sake of time. They tasted fine but next time I will use a homemade dough. I laid it on a cookie sheet, one can at a time, and pressed it out, but don't press the dough too thin. Cut the dough with a pizza cutter in half the long ways, then into thirds. You should now have 6 even squares of dough. Put pizza sauce and toppings on one row of three, leaving the other three empty. Be careful to leave the edges bare so you can seal the bambino. Brush the edges with a beaten egg. Carefully fold the empty pieces of dough over onto the topped pieces. Seal edges tightly. If you have a hole in one or it is not sealed good it will make a mess in your pan. Fry in 375 degree oil one at a time till golden brown, turning once. Remove from oil and set on paper towels.
*If you use your own dough you can roll it out and cut out big circles or squares, what ever is easiest for you to do.

Doughnut Holes

I couldn't stop eating these!
1 cup sugar
6 TBS melted shortening
3 cups flour
1 tsp soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk

Mix everything together and drop by scanty tsp in 370 degrees hot oil.
Cool on paper towels then roll in sugar
*This makes a TON! I made 3 dozen and still had at least 3/4 of the batter left over. Maybe cut it in thirds if you don't want that much or try freezing it.

White Chocolate No-Bake Cookies

Tyler loves white chocolate and we love no-bake cookies so I came up with this little gem. They are pretty rich and sweet but SO good!

Boil:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk

Add:
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups white choc chips (can also use milk chocolate if you want regular chocolate)
When Choc chips are melted add:
3 1/2 - 4 cups quick oats (depending on how gooey you like them!)
*You can also add extracts like orange, raspberry or mint or add colors for hollidays!

Quickly spoon on to wax paper, cool and devour!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2 large chicken breasts
2 Tb olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes OR 1 small can tomato sauce if you don't like chunks of tomato
1/2 - 1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 Tb Lime Juice
2 Tb cilantro, chopped
7-8 small corn tortillas cut into small slices
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large pot cook chicken, onion, and garlic in olive oil. Add cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Then add chicken broth, corn, beans, tomatoes, lime juice and cilantro. Add most of tortilla strips but reserve some to broil in the oven to top soup with. Allow soup to simmer for about 10 minutes, the tortilla strips will thicken the soup. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream, cilantro and broiled tortilla strips.

Pork Tenderloin

Tyler and I hadn't really had pork tenderloin until just recently while eating at Outback. They had this amazing sauce on it that I love but I'm not good enough to figure out what's in it. Anyway, I have a couple sauces that I've used that you can try, or come up with your own!

The tenderloin is super easy. Just marinate it overnight in whatever marinate you like. I often use lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup, and whatever else catches my eye at that moment. Then, take it out of the marinate and place it in a shallow baking pan, a 9x13 is fine, bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes until done. Top with sauce or gravy. That's it! Way easy!

Honey Grape Sauce: 2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 cup minced shallots
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
**I also add a bit of brown sugar, and a dash of Worcester sauce. Add what you want to make it your own.
Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook shallots and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in grapes, soy sauce, honey, ginger, and five-spice powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Process cooled sauce until smooth in a blender or food processor. Serve over sliced tenderloin.

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
I just kinda made this up and didn't really measure anything, sorry! Its a lot like the grape sauce.
2 red peppers roasted - broil peppers till skin is dark, remove from oven and cover with plastic wrap or put them in a plastic bag. Let them cool about 45 min. Remove skins, they should peel off easily. Remove seeds and cut into chunks.
Put in sauce pan with oil, (the peppers will have a bit of natural oil and juice inside of them, you can use this too) garlic, Worcester sauce, brown sugar, a little honey, onion powder, Italian seasonings, salt and whatever else you think it needs to taste better! Simmer for 10-15 minutes, allow to cool a bit then put in blender or food processor. Serve hot over sliced tenderloin.

Chicken with Mushroom & Balsamic Vinegar Sauce

I got this recipe from allrecipes.com, greatest website ever! It was a super easy recipe and only took about 25-30 minutes to make! We really liked this and the mushroom sauce was so good! I served it with mashed potatoes and added some of the sauce to the gravy. You could also serve this over pasta.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon butter

* Before you start: The only thing I would have done different is that the chicken breasts were a bit to thick so next time I will either slice them, like butterfly them, or pound them flat with a mallet. Also, I only used 2 chicken breasts and the sauce was just about the right amount so if you do 4 chicken breasts you might want to add a bit more broth and vinegar.
Directions
1.Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Rinse the mushrooms and pat dry. Season the flour with salt and pepper and dredge the chicken breasts in the flour mixture. Heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat and saute the chicken until it is nicely browned on one side (about 3 minutes).
2.Add the garlic. Turn the chicken breasts and scatter the mushrooms over them. Continue frying, shaking the skillet and stirring the mushrooms. Cook for about 3 minutes, then add the vinegar, broth, bay leaf and thyme. Cover tightly and simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes, turning occasionally.
3.Transfer the chicken to a warm serving platter and cover with foil. Set aside. Continue simmering the sauce, uncovered, over medium high heat for about 7 minutes. Swirl in the butter or margarine and discard the bay leaf. Pour this mushroom sauce mixture over the chicken and serve.

Chicken Ranch Burritos

Sorry, no picture for this one. Tyler and I love the Crispy Chicken Ranchero from Taco Time so this a spin off of that. Its another one of those things you can add whatever you like to make it how you like it. This is how I made it:

~Fresh uncooked flour tortillas (They should be by the cheeses in the refrigerator section) they cook up in just a couple minutes in a frying pan or griddle and they are AMAZING!
~Chicken - you use any type: grilled, sauteed, fried, baked, pre-made chicken strips, whatever you fancy
~Cheese
~Rice
~Black Beans
-I cheated and used a rice and black bean mix from a box by Zataran's.
~Ranch - your favorite ranch dressing. I used Chiz's.
~Lettuce
~Fresh tomatoes or salsa

You can also add avocado, corn, olives, onion, jalapenos, peppers, etc.
Cook the tortilla, fill it, roll it, and enjoy!

This is a great leftover meal. You can use chicken or rice from the night before and just go from there!