Sausage and Brussels Skillet

Plain and simple, this is seriously an amazing combo, trust me!

Ingredients:

2 cups sliced chicken Apple Sausage (if on gluten-free diet use Gf brand such as Trader Joes or Aidell’s)
4 cups Brussels Sprouts, halved
1 cup chopped white onion
One 8 ounce package of sliced button mushrooms
1 teaspoon olive oil
2-3 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ cup chicken or vegetable broth (*use a gluten-free brand such as Progresso Natural if you are on a gluten-free diet)

Directions:

Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to a large pan or pot and put in the sausage and onions, and sauté on medium-high heat until just starting to brown (about 5-7 minutes). Meanwhile cook the Brussels sprouts al dente- they can be cooked by either boiling them in a pot of water, steaming in a pyrex dish in an half inch of water, or even quicker, put them in a Glad® Simply Cooking™ Microwave Steaming Bag and heat on high for about 4 minutes. Then add the cooked Brussels, mushrooms, and ½ cup of broth and cover to simmer, stirring occasionally until the broth has evaporated and the whole mixture is brown and tender (about 5 minutes). Uncover, stir in the mustard and continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste if desired.

Makes 7 cups, seven servings

Serving size 1 cup Calories 130 Protein 10 g Carb 17 g Fiber 3 g Sugars 8 g Fat 4.5 g Saturated fat 1g Sodium 300 mg

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Almond Cranberry White Chocolate Oat Bars

If you thought my Ridiculously Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Oat Treats were yummy and simple to make, then you NEED to try these! Even easier and quite delicious. Surprise someone for Valentine’s day or make them just because……

Ingredients:

1 cup oats (old fashioned, not quick)(*use a gluten-free oats such as Bob's Red Mill if you are on a gluten-free diet)
½ cup creamy or crunchy unsalted natural almond butter (I used Trader Joes Raw Unsalted Crunchy)
½ cup light pancake syrup
2 tablespoons white chocolate chips)(*use a gluten-free oats such as Nestle if you are on a gluten-free diet)
2 tablespoons dried cranberries
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)
Wax or parchment paper

Directions:

In a medium sized bowl, combine the maple syrup, vanilla and almond butter and mix well. Stir in the oats, white chocolate chips and cranberries and mix some more. Press mixture into an 8 by 8 inch pan. (Lining the pan with a large rectangular piece of parchment paper, placing the mixture on one side and then folding the paper over to press down works nicely since the dough is so sticky.) Chill in the fridge for an hour or more (if you can wait that long!) and cut into squares and serve. Store in the fridge.

Makes 16 squares

Serving size: 1/16th of recipe with coconut Calories 95 Protein 3 g Carb 10 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 5 g Fat 6 g Saturated fat 1 g Sodium 24 mg

Serving size: 1/16th of recipe without coconut Calories 90 Protein 3 g Carb 10 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 5 g Fat 5 g Saturated fat <1 g Sodium 24 mg

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Chicken Enchiladas

After having such success with my Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas Recipe, I decided to try some which chicken filling too-
another hit!

Ingredients:

10 Corn tortillas
2 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup chopped red peppers (about 1 large pepper)
¾ cup chopped white onion
1 teaspoon olive oil
2-3 tablespoons chicken broth
a few dashes garlic powder, salt, pepper
2 1/2 cups marinara sauce
1 cup enchilada sauce (I’ve used Trader Joes If you are on a gluten-free diet use a GF one like Frontera)
½ cup cheese of your choice (mozzarella, cheddar, blend)
chopped avocado (optional for garnish)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add one teaspoon olive oil to a large pan or skillet and put in the onions and peppers. Sauté on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes to lightly brown and softened. Add the chicken, broth and garlic/salt/pepper and then simmer for another 3-5 minutes until most of the liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat and set aside. Start on the sauce next.
Sauce:

Sauce Directions:

Mix the enchilada sauce and marinara sauce together in a medium bowl.

Assembly:

Spread a quarter of the sauce to thinly coat the bottom of a 9 X 12 inch pan. Take the 10 tortillas out and microwave one or two at a time for 10-20 seconds to soften. Place each heated tortilla on a clean surface or cutting board and spoon 1/3 cup of filling inside. Fold up the sides and then place in the pan with the folded side down. Repeat this step with each tortilla placing them side by side, very close to each other to make two rows of five.
Pour the rest of the sauce to evenly coat the enchiladas and bake for 20-25 minutes covered with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven, sprinkle the ½ cup cheese over them and bake uncovered for another 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Garnish with a few thin avocado slices if desired.

Makes 10 enchiladas, ten servings

Serving size 1 enchilada Calories 190 Protein 13 g Carbs 20 g Sugar 5 g fiber 3 g Fat 8 g Saturated fat 2 g Sodium 580 mg

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In The News: The Way You Eat May Help Keep Your Brain From Shrinking!

A recent study published in the December 28, 2011, online issue of Neurology suggests that participants with diets high in omega 3 fatty acids and in vitamins C, D, E as well as B vitamins had higher scores on mental thinking tests than people with diets low in those nutrients. These omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D are primarily found in fish. The B vitamins and antioxidants C and E are primarily found in whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Also people consuming this certain diet pattern may also be less likely to have the brain shrinkage associated with Alzheimer's disease than people whose diets are not high in these nutrients. The study was authored by Gene Bowman, ND, MPH, of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland and a member of the American Academy of Neurology and was supported by the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute on Aging and National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Portland VA Medical Center. To read a summary of the study published in Science Daily, click HERE

Also, check out my BLOG for some yummy brain food recipes!

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Tomato Mushroom Soup

I had an amazing tomato mushroom soup this past summer when my husband and I were in St. Louis. We were visiting his college town, Columbia, but unfortunately it was pouring rain so he couldn’t show me many sights. We did duck in to Flat Branch Pub where I had the soup and I decided that I HAD to copy it at home, so here is my version.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
5 cups sliced button or cremini mushrooms
1 cup tomato sauce
4 cups low sodium V8 juice
one 14 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
black pepper to taste
chopped fresh basil (optional for garnish)

Directions:

Add ½ teaspoon of olive oil, the onions and garlic into a large pot and sauté for 3-5 minutes on medium-high heat until soft and lightly browned. Add the other ½ teaspoon of olive oil and the mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes. Throw in the tomato sauce, V8, canned tomatoes an oregano, bring to a boil and then simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Add black pepper to taste and garnish with fresh chopped basil if desired

Makes 9 cups, 9 servings

Serving size 1 cup Calories 60 Protein 3 g Carb 12 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 7 g Fat l0.5 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 290 mg

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Fabulous Foods Finds: Almond Milk

Alternative milks have become a big hit in the grocery market lately and my absolute FAV is almond milk. I specifically buy unsweetened almond milk to lose the sugar and extra calories. I have tried Blue Diamond’s Almond Breeze, which is good, but the one I like the best is Trader Joes variety, found in the fridge section. One cup contains only 40 calories, 3 grams of fat, 2 grams of carb, 1 gram of sugar, 180 mg of mg of sodium and is fortified to contain 30 % DV for calcium and 25 % DV of Vitamin D. Sure the calcium is not as bioavailable as cow’s milk and there is less protein, but for those who are lactose intolerant or don’t like dairy, these are certainly reasonable stats. Unfortunately it is not appropriate for those with nut allergies though and if you are thinking of trying to substitute this for cow’s milk in your young child’s diet this is a WHOLE other story and you want to consult your pediatrician before doing so. It’s gluten-free, works for me and I have great success in using in it in my recipes too, like my Almond Cranberry Rice, Single Serve Baked Oatmeal, and Strawberry Banana Snack Smoothie recipes!

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Single Serve Baked Instant Oatmeal

I have had some great results with developing individual baked oatmeal recipes, which I will be sharing with you in the future. This recipe was my first try at the concept- very simple but tasty.

Ingredients:

1 packet of you favorite flavored instant oats- apple cinnamon, maple brown sugar etc (if you are on a gluten-free diet use a GF brand such as Glutenfreeda)
1 egg white (2 Tablespoons liquid egg whites)
1-2 Tablespoons milk (I used unsweetened almond milk)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the oats, egg white and milk in a small bowl. Spoon into a small rameken or small oven safe baking dish coated with cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes, until top is firm and inside is slightly soft.
Makes one serving
Serving size 1 baked oat dish Calories 180 Protein 7 g Carb 30 g Fiber 4 g Sugars 13 g Fat 3 g Saturated fat 0 g Sodium 390 mg

(results based on average packet of flavored oats, such as Quaker or Gluten Freeda)

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