Chicken Teriyaki

This is an authentic Japanese chicken teriyaki recipe made with sake. The sake is the key ingredient to making this the most delicious teriyaki sauce ever! I have been eating this since I was a kid, as my mom made it a lot when I was growing up. She got the recipe from a friend of hers, who was from Japan.  This is a really quick dinner, so is great for a weeknight, and also tastes even better the next day if you have leftovers. 

I always make this with organic brown or wild rice and a side of steamed organic broccoli.  The broccoli goes really well with the teriyaki sauce!  I cooked the brown rice in the morning, since it takes about an hour to cook, and just reheated it at dinner time. You can either steam the broccoli in a pan on the stove, or if you are in a hurry, you can just toss the broccoli in a microwave-safe dish with a lid (and add a small amount of water), and cook it in the microwave for about 5 minutes.

Chicken Teriyaki

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound organic free-range chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup canola oil
6 Tbsp sake
6 Tbsp organic tamari
3 Tbsp sugar

Directions

1. Place chicken and flour in a large sealable bag and shake until chicken is evenly coated.

2. Heat canola oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan and reduce heat to medium. Cook until cooked through and golden brown.

3. Mix  sake, tamari and sugar together and add mixture to pan.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer until sauce thickens (coats spoon).

4. Serve and enjoy!

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Chicken is an excellent source of protein and is rich in B vitamins. Brown rice is unrefined, so contains it's original abundance of iron, zinc, manganese, selenium, antioxidants and fiber. Broccoli is packed with vitamins C and K, and is also a good source of folate and calcium.

Crock Pot Chicken Vegetable & Wild Rice Soup

With the weather turning so cold this week, it has been a good time for soup in the crock pot. I looked at a couple of recipes to get some suggestions, but in the end made up my own concoction. A few of the recipes I came across suggested adding chicken bouillon cubes for additional flavor, but bouillon contains milk, as well as a ton of preservatives, so I decided to leave that out and get the flavor from herbs instead. The combination of the slow-cooked vegetables and herbs in the chicken stock provided plenty of flavor, while keeping this soup dairy free and really healthy.

I paired this soup with the Fall Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette that I posted last week, making it a complete dinner that was filling but not too heavy. I added an ounce of goat cheese to each of the salads when I made it this time, and it was a great addition!

This made quite a bit of soup, so I am planning to freeze what we had leftover. There will be an evening not too long from now, I am sure, when I don't have much time to make dinner and I will be really glad I tossed that extra soup in the freezer for an easy dinner!

Crock Pot Chicken Vegetable & Wild Rice Soup

Ingredients

1 pound organic free-range chicken breasts

2 Tbsp olive oil

3/4 cup yellow onion, chopped

1 1/2 cups organic celery, chopped

1 Tbsp minced garlic

8 cups organic chicken broth

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups organic carrots, chopped

1 (15oz) can organic sweet corn

1 cup organic wild rice

Directions

1. Place all ingredients, except wild rice, in slow cooker and cook on low for 5 hours

2. Remove chicken breasts from slow cooker and shred, using two fork to pull apart.  Place chicken back in slow cooker. Add wild rice and cook on low for 4 more hours.

What are the nutritional benefits of this soup? Chicken is an excellent source of protein and is rich in B vitamins. Carrots are very high in vitamin A (with one cup providing over 400% of the daily value), and they are also an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber. Garlic contains flavonoids (a type of antioxidant), and is a great source of vitamins C and B6, and the mineral manganese. Onions are rich in quercetin (a type of antioxidant) and vitamin C. Corn provides some fiber and vitamin C, folate and thiamin, as well as minerals phosphorous and magnesium. Celery provides fiber as well as vitamin K and folate. Wild rice is a great source of protein and antioxidants, as well as vitamins A, C and E.

Turkey Cutlets with Lemon-Caper Sauce

This dinner was really easy, healthy and delicious. It is great for a weeknight due to how quick it is.  I made wild rice to go with it, and I made it in advance (in the morning) since it takes a good hour to cook, and just reheated it right before I was ready to serve the turkey.  I also made some simple roasted asparagus by snapping off the woody ends, tossing it with some olive oil, salt and pepper, and then roasting it on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes. I just popped the asparagus in the preheated oven right before I started preparing the turkey, and everything was ready less than 30 minutes later!  The best part of this meal is that my 2 year old son, Charlie, loved it, so we will be making this again for sure.

Turkey Cutlets with Lemon-Caper Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 pound extra lean turkey breast cutlets

4 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp capers

Chopped fresh parsley and lemon wedges for garnishing

Directions

1. Combine flour, salt and pepper in shallow bowl. Dredge turkey in flour mixture.

2. Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat; cook turkey for 1 1/2 - 2 minutes per side, or until golden. Keep warm on serving dish while preparing the remaining turkey.

3. Add wine, lemon juice and remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil to skillet, strring to loosen particles in skillet. Cook for 2 minutes, or until heated through thoroughly.

4. Stir in garlic, parsley and capers; spoon over turkey. Garnish and serve.

(Recipe adapted from myrecipes.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Turkey breast cutlets are low in fat and very high in protein. Just one 4oz turkey cutlet provides 28g of protein! Turkey is also a great source of iron. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), raise good cholesterol (HDL), and aid in blood sugar control. Garlic contains flavonoids (a type of antioxidant), and is a great source of vitamins C and B6, and the mineral manganese. Capers are a rich source of the  flavonoid (antioxidant) compounds rutin and quercetin. Wild rice is a great source of protein and antioxidants, as well as vitamins A, C and E. Asparagus is high in vitamin K and is also a great source of vitamin A, folate and iron.

Slow Cooker Short Ribs

This was my first time ever cooking short ribs, and I will definitely make them again! They are so easy to make in the slow cooker and are really flavorful.  I unfortunately totally forgot to buy celery, so I just used more carrots in place of the celery.  I think the only thing that could have made this dinner better would have been the celery flavor.  I like this meal a lot because it is a one-pot dinner, with the meat, vegetables and potatoes all-in-one. 

To make the preparation even easier, you can always chop the vegetables up the night before so all you have to do is toss everything in the crock pot the next day.

Slow Cooker Short Ribs

Serves 4

Ingredients 

2 pounds grass-fed beef short ribs
Salt, black pepper and garlic powder, for seasoning short ribs
6 cups organic chicken stock
8 large organic carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
4 organic yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp corn starch

Directions

1. Season short ribs with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Heat a skillet over high heat and brown short ribs on all sides.

2. Transfer short ribs to slow cooker and cook on low for 3 hours.  Add potatoes, carrots and onions and cook for an additional 6 hours.

3. Before serving, remove one cup of liquid from slow cooker and whisk together with cornstarch. Add cornstarch mixture to slow cooker and stir until evenly combined.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Compared with conventional beef, grass-fed beef is lower in total fat, higher in omega-3 fatty acids and higher in vitamins, particularly vitamin E. Carrots are very high in vitamin A (with one cup providing over 400% of the daily value), and they are also an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber. Yukon gold potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of potassium. Onions are rich in quercetin (a type of antioxidant) and vitamin C. 

Pear & Pecan Mixed Green Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

This Fall salad was so easy to make, and tasted really good! The maple balsamic vinaigrette had just the right amount of maple syrup in it without being overpowering, which complemented the pears and pecans very well.  I whisked the ingredients for the dressing together right before we ate the salad, and it still had a great flavor even though it hadn't sat to marinate.  That being said, I am sure the flavor of the dressing would be even better the next day after sitting in the refrigerator to marinate overnight.  

This is a great salad to have alongside a Fall-type soup, such as the the Carrot, Ginger & Sweet Potato Soup that I made and posted yesterday. Or this would also go really well with chicken or some grilled fish.

Pear & Pecan Mixed Green Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 organic red pears, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 oz organic spring mix lettuce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread pecans on a baking sheet and toast in preheated oven for 5 minutes.

2. To make maple balsamic vinaigrette, combine shallot, dijon mustard, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and olive oil in a small bowl and whisk together

3. To assemble salad, place 2 cups spring mix on salad plate, top with a handful of pear and 2 Tbsp pecans. Drizzle with dressing.

(recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this salad? The dark green leaf lettuces in spring mix are a great source of iron and vitamins A and C. Pecans are an excellent source of monounsaturated fatty acids and phenolic antioxidants, vitamin E, B vitamins and minerals like manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium. Pears are a great source of vitamin C and fiber. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), raise good cholesterol (HDL), and aid in blood sugar control. 

Carrot, Ginger & Sweet Potato Soup

With the weather cooling off, and it being a little rainy outside, it was a good evening to have soup for dinner - and this soup turned out great! This was really easy, and is also a very healthy low-fat and low-calorie soup. A lot of carrot soups call for cream, but this recipe was incredibly flavorful without the added fat (and dairy) of a creamy soup. And it had a pretty creamy consistency after being blended.

To save some time, the carrots, sweet potato and onion could be chopped up ahead of time so that they are ready to be tossed in the pot with the rest of the ingredients. I simmered the soup in the morning, and then at dinner time, I tossed it in my Vitamix to puree it and heat it up, then kept it warm in a pot on the stove.  I find that breaking up my dinner preparation into stages like this saves me a lot of stress at dinner time!

Carrot, Ginger & Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients

1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 cup organic carrots, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup sweet potato, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger root, peeled and minced
1 yellow onion, diced
3 cups vegetable stock
2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in stock pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes.

2. Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes.

3. Add carrots, sweet potato, broth and orange juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, until vegetable are soft. 

4. Puree soup in blender, or in pot with an immersion blender. Thin with additional stock as needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

(Recipe adapted from doortodoororganics.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this soup? Sweet potatoes are very high in vitamin A (one cup provides over 400% of the daily value!) and are a great source of vitamins C and B6, and the mineral manganese. Carrots are also very high in vitamin A (with one cup providing over 400% of the daily value, just like sweet potatoes), and they are also an excellent source of vitamin C and fiber. Garlic contains flavonoids (a type of antioxidant), and is a great source of vitamins C and B6, and the mineral manganese. Onions are rich in quercetin (a type of antioxidant) and vitamin C. 

Roasted Beet & Pecan Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

I have a bottle of sherry vinegar in the cabinet from when I made a seared tilapia with tomato vinaigrette recently, and so decided to make a sherry vinaigrette to go with my beet salad last night.  This dressing turned out really great, and went very well with the beets and pecans.  Homemade salad dressings are so easy to make, and I think they tend to taste a lot better than anything I can find in the store - you can't beat the flavor of freshly made dressing!  Making fresh dressing does require planning ahead because to get a good flavor, you have to let it sit and marinate for at least 4-6 hours.  But combining the ingredients just takes a few minutes!  I made this dressing and roasted the beets yesterday morning and just stored them in the refrigerator until dinner time when I assembled the salads - pretty easy! 

Roasted Beet & Pecan Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette

Makes ~ 4 servings

Ingredients

1/3 cup sherry vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

4 fresh beets 
2 Tbsp olive oil

1 small package organic spring mix lettuce
~ 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. To make salad dressing, combine vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup olive oil in a salad dressing jar (or any jar with a lid). Shake vigorously to combine. Store in refrigerator for 4-6 hours to marinate before serving.

2. To roast beets, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel beets and cut stem-ends off. Cut into thin slices (about 1/8-1/4 inch thick) and place in center of large piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp olive oil. Enclose beets in foil by making a pouch. Place in oven for 2-2 1/2 hours, or until soft.

3. To assemble salad, place 2 cups spring mix in bowl and top with beet slices and 2-3 Tbsp chopped pecans. Drizzle with sherry vinaigrette, to taste.

(Sherry vinaigrette recipe adapted from Foodnetwork.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this salad? Beets are high in folate, fiber, vitamins A,B and C, and minerals potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, and iron. The dark green leaf lettuces in spring mix are a great source of iron and vitamins A and C. Pecans are an excellent source of monounsaturated fatty acids and phenolic antioxidants, vitamin E, B vitamins and minerals like manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium. Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which have been shown to help lower bad cholesterol (LDL), raise good cholesterol (HDL), and aid in blood sugar control. Garlic contains flavonoids (a type of antioxidant), and is a great source of vitamins C and B6, and the mineral manganese. Oregano is packed with antioxidants so is a great addition to any salad dressing or meal!

Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

I am not usually a fan of banana bread, but this banana bread I really like! Charlie even liked it, and he typically doesn't like chocolate.  I had a couple of mushy bananas laying around yesterday, so decided to make a slightly healthier variation of a simple banana bread recipe I had found.  I substituted whole wheat flour for half of the all purpose flour that the recipe called for. To not compromise the consistency of the bread completely, I still used half all purpose flour (to keep it from getting too dense). I also substituted canola oil for the butter - greatly reducing the saturated fat and instead providing healthy unsaturated fats. I also added chocolate chips, which the recipe did not call for. The overall product had a really nice consistency, holding together very well when sliced. Using half whole wheat flour added just enough grainy/nutty flavor, which tastes great with the banana.  And the chocolate chips, of course, gave the bread the perfect top-off of flavor.  I used really good quality chocolate chips, which are dairy free due to being made with cocoa butter instead of regular butter. 

Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Ingredients 

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup canola oil

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 large organic free range eggs

2 over-ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil and flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan with canola oil and all purpose flour.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together canola oil, brown sugar, eggs, and mashed bananas. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture and mix until evenly combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared loaf pan.

3. Bake for 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Loosen sides from pan using a spatula and then turn out of pan. Let cool on wire rack.

(Recipe adapted from all recipes.com)

What are the nutritional benefits of this bread? Whole wheat flour is less refined than all purpose flour so provides more fiber and nutrients, particularly B vitamins, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, and iron. Canola oil is a more heart healthy option, compared to butter or other oils, as it is the lowest in saturated fat of any oil, and is rich in healthy unsaturated fats. Bananas are an excellent source of potassium and vitamin C, and contain a prebiotic substance called fructooligosaccharide which ferments in the digestive tract, encouraging the growth of probiotics, and enhancing the absorption of calcium in the body. Cocoa, found in the chocolate chips, contains flavonoids, a type of antioxidant, so eating a modest amount of good chocolate is beneficial!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine

I haven't pulled out my slow cooker much this fall, so today it made an appearance to make this great dinner! I had chicken tagine a few years ago in a Moroccan restaurant and wanted to try to duplicate it. This came pretty close, but I think having the pickled lemons would have made a big difference. I couldn't find them in my grocery store, but would really like to try to make it again when I find them.  It still tasted really good with just using fresh lemon zest and juice instead, and it was very good with the cous cous that I made to go along with it. I made a healthier version of this meal by using boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead of whole chicken pieces with the skin on. 

Since this meal didn't need as long as a lot of other meals do in the slow cooker, I popped everything in the crock pot around noon, and it was ready to go 5 1/2 hours later at dinner time. When I made the couscous at dinner time,I used organic chicken stock and a little olive oil. It gives it a lot more flavor than just making it with water!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine

Ingredients

3 pickled lemon halves (or fresh lemon zest of 1/2 lemons and juice of 1 lemon)

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 cup canned diced tomatoes

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 cup organic chicken stock

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 pounds organic yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch-thick slices

1 pound organic free range chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes

Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Oil slow cooker with olive oil or cooking spray. Rinse pickled lemons and pat dry (if using). Scoop out lemon pulp and finely chop. If not using pickled lemons, use zest and juice of 3 lemon halves.

2. Place lemon pulp in medium sized bowl with onion, garlic, tomatoes, paprika, cumin, chicken stock, and olive oil.

3. Place potatoes in slow cooker and add half of the lemon mixture; toss well.

4. Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste. Place chicken on top of potatoes and sprinkle with remaining lemon mixture.

5. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours.

6. Transfer chicken and potatoes to platter with a slotted spoon. Keep warm. If there is excess liquid in slow cooker, pour it into a saucepan and simmer until reduced. Pour sauce over chicken and potatoes. Serve hot.

(Recipe adapted from The Mediterranean Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone)

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Chicken is an excellent source of protein and is rich in B vitamins. Canned tomatoes provide lots of vitamins C and have more bioavailable lycopene than fresh tomatoes. Onions are rich in quercetin (a type of antioxidant) and vitamin C. Yukon gold potatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and a good source of potassium.