healthy recipes – Page 2 – Say No To Food Waste

One of my favorite dishes used to be fried chicken. I would always make it with mashed potatoes, peas and gravy on the side. For some time now I have made a point to eat healthy. To stay heart healthy I have taken this old-time favorite and provided few twists making it both delicious and nutritious. You will be surprised by how crispy and tasty these chicken nuggets come out.

This is a quick meal to prep and have on the table. What will take time is the type of whole grain rice you choose. For this weeks meal I found a beautiful organic Marooned Rice, by Blue Moon Acres. Even if the rice takes an hour, the rest of this meal is so light and simple you will be able to relax in between. The Marooned rice has a unique sweet nutty flavor that goes very well with the chicken and honey mustard dipping sauce.

Happy eating friends!

Ingrid

Ingredients

Serves 4

Baked Fried Chicken & Sides
Coconut oil cooking spray
1 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Pecan pieces
1 1/2 teaspoon Paprika powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 Eggs
1lb boneless, skinless Chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cup Whole Grain Rice, cook according to package
1 small package English Peas (or Sweet Peas)
3 tablespoons of butter softened
1/2 Lime juiced
Salt and Pepper to taste

Honey Mustard Dressing
5 tablespoons Honey
3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar

Preparation

Start the rice as per instructions on packaging.
Preheat oven to 450º F. Thoroughly coat a wire rack with cooking spray and set on baking sheet.
Combine breadcrumbs, pecans, paprika powder and salt in a food processor; process until the pecans are finely chopped and the paprika powder is mixed throughout, about minute. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish.
Whisk eggs in a bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat, then dredge in the pecan mixture, turning to coat evenly. Shake off excess. (Discard any remaining egg and pecan mixture.) Place the chicken on the prepared rack.
Bake the chicken until no longer pink in the center, about 15 minutes.
In a medium-sized sauce pan, arrange the fresh peas in a vegetable steamer over boiling water. Cover and steam for 10 to 15 minutes or until peas are tender.
Combine butter and lime juice in a medium-sized bowl. When the peas are done, remove them from the steamer and spread the butter over the peas. Let it melt evenly and stir adding salt and pepper to taste.
Combine all ingredients for the honey mustard sauce in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Serve as a dressing or a dip with the chicken, rice and peas.

A while back I set a challenge for us not to waste food that is starting to go bad. These past weeks the fresh herbs of spring have inspired many of the dishes you have seen here. Although I always use organic produce, which lasts longer, the herbs were piling up and starting to wilt. Pistou is a provençal cold sauce normally made with basil. I broke from tradition using the herbs I had on hand and did not use garlic. By not adding the garlic it makes the pistou more versatile to use on savory dishes like this one without over powering them. The sauce is a great way to extend the life of your herbs and can be a great topping to any dish.

In my cupboard I also like to keep nuts such as cashews, pignolis, and almonds to add to dishes. Often they can start to get stale and I need to use them up quickly. I remembered this vegan sour cream recipe I found once for friend to substitute in a vegetarian biryani dish. The substitute was so good I kept making it to use in everything from salad dressing or as a topping. This is seriously the most delicious vegan sour cream I have ever come across and does the trick in replacing sour cream.

Happy eating friends!

Ingrid

Ingredients

Serves 4-6

Soup
2-3 tablespoons Olive oil
several pinches Kosher Salt for Potatoes
1 Sweet potato, washed
3 large golden Beets, scrubbed clean with roots and leaves trimmed – peel & cut into 1/2 inch wedges
1 small white or yellow Onion, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon of Coconut oil
3 cups of organic Vegetable broth
2 cloves of Garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon Coriander
1 teaspoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Tumeric
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground Pepper

Vegan Sour Cream
1 cup raw Cashews
2 teaspoons Apple Cider vinegar
1/2 fresh squeezed Lemon juice (you can substitute a lime)
1/8 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Tip: The cashew nuts and apple cider vinegar are what make this taste so wonderful. You can use other nuts but make sure at least half of the nuts are cashews.

Pistou
3/4 cup loosely packed fresh Mint leaves, Dill, and/or Sage (use any variation)
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf Parsley sprigs, (or Basil)
1 large Scallion, chopped (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup extra-virgin Olive oil
2 tablespoons Water
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Tip: If you use more herbs than the measurements above be sure to add more olive oil. For every half cup of herbs you go over add in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Be sure to add salt to taste.

Soup Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drizzle lined baking sheet with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
Cut potatoes in half, length wise.
Coat potatoes all sides with olive oil and salt, and place cut side down on lined baking sheet. Sprinkle potatoes with turmeric and additional salt.
Bake at 450°F for 30 minutes until done. Check with fork for doneness.
Place beets, onion and garlic on a large piece of foil on a baking sheet. Drizzle with coconut oil and season with cumin, coriander salt and pepper. Fold foil around beets and crimp ends to form a packet. Roast until beets are tender when pierced with a fork, 25 to 30 minutes.
Combine the beets, onions, garlic, sweet potato and vegetable broth; puree until smooth in either your blender or food processor. Serve with sides

Pistou Preparation

In a food processor add herbs in batches and pulse until finely chopped.
With motor running add olive oil in a stream, then water and salt, blending until incorporated.

Vegan Sour Cream Preparation

Place cashews in a cup or small bowl, and cover by a 1/2 inch with boiling water. Let soak for 30 minutes.
Drain cashews and place in a blender with vinegar, lemon, salt and about a 1/4 cup of water. Blend until very smooth, adding more water as required to puree the mixture.