Ninja Blender

I purchased a Ninja Kitchen Pulse System last spring and love it!  It's been worth it for the smoothies alone.  This recipe came from the recipe booklet that came with my Ninja blender.  I made a couple of changes and substitutions throughout the summer to suit my taste buds; mostly keeping the basic recipe you see here.

EMERALD GREEN ELIXER

1/2 cup white grape juice (I save & use the juice from my canned pineapple)

1/2 small banana, peeled

1/2 cup baby spinach leaves

1 kiwi, peeled

2 tsp. raw, unfiltered honey (I use dry sweetener)

5-6 ice cubes

Place all ingredients in the blender and pulse until smooth.  Serve right away!

Yummers!

Turning the page... on 2012

This blog was originally created to help me keep track of my creative food exploration.  Last year at this time, I was preparing to leave Tulsa and fly to Idaho.  Mom needed a bit of help and I felt lucky I could do it.

Preparing healthy meals is high on my list of things I consider, no matter where I am.  So, I snapped some photos of my more favorite dishes and wrote up some recipes.  Posting them to this web log served as a cookbook reminder of sorts and I referred to it a number of times while 'cheffing' in Mom's northwest kitchen.

Turn the page to now, November 2012.  It's been many months since I posted anything to this blog except for a new banner photo.  This 'vegetarian delight' stuffed pita pocket served as my reminder to get a move on and update my food journal.  So much 'life' has happened since I added recipes to this site.  The biggest food related change was my switch from low calorie/low fat foods to mostly 'whole foods.'  More specifically, a change to veganism or being nutritarian.  My main goal was to kick my huge sugar habit (Starburst Jelly Beans being my drug of choice).  Secondary benefits were the possibility of losing a few extra pounds I'd been comfortably carrying ever since I quit smoking.

With me, nothing is ever half way.  I committed to this cleaner-eating regimen in early March 2012 (eight months ago). Since then I have read and researched all kinds of nutritional information, soaking up lots about veganism, vegetarian habits, the Paleo diet, DASH, and the Ornish diet.  There are as many opinions about what is best for us as there are diets.

Additionally, I was interested in trying to drastically lower my cholesterol (one of the few ways I can reduce risk of heart disease) and work toward going off my blood pressure medication.  I couldn't see being able to do this unless I followed a fairly restricted diet plan.  I am happy to report that I was able to accomplish all of the above stated goals.  Since this diet works for me, it's the path I will stay on for now.  Kicked my candy habit, went off my blood pressure medication, impacted my cholesterol numbers in a way I didn't even believe possible and took off about 10 pounds of 'quit-smoking' weight.  Then I challenged myself to a physical fitness program that was more than I've ever done before.  And here we are, at the present and wrapping up 2012. 

It is at this writing that I begin posting updated dietary delights.  Bon Apetit!

Chicken, broccoli, baked potato Stir Fry - Healthy Style

"Go To Dinner #1"

I can't tell you how many times I've made this recipe over the past 8 years. Let's just say it's been a lot and safe to say more than 1,000 times.  I still love the combination.  There are a couple of variations and it all depends on which carb item I have made up and in the refrigerator waiting to be tossed together to make this 'best ever' comfort food healthy dinner.  I keep the ingredients SIMPLE so I can throw it together when I'm hungry and takes no more than 10 minutes from refrigerator to microwave to table.  As long as you have these items pre-cooked and in the refrigerator to grab when you need them, it's really the best meal in a hurry and filling, too.  (You'll notice a variation of this recipe further down the blog...Go To #3.  This #1 meal has fewer ingredients and was the original recipe.

2-3 cups frozen broccoli florets

1 baked **potato with skin
1/2 -1 whole cooked chicken breast (skinless/boneless)
1 slice fat free American or Sharp Kraft Cheese (you can use shredded cheddar or Parmesan, but recommend you use reduced fat cheeses if not fat free)

In a microwavable dish, cook broccoli on High for 3 minutes.  Add potato, diced, and chicken breast, diced.  Microwave on high for additional 1-2 minutes.  Stir well and microwave additional minute if food isn't well heated.  Tear sliced cheese and lay it over top of hot food and mircrowave (covered) another 30 seconds to one minute, until cheese is melted.

Pepper to taste...stir one last time to blend flavors and melted cheese and serve!

** Other variations include substituting the baked potato with 1-1/2 cups cooked whole-grain spaghetti or  or 1-1/2 cups cooked brown rice.   Remember this is the "keep it simple" dinner.  No need for additional ingredients when these few hit the spot every time!

Hearty Black Bean Soup

This recipe was given to me by my friend, Laurie Jo. Absolutely Scrumptious! But because I never could leave well enough alone, I added a small amount of meat and topped it with some other fun stuff right before serving. Laurie Jo knows me and will say "Kimber can't help herself, it's in her chart!" Thanks for sharing, Firlgriend...it's really yummers good stuff...and I'll be making this at Mom's house on one of those chilly North Idaho winter days!

3 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
4 cups of water with 3 beef bouillon cubes (low sodium, if you've got them)
2-3 tsp. chopped garlic
2 medium onions, chopped (original recipe calls for purple onions, I use what I have on hand)
1/4 - 1/2 pound ground turkey sausage-cooked, drained, crumbled
1 can Ro-tel diced tomatoes and green chilis or 1 1/2 cups medium heat salsa
1 can chopped tomatoes with the juice, no salt added
2 Tbls. ground cumin and 2 tsp. chili powder
2-3 T. lime juice
Fat free cottage cheese and medium heat salsa for topping

In large soup pot, spray with non-stick coating, over medium heat, toss in garlic and onions and cooked sausage. Stir for a couple of minutes and add rinsed black beans, Ro-tel chilis, canned tomatoes and juice, water and bouillon cubes, lime juice and seasonings. Stir well and bring to gentle boil. Continue to stir until everything is well blended and boullion cubes are completely dissolved (sometimes I dissolve the cubes in the 4 cups of water before adding to the soup). 

Reduce heat, cover and let simmer for approx. 25-40 minutes. Remove from heat and get ready to serve up.

Top each serving with a small amount of cottage cheese and salsa. Serve with a couple of warm corn or flour tortillas on the side.

"Go to" Dinner #3

Pasta & Chicken Stirfry

The key to most of my dinner meals is having several ingredients already cooked up and prepared,
hanging out in the refrigerator and waiting to be "cut, shredded and tossed' in the pan.


This particular delish-dish calls for some shredded chicken and whole grain pasta; having these two ingredients already cooked makes the meal quicker to put together.


You'll need 1 to 1 1/2 cups cooked pasta per person, 1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken per person, several cups of broccoli florets (steamed and cooked until 'almost done' and set aside), 1/2 cup red bell peppers from the jar and some of the juice, a handful of mushrooms-coarsely chopped, handful of cherry tomatoes cut in half, 1-2 cloves of chopped garlic, bit of grated Parmesan cheese and seasoning (I like Weber's Kick'n Chicken Seasoning for this dish) to taste.


Into the hot frying pan it all goes...in this order:


garlic and mushrooms and a little of the juice from the jar of red bell peppers
...stir for a minute or so
add pasta and chicken and red bell peppers
...stir some more
add seasoning, lower heat and let ingredients heat through for a couple of minutes
stir everything again


Right before your ready to serve up, add broccoli florets and stir just until heated through
Gently toss in tomatoes and Parmesan and any final seasoning you like....
serve onto warm plates!

more good breakfast ideas

Bread Pudding

Preheat oven 350 degrees 

Coat an 8 or 9-inch oven-safe baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

4  1/2 slices stale bread, cut into small 1/2"-1" cubes (I use my 45-calorie-per-slice whole grain bread but any bread will work!) and sprinkle evenly in bottom of your baking dish.

Top bread cubes with 1/4 - 1/2 cup raisins   (Optional)

In a separate bowl beat 3 eggs (I use two real eggs and 1/4 cup of Egg Beaters),  1 1/2 skim milk, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup Splenda, 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 tsp. cinnamon.

Pour over bread cubes.   Gently press bread into egg mixture.

Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes.   Insert a knife or toothpick and when it comes out clean, pudding is done!

Serve warm or cold;

top with dollop of spray whipped topping.

Refrigerate left over portions.

Note:  Want to make smaller batch? Use the same dish, same oven temperature and reduce ingredients to the following:   3 slices bread, 2 eggs, 1 cup skim milk, 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon;  bake for 30 minutes (keep an eye out that you do not over bake).