Ranch Roasted Carrots

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I was never exposed to much in the way of vegetables when I was growing up.  My father was forced to eat them as a child and hated them.  He probably didn’t hate the vegetable itself but more likely in the way in which they were cooked, or should I say, overcooked and probably minimal if any seasoning.

Some of the vegetables we did have when I was growing up were, potatoes, peas, corn and carrots, I’ve always loved carrots. Maybe it was the brainwashing that they are good for your eyes and I didn’t want to wear glasses.  Whenever there was a party with a veggie platter, I always went for the carrots and dipped them into gobs of ranch dressing.   Continue reading “Ranch Roasted Carrots”

Honey-Thyme Chicken Tenders

If you are a frequent visitor to this site, you have probably discovered that I tend to primarily use chicken tenders or thin cut chicken breasts that are also known as scaloppine cut which in Italian means small scallop, thin cut of meat.  The reason I choose to use these particular cuts the most is because it is the easiest way for me to monitor my portion sizes as I try to keep poultry, meat and fish at around 4 ounces per serving.  Usually 2 chicken tenders or one thin cut chicken breast equates to 4 ounces.

This recipe yields a very savory, juicy and tender chicken.  The sauce is light with a hint of tart from the lemon and sweet from the honey. It pairs well with any sort of side dish; salad, rice, pasta, vegetables, potatoes, and so on.   Continue reading “Honey-Thyme Chicken Tenders”

Whole Wheat Pancakes

Ahhh pancakes!  Makes me think of weekend breakfast when I was growing up.  My mama would make up a big batch of pancakes and she had sausage or bacon to go with it.  Although pancakes come in all sorts of flavors, as do the syrups, I’ve always been partial of simple buttermilk pancakes and maple syrup.  

Pancakes go by a variety of names in America; griddlecakes, flapjacks, hotcakes and their counterparts in other countries such as crepes, blintzes and Dutch baby.  They come in all shapes and sizes, some are stacked, filled, rolled and are found throughout the world.  Some are sweet while others savory and can be served for any type of meal. Continue reading “Whole Wheat Pancakes”

Whole Wheat Waffles

Waffles date back to Medieval times but instead of the grid waffle pattern we are accustom to now they depicted religious symbols.  Nowadays waffles come in all shapes and sizes and nearly every country has their own version of a waffle.  You can find them already made in the freezer section ready to pop in the toaster.  Nearly any restaurant that serves breakfast has waffles on the menu.  Many hotel chains that offer free breakfast have a waffle iron for you to make your own.  Recently there has been a big trend in utilizing the waffle iron to do cornbread, eggs, hash browns and a lot of other delicious foods. 

I wanted to create a healthier waffle with whole wheat goodness and lower the fat by cutting the buttermilk and oil without compromising the taste. I used whole wheat flour, sea salt and baking powder that is then in turn mixed with a little agave nectar, egg, warm buttermilk and unsweetened applesauce.  If you wanted to make it dairy free you can certainly substitute the buttermilk with soy or almond milk and add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Continue reading “Whole Wheat Waffles”

Lemon & Thyme Roasted Asparagus

Growing up I was never forced to eat vegetables, in fact, for the most part they were never cooked.  My mama on occasion would cook herself green beans, cauliflower and cabbage.  Always when my papa was not around, either on a business trip or at work.  I wouldn’t try it, papa said they were nasty and the smell was nasty too. It turns out that my papa’s mama would force him to sit at the table and eat a pile of vegetables he hated which with his stubbornness usually ended in a stand off that lasted hours.  The only vegetables he would eat was succotash, green peas, corn, potatoes and green salad.  It wasn’t until I was around 30 did I try broccoli, cauliflower and asparagus.  Cooked the right way, I loved them all.

Asparagus, by far, is my favorite vegetable.  I love when spring hits and the grocery stores are full of fresh asparagus, the small pencil like size.  Although I have bought the larger ones and surprisingly, some turned out tender as the narrower ones.  When in season, asparagus is really cheap, grocery stores and farmer’s markets run some really good deals on them. Continue reading “Lemon & Thyme Roasted Asparagus”

Banana Nut Bread

What smells better than the fragrance of banana nut bread baking in the oven?  That sweet delicious aroma penetrates every room of the house.  Banana bread was created in the United States and gained popularity in the 1930s with the increasing use of baking soda and baking powder.

Banana bread is great for breakfast, brunch, dessert or just as a snack.  It is a very versatile recipe that you can add other ingredients to. I add walnuts to make banana nut bread but you could add any nut of your choosing.  You can add other ingredients such as oats, raisins, peanut butter, chocolate, etc., the possibilities are endless. Continue reading “Banana Nut Bread”

Pizza Margherita

How would you like a big slice of Italian royalty? Pizza Margherita was named after Queen Margherita of Savoy, wife of King Umberto I.  The pizza resembling the Italian flag was created for her by a chef in Naples when she visited in 1889.  Although there is some debate, saying the same pizza was created 20 plus years earlier, it was the later version that made the pizza famous.

Ironically, pizza was considered peasant food but has since evolved into a universal dish with unlimited possibilities, I guess I would have been a happy peasant because it is one of my weaknesses and I know I am not alone.

I’ve tried to make the dough all whole wheat but it was very dense and extremely hard to work with so I’ve had to cut it with bread flour to get the perfect crust.  I use a bread machine to make my dough but you can certainly do this the old fashion way and I will provide instructions for doing both further on in the recipe.   Continue reading “Pizza Margherita”

Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Poblano peppers are a mild chili pepper which originated in the state of Puebla, Mexico. While they are considered mild, some of these peppers possess a little bit of heat, usually near the stem area. Many associate these peppers with the popular Mexican dish, chili rellenos.

When you hear the words stuffed peppers, most will instantly think of bell peppers stuffed with ground meat with a mixture of spices, breadcrumbs or rice.  It is basically a meatloaf shoved into a bell pepper that leaches an intense pepper flavor into the meat when cooked.

While I like stuffed bell peppers, I wanted to try something a little different.

It starts off with a homemade salsa in the bottom of the casserole dish, you can certainly substitute a large bottle of store bought salsa to save time. The filling consists of ground turkey rather than ground beef, you can use whichever you prefer even ground pork or ground chicken.  Aromatics and cooked rice, corn and beans are added to the ground meat and then pressed into the halves of the peppers then baked and then garnished with some shredded cheese. Continue reading “Turkey Stuffed Poblano Peppers”