Panko-Crusted Chicken with Mustard-Maple Pan Sauce

I was a little hesitant about the maple syrup, but this dish is fantastic. I had to cook the chicken a little longer than 4 minutes per side. And I'm not sure about the "healthy eating" designation since the breasts are fried in oil and the sauce is finished off with a glob of butter, but it's a tasty one, nonetheless!
I served the sauce on the side. 

Bon Appétit October 2009

Ingredients: 2 8-ounce skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise in half 1 large egg 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley 2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 cup low-salt chicken broth 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon coarse-grained mustard 1 tablespoon chilled unsalted butter Directions: Using meat mallet or rolling pin, pound chicken in resalable plastic bag to 1/3-to 1/2-inch thickness. Whisk egg, parsley, and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard in large bowl. Place chicken in egg mixture; turn to coat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dip each chicken piece in panko; turn to coat. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Meanwhile, whisk broth, syrup, coarse-grained mustard, and remaining 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard in glass measuring cup. Transfer chicken to plates. Add broth mixture to skillet; boil until reduced to 3/4 cup, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add butter; whisk until melted. Spoon sauce alongside chicken.

Molasses Coffee Marinated Pork Chops

If I had to describe these pork chops in one word, it would be Delicious!!!!

I marinated the pork chops for 2 hours before grilling. They were perfect, so delicious and moist num..num..num. I choose not serve with the extra glaze and we did not even miss it.

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2009

Ingredients:

1 cup cool strong coffee

1/2 cup molasses 

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless 1-inch thick pork chops, pounded thin

Directions

Place all of the ingredients into a 1-gallon zip top bag, seal, and shake to combine. Place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Remove the pork chops from the marinade. Transfer the  marinade to a small saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-high, and boil gently, stirring often, until reduced to about 1/2 cup liquid, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the thyme stems after the glaze has reduced. Meanwhile, grill pork chops 3 to 4 minutes per side or until they reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. Allow the pork chops  to rest 4 to 5 minutes before serving with the glaze.

Kirstie Alley’s Famous Green Soup

This is, the famous Green Soup that Kirstie mentioned on the Oprah show! It is packed with several nutrient rich green vegetables which together make an absolutely delicious, creamy, filling soup that is very low in calories. And I must say it is absolutely delicious!!!!!  

Optional: You could top with a dollop of sour cream as I did, or could top with a little fresh grated parmesan cheese.

Note: This recipe yields about 23 cups (1 cup per serving) of soup,You can cut recipe in half, or do what I did and freeze in a 4 person servings. Make sure your cooking pot is BIG! Or you can halve the recipe.

Ingredients:

6-8 big shallot chunks

8 Leeks (Cut leeks just above their white part, about 2 inches. Peel the outer layer off and then slit them open lengthwise, but not completely severed clear through. Rinse them out well.)

1/3 cup of organic olive oil

2 big bunches of asparagus (cut the hard ends off about 3 inches)

3 big bunches of broccoli (cut the stems off half way up the shafts)

2 big bunches of spinach (cut off the tiny part of the dirty ends)

Six 32 oz containers of organic chicken broth (Vegetarians: use vegetable broth)

Sea salt (at least 3 tablespoons of coarse grain)

Pepper for taste

Directions:

Peel and slice shallots thinly.

Put all of the olive oil in a very large deep pot.

Turn the heat to medium-high. Put the shallots into the oil and “sweat” the shallots. “Sweating” means to cook the vegetables to tenderize them without “browning” them. Adjust heat as necessary to ensure they do not “brown.”

Add 1 tablespoon of coarse, ground, good quality sea salt to shallots to absorb while they are “sweating.”

Cut the leeks into thin slices and toss them into the oil with the shallots. “Sweat” the leeks along with the shallots.

Chop the asparagus into small bits and then add them to the mixture and “sweat” them, along with the shallots and leeks.

When the shallots, asparagus and leeks are fully “sweated” and tender, break the broccoli into small chunks and throw them into the soup pot. (Note: If the shallots, leeks and asparagus combo get too dry before they are tender, just add small amounts of chicken broth to the mix and keep on “sweating.”

Let the broccoli “sweat” a little while (about 2 minutes) and then add ½ of your organic chicken stock. Cook this for about 10 minutes.

Add remaining chicken stock and continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes. (Note: You want the broccoli to be tender, but not overcooked, and you want the color of soup to always remain a nice bright green.)

 Add all of the spinach and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Turn the flame off the mixture and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.

Transfer the soup into a blender by increments and puree the mixture. Put the pureed soup mixture into one big pot. Then taste and season it to your liking. Only season with salt and pepper. If you desire any other seasoning, create an individual serving not in the whole pot.

Split the soup into 2 equal parts, one for you and one for your “Chubby Buddy” or for storage.

Cool the soup before refrigerating and/or freezing.

Note: You are basically adding the vegetables in order of their hardness. The spinach is so soft, you would never want to add it too early. If you do, it can make the soup turn brownish…

Nutritional Information: 62 calories per serving

Chicken and Fruit Salad

I made this amazing salad for dinner. The dressing was so light and fresh. You could use your favorite dressing if you choose. I to use different kind of fruits,  I used honeydew, red raspberries and blueberries. So good!!!!!

Adapted From EatingWell: July/August 2008

Ingredients:

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 to 3 tablespoons fruit-flavored vinegar (I used 1 tablespoon)

4 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

8 cups mixed salad greens

2 cups sliced cooked chicken breast, (see Tip)

2 cups chopped melon, such as cantaloupe and/or honeydew

1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (see Tip)

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions:

Whisk sour cream, vinegar, sugar, poppy seeds, salt and pepper in a large bowl until smooth. Reserve 1/4 cup of the dressing in a small bowl. Add the mixed greens to the large bowl and toss to coat. Divide among 4 plates and top with chicken, melon, walnuts and feta. Drizzle each portion with 1 tablespoon of the reserved dressing.

Nutrition:

Per Serving :248 Calories; 11 g Fat; 4 g Sat; 2 g Mono; 55 mg Cholesterol; 18 g Carbohydrates; 21 g Protein; 4 g Fiber; 346 mg Sodium; 371 mg Potassium, 1 Carbohydrate Serving Exchanges: 1 fruit, 1 vegetable, 2 lean meat, 2 fat

Tips & Notes

Tips: Broil chicken breast until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle. To toast chopped or sliced nuts, heat a small dry skillet over medium-low heat. Add nuts and cook, stirring, until lightly browned and fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.

Homemade Meatballs with Sauce

This is a WINNER!!!! Fantastic meatballs!!! Joe and Aaron said those were the best ever.

We couldn't stop eating them. The meatballs were soft and flavorful. Not chewy and hard as they can be.

Note: You do not need to use the 3 different types of meat, you could use all ground beef and it would be just as good. This could also be cooked in a loaf pan as a meatloaf.

Ingredients:

For the meatballs:

1/2 pound ground veal

1/2 pound ground pork

1 pound ground beef 

1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)

1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley 

1/2 cup freshly grated  Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 extra-large egg, beaten

Vegetable oil

Olive oil

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon good olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 

For serving:

1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions

Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine    and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti top with grated Parmesan.

Chicken Breasts with Savory Apple Stuffing & Italian Style Corn

What a scrumptious tasting dinner!!! These recipes were not only easy to make, but they were packed with flavor. The chicken breasts with savory apple stuffing was very flavorful!! I added some Bell's Seasoning for that traditional, nostalgic taste and aroma. The fresh thyme and apple made this an elegant yet rustic stuffing.

I paired it with Italian Style Corn. I used incredibly inexpensive frozen corn and then drizzled with the garlic butter before topping with a cheese coating. The flavors were a great mix of sweetness, creamy garlic, and a sharp bite of from the cheeses. Yum!!!Yum!!!

Ingredients:

4 skinless boneless chicken breast pounded out thin

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

butter flavored nonstick cooking spray

Stuffing:

4 slices firm whole wheat, or multigrain bread

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup finely chopped celery (include the leaves)

1 cup chopped, peeled granny smith apple (1 medium -large)

1/2 tsp fine herbs; or 1/4 t each dried thyme and sage

1/4 cup plus 2 T chicken broths

1 tsp. bell's poultry seasoning

Directions:

Rinse the chicken with cool water, and pat it dry with paper towels. Lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.

Tear the bread into pieces, or put into blender or food processor, and process into coarse crumbs. Set aside.

Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Add the onion, celery, apple, herbs, and 2 T of the broth, and place the skillet over medium heat. Cover the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes or until the vegetables and apples start to soften. Remove the skillet from the heat, and toss in the breadcrumbs and poultry seasoning.

Tossing gently, slowly add enough of the remaining broth to make a moist but not wet stuffing that holds together. Set the stuffing aside.

Coat a 9 by 13 in pan with non stick spray, and lay the chicken in the pan. Mound a quarter of the stuffing on the chicken. Spray the tops of the stuffing with cooking spray.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil, and bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes.. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes or until the chicken is tender, the juices run clear and the stuffing is lightly browned. Serve hot.

Italian-Style Corn

For the Garlic Butter

Ingredients:

8 tablespoons butter, at room temperature

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

4 cups frozen corn

1 tablespoon butter

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Parmesan cheese

Pecorino Romano

Directions:

To make the garlic butter, whisk together 8 tablespoons butter, garlic, red pepper flakes, and parsley in a small bowl. Set aside.

Cook frozen corn as directed on package. Top with garlic butter mixture, and cheese.

Quick and Easy Garlic Miso Soup

A simple vegetarian miso soup recipe for garlic lovers! This basic vegetarian and vegan recipe cooks in just a few minutes. The perfect side for a Japanese meal. If you love garlic as much as we do you’ll love this soup.

Ingredients:

5 cups water

1/4 cup miso
3 cloves garlic, minced 3/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp soy sauce (optional)
1 tbsp sesame oil (optional)

4medium mushrooms sliced thin

3 scallion (green onion), sliced thin

Directions:

Heat water and stir in miso, being careful that the water doesn’t boil. It should be just below the boiling point. Stir in the remaining ingredients and allow to heat. Stir well, and serve.

Calories: 55, Total fat: 3.4g Saturated Fat: 0.6 g

Five Spice Crispy Pork with Egg Fried Rice

This five spice crispy pork with egg fried Rice was out this world delicious!! I love the flavor and the crispiness of the pork!!! Homemade spring rolls added the perfect compliment to this meal. I have to admit that it took awhile to prepare, but oh so worth it. I made extra egg rolls and just put them in the freezer.

Adapted from Asian the essential recipe collection

Ingredients:

9 ½ oz long grain white rice (I used  a whole grain rice mix which had brown , wild rice with soft wheat and rye)

2 ½ cups cold water

Salt and pepper

12 oz pork tenderloin

2 tsp Chinese five spice

4 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp raw brown sugar

3 extra large eggs

2 tbsp corn oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

1 large carrot, diced

1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced

1cup peas

3 or 4 tbsp butter

Soy sauce

 Directions:

If using long grain white rice:

Rinse the rice in a strainer under cold running water. Place in a large pan; add the cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil, cover, then reduce the heat, and let simmer for about 9 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed.

If using whole grain rice mix:

Rinse the rice in a strainer under cold running water. Place in a large pan; add the cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to boil, stir once. Cover with a tight fitting lid or foil, then reduce the heat, and let simmer for about 45 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand (covered) for 5-10 minutes. Yields approximately 3 cups cooked rice.

Meanwhile, slice pork into very thin, even size pieces, using a sharp knife or meat cleaver. Set aside.

Stir together the Chinese five spice powder, cornstarch, 1 egg, and the raw brown sugar. Toss the pork in the mixture until coated.

Heat the oil in a preheated wok or skillet. Add the pork and cook over high heat until pork is cooked through and crispy. Remove the pork from wok or skillet and keep warm.

Add the onion, garlic, carrot, bell pepper, and peas to the wok or skillet and stir-fry for 5 minutes.

Remove the veggies from wok or skillet and keep warm.

Heat the butter in a skillet, add rice and stir-fry for 4 minutes push rice to the side or wok or skillet.

Beat the remaining eggs, add to the skillet, and cook until set. Mix in the rice, and drizzle soy sauce over the rice. (I drizzle a second per serving and it works out to be just right).

To serve plate the rice top with vegetables then pork.

Homemade Spring Rolls Recipe

Once you make these spring rolls, you'll never make them any other way!  It's important to make sure you keep your wrapper and rolled egg rolls under plastic wrap so that they do not dry out!

Ingredients:

Spring/Egg Roll Wrappers, defrosted unopened at room temperature for 45 minutes or in the refrigerator overnight.

1 tablespoon cornstarch (or flour) mixed with ¼ cup of cool water
Oil, for frying

FOR THE VEGETABLES
2 to 3 cloves garlic, very finely minced
1/2 head of cabbage (about 11 ounces)
3 carrots, shredded
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
10 fresh shiitake mushrooms (or dried black mushrooms soaked overnight), stems discarded
1 tablespoon cooking oil (canola, vegetable, peanut)
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

To make the filling, shred the cabbage and the carrots using your food processor or by hand. Slice the mushrooms into very thin strips (or you could use your food processer and pulse a few times to get a fine dice. Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. Add the garlic, cabbage, carrots, ginger and the mushrooms and stir-fry for 1 minute, until the vegetables are softened. Add the rice wine, soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil and black pepper. Continue to stir-fry for another minute. Scoop out the filling to a baking sheet and spread out to cool. Prop up one end of the baking sheet so that it tilts and will allow all the moisture to drain to one end. Let cool for 15 minutes. Discard all of the accumulated juices. Use paper towels to blot the filling to rid of extra oil or juice. Now, you're ready to wrap. IMPORTANT: Only use 1 heaping tablespoon of filling for each egg roll. These are slender spring rolls; the width of the spring roll should only be 1.25" diameter. Keep the rolled spring rolls in neat, single layer and covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying. If you want to stack the spring rolls, make sure you have layer of parchment paper in between the layers to prevent sticking. Keep wrappers also covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying. Refrigerate up to 4 hours until ready to fry or freeze.To fry the spring rolls, fill a wok or pot with 2 inches of high-heat cooking oil. Heat the oil to 350°F (175°C) or until a cube of bread will fry to golden brown within 10 seconds. Gently slide in or lower the spring rolls, frying 4 to 6 at a time, turning occasionally until golden brown about 1½ minutes. Place on wire rack to drain and cool. Serve with duck sauce (optional).

NOTE: To fry frozen spring rolls, do not defrost the spring rolls – just add them to the oil frozen, frying 4 to 6 at a time. Add an additional 1½ minutes to the frying time since they are frozen.

Lemon Pepper Chicken with Mushrooms

Here is a light and easy recipe that can be changed around depending on what veggies you are in the mood for. The sauce is very light, and surprisingly very low in the calorie


Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts, sliced into thin cutlets
1 cup flour
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
nonstick spray
8 oz container of sliced mushrooms
1 cup of low sodium chicken broth
2 lemons, juiced
1 tablespoon butter
Fresh chopped parsley

Directions:

In a large shallow plate mix together flour, salt, pepper and garlic.

Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil in a hot non stick skillet over medium high heat. Dredge chicken cutlets into flour mixture, shake off excess flour, add good amount of fresh ground pepper to each side of chicken. Carefully place into hot skillet. Brown chicken for approximately 4-5 minutes on each side.

Once chicken is browned, take out of pan and place on plate. Spray skillet with non stick spray. Immediately add mushrooms into skillet and start to sauté. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook mushrooms for about 3-5 minutes, or until mushrooms start to brown and soften.

Add lemon juice and chicken stock. Place chicken back into pan and let everything cook together. Cook uncovered over medium low heat for approximately 8-10 minutes.

Sauce will thicken only slightly. Add butter at the end of the cooking process and gently toss. Add salt and pepper to taste. To serve, spoon additional sauce over chicken and vegetables garnish with a little fresh chopped parsley.

Bean and Sausage Soup

This has become one of my favorite soups to make. I usually make a double batch and freeze half. I think you will find this soup is not only filling and healthy, but most importantly, delicious!!

Ingredients

Bean Mix::

1 cup each dried yellow split peas, green split peas, lentils, medium pearl barley, black-eyed peas, small lima beans, navy beans, great northern beans and pinto beans.

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine bean mix ingredients. Divide into six batches, 1-1/2 cups each. Store in airtight containers in a cool dry place for up to 1 year. Yield: 9 cups of mix (six batches of soup-each batch makes 2-1/2 quarts and serves 8-10).

Soup:

6 cups water

1 large onion, chopped

1 large carrot, chopped

2 teaspoons chili powder

1-1/4 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 pound smoked sausage

1 can (28 ounces) Hunt’s® Original Diced Tomatoes, undrained

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions:

To make one batch of soup: Place 1-1/2 cups bean mix in a Dutch oven; cover with water by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; let stand for 1 hour. Drain, discarding liquid. Return beans to kettle; add water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until beans are tender. Add the onion, carrot, chili powder, salt, pepper and cloves. Return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Add sausage, tomatoes and lemon juice; simmer 15-20 minutes longer. Yield: 8-10 servings. I like to top my with a little fresh grated cheese.

Nutrition Facts: 1 serving (1 cup) equals 196 calories, 7 g fat (3 g saturated fat), 15 mg cholesterol, 664 mg sodium, 25 g carbohydrate, 8 g fiber, 10 g protein.

Boneless Barbecue Ribs

This is by far the best Boneless Barbecue Ribs I have ever made. I always double the recipe so I have a batch that I can freeze to use later.

Adapted from cooks.com

Ingredients:

4 lbs ribs (boneless pork)

3 tbsp butter

1 med onion chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 c brown sugar
2 c catsup
3 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp chili powder (I add extra 2 tbsp)

Directions:

Boil ribs for 1 hour. Drain; let cool in sauce pan, melt butter, sauté onion and garlic. Add catsup, mustard, chili powder, and brown sugar; simmer. Trim fat off ribs and place in large roaster pan. Pour sauce over ribs. Cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.