THE BEST Rosemary Bowtie Pasta with Turkey Ham and Peas

I made this UNBELIEVABLE pasta dish for dinner.  Really didn’t intend for it to be a post here, but I felt like I was eating dinner in a fancy restaurant.  It was that good.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Rosemary Bowtie Pasta with Ham and Peas

Ingredients

1 box bowtie pasta
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, minced
2 oz. turkey ham, diced (I cut 3 slices from a chub turkey ham, then diced it)
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup fat free half and half
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1-2 Tbsp crushed rosemary, to taste (or you could use fresh, chopped)
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan-reggiano cheese

Method

1. Boil water to cook pasta.  When water is boiling, add salt, and then dried bowties.  Cook to minimum time specified on package.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet.  When it’s hot, add the garlic and diced ham.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, allowing the meat to caramelize a bit, without burning the garlic.
3. Lower heat to medium-low.  Add chicken broth, half and half, and heavy cream.  Season with rosemary and pepper.  Warm gently, until just before boiling, stirring occasionally.
4. Once sauce is warm, add peas, and cook for 2 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup of cooking water to sauce.
5. When pasta is finished cooking, drain the remaining cooking water, and add pasta to the sauce in the skillet.  Cook and stir for 5 minutes.
6. Grate parmesan-reggiano cheese right into skillet, over pasta.  Stir into the pasta.
7. Serve immediately, with more cheese at the table.

This pairs wonderfully with a spinach salad topped with toasted pine nuts and parmesan-reggiano shavings.

Enjoy!  This will become a regular meal in my house, that’s for sure.

Jen

Jamie Oliver Food Challenge Day #1: Grilled Sesame Chicken Breasts, Sesame Soy String Beans, Steamed Rosemary and Thyme Potatoes

So if you read my last post, you know that I’ve pledged to cook even healthier meals for my family as a result of the Jamie Oliver Food Revolution show on ABC.  So I’m going to be sharing with you some of the meals I’m cooking for my family, in hopes that it will help inspire others to cook healthier too.

My main goals: use fresh ingredients whenever possible, increase the veggies, and reduce the use of processed food.    We are eliminating fried food entirely from our diets.  While we didn’t fry a ton before, my kids ate chicken nuggets when out, and I fried a couple times a month at home.

Here’s tonight’s dinner:

Grilled sesame ginger chicken breasts, sesame soy string beans, and steamed rosemary and thyme potatoes.  It actually was a cynch to make…under 30 minutes, not counting the marinating of the chicken.

For the chicken, I used a Sesame Ginger marinade I had on hand (I would make the marinade myself next time to reduce the sodium, but it was in my cabinet and I wanted to use it up.)  I put it in a ziploc bag with the chicken, and let it marinate for 24 hours.  To cook, I simply put it on my George Foreman grill for a few minutes, until cooked through.

For the string beans, I heated a combination of olive and sesame oil in a pan with a clove of chopped garlic.  Once it was hot, I added the string beans and stir fried quickly.  I added 1/4 cup of water and let cook until the string beans were cooked, yet still slight crisp.  Added a splash of soy sauce, and removed from heat.

For the potatoes, I chopped some regular baking potatoes into even, 1 inch or so chunks (you could also do this with baby new potatoes without chopping.)  I put them in a pan with a little water, covered, and let steam until potatoes were cooked through, about 10-15 minutes.  When done, I tossed the potatoes with a little olive oil, kosher salt, pepper, crushed rosemary, and thyme.  Easy!

I hope that this inspires you to cook some healthier food for your own family.  If it does, please let me know what you’re cooking!  And if you’re blogging about it, feel free to post a link to your meals on your own blog from within the comments.  It would be great to provide a resource of recipes for everyone.

Here’s to a healthier nation!

Fruit, Nuts, and Oats Breakfast Bars

A trayful of oaty goodness!

Last night I watched the premier of Jamie Oliver’s new show, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, on ABC.  Now I have to tell you, most reality television does very little for me.  I don’t watch Survivor or Big Brother, American Idol or the Real Housewives of anywhere.  But this show is different, and it had a profound impact on me.  If you haven’t watched it, I highly recommend that you click the link above and take a look.  And I have to hand it to Jamie Oliver.  He’s taken a big personal risk by going into the unhealthiest town in America, and trying to help them change their eating habits.

I think the scene that struck me the most was when he went into a classroom, and the children couldn’t name a single vegetable…not a tomato or a potato…but they could easily name chicken nuggets, french fries, and pizza, because that’s what they were being served for breakfast and lunch at school, and probably for dinner at home, too.

Now I actually make a pretty big deal of vegetables in my own home.  As a mom of three young children, I take my kids shopping in the produce aisle, encourage them to try new ones they’ve chosen, and try to serve a vegetable at every meal.  But then there are the nights when I work overtime, and we wind up eating pizza or fast food.  My daughter’s favorite food when we eat out is chicken nuggets.

This show made me take a good, long, hard look at places we as a family could improve.  And I’m hoping it helps a lot of families do the same thing.  We may be further along than some of the folks in the show, but there’s always room for improvement.

So who’s with me?  Will you join me in the quest to move away from processed food, and towards more healthy ingredients?  Will you try and put a fruit or vegetable on the table for every single meal?  I’ll be sharing recipes here as we go along (I will be sharing one today.)  Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

And here’s today’s recipe.  My kids love granola bars, but I don’t like how much sugar and fat are in them.  I stumbled on this infinitely adaptable breakfast bar recipe by Nigella Lawson, and have adapted it.  I’m also using it to teach my kids more cooking, another resolution I’ve made as a result of Jamie Oliver’s show.  I’ve always had them do some cooking, but I’m more committed than ever to teach them how to prepare healthy foods they’ll enjoy.  I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do!

Fruit, Nuts, and Oats Breakfast Bars

Ingredients:
1 can fat free sweetened condensed milk
2 1/2 cups rolled oats (not instant)
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1 cup dried fruit (we like dried cherries, cranberries, or raisins)
1/2 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup seeds (we like pumpkin, sunflower, or sesame seeds)
1 cup unsalted nuts (we like pistachios, cashews, or almonds)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Spray a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Heat condensed milk for 1 1/2 minutes in microwave-proof container, on high in the microwave.
3. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.
4. Pour warmed condensed milk over oat mixture, and stir with rubber spatula until combined.
5. Pour mixture into prepared 9×13 dish, and bake in 250 degree oven for 1 hour.
6. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, and then cut into 16 squares.

We like to individually wrap the squares in plastic wrap, so we can take them with us.  They get better the longer they sit.

I hope you enjoy these as much as we do.  My kids inhale them.  And all the whole grains, seeds, and nuts make this a really nutritious and satisfying breakfast.

Enjoy with a piece of fruit and a glass of milk!

Black Bean Burrito Bowls

I travel for my job.  A lot.  And that means I have to be pretty careful about what I eat on the road or I can easily get as big as a house.

One day I was driving in a rental car on a highway in Minnesota (on yet another trip) and I heard the announcer on the radio talking about some diet book she was reading, filled with tips on how to eat out.  One that stuck with me is when you order a burrito, ask for it in a bowl instead of a tortilla, and you’ll save yourself an INSANE amount of calories and fat.  That very evening I was in the Minneapolis, MN airport, and did just that.  And it was fabulous.  I was the envy of all my seatmates on the airplane.  In fact the flight attendant asked if I had brought enough to share.

And thus was born my love for the burrito bowl.  This is SO SIMPLE to make it’s silly.  And dinner is on the table in 20 minutes or less.  My kind of meal.  Plus the kids like to eat anything that involves taking ingredients from little bowls on the table, and building the meal themselves.  So it’s a win all around.  Try it yourself and let me know what you think.

Black Bean Burrito Bowls

Ingredients:

• Brown or white rice…enough for 2-3 cups cooked rice
• 2-3 15 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed (depending on how many you’re cooking for…I use 3 cans for the 5 of us)
• 1 cup salsa (we like medium, but go with whatever level of spice you like)
• 2 Tbsp cumin (cause this just tastes good with ALL beans)
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• More salsa for serving
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Nonfat sour cream (you can use the fat kind if you like, but this is just as good)
• Lime wedges

Method:

1. Prepare rice according to package directions.
2. Combine beans, salsa, and cumin in a pot, ad heat on medium, stirring occasionally, until hot.
3. Put the rest of the ingredients (spinach, tomatoes, onion, cheese, salsa, cilantro, sour cream, and lime wedges) in individual serving bowls, and put on the table.
4. To serve, put 1/2 cup rice (or so) in the bottom of each bowl, top with beans, and then let people pile on the toppings of their choice.
5. Enjoy!

Easy, right?  And oooohhhh so good.  And it’s healthy too!  Feel free to change it up with whatever veggies you have on hand.  It’s all good.

And I promise to post a picture the next time I make this.  The kids ate it to fast for me to get one this time.

Enjoy!

Banana Flax Oatmeal Muffins

Just a little shout out first to John Boyd and his Coffee Pot Cooking blog.  He blogged about adapting both my slow cooker “roast” chicken recipe, as well as my slow cooker black bean and brown rice chili recipe, so that they are cooked in a coffee pot!  No lie.  He actually cooks in his coffee pot.  BRILLIANT in my opinion.  Go check him out and comment!  Great stuff going on over there. 

Today I was in the mood for muffins.  Now I recently picked up a bag of flaxseed meal, and discovered that it’s a natural appetite suppressant.  Did you know that?  It was news to me.  And this morning the boys and I decided that banana muffins sounded good, so the result was this recipe with bananas, flax seed, and my beloved whole wheat pastry flour, which is the BEST for healthy baked goods that aren’t heavy.  Try them and let me know what you think!

Banana Flax Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup flaxseed meal
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup oat bran
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 1/2 cups raisins
3 bananas
2 egg whites
1 whole egg
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease 24 muffin cups (or line with paper liners.)
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, flaxseed meal, oatmeal, oat bran, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, walnuts, and raisins.
3. In a separate bowl, mash bananas.  Then, add egg whites and whole egg, and beat lightly.  Add milk and vanilla, and combine well.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, and mix just until blended (do not overmix!)
5. Spoon batter evenly among 24 muffin cups.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center muffin comes out dry.
7. Cool on wire racks.
8. Serve.  We like it with honey!

Now John, tell me true…can you make these in a coffee pot?

Slow Cooker “Roast” Chicken (and BBQ Chicken Sandwich)

One staple in our house is the slow cooker chicken.  I can usually pick up a whole chicken that will fit in my slow cooker for under $5 (this week I got one for $3.91) and the meat from it makes meals for DAYS.  A few people I know on Facebook requested some of my recipes, so I decided to start a series that highlights some of the yummy (and CHEAP) meals you can make using a slow cooked chicken as your foundation.

Today’s recipe is the source of all this yumminess…the chicken itself.  Here’s how to slow cook a chicken:

Slow Cooker Chicken

Ingredients: (adapt these to what you have on hand)

1 whole chicken that will fit in your slow cooker
1-2 onions, sliced in quarters
2 carrots, sliced lengthwise, and then in 2-3 pieces per length
Several peeled cloves of garlic
Salt and Pepper

Method:

1. Remove giblets bag from chicken (reserve for another use, like gravy) and wash the chicken all over with cold water.  Pat dry.
2. Stuff the chicken with the onions, carrots, and a clove or 2 of garlic.
3. Stuff the remaining garlic cloves under the skin of the chicken, between the chicken and breast meat.
4. Sprinkle entire chicken with salt and pepper.
5. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or until completely cooked through.

At this point you can eat the chicken as is, or discard the veggies and put the cooked, cooled chicken into a container for refrigeration.  You can also save any broth created from the chicken for soup or seasoning.  Pure flavor there!!!

And if you’re in a hurry to use some of your chicken yumminess right now, here’s a quick bonus recipe:

BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 cooked chicken breast, shredded into bite-sized pieces
2-3 Tbsp prepared BBQ sauce
1 whole grain bun (have you tried the Arnold thin ones? 100 calories of pure yumminess!)
1-2 oz reduced fat cheddar or goat cheese

Method:

1. Toss shredded chicken and BBQ sauce in a bowl.  Warm in microwave for a minute or so.
2. Toast bun lightly, then add cheese to both halves and broil until melted.
3. Add warmed BBQ chicken to bun and enjoy!

I hope to add pictures for some of this later, but for those of you hungry now, go make your own pics!

Slow Cooker Black Bean Brown Rice Chili

I told you my family likes beans.  I could make steak and half the family would turn up their noses.  But beans…well…I can’t make enough!  My oldest son (the one who requested homemade black bean burgers for his birthday dinner) had 3 helpings of this chili last night, and requested the leftovers for lunch in his thermos today!

This was the first time I made this, and I have to admit, it’s a winner.  I served it with scallion flatbread which is another family favorite.

Slow Cooker Black Bean Brown Rice Chili

Ingredients

1 onion, chopped
12 slices bacon, cut into small pieces OR 1 cup cubed ham
two 15 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
one 15 oz. can crushed tomatoes
3 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup brown rice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste

My daughter made me take her picture with it!

Method

1. In a pan over medium heat, cook the bacon or ham for 3 minutes.  Then, add the onion and cook until carmelized and soft.
2. In the slow cooker, combine the onion mixture, beans, crushed tomato, broth, and brown rice.  Then, mix in the garlic powder, cumin, and oregano.  Cover and cook on LOW all day.
3. Before serving, lift the lid, give it a stir, and adjust the seasonings if necessary, including adding salt and pepper.
4. You can serve by itself, sprinkled with shredded cheddar cheese, or topped sour cream.

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Apple Pie Oatmeal

My middle son would eat oatmeal every day of the year if I allowed it. He likes it that much. And I love the fact that it is so flaming easy to make oatmeal in the slow cooker. With fall and apple season here, I got inspired to make this apple pie oatmeal in my slow cooker.

Slow Cooker Apple Pie Oatmeal

Ingredients:

1 cup steel cut oats
1 apple, peeled, cored and chopped
2 tsp cinnamon
3 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp butter
2 cups apple juice
2 cups milk

Method:

1. Put oatmeal in a small round slow cooker.
2. In a small bowl, combine apple, cinnamon, brown sugar, and flour.  Add to oatmeal in slow cooker and stir to combine.
3. Add butter, apple juice, and milk to slow cooker.
4. Cook on low overnight.

In the morning, serve with raisins (if desired), more brown sugar, and cream.  Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes and Pumpkin Spice Latte

September 1, my beloved Starbucks started selling the Pumpkin Spice Latte once again.  Now while I am normally a black coffee purist, I must admit that I have an unhealthy obsession with the Pumpkin Spice Latte.  All those fall flavors are just outrageously good together, and I find myself missing them in the summer when they’re not available.

This year, however, my family is on a stricter budget due to the economy, just like everyone else.  However I don’t need to give up my favorite treats altogether!  Here are my home versions, and you can make enough for your entire family, for about the price of one serving at Starbucks!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 box spice cake mix
1 egg
2 cups pure pumpkin puree (I take it from the large can so I can make the lattes too)
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter or butter substitute (such as Smart Balance), softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 Tbsp flour

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine spice cake mix, egg, pumpkin, and pecans in a bowl until combined.
3. Evenly divide mix among 12 muffin cups.
4. In a small bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, oats, and flour.
5. Evenly divide brown sugar mixture among 12 muffins, spreading over the top of the pumpkin batter.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes, or until tester comes out clean.
7. Cool on wire rack.
8. Serve, preferably with pumpkin spice lattes.

While your cupcakes are in the oven, whip up a pumpkin spice latte to enjoy with it!

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk
1 cup heavy cream, divided
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups strong black coffee (I like to brew this in a french press)
1 Tbsp powdered sugar
1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Method:

1. In a blender, combine the pumpkin, milk, 1/2 cup of cream, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and vanilla until smooth.
2. Transfer mixture into a saucepan, and heat on low until warm and frothy, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat.
3. While pumpkin mixture is heating, brew the coffee.
4. In a small bowl, put the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 1 Tbsp powdered sugar, and 1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice.  Whip with whisk until soft peaks form.
5. Pour 1/2 cup of pumpkin mixture into each cup.  Top with black coffee.
6. Top each drink with heavy cream, and a sprinkling of nutmeg and cinnamon.
7. Serve at once.

Eat your heart out, Starbucks!

Huevos Rancheros Our Way

In my house, we eat a lot of beans.  My oldest son would happily eat black beans every night of the week.  Whether we make black bean burgers, black bean tacos, or cook them in a pot with corn as a side dish, we just really love them.

Here’s a quick and easy way to make huevos rancheros for 4, with black beans, of course!

Ingredients:

vegetable oil
4 corn tortillas
1 cup salsa (choose your level of spicyness)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
4-8 eggs (depending on how hungry you are)
1 cup shredded mexican blend cheese

Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan.  Heat the tortillas on each side until they begin to soften and bubble, and place on serving plates (1 or 2 per person).

In the same saucepan, add a bit more oil, and then the salsa and black beans on one side of the pan, mixing to combine.  On the other side of the same pan, fry the eggs.

Once the salsa and bean mixture is heated through, divide evenly and place on top of the tortillas on each plate.  Top with 1-2 fried eggs per person, and sprinkle immediately with the cheese, 1/4 cup per serving.

Serve!