AUGUST 2016 NEWSLETTER

August 2016 Newsletter

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

Friends...

You happen upon them when least expected...

friends from days gone by, sometime since you've seen them...

Yet that bond of friendship is rekindled in a moment...

Cherished memories recalled...some happy times, others trying

times that you have been through together.

Old friends and new friends are necessary in life...

They are the family we choose.

Paula 2011

RECIPES:

Monterey  Chicken Breasts

4 large B/S chicken breasts
1/4 cup BBQ sauce (I used KC Masterpiece Original)
1/2 small red onion, sliced or julienned
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1 can Rotel tomatoes, undrained (I used Original)
1 cup shredded triple cheddar cheese
1/3 cup chopped green onions

Rinse, pat dry chicken breasts & place in glass baking dish. Spread BBQ sauce over top of each piece. Top with onion, cumin & chili powder. Pour tomatoes over the top. Bake, uncovered in 350 oven for 45-50 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Top with shredded cheese & green onions. Cover with foil & let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Original recipe called for can of diced tomatoes & can of green chiles. No red onion, cumin or chili powder. Baking 45 minutes, and additional 15 minutes after adding cheese and green onions.

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15-20 Minute Healthy Roasted Chicken and Veggies (One Pan)

My changes/additions are in parentheses. Paula aka mecookin 

Prep time: 5 mins

 

Cook time: 15-20 mins

 

Total time: 20 mins

Author: Layla

 

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 2 medium chicken breasts, chopped
• 1 cup bell pepper, chopped (any colors you like)
• ½ onion, chopped (1 red onion, coarse chopped) 
• (1 carrot, sliced) I added this
• 1 zucchini, chopped ( I used 2)
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• ½ cup tomatoes, chopped or plum/grape(I used chopped tomatoes)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• (1 tsp. Minced garlic)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon paprika (optional)
• (2 hot peppers, whole to be removed after cooking)
• Optional: Add other veggies of your choice...cauliflower, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, etc. 
• Season 1 lb. peeled, deveined & tail on shrimp, toss with mixture last 10 minutes of cooking. 
• Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees  F.
2. Chop all the veggies into large pieces. On another cutting board chop the chicken into cubes.
   
   Place the chicken and veggies in a medium roasting dish or sheet pan.(I used a sheet pan.) Add the olive oil, salt and pepper, italian seasoning, and paprika.Toss to combine.
3. Bake for 20 minutes or until the veggies are charred and chicken is cooked.Enjoy with rice, pasta, or a salad.
4. 
   
5. ********************************
6. 
   
7. Zucchini Tots
   Author: Vicky

   Cook time:  15 mins

   Total time:  15 mins

   Serves: 12 tots
   Ingredients

   • 1 medium zucchini
   • ¼ cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs
   • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
   • ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
   • 1 egg
   • Salt and pepper to taste
   Instructions

   1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
   2. Grease a mini muffin pan.
   3. Grate one zucchini and wrap in cheese cloth. Squeeze out excess water from the zucchini.
   4. In a medium bowl, mix the grated zucchini,egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese, and salt and pepper.
   5. Using a spoon, scoop the mixture into a greased mini muffin pan. The mixture will make 12 zucchini tots.
   6. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees until tops start to crisp.

   
   

   I doubled the recipe for my 24 cup muffin tin. 

   I also used Panko bread crumbs & added 1 tsp. Of Mediterranean Spice Blend in lieu of the Italian bread crumbs. 

   
   

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   Garlic-Parmesan Hasselback  Zucchini 
   
   Using the hasselback technique—cutting partially into a whole fruit or vegetable every 1/2 inch or so—gives you an easy way to sneak lots of flavor into this healthy zucchini recipe. To bake the zucchini instead of grilling, place in a foil-lined 8-inch-square baking pan and bake at 425°F until tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
   4 servings | Active Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes
   Ingredients
   
   1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
   1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried
   1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
   1/4 teaspoon salt
   1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
   4 small zucchini (about 1 pound total)
   1/3 cup shaved Parmesan cheese, large pieces broken in half
   Preparation
   
   Preheat grill to medium-high.
   Combine oil, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
   Make crosswise cuts every ½ inch along each zucchini, slicing almost to the bottom but not all the way through. Gently fan the zucchini to open the cuts wider and place a small piece of Parmesan into each cut. Brush the oil mixture over the top.
   Place the zucchini on a double layer of foil and grill, without turning, until browned and tender, 16 to 18 minutes.
   Nutrition
   
   Per serving : 75 Calories; 5 g Fat; 2 g Sat; 3 g Mono; 4 mg Cholesterol; 4 g Carbohydrates; 4 g Protein; 1 g Fiber; 245 mg Sodium; 319 mg Potassium
   
   1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
   
   Exchanges: 1/2 vegetable, 1/2 lean meat, 1/2 fat

   
   

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   Almond Peach Summer Salad with Peach Vinaigrette 
   
   This Almond Peach Salad with Peach Vinaigrette is the perfect addition to your summer entertaining table.
   
   Serves: 8 servings
   
   Ingredients ~
   
   6 cups spring mix salad
   2 fresh peaches, cored and coarsely chopped
   ½ cup almond slices, toasted 
   8 ounces gorgonzola cheese crumbles
   ½ cup peach jam
   ¼ cup white wine vinegar or citrus vinegar
   ¼ cup honey ***Too sweet for my preference
   ***In lieu of the honey, I used 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
   2 teaspoons grapeseed oil
   
   Instructions ~
   
   Place the salad greens, chopped peaches, gorgonzola cheese crumbles and toasted almond slices into a large salad bowl. 
   
   In the meantime, place peach jam, vinegar, honey and grapeseed oil into the jar of your blender. Blend until smooth.
   Drizzle the peach vinaigrette over the salad and serve.

   
   

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   Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
   

   
   

   Ingredients
   4 ripe bananas
   1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
   1/4 cup skim milk
   1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
   Pinch of salt
   Mint extract, as needed
   1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
   
   Directions
   Peel and cut the bananas into 1-inch rounds. Place the bananas in a freezer bag and freeze for at least 3 hours.
   In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, milk and vanilla.
   If your banana slices have been frozen for longer than a day, let them thaw for about 15 minutes. Place the frozen bananas, chocolate mixture and salt in a food processor and blend well, stopping to scrape down the sides often to get a smooth, even consistency. Add a drop of mint extract to the ice cream, blend and taste. For a more intense mint flavor, increase the mint a drop at a time until you achieve the desired taste. Finally, add the chocolate chips into the ice cream and stir by hand until they're mixed throughout.
   Scoop the ice cream into single-serving bowls and serve immediately or cover in plastic wrap and freeze. If you're saving these for a later time, remove the bowls from the freezer about 5 minutes before serving.
   "From Junk Food to Joy Food: All the Foods You Love to Eat...Only Better" by Joy Bauer (c) Hay House, Inc. 2016.