NEW ON MY PLATE: A WEBSITE!

Five years of blogging has produced over 200 recipes and many nutrition, culinary and health tips on MyPlate2Yours.  About a year ago, I envisioned a website to make it super easy to find what you are looking for on my site.  So as promised earlier this summer, the website I have dreamed of is finally finished!  HOORAY!  What this means for you is:

• Easy-to-find recipes: organized by category and catalogued with photos
• MyTips4You page filled with nutrition, culinary and health tips
• Updated cooking class & event calendar
• A brand new video launching a new series of Myplate2yours cooking videos
• And so much more… so PLEASE check it out at  www.myplate2yours.com

This screenshot is the recipe page from the new MyPlate2Yours website

Attention wordpress followers:  I will no longer be using my wordpress blog for updates, it will come from my new website.  So, please subscribe to my website (on the ‘About’ page) so you won’t miss the latest information from MyPlate2Yours!

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I have many people to thank for making this new website a reality!  First, my incredible summer intern and rising nutritionist, Hailey; Jen & Joie (a.k.a. the Dynamic Duo) at Sunset6 Web Design; and Kelly at Kelly Swartz Photography for the beautiful food photos!  And thank you to my friends, family and followers who have encouraged and inspired me over these past five years.  It’s been a fun journey and I am excited for what’s ahead!

 

 

Cook Once, Eat Twice: Baked Honey Chicken

Thank you Kelly Swartz Photography for this photo!

It’s only August but the start of school is upon us!  This return may mean more routine to your week and more regularly-scheduled meals at home. Are you wondering where you’ll find the extra time for everything?  Hopefully I can help you with an easy dinner recipe or two!

This Baked Honey Chicken is a recipe for success: cook once, eat twice.  First, the chicken marinates before it’s baked in the oven.  Half of this cooked chicken is then saved in the refrigerator for the next night’s dinner, Key West Chicken Salad Wraps. The remaining half of the Baked Honey Chicken is served for tonight’s yummy Honey Chicken Rice Bowls with Steamed Broccoli.    

Photos of these recipes are the ones featured on my new website.  This new website is launching in just 4 days!  Watch for my big announcement later this week!

Baked Honey Chicken (makes double 4-serving portions)

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon ground ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup sliced scallions

Spray a 9×13 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer.  Mix remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken.  Cover dish with foil and marinade in the refrigerator for 1-4 hours.  Turn chicken once midway through marinating time.

When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place chicken, covered, in oven for 20 minutes.  Remove chicken from oven, uncover and turn chicken pieces over, and bake for another 15 minutes, until internal temperature is 165 degrees.

Remove half of the chicken to a covered storage dish.  Refrigerate and save for Key West Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps.

Use remaining chicken and sauce for the Honey Chicken Rice Bowls with Steamed Broccoli.

Honey Chicken Rice Bowls with Steamed Broccoli (serves 4)

1 pound Honey Baked Chicken, sliced

Honey Baked chicken sauce, about 1 cup

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 head broccoli, cut into florets and steamed

1/4 cup shredded carrots

1 scallion, sliced thin

Divide rice into each of four serving bowls. Top with equal portions of broccoli and sliced chicken.  Spoon generous amounts of sauce on top of bowl contents. Garnish with shredded carrots and scallions.  Serve and enjoy!

Key West Chicken Salad Wraps (serves 4)

(these wraps can be served in lettuce leaves- as pictured- for a lighter meal or in heartier whole grain tortillas)

1 pound Honey Baked Chicken, diced

1 ripe mango, diced

1 avocado, diced

1 small jalapeño, minced

1/2 jicama, peeled and diced

1 head Boston leaf lettuce, separate and clean and dry leaves (or 4 soft whole grain tortillas)

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Dressing ingredients:

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon white ground pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

For the dressing: combine lime juice, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper.  Whisk in olive oil.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine avocado, mango, jicama, and jalapeño. Add dressing to taste.  Fold in chicken.  Season, as needed, with more dressing.

When ready to serve, arrange lettuce leaves or whole grain tortillas on a platter.  Divide Key West Chicken Salad amongst leaves or tortillas.  Garnish with cilantro and serve.  Enjoy!

Cooking Class for College Students

As summer begins to wind down and your college students return to campus, give them the skills they need to be top chefs in their own kitchen. I have prepared three easy, budget friendly, healthy meals any college student will enjoy!  Please join me, Wednesday, August 3rd from 6:30- 8:30pm at Marcel’s in Glen Ellyn for my “Cooking for College Students” class. This class is designed with the busy college student in mind. Whether buying groceries, learning to use a knife, or even hosting the very first dinner party, this class will go through the entire cooking process. What’s super cool is that each student who signs up will receive a free Kai Luna 8” Chef Knife to bring back to their own kitchens at school. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity! Here is what’s on the menu: Cheesy Beef and Bean Enchiladas, Lemon Chicken and Potato Pockets, Black Bean Burgers with Sweet Potato Fries and, for dessert, Chocolate Almond Banana Boat. Sign up at Marcel’s College Cooking Class before it sells out!

Please note:  this class is back by popular demand with fresh ideas and recipes so that any returning students will receive new information and taste new dishes! Also, you don’t have to be a college student to attend!  Everyone welcome!

Exciting news!

One of the featured photos on my new website coming soon!

Dear Friends and Followers,

I have not posted on my blog since the beginning of this month, but I have been cooking and writing all of June.  It’s because I am getting ready to launch a website in the next two months.  You are really going to love it!!  In the last 5 years of blogging, I’ve written almost 200 recipes, and posted over 50 nutrition and health tips on MyPlate2yours. The website will make it super easy to find what you are looking for!   So, please keep on cooking, use the search button on this blog if you need help, and get ready for a really cool new site coming soon!

Flan Casero (Homemade Flan)

Flan is one of my all-time favorite desserts.  I first learned to make flan when visiting my daughter who was studying in Argentina.  The original recipe calls for whole milk but I have made it successfully and deliciously with low fat milk.  Either way, you’ll get 1/2 cup of milk in each serving!

It’s easier than you’d think to make this dessert.  And it serves 8… so have a dinner party or save the extras in the fridge just for you!

Flan Casero (Homemade Flan) serves 8

Caramel:

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

Set out 8 ramekins. In a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, mix sugar and water, stir only to combine. Cover and cook for 8 minutes, until the caramel is amber in color. Remove from heat. Work quickly to pour about 1 tablespoon into each ramekin.

Custard:

4 cups whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

4 eggs plus 2 yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat milk with the sugar over medium heat until mixture starts to steam and bubble around the edges and sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes (do not let it boil).

Using a whisk, beat the eggs and yolks. Add the vanilla. Slowly ladle milk into the eggs, whisking to combine (this is ‘tempering’ the eggs). Add another 2 ladles to eggs and whisk. Slowly pour remaining milk into eggs while whisking to combine. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Divide strained custard evenly among ramekins. Set ramekins in a baking dish and add enough boiling water to cover halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until custard is just set, about 45 minutes.

Remove ramekins from the water and cool on a baking rack. Place in refrigerator to chill (about 6 hours or up to 3 days). To serve, use a paring knife to cut around the outside of the ramekin and then invert the mold over each serving plate. Enjoy!

Fresh Strawberry Brie Bites

Need an appetizer for a party?  Or a refreshing dessert after dinner?  This recipe serves both needs!  Fresh strawberries washed and hulled deliver color and sweetness when paired with creamy brie and fresh basil leaves.  Balsamic glaze provides a sweet yet savory finish for a fabulous combination!

Strawberry Brie Bites with Balsamic Glaze (makes 20-24 pieces)

1 pound fresh strawberries, hulled

Fresh basil, one leaf per strawberry (about 20-24)

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 pound Brie cheese, cut 1/4-inch slices into 1-inch squares (20-24 pieces)

Toothpicks or small bamboo skewers

Pour balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and gently simmer for 20 to 30 minutes until the glaze is thick and coats a spoon (consistency of chocolate syrup). Set aside and allow to cool in pan.

Prepare a serving dish with a light coat of oil or cooking spray. Start stacking ingredients with a piece of brie as the base. Add basil (leaf should curve up to catch the glaze).  Next, add the strawberry (hulled side down). Spear stack with toothpick and drizzle with glaze. Arrange on the prepared serving dish. Enjoy!

Note: Any unused balsamic glaze can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for several weeks. 

Spinach Artichoke Quinoa Egg Bake

Try the traditional pairing of spinach and artichokes with the ancient grain quinoa baked together with eggs and cheese.  The result?  Deliciousness!!

This is a great brunch recipe.  To prep this ahead of time, simply follow the recipe through until the step”Preheat the oven”.  The contents of the 9 x 13 pan can be covered and placed in the refrigerator.  When ready to cook, remove the dish from the refrigerator, uncover and finish the recipe.  Enjoy!

Spinach, Artichoke, Quinoa Egg Bake (serves 8-10)

1-1/2 cups quinoa, uncooked

1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cups milk

4 eggs

1-14 ounce can artichokes, drained and chopped and drained again

10 ounce package of spinach

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1-1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/2 teaspoon each:  salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium pot, heat 3 cups water until boiling. Add quinoa, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 12 minutes until water absorbed and quinoa unravels. Prepare 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Pour cooked quinoa into baking dish.

Preheat large skillet on medium heat and add olive oil. Sauté onion and garlic until onion is translucent. Add artichoke and spinach. Add contents of skillet to quinoa in baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Mix to combine.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together milk and eggs. Mix in Parmesan and 1 cup mozzarella. Pour into baking dish and gently mix into contents. Sprinkle casserole with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Bake for 30 minutes and serve hot.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup

I first posted a recipe with the same name five years ago.  This new version boasts bigger flavor with a few additional ingredients and new sauté procedure.  Slow cooking is perfect for this busy spring season. Simply start this in the morning to cook on low for 7-8 hours or at lunchtime, to cook on high for 5-6 hours.  If your slow cooker does not have a sauté function, simply prepare the first part of this recipe in  a skillet on the stove top and transfer to the slow cooker when ready.

If you are not familiar with Chihuahua cheese, please try it.  It is wonderfully creamy and is often used in quesadillas, too.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup (serves 6)

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoon chili powder

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

1 onion, cut into eighths

1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)

1-1/2 cups corn from cob (or 1 can sweet corn)

1 can fire roasted (15 ounce) canned tomatoes

4 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon oregano

2 corn tortillas, torn into 1-inch pieces

1 can (15 ounce) black beans, drained and rinsed

Salt to taste

Garnishes: non fat plain Greek yogurt (or light sour cream), shredded Chihuahua cheese, sliced avocado, fresh lime.

Heat oil in slow cooker set at 400 degrees on ‘Sauté’. Add pepper, onions, garlic and corn, sauté for a few minutes. Add chili powder and stir to coat vegetables and heat until chili powder is fragrant. Place chicken on top of veggie. Add tomatoes, broth, oregano and tortillas. Adjust slow cooker setting to low,  cover and cook for 7-8 hours. (Or set on high for 5-6 hours). At the end of cooking, remove chicken breast to a plate. Add black beans to the slow cooker to heat while shredding the chicken with two forks. Add shredded chicken back to pan. Serve soup in bowls topped with garnishes. Enjoy!

 

CELEBRATING EARTH DAY

It is Earth Day.  I want to celebrate by getting the word out about about an important issue:  food waste.  Did you know that about 40 percent of the U.S. food supply is never eaten?  UGH! That uneaten food is a drain on the earth. The resources used to produce this uneaten food includes 31% cropland, 25% of total fresh water consumption and 2% total energy.  Think of all the waste in planting, growing, transporting, storing, preparing, and serving this uneaten food.  To make bad things worse, this uneaten food accounts for a significant use of landfills (about 18 percent of all municipal solid waste [MSW] is uneaten food- the second largest category of MSW).  UGH!

These facts are sobering, but let’s use them as motivation for action!  There are many things we can all do.  Discarded food in homes and foodservice accounts for 60 percent of food loss and is mostly avoidable.  I’m pledging to make a commitment to reduce my own personal food waste… here’s how:

• Being mindful of quantity while shopping for and ordering food
• Paying attention to ‘use by’ and expiration dates on food
• Taking restaurant leftovers home
• Freezing food before it spoils
• Being creative with leftovers (look for future Myplate2yours recipes!)

Please share what YOU do to reduce food waste, we can all learn from each other! By challenging ourselves to personally reduce food waste, we may spur others around us to do the same.  Now that would be great for this planet we share!  Happy Earth Day 2016!

The facts in this article are from “Smart Choices for a Healthy Planet”, the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation, Future of Food Initiative, 2015.

 

 

5-Spice Glazed Chicken and Rice Bowl

Sometimes I want a meal that boasts big flavor.  This one does!  If you have ever cooked with Chinese Five Spice (typically a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise, and Szechwan peppercorns), you know it is a culinary treat.  I learned that a few years ago with one of my slow cooker recipes, Chinese Five Spice Pork.  This will be a great recipe to reference if you like the flavor of 5-Spice Glazed Chicken and Rice Bowl.  The ingredient list may look long in this new recipe, but I’ve bolded the ones that get repeated in both the marinade and the glaze.  It’s really very manageable… I made it again for dinner this past weekend!  Enjoy!

5-Spice Glazed Chicken and Rice Bowl (serves 4)

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs (at least 4 pieces)

Marinade ingredients:

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon mirin*

1 teaspoon GF soy sauce

1-1/2 teaspoons sugar

Glaze ingredients:

1/4 cup mirin*

1/2 cup GF soy sauce

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup chicken stock

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5 spice

 

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup shredded scallions

1 cup frozen, shelled edamame, thawed

Sesame seeds, for garnish

In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, mix the marinade ingredients. Place chicken in a ziplock bag and coat with the marinade. Place in fridge to marinade for 15 minutes, up to one hour.

To make the glaze, combine the first four ingredients in a small saucepan. Gently heat to dissolve the sugar. Mix cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water. Add to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, then simmer. Add the rice vinegar and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon 5-spice and cook for 5 minutes or until the mixture is thickened, stirring occasionally.

In a 10 inch skillet with medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pan fry the chicken, 5 minutes on both sides. Baste chicken with sauce before turning and again on other side. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

To assemble bowls, spoon rice into the bottom of each serving bowl and drizzle sauce on top. Stripe with shredded carrots, green onion and edamame. Slice chicken and place on top and drizzle with more sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.  YUMMY!!!

*Mirin is a Japanese rice wine that provides a mildly sweet acidity to a recipe. It’s used in many Asian-inspired dishes. Mirin is easy to find in the Asian food section of conventional grocery stores.  But if you need a substitute, you can use dry sherry, dry white wine, and rice vinegar by adding 1/2 teaspoon sugar for every tablespoon needed.