Monthly Archives: January 2011
Oat Bran-Applesauce Muffins from Power Foods
| January 30, 2011 | Filled under Breads, Breakfast, Reviews |
I’ve been holding out on you; I’m sorry. I received a review copy of the fabulous new cookbook, Power Foods, a few weeks ago but things have been crazy around here and I just haven’t had the time or energy to write the kind of review that would do it justice. Instead I kept the book to myself, making recipe after recipe, thinking about how excited I was to get to share it with you all. Well, enough is enough. I hope that you’ll accept this muffin recipe as an apology.
Power Foods is a beautiful, softcover cookbook from the editors of Whole Living Magazine. The concept of the book is simple: 150 recipes featuring 38 healthy ingredients — from asparagus and Swiss chard to salmon and pecans. Unlike a lot of other cookbooks that are published this time of year Power Foods isn’t a “diet” cookbook; it simply promotes eating healthy, whole foods that are chock-full of nutrients. That’s my kind of cookbook!
I really like how this book is laid out. It starts with a one-page overview of each “power food” — explaining the food’s health benefits, providing tips for purchasing and storage, and directing the reader to specific recipes in the book that use the highlighted ingredient. Following that section are the standard cookbook chapters: breakfasts, starters & snacks, sandwiches & wraps, soups & stews, salads, main dishes, side dishes, and desserts. Finally, there’s a nifty little section that they call “The Basics” that includes informative overviews of things like oils, herbs, and sweeteners, as well as nutritional breakdowns for each “power food.”
There honestly isn’t a single thing that I don’t love about this cookbook – I’m completely smitten. Gorgeous, full-page photographs accompany most of the recipes, nutritional information is included for each recipe, and the ingredient lists are simple and straight forward (I’ve made a few substitutions here and there — like using oat bran instead of wheat bran in the recipe below — but the only thing I’ve actually had to buy especially for this book is flax).
And the recipes? Delicious and creative. These applesauce muffins were fantastic for breakfast. The walnut-crusted chicken breasts along with the shredded Brussels sprouts salad made a great weeknight dinner (it was on the table in under 15 minutes). Turnip was an interesting and welcome surprise in the paprika shrimp. I can’t wait to try the soba noodle soup, or the quinoa and turkey patties, or the halibut in green tea broth. I know, I’m swooning again. This book is just that awesome. I’ve never said this on this blog before, but here it goes: if you have any interest in healthy cooking at all, buy this book. Now. It’s $16.44 on Amazon and worth every cent.
Click through to continue reading and get the recipe for Oat Bran-Applesauce Mini Muffins –>
Easy Herb-Roasted Chicken & Vegetables
| January 16, 2011 | Filled under Chicken and Poultry, Cooking For One, Light, One Pan, Quick Weeknight Meals |
This one-pan meal is one of my favorite things to make when I don’t feel like cooking but still want to sit down to a healthy dinner. The simple mustard and herb sauce infuses boneless chicken breasts with a ton of flavor and keeps them from drying out in the oven, while an assortment of vegetables keeps the meal interesting and nutritious.
But the best part? It only takes a few minutes to prep (10 minutes tops)! Which means I can sit down, put my feet up, and let dinner cook itself.
Tip: This meal is also a great way to clean out the produce bins in your fridge. The recipe below contains my favorite combination, but you can use green beans instead of asparagus, omit the mushrooms, increase the carrots, etc depending on what you happen to have on hand. If you happen to have baby carrots, you can throw them in — no need to cut them first — and shave off even more prep time!
Click to continue reading an get the recipe for Easy Herb-Roasted Chicken & Vegetables –>
One Pan Herb-Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
Serves 4.
- 4 Red Potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 Carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1/4 pound Crimini Mushrooms, cut into quarters
- 1 tsp. Butter, cut into several pieces
- 2 Tbs grainy Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp. Herbs de Provence
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 1 Tbs Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp. Maple Syrup
- 1 pound boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
- 1/2 pound Asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
- Salt and Pepper
Preheat oven to 400.
Spray a medium roasting pan with olive oil or cooking spray. Add the potatoes, carrots, mushrooms to the pan, sprinkle the pieces of butter over the vegetables.
Combine the next 5 ingredients (through maple syrup) along with a pinch of salt in a shallow dish. Mix 1 Tablespoon of the sauce into your vegetables. Place the chicken breasts in the remaining sauce, spreading it around so that they are well coated. Place the chicken breasts in your roasting pan, on top of the vegetables.
Bake for 30 minutes. Add the asparagus and bake for another 20 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serving Suggestion: Although the chicken and vegetables are a very filling meal on their own, I also like to put some garlic bread in the oven in the last 15 minutes of cooking (when I add the asparagus). It rounds the meal out and gives it a little something special.
Approx. 330 calories, 7 grams fat, 44 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber, 24 grams protein
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