Baked Chicken Nuggets

I was in a five year old mood the other night, and really wanted the chicken nuggets from my childhood. Rather than running over the the Golden Arches, I decided to try my hand at a healthier version of these tasty morsels. You could eat these with ketchup and sweet potato french fries (my dinner), or add these nuggets to any salad or use them with BBQ dipping sauces. This recipe is very easy and requires very few ingredients. The chicken nuggets came out juicy on the inside with a slight crunchy and flavorful bite to the outside, just perfect!

Caught both girls mid-bark in their backyard jungle!

I found this recipe on Skinny Taste.

Explorer buddies!

The jungle in full bloom...a few roses are blooming and the rest are about to explode with color! Our Christine tree is standing tall and brings a smile to my heart. 

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Ingredients:
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into smaller pieces, about 4 x 4 inches.
2 teaspoons of olive oil
8 tablespoons of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

Steps:
1. Gather your ingredients and preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

2. Add the olive oil to the chicken and mix to coat thoroughly.

3. Add the breadcrumbs to the chicken and mix to coat thoroughly.

4. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Place the chicken nuggets in a pan sprayed with non-stick spray.

6. Place in the oven and bake for about 8-10 minutes.
7. Then turn the chicken pieces over and cook for another 4-6 minutes, until fully cooked.

8. Enjoy!

Roasted Cauliflower

Up until recently, cauliflower has been one of those vegetables that I considered to be off limits for my dinner table. Sure, I love broccoli prepared in almost any way, but cauliflower just did not tickle my fancy. Then last week, I went to a local mediterranean restaurant where they served fried cauliflower. The cauliflower wasn't breaded, so it was different than many friend vegetables I've tried in the past, but the depth of flavor was so delicious it was hard to get out of my mind.

When we received a head of organic cauliflower in our produce share last week, I decided it was time to make cauliflower a side dish for dinner. I had heard that nutmeg pairs well with the cauliflower so I decided to use my birthday gift from Suzie which was a nutmeg grater with a bag of fresh nutmeg. I also decide to sprinkle some parmesan cheese towards the end of the roasting to enhance the flavor a little bit. The results were quite tasty. I don't know that I'd call it my favorite vegetable side, but it certainly has earned its place in the rotation.

My new nutmeg grater with fresh nutmeg

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Roasted Cauliflower

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons grated parmesan

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Rinse and dry the head of cauliflower and cut the head into florets.

Place the florets on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and nutmeg over the cauliflower florets.

Place in the oven and roast for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle the the parmesan cheese onto the florets and return to the oven to roast for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove and serve with your favorite meal.

Meatloaf: The Slimmer Version

Happy Halloween!
I don't know about you, but it is 5:30 as I type away, and I am ready for all of those cute little trick-or-treaters to start knocking on our door! Our block is aflutter on Halloween, and it is very fun to watch!

In honor of Halloween I decided to try something that I am rather scared of...meatloaf! When I think of meatloaf I just think of something heavy and bland and rather unhealthy. I turned my nose up at every serving as a child, but ever so often, when I would allow a tiny morsel into my mouth, I actually really did like the taste and texture. So, after running into my mom at the grocery store this afternoon, she convinced me that it was the right thing to make for dinner tonight! So on Halloween, I faced my fear of meatloaf and can now confidently say that meatloaf is indeed a yummy and easy dinner solution! Mom, I am sorry for refusing this tasty dish for so many years!

This recipe is so easy and honestly very yummy! It literally took me 5 minutes to put everything together and takes about 35 minutes to bake. Perfect on an evening where you are busy or rushed (or running to the door every few moments to hand out candy!). The recipe is inspired by a Cooking Light recipe, but I made some changes. The Ranch Dressing mix dry packet is something mom uses all the time to add extra flavor without adding extra fat. It is something you can always have on hand, such a nice short cut to big flavor!

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Ingredients:
1 pound of lean ground sirloin
6 tablespoons of ketchup, divided into 3 tablespoon portions
1/2 cup of bread crumbs, I used Italian
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons of skim milk
1 packet of ranch dressing mix (dry)

Steps:
1. Gather all of your ingredients.

2. Mix all of your ingredients together in a large bowl.

3. Mold the mixture into a rectangular form in a shallow baking dish.

4. Top with the remaining 3 tablespoons of ketchup.

5. Bake for 35 minutes in a 350 degree oven.
6. Enjoy with fresh baked bread and a vegetable medley!

Couscous with Scallions and Parsley

I too have one more recipe from our celebration dinner to share, Couscous with Scallions and Parsley. Couscous is one of my favorite side dishes, but until last week I had only tried the boxed variety with season packets. While these taste delicious, I have always been a bit concerned with the level of sodium contained within the seasoning. This is particularly an issue because couscous is my go to healthy substitute for mashed potatoes and other rich sides.

I had been meaning to look up an alternative preparation and our Mediterranean themed meal was the perfect reason to figure it out. What I love about this recipe is that it doesn't mess with the simplicity and ease of couscous or the great flavors it can provide. In fact, I actually prefer the freshness of the onions and herbs in this dish as opposed to the pre-fabed boxed variety. The only change I would make next time, and I've included this into the recipe below, is that I would add some garlic powder to enhance the flavor.

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Couscous with Scallions and Parsley


Ingredients
1 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup couscous
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup mined Italian parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions
In a pot combine the water, olive oil, and kosher salt and bring to a boil.

 Add the couscous, stir, and return to a boil.

 Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in the green onions, parsley, and garlic powder.

Our whole buffet spread at dinner

Source: Adapted from Food & Wine

Roasted Eggplant Dip

I'll be the first to admit that this dip isn't the prettiest of appetizers. But let me tell you, it sure is delicious. Robert's aunt made this for us on one of our visits and I found it to be highly addictive. The good part is it's all vegetable so you don't have to feel guilty when you go back for seconds, or thirds, or fourths as the case may be. :)

In Greek restaurants this is sometimes called Baba Ghanouj, and is served with fresh pita bread. I like to serve it with freshly toasted baguette slices brushed with a mix of olive oil, minced garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes. The toasts give the dip a little kick that I find brings it over the top. For sake of time on Sunday, I didn't make the toasts and instead served it with pita chips. If you have the time, however, do your self a favor and make the toasts, you'll be glad you did.

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Roasted Eggplant Dip


Ingredients
2 large eggplants
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon tahini
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Rinse and dry the eggplants then prick the eggplants all over with a meat fork.

Place in the oven directly on the rack with a cookie sheet on the rack below to catch any juices.

Roast for 30-40 minutes or until eggplants are collapsed.

Remove the eggplants from the oven and remove the stems, cut in half and remove the pulp discarding the skin.

In a food processor, combine the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt and eggplant pulp. Pulse a few times to combine.

Transfer the mix to a bowl and stir in the cumin.

Serve with toasted bread or pita chips and enjoy.

Source: Adapted from Vegetable Harvest by Patricia Wells

Classic Hummus

When Suzie and I decided to have a Mediterranean theme for our celebration dinner, I knew that I wanted to make homemade hummus for an appetizer. I first tried fresh hummus when I was in college working at a coffee and wine bar. The owner was Lebanese, and every day she brought over several fresh servings of hummus for us to sell to patrons. One bite of Mrs. Cerone's hummus and I was hooked. There were several nights when I would take a plate home after work for my dinner. Just pita, carrots, and fresh hummus.

Since college I have tried several hummus recipes, and while few can compare to Mrs. Cerone's, this one comes awefully close. I found this recipe on Food & Wine's website and I've made some changes to spice it up a bit. This hummus is best served with pita chips or carrot sticks either as an appetizer or throw in some cheese and fruit for a light meal.

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Classic Hummus


Ingredients
1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained with 1 tablespoon of liquid reserved
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup tahini
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika, plus more for garnish
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
Combine the chickpeas with the liquid, garlic, lemon juice, tahini in a food processor.

Puree until it makes a chunky paste.

 Scrape down the sides and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, paprika, cumin and salt.

Puree until smooth.

Place on a plate or in a bowl and sprinkle with paprika and drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil.

 Serve with pita chips or carrot and celery sticks.

Our appetizer spread for the dinner party: Cheese, hummus, eggplant dip (recipe coming tomorrow) and pita chips. Yum!

Source: Adapted from Food & Wine