Buffalo Chicken Salad

I recently subscribed to Eating Well Magazine.  Much to my surprise and delight my husband found a recipe that he was willing to try.  He thought it looked so good, he decided to make it himself for us to share at dinner. 

It was a hit!  I loved it and so did he.  It’s easy breezy to make, can be done in less than 30 minutes and meets our calorie goals for dinner.  I think this one is going to be part of his regular rotation.  I hope you enjoy it at your table as well.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup crumbled reduced-fat blue cheese plus 1/4 cup, divided
• 6 tablespoons buttermilk
• 4 teaspoons red-wine vinegar, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Frank’s Red Hot
• 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 3 large stalks celery, chopped
• 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

PREPARATION

1. Combine 1/2 cup blue cheese in a small bowl with buttermilk, 2 teaspoons vinegar and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; mix well, mashing slightly with a fork. Set aside.
2. Place chicken in another bowl; sprinkle with flour and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper and toss until coated.
3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until just cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in hot sauce and the remaining 2 teaspoons vinegar and cook, stirring often, until the chicken is coated, about 1 minute.
4. Combine lettuce, carrots, celery and cucumber in a large bowl; add the reserved dressing and toss to coat. Divide the salad among 4 plates and top each with an equal portion of chicken and 1 tablespoon each of the reserved blue cheese.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 291 calories; 11 g fat ( 4 g sat , 4 g mono ); 75 mg cholesterol; 15 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 32 g protein; 5 g fiber; 607 mg sodium; 832 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (350% daily value), Folate (44% dv), Vitamin C (25% dv), Potassium (24% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 2 1/2 lean meat, 1 medium-fat meat, 1/2 fat

Where to find recipes?

I often share recipes that I find with my clients and friends, especially when I find something extra delicious.  It's always a double treat to find something that's easy to make and pleases the whole family.  Once you start looking, you realize there are a LOT of options out there.  

Here are some of the sites I use regularly to find new, delicious, and healthy food for my family.  Please remember that I support a healthy whole balanced lifestyle and do not restrict anything from my meals.  I even eat processed food at times, because let's face it, life sometimes happen.  

Please check out my Pinterest 'Good enough to eat' to see what I'm playing with in my kitchen.

www.skinnytaste.com A free blog offering recipes for low fat low calorie foods complete with nutritional information.

www.cookinglight.com A free site that also has a paper magazine you can purchase a subscription too that offers healthy cooking recipes complete with nutrition information.  The site will allow you to search recipes by diet restrictions ie. Vegetarian, diabetic, etc.

http://www.thegraciouspantry.com A free blog that discusses clean eating and offers family friendly recipes.  

New Favorite Breakfast!

I think we are all aware by now the advantages of eating breakfast.  I know that it jump starts my metabolism.  I also know that not eating breakfast comes with a whole list of reasons why not eating is a poor choice.  That being said, I've never been much of a breakfast eater.  I'd rather just have a few cups of coffee in the morning and ease into my day.

But sometimes what you want, isn't what you need so I have a few go to breakfasts that I make.  Unfortunately, the repetition can get very very boring.  For a long time I ate a whole grain waffle with peanut butter and an apple.  Then I had a thin bagel with cheese and turkey.  I also had a year long run with hard boiled eggs, avocado, and whole grain bread.  They were always pretty good choices health wise, but eventually I'd get bored and starting hitting the fast food places on my way to work.  It didn't take long to gain back any pounds I'd dutifully lost.

This past winter I've rediscovered oatmeal and thanks to Pinterest I've been able to eat oatmeal imagined a million different ways.  In fact, according to Blogger here, breakfast is what I blog about the most!  So I'm totally on board with eating breakfast these days, even if it's still not my favorite meal.

Here is my new favorite oatmeal recipe.  I often change up the jam to change the flavor, but love the creamy goodness!

Raspberry Cheesecake Oatmeal 

From EatingWell Magazine. (makes one serving)

Ingredients 

1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup water, unsweetened almond milk, or skim milk
1/2 mashed medium banana
Splash of vanilla
2 tablespoons cream cheese (softened for 5 second in microwave)
1 teaspoon powdered sugar (more or less to taste)
Squeeze of lemon juice (optional)
1 tablespoon raspberry preserves

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine oats, water or milk, banana, and vanilla and pour into nonstick sprayed baking dish.
2. Combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon juice. Put into plastic bag, snip off one end and squeeze into two horizontal lines on top of oatmeal. Put raspberry preserves in another plastic bag and squeeze two horizontal lines in between the cream cheese.
3. Drag knife up and down through lines to create a swirl. Bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Healthy Sweet and Sour Pork

I found a recipe for Healthy Sweet and Sour Pork and make a few changes to clean it up a bit and make it even lower calorie, but still just as delicious!  It was a winner in my house last night served over short grain brown rice!  

All the veggies were available in the commissary, but you can easily sub in whatever is fresh or whatever you might have laying around the house.  I encourage you to switch up the protein and the veg to keep this bright and lively.  I was satisfied after just one serving thanks to all the beautiful colors the veggies added.  Pork is an overlooked but awesome protein choice and it's just as lean as chicken breast. 

Sweet and Sour Pork
makes 4 servings

Ingredients
1 pound pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
2 1/2 T balsamic vinegar
kosher salt
2 t low sodium soy sauce
1 T cornstarch
1 T Truvia
2 T vegetable oil
3 T organic ketchup
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots thinly sliced
1 red pepper thinly sliced
3 scallions, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 cups snow peas, cut in half

Directions
Toss the pork with 1/2 T vinegar and a pinch of salt in a bowl.  Mix the remaining 2 T vinegar, soy sauce, cornstarch, ketchup, trivia, 1/3 cup water, and 1/2 t salt in another bowl.

Heat 1 T oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat.  Add the pork and slowly stir until it turns mostly opaque, about 2 minutes.  Remove the pork with a slotted spoon and transfer to a plate,  Discard the oil and wipe out the skillet.

Heat the remaining 1 T oil in the skillet, then stir-fry the garlic with a pinch of truvia and a pinch of salt, 15 seconds.  Add the red peppers, carrots and scallions and stir-fry until crisp-tender, 2 minutes.  (add a little water if the garlic starts to stick to the skillet.)  Add the pork, snow peas, and soy sauce mixture; stir until the pork is cooked through and the sauce is thickened, about 3 minutes.

Enjoy!

Sunday Breakfast!

I love Sunday breakfast.  When I was a little girl Sunday breakfast was a big deal in my parents' house.  Some times my Mom would make French toast from left over bakery bread.  Other times it would be a big spread with bacon, "dippy" eggs, and toast with jam.  My Dad would always make a big pot of tea and we would all eat together.  My Dad would sometimes make the most amazing silver dollar pancakes with warm blueberry syrup.  He'd stand at the stove and make a million of those little guys and my sister and I would eat and eat and eat!  The table at my house was where a lot of good things happened.

As much as I love eating breakfast, I HATE making it.  I hate messing up my kitchen and having to spend time cleaning it when I can be relaxing with my pup!  Not to mention my husband likes to sleep in way later than I, so if I wait for breakfast I just get "hangry"  hungry+angry="Hangry" in our house.

Today though I have a plan.  I'm going to eat some oatmeal and then make a Sunday brunch.  I want to try to bring some of my family's traditions to my new family.  Sunday brunch will have to take the place of Sunday breakfast, but hopefully the most important part: spending time with the person(s) you love and laughing with them is the greatest reward!

I found a great recipe on Pinterest to try from Sweet Sugar Bean.  I loved her blog and am going to try this recipe today: Breakfast Tacos with Avocado Salsa.  I hope to try more of her recipes in the future! Please visit her blog to see what she's cooking up!

Photo from Sweet Sugar Bean's Blog... I could never make anything this beautiful, but hopefully it will be just as delicious!

Cheers,
Jen Cherry 

Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Shake

Pumpkin in the winter makes me happy!  This is another great breakfast solution; quick and easy to eat on the go.  I usually make an entire batch and keep it in the refrigerator to grab in the morning   I use one of the shaker bottles and add about 4 oz of fat free milk to my serving of the shake.  That way I don't have to dirty my blender everyday! It's a delicious way to start my day and I don't even have to feel guilty. I hope you enjoy.   I generally eat this shake as my morning meal.  It has enough calories to keep me going through a tough workout. To make this a recovery shake you can add your protein supplement (vanilla works best).  If you want the benefits of added protein without adding a supplement substitute the fat free milk for low fat natural Greek yogurt and add water or milk to thin to the desired consistency.  Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Shake Servings: 4 • Size: 1/4th of recipe Calories: 160.7 • Fat: 2.2g • Protein: 5.8 g • Carb: 34 g • Fiber: 6.6 g Ingredients: 1/2 cup quick oats  2 cups water  1 cup fat free milk  1 cup ice  1/2 cup pumpkin puree  3 tbsp brown sugar  1-2 tsp cinnamon  pumpkin pie spice to taste Directions: Cook oats and water in a small pot for about a minute or two, stirring often until it becomes thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and let it cool a few minutes. In a blender add milk, pumpkin, sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice. Add oats and ice. Blend on high until very smooth. Chill in refrigerator or pour in a glass over ice. Enjoy!!  recipe from skinnytaste.com

Turkey Mini Meatloaf

Breakfast!

Ever since I found canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling) at the commissary I've been obsessed with pumpkin!  You can find the pumpkin puree in the baking aisle.  Just be careful to pick up pumpkin puree and NOT the pie filling.  Pumpkin is low calorie, fiber rich, and delicious in so many different imaginations.  I shared a pumpkin smoothie recipe with my clients a few weeks ago and thought folks might like this too! 

It's easy to make up a big batch, and put them in individual containers for a quick zap and then add toppings for a fulfilling quick morning meal.  I usually hold the granola but love to use 100% natural maple syrup for that touch of sweetness!

Enjoy!

Coach Jen 

Pumpkin Oats with Maple Syrup & Granola

Ingredients:

 2/3 cup water

1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1/3 cup quick cook oats

2 teaspoons chia seeds

Dash of cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice

 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 mashed banana

1/3 cup pumpkin

2 tablespoons granola

1 teaspoon maple syrup

Directions

 1. Bring water, milk, oats, chia seeds, spices, and vanilla extract to a boil.

2. Reduce heat, add banana and whip into oats. Cover and simmer on low, about 4-5 minutes. 

3. Stir in pumpkin. Top with granola and maple syrup

Recipe found in Fitness Magazine

Homemade Stock

Welcome back and thank you for taking the time to read this post.

I use homemade stock in many of my recipes.  I use it to make brown rice on a regular basis and in couscous as well as many bean dishes.  I love stock.  It makes everything taste like it’s been simmering all day.  People think stock is hard and time consuming.  They buy canned broth instead which often has added sodium or preservatives and really doesn’t pack the flavor punch to make it worth wile.  I make a big batch of stock weekly and use it throughout the week to add flavor to dishes without added calories, fat, or sodium.

My stock method is super cheap.  A few years ago I had a wonderful roommate who shared my love of cooking and taught me a really neat trick for making homemade stock.  He kept medium sized Tupperware container in the fridge for veggie bits and pieces all week long.  As we chopped the tops off onions and zucchinis and peeled carrots and potatoes we added all these ‘garbage’ pieces to the Tupperware container.  We added the bulbous ends of celery and the stems of herbs.  At the end of the week, we dumped the bits and pieces into a big pot and added water until the bits and pieces were just covered.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.  When the water had reduced by about a third, we strained out the veggie bits and pieces and had a gorgeous veggie stock to use all week long. 

My roommate was a vegetarian, and while I appreciate that lifestyle, I will forever be a meat eater.  During the week I save any and all bones that come from my meat, even if they have been cooked.  I just throw it in the freezer and dump whatever bones I’ve saved into the pot, still frozen, with the veggie bits and pieces. Then I make the meat stock using the same techniques as the veggie stock.  I cover the bones and veggies with water bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the water is reduced by about half.

I’ve been experimenting with stock for the past few years and have made it a regular chore in my kitchen.  On Monday mornings, I make a big batch of stock while I’m catching up on e-mail and doing the weekly shopping lists.  I’d urge you to find an hour in your life when you’re in the house but otherwise occupied to create a yummy stock.  There is no prep, no cutting or chopping, and you dirty only one pot and one strainer.

Things I use stock for:

1.       To sauté veggies to create a delicious side dish without oil or fat.

2.       To add flavor to brown rice or beans, use in place of water.

3.       As a base for a quick weekday soup.

4.       As a braising liquid for a low fat chicken or beef dish

5.       To deglaze a pan to create a delicious gravy.

As you can see, I have an opportunity to use stock for almost any meal.  The flavor can really elevate a meal and now stock is staple in my fridge.  If I have left over stock at the end of the week I pour it into ice trays and freeze it to use in the future.  I can pop out as many as I need to add to a recipe.

Good for You Comfort Food

Hello! Welcome back to Cherry Wellness.

I’ve been doing a lot of reading and researching during the gloomy days here in Germany about food.  Right now with the wind whistling, the rain pounding, and the clouds low in the sky I’m craving good old fashioned comfort food.  I want mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and warm brownies!  Doesn’t that sound divine! I can’t fib either; I’ve eaten all of those things over the past month.  However, it’s going to be a long winter in Germany and it’s about balance, so I need to eat what makes me happy and healthy!

I have been working for some time to add beans to my diet.  The benefits of beans as a dietary stable are well known because of their high nutrient content. Consuming beans is recommended for everyone, including people who also eat meat, poultry, and fish regularly.  Beans are unique because while they are considered a vegetable they also have high protein levels.  Beans are also starchy and so feel thick and rich which equals comfort in my brain.

I have a super simple black bean soup recipe that is rich delicious filling and comforting.   All at the same time it is also heart healthy low calorie and low fat.  This one is a winner.  I’m sure there are a million versions of this recipe, and use it as a base soup to play with and customize depending on what’s in your pantry.

Enjoy!

Coach Jen’s Black Bean Soup

3 servings, 25 minutes start to finish

1 can organic black beans rinsed and drained

1 cup organic or homemade stock

½ cup yellow onion minced

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

¼ cup roasted green chilies (fresh is best, or canned)

½ cup organic salsa

Heat the oil in a heavy bottom pot.  Dice onions and sauté until softened, about three minutes.  Add rough chopped green chilies and heat through.  Add black beans, stock, and salsa.  Bring to a low boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Stir occasionally mashing beans against the side of the pot or with a potato masher to thicken consistency of the soup.  I like to add a dash of chipotle pepper for heat while soup simmers.  Serve with avocado for garnish and a green salad.

Nutritional data for soup as estimated by www.myfitnesspal.com

                        Cals        Carb       Fat          Protein

Total:    658         97           18           34          

Per Serving:       219         32           6              11

Nutritional information for beans from www.choosemyplate.gov