Fruit and Yogurt Popsicles

2016-01-24 04.26.39 A delicious recipe for healthy fruit pops that can be eaten at anytime, even for breakfast. The sweetness really comes from the fruit and depending on how ripe and sweet they are, you can reduce the sugar to taste.

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh berries (mixture of blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries)
1 sliced banana
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups organic soy yogurt (plain)
6-8 pop molds, or 8 small paper cups and and 8 popsicle sticks

Directions:
1. Place the fruit, yogurt, and sugar into a blender. Cover and blend until fruit is smooth.
2. Fill the pop molds. If using paper cups, fill the paper cups 3/4 full with fruit mixture. Cover the top of each cup with a strip of aluminum foil. Poke a popsicle stick through the center of the foil on each cup.
3. Place molds or cups in the freezer for at least 5 hours.

Tip: I also tried this with vanilla coconut milk yogurt, skipping the sugar, and it turned out great.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

An easy and delicious recipe perfect for cold nights.

Ingredients:
A whole roasted chicken (purchased already roasted), cut into 1/2 inch-wide strips
5 small corn tortillas
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup canned stewed tomatoes with juices
2 green onions, sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup water
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, pressed
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chili
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat over to 350 F.
2. Brush tortilla with oil, cut in half. Stack halves and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch-wide strips.
3. Spread strips on a nonstick baking sheet and bake 15 minutes (until golden).
4. Combine broth, water, tomatoes, bay leaf, garlic, cumin, and chili in large pot and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add chicken strips, green onions, cilantro, and lime juice.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in soup bowls topped with tortilla strips.

Mahi Mahi Curry

This recipe is light, healthy, and easy-to-make

Ingredients:
2 pounds of Mahi Mahi Fillets, cut into cubes
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 chili pepper (Scotch Bonnet, preferrably, or another mild pepper), sliced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 can light coconut milk
3 tsp vegetable oil
3 tsp fresh thyme
3 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ginger powder
2 tsp salt (or more to taste)

Directions:
1. Heat oil in pan until hot
2. Add curry powder and cook for a minute
3. Add onion, green pepper, garlic, thyme, ginger and cook stirring for 2 minutes
4. Add coconut milk and bring to a simmer
5. Add fish, scallions, salt and cook for about 7 minutes

Serve immediately over white rice.

Chicken Marsala

2016-01-24 04.53.26 My son didn’t like these flavors until recently, after he turned 3. But since my husband and I love this recipe so much, we made it every once in a while to see if he changed his mind. And now that he did and he decided that he likes it too, we’re all enjoying it often.

Ingredients:
4 skinless/boneless chicken breasts or thighs cut into thin cutlets
3 slices of prosciutto (optional)
10 or 12 oz pack of sliced mushrooms
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dry Marsala wine
1 cup Chicken broth
Flour for dredging the chicken
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Dredge chicken in some flour seasoned with salt and pepper, shaking off the excess.
2. Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
3. When the oil’s hot, add the chicken cutlets and cook until browned and cooked thoroughly in the middle (about 5 minutes on each side)
4. Remove the chicken and set aside in a covered plate.
5. Add the prosciutto to the skillet and saute for 1 minute.
6. Add the mushrooms and saute until browned and tender, about 5 minutes.
7. Remove the mushrooms and prosciutto and set aside with the chicken.
8. Add the Marsala wine to the skillet and boil for a few minutes.
9. Add the chicken broth and simmer for a minute until sauce is thickened to your liking.
10. Return the chicken to the skillet with the sauce and stir for 3-4 minutes. Return the mushrooms and prosciutto and stir for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with angel hair pasta, mashed potatoes, or mashed cauliflower.

Chicken Piccata

I was surprised how much my son and daughter (at 19 months) liked this recipe; they both had seconds the first time I made it. Now I make this once a week. It’s inexpensive, easy, and fast to make.

Ingredients:
12 ounces angel hair pasta (or another pasta of your choice)
1 pound of boneless/skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into small cutlets
1 10 or 12 oz pack of sliced mushrooms
1/3 cup flour
3 cups chicken broth
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup white wine
3 tablespoons lemon juice
4 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Cook pasta until just tender according to package. TIP: Set aside a cup of the cooking water after draining the pasta to use for thickening up the sauce later.
2. Meanwhile, whisk 6 teaspoons flour and the chicken broth in a small bowl until smooth, set aside.
3. Place the remaining flour in a dish, add salt and pepper, and dredge the chicken cutlets on both sides.
4. Heat 3 teaspoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and cooked thoroughly in the middle – about 4 minutes per side (or longer if you’re cooking more chicken).
5. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover.
6. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil to the skillet over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft and browned, then transfer to the plate with the chicken.
7. Add garlic and wine to the pan and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Make sure it comes to a boil.
8. Add the broth-flour mix and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is thick (about 5 minutes).
9. Add the mushrooms and chicken to the sauce in the skillet, and stir for 3-4 minutes.

Mix the chicken piccata with the pasta and add cooking water as needed to thicken up the sauce before serving.