Buffalo Chicken Dip

mine I cooked for office party

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup package shredded cheddar cheese
1 package 8 oz cream cheese
1 + 1/2 cups ranch dressing (or half ranch half blue cheese)
1/3 cup hot sauce (you may want to put less or more !!!)
tortilla chips for dipping
celery sticks for dipping

Directions:


Boil the chicken breasts until cooked & shread.
You may want to add a little garlic to the chicken while boiling.

Now in a non-stick pot on LOW heat,
add chicken,
shredded cheese,
cut up cream cheese in cubes,
dressings,
& hot sauce.

Heat & mix until smooth enough.

Serve with chips & celery.

Found: recipe from a friend, from a friend, from a friend...

xoxo

Light Thai Chicken Coconut Curry

Theirs & Ours

Light Thai-Chicken Coconut Curry

(We doubled up on this entire recipe because its still yummy re-heated!)

Ingredients:

1 can light coconut milk
6 scallions thinly sliced
4 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
4 cups reduced-sodium fat-free chicken broth
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
4 teaspoons packed light brown sugar
1 and 1/2 pound skinless boneless chicken cut into thin strips
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 red bell pepper cut into slices
3 cups Jasmine rice cooked

Directions:

In a  large skillet set over medium heat add light coconut milk, scallions, and curry paste cook, stirring constantly, until curry is fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Pour in chicken broth. Mix often and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer.

Seperately mix brown sugar with fish sauce together and stir into simmering curry mixture.

Add chicken and cook just until cooked through, about 2 minutes.

Add bellpepper and cilantro. Simmer about another 5 minutes- still stirring often.

Server over cooked jasmine rice or you can just mix the rice into the cooked coconut curry.

Found: Weight Watchers Hit the Spot 140 Savory, Crispy, Spicy & Sweet Recipes You'll Love

xoxo

Risotto with Asparagus

Theirs & Ours

Risotto with Asparagus

Ingredients:

2 bunches thick asparagus (about 2 pounds)
1 sprig fresh thyme or lemon thyme
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large shallot, diced
2 cups arborio rice
Kosher salt
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
Freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 head Bibb lettuce, cut into strips
8 ounces robiola or taleggio cheese, thinly sliced
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Directions:

Peel the bottom third of the asparagus stalks with a vegetable peeler. Snap each stalk where it breaks naturally. Thinly slice 6 asparagus bottoms and place the rest of the bottoms in a saucepan with 8 cups water and the thyme to make asparagus broth; bring to a simmer.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until glossy, about 1 minute. Add 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Pour in the wine and stir until absorbed.

Stir in 1/2 cup of the asparagus broth until absorbed (use a ladle to add the broth, keeping the solids in the pan). Continue to add broth in 1/2-cup increments, stirring constantly and allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more, about 10 minutes. (You should have about half the broth left.)

Stir in the sliced asparagus bottoms and the lemon zest.
Add the remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until the rice is just tender, 5 to 8 more minutes.

Meanwhile, place the asparagus tips in a large skillet, cover with water and season with salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-high heat until just tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the parmesan and lemon juice to the risotto. Stir in the lettuce, remove from the heat and season with salt. Divide among bowls, top with the robiola and season with pepper. Drizzle the asparagus tips with olive oil and spoon over the risotto.

Found: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/risotto-with-asparagus-recipe/index.html

xoxo

Orzo Salad

Our Orzo Salad

Orzo Salad


Ingredients:

OPTIONAL - 1 lb pre-baked chopped salmon (or Steelhead Trout)

1 package orzo (I like wheat orzo)
1 package feta cheese
1+ cup olive oil
1 can heart of palm pieces
lemon juice from 2 fresh lemons
1/2 cup fresh dill
1 seedless cucumber
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 package cherry tomatoes
1/2 small red onion
cracked black pepper

Directions:

Cook orzo in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Transfer to large bowl (about 4 quart bowl)  Toss with olive oil to keep from sticking. Orzo should be cool before adding rest of ingredients.

Add pre-baked salmon, crumbled feta cheese, heart of palm pieces, lemon juice, dill, cucumber, both chopped bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and pepper to taste.

Toss well. Add more olive oil if needed.

xoxo

Low Carb Protein Rich Banana Nut Bread



Our Wonderful Yummy Muffins


 



Low Carb Protein Rich Banana Nut Bread

Ingredients:

2/3 cup of Agave Syrup
1/2 cup of olive oil
2 large eggs
2 large bananas or 3 medium bananas (mash by hand if doing the mixture
by hand otherwise can be directly placed in the food processor)
+ 1 chopped banana for topping to be added after processing the mixture
1 3/4 cup of chickpea (garbanzo beans) flour
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
1 teaspoon of crushed cloves
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of chopped nuts ***We used chopped almonds***


Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 180 celsius (350 Fahrenheit right about).

Mix all the wet ingredients either by hand or use the plastic S-blade
for the food processor: Agave syrup, olive oil, eggs, mashed bananas or can be placed whole if using food processor. Pulse it so as not to have the mixture too liquified.

Once they have mixed well add the dry ingredients:
Chickpea flour, baking soda, sea salt, crushed cloves, nuts, and vanilla. Process on slow speed until thick and well mixed.

Pour into a rectangular deep dish baking pan 9 inch length, 4 inch width and 2.5 depth.

Bake until golden and run a toothpick through to test usually between 35-45 minutes.

***We actually cooked this recipe into MUFFINS - cook muffins about 15 minutes but watch them as some oven cook different than others.***

These are very moist and filling but healthy as well as balanced with all the good fats (Omega 3s), great source of protein from the chickpeas and no insulin load as agave does not have the same effect on insulin levels. This recipe can also be diabetic friendly.

Found: http://www.banana-bread-recipe.com/recipes/low-carb-low-glycemic-and-protein-rich-banana-nut-bread/

xoxo

Grilled Steak With Tapenade





Theirs & Ours

 

Grilled Steak With Tapenade

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives ***We used green Italian Olives***
1 medium shallot
1 clove garlic
1 sprig rosemary, leaves stripped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pounds flank steak
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley


Directions:

Preheat a grill or grill pan to high.

Pulse the olives, shallot, garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, 2 tablespoons olive oil and the juice of 1/2 lemon in a food processor; season with salt and pepper.

Pierce the steak all over with a fork and season with salt and pepper. Rub 1 heaping tablespoon olive mixture all over the steak, then set aside, about 10 minutes. ***We refrigerated overnight*** Meanwhile, toss the remaining olive mixture with the tomatoes, parsley, the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the juice of the remaining 1/2 lemon in a small bowl.

Grill the steak until browned on one side, about 7 minutes. Flip and cook about 7 more minutes for medium rare. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Cut in half; reserve one half for steak sandwiches (at right). Thinly slice the remaining steak against the grain and top with the olive-tomato tapenade. ***We actually used pre-sliced steak pieces & a grill pan over the stove***

Per serving: Calories 361; Fat 26 g (Saturated 6 g); Cholesterol 43 mg; Sodium 283 mg; Carbohydrate 7 g; Fiber 1 g; Protein 25 g

Found: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/grilled-steak-with-tapenade-recipe/index.html

xoxo