Sauteed Broccoli, Squash and Mushrooms

I give my boyfriend, Stephén a hard time about being anti-vegetables. But I must admit, I'm not the biggest fan of veggies myself. But for some reason I have been obsessed with these sauteed broccoli, squash and mushrooms lately. Seriously, I've been eating them like it's my job. I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm sure I will tire of them soon, so I'll just go with it while it lasts.


Sauteed Broccoli, Squash and Mushrooms
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2 t+ extra virgin olive oil
1 pint cremini mushrooms
1 yellow squash
1 broccoli crown
1 shallot
Salt and pepper
1 clove garlic, minced

Quarter mushrooms, slice squash down the middle and cut them in half moons, trim broccoli into bite size pieces and thinly slice the shallot. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Add mushrooms to skillet and saute for 4-5 minutes, or until browned. Add more oil if needed. Add squash, broccoli and shallot to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 more minute.

Agave-Walnut Chicken

I had every intention of posting this recipe last week. Especially since I made it about two weeks ago, but somehow time just got away from me. I don't know what happened. Maybe this week will be better, though it doesn't seem to being shaping up that way. By the way, this was a big hit with my picky eater niece, Siena.

Agave-Walnut Chicken

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adapted from Rachael Ray Mag

1 1/2 lb chicken drumsticks

Salt and pepper

2 t extra virgin olive oil

1 c walnuts, chopped

1 c chicken broth

1/4 c apple cider vinegar

3/4 c agave nectar

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken for 4-5 minutes per side, totaling 20-25 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet. Add vinegar to skillet and use a wooden spoon to scrap up the brown bits. Stir in chicken broth, agave nectar and walnuts. Add chicken back to skillet, turning to coat with sauce and let simmer for 5 minutes.

Roasted Red Potatoes

These potatoes are, in a word, AMAZING. I know what you're thinking... It's roasted red potatoes, that's not a big deal. But these potatoes, my friends, were brined. So they're seasoned on the inside! Big deal!!! You must try these.


Roasted Red Potatoes
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2 lbs small red potatoes
1/4 c kosher salt
1 T agave nectar
10 peppercorns
2 1/2 c hot water
6-8 ice cubes
2 T extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Pierce potatoes with a fork several times. In a large bowl, stir hot water together with salt, agave nectar and peppercorns until the salt is dissolved. Add ice cubes to chill water down. Add potatoes and let brine for 5-6 hours. Rinse potatoes. Toss potatoes with oil, salt and pepper. Roast in a 375 degree oven for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes.

Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Are you a fan of the Biggest Loser? I can't get enough of it. And I always feel kind of guilty for eating dinner while I'm watching it. But obviously not guilty enough to stop doing it. Tonight I'm going to try to get this recipe posted without getting too distracted by the Biggest Loser. I'm already not doing a very good job. It doesn't help that my friend, Jenni and I have a tendency to text each other throughout the show about what's happening.


Chicken and Wild Rice Soup
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2 t extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
Pinch red pepper flakes, to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c wild rice
4 c chicken broth
1 c dairy or nondairy milk
2 c cooked chicken, diced
1 c baby spinach

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallot, salt, pepper, rosemary, red pepper flakes and wild rice to pot. Let shallot saute and wild rice toast for 5-6 minutes. Add chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover pot. Simmer for 45-50 minutes, or until rice is tender. Stir in milk and chicken. Let chicken heat through for 2-3 minutes. Stir in spinach and remove from heat.

Chicken with Strawberry Salad

My boyfriend, Stephen, is not a picky eater. He will eat whatever I feed him, but he is not a fan of pairing sweet fruit with a savory dish. So I save these kinds of recipes for my family. And yes, I know, there is something wrong with him. But I love him anyway.


Chicken with Strawberry Salad
adapted from Rachael Ray's look + cook
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4 chicken breasts
2 t extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
1 pint strawberries, sliced
3-4 small basil leaves, thinly sliced
1 c baby spinach, thinly sliced
4-5 slices turkey bacon, cut on bias

In small pot, bring balsamic vinegar to a simmer and reduce by half. Let vinegar cool then toss with strawberries, basil, spinach, salt and pepper. In large skillet, cook turkey bacon over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on a paper towel. In same skillet, add oil and heat over medium heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Cook chicken for 7-8 minutes per side, until cooked through. Let chicken rest for 10 minutes, then slice on an angle. Top chicken with strawberry salad and turkey bacon.

Stuffed Pork Chops

Since going gluten and dairy free (amongst other things such as corn, egg, soy, beef, peanut, pork, shellfish and sugar) I have been debating with myself about whether or not to truly make this a healthy blog and only post the food I can eat. But reality is that I make things for my boyfriend, Stephen, that I can't eat. So I think that I'm finally willing to accept that some of the recipes here will be healthy recipes that support autoimmune disorders and some recipes will be whatever it is that I'm making for Stephen that day. Recipes like this one...


Stuffed Pork Chops
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4 thick-cut pork chops
2 t + 1 T extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 c mushrooms, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 c sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T chipotle puree, see note
2 T parsley, chopped
2 t flour
3/4 c chicken broth

Using a paring knife, cut a pocket in the middle of each of the pork chops. In a medium skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of oil over medium high heat. Saute mushrooms and shallot for 4-5 minutes, or until mushrooms are browned. Add sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and chipotle puree. Cook for 3 minutes. Stir in parsley and remove from heat. Using a spoon, stuff the mushroom mixture into the pork chop pockets. Secure pocket with toothpick. Season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper. In a large, oven safe skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium high heat. Sear pork chops for 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer skillet to 350 degree oven for 7-8 minutes, or until pork chops are cooked through. Remove pork chops from skillet. Return skillet to stove over medium heat. Sprinkle flour in skillet and whisk with remaining oil in skillet. Let cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in chicken broth, scraping up all the brown bits from the skillet. Let broth thicken. Pour over the top of the pork chops.

Stuffed Potato Skins

What do you do when you have 4 snow days in a row? You get creative with what food you have in your house. And I have to say, this creation was really good. Granted, it would have been a whole lot better with some cheese melted over the top. So if you eat cheese, pile some extra on for me.


Stuffed Potato Skins
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6 small red potatoes
2 chicken breasts
2 t extra virgin olive oil
2 T pureed chipotle peppers, see note
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper
1 c chicken broth, divided
1 scallion, chopped

Roast potatoes in 400 degree oven for 45-50 minutes, until they are cooked through and tender when light pressure is applied. Slice potatoes in half and scoop out the inside of the potatoes. Return potatoes to oven, cut side up, for 3-4 minutes, or until crisp. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook chicken for 8-9 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Let chicken rest for 10 minutes, then dice chicken. Mix together the chipotle puree and 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Add diced chicken and chipotle mixture back to the skillet. Mix together and let heat over medium heat for 5-10 minutes to let flavors meld. Put black beans and 1/2 cup of chicken broth in a small pot. Using a potato masher, mash black beans to your desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper and let heat through. Fill potato skin with black beans and top with chicken and scallions.

Note: When you get a new can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, puree the peppers until smooth. Store chipotles in a storage bag in the freezer. Then you can slice off the amount that you what.

Steak Rub

We are on day 3 of no school because of the weather here in Dallas. Most people are probably getting cabin fever by now. I, on the other hand, am finally getting a day to relax. A couple weeks ago, we found out that my boyfriend, Stephen's mom has the early stages of breast cancer. She had surgery on Tuesday morning and then was released from the hospital yesterday. The surgery went really well and she seems to be having a good recovery.

Though it has been a rough couple of days, it has been nice to spend a lot of extra time with Stephen. This was a quick dinner I made for him last night. Stephen really liked the seasoning on the steak. And he definitely appreciated that I topped the potatoes with cheese and made a gravy.


Steak Rub
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1 t dried oregano
1 t chili powder
1/2 t chipotle powder
1/4 t cocoa powder

Mix well. Use liberally on steak.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

I've had an unhealthy obsession today. My friends, Corley and Angela already had to hear about it today, but they will just have to endure it again... There was this girl on the Rachael Ray Show recently who had started a blog to document her losing weight. She decided to take pictures, once a week, of herself in a bikini to show her progress. She is either brave or crazy, decide for yourself. Though my obsession today was about the fact that she weighs the exact same amount as me but still looks better in a bikini than me (I finally figured out that she is 3 inches talker than me), that's not my current obsession with her. The fact is, I'm jealous. I'm jealous that she was clever (read: crazy) enough to take pictures of herself in a bikini and then end up on the Rachael Ray Show. I want to be on the Rachael Ray Show! Ok, maybe not in my bikini. But that's beside the point.


Stuffed Acorn Squash
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1 acorn squash
1 t + 2 t extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 lb ground turkey breast
1 small eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 carrot, chopped
1 c sliced mushrooms
1 c baby spinach
1 scallion, chopped
1 t onion powder
Pinch nutmeg
1/4 c chicken broth

Slice the acorn squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and membrane. Coat inside of squash with the 1 teaspoon of oil and season with salt and pepper. Place squash cut side down on a baking sheet and bake for 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until tender. In large skillet, heat remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over medium high heat. Cook ground turkey with salt and pepper for 5-6 minutes. Add eggplant, carrot and mushrooms to skillet. Season with onion powder, salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add spinach, scallions, nutmeg and chicken broth. Let spinach wilt down for 1-2 minutes. Stuff each acorn half with ground turkey mixture.

Lentil Soup

I've never had lentils before. Never really had a desire to eat lentils. They just look like they would be so blah. But for some reason, I've been obsessed with looking at lentil soup recipes lately. So I took the plunge. And to my surprise, I actually liked it. But I really think the chipotle was a vital ingredient.


Lentil Soup
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1 lb all-natural chicken sausage, sliced on bias
2 t extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 c mushrooms, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
1 t fresh rosemary, chopped
1 chipotle, minced
1 c lentils, rinsed
4 c chicken broth
2 c water
1 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped
2 c kale, chopped

In large pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Sear chicken sausage for 2-3 minutes per side, until browned. Remove from pot. Add onion and mushrooms to pot and saute for 4-5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Stir in garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary and chipotle. Let cook for 1 minute. Add lentils, chicken broth, water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer. Cover pot and let simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until lentils are tender. Stir in kale and chicken sausage. Let kale wilt down for about 2 minutes.