Delicious Delight

Lemon Butter Chicken

One thing I'm always looking out for is a meal that has few ingredients and tastes delicious. Enter the lemon butter chicken recipe. This takes only 6 simple ingredients to make and only about 30 minutes to cook. As a girl who is always busy, this comes in as a winner.

Ingredients:

• 6 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour  (I used gluten free)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons lemon pepper seasoning
• 1/3 cup of butter
• 2 lemons, sliced
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

1. Place each chicken breast between two pieces of plastic wrap. Pound lightly to about 1/4 thick. Remove plastic wrap. In a bowl, combine the flour and sea salt. Coat the chicken breasts with flour mixture. Sprinkle chicken with lemon pepper
2. In a large skillet cook the chicken breasts in the hot butter, half at a time, over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes on each side or until brown. Remove chicken from skillet. Add lemon slices to skillet; cook for about 2-3 minutes  or until lightly browned, turning once.  Return all of the chicken to the skillet, overlapping chicken breasts slightly. Drizzle lemon juice over the chicken. Cook for 2-3 minutes more or until pan juices are slightly reduced. Serve chicken, lemon slices, and pan juices over rice or quinoa if desired.

Pretty Healthy

Quinoa pasta with kale and garlic

One of my favorites lunches to make contains some of the best ingredients for you and its easy to make. I stumbled upon this recipe while I was thinking of better ways to eat kale. We all know the leafy green is amazingly good for you, but tastes very bitter, which can be a turn off to some. I thought about sauteing the kale with olive oil and garlic, and lets be honest, garlic tastes incredibly amazing with pretty much everything, and then thought about putting some chicken stock in with it. Complete genius! I could not get over how well all of the ingredients blended together while also taking away the bitter taste of the kale. After making this lunch for a couple of weeks, I saw a box of quinoa pasta while I was out with my dad. This made a great lunch dish even better and still kept  everything healthy.

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of kale, trimmed off of the stem
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 cup of quinoa pasta
• 1/2 cup of chicken stock
• A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (evoo)

Directions:

Cook the pasta in a large pot according to the package instructions. Once done, set aside and wait for the kale to be finished. While the pasta is cooking, heat the evoo in a medium sized pot. Trim the kale leaves off of the stem. Make sure to wash the leaves and pat dry. Once the oil is ready, take the chopped garlic and place into the pot, making sure to stir frequently for about 3 to 4 minutes. Then take the 1/2 cup of chicken stock and pour into the pot with the garlic. Let the mixture come to a boil and then reduce to a low temperature. Place the kale into the pot, with the lid on, for about 5 minutes. Once the five minutes are up, take the lid off and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. Once finished, take the pasta and place on a plate with the kale and garlic on top.

Simple Pleasures

Tea Time and Macarons

Mornings have always been one of my favorite times of the day. The fresh new clean feeling, the endless amount of possibilities that could occur, and the grateful sense of knowing I have made it another day. One morning activity I quite adore is to sit back, while after having my breakfast, to take a moment to enjoy a simple pleasure of mine, tea and macaron cookies. Albeit, this is not an everyday occurrence, but that makes it more special when it does. These little darlings became popular in France and soon made their way state side. While I cannot get the little cookie locally, only bigger cities seem to have them in Pennsylvania, I treasure the ones I do have the chance to acquire. Light and airy with either a creme or jelly center, macarons have become a new favorite of mine, not to mention how pretty they look! I also like to get my little sweet treat out of the way in the morning so I have the rest of the day to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables to make up for it. Remember, moderation is key.

Healthy Bites

Balsamic Roast Pork Tenderloins

One of my favorite go to meals to make is Balsamic Roast Tenderloins. They're rather easy to make and pack a whole lot of flavor from all of the garlic and herbs piled high on top of them. Not only that, but this meal comprises of all healthy ingredients ranging from the garlic, herbs, and evoo. Garlic is known to be a natural immune booster, has loads of vitamin C and B6 in it, regulates blood sugar, fights bacterial infections, and reduces cholesterol. Rosemary is known to improve digestion, enhance memory concentration, fights free radicals in the brain, and boots the immune system with antioxidants. Thyme is rich in vitamin A, contains antiseptic and antibiotic properties, aids in digestion, improves the appearance of acne, and controls blood pressure levels. Without further ado, here is the yummy recipe you can enjoy while also reaping all of the healthy benefits!

What you'll need:

• 1 package or 4 pork tenderloins
• 4 tbls of balsamic vinegar
• 4 tbls of extra virgin olive oil  (evoo)
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• steak seasoning or coarse salt and pepper
• 4 sprigs of rosemary, stripped and finely chopped
• 4 sprigs of thyme, stripped and finely chopped

Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
• Trim the fat off of the tenderloins
• Coat the tenderloins with balsamic vinegar. About 1 tbl spoon per tenderloin,
• Drizzle pork with evoo, just enough to coat
• Cut small slits into the meat and disperse chunks of garlic into the meat
• Combine steak seasoning with rosemary and thyme and rub meat with the blend.
• Place the tenderloins onto a nonstick cookie sheet.
• Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Benefits of Green Tea

Every morning I look forward to drinking mint green tea. It not only soothes and calms, but gets me ready for the day ahead. This tea comes jam packed with health benefits and also contains less caffeine than black tea or coffee. As someone who becomes too jittery with caffeine this tea wins my stamp of approval. Looking to try a new morning pick me up? Look no further than green tea and reap the rewards. Trust me, your body will thank you later on. A little added bonus, by squeezing a citrus juice into your tea, I use lemons, this boosts the power of the antioxidants and keeps them in the body longer.

• Contains the highest amount of antioxidants of any tea
• Polyphenols have been shown to decrease tumor growth. Drinking green tea over long period of time has also been shown to decrease multiple cancers.
• Prevents dental cavities
• Lowers stress levels
• Reduces risk of heart disease
• Naturally cleans teeth and freshens breath
• Improves arthritis by reducing inflammation throughout the body
• Can help in weight loss by increasing metabolism
• The catechins in the tea give your immune system a big boost by creating an antibacterial state within the body. This helps in preventing sickness and disease.
• Great for skin due to its high content of antioxidants and inflammatory properties.
• Spritz some green tea onto the face to draw out impurities and get a gorgeous glow
• Steep the tea for 15 minutes and allow to cool for a few hours. Rinse hair with it and allow to sit for about 10 minutes. Make sure to shampoo and condition afterwards as normal. This gives lack luster hair a boost of shine.

Sweet Treats

Blueberry  Crumble Cake

My sweet treat indulgence for this week is a delicious blueberry crumble cake. Keeping true to my retro roots, the recipe comes from a Retro Baking book with a healthy update, while still keeping the flavor and decadence alive. Enjoy this treat while taking a break from the day and sipping on some tea of coffee.

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup truvia baking sugar
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 2 eggs, seperated (reserve the whites)
• 1 cup of almond milk
• 1 cup of fresh blueberries

Grease and flour the bottom of a 12x8x2 inch rectangle pan. In a large mixing bowl sift together flour and sugar. Using a fork cut in butter until mixture becomes crumbly. Measure 3/4 cup of flour mixture and set aside. To remaining flour mixture beat in baking powder, salt, egg yolks, and milk; beat about 2 minutes. In a small mixing bowl beat egg whites until stuff and still moist. Gently fold into batter and pour into pan. Spread blueberries over batter and sprinkle crumb mixture over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-50 minutes.

Simple Pleasures

Have Your Cake and Eat It Too

When it comes to dessert time, that signals all sorts of warning bells in my head. Basically, how bad the sweet treat can be for my body and health. One thing I have learned though, like most things in life, is moderation is key. I always watch the sugar content in all types of foods be it the appetizer, main course, or dessert, due to the toll it takes on the body. Sugar can literally make you look older, yikes! Cutting sweets completely out of the diet would be ideal, but as I have learned in the past, cravings can come on strong and take over, leading to an eventual dessert fest of all sorts. To keep the cravings at bay moderation comes into play. Either make healthy comprises like swapping milk chocolate out for healthy 70% dark chocolate, which is filled with flavanoids and becomes more like fiber at 70%, or treat yourself to one dessert a week so as not to completely limit yourself, but also keeping the sugar at bay. This way, you can have your cake and eat it too, the best of both worlds being had.

Finding that balance can be tricky, but simply takes some planning and good decision making. Instead of bleached flour, buy whole wheat flour, and instead of white rice, try the ever healthy quinoa. I've used whole wheat flour and quinoa in many of my recipes for cooking and baking, and they come out fantastic. Instead of grabbing a bag of chips from the vending machine, try to pack an apple instead or bring some berries and almonds to munch on. Having that one dessert at the end on the week, or whenever you prefer, will not seem so bad after all of the healthy choices being made. Not only that, but it gives you something to look forward to, a nice reward for all of your hard work!

Pretty Healthy

Quinoa Bake for Breakfast

One of my favorite events of the morning is breakfast. I like to get up, exercise, take a shower, and settle in for a nice healthy meal. Sometimes I'll include a juice drink, but on this occasion I wanted to focus on the meal itself. Instead of reaching for a sugary cereal, try to start off the day the healthy way! This bake, which becomes like a cereal, is packed with good for your body ingredients including quinoa, honey, coconut, cinnamon, berries, and lastly milk. This breakfast is even great for you glam gals who are always in a rush to get out the door since it only takes about 15 minutes to make. Starting the morning off with breakfast gets your body in gear for the busy ahead by getting the metabolism process moving and hopefully leading to fewer cravings throughout the rest of the day.

The main star here is none other than the whole grain quinoa. Protein packed, this little guy brings tons of fiber, lysine, magnesium, riboflavin, and manganese to the table. Quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids and with all of that fiber, it makes you feel fuller longer while also decreasing your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. It's lysine content helps rebuild tissue growth and repair meaning it does wondrous things for the skin! The iron helps keeps muscles full of oxygen and the riboflavin helps keep energy levels high. What a great little grain quinoa turned out to be!

To make the baked cereal, simply combine all of the ingredients together and lay out onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Once done, take out of the oven and combine back into a bowl. Top off with milk, berries and enjoy! You'll be on your way to a healthier you in no time.

Sweet Treats

Bird's Nest Macaroons

A spring time holiday, Easter brings with it delightful visions of blossoming color and life renewed. This simple dessert not only incorporates the pretty pop of color, but also the idea of new life. Like Christmas, Easter has many sweet treats associated with it. While I try to stay away from sugar, sometimes a girl cannot resist the temptation, especially while I'm in the mood for whipping up desserts. The recipe is easy to follow and only takes a few ingredients  to make these delicious bird's nest macaroons.

Ingreidents:

• ½ cup butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 6 cups shredded coconut
• ¼ cup nutella
• Mini chocolate Easter eggs

(A small note to make: I used truvia baking blend to cut down on the calories and sugar intake. If using truvia, the amount of sugar decreases to 1/4 cup and 2 table spoons)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Then, using an electric mixer, beat butter, sugar, and salt.
2. Add eggs, one at a time, until mixed thoroughly. Mix in coconut.
3. Drop your batter onto a cookie sheet by using 1-2 tablespoon amounts. Roll into balls, then make an indent with fingers to resemble a bird’s nest. You can make them however large or small you want. This will affect how many eggs can fit into the little nest. I found that 1 tablespoon scoop leaves enough for one egg, while 2 tablespoons leaves enough for 3.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom and browned in spots on top.
5. Once completely cooled, spoon a little Nutella into each “nest”. Heat the Nutella for 15 seconds to make it spread easier. Finish by topping with 1-3 chocolate eggs.

Heart of Health

Juice Boost

One of the best things a person can do for themselves comes in the form of juicing. Especially drinking the juice on an empty stomach which allows all of the vitamins and minerals to absorb quickly into the system. Wait about twenty minutes to a half hour before eating anything else to give the digestive tract a chance to process the nutrients. Also, juices should be considered more like a snack than a whole meal. The body receives a good amount of the daily requirement for fruits and vegetables through juicing, but lacks in the fiber and protein needed to keep the digestive system happy.

 The great thing about juicing is how customizable it is. One can literally experiment with so many different fruit and veggie combinations. I want to share a new favorite of mine that combines kale, beets, lemons, oranges, and apples. All are extremely good for overall health and provide a big boost in vitamins and minerals. This specific combo balances each other out nicely with the fruit cancelling out the bitterness of the kale and beets. In the juicer, combine, 1 bunch of kale, 1 apple, 1 beet, 1 orange, and 1/2 of a lemon.

• Kale: This leafy green has become very popular lately and rightfully so! It comes chock full of vitamins and minerals including, vitamins K, A, and C, magnesium, and folate. It has a high fiber content leading to proper digestion and the ability to detox the body keeping the liver in check. It is high in iron, antioxidants, and has anti-inflammatory properties, all great for the skin!
• Beets: I've only recently started to research about beets and their wonderful affect on the body and skin. They are loaded with potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron; vitamins A, B & C; beta-carotene, beta-cyanine, and folic acid. Like the kale, they also have the great ability to detox the digestive system and keep the liver happy. To top it off, beets can also help in keeping the mind and body relaxed. They contain betaine and trytophan, which relaxes the mind and creates a sense of over all calmness. 
• Apples: The old saying goes, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, so there must be a reason for this right? Absolutely! They come packed with vitamins C, A, B1, B2, B6, E, K and flavonoids and with smaller amounts of phosphorus, folate, niacin, magnesium iron and calcium. Apples provide potassium which may promote heart health and are thought to be good at fighting cancer with their high antioxidents, phytochemicals and phytonutrients, which help lower the LDL or bad cholestrol.
• Oranges: A glass of orange juice is known to provide twice the daily amount of vitamin C needed and that means good things for your skin and immune system. Oranges also are bursting with vitamin B6 thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, magnesium,  selenium and copper.
• Lemons: While oranges have the market corned on vitamin C, a little known fact is how packed lemons are with vitamin C as well. Not only that, but they can restore the body's pH levels, cleanse the bowels, stimulate the liver, dissolve kidney stones, contain the  phytonutrient tangeretin, which is effective for brain disorders, and strengthen blood vessels with vitamin P.