No More Recipe Ruts - new ideas to try!

Stephanie here with another recipe rut update. I've been doing a pretty good job at trying new recipes - especially during crazy work weeks when my husband and I have both been traveling. I have been picking and choosing from my crazy long list of new recipes I want to try and have 2 new recipes to share!

Weight Watchers Parmesan Chicken Cutlets

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa
D loves broccoli... me notsomuchatall. But I know broccoli is super good for you, so I had to give it a go. When he suggested this recipe I got super anxious because the smell/taste/texture of broccoli makes my stomach churn. So it is forever D's goal to get me to eat more broccoli. We found this cheesy broccoli quinoa recipe on one of our fav recipe websites Closet Cooking.

I am very happy to announce that I LOVED THIS RECIPE! I ate broccoli and lived to tell the tale! So stoked I can add this recipe to my favs and add broccoli back to my diet. We have already made it twice - it's not time consuming at all. The first time we made it on it's own and it wasn't enough of a meal. The second time we added chicken and it was a perfect meal. I really recommend trying this one out for a quick and easy dinner!


Weight Watchers Parmesan Chicken Cutlets
I love Italian food, so when I found this recipe I couldn't wait to try out this lower fat / not totally cheesy version of chicken parm! You can find the recipe here on food.com - it is super quick and easy to make.

Chicken baked and ready to go!

My finished product :)

I also made a side of gluten free pasta with tomato basil sauce to go with it. It was a good pairing, but next time I may try a homemade sauce to give this meal an extra kick.

Have you tried any of these new recipes? What is your fav way to try new recipes - do you add your own flair and spices or follow the recipe to the T? Share your fav recipe links on our S & Tea Facebook page!

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An Inappropriate Amount of New Recipes to Try

Hey friends, SH here. As I mentioned, I was stuck in a recipe rut. So I have been and will be posting all the new recipes I am trying every week and giving my reviews of them. Except that I went overboard this week (thanks, Pinterest) and found like 30 new recipes I am dying to try. Obvi these will take me weeks to go through, so I can't help but overshare right now.

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These are links to the top recipes I can't wait to try:

http://www.stacymakescents.com/fix-and-forget-friday-crock-pot-chicken-fajitas

http://www.twirlblog.com/2010/12/potato-goodness.html

http://www.food.com/recipe/easy-garlic-chicken-5478

http://www.food.com/recipe/cheesy-chicken-bacon-tater-tot-crock-pot-bake-403520

http://www.food.com/recipe/weight-watchers-parmesan-chicken-cutlets-185342

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/baked_parmesan_tomatoes.html

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/ginger_meatloaf.html

http://diaryofarecipeaddict.blogspot.com/2011/07/sweet-spicy-bacon-chicken.html

http://www.snackpicks.com/en_US/recipes/details/macaroni-and-cheese-with-veggie-bacon-recipe.html

http://diaryofarecipeaddict.blogspot.com/2012/03/copycat-macaroni-grills-penne-rustica.html

http://skinnytaste.ziplist.com/recipes/318299-Spaghetti_with_Sauteed_Chicken_and_Grape_Tomatoes

http://www.budgetsavvydiva.com/2012/02/crock-pot-potatoes/

http://nomnompaleo.com/post/3251876576/super-easy-tandoori-chicken

http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/Recipes/Recipe/Cheesy-Potato-Frittata.aspx

http://www.cookincanuck.com/2013/01/baked-turkey-quinoa-zucchini-meatballs-recipe-in-lettuce-wraps/

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2013/01/lunch-box-tomato-chickpea-soup-swiss-chard-recipe.html

http://whatsgabycooking.com/nacho-loaded-potato-skins/

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*Maybe if you cook healthy all week, you can try my Mardi Gras tie dye cupcakes to celebrate :)

OK, so now that I did all the recipe research for you - which ones will you try?! Not all are gluten free or dairy free, but you can adjust each one to your own liking. Does it terrify you to try new recipes? Or do you look forward to it all day? Have you ever worked hard on a meal that just ended up sucking? Where do you do your recipe research? Pinterest addict like me? What are your favorite places to read food reviews and check out new things to try?

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Breakfast for Dinner

Hey, SH here with breakfast for dinner! After a super long day at work, sometimes I just don't have it in me to cook a huge dinner. My alternative option is usually just to order food ~ a New Yorker favorite. Except that ordering food is expensive and you don't have control over how it is cooked.

One of my favorite solutions is breakfast for dinner. Breakfast foods are my favorite, and they are easy to cook. Throw in a few eggs and you have a decent meal. May not be the healthiest. meal. ever. ... but it beats ordering food or grabbing fast food. Gotta have some balance here.

My favorite: Egg In A Hat!

I just popped by the Incredible Egg website and found some egg facts to further convince you that breakfast for dinner is the way to go:

1. The amount of cholesterol in a single large egg has decreased by 14 percent according to the new United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrition data*. Consuming an egg a day fits easily within dietary guidance, which recommends limiting cholesterol consumption to 300 mg per day.

2. Eggs now contain 41 IU of vitamin D, which is an increase of 64 percent from 2002. Eggs are one of the few foods that are a naturally good source of vitamin D, meaning that one egg provides at least 10 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). Vitamin D plays an important role in calcium absorption, helping to form and maintain strong bones.

3. The amount of protein in one large egg — 6 grams of protein or 12 percent of the Recommended Daily Value — remains the same, and the protein in eggs is one of the highest quality proteins found in any food. Eggs are all-natural, and one egg has lots of vitamins and minerals all for 70 calories. The nutrients in eggs can play a role in weight management, muscle strength, healthy pregnancy, brain function, eye health and more. At less than 15 cents apiece, eggs are an affordable and delicious breakfast option.

Now for my favorite egg recipe - this comes from my Grandmother (MamMam) who cooked this for me all the time! She passed it on to my mom and now it's a favorite of mine to cook. I have the happiest memories of MamMam and loved spending time with her cooking.

Recipe: MamMam's Egg In A Hat

1. Butter up bread of your choice - on both sides

2. Use a cup to cut out a circle in the middle of the bread - this extra piece will be your toast

Perfect toast circle :)

3. Get the bread and your toast pieces warmed up, then drop an egg in the middle of your bread hat
4. Cook egg on both sides (I like to keep my eggs runny to have stuff to dip in!) ~ Don't forget to rotate your circle toast

This meal makes for a happy New Yorker :)

Egg In A Hat

Do you crave breakfast for dinner after a long day like me? Or do you hate breakfast? What is your fav type of food to eat after a long day? Did you realize that eggs can add in that extra daily protein you have been missing? Do you have a favorite recipe from your Grandparents that just screams comfort food and happiness to you? Check in with us on Facebook and let us know what you think :)

[all photos my own - SH]

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Vegetable Stir Fry

This is something I just tried the other night. With loads of veggies in the refrigerator, this is a great way to get tons of veggies in one sitting. While I'm not a fan of asparagus, this is how I sneak it into a meal. Be careful not to overcook your veggies. Get them hot, but stop cooking while they're still crunchy to keep most of the nutrients.  Feel free to add veggies for variety!


Ingredients:
Stir Fry:
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
2 cups Sugar Snap Peas
1 cup Broccoli
1/3 cup Crushes cashews
2 chopped carrots
1 tablespoon shredded ginger/ground ginger
2 handfuls green beans
5 stalks asparagus, chopped into 1 inch sections
2 shallots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
salt & pepper to taste
Sauce:
1 cup vegetable broth
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Organic 100% whole grain flour*

(Prepare long grain brown rice, however much needed, to serve stir fry on top)

Keep stirring!

Sunfood raw cashews!

Directions
1.  Put olive oil into a wok. Turn stove to high.
2. Put all stir fry ingredients (excluding sauce) into wok. Cook for 5 minutes on high, constantly stirring (hence stir fry).
3. In a separate bowl, mix together vegetable broth, soy sauce, and flour*. Pour in wok.
4. Continue cooking until vegetables are hot, but crunchy, and sauce covers everything.
5. Serve on top of cooked long grain brown rice. Top with soy sauce to taste.

*If you're being very particular about flour, you can exclude this, but just know the sauce will not be as thick.  I would also use 1/2 cup of vegetable broth instead.  We almost NEVER use flour (we don't even keep bread in our house), so this is a rarity, which is why I didn't mind using it for this recipe since it's such a small amount.  We also used some tofu in this recipe because we had it left in the refrigerator.

The finished product!

Gluten Free - Mashed Potatoes Recipe

Mashed Potatoes are awesome. I love eating them for dinner, lunch and as a snick snack! Making homemade mashers is super easy, and it makes for a great snack and side to a meal. I just recently had the flu, and these mashers were the only thing I could manage to keep down (no more canned/sodium filled chicken noodle soup for this lady).

Potatoes are healthy for you too. Just make sure you're not loading them up with dairy (sour cream, cheese), salt or other processed toppings. Learn to enjoy foods without these added extras. I promise you won't miss them after a few weeks. For more potato health facts - check out this article for nutritional facts, and this article to help you further decide how to incorporate potatoes into your diet.

Gluten Free & Dairy Free - Mashed Potatoes Recipe

(This recipe serves around 4) 

INGREDIENTS:

- 1 pound potatoes (Yukon Gold or Russet are my favs)

- 1/4 cup rice milk (unsweetened)

- 5 tablespoons olive oil based butter (this is Oprah approved butter!) *You can also use olive oil

- Salt and Pepper

RECIPE:

1. Peel, rinse and cube the potatoes

2. Place cubed potatoes in a medium size pot, and cover the potatoes with cold water

3. Heat the potatoes to a boil, then lower the heat and summer until tender (around 20 minutes)

4. Drain and return the potatoes to the saucepan

5. Add the milk, butter (or olive oil), and sprinkle salt and pepper to taste

- You can add whatever spices you would like (Just don't load up on processed fillers)

6. Mash the potatoes until smooth

I hope you enjoy! Let me know if you make any tasty changes to the recipe, I'd be happy to share your recipe as well.

- Stephanie