Category: Cooking

Cooking, Uncategorized

Healthy Corn Chowder (So delicious!)

kellyrshaver

corn chowder
This corn chowder was delicious. I don’t have an Instant Pot so I made it in a pot instead.

If you make it without an Instant Pot modify it as follows:

  • Sauté the bacon, pull it out, sauté the veggies; put all ingredients except the cream/flour back into the pot and simmer on low.
  • Cook for 30-40 minutes. Then add flour and half and half and bring to a boil until thickened.

Healthy Corn Chowder: Instant Pot

by Sally Baer

https://eastside.fit4mom.com/our-corner/fit-foodie-friday-healthy-corn-chowder

I LOVE a good, hearty soup in the winter months. It warms the soul and heart. Many classic “cream” soups tend to be heavy, but this chowder is fairly light without missing the comfort and heartiness factor that you sometimes need on a cold, rainy night. I tweaked this recipe from Damn Delicious to make a lighter soup that’s a bit healthier than traditional chowders. I hope you enjoy! Xoxo

INGREDIENTS:

4 slices bacon, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 ribs of celery, diced
1 jalapeño, diced
4 small red potatoes, chopped
1 (16-ounce) package frozen corn kernels
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3/4 cup half and half
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
DIRECTIONS:

First, Set 6-qt Instant Pot to the high saute setting. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.

  • Add garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, until onions have become translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Stir in bacon, potatoes, corn, vegetable stock, thyme and cayenne pepper; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Select manual setting; adjust pressure to high, and set time for 10 minutes. When finished cooking, quick-release pressure according to manufacturer’s directions.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together heavy cream and flour; set aside.
  • Select high sauté setting. Bring to a boil; stir in heavy cream mixture and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened, about 4-5 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more vegetable stock as needed until desired consistency is reached.
  • Serve immediately, garnished with chives, if desired.

*FIT4MOM is the nation’s leading prenatal and postnatal fitness program, providing fitness classes and a network of moms to support every stage of motherhood. From pregnancy, through postpartum and beyond, our fitness and wellness programs help make moms strong in body, mind, and spirit.

Cooking

Blackened Chicken and Quinoa Salad

kellyrshaver

Blackened Chicken and Quinoa Salad

This Blackened Chicken and Quinoa Salad was sooo good! Fair warning, there is a decent amount of prep, grilling the chicken and the corn and cutting up the toppings. My mouth is still watering thinking about this dinner though so I’d say it was worth it.

 

Blackened Chicken and Quinoa Salad
Ingredients
For the chicken:
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
For the quinoa:
  • 2 cups quinoa cook according to package instructions
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup cilantro roughly chopped
For the salad:
  • 1 avocado sliced
  • 1 mango diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 1 grilled corn on the cob corn kernels removed
  • 1/2 cup blueberries
  • 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
  • 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
To grill the chicken
  1. Heat your grill to medium-high.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together paprika, cumin, thyme, oregano, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Rub onto all sides of chicken.
  3. Grill until the chicken is blackened and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove from heat and let cool slightly before slicing.
To prepare the quinoa:
  1. Whisk olive oil, lime juice, garlic, and salt and pepper in a small bowl until combined. Whisk in cilantro. Pour over quinoa, a little at a time until it reaches your desired amount, and stir to combine.
To assemble:
  1. Spoon the quinoa onto your serving plate. Arrange the sliced chicken, sliced avocado, diced mango, diced bell pepper, corn kernels, blueberries, feta cheese, and cilantro over the quinoa.

 

 

Cooking

Sweet Potato Avocado Toasts with Egg and Arugula

kellyrshaver

2018-5-29 Sweet Potato Avocado Toasts with Egg and Arugula

This recipe for Sweet Potato Avocado Toasts with Egg and Arugula was amazing! So delicious, filling, and pretty easy to make (even with interruptions from my kids). And mine turned out pretty close to the photo in the recipe. (There were two on my plate, but I forgot to take a photo until I had already eaten one.) My youngest also enjoyed this, but my oldest didn’t even want to try it.

I used arugula and I found roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) in the bulk section of my grocery store.

From Tablespoon.com:

Sweet Potato Avocado Toasts with Egg and Arugula

Prep: 15 MIN  Total: 30 MIN  Servings: 2

Roasted sweet potato slices take the place of bread in this easy, but impressively fresh and filling dish. Bonus: It works just as well for dinner as it does for breakfast.

 

Ingredients
4 (1/4-inch thick) orange-fleshed sweet potato slices, cut lengthwise
2tablespoons olive oil
1 avocado, pitted and peeled
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3 cups arugula
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons Annie’s™ balsamic vinaigrette
1/4 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Steps
1  Heat oven to 425°F. Brush both sides of sweet potato slices with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil; place on ungreased large cookie sheet. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until golden brown. Transfer to cooling rack.
2  Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mash avocado with lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Set aside.
3  Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Break egg into custard cup; carefully slide into skillet from custard cup. Repeat with other egg. Immediately reduce heat to low. Season eggs with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 4 to 5 minutes, spooning oil over eggs, until yolks are set.
4  In medium bowl, toss arugula and cherry tomatoes with vinaigrette.
5  Divide sweet potato slices among two serving plates; top each with avocado mixture, pepitas, arugula mixture and egg.
Expert Tips
Yams and sweet potatoes are two different tubers, and you don’t want to mix them up in this recipe or any other, as you may get different results. A sweet potato has tapered ends and thin, smooth skin and flesh that can range from light beige to orange. Whereas a yam is cylindrical and typically white-fleshed and has rough, dark skin.
We use arugula for this recipe, but baby spinach leaves would work well, too.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size: 1 Serving
Calories
510
Calories from Fat
380
Total Fat
42g
64%
Saturated Fat
7g
34%
Trans Fat
0g
 
Cholesterol
185mg
62%
Sodium
720mg
30%
Potassium
910mg
26%
Total Carbohydrate
20g
7%
Dietary Fiber
8g
31%
Sugars
6g
 
Protein
14g
 
% Daily Value*:
Vitamin A
130%
Vitamin C
20%
Calcium
10%
Iron
15%
Exchanges:

1/2 Starch; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Skim Milk; 0 Low-Fat Milk; 0 Milk; 2 Vegetable; 0 Very Lean Meat; 0 Lean Meat; 0 High-Fat Meat; 7 1/2 Fat;

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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