My Favorite Summer Breakfast (or snack!)

Summer is the season of berries! And boy do I relish in making anything I can with them! I love to mix them with everything from pancakes, muffins, jams, or just alone! They make me so very happy, and since I only get to eat them fresh a couple months out of the year (the first strawberry of the year is the best!), I always eat this in the morning or for a light snack! It is simple, keeps you full, is low in calories, high in calcium and just so delicious! The beauty of this dish is not only its simplicity, but you can make so many variations with any berry, add fresh herbs like mint or basil, get a little spicy with some chili powder in place of the cinnamon...the options are endless, but the taste will never let you down!

Yogurt and Fruit

• 1/2 cup plain organic yogurt
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh organic strawberries (ps..you should ALWAYS buy these organic!)
• 1 tsp honey
• sprinkle of cinnamon

That's it. Trust me, sometimes the simplest things are the tastiest!



Enjoy!
Kendra

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches

I love finding different ways to make chicken! Sometimes it can be the most bland meat there is...unless you brine, barbeque, or in this case, boil in a delicious balsamic vinegar based sauce!! I wanted something tangy, healthy and delicious! And this is it! The chicken itself is less than 150 calories per serving (about 1/2 a cup) and you can decide on what bread to put it on! Its really easy to make and packs a flavor punch that will impress all!

Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
Serves 4-6

• 3 4-6oz boneless and skinless chicken breasts (natural, farm raised is best!)
• 1-2 cup water
• 2 shallots minced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 tbs Worcestershire 
• 2/3 cup ketchup
• 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar cup
• 4 tbs honey
• 1 tbs dijon mustard
• 4-6 french rolls
• salt and pepper to taste

Salt and pepper both sides of chicken and place in a deep sauce pan. Add shallots, garlic and water just enough to cover the chicken. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Boil chicken for about 15 minutes, remove from pot and let sit for 1-2 minutes. Pull apart with two forks and set aside. Continue to cook sauce for about 10 more minutes until water begins to evaporate and sauce thickens. Add chicken back to sauce and heat through. Fill rolls with pulled chicken and serve with a summery salad!

Happy Eating!
Enjoy
Kendra

Mushroom Risotto with Lemon Asparagus

I think mushrooms are an amazing food. They have a fantastic flavor that's earthy and rich and they taste so good when they are freshly picked! I found these mushrooms on my Sunday excursion to the farmer's market and just had to make them for dinner! My lovely friend Demi came over to enjoy the sweltering summer heat, a delicious dinner and some sparkling white wine. This dish is very easy to make, tastes delightful when paired with the citrus of the asparagus, and is chock full of vitamins selenium, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin D!

• 3 cups water
  
• 1/2 lb. fresh asparagus chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 6-7 cups chicken high quality chicken or veggie stock
• 3 tbs butter
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 lbs fresh cremini mushrooms chopped
• 1/4 cup crushed pine nuts
• 1 tbs red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tbs dried basil
• 1/2 cup shredded or grated fresh parmesan
• 1/4 cup lowfat sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1 tbs olive oil
• juice from 1/2 of a lemon

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil and cook asparagus for 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside until risotto is almost ready.

Pour stock into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. You will also need a ladle so that you can add the stock to the risotto in batches of 1 cup at a time.

In a separate large sauce pan, melt 1 tbs butter on low medium heat and saute garlic for about 1 minute until aromatic. Add mushrooms and cook until all the liquid has been released (about 5-7 minutes). Pour out mushrooms with juice into a bowl and place in fridge.

In same pot, melt remaining butter on low medium heat. Add risotto, pine nuts, basil and pepper flakes. Saute risotto until it becomes slightly golden. Add vermouth and saute for a couple minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Add mushrooms with all their delicious juices and continue to stir until the liquid has been absorbed. Pour your first cup of stock into risotto and stir until liquid is absorbed. Repeat this last step until the risotto is soft and slightly firm. Add parmesan cheese and sour cream and stir until creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Heat olive oil in frying pan and saute asparagus, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and the lemon juice and cook for 1-2 minutes until bread crumbs are crispy.

Fill 4 bowls with risotto and top with asparagus mixture. Garnish with fresh basil and pair with your favorite white wine.

Enjoy!
Happy Eating!
Kendra

My Cherry Amore

And its another beautiful Sunday here in Chicago, and the perfect day for the Farmer's Market! This morning, I headed down to Logan Square and perused the aisle of fresh breads, jams, and veggies! I love the summer months because the food is so abundant! All last week I had a craving for some home made jam but didn't really know which fruit to choose. I already had some blueberry preserves from Bonne Maman in my fridge, and its just not the right time for strawberries here in the Midwest. Then I spotted them! Glorious and bright red, shining in the sunlight and calling my name! Sour Cherries! These are so great because I love tart and sweet jams (my favorite is cranberry sauce in the winter...but you cannot find cranberries in the summer here!) so...I picked up two pounds of these babies with my heart set on making them into a jam today!

The brighter the better

It is my first attempt at making a jam, and I wasn't sure if I needed pectin. After researching a bit, you can actually make a tasty jam WITHOUT pectin by adding lemon juice and its zest to the mix! This naturally adds pectin to the cherries and allows it to congeal on its own. I was elated! This was pretty easy to make and took a total of 2 hours. Pitting the cherries took about 30 minutes though. You can cut the time in half and save yourself the pruney fingers by purchasing a cherry-pitter. 

• 2 pounds sour cherries (rinsed, pitted and chopped roughly..keep about a third whole though for some texture). This will yield about 2.5 cups of jam.
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• juice and zest of 1 large lemon

Place a glass plate in the freezer. You will use this to test whether your jam is ready

Add cherries to a deep sauce pan (non-reactive like enameled cast iron or stainless steel works best and use a wooden spoon). Cook until it begins to boil and bubble on low-medium heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. The cherries should be soft and the juices should start to bubble. Add juice and zest of the lemon (you can substitute oranges or clementines too). Continue to cook until the cherries are very soft. Turn off heat.

Add sugar in batches of 1/4 cup and stir until it is dissolved. Then add the next batch. Continue to do so until all the sugar has been added and is dissolved into the cherries. Place back on low-medium heat and cook for approximately 5 minutes, stirring constantly! Once the juice starts to coat your spoon, turn off heat and place a small spoonful onto your plate that is in the freezer. Put back in freezer for about 3 minutes. When you take the plate out of the freezer, the juice should wrinkle..this will let you know that you it's ready. If it does not wrinkle, return mixture to heat and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Repeat this process until your jam is ready. DO NOT OVERCOOK as the you do not want the sugar to caramelize..this will make for a hard, sticky, and no good jam.

Pour into a sterilized jar, cover, and allow to cool at room temp. Place in refrigerator and cool over night (although I ate some 2 hours later!). Will last about 3-4 weeks. Smother your favorite breads, ice creams, yogurts or just plain oatmeal! It is delicious on everything!! Next time though, I want to add some cloves and currants to make a cherry chutney! I cannot wait!

Happy Eating

Kendra

Miso Tilapia with Mango Fried Rice

I haven't made fried rice since I was in college, and forgot how easy and how tasty it is! I made the dressing for a salad I made last week and decided to finish it off and marinade the fish in it. This dish was fun to prepare and pretty easy to cook. I remember learning how to make fried rice in home economics in the 8th grade. (My first introduction to the stove top, thank you!) And it really is as good as I remember it! Plus, you can control the level of calories and fat you want in your fried rice (restaurant fried rice can reach up to 300 calories per serving...just the rice...)

Miso Tilapia with Mango Fried Rice

Miso Marinade

• 1/4 cup miso paste
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 tbs honey
• 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbs minced shallots
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Mango Fried Rice

• 1 cup brown jasmine rice
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 3 tbs fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 tbs canola oil
• 1/2 tbs sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove chopped
• 1/4 cup green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped red peppers
• 1/2 cup peas
• 1 small lime
• 1/2 cup mango chopped into small cubes
• 2 eggs scrambled in 1 tbs sesame oil
• 2 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tbs hot sauce (I used sriracha)
• 1 tsp fresh ground pepper  

(Serves 4)


Whisk all marinade ingredients together and pour over 4 Tilapia fillets in a large freezer bag. Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

To cook rice, follow instructions. Place cilantro and carrots in with dry rice and simmer until rice is done. Set aside.

In large deep skillet, heat canola and sesame oil on medium heat. Add garlic and red peppers and saute until fragrant. Add green onions and cook for one minute, stirring occasionally. Add rice, peas, hot sauce, soy sauce, ground pepper and juice of one lime and stir until combined. Cook for 3 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Add mango and eggs and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.


Place marinated Tilapia on a broiling tray(pour remaining marinade onto fish) and broil for 8 minutes or until flesh is flaky. 

Scoop rice onto place and place Tilapia on top. Garnish with fresh cilantro and pair with a great white wine!


Enjoy!
Kendra

Potato and Onion Enchiladas

I had these for lunch and dinner on the same day....and I kind of want to heat some up right now. They are THAT good!! This is a great dish for your vegetarian friends. You can definitely add shredded meat of any kind to this dish if you want.  Enjoy!

Potato and Onion Enchiladas

• 1/2 large onion minced
• 2tbs butter
• 1 clove garlic chopped
• 1 cup roasted corn (or a can of corn that has been drained and broiled for 10 minutes!)
• 4 white potatoes skin on (chop into 1 inch pieces and boil until very soft but still maintain shape)
• 2 tbs fresh cilantro
• 4 tbs chicken or veggie stock
• 1.5 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
• 1 tbs chile powder
• 2 tbs salt
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup cheddar
• 4 cups high quality enchilada sauce (I used Frontera Green Chile Sauce..so good!)
• 6 Tbs sour cream
• 1 avocado 
• 6 tbs fresh cilantro (for garnish)

(Serves 6)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Melt butter in a large skillet on medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook for about 10 minutes. Add roasted corn and boiled  potatoes. Add Chile powder, salt, cilantro, and broth and cook for another 10 minutes until potatoes begin to brown (they should be the consistency you would want for potato salad). Taste and add more spices to your liking. Place in bowl and mix in 1/2 cup of pepper jack cheese. Let stand for about 5 minutes so its cool to the touch (your hands WILL get dirty!)

Place corn tortillas in plastic wrap and heat in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Tortillas should be soft enough to roll but not falling apart. (If you want to do this the old school way, heat 1/4 cup canola oil and cook tortillas for about 5 seconds on each side until soft...this will add about 800 calories to the overall dish, though!)

Pour 2 tbs of sauce into a 9x13 baking dish. Brush until it covers the entire bottom. Using your hands, place filling in the center of each tortilla so that the filling reaches the edge of both sides. Roll tortillas and place in dish. Do this until you have filled the dish (about 12 rolls). Cover with sauce and sprinkle remaining cheeses on top. 

Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes. Top each serving (2 rolls) with 1 tbs sour cream, avocado slices and fresh cilantro. 

Happy Eating!

Kendra

Glamorous lunch on the go

I love lunch! Not as much as I love dinner, but lunch can be quite amazing if you give yourself the time to make it! I prefer a great patio, a glass of white wine, and a close friend to enjoy it...but I can't get that every time. Nope, like most, I eat my lunch at work, often in an hour, and then I'm moving and shaking for the rest of the day. I love starchy carbs, but usually they leave me feeling groggy and heavy for the rest of the day, so I love to eat light during lunch so that I can enjoy an amazing dinner in the evening. BUT, lunch can be glamorous, delicious and really simple to make. My best advice: invest in some great food containers that you can take to work with you! I am a sucker for packaging, and there is nothing better than opening up your lunch in a nice glass bowl. And don't be afraid to create a beautiful presentation! You are worth it! (I am a little obsessed with this lunch box!)

My favorite salad is nicoise-light, flavorful, and sooo easy to make! Plus, it's very well rounded and a great source of protein, and nutrients! The classic nicoise has string beans, but I love asparagus so I used that instead! I brought this for lunch the other day and it was fantastic! I sat on a bench, in the sun, surrounded by colorful tulips and was as content as can be. It was a perfect meal!

Nicoise Salad on the Go

Nicoise on the Go

• 1 hard boiled egg
• 1/2 cup asparagus (sliced at diagonally)
• 1 cup raw organic baby spinach
• 1/2 cup tuna salad
• 2 baby red potatoes (boiled with skin and chopped into cubes)

Tuna Salad

• 1 can tuna (drained)
• 1 tbs mayonnaise
• 2 tbs finely chopped red onion
• 1 tbs fresh parsley chopped
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Lemon Dill Vinaigrette

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp honey
• juice of half lemon
• 1 tsp fresh dill (finely chopped)
• 1/2 shallot (minced)
• salt and pepper

(Serves 1)

Bring 4-6 cups of water to a boil. Add egg and cook for 10 minutes. In the last three minutes, add asparagus. Remove from heat, and run under cold water for 30 seconds. Set aside in fridge until ready!

Poke potatoes with a fork and place in microwave for 4 minutes. (Way faster than boiling, and you get the same result!) Let cool for a couple minutes and chop into small pieces.

Combine all ingredients for the tuna salad in a bowl, add salt and pepper to taste.

Combine all ingredients for the dressing and whisk rapidly until well blended.

Now we plate! Start with the spinach than in three sections, add sliced egg, potatoes and asparagus. Top with tuna salad and voila! Deliciousness! I always bring the dressing in a separate container as I hate soggy lettuce! You can make this in less than 20 minutes so it's easy if you're in a pinch. Pair with a delicious french roll, crackers or fruit...whatever your fancy. The best part about this salad is that it will keep you full for a good portion of the day!

Happy Eating!
Kendra