Bacon-wrapped smoky chicken thighs + shredded brussels sprouts salad

Zack and I have been eating paleo-style for three weeks now. And it just keeps getting better. We are reaping the benefits. Honestly, I didn't think it would last more than a whopping two seconds, but it's actually turning out to be a well-worthy endeavor. I mean, really. Wouldn't you like some bacon-wrapped goodness for your dinner tonight?

Bacon-wrapped smoky chicken thighs

As adapted from Balanced Bites.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

4-5 (depending on size) bone-less, skin-less chicken thighs (I got mine at Trader Joe's)

4-5 slices of Trader Joe's apple smoked bacon

Ingredients for smoky spice blend:

Approx. 1 teaspoon chili powder

Approx. 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Approx. 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, place a rack on top, and grease rack with cooking spray. Combine spices for smoky spice blend in a small bowl. Rub chicken thighs with half of the spice blend. Wrap each thigh in a piece of bacon, rub with remaining spice, then place on baking sheet rack. Bake for 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Easy as that. Enjoy. 

Shredded brussels sprouts salad

As adapted from Power Foods.

Serves 4.

Ingredients for salad dressing:

1 tablespoon stone-ground mustard
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1-2 lemons)
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Ingredients for salad:

8 ounces brussels sprouts, very thinly sliced (about 3 cups, I used pre-sliced brussels from Trader Joe's)
3 cups of spinach, Swiss chard, and kale (or a combination, thinly sliced if desired)
1/3 cup raw hulled sunflower seeds, toasted if desired

Stir together mustard, lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and maple syrup; whisk in oil until emulsified. In a salad bowl, toss together brussels sprouts and greens. Add salad dressing and sunflower seeds; toss to coat and serve.

Spinach, Swiss chard, and kale mixture (buy this "power greens" mix at Trader Joe's)

First of all, this chicken might be one of the most wonderful things I've ever eaten. Why I don't buy chicken thighs more often is beyond me. Seriously, consider trying chicken thighs in place of your usual chicken breast sometime; they are so incredibly flavorful. And I didn't even use bone-in thighs, as the original recipe recommended. Not to mention how tender they are. Now, I know the bacon and spices added a little something special, but I am now convinced that chicken thighs are the way to go. You will not be disappointed with these.

And this salad is great too. It's so simple, but definitely a salad that I would take to friends' houses for dinner, or even for a holiday meal (don't brussels just scream holidays...?). I know many of you may be questioning raw brussels sprouts, but don't question it; they add great crunch, similar to that of broccoli or cabbage, and they blend in beautifully when thinly sliced. Lastly, this salad dressing is delicious - a great, versatile dressing that could be used on many salads.

Well. There are more great paleo-friendly meals coming your way. Whether you're full blown into it, or not, prepare for some delicious and healthy recipes coming soon, here. Cheers.

A potential paleo confession + the soup that heals

You may have seen it coming. I mean, I'm very passionate about healthy and wholesome cooking. It started with strange produce from our former fruit and vegetable delivery. Then it was whole-wheat this, quinoa that. Barley, lentils, beans. Now, I don't know what to think. All I know is that I can't get "paleo" and "wheat belly" off my mind.

Don't freak out - I'm not a convert yet. But Zack and I are headed in that direction; at least for now. You may be seeing a lot of low carb, low sugar recipes coming your way. And to my surprise, Zack is very on board...could this be because there will be more meat involved, I wonder? I'm no expert when it comes down to the nitty-gritty eat this, not that, but we'll see where this goes.

For now, I bring you "the soup that heals." Man. If you need a way to awaken your senses and cleanse your soul, this is the soup for you. The wholesomeness, the spice - it just feels good. It dinner doesn't get much healthier than a homemade broth overflowing with fresh veggies.

A magic healing soup

As adapted from The First Mess.

Serves 2.

Note: whatever vegetables you decide to use, be sure they are sliced or peeled rather finely. The cooking/tenderizing of the vegetables is dependent upon the hot broth alone, so you don't want your veggies to be too chunky. Also, the ingredient portions listed here will serve 2; I doubled the recipe when I made it, saving the broth and fresh-cut veggies in separate containers, re-heated the broth the next day and submerged the veggies in it.

Ingredients for broth:

1 whole lemon, halved

2 celery stalks, cut up into a few pieces

1 onion, quartered

5 shiitake mushroom stems (reserve caps for soup)

1 red chili pepper, halved

1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger

1 clove of garlic, smashed

5 twigs of fresh thyme

Handful of fresh cilantro stems (reserve cilantro leaves for soup)

Heaping 1/4 cup tamari soy sauce

5 cups water

To serve:

1.5 cups finely sliced vegetables per serving (I used carrots, snow peas, shiitake mushroom caps, and whole leaves of baby spinach)

Garnish:

Fresh cilantro leaves

Sliced green onions

Sprouts (I used micro-greens from Trader Joe's)

Sesame oil

Sriracha

Lime wedges

Make the broth: combine all broth ingredients in a medium-large saucepan over medium heat. Pour 5 cups of water over the top and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cooking for 30-45 minutes (longer if you want a more concentrated broth). Strain the broth and return to pot, keeping hot.

You can slice up vegetables and garnishes while broth is simmering. Arrange vegetables in serving bowls, then ladle/pour hot broth over top. Stir around a bit so vegetables are completely submerged to tenderize. Garnish as desired and serve.

This soup was very delicious. It is light on the appetite though, so we supplemented with a little beef and asparagus Japanese take-out. And it was spicy. We love heat over here, but be sure to not overdue it with the chili pepper if heat is not your thing (don't throw in all the seeds as I did, perhaps). Furthermore, may test taste at 30 minutes; I let it simmer for a good 45 minutes, so it was concentrated. Come to think of it, if you're not into heat, this may not be the soup for you. I think it might be too simple without it. This is a great recipe though.

Well, here's to all the healthy and belly-friendly dishes coming your way. Stay tuned!

Perfect blueberry muffins

Oh, what to do with an abundance of big, beautiful blueberries in the freezer? Search for the perfect blueberry muffin recipe, that is.

I've made a couple blueberry muffin recipes, no too mention a plethora of other varieties. Muffins are just the perfect few bites in my book. And they're great for packing all sorts of creative ingredients into. You can do healthy, wholesome breakfast muffins, or you can do more of an indulgent dessert muffin (which may lead to a cupcake, naturally).

Long story short, Zack and I were craving some blueberry goodness (and looking for a way to use up some frozen blueberries), so I began my search for the perfect recipe. I love Ina Garten's blueberry coffee cake muffins, but I just wanted something a little different. Something not so cake-like. I stumbled upon one of my favorite new blogs, Smitten Kitchen, and lone behold they have a recipe titled, "perfect blueberry muffins." I was sold. They looked so golden. And they use lemon zest, which I love in a muffin.

Perfect blueberry muffins

As adapted from Smitten Kitchen, who adapted their recipe from Cook's Illustrated.

Makes 9-10 standard muffins.

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

3/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt

1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Heaping 3/4 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (don't bother defrosting, if frozen)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease muffin tins. Beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg and beat well, then add yogurt and zest. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix in half of dry ingredients until combined, then mix in the remaining dry ingredients just until the flour disappears. Gently fold in blueberries. Dough will be thick (especially if you use full-fat Greek yogurt). Use a cookie dough or ice cream scoop to fill muffin tins about 3/4 full. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean. Transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool, and enjoy (warm is best).

The recipe is pretty straightforward. And I like that this recipe doesn't make two dozen, so you don't have to worry about holding back from eating too many at once - which could be a problem because they are kind of dangerously good. Let's just say, this will now be my go-to blueberry muffin recipe that I will make again and again.

The hint of lemon is just heavenly, and I added more blueberries than called for, just because we love them. Furthermore, the texture if perfect. They are just dense enough that they keep shape well (no crumbling all over the place, here), but they're also very moist. I baked them until they were pretty golden, and I'm glad I did. They're beautiful. Beautiful to look at, beautiful to eat...they will make your life more beautiful. You must try. We did and we are again today. Enjoy.

Thyme-scented roast chicken + chopped salad

This last week, I found a recipe for this wonderful-looking, complex salad from The Sprouted Kitchen. This is another cooking blog that I have grown to love and also treat as a mentoring blog, similar to The First Mess. It has a few of my favorite things (a.k.a. quinoa, sweet potatoes, and apples), so I had to try it. Thus, I was trying to think of what I would make with it, so I perused through some of my cookbooks for ideas.

Lately, I have been all about making things that I could easily buy pre-made at the store. Or using ingredients that have an easy substitute, but instead pushing myself to not use the substitute, such as using actual cardamom pods not ground cardamom spice. So when I saw a recipe for roasted chicken from Nordstrom Flavors, it was just the ticket.

I had never roasted a whole chicken before. I don't know why. I guess I was afraid of what I might find inside. (Ha ha.) I think it's similar to my not really wanting to deal with a whole fish. Eyeballs, skin and scales...it just frightens me a little. It's just a little too close to the real (alive) thing. Well, now that I have kind of embarrassed myself (and am now sort of accountable to tackling a bigger challenge in the future), we should talk more about the chicken.

Are there meals or foods, or even specific scents that just remind you of someone or somewhere? I think a lot of people could list such examples. For me, roasted chicken reminds me of Nana, my grandma on my mom's side. When I was little, I can remember her roasting chicken. I don't know how she did it; I was too young to have any comprehension of the ways of cooking, but I remember it smelled so good. Furthermore, I remember my favorite part was the crispy chicken skin. The funny thing is I don't tend to gravitate towards fatty things or fatty parts of things. I trim the fat off everything. But chicken skin is one thing I can't stay away from. It's just so nostalgic. It's perfect. She would always give me the chicken legs to gnaw on; it was my favorite part. That and a cold can of 7-Up from the garage refrigerator with a straw. It was the greatest.

I guess this chicken, my first whole roasted chicken, is dedicated to Nana. I miss her and am sometimes caught off guard when I am reminded of her through random, little things. Like this.

Thyme-scented roasted chicken

As adapted from Nordstrom Flavors - An Artful Celebration of Food

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

Extra-virgin olive oil for preparing the roasting rack

1 bunch fresh thyme, about 25 sprigs

10 garlic cloves

1 whole chicken (about 4 1/2 lbs.), preferably organic

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 lemon, quartered lengthwise

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Oil roasting rack and place in a roasting pan. Chop enough thyme leaves to measure 1 tablespoon; reserve stripped stems and remaining sprigs. Mince 3 garlic cloves; cut each of remaining 7 garlic cloves in half. Season cavity of chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Stuff cavity with reserved thyme stems and sprigs, garlic halves, and lemon quarters. In a small bowl, stir together oil, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, chopped thyme, and minced garlic. Spread oil mixture evenly over the outside of the chicken. Place chicken, breast side down, on the prepared rack in the roasting pan. Roast chicken for 30 minutes. Turn chicken, breast side up, and reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a thigh without touching bone reads 170-175 degrees F, about 1 hour and 10 minutes more. Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Carve and serve.

Chopped salad with quinoa, sweet potatoes, + apples

As adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen - A Tastier Take on Whole Foods, who "barely" adapted their recipe from the November 2012 issue of Food & Wine

Serves 6.

Ingredients for salad:

2/3 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 lb. sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 large apples (granny smith, fuji, honey crisp, etc.), diced

8 cups packed baby greens (spinach, arugula, kale, red romaine, etc.)

1/8 cup flat leaf parsley

1/4 of a medium red onion, thinly sliced

Ingredients for dressing:

1/4 cup good-quality apple cider vinegar

2 teaspoons whole-grain dijon mustard

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Drizzle olive oil in a pot and add quinoa to toast over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add 1 1/3 cups water and bring to boil. Turn down to simmer, cover, and cook for about 15-18 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff quinoa and cool (be sure to place in a cool place - don't want your greens to wilt when you add the quinoa later). On a rimmed baking sheet, diced sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake in upper third of oven for about 30 minutes, until golden. Remove and allow to cool. In a large bowl, whisk together cider vinegar, mustard, olive oil, and pinch of salt and pepper. Add cooled quinoa, potatoes, apples, greens, parsley, and onion. Toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Note: everything can be prepared in advance, kept in bags, and then tossed together when time for dinner, lunch the next day, etc.

I loved this salad. Again, as previously mentioned, it is complex with so many textures and flavors. If you're not a big fan of apple cider vinegar (it can be pungent), you may opt to use some other type of vinegar, such as red wine vinegar. Sara, from The Sprouted Kitchen, used this as a holiday salad; I definitely think it would be wonderful for Thanksgiving or Christmas. Or any other time of year for that matter. Give it a try. 

And the roasted chicken. There's nothing like a home-roasted chicken. The flavor is immense and wonderful. I'll be making it again. And you should too. Cheers.

Butternut orecchiette with arugula

This lovely, foggy Saturday morning, Zack is out renewing his CPR certification, so I thought I would do some blog writing catch-up with a hot cup of tea. And do I have a treat for you in this particular post.

So. Butternut squash. It must be addressed because this is, in a way, a source of struggle in our household. Point blank, I love butternut squash. I don't know why. It's like I'm drawn to it. It's vibrant orange flesh and lovely, smooth yellow skin. The fact that you have to scoop out the "meat" like you would a pumpkin. Maybe it reminds me of pumpkin carvings past, I don't know. Actually, as I write, I just found out online that butternut squash is actually referred to as "butternut pumpkin" in Australia and New Zealand; had to include that here (most of you know of our love for "down under").

Anyways, let's just say, recipes containing butternut squash just flock to me. As I look for recipes/ideas for meals, I'll be like, "oh, that looks delicious," and what do you know - it contains butternut squash. You get the point. I draw this out because the funny thing is that Zack is a little squeamish about this winter squash. In fact, I took this recipe as a challenge because Zack wasn't too sure about it, but I was going to make him like it if it was the last thing I did. I had to make it good enough that he would like it. Love it. It was like a secret mission.

This recipe comes from an amazing cooking blog I have discovered through Pinterest, The First Mess. Wholesome food and beautiful, creative photography. This blog has become one of my mentors (although, Laura of The First Mess probably does not realize it).

Butternut orecchiette with arugula

As adapted from The First Mess

Serves 4.

Ingredients for sauce:

1 small butternut squash, halved lengthwise with seeds scooped out

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Handful of fresh thyme sprigs

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (or more grapeseed oil)

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped

Good pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 cup vegetable stock

Ingredients for pasta:

2 heaping cups of dried orecchiette

15 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup parmigiano, grated

2 big handfuls arugula, rinsed and dried

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (I did not use because I didn't have any on hand)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Scatter the handful of thyme sprigs across paper. Rub squash halves with grapeseed oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and lay face down on thyme sprigs. Roast in oven until very tender, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Once able to handle, scoop cooked flesh into a bowl, discarding the thyme sprigs.

In a dutch oven or large soup pot, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add roasted squash, stir, mashing squash down into the sautéing aromatics. Add lemon juice and vegetable stock, stirring until roughly combined and remove from heat. Puree squash and garlic mixture in a food processor (or blender), adding more stock if necessary. Return squash sauce to dutch oven over medium heat. Season with heaping pinch of salt and lots of pepper.

Cook pasta according to package instructions, reserving 1/4 cup of cooking water. Once squash is simmering, add cooked pasta, chickpeas, parmigiano, arugula, pine nuts, reserving a bit of each for garnish if you like. Add some pasta water to loosen a bit. Serve hot.

I did not have the pine nuts on hand, but I think they would definitely add a nice crunch to this recipe. Also, next time I would like to loosen the squash sauce a bit; mine wasn't completely smooth. Do this by adding a bit of the pasta water towards the end of cooking. I think I will also puree my sauce a little more in the food processor.

Sometimes I think about ways to disguise things that are good for you. You know, foods that nutrient-rich and healthy (a.k.a. foods that your kids may not like). It's one of the things I look forward to in regards to having kids someday. Arranging vegetables in a rainbow, or making macaroni and "cheese," which is actually macaroni and butternut squash sauce. Seriously, that was one of the first things I thought of when I took my first bite of this butternut orecchiette. It is so much like homemade macaroni and cheese, it's not even funny. The color, the texture, etc. - I'm definitely saving this recipe.

However, this meal is more than a macaroni and cheese look-alike. It was really delicious. So many textures and flavors. I loved it. And I'm pleased to say, Zack was pleasantly surprised (mission accomplished). Here's to eating things that are good for you, and not even remembering or realizing it. Cheers.

Tuna salad

The author of The Sprouted Kitchen calls this recipe "beach day tuna salad." I saw this in her cookbook and just had to make it. Even though it wasn't a beach day. It looked so good.

What threw me a little though was the fact that this recipe calls for raisins. It just sounded a little weird. But I have been on a bit of a raisin kick lately - think pumpkin pecan granola - so I went for it. And oh my. The raisins add this subtle sweetness that counteracts the tartness of the freshly squeezed lemon juice and the kick of the Dijon mustard. It was perfection. Spread on bread for a sandwich, or dip into with some sturdy crackers or bagel chips.

Tuna salad

As adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen - A Tastier Take on Whole Foods

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

4 (5-oz.) cans water-packed tuna

1/2 cup raisins

4 celery stalks, diced

2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

4 tablespoons whole-grain Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 tablespoons good-quality mayonnaise (or extra-virgin olive oil)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whole grain bread or sturdy crackers or bagel chips, for dipping

Drain tuna and put into a mixing bowl. Soak raisins in warm water for 5 minutes to soften, then drain. Coarsely chop raisins and add them to tuna. Add celery, parsley, mustard, lemon juice, and mayonnaise or olive oil to the bowl and stir well to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve at once, or store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.

These. Are. Delicious with the tuna salad. (Yes, those extra periods are for emphasis.)

This tuna salad makes for great sandwiches for a light, healthy meal. And it's a great addition to a wholesome snack or light lunch spread. Raisins...who would have thought? Cheers.

Greek chicken with tzatziki

Cookbooks just might be one of my favorite presents to receive. Especially if they are wholesome and healthy with beautiful picture spreads throughout. I can read about recipes for days, but it's those pictures that spike my appetite and make me cook after a long day at work. So. Thank you, Mom, for The Sprouted Kitchen cookbook.

Today wasn't too long of a day (although, it was my first day back after a nice, long Christmas vacation). I've got some spiced quinoa cooking for tonight's dinner, so I thought I would do some blog catch-up. I still have recipes from last week to share!

I've grown to love tzatziki. Which is saying a lot. Because this girl used to not even like yogurt. Not to mention Greek yogurt. But I love it now, and that is all the matters. When you see this tzatziki, you will understand why I chose to make it. It's actually almost like a salad. Or a cucumber salsa (is there such thing...?). Whatever you prefer. Anyways, it is so cool (in a "taste" sense of the word), but so zippy as well. The combination of fresh mint and dill is fabulous. 

Furthermore, the chicken marinade, which has a lot of the same ingredients used in the tzatziki, is great. Awesome, fresh recipe that I think will be even better in the spring or summer (I want to try this chicken grilled as the recipe recommends).

Greek chicken with tzatziki

Adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen - A Tastier Take on Whole Foods

Serves 4.

Ingredients for the marinade:

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 lemon, juice and zest

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh dill

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh mint

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded to even thickness of 1/2 inch)

Mix all the ingredients together in a shallow baking dish and toss chicken breasts. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes or for several hours in the fridge.

Ingredients for the tzatziki:

2 English cucumbers

¼ red onion, finely diced

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

1 garlic clove, minced

⅓ cup Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make tzatziki, slice cucumbers in half lengthwise. Use a small spoon to scoop out seeds in the center. Slice each half lengthwise into four or five long sticks, then dice. You should have about 3 cups. In a mixing bowl, stir together the cucumbers, red onion, mint, dill, and garlic. Add the yogurt, lemon juice and ½ teaspoon of salt, and pepper to taste. (Stir in yogurt and salt at last minute to prevent watery tzatziki (cucumbers release water a soon as they are mixed with salt).)

The recipe suggests grilling, but it's kind of chilly. So I simply sautéed the marinated chicken breasts in a pan and finished off in the oven until they reached an internal temperature of 170-175 degrees F. Let rest and serve with a large scoop of tzatziki and some warm brown jasmine rice.

Enjoy.

Week Four: Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca, Pork Ramen, and Steaks

This week was very financially sound because all the meat used in these recipes came from my freezer. Oh yeah. Happened to have some chicken breast cutlets, a pork tenderloin that came in a pack of two (the first of which I used for my Spiced Pork Tenderloin with Sautéed Apples from Week Three), and we had a couple large steaks leftover from awhile ago. Freezing meat, soup, etc. is such a great way to save and plan ahead for future meals; you just have to remember to transfer them from freezer to refrigerator in a timely fashion so they are thawed when you are ready to cook. I set reminders on my phone for such occasions. Because I'm forgetful sometimes.

Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca

with Sautéed Broccoli

First of all. What on earth is saltimbocca? Apparently, saltimbocca is a dish (popular in southern Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and Greece) made of veal topped with prosciutto and sage. But in this case, I made chicken saltimbocca; chicken wrapped in prosciutto and sage. And this is funny...saltimbocca (or saltinbocca) is Italian for "jumps in the mouth." And after eating this dish, I can confirm that it really does jump into your mouth. So good.

Find the recipe here: Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca. And this is, yet again, another dish from the November 2012 issue of Cooking Light. I'm telling you, they have some good stuff; fast, but really tasty weeknight meals.

Serve your chicken saltimbocca with sautéed broccoli, broccoli rabe, or green beans.

This was my first time cooking with prosciutto, and it is mighty delicious. Kind of salty, so maybe eat in moderation, but it adds such amazing flavor to your usual, plain chicken. Not to mention the hint of sage and fresh lemon. Mmmm.

Pork Ramen

As I write this, I realize that I forgot to add soy sauce to my ramen! Ahhh! I knew I had forgotten something. Never the less, this ramen was very delicious. Just don't forget to stir in the soy sauce towards the end of cooking. Lesson learned.

This was a Pinterest find. (Of course.) I'm addicted. And I don't even have an account. It's worse than having an account. I'm like a non-member, underground scavenger of Pinterest recipes and goodness.

Find the recipe here: Pork Ramen Soup. The neat thing about this dish, is you could re-work it a lot of different ways with various meats, vegetables, etc. I used my leftover pork tenderloin and the array of fresh veggies recommended for use in this recipe. I just love ramen noodles; always have. Using just the noodles and tossing out the seasoning packets gives you the opportunity to adjust the seasoning yourself. I added some crushed red pepper flakes also. This is one of those dishes that is even better the next day.

Steaks

and Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pear and Shallots

Well, I wanted to use these steaks I had on hand, so Zack and I decided to just keep it simple and do steak with some vegetables. I wanted to do something a little lighter and healthier than potatoes, so I turned to Power Foods. If you've been reading here for awhile, you may remember some of my earlier recipes came from this amazing cookbook.

Find the recipe for the roasted brussels sprouts here: Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pear and Shallots. I love brussels sprouts, and let's be honest, they just look like the epitome of health. I mean, really. They are a cluster of green leaves. It's like eating a bunch of baby cabbages. They're kind of weird, I guess. It did take me awhile to acquire the taste for them. But I love them now. And of course, pear and shallots are delightful. So this was a winner.

Cooking the steaks was very interesting in our apartment kitchen. Zack kind of headed up the cooking, while I ran frantically around the apartment, opening doors and windows, and fanning the smoke detector with a kitchen towel. We pan seared them on high heat first, then transferred to a hot oven for the rest of cooking. It was a sight to see, to say the least. Hope we didn't disturb the neighbors.

I haven't had steak in awhile, and well, it was tasty. And this brussels sprouts dish would be a perfect Thanksgiving side. Loved it.

Well, we're heading off to Portland tomorrow after work, so I'm posting this week's post a little early. Enjoy and cheers (this one's for you, Zack). :)