Watermelon Sherbet

Oh, how I love sherbet! This reminds me of those watermelon cakes from Friendly's, especially if you include mini chocolate chips. Very cool and refreshing for a warm summer!


Watermelon Sherbet
Source: Norfolk Cooking Examiner; Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

¾ cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup agave nectar)
1/8 tsp salt
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 ¼ cups watermelon juice
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 drops red food coloring (optional)

To make the watermelon juice, process about 5 cups of seeded, chopped watermelon in a food processor until pureed. Strain puree through a sieve catching watermelon juice in a bowl until required amount is reached. This took about ¼ of a large watermelon for me.

In a food processor, combine sugar, salt and lime juice. Pulse until the sugar looks like wet sand; about 6 times. While the food processor is running, slowly pour in the watermelon juice. Process for about 1 minute to ensure that the sugar has been dissolved. Strain the liquid through a sieve, pour liquid into a bowl, and place in the freezer for about 1 hour. The mixture should be very cold but not frozen.

In a chilled bowl, whisk heavy cream until it reaches the soft peak stage. Slowly pour the cold watermelon liquid into the cream while continuously whisking. Add in the food coloring if using. I used it to make it look more like watermelon because the cream lightens up the color dramatically. Immediately pour into an ice cream maker and churn for about 30 minutes, or until it’s the consistency of soft serve ice cream.

Pour sherbet into a container, I like to use a loaf pan, and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of it. Freeze for at least 3 hours before serving. Enjoy!

Chicken Parmesan with Bulgur and Eggplant Bake

I'm no stranger to chicken parmesan recipes, but when I saw this recipe and how easy it came together, I had to try it. The quinoa and eggplant bake sounded fantastic too, but I was out of quinoa and substituted bulgur, which worked great!  I also decided to go with long strips of thinly sliced eggplant rather than chopping it into chunks, so it was almost like an eggplant lasagna.  Delicious!

This meal was absolutely delicious and paired together so well. The chicken parmesan was so easy to make, and the eggplant bake had such great flavor.

The ingredients of the bake seem a little sparse for the size of the pan, and I may switch to a 9x9 or similarly sized casserole dish next time, but it is still definitely workable as written.



Chicken Parmesan with Bulgur and Eggplant Bake
Source: Slightly adapted from Not Your Bubbe's Kitchen

• 4 thin sliced chicken breasts, about 4 ounces each
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 3 egg whites, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/2 cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup tomato and basil sauce
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Using three shallow dishes, place flour in the first dish, egg whites in the second, and panko in the third, seasoned with the garlic powder, oregano, basil, parsley and 1 tbsp of Parmesan cheese.

Salt and pepper the chicken. Dredge chicken in flour, then egg, then panko mix. Heat 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet. Add chicken to pan and cook about 5-7 minutes. Add another 1/2 tbsp oil, then flip chicken pieces.  Top with sauce, evenly divided among the chicken pieces, about 1/8 cup on each.  Then top with the remaining 1 tbsp of Parmesan cheese, evenly divided among the chicken pieces, and 1/8 cup of mozzarella on each chicken piece.  Cover skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes more.

• 1 cup bulgur
• 1 1/4 cups of water
• 3 cups of peeled, diced eggplant
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4 tbsp part skim ricotta cheese
• 1.5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup tomato and basil pasta sauce

Cook the bulgur according to package directions. Mix all the cheeses together. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.  Spoon 1/2 of the bulgur in the pan, making a thin layer. Sprinkle in 1/2 of the vegetables: eggplant, onions, tomato, and garlic slices. Drizzle 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce on top of veggies. Dot the top of the sauce with about 1/3 of the cheese mix. Repeat layers, ending with the remaining 2/3 of cheese mix.

Bake at 400 degrees F for about 40-45 minutes.

Chicken and Artichokes with Wine Sauce

It should be no surprise that we love artichokes, chicken, and wine. Flipping though my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, I found a great sounding recipe that combined all three!

This sauce was fantastic and such a perfect topping for skillet cooked chicken. As an added bonus, it is quick to put together. We served it with mashed potatoes and fresh steamed broccoli for a wonderful meal.




Chicken and Artichokes with Wine Sauce
Source: Slightly adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, Bridal Edition, page 427
Serves: 4

• 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 tablespoons safflower oil
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 8 or 9 ounce package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and halved lengthwise (I used canned)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/3 cup dry white wine
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
• 2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

1.  In a shallow dish, stir together flour, sage, 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper; reserve one tablespoon of flour mixture.  Coat chicken in remaining flour mixture.

2.  In a large skillet cook chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until no longer pink (170 degrees F), turning once.  Remove chicken from skillet; cover and keep warm.  Drain off any excess oil in skillet.

3.  In the same skillet, cook mushrooms and artichoke hearts in hot butter over medium heat for 3 minutes or until artichokes are tender.

4.  In a small bowl stir together reserved flour mixture, wine, broth, and 1/8 teaspoon salt until smooth.  Add wine mixture to skillet.  Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir for 1 minute more.  Pour sauce over chicken.  Sprinkle with parsley and cheese.

Moo Shu Chicken

This was soooo delicious and a great use of some cabbage that I had. I chopped my own rather than using a bag mix since I had both green and red cabbage, and carrots. I've never had moo shu anything before, so I don't know how it compares to restaurant style, but we both loved the flavors!



Moo Shu Chicken
Source: Clean Eating Magazine, Winter 2008, p70

3 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup hoisin sauce
1 tsp. honey or agave nectar
1/4 tsp. minced garlic
1 lbs. sliced chicken breast
1 Tbsp. cooking oil
3 cups packaged shredded cabbage with carrots (coleslaw mix)
2 cups steamed brown rice
Shredded carrots and cherry tomatoes, quartered (optional)

In a small mixing bowl, stir together water, soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, hoisin sauce, honey/agave nectar and garlic.  Set mixture aside.

Trim fat from chicken breast and cut chicken into thin, bite-size strips.  Pour cooking oil into a wok or large skillet. (Add more oil as necessary during cooking.)  Heat skillet over medium-high heat.  Stir-fry chicken for 2 or 3 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. 

Push meat from center of wok.  Stir in sauce.  Push chicken and sauce to center of wok. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes more.  Add shredded cabbage with carrots to skillet.

Stir ingredients together to coat with sauce.  Spoon about 3/4 cup of the chicken mixture over rice.  Garnish with carrots and cherry tomatoes, if desired.

Chicken and Pineapple Skewers

These were listed as an appetizer, to be served on skewers with a cherry tomato.  We turned them into a meal by serving with rice and grilled zucchini strips.
We loved the fresh summery flavor, especially the pineapple sweet and sour sauce! This is a great recipe to enjoy now that the weather is getting warmer and spring has arrived!

Although the recipe calls for fresh pineapple, I took this opportunity to use up some canned pineapple and it still came out great.  :-)



Chicken and Pineapple Skewers
Source:  Clean Eating Magazine,  May/June 2009, p50

• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 tbsp low sodium tamari soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
• 1/2 pound fresh pineapple, cubed
• 1 tbsp agave nectar or honey

In a large bowl, whisk together onions, soy sauce, vinegar and ginger.  Add chicken and cover, marinating in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Drain chicken; discard marinade.  Skewer chicken, alternating with pineapple.  Grill until chicken is cooked through.  Serve with sauce (recipe follows)

Pineapple Sweet and Sour sauce
Makes about 2 3/4 cups
Source: Clean Eating Magazine, May/June 2009

• 1 pound fresh pineapple
• zest and juice of one lime
• zest and juice of one lemon
• 1 tbsp agave nectar or honey
• 1 tsp freshly ground ginger

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and process until well blended, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Tune Nicoise

Something I think my husband is better at stocking the pantry than I am. Unfortunately, in his recent trip to the grocery store, he forgot one crucial element: We are moving, and soon. And we are not just moving across town, no. We are making a nearly 1,000 mile trip back to the east coast! He returned from the store with an abundance of tuna, so I turned to this recipe to help us use it up.

I've never had anything like this before, but I was nearly addicted to it.  It was also very easy to throw together!  A word of caution, the dressing is very tangy and the dish may be a bit salty for some, so you may want to go very easy on the salt (I think the olives provide enough!)

I happened to be out of couscous so I used bulgur, forgetting that bulgur is quite a bit larger than couscous. This made my casserole seem a bit carb heavy between the bulgur and potatoes. Next time I'll cut down the amount of bulgur if I find myself without couscous again.



Tuna Nicoise Stovetop Casserole
Source: Clean Eating Magazine, March/April 2010, p75
Serves 8

• 2 cups couscous
• 8 small red potatoes, cut into halves or 4 large red potatoes cut into quarters
• 2 6 oz pouches or cans unsalted water packed tuna
• 1/2 pound frozen green beans, thawed
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, sliced
• Juice and zest 1 lemon
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp white onion, finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp fresh parsley, minced
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• Olive oil cooking spray

Cook couscous according to package directions

Over medium-high heat, bring a medium size pan filled with water to boil.  Cook potatoes for 10 minutes; drain.  In a large bowl, mix together tuna, green beans, olives and potatoes.  Once couscous is cooked, mix it into tuna-vegetable mixture.

In a medium bowl, whisk together lemon juice and zest, Dijon, onion, garlic vinegar, oil, parsley, salt and pepper.  Pour dressing over tuna-couscous mixture.

Heat large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over high heat for 1 minute.  Reduce heat to medium high, mist pan with cooking spray and sauté tuna couscous mixture for about 5 minutes or until throughly warmed.  Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Nutrients per 1 Cup serving:
Calories 430
Total fat: 6 g
Sat. fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 70 g
Fiber: 11 g
Sugars: 4 g
Protein: 25 g
Sodium: 350 mg
Cholesterol: 15 mg

Honey Mustard Chicken

My husband and I loved this easy version of tangy honey mustard chicken.  The recipe suggested serving with this colorful rice pilaf, but I really didn't care for that part of the meal.



Honey Mustard Chicken
Source: Clean Eating Magazine, March/April 2010, p76
Serves 4

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
• 2 tbsp raw organic honey
• 1/4 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk together honey, mustard, vinegar, oil, garlic, and 2 tbsp water. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat a large nonstick or cast iron skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-high, mist pan with cooking spray and saute chicken for about 5 minutes or until cooked through and no longer pink. Add honey-mustard mixture to chicken and saute for about 3 minutes.

Creamy Cabbage Soup with Gruyere

I had some leftover cabbage and perused my Google Reader for ideas to use it up.   This looked like a nice soup to have on hand for lunch or a light dinner after work.  I'm relatively new to cabbage, but I thought this was great!  Wanting to keep it lower fat, I opted to use milk as the original recipe suggests, but supplement it with pureed cottage cheese for extra creaminess.  I only wish I had croutons to enjoy with it! 



Creamy Cabbage Soup with Gruyere
Source: Slightly adapted from NYT via Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 russet potato, peeled and grated 
• 3/4 lb cabbage (about 1/2 medium head), cored and chopped fine 
• Salt to taste
• 5 cups water, chicken stock, or vegetable stock
• 1 Parmesan rind
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat milk 
• 1/2 cup pureed cottage cheese
• 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
• For garnish: homemade croutons, minced chives

Directions

• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot.
• Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the potato, cabbage, and 1/2 tsp salt. Stir together for a minute, taking care that the potatoes don't stick to the pot.
• Add the stock, Parmesan rind, and salt/pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer, then cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
• Add the milk and cottage cheese to the soup. Stir to combine well and heat through without boiling.
• A handful at a time, stir the Gruyere into the soup and continue to stir until the cheese has melted.
• Taste, adjust seasonings. Remove the Parmesan rind.
• Serve, garnishing each bowl with some croutons and minced chives.

Chicken French with a White Wine Lemon Butter Sauce

This is a delicious and easy way to prepare chicken that is sure to be a crowd pleaser. I found that it came together relatively quickly with minimal effort, and the sauce is amazing!  We kept it simple by serving with sauteed zucchini. I can't wait to make it again! 




Chicken French with a White Wine Lemon Butter Sauce
Source: Slightly adapted from Good Things Catered

Ingredients:

• 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup dry white wine
• juice of 1 1/2 lemons
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
-In wide, shallow bowl combine flour, salt, pepper, paprika and garlic, stirring to combine.
-In large, heavy bottom skillet, add olive oil and heat over medium high heat until almost smoking.
-Meanwhile, pound chicken breasts to even thickness and season liberally with salt and pepper.
-Toss chicken breasts in flour mixture and place, breast-side down, into preheated pan.
-Cook over medium high heat until breast side is nicely golden browned, about 7-10 minutes.
-Flip chicken breasts to breast-side up and cook until golden browned and chicken breast is cooked through, about 7-10 more minutes depending on thickness.
-Remove chicken from pan, place on platter and cover with foil to keep warm (Katie recommends placing platter in an oven preheated to 200 degrees F, but I just cover with foil!)
-Add white wine to skillet and stir to deglaze, scraping all browned bits up from bottom of pan.
-Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes.
-Add lemon juice and stir, cooking until reduced by at least half, about 2-3 minutes.
-Remove from heat and stir in butter to thicken.
-Salt and pepper to taste (Note: if you’d like the sauce thicker at this point you may add a slurry of 1 tsp cornstarch and 1 tsp water and heat, stirring constantly for 30-60 seconds).
-Remove platter from oven, top with sauce and serve immediately.

Chicken Souvlaki

This is a great, simple recipe for grilled chicken, with a refreshing flavor, thanks to the lemon juice.

Chicken Souvlaki
Source: Cooking Light

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into (1/2-inch-thick) slices
• Cooking spray

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a zip-top plastic bag; seal and shake to combine. Add chicken to bag; seal and shake to coat. Marinate chicken in refrigerator for 30 minutes, turning once.
Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade. Thread the chicken and zucchini, alternately onto each of 4 (8-inch) skewers.
Heat a grill pan coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add skewers; cook 8 minutes or until chicken is done, turning once. Serve with tzatziki sauce.