Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Cook’s Corner: Chicken Crusted with Almond and Flax

 

 

Chicken Crusted with Almond and Flax

This recipe for lean chicken features a wonderful crust of almonds and flax with no frying. Almond butter can amp up the marinade, along with garlic and some classic herbs. Add a little kick (or a lot) with cayenne pepper and paprika. Flaxseed contains the plant form of omega-3 fats. Scientists generally agree that including more omega-3s (also found in cold water fish) in our diet provides heart health benefits. Flax is currently being studied for its impact on breast cancer.

Makes 4 servings.

Per serving: 210 calories, 11 g total fat (1.5 g saturated fat), 3 g carbohydrate,
25 g protein, 2 g dietary fiber, 300 mg sodium.

  • 4 (4 oz.) boneless chicken breasts
  • 1/4 cup almond meal (crushed almonds may be substituted)
  • 2 Tbsp. ground flax meal
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp. almond butter, optional
  • 1 tsp. lemon juice
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper or to taste
  • 1/4 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. dried parsley
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme
  • 1 tsp. dried basil
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Using kitchen mallet, pound breasts uniformly flat, if desired.
  3. Combine almond and flax meal and salt in small bowl and stir to mix uniformly.
  4. Combine oil, almond butter (if using), lemon juice, garlic and all spices and herbs in medium bowl. Mix thoroughly. Add chicken to mixture and let marinate for at least 5 minutes.
  5. Remove chicken from marinade and place on baking dish. Sprinkle half of almond-flax mixture evenly over chicken. Pat each breast with your hand to ensure it adheres and forms a crust. Gently turn over each breast, being careful not to disturb coating, and repeat the process using remaining almond-flax mixture.
  6. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 165 degrees F when inserted into chicken.

Source:  Health e recipes

Monday, September 12, 2011

Follower Sunday & Monday: Thank You Readership! Awesome Dietitian Nancy Clark Has Developed Yummy “Thick & Frosty Milkshake” Recipe

 

 

Nancy Clark

clip_image002

About Nancy

Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD is author of the best selling Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guidebook. This milkshake recipe is one of many yummy recipes in the book. Nancy has a private sports nutrition practice in the Boston area. She counsels the spectrum from casual exercisers and professional athletes, helping them win with good nutrition. Her website offers more information: www.nancyclarkrd.com

© Copyright 2010. All Rights Reserved. Recipe Developed and Reprinted with Permission of Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook.

free_556771

Thick & Frosty Milkshake

Yield: 1 serving

Ingredients:

1) 1 cup low-fat milk

2) 1/4 cup instant pudding

3) 1/4 cup powdered milk mix

4) 3 ice cubes

Optional: 1/2 to 1 cup (frozen) fruit chunks

Preparation:

1) Place all ingredients in a blender.

2) Blend until smooth.

This thick and tasty milkshake is a healthful alternative to ones made with ice cream. The instant pudding adds a nice thick texture and the ice cubes make it frosty and refreshing. I like to make these for my kids—an enjoyable way to boost their protein and calcium intake. By varying the flavor of the pudding (vanilla, lemon, chocolate), you can create numerous variations. You can also add fruit (preferably frozen chunks) for extra nutritional value.

Note: The shake thickens upon standing; you can add more (or less) pudding mix, depending on how thick you like your shakes. If there are pieces of ice cubes remaining in the shake, worry not—they’ll just keep the beverage cool.

Nutrition Information:

Total Calories: 280; Carbohydrates 55; Protein 15; Fat —

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Follower Sunday: Thank You Readership! London RD Shares Her Heart & Brings a Jalapeno Black Bean Burger to “From A Dietitian’s Perspective”

Renee Rogers

clip_image002

About Renee

Renee Rogers, RD, LDN. I am a registered and licensed dietitian passionate about nutrition, health, but most of all happiness.  I believe that what you put into your body affects how you feel, look, and go about your daily routines.  Improving your eating habits will improve your overall quality of life.  Therefore, I am devoted to teaching proper nutrition and educating on healthy habits, so people can go out and live the happy, healthy life they deserve. www.reneerogers.com

© Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Recipe Developed and Reprinted with Permission of Renee Rogers.

Yield: Makes 3medium-sized patties

Jalapeño Black Bean Burger

These easy to make burgers require few ingredients and are so delicious.

clip_image003

© Photo Courtesy Renee Rogers

Ingredients:

1) 1/4 cup dry rolled oats

2) 1/4 cup sliced almonds

3) 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained (about 1.5 cups)

4) 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

5) 2 carrots, peeled and grated

6) 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced

7) 2 tablespoons diced white onion

8) Dash of hot sauce (optional)

9) Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1) Preheat oven to 350°F.

2) In a food processor, pulse raw oats and almonds until finely chopped. In a medium sized bowl, mash the black beans with a fork until thick and pasty. Stir in oat and almond mixture, grated carrots, jalapeño, onion, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. Form into 3 patties. Place patties on a baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, flipping once.

Recipe Note: To grill: simply cut the baking time in half and grill for 8-10 minutes.

Nutrition Information:

Nutrition facts per serving (1 patty): 246 calories, 9 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 69 mg sodium, 32 g total carbohydrates, 8 g fiber, 11 g protein

clip_image004

© Photo Courtesy Renee Rogers

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Guest Chef Erin Macdonald, RD Rocks with Blueberry Crisp

Erin Macdonald

clip_image002

About Erin

Erin Macdonald, R.D.
Nutrition, Fitness, and Wellness Coach
President and Co-founder, U Rock Girl!
www.urockgirl.com
Private Practice, Complete Wellness, NOW!
www.ErinMacdonaldRD.com
email: ErinMacdonaldRD@aol.com
cell: (818) 458-1487
Office: 26671 Aliso Creek Road, Suite 304
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
(949) 389-9409

© Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Recipe Developed and Reprinted with Permission of Erin Macdonald.

Yield: Serves 6 (1 cup) servings

Blueberry Crisp

BLUEBERRY CRISP

The beauty of this recipe is that you can make it with almost any type of fruit, whatever is in season. I’ve done peaches, nectarines, plums, apples, pears, mixed berries, and combos (peach/blackberry, peach/plum/nectarine, apple/pear, apple/cranberry) and they all turn out great. It’s also a fantastic way to use fruit that’s unripe, as the high-temperature roasting draws out the water and concentrates the sugar, all without adding any additional sugar or sweetener to the dish. Zest is always a nice touch as it adds a ton of flavor.

Ingredients:

1) 4 cups fresh organic blueberries

2) Zest of 1 lemon

3) Juice of 1 lemon

4) 1 tsp. cornstarch

5) ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

6) ½ cup granola (I like to use Nature’s Path Organic hemp Plus Granola)

7) 1 tsp. vanilla extract

8) ½ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

9) 2 tsp. agave nectar

Preparation:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the blueberries, ½ of the lemon zest, the lemon juice, cornstarch, and cinnamon. Spoon into 4 individual-sized ramekins. Cover each ramekin with aluminum foil and place on the bbq over medium heat. Cover the bbq and cook 20 minutes or until the blueberries collapse and liquid is bubbling.

2. While the blueberries are cooking, combine the rest of the lemon zest with the vanilla extract, Greek yogurt, and agave nectar. Set aside.

3. Remove the foil from the blueberries and add 2 tbs. granola to the top of each ramekin. Cook an additional 5 minutes, uncovered. Remove the ramekins and top each with 2 tbs. yogurt mixture. Serve.