Easy, Baked Salmon and Asparagus

Serves 4

1.5 to 2 LBS of Asparagus, cut stems off

4 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Lemons, 1 Sliced and Other Used For Juice

8 Sprigs of Thyme

Sea Salt and Pepper 

1 LB Salmon, portioned into 4 filets

1. Preheat oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

2. Mix on the cutting board or in a bowl the asparagus, 2 TBSP of the olive oil, the juice of one lemon, salt, and pepper. 

3. Next prepare the 4 foil sections to add the asaparagus and salmon.  Season the salmon by drizzling olive oil on top, add salt and pepper, thyme springs, and lemon slices on top. 

4. Then fold the foil to make a package, place them on a baking pan, and bake for 25-30 minutes. 

5. Once it is done baking, you can open the packages, serves, and enjoy. 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Serves 6

2 TBSP Olive Oil

1 Small Onion, Chopped

3 Cloves of Garlic, Minced

1 LB of Chicken Breast

1 15 OZ Kidney Beans, Low Sodium, Drained and Rinsed

1 15 OZ Black Beans, Low Sodium, Drained and Rinsed

1 15 OZ Pinto Beans, Drained and Rinsed

1 Mexican Style Rotel Tomatoes

1 C Corn, Frozen

1 Packet Taco Seasoning, Low Sodium, I picked Mild since I like spicy

5 C Chicken Broth

1 Whole Jalepeno, Chopped, Seeds and Veins are where the heat is

1/2 Bunch of Cilantro, Chopped

Corn Tortillas or Tortilla Chips, For Topping

Shredded Cheese, Mexican Style, For Topping

Avocado, Sliced

1. On medium heat, add the oil, onions, garlic, and whole chicken breasts to the pot. Cook until the chicken is lightly browned on both sides. 

2. Once browned, add the kidney, black, and pinto beans, tomatoes, corn, taco seasoning, chicken broth, and Jalepeno. Bring the soup to a boil.

3. Once the soup starts to boil which is about 10-15 minutes, the chicken breast should be cooked all the away.  When it is throughly cooked, pull out the chicken and shred it with two forks. Then you can add it back to the pot. 

4. Then add the cilantro to finish off the soup and mix throughly. 

5. Finally, it is ready to be served, topped off with the tortillas, avocados, and cheese. Enjoy!

Japanese Chicken Curry

Serves 4

1 TBSP Olive Oil
1/2 Medium Yellow Onion, Chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
1 LB Chicken, Breast or Thigh Meat
3 Whole Carrots, Peeled and Chopped
1 Russet Potatoes, Peeled and Cubed
2 1/2 C Water
1 Whole Block of Golder Curry Sauce ce Mix by S&B, Broken in Sections. I used Medium Hot. 

2 C of Cooked Rice

1. On medium heat, add olive oil, onion, and garlic to the pan, and cook until the onion are opaque. 

2. Next, add the chicken and cook for about 8 minutes until the chicken is all the way cooked. 

3. Then, add the carrots and potatoes to the mixture. 

4. Once it is all mixed, add the water and curry in and lay the chicken on top, so the potatoes and carrots can cook. Cover the pan and let it all simmer for 10 minutes. 

5. Once the potatoes and carrots are cooked, make sure to mix all the curry is around and then serve over rice. Enjoy!

Quinoa Fried Rice

Serves 4

2 C Quinoa, Uncooked

1 1/2 C Chicken Broth or Water

1 TBSP Olive Oil

1/2 Yellow Onion, Chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, Chopped

2 Eggs, Scrabbled 

1 C Peas and Carrots, Frozen or Defrosted

Ground Black Pepper

2 or 3 TBSP Soy Sauce

1 TSP Seasame Oil

1. Start by adding the broth and quinoa to a pot, bring the pot to a medium simmer, and cook for 15 minutes. Stir the quinoa occasionally while cooking. 

2. Cool the quinoa overnight, preferably, or cool it down in the freezer for about an hour. 

3. Next in same pot or in a wok, turn the stovetop onto medium heat, add the olive oil, onions, and garlic, and cook until the onions are opaque. 

3. Then add the scrambled eggs, mix it into the onion mixture, and cook the eggs. 

4. Once the eggs are no done, add the peas and carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables are defrosted. 

5. Finally, add the quinoa, black pepper, soy sauce, and sesame oil into the mixture and cook until it is all heated thoroughly and semi-browned like fried rice. It will take about 5 to 8 minutes. Then serve and enjoy. 

Chicken Marsala

Serves 4

1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Cloves of Garlic or 1 Shallot, Minced
3/4 Chicken Breasts

Salt and Pepper

1 C Chicken Broth

1 TBSP Flour 

10 OZ Mushrooms, Button or Crimini, Sliced

1/2 C Marsala or Dry White Wine

2 TBSP Parsley, Chopped

Prepared Spaghetti or Creamy Polenta

1. In medium skillet on medium high heat, add the olive oil, garlic, and seasoned chicken (lightly season each side of the chicken breast with salt and pepper). Cook the chicken until it is throughly cooked and brown of each side of the chicken. Cook chicken about for about 5-7 minutes. Then remove chicken from pan into a covered container to keep the chicken warm. 

2. In the same pan, bring down the heat to medium low and add half a cup of chicken broth to deglaze the pan and simmer for 2 minutes. 

3. Next, quickly whisk in the flour to thicken the broth. Then add the remaining broth, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook the mushroom until they are tender and the sauce darkens. 

4. Then raise the heat up to medium high heat, add the Marsala wine, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. 

5. Finally add the chicken to the sauce, serve over pasta, garnish with parsley, and enjoy. 

Chocolate Almond Biscotti

Makes 10 Biscotti or 20 Mini Biscotti

2 Cups Almonds, Sliced and or Slivered
3/4 Cup and 1 TBSP Sugar
1 TSP Baking Powder
1/2 TSP Salt
3 Eggs
1 TSP Vanilla Extract
2 C Flour
12 OZ Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1. Preheat over at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. On cookie sheet, spread out the almonds across the pan and bake for 10 minutes. At the 5 minute mark, flip the almonds. Then let it cool for 10 minutes.

 

3. In food processor, add 1/2 of the almonds with a tablespoon of the sugar and pulse until the almonds are finely ground, mix in the salt and baking powder.

3. In mixing bowl at medium-low speed, cream the sugar by adding an egg at a time, next add the vanilla extract. Once the wet ingredients are all mixed, add the almond mixture and sift the flour into the mixture.

4. When the dough is completely mix, take the bowl off the stand and fold in the remaining almonds.

5. On the cleaned off cookie sheet, cover it in parchment paper and spray oil on it. Next separate the dough in half, and make two 10"x2"x2" sheets of dough. Bake for 25 minutes.

6. Remove cookie sheet from oven, reduce the temperature to 325, and cut each dough lengthwise into 1/2" strips. It makes about 5 each if you want smaller versions cut in the center of all of the strips to make 10 in each of the two pieces of dough.

7. Bake for 20 more minutes until they are crispy.

8. While they are baking, making a double boiler over the stove by putting a metal bowl over boiling water in a pot. (Make sure the bottom bowl can touches the water, but it is not small enough where it is floating and water is splashing into the bowl.) Add half the bag of chips into the bowl and lower the heat to medium, mix the chips until it is all melted, then turn off the heat and add the remainder of the chips, and finally mix until all melted.

9. Once the chocolate is all melted, you can start to dip the bottom of the cookies into the chocolate, smooth the bottom of the chocolate so it does not drip, and then lay the cookies on the rack chocolate side up to dry. (To increase the drying process, you can put the rack in the freezer to dry the chocolate.)

10. Then it is ready to enjoy with hot coffee or tea.

Cooking and Money Saving Tip

If you have fruits and vegetables that are about to go bad, do not throw them away unless they are rotten. Instead, cut them up and or peel them, and add them to a dish.

For example, had some bruised zucchini and mushroom that were about to go bad in the fridge. Sauteed them in a pan with garlic and olive oil. Next the chicken breast was cut up and added. Then the milk, parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and salt were added. Finally serve over cooked pasta and enjoy!