Mango Avocado Chutney on Healthy Chicken Quesadillas

Spring has sprung, and boy am I happy! Fresh fruit and ripe avocados are back on the shelves, and the warm beach air is slowly returning. I love cooking in the spring and summer, everything just tastes so fresh, and this recipe fits right in. I was looking for a yummy chutney because I knew I wanted to make some quesadillas and boy did this fit the bill. It's funny, my dear friend Rosa asked me what the difference between a chutney and a salsa was and I was stumped for a second. But in my humble opinion chutney has a sweet fruit base and salsa has a tomato base. It's got a great contrast between sweet, spicy and acidic. At any rate, it's good and that's all that matters.

I included the "recipe" for the quesadillas I made but they were really just a throw together from ingredients in the fridge. The chutney is the true star here, it would be great on blackened grilled chicken or fish, and I can't wait to try it on some homemade crab cakes. I ate the leftovers on plain chips and I was still drooling. Enjoy!

Mango Avocado Chutney on Healthy Chicken Quesadillas  (Print Me)

Ingredients:
Chutney:
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced medium
1 ripe mango, peeled, pitted, and diced medium
1 small red onion, diced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 jalapeño (stem and seeds removed), minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Quesadillas:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup mushrooms, washed and sliced
1 cup spinach
1/2 cup black beans
1 cup shredded chicken
Salt & Pepper
Tortillas
Shredded Cheese (I used pepper jack)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients for chutney together and refrigerate until ready to use.

For quesadillas, heat olive oil in large pan and sauté onion and garlic until onion is opaque. Add mushrooms and continue sautéing until mushrooms are tender. Add spinach cook until it starts to wilt then add black beans and chicken until warmed through, season with salt & pepper.

On a griddle or in a large pan over medium heat place tortilla and top with cheese, then chicken mixture, and another layer of cheese. Place another tortilla on top and cook both sides until golden brown. Top with chutney and serve immediately.

Source: Chutney from Martha Stewart, quesadillas Brooke's Original

Healthy Chopped Salad with Jalapeño Lime Dressing

I have been talking a lot lately about healthy eating, and I get a lot of questions and comments about how hard it is to eat healthy while still enjoying your food. Here's my secret.. eat foods you like! Crazy, I know. But if you can find good for you foods that you enjoy, the hard part is over! Then all you really have to do is start combining flavors you like, and voilà!

Take a basic salad, it doesn't have to be basic, just start throwing in stuff you like and keep it interesting. For instance, I think I could eat this salad every day for a month and I wouldn't be sick of it. I first made this last week and I've been eating it non-stop since then, because I love it and it tastes amazing! So give good for you food a shot, you just might be surprised. Enjoy!

Healthy Chopped Salad with Jalapeño Lime Dressing  (Print Me)

Ingredients: (these are suggestions, put on what you like!)
2 large romaine hearts, washed and chopped
1 (15.5 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup sweet corn (I roasted mine in the oven)

2 roasted red peppers

1 cup grape tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup feta cheese

1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1/3 cup cilantro, washed and chopped
1 avocado, diced1 cup pulled cooked chicken breast

Dressing:
2 Limes, juiced and zested
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Honey or Agave Nectar
1 Jalapeño Pepper, seeded
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
3/4 teaspoon Salt

Directions:
To make dressing, place all ingredients in food processor and process until consistent. If you don't have a food processor finely dice the jalapeño and stir all ingredients together.

In a large bowl add lettuce, top with all ingredients except for avocado and dressing. Toss salad gently and plate. Top with avocado and dressing.

Source: Chopped Salad from Ambitious Kitchen, dressing from Cook.Snap.Savour.

Green Smoothie

I typically strive to eat healthy, with the mind set of "everything in moderation" I try not to deprive myself of anything. Since starting and falling in love with yoga at the end of last year I have really been trying to reenforce my healthy and clean eating habits to fuel my body. One of the things I have recently added in is this smoothie, it is jam packed with good for you stuff and it only takes a couple minutes to throw together in the morning. At about 300 calories for the whole thing or only 150 for half a great meal replacement or post workout snack.

And did I mention its freaking yummy?! I know it's kind of a weird green color and it has spinach in it, but with all the fruit added in you really don't taste the spinach. This recipe is super versatile, I am just giving you the base recipe I started with, but have fun from there! I love to throw in a handful of frozen blueberries or any fresh fruit I have on hand. You could also put some peanut or other nut butter in as well as any healthy mix ins you have like flax or chia seeds. Have fun and enjoy!

Green Smoothie  (Print Me)

Ingredients:

1 large orange, peeled and segmented

1 large banana

6 large strawberries

2 cups spinach

1/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 cup ice
1 Tablespoon chia or flax seed (optional)

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

If you want to save half either refrigerate or freeze in air tight container. If freezing make sure you take the smoothie out of the freezer about 30 minutes before you want to drink it. 

Source: Two Peas and Their Pod

3 Musketeers Fudge Brownies

Alright ya'll, I'm about to ruin your swimsuit ready healthy eating plan, but I promise a little cheat is good for your diet every once and a while. And this time it's so worth it. It starts out with an amazing brownie base that even a box mix brownie lover would prefer. Then to top it off you add 3 musketeers and a soft fudge, I mean you really can't go wrong here. You will definitely want someone around to share these with though, because they are rich and addicting! I actually packed these bad boys up and sent them in a package to my Hubby to share with his guys so they made it out of the house before I devoured the entire pan. Come to think of it I wish I had saved a couple more, because I could go for one of these bad boys right about now! Enjoy!

3 Musketeers Fudge Brownies  (Print Me)

Ingredients:

Brownies:
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, partially melted
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup all purpose Gold Medal Flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Topping:
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

21 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1 1/2 cans)

~20 ounces 3 musketeers chopped

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 325º and line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper sprayed with cooking spray.

Place butter into a large mixing bowl and microwave until partially melted. Add sugar and oil, mix until well combined. Stir in the eggs and vanilla until combined. Add flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder stirring  until just combined and thick.

Transfer batter to prepared baking dish, spreading evenly. Bake for ~40 minutes, until baked through. Remove and let cool completely, about an hour. Once cooled, sprinkle half of the chopped 3 Musketeers bars on top of brownie evenly. 

Combine chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in bowl. Melt together over a double boiler then pour over brownies and chopped candy bars, spreading evenly. Press remaining candy bars into the fudge layer and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow fudge to set.

Source: Cookies & Cups, Brownie Base from Picky Palate

Balela (Middle Eastern Chickpea & Black Bean Salad) Trader Joe's Copy Cat

There are so many thing I am OBSESSED with at Trader Joe's it is kind of out of control. I find myself there at least three times a week, but I really can't help it. One of the first things I fell in love with was this Balela Salad; at the time I had no idea what it was but after checking out the ingredients list I knew I would be in love. I recently decided it was time to try and replicate the recipe based off the list on the packaging since I was eating so much of it, and I am pretty happy with it! I think the TJ's recipe has more salt, but I try to not add a ton of salt to anything so just add it to taste. I found it was really best after being able to chill out in the fridge for a day so the flavors can really marry together. It makes a great healthy side dish, or a meal of it's own in a pinch. Hope you like it as much as me, and any TJ lovers out there, what's your favorite thing they sell?? 

Balela Salad  (Print Me)

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpeas, cooked (or canned)

1/2 cup black beans, cooked (or canned)

1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato

5 Tablespoons lemon juice

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

4 cloves garlic

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup chopped red onion

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Prepare chickpeas and black beans according to package directions.

Mix all ingredients together, for best flavor allow to marinate in refrigerator for several hours.

Source: Brooke's Original Recipe based off Trader Joe's Product

Beer Candied Bacon

Last week I brought you this amazing cheesecake with one of the star ingredients being beer candied bacon. The idea sounds a little weird at first, but I mean come on, beer and bacon are pretty much a match made in heaven. It's kind of addicting, when I made this I had to keep running my husband out of the kitchen just to make sure I had enough for the cheesecake. It was super easy to make and perked the interest (and subsequently the taste buds) of our guests. The key is to get thick cut bacon, otherwise the bacon will cook too fast before it can become candied. I think you could find some really fun ways to use this, what do you think??

Beer Candied Bacon  (Print Me)

Ingredients:
1 lb thick-cut, high quality bacon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp beer (I used a chocolate stout from Trader Joe's)

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400º.  Combine brown sugar and beer in a small bowl, whisking well until syrupy.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and place a wire cooling rack on top. Arrange bacon on rack and place in oven and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and brush one side of the bacon with the beer syrup. Flip, and coat the other side with the syrup as well. Return to oven and cook for 10 minutes. Repeat process another time or two more, until bacon is crispy and browned, and you’ve used most all the glaze.

Cool on wire rack for at least 1 hour before serving.

Source: Tide & Thyme

Bacon Chocolate Stout Cheesecake

Ohhhh, it's been so long my friends. But with another deployment looming over head my days have been very full, but I return to you with a gift.. a gift of chocolate, a gift of bacon, and one of cheesecake (oh and there is beer in there too). You may be thinking I went looney tunes in my time away, but I've shown you before how well beer and bacon go with chocolate, so what the hay let's just throw them all together!! While we are at it, let's candy the bacon too! Ohhhhh yeaaaaa.

I made this recently for a little pre-D barbecue for the Mister and some friends, and let me tell you the guys LOVED it! Not to say the women and I didn't thoroughly enjoy it, but the men were particularly boisterous with how amazing they thought it was. 

Now if you recall, I don't like beer.. in fact i down right hate it, but there's something about it that is okay when it's hidden in chocolate (or on bacon), so if you aren't a fan either don't worry, this dessert is still for you. Just trust me on this one. Hope this post finds you all well, I haven't forgotten about you!

Bacon Chocolate Stout Cheesecake (Print Me)

Ingredients:
For the Crust:
4 standard sized graham crackers
1 cup pretzels
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons butter, melted

For the filling:
7 oz dark chocolate (60%)
1 cup stout (I used a chocolate stout)
3 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 Tablespoons flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 Tablespoons espresso powder (or 2 Tbsp ground espresso)
3/4 cup beer candied bacon, finely chopped

For the topping:
2/3 cup hot fudge sauce
1/2 cup beer-candied bacon, finely chopped

Directions:
Place oven rack in the middle position, on the rack below place a baking dish filled with water. Preheat your oven to 350º.

In a food processor or blender add the graham crackers, sugar and the pretzels and process until it’s the consistency of crumbs. Slowly stream in the butter and process until it resembles wet sand.

Spray the inside of a 9-inch spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the processed crumbs into the spring form pan. Using the bottom of a heavy, flat bottom glass, press the crust very well into the bottom and up sides of the pan until well compacted.

In a pot over medium high heat, add the beer and the chocolate, stir until melted then remove from heat. Allow to cool.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. One at a time, add the eggs, scraping the bottom of the bowl between additions. Pour the cooled chocolate into the mixer and beat until well combined. Lift the head of the mixer and add flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and bacon over the batter, stir on low speed until just combined.

Pour the batter into the pan over the crust. Place the pan in the oven positioned over the pan of water. Bake the cheesecake until the center no longer jiggles when you shake the rack, about 45-50 minutes. Do not try to use a toothpick to test, you just want the center to set as it will continue to cook when you take it out of the oven. Allow cheesecake to cool completely.

For the topping, warm your hot fudge sauce just until it is pourable. Gently pour and spread over the top to make a thin chocolate coat, and allow to sit and solidify for about 15 minutes. Top the chocolate with the chopped bacon. Refrigerate for several hours before serving.

Source: Tide & Thyme