quinoa Chicken and asparagus bake

This meal is AWESOME!!

I have also substituted the Asparagus out with broccoli (and it was amazing) and tonight I am trying it with Brussels sprouts (ill let you know how it goes!)

I usually bake everything at the same time, however I noticed that my veggies get a little OVER cooked, so tonight I am going to try baking everything, except for the vegetable, and then add the veggie halfway through!  But that really just depends on if you like your veggies firm, or not!

I know it looks really cheesy, but its not, for some reason when I freshly shred cheese it always looks overly cheesy!

Quinoa Chicken Asparagus Bake

1.5 C chicken broth

1/2 cup of milk

1/2 Cup Flour

3/4 C uncooked quinoa

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts- cut into bite size chunks

1 bunch of asparagus- cut into bite sizes

1/2 C shredded cheese

in a saucepan, bring chicken broth and milk to a boil, slowly (VERY SLOWLY) whisk in flour, until smooth and continue cooking for about 2 minutes, until thick.

in a large bowl mix the remainder of ingredients- except the cheese- and then pour into a baking dish (spray or use tin foil!) top with the shredded cheese, and cook for about 60 minutes at 375 degrees

you will know it is ready when the quinoa is sprouted, and the chicken is cooked through! 

Italian Dressing, Tuna salad- sala

My mom actually introduced me to this recipe, She wanted to make it, and then couldn't find her recipe for it, so she "guessed" and then once she got done making the tuna salad, realized she was out of bread, so she tossed it on some spinach and called it a day! and I FELL IN LOVE!!

and this is coming for a girl who usually does not really like Tuna, (I hate the smell, but I am ok with the taste).

Anyways, by the time I got home, I couldn't remember her recipe that she made up, so then I "guessed" and made it myself!! MM MMM MM.. so as many of you know, I don't usually measure things out, Aint nobody got time for that, so ill give you my guesstimates, but make it your own! if you like a lot of carrots, add a lot of carrots, not a big radish fan? don't add so many but actually, they radishes are BOMB in it!

Tuna Salad- Salad

a bag of spinach (or equivalent amount if you don't buy the bags)

2 cans of tuna (I prefer in water, but your choice)

5 red radishes- chopped

1/4 onion- chopped

2 celery stocks- chopped

2 Large carrots- chopped

1/2 cup Italian Dressing

salt and pepper to taste

mix everything, other than spinach, in a large bowl. 

when ready to serve. place a few large scoops onto of fresh spinach! and enjoy!!

it is OH SO GOOD!!

Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos

So I did another week-in-a-day Freezer meals day.  However I forgot to post about them :/ ehh  having a baby is very very distracting these days!

anyways, This was one of my recipes, it was AMAZING! I honestly usually HATE to shred chicken, this was so moist, it literally just fell apart into shreds!! it was amazing!  This is also awesome, because I feel you could really make it your own recipes! add jalapeños, peppers, salsa, etc..

Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos

1 lbs of skinless boneless chicken breasts

juice from 2 limes

1 bunch of cilantro - chopped

1 (16 oz) bag of frozen corn

1 can black beans -drained and rinsed

2 cloves of minced garlic

1/2 onion - chopped

1 tsp cumin

salt and pepper to taste

TO FREEZE: toss everything into a large ziplock bag, lay flat in the freezer, when ready to cook, empty contents of the bag into crock pot on low for 4-6 hours (high for 1-2 hours)

TO EAT THAT DAY: mix all ingredients in your crock pot, cook on Low for 3-4 hours. 

serve on tortillas with all your favorite taco toppings!

THIS ALSO MAKES GREAT SANDWICHES!!! 

Chipotle Guacamole

So Chipotle recently released their WORLD FAMOUS guacamole... I myself, am perhaps Chipotle's biggest fan, I am also Guacamoles biggest fan... so this is a win win for me!!!

Im not going to make you wait any longer!!

here is the recipe, straight from Chipotles mouth!!

Chipotle Guacamole

2 ripe avocados

2 tsp lime juice

2 tbsp cilantro (chopped)

1/4 cup red onion (finely chopped)

1/2 Jalapeno, including seeds (finely chopped)

1/4 tsp kosher salt

cut avocados in half, and take out the pit (I usually stab it and twist) 

scoop the avocado out of the shell, and place in a medium bowl.

toss and coat with lime juice.

add the salt and using a fork (or masher) mash until smooth

fold in the remaining ingredients and mix well

taste and adjust seasoning if necessary 

And don't forget to make some AMAZING Margaritas to go with it!

One Pan Chicken and Vegetables

So I actually found this recipe on the back of a Swanson Chicken Stock box- but it wasn't actually "clean" (actually I'm not sure that chicken stock is even "clean" but I knew every ingredient in it, so that's clean enough) So I had to change it up a bit. Also when I read the world "oregano" for some reason I thought "cilantro" so theres that too- so feel free to use Oregano instead of Cilantro, although that cilantro tastes bomb in it (but I know some people say it tastes like dirt?? those people are not my friends)

Chicken with Vegetables

1/2 tsp Paprika

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

4 chicken breasts

1 medium onion- quartered 

1 lbs baby potatoes- cut in half

half a bag of baby carrots

1 1/2 cups Chicken stock

1/4 cup Cilantro chopped

few drops of olive oil

Preheat oven to 350

lather chicken with Paprika and pepper 

In a dutch oven, spread a few drops of olive oil, and place chicken on top, cook on the stove, for about 10 minutes, turning half way, until brown. Remove any fat from the bottom of the dutch oven (I didn't have any since I cut the fat off before I cooked the chicken, but if you didn't, drain it out, because that's gross)

Add the potatoes, and onions and cook and addition 5 minutes. 

add carrots, stock and cilantro and heat until boiling. 

Bake, covered for 20 minutes, stir and then uncover and continue to bake for an additional 15 minutes. 

Mexican Stuffed Pita Pockets

I actually just downloaded all of my phone pictures onto my computer and I found this GEM of a treat!!! I had almost forgotten all about it, and I didn't even use my nice camera for the picture, so I must not have intended on sharing the recipe- but I changed my mind, the world should know how delicious this is!!

Mexican Stuffed Pita Pockets

1 can of black beans - drained and rinsed

1 can of corn- drain

1 rice avocado- chopped into chunks

1/2 cup of shredded Mexican cheese

1 large tomato diced

1 small onion- diced

1/2 bunch of cilantro- chopped

salt and pepper to taste

package of pita pockets cut in half.

in a large mixing bowl, mix everything together (aside for the pita), fill pita pockets with mixture and enjoy!! 

Chicken and Asparagus Stir Fry

So this is really less of a recipe, and more of any idea. since its so easy, its hard to even call it a "recipe"- you could probably just look at the picture and figure out how to make it, but either way I will share it- also I know soy sauce isn't actually a "clean" food, but it says right on the packaging that preservatives make up 1/10 of 1% of the ingredients, and well screw it, that's clean enough!

Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry

2 chicken breasts- chunked

1 bunch of Asparagus (ends cut off and then cut into 2-3 inch sticks)

2-3 cloves of garlic- diced

soy sauce- to taste

In a fry pan, add chicken, and asparagus (I suppose you could use some oil, but I'm trying to cut that out of my life right now) after a few minutes, add garlic and soy sauce to taste.  cook until chicken is well cook! boom too easy! 

dinner is served

Chicken Bruschetta

Chicken Bruschetta

2 chicken breast- baked

2 large tomatoes- diced

2 cloves of Garlic- Diced

1/2 red onion- chopped

1 Tbs Olive Oil

a few shakes of Sea salt

a few shakes of Dried or fresh Basil

Bake chicken at 375 degrees for 40ish minutes. (or however you like your chicken)

in a medium size bowl. combine tomatoes, garlic, onion, olive oil, salt and basil. scoop on top of chicken and serve :) so so yummy!!

Roasted Cabbage

So if you saw my Roasted Garlic Brussles sprouts, this is a VERY similar recipe- also did you know Cabbage is one of the healthiest foods you can eat?! anyways Ill keep this short- P.s Its an awesome recipe! I was even able to talk my Husband into eating it! We both were wishing I had made more!

Roasted Cabbage

Cabbage- sliced into 12 inch slices

a drizzle of olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Place Cabbage slices onto pan, drizzle and spread olive oil over the top and top with salt and pepper. cook at 375 for 20-30 minutes. boom too easy!

Garlic Roasted Brussles Sprouts

HOLY SMOKES -that's all I can say. HOLY SMOKES.. these are DELICIOUS!!! Now I am a brussles sprouts kinda gal, but I have always disliked the "center" of them, I'm Not sure if that makes any sense, but hey, we all have our weird things!  but these are amazing, no "center" grossness!!!

Roasted Garlic Brussles Sprouts

1 lbs of Brussels Sprouts- Halved 

a few drops of Olive Oil

2 cloves of garlic-diced (or garlic salt)

salt- to taste

Toss the Brussels Sprouts, olive oil, garlic and salt into a zip lock bag (or use the bag that you use at the grocery store) and shake it up, making sure that all the brussels spouts get coated in all that deliciousness! 

Bake on a pan at 400 degrees, for 25-35 minutes. 

Negative Calorie Soup

So the Wentworth family is in for a BIG change this year (so long as we keep it up, but I figure if I put it here we will have to keep it up).  We have decided that we are no longer college students, and that mac and cheese and frozen pizzas are not the way to a happy and healthy life- so we are committed to eating better (as well as being much more active).  Which means Darn Good Dinner will be getting a bit of a face lift, with much healthier, and cleaner recipes!! I am SO excited! and I hope you are too!

So to start off this change, we are doing a 2 week detox- out with the old, and in with the new (we don't really know what our detox consists of, but basically mostly just fruits and veggies  and chicken for the next two weeks!)  I found this recipe, and I thought "sure its healthy, but could it actually be good??" and guess what?! IT IS!!! I even helped myself to seconds, because, well, I Can!!!

Negative Calorie Soup

2/3 cup of carrots (chopped/diced/sliced- just make them smallish)

1/2 of a large onion- diced

2 cloves of garlic- diced

4 cups of Chicken, vegetable or beef broth

1/2 cup green beans

1/2 green cabbage- chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 large zucchini - sliced

In a large pot, spray non stick cooking spray,and heat- add the carrots, onion and garlic and saute until soft.  Add broth, cabbage, beans, seasonings and bring to a boil.  reduce heat and stir i

n zucchini- cook an addition 3-5 minutes.

that's it! so easy, SO healthy, and SO SO SO delicious!!