Healthy Blog Recipes to Try #1

There are so many good and "good for you" recipes, that it's hard to keep up with all of them.

So I decided when I came across something I'd like to make, I'd gather them up, hoping you might like to try them also.

I'm looking forward to making these!


Lentil Sloppy Joes from Loving Life
Only changes would be agave nectar or rapadurah (a less processed sugar cane) for the brown sugar



Cheesy Broccoli Stuffed Chicken Breast from Confessions of a Recovering Chocoholic
No frying, extra breading or creamy sauces, just a good hearty meal


Superfood Pancakes from 16 Balls in the Air
Wait til you see this one!


Peanut Butter Freezer Treats from Daily Bites
Yummy!


Grain Free Fig Bars from Mrs Ed's Research and Recipes
Always looking for more ways to eat figs!


Which ones would you like to try? 

Thank you to these blogs in hosting these recipe links:

This is post is linked to:

BBQ Shredded Chicken with Coleslaw on Sweet Potato Rolls

No nutrition facts this time I just want to bask in this recipe that was a wonderful Sunday meal, or two or three, for us.

BBQ Shredded Chicken with Coleslaw on Sweet Potato Rolls

This actually is a meal that takes little preparation if you don't make your own rolls, 15 minutes would do it, but the combination of the bbq, coleslaw, and sweet potato sounded too good to pass up.


BBQ Crockpot Chicken 
(This is so simple you don't need a recipe but here's what I did.)

3 whole (6 halves) chicken breasts boneless and skinless
BBQ sauce (I used Xagave recipe here)
Teriyaki sauce (Xagave recipe to come)
Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Shred. Keep warm in juices.




Creamy Coleslaw 
(inspired by Bobby Flay's Creamy Coleslaw)

1 head cabbage (used thickest slicer on food processor blade)
2 large carrots (shredded)
3/4 c. mayonaise
1-2 tbsp. grated onion
2 tbsp. sugar or agave nectar
2 tbsp. white vinegar
1 tbsp. dry mustard
1/2 tsp. celery seed
1/2 tsp. salt 
freshly ground pepper


Combine dressing then mix thoroughly with cabbage and carrot.
Set aside.




Optional:


Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Rolls
(inspired by Floyd at TheFreshLoaf.com)


Combine to make a paste:
1 sweet potato, baked 
1 c. milk (I used 1/2 c. water and 1/2 c. yogurt)
1/2 c. white or brown sugar 
(I used Rapadurah -evaporated cane juice)


3-4 c. whole wheat flour (or use 1/2 white and 1/2 wheat)
2 tsp. instant yeast (next time I'd use 3 tsp. with whole wheat)
1-1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg


Mix in 2 cups of the flour with other dry ingredients. Add to sweet potato mixture until thoroughly combined. Add 1/4 c. flour at a time until dough is tacky but workable. Knead by hand or machine 5-10 minutes.



Set dough to rise in covered bowl for 1 to 1-1/2 hours with 3 stretch and folds until doubled in size. (Click here for info on stretch and folds)


Divide in a dozen or so pieces, shape in rolls, and allow to rise until doubled, another hour or so. (Mine didn't quite double)


Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes (25 for me) until they begin to brown.


Slice open rolls.
Coat with BBQ sauce.
Pile with Shredded BBQ Chicken.
Pile with Creamy Coleslaw.
Top with bun. 


Devour...or politely stuff in mouth so you get the taste of bun, bbq and coleslaw all in one. :)


The amazing thing is that I didn't think this was going to turn out at all. The chicken breasts were dry in the beginning but as it sat in the juices it turned more like shredded pork. (My family thought it was pork!) 


The buns took way longer than the directions said because I used whole wheat flour. I wrote the times in the above directions. 


But patience paid off...


The next two meals with the leftovers were just as delicious. When we ran out of rolls we used toasted whole wheat bread (double fiber 6g per slice) and it was good also.


If you happen to be pressed for time, use whole wheat bread and bottled bbq sauce. Do what you can! Everyone will still enjoy it!

What is your favorite delicious healthy meal?

For more great recipes:
Crockpot Wednesday
Foodie Friday
Friday Food

Chicken Pesto in 15

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

(Ps. 90:12)

“The prayer is, that God would enable us to form such an estimate of life,

that we shall be truly wise; that we may be able to act 'as if' we saw the whole of life.” (Barnes)

Could you imagine if we saw life as a “whole” instead of hour by hour or even day by day? Think how that would change our perspective on things, literally, things. What would be our priority, things, duties or people.

I have numbered my days and for now my number is 15. 15 minute segments of time to bring my family closer to the way He wants us to eat while keeping me from being too obsessed in the kitchen. It’s giving me more time to spend with the people that make a difference in my life. And just perhaps, I can make a difference in theirs.

15 minute meal –Chicken Pesto Sandwich

As part of my 15 minute regime last night, after supper I took the chicken breast I marinated (1 1/2 hours) earlier in:

1 mild grapefruit, juiced (it’s what I had and the citrus makes the chicken tender)

2 tangerines, juiced

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

¼ c. raw honey

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. oregano

4 whole chicken breasts (8 halves)

And used one whole breast for last night’s dinner (Chicken, Quinoa and Peas) and with the other 3 chicken breasts, in 15 minutes, I used my George Foreman grill to cook 3 breast halves at a time for 7 minutes each. They had beautiful grill marks and as soon as they cooled, I stuck them in the frig. George really helps when it comes to cooking low-fat and super fast.

That was last night…

After church tonight, we were all desperately hungry. I pulled out the chicken breasts I had cooked, stuck them on a cookie sheet in the oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes (including preheating). I made a quick pesto with:

1 c. parsley, not packed (wash in water and use salad spinner to dry)

¼ c. walnuts

½ tsp. sea salt

2 cloves roasted garlic

I put all in food processor and pulsed until chopped. Then I added:

2-3 tbs. extra virgin olive oil while running the machine and, wahlah, pesto.

I chopped half a tomato, a few slivers of carrot, and washed and spun dry a handful of spinach. As the timer went off, I got out the bread (Nature’s Pride Double Fiber 6g per slice) and spread with the pesto, assembled the tomato, carrot, spinach, chicken and sprinkled with salt and pepper.

In 15 minutes, our late night fast food was done. No, it wasn’t like a professional chef’s domestic production but it certainly was tasty enough for our hungry bellies and ready soon enough to avoid a mutiny in the barracks.