Healthy Recipes from Pinterest

As a Pinterest addict I have multiple boards of various topics. One of the boards is Healthy Eating. This past week I decided to try two of the recipes. I mean, why not? I had all the ingredients in the house waiting to be used, thanks to Bountiful Baskets, which I just L-O-V-E, love!!!

The first recipe I tried was Pan-Roasted Chicken With Lemon-Garlic Green Beans.

It was a fabulous recipe and the food was, mmmm-mmmmm-Good! I used canola oil instead of Extra Olive Oil, because that's what I had. I'll use a little less next time, but the lemons and garlic added such an amazing zing to the taste buds!

For dessert we had Apple Pie Baked in the Apples.

I used whatever apples I had from the week's basket. I didn't have brown sugar so that wasn't used. And I hardly ever bake or cook with sugar any more; I used splenda. The apples tasted so natural and delicious.

I took extra as left overs to work and they warmed up perfectly. Definately worth the try if you're looking for some new healthy recipes to add to dinner.

This Week's Basket

Here's the basket we got on Saturday....I am SO LOVING Bountiful Baskets!!! I've had so much fun finding tasty, healthy recipes.

The stumper this week? Cucumbers! I know, I know! Put them in a salad, right? Not so much. I found a recipe for cucumber sandwich, which we will make in a few days. And then there's the celery, which I've given to Eric (and will give some to my mom) because, I'll at least eat cucumbers, but I really HATE celery.

This week I'm making: Banana Strawberry Muffins (with last week's overripe bananas and this week's strawberries) & Green bean salad w/Maple Dijon Vinaigrette.

Harvest Basket

Saturday, we picked up our 2nd basket from Bountiful baskets. I have been loving the addition of fruits and veggies to our home and diet. I have had a blast finding and trying new recipes.
Here's this week's basket: I will use all these fruits and veggies. Eric dug right into the black berries, which were perfectly ripe. This basket included two large bundles of kale! Kale! What am I going to do with kale!? (I will find something, right?) And there is a unique melon that I am eager to taste.

Last week I didn't know what to do with the figs that came in the basket, so here's what I did. I made a wonderful appetizer: Figs with Goat Cheese, Pecans and Bacon.

Ingredients
6 figs, halved
6 ounces goat cheese
1/2 cup toasted, chopped pecans
3 slices bacon, cut in half

Directions:
Preheat the broiler.
Stuff fig halves with goat cheese. Press pecans into the cheese. Wrap each stuffed fig half with half a slice of bacon, securing with toothpicks.
Arrange on a medium baking sheet. Broil 5 minutes, or until bacon is evenly brown and crisp and goat cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.

*the only problem I encountered was that the bacon, if uncooked, took too long to cook in this manner and the figs got burned. So I purchased precooked bacon, and then it got over cooked. Next time I will use the precooked bacon, but move the top rack down one level and hope it comes out perfect.

Either way, the figs were marvelous!!! Yum!

Fruit & Veggies Basket

I've been wanting to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet for a long time. The problem is that I am very picky about flavor and texture of the fruit. I don't mean to be that picky, but I am. I do not like fruit that is over ripe or too under ripe.....it's hard to get one that's just right. So I'm trying to re-teach myself to like fruit and vegetables by letting my pallet start over as an adult. I wonder if my tastes will change?

This interest began to develop after some tastings I did with my sisters a couple of years ago at their home....and when I watch any show on the Food Network, there's always talk about mixing flavors. Flavors I have convinced myself that I don't like...but what if that was young Tina's pallet? Time to find out.

A few of my coworkers get weekly fruits and vegetables from Bountiful Baskets and I thought I would start there for two reasons: 1. It's affordable. $15 a week and you get a variety of vegetables and fruit. 2. It's fresh produce and I can use it this week in meals or as a healthy snack.

The picture above is the basket I received this morning. The first thing that made me excited was how colorful it looks! My mouth watered. I've allowed myself to get into the brown foods and stay there (breads, meats, cereals, etc).

There were a few items (specifically, figs) that I didn't know what to do with. So I searched out some recipes that will use the spices and proteins I have on hand (which isn't much) and made a menu for the week. The last time I had figs was in Ecuador and it was prepared as a fermented dish....and it was grody! (and I was a hungry missionary who learned to eat everything, but couldn't down that dish.) So it should be interesting.

As it turns out, this is a busy week for us, and a lot of the meals I thought I'd be making for dinner, will end up being our lunch.

Once I have made the recipe, I'll attach a link to the recipe, but here's what I've come up with so far:
1. Harvest Salad, Grilled Steak, and Mushroom Bread

2. Almond-Crusted Halibut, and steamed Broccoli & Cauliflower

3. Baked Chicken w/Gorgonzola & Red Pear Risotto

4. Chicken Walnut wraps, and Figs w/Goat Cheese, Pecans & Bacon

5. Salmon with Pineapple Tomato Salsa