Sweet Jalapeno Hummus

OK. Be skeptical. It's cool. I can handle it! Because I was skeptical too! I have wasted MORE cans of stinkin' chickpeas on homemade hummus attempts that I have just NOT liked at all. And I really don't like the store bought versions :( But I WANT to like hummus. I really do! So... we had this at a friends' house the other night and it was good! It was REALLY good!!! And I'm not even a huge jalapeno fan, I don't do super spicy foods. But this isn't! It's like a magic trick. Anyways, try it, hope you like it!!

Sweet Jalapeno Hummus

Ingredients:

1 Jalapeno
1 can rinsed and drained chickpeas
1/4 cup tahini (I didn't have any and mine was still yummy, my friend made hers with tahini and it was good too. So I consider this kind of optional. Tahini definitely makes it more authentic)
1 1/2 Tbsp agave nectar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp ice water

Instructions:

Cut jalapeno in half. Remove the seeds. Place under your broiler until browned in places. Quickly remove and place in a Ziploc baggie for about 10 minutes. This roasts the jalapeno, making it's flavor much more yummy, and it's flesh more soft. You can choose to use the whole jalapeno, or just 1/2 of it. I used 1/2 because I'm cautious of spicy stuff. Again, my friend used the whole one and it was really good too.

Rinse chickpeas and pull of any pea shells that are easily removed. Place these in blender or food processor and puree until relatively smooth. Add in the tahini (if using), agave nectar, and jalapeno. Blend until smooth (scrape the sides if necessary). Stream in your olive oil while food processor is still running and continue to blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper, blend, taste, and season according to your taste. Last, turn back on your processor and stream in the ice water until completely smooth. This gives it such good consistency. Scoop out and serve!

We used carrot sticks for ours, but you can also take brown rice tortillas, cut them into strips, spritz with olive oil and salt, bake at 425 until slightly crispy. Yum yum yum!

Coconut Shrimp

Oh MYLANTA this was the perfect treat. I needed something rich and "naughty" tasting on this 4th week of the detox. Everyone else was feasting on terrible super bowl foods, and I wasn't craving THOSE foods so much as I was just something rich. This recipe was so good!!!!

Coconut Shrimp Recipe:

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
7 Tbsp ground flaxseed meal
1/2 cup unsweetened light shredded coconut
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 egg whites
12 oz medium cooked shrimp

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Spray a cookie sheet with the cooking spray, set aside.

Mix together flaxseed meal, coconut, and pepper. Take 1/2 of it and place in a separate bowl for when the breading starts to clump and not stick as well. (after doing about 1/2 your shrimp, you can move on to this bowl)

Put egg whites in another bowl, and whisk them slightly.

Dip your shrimp in the egg whites, then roll in the flax mixture. Then place on cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Check on them after 10 minutes and make sure they're not getting tough. But mine took the whole 15 and they were great!

Now, I made two dipping sauces, and I honestly liked them both together on the shrimp at the same time! So do whatever sounds best to you :)

Sweet and Spicy Dip:

Heat 1/2 cup agave nectar and 1/4 cup coconut oil in a small sauce pan, add crushed red pepper, and a little chili powder. Whisk up and enjoy!

Pineapple salsa:

Blend together one small can of pineapple with about 1/3 of a red onion, and a small bunch of cilantro. Add about 2 Tbsp agave to the blender, mix until combined well. Voila!

Pan Seared Sea Bass with Asparagus and Mushrooms

Some dear friends had us over for an AMAZING dinner the other night, completely detox friendly. I felt like I was at a gourmet restaurant!!! Here is what she made:

Sea Bass:

Preheat oven to 450. Dry off all pieces completely with paper towels. Get your skillet hot over medium high heat. Cover pan with olive oil to prevent sticking. Place the sea bass fillets in the skillet, sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Once browned, turn and brown on the other side. Place on cookie sheet lined with foil, and in oven for approximately 10 minutes or until the meat flakes easily - don't over cook. You can always let it rest  by covering it with foil and it will cook a little more. So if anything, undercook.

Mix together olive oil, lemon juice, capers, and garlic, and when you serve the fish, spoon some of this mixture on top! Delish!!!

Asparagus:

Ingredients

• 1 lb asparagus spears (thick spears are best for roasting)
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly grated black pepper
• Lemon juice

Method

1 Preheat oven to 400°F. Rinse clean the asparagus. Break the tough ends off of the asparagus and discard.

2 Lay the asparagus spears out in a single layer in a baking dish or a foil-covered roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil over the spears, roll the asparagus back and forth until they are all covered with a thin layer of olive oil. (Alternatively you can put the asparagus and oil in a plastic bag, and rub the bag so that the oil gets evenly distributed.) Sprinkle with minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Rub over the asparagus so that they are evenly distributed.

3 Place pan in oven and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes, depending on how thick your asparagus spears are, until lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Drizzle with a little fresh lemon juice before serving.

 

Roasted Mushrooms

Get more of the ingredients that you sprinkled the asparagus with, and the olive oil, mix those together. Cut up your mushrooms, and drizzle with that dressing. Roast at 400 with the asparagus for the same amount of time. Enjoy!

 

 

Cuban Halibut with Black Bean Quinoa

This dish is full of flavor. Sometimes you can get caught in a boring funk with cooking, try this exotic meal to stir things up a bit!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 4-oz halibut fillets, skin and bones removed

Marinade:

1 tsp orange zest

1 tsp lime zest

Juice 1/2 lime

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

QUINOA

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 bunch or bag spinach (9 oz), roughly chopped
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 1 cup cooked black beans
• 1 orange, sectioned with juice
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Set oven to broil. Place halibut in a large bowl.
2. Prepare marinade: In a small bowl, mix together orange and lime zests, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pour marinade over halibut and set aside.
3. Prepare quinoa: In a large sauté pan, heat oil on medium. Add onion, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes, until spices release their aroma and onion begins to soften. If onion starts becoming too brown, add 1/4 cup water. In batches, add spinach and cook, covered, for 3 to 4 minutes, until slightly wilted. Add quinoa and 2 cups water. Increase heat and bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 10 minutes. Add beans and cook for 5 more minutes. Then gently mix in orange sections and juice, orange zest and cilantro. Heat through for 1 more minute.
4. Meanwhile, place halibut and marinade on a baking sheet and broil in oven for about 8 minutes. Serve halibut over quinoa mixture.

Roasted Turkey with Mushroom Sauce

For those days when you want a homey, warm, comfort food meal, this is perfect! I would pair this with baked sweet potato, or some boiled new potatoes with olive oil, rosemary and parsley on top.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper, plus additional to taste
• 1 10- to 12-lb turkey (thawed if frozen), neck and giblets removed
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided, plus additional if needed
• 1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms, cut or torn into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup arrowroot powder, dissolved in 1/4 cup cold water
• Sea salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, combine rosemary, oil, garlic powder, onion powder and 1 tsp pepper. Place turkey on work surface, gently slip your fingers under the skin and work in herb mixture, distributing evenly over meat. Set turkey aside for an hour at room temperature, or if preparing in advance, overnight in the refrigerator. (NOTE: If turkey is marinating in the refrigerator, remove from fridge about an hour before continuing to Step Two.)
2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange turkey, breast side up, on a roasting rack set in a roasting pan. Tie legs together (if they aren’t already) and tuck in wings. Add about 2 cups broth to roasting pan, enough to fill pan 1/4-inch deep. Loosely cover turkey with foil and roast for 1 hour.
3. Remove foil and baste turkey with pan juices. Continue roasting uncovered, basting every 20 to 30 minutes, until an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (without touching the bone) registers 165°F, about 2 1/4 to 2 3/4 hours total cooking time. (NOTE: If pan gets dry, add water or additional broth to maintain about 1/4 inch of liquid. If any part of the turkey gets too brown, cover it loosely with foil.)
4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan on medium-high, combine remaining 1 cup broth with mushrooms and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cover; set aside.
5. Transfer turkey to a cutting board and let rest, loosely covered with foil, for 20 to 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, carefully pour pan drippings from roasting pan into a measuring cup and set aside to let fat separate. Add porcini mixture to roasting pan and place pan on medium heat, straddled over two burners if necessary. Bring to a boil, scraping up any browned bits in the pan with a spoon. Skim and discard fat from pan drippings, add remaining liquid to the roasting pan and return to a boil. Whisk in arrowroot mixture and cook until sauce thickens, 30 to 60 seconds. Add salt and additional pepper and transfer sauce to a gravy boat.
7. Remove skin and carve turkey. Serve sauce on the side.

Another Version of Chicken Tortilla Soup

If I were more creative, I would come up with a new name for this since we already have a chicken tortilla soup on here... but "chicken and bean" doesn't sound good, and I'm not feeling uber creative today. So: "chicken tortilla soup, version 2" it is :)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2-3 chicken breast (free range, organic) boiled & shredded
2 cans chicken broth (low sodium, organic)
2 cans stewed tomatoes
2 cans pinto beans, drained
2 cans black beans, drained
24 oz picante or salsa (clean - no vinegar or sugar)
1 sm-med onion, diced
1 pkg taco seasoning (low sodium, no MSG or homemade)
Optional toppings: Rice chips, cheddar "cheese" shreds, avocado slices, green onions

Cook 20-30 minutes stove top. This recipe is HUGE! A half-batch easily serves our family of 4 with 1-2 leftover servings. Try halving it or freeze second half for later time when you need a quick meal!

Coconut Lime Chicken Nuggets

Don't let junk food cravings do you in. If you see someone gobbling down one of your favorite treats, run (and I mean RUN) to your computer and google a healthy version of that. There are always ways around your favorites!!! Here's one of mine :)

http://www.dailybitesblog.com/2012/07/05/coconut-lime-chicken-bites/