Winner, Winner!! Chicken dinner....but technically its turkey chili...

Ok...confession...this was the first meal I learned how to cook as a married woman. Yes, before that I could get food on the table...chinese, pizza, chicken fingers...LOL! But once I became I wife, I felt that it was only right that I start making actual healthy dinners. 

I was told that a chili was the place to start. It's easy. You can basically put anything you want in it. And it's really hard to mess up. So, I googled it and decided to go with a turkey chili recipe that was actually created for kids! I thought, this should be easy enough. And I was right! Six years later, I have pretty much perfected it, and tend to make it a bit different each time.

For me, the trick it to cook it off, on low, for at LEAST an hour. I like my chili thick, and this is the BEST way to do it. The longer it simmers, the stronger the flavors become and the tastier it is! 

I used to accompany this delicious dish with regular ole rice, but now that I have found cauliflower rice, well it's a whole new ballgame!! I will be uploading that recipe soon, or if you would like to try it sooner,  you can check out my Instagram: MissKateFit or search #KateEatsClean to find out how it's done. 

Serves 4:


Ingredients:
1 TBSP Extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 package of JENNIE-O Lean (or Extra Lean) ground turkey
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp mild chili powder
1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can of no salt added diced tomatoes
1/2 cup salsa (your favorite brand)
No salt added organic chicken stock
Salt
Pepper

1) Heat the oil to a dutch oven, or large pan, over medium/high heat. 
2) Add the onions and the peppers. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
3) Add garlic and cook until fragrant. (About 1 minute)
4) Add in the turkey and break up. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper, as well as the cumin and chili powder. Let brown for about 8 minutes, occasionally breaking it up as it cooks.
5) Once browned, add in beans, tomatoes, salsa and cover with the chicken stock.
6) Bring to a simmer, and cook off until desired thickness.

Serve with rice, cauliflower rice, corn chips, avocado, corn or alone. Enjoy!!

Coconut Dusted Chicken with Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes

So...my husband had bought me this bag of coconut flour from Trader Joes and had been asking me to "please, do something with it." Over the holidays I made macaroons, and they were DIVINE! Tonight, I decided to try something a little bit different.

You see, we are chicken lovers in this house, but for the most part, I either pan fry, or bake, usually with no breading or crust. I have been gluten free for almost 6 years, and we just prefer to have it that way. A little EVOO, a pinch of salt, a dash of pepper, and there you have it!

This evening I was feeling creative. I started looking around for some chicken recipes, using coconut flour and the following is what I came up with. I am also including my roasted potatoes recipe and garlic roasted broccoli, just because they are so tasty!

Serves: 4

Coconut Chicken
1.5 lbs of chicken cutlets (thin sliced)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp white pepper

Potatoes
1 bag of small New Potatoes
1 Sweet Potato 
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Broccoli
1 head of broccoli - chopped 
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 cloves of garlic
Salt 
Pepper

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2) Peel and wash sweet potato. Then cut into small pieces. 
3) Cut the New Potatoes in halves (or thirds).  *Tip- Make sure all potatoes are around the same size. They will cook evenly and come out perfect. :) 
4) Put potatoes on baking sheet and drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, then pop in the oven. Set timer for 30 minutes.

5) Combine broccoli, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, and put on a separate baking sheet.
6) Once the first timer goes off for potatoes, add broccoli to the oven. *At this time, also flip the potatoes so they don't burn.
7) Set timer for an additional 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, 
8) Heat a large saute pan on the stove top over med/high heat.
9) Put Extra Virgin Olive Oil in one bowl, and flour, salt, cumin, turmeric, and pepper in another.  
10) Dip chicken into oil, then flour mix. Make sure you cover the chicken. Repeat with all the cutlets.
11) Place chicken in pan, and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until done, depending on the thickness. 
12) Place on paper towel to soak up excess oil.

13) Plate and serve! 

Enjoy!

The Perfect Snack

Hello everybody! So sorry I have been MIA lately. I have been battling a serious cold/flu and have been down and out. Finally feeling better, and today I want to share a simple "recipe" that took me quite a long time to perfect.

I've learned so much about the egg throughout the years, but this website in particular has taught me a lot! http://authoritynutrition.com/10-proven-health-benefits-of-eggs/ 

Here is just one of the ten benefits they list for eggs. A single large boiled egg contains all of the following:

Vitamin A: 6% of the RDA.
Folate: 5% of the RDA.
Vitamin B5: 7% of the RDA.
Vitamin B12: 9% of the RDA.
Vitamin B2: 15% of the RDA.
Phosphorus: 9% of the RDA.
Selenium: 22% of the RDA.

Eggs also contain decent amounts of Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium and Zinc. No wonder they call it the incredible, edible egg. 

As a kid, my mom always used to give us hardboiled eggs as a snack and they always were cooked to perfection. So, as a mom now, I have been trying to recreate that exact treat for my little ones. My mom has shared her recipe with me numerous times, but I just could never seem to get it the right way. I played around with a bunch of different techniques and have finally, finally...after many tries, come up with the perfect hardboiled egg...every time, never fails. Here is how I do it:

Serving Size: 2 eggs

1) Place eggs in a pan, single layer, and cover with cold water (about 1 inch above).
2) Bring to a rolling boil on high heat and let boil for 3 minutes (set timer).
3) Take off heat, cover, and let sit for 12 minutes (again, set timer). 
4) Place eggs in a bowl of ice water for  10 minutes.
5) Peel and enjoy!

**I normally will boil 6-8 eggs at a time so I can enjoy throughout the week. I just place the eggs, with the shell still on, in a tupperware and refrigerate for up to 5 days.**

Enjoy!

You will LOVE these brussel sprouts!!!!

My husband Carlos and I have been going out a bit more now...give it up for date nights...whoop, whoop!!!, and we have been having some really delicious brussel sprout dishes but the past few times, they were just so greasy...so, I decided to make my own.

I have tried a few recipes in the past and just haven't had much success. I think the secret is in the cleaning and prepping. It does take a little longer to go through each one, cut off the dried out stem, get rid of the loose leaves, and quarter each, but it is totally worth it!!!

I searched the internet for a recipe that I thought would be similar to our favorite ones at a local restaurant. I found some and decided to combine a few.  They. were. DELICIOUS!! My 19 month old gobbled them up like candy!!! I got a few in my 3.5 year old too...which is really saying something for Miss Picky!!! Here is how I did it...

Serves 4

Ingredients:

5 pieces of center cut bacon
Exgra Virgin Olive Oil
Brussel Sprouts, trimmed and quartered
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper

1) In a cold cast iron skillet, place bacon and then turn on heat. Cook bacon until well done, remove from pan, and place on a paper towel. Once cooled, crumble by hand and leave some bigger pieces.

2) Add 1 tsp of EVOO to pan, leaving bacon grease, and then add brussel sprouts.

3) Cook for around 8 minutes. *Do not move around too much. Let the sprouts get nice and browned.

4) Add about 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar to deglaze pan and mix well.

5) Sprinkle with s/p and add bacon back in to the pan. Cook 1 more minute.

Serve warm and ENJOY!!!!

Beans and Greens

Thanks to my bestie, I have a new favorite recipe. She calls it "Beans and Greens"!!! It's not quite a chili, not really a stew, and definitely not a meat sauce...it's kinda like a goulash!!! This is a really great way to use all of those veggies that are sitting in your fridge, about to turn. Even my kids LOVED it!! I know that when my 19 month old son says, "mmmMMMMMmmm" that it's a winner!!!




Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 small onion, diced
2 gloves of garlic, minced
1.5 lbs ground beef or turkey
1 can of beans of your choice (I like red kidney), drained and rinsed
Any veggies you have around (spinach, broccoli, potatoes, brussels sprouts, tomatoes, you name it!)
1/4 - 1/2 cup of beef or chicken stock
Salt and Pepper





1) In a pan with a tsp of oil, saute onions until soft. (5 min)
2) Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3) Brown meat with onions and garlic for about 8 min 
4) Add beans and veggies
5) Add in stock and seasonings. *You can make it thick or soupy...whatever you like :)
6) Serve with rice, pasta, or alone.

Enjoy!! 

Easy Homemade Chicken Fried Rice

So, I don't know about you, but when I make rice, there is always a ton left over and it sits in the fridge until it's ready to get thrown away. Using cold, leftover rice, makes the perfect FRIED RICE because when left in the fridge overnight, the rice grains firm up, thus making it easier to separate, and decreasing the chances of a mushy fried rice!  

Making a healthy fried rice at home is a quick and simple dinner for us moms on the go! You can add anything you want to make it your own and get those veggies in! This is seriously a fun dish to experiment with and see which ways you and your family like it best!! I made this one with corn, carrots and asparagus, and it was a HIT!!! 

Serves 2

Ingredients

Oil spray

1 small onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, sliced

1 clove of garlic, minced

10 stalks of asparagus, chopped

1/2 cup frozen corn

1 carrot, shredded

1 cup of precooked long grain rice

1 lb of precooked chicken, cubed

3 eggs

Soy sauce (I use gluten free)

Black pepper

1) Spray a non-stick pan with cooking spray and add onions and celery. Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat or until onion is translucent. 

2) Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. 

3) Stir in the rest of veggies and cook 5 more minutes. Then transfer all veggies to a bowl. Set aside.

4) Add rice to pan and cook until warm, about 5 minutes. 

5) Mix in chicken and cook a few minutes more until chicken is warmed. 

6) Push the rice and chicken to one side of the pan, spray empty side with oil spray and crack eggs right into pan. Scramble until cooked through. 

7) Add veggies back in and mix all together. 

8) Add soy sauce and black pepper to your liking. 

9) Enjoy!!! 

Tortilla española, finalmente!!

In my junior year of college I studied abroad in Sevilla, Spain!!! Ole! Arguably the best time of my life. I was learning the language by day and taking in as much of the Spanish culture that I could by night. I was fortunate enough to stay in a home with three other amazing girls Our house mother, Pilar, was the sweetest, little old Spanish woman I had ever met, and at the time ,she was the only little, old Spanish Woman I ever met...Lol).

The life of a Spaniard was so different than I was used to. I didn't have a car, so I had to either walk everywhere (which was great for my figure) or use public transportation (which I had never done in the states).  At home, we always ate dinner around 6:00 PM, but in Spain, it is customary to eat dinner after 9:00 PM. The menu consisted of tapas, small bites of food that everyone would share and pass around the table. Now they are a pretty common thing around these parts, but back in 2003, I had never heard of them.  

My FAVORITE was the Tortilla Española. Potatoes, and onions are mixed together with eggs for this simple yet delicious egg pie. We would have it as a meal on its own, or as a side dish, cut into small pieces as a tapa, or put on a baguette as a delicious sandwich! What's even better is that Pilar showed me how to make it and now I have been cooking it at home for 10 years, and I think I have finally mastered it!!! 

Today, I am going to share with you her recipe and the secret to making the perfect tortilla every time!! Empezamos! 

 

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil

3 medium potatoes (I like Yukon Gold)

1 medium onion-sliced

6 whole eggs

1/2 cup egg whites

Salt and pepper to taste

1) In a medium nonstick saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat.

2) Peel and slice potatoes so they are all relatively same size. I like to use my mandolin slicer for this step. I use the 3/16" setting.

3) When oil is hot, add potatoes, onions, salt and pepper to pan and cook until potatoes are soft, about 10-12 minutes. 

4) While that is cooking, in a large bowl whisk the eggs together.

5) When potatoes are done, move them from the pan to the bowl with the eggs and give it one quick stir, then immediately add back to the hot pan.

6) Here is the secret AND most important step. You must hold the pan by the handle and shake it back and forth, continuously, for about 5-6 minutes, or until the eggs start to brown underneath. If you skip this step, the eggs will most likely stick to the pan.

*I do this next step over the sink in case I lose some. It is not an easy step.*

7) Take a large non-rimmed plate, remove tortilla from heat, and place plate over top. In one quick movement, flip the pan/plate so the egg pie is upside down.  Now carefully slide the tortilla back into the pan. 

8) Cook over low-med heat for an additional 3 minutes or until you feel it is cooked all the way through.

9) Transfer to plate and wait at least 10 minutes before slicing. The longer it sits the better. Leftovers are great in the fridge and on a sandwich! Buen provecho!!!

The girls and I with Pilar -  Mi familia española