Teriyaki Hens with Bok Choy Salad

Needing a healthy week night meal?   

This recipe was awesome and made such a beautiful plate.

Check it out.  Next time we are making this one for company!  

Ingredients
2 Cornish game hens (about 11/2 pounds each), halved
Kosher salt & freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced
2 small red chile peppers, halved (remove seeds for less heat)
1 bunch scallions
1 grapefruit, halved
1 medium head bok choy, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted, for garnish


Directions

Added Brazilian Cheese Bread - that recipe coming!

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Season the hens with salt and pepper and place skin-side up in a roasting pan. Roast until the skin is slightly crisp, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, vinegar, ginger, 1 chile pepper and 1/4 cup water in a pot. Cut half of the scallions into large pieces, and zest and juice half of the grapefruit; add to the pot. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and syrupy, about 20 minutes. Brush the hens with a few tablespoons of the sauce and continue roasting until golden, about 8 more minutes.
• Peel and segment the remaining grapefruit half and place in a bowl. Thinly slice the remaining scallions and mince the remaining chile pepper; add to the bowl along with the bok choy, sesame oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Place half a hen on each plate. Stir any pan drippings into the remaining sauce and drizzle over the top. Serve with the bok choy salad and garnish with sesame seeds.

Tupps Tidbits:  The "cook" time was about 10 minutes longer than suggested in recipe.

You will have 1/2 a left over grapefruit for breakfast the next day. We served this with Brazilian Cheese Bread (another new recipe for us that we will post). This recipe is DEFINITELY A KEEPER at our house!

Springtime - Carrot Muffins

Healthy, Sweet and ready to eat!
Do you have carrots in your vegetable drawer that need to be used soon? Make Muffins! These easy Carrot Muffins are lightly sweet and a great grab-and-go breakfast. It makes 12 muffins. 

INGREDIENTS:
1 large egg
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup sugar or splenda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons light butter, melted
1 cup shredded carrots
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves






DIRECTIONS:

• Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly mist a 12 count standard-sized muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside or use muffin liners.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the egg, applesauce, sugar, and vanilla and stir together until well combined. Add the melted butter and stir until well combined. Add the shredded carrot and stir to combine.
• In a separate mixing bowl, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves and stir until combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir together until combined into a batter.
• Spoon the batter evenly amongst the wells in the prepared muffin tin. Bake for 18-20 minutes.

TUPPS TIBITS:  Substitute the sugar for Splenda and make these for under 80 calories per muffin!

Super simple to make and definitely kid friendly. Enjoy!  This recipe is a KEEPER in our house!

No-Cream New England Clam Chowder

Making Health  and Nutrition a Priority During the Coronavirus (COVID-19). 

There is little doubt that COVID-19 pandemic is affecting every aspect of your/our lives. Please observe public health measures and reduce exposure to the virus to slow the spread of the disease. Healthy eating is especially important for keeping your immune system in top condition.  Please minimize your trip to the supermarket and think positive.  Our blog offers many easy meal ideas you can make at home.   Today's chowder is awesome for a April showers day!  Please enjoy..we did!

Many seafood shacks thicken their chowders with heavy cream or a roux made of flour, butter and milk, both of which add buckets of calories and fat. You can make an equally rich, delicious soup by whisking milk with a bit of flour.

Ingredients
3 cans (6.5 oz. each) minced clams

4 thick slices center-cut bacon, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)

3 ribs celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

1 potato (12 oz.) peeled & cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 cups bottled clam juice

1 bay leaf

2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup flour

20 oyster crackers, for garnish

Serves 4

Directions

1. Drain the clams, reserving 2/3 cup clam juice (discard the remaining juice).
2. Heat a dutch oven over medium. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 7 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-linted plate. Pour off all but 1 tbsp of the drippings and return the pot to medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften slightly, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the reserved canned clam juice, potato cubes, bottled clam juice and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 8 to 9 minutes.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the milk and flour until smooth. Add to the pot and cook, stirring constantly, until chowder thickens, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the minced clams; cook until heated through about 2 minutes. Season with pepper. Divide the chowder among bowls and top with the bacon and oyster crackers.

Tupps Tidbits: Use leaner center-cut bacon to get all the smoky, rich flavor with less fat.

This lighter chowder is still plenty rich, thanks to a luscious milk broth.  We even used Fairlife Skim milk! This is a KEEPER RECIPE in our house!

Crustless Quiche Lorraine Mini Muffins

Ingredients
Cooking Spray
10 large eggs
2 Tbsp low-fat milk
1 cup fresh spinach, roughly chopped
6 slices center-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 Tbsp thinly sliced green onion
2 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley
2 Tbsp fresh chopped basil
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and coat a 12-muffin pan with cooking spray. Set aside. 
2. Whisk together eggs, milk, spinach, bacon, cheese, onion, parsley, basil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Using 1/4 cup measure, scoop the mixture into the prepared muffin pan. Fill to about 1/4 inch from the top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the egg is fully set. 
3. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes before running a butter knife around each muffin, and gently removing from the pan. Enjoy while warm, or let cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge. Leftovers can be reheated for several seconds in the microwave.

TUPPS TIBITS:  Especially if you are the dishwasher...heavy on the cooking spray!!

These petite crustless quiches are SO good, loaded with bacon veggies and cheese. A perfect make-ahead breakfast for meal prep and naturally gluten free!  This recipe is a KEEPER in our house!

1. 

Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal

2 ripe bananas, mashed
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt




Heat oven to 375°F. Line 8-inch square (2-quart) baking dish with cooking parchment paper.
In medium bowl, beat 2 ripe bananas, mashed, 1 egg and 1 cup milk with whisk until smooth.
Add 1 1/2 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats, 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and a pinch of salt; mix until evenly combined. Pour into baking dish. Bake about 30 minutes or until set.  Drizzle with a little honey, maple syrup or even caramel for an extra touch of sweetness!

Tupps Tidbits:  Though the parchment paper helps for easier cleanup, it’s completely optional. A little cooking spray would work fine instead, or even nothing at all.

We started our Sunday morning with delicious Banana Bread Baked Oatmeal.  It was so easy and tastes like a slice of warm banana bread. We did only use 1 Tbs of Spenda Brown Sugar in stead of 1/2 cup light brown sugar and it worked perfectly!
THIS RECIPE IS A KEEPER AT OUR HOUSE!

Cheese Ball Bites - Superbowl Snack!

8 slices bacon
8-oz. block cream cheese, softened
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. paprika
Kosher salt & ground black pepper
1/3 c. freshly chopped chives
1/3 c. finely chopped pecans
18 pretzels sticks
If you use Gluten Free pretzels this easily could be a Gluten Free snack!

1. In a large nonstick skillet, cook bacon until crispy, 8 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, then finely chop. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir together cream cheese, cheddar cheese, garlic powder, and paprika and season with salt and pepper. Use a cookie scoop to form mixture into 18 small balls and transfer to a parchment–lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.
3. In a shallow bowl, stir together bacon, chives, and pecans.
4. Roll balls in bacon-chive-pecan mixture, insert a pretzel stick into each, and let come to room temperature 15 minutes before serving. (If not serving right away, loosely cover with plastic wrap and return to fridge.)

TUPPS TIDBITS:  
Using a normal size "cookie scoop"  was a little big. We would recommend about 1/2 as much of the mixture for each bite.   Also, when rolling the balls in the bacon-chive-pecan mixture press the mixture firmly into the balls to make it stick.  

These easy bites are perfect for literally any occasion. We love their little pretzel handles, but feel free to leave them out and serve with crackers or pretzels. KEEPER recipe at our house!

Cinnamon Raisin Protein Bagel

Homemade Bagels! No need to waste money on store-bought or stand in line at bakery. You are going to love these. Homemade is the ONLY way!

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups non-fat plain Greek yogurt (thicker brands work best)
1 tablespoon chia seeds​
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ to ½ cup raisins
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Combine flour, baking powder, chia seeds & salt. Mix well.
• Add the yogurt and mix until all of the flour is incorporated into a dry batter. 
• Knead the dough with clean hands until its dry and elastic (this will take about a minute). 
• In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar & cinnamon until well combined, and knead into dough. 
• Then, knead in raisins until evenly distributed and divide dough into eight balls. 
• One at a time, roll each ball in your palm and form into one long rope (if it breaks apart, just squish it back together). 
• Lay each on the parchment paper & form into a circular shape, cinching the ends to complete a closed bagel. 
• Mist tops with oil spray and bake for about 25 minutes. Let cool before slicing.

Tupps Tibits:  Next time we make these we are going to use 1/2 whole wheat flour & 1/2 all purpose flour to make them a little less gritty or grainy tasting

Just a few ingredients and you have bagels. We topped them with fat free cream cheese.  Also, these did freeze wonderfully. When we were ready to enjoy, we thawed in the microwave, sliced & toasted. Or you could slice before freezing, and place directly in toaster from the freezer. This recipe will be used over and over in our house. Definitely a Keeper recipe!