Superfood Seafood Paella, by Diane

I am a super fan of paella, and I usually stick to my go-to recipe (I'll post it at a later date, can't believe I haven't already!!). The other day I was looking through a people magazine dedicated to new years resolutions and came across this recipe by Dr. Oz's daughter for a paella full of superfood ingredients. Apparently this recipe is supposed to help you lose weight because it's healthy, filling, and 'full of nutrients'. Count me in!!

I did a little research into what made these unique ingredients nutrient rich, because they seemed like such odd ingredients to add to such a classic dish like paella. The main additions here that are superfoods are barley (high in fiber and antioxidants as well as great for your blood sugar and aging), fennel (high in fiber, potassium, and antioxidants, also believed to help indigestion), red and yellow peppers (vitamin C and carotenoids which are great for eye health), turmeric (involved in healing anything from cancer to heart disease), white wine vinegar (lowers the glycemic index and improve heart function), cherry tomatoes (high in antioxidants to help fight cancers and heart disease), kalamata olives (antifungal and antibacterial), artichoke hearts (great for digestion and contain manganese which is essential for thyroid function) and smoked paprika and cayenna (full of vitamin C, an antibacterial agent, and great for circulation. Cayenne is also amazing for inflammation). And let's not forget the seafood, which are a great source of lean protein and omega-3s. The other classic ingredients such as olive oil, onion, and garlic are also great sources of anti-inflammatories and healthy fat.

This paella led to mixed results in my house. The main flavor comes from the marinated artichokes and kalamata olives, but there are a few odd spices like turmeric and smoked paprika in there too. Overall, I'd say if you like that salty, vinegary taste of the artichokes and olives you will LOVE this dish (as I did!). If you're not so much a fan, skip this recipe. The paella did come out hot, and VERY filling (thanks to the barley, vinegar, and fennel). It was great on a chilly night, and I felt good knowing that I was giving my body lots of great nutrients.

One last thing- I added scallops (and was going to add calamari but couldn't get a hold of it) to this dish, and had to omit the saffron. In the future I'm going to try and mix in more seafoods and add the saffron back in!

Ingredients:

1 c. pearl barley
3 cups water
3 tbsp EVOO
1 medium onion, chopped
1 c. red peppers, sliced into thin strips
1 c. yellow peppers, sliced into thin strips
1 small fennel bulb, stalks removed, sliced into strips
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
½ tsp. each smoked paprika and ground turmeric
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
¼ c. white wine vinegar
1 pinch saffron
2 ¼ c. hot chicken or vegetable stock
½ tsp. kosher salt
¾ lb. shelled large shrimp (about 16 shrimp)
1 c. peas, fresh or frozen
1 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
6 marinated artichokes, drained and quartered (1 cup)
15 pitted Kalamata olives, halved


Directions:

1. Bring barley and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover and boil for 2 more minutes. Turn off heat. Let sit, covered for one hour, or until all liquid has absorbed.


2. Heat oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat and cook onion until softened, 5 minutes.

3. Add peppers and fennel, cook 5 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook one more minute.

4. Add bay leaves, paprika, turmeric and cayenne. Mix in barley and cook 2 minutes. Add vinegar, saffron, 2 c. stock, and salt. Bring to a vigorous simmer.

5. Stir and cook until liquid reduces by half, 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, 15-20 minutes. Remove bay leaves and discard.

6. Stir in shrimp, peas, tomatoes, artichokes, olives, remaining ¼ c. stock. Simmer for 2 minutes then turn off heat. Cover tightly and let rest 10 minutes or until shrimp is cooked through.

Chicken with Onion Jam, by Diane

I am always looking for ways to make grilled chicken more interesting, because it's one of my favorite healthy dinners. I saw this recipe, CL again, and thought it seemed interesting both in the ingredients and also the technique (maybe I could use it for other ingredients and other proteins!). I also really love carmelized onions, only this recipe called for red onions and mixed in fresh herbs as well which sounded unique.

The result was a quick and fairly easy chicken topping that was SO GOOD. What I loved most about the jam was that it's flavors hit you in layers- first you get the basalamic vinegar and lemon juice, then the onions themselves, and then last was this awesome buttery herby garlic taste. I found myself craving the jam just by itself, and I was definitely right about using it in other ways. I'm thinking it would be a great topping for pork or mini filets as well.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
5 cups vertically sliced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Directions:

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, thyme, and garlic to pan; sauté 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add balsamic vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover, ­reduce heat, and cook 15 minutes or until onion is very tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in chives, ­butter, and lemon juice.

2. Heat a large skillet over ­medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil; swirl. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; sauté 6 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with jam.

Shrimp Ceviche, by Cheryl

I've been raiding my friend's cooking blog for recipes and this is another one from there www.ashleyscookingadventures.blogspot.com. This was a light and refreshing appetizer! Now I didn't add cilantro because there is NOWHERE to buy cilantro in Italy... anywhere. We have some cilantro seeds that we need to plant in order to get some. Having cilantro in it will definitely complete this dish... and why wouldn't you put cilantro in a ceviche? Anyway, it's a great go to for a fun and light dish! Yum!

Ingredients:

2 pounds large shrimp - peeled, deveined, and chopped (I went the easy route and bought cooked shrimp at the fish counter)

3/4 cup fresh lime juice

5 roma tomatoes, diced

1 white onion, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (I'm a wimp and omitted this)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced

Saltine crackers or Tortilla chips (I used Tostitos Scoops)

**I cut this recipe in half since only me Jon and I ate it

Directions:

1) Place the shrimp and lime juice into a large bowl and stir to coat. Let stand for about 5 minutes or until the shrimp are opaque. The lime juice will cook them.

2) Mix in the tomatoes, onion, and cilantro until coated with lime juice. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3) Remove from the fridge and mix in the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, hot, sauce, and salt and pepper. Set out extra Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, hot sauce, and lime wedges for people to individualize to their liking. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

Vegetable and Bean Curry, by Cheryl

While looking for popular slow cooker recipes on cookinglight.com, I came across this vegetable and bean curry dish. We never made anything with curry so I figured I'd try something new. I liked how this came out... I didn't love it, and it won't become a staple in my rotation of recipes that I make, but I would make it again and I think if you like curry then you will love this dish... it is not lacking in flavor! It is very healthy and filling and definitely warmed us up on a cold night! I've been eating the rest of it all week for lunch! Yum.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) slices carrot
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger (I used ginger powder)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 serrano chile, seeded and minced
• 3 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
• 1 1/2 cups cubed peeled baking potato (I used a sweet potato)
• 1 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1 cup (1-inch) cut green beans
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 (14-ounce) can vegetable broth
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 6 lemon wedges (I didn't use this)
  

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and carrot; cover and cook 5 minutes or until tender.
   
2. Add curry powder, sugar, ginger, garlic, and chile; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Place onion mixture in a 5-quart electric slow cooker. Stir in chickpeas and next 8 ingredients (through broth). Cover and cook on HIGH 6 hours or until vegetables are tender. I cooked it for 4 hours on high and it was fine.
   
4. Add spinach and coconut milk; stir until spinach wilts. Serve with lemon wedges.

Seared Ginger Soy Pork Loin, by Diane

We eat a TON of chicken in my house, because I'm always conscious of eating too much red meat and seafood can get kind of pricey. In an effort to mix things up, I found this recipe (CL- I've really been inspired by them lately!) for pork loin and thought I'd give it a shot. I know that it's a good source of lean protein and fairly easy to make. The recipe could not get any simpler- make a quick sauce and baste it on as it cooks. Since I didn't have a grill pan, I seared it on a flattop. Don't forget to reserve some sauce for dipping later- it's insanely good!!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon lower-sodium soy sauce
1 (1-pound) pork tenderloin, trimmed
Salt and pepper


Directions:

1. Combine ginger, honey, juice, and soy sauce in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat, and coat with cooking spray.

3. Sprinkle pork with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Add pork to grill pan; cook 15 minutes or until a thermometer registers 145° or until desired degree of doneness, basting frequently with sauce. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Mustard Sauce, by Diane

First off, I would like to apologize for the photo- blogger rotated it sideways and I can't seem to get it back.

This recipe is the latest in the mustard chicken craze (thanks to CL), and it combines two of my favorite things- chicken and brussels sprouts. I've made this twice now and it's really good, even though I've yet to make the recipe exactly as it's written (as a comparison, I'll post the actual recipe photo below):
 
As you can see, I double the sauce (because it's so good) and I can't find unfiltered cider (which is what supposedly thickens the sauce) so it's really liquidy. Also, I don't have grained dijon mustard so I just use regular. Hence, it looks more 'soupy' than anything else. But I love it as is, so that's what I'm going to post (aside from having the unfiltered cider because I think that really would make a difference).

Ingredients:


2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth, divided
1/2 cup unfiltered apple cider
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons butter
12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper; add to pan. Cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken, brown the other side briefly. Transfer to a baking dish sprayed with cooking spray and bake for 7 minutes or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

3. Meanwhile, heat the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 cup broth and cider; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 4 minutes or until thickened. Whisk in mustard and 2 tablespoon butter. Remove sauce from pan and set aside.

3. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add Brussels sprouts and sauté until lightly browned. Add remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup broth to pan; cover and cook 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add in chicken and sauce to the pan, simmer on low for 5 minutes.