June 2011 - Alida's Kitchen

Strawberry Yogurt Muffins

June 29, 2011 ·

Strawberry Yogurt Muffins are an easy, healthy muffin recipe made with lots of fresh strawberries and Greek yogurt.

After picking up 8 pounds of strawberries from a local farm, I noticed these were the most perfect strawberries I have ever seen. They had a perfect shape, a perfect stem and were a deep red throughout (no white inside these berries). My husband wondered what I could possibly do with 8 pounds of strawberries? Spend a LOT of time experimenting in the kitchen, that’s what!

In fact, I was thinking 8 pounds might not even be enough. I eat strawberries on my plain Greek yogurt every day. My son eats strawberries by the fistful. There is also a long list of goodies that I want to make with strawberries…hmm.

For the longest time, I have been searching high and low for the perfect strawberry muffin recipe. I was inspired by this recipe for Strawberry Bread on Cate’s World Kitchen. I love that Cate uses yogurt, a good dose of vanilla, and this recipe uses more actual strawberries than other recipes I found. From the original recipe, I reduced the amount of sugar and used plain nonfat Greek yogurt. The recipe below is written accordingly.

These muffins smelled incredible while baking in the oven. It was hard to resist digging in while they cooled, but I knew they would be worth the wait. And worth the wait they were indeed! They are moist, delicious and have bits of sweet strawberries in every bite. We are definitely going to make another trip to the farm to pick up more strawberries, and I will definitely be making more of these muffins!

Strawberry Yogurt Muffins

Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients

1½ cups white whole wheat flour
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt (optional)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1½ cups strawberries, chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease 12 muffin cups.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, combine eggs, yogurt, oil and vanilla until blended. Add to flour mixture and gently mix until combined (Be careful not to over mix). Gently fold in strawberries.
Divide batter evenly between muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let muffins cool in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer muffins to wire rack and let cool completely.

Adapted from Cate’s World Kitchen

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: brunch, easy, muffins, strawberries, yogurt

Balsamic Portobello Mushroom Burgers

June 27, 2011 ·

I am always looking for tasty vegetarian options for the grill, and these Balsamic Portobello Mushroom Burgers are a definite winner. The thirsty mushrooms soak up the balsamic vinegar and garlic, yielding an amazing flavor. Paired with the goat cheese, it is a combination that pleases both non-meat and meat eaters alike.

These burgers are very quick to make. Just mix the marinade in the baking dish and let the mushrooms and peppers soak. You can even get your preparation out of the way the day before, intensifying the flavor by letting everything marinate overnight.

On each burger is a slice of red pepper topped with a portobello mushroom, topped with goat cheese, topped with another portobello. Then sprinkle on a little more goat cheese, top with spinach, close the sandwich and eat!

Balsamic Portobello Mushroom Burgers

Yields 4 servings

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for grates

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

4 garlic cloves, minced

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 red bell pepper (ribs and seeds removed), cut into 4 equal pieces

8 portobello mushrooms (about 1 pound total), stems and ribs removed

4 onion hamburger buns

4 ounces goat cheese (crumbled or log; if using a log, cut into slices to place in between the mushrooms)
several spinach leaves

In a shallow dish (a 13 x 9 baking dish works well), whisk together oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add bell pepper and mushrooms, turning to make sure everything gets coated. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes up to overnight.
Heat grill to medium; lightly oil grates. Grill bell pepper, skin side down, until blackened, about 10 minutes; remove from grill and place in Ziploc bag. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin; set bell pepper aside.
Starting with dome-side down, grill mushrooms, covered, until lightly charred. Flip and grill the other side of mushroom until lightly charred and mushroom is tender. (approx. 3 to 4 minutes per side).
Dividing evenly, top bottom half of each bun with bell pepper and mushrooms. Put goat cheese in the middle of the 2 mushroom caps. Top with spinach and sprinkle with remaining goat cheese. Close burger, and serve immediately.

Alternative: This recipe would also make an excellent salad (great for someone who is watching carbs or if you just want more veggies). To make this into a salad, follow the directions above through step 3. Then slice the mushrooms and peppers, toss with a bowl of spinach or mixed greens and top with goat cheese.

Adapted from Everyday Food

Filed Under: main dishes, Recipes, salad, vegetarian Tagged With: dinner, goat cheese, grilling, mushrooms, portobello

Mustard-Rosemary Chicken Skewers

June 24, 2011 ·

Happy Summer! ‘Tis the season for visits to the beach, bike rides, and of course, grilling. I have several favorite recipes exclusive to the grill, so my anticipation of grilling season rivals that of Christmas. While I enjoy the reliable stand bys, it is always fun to find new and healthy recipes to add to the favorites.

So in the spirit of summer, when I saw this recipe for Mustard-Rosemary Chicken Skewers, I could not wait to fire up the grill! Skewers are such a convenient way to serve your meat and veggies, all threaded on a handy little stick. Plus there is something fun about having dinner on a stick.

These tasty skewers did not disappoint. The rosemary, mustard and balsamic vinegar are an incredible flavor combination with the chicken and veggies. From the original recipe, I reduced the oil, used chicken breast instead of legs, and increased the balsamic vinegar, scallions, and garlic (can never have enough garlic!). I have written the recipe below according to these changes.

These skewers are perfect for entertaining at your next summer celebration and have landed a spot on the grilling favorites list in this house.

Have a great weekend!

Mustard-Rosemary Chicken Skewers
Yields 4 servings

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for grill (or use cooking spray on grill)
1 pounds boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
5 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

Note: if using wooden skewers, soak for at least 30 minutes prior to grilling…perfect to do while the chicken and vegetables are marinating.

In a small bowl, mix together the mustard, vinegar, rosemary, garlic, salt and black pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil.
Place chicken, bell pepper and scallions in a Ziploc bag. Add the marinade, making sure to coat chicken and vegetables. Refrigerate at least 40 minutes.
Heat the grill to medium high and brush with olive oil (or spray with cooking spray). Thread chicken, peppers and green onions on skewers. Transfer to grill and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is charred and no longer pink (approx 8 minutes).

Adapted from Fitness Magazine

Filed Under: healthy, main dishes, Recipes Tagged With: chicken, dinner, easy, entertaining, grilling, peppers

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

June 20, 2011 ·

With a toddler, pancakes are a huge hit in this house. They’re easy to make ahead and a good finger food for my boy, Adam. Instead of a basic buttermilk pancake recipe, I wanted to find a nutritious protein-packed pancake recipe. Cottage Cheese Pancakes sounded perfect!

Not only are these Cottage Cheese Pancakes delicious, they smell amazing when cooking on the griddle. It reminded me of a doughnut or a funnel cake. But fortunately, these pancakes are a lot healthier than those greasy treats! They freeze really well too, which makes it easy to have healthy, delicious pancakes on hand at all times!

Adam absolutely LOVES these Cottage Cheese Pancakes, and they have become a household staple.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes
Yields 20 pancakes

Ingredients
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon honey
Cooking spray (or oil) for the pan

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs, cottage cheese, vanilla and honey until blended. Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Preheat nonstick skillet over medium heat (about 325 degrees) and spray with cooking spray.
Pour batter by the heaping tablespoonful and cook until bubbles start to form and batter looks set at the edges (about 3 minutes). Flip and cook until set (about 2-3 minutes).

Tip: These pancakes freeze really well. I let them cool to room temperature. Then place a waxed paper square between each pancake, wrapped in plastic wrap (or a plastic bag) and then a freezer bag. I typically bag then in groups of 6-8 so it’s easy to pull out a few portions at a time.

Adapted from Weelicious

Filed Under: breakfast, healthy, Recipes Tagged With: baby/toddler, cottage cheese, kid, pancakes, protein, toddler

Radicchio, Spinach, Apricot Salad with Goat Cheese

June 17, 2011 ·

My husband and I are creatures of habit. We have a salad with dinner (almost) every night. It’s usually spinach or mixed greens and tomatoes with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and sunflower seeds. It’s simple. It’s tasty. It’s routine.

So when I had leftover goat cheese from the Tomato and Leek Frittata with Goat Cheese, I wanted to shake our routine up a bit. Radicchio, Spinach, Apricot Salad with Goat Cheese became a welcome change from our usual salad. The creamy goat cheese with the bitter radicchio with the sweet apricots is a combination that is simply a-ma-zing!

Since I had mixed greens on hand, I decided to use that in place of the spinach. This salad is equally delicious using just spinach. I reduced the amount of the oil in the vinaigrette, which is nice and light and just pulls everything together. Soaking the apricots is an excellent method to plump up the fruit into soft juicy bursts of sweetness.

Have a Happy Father’s Day weekend!

Radicchio, Spinach, Apricot Salad with Goat Cheese

Yields 4 servings

1/2 cup dried apricots

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

coarse salt and pepper

1 head radicchio, halved, cored and roughly torn

5 ounces fresh spinach or mixed greens

2 ounces soft crumbled goat cheese

Place apricots in a small bowl and cover with boiling water; let stand for about 5 minutes. Drain and pat try with paper towels. Cut into small pieces, if desired.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper.
Add spinach and radicchio to bowl with vinaigrette and toss to combine. Add apricots. Serve topped with crumbled goat cheese.

Adapted from Everyday Food (November, 2007)

Filed Under: Recipes, salad, vegetarian Tagged With: apricots, dried apricots, goat cheese, quick, raddichio, radicchio, spinach, tomato leek frittata

Tomato Leek Frittata with Goat Cheese

June 13, 2011 ·

After taking a bite of this frittata, my husband sat for a minute and then said ‘Goat cheese is great, when done in the right way.’ Uh oh…and while I couldn’t agree more, I do know he’s not as fond of goat cheese as I am. Fortunately he followed that up by saying ‘This way was definitely the right way!’ and quickly cleaned his plate!

Goat cheese is definitely an ingredient that makes a statement. Too much can ruin a dish. Just the right amount can take an ordinary dish and make it extraordinary.

So is the case with this frittata. Goat cheese is the perfect complement to liven up the sauteed vegetables and eggs. I reduced the amount of goat cheese from the original recipe, as I found it a bit overpowering. I was a little generous when measuring the leeks because I love the subtle flavor and beautiful color. Since I had large grape tomatoes, I halved them, and they still burst with each bite. Beating the egg whites gives this frittata a souffle-like quality that just melts in your mouth.

The result is an exquisit blast of flavors in a light and airy frittata.

Tomato and Leek Frittata with Goat Cheese
Yields 4 servings

3 teaspoons olive oil
2 1/4 cups sliced leeks
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup grape tomatoes
6 egg whites
4 egg yolks
3 ounces crumbled goat cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium. Add leeks ; season with coarse salt and ground pepper. Cover; cook 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes. Cover; cook 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl and wipe out skillet.
In another bowl, beat 6 egg whites with salt and pepper to stiff peaks. Whisk in 4 egg yolks.
Heat skillet with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Add eggs; sprinkle with vegetables and goat cheese. Cook over medium until sides are dry, 3 minutes. Transfer to oven; bake until eggs are set, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Adapted from Everyday Food

Filed Under: breakfast, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: brunch, dinner, eggs, frittata, goat cheese, leek, quiche, tomato

Grilled Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers

June 10, 2011 ·

It is not very often that a new recipe immediately leaps way to the top of the list. But when I saw a tasty recipe in Experience Life magazine, I think my heart skipped a beat with excitement. I got that ‘I just found a recipe that will change your life’ feeling. Cheese, black beans, green onions, garlic and spices, all nestled in a tasty little jalapeno? Seriously? Time to fire up the grill!

In fact, I was tempted to simply grab a spoon and eat the filling straight from the bowl.

I resisted and instead stuffed these beautiful jalapenos. The result is a delightful, healthy twist on a jalapeno popper.

This heavenly dish makes for a perfect appetizer at any summer gathering, yet is easy enough to whip together for a light weeknight dinner. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Grilled Stuffed Jalapeno Peppers
Yields 8 (appetizer) or 4 (dinner) servings

16 jalapeno peppers
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
4 green onions, chopped
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon chili powder

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except the peppers.
Make a lengthwise slit down each pepper, leaving the stem intact; carefully remove ribs and seeds. (Tip: a quick rinse helps remove the seeds from the inside, lessening the heat)
Distribute filling evenly among peppers (about 1 tablespoon per pepper).
Heat grill to medium heat. Place stuffed peppers on a sheet of foil on the grill. Cover and cook until cheese mixture has melted and peppers are softened, about 10-15 minutes.

Adapted from Experience Life

Filed Under: appetizers, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: beans, black beans, cheese, dinner, grilled, grilling, jalapeno, Mexican, peppers, poppers, quick, spicy, stuffed peppers

Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Chicken

June 8, 2011 ·

Sometimes is pays to be picky. Or at least to be cooking for picky guests. I was hosting a summer get together and, by request, was making my “Magic Hamburgers.” However I knew one of my guests would not eat ground beef, so I was on a two-fold mission: find something delicious that she will like and find something with ingredients I already have.

Enter Sweet & Spicy Barbecue Chicken. Mission accomplished.

I am so thankful for my picky dinner guest. If not for her, I would not have found this recipe and my life in the kitchen would not be the same.

In all seriousness, this barbecue sauce is incredible. I love that it is so easily made from basic ingredients commonly found in the pantry. The hot sauce, along with the black pepper, add the perfect zing which can be altered to your heat tolerance. I prefer using chicken tenders, though you can easily adapt this recipe to whatever part of the chicken you like to grill. It also makes for great barbecue chicken sandwiches.

Sweet and Spicy Barbecue Chicken

A simple barbecue sauce made with pantry ingredients.

Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

1 cup ketchup
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
¼ cup hot sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Fresh ground pepper (to taste)
1 lb chicken breast tenders

Instructions

Mix first 6 ingredients in bowl.
Place chicken in ziploc bag. Pour ½ sauce in bag, making sure chicken is well coated. Marinate for at least 4 hours.
Grill chicken as usual, about 3-4 minutes per side.
Serve with remaining barbeque sauce for dipping.

Adapted from Food & Wine

Filed Under: main dishes, Recipes Tagged With: barbeque, chicken, dinner, easy, grilling, quick, spicy, sweet

Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins

June 6, 2011 ·

Raspberry season is upon us with a plethera of delicious berries to do with as we wish.

And I wish for Raspberry White Chocolate muffins. Seriously. I have been waiting all year for raspberry season just so I could make them.

These muffins are definitely one of those muffins. The kind of muffins that feel like dessert for breakfast…and well….it kind of is. But there’s fruit, so it’s totally legit.

Raspberry and white chocolate are such a classic combination. The juicy raspberries burst in your mouth and the white chocolate chips provide a nice texture. The cream cheese gives the batter a sticky consistency, resulting in beautiful, rustic-looking muffins. Enjoy!

Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins

Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients

1 package (8 oz) light cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup fresh raspberries
½ cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.
Combine the flour and baking powder.
Add dry ingredients to the cream cheese mixture until just blended. Stir in chips. Gently fold in raspberries.
Distribute batter evenly amongst 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack.

Slightly adapted from Taste of Home: Cupcakes & Muffins

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, Recipes Tagged With: brunch, cream cheese, muffins, raspberries, white chocolate

Mixed Green Salad with Dried Cherries

June 3, 2011 ·

I love this salad! It’s simple. It’s elegant. It’s delicious.

mixed green salad dried cherries and pepitas with balsamic vinaigrette

What’s not to love really. Mixed greens. Mustard and red wine vinaigrette. Sliced red onion. Sweet dried cherries. Toasted pepitas.

The tangy vinaigrette is the perfect complement to the sweetness of the cherries and red onion. And the roasted pepitas add a complexity that tops off the salad perfectly.

Mixed Green Salad with Dried Cherries