Quarantine Kitchen: Sheet Pan Fajitas

Sheet Pan Steak Fajitas (Image Source: Getty Images)

Fajitas can be a quick and simple dinner, especially when they are a sheet pan dinner! This recipe uses steak although it can be adapted to to include different protein options, for example: chicken and shrimp work well with this too.

Cooking in the kitchen!

It’s important to note that credit for this recipe goes to our youngest son, he came up with this marinade recipe over a year ago. He started with oil and then picked spices from the cupboard to come up with something that he thought would be a little spicy and flavorful for fajitas! It’s so delicious, we make it routinely now.

Also when we make these we also always do some chicken, shrimp, or steak and some tofu! For tofu, opt for a baked tofu (the texture is great), like Caribbean Baked Tofu by Soy Boy. You can combine the different proteins on one sheet pan or separate sheet pans, depending on your preference.

Check out our Facebook page for a video of this recipe!

Sheet Pan Fajitas

Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 pound steak, fat trimmed
2 bell peppers (variety of colors if possible!), seeds removed and sliced
1 sweet onion, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons chili powder or spicy paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Arrange the sliced peppers and onions on a sheet pan.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lime juice, and spices. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and toss to combine. Note: if you are using chicken or shrimp, you can add directly to the sheet pan with the veggies during this step.

4. Place the vegetables in the oven for 10 - 15 minutes to start cooking.

5. Meanwhile, over medium heat on the grill, sear the steak on both sides. Then slice into thin slices.

6. Remove the tray of veggies from the oven, add the sliced steak. Also add cubes of tofu during this step. Then continue to cook for another 15 minutes or until the steak is cooked to your preference.

   Serving suggestion: Serve with whole wheat tortilla, chopped veggies, and salsa.

Quarantine Kitchen Recipe: Utica Greens

During this crazy time, we have been taking time and trying new recipes in our Quarantine Kitchen. Each week, one of our sons and me are filming a couple of different recipes! Here’s one of the latest, Utica Greens prepared by: Larry & Molly Morgan. Hope You enjoy!! :)

Utica Greens

Serves 4

Ingredients - Topping:
1/2 cup extra- virgin olive oil
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmaigiana-Reggiano, grated

Ingredients - For the Greens:
1 head escarole (about 1 1/4 pound)*
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices prosciutto (about 2 ounces), sliced thin*
4 to 6 hot cherry peepers, tops and seeds removed, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup Parmigiana-Reggiano, grated

*Notes: You can swap out escarole for other greens like kale or collard greens! And instead of prosciutto use 2 oz of vegetarian sausage crumbles or skip all together.

Directions:

1. The greens: Trim the escarole and rinse the leafs. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Once the water is boiling, add the greens and blanch for about 2 minutes. Drain and then cover with ice to stop the greens from cooking. Set greens aside. Notes on types of greens: If using collard greens, simmer in vegetable broth on low for 45 minutes to soften. For kale, blanch for 2-3 minutes until the kale is bright green and tender.

2. Prepare the topping: mix the oil, whole wheat bread crumbs, and cheese. Stir to mix. Set aside.

3. Preheat the broiler.

4. Coat a skillet with olive oil and over medium heat, saute the cherry peppers, prosciutto, and garlic for about 5 minutes. Then add the greens to the pan and season with salt and pepper.

5. To the skillet add half of the prepared topping and 1/2 cup of the Parmigiana-Reggiano cheese. Stir continuously to keep from burning.

6. Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet. Top with the remaining topping. Broil for 2 - 3 minutes, or until the topping is lightly browned.

7. Serve immediately.

Check out our Facebook page for video tutorial of us making this recipe!

This recipe was adapted from: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018594-utica-greens

Quarantine Kitchen: Jalapeno Poppers

We had some jalapeno peppers in the refrigerator that needed to be used up and needed something fun to go with dinner, so jalapeno poppers is what we made! One key to how delicious they were is certainly the jalapeno peppers, KABOOM! Jalapeno Peppers.

Sunset KABOOM! Jalapeno Peppers (Image Source: Sunset.com)

KABOOM! jalapeno peppers are grown by Sunset. The peppers according to Sunset are described as a “full-flavored and juicier cousin to the traditional green jalapeno”. The bag they come in is pictured right. If you can find them at the grocery store, they are definitely worth buying.

As a side note, Sunset grows lots of other amazing tasting produce too - check out their website for more specifics, click here.

Jalapeno Popper (Image Source: Molly Morgan)

Jalapeno Poppers

Serves 4

Ingredients:
8 Sunset KABOOM Jalapeno Peppers
4 oz light cream cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Remove the seeds from the peppers and cut in half lengthwise.

2. In a small microwave safe mixing bowl add the cream cheese and microwave for 30 - 45 seconds to soften.

3. To the cream cheese add in the garlic powder, panko bread crumbs, and cheddar cheese. Mix well.

4. Stuff each pepper with the cream cheese mixture.

5. Place on air fryer tray* and air fry for 8 - 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Or until cheese is melted and lightly brown on top.

*If you don’t have an air fryer - you can bake these in the oven at 425 degrees F for 12 - 15 minutes OR until the cheese is melted and they are lightly browned on top.

Nutrition Facts (per serving): 150 calories, 9 grams fat, 6 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 30 milligrams cholesterol, 240 milligrams sodium, 9 grams carbs, 2 grams fiber, 3 grams sugar, 8 grams protein

Instant Pot: Lemon Garlic Chicken

This is a very tasty pressure cooker recipe! It is very flavorful and easy to pull together. Give it a try!

Instant Pot Lemon Garlic Chicken (Image Source: Getty Images)

INSTANT POT LEMON CHICKEN
Serves 6.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 garlic cloves, sliced or minced
1 sweet onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon ground parsley
2 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
6 - 8 chicken thighs
zest of 1 lemon

Directions:

1. Set the Instant Pot to saute. Add the butter and olive oil. Then add the garlic powder and garlic. Saute until fragrant. Add the onion, basil, parsley, and lemon juice to the pot. Saute for 2 - 3 minutes.

2. Add the chicken thighs and lemon zest to the pot. Lock the lid and adjust the settings to pressure cook. Cook on high for 10 minutes. Then release the steam.

Serving suggestion: Serve over brown rice or cauliflower rice with steamed or roasted broccoli.

Nutrition facts (per serving): 200 calories, 14 grams fat, 6 grams saturated fat, 0 grams trans fat, 65 milligrams cholesterol, 90 milligrams sodium, 4 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 1 gram sugar, 14 grams protein.

Quarantine Kitchen: Chicken Riggies

This creamy pasta dish is a favorite at our house and perfect for cooking up in quarantine times! Chicken Riggies is a dish that originates from Utica, NY.

Below is the recipe and on Facebook (Creative Nutrition Solutions) you can find a video of our son and I cooking up the dish! AND of course, remember to thoroughly wash your hands before and throughout the cooking process.

Chicken Riggies

Chicken Riggies (Image Source: Getty Images)

Serves 8

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup sweet onion, chopped
4 hot cherry peppers, sliced thin
1 pound chicken thighs or chicken breast, cubed
1 pound rigatoni, cooked and drained
1 jar roasted garlic pasta sauce
1/2 cup heavy cream
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. In a skillet add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the red bell pepper and sweet onion. Saute for 5 - 7 minutes, until tender. Then add the hot cherry peppers and saute for one minute more. Remove the vegetables from the skillet and set aside.

2. Add the remaining olive oil and chicken to the skillet, cook for 6 - 8 minutes. Season with sea salt and black pepper, to taste. Add the vegetables back to the skillet with the chicken.

3. Add the pasta sauce and heavy cream. Simmer for 3 - 4 minutes. Toss the sauce with the cooked rigatoni and serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

   ENJOY!
   
   

Muesli Energy Bites

Looking for a tasty energy bite recipe? These Museli Energy Bites use cashew butter and Seven Sundays Wild & Free Blueberry Chia Buckwheat Muesli as a base.

What I love about the Seven Sundays Muesli is that it has a perfect mix of ingredients including: gluten free oats, sorghum flakes, buckwheat groats, wild blueberries, unsweetened coconut chips, apples, organic wildflower honey, pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, and lemon extract. 

Make up a batch of these energy bites and then store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for a perfect quick snack.

Museli Energy Bites

24 Energy Bites

Ingredients:
2 cups Seven Sundays Wild & Free Blueberry Chia Buckwheat Muesli
1/2 cup cashew butter
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)
1/4 cup chia seeds

Directions:

In a mixing bowl stir together the cashew butter and coconut oil. Then add in the muesli, cranberries, and chia seeds. Mix until the cashew butter is well combined with the muesli, cranberries, and chia seeds.

Once combined, cover and let the mixture sit on the counter or in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to make it easier to work with. Then (with clean hands!) roll the mixture into 1-inch bites.

Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator.

Note: Samples of the muesli was provided by Seven Sunday’s - thank you for the samples!

Smoothie Recipe: Tart Cherry Kefir

Tart Cherry Kefir (Image Source: Drink Your Way to Gut Health by Molly Morgan)

This Tart Cherry Kefir smoothie is delicious and it delivers a mix of probiotics and nutrient-rich tart and sweet cherries.

Research has found that the nutrients and compounds that cherries deliver are linked to decreasing markers for oxidative stress and inflammation. (Nutrients 2018)

Plus kefir is used in this smoothie, which is a probiotic and yogurt-like beverage. You can find kefir typically in the dairy aisle at the grocery store, an example of a brand of kefir is Lifeway. A bonus with kefir is that it is protein-rich (11 grams of protein per cup) and delivers 12 different types of probiotics or “good bacteria”. In the body probiotics play many important roles related to gut health and studies find that probiotics play a role in boosting the immune system. (Annals Nutrition Metabolism 2019)

Try adding in this smoothie recipe to your routine!

Tart Cherry Kefir

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen sweet cherries
1/2 cup 100% tart cherry juice
1/2 cup kefir
4 - 5 ice cubes

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until icy and smooth.

Divide among two glasses and serve.

This recipe is from Drink Your Way to Gut Health, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2015.

Whole Grain Corn Bread

Skip the cornbread mix and make your own delicious, whole grain corn bread! This recipe is adapted from the Dinosaur BBQ cookbook, my twists: swapping our all-purpose flour for whole grain flour to up the fiber and nutrients and lowering the amount of butter. And good news, it still tastes great.

Our favorite whole wheat pastry flour is Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, which is typically available in the baking aisle at the grocery store.

Whole Grain Corn Bread - Image Source: Getty Images

Whole Grain Corn Bread
Serves 9

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon vinegar)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons honey

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl combine the cornmeal, sugar, whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine.

2. Add in buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla, stir to combine. Add the melted butter and mix well. The mixture will be thick.

3. Transfer to the prepared pan. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes until the top is golden brown. To test, use a toothpick to see if it comes out clean.

4. Drizzle with honey. Slice and serve.

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup

Cold days call for warm soup! This slow cooker black bean soup is hearty, filling, and delicious. Plus, if you’d like you can make it in an Instant Pot and cook the soup under pressure for a meal that is done in minutes. Each serving has 8 grams of heart-helping fiber AND 14 grams of protein. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup (Image Source: Molly Morgan)

Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup
Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrot, chopped
1 cup sweet peppers, chopped
5 - 6 cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 cups canned or cooked black beans
32 ounces low sodium chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup medium salsa
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
black pepper
sea salt

Directions:

1. In a skillet* add the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the celery, carrots, and peppers. Cook for 7 - 10 minute until the vegetable are softened. Then add the minced garlic and cook for one minute more.

   *Instant Pot - use the saute setting.

2. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the slow cooker* and add the black beans, vegetable stock, salsa, chili powder, and cumin. Cover and cook for 4 hours on high or 6 - 8 hours on medium or low.

   * Instant Pot - keep working in the Instant Pot. OR to cook under pressure, change the setting to cook under pressure and seal the lid, cook under pressure for 15 minutes.

3. Then about 30 minutes before serving*, add the cooked rice and stir. Season with salt and pepper.

   *Instant Pot - Add the cooked rice to the soup after the pressure cooking is complete.

Nutrition facts (per serving): 270 calories, 4 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 0 milligrams cholesterol, 170 milligrams sodium, 45 grams carbohydrates, 8 grams fiber, 3 grams sugar, 14 grams protein

Maple Oat Muffins

Maple Oat Muffins - Photo: Molly Morgan

Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

These muffins could be called Disappearing-Maple Oat Muffins! If you think you dislike whole grains, then you should give these muffins a try.

Part of the secret to these muffins being whole wheat and tasting so great is using whole wheat pastry flour (see product example pictured here).

Our go-to is Bob’s Red Mill 100% stone ground whole wheat pastry flour. It’s perfect for adding in whole grains to muffins, quick breads, pancakes, cookies, etc. Look for it in the baking aisle or buy direct from Bob’s Red Mill.

Maple Oat Muffins - Photo Credit: Molly Morgan

Maple Oat Muffins
Serves 12

Ingredients:
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup milk
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/3 cup canola oil
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

*For a gluten-free option - use gluten-free oats and instead of whole wheat pastry flour, substitute with equal parts of gluten-free baking flour.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare a muffin tin with 12 muffin paper liners.

2. In a mixing bowl combine the oats, milk, maple syrup, oil, brown sugar, and eggs. Mix until well combined.

3. Then add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir until combined, do not over mix.

4. Fill the prepared muffin tins with about 1/2 - 2/3 cup of batter.

5. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and serve.