Hemp-Crusted Avocado Chicken

Have you ever used hulled hemp?  Me either, until the other day. I'd seen it on the shelves but never really thought to buy an entire bag because I wasn't really sure what to do with it.  I was in the grocery store a few weeks ago and saw it in the bulk section, perfect. I bought just enough to do some experimenting and figured I'd use it as breading in one of my favorite recipes; Avocado Chicken. Why not?!  After all, I typically recommend hemp to vegetarians and vegans as a way to get their omega-3s (~800 mg plant-based omega-3 in 2 Tbsp. hulled hemp) so why not use it as a way to boost my own omega-3?  It's been said that poultry has "too much omega-6 compared to omega-3".....and while I'm still skeptical about whether that statement really means anything at all, I don't think it would hurt to add more omega-3 to a big fat and juicy chicken breast.

Hulled Hemp Seed

And if you're interested in the other nutritional benefits of hulled hemp, read about them here.  And, in case you care to know, the omega-3 found in hulled hemp is not the typical ALA -type, it's actually SDA, which converts to EPA more efficiently than ALA. This, my friends, is a good thing. Read more about that here.

I posted this recipe a few years ago on this blog, but used cornmeal instead of help, which was what the original recipe called for.  The photos were horrific, and didn't give this recipe any justice.  Hopefully these new photos lure you in, and beg you to reproduce this deliciousness.  I truly mean it when I say this recipe will forever be a favorite of mine (and Nicks!).

Hemp-Crusted Avocado Chicken

Modified from a Columbus Dispatch Recipe (1980)

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts -boneless

2 T cornstarch

1 t ground cumin

1 tsp garlic salt **

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 T water

1/3 c hulled hempseed

3 T vegetable oil

1 firm ripe avocado, peeled,sliced **

1 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 c plain Greek yogurt

1/4 c sliced green onions **

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  On a hard surface, with meat mallet or similar flattening utensil, pound chicken to 1/2 inch thickness.

2.  In shallow dish, mix together cornstarch, cumin, and garlic salt. Add chicken, 1 piece at a time, dredging to coat.

3.   In small bowl mix egg and water. In another small bowl place hulled hempseed. Dip chicken, first in egg and then in hemp, turning to coat.

4. In large fry pan, place oil and heat to medium temperature; add chicken and cook 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove chicken to shallow baking pan; place avocado slices over chicken and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in 350 degree oven about 15 minutes or until fork can be inserted in chicken with ease and cheese melts.

5. Top chicken with sour cream, dividing equally; sprinkle with green onion.


**NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet  omit the garlic salt and use a tuscan or garlic olive oil instead of vegetable oil (to get the flavor of the garlic). Also, use the green portions of the green onion only (not the white portion) or simply omit the onion.  Lastly, stick to only a couple slices of the avocado, as avocados contain FODMAPs when consumed in portions of more than ~2 Tbsp (or 2 medium slices).

Estimated Nutrition Facts Using 4-ounce raw chicken breasts
Source: CalorieCount.com

Nutrition Highlights:  ~ 500 mg omega-3, good source of fiber, and iron, excellent source of calcium.

Ok, ok, I know what you're thinking "wowza, that's a lot of fat!".  True, it is, but remember this is an estimate, and the entire recipe is still less than 500 calories and only 257 mg sodium, which is still likely better than what you would find at a restaurant!  Seriously.  Remember, you can always modify this to reduce the fat; use low fat pepper jack cheese, use less cheese, use less chicken (such as a 3-ounce portion) and/or reduce the amount of oil to 2 Tbsp.

I actually enjoyed the hemp crust better than the cornmeal from the original recipe.  We get enough corn in our life, don't you think!?

QUESTION:  Have you ever cooked with hulled hemp? Hemp Milk? Hemp oil? What do you think?  I'll be posting a hemp, berry and chia parfait soon.  I recently saw it on another blog and can't wait to make it for myself!

Thanks for reading, and enjoy your Thursday.

The Candid Rd

Fusilli with Creamy Bacon and Pea Sauce (Flashback Friday!)

It's Fusilli Jerry!  Anyone? Seinfeld? Come on, doesn't fusilli pasta always remind you of that episode where Cramer makes a fusilli statue of Jerry?  Ok, well I needed a laugh to start out this post because the photos are horendous, and I'm sure my mom is already shaking her head with displeasure ("Gina, that photo you posted the other day, it was awful!").  Yes, she has said this before, but I'm sorry, it's better than no photo at all (right??).  The truth is that I wouldn't have posted this recipe if I didn't know it was one of my most popular recipes thus far.  It was approved by 4 young kids (my 17 year-old brother included, and a 3 year old, 8 year old, and 12 year old... so that means something).  I still truly believe that peas are the key to making kids like anything.  No joke.  They don't like it? Add peas.





I made this last summer actually, which is why it's a "flashback Friday" post.  I have made it a couple times since then, but failed to take photos.  So, needless to say, these photos are old.  But the recipe is still amazing, and as I like to say, "definitely blog-worthy)

Fusilli With Creamy Bacon and Pea Sauce

Source

Serves: 6
Source:  Cooking Light
Price: ~$5.50/family of four

Cooking spray
1/4th cup chopped crispy bacon
1 tsp. olive oil
1 cup chopped onion **
1 garlic clove, minced **
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour (I used brown rice flour)
2 cups 1% low-fat milk **
1/4th cup reduced fat cream cheese **
2.5 cups frozen green peas, thawed **
1 1/4 cups grated parmesan, divided
1/3rd cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4th tsp. black pepper
5 cups hot cooked fusilli pasta (or 4 cups uncooked) **


Directions
 Heat oil in a pan. Add onion and garlic; sauté 7 minutes. Add onion mixture to the crispy bacon in a medium bowl, set aside. Place flour in the still hot pan. Gradually add milk; stir with a whisk until blended. Cook over medium heat until thick (about 5 minutes); stir constantly. Add cream cheese; stir until cheese melts. Stir in peas, 1 cup Parmesan, basil, salt, and pepper. Add cheese sauce and pasta to medium bowl that contains the bacon and onion mixture; toss well. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup Parmesan.

**NOTE: If you are following a low FODMAPS diet, be warned, this is not low FODMAPs.  You could reduce the FODMAPs by eliminating the onion and garlic, and using a garlic or tuscan olive oil to get the flavor.  You could also use the Lactaid brand of milk to reduce the effects from the lactose.  Also, look for a wheat - (or gluten) free pasta.

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1-serving

Source: CalorieCount.com

This recipe may not be the healthiest of recipes (which is perhaps why it was approved by children?!) but if you are a parent and want to make this for your kids, at least you know they will probably like it, and you will too.  And if you want to add some nutritional-pizzazz, add some broccoli or other vegetables like spinach, voila! You could also reduce the fat by using reduced fat cream cheese and/or turkey bacon (note: turkey bacon isn't always less fat, read your labels!).  You could increase the fiber too by using whole wheat flour (or brown rice flour), and whole wheat fussili pasta.

Don't judge a book by its cover.  Remember that.

This recipe is delicious.

Make it.

Today.

Any fun plans for the weekend??  I work tomorrow then plan on relaxing on Sunday, all day long, because it's been a long week!  I think I worked until 8pm each day this week.  Ugh.  Those types of weeks are just not my favorite, but thankfully I was doing what I love (cooking food in the demo kitchen at work, and teaching people about nutrition and how to incorporate it into their cooking.....yes, that's fun!).  

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

Ginger-Lime Seared Tuna with Spinach

I guess it's not a secret that Nick and I are thinking of having children (or at least, a child) at this point in our lives.  I mean, we're both thirty (or.....above, ahem....) and we've been together for a while and are ready for that next giant step!  That being said, no, I'm not pregnant, and nor do I plan to be in the really near future (although life never really goes as planned, right?!).  However I've been thinking about all of the foods that I'll have to limit (or omit) once I do get pregnant (and drinks.....wine, coffee, wahhhh!!!).  Tuna, one of my favorite types of fish, will definitely have to be an "every once in a while food", check out the mercury levels of your favorite fish (including tuna) in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Appendices.  And if you're pregnant and want to know how much tuna (and what types) you can and can't eat, check out AmericanPregnancy.org's recommendations.  

And of course we can't forget what the Monterey Bay Aquarium has to say.  If you would like more information, visit their website.  Here is the information on Ahi Tuna.

Source: MontereyBayAquarium.org
Basically when it comes to buying tuna, or any fish for that matter, it's best to know where your fish is coming from and how it was caught.  This may not be necessary all the time, but it's especially true if you're pregnant, have young kids who eat fish, or if you eat a specific type of fish on a regular basis.

Anyway...... because tuna tends to be higher in mercury, I'm getting my fill before I decide to start thinking about getting pregnant.  Next week I'll be posting a Clean Eating Magazine recipe for sesame seared tuna and carrot salad.  But today it's all about the ginger and lime!

Ginger Lime Seared Tuna with Spinach

Source  

Serves 4

Ingredients

1.5 pounds tuna steak, cut into 4 even pieces (use a high to sashimi grade if you're cooking it rare to medium rare)

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup lime juice

2 garlic cloves, minced *

1 piece of ginger (thumb-sized)

course salt and ground pepper to taste

1/2 Tbsp. butter

4 handfuls of fresh spinach

** NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet omit the garlic and replace the garlic taste by using a tuscan or garlic olive oil instead of regular olive oil.

Directions

1.  Mix olive oil and lime in a mixing bowl.  

2.  Crush ginger and mince, then mince garlic and add them with the salt and pepper into the bowl with the lime and oil.  Whisk thoroughly.

3.  Place tuna pieces in bowl, turn them over in 10 minutes (basically you are marinating each side for about 10 minutes)

4.  In hot skillet, melt the butter and then place tuna pieces in, pouring the rest of the marinade over them, about two to three minute son each side to sear to medium-rare.

5.  Place a handful of fresh spinach on each plate, then plate a tuna steak on each bed of spinach.  Use the leftover marinade and butter in the skillet to drizzle over the tuna and spinach.

Estimated nutrition facts for one serving

Nutrition Highlights: Under 500 calories, excellent source of protein, vitamin A and vitamin C, good source of iron.  Also, based on the USDA Dietary Guidelines, this recipe provides ~200-400 mg EPA/DHA.

The original recipe called for rice, but I thought spinach would be a better choice.  First off, it's a vegetable, and second, it's lower in carbohydrate so you can leave room for a dessert ;)

QUESTION: Do you like tuna??  What's your favorite kind and how do you like to prepare it?  I really love the lazy dinners of pouched tuna on top of a salad.  I don't do this often, but it's nice to have as an option sometimes. 

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Mediterranean Chicken Thighs with Lentils

Are thighs the new breasts? That was the question on the Today Show a few weeks ago.  I'd like to think yes (at least for humans....you know, wouldn't that be nice? Can you imagine women spending tons of money on thigh implants? lol).  But what about for poultry? The chef on the Today Show, whom I can't remember at the moment, claimed that indeed that chicken thighs are the new chicken breast.  I'm not quite sure though.  When you compare the nutrition facts thighs are a bit fattier (because of the dark meat) and therefore provide slightly more calories (and some would argue, more flavor).  Is it worth it?  I still don't know, but I do know this, thighs made this dish amazing, and one that I will make time and time again.

INSTAGRAM!
The Candid RD

Something else that made this dish amazing was the fact that it was baked in parchment paper. So, the clean up was a breeze.

Mediterranean Chicken Thighs With Lentils

Serves 4

Source: Mother Rimmy's Blog

Have you ever gone to post a recipe on your blog and noticed that the entire post that you worked so hard on was erased??  Vanished completely into cyberspace, somewhere. Well, that happened to me this morning, and therefore you'll just have to get the link to the recipe;

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE and the Nutrition Facts

** NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet first, omit the red onion, and second, use canned lentils.  Why canned? The canning process actually causes the FODMAPs to leach out in the brine.  Who knew?

But hey, at least my pictures were still saved in my iPhotos.  Darn you Google for deleting my post.  But thank you iPhotos for not deleting my photos :)

If you're thinking; "I would much rather use chicken breast", I would say that's probably fine.  Because this chicken was cooked in parchment paper it held onto a lot of the flavors and juices.  I would definitely say a leaner chicken breast would work just fine in this recipe.  Either way, the recipe was a hit with our friends (Nick and I were at a friend's house when we made this) and was certainly enjoyed by all.

QUESTION:  Do you think thighs are the new breast?  I mean, in terms of poultry....of course.

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Mediterranean Style White Fish (Thrifty Thursday)

Out of all the fish you can buy at the store, you'll notice some are cheaper than others. Don't be fooled into thinking you must eat salmon or some other fatty fish (like tuna or mackerel) for your "two servings of fish per week".  While that would be wonderful, those fish are not always in the budget (and if you're like me and you live with someone who hates those really fishy fish, like salmon, it's not always an option!).  Also, don't be fooled into thinking you must eat fresh fish.  I've found that frozen fish tends to be pretty budget friendly, and options like tilapia and cod can be found pretty cheap in the frozen section.  The downside, of course, is that you'll get significantly less Omega-3 in these lighter species of fish.  Hmmm.... ok, let's look on the bright side.......this article talks about a study that showed eating fish, two to three times per week, could reduce your stroke risk (yeah!).  While it's obviously best to choose fattier fish, the article pointed out that when participants in the study replaced the less health-promoting meats, like red meat, with any fish (such as cod or tilapia) there was a reduced risk of heart disease and stroke.

Instagram-photo; The Candid RD

I forced Nick to make me dinner one night. Literally. I forced him.  It was worth it, and I realized that he has a knack for cooking fish (and eggs, actually).  Nick decided to find a recipe based on the proteins I already had in the freezer (how original).   I had purchased frozen cod because it was on sale (for $6/pound!).  Nick grabbed it, typed it into Google, and came up with a winner.  I would say this recipe could be made with any white fish (I'm thinking scallops would be yummy!), really, so when you find a sale on a white fish grab it and try this recipe.

Mediterranean-Style Fish

Slightly modified from a recipe found on Food.com

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 3 T olive oil
• 2 cod fillets (~4 ounces each); or any white fish
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon dry crushed red pepper
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup kalamata olives or 1 cup other brine-cured black olives, whole
• 1/8 cup capers
• 4 garlic cloves, minced **
• 3 tablespoons sauvignon blanc wine

** NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet, omit the garlic and use a garlic or tuscan-flavored olive oil instead of regular olive oil (If you are really sensitive to GOS and FOS, this is recommended) Or, cut the garlic into large chunks so it's easy to remove when you eat the fish, but you still get the flavors infused (see photo below).

Directions

1.  Heat olive oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Add half of fish to skillet and sauté until just opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side. 

2.  Transfer fish to platter. Repeat with remaining fish. Add parsley and crushed red pepper to same skillet; sauté 1 minute. Add tomatoes, olives, capers and garlic; sauté until tomatoes are soft and juicy, about 2 minutes. Splash a few tablespoons of wine and season with salt and pepper as needed; spoon over fish.

The yellow side was just butternut squash, cooked to get soft in the microwave, then mashed in a bowl with a small amount of butter.  Simple, and so delicious (with a dash of salt and lots of fresh pepper!).

See the large chunks of garlic? Nick ate all of those, I sadly omitted mine.

Nutrition Facts for 1/2 of the recipe

Nutrition Highlights:  Under 500 calories, excellent source of fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, and Iron, good source of calcium.  Yes, this recipe is pretty high in sodium, but you can decrease that by rinsing your kalamata olives before adding them to the recipe.  You might also notice the large amount of fat.  The good news is that most of it is the heart-healthy mono and polyunsaturated fat (especially from the olive oil and olives).  Yum yum!

This was an instance when I thought, "Why doesn't my husband cook every single night?".  He's got talent!

QUESTION:  What's your favorite budget-friendly fish?

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Clean Eating's Chicken Enchiladas

Ok, don't judge this recipe by the photo.  It was one of those recipes that I made in a state of ravenousness (yes, that's a word....look it up.....) and I had no patience to make the photo look good.  I just took the photo and devoured the enchilada.  Literally. Devoured.

Before making and....devouring....these enchiladas, I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten one.  In fact, I don't know if I could have even sat down for ten minutes and came up with a memory of eating or making enchiladas.

They are so easy, why had I never made them before? That's a question to really ponder.

I found this recipe in Clean Eating Magazine.  I haven't been overly impressed with their recipes lately, but this one was a winner (and I'm pretty excited about some of their March issue recipes too.  I have a long list of recipes to try!).  Maybe we enjoyed this recipe because it involved cheese and tomato sauce, two things that pair together quite well in my (and Nick's) opinion.

Clean Eating Magazine's Chicken Enchiladas

Serves 4

Adapted from a recipe in Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients

4 large whole wheat tortillas **

1-cup shredded extra sharp white cheddar cheese

3-cups shredded or chopped grilled chicken (~1.5 pounds)

1 cup chopped mushrooms **

4-ounces green chiles (from a can)

1 tsp. hot sauce

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. chile powder

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. sea salt

Sauce

15-ounces all-natural tomato sauce **

1 clove garlic, minced **

1.5 tsp. chile powder

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

NOTE**:  If you follow a Low FODMAPs diet, omit the garlic and mushrooms, and look for a gluten-free tortilla.  Also, it's hard to find a garlic and onion-free tomato sauce, so for those who are really sensitive this may not be a great recipe, period.  I had to suffer a bit to enjoy this recipe.....

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.  Combine chicken, green chiles, hot sauce, cumin, 1 tsp. chile powder, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and 1/4 tsp. sea salt in a large skillet pan over medium-high heat and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.  Remove mixture from pan and set aside.

3.  Combine all sauce ingredients in the same nonstick pan used for the chicken.  Set over medium heat and cook until warm, about 10 minutes.

4.  Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of an 8 x 11-inch casserole dish.  Divide chicken mixture evenly among tortillas, fold right and left sides over to close and place, seam-side-down, snuggly in a casserole dish.  Top enchiladas evenly with remaining sauce and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake on center rack for 20 minutes. 

Ummmm, that's a lot of sodium! I'm not entirely sure how accurate this estimate is, but either way it might be best to omit the extra sea salt, and look for a low-sodium tomato sauce. Just saying...yikes!

Nutrition Highlights:  Under 500 calories (really not bad for a rich enchilada!), excellent source of fiber, protein, calcium, vitamin C, and iron, good source of vitamin A.

These babies were bursting with flavor.  They were slightly messy, sure, but a good enchilada should be messy, right??

QUESTION:  When was the last time you made enchiladas? Do you have a favorite recipe? Please share it!

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.