Recipe Tag: Health meets Food

Chicken and Sweet Potato Stew (IBD-Friendly)

Place 2 tsp olive oil in a medium stock pot over medium-high heat.

Add diced chicken and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes until lightly browned. When the chicken is thoroughly cooked, remove from heat and set aside.

Add the remaining 2 tsp olive oil and the red bell pepper and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir frequently.

Add the sweet potato, zucchini, tomatoes, tomato paste and stock.

Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano, cinnamon and salt.

Adjust the heat to medium-high heat and bring to a slight boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add the spinach and chicken and cook for 2 minutes to wilt spinach.

Remove from heat.

Top with cilantro and serve.

Brown Basmati Rice and Peas

Crack cardamom pods open by crushing with the side of a knife.

Put oil in a medium saucepot and heat on medium-low heat. Add cumin seeds and cardamom pods and stir for 20 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to burn. Remove cardamom pods with slotted spoon.

Add onion and cook for 5-7 minutes until lightly browned. (**If using ground spices, sauté onion first and then add spices.)

Add rice to the pot and stir, cooking for about 3 minutes to toast.

Add the stock and salt and bring to a boil. Cover and turn heat to low. Simmer until rice is tender, about 40-45 minutes. Do not stir!

In the last 2 minutes, add the peas to heat through.

Turn heat off and fluff with a fork to incorporate peas.

Apricot Almond Bites

In a food processor or blender, pulse the almonds until a rough meal. Then add in 1/2 cup of the coconut flakes and pulse for a sandlike texture.

Add the apricots, vanilla extract, and water to the mixture. Blend until a consistent paste.

Take 3/4 Tablespoon of the mixture (about the size of a quarter) and form into a ball. Roll the balls in the remaining 1/4 cup of the coconut flakes. Place the bites onto a flat surface.

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Moroccan Couscous

Preheat a pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and shallots. Sauté the shallots in the pot for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional minute.

Add the vegetable broth. Bring the broth to a boil then add the Moroccan couscous. Immediately remove the pot from heat and cover. Let the pot sit for 10 minutes.

***If you are using Israeli couscous: Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Stir in Israeli couscous. Simmer for 7 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 7 minutes.

Remove the lid and use a fork to fluff the couscous. Once fluffed, transfer the couscous on to a sheet pan and let it cool, approximately 5 minutes.

Place the cooled couscous in a mixing bowl and toss with salt, pepper, nuts, raisins, parsley, and green onion. Serve warm or cold.

Shrimp & Grits

In a medium sized pot, bring water, milk, and salt to a boil.

Add the grits and whisk to combine. Decrease the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid. Whisk occasionally to avoid lumps. Cook until creamy, about 20-25 minutes, adding more water as necessary to prevent grits from getting too thick.

Once creamy, remove the pot from the heat and mix in the cheese. Serve warm. If not serving immediately, you may need to add more liquid. Grits will continue to thicken as they sit.

Season the shrimp with 1/8 tsp of salt, black pepper, and Creole seasoning.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 teaspoons of oil. Once hot, add the shrimp and cook, stirring often, until they just turn pink, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl – they will finish cooking later in the sauce.

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in the same skillet and add the green onions, bell pepper, and garlic. Season the vegetables with 1/8 tsp of salt and cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes.

Add the flour or cornstarch. Cook for 1 minute, then add the stock and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice.

Add the shrimp back to the pan and stir to combine. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked through (the centers should be completely opaque).

Serve 4 ounces shrimp over 3/4 cup grits. Garnish with lemon zest.

Blueberry Compote

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add all the ingredients. Simmer for 20 minutes, mashing the berries.

Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Serve warm.

Spicy Braised Chicken Thighs with White Beans – HmF

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).

Place a medium pot over medium-high heat and add olive oil.

Place chicken into hot oil.

Sear until meat is golden brown, adjusting heat if necessary.

Turn and brown on other side.

Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add the onion, celery and carrots to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes.  Stir frequently.

As the onions begin to turn translucent add garlic and cook for one more minute.

Add white wine and scrape the brown bits (or fond) off the bottom of the pan.

Add the spices and stir.

Add the chicken thighs, beans, olives, tomatoes, and stock.

Partially submerge the chicken – about 1/3 – 1/2 of the way.

Cover pot and place in the oven.

Braise until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) – about 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and serve warm.

Simple Granola Bar

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Spread the oats on a cookie sheet or large pan and place in the oven. Toast the oats for about 6-10 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Remove and set aside to cool.

Check to make sure the dates are pitted. To pit, tear the date in half, lengthwise, and remove hard pit. Discard.

Process dates in a food processor until small bits remain (about 1 minute). It should form a dough-like consistency.

With clean hands, combine the oats, dates, and roasted nuts in a mixing bowl. Make sure to break up the pureed dates to disperse thoroughly through mixture.

Warm the peanut butter and honey in the microwave for ~30 seconds or until liquid consistency. Stir and mix into the other ingredients.

Once thoroughly combined, transfer to an 9″x9″ dish or other small pan lined with plastic wrap or parchement paper to prevent sticking. Press mixture into an even layer and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

Remove bars from pan and cut into 12 bars.