Maple & Citrus Grilled Salmon

Aug 24, 2013

I’ll be honest. I was really scared to try grilling fish on my electric grill.

Don’t get me wrong, the grill has been awesome so far (it’s this Char-Broil one in case you’re wondering—I had trouble getting good recommendations). My chicken has been super moist and juicy, veggies have been great (except the grilled romaine, which we won’t speak of ever again), and my hamburgers were juicy and held together really well. But both times I’ve tried to grill steak, it’s been tough and chewy. So I was understandably scared about fish.

See, I luuurrrrve fish. Particularly more “fishy” fish (as my co-worker Lucy would say) like salmon. But dry fish? Blech. I want moist, flaky fish. I’ve tried making salmon in the oven in the past but haven’t had a ton of success getting it to the right consistency. But this grilled salmon was a REVELATION.

My mom and I made this a couple days after my surgery, so simplicity was key. I was mostly useless, and cooking in someone else’s kitchen is always hard so we wanted to keep it easy on her. I found this delicious-sounding marinade/glaze on Pinterest and, since I had all the ingredients on-hand, decided it was the perfect thing to try.

We were both so shocked by how good it was, how perfect the consistency was, and just how easy the recipe was. I was really sad that we only had two tiny fillets, because I would have DESTROYED, like, an entire salmon if it’d been available. Mmmmm, salmon.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries & Gorgonzola

May 19, 2013

To continue the semi-healthy kick I’ve been on, we have this really interesting main dish/side dish/salad option, chock-full of different flavors and textures just begging to be devoured. I’d found this recipe on Pinterest a long time ago and always meant to get to it, but then months passed and it just lingered there. Decided to finally give it a try recently and was pleasantly surprised how much I liked it, though honestly the cranberries were a little too tart for me—I’d swap them out for something else.

You’ve got brussels sprouts, fresh cranberries, salty Gorgonzola, crunchy pecans, and a sweet maple balsamic dressing with a bite. The recipe calls for cooked barley as well, since it’s meant to be a main dish. I didn’t have the time or inclination to do that this time, but will definitely try it some other time.

I also loved this tip from Cookie + Kate…brussels sprouts are best cooked flat-side down because the heat gets trapped inside the sprout and, in effect, steams it. It’s the best way to get crispy flat sides and cooked insides. It’s one of those things you kind of do intuitively, but knowing WHY helps.

Sweet & Savory Chicken Quinoa

Feb 23, 2013

I know, I know. You’re thinking, “Jessica, it’s the middle of winter, we just got hit by a cold spell/blizzard/snowpocalypse and you want me to eat healthy quinoa instead of the comfort food I was craving??? Girl, you are nuts.”

I get that. It’s cold and I want a blue cheese burger, fries, and a few glasses of wine. But in a weird way I’ve also been craving something healthier, to get a tiny bit of that summer feeling. And this quinoa dish is also incredibly hearty and filling.

The flavors are so light and summery, a bright spot in the chilly, rainy winter we’re having. This recipe was also very easy to throw together, and great as leftovers as well. I used a mixture of both red and white quinoa since I had them both on-hand, but you could use either separately as well.

Coconut Milk Smoothie (healthy, fat-burning breakfast)

Jan 26, 2013

I’ve definitely been on a smoothie kick lately, and trying combinations that are way outside of my normal smoothie-zone. This whole past week I’ve been trying an apple-cinnamon shake (recipe to come), and then today I tried a shake with raw eggs for the first time ever.

I know, raw eggs. Lots of people have an automatic “EWWW!” response to the thought of eating or drinking raw eggs. First thing—consuming raw eggs is not inherently dangerous. The only real danger is salmonella (also a danger from raw meat and various fruits and vegetables). By the most recent estimates, only maybe 1 in 30,000 eggs has salmonella, so those odds are fairly good in my book, but for children, elderly, and those with compromised immune systems it may be safer to stay clear. And eggs are incredibly healthy—they’re full of protein, vitamin B, and choline, and they provide lots of energy and repair your body at a cellular level. Nutritionists and scientists still argue about whether or not raw eggs are actually healthier than cooked, but they made a nice protein addition to the shake…better than weird, chemical-y protein powder, at least.

A lot of people are also worried about how the eggs will taste in the smoothie, but I didn’t taste them at all. The only really strong taste is from the coconut milk and coconut oil. While I’m not the biggest coconut fan, I didn’t mind it too much. The only real change I made to the original recipe was throwing in some chia seeds for some added omega-3s.

Stuffed Red Peppers

Jan 20, 2013

I’ve been wanting to try a stuffed pepper recipe for quite some time, and I’m not sure what’s been holding me back. I think maybe it’s because they sound delicious—I’d never actually had one—and super healthy but look like they take a bit more effort than I’m willing to put into a weeknight meal.

So it was with a moderate amount of trepidation that I approached this recipe. I perused several different ones, but liked the combination of the protein in the beef, the fiber in the brown rice, and the overall simplicity. Lots of stuffed pepper recipes I’d seen have lots of different ingredients, which sounds yummy but also over-complicates everything.

I was quite happy with this recipe, and will definitely be trying other stuffed pepper recipes (with corn, black beans, etc.). Note, this recipe makes at least 6 half peppers, so if you’re cooking for one person you could bake them two at a time as needed, so you have fresh dinner. Or they make great leftovers, if you’d prefer to just re-heat, maybe take to work for lunch.

Family’s absolute go-to recipe (Mexican Meat & Beans)

Jan 14, 2013

This is the #1 recipe in my family. Forever. Always.

In some families, if you say “we’re having Mexican”, they might mean tacos one day, enchiladas another, and quesadillas another. But in my family, we only mean one thing—meat and beans.

This is the easiest meal ever, quite healthy, full of protein, fiber, and antioxidants. And it makes great leftovers that can be used in a myriad of ways.

Taco salad. Chili-cheese omelette. Nachos. These are just a few ways you can use the meat and beans. They’re delicious, and keep at least a week in the fridge.

Aunt Kristy’s No-Fail Whole Wheat Pie Crust

Dec 27, 2012

When I meet people who don’t love pie, I’m not quite sure how to relate to them. I mean, what’s not to love? Flaky pie crust? Check. Completely versatile filling that can change to your heart’s desire? Check.

But here’s my secret. I actually love healthy pie crust the best. You can take your butter and lard crusts, your white, flaky layers. Because my Aunt Kristy’s whole wheat and oil pie crust is the bomb.

The pictures below have very simple directions with them, but if you scroll down to the bottom I’ve provided VERY detailed instructions, including for different sizes of pie pan (or 9×13 if you’re making a pot pie) and topless or covered pies. I’ve also included a link to download a Word document you can easily print as well.

Roasted Sweet Potato, Apple, & Sage Soup

Dec 9, 2012

My last night at home for Thanksgiving, it was just me and my mom since my dad had to head out of town for work. It had been cold and windy all day, typical Kansas November, and we’d been out running errands most of the day. When we got home, all we wanted was something warm and hearty, a glass of wine, and maybe some White Collar on Netflix.

My mom had picked up some truffle cheese, knowing how much I love truffles. So I decided to make another loaf of the amazing rosemary and olive oil bread I’d tried a couple days earlier and make grilled cheese sandwiches. Of course, we needed some kind of soup to go with it. So I did some searching and found this delicious, slightly-sweet and hearty soup as the perfect flavor pairing.

One thing I loved about this soup recipe was that it didn’t call for heavy cream, so it was a little healthier than many similar recipes. I also loved that you could make this in a normal amount of time instead of cooking it in a crockpot for several hours—I can’t always think ahead that much!

This looks like a perfect winter evening.

Ambrosia (Mom’s Baked Potato Soup)

Nov 28, 2012

In my world, soup is not a meal. Don’t get me wrong, I love soup, but it’s a prelude to a meal or something you eat *with* your meal.

Except this soup.

My mom’s baked potato soup is hearty and healthy and delicious and the best dang soup you’ve ever had. Even better? You make it in the crockpot, so it’s practically hassle-free.

[Note: I’ve edited below, I don’t use bouillon anymore, so I just replaced the water and bouillon with chicken stock instead]

Healthy Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Nov 18, 2012

So, it was a big week in the Fergen household. My little sister, who lives in Louisville, finally went into labor with her first child. So I hit the road and have spent the last few days there with my family, just getting back around midnight last night.

That’s all to say, I haven’t had a chance to cook or bake much the past several days. So I hope you’ll accept this healthy, delicious little breakfast gem I tried a while back as a peace offering. I took a (probably even healthier) recipe from my friend Tonya’s blog, Nom Eat Nom, and adapted it for ingredients I had on-hand (including gobs of homemade apple butter).

These were full of whole grains, too, so they stayed with me a long time. And they toasted up nicely for breakfast during the work week.

This is my little niece (niece #2) who decided to join us this week!