tip: 365 GARBANZO BEANS

Normally I wouldn't recommend anything that comes in a can.  The reason being that most canned items are loaded with sodium because they are meant to last a long time on the shelf.  HOWEVER, the 365 Brand made by Whole Foods has their own line of canned beans that has no added salt!  Check it out...

As you can see on the nutritional panel there is only 10mg of sodium per serving.  Most canned beans have anywhere from 200mg - 400mg per serving!  I could bloat and have a heart attack just thinking about it!

Beans are a great source of protein, especially if you are vegetarian.  But they can be time consuming to make, so that's why these canned beans are such a good find.  Just pop open the can and you're ready (although I do like to run them under some water before I eat them).  They are a great addition to a salad, they are perfect for making hummus, and they can even add thickness to a soup or sauce (recipes to come!).

Bonus, they are only $0.99!

GTBB,
Bad Joan

recipe: OAT ALMOND PANCAKES WITH STRAWBERRY DATE SYRUP

I love pancakes.  Who doesn't?!  But they are just basically all white flour which isn't the best thing for you.  So I took a traditional pancake recipe (you can see it here) and turned into a healthy treat that is equally delicious but has nutrional value!  I substituted oat and almond flour for white flour and made a topping from fresh strawberries and dates that has a syrup-like quality.  Check it out...

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup oat flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 12 strawberries
• 4 medjool dates

INSTRUCTIONS:
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Makes approximately 8 pancakes.

To make the "syrup" simply remove stems from strawberries and place in them in a blender. Then remove pits and as much skin as you can from the dates and place those in the blender as well. Blend them together until smooth and you have a sticky, sweet and totally healthy pancake topping!

GTBB,
Bad Joan

recipe: RAISIN CURRY CHICKEN

This is a simple and flavorful recipe that is mainly made up of items that you probably already have left over in your refrigerator!  Check it out...

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 - 3 lb chicken cut into 1/8ths
• 3 roma tomatoes
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 fresh mint leaves
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• dash of turmeric
• salt and pepper
• wedge of lemon

 

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375.

Wash chicken and place in a large baking dish.    (I like to take a tiny bit of extra virgin olive oil, coarse salt, and turmeric and rub them directly on the chicken before I do anything else.  I find that this makes the meat extra tender and fall off the bone.  This is optional step and this amount of olive oil and salt would be in addition to the amounts listed above.)

Chop tomatoes, onions and garlic and place in a large mixing bowl.  Finely chop the mint leaves and add to the bowl.  Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix.  Pour the mixture over the chicken.

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil.  Place in the oven.  (Placing the foil over the baking dish will help to lock in moisture and flavor.  If you want the chicken to brown a little and the skin to be a little bit crispy you can remove the foil for the last 20 to 30 minutes of cook time.)

Cook times will vary on how large your chicken is.  It is recommended to cook a chicken for about half an hour per pound.  So if you have a 3 lb chicken then you should bake it for approximately 1 1/2 hours.
If you are cooking for one, then this is the perfect thing to make on Sunday and eat all week.  Just store the cooked chicken in the refrigerator in some sort of sealed container or in a dish cover with foil or plastic wrap.  It will be good to eat for about 4 days.  You can reheat the chicken and eat it on its own or pull the meat off the bone and use it in a sandwich or salad. 

You can also use the meat along with the curry mix and serve it over rice, as seen here!

GTBB,
Bad Joan

 

recipe: ORANGE CUPCAKES

This recipe came about when a friend gave me a ton of extra oranges from her tree.  I went online to find recipes that used fresh oranges and came across a muffin recipe.  I modified it a bit and turned into a chocolate and orange treat!  Check it out...

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 oranges - 1 large and 1 small (I like to use naval oranges)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup sweet unsalted butter
• 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• Nutella for frosting

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a muffin pan with regular butter (or if you prefer you can use cupcake liners).

Peel the large orange and put in the blender.  Keep the peel on the small orange, cut into quarters and place in the blender (yes, keep the skin on but be sure to remove any stem or seeds).  Blend until smooth.

Add egg, vanilla and butter into blender and blend until smooth.

In a large mixing bowl combine dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 

Take blended mixture and pour it all on top of the dry mixture and combine everything together with a spoon.  Add chocolate chips and continue to mix.

Pour mixture evenly into muffin/cupcake cups.

Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove.  Cool.  Frost with Nutella.  Serve!

PS - If you are cooking for one I recommend freezing them when they are fresh.  They will keep for a month or so.  This is obviously a great dessert but it also makes a yummy breakfast or afternoon snack!

GTBB,
Bad Joan