Are there any foods out there that you know are good for you, but you just haven’t had the chance to try or eat?  Well, for me, that list is pretty long.  Ever since I started reading blogs and writing one of my own, I’ve come to the realization that I’ll never be able to run out of healthy foods to eat.  I love this fact!  When I’m in the produce aisle at the grocery store, I take my time wandering around because I enjoy looking at all the new items just waiting for me to select them.   I get so excited about trying new foods, and I get even more pumped when I discover that I love the new foods and can then incorporate them into my repertoire.  Is Healthy Chow a foodie dork, or what?!

Image Credit – sodahead.com

One of my most recent loves is Swiss chard.  I’ve seen this leafy green on more blogs and websites than the cast of The Jersey Shore and I finally decided to give it a shot.  Plus, Swiss chard is packed with vitamins (vitamins A, C, E and K, magnesium, iron and potassium to name a few) and nutrients.  It’s high in antioxidants, promotes cardiovascular health and helps your body produce energy.  But to be perfectly honest, my grandmother used to cook Swiss chard quite a lot when I was a child.  Thus, this technically wasn’t a brand new food for me.  However, being that I haven’t eaten Swiss chard in decades and I didn’t remember what it tasted like, I considered it uncharted territory.  While I was anxious to try this ‘vegetable valedictorian’, I’ll have to admit that a bunch of it sat in my fridge for more than a week.  I’m not quite sure why?  I guess I just wanted to find the ‘perfect’ recipe for my veggie.  But just what is ‘perfect’?  I had no clue (can you imagine?!).  But because I didn’t want my ‘leafy green‘ to turn into a ‘leafy brown‘, I knew I had to execute, and I had to execute fast.    That said, I decided to combine the new with one of my old favorites.  I figured if I could spruce up an oldie and give it a boost in nutritional value, I couldn’t lose (or miss).

Talk about leafy and green!

Can’t Miss Swiss Chard & Bean Pasta
Serves 4

• 4 – 5 oz. of whole wheat pasta (I used a mixture of angel hair and rigatoni)
• 1 bunch of Swiss chard, rinsed and chopped into bite-sized pieces*
• 1 cup of frozen cubed butternut squash
• 1 TSP of minced garlic
• few dashes of garlic powder
• 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water (you probably won’t need all of this)
• 1 TBSP of olive oil
• 1/2 cup of cooked cannellini beans (I used canned - rinsed and drained)
• 1/2 TSP of red pepper flakes (you can use more or less based on your preference)
• few dashes of parmesan cheese (grated, shredded, whichever you have on hand)
• s&p

1) Begin cooking your pasta according to the directions.  You’ll want to cook it al dente.

2) Add your butternut squash to the boiling pasta pot about two minutes before your pasta is done cooking.  Make sure to reserve about about a 1/2 cup of the pasta water.   Drain and rinse.

It kinda looks like chunks of mango floating in my pasta!

3) While your pasta is cooking, your can begin cooking your Swiss chard.  In a large skillet, add about an inch of water and heat on high.  When the water comes to a boil, add your Swiss chard.  Turn down your heat to medium and place a lid on your skillet.  Let your Swiss chard steam for about 7-10 minutes, or until the steams and leaves have softened.

Time for a steam bath…

*To chop Swiss chard, line up all the stems and cut off about 1/2 inch from the bottom.  You want to remove any of the dried out and brown edges.  While holding the base of the stem with one hand (making a fist), use your other hand to rip the leaves off of the stem by quickly running your hand over the leaves.  They should come off pretty easily.  Then, chop the leaves and stems into bite-sized pieces.

4) When your Swiss chard is finished steaming, drain out most of the water.  Add the garlic and garlic powder to the skillet and give it a good stir.

Steamed with minced garlic…

5) Add your cooked pasta and butternut squash to the skillet.  Add your olive oil and stir to blend everything together.  If the pasta is a bit dry, add some of your reserved pasta water to the skillet.  I would add about 1/4 cup first, and then add more if necessary.

6) Add your cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  Gently mix everything together.  Add more seasoning to taste.

There’s a whole lotta everything in this recipe!

Makin’ it a little spicy!

7) Once everything is well-blended and warm, plate it and top with parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Loving all the flavors and colors!

So good and so good for you!

I don’t know about you, but I can’t not like pasta.  I <3 all carbs and pasta may just be on the top of that list.  But, one serving of pasta (about 2/3 of a cup dry) just doesn’t fill this hungry Healthy Chow.  I could honestly eat a pound of pasta in one sitting.  But we all know that that isn’t the healthiest thing to do.  By bulking up my pasta dishes with tons of vegetables, beans and other forms of protein, I can trick myself into getting full and being satisfied with only one serving of my favorite carb delight.  This recipe definitely achieved that goal.  My stomach was happy, as well as my taste buds.  The Swiss chard was delicious!  Swiss chard has a mildly bitter and salty taste, but it’s not one that’s offensive.  In fact, I liked it because this flavor was so unique.  The butternut squash gave this dish a subtle sweetness, while the buttery tasting cannellini beans gave this dish some needed depth.  And obviously, when you top anything (especially a carb) with parmesan cheese, food goes from tasting fine to fantastic!

Looks like a good bite to me!

I’m so glad that I finally tried Swiss chard.  What was I waiting for? It was so simple to make and made me happy knowing I was cooking and enjoying such a healthy food.  While this vegetable tasted great in my pasta, I know I would like it just as much steamed as a side.  Similar to spinach, Swiss chard doesn’t require much seasoning or spice in order for it to taste good (IMHO).  I even sampled a few pieces while it was raw, and loved it.  Now I can understand why this green has been all the rage.  It’s nutritious, delicious, easy to prepare and won’t be chard on your wallet.  Hahaha!  In fact, this vegetable is so wonderful that I not only give it a thumbs up, but it might just deserve a fist pump!

This weekend, I’m attending a food photography seminar (organized by the wonderful Kerstin from Cake, Batter and Bowl) along with some other local food bloggers.  I’m so excited!  We were told to bring any item of food that we’re having issues photographing.  I’m not quite sure what to bring?  Is there anything you have trouble photographing?

***Would you like to win a $200 Visa Giftcard?  Check out Cheat Day News and Reviews to find out how!***

Namasté,
Nicole

I can remember a few (OK, it was more like a couple) years back, when I never used to cook or bake or really make anything in the kitchen at all.  Whenever it was time to go to a family gathering, I would bring flowers, wine, a dessert from the bakery or even a tray of pasta purchased from a restaurant.  While the friend or family member who was hosting the party would be grateful for whatever I would bring to their party, I always felt as though some of the party attendees would throw me some weird and crazy looks.  I think they thought it was funny (or sad) that I, a grown adult, wasn’t ashamed to admit that I didn’t cook and that I worked hard for the money I used to buy the food I brought to the party.  I often times would just brush off those looks by making a joke about having no interest in cooking and deep down inside, I would feel a bit embarrassed.

Now, I love to cook! I love finding new recipes, learning new tricks in the kitchen, trying out ingredients I’ve never used before and of course, tasting my latest creations.  And when someone now invites me over to a party, I jump at the chance to bring something.  And now, that something is homemade!

A couple months back was my brother-in-law’s welcome home party.  While my sister-in-law to be (the one throwing the party) insisted that I didn’t need to bring anything, I didn’t want to show up empty handed.  So, I began looking through my recipe collection and found one I had made previously and brought to a dinner party.  It was a hit the first time I made it, so I figured the second time around would be just as fabulous.

Potato and Sun-Dried Tomato au Gratin with Spinach and Cannellini Beans
Adapted recipe from Cooking Light

10 Servings (serving size: about 3/4 cup)

• 1  cup boiling water
• 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil (about 2 ounces)
• 3 pounds of peeled baking potato, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups of chopped frozen spinach (I used a 16 oz. bag from Trader Joe’s)
• 1 cup of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 TBSP Smart Balance Light
• 1 cup chopped white onion
• 1/2 TSP  dried oregano
• 1/2 TSP  sea salt
• 1/2 TSP  cracked black pepper
• 2 TBSP of cornstarch
• 2 TBSP of warm water
• 2 cups of lowfat milk
• 2 cups (8 ounces) of grated fresh Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 TSP of white pepper
• few sprinkles of crushed red pepper
• few dashes of cayenne pepper
• few dashes of paprika

1) Place your sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl and pour the boiling water over them.  Cover the bowl (I used a large plate) and let them sit for 30 minutes.  Once they have softened, pour out the water and chop the tomatoes into long strips.  Set them aside.

Before                                                                                      After

2) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

3) Place the potato slices (make sure your slices are uniformly cut) in a large pot, and cover with water.  Bring the potatoes and water to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce heat.  Let the potatoes simmer for 15 minutes or until they are fork tender.  Once tender, drain your potatoes in a large colander and rinse with cold water.

4) Arrange the potato slices in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

5) Microwave or steam your frozen spinach.  Once thawed, wring out as much water as you can.  You want the spinach to be completely dry.

6) Layer the dry spinach on top of the potato slices.

7) Layer the drained and rinsed cannellini beans over the spinach and potatoes.

8 ) Melt your Smart Balance Light in a large sauce pan on medium heat.  Once melted, add your onion and cook for about 3 minutes or until the onion gets tender.  Then, add your sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, sea salt and cracked black pepper and cook for another 2 minutes.  Spoon your cornstarch into a cup filled with 2 TBSP of warm water.  Mix until smooth.  Add your cornstarch mixture to your pot, stirring constantly.

9) Slowly add your milk (I added it in increments of 1/2 cup) and stir with whisk until well blended.  Take your pot off the heat.  Then, begin adding your cheese (again, using increments of 1/2 cup).  Make sure the increments of cheese have melted before adding more.

10) Once all the cheese has melted and the sauce is well blended, pour the sauce over the potatoes, spinach and beans.  Gently toss to make sure everything is covered and well integrated.

11) Sprinkle the potato mixture with white pepper, cayenne pepper and crushed red pepper.  Gently toss again.  Top with paprika and bake for 20 minutes or until the dish starts getting bubbly and the potato edges begin browning.

The first time I made this dish, I followed the recipe exactly.  This time, I substituted the all-purpose flour for cornstarch, used lowfat milk versus skim milk and added frozen chopped spinach and cannellini beans.  The results were amazing! I used cornstarch because the flour never seemed to blend entirely the first time around and I used lowfat milk to give the sauce a creamier texture.  In order to ‘bulk up’ the dish and to add some protein and vegetables, I added the chopped spinach and cannellini beans.  The added ingredients also gave my dish a boost of color.  It looked like Christmas!

Not only did this dish look pretty, but it was delish! I know it wasn’t the healthiest or ‘Cooking Light-est’ recipes, but I kept in mind that this was being brought to a party for a crowd to share and not for one person to have as their entire meal.  Not only was this recipe easy to make, but it traveled well and was easy to prep when I arrived at the party.  All you have to do is heat for a bit until bubbly and hot.  And, this recipe can be assembled up to 24 hours before cooking.  The chopping/prepping of the potatoes and tomatoes (I chopped and chopped while watching Chopped – no lie!) took a little bit of time and effort, but was well worth it.  It’s a great side dish to bring to a holiday or dinner party and definitely a crowd pleaser (who doesn’t like cheesy potatoes?).  So instead of getting a jeer for bringing something store bought, you can get a cheer for bringing something deliciously divine and incredibly hot!

What’s your ‘go-to’ dish to bring when attending a party?  Do you usually bring something you’ve made in the past or do you like to test out new recipes?

Namasté,
Nicole

Yup.  It’s really official now.  We’re on the downward spiral.  I know as a Bostonian, I should revel in the fact that the blustering cold will be here soon and the ice and snow will only be a hop, skip and a jump behind.  But, I don’t.  I don’t like winter and I really don’t like winter-esque weather.  This past weekend, we set the clocks back an hour and that means it will be dark at 2 o’clock in the afternoon.  OK, that’s a lie.  But that’s what it’s going to feel like!  Can you tell Healthy Chow isn’t really a fan of winter?

That said, in order to keep my heart and soul warm and my mind sane, I have to do things that remind me of the days of summer and that trick me into thinking it’s really not close to freezing outside.  Hot yoga is one way to keep warm but what else can I do?  I guess I could be a snowbird and fly south, but I can’t run away until April.  I could fake and bake and surround myself with heat lamps, but that’s really not my style.  And then I realized something.  I realized that as a healthy food blogger, it is my job to find ways to keep my body and mind well, in addition to finding ways for food to assist me in that mission.  Since I love food and I love the joy it brings me when I can make something healthy and delicious and then eat it, why not put these passions into warding off my disdain for the cold weather?

With that notion in mind, I began flipping through my bookmarked recipes (thanks Lauren!) and did a little searchin’ online.  Finally, I came up with an idea for a dinner that would not only warm my taste buds, but would also help me find that tropical island in the midst of a nor’easter.

Getting Tropical Coconut Chicken & Pineapple Orange Couscous
Inspired by SayWhatYouNeedToSayBlog.com and Cooks.com
Serves 4

For the coconut chicken:

• 1/3 cup of orange juice
• 1 TSP of salt
• 1/3 cup of egg whites
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 6 oz. each)
• 1 cup of whole wheat panko crumbs (I used Ian’s Whole Wheat Panko Breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 cup of organic shredded coconut (I used Woodstock Farms brand)
• 1 TSP of curry powder
• 1 TBSP of Smart Balance Light, melted
• few dashes dried thyme
• few dashes of crushed red pepper
• few dashes of paprika
• few dashes of salt

Egg wash/marinade for the chicken

The makings for something tropical…

1) In a large bowl or pan, mix the orange juice, salt and egg whites.  Add your chicken breasts and let it marinate for about 15-30 minutes in the fridge.

Soakin’ it up…

2) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Once your chicken is done soaking up all the goodness, remove the chicken (place onto a plate) but reserve the marinade.

3) Mix the panko breadcrumbs, coconut, dried thyme, crushed red pepper, paprika and curry together in a shallow dish.

Look at all those colors!

All mixed up!

4) Take each piece of chicken and dredge it into the breadcrumb mixture, being sure to press the breadcrumbs mixture into each piece of chicken.

5) Place the breadcrumb coated chicken onto a foil-lined baking pan coated with cooking spray.

Ready for the oven!

6) Mix your melted butter with your reserved marinade and then pour this entire mixture over your chicken.

7) Cover the chicken with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Then, uncover the chicken and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes.

For the dipping sauces:

• a few TBSP of Trader Joe’s Peanut Satay Sauce mixed with a little water (enough to loosen it up)
• a few TBSP of dijon mustard mixed with honey (to taste)

Dippity, dippity, do!

For the pineapple orange couscous:

• 1 cup of whole wheat couscous, dry (I used Trader Joe’s brand)
• 1/2 cup of pineapple juice (from the canned pineapple)
• 1/2 cup of water
• 2 TSP of Smart Balance Light
• 1/3 cup of orange juice (plus another few splashes, if needed)
• 4 pineapple rings, chopped (8 oz. can)
• 1 TSP of cumin
• 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro, just the leaves
• juice of half of a lime
• s&p

1) Combine the water with the pineapple juice in a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil.

2) When water/pineapple mixture comes to a boil, pour in the couscous.  Stir the couscous and drop a lid on the pot.  Remove the pot from the heat.  Let the couscous sit covered for 5 minutes.

3) Once the couscous is cooked, add the Smart Balance.  Give the couscous a stir to melt the Smart Balance and then add the orange juice to loosen. Give the couscous another stir.

4) Add the pineapple, cumin and cilantro.  Keep stirring until well-blended and add more orange juice if still dry.

5) Add the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.

If you look real close, you can see the pineapple chunks! I swear!

There you have it!  While the wind chill factor outside is dropping faster than the pounds on The Biggest Loser, you can have the taste of the tropics in your home.  Because the chicken has been baked in panko breadcrumbs and dried coconut, it tastes as if it’s been deep fried.  There’s just enough crispiness from the breading to add a nice texture to the chicken without making it taste too heavy.  I was quite impressed with Ian’s breadcrumbs.  It was the first time I had ever tried (and bought) one of their products and I was pleased with the results.  The ingredient list in the breadcrumbs is pretty short and recognizable.  Another plus!  The reserved marinade along with the melted Smart Balance helped to keep the chicken moist and lock in the citrus flavor.  And combining the citrus with the coconut really emphasized the ‘island-y’ feel to this dish.  I kinda wished I made myself a fruity umbrella drink to accompany this meal!

Nothing crumby about these!

The ingredients…

And what more can I say about couscous? Couscous takes about a hot minute to cook and soaks up the flavor of whatever you cook it in so well.  I love it’s versatility and the convenience of it.  While I boiled the dry couscous in pineapple juice, the pineapple taste wasn’t overwhelming when cooked.  Plus, the pineapple chunks and orange juice gave the recipe a subtly sweet flavor.  And having fresh cilantro in the couscous was a definite plus. Since cilantro is often used in dishes originating from warmer climate countries, it accentuated the ‘anywhere-but-the-Northeastern-US’ feel. The cumin complemented the cilantro by bringing some much needed warmth to the couscous.  It’s like having heat in a bottle!

So perhaps cooking this dish in the dead of winter or at the very end of fall won’t make the snow on your doorstep or the frost on the windshield of your car disappear, but it certainly will bring a little sunshine to your stomach and mind.  And just maybe for a few moments while you’re eating this meal, you’ll be able to feel the sand between your toes, versus your thick wool socks.  Now the only thing missing is a cabana boy…

Getting Tropical Coconut chicken

Pineapple Orange Couscous

Side of steamed broccoli

All together now…

What do you think of my plate?

Now there’s some Chow!

How do you cope with the winter blues?  Or, do you love the ‘colder’ months?

Namasté,
Nicole