Chili con Friday

So, it seems Fall, much less Winter, is not willing to show itself fully here in the Antelope Valley. At least not yet. today it is supposed to be in the mid 80's here today. And probably the low 90's in the L.A. basin area..But it is Friday , and everyone should be able to enjoy it while it is here.

But , I have been wanting some Chili. So I got up early this morning and put it all together in the [what a Crock]  Pot , or Slow Cooker if you prefer. Generally in this household, since I do all the cooking , I like to have our biggest meal at lunch time. That way, you don't have a heavy meal sitting on you all night. But, that's just my prefference. I think I will probably make some honey cornbread to go with it.  Since sometimes these meals are done by the "seat of my pants" so to speak, I do not have a recipe written down for this. But later I will try to post all the info, after I have a chance to write it down.

Anyway, have afantastic day, and a wonderful weekend!
Kent

Healthy Wild Blueberry Muffins

Healthy Wild Blueberry Muffins


By Monica Puri Bangia

Makes 12 medium or 24 mini muffins.



12½ ounces white whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 cup turbinado (raw) sugar

½ cup organic extra virgin olive oil or organic macadamia nut oil

1 egg

1 cup low-fat yogurt

1½ cups frozen wild organic blueberries

Inserts for the muffin tins



Preheat oven to 380 degree F.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Keep aside. About our wild blueberries




Wild blueberries grow smaller and sweeter than cultivated berries, with up to three times more berries per pound, plus higher levels of antioxidants.



As Andrew Weil, M.D. notes, “Blueberries pack the most powerful antioxidant punch of any fresh vegetable or fruit …”

In another large bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, egg and yogurt. Add the dry ingredients reserving 1 tablespoon of the dry ingredients and toss with the blueberries. Stir mixture by hand, well, but do not over mix. Add 1 cup wild blueberries to mixture and stir briefly. Reserve the ½ cup of blueberries.

Usng a tablespoon (if making mini muffins) or an ice cream scoop (if making medium muffins), sprinkle the remaining ½ cup of berries on top of the muffins and press down lightly.

Place into the oven and increase the temperature to 400 degrees.

Bake for 20 minutes if making mini and 25 if making the bigger ones. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Almond-Crusted Chicken Fingers

Instead of batter-dipped, deep-fried nuggets, we coat chicken tenders in a seasoned almond and whole-wheat flour crust and then oven-fry them to perfection. With half the fat of standard breaded chicken tenders, you can enjoy to your (healthy) heart's content.


Ingredients


Canola oil cooking spray


1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/4 cup whole-wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 large egg whites

1 pound chicken tenders, (see Ingredient Note)



Preparation


1.Preheat oven to 475°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set a wire rack on the baking sheet and coat it with cooking spray.

2.Place almonds, flour, paprika, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a food processor; process until the almonds are finely chopped and the paprika is mixed throughout, about 1 minute. With the motor running, drizzle in oil; process until combined. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish.

3.Whisk egg whites in a second shallow dish. Add chicken tenders and turn to coat. Transfer each tender to the almond mixture; turn to coat evenly. (Discard any remaining egg white and almond mixture.) Place the tenders on the prepared rack and coat with cooking spray; turn and spray the other side.

4.Bake the chicken fingers until golden brown, crispy and no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

Tips & Notes

Ingredient note: Chicken tenders, virtually fat-free, are a strip of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of the chicken breast, but they can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-friendly breaded “chicken fingers.”

Nutrition

Per serving: 174 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 66 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrates; 27 g protein; 1 g fiber; 254 mg sodium; 76 mg potassium.



Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (31% daily value).



Exchanges: 3 very lean meat, 1/2 fat