Category Archives: Game Day Recipes

Grilled Cilantro Chicken Kabobs

Food, Game Day Recipes, Grilling, Main Dishes, Mexican, Recipes, , , , , ,

My husband and I love to entertain, especially in the summer. Making kabobs is one my favorite things to make for guests. They are easy, look pretty, and you can please just about any type of eater. And let’s face it, who doesn’t like eating food from a stick!

chicken kabobs

Kabobs also make a quick and easy week night dinner and paired with this marinade you can’t go wrong. This marinade would also taste great with beef, pork, shrimp, fish, or veggies.

chicken kabobs

tips&tricksWhen getting ready to juice a lime put it in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds. The heat helps the citrus juice flow out of the lime much easier.

chicken kabobs

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
  • 1 cup of fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1 jalapeño pepper (optional)
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1/2 teaspoon lime zest
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • dash of rice wine vinegar, or any white vinegar

Directions

  1. Prepare grill over high heat.  
  2. Place cut up chicken pieces in a medium sized bowl and set to the side.
  3. In a blender or food processor add cilantro, jalapeno, lime, lime zest, oil, and vinegar and puree until nicely blended.
  4. Pour marinade over chicken and marinade for at least 20 minutes. The longer it marinade the better it tastes.  
  5. Place marinaded chicken on skewers and grill for about 5-8 minutes on each side, or until no longer pink.  Remember to soak wooden skewers before adding the chicken, so they don’t catch on fire!

Enjoy!

Thai Lettuce Wraps

Game Day Recipes, Main Dishes, Recipes, Snacks & Appetizers, , , , ,

I recently had some friends ask me to make some Paleo recipes. This is a great idea for me, since I am into crossfit and that’s the diet many crossfitters try to follow. So I had to do some research on what the heck the Paleo diet was and what they ate.

I came up with lettuce wraps! Quick, easy, and can be made with just about any meat and veggie combo you like. Or they could just be easily made vegetarian… mushrooms instead of meat. Works great as both an appetizer or a meal.

thai lettuce wraps

Sauce Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons oil of choice, I used sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons raw honey
  • 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons tamari for gluten free, or soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon of garlic chili sauce, or more if you like spicy
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground chicken, turkey, or pork 
  • 1 small zucchini, shredded
  • 1 medium carrot, shredded
  • 1/2 small cabbage head, shredded, or half a bag coleslaw mix to save time
  • 1/3 cup green onion, chopped
  • 1 handful of chopped cilantro for topping, if desired
  • 1 head of lettuce to use for wrap, I used Boston bib, but I think romaine would work great too

Directions

  1. Mix all ingredients for the sauce in a medium bowl and set aside.
  2. Cook ground chicken until no longer pink. Add veggies and sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
  3. Add mixture to lettuce leaves, roll up and serve. They are a little messy to eat, but they are so good!

Enjoy!

Avocado Egg Salad

Food, Game Day Recipes, Recipes, Salads, Sandwiches, Sides, Vegetarian, , , , , ,

What to do with all of those hard boiled eggs? My friend from the gym told me she made egg salad using an avocado and they loved it so of course, I had to give it a try. Who would have thought pairing an avocado with eggs would taste so yummy? It’s also much healthier than using traditional mayo.

Just make sure you only make what you will be eating right away, since the avocado will brown if it sits in the fridge for too long. This egg salad comes together so easily, you won’t mind.

Avocado Egg Salad

tips&tricksWhen buying a ripe avocado make sure it is almost black in color and it should give a little bit when you gently squeeze it. Also, you can pop off the stem at the top, if it green on the inside then it is ripe.

Ingredients

  • 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled
  • 1/2 ripe avocado
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon
  • 1-2 tablespoons of greek yogurt (optional, this makes it a little more creamy)
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Remove yolk from egg and place in a bowl with avocado and mash together. 
  2. Chop egg white and add all ingredients to the bowl. Mix well until coated.

Quinoa Pizza Bites

Food, Game Day Recipes, Recipes, Snacks & Appetizers, , , , ,

Did I ever mention that I’m a snacker?  Alright, a huge snacker! I like to think it’s because I exercise a lot and work up an appetite, but no, I really just love to eat. Since I am constantly snacking on something I need to make sure it is healthy, and these quinoa pizza bites do the trick. You can add any of your favorite pizza toppings, which makes these a great appetizer for parties.

quinoa pizza bites

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa, cooked
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, save extra for topping handful fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin pan with cooking spray.
  2. Cook quinoa according to package directions, let cool for a few minutes.
  3. In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix well.
  4. Scoop into muffin pan and press until flat on top.
  5. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until nice and brown. Take out of oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the muffin pan, otherwise they will fall apart.
  6. Top with fresh grated parmesan cheese and serve with side of warm marinara sauce.

Enjoy!

Mediterranean Pizza

Food, Game Day Recipes, Main Dishes, Snacks & Appetizers, Vegetarian, , , ,

Pizza time! I just love to make my own pizzas. It’s a great way to use up my leftover veggies and it tastes so much better than the frozen stuff. I usually cheat and buy the dough, so it only takes me a few minutes to assemble and bake. This is a perfect quick week night dinner, or a weekend lunch that can be nibbled on throughout the day. So get creative and add whatever you like!

This pizza I went Mediterranean.  I used:

  • tomato sauce
  • mozzarella cheese
  • fresh spinach
  • red onion
  • red pepper
  • kalamata olives, sliced
  • feta cheese

mediterranean pizza

mediterranean pizza

Sesame Kale Chips

Food, Game Day Recipes, Recipes, Snacks & Appetizers, Vegetarian, , , , , , , ,

Ahhh! The first day of Spring, although it does not feel like it Pennsylvania today, but at least the sun is shining. Which has me thinking swim suit season is right around the corner. Time to step up my fitness and be mindful of what I am eating.

First step, healthy snacks, especially since I am a big snacker during the day. Well these kale chips are delish and have you going back for more. Good thing they are a good for you and a guilt free snack!

kale chips

did-you-know

Did you know that Kale’s considered a superfood?  According to a May 2010 article published in “Diabetes Forecast,” it provides high levels of a number of essential nutrients and may help to lower your blood pressure.  Click here to find out more about why this vegetable is considered a super food.

kale chips

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch fresh kale, thick stems removed and chopped into bite size pieces
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • Couple of dashes of soy sauce, or tamari for gluten free
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Directions

 

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Mix all ingredients in a large bowl to coat kale.
  • Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on your oven. I noticed the chips closer to the edge of the pan crisped first, so I removed those and cooked the rest a few minutes longer.

Broccoli Bites

Food, Game Day Recipes, Recipes, Snacks & Appetizers, Vegetarian, , , , , ,

Going green for tonight’s St. Patty’s festivities! That’s right, we’re finally going out for St. Patrick’s day. We have an overnight sitter and we’re ready to party! Back to the broccoli bites. We’re having some friends over before our big night on the town, and I needed a quick and easy snack. These are not only festive, but really good. They’re full of veggies and make a great healthy snack. I think I may just need to make some extras for a snack later this week.

broccoli bites

did-you-know

Did you know broccoli contains high levels of both calcium and vitamin K, both of which are important for bone health and prevention of osteoporosis.  This is great news if you’re not a fan of milk.  Click here for more great health benefits from broccoli.

broccoli bites

Ingredients

  • 1 medium head of broccoli, cut into very small pieces
  • 1 small carrot , peeled and shredded
  • 1 garlic clove, pressed
  • 3/4 cup cheddar cheese
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup of panko or bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  • Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Steam broccoli pieces for a few minutes, until they turn a nice bright green. Let cool.
  • In a large bowl combine all ingredients and mix well.
  • Shape into bite size broccoli balls.
  • Bake on parchment paper for about 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

nutritional fact - broccoli bite

Stove Top Popcorn

Food, Game Day Recipes, Snacks & Appetizers, , , ,

For me, Sunday night is tv night.  And who doesn’t love eating popcorn when you’re watching your favorite show. Growing up my mom always made popcorn on the stove top. Now most make popcorn in the microwave. These microwave bags of popcorn are loaded with harmful chemicals. Making popcorn on the stove is easy, inexpensive, and much better for you since you control the ingredients.

popcorn

did-you-know

Microwave popcorn contains a chemical called diacetyl. This chemical is added to give the popcorn it’s golden color and distinctive microwave popcorn smell. Microwave popcorn also contains a coating, which breaks down when heated called perfluorooctanoic (PFOA). It has been identified as a “likely carcinogen” by the Environmental Protection Agency. I don’t know what this stuff is, but I definitely know I don’t want to eat it!

Directions

  1. Heat a large pot with 3 tablespoons of oil (olive oil, coconut, grape seed, your choice) over medium heat. 
  2. Add 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels and cover with lid. Popcorn will begin to pop in a few minutes.
  3. Cook until kernels slowly stop popping. About 4-6 minutes.
  4. Top with your favorite ingredients. I like parmesan cheese and sea salt.

 

Roasted Chickpeas

Food, Game Day Recipes, Recipes, Snacks & Appetizers, Vegetarian, , , , ,

Perfect guilt free Friday night snack. Roasted chickpeas also make a great afternoon snack when you are craving something salty. They are much healthier than grabbing something at the vending machine and it only cost me about $2 to make this batch.

Roasted Chick Peas 01

Roasted Chick Peas 02

Ingredients

  • 2 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • dash of garlic powder
  • dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
  • dash of sea salt

Directions

  • Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.  After draining and rinsing the chickpeas, place them in a single layer on a paper towel and dry by layering another paper towel overtop.
  • Place dry chickpeas in a bowl and mix in olive oil, and spices, and stir.
  • Place chickpeas in a single layer on a baking sheet with sides since they need to be shaken a little during cooking.
  • Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, shaking the baking sheet about every 10 minutes. They do brown quickly so keep an eye them during the last 10 minutes of baking.

nutrional facts - chick peas

TGIF!

Chicken Salad Recipe

Food, Game Day Recipes, Main Dishes, Recipes, Salads, Sandwiches, , , , , , , ,

Looking for something different for lunch?  This chicken salad full of fruit and nuts will keep you feeling full.  It tastes great on rye and pumpernickel bread, on a bed of lettuce, with crackers for a snack, or how I like to eat it, right off a spoon!

Chicken Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 large chicken breasts, boiled and shredded, or a rotisserie chicken shredded
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1/4 cup red or white onion, diced
  • 1 apple, diced
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/4 cup walnuts or sliced almonds
  • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons mayo, I used the kind with olive oil
  • 1/2 a lemon
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Boil chicken breast in water and some salt and pepper until cooked through. About 20 minutes depending on the size of the chicken. Cool and  shred the chicken with 2 forks. A rotisserie chicken from the grocery store would work too.
  2. In a large bowl mix chicken, celery, onion, apple, cranberries, nuts, yogurt, mayo, and lemon juice. The yogurt and mayo can be adjusted to taste. Salt and pepper to taste. The longer the chicken salad marinades the better it tastes.
  3. Serve as a sandwich, or on a bed of lettuce.

nutrional facts - chicken salad