Tag: Healthy

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Back to Basics Featured Recipes Side Dishes

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Oven Roasted Asparagus from www.jasonscooking.com
Temperature400°Time10 – 12 mins

Oven Roasted Asparagus from www.jasonscooking.com

BackgroundAsparagus? Asparagus.

The first recipe back in the saddle is roasted asparagus. Why roasted asparagus, you ask? I will answer your question with a multiple choice:

A. Because it’s spring and asparagus is in season.
B. Because we need some more vegetable side dishes on this site.
C. Because asparagus is delicious.
D. Because I already had the picture and recipe ready to go in my Google Drive.
E. All of the above.

If you chose E, dear reader, you are correct. At this time of year, asparagus is tasty, vegetabley, and already photographed-ey! My favorite way to cook asparagus – or really any vegetable for that matter – is to roast it in a hot oven just until it picks up a bit of color. A simple seasoning of salt and pepper allows the flavor of the asparagus to shine through.

Warning: This recipe is no doubt a tasty way to cook asparagus but it’s still asparagus. Kids seem to have a natural hatred of these little trees and roasting them isn’t likely to change that. If this describes your kids (or husband or wife) hopefully they/he/she will grow out of it and learn to love these spring vegetables.

The RecipeRecipe
Oven Roasted Asparagus
 
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Ingredients
  • 1 tsp Olive Oil (you can also use vegetable oil)
  • 1 Bundle Asparagus, rinsed
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°
  2. Using a big knife, cut off the bottom half to one inch of the asparagus.
  3. Toss the trimmed asparagus, oil, 2 big pinches of kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper together in a large bowl.
  4. Spread out in a single layer on a sheet pan and cook for 10 – 12 minutes until your asparagus is tender-crisp and oxymoronically delicious!
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

Here’s a tip to use when rummaging around the produce aisle for asparagus. Thinner stalks are more tender and a bit sweeter, while thicker stalks have a more asparagussy flavor.

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer

Freezing asparagus, like most other vegetables, requires a quick blanching in salted boiling water (maybe 60 seconds) and then an immediate dip in an ice bath to stop the cooking. Drain, freeze in a single layer on a sheet pan until solid, transfer to a zip-top bag and store for about 6 months.

Fun FactsFun Facts

Michael hates asparagus so I don’t make it for us that often. If you ever invite us over to your house and are wondering what sort of vegetable to cook, I’d enjoy some asparagus!

Categories
Appetizers Featured Jason's Favorites Main Dishes Recipes

Oven Baked Crispy Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Oven Baked Crispy Chicken Nuggets from www.jasonscooking.com
Temperature400°Time20 mins

Oven Baked Crispy Chicken Nuggets from www.jasonscooking.com

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Note: Today’s Feed the Freezer section is the best Feed the Freezer Section ever so make sure you scroll all the way down.

Today is homemade chicken nugget day!! If you eat chicken and don’t like chicken nuggets, you should probably go see a doctor or something.

“If you eat chicken nuggets too much, you should also go see a doctor or something,” you might reply.
“Not if you make these tasty chicken nuggets,” I’d say to you.

These crispy oven baked chicken nuggets are quick, inexpensive, and perfect for freezing. They’re baked in the oven rather than fried which automagically makes them better for you than most nuggets (nuggets from the freezer section are fried before you get them) and, because they’re homemade, you know exactly what’s in them (ahem…freezer nuggets and most fast food nuggets).

These may not end your kids’ love affair with the giant clown’s fried chicken pieces but I guarantee they’ll eat them if you make them.

The RecipeRecipe
Oven Baked Crispy Chicken Nuggets
 
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Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, Cut into 1” Nuggets
  • ¼ Cup All Purpose Flour
  • ¼ tsp Kosher Salt
  • ¼ tsp Cracked Black Pepper
  • 1 Egg, Beaten
  • 1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
  • 1 Tbs Dried Parsley
  • ¼ Cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°, line a half sheet pan with parchment paper, and spray that with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the bread crumbs, parsley and parmesan cheese. Toss to thoroughly combine and set aside.
  3. Place the nuggets, flour, salt, and pepper in a quart-sized zip top plastic bag, seal and shake vigorously until all of the nuggets are completely coated with a thin layer of flour.
  4. Dump the egg into the bag, reseal and shake again until the nuggets are all coated with eggs.
  5. Using your hands and working in batches of 5 – 7 nuggets at a time, shake off the excess egg and place nuggets in the bread crumb mixture, toss the nuggets in the crumbs until they’re completely coated, shake off excess and place in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining nuggets.
  6. Spray the tops of the nuggets with non-stick cooking spray and cook for 20 minutes or until the nuggets get to 165° – 175°.
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

Because there is very little fat on the outside of the nuggets, there’s not much to encourage browning. That’s just fine with me but if you’d like to brown them a wee bit more when they’ve finished cooking, turn the broiler on for a couple of minutes. Be careful not to burn them because that would be very sad.

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer

Homemade Frozen Chicken Nuggets from www.jasonscooking.comI’m pretty sure God invented chicken nuggets so that people would buy freezers. Nuggets and freezers were made for each other so double or even triple this recipe and stash the excess in the freezer before cooking.

For Homemade Frozen Chicken Nuggets, put them in the freezer in a single layer on a sheet pan after breading but before cooking until they are frozen solid. Once they’re frozen, transfer to a large zip-top bag and store in the freezer for 3 – 6 months.

When you’re ready for nuggets, remove the desired number from the bag and cook as directed above, increasing cooking time by 5 – 10 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a probe thermometer, and enjoy!

Fun FactsFun Facts

Tangled and Flynn Ryder (who my friend Lisa is a little in love with) make a cameo in Disney’s Frozen.

Categories
Breakfast Featured Main Dishes Recipes

Chicken Sausage, Tomato and Green Onion Wraps

Sausage, Green Onion and Tomato Wrap from www.jasonscooking.com

Sausage, Green Onion and Tomato Wrap from www.jasonscooking.com

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If you like quiche, omelets, breakfast burritos, or breakfast for dinner, you should give this Sausage, Tomato, and Green Onion Wrap a try. It’s quick and easy, healthy, inexpensive and is great for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We went with sausage, tomato and green onions but you can switch those out for any meats and/or veggies that you like. If you think of it as a handheld omelet, it’s easy to come up with ingredient combinations that you will love.

This is probably the first recipe that Michael and I disagreed on since we launched Jason’s Cooking. Michael liked it and I wasn’t a huge fan – mostly because I found it bland and boring. I’m not going to write this recipe off completely because I do think it has potential…I’m just not in a hurry to make it again. Next time I will definitely add cheese!!

The RecipeRecipe
Chicken Sausage, Tomato and Green Onion Wraps
 
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Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 Tbs Butter
  • 6 Eggs
  • ¼ Cup Milk
  • 2 Green Onions, Sliced
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Black Pepper
  • 2 Chicken and Apple Smoked Sausages
  • ¾ Cup Cherry Tomatoes, Quartered
  • 4 Whole Wheat Wraps
Instructions
  1. Melt the butter in a medium-sized non-stick pan over medium heat.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper until they are well scrambled.
  3. Split the sausages in half lengthwise and then cut into ¼ inch thick slices.
  4. Add the sausage and the green onions to the egg mixture and pour it into the pan to cook. Leave the eggs alone for about a minute so that the bottom layer can set up a bit.
  5. Using long strokes with a rubber spatula, gently push the eggs around every 30 seconds or so. Don’t fuss with them, you’re looking for big, creamy curds.
  6. The eggs are done when they set and still look a little moist (about 3 minutes). Stir the tomatoes into the egg mixture, and remove the pan from the heat.
  7. Divide the egg mixture among the 4 wraps, wrap them up like a burrito and serve!
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

Remember: if your eggs look done in the pan, they’ll be overcooked on the plate. Take them off the heat when they still look a tiny bit moist and let carryover cooking do the rest.

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer

This recipe is the epitome of quick and easy so freezing isn’t necessary.

Fun FactsFun Facts

Michael doesn’t like uncooked tomatoes but he loves green onions.

Categories
Featured Jason's Favorites Main Dishes Recipes

Healthy Flank Steak Fajitas

Healthy Flank Steak Fajitas from www.jasonscooking.com
TemperatureHigh BroilTime10 mins

Healthy Flank Steak Fajitas from www.jasonscooking.com

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It’s Taco Tuesday at Jason’s Cooking! And while I know that tacos and fajitas aren’t the same thing, they’re pretty darn close so these quick and healthy flank steak fajitas are on the menu today. I made these for the first time a couple of weeks ago for the blog and they were absolutely delicious. The only thing that didn’t turn out on the first batch was the picture so I had to make them again last night – oh darn!

These fajitas were slightly adapted from a Weight Watchers recipe. I have made quite a few WW recipes in my day and I have to say that they’re all really good. No one is paying me to say that, I just really like the recipes that they come up with. These fajitas have a minimal amount of oil, are packed with veggies and only take about 20 minutes to make, making them the perfect healthy weeknight dinner.

The RecipeRecipe
Healthy Flank Steak Fajitas
 
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Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Spice Rub
  • 1 ½ tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1 ½ tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1 ½ tsp Kosher Salt
  • 1 tsp Chili Powder
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • ¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

For the Fajitas
  • 1 lb Flank Steak
  • 1 Tbs Vegetable Oil, Divided
  • 1 Bell Pepper, Thinly Sliced
  • 1 Zucchini, Sliced into Sticks
  • 1 Large Onion, Thinly Sliced
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 8 Tortillas
  • Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Shredded Lettuce, Sour Cream and Salsa for serving
Instructions
  1. Preheat the broiler to high and position a rack close to the flame.
  2. Mix all of the ingredients for the spice rub together in a small bowl.
  3. Rub 1 tsp vegetable oil on the flank steak and season the steak with a generous amount of the rub. You probably won’t use all of the rub so save it for the next time you make this dish.
  4. In a large bowl, toss the pepper, zucchini, and onion with the remaining vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper.
  5. Spray a half sheet pan with non-stick cooking spray and spread the vegetables all over the pan. Place the steak on top of the veggies and broil for 5 minutes. Flip the steak and then broil for another 5 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 135°.
  6. Remove the steak from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board for 5 to 10 minutes. Stir the vegetables around and return to the oven for an additional 5 minutes to finish cooking.
  7. Slice the steak very thinly against the grain and serve with tortillas, cheese, lettuce, sour cream and salsa!
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

Not a fan of zucchini? Only have red onions on hand? The great thing about this recipe is that you can switch the veggies for whatever veggies you like. Give it a shot!

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer

While the cooked veggies won’t do great in the freezer, the cooked fajita meat will. Portion leftover fajita meat into small zip-top bags for a quick grab-and-go taco.

Fun FactsFun Facts

In Mexico, Tacos are almost exclusively made with soft flour tortillas. The crispy corn taco shell is an American invention.

Categories
Breakfast Featured Recipes Snacks

Homemade Yogurt Cups

Homemade Fruit Yogurt Cups

Homemade Fruit Yogurt Cups

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There’s a Fage yogurt commercial running right now where Bobby Flay teaches us how to make fruit yogurt. The instructions are basically, “mix fruit and yogurt together,” and it made me laugh at the absurdity of an amazing chef giving us the recipe for fruit at the bottom yogurt.

The more I thought about it, the more I liked about it. If you make your own fruit yogurt, you not only save money but you also save on artificial flavors, fillers, sweeteners and you generate less trash from those little containers. Somehow I got a bee in my bonnet about this ridiculous “recipe” and now it’s on Jason’s Cooking. This is more of a tip than a recipe so feel free to use whatever ingredients and ratios you want to use.

Incidentally, this is the exact same thing that happened to me when I bought my Honda Element. When I first saw it, I thought it was incredibly stupid and now I love it.

The RecipeRecipe
Homemade Yogurt Cups
 
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Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 1
Ingredients
  • ½ Cup Berries
  • ½ Cup Plain or Vanilla Greek Yogurt
  • 1 Tbs Granola
Instructions
  1. Place berries in a wide mouth half pint mason jar and smash them up a bit.
  2. Put yogurt on top of the berries.
  3. When ready to eat, stir in granola and thoroughly mix the berries and the yogurt together
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

To keep the granola crunchy, keep it separate until you’re ready to serve. If you mix everything together, by the time you’re ready to eat, the granola will turn into mush.

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer

You can certainly freeze yogurt and it is a great way to keep your lunch cold until you’re ready to eat. Swap out the glass container for a plastic one, freeze and pop in your lunch box. It should thaw out and be ready to enjoy by the time lunch rolls around!

Fun FactsFun Facts

You can make Greek-style yogurt from plain yogurt by straining it through a cheese cloth in the refrigerator overnight.

Categories
Featured Recipes Side Dishes

Grilled Zucchini

TemperatureMedium HighTime8 – 10 mins

Grilled ZucchiniBackgroundBackground

I hadn’t had that much experience with zucchini until my sister (or possibly my brother in law) made these one Sunday afternoon at a family get together. Since then, I have had a lot of zucchini prepared a lot of different ways but this is still my favorite way to make them. The simplicity of this recipe (if you can even call it that) is what makes it so great and the perfect accompaniment for almost any main dish you can think of.

The RecipeRecipe
Grilled Zucchini
 
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Recipe type: Sides
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 2 Large Zucchini
  • 1 Cup Zesty Italian Dressing
Instructions
  1. Slice zucchini diagonally into ¼ inch rounds and place the slices in a quart sized zip-top bag.
  2. Pour the Italian dressing in the bag, squeeze out all of the air and seal. Place the bag in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
  3. Preheat the grill to medium high heat.
  4. Remove the zucchini rounds from the Italian dressing, shaking off any excess. Discard the dressing.
  5. Place the rounds in a grill pan or directly on the grate. Cook for 3 - 4 minutes on each side and remove from the grill. You're looking for grill lines and a wee bit of char.
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

Remember that a broiler is just an upside down grill. If it’s raining out, don’t fret – cook this tasty side dish on a pan in the oven!

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer

Zucchini is a great candidate for freezer storage. Stock up in the summertime while it’s fresh and put it in the freezer to enjoy during the cold winter months. Simply blanch in salted boiling water for 2 – 3 minutes and immediately remove to an ice bath. Freeze on a parchment-lined pan until they’ve hardened and then transfer to a zip-top bag for long term freezer storage.

Fun FactsFun Facts

Like asparagus, the best zucchini are the small and medium ones. Stay away from the giant guys…they won’t kill you but they won’t be as tasty as their smaller friends.

Categories
Featured Main Dishes Michael's Favorites Recipes

Grilled Chicken Kebabs

Grilled Chicken Kebabs
Temperature500°Time16 mins

Grilled Chicken Kebabs

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Not only are kebabs quick, easy, healthy, composed of common ingredients, and the perfect vehicle for Montreal Steak Seasoning, they are also delicious. Any way you skewer it, juicy grilled chicken and charred onions are a great end to a warm summer day.

My sister asked me where the healthy recipes are so this one is for her. This is a great weeknight meal that’s healthy, doesn’t heat up the house, and comes together super quickly. It’s a staple in our house and I’m sure it will be one in yours too!

The RecipeRecipe
Grilled Chicken Kebabs
 
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Recipe type: Main Dishes
Serves: 4 - 6
Ingredients
  • 4 Chicken Breasts, Cut into 1” Cubes
  • 2 Large Green Bell Peppers, Cut into 1” x 1” Squares
  • 1 Large Sweet Onion, Layers Separated and Cut into 1” x 1” Pieces
  • 1 Tbs Canola Oil
  • Copious Amounts of Your Favorite Seasoning Mix (we use Montreal Steak Seasoning)
Instructions
  1. Heat your grill to high heat (around 500).
  2. Gather up 4 – 6 skewers. If you’re going to use wood skewers, soak them in water for a little while.
  3. In a large bowl, toss the chicken, bell peppers, onions with the canola oil.
  4. Season the pieces liberally with your favorite seasoning mix, tossing to make sure everything is oiled and seasoned.
  5. Place the pieces evenly on the skewers in the following order: pepper, chicken, onion, chicken, pepper, etc…
  6. Put the skewers on the grill, slightly lower the heat to medium high, close the lid and cook for 4 minutes per side. Give the skewers a quarter turn and cook for 4 minutes. Rotate and cook the skewers 2 more times so that each side gets some time with the fire and the total cook time is 16 minutes.
  7. Remove from the grill and serve over rice.
Tips and TricksTips and Tricks

These kebabs are also great with some blackening spices. My uncle Dennis made a great blend that I have in my pantry but unfortunately he doesn’t remember what he put in it. That’s another mix that I’ll have to reverse engineer, but in the meantime use your favorite blackening blend.

Feed the FreezerFeed the Freezer

Individually packaged chicken breasts are a must in any well-stocked freezer. When you’re in the mood for kebabs, just pull them out of the freezer and put them in a bowl of cold water. They’ll be ready for the grill in no time!

Fun FactsFun Facts

Kebabs come to us from Turkey but most cultures have their own variations. Tikkas, satays, souvlakia, and corn dogs are but a few of the many cousins of the Kebab.