Chicken with a Mustard Apple Cider Glaze

Chicken with a Mustard Apple Cider Glaze

Published on 03/06/2013 by Angela in Food, Recipes, Tips

This video blog is a wealth of tips for getting this easy but elegant dish onto your dinner table fast. If you haven’t deglazed a pan or made a reduction sauce before, I’ll show you how easy it is!

Chicken with a Mustard Apple Cider Glaze

1 ¼ lb. chicken breasts, pounded to ½ inch thickness

1 tbsp. butter

½ salt

¼ black pepper

¼ garlic powder

¾ cup of apple cider

1 heaping tsp. of Dijon mustard

1 tbsp. fresh parsley

Rinse your chicken breasts and pat dry. Place them in a large Ziploc bag (do not close the bag completely). Pound the chicken to ½ inch thickness. Remove and sprinkle with salt, garlic and pepper on both sides.

Heat a stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat for 30 sec. Add butter to the pan and when melted, add chicken. Do not crowd the pan! Cook in batches if you need to. If the chicken sticks to the pan, that’s fine. Don’t rip it off. When the chicken releases (and it will) you should flip the chicken over.

Cook for an additional 5-7 min or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 degrees. Set aside on a plate and partially cover with foil. Pour the cider into the pan. The steam is normal! Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits. Add the mustard and stir to combine.

Turn the burner down to medium and let the sauce cook down (or reduce) by half. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Sprinkle with parsley and serve!

Please note: with most of the recipes I make, I use a butter substitute (Earth Balance) in the place of butter. This recipe did not taste as good as without the “real” butter!

The recipe is adapted from Cooking Light magazine’s cider glazed chicken.

Tags: chicken, cooking, deglazing, reduction sauce

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Paleo Meatloaf and Sweet Potato Mash

Published on 01/08/2013 by Angela in Food, Recipes, Tips

A healthier version of the classic mashed potato and meatloaf! This version has more vegetables than your standard meatloaf and is also made with almond flour. Sweet potatoes are roasted and mixed with shallots for a great side dish.

PALEO MEATLOAF

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. of olive oil

1 large carrot

½ small bell pepper

½ sweet onion

1.25 lbs. lean ground beef

1 egg

½ cup almond flour

1 ½ tsp. of garlic powder

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. marjoram

¼ tsp. oregano

½ tsp. parsley

¼ tsp. black pepper

TOPPING

1/3 cup ketchup

2 tsp. honey

2 tsp. Worcestershire

Preheat oven to 400. While the oven is heating, finely chop carrot, bell pepper, and onion. Warm a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, add the tbsp. of oil. After the oil heats up (30 sec) add the vegetables and cook until the onion is translucent and carrot is soft, 5-7 minutes. Let cool.

Add the ground beef to a large bowl. Sprinkle garlic powder, salt, marjoram, oregano, parsley, and pepper over the meat. Add egg, almond flour, and vegetables and mix with your hands until just combined (do not over mix).

In a small bowl, mix ketchup, honey and Worcestershire sauce until thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Spray a foil lined baking sheet with non-stick spray. Add meat mixture and form a loaf shape with your hands. Place in preheated oven for 45 min. Spread ketchup mixture over the top and sides of the meatloaf and return to the oven for an additional 15 min or until the internal temperature reaches 170. Once removed from the oven let the meatloaf rest for at least ten minutes. Serve with sweet potato mash!

Please note: This meatloaf can be cooked in a loaf pan or muffin tins lined with silicone cups. I prefer the baking sheet because it allows the fat to move away from the meat. If you do use a loaf pan, add a slice of bread or two to the bottom to soak up the fat and discard after cooking.

SWEET POTATO MASH

2 large sweet potatoes

3 tbsp. of butter or 4 tbsp. of earth balance buttery spread

1 large shallot, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400. Wash and scrub sweet potatoes. Cut off the ends of the potatoes and place on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Roast in the oven for 45 min. Remove from oven and let cool.

While potatoes are cooling, heat 1 tbsp. of butter or substitute in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. After the butter has melted and is starting to bubble, add the shallot and garlic. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 min. Once the shallot has softened, add the remaining butter to pan to melt. Turn the heat down to low.

As the remaining butter melts, remove peel from sweet potatoes and add to a medium bowl and sprinkle with salt. Add shallot, garlic and butter mixture to sweet potatoes and mix with a potato masher. If you do not have a potato masher, chop the cooked sweet potato, add to the bowl and mash with a fork.

paleo meatloaf and sweet potato mash

Tags: dairy-free, meatloaf, paleo, shallots, sweet potato

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Butternut Squash Soup

Published on 12/11/2012 by Angela in Food, Recipes, Tips

This recipe, unlike many recipes online that make the same claim, can actually be completed in less than 30 minutes. The video gives you tips and tricks to make the process easier and the recipe is also listed below.

Recipe:

1 package of precut and peeled butternut squash, cut into 2 in chunks

4 leeks, cleaned, trimmed and chopped

4.5 cups of chicken broth

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

2-3 tbsp of coconut milk (optional)

Place squash, leeks, broth and the bay leaf into a dutch oven or large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes or until squash can easily be pierced with a fork. Remove from heat and remove the bay leaf! Use an immersion blender for 3-5 minutes until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can also add coconut milk, cream, or pumpkin seeds!

Tags: recipes

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Everything But The Bird

Published on 11/04/2012 by Angela in Food, General

Lovin’ the Oven is ready with our holiday meal packages! Make this Thanksgiving a new tradition. Many of you are either hosting Thanksgiving or will be asked to bring something. If either of those ideas makes you cringe or tense up, we can help. Let us make the sweet potato casserole or maple walnut pumpkin pie! And it doesn’t have to be the day before Thanksgiving! Lovin’ the Oven can schedule a day or evening in the next few weeks to prepare these dishes in your home.

Are you hosting? I can make pretty much everything but the turkey ahead of time for you to put in your freezer… including things like rolls, gravy and cranberry sauce! Can you imagine waking up with just the turkey and a salad to prepare and a few dishes to reheat? Envision being the calm host that gets to eat with and talk to all of your guests. Check out our “Everything but the Bird” package.

Are you in charge of bringing a side dish or dessert to Thanksgiving? Do you have a specialty diet or just want to have some healthier options so you can skip the marsh mellow covered sweet potatoes? Our “Something on the Side” package can be customized but it’s starts with two side dishes and a dessert. Learn more about both options here.

These recipes have been tested and do not taste like they have been previously frozen. Even the twice-baked potatoes fooled over 20 people. Not one could tell they were frozen and many said they were surprised how much they liked the dish because they don’t usually like potatoes.

Some of the dishes are frozen before they are cooked and others are cooked and then carefully frozen. Lovin’ the Oven will help you plan the cook times for these dishes so you don’t interfere with cooking the turkey. We will also give you the instructions for thawing the food properly!

Are you looking for vegetarian or vegan thanksgiving dishes? Are you wishing you could have delicious gluten or dairy free desserts? Do you want to participate in the desserts but you have to watch your sugar intake? We can help! Contact me for customized dishes.

Tags: holiday, Lovin' the Oven, MA, make ahead, meal preparation, Needham, Norwood, personal chef

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Cocoa Avocado Pudding

Published on 10/09/2012 by Angela in Food, Recipes, Tips

A friend gave me this recipe and my clients, husband, daughter, and neighbors love it! Watch the video to learn how to make it and the recipe is below.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding Recipe:

Ingredients:
2 avocado, soft and ripe
2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup grade b maple syrup
12 tablespoons milk (coconut, cow or any type of milk you prefer)

Instructions:

Cut avocados in half and remove pit. Scoop out flesh and put in in the blender along with remaining ingredients.
Process until smooth, occasionally scraping down sides. Serve immediately or refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.

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The No Thank You Bite

Published on 10/05/2012 by Angela in Food, Toddlers

Lovin’ the Oven is happy to share a blog from our friends at Honest Mom Nutrition. Check them out! www.honestmomnutrition.com

“The No Thank You Bite

By Ashley Bade RD, LDN, CNSD

For picky eaters the thought of tasting a new food can be a nightmare that they’ll try to avoid at all costs. Working with this “selective” group quite often, I’ll see children that haven’t tried a new food (especially vegetables!) for not weeks or months… but years! At that point it’s definitely time to start the “no thank you bite.” This is the concept of just taking a bite, chewing and swallowing the new food on the dinner plate.

For younger kids, this is a great expectation to start at dinner times to keep them familiar with trying new foods as well as hopefully increasing their acceptance of foods for more variety in the diet. It can be helpful to tie this expectation for trying a new food with an earned privilege after dinner such as 20 minutes extra play time or earned screen time. I’ve even had success with 10 minutes of iPhone play time with a parent work as an after dinner incentive.

For older choosy kids, if it’s been over the 3 month mark since your child has tried a new food- this concept can take a bit of convincing to bring into the usual dinner repertoire. First, it’s best to talk to your child (or even teenager) about the important of nutrition and eating a balanced diet. Emphasize that you love them and care about their health.

Once your child understands that trying a new food isn’t a punitive request, start talking about the actual bite and bring down any fear about it. I ask children quite often about the last time they tried a food. I ask them how much time this bite of new food took out of their day. What is bad about trying something and not liking it? Does it leave a bad taste in your mouth? Does it ruin your whole day? Didn’t you have to try all of your favorite foods at some point?

I know this line of questioning can seem silly, but it can be good to just talk out what really trying a new food is. I try to get my patients to understand that a new bite of food requires less than a minute of your time, any bad taste can easily be washed down with a sip of milk and it may turn into a new healthy (or even favorite) food to enjoy.

Once your child is on board for trying some new foods, it can be helpful to set up some weekly expectations as far as how frequently you and your child feel trying a new food is do-able. Also get your child involved in the process by taking him or her to the grocery store (especially the produce section) to choose a few items to try for the week. Choosing the food and even helping to prepare it can help bring down the foreign aspect of the item and can make it a little easier when it comes to getting a bite in.

Happy Trying!

Let us know what’s worked for you when it comes to convincing your little one to try just one bite!”

Honest Mom Nutrition

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Grilling Tips and Meal Ideas for Busy Families

Published on 08/30/2012 by Angela in General, Tips

You get home from work and you want to grill, but you don’t think you have time. Sound familiar? Here are a few tips on how to grill after a busy day and the little ones are running around demanding dinner be served now!

Enjoy!

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What is Lovin the Oven

Published on 08/24/2012 by Angela in General

As we move forward, my goal is to become more interactive with you and my customers. I will use videos, pictures, social media and more to convey what Lovin’ the Oven is up to.

Today, let’s start with a simple introduction to me and what services Lovin’ the Oven provides.

Enjoy!

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The Essentials

Published on 08/07/2012 by msheena in General, Tips

Recently I sent an email to my friends stating, “I can’t believe I’ve become so domesticated to say the next sentence… I’m having a Tupperware party”. (Which was great and I can put you in touch with the best Tupperware rep.) And now I’m sitting down to write a blog on a vegetable peeler that I’m really excited about! Where did the little girl who dreamed of becoming a solid gold dancer go?

Now I’m a mom looking for any little thing to make my family’s life easier. Isn’t that why we’re all on Pinterest? I’ve discovered a few little things that make a world of difference. Number one, a sharp knife and there is no way I’m getting in the middle of the argument about which knife is best. I have two, one Beck & Beck from China Fair and a Victorinox that I love. A sharp knife is much safer than a dull knife. Don’t believe me? Get a sharp knife and a dull knife and try to cut a large sweet potato.

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Number two on my list is a rubber spatula. I’ve asked a few friends why they were always using a wooden spoon. Their answer was the same, ”that is what my mom used”. I don’t want to leave enough cupcake batter in the bowl to make another (maybe half sized) cupcake!

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Number three on my list is my new vegetable peeler.

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It’s from the Messermeister pro-touch tool series. I was so excited when I tried this that I made my husband come over and peel a cucumber with it. Wow, what a difference! As someone who now cooks for a living, using the wrong tools is actually tiring. The thought of peel potatoes made me groan before this vegetable peeler. I’m not exactly jumping for joy at the thought now, but I’m using a lot less energy in the process. I bought it at Kitchenwares on Newbury St. under peer pressure from my friend who was buying one. She told me, “you can peel a peach with it”. That will be my next experiment!
Oh and number four, make sure your cutting board isn’t sliding around while you cut… talk about wasted energy!

What kitchen tool do you find essential?

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Green Avocados

Published on 06/06/2012 by msheena in Food, General, Tips

In our house, we love our avocadoes. Any which way, we are happy to eat them (have you ever tried avocado in an omelet? You must). The only problem is that if you don’t eat the whole avocado, they will inevitably turn brown. While there isn’t anything necessarily wrong with a brown avocado, it’s not very aesthetic, or appetizing. So that’s why I’m going to let you in on a little secret. First, let’s learn a little about this green fruit.

Though caloric, avocados aren’t a bad guy. They are packed with healthy fats, fiber, potassium, and vitamins C, K, Folate and B6. You can also help improve your absorption of other nutrients by eating avocado, and it is said that avocado lowers the risk of heart disease and rheumatoid and osteo-arthritis. They are also good for the eyes, and help to regulate insulin. Basically, calories aside, a winner.

Avocados are also a great first food for babies starting solids. They are flavorful, creamy, full of good fats for baby and have a great texture that babies seem to enjoy. So since almost everyone in the family can enjoy avocado, there’s no reason not to cut one open, make some guacamole and enjoy!

So now the secret. I bet you thought I was going to say lemon juice. Well, though citrus does help reduce oxidation (especially with apples), I have an even better trick. Instead of throwing out the giant pits that come in the avocado, put them off to the side while preparing your food.

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The pit helps keep the avocado nice and green. Here’s an example. I made guacamole the other night. I always like to make it at least an hour ahead of time, then let it sit in the fridge to let the flavors come together. Though refrigeration does slow down browning, it isn’t a fool proof method. Putting the pits into the guacamole, then wrapping it up tight with plastic wrap, helps slow the browning significantly. Here’s my guacamole an hour and a half after I made it. That little bit of brown around the pit is actually cumin, my secret guacamole ingredient.

Nice and green, with 3 pits to keep it bright!

You can also keep the pit in the avocado if you cut off a few slices and want to save the rest. Just put the avocado, pit and all, into a baggie and make sure to get all of the air out. Simple, and it works!

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