Triple Mango Chicken

The flavors from the mango add a delicious tropical sweetness that is tempured by the eathy flavors from the zucchini. It is wonderful and savory but best of all it really only takes 20 minutes start to finish to get this meal on the table.  I was so happy and impressed with the results we licked the pan clean the first time I made it and put it for the menu for the following week to serve double. At only 274 calories per serving this is a delicious dinner option you can feel good about, the only problem is ... it's hard to stop at just one serving.

Serves: 4 servings
Start-to-Finish: 20 minutes
Recipe By: Better Homes and Gardens Magazine

Ingredients:

1 TBSP olive oil
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 mango, seeded, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup mango-blend fruit drink or mango nectar
1/4 cup mango chutney
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise

Directions:

1.  In a large skillet heat oil over medium-high heat.
2.  Add chicken to the pan and cook 6 minutes until one side gets golden edges; turn.
3.  Add mango cubes, mango drink, and mango chutney.
4.  Cook 6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink, stirring occasionally.
5.  Meanwhile, slice zucchini and place in microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup of water.
6.  Cover with vented plastic wrap.
7.  Microwave on 100 percent power (high) for 3 minutes, stirring once; drain.
8.  To serve, place chicken on top zucchini. Season with salt and crushed red pepper.

Nectarine Love

I love summertime, when the fresh fruits you have been waiting for all winter are finally in season. I will walk through the market, inhaling the sweet smells and loading up my cart with one of everything I have been missing. I usually buy way too much and then, when I get home, I realize the only way to eat them all is to have just fruit for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Mike isn't sold on that idea. One fruit I am particularly drawn to is nectarines. They are my absolute favorite fruit of all time. They are sweet like strawberries, yet have a citrus zing like oranges. I love they way the juice burst in your mouth at the first bite. For me they embody everything good about summer days.

Nectarine Blueberry Buckle

This recipe is a delicious way to use up the fruit that is in your fridge before it over ripens. Other than your fresh fruit, all of the ingredients are staples in your cupboards so you won't need to buy something new just to use up what you have already bought. This recipe won a blue ribbon from the Taste of Home magazine, Light and Tasty. You can serve this cake with low-fat yogurt for a healthy treat.



Serves: 12 servings
Start to Finish:
Recipe By: Lisa Darling, Light and Tasty Magazine

Ingredients:

TOPPING:
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3 TBSP butter

BATTER:
6 TBSP butter, softened
3/4 cup plus 1 TBSP sugar, divided
2 eggs
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups flour
2-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 pound medium nectarines, peeled, sliced and patted dry or 1 package (16 ounces) frozen unsweetened sliced peaches, thawed and patted dry
1/2 cup fresh raspberries
1/2 cup fresh blackberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 13-in x 9-in baking pan

For Topping:
2. Combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon
3. Cut in butter until crumbly and set topping aside

For Batter:
4. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and 3/4 cup sugar
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition
6. Add vanilla
7. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk
8. Set aside 3/4 cup batter
9. Fold blueberries into remaining batter
10. Spoon into a greased 13 x 9 pan
11. Arrange nectarines on top; sprinkle with remaining 1 TBSP sugar
12. Spoon remaining batter over nectarines
13. Sprinkle with raspberries, blackberries, and reserved topping
14. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes. Serve warm

Stuffed French Toast

This recipe is another one from the "Eating Well When You're Expecting" book and it is good enough to be a dessert.

Serves: 1
Start to Finish: 20 minutes
Recipe By: "Eating Well When You're Expecting" Heidi Murkoff

Ingredients:

1 TBSP peanut butter
2 slices of whole grain bread
2 tsp all-fruit preserves (any flavor)
1/2 banana, sliced very thinly
1 large egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp butter

Directions:

1. Make a sandwich out of the first four ingredients in this order: bread, peanut butter, all-fruit preserves, banana slices, peanut butter, bread
2. Place the egg, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon in a bowl and whisk to mix.
3. Dip the sandwich in the milk mixture and let soak for 1 minute a side. Mike prefers his french toast a little less soggy, so he only dips the sandwich briefly
4. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat
5. Cook the sandwich until browned on both sides, 2-3 minutes a side
6. Serve as is, no syrup or powdered sugar needed

Fruit-and-Oat Meal

Mike bought me a great book during my first pregnancy called "Eating Well When You're Expecting". All the recipes inside are full of vitamins and nutrients you wouldn't normally think go together (Like adding nuts to your oatmeal for extra protein in your diet). They are little things to make the most of your meals. This is a healthy all-inclusive breakfast that actually tastes good. It has 1 serving calcium, 1 serving yellow fruit, 1/2 serving protein, 1/2 serving other fruit, 1 1/2 serving whole grains. Thank you Mike for introducing me to such a great book!

Serves: 1
Start to finish: 10 minutes
Recipe By: "Eating Well When your Expecting" Heidi Murkoff

Ingredients:

1/4 cup apple juice
1 cup milk
1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
6 dried apricot halves, chopped
1 TBSP wheat germ
pinch of cinnamon
1 TBSP chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds)

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients, except nuts, in a microwave-safe bowl.
2. Microwave on high for 3 minutes.
3. Add nuts and stir well before serving. You can also add milk to cool it down.

Crepes For Breakfast

In our new ward, church meetings don't start until 1:00 pm. Which means Sunday morning is a great time to spend as a family doing something fun. This morning Mike and I decided to make crepes for breakfast. Not only was it fun, but they were delicious. We made ours with french vanilla pudding, strawberries, bananas, and nectarines (yummmm ... my favorite). Then, topped them with whipped cream. Okay, I will admit it, it was more like dessert than breakfast but I'm not complaining.


Crepes

Serves: 12 crepes
Start to Finish: 35 minutes
Recipe By: Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 TBSP sugar
2 cups milk
2 TBSP butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs

Directions:

1. Mix together all ingredients with a hand beater until smooth
2. Lightly butter a skillet and heat over medium heat until the butter is bubbly
3. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto skillet. Immediately rotate the skillet until a thin layer of batter covers the bottom
4. Cook until light brown. (Overcooking will make them crunchy and hard to roll up)
5. Run a wide spatula around the edges to loosen. Flip and cook the other side.
6. Place crepes between wax paper to stack them.
7. Repeat this process until all the crepes are made. You will need to re-butter the pan often.

Fillings:

Fresh fruit, diced
French vanilla pudding
Whipped cream
You can also use jam and powdered sugar