Baked Quinoa Casserole with Chicken and Broccoli

This hearty Baked Quinoa Casserole will warm your heart and lift your conscience; you'll sleep better knowing you had a healthy dinner consisting of nature's own super food.  Packed with steamed broccoli florets and strips of seasoned chicken breast, this creamy casserole is topped off with Gruyere cheese.

If you haven't heard of Quinoa, let me introduce you! Quinoa is a south American seed that is cooked just as any grain would be and is considered easy to digest. It's technically not a (cereal) grain and doesn't contain gluten, which has made it extremely popular with the rise of gluten-free diets as of late. It's packed with protein and fiber, among other nutrients and also has calcium, which has made it popular with vegan diets too. In the U.S. Quinoa has risen to super-star fame in just the last few years as more and more people move to alternative diets.

The first step in creating this recipe is to make your own creamy white sauce. The quinoa, chicken and broccoli will bake in this sauce and make the whole dish creamy and delicious. Use any poultry (chicken) seasoning you like to give the sauce a great depth of flavor. An additional seasoning blend, Emeril's Essence seasoning, is used to season the chicken and add a great savory flavor. If you can't find it, use your own favorite seasoning blend (like Mrs. Dash or something similar). Steamed broccoli is mixed in towards the end of baking time and then the whole thing is topped off with melted Gruyere cheese! Casserole just isn't casserole unless there's cheese involved :0)

Note: The Quinoa is done cooking when it looks like it's popped open and is soft. If you find your casserole is still a bit on the liquid-y side after baking, just pop it back in the oven for a few extra minutes for the ingredients to finish soaking up the sauce.

My family and I really enjoyed eating this casserole, and I was glad to have prepared something that I knew was nutritious. I hope you enjoy it too :0)

Recipe adapted from www.pinchofyum.com one of my favorite recipe blogs :0)

Baked Quinoa Casserole with Chicken and Broccoli

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 40 to 55 minutes

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Ingredients (6 to 8 servings)

• 2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 cups water, divided
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
• 1/4 cup cooked crumbled bacon (about 3 slices)
• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 2 teaspoons Emeril's Essence seasoning
• 1/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
• 3 cups fresh broccoli florets

Instructions

1. Set your oven to heat to 400 degrees. Grease a 9X13 inch baking dish well with shortening. In a small mixing bowl, whisk 1/2 cup milk, flour and poultry seasoning until combined. Set aside. In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth and 1/2 cup milk just to boiling, then whisk in the milk/flour mixture and bring to a boil. Continue to boil, stirring constantly until sauce thickens, then remove from heat.

2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the bacon, quinoa, one cup of water and the white sauce. Pour into your prepared baking dish. Pat the chicken breast dry with paper towels. Slice into thin slices (approx 1/4 inch wide) and lay them on top of the white sauce mixture in the dish. Season with Emeril's basic blend by sprinkling all over the chicken. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for at least 30 to 40 minutes, or until the quinoa is soft, the chicken cooked through and the sauce is thick and reduced.

3. While the casserole bakes, steam the broccoli florets by placing them in boiling water for about 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and rinse the broccoli under cold water. Set aside.

4. When the chicken and quinoa have finished baking, stir in the broccoli florets and an additional 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water if needed. The casserole should be creamy and smooth and stir around easily. Sprinkle on the cheese and pop it back in the oven for about 5 minutes to melt. Serve.

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Skinny Oven-Fried Fish with Tartar Sauce

This popular dish is great if you're looking for lots of flavor, but not lots of calories. Typical oven fried fish have anywhere from 500 to 700+ calories per serving and 50 grams of fat! This recipe for Skinny Oven-Fried Fish with Tartar Sauce is just 260 calories and 8 grams of fat per serving (two fillets and 3 tablespoon serving of tartar sauce). Gotta love it!

If you can afford the Halibut this recipe calls for, then go for it. (it's dad gum expensive!!) It's nice and meaty and doesn't release a whole lot of juice when baking, which can sometimes make a crust soggy. Personally I would go with a less expensive alternative like cod or Haddock. The photo above happens to be Swai, since it was on sale that day :0)

Skinny Oven-Fried Fish with Tartar Sauce cuts on the calories and fat in several ways. The fish is only breaded on the top and sides, since the bottom inherently will get soggy anyway, it's just eliminated. Next, the homemade tartar sauce is made with low-fat mayonnaise, and flavored fantastically with sweet pickles, capers, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice and shallot. It's by far my favorite tartar sauce and I usually double it so I have lots left over for other fish recipes. The fish is then coated with the tartar sauce before being coated with the bread crumbs, so the sauce acts like a barrier to keep the moisture of the fish from ruining the crunchy baked crust. Plus the flavors of the sauce lend themselves to the fish too.

If you've never cooked with capers, or have never even heard of them,
then let me introduce you! I love discovering new foods, and capers

are one of my new favorites. Capers are little edible flower buds that are picked and pickled (by Peter Piper along with his peppers ha ha ha :0). They can be found growing all around the Mediterranean and are a popular ingredient for many ethnic dishes. They have quite a distinct taste, and I especially love them in this recipe and another I make for breaded lemon chicken (which will be appearing soon on the The Goldilocks Kitchen). Don't be afraid to try them! I find them in little jars along side the roasted red peppers and pickles at the grocery store. Make sure you purchase the ones in a brine solution, not packed in salt.

This is a great recipe to practice your chopping skills, since there are a lot of ingredients that need to be chopped finely. Use a very sharp chef's knife. It's actually safer than using a dull one. The blade is less likely to slip and cut you.

 Here is my fish operation: 1. Prepared Fish, 2. Flour Dredge, 3. Egg-Tartar sauce mixture, 4. Bread crumbs

This recipe can also double as a great make ahead freezer meal. Once you've breaded your fish, lay them out flat on a baking sheet lined with parchment or wax paper and place them in the freezer. Once they are frozen you can then gently place them in ziplock freezer bags. Bake them on the wire rack as instructed in the recipe, changing the temperature to 425 degrees and baking them for 30 to 35 minutes or until the fish is fully cooked. Here's a handy food temp chart courtesy of the FDA:

I hope you love this recipe and that it becomes a regular on your table. It's big on taste and small on calories. Enjoy it!

Skinny Oven-Fried Fish with Tartar Sauce

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 10 to 12 minutes

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Ingredients (4 to 6)

Tartar Sauce

• 1 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped sweet pickles, plus 2 teaspoons juice
• 1 tablespoon drained capers, minced
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon minced shallot
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• Salt and pepper

Oven-Fried Fish

• 3 slices hearty white sandwich bred, torn into pieces
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 tablspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds Halibut or other white meat fish

Instructions

1. Whisk all ingredients for tartar sauce together in a bowl, adding a pinch of salt and ground pepper.

2. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Pulse the bread in a food processor to make your own bread crumbs. Bake the bread crumbs on a rimmed baking sheet in the oven for about 6 to 8 minutes watching carefully and stirring often until golden.

Transfer the toasted bread crumbs to a shallow dish. In another shallow dish, combine 1/4 cup of tartar sauce, 1/4 cup of flour, egg whites, mustard, parsley, and cayenne pepper until fully incorporated. In a third dish, place the remaining 1/4 cup flour, salt and pepper and stir to evenly incorporate.

3. Once you are done baking the bread crumbs, raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Prepare to bake the fish by lining a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place a wire rack inside the baking sheet over the foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. (Don't forget this step; it's important!)

Pat the fish dry with paper towels. One at a time, dredge fish fillets lightly in flour, then top and sides in the tartar-egg mixture, and lastly press top and sides into the bread crumbs. Transfer the fillet to the wire rack (crumb side up) and continue with the rest of the fillets. Just before popping them in the oven, spray them all lightly with cooking spray. Bake until the crumbs are golden brown and the fish is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with the remaining tartar sauce.

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Big and Chewy Low-fat Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love sneaky healthy recipes. You know what I mean, the ones that are so delicious you have no idea it's healthy or low-calorie/low-fat? If you're one of the millions who've made new years' resolutions to get healthy, then you will welcome this recipe for Big and Chewy, Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies. With 120 Calories, 3 grams of fat/2 grams saturated fat each, you can absolutely reward yourself with one of these cookies and stay within your daily calorie allowance. No guilt!

The sun highlights melty chocolate chips on
Big and Chewy Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Here at the Goldilocks Kitchen, I regularly cook with real butter, and add a generous amount of salt, pepper and other seasonings to my food. I make no excuses for it, I want to make and eat savory and delicious food. However, I had to change my ways last summer when my husband joined a special weight-loss program called 'The Biggest Winner'. (Yes, obviously based after a very popular TV show with a similar name.) He was limited to 1500 calories a day, and a daily work out with his team made his already busy days even more demanding. Since I packed his lunches and made dinner most nights, who ended up doing most of the calorie counting?
Me :0) 

So often recipes labeled 'healthy' are void of flavor,
making eating them about as joyful as eating cardboard. I found some fantastically delicious recipes that didn't sacrifice flavor for health factor. Our favorites will be featured over the next few weeks on The Goldilocks Kitchen to help you reach your healthy goals! Starting with Big and Chewy, Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies.

I enjoy this recipe so much that it's become my go-to recipe whenever I get a hankerin' for chocolate chip cookies. And the dough is the best part- I'm totally a raw-egg cookie dough addict. It will probably kill me someday. But hey, we all choose our poison right?  Muahahaha.... :0) 

The main reason this recipe is so stinkin' good is that much
of the butter in a standard chocolate chip cookie is replaced with.....

Browned butter. It makes your kitchen
smell yummy!

drum roll......dates! In this recipe you'll learn how to create a date puree to cut back on fat and calories. AND they're delicious too. The second reason you'll love this recipe is that the rest of the butter you do use will be browned on the stove top. If you've never done it before, just check out the picture of the melted butter at right and let that be your guide. You simply melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat, swirling often, until the aroma smells a bit nutty and the butter browns. (The color pictured is what you're aiming for.) You'll see darker particles sink to the bottom~ those are just fat molecules getting cooked and is normal. I love what browned butter does for cookie recipes. It adds a really fantastic depth of flavor.

Learning these two techniques will be a great help for you on your journey to becoming a culinary expert. By the way, my husband lost about 30 pounds in 3 months and won second place in the competition! I was so proud of him :0)

And I'm sure it had nothing to do with these Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies. (Wink, wink.)

Big and Chewy Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 to 18 minutes

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Ingredients (18 cookies)

• 1 cup water
• 4 tablespoons chopped dates
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoons table salt
• 1 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Set oven temperature to 325 degrees. to Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan and add the dates. Simmer, uncovered, until most of the water has evaporated and the dates are tender, about 18 to 20 minutes.

2. While the dates are simmering, whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Place butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, gently swirling often, until aroma becomes nutty and the butter is brown, about 4 minutes. (If you are using a dark or nonstick pan, pour out the butter into a heatproof bowl to properly assess the color and whether the butter is sufficiently cooked or not. I do this two or three times to make sure I have the right color.) When done, set aside.

3. When dates are done simmering, remove from heat. Pour contents of saucepan into a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, press the liquid out into the bowl. Discard the liquid and scrape the remaining puree from the strainer into the bowl.

4. With a stand or hand held mixer, beat browned butter, brown sugar and date puree until blended, scraping down the bowl if needed. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture (If using a stand mixer, switch to paddle for this step) and mix on low speed until just combined. Reserve two tablespoons of chocolate chips from the 1/2 cup and set aside. Stir the remaining chips into the dough.

5. Form dough into 18 cookies (about 3 tablespoons each for size) and space 2 inches apart on two baking sheets lined with parchment or wax paper. Press 3 or 4 chocolate chips into the top of each ball of dough. Bake until the edges are light golden brown and the centers are soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating your cookie sheets front to back and upper to lower. Cool cookies on baking sheets. Serve.

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Spaghetti Squash Marinara

I am totally sneaky when I cook Spaghetti Squash Marinara. I serve it to my kids calling it "spaghetti and meatballs", (which they LOVE) and they eat it right up! No matter if you're looking to sneak your kids some healthy food, or if you're looking to cut carbs and calories, spaghetti squash is a great alternative to pasta. Add a salad and you have a great 'Italian' meal that's guilt free!

Spaghetti Squash is pretty cool to work with! Once you bake it, just rake across the flesh inside with a fork and you have spaghetti! You'll love the simplicity of this meal~ there's not a lot of preparation, it's good for you, and tastes great too.

Spaghetti Squash Marinara

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Keywords: bake entree summer

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Ingredients (6 servings)

• 1 Medium spaghetti squash (about 1 1/2 lbs.), washed, halved lengthwise, and seeds removed
• 2 Cups of your favorite low-fat marinara sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 package of frozen turkey meatballs ( I prefer Jenny-O brand)

Instructions

1. Place oven rack in the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray. Place the two halves of the squash facing down and poke the outside a few times with a fork. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the squash is tender.

2. While the squash is cooling, warm up the turkey meatballs in a large frying pan. Once they are thawed, pour in the marinara sauce and heat to a simmer. Turn the heat to low.

3. With a fork, rake the flesh of the squash into a large bowl. It will look like spaghetti-like threads. There should be about 3 cups. Discard the skin. Dish up the squash into individual servings and pour the marinara sauce and one or two meatballs onto each serving. sprinkle with parmesan and basil and serve.

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Ginger-Maple Poached Salmon

Ginger-Maple Poached Salmon served with couscous and Maple Glazed Acorn Squash.

I have grilled, baked, fried and sauteed fish. Never have I poached it. 'Poached' is a fancy word for cooking in flavorful juices or water. This recipe was uncharted territory for me, but I am ever zealous to expand my knowledge and skills in preparing great food. Plus, this recipe was super fast, I made it in about 30 minutes, making this a great weeknight dinner. 

You'll find this recipe is actually quite simple and allows you to bake side dishes like Maple-Glazed Acorn Squash in the oven while you cook the main course on the stove top.  A 12 inch saute pan or frying pan with a well fitting lid is essential for this recipe. The fish is elevated from the pan bottom (so as not to scorch) by a simple trick; sliced lemon. The fish simmers and absorbs the flavors of your liquid while staying nice and moist. When you're finished cooking the salmon, simply boil down the liquid to concentrate the flavors and make a lovely pan sauce to drizzle over the fish.

Ginger-Maple Poached Salmon

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

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Ingredients (4 servings)

• 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons Ginger Beer
• 1 tablespoon Grey Poupon mustard
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 medium shallot, sliced thin (about 3 tablespoons)
• ¾ cup water
• 1 skinless salmon fillet (about 2 pounds) thickest part should be about 1 ½ inches
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
• Salt and ground black pepper

Instructions

Slice the top and bottom of the lemon off. Slice the rest of the lemon into 8 to 10 thin slices (about ¼ thick). Arrange the lemon slices in rows in the bottom of a 12 inch skillet with a well fitting lid. There should be four rows, fit them however you can. (I usually place three rows vertically and the fourth horizontally above or below.) Whisk together the maple syrup, ginger beer, mustard, vinegar, shallot and water in a small bowl. Gently pour the mixture into the pan with the lemons.

Using a sharp knife, cut the fillet into four equal pieces. Place each piece of fish over a row of lemon slices, skinned side down, (the grey side) in the skillet and turn the heat to high. When the liquid has reached a simmer, turn the heat to low, cover and simmer until the sides of the fish are opaque and the center of the thickest part has reached 125 degrees. This can take anywhere from 11 to 16 minutes. Remove the pan from heat. Carefully remove the fish and lemon by using a flat spatula to slide under the lemons and remove both from the pan. Place on a paper towel lined plate and tent loosely with foil.

Return the pan to high heat and reduce the poaching liquid until about 2 tablespoons remains, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve: Place each fillet on a serving plate, lightly season with salt and pepper and drizzle pan sauce over top. Can be served with or without the lemon slices underneath.

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Em's Chili Recipe

Hot bowl of Em's Chili

"Mmmm, smells great, what are you cooking!?"
This is what you'll hear when you make a pot of this super easy and deceptively healthy Em's Chili. The delicious aroma will fill your home, and it's under 200 calories per serving!!

You will love making this quick and easy recipe I adapted from a Biggest Looser program because you simply chop an onion and mince some garlic. The rest of the ingredients are in a can or box.

I've learned a valuable lesson when it comes to cooking delicious food so it comes out just right every time. The trick is~ prepare my ingredients beforehand! Chop up that onion, press that garlic, measure out your chicken broth and spices before you start cooking. Especially when making a new recipe. Then you can pay attention to actually cooking the food. Really essential for just about everything. (Except for some instances when baking or cooking with fresh herbs, you don't want to chop them too early or they'll turn brown.) Once you know a recipe well, you can decide to cut corners and understand when you might have some time to prep food while cooking. But this takes practice :0)

Em's Chili Recipe

by The Goldilocks Kitchen

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

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Ingredients (6 servings)

• 1 onion chopped
• 1 1/4 lbs lean ground turkey
• 1 14.5 oz. can of roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 15 oz. can of pinto beans
• 1 15 oz. can of black beans
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons of chopped (or pressed) garlic
• 2 tablespoons of chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon of mustard powder
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives to garnish

Instructions

1.Coat a large Dutch oven with a few sprays of olive oil or other cooking spray. (You can use a large saucepan with a lid if you don't have a dutch oven.) Heat on medium-high and add the onion. Season with a pinch of salt and saute until soft and just browning a bit.

2. Add ground turkey and cook, breaking apart the turkey until no pink remains- 6 to 8 minutes.

3.Then add all other ingredients except for the olives into the pot or saucepan and stir to combine. Turn the heat to high until boiling and then turn to low. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and serve into1 cup servings and top with a few olives.

Approx 150 calories and 16 grams of protein per serving! And Delicious!

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