Author Archives: Janis Chanin

Pineapple Carrot Bread

04 Wednesday Mar 2015

Posted by in Bread, Breakfast, Healthy

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Pineapple Carrot Bread

I am so excited about this recipe!  It’s rare that I pull something out my oven, taste it, then run to my computer to blog it, but that’s exactly what just happened.  This bread is so fantastic that I had to share it with you immediately!  I just devoured a slice and typing this up is helping me from chowing down on the rest of the loaf!  You’re going to love it because it has fresh springtime flavors such as carrots and orange zest.  Crushed pineapple keeps the bread moist while lending a little extra sweetness.  Raw sugar sprinkled on top gives the outside a nice little crunch.  I highly recommend baking a loaf for Easter breakfast next month!  To make it extra special, try topping it with a cream cheese frosting!

Pineapple Carrot Bread
Yield:  One 9″ x 5″ loaf (about 10 slices)
Time:  10 minutes active; 70 minutes total

1½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup low fat plain yogurt
6 oz. crushed pineapple (with juice)
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
1½ tsp. fresh orange zest
1 cup shredded carrots (roughly 1½ to 2 carrots)
1 tbsp. raw sugar (I use Sugar In The Raw)

1.  Lightly grease the sides and bottom of a metal 9″ x 5″ loaf pan.  Set aside.  Preheat your oven to 350ºF.

2.  Beat together the sugar, eggs and oil.  Stir in the vanilla extract, yogurt, and pineapple.  Set aside.

3.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.

4.  Fold in the carrots and orange zest.  Pour into the prepared loaf pan.  Evenly sprinkle the surface of the batter with 1 tbsp. raw sugar.  Bake for 55-60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean.  Allow to cool at room temperature for 15 minutes before removing from the pan.  (I recommend running a butter knife or spatula along the sides to help loosen it before inverting the pan.)  Slice once cool enough that it doesn’t crumble.

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Recipe credit:  This recipe was inspired by a cake recipe that I received from my mother-in-law’s good friend Lois at my bridal shower.

Pineapple Carrot Bread

Lentil and Balsamic Skirt Steak Salad

26 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by in Dinner, Healthy, Quick and Easy, Salad

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Lentil and Balsamic Skirt Steak Salad

Lentil and Balsamic Skirt Steak Salad
Time:  15 minutes hands-on; 45 minutes total
Yield:  4 dinner portions

For the steak:
1 lb. skirt steak
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves
¾ tbsp. fresh rosemary
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tbsp. whole grain mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper

For the salad:
1 cup dry green lentils
2 cups water
8 cups mixed greens
2 large handfuls cherry tomatoes
2 avocados, diced
4 oz. bleu cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 tbsp. reduced balsamic or balsamic glaze (usually available in a squirt bottle in the salad dressing aisle of your grocery store)

1.  Prepare the marinade for the steak:  Place the balsamic vinegar, garlic, rosemary, oregano and mustard in a food processor or blender.  Blend until the garlic and rosemary are pulverized.  Add the oil and blend until creamy.  Season with salt and pepper.  Place in a ziplock bag with the steak, massaging the marinade into the meat.  Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

2.  Meanwhile, sort through the lentils, making sure there are no stones mixed in.  Rinse.  Place in a medium sized saucepan with 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover.  Allow to simmer for 30 minutes, until tender.

3.  As the lentils cook, begin to prepare the salads.  Toss together the mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, diced avocado, and bleu cheese.  Add 2 tbsp. olive oil and 2 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar.  Toss to coat.

4.  Once the lentils are tender, remove from the heat and stir in 3 tbsp. of reduced balsamic.  Toss with the other salad ingredients and divide between four plates.

5.  Spray a sauté pan with cooking spray and heat over high heat until screaming hot, about 2 minutes.  Place the steak in the pan, and sear each side for about 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat, slice against the grain (slicing with the grain will make it taste tough), and arrange over the prepared salads.  Enjoy!

Note:  Of course if you have access to a grill, grilling the steak is a great option!  If you do not have access to one (perhaps you live in a city like me or it’s just the middle of winter and you haven’t shoveled a path to your grill!), this stovetop method is a great alternative!

PDF to Print Recipe for Lentil and Balsamic Skirt Steak Salad

Favorite Chili

19 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by in Dinner, Healthy, Soup

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Favorite Chili

Is there anything cozier than curling up with a big bowl of steamy chili on a cold night?  With this arctic chill that’s moved in, we need recipes like these to keep our bones warm!  You’ll especially love it because you can prep everything the night before, and just toss the ingredients into your crock pot before heading off to work in the morning.  Dinner will be ready and waiting to greet you when you come home… worn out, cold, and hungry!

Like any great chili recipe, this one has evolved over the years.  My mom made an incredible vegetarian chili chock full of beans and edamame when I was growing up.  It was always one of my favorite dinners, and the base of this recipe comes from her.  My husband’s chili is comprised almost entirely of meat (various cuts of pork and beef) with some onions and garlic, and his signature splash of cognac.  I’ve adopted his use of cognac, and I include ground turkey to give this chili a heartier quality.  I hope you take this recipe and morph it into your own creation over time, adding in and removing ingredients to your liking, to make your “Favorite Chili”!

Favorite Chili
Yield:  8 dinner servings
Time:  20 minutes active; 2-8 hours total (in crock pot)

For the chili:
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 red bell peppers, coarsely chopped
3 white onions, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
30 oz. sliced stewed tomatoes (no salt added, preferably)
30 oz. dark red kidney beans
30 oz. pink beans
15 oz. small red beans
15 oz. small white beans
6 oz. tomato paste
28 oz. tomato sauce
4 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. smoked paprika (or paprika)
¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp. cumin
3 tbsp. cognac
4 links chicken and/or turkey sausage (photo at end)
1½ lbs. ground turkey
14 oz. frozen shelled edamame, thawed

For serving/garnish (if desired):
4 to 8 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded
2 large bunches scallions and/or chives, chopped
½ red onion, finely diced
sour cream

1.  Place the garlic, peppers, onions, and 1 tbsp. olive oil in a sauté pan.  Cook over medium heat until softened, about 5-8 minutes.  Transfer to a crock pot.

2.  Place the remaining 1 tbsp. olive oil and the ground turkey into the sauté pan.  Cook over medium heat until fully cooked, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes total.  Transfer to the crock pot.

3.  Meanwhile, chop the sausages into bite-sized pieces.  Add to the crock pot.

4.  Add all of the remaining ingredients except for the edamame to the crock pot.  Mix well, then set on high and leave for 2-4 hours.  (Or you could set the crock pot to cook on the low setting and leave it for 8 hours.)

5.  About 30 minutes to one hour prior to serving, toss the edamame in and stir.  (I find that if I add them too early they get a bit mushy.  I prefer if they’re a little crunchy.)

6.  Transfer to serving bowls and top with any garnishes you like.  Enjoy!

PDF to Print Recipe for Favorite Chili

Here’s a photo of the Applegate Fire Roasted Red Pepper Chicken and Turkey Sausages that I love using in this recipe:

Favorite ChiliFavorite Chili

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Chicken Meatballs

09 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by in Dinner

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Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Chicken Meatballs

Do you love broccoli rabe as much as I do?  It’s one of my favorites because it is surprisingly bitter, not hiding behind other flavors but boldly announcing its presence.  I’ve been enjoying it in pasta for years but since moving back to Jersey, I’ve noticed it all over menus, snuck into everything from sandwiches and pizzas to soups and omelets.  The most common way it’s presented is tossed with pasta, crumbled fennel sausage, garlic, and oil.  This is my lightened-up version of that classic favorite.  I hope you enjoy!

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe and Chicken Meatballs
Time:  30 minutes active; 80 minutes total
Yield:  6 servings (~40 meatballs)

For the meatballs (and garnish):
¼ cup whole milk
3 eggs
1 cup breadcrumbs with Italian seasoning
1 cup freshly grated Asiago cheese (reserve ½ cup for garnish)
¾ cup fresh basil, chiffonade (reserve ¼ cup for garnish)
¼ cup fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
1 onion, finely diced
1 tbsp. ketchup
1 tbsp. tomato paste (reserve the rest of the 6 oz. can for the sauce)
3 cloves garlic, minced
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
3 lbs. ground chicken (try ~80% lean so the meatballs are more moist)

For the pasta and sauce:
1 onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
6 oz. can (minus 1 tbsp. used for meatballs) tomato paste
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
32 oz. your favorite pasta sauce
¼ cup fresh basil, chiffonade
12 oz. orecchiette
2 large bunches broccoli rabe

1.  To prepare the meatballs, whisk the eggs and milk together.  Allow to sit at room temperature until needed.  Combine the following ingredients in a large mixing bowl: breadcrumbs, ½ cup grated Asiago cheese, ½ cup basil, parsley, onion, ketchup, tomato paste, garlic, salt and pepper.  Stir in the egg/milk mixture and mix well to combine all of the ingredients.  Add the ground chicken, breaking up large clumps of chicken.  Knead the mixture with your hands to thoroughly blend all ingredients together.  Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

2.  Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Grease a large baking sheet and set aside.  Form about 40 meatballs, each roughly 1½ to 2 inches in diameter.  Place them on the prepared baking sheet and cook for 24-30 minutes, until cooked through (cut one in half to check for done-ness).

3.  Meanwhile, cook the orecchiette al dente according to the package instructions.

4.  To make the sauce, place the onion, garlic, and 1 tbsp. olive oil in a medium-sized pot.  Sauté over medium heat until the onions are tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the tomato paste and red pepper flakes and cook for another 2 minutes.  Add the pasta sauce and basil.  Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low.  Simmer until step 6.

5.  Thoroughly rinse the broccoli rabe.  Chop off the tough ends (discard the bottom 1 to 2 inches of stalks) and cut into 2-inch segments.  Place in a stock pot with 1 tbsp. olive oil.  Cover the pot and cook over medium heat for 4 minutes.  Remove the lid and toss the broccoli rabe using tongs.  Cover and cook another 4 minutes until tender.

6.  Toss the al dente orecchiette with the sauce.  Transfer to a plate, top with sautéed broccoli rabe and tasty fully cooked chicken meatballs.  Garnish with additional grated Asiago cheese and basil.  Pour yourself a big glass of red wine and sit down to a delicious dinner.  You deserve it!

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Mini Spinach Artichoke Cups

02 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by in Appetizers, Quick and Easy, Vegetarian

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Mini Spinach Artichoke Cups

I’ve always been a fan of spinach artichoke dip, but it can get really messy, sliding off pita chips and other dippers en route to my mouth!  I wanted a bite-sized version of the classic favorite while simultaneously removing some of the excess creaminess of the traditional recipe.  Many recipes for Spinach Artichoke Dip contain cream cheese, mayo, sour cream, and/or melted cheese.  The only dairy in this recipe is feta cheese, providing a nice flavor while eliminating loads of unnecessary fat and calories.

Mini Spinach Artichoke Cups
Yield:  24 bites
Time:  15 minutes active;  30 minutes total

10 oz. canned artichokes
6 oz. sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
16 oz. frozen chopped spinach (thawed and excess water drained and squeezed out)
3 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
8 oz. package Pillsbury crescent rolls

1.  Dice the artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes into small pieces and place in a mixing bowl.  Drizzle in 1-2 tbsp. of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes.  Stir in the spinach and feta.  Stir ingredients together to combine.

Mini Spinach Artichoke Cups

2.  Preheat the oven to 375ºF.  Lightly grease the wells of a mini muffin pan.  Set aside.

3.  Unroll the sheet of crescent rolls and gently press together any perforations, creating one large rectangle.  Cut into 24 squares and gently press each square into the prepared wells of the mini muffin pan, allowing the edges to overhang the well slightly.  Fill each well with the spinach-artichoke-feta filling.  Bake at 375ºF for about 15 minutes, until edges of crescent begin to turn golden brown.

Mini Spinach Artichoke Cups Mini Spinach Artichoke Cups Mini Spinach Artichoke Cups

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Recipe adapted from http://www.pillsbury.com