Spicy Carrot Corn Bread

This is a delicious healthy bread with a little bite, thanks to the dried hot chili peppers! You can make it with or without the cranberries. If you do not use the cranberries, add an extra 1/2 cup of quick oats as a dry ingredient. Also, depending on your heat tolerance, you can adjust the amount of chili peppers.

Ingredients:

1 lb small sweet organic carrots, peeled and finely grated
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup quick oats (see note above)
1 1/4 cup cornmeal
1/3 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup ground organic flax seed
1 1/2 tsps baking powder
2 tsps dried red hot chili peppers (or to taste)
3 egg whites
1 egg yolk
2 tbsps sunflower oil
1/2 cup organic honey
3/4 cup skim milk or low fat soy or almond milk
1/2 cup dried cranberries (see note above)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly oil a 5 x 9 inch loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients: flour, cornmeal, oats, salt, flax, baking powder and chili peppers.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together egg yolk, oil, honey and milk. Add to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Fold in beaten egg whites. Add cranberries (if using) and cooked carrots. Mix until just combined.
5. Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake for about 65 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Tent with foil during last 20 minutes of cooking time to avoid over-browning.

Chicken Parmesan

This is a traditional Italian recipe. You can make the sauce from my earlier recipe for Pasta Tomato Sauce from 29 April 2009. This recipe is enough food for four people if you are using large chicken breast. The recipe can easily be doubled. I served this with roasted sweet orange bell peppers & carrots and roasted asparagus.

Ingredients:

2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded down to about a 1/2 inch thickness & then sprinkled on both sides with salt, fresh ground pepper and 1/2 tsp of garlic powder & brushed with 1 tsp olive oil

1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs, seasoned with a little salt, pepper, garlic powder, dried basil and oregano, 1 tsp dried red hot chili peppers
2 tbsps olive oil
1/2 a ball of skim milk mozarella cheese, sliced thinly into about 8 slices
2 cups pasta sauce
4 tbsps freshly grated parmesan or romano cheese

Directions:

1. After pounding and seasoning the chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. Whisk together egg and milk in a wide bowl. Spread bread crumb mixture out onto a dinner plate. Heat olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.
3. Dip chicken first in egg mixture and then in bread crumbs. Brown the chicken in oil for about 4 minutes each side. Place in a lightly oiled baking dish. Place 4 strips of the mozarella on each chicken breast. Pour the 2 cups of pasta sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle each breast with 2 tbsps parmesan cheese.
4. Bake, uncovered in preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Spoon some extra sauce over the chicken when serving, if desired.

To make the roasted peppers and carrots: peel and chop three medium carrots & one small onion. Slice a large orange or red bell pepper into large chunks. Toss with a tsp of olive oil, some salt, pepper and garlic. Roast, uncovered, in a small roasting pan at the same time that the chicken is cooking.

To roast the asparagus: wash asparagus; snap the woody bottoms off; lay out on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Grate the peel of 1/2 a lime over top & squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lime over the asparagus. Toss gently with hands. Roast in the oven, on top oven rack, during the last 10 to 15 minutes while the chicken is cooking. Cooking time for the asparagus will depend on the thickness of the stalks.