Eating to calm inflammation is easy and delicious!

Last week when North Idaho was blessed with a beautiful taste of sunshine, my husband and I headed out to work in the yard.  Working in our yard really isn't work at all to us because we LOVE being outside making our space beautiful.  Since we were busy in the yard all day I wasn't about to go into the kitchen and cook. Instead, I got creative with my produce and grill.

First I sliced up a fresh pineapple......

Seeing how beautiful and delicious that looked, added sliced mango, sweet peppers, and onion.....

Then, I grilled the fruit and veggies until there were grill marks on each side....

Cut up the grilled goodies along with some rotisserie chicken and placed them on a bed of lettuce and spinach.....

Top this with Honey Lime Dressing and it is perfection!  Eating to calm inflammation doesn't need to be intimidating or complicated.  This meal is a great example of that.  So, dig in and enjoy :)

Happy Hour at home with Parmesan Chicken Bites

I enjoy dining out.  In fact, it is one of my all time favorite things to do.  The problem is that I'm not always good about my food choices at restaurants.  Quite often, the next day my joints are swollen and I am miserable.  Now, I cannot see myself ever giving up my love of restaurants, but I also enjoy cooking and have gotten to the point where I really appreciate a good meal at home in a comfy pair of yoga pants, with no regrets of making bad food choices.

Here is a confession.....we love happy hour!  There is a relaxed atmosphere generally and we also enjoy the reduced food prices on the menu. Let's be honest, the choices are usually not great for fighting inflammation and in fact, typically cause inflammation. So....we have mostly given up on happy hour.  I say 'mostly' because we have a favorite place that actually offers healthy choices, such as a hummus platter and satay's.

Even though we do not go out much for happy hour anymore, I love this great recipe that makes happy hour at home (once again in yoga pants) a fun relaxing time to unwind and visit with my husband.  Parmesan Chicken Bites are made out of real chicken breast meat and I choose to use the whole wheat bread crumbs instead of white.  They are baked in the oven to eliminate the deep fried greasy finish.  You can also make it a meal by putting them over pasta and topping with the marinara sauce, with a Caesar Salad on the side.  Give them a try and let me know what you think :)

Parmesan Chicken Bites

2 chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized pieces)
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons of  Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a medium bowl whisk together the egg and mustard.  Add the chicken pieces.  Stir to coat thoroughly and then place the chicken on a rack to drain.

In a large zip-lock bag, add the remaining dry ingredients.  Seal the bag and shake to mix.  Then open the bag and add the chicken pieces.  Seal the bag again and shake until chicken pieces are coated.

Place coated chicken pieces on a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with marinara sauce for dipping.

Delicious and Healthy Snacking with Hummus!

Don't you just love to snack?  I know we sure do.  Thankfully my husband is on board with healthy anti-inflammatory eating (well....most of the time).  After church today he was ready to turn on some football and start snacking.  I looked around for something quick, delicious and easy to whip up.

If you are like me and want to be careful with the food you eat, then this is a great idea for you.  Hummus! Yep....I said hummus.  It's not the old school plain hummus that I am talking about, it is sun dried tomato super flavorful hummus.  I'm  not into blah and boring eating.  It has got to be awesome!

Mild mini peppers are wonderful dipped into hummus. Since I wash and cut up my fresh veggies each week after grocery shopping, they were already prepared and waiting in the fridge.  My husband also likes to use multi-grain tortilla chips for dipping.  I have posted this recipe before, but, made with yogurt instead of Tahini Paste.  Both are quite tasty. Enjoy :)

Sun Dried Tomato Hummus with Tahini

1 15.5 oz can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 tablespoons lemon juice 
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, diced
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Tahini Paste
Salt/pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.  If it seems too thick add more olive oil a teaspoon at a time.