Recipe for Mark Bittman's Ginger Chicken with Mushrooms and Thai Flavors

Mark Bittman's Ginger Chicken is a dish that's easy, delicious, and healthy!

(Updated with step-by-step photos and better instructions, February 2013.)  I'm pretty sure I don't have the mental discipline to be one of those bloggers who cook their way through an entire recipe book, but back in 2005 I did cook a number of dishes from The Best Recipes in the World, where famous minimalist cook Mark Bittman shared the best recipes from 44 different countries. The book has international dishes that are fun to try cooking at home, and Bittman's non-fussy style gives lots of possible substitutions for home cooks who don't have a huge assortment of ethnic ingredients.  This Ginger Chicken from Thailand was a recipe I made and enjoyed from that book.

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Vegetarian Greek Lentil Casserole Recipe with Bell Peppers and Feta

An easy and delicious vegetarian casserole of baked lentils with tomatoes, peppers, and Feta.

A few weeks ago my friend Bonnie sent me the link for this recipe and told me how much she and her husband had enjoyed it.  The recipe had two of my favorite ingredients (lentils and cheese!) so of course I was game to try it.  Then Jake and I experimented with it a couple of times, and the recipe morphed into this Vegetarian Greek Lentil Casserole with Bell Peppers and Feta.   We made some changes just to give the recipe more Greek flavors (which did work beautifully with the lentils) but we also baked the lentils for a while before adding the tomatoes, which helped them to get perfectly done and helped let the other ingredients really shine.

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Recipe for Cannellini Bean and Sausage Stew with Tomatoes and Basil

Cannellini beans, sausage, tomatoes, and fresh basil (or pesto) to finish the stew.

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites, and this delicious stew with cannellini beans, sausage, tomatoes, and fresh basil or pesto added at the end is a delicious winter meal that I first posted in January 2009.)

I can get fixated on soup in the winter, but let me make it clear that this phase-one recipe with cannellini beans, chicken sausage, tomatoes, and basil is definitely a stew and not a soup. This simple rustic dish was amazingly addictive.  It's also a recipe that's very flexible, so if you don't have exactly the ingredients I used, experiment with what you have. Cannellinis are white kidney beans, and I've been infatuated with them ever since I got the recipe for Cannellini Beans in Mint Marinade, but you can make this with any type of dried white beans, or even canned beans if you prefer.

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Recipe for Ground Turkey and Barley Soup with Mushrooms and Spinach

If you enjoy barley in soup, you'll love this soup with ground turkey, barley, mushrooms, and spinach!

I'm on a quest to prove that ground turkey doesn't have to be boring, and this comforting and flavorful soup was the latest recipe where I experimented with lean ground turkey as an ingredient.  The soup also has lots of brown Crimini mushrooms and chopped spinach, two ingredients I really like with barley.  The final ingredient that helps the ground turkey to shine is mushroom stock, which I made using Better than Bouillon Mushroom Base.  (Another brand I love is Telma Mushroom Cubes, but lately I can't find those in my stores.)  If you don't want to buy mushroom base, you can still make this using all vegetable stock, but bumping up the mushroom flavor makes a big difference.  Jake and I both loved this definitely-not-boring ground turkey soup, and I shared the leftovers with my friend Robin, who also gave it two thumbs up.

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Kalyn's Kitchen Picks: Kirkland Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

My favorite olive oil for just about everything.

There's no question that this Kirkland Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Costco is long overdue for being chosen as one of my picks for ingredients I buy over and over and happily recommend to the readers of Kalyn's Kitchen.  Olive oil snobs may turn up their nose at the idea of buying olive oil from a big-box store like Costco, (and I can appreciate an expensive imported olive oil as much as the next food obsessed person), but for nearly everything I cook that uses olive oil, I'm thrilled with the flavor of this oil.  And at a little over $10.00 for one-and-a-half liters of olive oil this is definitely a bargain.  Even if you use olive oil often like I do, this bottle will last for a long time.

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Fattoush-Inspired Chopped Salad with Tahini-Buttermilk Dressing, Chickpeas, Sumac, and Pine Nuts

A chopped salad with many of the flavors found in Fattoush.

A few years ago a reader sent me her recipe for Fattoush, and I was smitten at first bite with the traditional Lebanese salad that includes romaine lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, mint, parsley, toasted pita chips, and lemon-sumac vinaigrette.  Since then I've become a huge fan of London chef and cookbook author Ottolenghi.  I have all his cookbooks, and in the most recent book, Jerusalem, I was intrigued by a recipe for Fattoush with buttermilk in the dressing.  I love buttermilk in just about anything, and Ottolenghi's dressing inspired me to combine it with olive oil,  lemon, garlic, Tahini, dried mint, and Sumac to make the dressing for this Fattoush-Inspired Chopped Salad.  I experimented with the dressing ingredients for a couple of weeks to get it just right, and Jake and I loved the flavor combinations in this salad   Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

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Slow Cooker from Scratch Celebrates a Year of Slow Cooker Food!

A Year of drool-worthy recipes from Slow Cooker from Scratch, and many are South Beach Diet Friendly!

A year ago I started my second blog, Slow Cooker from Scratch, and what a year of slow cooker deliciousness it's been!  I was a pretty committed slow cooker user even before I started this new site, but this blog spotlighting slow cooker recipes that use from-scratch ingredients has really opened my eyes to the variety of things that can be made in the slow cooker.  Slow Cooker from Scratch is what's called a "curated" blog, which means I don't cook and photograph all the recipes myself, but they are carefully selected by me.  And since I'm focused on recipes that are South Beach Diet friendly, it's no surprise that many of the recipes I'm choosing to highlight on the new blog are things that might appeal to readers from Kalyn's Kitchen.

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Red Cabbage and Chicken Asian Salad Recipe with Tangy Cilantro Dressing

An amazingly-delicious salad that's a real treat for Phase One!

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites.   This salad is a recipe where I subbed sugar snap peas for carrots to make it Phase One, and it's something I could eat over and over.  If you're not a cilantro fan, I'd just use more green onion.)

I'm always a fan of cruciferous vegetables, so when I saw a recipe in Cooking New American with red cabbage, chicken, and cilantro, of course I wanted to try it. I love the flavor and crunch of red cabbage, and when I'm making a lettuce salad for lunch, it's one of the first things I'll add. In this salad red cabbage was the main ingredient, and I realized too late it would have been nice to use my beloved mandoline to get the cabbage a bit thinner, but even with slightly thicker cabbage, you can tell I loved this flavor combination:

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Recipe for Baked Eggs with Mushrooms and Parmesan

A simple-but-delicious recipe for baked eggs with mushrooms and Parmesan!

I've been a seriously bad blogger this year when it comes to ideas for Valentine's Day (although there are lots of ideas on my Pinterest board for Low-Sugar Valentine's Day Treats if you're looking for desserts.)  But if your Valentine likes mushrooms, maybe I can redeem myself a little with this super-easy and tasty idea for Baked Eggs with Mushrooms and Parmesan.  When we tested this recipe Jake and I both agreed it would make a lovely Valentine's Day breakfast, and it's even easy enough to make in the morning before work!

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Indian-Spiced Slow Cooker Red Lentil Soup Recipe with Spinach and Coconut Milk (Vegan, Gluten-Free)

We swooned over this Indian-Spiced Slow Cooker Red Lentil Soup with Spinach and Coconut Milk

I know some of you are going to take one look at the title of this recipe and veto it because you think the Indian spices, the red lentils, or the spinach is just not going to appeal to you.   But that would be truly sad, because the entire time we were making this easy slow cooker soup, Jake and I just couldn't stop tasting it and remarking on how good it was!  Admittedly Jake is an Indian food lover, and I'm a fanatic for red lentils, but still we're pretty picky about what we consider to be "blog-worthy" and this delicious soup more than made the cut.  If you're not vegan you might like it with a dollop of fat-free Greek Yogurt, and I loved it with a generous squeeze of lime.

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Recipe for Greek Yogurt Dessert with Hazelnut Agave and Shaved Dark Chocolate

Greek Yogurt with Hazelnut Agave Nectar and Shaved Dark Chocolate is a very diet-friendly dessert idea that any chocolate lover would enjoy!

(For Friday Favorites I spotlight recipes from the past that you might have missed, and for anyone who might be planning a diet-friendly Valentine's Day Dinner, this Greek Yogurt Dessert with Hazelnut Agave Nectar and Shaved Dark Chocolate that I first made in 2009 would be perfect.  Best of all, it couldn't be easier.)

Valentine's Day is coming up, and no doubt some of you are planning a romantic dinner and maybe looking for low-glycemic dessert ideas. I recently posted Flourless and (almost) Sugar Free Cookies with Peanut Butter and Chocolate, and they'd be great for a casual Valentine's day treat. But if you'd like a more sophisticated dessert option, I highly recommend this combination of Greek Yogurt, Hazelnut Agave Nectar, and shaved dark chocolate. I tested this the last two nights (in the name of blog research) and all I can say is wow!

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Recipe for Ground Turkey Green Chile Soft Tacos with Black Bean Cilantro Salsa

Perfectly-seasoned ground turkey taco meat, black bean and cilantro salsa, and softened tortillas combine to make delicious  healthy tacos the whole family will enjoy.

Usually by the time a recipe shows up on the blog I've made it two or three times to get the seasonings just right, so when these ground turkey tacos made it on the first try from an idea that popped into my mind as I was falling asleep to a delicious healthy ground turkey taco recipe, I was quite excited.  It did involve some brainstorming at the grocery store with Jake, and a little experimenting with the seasonings while we were simmering the ground turkey mixture, but these tacos were so delicious that I can't wait to eat leftovers for lunch today.  And let's face it, ground turkey can definitely be a bit boring, but I promise you there is nothing remotely boring about the perfectly-seasoned ground turkey in this recipe.  In fact, I'm guessing that if you try it, this might become your new favorite recipe for tacos!

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Kalyn's Kitchen Picks: Sabatinos Smoked Mozzarella Chicken Sausage with Artichokes and Garlic

These delicious chicken sausages are low-sugar, gluten-free, nitrite-free and relatively low in fat.

Sometime in December I bought my first package of these Sabatinos Smoked Mozzarella Chicken Sausage with Artichokes and Garlic at Costco, and frankly I was amazed that a sausage product that's relatively low-fat, low-sugar, gluten-free, and nitrite-free could be so drop dead delicious.  Right away I started to think of recipe ideas using these tasty sausages, and I couldn't wait until January's Month of Daily Phase One Recipes was over so I could feature them for Kalyn's Kitchen Picks, the blog feature where I rave about products I love so much I buy them over and over.  I could not find a website for Sabatinos, but  I did find the nutritional information and they do have a Facebook page if you're looking for a store near you that carries them. 

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Slow Cooker (or Stovetop) Vegetarian Black Bean and Rice Soup with Lime and Cilantro

I've made this Slow Cooker Black Bean and Rice Soup many times for parties!

(Updated February 2013 with better photos and instructions.)  I first made this recipe when black beans had been on my mind, and this recipe was one of those intuitive ones that swirled around in my brain for a few days and then suddenly I found myself in the kitchen making it. This has happened to me for years, but luckily when I started blogging I learned to write the recipes down.   The soup was flavorful and delicious, with earthy beans, sour lime juice and spicy cilantro all combined in a healthy soup without a drop of fat, salt, or gluten, and although I used chicken stock, it could have easily been vegan if you used vegetable stock.  This may be one of the healthiest recipes I've ever channeled and it's such a perfect Meatless Monday soup that I decided this recipe deserved better photos!

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South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes Round-Up from January 2013 (Low-Glycemic Recipes)

My Favorite Phase One Recipes from January included Spicy Turkey Lettuce Wraps, Slow Cooker Salsa Chicken, Spicy Mexican Casserole with Ground Beef and Black Beans, and Shrimp Salad Cabbage Cups.

It's February!  And if you were following along with January's Month of Daily Phase One Recipes, you can imagine how this round-up is going to be jam-packed with great Phase One recipe ideas.  A lot of my favorite healthy food blogs were featuring lighter fare during January as well, so I'm hoping everyone reading this will discover at least a few new amazing recipes you can work into your dinner rotation.  (You can use the label Low-Glycemic Recipe Round-Ups to see all the posts like this one.)

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