Healthy Old Broad

Healthy Baked Goods Recipes Made Without Gluten and Sugar

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

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While it is the season to party and consume rich fattening food here is a recipe to give you a very healthy food break. Great for a cold winter night meal.

Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

Ingredients

  • 2 sweet chicken sausage (casing removed)
  • 6 chicken thighs cut into bite size pieces (of course you can use breast if you prefer) Salt & Pepper the chicken pieces.
  • 1 large yellow onion – finely chopped
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 1 medium shallot – finely chopped
  • 1 yellow pepper – finely chopped
  • 7 cloves of garlic – finely chopped
  • 2 leeks – cleaned and finely chopped
  • 2 fennel heads – finely chopped
  • 7 Meyer or regular lemons (I like to use Meyer lemons when in season)
  • 1 top of the fennel fronds
  • 1 large sprig of fresh rosemary
  • several sprigs of fresh thyme (tied together with twine)
  • 2 quarts of low sodium vegetable broth (separated) *
  • 1 12oz DeLAllo gluten free orzo
  • 1 5oz bag Power Greens (baby kale, baby chard, baby spinach)
  • 1/2 bag frozen peas
  • olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a dutch oven, add chicken sausage meat and brown. Remove sausage to colander to drain. Add another tablespoon olive oil to dutch oven and add chicken pieces, saute to get color on the chicken, then remove and add to colander.
  2. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to dutch oven, add onion, carrots, pepper, shallots, leeks, salt and pepper and saute for about 5 minutes. Add fennel and cook for 3 to 5 minutes more. Add garlic and cook for another 3 minutes.
  3. Add the juice of the 7 lemons into the dutch oven and then add the peels, the fennel frond, rosemary and thyme and 1 quart of the vegetable broth. Add the chicken and sausage back into the pot, cover and simmer for 1 hour.
  4. Remove the fennel frond, lemon rinds, fresh herb stems.
  5. Add 2 cups of vegetable broth and the orzo, simmer for about 15 minutes (until orzo is tender)
  6. Add the peas and power greens to wilt and the remaining broth from second quart. When greens are wilted your are ready to enjoy. Garnish with the trimmings of the 2nd fennel frond.
  7. *NOTE: you might want to have additional broth on hand as the orzo will drink up more of the broth when the leftover soup is stored in the refrigerator, so when you reheat the leftovers you might want to add additional broth.

Smokey Andouille Pork Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops

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Yes, this is pork on pork but I could not resist Smokey Andoulle Pork Bacon when I say it at Whole Foods here in Hawaii; it was a must try and of course plating it with a salad does make healthy, right?

Since I am in Hawaii I couldn’t think of a better way to change up chicken than to add macadamia nuts to mustard for a coating.

Smokey Andouille Pork Bacon Wrapped Pork Chops

Ingredients:

  • 4- slices of Smokey Andouille Pork Bacon
  • 2 – Boneless Pork Loin Chops
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 bag tiny potatoes
  • 1 lemon – juice and zest.
  • olive oil
  • salad of your choice
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  2. Wrap two slices of bacon around the sides of each chop. Place on wire rack in a roasting pan. Lightly salt and pepper the chops. Bake the wrapped chops for 25 to 30 minutes.
  3. Boil the potatoes on the stove top, drain, place back in pot, add salt and pepper.
  4. Place salad mixture on a plate, add the tiny potatoes, zest of lemon and some lemon juice with a splash of olive oil. Place cooked chop on top and enjoy.

Shabu Shabu Boneless Pork Belly Heirloom Tomato Pasta

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Was walking around Whole Foods in Honolulu and saw the Shabu Shabu Boneless Pork Belly. I had never seen pork belly thinly as thinly sliced as pancetta and just had to buy it. Had already put the heirloom tomatoes in my cart and decided to give them a try together. Let me tell you this was so delicious!

Shabu Shabu Boneless Pork Belly Heirloom Tomato Pasta

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 lb Shabu Shabu Boneless Pork Pork Belly (this is pork belly that is slices very very thin)
  • 3 to 4 medium to large Heirloom tomatoes – cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 package Tinkyada gluten free brown rice pasta spinach spaghetti
  • Kosher Salt
  • Fresh Ground Pepper
  • 3 large garlic cloves – grated
  • salt & pepper to season the chicken pieces
  • 1 package of Thai Basil- chopped
  • Olive Oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (of course if you like food really spicy add more)
  • parmesan cheese – grated
  1. To a bowl add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon of pepper, 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1/2 of the basil and grated garlic. Let sit in the bowl at room temperature for about an hour to marry the flavors.
  2. Add about 1 tablespoon olive oil to a heated pan, add the pork belly and fry for about 5 minutes.
  3. Heat large post of water and cook pasta according to package instructions. Hold 1 cup of pasta water aside when draining pasta.
  4. Add the tomato mixture into the pork belly pan and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add cooked pasta to pan with the cup of pasta water and combine all together. Remove from heat, add remaining thai basil and parmesan cheese and you are ready to eat.

Macadamia Nut Crusted Chicken

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Since I am in Hawaii I couldn’t think of a better way to change up chicken than to add macadamia nuts to mustard for a coating.

Macadamia Nut Crusted Chicken

Ingredients:

  • 6 – chicken thighs (but you can you any chicken part you prefer)
  • 1/2 cup sea salt macadamia nuts – very finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon style course ground mustard
  • 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt & pepper to season the chicken pieces
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken pieces.
  3. Mix the nuts, pepper, paprika, mustard and olive oil in a small bowl and mix well. Place this mixture on top of each chicken piece – coat each piece evenly. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes and then enjoy.
  4. You are ready to enjoy.
Plated with wild brown rice mixed with sautéed onions, asparagus, and mushrooms with a splash of tamari sauce.
Plated with wild brown rice mixed with sautéed onions, asparagus, and mushrooms with a splash of tamari sauce.

Macadamia Nut Cookies

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First weekend in Hawaii and so I just had to bake macadamia nut cookies.

Macadamia Nut Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup Xyla
  • 1 stick unsalted butter – room temp
  • 2 eggs – room temp
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups Pamela’s Gluten Free Flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon xantham gum
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped macadamia nuts
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix the Xyla and butter together, add the eggs and vanilla extract and combine well. In a separate bowl combine gluten free flour, baking powder, salt, xanatham gum and combine. Add the dry mixture to the wet bowl and combine well, then stir in the macadamia nuts.
  3. Place dough on non-stick cookie sheet (or parchment covered sheet) and bake at 350 for 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for about 10 minutes than transfer to cooling rack.
  4. You are ready to enjoy.