Kale Chips

Oh Wow! Was I surprised by these! They taste like kettle chips but are much, much better for you!

Ingredients
4 cups prepared kale (prepared directions below)
1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
parchment paper
seasonings (I used onion garlic pepper first. Next I am going to use sea salt.)

Directions
-preheat oven to 350 degrees
-place parchment paper on cookie sheet
-Prepare Kale (cut leaves away from rib on a bunch of kale; then cut into 2-3 in chunks of leafy goodness
-Put kale in a bowl. Sprinkle with evoo and seasoning. Toss until covered.
-Put kale on a single layer on the parchment paper
-Put in the oven for 10 minutes.
-Rotate pan from higher rack to lower rack and rotate direction.
-Cook an additional 5 minutes. Then check every minute or two until kale has reached your desired crispiness
-let cool and enjoy
-store in a large zip-top bag

Nutritional information:
This makes about 4 servings. Each serving has about 63 calories, 4 g of fat (mostly from the olive oil), 2.2 g protein, and 1.5 g fiber

Coffee and Spice Steak Rub

I made this a couple weeks ago for my dad, and the whole family loved it! My sister is a self-proclaimed steak-hater, and she admitted that this rub the steak "taste good!" I was surprised how much the coffee and cinnamon came through; it was a delightful surprise!

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp instant coffee grounds (I used the single serving packets)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp all spice
2 tsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Coat your selected meat with olive oil.
Rub each piece of meat with the rub. Make sure all sides get some!

I used the rub on 4 5oz servings. You may need to make more or less rub depending on your serving sizes. Each serving of rub adds about 27 calories, 2.3 g fat, .3 g fiber and .1 g protein to your meat of choice.

Cilantro Lime Rice

If you enjoy the rice in the Chipotle burritos, then this is an excellent side dish for you! It is tasty on its own and complements a variety of meats. I prefer to team it up with grilled meats like chicken and pork. It's fun to play around with marinades that really bring out the lime and cilantro in the rice. This recipe is also a nice way to get in some of your healthy oils.

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cup uncooked white rice
3 cups low-sodium, 99% fat free chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
grated/zest of one lime
juice of one lime (I add more to taste)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro/at least a tbsp dried cilantro (to taste)

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Then add rice and stir to coat.
Add broth and salt. Leave it alone until it boils, then stir it once.
Reduce the heat to med-low (on our stove it is low), cover, and let cook for 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat, and allow it to sit for 10 minutes still covered.
Fluff the rice with a fork and then stir in the zest, juice and cilantro.
Let the rice sit for about 3 minutes to allow the flavors to combine.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
This recipe makes nine half-cup servings. Each serving has about 145 calories, 3.4 g fat, 3.3 g protein, and .5 g fiber. Goes well with grilled chicken, pork, and seafood.