Honey and Almond Baked Pears

Here's a super easy option for any time of day. It's a great healthy dessert or a warm hearty fall breakfast. And guess what? No sugar, no butter, no oil - so you can snack guilt-free.

Ingredients:
1 pear (Pick a ripe pear, but can be any one you prefer)
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup almonds (roughly chopped)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°.
De-core and de-seed the pear.
Drizzle a little honey, sprinkle some ground cinnamon, and add almonds to the center where you remove the core.
Bake for about 30-45 minutes til pear has fully softened.

Try it by itself or pair it with Greek yogurt. Half a pear with the yogurt was very filling, since pears are very full of fiber.

Chicken and Shrimp Jambalaya

Jambalaya is a Louisiana Creole dish of Spanish and French influence.  Jambalaya is traditionally made in three parts, with meat and vegetables, and is completed by adding stock and rice. Very simple, but such a  delicious dish. I've added a bit of Indian fusion to this recipe by adding some Indian spices.

PREP TIME
20 mins
COOK TIME
1 hour
TOTAL TIME
1 hour 20 mins

Serves: 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp butter
1 onions, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (I used red)
2 stalks celery, diced
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut in small pieces (chicken breast works as well)
2 tbsp ginger/garlic paste
½ tbsp dried oregano
2 large dried bay leaves
1 tbsp crushed red pepper
2 cups basil marinara sauce (I used Ragu)
2 cups chicken stock or water
1 cups long grain white rice 
1 lb peeled, deveined large shrimp 
2 tbsp karahi masala (Shan)

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp garam masala

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a large skilled or pot, heat the olive oil and saute the onion for 3 minutes until transparent. Add bell pepper, celery and chicken and all the spices and cook on medium high heat for 5 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink. You aren't cooking the chicken entirely at this stage.

Add the marinara sauce, chicken stock/or water and rice and stir. Cook until it comes to a boil and reduce the stove to a simmer. Cook until the rice is fully cooked and the water has evaporated. (Takes about 45 minutes or so)

In the meantime, clean the shrimp and cook the shrimp in the butter with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook it for about a minute on each side, until it's pink and a bit crisp. I cut the shrimp in half, but you can use whole shrimp if you'd like. 

Add the shrimp to the pot when the rice is fully cooked and stir. Serve warm. 

Pineapple Chicken Stir Fry

INGREDIENTS:

1. 1/4 cup reduced-salt soy sauce

2. 2 tbsp vinegar 

3. 1 tspn grated ginger root  

4. 2 crushed garlic cloves 

5. 1 tbsp cornstarch 

6. 1 tbsp ketchup

7. 2 tbsp Siracha sauce

8. 1 tbsp sugar

9. 2 tbsp oil

10. 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken, cut in thin slices 

11. 6 large green onions, cut in 1-inch pieces

12. 2 cups fresh or frozen pepper strips 

13. 1/2 cup mushrooms sliced

14. 1 pineapple cut into chunks (or a can of pineapple chunks)

DIRECTIONS:

Combine first eight ingredients; stir well.

Heat oil in a large skillet and stir-fry chicken until brown and done, about 5 minutes. Remove.

Add mushrooms and pineapple and cook this for about 15 minutes. Add the sauce you mixed earlier and the green onions, bell peppers, and cooked chicken to the skillet; heat through.