MyFitnessPal Tips: Importing recipes is easy!

March 1, 2014 by Wendy S

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In honour of the fact that today is National Peanut Butter Lover’s Day, I thought I would share a yummy recipe and some tips on using MyFitnessPal!

I found a great apple and peanut butter snack recipe that is perfect to share today and fits perfectly into my new healthy eating habits. When I went to myfitnesspal today to enter the recipe, I found that they have added a tool for importing recipes!

New Recipe Importer is easy to use!

When adding your food to your diary, there is now an option under “Recipes” to import from a URL — http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/box (**Update** I have been told that this may not be available to all users yet; it may be something that is being phased in)

Previously, you had to manually enter in all of the information and it would generate the nutritional information about that recipe. You can still do that, but why? The new importer allows you to enter the URL from the site where you found the recipe, it crawls the site for all of the important info needed, allows you to make changes if needed and you’re done!

Copy and paste the URL

Edit the Ingredient list

Add missing ingredients

Save the recipe

You can see the recipe in MyFitnessPal’s database:

Click to see recipe in myfitnesspal!

Now I can log the recipe whenever I have it!

Apple Sandwiches with Honeyed Peanut Butter & Oats

Apple Sandwiches

2014-02-28 09:41:18

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon rolled oats
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsweetened peanut butter
3/4 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon raisins
1 medium apple

Instructions

Combine the oats and cinnamon in a dry skillet over medium heat and toast, stirring occasionally, until the oats are golden. Cool before using.
Mix together the peanut butter and honey.
Core and slice the apple into 6 rounds. (If you don't have an apple corer, you can slice the apple first and then cut out the centers with a small cookie cutter or knife.)
Spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter on 3 of the apple slices and sprinkle with raisins and oats. Top with the remaining apple slices to form sandwiches.

Notes

If you are not eating the apple right away, you can brush it with lemon juice to prevent browning. A solution of 1/4 cup water and 1 tablespoon lemon juice does the trick without tasting too lemony.
For strict gluten-free diets, be sure to use gluten-free oats.

By Emily Ho

Adapted from theKitchn

mapsgirl.ca https://www.mapsgirl.ca/

This post was inspired by the 31 Days of Writing Prompts for March from The SITS Girls!

Comfort food: Chicken & Sweet Potato recipe #ChickenDotCa

January 29, 2014 by Wendy S

I’m a Brand Ambassador!

I’m very excited to be have been selected to be a Chicken Farmers of Canada Brand Ambassador for 2014! The past 2 years have been amazing and now that the Chicken Farmers have teamed up with SJ Consulting the fun will continue!

As in past years, I’ll be sharing everything chicken — chicken recipes, chicken safety information, chicken contests and more chicken! It really is a perfect fit since we eat so much chicken already.

Focus on Health

One of the things that I really love about the Chicken Farmers of Canada is how focused they are on health — health of their chickens and health of their consumers! They have a whole section on their website dedicated to “Health”! The article on “Tips for Making Better Choices” has really helped me since I started on my journey to a better me. Understanding what I’m putting in my body is key to staying healthy!

Finding Healthy Choices

The Chicken Farmers have thought of everything! Since they have so many amazing recipes listed on their site, the “Advanced Search” makes find recipes so easy. You can search by ingredients and you can narrow your search by different types of recipes depending on your nutritional focus: Gluten Free, Diabetic Friendly, High Fibre, Lower Sugar, Lower Carbs, Lower Fat, Lower Sodium, Lower Calories.

Did you know chickens can tweet?

Chicken Farmers of Canada are very active on social media. They share a weekly recipe on Tuesdays and a contest on Wednesday! There will be twitter parties too!

Follow them on twitter — @chickenfarmers

Like them on Facebook — Canadian Chicken

A little something to warm you up — Chicken and Sweet Potatoes

To start the year off right, I’m sharing a healthy, easy chicken recipe that will be loved by everyone!

It’s a short list of ingredients:

2 tablespoons whole-grain or Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 1/2-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch wedges

And in just a few steps, you’ve got a great meal!

Directions:

Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Place a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven to preheat.
Combine mustard, thyme, 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a small bowl; spread the mixture evenly on chicken.
Toss sweet potatoes and onion in a bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and spread the vegetables on it. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables.
Return the pan to the oven and roast, stirring the vegetables once halfway through, until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into a chicken thigh registers 165°F, 30 to 35 minutes.

Roast Chicken & Sweet Potatoes

2014-01-29 18:40:24

Serves 4

Caramelized sweet potatoes and onion are the bed for chicken thighs that cook up fast in a very hot oven—perfect for a quick healthy chicken dinner.

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Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

45 min

Prep Time

15 min

Cook Time

30 min

Total Time

45 min

Ingredients

2 tablespoons whole-grain or Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 1/2-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large onion, cut into 1-inch wedges

Instructions

Position rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 450°F. Place a large rimmed baking sheet in the oven to preheat.
Combine mustard, thyme, 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper in a small bowl; spread the mixture evenly on chicken.
Toss sweet potatoes and onion in a bowl with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Carefully remove the baking sheet from the oven and spread the vegetables on it. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables.
Return the pan to the oven and roast, stirring the vegetables once halfway through, until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into a chicken thigh registers 165°F, 30 to 35 minutes.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 408 calories; 17 g fat ( 4 g sat , 9 g mono ); 86 mg cholesterol; 34 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 27 g protein; 5 g fiber; 554 mg sodium; 636 mg potassium.

By Wendy

mapsgirl.ca https://www.mapsgirl.ca/

Disclosure: I am participating in the Chicken Farmers of Canada campaign managed by SJ Consulting . I received compensation in exchange for my participation in this campaign. The opinions on this blog are my own.

Opening my eyes to new foods: Quinoa Stuffed Peppers Recipe

January 8, 2014 by Wendy S

New me = New recipe!

Since we’re trying to make better food choices and eat more vegetables, I have been continuously looking for fun, yummy recipes.

I’ve always wanted to make stuffed peppers, but most of the recipes call for cheese that gets mixed into the stuffing. Craig is not a fan of cheese (it’s a texture thing) so I’ve avoided making them. And then I found this one! (The cheese is only sprinkled on top, as an option)

This was a step out of my comfort zone as I have never really liked eggplant or zucchini. In order for me to be healthy, I need to eat a variety of food, and that includes trying new things.

It was very easy to make too!

Everyone really enjoyed it!! Next time I’m going to add a bit more tomato sauce, use cherry tomatoes and maybe add some avocado. Craig also suggested substituting the quinoa for brown rice.

Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

2014-01-08 19:03:07

Serves 6

This vegetarian dish is so filling, and I love it because its incredibly versatile. You can add whatever spices and vegetables you like!

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Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

50 min

Prep Time

30 min

Cook Time

50 min

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
2 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 zucchini, diced
1 small eggplant, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 cup tomato sauce
salt and ground black pepper to taste
6 bell peppers, tops cut off and seeded
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, or more to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a deep baking dish with aluminum foil.
Mix quinoa and water together in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until quinoa is tender and water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic until fragrant and slightly translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add zucchini, eggplant, and tomato; cook until slightly tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir tomato sauce into vegetable mixture; cover and simmer until vegetables have softened, about 10 more minutes.
Stir quinoa into vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Fill bell peppers with quinoa-vegetable mixture. Place peppers in prepared baking dish. Cover dish with aluminum foil.
Bake in the preheated oven until bell peppers are slightly tender, about 18 minutes. Remove aluminum foil cover; sprinkle peppers with mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is bubbling and melted, about 5 more minutes.

mapsgirl.ca https://www.mapsgirl.ca/

Yummy chicken appetizers …perfect for holiday entertaining!! @ChickenDotCa #ChickenDotCa #giveaway

December 13, 2013 by Wendy S

In a few weeks, Craig and I will be going to a pot-luck Christmas party. I’m offering to bring an appitizer, and when looking for ideas, I checked out chicken.ca.

As I have blogged about before, the Chicken Farmers of Canada site has a lot of great recipes, cooking tips and entertaining ideas.

When I saw the Chicken Rumaki w/ Maple Syrup Tamari, I knew it would be a hit! Chicken is always a great choice, and when it’s wrapped in bacon, it’s magic!!

( Doesn’t it look so delicious?!? )

Chicken Rumaki w/ Maple Syrup Tamari

Ingredients

12 slices bacon, low-sodium
3/4 lb (0.4 kg) boneless, skinless chicken breast(s), cubed
1 tbsp (15 mL) light tamari sauce
or
1 tbsp (15 mL) low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup
2 tbsp (30 mL) ketchup
1 tbsp (15 mL) chili garlic sauce
1 tsp (5 mL) sesame oil, smoked
1 tbsp (15 mL) sesame seeds, (optional garnish)
2 green onion(s), medium, sliced for garnish

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
Preheat the pan over medium-high heat. Place bacon flat in pan and partially cook by frying for 2 ½ minutes on each side to remove fat and make them pliable. Be careful to not over brown or the bacon will crack when being wrapped around chicken pieces. Place on paper towels to drain and cool.
Cut the chicken breast into cubes about 1 inch (2.5 cm) square to make 24 pieces. Each breast should give about 8 cubes. If there are small ones from the ends they can be combined when wrapped in bacon. Place chicken cubes in baking dish.
Pour light tamari (or soy sauce), maple syrup, ketchup, chili garlic sauce and sesame oil over chicken cubes in the dish. Toss to coat.
Cut the cooled, pre-cooked bacon slices in half. Use a toothpick and pick up a chicken cube. Wrap the bacon around the chicken cubes and secure with the toothpick.
Place back in the marinade in the same dish. Make 23 more rumaki in same manner. When done putting tooth picks through bundles make sure they are seam side down and spread out evenly in the dish. Spoon sauce over to coat.
Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and bacon is nicely browned.
To serve, remove from dish and place on serving platter. Pour any juices from pan over picks. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and finely sliced green onions (optional garnishes). Serve hot or warm.

Are you entertaining this Christmas season? CFC has a great gift pack to make entertaining easy!

Enter to win a CFC Entertainment Pack!

The gift pack contains a CFC apron, bamboo cutting board and oven-mitts.

Entry -Form

Disclosure: I am participating in the Chicken Farmers of Canada campaign by ShesConnected. I received compensation in exchange for my participation in this campaign. The opinions on this blog are my own.