Hi everyone! Welcome to Our Groovy Kitchen!
On our blog you will find recipes of our healthier takes on classic favorites, recipes of our favorite dishes & baking as well as gardening adventures, DIY & kitchen tips.
We are Buddhist minimalists, and so we do our cooking without fancy kitchen equipment showing you you can still make beautiful, colorful & delicious food on your table with the basics.
We're so happy you are here with us!! Thanks for stopping by!
Monday, February 27, 2017

Homemade Chicken Taquitos

Homemade Chicken Taquitos 


These are so much better than the frozen taquitos you buy at the grocery store!!

  Using fresh ingredients helps make them so much healthier too.
We make a good size batch and then freeze them.  So great for those of you who food prep like us!

For this recipe, to make it a little more authentic, we used canola oil.
Any kind of oil of your preference will work, of course.
We bake our taquitos in the oven rather than frying them, but we need the oil to dip
 each taquito in before putting them in the oven.

Let's begin!

Let's start with cooking the chicken.
This is a great recipe to use up leftovers with, which we do often.
But, if you have no leftover chicken to use, cook some chicken and then let it cool.
We baked chicken this time, so we did it with fresh herbs and some EVOO.
Once cooled, chop it finely and set it aside.


Now we prepare the mixture to fill the taquitos.
In a medium size bowl, add your finely chopped chicken, garlic, seasonings, jalapeno, 
refried beans and shredded cheese.  
Mix it all together really well and set it aside.
Now it's time to prep the corn tortillas. 

Using tinfoil, place your stack of corn tortillas in the center and then wrap them up. 
 Place the foil wrapped tortillas in the oven for about 10 minutes and they should be good to go.

♥ Please Note ♥

 Jen has asked that I add that you can also warm them in the 'death box' (microwave).
Without using the foil, just put them on a death box safe plate and give them a zap. 
Yes, yes, I (sylvie) have issues and call it the death box.  
I am afraid of them, won't use them and ours sits unplugged. 
If Jen uses it for herself, I go in another room and hide, lol


Pull out your tortillas once warmed through and now it's time to get them filled.
Spoon about 2  Tbsp of filling into each tortilla and roll them tightly.
Dip your taquito into the canola oil and then place on an ungreased baking pan.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and then flip them, and give them about another 5 minutes, or until browned lightly on both sides.

Simple as that!

Now, here is the recipe in full for you all:

♥♥♥♥♥♥




Homemade Chicken Taquitos 

Serving: 5 servings (2 taquitos)
Calories:
Carbs:  - Fiber: - Net Carbs:
Prep Time:
Cooking Time: 

Ingredients
10 corn tortillas
1/2 cup canola oil
2 cups skinless, boneless chicken breast, shredded
1 - 1/2 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp finely minced garlic
1 tsp finely minced jalapeno pepper
1/2 of a 16oz. can refried beans
1/4 cup shredded cheese

Method
In a medium size bowl, add your finely chopped chicken, garlic, seasonings, jalapeno pepper, 
refried beans and shredded cheese.  Mix it all together really well and set it aside so we can 
now prep the corn tortillas.  

Using tinfoil, place your stack of corn tortillas in the center and then wrap them up.  
Place the foil wrapped tortillas in the oven for about 10 minutes to heat through to help make 
them pliable.  

Pull out your tortillas once warmed through and now it's time to get them filled.  
Spoon 2 Tbsp of filling into each tortilla and roll them tightly (both ends open).
  Dip your taquito into the canola oil quickly, then let it drip and then place on an ungreased 
baking pan.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and then flip them, and give them about another 5 minutes. 
 Or until they are browned lightly on both sides.  
Serve warm.

Notes
• You can use any leftover chicken you have in place of the chicken breasts
• Refrigerate and freeze very well
• Warm the frozen taquito in the oven, about 10 minutes
• You can change seasonings, cheese, meat up for variety

♥♥♥♥♥♥


See how easy it is to make homemade chicken taquitos ? 

So much healthier than any processed taquitos you buy at the grocery store.
 We make a good amount and freeze them for quick meal choices during a busy week.  
We also freeze them in small size freezer bags 2 at a time. 


Thank you all for being here with us everyone.  
We are truly blessed for great friends & family, and love that you follow Our Groovy Kitchen!

Namaste,
Jen & sylvie 






Sylvie's Citrus Quinoa Salad

Sylvie's Citrus Quinoa Salad




This citrus quinoa salad is super simple to make, and a great dish to make if you food prep
 for the week like I do.  It is light, fluffy and a burst of sunshiney flavors that are so delicious and satisfying just as it is.

It has a balanced number of ingredients so you can eat it on it's own.
You can omit the chicken if you are not a meat eater.
Since I monitor my carb intake,  I wanted to add a lot of  protein and vegetables so that a helping 
wasn't an overwhelming amount of net carbs.. 

For those who are low carb...
 you could use less or no quinoa at all and maybe replace the quinoa with riced cauliflower.
I might make a smaller portion though if you tried that as I am unsure how long the riced cauliflower
would stay good with this dressing.

Isn't it pretty and colorful ?
Let's get started.


First , we need to prepare the quinoa according to package directions, then let cool completely.
Also, marinate your skinless, boneless chicken breast, and then sauté it.  Also let it cool.
Now we need to prep our vegetables and supreme our oranges.
♫ Stop! In the name of love.....♫
Wrong Supremes, I know...But tell me you didn't go there too! 

How do you supreme an orange ?
I just learned too (thanks to my honey, Jen!! ♥♥♥) 
I'll did a post right here showing you what I learned!
If I can do it, so can you, hehe..

Click Here: 



Okay, so now our vegetables are prepped, and our oranges are supremed.
Now, let's prepare the dressing in a small dish and get this party started.
Mix together the lime juice, fresh squeezed orange juice, cilantro, honey and olive oil.
Give it a good stir around.

In a big bowl, mix your cooked quinoa, sautéed chicken, red onion, red pepper, spinach, and oranges.
Next, add your dressing and combine it altogether really well.
Yep, the party is already over, quick I know!

The salad tastes even more amazing after it has sat overnight and the flavors combine.

Simple. Simple. Simple.
Delicious! Delicious! Delicious!
Enough said.

Here is the recipe in full for you all!

♥♥♥♥♥♥


Sylvie's Citrus Quinoa Salad

Servings: 6
Calories: 246 calories per serving
Carbs: 36 - Fiber: 5 - Net Carbs: 31
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
Super simple to make, delicious and healthy too!

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, (any variety), prepared & cooled
1 large skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 10 oz), cooked & cooled
2 large oranges, supremed & chopped
3/4 cup spinach, stems off, roughly chopped

2 Tbsp red onion, finely chopped
1/3 of a red pepper, diced
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp organic honey
2 Tbsp orange juice, (use the oranges)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Method
Start by preparing your quinoa and chicken and then letting it cool. Set aside.
Now, supreme your oranges, setting aside 2-3 supremes for the fresh OJ. Chop the rest in half.
Dice and chop your red onion, red pepper and spinach. Set aside.
In a small dish, mix together your olive oil, honey, orange juice, lime juice and cilantro.
In a large bowl, mix your quinoa, chicken, red onion, red pepper, spinach and chopped oranges.
Now, mix in your dressing and toss it all together really well to blend the flavors.


Notes
• Refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to combine really well
• Stays good in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
• Great for food prep for the week


♥♥♥♥♥♥


Thank you so much for being here with us at Our Groovy Kitchen everyone!!
We hope you liked the recipe.
Be sure to let us know if you try it.
You can let us know on our Facebook page, Twitter, via our Email and of course by comment 
here on our blog.

Blessings, love & light,
Jen & sylvie

How to Supreme a Citrus Fruit

How to Supreme a Citrus Fruit



My honey (Jen) taught me this week how to supreme citrus.
Supreming is removing the membrane from the citrus and keeping the fruit sections intact.
So pretty for salads and dishes you make using citrus.

If I can do it, so can you!
So much more simple than you think it is.


Start by cutting each end of the fruit.
We are using an orange as the model of choice, hehe..
We remove about 1/2 an inch from each end, so you can see a good size amount of citrus at the end.



Now, using your knife, start cutting the peel away, small piece at a time.
Try not to remove too much of the fruit in the process.



Once you have the peel and pith removed, you should have a beautiful, colorful orange like this:



Hold the fruit firmly in your hand, and very carefully with a serated knife, 
cut right along the membrane of each section, as close as you can...



You should have a citrus section like this in each.



Once finished with the fruit, if you need fresh orange juice give the leftovers some good squeezes.
It will still give you some fresh juice!

And there you have it, as simple as that.
You have just supremed a citrus.  It gets easier with practice.
I'm learning along with you as these pictures are my second attempt.
We got this everyone!
A big thank you to the love of my life for teaching me yet another wonderful technique.
PS - I scored me a snack demonstrating this, YUM!



♥♥♥♥♥♥


Gratitude for all of you being here with us at Our Groovy Kitchen.
If you have any kitchen techniques you would love to learn, let us know.
Remember, we do this blog with little kitchen appliances to show healthy, fun food can be had 
without fancy kitchen stuff.  Anyone can do these things!

Peace, love & good eats, 
Jen and sylvie


Saturday, February 18, 2017

Sylvie's Salmon Burgers

Sylvie's Salmon Burgers


I make these burgers thick, so they are extremely filling as is.  
They also go well with a nice white sauce over top, however, I eat them most as is.
Believe me, the flavors in this burger make it delicious all on its own.
Also, they are so easy to make.
You simply throw everything together in a bowl, shape them and cook them in a pan
 with a little EVOO.   
Coming up with healthy, delicious foods doesn't always have to be so time consuming.


I bought portioned salmon already cut and cleaned.  
When purchasing salmon, always pay attention to two things.  
1/ The color - it should always be a bright, vibrant color.  It fades as it ages.  
2/ The smell - it shouldn't smell really fishy at all.  Fresh = mild smelling.

To start, you need to cook your salmon and then let it cool.  
It is up to you how you want to cook it.  I usually put mine in the oven with some seasoning 
and olive oil.  You can also boil it or pan fry it.  It doesn't take salmon long to cook at all.  
Put it aside and let it cool completely. 

Once your fish is cooled down, flake it up into a medium sized bowl.   
This is where we are going to add the other ingredients to it.
I add everything except the flax.
Just add the flaxseed in bits in case you don't need it all.
You want to easily shape the burger is all, so it doesn't fall apart.  


Now it is time to shape your burgers.  I use my hands and make four good sized burgers
 with the mixture.  


Place them into the pan with some extra virgin olive oil and cook them on 
medium heat until brown on each side.  Remember, your salmon is already cooked so we're just 
browning them and heating them through.  

These are delicious with a salad on the side, sautéed vegetables and/or brown rice.  
Be creative with them, changing up some ingredients.  Try them with a nice lemon sauce or 
eat them just as they are like I do.   
They are sure to be delicious any way you try them.

Here is the recipe in full showing the ingredients and very simple instructions:

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Sylvie's Salmon  Burgers

Servings: 4 burgers total
Calories: 204 calories per burger
Carbs: 5.5 - Fiber: 4 - Net Carbs: 1.5 
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
Super simple to make, delicious and healthy too!

Ingredients
2 salmon filets, cooked, cooled & flaked (about 5-6 oz each)
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/4 cup celery (about 1 stalk), diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 
1 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp sea salt
1-1/2 tsp italian seasoning
2 large eggs 
1/4 cup ground flaxseed 
1-1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method 
Flake your cooled off salmon into a bowl.  
Add your red onion, celery, parsley, seasonings and eggs and stir it around really good.  
Now add your flaxseed, half at a time to figure out if you need it all or not.  
I find the quality of the fish depends on just how much you need.  
You basically want to tighten it up enough to shape burgers so they stay intact. 
It makes the burgers easier to handle.

Now shape your burgers with your hands and place them in the pan with the extra virgin 
olive oil.  Cook them on medium heat until brown on both sides and heated through evenly.  
You can serve with a nice lemon sauce or eat them as is like I do.  

Notes
Salmon burgers freeze very well
Thaw and warm in the oven until heated through
Stays well in the refrigerator 2-3 days

♥♥♥♥♥♥



Thank you again for following our blog.  Expressing gratitude for you all everyday.
You can make suggestions, ask questions or comment by leaving a comment here on our blog,
or via Facebook, Twitter and/or via email at ourgroovykitchen@gmail.com.

Peace and Love, 

Jen & Sylvie


Thursday, January 19, 2017

Bria's Favorite Chicken Tenders ♥


Bria's Fave Chicken Tenders




Super easy recipe that we make often!!
   So much healthier than the bought, frozen grocery store versions or the deep fried versions.
  Excellent recipe for those of you with young, fussy children too, they will love these.
We have a daughter who was a fussy eater, and it's something even she loves too!
(That would be Bria!) 
Frozen, store bought tenders are such a waste
of money, not to mention so many artificial ingredients too.

Start with two nice sized skinless, boneless chicken breasts.


Using a knife, cut your breasts into tender sized pieces.
We cut ours lengthwise to get some nice lengthy tenders.
It really doesn't matter the shape of them, as we will be flattening them out during the process,
so they will take shape then.




We use whole wheat italian breadcrumbs, however, you can healthy them up more by using
almond or brown rice flour in place of the breadcrumbs.
It will change the texture of your coating, but they will taste just as delicious!
Also, you can experiment with herbs and flavors like we do.
Sometimes sylvie does hers with cajun seasoning  because she likes the heat.
We have also added some garlic which is equally yummy.
Jen is not a big fan of heat, so today we are using fresh herbs and grated parmesan cheese.

Yum!

You will need three separate small dishes.
Bowl 1: Flour, salt and pepper.
Bowl 2: Eggs & milk whisked together.
Bowl 3: Breadcrumbs, fresh herbs/seasonings & fresh grated parmesan cheese.

(Jen modeling her hand while pounding the chicken with her knuckles in the crumb mixture)




To begin, each tender will be coated in the flour mixture, shaking the excess off.
Next, dip it into the egg and milk mixture ensuring it is well coated.
Now, put the tender into the third bowl, and using your knuckles work on flattening
the tender while coating it well.
This makes the tender look more uniform and of course larger.
You also get more out of your two breasts this way too.
Helps trick the mind into thinking that anyway!

It is up to you if you want to bake or fry them stovetop, we have done both.
 But tonight we are doing ours stovetop.
No matter which method you use, we like extra virgin olive oil.
If doing in the oven, make sure the olive oil is used on the pan and then drizzled some over top of the
 breaded tenders also.  Turn them once halfway through baking.

Stovetop, however, add your olive oil to the pan.
Don't be afraid of using it, the more you have the better your tenders will brown.
You can put them on paper towel once they're finished to soak up some grease before eating.
They're very simple to make - and you will feel like it's treat night without guilt.

Here is the recipe in full for you all!

♥♥♥♥♥♥


Bria's Favorite Chicken Tenders

Servings: 12 (or more depending on size of breasts)
Calories: depends on oil used
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes (stovetop), 25 minutes (oven)
No matter what age you are, you're going to love them!

Ingredients
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
extra virgin olive oil (depends on size of pan, see method below)
1-1/2 to 2 cups italian seasoned breadcrumbs 
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese 
1-1/2 Tbsp fresh or dried herbs
2 eggs
3/4 cup almond milk (any milk will do, or 1/2 and 1/2)
1-1/2 to 2 cups flour (whole wheat, almond or brown rice all work) - use what you use!
Salt & pepper, to taste

Method 
Cut your skinless, boneless chicken breasts into tenders.  Prepare three small dishes or plates.  In one,
 add the flour, salt and pepper so that we season on every level.  In the second dish, add the milk and
 eggs.  In your third dish add your breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, fresh herbs and any other 
seasonings. 
Each tender will then be rolled in the flour mixture, then shake the excess off.  Dip it into the egg and 
milk mixture ensuring it is well coated, then rolled in the coating mixture (breadcrumbs, parmesan, herbs/seasonings).  
Stovetop Method: Fry your tenders in 3 Tbsp olive oil to start in a large pan, turning them once and 
adding a bit more olive oil (another Tbsp or 2).  Brown on both sides on medium heat until cooked 
through.
Oven Method: Greased baking pan (we added 3-4 Tbsp because we used a really big pan), add your 
tenders and drizzle some olive oil over top of each tender, then bake at 350° turning once until
 browned on both sides and cooked through.  About 20 minutes total.

Notes 
  If you use a smaller pan and cook in batches you will need less olive oil at a time.
Freeze well so great for food prep.  Nice to have on hand for a quick protein fix too.
Also wonderful in wraps and salads.


♥♥♥♥♥♥


Very simple recipe, and remember you can change up the seasonings, crumbs etc to get a different
dish every time.  They also feel indulgent, and far healthier than any tender that is store bought.

As with any of our recipes, if you give these a try please do let us know how you like them.
You can message us here on our blog, via our email or on our social media.
We will always get back to you as soon as we can!

Blessings & gratitude,
Jen & sylvie



Chicken Meatloaf ♥

Chicken Meatloaf 



Like Oprah loves bread, we love chicken!
Often meatloaf is made using ground beef, however, since we are poultry lovers we wanted to make
 one using ground chicken instead.

Well, it turned out beautifully, so we wanted to share it with you all.

It has such a lovely texture, and we did our best to healthy it up too.  Instead of using ketchup we 
used tomato sauce (which would be even healthier if you whip up a homemade tomato sauce using 
fresh tomatoes and herbs!) - but today, we used a can of tomato sauce and pimped it up Groovy 

Kitchen style by adding fresh herbs and seasonings into the tomato sauce to boost the flavor.

Unsure how to make your own tomato sauce ? Super simple, we will get one up for you soon!

Let's make meatloaf!

First, start by adding all of the ingredients into a bowl except the tomato sauce and bacon.
Using your hands, mix it altogether really well. 


In an ungreased loaf or baking pan of choice, transfer the meat to the pan and form a loaf.
(This is where you would lay the 3 slices of bacon over top of the loaf if using it)
We opted not to use the bacon this time to healthy it up a bit more.
Put the loaf into the oven at 350° for 25 minutes.



We added some fresh herbs to the sauce to flavor it up more.
We usually make our own sauce, however we took the quick route for picture day.
(Go figure!)
Now it's time to take the meatloaf out and pour the tomato sauce over top.
Pop it back into the oven and check it every 5 minutes until it's finished.
We kept ours in another 20 minutes.



This recipe is ridiculously easy.

We are giving you the recipe with bacon, however we opted not to use the bacon this time to make it a little healthier.  




Here is the recipe in full for you all:

♥♥♥♥♥♥





Chicken Meatloaf 

Servings: 5 (2 slices per serving)
Calories:
302 calories with bacon, 278 calories without
Prep Time:
5 minutes
Cook Time:
40-45 minutes
Packed with LOTS of flavor and a wonderful texture too!



Ingredients

2 lbs ground chicken
1 stalk celery, diced 
1 egg 
1/2 medium onion, diced
Sea salt & black pepper, to taste
3/4 - 1 cup whole wheat italian breadcrumbs
1-1/2 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 slices of bacon
1/2 can tomato sauce



Method

Add the first 9 ingredients into a large bowl (not the bacon or the tomato sauce) and mix really 
well.  Once combined, transfer to an ungreased loaf pan, and then lay the 3 strips of bacon over
 top.  Put in a 350° oven for 25 minutes, then pull out your meatloaf and pour the tomato sauce 
with herbs mixed in over top of it all and return it to the oven, checking it every 5 minutes. 
 With our oven,  the meatloaf was ready in another 15-20 minutes total.

Slice & serve!

Notes: 
You can substitute the ground chicken for ground beef.
Freezes well.  Recipe doubles well also.

♥♥♥♥♥♥



The Chicken Meatloaf was a big hit, even Jen ate it despite hating the texture of meatloaf generally.  We will definitely be making this one again and often !!

Much love & gratitude to each of you for being here with us on our cooking journey.  
We are so happy to be back at this again - and we appreciate you all, so much.

Namaste, 
Jen & sylvie


Monday, January 16, 2017

Mango Salsa ♥


Mango Salsa


This is the perfect recipe to top fish, salad or any Mexican type dish. 
It also makes the perfect blend of sweet and spicy to eat as is for a snack, to top eggs at breakfast as
 well as chicken. The beautiful colors make any dish super beautiful &  fun and it’s super easy to toss
 up together on a last minute whim when you have the ingredients on hand.

It is light and tangy with a great side of zing!

You can prepare and use it immediately, but can be refrigerated for 2-3 days. 
Just give it a stir before using it.

Let's get started!

♥♥♥♥♥♥

Let’s begin by preparing all of the ingredients.
Peel your mango, or cut it in half and then run your knife through it cubing it within the skin and 
scoop it all out into a medium size bowl. Chop your tomato, red onion, jalapeno, cilantro and red or
 green pepper. When chopping your jalapeno, remember that the seeds give more heat. So if you add
 the seeds to your salsa, or half of the seeds, expect it to be much spicier.

In the summer, we use jalapenos straight from our garden. 
It’s always super exciting to us to pick something out of our garden.
We are new gardeners and have so much fun figuring it all out and seeing what pops up!
You can also roast your jalapeno to give your mango salsa some added flavor. 
We chose not to this time but have in the past by roasting it right on the burner of the stove.  

Note: The roasting only happens when Jen is home.
sylvie waits around the corner in case there are flames!!
hehehe

Here is the recipe in full for you all:

♥♥♥♥♥♥


Mango Salsa

Servings: 4
Calories: 65 calories
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Super colorful, pretty and really delicious!!

Ingredients
1 full mango, peeled and chopped in small cubes
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped and seeded
1 medium sized tomato (any kind), chopped
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/2 medium red or green pepper (we used green), diced
2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped well
1 fresh lime or 1/2 lemon (for the juice)

Method

Mix all of your chopped ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Cut your lime or lemon in half 
and squeeze the juice into the mixture. If using the lime, you may need to use the juice of a whole
 lime depending on the size of it. If you are using a good sized lemon, half may be enough. Give it a 
good stir around, and taste it. 
Now taste it again, because it's yummy! 

Storage
You can easily double this recipe.
Refrigerates well for 2-3 days. Give it a stir before using to re-blend the juice.
Cover your salsa with plastic wrap if using soon or in a sealed container to store and refrigerate it.
Delicious on top of fish, fish tacos, any mexican dish, over salad or eaten alone. Be creative!



♥♥♥♥♥♥

Here is a picture of lunch today, codfish with the mango salsa and salad on the side!


Mango salsa is and can be a wonderful addition to so many dishes.  
Do let us know if you give the recipe a try.  We love all feedback, suggestions and questions.  
We will get to them all as soon as we can whether via email, here on our blog or via social media.

Thank you for being here and for the support everyone!
We’re really grateful for you all!

Namaste,
Jen & Sylvie