Month: May 2019

Big Little Bites > 2019 > May

Summer Bowtie Pasta

Posted on by biglittlebites

Busy summer days at the pool or park, call for quick and easy family dinners. This pasta dish serves up all the fresh summer flavors in one bowl! Getting out the door and into the pool, with four kids, can be quite the event in itself… so we really are in no rush to get back inside once we “settle in.” Often, we find ourselves swimming well into dinner time, and with the idea of getting four littles into showers and baths, the last thing I want to worry about is what to cook for dinner.

I literally crave the fresh and healthy flavors of basil, olive oil and lemon in the summer, and the bowtie pasta lends a great texture and “chew” to the dish – it’s really perfect. Pasta is low on the food chain as far as nutritional benefits go, so I don’t cook with it often, but the simple carbs and fresh flavor is perfect in this Summer Bowtie Pasta dish.We enjoy this as a meal in itself, or as a side dish to another entree. We all love Summer Bowtie Pasta hot OR cold, which makes it ideal for leftovers too. If you’re growing basil in your garden – bonus points!  I just buy organic fresh basil from the grocer or Amazon Prime. Either way will do, just avoid dried basil in the jar because it won’t taste quite the same for this summery, fresh vegetarian bowtie pasta recipe! * When you click on my favorite product links, I may earn a tiny commission from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Big Little Bites blog*

Pasta Alternatives for Summer Bowtie Pasta

Are you gluten-free, or just trying to choose more nutrient-dense real foods? If you wanted to make this dish more nutritious and gluten-free, you can easily substitute the bowtie noodles with whole grain or alternative pasta options.

My top choices for whole grains that substitute well in Summer Bowtie Pasta are:

When substituting pasta for whole grains, I add more olive and lemon juice to taste. 

farfalle bowtie noodles with fresh basil and sautéed cherry tomatoes and garlic in a pasta bowl with fresh lemon

How to Maximize Flavor

As a last note, I’ll just say that a quality olive oil and salt make a world of a difference! Not all are created equal, and I talk more about why, and how to choose quality, in my recipe post for Black Bean Soup.

My favorite, reasonably priced and safe olive oil is made right here in the United States and I trust the brand based on research, a clear harvest date label on their bottles and their certifications. 

For salt, I only use Redmond Real Salt, and you may have heard me talk about this before. Redmond Real Salt is unprocessed, unrefined, unbleached real salt with 60+ trace minerals that are essential for your optimum health. If you want to give it a try, I talked them into giving me a discount code to share with my followers! Shop Redmond Real Salt (and their other great products!) with code “BLB” for 15% off  your order. 

farfalle bowtie noodles with fresh basil and sautéed cherry tomatoes and garlic in a pasta bowl with fresh lemon
Print Recipe

Summer Bowtie Pasta

A great, fresh tasting pasta recipe that is simple to throw together for a family meal.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Large skillet

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp + 1/8 C olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 c grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 pkg bowtie (farfalle) pasta
  • 2 stems fresh basil, thinly sliced
  • fresh squeezed lemon juice or zest of 1 lemon, optional

Instructions

  • Set a large pot of water over high heat until it boils. Add the package of bowtie noodles and cook according to directions. When you drain the noodles after cooking, reserve 1 tablespoon of the starchy water.
  • Heat a skillet over low for 5 minutes.
  • Add 3 tbsp of olive oil to the skillet, along with sliced garlic. Allow to sizzle for 1 minute.
  • Sprinkle in the salt and tomato halves. Continue to cook, stirring once in a while, until the the tomato halves begin to wilt and slightly change color.
  • Remove the skillet from heat and add the reserved pasta water to the tomato and garlic mixture. Pour drained bowtie noodles into the skillet, along with the remaining 1/8 cup of olive oil. Stir to coat.
  • Empty the contents of the skillet into a pasta serving bowl and add more salt, and some pepper, to taste.

Grilled Chicken Salad

Posted on by biglittlebites

Boy have I got a healthy and delicious summer salad for ya, right here!

Last night, I went to a concert and stayed out until 3am. Waking up at 7am to nurse a baby and get the kids off to swim team practice, was a wake-up call that I AM OLD (and also have no business being at a concert until wee hours)! Haha! Had such a great time with hubs dancing the night away, but needed  to take it easy and focus on recharging today. Grilled Chicken Salad was the perfect light but nourishing, healthy salad for this hot day, and it is hitting the spot!

I have a meal-prep trick I love, and want to share with you! If I know I’m going to be cooking more recipes with chicken in the coming week, I’ll trim, filet and season extra servings to store in the fridge. This way, they are ready to add to another meal when I’m struggling or rushing on a busy day. It makes putting together a healthy meal for my family that much easier and is a great way to avoid resorting to unhealthy “fast” choices. I also use this trick when cooking with meat or tempeh. 

Another thing I love? FLAVOR. The seasoning combo for the chicken that tops Grilled Chicken Salad, is on point. This also works really well on tempeh, just double the spice measurements and add juice from half of a lemon, to ensure lots of flavor.

We are off to a pool day at a friends house, so I’m just quickly throwing todays Grilled Chicken Salad together myself. If you’re not in a rush, make sure to let the kids help! We love these knives the kids can safely use to chop vegetables for the Grilled Chicken Salad or help slice the cooked chicken cutlets. Involving littles in recipe production teaches them about making healthy and nutritious food choices, gives them some power in the kitchen, helps their little hands practice motor skills control and most importantly – they’ll be much more likely to eat what’s being served!

* When you click on my favorite product links, I may earn a tiny commission from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Big Little Bites blog*

organic grilled chicken salad in a wooden bowl with salad spoons and fresh vegetables
organic grilled chicken salad in a wooden bowl with salad spoons and fresh vegetables
Print Recipe

Grilled Chicken Salad

Course: Salad
Cuisine: American

Equipment

  • Cast iron grill pan

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/8 tsp ground turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp smoked sea salt
  • 2 chicken breasts, trimmed and halved lengthwise into cutlets
  • 4 handfuls salad greens
  • 15-20 pea shoots or sprouts, sliced in half horizontally
  • 3 radishes, chopped
  • 1/2 cucumber, peeled and sliced
  • 1 tomato, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped

Simple Dressing

  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 4 tbsp olive oil

Instructions

  • Heat a grill pan (this is the one I use) over medium heat.
  • Mix the oil, spices and salt in a small bowl. Using a silicone basting brush, brush the spice mixture onto the chicken before placing it on the grill pan.
  • Place the cutlets on the hot grill pan and allow to cook for 4 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook for an additional 4 minutes on the other side. Move the cooked cutlets to a platter to cool.
  • Assemble washed and dried greens and vegetables in a large salad bowl.
  • Slice the chicken cutlets and arrange them on top of the greens.
  • Dress the salad simply, with lemon juice and olive oil, or try my favorite homemade vinaigrette recipe.

Easy Provencal Chicken

Posted on by biglittlebites

You know those afternoons where  you have been running around with the kids nonstop, or scrambling to get home from work and are just plain exhausted and done with the day… but you’re not REALLY done, are you?

This is my quick and easy “I forgot to marinate the chicken” recipe, that will fool anyone into thinking you planned way in advance! My kids absolutely LOVE this recipe and I’ve been making it for years, but never actually took the time to measure out my ingredients or write it down… until today!

I can’t wait for you to try this savory, flavor-packed, french-inspired chicken dinner… I’m eating it as I type, and am enjoying it alongside freshly picked, roasted carrots from the garden and our favorite summer pasta recipe. Perfect dinner after a super busy day of end-of-year school parties, grocery shopping, rushing kids back and forth to various age-group swim practice times and Girl Scout troop meetings.

I love how quick this Easy Chicken Provencal entree comes together, without coming off as lazy. The simple addition of herbes de Provence, takes a basic breaded chicken next-level, giving it a worthy spot at your family dinner table. 

What are Herbes de Provence?

Easy Provencal Chicken takes its name from a unique combination of herbs commonly used in the South of France, herbes de Provence. Known as Provence, this region is famous for its gorgeous lavender fields. Herbs such as lavender, rosemary and  thyme grow abundantly here and are used frequently in cooking. The famed Herbes de Provence blend includes savory, thyme, rosemary, lavender, basil and tarragon. 

My mothers parents hail from Provence, and I grew up the beneficiary of insanely delicious provencal recipes. Rustic, fragrant and full of comforting and savory flavors, it’s no wonder that this magical region along the Mediterranean is a haven for foodies!   While this is admittedly not a traditional “French” recipe, it is in fact my favorite, delicious short cut to enjoying the flavorful dishes I grew up with at grandmas house. *When you click on my favorite product links, I may earn a tiny commission from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Big Little Bites blog*

Tips for Making Chicken Crispy

When coating chicken in flour or breadcrumbs, you want to follow a few crucial steps to ensure the end result is a browned, crispy finish.

I only purchase sprouted flour for cooking and baking, due to the health benefits of sprouted foods. I prefer this large bag of sprouted flour, because I love to bake and tend to go through flour quick in this house! 

Start with dry chicken.

Contrary to what some believe, chicken does not need to be rinsed before you cook with it. Simply remove the chicken from the packaging and pat dry with a paper towel.  The process of rinsing chicken first, actually risks introducing bacteria you can’t see to kitchen surfaces. As the water runs over the chicken, it inadvertently splashes on nearby surfaces which may not get sanitized well.

Apply egg wash and crumb coat, and add chicken cutlet to the hot skillet, one at a time. 

As tempting as it is to coat all of your cutlets first and then place them in the skillet, this actually allows time for the crumbs to get soggy. When the crumbs or breading get soggy, they will be too moist and won’t crisp up in the skillet. Dip one cutlet into the egg wash, then dredge it in the flour coating,and immediately place it into a preheated skillet with a tablespoon of oil.

Press the cutlets into the flour coating.

After dipping the chicken into the egg wash, press it into the flour mixture on all sides to ensure the coating sticks well. This technique helps prevent your coating from coming off in the pan as it cooks. 

After cooking, keep the chicken uncovered and serve immediately. 

Covering hot food captures steam. Steam is moisture, and will make your crispy coating mushy. A better idea is to place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet, and place each cooked cutlet onto the wire rack as you cook the remaining cutlets. 

pan seared chicken cutlets seasoned with lavender and thyme on a plate
pan seared chicken cutlets seasoned with lavender and thyme on a plate
Print Recipe

Easy Provencal Chicken

The perfect family meal for a busy weeknight, but delicious enough to serve for a date-night in! Easy Provencal Chicken is flavored simply with a unique herb blend commonly used in the southern region of France known as Provence. Herbes de Provence includes a combination of savory, thyme, rosemary, lavender, basil and tarragon. In combination with flour and cooked in avocado oil in a skillet, you get beautifully browned cutlets full of savory flavor!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Servings: 4
Author: biglittlebites

Equipment

  • cast iron skillet
  • tongs
  • wire cooling rack
  • rimmed baking sheet

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • zest of one lemon
  • juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 1/2 c flour I prefer sprouted flour
  • 4 tsp herbes de Provence
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 4 chicken breasts cut into cutlets
  • 4 tbsp avocado oil, divided

Instructions

  • Heat a cast iron skillet on medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
  • Briefly whisk together the egg and lemon juice, in a shallow bowl or plate large enough to dip chicken cutlets into.
  • In a separate shallow bowl or plate, combine the flour, zest, garlic and herbes de Provence.
  • Using tongs, take one cutlet at a time and dip into the egg mixture. Dredge immediately in the flour mixture and swirl a tablespoon of oil into your preheated skillet. Add the coated chicken cutlet to the hot skillet, before coating the next.
  • Cook each cutlet for 4-5 minutes per side, only flipping once golden brown on the first side. Careful not to let the oil smoke, and don't let the chicken blacken. Add a new tablespoon of oil before cooking more cutlets.  
  • After each cutlet is cooked, remove to a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet or onto a platter. Leave uncovered to maintain crisp while cooking the remaining cutlets.

Best Face Wash

Posted on by biglittlebites

I’ve been washing my face with honey for almost 8 years now. It all started when a friend suggested it to me and I gave it a try! Instantly. Hooked. Here’s why: Honey is everything you’ve wanted in a face wash, packed into one product, straight from nature! After just a few times of washing my face with it, I saw an immediate difference in my skin and I’ve never looked back! Want to know my funny trick for travel? If your hotel is serving tea, or you’re at a coffee place, make sure to grab a packet of honey to use in your hotel room 🙂 Otherwise, when I’m not using honey, my favorite backup cleanser is listed below!

Here are the benefits:

  • Antibacterial – washing your face with honey, will prevent breakouts. If you have a pimple already – sleep on your back, and use honey as an spot treatment to clear it up
  • Anti-inflammatory – reduces redness and swelling from acne, sunburn or other skin irritations and can speed healing
  • Antioxidants for Anti-Aging – these fight the negative effects of free radicals in our environments and Manuka honey in particular, has the highest levels!
  • Moisturizing – honey is a natural humectant, meaning it draws moisture into your skin
  • Natural Glow – the enzymes in honey, work as natural exfoliants

What kind of honey to purchase? Manuka honey is the gold standard, due to its extremely high antioxidant levels, but if that’s out of your budget, you can achieve many of the same benefits with raw honey.

You want to make sure to always choose raw honey, because it will still contain healthy bacteria and antioxidants. I’ve linked some choices below, that you can order right online.

How do I do it? If you’re wearing a lot of makeup, use this makeup remover first. Next, you want to moisten your finger tips with warm water. I keep my raw honey in a tiny glass bowl in my bathroom, and just dip my fingers right into it. I grab about a nickel-sized dollop and start massaging it into my skin. This sounds like it would be a thick, sticky mess but actually the water on your fingertips immediately emulsifies the honey, so it will actually be really slippery. The key, is to not mix it with TOO much water, because even the littlest bit changes it and will make it too slippery to apply to your face. At this point, you can leave it on as a face mask for 20 minutes, or you can splash with water to rinse it off. I do this morning and night.

Results: What makes honey so perfect as a face wash? It’s perfect for all skin types and for all ages! You WILL see results, you will notice your skin glowing and you’ll love licking your lips after 😉 haha! Honey is so effective but yet so gentle, you can use this around your eyes as well. If you’re battling acne, give the honey a week to clear it up. You’ll definitely notice a gradual progression in healing and reduction in redness during that time!


Mychelle Dermaceuticals Fruit Enzyme Cleanser

I began using this cleanser in between or in conjunction with my honey routine, last year, and I’m loving it! I found it by searching the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Skin Deep guide, for the cleanest anti-aging face wash available and was surprised to learn that the Mychelle brand is one of the founders of the EWG’s verification process for helping us understand what is safe to use on our largest organ: our skin! This gentle, yet deep cleanser is great for when you have a ton of makeup on or sunblock and need to really get in deep. In fact, my favorite routine is to exfoliate first, then wash with this fruit enzyme cleanser and then follow with the honey! This cleanser is formulated with Alpha-Hydroxy- Acids (AHA’s) derived from fruits, to remove dead skin cells and promote that healthy glow we are trying to achieve. It is also vegan, made without GMO, gluten, parabens, petroleum, phthalates, silicones, sulfates, ureas, artificial fragrances and artificial colors.

Best Eye Makeup Remover

Posted on by biglittlebites

I scrub my face almost every night, with one of my favorite exfoliators, and while I get super-smooth, clean skin, it doesn’t take care of getting the  eye makeup off.  If you’re wearing eyeliner, eyeshadow and/or mascara, you need something that’s going to break down those makeup particles without irritating your eyes.

What if I told you, the perfect eye makeup remover may already be in your kitchen? If you’re like me, you already have a stash of coconut oil for frying up eggs, cooking popcorn on the stove, coating veggies to roast, using as an oil rub on pans before baking, inside of baking recipes… the list goes on! I’m sure you’ve heard by now, all of the touted benefits to using coconut oil on your skin and hair – but have you tried it to remove that stubborn eye makeup? Coconut oil has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, is moisturizing and contains vitamin E which protects the skin from sun damage and the fatty acids in the oil help break down waxy makeup. Coconut oil is safe to use on the delicate skin around your eyes – simply use a cotton ball or your fingertips, to gently swipe over eye makeup, being careful not to tug on your skin. Wash your face with a gentle cleanser afterwards and follow with your favorite moisturizer.

I don’t love coconut oil as a daily skin moisturizer because it is comedogenic and can clog the pores on your face over time, but have no issues with it around the eye area. I have a couple of favorite facial oils I can’t wait to tell you about in a future Monday Must, so stay tuned!

How to Buy:

Always look for a coconut oil that is raw, unrefined, extra-virgin and preferably organic. Unrefined, means it is the least processed and that all of the nutrients (including those important fatty acids, polyphenols and phytonutrients) are still in tact.

This is one of my favorite, trusted brands:

 

 


woman on bathroom counter holding makeup primer

Best Summer Makeup Primer!

Posted on by biglittlebites

Summertime Makeup Savior!

Have you ever applied your foundation, only to be left looking cakey, greasy, or see it settling into fine lines and pores within an hour? What about a makeup application that melts off your face from being outside in the summer sun? Girls, we all have experienced at least one of these problems!!

Enter my new best friend: Mattifying Primer
woman on bathroom counter holding makeup primer

A Mattifying Primer that Stays Put in Humid Weather

I typically don’t wear foundation and like the idea of allowing our skins natural glow to do most of the work. Going natural, is always the surefire, healthiest way to go. That being said, if there’s a special day or night out, I’m going all out for flawless skin and want the makeup application to last. 

I’d been trying to find a good primer for use in summer weather for years, but wasn’t impressed with what I was seeing on the market. So many of the ingredients are not clean, so I began doing research with standards for healthy living in mind. A good makeup primer for summer weather should help keep makeup in place through sweat and humidity while not clogging your pores or making your makeup look caked on or dry. Humid weather and shiny skin pretty much go hand in hand. Not only is shiny skin in the wrong places not a great look, but it’s basically the perfect surface for makeup to slide right off of! I first tried this primer while traveling in Florida last year and it turned out to be the ultimate product test. I was prepping to attend a 4 hour outdoor event taking place in humid 90 degree weather. The goal? A natural, yet flawless look that would stay put. Mineral Fusion Mattifying Makeup Primer did the job and is now a mainstay in my great-looking skin arsenal! * This post contains affiliate links for products I love and use.  The Big Little Bites blog may earn a small commission from your purchases, at no cost to you. All thoughts and opinions are my own and are unbiased.

While I don’t wear foundation every day, my favorite summer primer has come in handy soooooo many times for both makeup days and no-makeup days. In fact, that’s one of my favorite things about this product – you rub a pea-sized amount between your fingers, glide it over your face and then realize you may not actually need to apply any makeup at all! When you put this clear gel primer on, you’ll notice a reduction in shine right away thanks to Kaolin clay. Once applied, it dries to a soft, matte finish without drying your skin out, and makes your skin so smooth with an airbrushed effect. Basically, it’s magic! You know I’m super cautious about what I put in my body and what goes on it, so I’m excited to share with you that it’s paraben-free, cruelty free, free of artificial colors and hypoallergenic.

Mineral Fusion Mattifying Primer is my favorite summertime primer for controlling shine, but it also delivers antioxidants and a collagen boosting peptide that are anti-aging benefits. I love that this primer is matte, makes my skin feel silky, helps the makeup go on smoothly and keeps my makeup in place. I have been HOOKED ever since! It gives me a blur-effect for photographs and also keeps oily-skin in check. Makeup no longer settles into fine lines, meaning I’m left with a smooth canvas for even makeup application with minimized pores.

Where to Buy the Best Summer Primer

With multiple kids under foot, I gave up only shopping at brick and mortars a while back, and have since declared myself an expert online bargain shopper! The best part of shopping online is that most of the time I end up saving money. There are always deals to be found online, you just have to look. For example, you can buy my fave mattifying primer on Amazon, for $10 less than at Whole Foods! Helloooooo, $10 in your pocket! If you’d rather purchase this product in person, it’s easy to find in the makeup aisle at any Whole Foods store. 

How to Apply Mattifying Makeup Primer

Here’s how I use it:

First, I wash my face with honey, then I use my favorite lactic acid treatment, serums and moisturizer and give them a few minutes to settle in. Next, I pump out a pea-sized amount of Mineral Fusion Mattifying Primer, and rub it between my fingers. I gently pat the gel primer into my skin, concentrating on the T-zone area as well as wherever I see fine lines (crows feet for example). At this point, I either go about my day, or allow the primer to set for a minute before layering foundation on top! I like to use a foundation brush to buff my makeup in, and voila! Skin magic for the day! Here’s another great thing to know – you don’t need oily skin to enjoy this product – it’s great for all ages, because it does’t dry out your skin like the trendy matte foundations do.

woman on bathroom blue counter applying makeup primer