Happiness Come From Health: Madeworthy’s Fresh Family Recipes

The current issue of Madeworthy is all about getting and staying healthy. With that in mind, we gathered some delicious, easy, and healthy recipes to add to your culinary repertoire.

Kasey Benavides is a functional nutritionist who helps her clients rehabilitate their relationships with food and heal and balance their bodies. Deb Cantrell, founder of Savor Culinary Services, is a personal chef who has been creating healthy meals for clients who understand that food is medicine for over 20 years.

Italian Chicken with White Beans

This delicious dish is an easy weeknight dinner and is one of Savor Culinary Services’ most popular recipes.

Ingredients

1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken halves
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup dry white wine or extra broth
1 ½ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 15- or 19-ounce can white kidney (cannellini) beans, rinsed and drained
Garnish: grated parmesan cheese

Directions

In a slow cooker, combine the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Add the chicken halves and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, chicken broth, wine (if using), and Italian seasoning. Pour the mixture over the vegetables and chicken in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or on high for 3 to 3 ½ hours.

Cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 7 hours or on high heat for 3 to 3 ½ hours.

Remove the cover, turn off the slow cooker, and stir the beans into the mixture. Replace the cover and allow to stand for 10 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken and vegetables from a serving dish. To serve, divide the chicken into 8 servings. Drizzle the chicken and vegetables with enough liquid from the slow cooker to moisten, and sprinkle each serving with parmesan cheese.

Serves 8

Nourishing Tahini Bowls

Bowls have been popular since the early 2010s and are a great way to feed a family of particular eaters. Kasey Benavides says this recipe is a favorite in her house. [Editor’s note: It’s also become a favorite in our house.]

Ingredients

For the bowl

1 bunch kale, washed and torn into small pieces
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved if you like
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 large sweet potato, diced [Editor’s note: I don’t peel the sweet potato to keep more nutrients.]
½ can chickpeas, drained
1 rotisserie or roasted chicken, skinned and shredded
1 avocado, sliced or diced
2 to 3 teaspoons sesame seeds for topping

For the dressing

½ cup tahini
1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon honey
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Water to thin, if needed

Directions

For the dressing

Add all the dressing ingredients except the water to a bowl and whisk together. Add water to thin if the tahini is thick. Allow the dressing to sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

For the bowl

Preheat the oven to 425°.

Toss the broccoli and sweet potato with seasoning. Kasey likes using garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder. Spread the vegetables out on a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the broccoli is browning on the florets and the sweet potato is cooked. Stir occasionally to keep from sticking.

While the broccoli and sweet potato are roasting, dry the chickpeas with a paper towel or a clean kitchen towel. Spread the dried chickpeas on a baking sheet and roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until the chickpeas are dry and crispy. Toss the warm chickpeas with seasoning. You can use the same seasoning Kasey recommends for the vegetables.

Place the kale in a bowl and add about half of the dressing. Massage the leaves until they are slightly wilted.

To assemble the bowls, place the warm vegetables on the kale. Add some chicken, tomatoes, avocado, and chickpeas. Drizzle with a bit more dressing. Serves 4.

Red Wine Poached Pears

This is an old-fashioned recipe that is due for a renaissance. It’s simple and healthy, and your guests will swear you spend ages making dessert.

Ingredients

4 Bosc pears (you can use Anjou, too, but DO NOT use Barlett)
3 cups cabernet sauvignon or syrah
1 large navel or cara cara orange, sliced
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise pods
1/3 cup honey
To serve: Greek yogurt and a little more honey for drizzling

Directions

Combine the wine, sliced orange, cinnamon sticks, star anise pods, and honey in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. While the wine is coming up to temperature, peel the pears, being sure to leave the stems.

Once the wine is boiling, add the pears to the saucepan, cover, and reduce the heat to a simmer. The wine will not cover the pears, so you’ll have to turn the pears every 5 or 10 minutes. Poach for 25 to 30 minutes or until a thin knife or a skewer inserted into the thickest part of the pear meets no resistance.

Remove the pears from the wine and bring the wine back to a boil. Reduce the wine for about 5 minutes or until it’s syrupy. Strain out the oranges and spices, place the pears back into the syrup (I know, I know), and allow them to cool.

To serve, spoon some Greek yogurt into a serving bowl (although I may use large coupe or crystal goblets if I’m feeling extra fancy) and top with a cooled pear. Drizzle with some of the wine syrup and extra honey. Serves 4.