Recently, we conducted an interview with Maria Menounos. We asked her about her fitness routine, favorite recipes, and much more. We thought we’d share some of her best recipes from her book – they are simple and delicious. It even has some dog food options!
Breakfast: Cinnamon Swirl Oatmeal
You can use old-fashioned oats or quick oats for this recipe. There is no difference in nutrition. Quick oats are thinner and more easily cooked because they have been pressed.
Lunch: Three Bean Power Salad
Bring this colorful salad along to your next potluck or picnic. It’s a great dish that can be made ahead and tastes even better the following day. Add a cup of cooked chicken shredded to the salad for a heartier meal.
Dinner: Crustless chicken pot pie
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cover the chicken breasts with at least one inch of water in a medium-sized saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil on medium high heat. Reduce the heat; cover the pan and simmer on low for 10 minutes or until the chicken has just been cooked. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of poaching liquid and discard the remainder.
Chop the chicken. Combine the peas and diced chicken in a 2-quart casserole.
Melt butter in a medium pan over low heat. Stirring constantly, cook the carrots and onion for 10 minutes. Add the flour, stirring until it forms a paste.
Pour the milk slowly and stir continuously while adding the poaching liquid. Continue stirring until you have a thick sauce. This can take up to 10 minutes.
Fold the sauce into your chicken mixture. Add salt and pepper according to your taste. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove the cover, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and bake until hot, 15 minutes.
Dessert: Best Banana Bread:
Don’t throw away those bananas with black peels. Banana bread is a great treat for the evening. Make the moistest banana loaf you’ve ever tasted. The more ripe the bananas are, the better they taste.
Canine Mini Patties
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Salmon can be boiled in 2 cups of water. Drain and cool the salmon fillets once they are fully cooked. Once the fillets are cool enough to handle, use a fork to shred them.
Sweet potatoes should be baked at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (140 degrees Celsius) for 45 minutes. The salmon and sweet potatoes are mashed together.
Add the egg to the mixture of sweet potatoes and salmon. Stir well the rolled-oats into the mixture.
Make 1-inch patties. (They can be slightly larger depending on the size of your pup and his appetite!) With the salmon mixture, bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Let the burgers cool down before serving them to your dog.
