The Newlywed Chef

New website

2010-10-04T13:53:00.002-04:00

All new posts will be on mynewlywedchef.blogspot.com

Become a follower :) Thanks!

Good Old Fashioned BBQ SECRET Sauce

2010-09-23T19:22:00.000-04:00

I recently discovered this awesome BBQ sauce over labor day, thanks to my monther-in-law, or as I prefer to call her, MOG (Mother of the Groom!) I went nuts over it and called her once I got back home to get the recipe! It's so easy, but so great! I just want to make this stuff in bulk and store it somehow. That really isn't necessary, but you get the idea!

Put it on chicken, sausage, you name it! You'll love it! I promise :) We did chicken this week!

Ingredients:

1 small onion chopped

1/4 cup oil

1 cup ketchup

2 T mustart

2 T worcestire

2 T sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

Directions:

Saute your onion in the oil until soft.

Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes.

After letting this cool about 10 minutes, I dumped it all over our chicken breasts. You could refrigerate it for later use if you want!

Just a quick shot of these bbq beauties on the grill

Is your mouth watering yet?

Enjoy these :) Thanks Moet for this awesome recipe. Not sure mine was as good as yours but i tried!

Let's all say farewell to summer with STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE!

2010-09-23T19:14:00.000-04:00

I have been wanting to make an easy and healthy strawberry shortcake for awhile now. I finally did it! I hope you will try it! But hurry! These strawberries won't be in season much longer, if at all!!

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour

1 t. baking powder

2 eggs

1/2 cup honey

1/3 cup oil (or applesauce which yields a sponge-like cake)

1 t. vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

4-5 cups fresh sliced strawberries

Light Cool Whip OR Vanilla Yogurt

Directions:

1. Mix together flour and baking powder.

2. Add in eggs, honey, oil vanilla, and milk. Stir well and then pour into a greased 8X8 baking dish.

3. Bake for 20-25 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean!

4. Allow cake to cool to room temperature (half an hour or so). See how sponge-like this is? I used applesauce!

5. Top with cool whip or yogurt and then strawberries

6. Serve it up and enjoy :)

Inside out Feta Cheese Burgers!

2010-09-19T20:58:00.000-04:00

Quite a tasty little treat these were! Change it up by using lean ground beef, ground turkey, or ground chicken. Any of them would work beautifully as the meat for this stuffed burger!

These are so easy to throw together! I have lately become a rather lazy cook and seek out those kinds of meals. After a full day of work, sometimes I just can't muster up enough energy to do a 5 star meal. Anyways, lets get to it!

Ingredients AND Directions:

Part One: For the Salsa Topping

3 roma tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons of sweet onion, diced

2 t fresh chopped oregano

2 T red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients together and let sit at room temperature until burgers are ready.

Part Two: For the Filling

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp fresh chopped oregano

A small handful of sun-dried tomatoes

A small handful of sliced black olives

1 tsp Olive Oil

Mash all ingredients together with a fork.

For the Meat

1-2 pounds of ground meat (I only used 1 pound, but had enough filling for 2 pounds!)

1 T Garlic Pepper

Mix garlic pepper into meat and then form into 4-8 balls, depending on amount of meat. You have 2 options at this point. Mix a little topping throughout each ball and then form into patties. OR. Press your thumb into the middle of each ball and place about a tablespoon of filling in each hole.

Cover holes and form into patties

I went with option 2, but i think option one would give you move flavor throughout the entire burger.

Throw these guys on the grill until cooked though (Juices run clear)

Serve topped with salsa! You can serve these on buns/sandwich flats etc. I personally think they would taste great with a shmear of hummus on them as well!

Here they are:

Enjoy :) And feel free to leave out any of the stuffing if you aren't a fan! Take out the olives if you aren't a fan! Very versatile stuffing!

Feed you for Weeks SLOW COOKED MINESTRONE SOUP!

2010-09-08T19:15:00.000-04:00

I chose the title of this post for a reason. It's an obvious one. This soup will literally last you for weeks. You can freeze it in bulk, or individual portions to get out one at a time! This is a slow cooker soup which is so great to come home to after a work day. Not only is dinner ready, but your house will smell delightful!

For those of you who don't want soup to last you through the winter, just half the recipe. However, I don't think you'll be sorry for having a plethora of leftover soup!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup dry elbow macaroni (whole wheat if you can)

2 quarts chicken broth

2 large onions, diced

2 carrots, sliced

half a head of cabbage, shredded

1/2 cup celery, diced

1-lb can tomatoes

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 T minced parsley

1/4 cup each frozen corn, peas, and lima beans (or 3/4 cup of frozen mixed veggies of your choice)

1/4 tsp pepper

Grated parmesan or romano cheese for "topping" soup at the end

Directions:

1. Precook your macaroni according to the box/package and refrigerate while the rest cooks

2. Combine all ingredients except macaroni and cheese in your crock pot/slow cooker.

3. Cover, and cook on low 8 hours. Add macaroni to pot when you get home and cook an additional 10-20 minutes to heat through

4. Garnish individual bowls with cheese and serve!

Funny story. I asked my sweet husband to throw the refrigerated noodles in the crock pot because he was going to beat me home from work. He ended up throwing the remaining BOX of uncooked noodles in the pot.... perhaps that's why ours served 12??? Either way, the noodles only took about half an hour to soften up and we enjoyed it all the same!

Slice up a fresh baguette and serve alongside your soup! Enjoy :)

Newlywed Chef Collection Cookbook

2010-08-23T09:02:00.000-04:00

Hello all my faithful followers! Thanks to your feedback, the first annual cookbook is made and ready for pre-order!

Depending on how many orders I get, the book will cost between 25-30 dollars. It is currently a 75 page, softcover, book. Every recipe has a photo to accompany it. There are over 50 recipes in the book, including the regular tabs found on the blog (meatless meals... chinese take outs etc.)

2 things I need from anyone who is reading this:

1. Would you like to preorder, and if so, how many?
2. Is there a specific recipe that you want to make sure is included?

I have this posted on facebook as well, if you want to find the post there! Please only respond on facebook or on this webiste, otherwise I may lose track of how many we are ordering! Share this with your friends if you think they'll be interested... the more we get to order, the lower the price :)

Spice up your life! Cilantro Turkey Burgers topped with Chipotle Ketchup!

2010-08-14T19:07:00.000-04:00

These were some of the easiest burgers to throw together, quickest to cook, and delightful to eat! If you aren't a cilantro fan, try substituting parsley or basil, however, I cannot guarantee the ketchup will pair quite as well- you may want to stick with regular ketchup in that case!

Anyways, here are the ingredients!

1/3 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro (or more really)

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 pound ground turkey

For the Chipotle Ketchup (if you opt in):

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tsp of chipotle in adobo SAUCE (you could chop up one of the peppers if you dare!)

I would just like to say that I grilled these all by myself :) Nick was out of town, so I had the pleasure of cooking with my dearest friend, and Washington-bound, Marissa. We enjoyed these thoroughly with some baked sweet potato fries and grilled corn on the cobb! They were MIGHTY TASTY!

Anyways, for those of you who need instructions:

1. Preheat grill or broiler

2. Mix all ingredients for burgers together and form into 4-6 patties.

3. Grill about 5 minutes per side or until done

4. If you desire, serve atop a whole wheat bun and top with ketchup, maybe lettuce and tomato if you are in the mood!

Enjoy :)

Spaghetti- Spaghetti Squash .... ITS AMORE!

2010-08-09T20:41:00.000-04:00

Most of you probably won't even look twice at this post because it has the word squash in it. My own husband heard what i was making and said, "Is that all we're having?" HE LOVED THIS. I loved this. It's a GREAT way to switch up your normal spaghetti/Italian night of the week. Its HEALTHY, of course, but its GOOD. Different texture, different flavor, you'll enjoy this! You can add whatever you like in your pasta to this basic recipe, but here's how I made mine:

1 medium-large spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
1 small-medium zucchini, diced (chopped small)
1 onion finely diced (red or sweet)
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 can of any kind of tomatoes (stewed, diced, chopped, you name it!)
Basil if you have it, oregano if you have it, any fresh herbs you'd like!
Pepper (I never add salt to dishes with canned ANYTHING, but you can!)
1/2 cup (Or more) of grated Parmesan, plus more for sprinkling on top

Now, those of you who are extremely loyal followers, you'll notice I made the standard beans... AGAIN. You must understand, these beans are like $2 for a huge bag. And they are my GO-TO vegetable for us. I will most likely force feed my children green beans in the future if I am still making them as frequently as I do now.

Anyways, back to the reason you are even reading this post in the first place! Here are your directions. Simple, I promise:

1. Cook your squash. You have options. You can bake it, you can nuke it (microwave it) OR you can do my personal fave: boil it for about half an hour in a large stock pot until fork tender.

2. Once you get the squash going, saute your onion and garlic in a little olive oil in a small skillet. Add your zucchini and tomatoes. Simmer over low heat until your squash is ready. At the LAST minute, add any herbs, seasonings, and pepper.

3. Drain squash and use a fork to get the squash out of the shell. Mix in a large bowl with sauce and add your cheese to your hearts content!

4. Serve and enjoy :) I promise you won't be disappointed with this meal! Your men will be pleasantly surprised. And so will your credit card at the grocery store.

If your husband is a meat only at meals type guy... you could easily mix ground beef into this sauce or cook some of my Chicken Parmesan to go alongside :) Just some quick suggestions!

Homemade Peanut Butter Snack Bars

2010-08-01T14:13:00.000-04:00

I made these AWESOME little treats last week for Nick when he was going to Ohio for a golf tournament. They were "pick me ups" for when the guys got hungry while on the course! He loved them! I shared them with a friend and of course my Mom and there was a resounding approval of them. This weekend, Nick asked for them again to take to work as a snack! So, since I got to make them again, I chose to post them! These are AWESOME. Lots of options, but here's the basics:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup organic peanut butter (only ingredients should be peanuts and salt)
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 T Maple Syrup
1 T Canola Oil
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups dry rolled oats
2 cups brown rice cereal ( I used some Kashi cereal)
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ (used this the first time, not the second)
1/2 cup dry roasted unsalted peanuts (used this the first time, but Nick ate them all, couldn't use them the second time!)
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup dried figs, chopped
1/2 tsp salt

(Options, options, options: Try almonds instead of peanuts. Sub ANY dried fruit for the apricots and figs such as raisins, craisins, cherries, apples, dates etc. ANYTHING will work!)

Directions:

1. Combine oats, cereal, wheat germ, peanuts, dried fruit, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

2. Heat a small sauce pan over medium heat. Melt peanut butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, oil, and syrup together. Add cinnamon. Once runny and smooth, pour into dry mixutre. Mix well.

3. Pour mixture into a WELL GREASED 9X13 pan. Grab a piece of foil, wax paper, or parchment paper and push mixture into a firm flat layer in pan. Pop in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, then cut into squares or bars!

*I individually wrap mine and then keep them in the refrigerator. They are pretty fragile, so the cooler they are, the better they hold together**

I did bars the first time, this time was squares!!

ENJOY :)

Chicken Dinner in a Foil Packet .... MEDITERANNEAN style!

2010-08-01T12:35:00.000-04:00

So this is a tasty chicken recipe! It can go on the grill, or be popped in to the oven :) I found it on the Food Network and it was a keeper! The ingredient list may look extensive, but it's pretty cheap, and i had the majority of ingredients on hand! Here we go :)

Ingredients

4 (6 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (I only did 3)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup thinly sliced yellow onions (1 whole onion)
1 cup drained and chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (I used the non-oil packed)
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespooons chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

See? Nothing tricky in that list! Now comes the fun part!

Directions

1. Prepare a grill, or preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

2. Prepare 4 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil- obviously 3 if you do less chicken. Make the foil sheets pretty large- they will be STUFFED! Fold in half crosswise to crease, then unfold. Divide the spinach among the 4 foil sheets, placing it in the center of the bottom half.

3. Lightly coat both sides of each chicken breast with oil, then season with the Italian seasoning, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. Place one chicken fillet in the center of each spinach portion.

4. In a medium bowl, combine the onions, tomatoes, olives, garlic, wine, basil, thyme, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and stir to combine. Pile the tomato mixture on top of each chicken breast, spreading to cover evenly and allow any liquid to puddle around the chicken.

5. Top each portion with 1 ounce of cheese.

6. One at a time, fold the top of the foil over the chicken, and starting at the corner, fold the edges of foil over to tightly seal, each fold overlapping the previous one.

7. Place on the grill, or if using the oven, place the packets on a baking sheet and bake until the packages puff and the chicken is cooked through, about 15-20 minutes. You may want to use a meat thermometer as cooking times will vary upon heat and coking method!

8. Remove from the grill or oven, and cut the tops of the packets open with a small, sharp knife. Serve immediately either in the foil packets, or by removing the chicken, toppings and sauce to dinner plates.

Enjoy :) These were so yummy and so flavorful! Like the title says, chicken dinner in one packet! Try this!

A Taste of India Tandoori Chicken with Yogurt Slaw

2010-07-14T18:43:00.000-04:00

I know the majority of you will look at that title and think I've gone out on a limb with the Indian cuisine, and that's okay. But, this is TAME. I've had some heavily influenced Indian meals, and this was not one of them. This is just a TASTE of Indian spice with turmeric and ginger (staple spices of Indian cuisine!)

I hope you'll try this! It's so easy, so healthy, and as always, so delicious. Don't skip out on the yogurt slaw!

Easy Shopping List:

1 cup plain low-fat yogurt

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Coarse salt and ground pepper

4 bone-in, skinless chicken breasts halves (10 to 12 ounces each)

2 Granny Smith apples

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

(Rice: Optional)

For your chicken:

Preheat oven to 475°. In a large bowl, mix together 1/2 cup yogurt, garlic, turmeric, ginger, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add chicken; toss until well coated.
Transfer chicken to baking dish and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of breast (avoiding bone) registers 160° , 25 to 30 minutes. Mine was done at 30 minutes
Meanwhile, peel apple; coarsely grate into a medium bowl. Add cilantro and remaining 1/2 cup yogurt; season with salt and pepper. Serve sauce alongside chicken, with rice, if desired!

Loved this yogurt sauce! We put it right on top of our chicken, but you could just dip if you prefer!!

Enjoy :)

Adobo Meatballs with Chunky Sauce!

2010-07-07T19:52:00.000-04:00

These are absolutely incredible. I found this recipe about a year or so ago on eatingwell.com. They are a little involved, I just want you to know that up front, but they are well worth the effort! Please note, all herbs can be substituted with dry herbs as long as you HALF the amount I used! For those of you with herb gardens (cough cough AMY)- go for the real thing!

Now, let me also say, this is BEST served over spaghetti (duh, like spaghetti and meatballs!)- but I ran out of time and was too lazy to dirty another pot, so, we had them plain! MAKE THE PASTA! So worth the full effect! Here we go:

Start by making your sauce:

1 medium onion finely diced
4 garlic cloves finely minced
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes (fire roasted if you can find them)
3 T tomato paste
1 large chipotle in adobo sauce, minced (if you like it HOT, add 2: Amanda Tucker ONLY USE ONE)
2 tsp fresh chopped oregano
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Salt
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Saute your onion for about 5 minutes, or until it turns translucent. Then add in your garlic and cook 1 more minute.

Add remaining ingredients (except basil!) and cook for 10 minutes and let liquid get thick!

Meanwhile, work on making your meatballs:

1 lb ground turkey (or chicken) meat
1 slice of whole wheat bread pulsed into crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely shredded carrot
1/2 cup finely diced onion
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 T minced fresh parsley
2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
1 egg lightly beaten
1/2 tsp salt
Lots of fresh ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients and form into small balls. It should give you about 12 if you make them the right size!

Pop them in the oven (ON BROIL) for 10 minutes.

Once they come out, well browned, and mostly cooked through, add them to your sauce!

*If you are making spaghetti, start it at this point!*

Let meatballs cook while pasta is cooking. Cover them. Remove sprig of rosemary and throw in your fresh basil.

Once spaghetti is done, drain, and then add to large pot with meatballs and sauce. Serve and garnish with fresh Parmesan and chopped parsley

Serve it up, and enjoy! These are to die for!

Peppered Pork Chops with Parmesan Spaghetti.... SQUASH!

2010-07-07T19:39:00.000-04:00

This is a dinner that I made when we had our first house guests. I just got around to remaking it this week! It is actually from one of my Rachael Ray Cookbooks.. yes, I actually opened one of them!

I actually added an easy spinach side dish to this meal when Amanda and Carter were over, but i was too lazy to go all out for just Nick and I, but I'll post the recipe if you want it!

First, let me walk you through the spaghetti squash! For those of you who have never heard of it, or seen it, it is an oval squash, yellow on the outside, and when you cook it, it SHREDS itself apart like spaghetti noodles!

First, you'll want to slice it in half and seed the squash. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and then place squash in the pot, flesh side down. Boil about 20 minutes and then remove. (For this recipe, reserve 1/4 cup of your cooking liquid)

Once its cooled enough to the touch, take a fork and shred the flesh out:

You should be able to get it all the way to the skin:

See that? You use it ALL! Then, just add to a medium sized bowl, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, your reserved cooking liquid, LOTS of fresh ground pepper, salt and 2 t of Olive Oil. Serve it up!

If you don't think this looks good, get an opinion from Amanda:

Onto the Peppery Pork Chops! These are awesome, and so easy!

All you need:

4 boneless pork loin chops, about 1inch thick each

Salt and Pepper

2 T Olive Oil

1 small-medium yellow pepper, sliced

1 small-medium orange pepper, sliced

3 sweet cherry peppers, sliced (find these jarred near the roasted red peppers)

1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth (mainly used to de-glaze your pan!)

2 T chopped flat leaf parsley (optional)

Salt and Pepper both sides of your chops

Cook in 1 T of your oil in a skillet over medium-high heat about 5-7 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove from skillet, and set aside

Now, add a little more oil to your pan and throw in your bell peppers. Saute about 5 minutes, then add your cherry peppers. Cook about 5 more minutes and then add your white wine, or chicken broth to get all the yummy parts stuck on the bottom of the pan!

Once most of the liquid has been re-absorbed, pour pepper mixture over your pork chops and garnish with the fresh parsley!

Enjoy :) This is a keeper! And, yes, I know you cannot see the pork in this picture, but its just because of all those healthy veggies covering it up :)

Fresh and Easy Asian Salad

2010-07-07T19:25:00.000-04:00

This is a good one! Easy and quick to throw together! Not too much to it. Just throw and go! Now, of course, I didn't get a good picture, but I have a GREAT reason. I made this at 7am so that my husband would have dinner while I made the opening day of ECLIPSE. So, sorry if you are motivated by pictures, but believe me, this is EXTREMELY tasty!!

Combine the following:

1 bag (or head) of lettuce of your choice (romaine, butter, etc.)

1 8 oz can mandarin oranges, drained

1 pkg of grilled chicken strips (pre-cooked)

1 cup of Chow Main noodles

1 cup of snap peas, cooked to al dente

1.5 cups cooked and shelled edamame

1/2 red or yellow bell pepper chopped or sliced

(You could easily add almonds to this!)

Kraft Light Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

Add dressing to individual servings, because you WILL have leftovers :)

ENJOY!

Super Simple Summer Chicken Salad!

2010-06-28T15:27:00.000-04:00

This recipe was inspired by my lack of diversity in my lunch menu. Everyday I take the SAME lunch to work and it gets depressing by mid-week. I initiated the change at the grocery store by deciding I WOULD attempt to make a healthy chicken salad to put on a sandwich or on top of lettuce! I'd call it a success, but, see for yourself! I actually should say, TRY for yourself, because, my picture doesn't really do it justice!

Its healthy OF COURSE. Minimal mayo! Maximized on the benefits of Greek Yogurt which has multiple health benefits (and lots of protein!)

Here you go:

2 cups of cooked chicken (shredded or cubed)
1 T light mayonaise
1/4 cup Greek Yogurt (I use reduced fat)
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/3 cup finely diced granny smith apple
About 20 red grapes sliced in half
1 tsp lemon rind
1-2 T lemon juice
1 T honey
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Fresh tarragon (can use dried)
Fresh basil (can use dried)
Fresh parsley (can use dried)
You could add almonds (I forgot)
You could add about 1/4 tsp of ground corriander

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well! If there are other ingredients you would like to add, just go for it! Like i said, almonds would work great, maybe some finely diced onion!

Another option would be to send it through a food processor for a smooth consistency. If you do this, save the grapes and apples for last. You will want them whole :)

Enjoy :) I know I enjoyed a new lunch!

Brussel Sprouts Tossed with Pistachios and Dried Apricots!

2010-06-28T14:27:00.000-04:00

Most of the ingredients are right in the title for you! No guess work involved! I got this recipe from a friend in the office! These were SO easy, but SO VERY delicious! Even Nick was surprised by how much he liked them!

Don't skip out on these! Great side dish option!

Ingredients

1.5 pounds of brussel sprouts (I got 2- 1lb bags of frozen)

2 T Olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup dried apricots finely diced

1/3 cup pistachios, chopped

Directions:

If you are using frozen brussels, add about 1 cup of water and sprouts to a pan. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook for about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water immediately.

If you are using fresh, bring the water to a boil FIRST, then add sprouts and cook the same way until just tender. Probably more like 3 minutes!

Then, heat your oil in a large skillet. Add all ingredients and toss together for about 5-6 minutes!

Serve up and ENJOY!

Don't turn your nose up at this until you try it!

Sweet Pepper Penne Pasta Pot! (How's That for Alliteration?)

2010-06-17T16:02:00.000-04:00

This was a recipe straight out of a South Beach cookbook that I borrowed from my mom! The picture looked SO good in the book, that I had to make it!

You know... its that same way you feel when you see MY pictures, right!? HAH! Mostly kidding! But on a more serious note, this dinner is easy, its healthy, and its affordable. Are you sick of hearing that yet? I do need to showcase one of my newest Pampered Chef Items. You will see it after the "finely chopped onion" step!!

Ingredients:

-8 oz whole wheat penne pasta

- 2 t Olive Oil

- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

-3 cloves of garlic, minced

-1/4 tsp sea salt

-1/8 tsp black pepper

- 3 sweet cherry peppers, diced

- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

-1 large zucchini, shredded

- 3-4 oz feta cheese (goat cheese would work as well)

-1/4 cup fresh basil, sliced or chopped

And We're Off:

Here is my new chopper, and look at my nice evenly chopped onions!

Anyways,

Heat 1 tsp of your oil over medium-high heat. Add your onion and garlic, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring often until onion is soft.

Add the rest of the oil, your sweet peppers, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook. Remove from heat, but keep warm.

Now, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserving 2 tablespoons of pasta cooking liquid, drain pasta.

Meanwhile, prep your tomatoes and zucchini (if you haven't already!)

Add pasta, reserved pasta cooking liquid, zucchini, cheese, tomatoes, and basil to skillet with peppers and onions; toss to combine.

Cook over medium heat until pasta is just heated through and cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with additional pepper to taste and serve warm.

Serve it up, and do enjoy :)

Healthy Chicken of the Greek!

2010-06-16T11:00:00.001-04:00

So this is an easy GO TO recipe I got out of a Weight Watchers Magazine awhile back. It's pretty darn good. Very healthy. Very low calorie. Very delicious, as always! Is your mouth watering from the looks of this picture yet?

Ingredients:

-4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

-14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, UNDRAINED

-1/4 cup pitted kalamatta olives, sliced (or black olives if you prefer!)

-1 T minced garlic

- 1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup crumbled reduced fat feta cheese (I use ATHENOS)

Methond:

1. Coat large skillet and chicken with cooking spray. Place chicken in the pan and cook on each side until well browned.

2. Reduce heat to medium; add tomatoes, olives, garlic, and pepper. Cover and cook 11 minutes or until chicken is done. Remove from heat and sprinkle with feta cheese.

3. Serve. I prefer to serve it over fresh pasta, but, you can do whatever you'd like!

I also whipped up some baked green beans which were SO delicious. If you want the recipe, you better post comments to get it :) ENJOY!!!

Sesame Stir Fry - You chose your meat!

2010-06-14T19:16:00.000-04:00

So this is another recipe from Eating For Life! Such a great cookbook. Recipes are pretty simple, pretty cheap, but very tasty, light, and healthy! This recipe called for ground beef, but you all know me by now. I avoid red meat for the most part and go for the whites! I chose ground chicken because it was cheaper than ground turkey, but your options are endless! Have fun with this! I doubled the recipe (intending to have leftovers)-but if you half this, you would be JUST FINE!

Ingredients:

1 pound ground meat

2 T Sesame Oil

2 cups Napa Cabbage, shredd

2 cups Broccoli Slaw

4-6 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup uncooked brown rice

One bundle of green onions

2 T Lite Soy Sauce

Ground Red Pepper to taste

Method:

First, cook your rice according to box directions. My brown rice takes about 45 minutes, so don't start the next step right away!

Next, when rice is coming to a finish in cooking time, in a wok or large skillet, brown your meat until no longer pink. I used a WOK, of course :) Once finished, drain of any excess liquid and set aside.

Heat Sesame Oil in the same skillet over medium high heat. Add garlic and green onions. Stir fry constantly for about 2 minutes and then throw in the cabbage and the slaw. Cook again, for about 2 minutes.

Drain rice. Add to veggie mix. Add soy sauce to entire combination. Continue to cook 2-5 minutes.

Lastly, add your ground meat to the rice and veggies and cook until flavors and components are well combined. Add red pepper to taste and serve!

We really liked this dish, and I know you will too!

Enjoy :)

One Pot Easy Gnocchi Dinner

2010-06-13T15:38:00.000-04:00

This recipe was absolutely delcious! We loved it! For those of you who avoid buying grocery items you cannot pronounce, now is the time to branch out! It's a cheap, meatless meal, that is absolutely satisfying in flavor! Of course, I kept it health, but we all know that, so no need to elaborate!

What you'll need:

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 16-ounce package gnocchi (You could use white or sweet potato! Usually Trader Joe's has the sweet potato gnocchi if you are interested.)

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup water

6 cups chopped green leaves, (about 1 small bunch)- spinach, chard, arugula will all work

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with basil and oregano

1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed (cannelloni or navy beans)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

The Process

First, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Next, add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Add in garlic and water. Stir, and then cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the leafy greens of your choice and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer.

Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

Enjoy :) I couldn't get a great picture of this dish, but I do promise you it is worth a try! We truly enjoyed it!

Whole Wheat Pita Pizzas!

2010-06-04T14:49:00.000-04:00

Hello! Its been awhile and I'm so sorry. Work has been crazy. Went to the beach for the long weekend. And Ive been cooking off of my own blog. Can't blog my own recipes twice, you know?!

This has been a go to staple for us the past couple weeks. Trying to cut down on spending, cut down on calories, and cut down on prep time, this really did the trick! You can make these a million different ways! Here's what we did

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Pitas

Pizza Sauce

Skim Mozzarella Cheese

Fresh Basil and Oregano (Dried will work too)

Sliced Tomatoes (Totally Optionals)

You can add any pizza toppings you like, but try and choose the healthy ones. We've also added pre-cooked diced chicken to ours!

Another option is to sub hummus for the pizza sauce. Its mighty tasty!

First, Doll them up

Here's a close up :)

You can either microwave individually about 2 minutes, or you can grill them about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. These, I've grilled, but we have microwaved others!

5 minutes later ....

And one more close up

I'm telling you, these are so yummy, but so easy! And so cheap, and mostly healthy!

Enjoy :)

Jerk Turkey Burgers with Grilled Veggie Skewers!

2010-05-23T19:52:00.000-04:00

It's time to introduce you all to the latest addition to our family. Webbie! (Our grill!) He did all the work to make this meal, and it was quite tasty! If you don't have a grill, feel free to broil this. I've made these burgers in the oven before, and you can always roast veggies in the oven! Either way, you'll enjoy this one! PROMISE!

Jerk Burgers:

Looks like a lot of ingredients, but its mostly spices you have on hand!

1/3 cup whole wheat couscous (yes, you can use regular)

1/2 cup water

1 pound ground turkey

1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine couscous and water and let it stand for 20-30 minutes to absorb all the water and soften up.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a small nonstick skillet. Add bell pepper, garlic, thyme, curry powder, cumin, allspice, ginger, salt, pepper, paprika and cayenne. Cook until bell pepper is softened a little (about 1-2 minutes)

Combine all ingredients. Turkey, bell pepper mix, and couscous. Mix WELL and form into patties. You should get about 6 good sized burgers. Grill until browned and no longer pink on the inside. Cooking times will vary!

I had to take some shots of them on the grill!

Look at these grill marks!

Now, you do have the option to serve these on buns with lettuce and tomato like any other burger! We just didn't!

Grilled Veggie Skewers

3 bell peppers (I used green because they are cheapest!)

1 red onion

1 yellow squash

1 zucchini

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced

You'll want to core your peppers and the cut into 1 inch pieces. For the onion, cut it into quarters and then peel off the layers one at a time. For the squash and zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then slice into inch thick pieces.

Then, toss them in oil, salt, pepper, and garlic. Skewer in any variety you choose!

On they go!

Oh, just look at these!

Serve it up. Healthy, low car meal right here!

Enjoy! They are easy, they are summer-y, and they are delicious!

Grilled Salmon with Fresh Salsa, add corn!

2010-05-17T10:25:00.000-04:00

Grilling Season is officially OPEN. I declare it. Mainly because we received a beautiful new grill as a housewarming gift from Nick's parents, but also because, we love grilled food :) Nick's birthday is coming up, so since he requested some grilled salmon, I splurged and went to Fresh Market to buy 2 filets for us to grill up for an early celebration!

While I was shopping, Publix had corn on sale- 8 ears for 2 dollars! Well I only needed 2 ears, so it cost me all of 50 cents to add corn as a side dish!

Oh man, this was so good! Nick actually said "This goes on the list of Top 5 meals of all time!" So, you know it must be good! For those of you who are money conscious (which we usually are) - I think you can buy frozen filets and let them thaw out before you grill them. So don't be scared of this meal, you'll be missing out!

For your Salmon:

You will want about a 10 oz piece of salmon per person

1 T Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

For your Salsa:

1-2 Roma tomatoes finely diced

1 T finely diced red onion

1 T lemon juice (fresh)

1 T fresh chopped parsley

1 T fresh chopped dill

1/4 tsp Worchestire sauce (I can't spell that)

1 T rice wine vinegar

1 clove of garlic finely minced

We placed our salmon in a fish basket that allowed us to flip it easily. If you have skin removed, you'll want to cook the fish on both sides about 4-5 minutes. If the skin is still on, cook with the skin side down until done. (Internal temperature of 150 degrees) We cooked it over medium-high heat.

Make sure to spray your grill, or rub the skin with oil to allow easy flipping and no sticking/flaking apart!

Meanwhile, mix together the ingredients for your salsa. When fish is done cooking, top with salsa and serve!

If you want to grill corn alongside you have 2 options:

1. Peel husk down (do not remove.) Discard silky strings from the corn. Soak corn about 30 minutes before cooking. Pat dry. Rub with butter and add any flavor you'd like to the inside. We added garlic powder and a little butter!

2. Remove husk and silky strings. Soak for about 30 minutes. Pat dry. Place on a square of aluminum foil. Rub with butter and add any flavors you'd like. Wrap in foil!

To grill, just place them right on! You'll want to turn them about every 3-4 minutes, for a total of about 12 minutes. Make sure each side gets a turn on the heat! Soaking the corn allows it to steam the kernels while it grills. This will be the juciest and most delicious corn you've ever put in your mouth! Guaranteed!

I also made Trader Joe's "Harvest Blend" pasta. Add a sprig of dill, a sprig of parsley, and a lemon slice to dress this plate up. Doesn't that just look like a keeper? Imagine how it must taste!

Enjoy :) And get those grills ready for some new recipes!

Mediterranean Chicken Roll Ups - OMY!

2010-05-12T19:59:00.000-04:00

OMY stands for Oh My Yum! These were outstanding. Such great flavor combination! Nick called it a keeper. I already stored it in my recipe favorites. You'll want to try this out!

You will have many options when it comes to the chicken. If the thin sliced cutlets are on sale, buy them. If its the chicken breast or chicken breast halves on sale, buy them. You can make this work either way! I wish you could see the stuffing inside, but I couldn't get a good enough picture once I cut into the chicken!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shredded skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup reduced fat crumbled feta cheese

1/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped finely (and pitted if necessary!)

1 T of capers (I did 2 or more!)

1/2 cup oil packed sun dried tomatoes

(Combine all of these ingredients in a bowl and mix together)

4 boneless chicken breast halves (Or about 1 lb of thin sliced cutlets)

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 can Italian diced tomatoes

Preheat oven to 350.

*If using breasts, slit them deep and stuff evenly with mixture

*If using cutlets (as I did)- place a little stuffing in and roll them up.

Place chicken (seam-side down if roll-ups) in a greased/sprayed baking dish.

I had extra "stuffing" so I just sprinkled it on top of the chicken. Add a little salt and pepper.

Mix together balsamic vinegar and tomatoes and pour over the chicken.

Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Enjoy. This was so good. We will be repeating :)

Easy and healthy Chili-and-Basil Chicken Noodle Stir Fry ... Fast Food!

2010-05-12T12:27:00.000-04:00

I'm so sorry I've left you guys stranded for a good week or so. Moving into a house and working a lot of overtime has made posting on the blog quite a challenge. Not to mention the week we went without internet! BUT I'M BACK! And I promise I have some gems to share with you!

Chili-and-Basil Chicken Noodle Stir Fry

This was delicious, and right out of a Weight Watchers magazine! Very affordable, very quick, and very yummy! Fast food Chinese :) You'll love it!

1 pound boned, skinned chicken breast thinly sliced

6 oz Soba Noodles (Ramen Noodles will work)- uncrumbled/uncooked
3 T Soy Sauce

2 T fresh Lime Juice
1 T Chili Garlic Sauce
1/4 cup low sodium Chicken Broth (plus 1 Tablespoon)
1 tsp cornstarch
1 T Olive Oil or Canola Oil
3 Green Onions sliced

1/3 cup fresh small basil leaves (or chopped basil)

1. Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting any salt/oil/butter/seasoning packet.

2. While pasta cooks, combine soy sauce, lime juice, chili garlic sauce, and tablespoon of chicken broth. Combine chicken with 2 Tablespoons of the soy sauce mixture.

3. Add remaining chicken broth and cornstarch to remaining soy sauce mixture. Set aside

4. Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook about 5 minutes until done. Stir frequently. Add noodles and soy sauce mixture; cook about 1 minute or until sauce thickens. Top with green onions and basil. Serve immediately.

Enjoy :) This was just too easy and too good- don't pass it up!

Tomato-Balsamic GLAZED Mini Meatballs - Restaurant Quality!

2010-04-24T08:14:00.000-04:00

These were EXCELLENT. To be honest, I over cooked mine a little, and would have prefered that I had doubled the glaze, but, STILL, they were delicious! Great flavor combination, great taste. The recipe calls for ground chicken (which would be great!) but I had ground turkey on hand, so, use either! Buy whatever is cheaper in my opinion, because both will work!

Ingredients for the Meatballs:

1 egg

2 T dried parsley

1 T tomato paste

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup milk (I used skim- any kind will be fine)

1/2 tsp kosher salt (or regular)

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 pound ground chicken or turkey

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese (I used a Kroger Brand Parmesan Reggiano!)

1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (I made my own out of plain wheat bread)

Ingredients for your Glaze:

1 T tomato paste

1 T Olive Oil

3/5 T Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 tsp sugar (I used a Truvia packet!)

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together youregg, parsley, tomato paste, garlic, milk, salt, and pepper. Whisk until tomato paste is completely dissolved and there are no remaining "Chunks."

Add your chicken or turkey, breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Mix well (using your hands) and shape into mini meatballs (A mini ice cream scoop would work, but I just eyeballed it)

Make your glaze by whisking together sugar, tomato paste, olive oil, and balsamic. Brush, or spoon, over each meatball. You may decide you want more glaze!

Pop these little guys in the oven 30ish minutes, or until cooked to an internal temp of 165 for turkey, 170 for chicken.

Remove and place on a plate. Drizzle with balsamic vingar.

Here's a close up of these yummy little meatballs!

They were FULL of flavor. Serve with couscous, orzo, pasta, whatever you like/have!

We devoured them!

Enjoy :)

One Pot Paprika Chicken with Potatoes ... It's yum!

2010-04-22T20:03:00.003-04:00

This meal was pretty darn good if I can brag on my own cooking a little bit :) I used my kitchen aid attachment to make the potatoes SUPER thin, but, you can slice them if all you've got is a knife! The best part about this meal? One pot clean up!

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

1 pound of potatoes, thinly sliced (I used Yukon Gold)

3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided

1 T paprika

2 T Olive Oil

1 t dried thyme

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 red or green bell pepper, diced

1 yellow or white onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

In a small bowl, combine paprika, salt, 1 T of the oil, pepper, and thyme. Rub mixture over the chicken and set aside while you prep the potatoes.

In a large bowl, combine 1/4 tsp salt, potatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and 1 T of the oil.

Heat a large pot over medium-high heat and add the potato mixture. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add your chicken broth.

Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer about 5 minutes. Remove the lid, nestle the chicken into the potatoes, cover, and cook about 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.

This serves 2, and is absolutely perfect for a weeknight 30 minute meal!

Enjoy :)

Jamaica me CRAZY Jerk Chicken with Cilantro Lime Rice!

2010-04-11T19:50:00.000-04:00

With this gorgeous weather we've been having, as well as everyone else being on Spring Break, I found myself in the mood for a Caribbean meal! If you can't take a vacation, at least eat like you're on one! And thats what we did tonight! I found this jerk chicken recipe on Crepes of Wrath. The rice was fantastic. It thickened up almost to the consistency of a risotto which was just divine. Plus, the little dash of sugar makes this rice absolutely divine. Don't miss out on this meal!

Jerk Chicken:

*This list looks lengthy, but you most likely have ALL of these spices on hand and don't even realize it!*

About 1 pound of chicken (I used thinly sliced cutlets to cook faster)

3 T EVOO

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup Orange Juice

2 T low sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup + 2 T white wine vinegar (or rice wine)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 heaping tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 heaping tsp ground cinnamon

3 tsp dried thyme

3/4 tsp ground sage

1 clove of garlic, minced

3 tsp allspice

3/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 small white or yellow onion, minced

1 habenero chile pepper, minced (These are in the produce section near jalepenos!)

Here's how easy this really is:

1. Combine all spices in a medium sized bowl. Add liquid ingredients and mix together.

2. Add in the onions and habenero to the bowl and stir again. You don't need the next picture, but I was very proud of my mincing, so you must see it! Also, if you can find a habenero chile pepper that is red, go for that! I could only find green!

Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade to brush over chicken as it cooks.

3. Pound chicken thin, making each piece and even thickness to keep cooking time consistent.

4.Put chicken in a large ziplock bag and pour all but the 1/4 cup of marinade over it. Let it marinate at least 3 hours, or overnight. (I did 3 hours, and it was just fine!)

5. Heat your grill to medium-high. I had to use an indoor grill. You could use your broiler in your oven as well. If using a grill, cook about 3 minutes per side over direct heat, and then 5 minutes on indirect heat or until cooked through.

6. Brush chicken with marinade as it cooks.

*Optional: Don't discard remaining marinade and place in a small skillet. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is ready. Spoon over the chicken for additional jerk flavor!*

Cilantro Rice:

1 cup brown rice (or any kind you prefer)

1 cup water

1- 15 oz can chicken broth

1 tsp lime juice + 1 T lime juice, divided

1 tsp EVOO

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp sugar

3 T cilantro, chopped

All you do is combine rice, water, chicken broth, 1 tsp lime juice, Olive Oil, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook about 40-45 minutes (white rice wouldn't take as long).

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together sugar, remaining tablespoon of lime juice, and cilantro. Once rice finishes cooking, stir mixture into rice as you fluff it.

Serve it up!

Enjoy! This is such a tasty dinner. I also made a little side salad and chopped some of the leftover cilantro right into the salad (props to my friend Amy for the suggestion!)

Eat your Veggies .... "Pasta Parmesan!"

2010-04-09T10:51:00.000-04:00

To be quite honest, this meal was a pleasant surprise. I had cooked 4 meals this week, none of which had substantial leftovers for Thursday evening. Knowing i had endless options of pasta in the pantry (as always!) I started to brainstorm a pasta dish. I knew I had carrots to work with, and I had bought a bag of frozen chopped broccoli for $1 at Kroger for no intentional purpose whatsoever! It worked out mighty fine I must say. This is a simple recipe.

Takes less than 15 minutes to get on the table. Nick LOVED it. I was pretty nervous to serve this up considering it was a conglomeration of leftovers and everything but the kitchen sink basically. We left NOTHING in the pan by the end of the night. I'll be making it again!

I'm sure you're thinking, okay - enough - get to the recipe already. And I will. But let me also emphasize, this is PRETTY DARN HEALTHY!

Ingredients:

9oz pasta (Any kind you want- I used skinny whole wheat penne)

1 cup of shredded carrot

1 cup of frozen broccoli (mini or chopped) cooked

1/4 cup light Italian Dressing

1 tsp sugar

Fresh ground black pepper

1 T red wine vinegar

1 T olive oil

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to package directions

2. If you haven't already, cook your frozen broccoli

3. While pasta is cooking, add oil to a medium sized skillet. Once hot, add carrot, dressing, vinegar, sugar, and pepper. Cook about 2-3 minutes until soft.

4. Remove from heat.

5. Drain pasta.

6. In a medium-large bowl, combine pasta, carrot mixture, and broccoli. Add cheese and toss together until well combined. Serve!

Enjoy :)

There's no way you COULDN'T enjoy this. SO fast. SO easy. SO yummy.

Chili Spiced Turkey over Fire Roasted Veggies

2010-04-06T09:46:00.000-04:00

A perfect meal for the Spring/Summer. Healthy vegetables with a kick served under lean spiced meat- you'll want to try this!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1.5 tsp salt

1 small onion, finely diced

1 clove of garlic, finely diced

1.25 lb Turkey Breast Cutlets

3 T Olive Oil

1 pound zucchini (about 3-4 small), sliced in half LENGTHWISE (hot dog style) and then sliced into 1/4 inch slices

10 oz frozen corn, thawed

1 cup canned diced fire roasted tomatoes, drained

Directions:

Saute onion and garlic in a large skillet until soft, about 4 minutes.

Add zucchini and cook about 4 more more minutes

Add corn and tomatoes along with 1/2t of the salt and simmer until zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium sauce pan and cover to keep warm while you cook the turkey. I kept mine on low heat.

Meanwhile, heat 2 T oil in a large skillet. Combine chili powder, cumin, and 1tsp of salt. Rub all over turkey and pan fry in the skillet.

I gave mine a good pan fry (about 4-5 minutes per side) and then I popped them in the oven at 400 degrees and cooked them about 20 more minutes until they were done. If you have a meat thermometer, cook to 175 degrees. Yours many cook all the way through on the stove, but I got impatient and transferred them!

Once ready, serve atop the veggies. (We had some sweet potato mash alongside).

We really enjoyed this! The meat had a great rub on it, and the vegetables were light and tasty!

You could use chicken to make this if you want, but- the turkey is a good choice if you have the option!

ENJOY!!

Spicy Chicken Schwarma

2010-04-05T13:31:00.000-04:00

This was an extremely easy dinner. I was looking for something I could whip up that would be healthy, but most of all EASY after eating Easter dinners and desserts! We got back in town around 5 yesterday. We were home from the store by 6, and dinner was ready by about 6:30. Nick loved these. I LOVE the authentic ones that you'd find at Middle Eastern places, but this was a good makeshift version!

*Disclaimer: I could NOT photograph this in a way that made it look as appetizing/delicious as it was for us. I actually just split mine down the middle so you could kind of see the layers!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
5 tablespoons plain low-fat Greek-style yogurt, divided (or plain low-fat yogurt)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
3 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, thinly sliced (I honestly only used 2 breasts!)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tahini
4 (6-inch) pitas, halved
1/2 cup chopped cucumber (I didn't add cucumber, only because I forgot)
1/2 cup chopped plum tomato
1/4 cup prechopped red onion

1. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in 1 tablespoon yogurt, 1 tablespoon juice, and 2 garlic cloves. Add chicken; toss to coat.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture to pan; sauté 6 minutes or until browned and done, stirring frequently.
2. While chicken cooks, combine remaining 1/4 cup yogurt, remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, remaining 1 garlic clove, and tahini, stirring well.

Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons tahini mixture inside each pita half; divide chicken evenly among pita halves. Fill each pita half with 1 tablespoon cucumber(if you have it), 1 tablespoon tomato, and 1 1/2 teaspoons onion.

Enjoy :) WE ABSOLUTELY LOVED THESE!

Orzo Stuffed Bell Peppers ... A NEWLYWED ALL TIME FAVORITE!

2010-04-01T09:38:00.002-04:00

Eating Well nailed it on this recipe! Wow was it ever good! I mean, I could have JUST eaten the orzo filling, but the peppers were great too. And the best part .... MICROWAVE AND STOVE TOP. Skip the oven with this recipe. Oh, you don't want to breeze past this one. Its meatless- but you won't miss the meat! I PROMISE!

Ingredients:

4 bell peppers of your choice (Red was cheapest- so we had red!)

1/2 cup whole wheat orzo

15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 T Olive Oil

1 medium onion, chopped

6 oz baby spinach roughly chopped

1 t dried oregano

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not oil packed), chopped

1 T Sherry Vinegar or red-wine vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

So the first thing you want to do is slice your peppers in half LENGTHWISE straight through the stem. De-seed the peppers and remove white membrane. You can leave the stem attached for easy pick up, or remove it (I removed them). Place them face down in a baking dish and fill with 1/2 inch of water. Put in the MICROWAVE for about 9 minutes or until softened. (You are basically steaming them.)

When they come out, drain the water out and flip them over.

Meanwhile, toast up your orzo in a medium sauce pan for about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of boiling water (or really hot water). Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 8 minutes. Drain and rinse in cool water.

Mash chickpeas into a thick paste (leaving some whole) and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook 4 minutes until soft. Add oregano and spinach and cook 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted

Add sun-dried tomatoes, chick peas, orzo, vinegar, and salt. Cook until heated through.

This in and of itself could be a meal or side dish. SO good! Add 1/2 cup of your feta cheese and cook 1 minute more and remove from heat.

Stuff your peppers! Sprinkle remaining feta cheese over top each pepper.

Cover pan with foil until ready to serve. They will stay pretty warm for awhile! We, of course, served ours alongside the TJ's green beans, but chose any veggie you like!

We WILL be having the leftovers tonight. These were phenomenal!

Enjoy :) It'll be a favorite!

Healthy Herbed Potato Salad .... Perfect for Spring and Summer!

2010-03-29T16:04:00.000-04:00

So, this past weekend, I got in the mood to make a spring/summer side dish. I wanted something fresh and potato salad was sounding good. I found a recipe from Cooking Light and decided to test it out. I really, really liked this alternative to mayonnaise loaded potato salad. Sour cream and yogurt will be your "sauce" and you will have NO guilt whatsoever scooping yourself spoon fulls of this picnic-perfect side dish! I do suggest doubling this recipe if serving more than 4.

Ingredients List:

2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes (You could use other varieties)
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Directions:

Peel potatoes, place in a saucepan, and cover with water.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15-20 minutes or until tender.

Drain. Cool slightly.

Cut potatoes into bite size chuncks. (Aboug 1-2 inch cubes)

Place them in a large bowl; sprinkle with vinegar.

Combine yogurt and sour cream in a medium bowl, stirring with a fork until smooth. Add oil and stir.

Add onion and remaining ingredients; stir.

Add yogurt mixture to potato mixture; toss gently to coat. Cover and chill 1 to 24 hours.

I did mine a day ahead of time to really get that dill and parsley to come out and WOW did it ever. So refreshing and so tasty! You won't miss the mayo! Try it ....

And enjoy it :)

Every Step of the Way ... Homemeade Pizza

2010-03-26T14:02:00.000-04:00

These are some recipes I want you to play around with. I went for EXTREME homemade Pizza last night. Crust? Check! Sauce? Check! Toppings? CHECK!

You could make the crust, and then store buy everything else. Or, you could make the sauce, and store buy everything else. OR, you can play around and totally make YOUR own personal recipe for a delicious pizza!

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust

(This makes 2 pizza crusts. Save one in the freezer for the next Pizza night!)

3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 packets dry active yeast

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp olive oil

Extra flour for rolling out the dough

Cornmeal for sprinkling on baking stone/sheet

Combine flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. If you have a stand mixer, use the dough insert and allow it to run on low speed. While mixer is running, add water gradually and let it knead for about 10 minutes. (If by hand, you'll have to knead it yourself for about 10 minutes)

At this point, turn the machine off. Drizzle oil down the side of the bowl, and knead on low about 15 seconds to coat the bowl and the dough with a coat of oil. If by hand, put oil in a bowl and then roll the dough ball around in it until coated!

Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 2 hours. It should double.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. If using a pizza stone, place in oven while its preheating. DO NOT do this with a baking sheet!

Punch down the dough and then divide in half. (At this point, ball one up and freeze it for later if you aren't making 2 pizzas!)

Cover counter top with flour. Stretch dough out with hands, and then roll out dough to desired size.

Slide onto baking stone, and top with sauce, cheese, and any desired toppings you'd like!

Homemade Tomato Sauce (Good for pizza OR Pasta!)

28 oz can whole tomatoes (Or crushed if you don't like chunky sauce)

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp sugar

2 T tomato paste

1 clove of garlic, minced

2 T Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and Pepper to Taste

All you need to do for this is saute your onions and garlic in a sauce pan. Add remaining ingredients (Except Vinegar). Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer until it reaches desired consistency. Right before pulling off of the heat, stir in balsamic vinegar. (I crushed SOME but not all of the tomatoes!)

Save for pasta or pizza nights!

For this pizza I made yesterday (Which was Nick's all time favorite) I simply made the crust, topped it with some chunky homemade sauce, a good handful or two of skim mozzarella, and then had made some caramelized shallots (you could use onions) to put on top.

If you've never caramelized before its easy.

Caramelized Onions/Shallots

Take 1 or 2 onions (5 or 6 shallots) and slice them very thin.

Toss them into a DRY skillet over medium-low heat. Once they start cooking, but not browning, add a little salt to get them to release their liquid.

Once skillet dries up again, add about 3 T of water or more. You kind of want to cover the bottom of the skillet. No precision necessary here. Cover them and let them cook about 10 more minutes until water is absorbed and they pick up a caramel brown color.

Throw these in pastas, pizzas, paninis, omelets, YOU NAME IT! They are AWESOME.

Like I said earlier - take liberty with this! We ate the whole pie! I can't lie to you!

Enjoy :)

Almond Crusted Baked Chicken Tenders!

2010-03-25T13:12:00.000-04:00

If you are craving an EASY go-to, healthy, classic dinner - this is it! These are SO good. Dip them in a little ketchup and you'll feel like you just stepped back into your childhood. The great thing about them is they are oven baked, NOT fried. And believe me, you won't miss that deep fried taste once you bite into these guys!

I got this recipe (a couple years ago actually) off of Eating Well's website. It has been a keeper from that day on! I would usually go with sweet potato fries - but we had leftover Orzo Salad from a small group event the night before, so it saved me from cooking one more thing. Don't pass these up!

Ingredients:

Canola oil cooking spray
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (I accidentally left this out, and they turned out fine!)
2 large egg whites
1 pound chicken tenders (If you are serving more than 2, adjust accordingly)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 475. Line a baking sheet with foil, and then set a wire rack (like a cookie cooling rack) on the baking sheet and coat it with cooking spray.

2. Place almonds, flour, paprika, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a food processor; process until the almonds are finely chopped and the paprika is mixed throughout, about 1 minute. With the motor running, drizzle in oil; process until combined. Transfer the mixture to a plate or shallow dish. (Again, I didn't do the olive oil and all was fine.)

3. Whisk egg whites in a second shallow dish, or bowl. Add chicken tenders and turn to coat. Transfer each tender to the almond mixture; turn to coat evenly. Place the tenders on the prepared rack. Once all have been dipped and placed, coat the tops of them with cooking spray. Then flip them, and spray the other side.

4. Bake the chicken fingers until golden brown, crispy and no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

Oh, enjoy these :) I know you will!

Authentic Chipotle Chicken Tacos

2010-03-23T11:56:00.000-04:00

I found this recipe on another website, and kind of tweaked it to make it my own. Nick and I really enjoyed these tacos. We had found these AWESOME corn tortillas at Kroger (of all places). They were very soft and very tasty! You could put these on tortillas, hard tacos, or just serve it over lettuce and make a taco salad type dish. Either way you eat it, you'll enjoy it, guaranteed! I, of course, made the staple - SPANISH RICE. I'll give you the link to that later on!

Ingredients for Chicken Tacos:

2-2.5 pounds chicken (Boiled and shredded)

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, sliced thinly
5 garlic cloves, minced
3-5 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce (I used 4- not too spicy)
28 ounces diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

Pico de Gallo
1 large red onion, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
3-4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 lime

Start by making the Pico de Gallo. You want to make this as far in advance as possible. The longer it sits, the better it gets. General rule for all pico de gallos/salsas/etc. I made mine probably 4 or 5 hours ahead of time. Just combine the red onion, tomatoes, cilantro, salt and pepper. Squeeze the wedge of lime over top and toss. Put in the fridge and forget about it!

Now, if you haven't already, boil your chicken, allow it to cool, and shred it up. This can be done ahead of time and can sit in the fridge as well. The sauce will reheat the chicken when you add it to the pot!

In a large pot, add your olive oil and cook onions and garlic until very soft.

While they soften, in a food processor or blender, combine remaining ingredients. (Chipotle peppers, tomatoes, cumin, nutmeg, chicken broth.) Puree until smooth.

Pour the sauce into the pan with the onions once they are softened. Cook about 5 minutes, and then add the shredded chicken to the pot.

You'll want to cook this down until the majority of the sauce is absorbed by the meat and the dish is heated throughout (This does NOT take exceptionally long)

If you are interested in serving rice alongside, why don't you make some of my Spanish Rice

*Note: If using brown rice, it takes about 40ish minutes for rice to fully cook, so allow for that time. White rice won't take nearly as long*

Also, sprinkle some of that leftover cilantro from the pico de gallo over the rice before serving. YUM!

Ready to plate it up? Lay out your tacos and top with some meat

Give them each a hefty scoop of pico de gallo

Pass them around, and enjoy :) We loved them and will be making them again!

Kiss Me! I'm Irish Soda Bread!

2010-03-18T11:43:00.000-04:00

So, Nick and I were invited over for a St. Patrick's Day dinner at my parent's house. My mom's side has Irish blood in it (I claim it- I mean, I do have the red hair, green eyes, and freckles- come on!) Anyways, she was making corned beef and cabbage (SO GOOD). I told her I would bake up some Irish Soda Bread to contribute to the spread. Did I mention she also had some fresh green veggies with hummus, as well as clover sugar cookies iced green as well. Green tablecloth, green candles around, green balloon. It was a GREAT dinner.

Well, the bread was pretty darn tasty! It has like 4 ingredients, and I had no expectations, but WOW. For any hard-core Irish readers, you'll probably be offended by both the recipe and the pictures, but, oh well!

Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

Adapted from Eating Well

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 cups all purpose flour (Plus more for sprinkling)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 1/4 cup buttermilk

OPTIONAL: 1 tsp oats to sprinkle on top of the loaf

Preheat oven to 450

Spray a baking sheet (I used a stone) with cooking spray and sprinkle with flour.

Also, sprinkle a counter space with flour, and have a little extra ready for your hands!

Whisk together your flours, salt, and baking soda.

Now, form a well in the middle, and slowly pour your buttermilk into the well.

WITH ONE HAND, yes your own hand, mix them together just until combined, working from the inside out. The dough will be extremely sticky, thats why you want to avoid a spoon or mixing aid etc.

Once its ready, place dough onto floured surface. Wash your sticky hand, and then coat both your hands with some flour. Roll and pat the dough just to tidy up and give it a round shape. Then, flip the dough. Place onto your prepared baking sheet/stone.

With a serrated knife, make a deep cross cut in the center of the dough, and prick each of the quadrants.

IF YOU WANT, sprinkle some oats on top

Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Then, reduce the heat to 400 degrees and bake anywhere from 20-35 more minutes until browning on top, and hollow to the tap. WATCH IT. If it gets too hard, it will dry out. Mine only needed 20 more minutes and it was PERFECT. A crunchy crust, a soft middle. OH WE LOVED IT!

Anyways, when its ready, just pull it out and place on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes. Serve with butter and/or honey.

It says it serves 12. We didn't even finish a whole quadrant. It's very dense and filling, but good!

Enjoy :) Even if you aren't Irish!

(Tip: Some recipes I saw added 1 tsp of sugar to sweeten it a little. Others added caraway seeds or raisins etc. You could research a little and add your own twist. I just wanted to stick to the basics on my first time!)

A Mighty Tasty Turkey Meatloaf with Mashed SWEET Potatoes

2010-03-18T11:27:00.002-04:00

Comfort food at its MAX right here. Unfortunately, we were running late to our small group, so the "End" pictures are not anything worth bragging about as I was trying to scarf down dinner and take some after-thought pictures! HOWEVER, this was one of the best recipes I've found for a healthy meatloaf. My husband polished off the entire thing in less than 24 hours, save the 1-2ish slices I was able to have. Needless to say, its on the menu next week again! WE LOVED IT!

As far as the potatoes go, nothing fancy there, but we loved them as well, so I'll post them after the meatloaf!

"Homestyle Turkey Meatloaf"

Adapted from Eating For Life Cookbook

1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey (I only used 1lb because thats how its packaged here)

1 onion, chopped (I diced mine pretty small)

4 egg whites

1 cup salsa

3/4 cup Old Fashioned Oats, uncooked

1 pkg vegetable soup mix (dry)- this added some yummy flavor!

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup ketchup

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and coat a loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, compine the turkey, onion, egg whites, salsa, oats, soup mix, and black pepper. MIX WELL.

Press mixture into prepared loaf pan.

Spread the ketchup overtop.

Bake until meatloaf is no longer pink in the middle, about 60 minutes. (It may take longer. I bumped my oven up to 375 and it barely finished in an hour!) WORTH THE WAIT. I promise!

Enjoy :)

Easy as it Gets Mashed Sweet Potatoes

- 3 medium sized sweet potatoes

- Cumin

-Papria

-Salt

-Pepper

- Chili Powder

-DASH of ground red pepper

For you measurement freaks (I am one of them)- get over it. Just eyeball it and taste it. Anywhere from about 1/2tsp to 1tsp would be good!

Dice up your sweet potato (I leave skin on, but you could peel them first) and steam (Or boil, or microwave!) until soft and "mash-able."

Now, I put all of the spices in the bottom of a medium-sized bowl so that when i put the potatoes in to mash, they would start to absorb the seasonings. You could mash, and then add, or add while you mash. If you haven't noticed- this is no sophisticated recipe here.

Just look for an end result like this:

So yummy! Enjoy :) We also had some green beans with our loaf and potatoes. Like I said, a real comfort meal.

Kung Pao Chicken!

2010-03-12T10:10:00.000-05:00

You want some real good, real authentic Chinese take out? Then this recipe is FOR YOU! Nick asked me for a "Wok Recipe" this week, and this one really delivered. You could serve this over rice and or some steamed veggies. I kind of used an older recipe from the blog for the Sesame Noodle Salad, however I found these really cool Spicy Sesame Linguine Noodles:

ANYWAYS! Back to the chicken!

Ingredients (Marinade):

2-3 Boneless Skinless chicken breasts, diced into bite size pieces

1 T Soy Sauce

1 T Rice Wine Vinegar

1 t Sesame Oil

1.5 t Cornstarch

Place all ingredients in a baggie and let chicken marinate about 25 minutes (Or longer if you want).

Meanwhile, whisk together your sauce, and cut up your veggies

Ingredients (Sauce):

2 T Soy Sauce

1 T Rice Wine Vinegar

1 tsp Sugar (I used 1 packet of Truvia Sugar Substitute)

Ingredients (Veggies):

4 green onions, sliced (Reserve some for garnish at the end)

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

Ingredients (Other):

1/2 t ground ginger

1/2 t ground cayenne pepper

1-2 T sesame oil (for stir-frying)

1/3 cup dry roasted peanuts

Optional: Sesame Seeds

Heat a large deep pan (preferably a wok) over medium heat. Add enough Sesame Oil to stir fry chicken for 5-6 minutes until no longer pink and probably about 80% done cooking. Remove and set aside.

Next, add some more sesame oil as needed, and then add your garlic, green onions, ginger, and red pepper.

After about 30 seconds, add sauce and bring to a boil (should happen quickly) Then add your chicken back to the pan to finish cooking

At this point, your chicken should only need about 2-3 more minutes on the heat to finish cooking.

Add in your reserved green onion, toss in the peanuts, and top with some sesame seeds. Toss for about 15-20 seconds and remove immediately!

Serve however you want. Here's our Sesame Linguine noodles with some red pepper and snow peas. Again, for this recipe, click on the link up at the top for Sesame Noodle Salad.

Does this look like real Chinese Kung Pao Chicken, or what!?

I hope you'll try it, and enjoy it :)

Easy and Healthy Tomato Soup

2010-03-11T11:17:00.000-05:00

This soup is pretty easy to make. It's very healthy and light, but a good side dish to almost any meal! Pulled this recipe out of Cooking Light Magazine.

All you need:

About 6 mediums sized tomatoes, quartered

1 small onion, roughly chopped

3/4 cup celery, roughly chopped

2 cups of chicken/vegetable broth (1 can- preferably reduced sodium)

Either fresh basil, or about 3 tsp dried basil, divided

Salt and Pepper

1 T Tomato Paste

Nonfat plain yogurt (for garnish, but it stirs in to add flavor as well!)

Throw your tomatoes, broth, onion, celery, tomato paste, basil (just add as much as you want really), salt and pepper in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 30 minutes.

Remove and place in a food processor or blender. You can always put it in your machine in batches if it is too much to go all at once. You could also use an emersion blender (Thats the long guy that sometimes comes with your hand mixer that you think, what on earth is this?)

Anyways, puree it SOMEHOW, then return to the pot to keep warm. Ladle into bowls. Top with a spoonful of yogurt and maybe some fresh or dried basil.

Now, before you eat, mix that little dollop in for a smooth and rich flavor boost!

Enjoy :)

Cornflake Crusted Stuffed Chicken

2010-03-11T11:07:00.000-05:00

So, this stuffed chicken is the leftover ravioli stuffing I had frozen after using most of it for ravioli filling. It doubled WELL as a chicken stuffing. Feel free to do whatever you want- go look up that filling and make it for this recipe, or skip the stuffing and just use the cornflake crust and make some baked chicken! Either way, you're in for an easy dinner!

Cornflake Crusted Stuffed Chicken

-Stuffing of your choice (or go check out the Ravioli filling recipe earlier on the blog!)

- 3-4 chicken breasts, depending on how many you are cooking for

-2 cups corn flakes

-2 tsp dried basil

-1 tsp dried oregano

-1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

- 1 egg

-1 T of plain nonfat yogurt (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

If you are stuffing, just butterfly your chicken breasts (slice them lengthwise down the middle, but not all the way to the other side. You are just opening them up to stuff them, and then close back together!)

Place cornflakes, basil, oregano, garlic powder, and black pepper in a food processor and blend until very find crumbs are created. (If you don't have a food processor, put it all in a ziplock bag and crush them into fine crumbs!) The finer you get them, the better they will stick to your chicken!

Now, create your egg-wash mixture by combining egg with yogurt. The yogurt just helps the breading stick better to the chicken!

Roll them in your breadcrumb mixture and place them in a greased baking dish.

Bake about 45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 170.

Now thats a tasty piece of chicken you need to try!

Enjoy :)

Peanut Butter and Banana STUFFED French Toast ... Elvis Style!

2010-03-06T09:03:00.000-05:00

So, I've been wanting to make my own french toast for a VERY long time. I've heard of "Elvis Pancakes" where you put bananas in the pancakes along with some peanut butter, so I figured, you can do it with french toast I bet! It was a success. This breakfast is TO DIE FOR. Believe me. For all of you healthy eaters, this isn't a splurge! Its all healthy ingredients. Check it out!

6 slices of whole wheat bread

2 bananas, sliced in half, and then sliced in half again (see photo later on)

Creamy Peanut Butter for spreading

3-4 fresh eggs

1/2 cup milk or half and half, whatever you have on hand

1/4 cup orange juice (can be fresh squeezed)

3 t vanilla

Pinch of salt

1 tsp cinnamon

Get ready to drool......

Whisk together eggs, milk, orange juice, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt to make batter for dipping. Set aside.

Lay out your slices of bread and cover each slice with a layer of peanut butter

Note: Don't go nuts-o on the peanut butter. It will melt down and turn into more than you realize. Yes, I put too much on mine. Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate it, but less would have been more!

Now place your bananas on 3 of the slices. You should have half of a banana leftover. Slice up and save for serving!

Dip these guys into the batter you made and place them in a skillet over medium heat. (Spray your skillet with cooking spray)

I cooked 2, and then 1. Work with whatever size skillet you have!

Cook about 2 minutes and then flip them on over!

Remove and top with fresh sliced bananas.

And then some syrup.....

And just try to stop yourself from licking the plate:

ENJOY :) We L-O-V-E-D them!

Chickpea and Tomato Pasta

2010-03-04T19:25:00.000-05:00

I pulled this recipe off of the Rachael Ray Show website. I saw her make it one day. Chickpeas? Love them! Tomatoes? Love those too! Pasta- I think we all know how I feel about whole wheat pasta! I couldn't pass this up. It's got a little kick to it too which makes it more fun that just spaghetti! i used the curly guys, but you could use penne, or shells, or any kind of pasta you like!

Skinny Shopping List:

1 pound of whole wheat pasta

3 T EVOO

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or grated

1 fresh sprig of rosemary, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (2 healthy pinches)

Black pepper to taste

1 can 14-18 oz chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 T tomato paste

1 cup chicken stock

1 28 oz can Italian crushed tomatoes (or regular, and add your own italian spices)

Grated parmesan cheese for serving

Fresh or dried parsley for garnish

Quick Fix:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Cook to al dente.

Meanwhile, heat EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, rosemary, red pepper, salt and black pepper. Cook 7-8 minutes until very tender.

Pulse the chickpeas in a blender or food processor to fine chop them. DON'T puree them, you aren't going for hummus. You just want the chick peas to be distributed throughout the sauce! Once ready, add them to the skillet.

Now add tomato paste and stir. Add chicken broth as well as 28oz can of tomatoes. Salt and pepper if needed

You've got a healthy sauce cooking up right there. Proteins coming from a 99 cent can of beans instead of a 5 dollar package of chicken!

Once pasta is ready, drain, and then toss with sauce and serve. Top with parsley and grated parmesan cheese. Serve and ENJOY :) I had the leftovers the next day for lunch, and my were they tasty. Even better than on day 1!

Stuffed Turkey Burgers with Parmesan Zucchini

2010-02-22T09:41:00.000-05:00

Possible one of the best dinners I've made to date. No lie! Nick loved it. It was HARD for us to save some for leftovers, but we did it! Well, leftovers for ONE. The zucchini has no special trick to it, but somehow, yields this special taste as if you've been slaving over the dish. The burgers also have barely anything to them, and come out JUICY and tasty. TRY THIS ONE. You won't regret it!

For your Burgers:

1 to 1.25 pounds of lean ground turkey

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers

1/2 cup shredded skim mozzarella cheese

Mix the turkey, paprika, garlic and onion powder, salt and pepper. Make sure seasoning gets distributed throughout meat. Add more if you think it doesn't look like enough. Then divide your turkey into 4 balls.

Take those 4 balls, and divide in half again. Take 4 halves and press them into patties onto a greased baking sheet

Now, divide your peppers into 4 equal parts and top each patty with them.

Do the same thing with the cheese!

With your four remaining meat-balls, form into patties, place on top of each dressed up patty and press edges together to form one STUFFED burger patty

After i had done that with each burger, I topped each patty with pepper and paprika.

At this point, refrigerate, covered, until ready to cook.

You could grill these, about 5 minutes per side. We don't have a working grill, so I broiled mine for about 7 minutes per side. If you have a meat thermometer, you want it to read 165.

Serve with ketchup, mustard, spicy mayonnaise, whatever you like on your burgers. Honestly, I didn't need any extra condiments. Nick used some mustard though!

Here's that cheesy pepper stuffing:

They were wonderful. We will be making them on a regular basis from now on! You could stuff these with feta cheese as well and I think you'd get a mighty tasty result!

For the Parmesan Zucchini

4 medium zuchinni

1 large onion

1 T Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Slice your onion in half, and then make 1/2 inch slices.

Cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes until soft.

Cut your zucchini into 1/2 inch slices on a diagonal and add to pan with onions.

Add salt and pepper and toss frequently for about 15 minutes. I kept mine covered except when I was tossing, so that the zucchini would soften a little quicker for me!

Once cooked through, add Parmesan cheese, stir, and allow to cook about 30 seconds. Remove immediately and serve

You know by now I like close ups

I served all this up with a baked sweet potato that we always top with butter and cinnamon, but you could add any "starch" you want. Rice, couscous, orzo, baked potatoes, you name it! You can't go wrong with the meat and vegetable part, GUARANTEED

ENJOY :)

Secret Ingredient Oatmeal Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip/Raisin Cookies

2010-02-21T16:02:00.003-05:00

Warning: These may vanish before your eyes. They also may appear on your hips. Either way, TOTALLY worth it!

1 and 1/4 cup flour (whole wheat or regular)

1 tsp baking soda

Mix the flour with the baking soda and set aside

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 sticks of butter or margarine, softened (use butter- trans fat is a NO NO!)

2 eggs

1/2 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy, but I used smooth)

3.5 oz package of instant vanilla pudding and pie mix *Secret Ingredient*

Cream the above ingredients (Except the eggs) together. Then beat in the eggs. And lastly, slowly add the flour mixture from earlier.

Add in 3.5 cups of quick cooking oats to make a basic, stiff cookie dough

At this point, I divided the dough in half and added 1/2 cup of raisins to one half

And i added 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips to the remaining dough

Drop by teaspoons onto a baking sheet. Bake them at 375 for 10-12 minutes.

Let them cool on a cooling rack about 10 minutes.

In my case, cover immediately and save them to share at Bible Study and Small Group this week!

Enjoy these :) And play around with the basic recipe. You could add only chocolate chips, only raisins. You could add peanut butter chips

You could add butterscotch chips

You could add mini MnMs

You could add peanuts or walnuts or pecans

You could add dried cranberries

Just make them and eat them however you choose to accessorize them!

Enjoy :)

Poor Man's Greek Couscous Salad

2010-02-21T15:47:00.000-05:00

Oh, this is a keeper. And I don't say that lightly. If I had enough of everything, I would have doubled the recipe and used it ALL week for lunches. Its easy, its fast, and its delicious! Nothing expensive to this dish. You'll see!

All you'll need

1 cup uncooked couscous (Whole wheat if possible!)

1 large tomato (seeded and finely chopped)

1 cup cucumber (finely chopped or not, if you like big chunks)

4 oz reduced fat Feta Cheese (or not reduced fat if you aren't health conscious)

1/2 cup zesty italian dressing, reduced fat (Kraft makes it, but use any italian you like)

1 tsp dried dill weed OR 1 T fresh dill (I used fresh)

All you'll do

Bring one cup of water to a boil. Remove from heat. Add your couscous, stir, then cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Remove lid, fluff with a fork, and allow to cool about 10 more minutes. In a medium sized bowl, add the remaining ingredients, toss well, and then refrigerate at least one hour prior to serving. The longer it sits in there, the better!

Serve, and of course, ENJOY :)

Options: Throw in some diced chicken to make it into a meal. Throw in some black olives if you have them on hand. Throw in some chopped onion if you'd like. ENDLESS possibilities with this.

Ricotta Pancakes with Warm Blueberry Sauce

2010-02-20T08:50:00.000-05:00

These were a tasty treat this morning. Luckily I had everything on hand, or I probably wouldn't have made them!

For the Pancakes:

1/2 cup pastry flour

1/4 cup all purpose flour + 2T (I used whole wheat flour here)

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 t baking soda

1 t sugar

1/2t nutmeg

1 whole egg

1 egg white

1/2 cup buttermilk (or add a teaspoon of vinegar to 1/2 cup skim milk)

3/4 cup reduced fat ricotta cheese

1 t lemon zest

2 t oil

For the Sauce:

1 cup fresh or frozen, unthawed, blueberries

2 T honey

1 T lemon juice

First start the sauce by combining all ingredients into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cook about 10 minutes before serving.

Whisk your dry ingredients together in a small bowl

Whisk the wet ingredients together in a larger bowl.

Combine wet with dry and stir just until combined

Make your pancakes. Optional: sprinkle fresh or frozen berries on pancakes ONCE IN THE PAN. I didn't do this, but if you omit the sauce, you'll want the blueberries IN your pancakes :)

Serve them up :) Enjoy!

(You can also add some syrup, Nick did!)

Pocket Change: Budget Chicken Fajitas with Black Bean and Rice Pilaf!

2010-02-18T12:52:00.000-05:00

Here's a recipe thats easy on the wallet and easy on the taste buds. Wow. That was cheesy. I don't care enough to delete that sentence and start over though! Last night I made these minimal ingredient "Fajitas." For those of you die hard Tex Mex or Mexican fans, these are not the sizzling plate they bring out that lights up the whole restaurant with good smells. Its a cheap way to have a healthy, affordable, and easy Mexican INSPIRED dish. I don't have a grill, or I'd have grilled up the chicken the way you're supposed to! So here it is- Nick loved them. He had 3!

Budget Chicken Fajitas

Less than 1 lb of chicken, cut into strips (I used chicken tenders and sliced them in half)

1/4 cup water

1/8 cup lemon juice (about half of a large lemon)

1 yellow onion, quartered, and the sliced (like fajita onions)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

Salt and Pepper to taste (about 1/4 t salt, 1/2 t black pepper)

1/8 tsp red chile flakes

14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes (get fire roasted if you can find them), drained

For serving: Whole Wheat Tortillas, Salsa, and Cheddar Cheese

All you do is place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lemon and water, bring to a simmer, then add chicken and onions to the pan.

Cook until chicken is mostly cooked through, then add tomatoes and remaining ingredients.

Once chicken is completely cooked, and the juice has thickened up enough, you are ready to serve them. This is an extremely fast dish! We topped our tortillas with the chicken, then some cheddar cheese (skim of course!) and then a little salsa) Pretty tasty!

Black Bean and Rice Pilaf

1 cup brown rice, uncooked

2-1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I ended up using more like 3 cups by the end of the cooking time)

1 T Olive Oil

1 small onion, diced FINELY

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 tsp dried oregano

1 stalk of celery, diced FINELY

1 large carrot, peeled and diced FINELY

1 t ground cumin

1/2 t dried chili flakes

15.5. oz can of black beans, drained and rinsed

2 t fresh chopped parsley (optional)

Combine chicken broth and rice in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat, cover, and simmer 35 minutes, adding broth as needed.

This starts pretty similar to a soup stock, just minus the broth! Heat your oil in a skillet and add onions, celery, and carrot. Cook until soft (about 7-10 minutes). Add garlic, oregano, cumin and chili flakes.

Now, toss in your black beans and heat about 2 minutes

Once rice is done, remove from heat and fluff with a fork, then add in your bean mixture and serve.

Yum :) Enjoy!

"Egg-cellent" Eggplant Parmesan

2010-02-17T11:54:00.000-05:00

This is a wonderful, easy, healthy, and CHEAP meal. No meat instantly saves you anywhere from 5-10 bucks! I originally pulled this recipe off of www.eatingwell.com. If you are afraid of eggplant, try this dish. You'll love it, and won't even know you're eating eggplant! The flavor is very dominated by the italian seasonings and sauce!

Ingredients:

2 medium sized eggplants

3 egg whites plus 3 T water mixed together until frothy

1 cup bread crumbs (I used whole wheat, but you don't have to!)

Salt and Pepper

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup slivered basil leaves
2.5 cups tomato sauce
(I used a Classico Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce that was on clearance for $1.50)
3/4 cups shredded part skim mozzarella (NOT FAT FREE- that stuff won't melt!)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and coat 2 baking sheets, and one baking dish with cooking spray
2. Chop the ends off of your eggplant and then slice into 1/4 inch thick peices
3. Have your station set up:

- Small bowl with egg-wash mixture (3 egg whites and 3 T water)
- Medium bowl or plate with bread crumb mixture (1 cup bread crumbs, 1/4 cup grated parmesan, salt and pepper)
- Baking Sheets Nearby (I needed 2) to avoid making a mess

Dip each slice in the egg-wash. Then lightly coat in bread mixture. Place onto baking sheet. Repeat until all slices are ready to go!

Here is what they look like before going into the oven

You'll want to bake them for 15 minutes, then remove and flip each slice, then bake 15 more minutes.

Meanwhile, add your fresh basil to your sauce (you could use dried basil, or just omit it altogether, but I don't recommend it!)

Next, while they are baking, and don't forget to flip them, coat the bottom of your baking dish/pan/casserole dish with 1/2 cup of the sauce.

When eggplant are ready, place half of the slices on the bottom of the baking dish. Top with 1 cup of the sauce. Then 1/2 of the mozzarella. Layer the remaining eggplant, top with remaining sauce, and top with the remaining mozzarella and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.

Pop it all back in the oven to bake for another 15-20 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbly.

Plate up, serve, and enjoy :)

This would go well with pasta and or a salad and maybe even some fresh bread. We just had leftover salad from Valentine's dinner. I think I'll make pasta when we have the leftovers!

Nick said it was a keeper. And please understand: it is rare that Nick says that about a meatless meal. He also isn't a huge fan of eggplant from past experiences, but he had 2 servings of these guys! I'M JUST SAYING! Take a chance on them!

Romantic Dinner for 2! PART FOUR: Angel Peanut Butter Parfaits

2010-02-15T10:20:00.000-05:00

So, this was our favorite course of the evening. We really could have JUST eaten this for dinner, and been just fine. Maybe not the healthiest choice, but surely the tastiest!

And here is the recipe you get for voting for your favorite sweet: Anything chocolate and peanut butter!

I pulled this off of jif.com. I highly recommend visiting their site if you are a peanut butter lover. They have recipes for breakfast, lunch, snacks, dinner, and dessert! Anyways, easy dessert. Here we go!

Ingredients:

1 angel food cake (I bought mine at Kroger)

1 package (6 serving size) INSTANT sugar-free vanilla pudding and pie mix (JELLO brand)

1 package (6 serving size) INSTANT sugar-free chocolate pudding and pie mix (JELLO brand)

5 cups of Skim Milk

1/2 cup Reduced-Fat Jif Creamy Peanut Butter

Cool Whip (Optional)

Strawberries or any fruit for topping and garnish (Optional)

That's all you need . Here's how you make it:

Dice Angel-Food Cake into 1 inch cubes. Place in a large bowl

In a blender or food processor, combine vanilla pudding mix, 2.5 cups of milk, and peanut butter. Blend until smooth. Pour over cake and fold gently to coat the cake.

Cover and refrigerate at least one hour.

In a medium bowl, combine chocolate pudding mix and 2.5 cups of milk. Whisk about 2 minutes until well combined. Cover and put in the refrigerator at least one hour. (I didn't take a picture because I think you can all make instant pudding without me showing you how!)

When ready to serve, layer the peanut butter cake, then the chocolate pudding. Repeat until you get to the top of your serving cup. Top with Whipped Cream and Sliced Strawberry

These were TO-DIE-FOR. Wow. So, so good. You could make this into a small trifle if you wanted to serve it that way. But individual parfaits are the way to go on this one! I promise.

Enjoy :)

OH! And here was our "Table-scape" that I set up for the dinner.

You can't tell from this picture because I needed light, but it was all candle-light when we ate :) Such a fun date night!

Romantic Dinner for 2! PART THREE: Homemade Ricotta Cheese, Pine Nut, and Spinach Stuffed Ravioli

2010-02-15T10:11:00.000-05:00

These guys were my pride and joy of the evening. I have wanted to make my own ravioli for SO SO long now! I saved them for Valentine's Day! I have never been happier with something I've made than with these guys! I cheated and used Won Ton Wrappers instead of true pasta dough, but, it still counts, right? See what you think!

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped (And I mean FINELY)
1/2 pound baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
8 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Flour for dusting
1 (12-ounce) package won ton wrappers
1 egg, beaten with 1/2 tablespoon cold water
2 tablespoons butter

For any of you who are unfamiliar with shallots, they look like this. VERY similar to onions. I ordered mine from myproduceguy.com. They deliver FRESH produce to your door! Very exciting. They gave us a dozen red roses for free just for ordering around Valentine's Day!

Here we go, hang on tight!

First, you want to saute your shallots in a large skillet in oil for about a minute over medium heat. Then, start adding your spinach in batches and let it wilt.

Unwilted:

Good to go:

Once all spinach is wilted, remove from heat and put into a medium-sized bowl. Allow it to cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate it for 20 minutes.

Once cooled and ready, remove from refrigerator and place in a sieve. Squeeze all excess liquid out of the spinach leaves. If you don't have a sieve, then just take balls of it in your hands and squeeze out the liquid that way. Once dry, chop up the spinach, place it back into the bowl and mix with ricotta cheese, 6 T of pine nuts, 2 T Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Ta da! You have your ravioli filling. I wish you could smell this right now!

At this point, you want to lightly flour your counter, and lightly flour 2 baking sheets. Have your egg-wash mixture ready to go and a pastry brush (or clean paint brush) nearby.

Take your Won Ton Wrappers and lay about 6 out on your surface. Paint the edges with egg wash

Take a small spoon and scoop a drop of filling into the center of each wrapper

Take 6 new wrappers, and place them right over top. Seal the edges (Leaving no air bubbles inside) and place on your baking sheet Repeat until all wrappers are used up.

I had about a tray and a half, with lots of leftover filling. At this point, cover them with a damp towel and refrigerate until ready to cook. You can also freeze them at this stage, and then cook them right out of the freezer if you want to.

I saved my leftover filling. I plan on stuffing it into some chicken next week. Check back to see how it goes :)

About 2 hours later, I was ready to cook. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add raviolis. Stir GENTLY to keep them from sticking to each other. It would be okay to do them in batches if necessary.

Meanwhile, bring butter to a frothy simmer over low heat in a large skillet. As ravioli finish boiling, drop them into the butter. Once they are all in the skillet, add the remaining Parmesan and Pine Nuts. I added some salt and pepper here as well.

I heated up some plain pasta sauce to serve over top (and underneath)

Sprinkle with some grated Parmean, serve, and enjoy. These were SO delicious!

Romantic Dinner for 2! PART TWO: Roasted Butternut Squash Chipotle Bisque

2010-02-15T09:51:00.000-05:00

So, our second course of the evening was a squash soup that I had made before. We both liked it, so I took the safe way out instead of trying something new! It's a little involved, but nothing fancy or tricky that you can't handle .. do I ever give you stuff you can't handle?

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash

2 T Olive Oil

1/2 cup celery chopped

1/2 cup carrot chopped

1-1/2 cup onion chopped (one medium-large onion)

4 cups chicken stock

3 cloves garlic minced

2 tsp chipotle pepper seeded and minced

Pinch of tyme

Pinch of sage

Directions:

Slice your squash in half lengthwise, reserving seeds, and discarding pulp (like a pumpkin) - and place flesh side down in a greased baking dish. Pierce all over with a fork:

Bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes or until VERY fork-tender. It should come out soft and very orange:

While the squash is cooling, begin sauteing your onion, carrot, and celery in the oil

I let these cook about 5-7 minutes until soft (Not brown!) Then add your garlic and cook about 1 more minute. Then, add your broth and start scooping the flesh of the squash into the pot as well. Bring to a simmer and cook 30 mintues. Meanwhile, begin to toast your squash seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until dry and crunchy. Add salt and set aside.

It will be chunky, and that's okay! FOR NOW! Add in your thyme and sage. I also added some salt and pepper. Once it has finished simmering for 30 minutes, get out a blender or food processor and start pureeing the soup in batches. Once all of it is pureed, pour back into your pot and keep warm.

At this point, stir in your 2 teaspoons of chipotle pepper for a little kick. Ladle into bowls, top with toasted seeds, and serve! Last time I made this, I stirred some chipotle pepper sauce into a half cup of sour cream and served a dallop of that on top along with the toasted seeds.

However you top it off, just enjoy it :) Its a good, warm, winter soup. Its healthy, but not at the cost of taste!

Romantic Dinner for 2! PART ONE: White Bean and Feta Salad

2010-02-15T09:40:00.000-05:00

This was an extremely easy salad that I threw together. I had 2 bags of dried white beans in my pantry and wanted to use them up. All you would need is about 1/2 can of white beans (I used Cannellini Beans). You don't have to arrange the salad the way I did, but for a romantic looking dish, try it out!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of canned white beans, drained and rinsed (or cook your own dry beans)

6 oz of mixed spring greens

1.5 T Olive Oil

1 T Balsamic Vinegar (Plus some for drizzling)

1/4 t Dijon Mustard

Salt and Pepper

1 pint grape tomatoes

2 ounces Feta Cheese (I used black peppercorn feta)

1 T Sliced fresh Basil

Whisk the oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper together

Place greens in a large bowl and pour dressing over them. Toss WELL. Get the dressing all over the salad! Then, divide among 2 plates (we had leftover salad, it could have made 4 small salads). I sliced about 7 tomatoes in half and edged the plate in them. I placed the sliced basil in the center of the plate, and then put the salad in the center of the ring. I drizzled some balsamic over the tomatoes, then topped the greens with the beans and feta.

So easy! Such a good "Starter" or side dish with any meal! Enjoy :) And look for Parts 2, 3 and 4 of this Valentine's Meal!

Carrot Cakes!

2010-02-13T09:16:00.000-05:00

Well, this morning, we woke up to a beautiful snow-covered day. I wish I had taken pictures by the river yesterday, because now its too icy to go get some good shots. Here's the best I could do:

The mail building. HAH. Anyways, I had ordered a pancake pan with some leftover wedding gift cards to Crate and Barrel, and thought it was a perfect morning to make silver dollar pancakes. Look at this guy!

So anyways, I made Carrot Pancakes. You could adapt this recipe to make chocolate chip, blueberry, banana, pumpkin, etc. Here is the BASIC recipe:

1.5 cups whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1-1/4 cups milk (I used skim)

2 tablespoons EVOO

1/4 t vanilla

Optionals:

2-3 carrots (plus a pinch of nutmeg and 1/2t cinnamon)

2 bananas (plus a 1/2t cinnamon)

1 cup blueberries

1 cup pumpkin

chocolate chips (These can go in any pancake of course!)

So, you'll want to mix together all of the dry ingredients. If you are making carrot pancakes, you will need to peel them, and throw them in a food processor with the nutmeg, cinnamon, and milk and blend until smooth. You don't want chunky pancakes, do you? It will yield a frothy orange mixture.

Add wet ingredients and milk mixture. Stir and combine well. Obviously if you don't have the pancake pan, just heat a griddle or a skillet and ladle the size of pancakes you want. Lucky for me, i had the pan

There they are! Little orange carrot cakes cooking up! I haven't mentioned it yet, but these are very healthy! No added sugar and they are very sweet due to the carrot and vanilla.

It will yield about 18 pancakes if you make them small, probably only 6-8 if you make larger pancakes!

We had plenty for 2 of us, with leftovers. Pour on some syrup, or whatever you put on pancakes. Honey would go well on these, but my husband prefers the sugar-free syrup on his!

Enjoy :) And try a different version of these pancakes! If carrot isn't your thing, you have many options!

Pasta Primavera - A Real One Dish Dinner!

2010-02-10T19:24:00.000-05:00

A few confessions before I start the recipe. I searched EVERYWHERE to find a healthy version of this recipe. My mom made THE BEST Pasta Primavera growing up, but- a real good recipe has heavy cream, lots of parmesan cheese, etc. After looking through the basics of the recipe as well as looking at what was in my refrigerator, I came up with this recipe! Second confession, I didn't try too hard to capture good photos because I was SO hungry and just wanted to eat. WE LOVED IT. Having leftovers tomorrow night!

Here's a close up!

A Very Flexible Recipe

1 pound whole wheat linguine (or spinach, or any fun flavor you find!)

1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips

1 pound chicken, cubed (optional- this can easily be a vegetarian dish)

8 oz button mushrooms, sliced

2 small zucchini, sliced and then quartered

2 medium sized carrots, peeled into ribbons (use a vegetable peeler for this)

1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in halves

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup 1% milk

1 T all purpose flour dissolved in 3 T water

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Optional: Fresh Basil, Parsley

You can replace ANY of the vegetables you don't like with broccoli, onion, summer squash, asparagus- any veggie works in here! I promise!

Step One: IF YOU ARE USING CHICKEN!

I diced mine up, sprinkled some salt and italian seasonings on them, and then cooked them in a skillet until they were done, then I let them simmer in about 1 T water and 3ish T Balsamic Vinegar. Meanwhile, get to the veggies!

Have all your vegetables chopped/sliced/peeled etc. so that you can just GO! I used a wok, but if you have a VERY large skillet :) That would work too!

Use a little olive oil or cooking spray to coat your pan. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute until softened. Toss in zucchini and pepper and cook about 3 minutes.

Add your tomatoes and mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes until soft.

Next, add your flour dissolved in water, and cook about one minute. Add chicken stock, milk, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 5 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken up.

You may want to start cooking the linguini at this point.

Next, add in your carrot ribbons and diced up chicken. Mix and allow to cook together.

If using basil and parsley, add it here and let it start to wilt down

Drain your pasta, but BEFORE adding it to the veggies, put the 1/2 cup of cheese in so that the hot noodles melt the cheese immediately. Stir together.

3 Words Left For You: PLATE IT UP!

Sprinkle a little extra parmesan cheese on top of your plate and ENJOY :) It is absolutely delicious. This probably could serve 4-6 people EASY. Or serve 2 and give you a couple leftover lunches/dinners!

SO SO GOOD! Try this as soon as you can. And feel FREE to chose vegetable that YOU like or have in your refrigerator!

Super Bowl Sunday, all Slimmed Down!

2010-02-07T19:32:00.002-05:00

Burgers? Fries? Pasta Salad? Chips and Salsa? You want it all on Super Bowl Sunday, right? Well you got it! Some are recipes, some are just go to the store and buy it! Here's a diary of Mom and Myself cooking up a football sized dinner for our guys!

Turk-en Sausage Burgers

Thats right! Turkey and chicken sausage burgers. YUMM-Y!

All you do is mix one pound ground turkey with one pound of chicken sausage. (Chicken sausage can be any FRESH uncooked chicken sausage. Available at Fresh Market and Whole Foods. We used Green Pepper and Onion Chicken Sausage!)

Add 1 Tablespoon of Mayo with Olive Oil (Hellmann's makes it!)

Add about 1 cup of finely diced onions

Salt and pepper to taste

Form into patties and allow the burgers to sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour. We made them pretty thin so they would cook up faster!

Grill about 5-7 minutes per side, or until cooked through. (You may want to place them on wax paper while shaping them so you can just flip them over onto the grill- they are a little sticky!)

Mediterranean Chicken and Orzo Salad

Dressing:

1 T dijon mustard

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3/4 t salt

1/4 t black pepper

3/4 cup olive oil

1/2 t dried italian seasoning

Orzo:

1 pound of orzo, cooked

1 cup of grape tomatoes, halved

1.2 cup black olives, coarse chopped

1/4 pound feta cheese, crumbled

2 pkgs (5 oz each) italian style pre-cooked chicken, bite size

2 T chopped parsley

Whisk all ingredients for dressing, except olive oil and italian seasoning. Add those 2 slowly after others are blended. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Mix other ingredients. Pour on 3/4 cup dressing. Fold together GENTLY then drizzle on remaining dressing

SERVE!

Chipotle Sweet Potato Fries

Yes, I've done fries before, but these had a definite kick to them! We did a 3 large potato recipe, just change your spices according to how many sweet potatoes you use!

3 large, skinny sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into fries

1.5 tsp cinnamon

1.5 tsp chili powder

3 tsp brown sugar

3 tsp salt

3 tsp adobo sauce (From the chipotle canned peppers)

3 T EVOO

I put all the fries in a large bowl and tossed them until WELL coated in the oil and seasoning.

Once coated, line in a single layer (probably 2 baking sheets) and bake 15 minutes at 400 degrees. Flip them over (and switch trays top to bottom if necessary) and cook 10 more minutes.

Serve :)

OH YEAH! Even Jack-man liked these french fries, and he's a picky french fry eater

CHIPS AND SALSA!

We obviously STARTED the evening with this, but i can take no credit for the recipe nor the chips, so i'm ending the blog with it!

Go to www.sizzleandspice.blogspot.com for the salsa recipe. Go to Whole Foods for these AMAZING chips! We devoured both bags!

These are 2 bags for 4 dollars- organic- baked- yummy chips. They come in MANY MANY flavors!

Dip anyone?

Killed off the salsa too!

Just because we love him, here's me pushing my little nephew around in a too-small tupperware. That kid will let me try almost anything if it involves pushing/pulling/flipping him.

A Few Highlights from a Strange Week....

2010-02-05T10:48:00.001-05:00

This week, I was able to be at home ONE night. No cooking Monday or Tuesday, cooking while babysitting Wednesday night, and a normal meal on Thursday. Not every single dish was a success, so I'm highlighting what we/I liked!

First up, a low fat version of spinach salad, really easy, really yummy! This recipe comes from Ellie Krieger at FoodNetwork.com

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon and Apple Cider Dressing

10 oz baby spinach, washed

2 slices bacon, finely chopped

3 ounces canadian bacon, finely chopped (I used 5 ounces and omitted regular bacon)

2 tsp olive oil

1/2 red onion, sliced

1 pound button mushrooms (I used half a pound)

1 cup apple cider

2 T apple cider vinegar

1 t dijon mustard

Salt and Pepper

*I added a handful of honey toasted almonds, as well as a handful of craisins*

Place spinach into a large bowl. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat for about 4 minutes, or until it is just crispy. Add Canadian bacon to the skillet and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring frequently. Remove meat from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Drain any remaining fat from the skillet.

Add olive oil and onions to the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes, or until onions soften slightly. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 more minutes. Put onions and mushrooms on top of the spinach.

Add apple cider and vinegar to the skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high. Stir to scrape up any bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until cider is reduced to about 1/2 cup.

Whisk in mustard, salt and pepper, to taste. Pour warm cider dressing over the mushrooms and spinach and toss until the vegetables are well coated. Sprinkle the bacon on top and serve.

We served this guy alongside Pasta Putenesca (featured early on in this blog!)

Next up, Mexican Night. I made some homemade BAKED tortilla chips with some tortilla soup and Turkey Burrito Burgers. The soup was nothing to write home about, but I'll share the chips and burgers with you!

Chili and Sea Salt Baked Tortilla Chips

12 whole wheat tortillas (or any corn or wheat tortilla you prefer_

Cooking Spray

Chili Powder

Salt

Any kind of salsa you want to dip in, or make your own using the recipe off of sizzleandspice.blogspot.com

All I did was spray the top of a tortilla, sprinkle some chili powder, stack a new one, and repeat. Once I had all 12 stacked up, I sliced them into eighths, put them on 2 baking sheets, and baked them at 400 degrees for about 10-12 minutes, watching closely to prevent them from burning!

Take them out, sprinkle with sea salt, or any salt, and serve alongside your salsa! Healthy and delicious! Use any spice you'd like before baking: Cumin, cayenne pepper, garlic powder etc.

The bean burgers. I will post these mainly because one of my best friends has requested that I do so. I enjoyed these, however, my husband had nothing fantastic to say about them. I did make 1 error, and that was that I added too much cooked rice to the meat, so they were falling apart, and I think thats what turned him off. Anyways, the taste is very Mexican, and personally, a perfect fit after the chips and salsa appetizer!

Turkey Bean Burrito Burgers (Rachael Ray)

1 cup (and 1 cup only!) leftover brown rice

1 pound ground turkey

1-15oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

Palmful chili powder

1.5 t cumin

1.5 t coriander

1 T grill seasoning

1 T Olive Oil

Optional Toppings such as avacado, roasted garlic, sour cream, jalepeno, red oinon, guacamole, etc.

Buns are optional as well, but I opted out

Combine your rice, meat, and beans with spices and grill seasoning. Form into patties. I ended up with 7. I know, right? Who makes an odd number. Anyways, add your oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook patties 7-8 minutes on each side.

Mine fell apart in the skillet, so I baked them about 15 minutes at 375 to finish them off.

Yes, they resemble rice patties. Not my finest moment, but they tasted the same as they would have in perfect round circles.

Now.. here's the real reason they don't look perfect:

Trying to put dinner together with this little 1 and half year old was a trip! But worth it nonetheless! Who can resist that little boy?

Last on the list, and BEST, in my humble opinon:

Butternut Squash with Onion and Fennel

Nick and i both went crazy over this SIMPLE SIMPLE side dish!

1 medium-large butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 sweet onion, sliced into wedges

1 bulb fennel, sliced into 1 inch pieces

3 T olive oil

1 t dried thyme

1/4 t cayenne pepper

All you do is put onion, fennel, and squash in a large bowl and toss with olive oil until all veggies look well covered in oil

Sprinkle with thyme and cayenne pepper and toss again

Spread onto baking sheet in a single layer, and bake 40 minutes at 400 degrees, stirring about halfway through. I took mine out at about 38 minutes- I could tell the squash was soft and onions were starting to brown.

WE LOVED THIS! Try it :)

I know this was a random post, but I had some flops this week, and I would never want to advertise a bad tasting dish to you! That was never my goal in blogging :) So enjoy these dishes however and with whatever you choose!

Better recipes next week, I promise :)

Red Curry Vegetable Bowls!

2010-01-29T10:39:00.000-05:00

Ingredients:

10 oz frozen corn

1 1/2 cup frozen bell pepper stir fry mix

1 1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame

1-15 oz can of Coconut Milk (I always use reduced fat)

1 T Red Curry Paste

2 t Soy Sauce

Optional: Basil for serving

Rice or Couscous for serving

Were I to make this again, I would add:

1- 15 oz can chick peas

1 sweet potato diced up, and pre-cooked

Directions:

Bring half the can of coconut milk to a boil. It should thicken up and bubble around the edges.

Whisk in curry paste and stir for 2 minutes, constantly.

Add in 1/2 cup water and remaining coconut milk. Cook 2 more minutes and bring to a steady, low boil.

Add the corn. Cook 2 minutes.

Add edamame. Cook 2 more minutes

Add Stir Fry Mix and soy sauce. Cook about 6 more minutes until veggies are tender and flavors are distributed. If you opt for chick peas and potatoes, add them in as well.

Serve over rice or couscous. I used couscous because I had a lot on hand. WE LOVED IT! Make sure to ladle curry sauce overtop dish so it soaks into the rice. I also chose to slice up some fresh basil to top it off. TOTALLY optional.

This meal was cheap for us because I happened to have edamame and corn in the freezer and intentionally wanted to use them up. Obviously had soy sauce, so the grocery list was slim (that being the goal this week).

I was aiming for a "Meatless Meal" for both budget and for the nutritious benefits of some of the veggies. We were both FULL afterwards. Its healthy. Its easy. Its quick. Minimal cooking time.

Enjoy :)

A FLAVOR PUNCH: Chicken Escondido

2010-01-27T20:11:00.000-05:00

So, I did a little research. "Escondido" means hidden in spanish. It is also the name of a city near San Diego. I like the name hidden. There's a very hidden flavor to this dish that you've tasted NOWHERE else! Its a must try! We finished it off. I served it up alongside "Ultimate Spanish/Mexican Rice" featured early on in this blog. Let me tell you what- this rice is a real staple in the Sharp-household!

CHEAP grocery list:

- 1 lb chicken (Tenders, breast, cutlets, whatever you want) diced up into bite size pieces

- 2 T EVOO

- 2 T Balsamic Vinegar (I used Red Wine Vinegar since I had no balsamic!)

- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes (NOT oil packed)

- 2 cloves of garlic, minced

- 1 can black beans, drained

- 1-16oz jar Salsa Verde (Green Salsa)

QUICK FIX:

1. Dice up your chicken

2. Heat oil and vinegar in skillet over medium heat

3. Add tomatoes and garlic and saute about 3 minutes

4. Add chicken and cook until done

5. Add Black Beans and Green Salsa

6. Boil for 5-7 minutes until well combined

7. Remove from heat, let it thicken up, and serve!

*If you do the rice, it takes about 50 minutes total, so start that WAY before the chicken! The chicken will only take about 20 minutes total, or less!*

Enjoy this "escondido" dish with quite a punch of GREAT flavor! And check out the rice recipe if you haven't tried it yet!