Oh delicious risotto/my weekend/Monday

Hey everyone

I hope you had a great weekend! We had a pretty sweet weekend and accomplished quite a bit. Friday we had our usual dinner date with friends, Saturday I wrote about in my previous post, and on Sunday I went to the mall shopping with my friends Jill, Nikki, and Buffy. It was awesome to spend time with them and also to go shopping! I bought a cute new skirt, a pair of long work short/capris, a nice going out shirt, and a new workout top. Today I worked from home because I had to take Frank back to the vet. He has a double ear infection and was in a good deal of pain (poor baby!!). I also got so much work done at home!! Last night I made some sweet risotto- one of my favorite meals!

I took this recipe and edited just a bit:


http://jennieo.com/recipes/recipe_detail.aspx?Id=1147

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup minced onion
• 1 tablespoon butter (low fat or margarine)
  
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 cup Arborio or California medium-grain rice
• 1 pinch ground red pepper
  
• 4 1/2 cups hot chicken broth (low sodium!!)
  
• 1 pound asparagus
  
• 2 chicken breasts
  
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Boil a large pot of water. Add chicken and cook through (no pink). Remove and cut into bite sized pieces, set aside.

In a large saucepan, sauté onion in butter and oil 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice until evenly coated. Heat broth in separate pot. Add 1 cup broth to rice. Stir until liquid is absorbed. Continue to add broth, 1 cup at a time, until all liquid is absorbed, heat/cook for 10 minutes or until rice is soft (taste it!).

Cook bite sized asparagus pieces with 1-2 tablespoons of water in the microwave. Drain water. Set aside.

Stir asparagus, chicken, red pepper and cheese into cooked rice.

Beef and Broccoli, 25th Post!!

Woo hoo, its my 25th post! Tonight I made beef and broccoli and it tasted just like Chinese take-out! Gotta love that. I started with this recipe:

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1727,154186-237202,00.html

and altered it a bit to get the following recipe:

Beef and Broccoli with Rice

Quick Brown Rice (your favorite brand)

1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 lb. thin beef
Olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced (or desired amount of jarred
1/4 tsp. red pepper, crushed, dried
2 c. broccoli flowerets
1/2 c. beef broth

In a bowl, combine cornstarch and soy sauce with a whisk. Coat thin beef with sauce, cover and refrigerate for 2-4 hours (or overnight). Drain, Reserve marinade (important!!). Cut beef into thin, bite sized strips.

Cook rice according to package directions.

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to electric skillet or skillet on cook top on medium-low (250 degrees). Add garlic and red pepper. Cook for 2 minutes and remove- place in same bowl as reserved marinade. Add 1 tablespoon oil and broccoli, cook 2 minutes and remove to separate bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil and beef and cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add beef broth, reserved marinade and garlic/red pepper, bring to boil, stirring constantly, cook for 1 minute. Add broccoli and cook 2-3 minutes or until broccoli is at desired tenderness (make sure you don't burn the sauce). Serve with rice.

Cookies for Breakfast?

It has been a busy Saturday so far but I have gotten a lot done! I went food shopping, returned movies to Blockbuster, went to the bank, picked up flowers from Lowe's and planted them, and made these terrific breakfast cookies. I am trying to avoid turning this into an Ellie Krieger recipe blog, but she has such amazing ideas! These cookies are hearty and delicious. Check out this recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_109112,00.html

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ok, so this is not really...healthy, but it is a wonderful and delicious treat for the weekend. I found this recipe on the website catcancook.com. It is perfect to make when you're having guests because it is super easy.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

3 or 4 Large bananas, mashed (the more bananas the moister, so I use 4)

1/2 cup white sugar (original recipe calls for 1 cup, but I don't like them too sweet)

1 slightly beaten egg

1/3 cup melted margarine or butter

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Mix the mashed banana, sugar, egg and margarine together. Set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Mix wet and dry ingredients all together, being careful not to over-stir! Add in chocolate chips (stir by hand). Pour into greased muffin tins, and bake in 350 degrees oven for approximately 20 minutes. Enjoy!

*These are much more flavorful the next day, and they freeze very nicely too!

Turkey Meatballs and Whole Wheat Pasta

Happy almost Friday (yayyyyyyyy)!! I taught Body Step tonight and then ended up running over to a second gym for a Turbo Kick launch. So after two hours of cardio, I was very excited to come home and make Turkey Meatballs and Whole Wheat Pasta. Another Ellie Krieger recipe, another hit! The carrots really give something special to the meatballs. I used panko (1/4 cup) instead of her recommended 1 slice of bread. Enjoy(sorry the pic isn't too great-I took it when the meatballs were still steaming)!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_35518,00.html

You can always use store bought sauce (try for low sugar/healthy sauces) vs. making your own!

Healthy Chicken Chowder and Soda Bread

I made a few new recipes tonight. I loved the chicken chowder- it was a nice light recipe (think thinner chowder not thick). I did not use the slice of bacon and added slices of zucchini when I put in the potatoes. Enjoy-

http://www.foodfit.com/recipes/recipe.asp?rid=438

I also made my first batch of Irish Soda bread based on a recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen:
http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2008/03/white-whole-wheat-and-oatmeal-irish.html

Kalyn has awesome recipes- check out her site! The bread turned out pretty well (for my first batch of bread). I am looking forward to trying additional bread recipes and will post those after I try them.

My favorite dip and Body Step Launch

Hey all-

We launched Body Step tonight and it was a lot of fun! I hope everyone enjoyed it! We dressed ridiculous (see pictures- you may have to make them bigger to see how silly we looked!).

Whenever I have to bring something to a party, I always turn towards my trusty fruit dip. Very simple, very healthy:

1-8 oz container cool whip lite or Sugar free cool whip
1- 6 oz yogurt (any fruit flavor)

Mix together, and serve with different kinds of fruit! It is awesome!

Fake Apple Pie

I found this easy/healthy snack on another website (http://www.starling-fitness.com/archives/2008/02/07/microwave-apples/) and had to pass it on!

Fake Apple Pie
Core and cut an apple into chunks.
Sprinkle apple with cinnamon and 1 packet of splenda.
Microwave for 2-3 minutes.

Apples will be soft, juicy and smell/taste like an apple pie! Cover with a little bit of cool whip lite or sugar free/fat free ice cream. Delicious!

Healthy Mac and Cheese?

When I first saw this recipe, I said yah right there is no way this will be good. I had been searching for a healthier mac and cheese recipe for a while and just didn't believe that squash in mac and cheese could be good. Boy was I wrong! This recipe has all the taste and is much healthier! Instead of using Monterrey Jack and Cheddar, I just used cheddar. I used cooked squash from the frozen section. Awesome, awesome. Yay for Ellie Krieger!!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_33706,00.html

I finally got my camera battery charged and took some pics!

Black Bean Soup and Cheese Quesadillas

Happy Friday! I tried to take a picture of the dinner I made last night, but our camera's battery was dead- boooo! Instead, I have added a picture of my husband with our dog Frank (as a baby). In any case, dinner was a wonderful, comfort food type of meal! I have tried a few black bean soup recipes and been very unhappy with them. Last night I tried to make up my own recipe (using ideas from various recipes) and I loved the outcome. The soup is pretty health, cheese quesadillas aren't the best for you, but if eaten in moderation are a wonderful addition to the soup.

Itzy's Black Bean Soup

1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped (or use canned garlic)
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped (optional)
2 (15-ounce) cans black beans
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 teaspoons coriander
2 tablespoons hot sauce
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
3/4 cup frozen corn

Heat EVOO over medium low heat. Add garlic, onion, and red pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes (until fragrant). Add 1 drained can of black beans and the liquid from the second can. Place the beans from the second can in a bowl and mash with a fork then add to pot(so you will end up with the juice from one of the cans and the beans from both). Add remainder of ingredients and simmer, covered, for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Also- consider adding chopped carrots or cooked ground turkey into this recipe).

Cheese Quesadillas

Small flour tortillas
2% milk-mild cheddar cheese, shredded
Chili powder
Pam cooking spray

Spray 1 side of all of the flour tortillas. Place the tortilla sprayed side down in an electric skillet (or skillet on the cook top). Top with shredded cheese and sprinkle with chili powder. Place a second tortilla, sprayed side up on top. Cook on medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side (or until lightly browned). Remove from heat and cut into 4 pieces. Enjoy- dip into black bean soup!

Another treat!!

Since it is Easter weekend, I decided to post another treat that is somewhat healthy (healthier ingredients) and sooo delicious. This Ellie Krieger would be a great substitute for store bought candy this weekend!!

Cherry Almond Clusters

1 cup toasted almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
6 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped

In a medium bowl, toss together the almonds and the cherries. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.

Melt half the chocolate in the top of a double boiler over slightly simmering water, over the lowest possible heat, stirring frequently. Make sure the water is not touching the top pan. Remove the double boiler from the heat and stir in the rest of the chocolate. Remove the top pan with the chocolate in it, gently wipe the bottom of it and set it aside for a moment. Replace the simmering water in the bottom pan with warm tap water. Put the pan of melted chocolate on top of the warm water. This will keep the chocolate at the right temperature while you make the clusters.

Stir the fruit-nut mixture into the chocolate. Spoon out heaping tablespoon-sized clusters of the chocolate mixture onto the baking sheet about 1-inch apart. Put them in the refrigerator to set for 15 minutes. Store and serve at room temperature.

(recipe from the foodnetwork.com, http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_35871,00.html)

I promise to start posting more pictures soon. I am going to try to start taking pictures of some of these recipes after I make them so you can see more or less what the recipe should look like. Hope you have a wonderful Thursday!!

Side note

Little side note about the croûtons(previous post)- I didn't give credit where its due :) One of my very good friends and roommate in college, Ally, started me on making croûtons. So you can thank Ally for that wonderful recipe!

A nutty treat

Everyone needs a little treat every now and then. I made these nutty jumbles (a Williams Sonoma recipe!!) for a super bowl party this year and they were a hit! Pretty healthy (little high on the sugar side), but not terrible. The recipe was designed for kids so excuse all of the specific instructions :):

Nutty Jumbles:

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon soft butter for greasing baking
sheets

2 egg whites

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1 cup sliced almonds

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and lightly grease with the soft butter.

In a bowl, combine the egg whites, brown sugar, vanilla and salt. Stir with a fork, mashing any lumps of sugar, until the mixture is frothy and smooth. Add the almonds, pecans and walnuts. Mix with the fork until all the nuts are well coated, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the nut mixture onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. As you work, scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir the mixture occasionally. Flatten the mounds slightly.

Place 1 baking sheet in the oven and bake until the nuts are well browned, 14 to 16 minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the baking sheet from the oven and set it on a wire rack to cool completely. Bake the second sheet of jumbles.

Using your fingers, carefully peel the cooled jumbles from the foil. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Makes 24 cookies.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma The Kid's Cookbook, by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Time-Life Books, 2000).

(Recipe from Williams Sonoma- http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/recipedetail.cfm?objectid=8E7F3271-E306-EB29-6BC2473E9B9F159A)

Spinach and Artichoke Calzones

Hello! I started making this Rachel Ray recipe (I am on a Rachael Ray kick this week apparently) probably about a year ago and my husband and I love it! If you use part skim ricotta and low fat shredded mozzarella, it isn't toooo bad for you! I do not make the baked knots (there is more than enough bread in the calzones), and instead make extra calzones for leftovers/lunches the next day (there is plenty of filling!!).

2 cups part skim ricotta
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated or a few pinches ground
A few grinds black pepper
1/2 cup (a couple of handfuls) grated Parmigiano, plus extra, for sprinkling
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
1 (15-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 (10-ounce) tubes refrigerated pizza dough
2 cups shredded mozzarella
Pizza sauce

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Roll each pizza dough out on a cookie sheet, and halve each cross-wise. Spread 1/2 cup mozzarella and up to 1/4 of filling on each rectangle. Work on just half of the surface of each rectangle of dough, then fold dough over top of filling and pinch edges firmly to seal. For a half-moon "pizza parlor" look to your calzones, mound filling into a half-moon shape, fold dough over top trim edges of dough to follow the rounded shape, then seal edges.

Bake the calzones for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown all over. Serve calzones with warm pizza sauce.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_18135,00.html

Sesame Chicken & Homemade Croutons

Boo to the weekend being over! I had a great one- we went out to dinner with friends on Friday, I practiced Bstep and went to coffee with two of my favorite ladies (Jill and Nikki) on Saturday, and did some sweet relaxing with Joshers and Frank on Sunday. Hope you had a wonderful weekend as well, did you do anything cool?

On Sunday I made my favorite chicken with salad. Sesame Chicken is a very simple and healthy (yayy baked chicken) Rachel Ray recipe. If you don't have Herbs de Provence, use your favorite herbs- rosemary, Italian seasoning, whatever you like!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_70281,00.html

I always make homemade croûtons because they're so easy and way better than any store bought brand. I cut up leftover sliced bread into bite sized pieces. Top with enough olive oil to cover the bread but not soak it. Sprinkle spices on top- I use Cavender's (Greek seasoning). Bake at 400 degrees until crispy. Just keep an eye on it and give it a stir every once in a while. I bake my croûtons in a Pyrex dish. Enjoy!

I hope the warmth continues this week! As I said before, I love spring/summer oh-so-much and can't wait for them to get here. Below is a picture of my bridesmaids and I outside after our wedding in the warm summer weather (this is another Alison Conklin (www.alisonconklin.com) picture).

Chili

So glad its Friday! Our bulldog (Frank) got sick yesterday and we had to take him to the vet for a bundle of tests. It was no fun, but I think he is feeling better now. I have attached a picture of him hanging out in the pool last summer.

I like the idea of fast meals, but there are few meals that you just can't rush the preparation time on (or you will lose the flavor)- chili is one of these! I found this Ellie Krieger recipe and think its just perfect! I like my chili thicker, so I decreased the amount of water down to 1 1/2 cups (from 2 cups). Also, instead of chipotle chile in adobo sauce, I utilize about 1 1/2 tablespoons of chili powder and a few shakes of hot sauce.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_33901,00.html

Anyone doing anything good this weekend?

Stirfry times 2

I love stir fry! I think I could make it every night! I use my electric skillet to make the stir fry but you can use a skillet or wok or whatever you have available to you. Here are two recipes that I love.

Chicken Stir fry
This recipe is based on one of my favorite recipes from the better homes and garden cookbook. Better homes and gardens makes the absolute best cookbooks- I recommend: http://www.amazon.com/Cook-Book-Special-Pink-Plaid/dp/069623310X/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205407992&sr=8-8
or
http://www.amazon.com/Better-Homes-Gardens-Five-Ring-Binder/dp/0696000105/ref=pd_bbs_sr_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205407992&sr=8-6


1/2 package whole-wheat spaghetti (regular, not thin)
1 bag frozen stir fry vegis (whatever vegis you like)
1 tablespoon margarine
1 package chicken breast (approx 1 and 1/4 lb)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more if you like it really spicy)
fresh, diced, or powdered garlic (I love jarred diced garlic- you can usually find it in the produce section)
Stir fry sauce (usually in the Asian food section- its really called stir fry sauce :) ) (note: if you are watching your salt intake, purchase a lower sodium sauce)
Olive Oil

• Boil a large pot of water
• Dice the chicken into bite sized pieces
• Add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, red pepper flakes, and desired quantity or garlic to the electric skillet or stove top pan and cook on medium-low heat for 2 minutes
  
• In the meanwhile, add the spaghetti to the pot of boiling water. Cook as directed on the box. In the last 4 minutes of cook time, add the frozen vegetables into the pasta pot. Taste test both the pasta and a piece of the stir fry vegis to make sure everything is done.
  
• Drain pasta/vegis and then place them back in the pot- toss with 1 tablespoon margarine
  
• Increase electric skillet heat to medium/medium high. Add the chicken to the electric skillet/pan and cook turning the chicken until completely cooked (no pink!!).
  
• Add the vegi/pasta combo into the skillet with the chicken. Add desired amount of stir fry sauce, tossing to coat (i recommend adding a little at a time until you have the desired quantity).
  
• Top (if desired) with sesame seeds and a little Parmesan cheese.
• Makes 3-4 servings.
  

Turkey Stirfry
My husband used to make this in college often because it is a very inexpensive, protein filled meal- so you can thank him for this great recipe!!

1 package ground turkey (1 lb- 1 and 1/4 lb)
1 can stir fry vegis (in Asian food section, usually contains sprouts, water chestnuts, baby corn)
Stir fry sauce
Olive oil
1 package instant brown rice (i use the success instant brown rice in the bags)

• Cook Rice as directed on the box.
• Add 1-2 tablespoons olive oil to electric skillet/pan.
• Heat electric skillet/pan to medium heat (if desired you can also add garlic/red pepper flakes to this recipe).
• Add ground turkey and cook, breaking up the turkey with a wood spoon and turning until completely cooked (no pink!!).
  
• Turn heat to medium low and add drained stir fry vegis. Cook covered (stirring occasionally) 2-3 minutes.
  
• Add desired amount of stir fry sauce (i recommend adding a little at a time until you have the desired quantity).
• Place rice into the bottom of 2 bowls, top with stir fry.
  
• Makes 2-3 servings.
  

I hope you like these- if you have any questions, let me know! I love electric skillets! They are great for stir fry but also for pancakes, eggs, etc! Here are a few I like:

http://www.target.com/Presto-16-Electric-Skillet/dp/B0007XRTDG/sr=1-1/qid=1205408879/ref=sr_1_1/601-9922137-7202563?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Aelectric%20skillet&page=1

http://www.target.com/Oster-12x15-Electric-Skillet/dp/B000HJWK70/sr=1-7/qid=1205408879/ref=sr_1_7/601-9922137-7202563?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Aelectric%20skillet&page=1

http://www.target.com/Presto-Oval-Skillet-Glass-Lid/dp/B00008URVK/sr=1-10/qid=1205408879/ref=sr_1_10/601-9922137-7202563?ie=UTF8&index=target&rh=k%3Aelectric%20skillet&page=1

I <3 Hungry Girl

For great healthy food information visit- http://www.hungry-girl.com/

I have been reading this website and receiving the hungry girl daily newsletters for a little over a month now (i think :)). She provides a lot of great information on new and old healthy products you can find in your local grocery store. Some of my favorites are the following:

Vita tops and Vita Muffins
http://www.vitalicious.com/vitatops_info.html
You can find these in the freezer section. My husband loves the chocolate chip vita tops and often uses them in place of a brownie with fat free or no sugar added ice cream.

Chocolate Drizzle Quaker Mini Delights

She also makes some awesome food list recommendations :
http://www.hungry-girl.com/girls/biteoutdetails.php?isid=1345

Everybody loves Chicken

Good Morning

What a sleepy morning! I can tell its going to be a two coffee day already and I've only been here for 15 minutes. Any who- I love chicken. If prepared right, it is delicious and healthy! I am always looking for good chicken recipes because I feel like you really can't get sick of them! Last night I made some delicious oven baked BBQ chicken nuggets. I found a recipe online and modified it a lot to get the flavor I was looking for and was very happy with the outcome. When I was younger, my mom(see picture) always made this paprika flavored chicken that was ridiculously delicious... I think this has a little of that flavor mixed with BBQ.

Baked BBQ Chicken Nuggets:

1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon pepper (or desired amount)
2 teaspoons paprika (or desired amount)
1 pound (or so) boneless chicken breasts with fat removed
Your favorite BBQ sauce
Olive Oil

-Preheat oven to 425
-Cut chicken into nugget sized pieces- try to make them all somewhat even
-Mix flour, pepper and paprika
-Roll and completely cover chicken with flour- place chicken on a baking sheet covered in NON STICK Aluminum foil
-Drizzle chicken with a small amount of Olive Oil
-Bake for 7 or 8 minutes, turn chicken and bake for an additional 7 or 8 minutes
-Glaze chicken with BBQ sauce- cook 2 minutes
-Turn chicken and glaze other side with BBQ sauce- cook 2 minutes.

Enjoy! Serve with vegetables and fruit.

Reduced Sugar Cupcakes, Crab cakes

Hope you're having a good week so far!

Reduced Sugar Cupcakes:
Last weekend I tried the new Pillsbury Reduced Sugar Cake Mix in the Devils Food flavor and it was awesome! I used the cake mix to make cupcakes and topped them with the reduced sugar icing! We brought them over a friends house and the kids seemed to love them, not even noticing all the missing sugar!

Crab Cakes:
I found this recipe online when searching for a crab cake recipe without any mayo (yuck!). I tried it out last week and love it! It is a little tough to get the cakes to stay together when placing them in the pan, but once they start cooking-they're good to go!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. lump crab meat, drained (or three 6 oz. tins of commercial crab meat, drained)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire
• 1/2 tsp. Old Bay_TM seasoning
• 1/2 tsp. dill weed
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 12 Club_TM or Ritz_TM crackers, finely crushed (Don't even THINK of using saltines!)

Gently mix all the above ingredients in a mixing bowl, leaving out the cracker crumbs and crab meat for now. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the crushed crackers, saving the remainder of the crumbs on a plate for coating the crab cakes. Finally, add in the crab meat, and gently mix it in using a fork or spatula -- or better yet, your hands, coating the lumps with the mixture. Be careful not to pulverize the lumps when mixing - the idea is to keep the mixture chunky. After all, you didn't plunk down top dollar for super lump crab meat only to turn it into mush.

Place the mixing bowl and contents in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes to firm it up. After refrigeration, drain off any excess liquid.

Gently press mixture into thick patties (slightly smaller than hamburgers) and lightly coat them using the remaining cracker crumbs. Don't compact the cakes like you would hamburger; keep them a bit loose. Just enough pressure to make the mixture hold together. Fry the cakes slowly in butter at low heat in an uncovered fry pan or griddle, turning when the first side is brown.

Salt lightly and enjoy. You can eat them plain, or serve them with Old Bay Seasoning or a remoulade sauce. If you need more kick, serve with a good hot sauce. Makes about 6 - 8 cakes.

Original Recipe: http://users.goldengate.net/~kbrady/CrabCake.html

Flank Steak and Vegis/Weekend

The weekend always seems to go by toooooo fast! We had a great weekend. Josh's friend Andrew came down to visit- which is always fun.! I spent a good chunk of time working on Body Step which I can't wait to launch! I also got to relax and watch some movies with Josh(one of my favorite things to do)! Although the time change thing is always strange- springing ahead means summer is on the way and I can't wait! I am much more of a summer than winter person(see attached picture from Hilton Head)! On Sunday, I made the attached flank steak and roasted vegetables recipe. It turned out well and the vegetables were awesome (I like my vegis a little more crispy and baking them in the oven creates this).

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_23089,00.html

Peach French Toast

Hello!

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their Friday (hooray!!!!). I am very excited for the weekend, although we don't have anything big planned. I love just relaxing and I don't have to teach class this Saturday am, so it will be nice to sleep in with Josh and Frank(pictured as a baby above)!


This is a great weekend breakfast recipe! You have to prepare it the night before, but you can just get up and pop it in the oven and have a delicious and healthy breakfast in 40 minutes (you can enjoy your coffee until its done :)). I love that food network has added Ellie Krieger- I think she makes such innovative, healthy meals!

Cooking spray
1 large whole-wheat baguette (about 8 ounces)
4 whole eggs
4 egg whites
1 cup low fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups sliced peaches, fresh or frozen
1/2 lemon, juiced about 1 1/2 tablespoons
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Slice the baguette into 1/2-inch slices and arrange the slices in a single layer in the baking pan. Whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture over the bread in the pan. In a medium bowl, toss peaches with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar. Scatter the peach slices evenly on top of the bread. Combine the remaining brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover and bake for 40 minutes.

Serving suggestion: Top with a dollop of vanilla yogurt, a drizzle of maple syrup and a side of Canadian bacon.

Original recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_34162,00.html

A better for you chicken parm/Personal Stuff

Couple personal notes:

1. Josh's dad was a guest on a radio show in Nashville recently (talking about medical issues) and was so popular they have asked him back!! Yayy for the Dr.!

2. I taught the new Turbo Kick (round 32) all the way through for the first time last night and it was awesome! This round is a great cardio workout and everyone seems to love the music and cute moves!

3. Did you watch Project Runway last night? I am addicted to that show! I am so glad Christian won because I think he has the most potential! All three designed awesome collections!

Onto food! Last night I made a better for your version of chicken parm (not fully fried, no egg, no breading) and it turned out great! I think I would have preferred it without the spinach, but my husband really liked the spinach. Instead of using the shredded parm and mozarella they call for in the recipe, I used low sodium provolone slices from the deli. I also did not add the extra salt. Instead of serving this as a sandwich, I served the chicken parm with some whole wheat pasta-delicious!

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts cut into 4 portions or 4 small breasts)
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 6-ounce bags baby spinach
1 cup marinara sauce, preferably low-sodium
1/4 lb provolone sliced thinly
Whole-wheat pasta

Cook pasta as directed on the box.

Combine flour and pepper in a shallow dish. Place chicken between 2 large pieces of plastic wrap. Pound with the smooth side of a meat mallet or a heavy saucepan until the chicken is an even 1/4-inch thickness. Dip the chicken in the flour mixture and turn to coat.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add spinach and cook, stirring often, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.

Add 1 teaspoon oil to the pan. Add half the chicken and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a large baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and chicken; transfer to the baking sheet.

Top each piece of chicken with the wilted spinach, marinara sauce and provolone. Broil until the cheese is melted and the chicken is cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Original Recipe link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/lf_hl_eatingwell/recipe/0,,FOOD_30878_100994,00.html

Delicious Dessert

Peanut butter cups are delicious! I found this weight watchers recipe for "peanut butter cups" online and was very skeptical, but they're awesome! They're great to keep in the freezer as a little treat.

8 oz. fat free, sugar free, or lite cool whip
1/2 cup peanut butter (i use creamy)
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup (i use low sugar)

Line muffin pans with liners. Mix cool whip and peanut butter until well combined. Spoon even portions into muffin liners.

Top each with a swirl of chocolate syrup. Freeze 6-8 hours until frozen. Once they're frozen, I move them into Tupperware containers.

Original Recipe link: http://www.thatsmyhome.com/healthy/weight-watchers/frozen-peanut-butter-cups.htm

The Knot Magazine

Our incredible wedding photographer, Alison Conklin (www.alisonconklin.com), decided to use one of our wedding pictures in an ad she is putting in the Knot magazine in PA. We were so honored and excited! She does amazing work- if you're getting married or just need some incredible pictures-hire Alison!

Good food fast!!

Hi All-

This little blog is going to be sort of an experiment and we'll see if it turns out to be anything good :) I really wanted a place where I could post up good, quick, and (usually) healthy recipes, as well as share some random things going on in my life. I will always try to reference where I received the original recipe from (I do a lot of recipe searches vs. a lot of creating recipes on my own), so you can see if I've made any alterations to the recipes! If you have any cool recipes- feel free to post them up in a reply or send me an email!

First recipe: Sweet and Sour Chicken-a healthier version


I am loving this recipe! I also added canned pineapple in at the very end. Yayy for healthier Asian inspired food!