Whole Wheat Rolls

Today was much better than yesterday! Work was a little slow, but once I got home I tore through a bundle of house work and learned about 3/4 of the new Turbo Kick! I also made these awesome whole wheat rolls! I think they're simple yet delicious(although the process to make them is somewhat time consuming)!! I served them with spinach and a recipe for a french fry substitute I posted previously. Mmmm yummy din din.

Whole Wheat Rolls (recipe from Whole Foods- http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/bread/wholewheatrolls.html I used brown sugar instead of evaporated cane sugar)

• 1 1/4 cups organic whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 package active dry yeast (.28 ounce)
• 1 cup warm milk (105 to 115°F)
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 large egg, room temperature and lightly beaten
• 1 cup unbleached white flour

Have all ingredients at room temperature to start. In a large bowl, mix the whole wheat flour with the brown sugar, sea salt and yeast. Add the warmed milk, melted butter and lightly beaten egg. Beat until smooth. Add the unbleached white flour, mixing until fully incorporated. The batter should be smooth. Cover and allow the dough to rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes to one hour.

Meanwhile, lightly spray 12 muffin tins with extra virgin olive oil spray. Set aside.

Once raised, stir the batter down. Spoon even amounts of the dough into prepared muffin tins. Allow this to rise until the dough comes just over the top of the muffin tins, about another 45 minutes to one hour.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake the rolls for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Eh...

Hello! Did everyone have an ok Monday? Mine was sort of eh and so was dinner. I made chicken sandwiches flavored just a bit and topped with lower sodium provolone cheese. I bought deli fresh rolls and made organic squash and zucchini (frozen) and cut up some pears. Although the dinner looked promising, the deli rolls were not very good (another reason not to go back to the other food store!!!) and the organic squash and zucchini tasted odd. Oh well! I plan to try a new bread recipe tonight for whole wheat rolls. Hopefully it will go better :) I went to spinning for the first time in a while early yesterday morning (5:15 am!), it was a nice change and a great Monday morning workout (thank you Iris!). Last night I practiced some more hip hop, tonight back to learning the new Turbo Kick.

Scallops and adventures at a different food store...

How is everyones weekend? Mine is going well- busssssssssy, but good :). I taught Turbo Kick today at a gym I only teach at every once in a while. Its always nice to teach to a different crowd- its a good check to make sure you're calling well. Afterwards, I went food shopping at a different store than I normally go to. Now, I did find some great and different products, but the organization of this store was terrible! Any who- I meant to buy shrimp for tonight (which I love), but wasn't thrilled with their shrimp selection, so I bought scallops. My husband, who loves scallops, enjoyed this recipe. I'm not a huge scallop fan and found it just ok (we also ate some fresh spinach our neighbor gave us from his garden and sugar snap peas):

Scallops (original recipe http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1841,149187-239207,00.html, I used a healthier than butter spread)

2 tbsp. butter substitute, 1/2 c. flavored bread crumbs or panko.

Place scallops on bottom of a small casserole dish. Top with butter substitute, then bread crumbs. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Josh and I spent most of today cleaning out the basement. It is looking good! Now I'm ready for some relaxation! Tomorrow I will probably spend most of the day learning Turbo Sport and prepping for my Hip Hop class next weekend....oh, and sleeping in ;). Frank already looks ready for bed....

Squash Risotto and Juicy Chicken

I'm so glad its Friday :) I taught Body Step with Jill tonight- its always so fun to team teach with her! Afterwards, I came home and made some delicious squash risotto and easy and healthy chicken. I loved the squash risotto, but Josh wasn't a huge fan. Both he and I loved the chicken! It has great, but not overwhelming flavor. Anyone doing anything cool this weekend? I think we're going to clean out our basement. Its a big job, but somebodies got to do it :).

Butternut Squash Risotto (original recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_86369,00.html I adjusted it just a bit and I actually made 1/2 the original recipe)

2 cups chicken stock
1 cup water
1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, grated or chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon canned chopped garlic)
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 (10-ounce) box cooked frozen butternut squash
Cinnamon, grated, to taste
1 tablespoons margarine
1/2 cup grated low fat Parmigiano Reggiano

Bring stock plus water to a simmer in a sauce pot then reduce heat to low.

Heat a medium skillet over medium to medium-high heat with olive oil. When oil ripples, add the onions and garlic and soften 2 to 3 minutes. Add rice and toast 2 to 3 minutes more. Ladle in stock in intervals, a couple of ladles at a time. Allow liquids to evaporate each time. Risotto will cook 18 minutes, total, from the first addition of liquid. Defrost the squash in your microwave in a dish to collect any liquids and stir in squash the last 3 minutes of cook time, season with nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. In the last minute of cooking time, stir in margarine and cheese, serve.

Baked Chicken (recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/230148)

1/2 cup whole-grain breadcrumbs
2 tbsp grated Parmesan
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5 oz each)
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a shallow bowl, combine breadcrumbs, cheese, zest, paprika, and salt. In another shallow bowl, mix lemon juice and 1 tbsp water. Coat a baking pan with cooking spray. Dip chicken in liquid mixture, then in breadcrumb mixture, coating entire breast, and lay on the baking pan. Repeat with remaining breasts. Drizzle chicken with oil. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (no longer pink inside).

Focaccia Bread- AMAZING!

Yay for it basically being Thursday! I taught Turbo tonight and then came home and made focaccia bread. I found the recipe on the following blog: http://georgietees.blogspot.com/2008/03/focaccia-bread-that-multitasks.html. I cannot say enough about this recipe- it is delicious! We ate the bread with our salads and sesame chicken. What a delicious combination! I plan to use it to make Josh's sandwiches for lunch tomorrow!

Easy Focaccia Bread
2 3/4 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp white sugar
1 T active dry yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 pinch ground black pepper
1 T vegetable oil
1 c water
2 T olive oil
1 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 c mozzarella

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, sugar, yeast, garlic powder, oregano, thyme, basil and black pepper. Mix in the vegetable oil and water. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl, and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth, and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Punch dough down; place on greased baking sheet. Pat into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Brush top with olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and mozzarella cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Zucchini Pasta Bake

What a busy day! I worked and then went to a job fair to help my company recruit some new people! We met a few cool candidates. After that I taught turbo kick, made a delicious zucchini pasta bake and cleaned almost the whole house (with help from my awesome husband). I found this recipe on another blog and added in some garlic and Italian seasoning. The pasta turned out awesome, although I may have gone a little heavy on the sauce. The recipe can be found at http://greenlitebites.com/2008/04/02/baked-rigatoni-zucchini/

Polenta Bake

I got the idea (and most of the ingredients :) ) for this recipe from Kath Eats Real Food (http://www.katheats.com/?p=3143):

Ingredients:
Polenta
2-3 chicken breasts
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
1 15-oz can black beans
1 15-oz can refried beans (low fat)
Taco seasoning packet, chili powder, cumin, oregano
Mexican Cheese

Directions
Cook 2-3 servings of Polenta

Boil chicken until no longer pink. Cut chicken into cubes. Meanwhile, cook 1 cup peas and 1 cup corn (either on the stove or in the microwave). Mix together chicken, peas, corn, can of black beans, about 1 tablespoon taco seasoning, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon oregano. Spread refried beans in the bottom of a pyrex dish. Spread chicken/vegis/beans mix over refried beans. Spread polenta on top next. Sprinkle entire dish with mexican cheese. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

South Carolina

Josh and I took a mini trip to South Carolina this weekend to visit family. My parents and my Aunt and Uncle are both in the process of building houses down that way. We visited with them and saw their new homes to be! The area down there is gorgeous and the weather was incredible. Here are a few pics from our trip.

Tacos and Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thank goodness its Wednesday! Josh and I are going on a mini vacation starting tomorrow so today is my Friday! I only have to make it through 8 hours of work and then I'm golden! Yesterday was crazy busy. I cleaned the house, taught Body Step, did laundry, made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, made dinner, and packed. The taco recipe I used is from Food Network/Eating Well. I like the idea of putting together your own taco seasoning vs. buying the packet. I also added corn to the recipe. My husband likes the flavor of tomatoes, but does not like eating chunks of tomato. To combat this problem, I used our magic bullet (yes we own a magic bullet and its awesome) to grind up the Rotel. I then added only 3/4 of the can vs the whole thing (I didn't want it to get too soupy). We ate the taco meat in tortillas, but if you're on a low carb diet, you could add some additional vegis and eat it as a taco bowl, or serve it over lettuce as a taco salad.

Taco Meat (original link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/lf_hl_eatingwell/recipe/0,,FOOD_30878_101151,00.html)

8 ounces 93%-lean ground beef
8 ounces 99%-lean ground turkey breast
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles, preferably Rotel brand (see Tip), or 1 1/4 cups petite-diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle chile or 1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2-1 cup corn (I used frozen and just cooked it up in the microwave)

Place beef, turkey and onion in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain off fat. Wipe out the pan. Return the meat to the pan and add tomatoes, cumin, ground chipotle (or chili powder) and oregano. Add corn. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has evaporated, 3 to 6 minutes.

The cookie recipe comes from Martha Stewart and is a more healthy version (minus my added chocolate chips). It is healthier because most oatmeal cookie recipes contain shortening or butter and white sugar and this recipe does not.

Oatmeal Cookies (original link: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/healthy-oatmeal-cookies)

Ingredients

Makes 18 to 20

• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup rolled oats (not quick-cooking)
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours and baking powder; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together oil, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add flour mixture, and stir to combine; mix in oats and chocolate chips.
3. Using two tablespoons of dough per cookie, roll into balls; place on two baking sheets lined with parchment paper, 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, 15 to 17 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.
4. Cool 5 minutes on sheets, then transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 5 days.

Polenta

Yesterday was Josh's first softball game of the year. I went over and watched the game after a quick workout. They won and it was nice to be outside but it was a little cold! Hopefully it will be warmer for the next one :). Last night I made bbq chicken with polenta and berries. I had never made polenta before. Its good but a little bland. I used this Giada recipes with less butter. If anyone has made polenta before, what do you put in it to add flavor?

Polenta (recipe from http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_26401,00.html) :

6 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the butter, and stir until melted.

Sorry for no pics today!

Carrot Cupcakes, Wonderful Weekend

Wonderful weekend-why did you have to end? Haha, Mondays are always so tough. We had a sweet weekend. Friday I taught Hip Hop and then we went to dinner with friends. Saturday I taught Body Step, got tons of errands done, went to dinner to celebrate my awesome friend Jill's Birthday, and then went to see Semi-pro. Sunday was relax day. We watched Walk Hard which wasn't horrible, just way too long. It was great to relax! Only three days of work this week (thank goodness), and then Josh and I are headed down to South Carolina for a mini vacation and to see my parents future house site and my Aunt's new house. I am SO very excited.

My friend Jill loves carrot cake with cream cheese icing so for her birthday I made her these Ellie Krieger carrot cupcakes with cream cheese icing (pictured below without the icing). They are so delicious! Enjoy!!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_33708,00.html

On Sunday I also made the crab cakes I posted about here. I figured I would add a picture. Enjoy!

Fun, Healthy Dessert

Hello!

I can't believe its Friday already- this week flew by for me! I taught Body Step by myself for the first time last night and it went really well. I was so sweaty by the end -it was crazy! Tonight I am teaching Hip Hop and we are team teaching Body Step tomorrow am. Other than that, its couples date night tonight- maybe dinner and a movie? The rest of the weekend is pretty open. I love this next recipe because it is a simple and pretty healthy dessert. Its also a really great recipe to make for parties. Another Ellie Krieger favorite!!

Chocolate Covered Banana Pops

4 medium ripe but firm bananas
8 wooden craft sticks
3 tablespoons finely chopped lightly salted peanuts
6 ounces good quality dark chocolate (60 to 70 percent cocoa solids), chopped

Peel, then cut each banana in half crosswise and insert a craft stick into each half. Place on a tray, cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer until frozen, about 3 hours.

Place the peanuts in a shallow dish or on a plate. Melt 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 bottom of the top pan. Pour the melted chocolate into a tall glass. Dip each frozen banana into the chocolate, turning it to coat, and immediately roll in the peanuts. Place on a tray covered in waxed paper. Serve immediately or wrap individually in plastic wrap or waxed paper and freeze for up to 2 weeks.

(http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_105319,00.html)

Brown Bread and French Fry substitute

I really love the idea of healthier substitutes for unhealthy foods. Giada came up with this great substitute for french fries and it is delicious! I served it over spinach (as suggested) and didn't even use the dressing! I also made some incredible brown bread. I substituted honey for the molasses, and walnuts for the raisins and dates. On the side (in the picture) you can see my sesame chicken (recipe in earlier post). It was a fantastic dinner! Tonight was great- Jill taught all of Body Step while I demonstrated the low impact version. The class is really taking off and definitely makes you sweat! If you have Body Step at a gym near you, you should give it a try!

Parmesan, Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad

2 1/2 cups bite-sized broccoli florets
2 1/2 cups bite-sized cauliflower florets
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 to 1 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups lightly packed fresh spinach leaves
1/2 lemon, zested
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the broccoli and cauliflower in a large bowl. Toss with the beaten eggs to coat evenly. Place the Parmesan in a large tray or baking dish and dredge the vegetables in the cheese, pressing to coat evenly.

Pour olive oil in a large heavy skillet until the olive oil is 1/4-inch deep, about 1/2 cup depending on the size of your skillet. Warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully add the Parmesan-coated vegetables. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches, if necessary. Let the vegetables cook until a crust forms, about 3 minutes per side. Turn the vegetables only when they easily release from the bottom of the pan. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.

Place the spinach in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Drizzle the spinach with the vinaigrette and toss to coat. Add the Parmesan coated vegetables. Toss and serve.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_34629,00.html

Brown Bread (recipe from http://www.cookingbread.com/recipes/high_fiber_bread/brown_bread_recipe.html)

• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup honey or molasses
• 1 1/2 cup white flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup walnuts (or raisins and dates)
  
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vinegar, add to milk

In a bowl beat together the egg, molasses together. Add in the dry ingredients along with the milk, then add raisins and dates. Pour into a greased 9x5 loaf pan and bake for 45-50 minutes at 350 degrees.

Pita Pizza and Pumpkin Scones

What a lovely Monday night. I ran a bundle of errands tonight (since I didn't have to teach) and made a nice, easy, and relatively healthy dinner. I also made some Pumpkin scones, some with and some without raisins. Recipes follow- enjoy!

Pita Pizza

Whole Wheat Pitas
Part skim Mozzarella
Vegis, turkey pepperoni and any other toppings you want!
Pizza Sauce

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees
Place Pitas on a baking sheet. Top with sauce, cheese, and other toppings
Cook for 5 minutes (or until cheese is fully melted)
Enjoy!

Pumpkin Scones (less dense!)

4 1/2 C. all-purpose flour

5 t. baking powder

1 t. ground cinnamon

1/2 t. ground nutmeg

1 t. salt

1/2 C. light brown sugar

1/2 C. unsalted butter, softened

2 C. canned pumpkin puree

1 1/3 C. milk

2 C. chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease two baking sheets with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter until it resembles coarse meal. Add the pumpkin, milk and nuts and stir until well mixed.

Using a 1/2 cup measure, scoop the batter into small rounds on the baking sheets. Leave a space of about 2 inches between each scone. When both pans are used, put the remaining batter in the refrigerator until the first batch is finished baking.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack and repeat with the remaining batter.
(I can't find the website I pulled this recipe from- sorryyyyy!)

Chips, Dips, Apple Crisp, Weekend

Hello!

Hope you are having a pleasant weekend! Josh and I had a date night on Friday- we did dinner out and then rented Benny and Joon (which wasn't as good as I remembered it being). Saturday I taught Hip Hop early and then we went up to our friends Patrick and Willow's house for a bbq birthday party for Patrick. It was a great time. I brought white bean and artichoke dip and apple crisp. Both turned out pretty well. I also made homemade tortilla chips which were pretty good, homemade Pita chips are better! The recipes follow. Saturday night we returned home for a birthday dinner for our roommate Jordan with his parents and a few of our friends. We had a great dinner at one of our favorite local Mexican restaurants. Today is errand and relax day.

White Bean and Artichoke Dip (courtesy Kalyn's Kitchen w/a few minor adjustments- http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2007/12/white-bean-and-artichoke-dip-recipe.html)

1 can (15 oz.) Great Northern beans
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts
1 small clove garlic, chopped (or 1/2 tsp canned garlic)
2 T fresh lemon juice
2 T extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling on top
3 T freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
sweet paprika, for garnish

Drain beans into colander and rinse well, until no foam remains. Let drain at least 5 minutes. Drain artichokes. In food processor, combine beans, artichokes, garlic, and lemon juice and blend until fairly smooth. Keep food processor motor running and add the olive oil in a stream. Add parmesan, and finely chopped fresh rosemary and pulse about 10 times to blend. Season dip to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper.

Place dip in a serving bowl, sprinkle with a small amount of paprika and drizzle over a small amount of olive. Arrange tortilla chips around bowl and serve.

Tortilla Chips

6-8 whole wheat, corn, or plain flour tortillas (can also use pita bread)
olive oil for brushing on tortillas (I used a mister)
salt for sprinkling on tortillas
Chili powder for sprinkling on tortillas

Preheat broiler and get out a large cookie sheet for toasting tortilla chips. Brush or spray each flour tortilla with olive oil, then cut into triangles, sprinkle with salt and chili powder. Arrange in single layer on cookie sheet and toast under the broiler, about 3-4 minutes per side. Watch them carefully, because they get too dark rather quickly. Chips will seem soft when you take them out of the oven, but they harden and crisp as they cool.

Apple Crisp (note: this is delicious, but not really healthy :) )

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_131398,00.html

I made one large crisp rather than individual sized crisps

Low Fat Enchiladas

I can't believe I haven't posted this recipe yet! This is one of my fast, easy, pretty healthy favorites!

1 1/2	lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1	tablespoon olive oil
1/2	teaspoon cumin
2	teaspoons minced garlic
1	onion, chopped
1	jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
1 (14	ounce) can fat-free refried beans
8	whole wheat tortillas
1 (10	ounce) can enchilada sauce
1	cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Boil chicken breasts in water for approximately 20 minutes or until done.
3. Remove, let cool and shred or thinly slice.
4. Heat oil in skillet and add cumin, garlic, onion and jalapeno; stir-fry for 3 minutes.
5. Add cooked chicken.
6. Simmer to warm through.
7. Fill tortillas with equal portions of refried beans and chicken. Roll up and place in a baking dish large enough to fill all 8 enchiladas.
8. Pour enchilada sauce over the top and sprinkle with shredded cheese.
9. Bake in oven for approximately 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and enchiladas are warmed through.

Enjoy! Original link: http://www.recipezaar.com/253260

Cute Kids Snack

I found this recipe on the Williams Sonoma website and think it is just the most adorable and easy recipe idea for kids. It is an apple pie with toast crust! Here is the recipe, enjoy:

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/recipedetail.cfm?objectId=ACB305EA-00CD-5EF4-A9221A7F861165F1