Salmon Cakes

Salmon Cakes with Lime Dressing, alongside steamed veggies consisting of carrots, summer squash, asparagus, onion, green beans and red bell pepper. This meal was light and refreshing, yet satisfying.

So I've done a blog about crab cakes, Cioppino, seafood gumbo and lots of other tasty recipes made with creatures of the sea ... and yes, here's yet another one. HA! But I just get so excited about seafood. It's good for you, it can be prepared in a number of different ways ... and many of them pass as appetizers as well as they do a main course.

This recipe for Salmon Cakes was actually intended to be an appetizer, but since it's just Kevin and I, it became a perfectly sized main course with a side of some steamed veggies. I found it in "It's Good For You", a cookbook sold by Pampered Chef.

I cooked three 4-oz. pieces of salmon until they were good and flaky ... just plain. The recipe calls for 12 oz of canned salmon, which is usually a bit more fishy tasting ... so I went the long way around and went fresher. While it still came from the freezer asile, it still tasted better than processed in a can.

Once cooked, I flaked the salmon and stirred it in a bowl with 1/2c bread crumbs, 1/4c red bell. 2T cilantro, 1/2c mayo (fat free) 1/4c green onion, salt and pepper and 1 egg white. Once combined, this made quite a non-appetizing looking mess. But it gets better.

Take a good sized spoonful of the mixture, roll it in a ball, and flatten in out in a separate bowl with 1/4c of bread crumbs. coat both sides of the patty with bread crumbs.

Cook these patties in a non-stick pan, until a nice, golden color.

Here's the best part .... the sauce.

The sauce is the simplest part of the whole recipe, but it really makes this recipe SING. 1/3c mayo, 1/2c sour cream, 2t of lime zest, 2T of lime juice. Take a good dollop of this sauce once mixed and top your salmon cake with it.

This is an excellent main course as well, as you can imagine, particularly when paired with steamed veggies, as shown, a salad, perhaps a little rice. They'd also pair nicely with a nice juicy steak and a glass of Pinot Grigio to pair off the citrus. The leftovers (IF they make it that far) go very well broken up with leafy greens in a salad ... or perhaps stick it between 2 slices of bread in lieu of tuna. AMAZING.

Hoping to have some more great blogs coming up soon! In the mean time, Buon Appetito!

Buffalo Turkey Egg Rolls

Buffalo Turkey Egg Rolls ... crispy on the outside .... (photo by A. Mayberry)

... and super delicious on the inside! :0) (photo by A. Mayberry)

After quite the hiatus, I am back in the blogosphere, doing what I do best -- talking about food. (YAY!)

Tonight's dish was actually an ORIGINAL. Okay, so perhaps someone else has thought of it, but I created this dish from scratch, with no recipe to follow. Though I will admit I had a little inspiration from "Hungry Girl" ... I tried a recipe last week for chicken pot pie ... but you put the filling in an egg roll. But I needed to figure out a way that would help me use the rest of the egg roll sheets without having a ton of filling left over. This was my solution ..... Considering my recent obsession with hot wings (and also the title of the blog itself) this shouldn't be a surprise ....

Buffalo Turkey Egg Rolls.

I used 6 egg roll sheets (exactly how many were left over after the pot pie egg rolls .... but the filling still made a little left over .... so you can use 8 or 10 egg roll sheets). I started with 1lb. of lean turkey and browned it with: 1T of cajun seasoning, 1t of red pepper flakes, 1/2c of Franks Hot Wing Sauce and Salt and Pepper to taste. I added a little corn starch to thicken the juice a little, but you may not find this necessary. (I was down to the last of the Wing sauce and used the water trick to rinse out the last of the sauce .... might of had a bit much of the H2O ...)

While the meat was browning, I preheated the oven to 375 degrees.

Then I took 2 pieces of celery stalk, and 2 carrots and diced them fairly small, for egg roll friendliness.

Once the meat was completely cooked, I took 2T of meat and laid it on a dry egg roll sheet. I sprinkled some of the carrots and celery on top, then topped THAT off with about 1 1/2t of blue cheese crumbles (per egg roll). I folded in the sides, dampened the edge of one end, folded and then rolled the egg roll ... using the first flap to tuck in the filling, then rolling it to the dampened edge. The water used to dampen the edge of the egg roll sheet will help to seal the egg roll closed.

I repeated until I had filled all of my egg roll sheets.

I placed each of the egg rolls on a foil covered, lightly sprayed cookie sheet. Bake the egg rolls for about 10 minutes .... remove from the oven and turn them over .... cook for about another 10 minutes or until the egg rolls are crispy and golden brown.

I've learned from Hungry Girl that the egg rolls can be made in the oven, thus nixing the need to deep fry them. They still get nice and crispy ... and, since there is no excess oil, they stay crispier than the deep fried stuff when it comes to left overs. (BONUS!!!)

And for the taste test .... yum! Next time, I think I would do 2 things .... add a pinch more blue cheese and perhaps concoct some sort of light dipping sauce. What's awesome is that these could be served with rice, mashed potatoes or even a la carte as an appetizer. You can even cut up some spare veggies and a little blue cheese dressing.

The combination I've got for these egg rolls has just a little kick. But if you like more heat, you can add Tabasco sauce, perhaps a hotter wing sauce or cayenne pepper sauce, more pepper flakes or Cajun seasoning. Either way you make it, it will be delicious! Not too shabby for a 30-minute dinner experiment from my laboratory ... er ... I mean ... kitchen. :0)

After several attempts at having made egg rolls, I'd say I've got the technique pretty well mastered. (Now if only I were half as crafty at making sushi ...)

Until next time, Buon Appetito!

Steak ... with a little "Wake Me Up" ...

Steak with Coffee and Ancho Chile Rub, paired with Sweet Potatoes with Orange Essence ... photographed in front of the cookbook they came from! Thank you, Ellie Kreiger for a GREAT meal! (A. Mayberry)

 No, this is NOT a photo of burnt steak. I couldn't murder a perfectly good steak!

Another delicious creation found in Ellie Kreiger's "The Food You Crave", this Steak with Coffee and Ancho Chile rub is a must try.... seriously. Perhaps an early idea for Father's Day!

Espresso coffee grounds, dry mustard, brown sugar, salt, pepper, ground corriander, and ancho chile powder make a delicious rub for a 1 1/4 pound steak. Rub the spice mixture on both sides of the steak and let it stand for 10-15 minutes before cooking so that the flavors begin to permeate the meat.

Meanwhile, I steamed 2 medium sweet potatoes until they were soft enough to mash (about 20 minutes). Place them in a bowl suitable for mashing (I used a corningware) and mash with 1/4 cup of milk, a little brown sugar, nutmeg and 1 t of orange zest and 2 T of orange juice.

The recipe calls to pan fry the steak for just a few minutes on each side until it is medium rare. However, you can also grill the steak, or cook it longer for a slightly less pink done-ness. Just be sure to monitor the moisture still in the meat so that you don't overcook it to become shoe leather. :0p

The steak had a wonderful flavor ... a little smokiness from the cooked ground espresso -- makes a decadent pair with the juices and taste of the steak. All of the other spices combine to add a little punch. But don't be afraid of the coffee. Proportionately, there is not enough on your individual piece of meat to keep you wired.

And the sweet potatoes .... sweet and yet light and refreshing because of the citrus addition. When I make it next time, I will probably add EITHER the zest OR the juice, not both. Though it was still delicious, the citrus begins to quickly overpower the sweet potatoes.

These two recipes made a great pair together ... a little yin and yang ... light and refreshing with a more heavily flavored steak. A good glass of red wine would be an "okay" match .... but to find one that compliments both of these flavors would be a bit of a challenge. Perhaps a Boston Lager (like Sam Adams) would make a better pair for those looking to make this a "Fine Dining Experience".

With my husband as my co-chef, we had the whole meal kicked out in less than half-an-hour.  It was incredibly easy to prepare (as most of our meals are to begin with). A small-scale (and much cheaper) version of a steak house delight. Voila! Dinner for 2 ... your table awaits you!

Until the next blog, Buon Appetito!

Sage-Rubbed Pork Chops with Warm Apple Slaw

Sage-Rubbed Pork Chops with Warm Apple Slaw -- a recipe found in Ellie Kreiger's "Food You Crave". (A. Mayberry)

This dish is sounds kind of strange .... but it is seriously delicious. I'll be honest ... my version looked nothing like the picture in Ellie Kreiger's "Food You Crave" cookbook, but it was delightful, nonetheless.

Quick tip: If you have a food processor, this will save you a TON of chopping time! So bust it out, set it up with the shredding blade, and "chop" away!

4- 8oz., 1 1/4in. thick pork chops ... (I'm sure the guys are already drooling). Take 1 lg. clove of garlic, 1T fresh sage, salt, and pepper. Rub on this mix on the pork. Let it stand for about 10 minutes at room temp. In a heated skillet, warm 2t of olive oil and brown the chops. About 2-3 minutes on each side.

While the pork is "standing", take a small head of green cabbage, 3 carrots, 1 granny smith apple, 1t of sage, and 1 large onion. Throw it all in the food processor. (Or, chop finely or shred ...) Once your pork is finished, throw this whole mixture -- plus 3/4 cup of chicken broth and 2T of apple cider vinegar -- into the skillet and heat through. Add the chops back into the pan and reheat slightly if you wish.

Makes 4 (VERY) generous servings. If you wish to cook with a friend or significant other, have them run the food processor while you're cooking the chops. It will be done about the same time, so that the reheating of your pork chops is minimal, if even necessary. (I covered mine with foil to keep them warm). With this method, total prep-cook time would be about 15-20 minutes.

The flavor is like coleslaw, but it wants to be sauerkraut. It's wonderful. The pork is nicely flavored, but not in an overpowering manner -- and their super juicy if cooked just right. This would be a wonderful autumn dish ... served with a crisp Riesling or Chardonnay.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Shrimp and Chorizo

Chef FAIL! I must begin this blog with a preamble that I forgot to take a photo of the dish in its proper, plated setting. Rather, this is a picture of the leftovers, on a paper plate. HA! But it's just as delicious!

I've also begun to notice a bit of a trend on my blog subjects ... foods that are spicy, savory and likely containing some sort of seafood. (ha ha ha!) I suppose that means that I enjoy the warmth of the spice, the "comfort food" aspect of the savory and ..... well .... sorry. I can't explain the seafood part. Exotic, maybe? Perhaps an interior desire to go "vegetarian" or drag out "Catholic Fridays" throughout the whole year. (aka ... the abstention from meat on Fridays during the season of Lent).

Nonetheless, this meal, I suppose, is no different. It comes from "Latin Flavors/Sabór Latino", a cookbook I ordered from Pampered Chef. I decided that our first home-cooked meal should be from a new cookbook, and be among my husband's favorite food genre ... Mexican food. This meal (as usual) was easy to make but it is helpful to use a "Sous Chef" or perhaps even a food processor to do some of the chopping for you to save a little time.

I began by washing 6 poblano peppers (the ones they make Chile Rellenos out of in the restaurants) and sliced down the center of one side to split each pepper. I then steamed them in the microwave with a little water for about 8-9 minutes, until they were a crunchy-tender.

Meanwhile, I began to cook 3 oz of Beef Chorizo and about 1 1/2 c of frozen corn. (The recipe calls for the corn to be freshly shucked off of 2 ears of corn .... ha ha ha ... frozen is just fine) over medium high heat. While that was cooking, I started dicing 1 small red onion, 1/2 cup of cilantro and 1 red bell pepper. The recipe also calls for 12oz. of uncooked shrimp. NOTE: I used cooked, tail on shrimp .... BUT to save even more time (and a little $$ too) use 12 oz. of bay shrimp. It will save both the cooking of the shrimp and the chopping of it.

Once the chorizo and corn had been properly cooked and heated through, I added the onion, red pepper, cilantro and shrimp. Heat through. Have 2 cups of cheese ready. The recipe called for "Chihuahua" cheese ... never heard of it, didn't find it. I use Queso Fresco, similar to Feta Cheese in consistency. But even a nice, low-fat Monterey Jack would be great!

Open the peppers and place in the stuffing mixture (corn, chorizo, bell pepper, onion, shrimp and cilantro) and stuff a little of the cheese in each pepper as well. Microwave it for at least one more minute, or until the cheese has completely melted.

These stuffed peppers definitely fit my blogging trend. Spicy (but not too HOT), Savory and Seafood. The flavors are kind of Tex-Mex, but in a good way. You get just enough zing from the chorizo to taste it, but there's not so much that it's greasy. The corn gets slightly toasted when it's cooked and the peppers and onions top it off and compliment the freshness of the cilantro. The cheese speaks for itself ... it hold the whole thing together.

Each pepper is about 320 calories, but they are filling for their size ... that's a good thing. However, if you're so inclined, serve this up with a small side salad, a small helping of black beans or even a little rice to accompany the delicious dish.

A FRESH New Start

Photo of the new kitchen, pre-move-in, taken from the Dining/Living room. (A. Mayberry)

Photo of the new kitchen space (pre-move-in), from the edge of the kitchen, facing our stove, oven and cabinet space. (A. Mayberry)

For those of you who haven't already heard, my husband and I just moved from a one-bedroom apartment into our very first home. Along with all the responsibility of being an adult (in general) we now have taken on the tasks that homeowners have in caring for and maintaining a home that will become not only a sanctuary for us, but also a place that is warm and welcoming to our friends, family and guests.

New House = New Kitchen. All of the pots, pans, plates, glasses and cooking utensils have all been unpacked as have my cookbooks. A little grocery shopping done over the weekend means our refrigerator and our pantry are fully stocked with the necessary ingredients needed to make meals from scratch. (No more Mac N Cheese, Top Ramen or take-out to tide us over!)

What will make this week even more exciting is the menu for this week. After all of the packing, unpacking and the work and family obligations that have crunched the schedule (and my usual daily cooking routine), I am HAPPY to get back in to the kitchen ... and COOKING. I'm pulling out the stops! I'm going gourmet this week to make up for all of the restaurant food and boxed or frozen stuff that we've resorted to in order to accommodate the things that were packed away and the need to focus on our transition to our new home.

I crave chopping onions and garlic ... sauteéing red peppers ... tossing in a dash of the necessary seasonings ... the steaming and grilling ... the aromas ... and that sense of accomplishment I get when my husband and I take our first bites of the culinary creations. I hope to have lots to blog about ... and lots of pictures to post!

So I raise a glass (or, at present, my travel mug of coffee) to a FRESH new start .... to a new home, a new kitchen, new meals .... and to new adventures. Cheers! and Buon Appetito!

Hungry Girl Seafood Gumbo

It's Mardi Gras, y'all! To celebrate, I am posting about some tasty Seafood Gumbo that I made a few weeks ago. With about 1 1/2 cups per serving, it's hearty, filling, and really tasty!

Stewed tomatoes, Spicy V8 juice, imitation crab, shrimp, onion, bell pepper, shrimp, tabasco sauce and some Cajun seasoning ... all blended together to make this stew-like soup. It took less than 30 minutes to make and is less than 300 calories per serving! (I think it was around 200, actually).

For those of you who may not care much for Okra, you can certainly substitute some zucchini. But the Okra has a nice, thickening agent to it. Serve up this dish with some fresh, crusted baguettes. It's sure to keep you warm from the inside out on a cold day like today.

Until next time, Buon Appetito!

Sharing the Wealth

As I shared in my last blog, I am "dieting" again. (If you can really CALL it a "diet" -- more like a return to the life-style changes that were necessary in my previous success in weight loss). I've had a couple of requests to share a few of my secrets, tips, tricks and learned knowledge. I will share with you up front though -- these are tips I have learned from The Biggest Loser, Dr. Oz's "YOU on a Diet", a few things that I have learned from my healthy cookbooks and picked up along the way. Every body is different too. So these things that worked for me may not necessarily give you the same results. But they are certainly great starting points in making your OWN lifestyle changes.

1. Use Olive Oil Cooking Spray: This one is particularly helpful. Rather than drowning my food in butter or loads of oil (even if it IS olive oil) I spray my pans and cook with cooking spray. It keeps my food from getting overly greasy and it also cuts out a ton of fat and unnecessary calories. Better yet, when applicable, bake or grill instead of fry.

2. Fruits and Vegetables are your Friends: This is not a shocker. Any good doctor will certainly advise you to increase fruits and veggies. A good reason to do it? A fiber-filled treat (like apples, spinach, bananas, etc.) can help to boost your energy and keep you feeling full longer. Don't like veggies? Try grilling or roasting them with a little lemon pepper, citrus zest or garlic and a bit of olive oil spray. If cooked to a still crisp but not raw consistency, you may discover that they are better than expected. Point being that the cooking method may be what needed to change. (Let's face it .... steamed veggies are usually kind of bland)

3. Plan Your Menus: No diet will be successful if you do nothing but eat salad. Why? You get bored and burned out. Instead, pick a VARIETY of different meals that you can make. Yes, you may have a fresh spinach salad on Monday, but perhaps on Tuesday, you have a fresh Turkey Wrap. Wednesday you have soup ... etc. If you have lots of things to choose from, you are less likely to notice that you're "dieting" and will stick to your new lifestyle changes. This one is HUGE for the success that I have had in my own journey ... here's 2 reasons why:

• Saving Money: Say what? By planning my menus for the week, I can comprise a grocery list that requires ONLY the items that I need. I stick to that list. By doing to, I do not impulse buy those junk food snacks. By not adding unneeded items to my cart, i save money.
• Being Organized: The organization is worth the time spent planning a menu. I can rearrange it based on my schedule if I need to. I already know in advance what dinner will be, which makes it less stressful when it comes to making dinner. Also, if I am working late, it allows my husband to know exactly what to start with -- whether it's making the whole meal or just prepping the ingredients.
• Added Bonus: Our household is just the 2 of us. Since most recipes make 4 servings, there is always some left over. Solution? Take it for lunch. This way, your lunch is pre-made, you didn't have to create another meal, and you know that it will be good for you.

4. Keep it simple: There's a reason I stick to healthy cookbooks that have meals that take 30 minutes or less. It makes it really easy for me to make a home cooked meal in a short amount of time so that I can enjoy the rest of my evening. This also becomes suitable for any level of "home chef". If my husband (who prior to being married had no cooking experience at all) can make it without any snags, you can too! And if cooking is easy, it becomes FUN.

5. Embrace the Fat Free Products, but with caution: Fat Free cheese, Fat Free yogurt, Fat Free Milk, Extra Lean meats (like chicken or turkey at 97%+ fat free) are all marvelous choices. And to be honest, I never really noticed a difference in the switch. HOWEVER, some of the products can also be higher in sodium. So if you're a person who needs to watch the salt intake for health reasons, a balance of fat free and low fat might be something to keep in mind.

6. Dips and Dressings: Fat Free Plain Yogurt or Fat Free Sour Cream are awesome. Why? It's like a blank canvas. You can ad a teaspoon worth of Ranch Mix to yogurt or sour cream, and you have instant fat free dressing. Add nutmeg and cinnamon to some plain or vanilla yogurt and you have an awesome dip for apples or strawberries. Plain yogurt mixed with cucumbers and fresh mint become a tzatziki sauce for gyros, salmon or pita dipping. And the list goes on.

7. Order it on the side: When you go out for dinner and order salad (whether it be a side salad, entree salad, etc.) order your dressing on the side. This allows YOU the control over how much dressing goes on your salad. THEN, here's an awesome tip that a colleague taught me .... instead of pouring the dressing on your salad, dip your fork in the dressing, then stab up a few veggies. You will use only about 1 T or LESS of dressing. And you will find that you still have plenty of flavor of the dressing to satiate the palate.

8. Dealing with a craving: This is one of the most challenging things that can challenge any healthy lifestyle. When stress runs high, I crave burgers, tacos, pizza, chocolate -- you name it, I would eat it. But rather than running to In N Out, Del Taco, BJs Pizza and raiding the chocolate aisle at Albertsons, I deal with my cravings in a different way. I usually will make a healthy version of any of the food items that I am craving. I've made "animal style protien burgers" using lettuce, Boca Burgers, fat free american cheese, tomatoes and red onion. While it still wasn't quite In N Out, it satisfied my craving for a burger. In other cases, it may not be the food itself, but a particular "flavor" (sweet, or salty, or example) that I crave. If I want something salty, perhaps a veggie with some cottage cheese will do the trick. For Sweet? Sometimes a nice apple, flavored yogurt ... and those Jello Temptations are 60–150 calories a piece. Those things are AWESOME. And when it comes to that craving, it usually does the trick. When all else fails, perhaps allow yourself a treat ... BUT ... watch the portions and the calories. Take advantage of the calorie postings mentioned in one of my previous blogs. Instead of ordering a 3 item combo at your favorite mexican restaurant, order a single item and request roasted/grilled veggies instead of rice and beans. You'll still be satisfied in the end, and you will save yourself 700+ calories.

9. Go for the fresh stuff: Fruits and vegetables in cans are full of salt and preservatives. Sure, they're usually cheaper in the can. But the nutrients are in the fresh stuff. Frozen is a good option too -- particularly for a few time savers. Just buy the quantity you'll need. Use the stuff that doesn't last long (like fresh cilantro or cucumbers) first. But your veggies should still last all week if kept in the fridge.

10. Check out some good cookbooks: All of the food items shared here in my blog have been DELICIOUS recipes found in the healthy cookbook collection that I have in my kitchen. (Yes, I mean COLLECTION). I have Hungry Girl cookbooks, The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook, Betty Crocker's 300 Meals 300 Calories, Ellie Kreiger's "The Food You Crave", Weight Watchers cookbooks galore ... all delicious, healthy, EASY meals. Hey, I even say in my bio that I am not a chef. But I am happy to share what I create from these books. Why? Because I get excited that I was able to make something that tasted good and can feel good about knowing that it didn't put me back 1400 calories for a single meal. Yes, I make pizza, burgers, tacos, enchiladas, taquitos, buffalo wings, jalapeno poppers, soups, stews, salads, sandwiches and wraps ..... Stuff I actually WANT to eat. If all there was to eat was salad, I would die of starvation because I would get sick and tired of eating it and would lose any enjoyment that I receive from it. So go to the Library, bookstore, amazon, allrecipes.com .... find books that work for you. (Me? I have to have lots of pictures -- if it looks appetizing or has some cool, catchy name, I will eat it.)

So for those who like to complain that "dieting" doesn't work, that healthy food tastes bad, then I'm going to guess that you haven't really tried all of your options. Ditch the fad diets and kooky diet pills and potions. A healthy, appropriately portioned diet, lots of water and moderate exercise will do just fine. No, don't spend 3 hours a day at the gym. Even a half-hour power walk does wonders. And for crying out loud be patient! To expect to lose 30 pounds in a week (or even 8 pounds) like they do on The Biggest Loser is NOT HEALTHY and totally unrealistic. But 2 pounds is definitely possible. And don't put a time limit on it. Just keep at it, and the results will happen. By saying "I'll lose 15 pounds by swimsuit season" only puts unneeded pressure on you -- and you'll likely only gain weight instead. But by embracing a total lifestyle change, you will see much more and lasting results.

Getting Back on the Wagon

So despite my posts of delicious, lower calorie alternatives, I must confess ... I still do a LOT of eating that I shouldn't. And since I am not held accountable for what I choose to consume, or when, or why, I have (admittedly) put 15 of the 30 pounds that I lost BACK ON.

Naturally, after having been so successful on my own in the past, I am extremely disappointed in myself. Yes, things like stress and a hectic schedule do make it a challenge to lose weight. But I need to stop using it as a crutch. No more "oh, it's okay if I eat half a pizza -- I'm stressed.". No more drowning my sorrows in a cheeseburger and fries. And this time, I mean it.

I thought I'd kick off a new (or rather stick to what I am supposed to eat) diet than with a little retail therapy? (huh?) I treated myself to a few new HEALTHY cookbooks. Though I have a number to choose from already, sometimes it becomes the nudge I need when I have some new cookbooks to try out. I am more excited to try these new things and share how wonderful they taste or how easy they were to make.

But here's what I am doing differently this time. I am keeping track of my calories and major foot statistics (like fat, sodium, sugar and fiber) online. This gives me no excuses for having left my food journal at home. I have no excuses for not keeping tabs on what I eat. I also started to plan out more than just dinner. I am also plotting out breakfast and lunch. Though I know the new system will have a few kinks as far as potential left overs go, I am sure that I'll have it down pat in a few weeks.

To me, here's the most important part. Part of my "food journal" (which is all set up nicely in a Google Doc spreadsheet I created) is a sheet that allows me to keep track of my stress level. When I am feeling stressed out, I rate what I am feeling on a scale of 1–10, keep track of my "stressor" and log what I choose to do to resolve the issue. If nothing else, this helps me to keep track of stress patterns, but also serves as a reminder that stress should not equal a chocolate bar.

Day one was good. I started the day with an apple, some water and a short power walk work out. I made Hungry Girl (less than 300 calorie) breakfast burritos. (YUM!) I had another Hungry Girl recipe for lunch that closely resembled a meat and cheese burrito from Taco Bell ... but healthier. Ended the day with some egg and turkey bacon pitas. In between, I had lots of water, and carrots and yogurt. And I kept track of EVERYTHING.

Unlike so many of the other diets out there, I did not feel hungry in between meals. If I space out meals and snacks (HEALTHY ONES) accordingly, I have enough energy and fiber in my body to keep me feeling satisfied. When I have that much going for me, it makes it MUCH easier to pass up those pesky temptations ... like donuts, cookies, pizza, burgers, or other indulgences. What's even more awesome is that I have things like breakfast burritos, fettucine alfredo, black bean burgers and more to help ease me back into healthy eating and right sized portions without feeling like I'm missing out.

So here's to watching my weight go in the right direction again. Here's to some awesome looking Veggie and Turkey wraps for lunch! Here's to holding myself accountable for what I eat. And here's to fitting into my jeans -- and maybe a cute dress or two.

Off to get a good night's sleep before yet another crazy day at the office -- filled with lots of healthy alternatives in between. I'll be blogging and posting photos of successful cheeseburger diversions soon! Until then, Buon Appetito!

Valentine's Day Menu

Photo by: Für Verliebte ©Cogipix / Fotolia.com

So I know it's a little early for dinner, but I am just so excited to share tonight's menu that I simply cannot wait to share it with you.

It all started when I asked Kevin what he wanted for his Valentine's Day dinner. All prepared to be making a dinner consisting of steak, potatoes, shrimp cocktail, grilled veggies and some sort of dessert, I was surprised at his answer.

"Gnocchi, " he said, "with salad, garlic bread and wine ... and dessert".

After my last gnocchi venture (see Giada's Gnocchi blog post) I was kind of surprised that Kevin wanted me to make gnocchi again -- so soon. I guess that despite its odd appearance, my husband thought that it tasted good enough to encourage me to give it another try. I told him that the menu he'd chosen sounded like a good idea and that I would pick some appetizers to accompany it. The more I thought about all of the possibilities, the more excited I got.

Appetizer #1: Stuffed Mushrooms
I have a recipe from Hungry Girl for these delicious sounding stuffed mushrooms. I cut the recipe in half to only make 2 servings -- so as not to ruin dinner by the end of the appetizer course. Baby Portabella mushrooms stuffed with a mixture of fat free cream cheese, fat free ricotta, canned spinach, reduced fat mozzarella, garlic, onion and the sauteed stems from the mushrooms. 1 serving is 99 calories. (3 mushrooms)

Appetizer #2: Hot Dates
I modified a recipe from the cookbook "Kissing in the Kitchen". I sliced open some pitted, dried dates and stuffed them with about half of a wedge of Laughing Cow Light Blue Cheese (as opposed to the gorgonzola called for in the recipe) and wrapped in a slice of Tukey Bacon (in lieu of regular bacon). I don't have the calorie counts handy, but these will be significantly less damaging than the original recipe.

Soup Course: Strawberry Soup
Another modified recipe ... from our Princess Cruises "Courses" cookbook. I cut this recipe by fourths so as to only make just enough for about a 3/4 c serving per person. I used fat free Half and Half in lieu of heavy cream, fat free yogurt, pureed strawberries, nutmeg, 1/8c of white grape juice and a splash of Disaronno. We made this soup for a cooking showdown about a year and a half ago. It's delicious, light and will make a lovely transition from the appetizers to our next course.

Salad Course: Spinach, Chicken and Cranberry Salad
I'll admit ... I cheated on this one. I picked up a packaged lunch sized salad bowl. I'll add the ingredients, shake it, and serve it. For about 100 calories a serving, why not?

Main Course: Giada's Gnocchi, round 2.
These were delicious ... But this time, I will serve them up with a little pesto sauce instead of the Aglio i Olio and Marinara creation that I came up with the last time. I'll be serving this with a little garlic bread to accompany the pesto .... Bellisimo!

Dessert Couse: Chocolate Raspberry Mini Cupcakes (unfrosted)
A "regular" sized cupcake from this amazing Hungry Girl recipe is just over 100 calories a piece. But I made these as mini cupcakes .... at about 1/3 the size, they're roughly 35 calories a piece, and will be the perfect size for a small bite of something sweet to follow the savory courses preceding it.

Wine choices: Shiloh Road Chardonnay and Vigilance Cimarron
The appetizers, soups and salad will be better accompanied by a light, citrus flavored white wine. The savory flavors of the gnocchi will be better paired with a red wine blend. Chocolate also goes very well with read wines, but I'll likely move on to a nice cup of hot decaf coffee by then.

Okay ... so this sounds like a TON of work ... and in a way, it was. BUT -- Kevin and I did all of the preparation work yesterday. We pop the appetizers in the oven and then roll gnocchi ... boil the gnocchi and enjoy a five course dinner at our leisure. The whole idea was to be able to enjoy a restaurant-style fancy dinner without the price tag, the crowds, the mega calories and the fuss of dressing up and fighting traffic. If dinner takes 3 hours to eat, even better. No one will be trying to rushing us out of the restaurant ... we'll be in the comfort of our own home. Yes, we'll have a few dishes to wash, but it will be well worth it since we would not have spent hours cooking BEFORE we ate. So I get to have my cake and eat it too ... We prepared a 5-course meal (yes, totally spoiling my hubby) and we will get to ENJOY it together (as opposed to being stuck in the kitchen).

I hope that you all enjoy YOUR plans for Valentine's Day -- whether you're snuggled up with your spouse, sharing a date with your special someone or perhaps just having a night in while enjoying a gourmet meal all your very own. Enjoy it! Buon Appetito!

Calorie Counting?

For those of you who make frequent stops to any sort of fast food location, you may have noticed the new additions to the menu board that weren't there before. In fact, these additions expand even beyond the food, but also include the beverage stops like Starbucks, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Jamba Juice. It's those pesky things called calories.

In compliance with new laws, fast food locations are now required to tell you just how many calories you're about to consume (at least here in the state of California). Though some restaurants have had nutritional information available upon request or online for a while, how many of us actually take the time to look a it? I'll admit, I'm definitely guilty of not taking the time to visit a restaurant's website before dining there to pick out the best options for me to consume. And sometimes, I know it's better not to think about it.

However, these pesky little numbers ARE making me think. The last time I visited a Coffee Bean, I went in ready to order a large Non-fat Vanilla Latte. When I realized that the beverage was 240 calories, I stopped. Instead I ordered the 80 calorie large Non-fat Cafe Au Lait and added 1 splenda and a shake of cinnamon. Did I notice a difference in the "quality" of the coffee? Absolutely not. In fact, I felt pretty good about my choice. Paired with a 240 calorie multi-grain blueberry bagel, I ended up with a 320 calorie breakfast that gave me plenty of "get up and go" to hold be over until lunch.

The same thing happened to me today at Jamba Juice. Instead of going in and ordering the medium something delicious and a whole pretzel like I WANTED to, I scanned the menu, found a delicious mango smoothie, ordered the 150 calorie small, and a small pretzel stick. So what COULD have been an almost 650 calorie disaster, became a 390 calorie pat-on-the-back for going to the gym every day this week. NOTE: 390 calories is still not great for a SNACK, but today my lunch was quite small (about 300 calories). I need to go grocery shopping. :0| So it evened out.

Though it is still my choice to eat (or not eat) where I wish, I'm kind of glad those pesky numbers are there in my face at every restaurant now. It helps to remind me to make healthier choices and not be persuaded by what strikes my fancy.

I'm hoping that the required calorie posts will have similar effects on others too ... perhaps even making formerly popular items (like Big Macs) less in demand, forcing fast food joints to serve up something a little different and healthy -- or at the very least "right sizing" the portions to be a reasonable amount and not the platters (like Acapulco or El Torito portions).

What would be REALLY cool is if they began to show MORE of the nutritional value. Very few restaurants are doing this "on location" right now. Sure, that meal might be so many calories, but what about the fat content? The cholesterol? Sodium? Sugars? ALL of these things are important to making a good choice, particularly for those who need to watch these certain factors for various dietary reasons. Just because a chicken sandwich and a small salad are both 300 calories a piece does not mean that the salad is low fat, or that the chicken sandwich is going to have enough fiber to keep you satiated for a long period of time. So how do you choose?

What do you think? Are YOU impressed by the changes? Angry or frustrated by them?
In the mean time, I'll be grocery shopping to stock up on more carrots, celery, cottage cheese and other delicious, healthy snacks to subdue the 3:00 p.m. snack craving. 

Until next time,
Buon Appetito!

A Little Taste of Luxury

While selecting my recipes for last week's menu, I came across this recipe ... Cornmeal Pancakes with Smoked Salmon and Caper Sauce. It was in my Weight Watchers: Make It In Minutes cookbook. It sounded like something different and so I decided to give it a whirl ... and I am GLAD I DID!

Smoked salmon is not something commonly found on menus ... except perhaps at a Bagel Shop that offers it up with tomatoes, onions and cream cheese. I've also seen it on cruise ship brunch spreads. With this delicacy selling at about $7 for 4oz., it's a small slice of luxury that is worth splurging on once in a while.

For those who associate pancakes with breakfast (and who doesn't?) this takes those syrup-loving tastebuds and makes them think outside of the box. These pancakes are savory, not sweet. So this becomes the perfect treat to serve up for either a brunch or even dinner, as I did here.

The batter consists of all purpose flour, cornmeal, skim milk, ground corriander, cayenne pepper and 1 egg. Once mixed, I had to let it sit and "marinade" for about 15 minutes, which gave me time to make the sauce and pre-heat my pancake griddle.

The sauce was made with sour cream, about 2T of red onion, 1T of capers, a little lemon zest. I put this mix in the fridge until it was time to serve.

Meanwhile, my griddle was getting nice and hot -- on low heat, of course -- those pans hold heat well, and will burn the pancakes if they get too hot. I took a scant 1/4 cup of the pancake batter and put in on my olive oil sprayed griddle. I repeated, until I could not fit any more pancakes on there ... I got about 3 per batch. Once bubbles formed on the top of the pancakes, I flipped and lightly toasted the other side.

I placed 3 pancakes (NOT stacked) on a plate ... equal to one serving, believe it or not! ... I topped each pancake with a small slice of smoked salmon, and dressed it with 2T of the sauce.

These were not only wonderful on the taste buds, they were also very filling! My husband and I were only able to eat 2 of the 3 "allowed" pancakes. Hooray for left-overs for lunch! This also pairs quite nicely with a glass of Shiloh Road Chardonnay. If you were so inclined, you could also make "mini" pancakes and use just a tad of the sauce and salmon to make tiny appetizers for your next cocktail party.

Buon Appetito!

Healthy Italian

I love Italian food. Pasta, sauce and cheese and lots of garlic -- it's amore. (Yes, I also love sushi, mexican food and -- well-- food in general, but that's beside the point).

Last week, I gave Hungry Girl a break and busted out my Biggest Loser Family Cookbook (as mentioned in my last blog, this is the square, green cookbook that's available everywhere). Inside, is this wonderful recipe for Grilled Chicken Parmesan. Yes, I said GRILLED. (Bring in the BBQ, guys!)

The recipe calls for four 4oz. chicken breasts (or 2 really big ones, cut in half). I always trim the extra fat off of them to make them leaner. Lightly spray the chicken with olive oil cooking spray, rub a little salt and pepper on each side of the chicken breasts, and grill. NOTE: Don't grill until it's about 95% done -- not raw, but about 1 minute away from grilling to well done. (The chicken also bakes for a few minutes, so you don't want it to dry out).

With the oven already preheated to 350º, top your chicken with 2 T of light marinara sauce. (I usually use Ragu Marinara with roasted red pepper -- or some other low sodium sauce) and a 1/4 of a deli slice of reduced fat mozzerella and a shake (about 1 tsp.) of parmesan. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the chicken completely cooked.

I happened to pair this meal with some fresh green beans and carrots, sauteed with some tomato, garlic, lemon zest, salt, pepper and oilve oil. I lightly drizzled it with balsamic vinaigrette. It was very fresh and light and an easy way to squeeze in a couple servings of vegetables. It also made a nice complement to the entree in lieu of a plate full of pasta.

So, Biggest Loser Fans (you know who you are ...) for those of you who have not picked up this cookbook, it's a GREAT resource to create proper portion sizes, cook balanced meals, and even find healthy alternatives to things like .... nachos, pizza, breakfast sandwiches, desserts and MORE. Yes, even healthier than some of the Hungry Girl approaches. But I best not say too much ... I'll save that for another blog.

Until then, Buon Appetito!

Buffalo Chicken Meatloaf

Partially in the spirit of that major sports even happening on Sunday (what's it called? um ... something about a bowl, which makes me think of cooking ....) and also in the spirit of cold weather and the desire for comfort food ... I bring you this tasty recipe.

The Biggest Loser Family Cookbook (the square, green one) turned me on to this crazy concoction. I'll admit, before I had made this recipe the first time, I never knew that they actually SOLD ground chicken. LOL! I have made this recipe several times, and it is indeed DELICIOUS! Served up with a side of garlic mashed potatoes, my hubby will beg for seconds (and leftovers for lunch the next day) every time.

It contains one pound of ground chicken (I have also used Turkey, but think Chicken is better for this recipe), old-fashioned oats, 1/2c of skim milk, 1/4c onion, shredded carrot, chopped celery, egg, a little salt, 2 oz. of Blue Cheese Crumbles, and 2 1/2T of Buffalo Wing Sauce. So, in theory, you have buffalo wings all wrapped up into this considerably less messy meatloaf form. And when you get a nice little bite of Blue Cheese .... YUM!

A few notes ... the few times I have made this, I have used a little of the Lawry's Buffalo Wing Sauce. Although it's good, I like a little more zing. So, you can either splash a little tabasco on your plate, or perhaps could also brush the loaf with a light layer of sauce on top. Though I am sure if I used the REAL wing sauce (or Louisiana Cayenne Sauce) there would be quite enough burn to more than clear your sinuses.

Since it IS meatloaf, you can also pair it with a number of sides. I like the traditional mashed potatoes. however, a nice leafy green salad, steamed or grilled veggies or a number of other choices could certainly be prepared with it. And they make a tasty meatloaf sandwich the next day. But ... PLEASE ... for the sacredness of all that is hot wings ... DON'T put ketchup on it! LOL!

More coming this week ... no deadline schedule means I'm cooking more! YAY!

So until I blog again, Buon Appetito!

Super Bowl Chili

Well, I have a VERY special request .... Super Bowl Chili.

And I have a "recipe" all my very own. I tried making chili one day (for fun) from scratch without a recipe. It was delicious. I get begged to make it every year, sometimes even for the USC vs. ucla football game -- when it works out.

But first, I am afraid I must put in a few disclaimers. I change this recipe up all the time, to address my moods and the audience to which the chili is being served. But the basics are ALWAYS the same. Secondly, the "basic" recipe is MILD. So, for those who like HOT HOT HOT can adjust the recipe accordingly. :0) Below is the recipe for Andrea's Famous Super Bowl Chili:

Andrea's Famous Super Bowl Chili
serves 5 to 6 people
Best if prepared 24 hours in advance and reheated to serve.

3 cloves of Garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced (color doesn't matter -- I use yellow)
1T of Olive Oil
1 lb. of Extra Lean Turkey
32 oz. can on Stewed tomatoes (no salt added)
15 oz. of Black Beans (low sodium)
32 oz. of Chili Beans (in sauce)
15 oz. of  Kidney Beans (lite/ low sodium)
6 oz. of frozen corn
1 serving (I think about 1T?) of Chili Seasoning (read package for serving size)
Salt and Pepper to taste.

In a large (6 qt.+) Stock Pot, heat the oil and sautee the garlic, onion and turkey until turkey is no longer pink. Add all of the other ingredients and simmer on low until the chili is completely heated through, stirring occasionally. Keep refrigerated overnight (or I suppose you can use a crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours) and then reheat on the stove for optimal flavor blending. Serve with corn bread and low/non fat cheddar cheese sprinkled on top. Enjoy! GO FOOTBALL!

Note: to add heat, one could at a couple of diced jalapenos, red chiles, Tabasco (or other cayenne pepper sauce) etc to taste and preference. I sometimes add a couple cans of diced green chiles to add a little Southwestern twist.

Fix it, Freeze it, Feast it!

I was heating up some left over slow-cooker Beef Stew in the kitchen at the office, when the front page of the LIFE/FOOD section of the Orange County Register caught my eye. I tell you, folks .... I almost did a happy dance, right there in the kitchen!

It was an article about a cook book called "Cook & Freeze: 150 Delicious Dishes To Serve Now AND Later" by Dana Jacobi. It is available both in hard back and paper back in local bookstores AND on Amazon (I already looked).

This book talks about the process of freezing, how to to it properly to avoid things like freezer burn, and how to do it SMARTLY (like freezing in 1-2 serving portions, perfect for easy defrosting, or a quickly heated up lunch!) Not to mention that it has 150 recipes in it. I mean ... with my crazy schedule, I use our Crock Pot a LOT. But sometimes it can be a hassle to do the prep chopping the night before or in the morning while trying to get ready for work. So I am ALL FOR meals that come out of the freezer, into the microwave, but are still HOME MADE (aka no added "stuff" in the ingredients). See why I wanted to do a happy dance???

One word of warning though ... the few recipes that were in the article did NOT specifically request the low fat/lo cal/better-for-you ingredients. But this can EASILY be remedied by substituting the healthier options (such as non fat cheese, whole wheat pasta, etc.) to guarantee that these will taste good but NOT ruin those post-New Years weight loss resolutions.

This book is going on my "must have" list! I'll let you know how things taste!

Buon Appetito!

To purchase "Cook & Freeze" on Amazon, click here!

Crustless Quiche

New Year's Eve morning ... I thought I'd make something a little different for breakfast. Okay, so I had planned to make this and put it on the menu before I had gone grocery shopping for the week, so it is not like I just woke up and decided to start creating breakfast out of the random things in my refrigerator. But this breakfast was SO worth it. The best part, was that I didn't have to make a pie crust to enjoy this delectable delight.

4 eggs, a little whole wheat flour, reduced fat feta cheese, reduced fat cheddar cheese, fat free cottage cheese and 10 oz. of frozen broccoli, salt and pepper. That's it. Done. It's really THAT EASY.

I found this recipe in Better Home and Garden's "Eat Well, Lose Weight" cookbook. Of course you can always substitute the "reduced fat" cheese for all fat free stuff .... I just usually have a really hard time finding fat free cheeses (like Cheddar or Jack, etc.) in my local Albertsons stores. So I figure reduced fat is a decent alternative as opposed to "whole fat".

When I made this recipe, I seriously thought it would be really watery because of the broccoli and the cottage cheese. However, when cooked to perfection (and the top of the pie is slightly browned) then there was none of that yucky moisture left ... each slice was had a nice texture and was firm to lift out of the pie pan.

If I make this one again, I might want to add a little "zing" to it. Though it was wonderfully delicious just as it was, I might add a little cayenne pepper, or perhaps a few sprinkles of red chili flakes or finely diced jalapeño to add a little heat but without adding a heap of sodium, fat or calories.

The only "drawback", if you can call it that, is that it cooks in the oven at 375º for 35-40 minutes. (I found closer to 40 minutes worked a little better). So it smells delicious and torments your empty tummy until its ready. But, when it's done, you get to consume 1/6th of the pie for a delightful 197 calories. This is a great recipe to make and freeze in single servings so that you have ready-made breakfasts on the go to heat up and eat at your desk in the morning --- and it would last a whole week!

I added 2 thin slices of ready-cooked bacon on the side for a little "cheat". Serve this up with some hot coffee, orange juice or skim milk (or soy milk, if you prefer) and you're ready to start your day.

Until next time,
Buon Appetito!

Giada's Gnocchi

Okay ... so these look a little funky, but they were pretty tasty. And definitely a new experience for me as far as pasta-making goes.

I'll admit that I have tried making homemade pasta on my own before, and failed miserably. Not having been able to learn this treasured skill from generations past means that I am going it alone ... BUT, these gnocchi made it a little easier to learn a few things about pasta, how to make it, and how to make it GOOD. Though this try was still no masterpiece, it will get better the next time I get brave and try to be the Italian that I am not.

I found this recipe in Giada DeLaurentiis's "Everyday Pasta". Some sort of Gnocchi with Butter Thyme Sauce concoction. I thought I'd ditch the butter part, but give the rest a whirl.

First, I peeled then steamed 2 large baking potatoes. This made it easier than cooking and THEN peeling. Then, once the potatoes were tender, I mashed them, added a little salt and pepper, 1 egg and 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour. Next time, I think I'll add a smidgeon more salt, or garlic and/or herbs to the mix to give it more internal flavor, but without overpowering the delicate gnocchi itself.

I was then able to take a spoonful of the dough, rolled it out onto a clean, dry surface into a snake about a half inch thick. This is where the play-dough loving kids can help. But I highly recommend rolling them out on a floured surface ... the recipe didn't say this, but on a wood cutting board, it keeps the dough from sticking.

Once I had a nicely rolled "snake" of dough, I cut the pasta into segments about 1 inch long. The recipe also called to roll it along a surface that would give the gnocchi that nice, lined texture (The back of a fork would work nicely). I opted NOT to do this. Next time, I will ....

Here's where I make my mistake.  (GASP!) Yes, I figure that if I am going to "keep it real", I may as well share a few kitchen disasters too. I tossed some of the gnocchi in to a pot of (warm but not yet boiling) water as a place to keep them without them sticking together ... oh, the joys of a small, apartment kitchen. BIG BOO BOO. So the first few batches of gnocchi turned to mush. RATS! They still tasted good, but the larger majority of the batch looked like Mashed Potatoes Marinara, not gnocchi. I obviously salvaged a few good ones to photograph.

As for the sauce, I did saute the gnocchi in a little garlic and olive oil and some dried, crushed oregano. Making a butter sauce just didn't sound too good for the waistline ... But the 2T of olive oil and 2 cloves of garlic sounded like it would be just enough to give a little extra flare. I also had about a half of a cup of left over marinara sauce in the fridge. So, the sauce is a combo of Aglio e Olio (Garlic and Oil) and Marinara sauce.

Despite the hot mess of a presentation that it made, the gnocchi was still pretty good. Yes, I have had better. BUT ... I know with practice, it WILL get better. But if any of you hear of any pasta making classes, I would LOVE to sign up. If I think my gnocchi was a mess, my attempts to make Fettuccine are MUCH worse. LOL!

Until next time,
Buon Appetito!