Annie's Enchiladas

Annie is always great for recipes and inspiration. I decided to make these enchiladas after seeing the amazing pictures and having a craving for Mexican food. As usual these were amazing. I made a few changes which I have reflected below but the majority of this recipe and write up are directly from Annie.

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium onion, chopped fine
  • 2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped fine - I omitted these
  • 1 tsp. canola oil - no oil for me
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 tsp. cumin - I love cumin and added a tablespoon
  • 1 tbsp. sugar - I left out the sugar
  • 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 tomato, seeded and chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup shredded sharp white cheddar cheese, divided - 1-2 ounces
  • 1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese, divided - 1-2 ounces
  • ½ cup minced fresh cilantro
  • 12 (6-inch) soft corn tortillas - I used four because that is what I had on hand
  • Cooking spray
  • ZUCCHINI - I added shredded zucchini to up the veggies

Directions:
Combine the onion, jalapeno and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Mix in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the chicken is completely cooked through (160˚ F on an instant-read thermometer), about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside to cool.

Strain the sauce through a large mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing down on the onions and tomatoes to extract as much liquid as possible. Transfer the reserved solids to a large bowl and set aside. Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.

Shred the chicken into bite size pieces and add to the bowl with the onion mixture. Add in ¼ cup of the enchilada sauce, ½ cup of each of the shredded cheeses, and the cilantro. Stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 425˚ F. Oil a 9 x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray. Stack the tortillas on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and microwave for 40-60 seconds, until warm and pliable. Spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of a tortilla. Add shredded zucchini. Roll up the tortilla around the filling tightly, and place in the prepared baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining filling and tortillas.

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for 7 minutes or until the tortillas start to brown slightly.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400˚ F. Remove the enchiladas from the oven and pour the sauce oven the top. Sprinkle with the remaining shredded cheese. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes, until the cheese is browned. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Lumpia

One of my students constantly teases me because I love Lumpia but can't for the life of me say it properly. She is from the Philippines and I keep begging for her to bring me some authentic lumpia but alas...I am stuck with my own version. These were really good even though I had to make them with phyllo dough instead of lumpia wrappers as the store was out.

Ingredients:Carrots
  • Celery
  • Ground beef
  • Beef bullion
  • Onions
  • Garlic
  • Cumin
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Lumpia Wrappers (for phyllo dough)
Directions:
  1. Saute the onions and garlic. Brown the meat and add it to the onions and garlic mixture. Add diced celery and diced carrots. Mix in beef bullion and water. Cook over medium heat for about 15 min.
  2. Place about 2 tbsp meat mixture in the middle of the lumpia wrapper. Roll folding in the top and the bottom so the meat is sealed inside.
  3. Bake for 15 min in an oven preheated to 350 degrees.

Gyros - the real way

UMMMM Greek food. Apparently Gryos were invented in NYC not in Greece but either way I love them. I didn't realize that in reality this yummy sandwich type things are not made with a lamb leg, flank, etc. Rather they are made with ground meat. So, off I went to find ground lamb, bison, and pork...the combination I wanted to use to make my gyros.

I followed Alton Brown's cooking method found here. I also took ideas from this website, Serious Eats.

Ingredients:
  • 4 oz Bison
  • 4 oz pork
  • 8 oz lamb
  • 1/2 onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1-2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
Directions:
  1. Blend all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pat the meat pace into a loaf pan and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
  2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place the meat loaf into a water bath and into the oven. Cook for about an hour or until the internal temp reaches 160-165 degrees.
  3. Remove meat from the oven. Place a brick wrapped in tin foil on top of the meat and let it sit for 15-20 min or until the internal temp reaches 175 degrees.
  4. Slice your meat nice and thin. Place on a grill or skillet to brown the edges of the meat.
  5. Toss on a pita with Tzataiki, onions and tomatoes.
Makes 4 servings of meat. Calories per serving - 250

Tiropita


My favorite thing to get in Greek restaurants is Tiropita. Unfortunately most Greek restaurants in NYC don't have this AMAZING appetizer. As I decided to make gyros tonight I thought I would try my hand at these little beauties as well. While they looked excellent they ended up not quite hitting the spot. I am used to the cheesy insides being a little cheesier. I guess I will have to try these again.

Ingredients:
  • 4 oz fat free feta cheese
  • 1 egg
  • 5-6 sheets of phyllo dough
  • Butter Pam spray
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
  2. Mix the cheese and the egg
  3. Lay out phyllo dough. Cut in half length wise. Spray with Pam. Double the dough on top of itself so you now have two layers of dough. Place about 2 tbs of cheese mixture in the corner of the dough. Fold like you are folding a flag, tucking in edges as you go.
  4. Repeat until you have used all the filling. Place all the Tiropita on a Silpat or baking sheet. Spray with Pam. Cook for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
Makes 5-6 tiropita - calories per tiropita - 50

Meatballs

Knowing that I love to cook I decided to make Gyros. Of course, I ended up with way to much ground meat so I turned some of the leftovers into meatballs. These meatballs were so good and at only 40 calories a meatball they are pretty healthy as far as meatballs go.

I used Panko bread crumbs and had to add extra to absorb some of the liquid but I also blended some of the meat with the onions to make the meatballs hold together and prevent them from being mealy.

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound of ground meat (I used a combo of bison, pork, and lamb)
  • 1 1/3 cups panko bread crumbs
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 small onion
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Directions:
  1. Preheat onion to 325 degrees.
  2. Blend 2/3 of the meat with the seasonings, eggs, and onion until a paste is made. Mix in the remaining ingredients and shape into balls. Place meatballs on a silpat or cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes.
  3. Serve with sauce or freeze for later use.
Makes about 30-35 meatballs (I made 33): calories per meatball - 40

Mexican Lasagna


SCHOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER!!!!

Students left at noon but the kitchen made enchiladas for lunch anyway. Apparently they are making lunch all of teacher week but last year this was not the case. As this was totally unexpected the teachers had already ordered pizza. Not to let food go to waste I swiped some of the enchiladas for dinner.

Now these enchiladas didn't hold up to well and in my opinion could be part of a better meal if taken apart. So I took out the filling and made this mexican lasagna for dinner instead.

Ingredients:
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes
  • 1/2 onion diced
  • 1/2 bell pepper diced
  • 2 oz cheese
  • 3 tortilla (I use la tortilla factory)
  • Spinach
  • enchilada filling (I used beef from school)
  • 1/2 cup corn

Directions:
  1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Put down a layer of beef as thin as possible. Top with tomatoes. Then place a tortilla on top. Layer with tomatoes and spinach and corn.
  3. Place another tortilla on top. Now add a layer of beef then onions and peppers. Top with another tortilla.
  4. Sprinkle cheese on top of the last tortilla. Cook for 15-20 min or until hot and cheese is melted.
Serves 3: Calories per serving 420 when low calorie options are used.

Peanut Butter Brownies

YUM YUM YUM. My mom came to town and she sells these cookware products that are fantastic. Well because she was here she wanted to have a cookware party. So we made these wonderful brownies (that I ate way to many of).

Ingredients:
  • 1 brownie package
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup oil
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 20 mini reeses peanut butter cups
  • 20 honey roasted peanuts

Directions:
  1. Mix brownie mix according to the instructions on the box.
  2. Pour mix into Demarle mini muffin tray filling the cups 3/4 of the way full. Press a mini peanut butter cup into the center of each muffin.
  3. Cook according to the instructions on the box.
  4. Remove from oven and press a honey roasted peanut into the center of eat peanut butter cup.
  5. Allow to cool before removing from Demarle tray.

Pizza Two Ways


Miles and I love pizza. We have starting making it on these flat pita breads that are way fewer calories and they are super for making pizzas on. Miles likes his pizzas with pepperoni and olives but I have recently converted him to a greek style pizza. This time I also made a spinach and artichoke pizza that was good but needed chicken.

These pita pizzas could really be made with any toppings you wanted.

Ingredients:
Pizza 1:
  • Pita bread
  • Feta cheese (I use fat free)
  • Onion
  • Tomato
  • Tomato sauce
  • Chicken
  • Mushrooms
  • Mozzarella
  • Fresh Basil

Pizza 2:
  • Pita bread
  • Pesto Alfredo
  • Fat Free Feta
  • Mozzarella
  • Artichoke
Directions:
  1. Cook Chicken
  2. Dice and arrange all ingredients on the pita bread to your liking
  3. Heat oven to 350 degrees
  4. Cook for 8-10 min.

Peanut Noodles and Veggies

I am always looking to try something new and now that I have the wonderful PB2 peanut butter I can have more peanut foods without all the calories. 2 tbs of PB2 amounts just 45 calories compared to 190 calories in Jif.

So I went looking for something peanuty for dinner and I found this gem. Now this recipe doesn't have any vegetables so I just added what I thought would be good. I also doubled the sauce to make enough for the noodles and the veggies.

Ingredients:
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons ginger
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 4 tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1-1/2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 pound Udon noodles
  • 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
  • 4 cups broccoli
  • 1.5 cups snow peas
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1/2 cup onions (sliced)
  • 1 chicken breast
Directions:
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until tender according to package directions. Drain.
  2. In a large skillet cook chicken. Remove from pan and cut into little pieces.
  3. Into the large skillet combine the veggies and saute until just cooked. Add the chicken and cook for another minute.
  4. Meanwhile, combine chicken broth, ginger, soy sauce, peanut butter, and garlic in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until peanut butter melts and is heated through. Add to veggies, add noodles, and toss to coat.

Baked Tostones


Yum, Yum, Yum. I love plantains but until recently wasn't brave enough to make them and didn't want the calories from frying them. Lucky Gina came to the rescue again with this recipe. Made to serve with Chicken Ropa Vieja but these go well with any Cuban, Mexican, or Latin dish.

Ingredients:
  • 1 medium green plantains
  • Zero Calorie Spray Butter
  • salt
  • Pam spray
Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
  2. Peel plantains and slice into 1/2 thick slices. Arrange slices on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes. Coat with spray butter and sprinkle on salt.Remove from oven and using a heavy glass flatten to about 1/4 inch thickness.
  3. Bake for 10 minutes. Flip plantains, add a little more oil spray on top and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes until golden brown and crispy..
  4. Remove from oven.
Makes 2 servings. Calories vary depending on the size of the plantain. Approximately 120 calories per serving.

Cilantro Lime Rice


I made this rice to go with the Chicken Ropa Vieja but now it is my go to rice recipe. I find that rice can be kind of boring but this rice is far from that. Gina, you are my new favorite blogger. I cut this recipe down so I only used 1/3 cup of rice because that was more than enough for the two of us for a side dish.

Ingredients:
  • 1/3 cup extra long grain rice or basmati rice
  • 1 tsp lime, juice of
  • 2/3 cups chicken broth
  • 1 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
Directions:
  1. Put all ingredients into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed.
Makes 2 servings: calories per serving 110

Chicken Ropa Vieja

Miles and I love Cuban and Cuban inspired food. While this recipe is normally made from beef, chicken makes it a lighter version of a classic. I have made this a couple times and every time it is great. Gina's weight loss blog is awesome for dishes that are full of flavor but that don't have the calories of the standard meal.

Ingredients:
  • 3 chicken breast halves (10-12 ounces)
  • 1 large red onion, sliced
  • 1 tomato, quartered
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 tbsp chicken broth + about a cup extra
  • 1 red or yellow bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp cumin, or more to taste (I like a lot)
  • garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
  1. Grill chicken. Once cooked through place the chicken into a bowl and shred it into strips using a fork; set aside.
  2. In a large deep skillet, heat chicken broth over medium heat. Add the garlic, onions, and red peppers. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in chicken, tomato sauce, white wine, and about 3/4 cup of chicken broth to create a nice sauce. Season with cumin, garlic powder salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer on low for about 10 minutes more adding more broth and seasoning if needed. Makes 4 cups.
Makes 2 large servings: calories per serving 315

Mini Lemon Cakes

Miles has this great friend from school that makes amazing Flan. She has been making an extra flan for us when she bakes for the last year so it was high time I returned the favor. Her boyfriend said she liked lemon desserts so I was at a loss. As much as I enjoy lemons I am not a big lemon dessert fan. I came across this cake and thought it looked good enough to make and it ended up being good enough to eat as well. This cake also allowed me the opportunity to try out the old soda in bake mix trick...but without the cake mix. There was way to much icing for my liking but my icing was also very thin.

Ingredients:
Cake:
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated Splenda
  • 1 can diet Sprite
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon rind
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • Icing:
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon lemon rind
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • Lemon rind strips (optional)
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°.
  2. To prepare cake, coat 8 ramekins with cooking spray.
  3. Lightly spoon 2 cups flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine 2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.
  4. Add granulated Splenda to flour mixture. Mix in sprite, 2 tablespoons lemon rind and 2 tablespoons lemon juice.
  5. Pour batter into prepared ramekins; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350° for 32 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.
  6. To prepare icing, combine powdered sugar and the remaining ingredients (except lemon rind strips) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread half of icing on top of cake. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining half of icing over top of cake. Garnish with lemon rind strips, if desired. Store cake loosely covered in the refrigerator.
Makes 3-4 double layer mini cakes - approximately 400 calories per cake.

Chicken Tacos

I wanted to try out the homemade tortillas again because after watching a short youtube video I picked up some tricks I thought would make them better. I didn't change the recipe but I added all of the water this time where as last time I left some of the water out as I didn't think I wanted the tortilla dough to be sticky. I was wrong.

These tacos used TJ chicken that was already seasoned. Other ingredients are listed below.

Ingredients:
  • Lettuce
  • Tomato
  • Onion
  • Sour cream
  • Avocado
  • Tortillas
  • Chicken
  • Cheese
  • Red Pepper
Directions:
  1. Make tortillas from the link above - or purchase from a store
  2. Grill and shred chicken
  3. Grill onions and pepper
  4. Slice, chop, to your liking, lettuce, tomato, and avocado
  5. Assemble

Banana Carrot Muffins

My fridge is freezing my food. If I turn up the temperature on the fridge then the freezer allows my ice cream to melt. So, I keep the fridge super cold and sometimes I have to deal with frozen produce. This time it was carrots. So with a bunch of frozen carrots and many over ripe bananas in the freezer I decided to make banana carrot "cake" muffins. Using trusty all recipes I knew I would find a recipe I would like and of course I did. This recipe met my needs perfectly. With some tinkering to the ingredients - a standard practice in the Crowder household - I had my banana carrot muffins.

Ingredients:
  • 1/3 cup apple sauce
  • 1 cup Splenda
  • 1/2 cup egg beaters
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
  • 1 cup grated carrots
  • 1 box raisins
Directions:
  1. In a mixing bowl, combine apple sauce and sugar. Add egg beaters; mix well. Add bananas, carrots, and raisins. Mix well and allow to sit while preparing step 2.
  2. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and pumpkin pie spice.
  3. Gradually mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients.
  4. Portion equally into a 12 serving muffin tin. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Makes 12 servings - calories per serving - 110

Chicken Flautas


Easter Sunday just screams Mexican food doesn't it :). We were telling Elliott about our recent vacation to Cancun and it came up that I have flautas for the first time while were were there. About 6 months ago Elliott said that she would make us flautas but it never happened. So, I decided to try making them myself. I made the filling, the tortillas, everything.

To be honest I didn't roll out the tortillas enough so they were a little thick but they were still yummy. The flautas needed something. I am still not sure what but they were a little bland. I think next time I will use some taco seasoning so spice them up a little. All in all it was a good dinner but not great. Definitely something I will try again with some modifications.

Tortillas Ingredients: Allrecipes
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 3/4 cup water
Directions:
  1. Whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl. Mix in the oil with your fingers until the flour resembles cornmeal. Add the water and mix until the dough comes together; place on a lightly floured surface and knead a few minutes until smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each piece into a ball.
  2. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Use a well-floured rolling pin to roll a dough ball into a thin, round tortilla. Place into the hot skillet, and cook until bubbly and golden; flip and continue cooking until golden on the other side. Place the cooked tortilla in a tortilla warmer; continue rolling and cooking the remaining dough.
Makes 12 small tortillas - calories per tortilla - 80

Ingredients for Flautas - allrecipes
  • 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cooked and shredded
  • 1/4 (8 ounce) jar picante sauce
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 ounces shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 8 (6 inch) corn tortillas
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • cooking spray
Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. In a medium bowl combine the shredded chicken, picante sauce and ground cumin. Mix together.
  3. Spray warm tortillas with cooking spray. Put 1 tablespoon of the chicken mixture in the center of a tortilla and sprinkle some cheese on top. Roll up tortilla and place on a seam side down. Repeat with all of the tortillas until chicken mixture is gone. If there is any cheese left over, sprinkle it over the rolled tortillas.
  4. Lightly brush oil over the rolled tortillas. Spray with cooking spray.
  5. Bake tortillas in the preheated oven for 15 to 25 minutes or until tortillas are a little crispy and golden brown. Check halfway to make sure they tortillas are not drying out too much. If needed add more oil or cooking spray.
Makes enough filling for about 8 flautas - calories in filling total - 37s
Calories per flauta with homemade tortillas - 125

Banana Oatmeal Muffins

Easter Sunday seemed like the perfect day to make a nice huge brunch. My friend Elliott came over and together we made a fruit salad that was amazing, apple cinnamon muffins - the ones from this blog - scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, and these banana oatmeal muffins. I will say that the apple cinnamon muffins are by far my favorite. However, these are nice for something a little different.

Ingredients:
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup Splenda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tbsp egg beaters
  • 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons non fat milk
  • 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons apple sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup mashed bananas
  • Cinnamon
Strudel Topping:
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1/2 tbsp light butter
  • 1 tbsp flour
Directions:
  1. Combine flour, oats, Spenda, baking powder, soda, and salt.
  2. In a large bowl, beat the egg lightly. Stir in the milk, apple sauce, and vanilla. Add the mashed banana, and combine thoroughly. Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture until just combined. Divide evenly into 6 muffin tins.
  3. Mix strudel topping ingredients with a fork. Top the muffins.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 20 minutes.
Makes 6 muffins - calories per muffin - 140

Chicken Marsala


I love chicken marsala and after being in Cancun for a week and gaining ten pounds I wanted something that was nice, light, and served with lots of veggies. I also read about this meal in a Men's Health magazine my husband got for the plane. I knew that because it was in the beloved Men's Health I would be able to convince Miles that it was a good idea for a meal.

Of course I decided to make this meal on a night when Miles had to get home from school late. I was starving by the time he finally made it home - damn traffic. I almost didn't get pictures because I was dying - literally -to eat. It turned out so great that I made it again 2 day later only in part because I wanted to use the Marsala wine.

Ingredients:
  • 0.6 pounds chicken breast - pounded thin
  • salt, pepper, paprika
  • 2-4 tbsp flour
  • Pam cooking spray
  • 8-10 mushrooms - I used baby bellas - sliced
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup Marsala wine
  • 1 garlic clove - minced
Directions:
  1. Pound the chicken until they are about 1/8-1/4 inch thick
  2. Salt, Pepper, and Paprika the chicken to your tastes. Sprinkle the flour onto both sides of the chicken, patting it to cover each breast.
  3. Spray a heated skillet with Pam cooking spray and cook the chicken for about 1.5 minutes on both sides or until mostly cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet.
  4. Add mushrooms and garlic to the skillet with a small amount of the chicken stock. Saute the mushrooms until cooked. Add remaining chicken stock and Marsala wine. Reduce by half and then half again. Add chicken and cook for simmer for another 5 minutes.
  5. Serve and Enjoy
Serves 2 - calories per serving - 280-300

Garlic Knots


I LOVE Annie of Annie's Eats. These garlic knots are awesome and super easy to make. I will definitely be making these again and I think they might be my go to roll. What is there not to love about a good garlic knot? I mean really, they go with every meal.

I followed Annie's recipe exactly (but cut everything in half). I have posted her recipe below as she has it on her website - linked above. I served these with Chicken Marsala. The entire meal was amazing.

Ingredients:

For the dough:

3 cups bread flour

1 tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. instant yeast

1 ¼ tsp. salt

2 tbsp. olive oil

¼ cup milk

1 cup + 2 tbsp. lukewarm water

For the glaze:

2 cloves garlic

2 tbsp. melted butter

½ tsp. Italian seasoning

Directions:

To make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the dry ingredients. Add the olive oil, milk and water. Mix until ingredients have formed a dough. Switch to the dough hook and knead on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, turn once to coat, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.

Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 10 inch long rope and tie into a knot. Take the end lying underneath the knot and bring it over the top, tucking it into the center. Take the end lying over the knot and tuck it underneath and into the center. Transfer shaped rolls to a baking stone, or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise for 45 minutes, until puffy.

To make the glaze, finely mince the garlic or press it through a garlic press. Mix with the melted butter and Italian seasoning.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Brush the glaze onto the shaped rolls. Bake until set and lightly browned, about 15-18 minutes.

Pumpkin Oatmeal Muffins


With the combined desire to make muffins and use oats (oats are heart healthy) I decided to make pumpkin oatmeal muffins. I have no idea where I got the basic recipe from. My poor computer decided to crash before I blogged this entry. However, I remember that I changed the recipe a lot and I am not going to add a recipe to this post. I am going to try these again so when I do I will post the recipe I use then.

Strawberry Smoothie


Oh Love. Smoothies are just magical. They are like a milkshake but they are healthy. They remind me of summer and fun. What more can you ask for out of a drink. I mean really...you have to admit that a really good smoothie is amazing. This smoothie is great. Bananas, strawberries, yogurt, Splenda, water and ice. So easy and yet so delicious.

Ingredients:
  • 1.5 Bananas (frozen)
  • 4 strawberries
  • 6 oz Vanilla Yogurt
  • 1/2 cup ice cold water
  • 8 ice cubes
  • 1 packet Splenda
Directions:
  1. Blend all ingredients in a blender.
  2. Drink
This smoothie makes about 12 -15 oz. Calories per smoothie - 250

Oatmeal Pancakes


I love Monday's off. Just another excuse to make breakfast. I love breakfasts which is new for me. Normally I am not a breakfast person because I have so many other things to do in the morning and I am not a fan of Bisquick anything but growing up Bisquick was the go to breakfast so that is what I think of when I think of making breakfast. However, that is starting to change. As I make more breakfast foods for me I am starting to enjoy it more and more.

These pancakes are an adaptation from all recipes. I really liked the idea of adding oatmeal to my pancakes to make them healthier. With no oil, no sugar, the substitution of egg beaters, adding banana, raisins, and whole wheat flour these are actually pretty healthy. Next time I think I will add a little Splenda because these do taste a little on the healthy side rather than the yummy breakfast side. However, they were VERY filling. I also only blended half the batter and next time I will blend all of it because I want them to be less dense. Maybe more milk? The batter was nice and thick and they were pretty fluffy but I wanted a few more air pockets without adding more baking soda or baking powder. Hum...All in all I will be going back to this recipe again when I want a nice big breakfast. Recipe below reflects the changes I will make next time.Ingredients:
  • 9 tbsp whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup quick oats
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 6 oz vanilla yogurt
  • 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1/4 cup egg beaters
  • 3/4 banana
  • 1/3 cup non-fat milk
  • 1 tbsp Splenda
Mixins:
  • 1/4 cup blueberries
  • 1/2 box raisins (snack size box)
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • pinch all-spice
Directions:
  1. Add all wet ingredients to the blender. Mix in the oats by hand and allow to soak for about 10 minutes.
  2. Add all other ingredients except the mix-ins. Blend until smooth.
  3. Heat griddle to low-med heat.
  4. Split the batch in two portions, into one half mix the blueberries. Into the other half mix in the mix the raisins, cinnamon, and all spice. (Blueberry pancakes should have some spices as well, perhaps some cinnamon)
  5. Pour about 1/4 cup servings onto the griddle and cook until brown on the sides. Flip and cook for another 2 minutes depending on the heat of the griddle. (I would cook these slower then your normal pancake)
Makes about 9 pancakes: Calories per pancake - 100

Foccacia with Bison Steak and Veggies

I have been in a major bread making mood. I love watching the bread rise, kneading the dough, and to be honest I love how much work some breads are to make. I love that I can work on the bread for hours as it helps meet my baking need. A meal that comes together in 5 minutes just doesn't speak to the baker in me anymore. Now I still love a quick meal but when I have the time to enjoy making food I really want to enjoy it.
This foccacia wasn't difficult to make but it sure was good and fun to make. I served it with bison steaks and fire roasted veggies from Trader Joes.

Ingredients:
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons honey
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1 tomato seeded and diced
  • 1 clove garlic smashed
  • Fresh basil
  • 2-1/2 cups white whole wheat flour, or as needed
  • 1-1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
  1. Dissolve honey in the warm water in a large bowl, then sprinkle yeast over the top. Let stand for 5 minutes until the yeast softens and begins to foam. Stir in salt, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, onions, and 2.5 cups of flour until the dough comes together. Knead on a well floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Add half of the tomatoes and enough flour so the dough is tacky but not sticky. 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 until doubled in volume, about 20 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 415 degrees F (215 degrees C).
  3. Place dough onto oiled baking dish, and flatten to cover the whole dish evenly. Use the tips of your fingers to make indentations all over the dough spaced about 1 inch apart. Drizzle the focaccia with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, then sprinkle rosemary, Parmesan cheese, basil, garlic, and remaining tomatoes. Let rise for 10 minutes
  4. Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes until golden brown.
Makes 6 large servings - calories per serving 225




Chicken Gyros

Annie's Eats is a huge inspiration for me. Yesterday I was looking for a lemon recipe for a friend so I typed "Lemon" into Annie's search function and while I was looking for a dessert one of the links that popped up was this recipe for chicken gyros. I knew at that moment I had figured out what I was going to make for dinner the next day.

So the next day rolled around and sure enough I made these gyros. They were fantastic. I even made the homemade pita also from Annie's blog. I was a little disappointed that Annie's pitas have nice browning and mine did not but I know that Annie is a far better cook than I am so I am just going to have to accept this.
I chose not to make the tzatziki sauce as I don't own cheese cloth and there is a great store bought option available to me at the local grocery store. The rest of the text below is all taken from Annie's blog I just adapted it slightly based on the changes I made.

Ingredients:
For the tzatziki sauce:
16 oz. plain yogurt (not nonfat, if possible)
1/2 hothouse cucumber or 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed through a garlic press (or finely minced)
1 tsp. white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil

For the chicken:
4 cloves garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 heaping tbsp. plain yogurt
1 tbsp. dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1 1/4 lbs. chicken pieces (I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts)

To assemble:
Pita bread
Fresh tomatoes, seeded and diced
Red onion, sliced thin

Directions:
To make the tzatziki sauce, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl. Let strain for several hours or overnight, if possible, to remove as much moisture as possible.

Shred the cucumber. Wrap in a towel a squeeze to remove as much water as possible. Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Whisk together until mixed well. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and mix well to coat. Cover and refrigerate for about 1 hour.

Cook the chicken as desired. (I grilled mine on a stove top grill) Once the chicken is completely cooked through, transfer to a plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into strips.

Heat pitas . Top with chicken, tzatziki sauce, diced tomatoes and sliced onions. Serve immediately. (I cut my pita in half and filled the inside with the chicken, veggies, etc.)

Makes 8-10 pitas. I cut the recipe in half and made 6 pitas - calories per pita (without extras) - 120