Blue Cheeseburger

Yield: 4 servings * Overall Price: ~$10 * Calories: 294

Ingredients:

1 pound 93% lean ground beef
1/4 cup minced fresh onion
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled blue cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 (1.8 ounce) white-wheat hamburger buns
4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato
4 green leaf lettuce leaves

Directions:
1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well. Divide beef mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.
2. Heat nonstick grill pan over medium-high heat. Place hamburger patties in pan, and cook 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.
3. Top bottom half of each bun with one patty, tomato, and lettuce, if desired, and remaining half of bun.

Thoughts:
I haven't had a hamburger in a while, but this one was one of the best of had. I love blue cheese, so that was a plus, but even for people who aren't a big fan of it (my mom) it wasn't too overpowering.

total fat 12.4; protein 26.9; carbs 22.2; fiber 5.2

Chicken, Asparagus, and Tomato Rotini

Yield: 4 servings * Overall Price: ~$15 * Calories: 419

Ingredients:

8 ounces uncooked rotini (corkscrew pasta)
Cooking spray
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup (1-inch) slices asparagus
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup (1 ounce) crumbled goat cheese

Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.
2. While pasta cooks, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken and asparagus to pan; saute 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and garlic to pan; saute 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in pasta, basil, vinegar, and oil to chicken mixture in pan. Top with cheese.

Thoughts:
I'm a little obsessed with asparagus and pasta, so picking this recipe was a no brainer. It didn't disappoint either.

Blueberry Crisp

Yield: 8 servings * Overall Price: ~$10 * Calories: 217

Ingredients:

Served here with light vanilla ice cream

Cooking spray
2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound fresh or frozen blueberries
2.25 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
3 tablespoons chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Coat an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons cornstarch evenly in dish.
3. Combine remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, vanilla, and blueberries in a large bowl; toss. Place in prepared baking dish.
4. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 6 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a bowl of a food processor; pulse twice to combine. Add butter; pulse 5 times or until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Spoon topping evenly over blueberries, packing down lightly. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minuets or until golden.

Thoughts:
This was soooooo good! It wasn't hard either. I used frozen blueberries because I was making this later in the week and didn't want them to go bad before I could use them. If you go the frozen route, DON'T defrost them. With them still frozen they're easier to mix with. Add a little bit of time cooking though.

FSU Seminole Indian Cake Pop

My brother left for Tallahassee this semester to continue school at FSU. My parents had a going away party for him and for dessert they wanted something to go with the theme. I made these Seminole cake pops. They were made out of chocolate cake, chocolate frosting, and peanut butter candy coating.

Broccoli and Cheese Soup

Yield: 4 servings * Overall Price: ~$25

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1 yellow onion, peeled and roughly diced
2 large stalks broccoli, cut into small florets
1 quart vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup arugula
1/4-1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar

Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion and saute for just a minute, or until fragrant. Add the broccoli and cook for 4 minutes, or until bright green. Add stock, salt, and pepper, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cover. Cook for 8 minutes, or until the broccoli is just tender.
2. Pour the soup into a blender and puree with the arugula until quite smooth. Be very careful when blending hot liquids. Start slowly and work in batches if necessary. Pour the soup back into the pot, stir in 1/4 cup of the cheese, taste, and add more if you'd like. Serve with extra black pepper and a drizzle of your best olive oil.

Thoughts:
I got this recipe from a cookbook given to me by my friend, Michael. It was written by Gwyneth Paltrow. Most of the items are a different take on recipes. They are also generally more healthy and a lot are vegetarian. I decided to start out in baby steps and try this broccoli and cheese soup recipe. It turned out pretty good, but when I make it again, I'll be sure to add a sandwich or salad to go with it to escape the "really? this is all we get?" looks from my family.

Walnut-Breadcrumb Pasta with a Soft Egg

Yield: 4 servings * Overall Price: ~$12 * Calories: 492

Ingredients:
4 large eggs
1 (2-ounce) piece French bread baguette, torn into small pieces

1/4 cup walnuts
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces uncooked fresh linguine
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

Directions:
1. Bring 3 inches of water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add eggs to pan; boil 5.5 minutes. Drain. Plunge eggs into ice water, and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain and peel.
2. Place bread in a food processor, process until finely ground. Add nuts to bread; pulse until finely ground. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add garlic, and saute for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add breadcrumb mixture, salt, and pepper to pan; saute for 5 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently.
3. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Add pasta to the breadcrumb mixture; toss to combine. Sprinkle with parsley and chives; toss to combine. Divide pasta mixture evenly among 4 shallow bowls, and top each serving with 1 egg and 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese. Serve immediately.

Thoughts:
Andrew asked me to make this meal. It was very interesting. I haven't really had a pasta dish that didn't call for any sort of sauce, so this was a little strange. If you're not a fan of sauce on your pasta or looking for a new way to eat pasta then you should try this.

Spicy Grilled Chicken with Baja Black Beans and Rice

Yield: 6 servings * Overall Price: ~$10 * Calories: 355

Ingredients:

Served here with shredded cheese and sliced avocados

1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 paprika
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups frozen whole kernel corn
1 14.5-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/4 cups long grain rice, uncooked
1 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1 4-ounce can diced green chile peppers
1 cup chopped zucchini (1 small)
1 tablespoon snipped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1. In a small bowl combine chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Sprinkle evenly over all sides of the chicken breast halves; rub in with your fingers. Set aside.
2. In a 4-quart Dutch oven combine broth, corn, undrained tomatoes, uncooked rice, beans, and chile peppers. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 12 minutes. Stir in zucchini. Cook, covered, for 3 to 5 minutes more or until zucchini is crisp-tender. Stir in cilantro.
3. Meanwhile, for a charcoal grill, grill chicken breasts on the lightly greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 12 to 15 minutes or until tender and no longer pink, turning once halfway through grilling. For gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place chicken on the lightly greased grill rack over heat. Cover and grill as above.
4. Transfer chicken to cutting board. Let stand for 5 minutes; slice each breast half. Serve chicken with rice mixture.

Thoughts:
I got this recipe out of Ultimate Mexican magazine which was a special from Better Homes and Gardens. The spices that were rubbed on the chicken were so good! I didn't use a can of green chiles since my family keeps a freezer full of roasted green chile.

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

Yield: 4 servings * Overall Price: ~$10 * Calories:

Ingredients:

Served here with balsamic asparagus and grape tomato salad

2 tsp vegetable oil
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast
2 cups mushrooms
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/4 dried thyme, crumbled

Directions:
1. In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of oil
2. In a medium bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of vinegar, the mustard, and garlic. Add chicken and turn to coat.
3. Transfer chicken and marinade to skillet. Saute chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side. Transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm.
4. Heat remaining teaspoon of oil in skillet. Saute mushrooms for 1 minute. Add broth, thyme, and remaining tablespoon of vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are deep brown, about 2 minutes longer.
5. Serve chicken topped with mushrooms.

Thoughts:
This was pretty easy to make. The marinade on the chicken was really good. It would probably also taste great on pork chops. If you're in a hurry, I'd recommend this recipe because it takes only about 30 minutes tops!