Three-Cheese Macaroni

We made this on Saturday when my boyfriend was over. We wanted to have something he would enjoy and wouldn't completely destroy my mom and I's lower calorie eating. I got the recipe from foodnetwork.com. We served the macaroni with bratwursts and steamed broccoli. I didn't change anything about the recipe and it turned out delicious. My boyfriend didn't even notice there was cauliflower in the dish.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 large egg

1 12-ounce can evaporated whole milk

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/3 cups grated muenster cheese (4 ounces), plus 4 deli-thin slices (1 ounce)

1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese (2 ounces)

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (1 ounce)

1/2 head cauliflower, cut into small florets (4 cups)

4 cups medium pasta shells (9 ounces)

Directions:

1.Whisk the egg, evaporated milk, cayenne, nutmeg, and salt and black pepper to taste in a bowl. Toss the grated cheeses in a separate bowl.
2.Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cauliflower and cook until almost falling apart, about 7 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Add the pasta to the same water and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup cooking water. Preheat the broiler.
3. Combine the egg mixture and the grated cheeses in the empty pot and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheeses melt and the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and add the cauliflower. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth and light (you can also use a regular blender). Stir in some of the reserved pasta water until creamy.
4. Toss the pasta in the sauce; season with salt and black pepper. Transfer to a shallow casserole dish and top with muenster slices. Broil until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Per serving (about 1 1/3 cups): Calories 403; Fat 17 g (Saturated 10 g); Cholesterol 85 mg; Sodium 517 mg; Carbohydrate 41 g; Fiber 2 g; Protein 20 g

Seared Scallops and Herb Butter Sauce

Every time (this is only the second time) I go to make seared scallops, I always think of Hell's Kitchen (the TV show) and how those cooks always manage to mess up the scallops. I see it as a challenge. Of course I don't have a lot of pressure on me to succeed on a high level nor a guy yelling at me if I do fail, but I always feel accomplished when they do come out "perfect".
This recipe, which comes from the Cooking Light magazine June 2012 issue, was really good. Scallops and orzo aren't normal things prepared at my house, so it was a nice change up. I served the scallops and orzo with roasted green beans. I didn't change much of the recipe, just improvised when I discovered we didn't have shallots or fresh chives. Will definitely make again.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
3/4 cup uncooked orzo
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
11/2 pounds large sea scallops
3/8 teaspoon salt, divided
3/8 teaspoon black pepper, divided
cooking spray
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons chilled butter, cubed
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

Directions:
1. Prepare orzo according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain. Return to pan; stir in 1 tablespoon parsley, 1 tablespoon chives, olive oil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Keep warm.
2. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle scallops evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; coat scallops with cooking spray. Add scallops to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan; keep warm.
3. Combine wine, shallots, and vinegar in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 5 minutes or until liquid reduces to 1 tablespoon. Reduce heat to low. Add butter cubes, 1 at a time, whisking after each addition until butter is fully incorporated. Stir in 1 tablespoon parsley, 1 tablespoon chives, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Serve scallops with sauce and orzo.

Calories: 382; Fat 12.9 (sat 5.9, mono 4g, poly 1g); Protein 32.8g; Carb 29g; Fiber 1.3g; Chol 79mg; Iron 0.7mg; Sodium 577mg; Calc 50mg

Chicken BLT Salad

This was really good and an interesting take on classics. We kept to the recipe which we got from Cooking Light magazine Jan/Feb 2013 issue. I'm not usually a big fan of ranch dressing, but this homemade dressing was way better than I expected.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup fat-free buttermilk, divided
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
3/4 cup panko
4 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 medium head iceberg lettuce, cored and cut into 6 wedges
2 cups chopped plum tomato
2 oz crumbled blue cheese (1/2 cup)
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Combine 1/2 cup buttermilk and egg white in a shallow dish. Place panko in a shallow dish. Dip chicken in egg white mixture; dredge in panko. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
3. Heat an ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add oil; swirl to coat. Add chicken. Cook 4 minutes; turn over. Bake at 425 degree for 14 minutes or until done. Let chicken stand 10 minutes; slice crosswise.
4. Combine 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, mayonnaise, dill, chives, and vinegar. Place garlic on a cutting board; sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Chop until a paste forms, scraping with the flat side of knife to mash. Add garlic to dressing.
5. Place 1 lettuce wedge on each of 6 plates. Top each serving with chicken, 1/3 cup tomato, and       2 1/2 tablespoons dressing. Sprinkle with cheese and crumbled bacon.

Calories 368, Fat 23.5(sat 4.2g,mon 11.2g, poly 5.2g), Protein 26.7 g; Carb 12.1; Fiber 2.1g; Chol 76mg; Iron 1mg; Sodium 538mg, Calc 108mg

Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Gravy and Garlicky Mashed Potatoes

These recipes are the easiest (and yummy) recipe I've tried in a while. I got it from WeightWatchers Five Ingredient 15 Minute Recipes Winter 2013 issue. I pretty much stayed to the recipe and didn't change anything. It was served with mixed vegetables.

Easy, healthy, and yummy... what more could you want?

Yield: 4 servings

Beef Tenderloin with Mushroom Gravy
Ingredients:
4 (4-ounce) beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
cooking spray
1/2 cup minced shallots
1 (8-ounce) package presliced baby portobello mushrooms
1 (1.25-ounce) package mushroom-and-herb gravy mix
1 cup water
Directions:
1. Sprinkle steaks with pepper and salt. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add steaks to pan, and cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steaks from pan; keep warm.
2. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add shallots and mushrooms; cook 5 minutes. Empty gravy mix into a small bowl. Gradually add 1 cup water, stirring with a whisk until blended. Add gravy to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook 1 minute. Spoon gravy over steaks.

Per serving: Calories 242; Fat 8.7g (sat 2.8, mono 3.3g, poly 0.4g); Protein 28g; Carb 10.8g; Fiber 1.1g; Chol 81mg; Iron 2.3mg; Sodium 216mg; Calc 48mg

Yield: 4 servings

Garlicky Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients:
1 (24-ounce) package country-style mashed potatoes
1/4 cup light garlic-and-herbs spreadable cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Heat potatoes according to package directions. Stir in cheese and pepper.

Per serving: Calories 174; Fat 6.6g (sat 4g, mono 1.4g, poly 0.2g); Protein 5.1g; Carb 23.9g; Fiber 2.8g; Chol 19mg; Iron 1mg; Sodium 304mg; Calc 66mg

Girls' Night

Last night my Aunt Fawn invited my mom and I over for dinner. She was left on her own for dinner with my uncle and cousins off doing their own thing, so she decided to invite us over for a girls' night since we were without men too. It was a night of great fellowship and fun.

She made us sweet pepper salmon, rice, brussels sprouts, and a salad with sliced strawberries and feta cheese. Everything was so good! I believe she got the recipe for the sweet pepper salmon at Publix. 

For dessert we had chocolate gelato with fresh strawberries on top. It was just what I needed at the end of the day.

Slow-Cooker Pork Tacos

As we watched our Denver Broncos lose in double overtime Saturday to the Baltimore Ravens, we chowed down on these pork tacos. This recipe comes from foodnetwork.com. The recipe packs in a lot of flavor and we added grilled pineapple to give the meal a sweet and spicy twist to each bite. The only real problem we had with this recipe was trying to find the different types of chiles. We also couldn't find 4 pounds of boneless pork shoulder, so we bought it in chunks which you have to have them in anyway when placed in the slow-cooker. We used low-fat tortillas to continue to make this meal as low in fat and calories as possible (with still great taste). I topped the shredded pork off with salsa verde and as I mentioned before, grilled pineapple.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

3 whole ancho chiles

3 whole pasilla chiles

4 cloves garlic, unpeeled

2 to 3 chipotles in adobo sauce

1/2 medium white onion, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Kosher salt

2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican

3 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (untrimmed), cut into chunks

Freshly ground pepper

2 bay leaves

1 cinnamon stick

Corn tortillas, warmed, for serving

Assorted taco toppings, for garnish

Directions:

1. Put the ancho and pasilla chiles and the garlic in a bowl; add 2 to 3 tablespoons water. Microwave on high until soft and pliable, 2 to 3 minutes. Stem and seed the chiles; peel the garlic. Transfer the chiles and garlic to a blender.

2. Add the chipotles, onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, honey, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt and the oregano to the blender; puree until smooth. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over high heat; add the chile sauce and fry, stirring, until thick and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Pour in the broth and reduce until slightly thickened.

3. Season the pork all over with salt and pepper and transfer to a large slow cooker. Add the bay leaves and cinnamon stick, then pour in the sauce. Cover and cook on high until the meat is tender, about 5 hours. (Or cook the meat in a large Dutch oven, covered, for 1 hour 45 minutes at 350 degrees; uncover and cook 30 more minutes.)

4. Discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Shred the pork with 2 forks; season with salt and pepper. Serve the shredded pork in the tortillas, along with toppings.

Per serving (does not include tortillas or garnishes): Calories: 399; Total Fat: 15 grams; Saturated Fat: 4 grams; Protein: 51 grams; Total carbohydrates: 14 grams; Sugar: 5 grams; Fiber: 3 grams; Cholesterol: 147 milligrams; Sodium: 212 milligrams

Grilled Steak with Green Beans, Tomatoes and Chimichurri Sauce

Wow... that word is the closest description I can give for this dish. It was so amazingly delicious. The recipe came from foodnetwork.com. At first I was a little afraid to try it because my dad is the grill man in our family and I wasn't so sure how mom and I would be able to handle it, but we did pretty darn good (if I do say so myself). The chimichurri sauce MADE the dish. Do not skip it if you try it. It has such perfect flavors! We had a leftover flank steak in our freezer so that was used instead of two strip steaks. The one steak came out to 1.5 pounds so it just needed to be on the grill for a little longer.

 

Yield: 4 servings

 

Ingredients:

3/4 pound green beans, trimmed

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for grill grates

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2 strip steaks (about 1-inch thick), about 1 1/2 pounds total, trimmed of excess fat and halved

Chimichurri sauce, recipe follows

 

Directions:

1. Place a double layered piece of heavy-duty foil on a tray or cutting board; fold and gather edge to form a rim. Toss the green beans and tomatoes on foil with 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

2. Preheat a grill to medium. Lightly oil the grill grates and season the steak with salt and pepper. Slide the foil tray onto the grill; cook, tossing occasionally, until the beans char slightly and cook through, about 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, add the steaks to the grill; cook until desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove steaks to cutting board to rest 5 minutes. Slice, and serve steak and the vegetables with the Chimichurri Sauce.

 

Nutritional analysis per serving of steak and tomatoes

Calories 451; Total Fat 29g (Sat Fat 11g, Mono Fat 13.4g, Poly Fat 1.54) ; Protein 37g; Carb 9g; Fiber 4g; Cholesterol 94mg; Sodium 217mg

Chimichurri Sauce:

Ingredients:

1/2 small garlic clove

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

1/4 cup fresh herbs, such as parsley, mint and cilantro

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon water

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Directions:

Combine the garlic, vinegar, herbs, olive oil and water in small food processor; pulse until herbs are coarsely chopped. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Calories 33; Total Fat 3.5g (Sat Fat .5g, Mono Fat 2.7g, Poly Fat 0.3g) ; Protein 0g; Carb 0g; Fiber 0g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 120.5mg

Warm Spinach Salad with Bacon, Chicken and Blue Cheese

When I got home last night I was very glad to see that there wasn't a whole lot of effort needed to make this dish and even more thrilled that it tasted so amazing. All the flavors went to well together. I'll defiantly want to make it again. This recipe came from weightwatchers.com. When I made it, I used the left over chicken from the Roman-Style Chicken dish and even those flavors mixed well with it. We also didn't put in the radicci.

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
3/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
5 oz fresh spinach, baby
2 cups uncooked radiccio, coarsly chopped
6 slices uncooked reduced-fat bacon
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced (about 3.5 cups)
1 large uncooked red onion, thinly sliced
1 pound cooked skinless, boneless chicken breasts, chopped into bite-size pieces
1 large Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper; set aside.

Toss spinach and radicchio in a large serving bowl; set aside.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over low heat; add bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until crispy and browned, about 7 to 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate; let drain.

Set same skillet over high heat; add mushrooms and onion and cook, stirring often, until onions begin to brown, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add vinegar mixture and chicken to skillet; cook, stirring, to heat chicken, about 1 minute. Spoon over spinach mixture and toss to wilt lightly; garnish with bacon, apple and blue cheese. Serve warm. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

Roasted Chicken with Balsamic Vinaigrette

Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre

Last night I went to see Mary Poppins - The Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Musical while it was in Orlando with my boyfriend. It was Matt's first broadway experience. It was just a great show and we had a lot of fun (... I still have the songs stuck in my head).

Before we went though, I made us dinner. My boyfriend is the MOST pickiest eater I have ever met, so I don't really like cooking for him a lot. I took a chance though and made him this dish with homemade macaroni and cheese (seriously, who doesn't like that?), broccoli (only vegetable I know he'll eat), and yeast rolls. For dessert we had brownies.

Like I said in an earlier post, I'm not a fan of bone-in chicken, so I made a few a adjustments. I got the recipe from foodnetwork.com and came courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis. I used two boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in half. I used the same amount of marinade though and the chicken turned out very tender and juicy. Since there were only four thin pieces I roasted them for only 25 minutes. By accident I didn't do the last part of the recipe after the roasting of the chicken. It still turned out awesome, but next time I'll try to remember the whole recipe.

Yield: 6 servings

 

Total Time: 3 hr 15 min

Prep: 15 min

Inactive: 2 hr 0 min

Cook: 1 hr 0 min

 

 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 (4-pound) whole chicken, cut into pieces (giblets, neck and backbone reserved for another use)
• 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions:

1. Whisk the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper in small bowl to blend. Combine the vinaigrette and chicken pieces in a large resealable plastic bag; seal the bag and toss to coat. Refrigerate, turning the chicken pieces occasionally, for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Remove chicken from the bag and arrange the chicken pieces on a large greased baking dish. Roast until the chicken is just cooked through, about 1 hour. If your chicken browns too quickly, cover it with foil for the remaining cooking time. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Place the baking dish on a burner over medium-low heat. Whisk the chicken broth into the pan drippings, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the baking sheet with a wooden spoon and mixing them into the broth and pan drippings. Drizzle the pan drippings over the chicken. Sprinkle the lemon zest and parsley over the chicken, and serve.

Roman-Style Chicken

For the first time which feels like forever, I made a home cooked meal. My dad is off working and my brother is back at FSU, so mom and I are left to our own devices. Tonight I made Roman-Style Chicken. The recipe below came from foodnetwork.com and is a Giada De Laurentiis creation. I made a few adjustments though. Unless I'm eating buffalo wings or my Grandma's fried chicken, I'm not a fan of bone-in chicken. I'm also not a fan of chicken thighs, so I stuck with just 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Instead of prosciutto I used bacon (because that's what I had) and I think that turned out nicely. The meal was full of different flavors and absolutely delicious. I served it with rice and steamed broccoli. It was very filling and light on the calories.

Yield: 6 servings

Per serving: Calories: 266; Total Fat 13 grams; Saturated Fat: 2 grams; Protein: 28 grams; Total carbohydrates: 8 grams; Sugar: 4 grams; Fiber 1.5 grams; Cholesterol: 76 milligrams; Sodium: 1,307 milligrams

Ingredients:

4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs

2 skinless chicken thighs, with bones

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon

1/4 cup olive oil

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 yellow bell pepper, sliced

3 ounces prosciutto, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup white wine

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 tablespoons capers

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Directions:
1.Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and prosciutto and cook until the peppers have browned and the prosciutto is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, wine, and herbs. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, add the stock, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes.
3. If serving immediately, add the capers and the parsley. Stir to combine and serve. If making ahead of time, transfer the chicken and sauce to a storage container, cool, and refrigerate. The next day, reheat the chicken to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the capers and the parsley and serve.



Mustache Cake Pops

A couple days ago I got a phone call from my roommate from college. Her and a friend were throwing a baby shower for a mutual friend from high school. They asked if I could make cake pops for one of the themes of the event and ship them up to Auburn, AL. The theme was mustaches... now I've made countless amounts of cake pops for myself and other people, but none that required piping a mustache on them. It turned out to be pretty easy and I think they turned out great.