Running Mama Cooks

Pumpkin Risotto

2011-10-18T17:16:00.001-07:00

It is October, so naturally my pumpkin obsession has returned! I have already made pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cake, pumpkin soup and pumpkin spice latte!

I have been dying to make something savory using pumpkin, and risotto was high on my list. I looked at a few different recipes and this is what I came up with. It was really delicious! And of course I had to serve it in my cute little pumpkin bowls :)

Pumpkin Risotto

Ingredients:

1 tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1 c arborio rice
4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version), heated on the stovetop or microwave
1 c canned pumpkin
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fat free half and half
Pinch ground nutmeg
salt and pepper

Directions

Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a large saute pan. Add onions, garlic and sage and cook until tender.

Add arborio rice and stir until coated. Season with salt, pepper and pinch of nutmeg
Add the hot chicken broth, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Add more broth only when all of the broth in the pan has been absorbed by the rice. This entire process takes anywhere from 17 to 25 minutes.

After the last ladle of broth, stir in pumpkin, cheese, and half and half.

Serve immediately

ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

Habitat for humanity 5k

2011-10-17T05:16:00.001-07:00

I am over a week late posting this...I am a horrible blogger lately!

Last Sunday, Zach and I ran the habitat for humanity 5k at Duke Island Park in Bridgewater. My PR was at the race two years ago, right before I got pregnant with Finn. I had my hopes up that I could break 30 minutes at this race, considering it is usually nice and cool.

As luck would have it, last Sunday was an 80 degree day and with a 10:00 am start time, I couldn't push my pace enough to pull it off. I finished in 31:07, exactly a minute slower than my PR.

It was a fun race regardless, but I will new redemption soon!

Cajun Crockpot Chicken and Kielbasa

2011-09-26T17:33:00.000-07:00

Wow, Running Mama does cook!!! Actually, I have been cooking on a regular basis but I have been too busy to fool around with a lot of new recipes. But fall is here and it's time to bust out the crockpot! So I gave this new one a try and it was a winner!

It could have used a little more kick, but overall it was hearty with full flavors. I loved the shredded chicken mixed with the turkey kielbasa. Definitely going into the rotation!

And I should mention that there is no link to the original recipe because I got it using the app for allrecipes.com on my new iphone. Such a great app! Download it, I promise you'll love it.

Cajun Crockpot Chicken and Kielbasa
Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 16oz can diced tomatoes
1 green bell pepper
6 green onions, chopped
1 6oz can tomato paste
4-5 dashes hot pepper sauce (or more to taste)
1/2 lbs turkey kielbasa, sliced diagonally
Cajun seasoning to taste
salt and pepper

Directions:

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Place chicken in the bottom and season with salt, pepper and cajun seasoning. Cover with tomatoes, bell pepper, green onions, tomato paste, kielbasa and hot pepper sauce. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Serve over brown rice.

ZACH'S RATING - **** 1/2

Spartan Race!

2011-09-11T09:36:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, Zach and I participated in the Spartan Race at the Blue Mountain Ski Resort. It was awesome, and definitely one of the most challenging things I've ever done! It was 5 miles of running/hiking UP the mountain with 20 obstacles.

We should have known how tough it would be considering it was being held at on a ski slope!!! The race started with a huge climb, right after scaling a few walls. I was actually surprised at how well I could get over them without any help. After getting all the way up the mountain at the half way point, we were rewarded with the one and only water stop, but only after filling a home depot bucket with rocks and lugging it 100 yards down the mountain and back up!!

After the water stop, we had to make our way down which included sliding down steep muddy hills. Some of the obstacles included pulling a rope with a cinder block down a hill, through water and back up the hill, monkey bars, rope climb, and many more. If you couldn't finish an obstacle, your punishment was 30 burpees.

The best part was the huge slip and slide (also down a big hill) into a retention pond. We were so gross and sweaty that the cold muddy water actually felt amazing! Then we had to trudge through it to the other side.

The race finished up with a mud crawl under barbed wire the length of a football field. That is the one thing I was less then thrilled about. The mud was about a foot deep and it stunk! Not only that but after we got through it, we had to scale a big wall only to find 100 more yards of mud to crawl through!!

To go to the finish line we had to jump over fire, rope climb over another wall and slide down the other side. Then run through a few gladiators and we were finished! The whole thing took about 3 hours, and while moments of it were crazy miserable, it was a blast! We plan on getting a team together for next year!

This race was very intense and perfect for anyone looking for a big challenge. I wouldn't consider it a running race at all, since most of the terrain made running impossible. Since it took the winner about an hour to finish, we were pleased with out performance. It was a fun thing to do together. We have some scrapes, cuts, bruises, and Zach has a sprained ankle from the last obstacle, but we can't wait to do it again.

Our before picture

After!
View of the finish line

Veggie Burgers

2011-08-09T17:12:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking for awhile that I would like to make a homemade veggie burger, but really haven't had the time to go searching for a good recipe. I was thrilled to come across this one on my friend Lauren's blog, they looked so good! We really enjoyed these burgers, they were perfect! I served them on sandwich thins from Trader Joes with a little "Seriously Sharp" cheddar cheese. Lauren put hers in the panini press to melt the cheese and it looked too good no to do the same. Yum!

I had the night off from teaching, making it the perfect opportunity to try a new recipe, but these would be great for our typical hectic weeknights since they can be made ahead of time. I love having a new quick dinner to add into my rotation! As it is, I have 4 extra burgers in the freezer!

Summer Cookout Veggie Burgers
Adapted slightly from Leslie Sarna by way of Lauren's Kitchen

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of white kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup rolled oats (non-instant Oatmeal)
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tsp. (or more) chili powder
1 tsp. paprika
salt and pepper to taste
about 3 tbsp. chopped chives
1 egg
olive oil
1 small red bell pepper, finely diced*
1/2 onion, finely diced
4 oz. mushrooms, finely diced
6 sun dried tomatoes, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 large zucchini, grated
1 large handful of baby spinach

In a medium frying pan, heat some olive oil. Add the chopped onion, garlic, bell peppers and a pinch of Salt. Grate in the zucchini. Let cook 2 minutes on a lower heat. Add mushrooms, spinach and sun dried tomatoes; let cook another couple minutes. Let cool when cooked. While the veggies are cooling, in a large bowl combine the Beans, Oats, Bread Crumbs and all the spices and chives. Toss a little and add the egg. Using your hands to mix the mixture until it's slightly sticky and about 3/4 of the beans are smashed. Add in the veggies. Continue to work with your hands.

If the mix feels a little dry, add water by the teaspoon until right. If it's too wet, add bread crumbs : )

Form 8 burger patties. Refrigerate for about an hour. (you can also place these pouches in a Ziploc bag and freeze for up to a couple of weeks) To cook, unwrap the burgers from the plastic and cook in a heated skillet with cooking spray or olive oil in the bottom. Cook about 3-4 minutes on each side

PS these should always be cooked on a skillet or frying pan. Unfortunately, they can fall apart if cooked on the bbq.

*I used my food processor to chop all the veggies really small. Cut down on chopping time :)

Summer Veggie Quinoa Salad

2011-08-07T09:39:00.000-07:00

This has been my go-to lunch lately and I've been meaning to blog about it for a few weeks! Simple and good, I make a big batch and then eat it all week. Its good hot as a side dish for dinner as well.

Summer Veggie Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups quinoa
1 large summer squash
1 large zucchini
1/2 cup fresh mozzarella
parsley, chopped
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Rinse quinoa and prepare according to directions. Cool. In the meantime, dice the squash and zucchini and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in the oven on 450 for 15 minutes. Cool. Toss together quinoa, veggies, fresh mozz and parsley. Drizzle with olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Born to Tri Sprint Triathlon

2011-08-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

Running Mama swims and bikes too!! This morning I competed in the Born to Tri sprint distance triathlon in Asbury Park, NJ. What an awesome experience! I am so glad that I decided to go out of my comfort zone for this race because I had a great time. It was challenging (the swim!) but I finished and I finished strong.

We left the house at 4am this morning to head down the shore for the race. I picked up my packet and headed to the transition area to set up my gear. The logistics of a triathlon was just one aspect that I was anxious about, since I have never seen how it is done.

Getting ready!

My biggest area of concern was, of course, the ocean swim. It was a 1/3 of a mile swim with an "in ocean" start, meaning we had to tread water for about 5 minutes before the gun went off. I did a lot of training in the pool for the swim, but open water is such a different ball game. Fortunately I attended a swim clinic a month ago in the ocean so I would know what to expect. That clinic was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. I panicked at one point and needed help back to shore!

I gave myself a million pep talks leading up to today on not panicking in the water. My strategy was to slow down my stroke and take it nice and easy. I kept repeating to myself "slow is smooth, smooth is fast," which kept me focused. It seemed like it took forever to get to the first buey, but after that I got into a good rhythm. Before I knew it I was going around the last buey and heading towards the shore. I was so relieved when my feet finally hit the sand!

Getting into the ocean for the swim start

Waiting for the gun

Swimming!

Running towards the transition area!

Once I was on dry land, I felt great! Transition 1 went smoothly. I was told that packing my stuff in a bucket to use as a seat would be helpful, and it really was! I was happy to be able to sit and put my socks and shoes on. Then I hopped on my bike and started on the 12 mile bike route. It was a double loop and I felt good the whole time. I even passed a few bikers :)

Biking strong

Getting ready for the run at transition 2

After hopping off my bike and replacing my helmet with my hat, I started off on the run. This was the portion of the race that I was most comfortable with, but the beginning was challenging. My legs were definitely wobbly and my calves were cramping up a bit. I decided to slow down my pace to almost a shuffle, so that I didn't have to start walking but I wasn't pushing myself too hard. Slowly but surely my pace picked up and I felt good.

The run was beautiful. It started off through a few nice neighborhoods and finished on the boardwalk. We even ran through the old casino building and convention hall before heading back down the boards to the finish.

Heading to the finish!

I did it!!

Overall I was thrilled with the race, I do not think it could have gone any better for my first one. My final time was 1:40:15. Here are all my times:

Swim - 15:19

Bike - 46:48

Run- 34:24

This will not be my last triathlon. I am looking forward to improving my skills and getting back out there again soon! I will definitely do this race again next year, it was really fun, very "Jersey" which I love, and extremely well organized.

Apricot and Date Nut Squares

2011-07-28T12:35:00.000-07:00

These yummy squares are so easy to make, and super nutritious. They are the perfect pre or post workout snack. They are inspired by Larabars, which are my new favorite bars. They are really delicious, and only have 2-4 ingredients depending on the flavor. They fit in very nicely with my quest to eat much cleaner.

I have discovered that making my own version works out just as nicely. I like being able to experiment with different flavors and they are super fresh. This is one version, but I have also made them with dried cherries and cocoa almonds.

Hope you try this out and enjoy them as much as we do!

Apricot Date Nut Squares

Ingredients:

1 cup pitted dates
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup walnuts
10 dried apricots
1 tbs chia seeds

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until they come together to form a large ball. Place ball on Saran wrap and press into a large square. Wrap tightly and refrigerate. After an hour or so, cut into squares or bars.

And on a different note, Happy first birthday to my sweet, funny, adorable little momma's boy Finn!

Firecracker 4 miler

2011-07-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!!!

We started our celebration today at the Firecracker 4 miler in Cranford, NJ. Since this was my first 4 mile race it was an automatic PR, a definite plus! And to top it off I was able to run with Kathy. We are such a perfect running match, so I was really looking forward to this one! Zach and Finn also raced :)

It was a great race, despite the hot and humid weather. It was a big crowd and the course was really nice, going in and out and Nomahegan park. I did a lot of my marathon training at this park, and it holds a special place in my heart.

Kathy and I ran very steady pace and finished in 42:49. I was aiming for under 43 minutes, so I was very pleased.

Splits:

Mile 1 - 10:24
Mile 2 - 10:21
Mile 3 - 11:00
Mile 4 - 10:35

With my macho man

YMCA Mini Triathlon

2011-06-28T12:07:00.001-07:00

Lately I have been doing a lot of cross training along with running and have discovered that I really enjoy spinning and lap swimming. Believe it or not I am actually finding that since I started running less and cross training more, that my running is improving a lot!

Naturally, this has made me interested in triathlons. First step - Hillsborough YMCA's mini triathlon last Friday. It was an all indoor event that has given me the opportunity to see how I could perform in all 3 events back to back. Granted indoor swimming, running and biking is a different ball game than outdoors, but it was a great preview. I have since signed up for the Born to Tri Sprint Distance triathlon on August 6th. I am excited and nervous (especially for the open water swim!!)

The mini tri was the perfect training opportunity and a TON of fun! I finished in the middle of the pack, and I am pleased with that. I was particularly happy about how strong I felt during the run. I started off on the conservative side since I didn't know how I would feel but ended up running the last mile at a 9 min pace, SUPER speedy for me!

1/4 mile swim - 10:23
10 mile bike - 17:18
3 mile run - 30:38

Total time: 58:18

Pan Classic 10k Race Report

2011-06-19T06:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning I ran the Pan Classic 10k in Madison, NJ. It was a brutally hot morning and the start time was 11:00. Needless to say this race was not pretty, not at all. Actually, I think it was probably the worse race I have ever run. That being said, I am trying to focus on the fact that I finished and not that I added 5 minutes onto my last 10k time.

The race itself was pretty disorganized and I knew when we were waiting for the start that it wasn't going to be a good one. The late start time and hot temps are not a good combination for me. Plus, between my teaching schedule and the kids I have not had many opportunities to run outside in the heat.

I made a crucial mistake in the beginning and went out way too fast. I felt pretty good at first and ran a 10 minute mile. At the end of mile 1 there was a killer hill. I powered up it. I probably would have been better off taking it easy because I hit the wall soon after that. There was barely any shade and it was at least 85 at this point. At a mile and a half, the runners doing the 5k turned off, and many of the 10k runners decided to turn off as well. I let my ego get in the way and kept going on the 10k route.

At this point I knew there would be walking involved so I started running 4 minutes, walking 1 minute, so on and so forth. That lasted for about a mile until I was walking longer than 1 minute at a time. For the last 2 miles I was just surviving since every time I ran I felt like I was going to throw it. It was frustrating since my legs wanted to go but my stomach wasn't cooperating.

I finished around 1:16. I was disappointed because I thought I might have a shot at a PR since I have been running pretty fast (for me) lately. I am trying to focus on the fact that I didn't give up and finished the race, and not let this experience shake my confidence.

Trudging towards the finish

Finally there!!

Lentils Curry

2011-06-17T16:47:00.000-07:00

If you told me a year ago I would be making curry, I would have probably laughed at you. But here I am, loving this dish! Really flavorful and super healthy, this is a great meal. Plus you can use any veggies you have in the fridge. I blogged about this when I made it with chicken a few months ago. It was good with chicken but I actually like it even better with lentils. The possibilities and combinations are endless!

I hope your family enjoys this as much as mine does! Even the baby loved it, although my picky big girl would not give it a chance.

Lentils Curry

Ingredients:

1/3 cup dried lentils
3 carrots chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1/2 large zucchini, cut into half moons
1/2 large summer squash, cut into half moons
3 cloves garlic minced
1 medium onion small dice
1 large sweet potato med dice
vegetable oil
1 small can diced tomatoes
2 cups veg/ck broth
turmeric
cumin
corriander
garahm masala
grated ginger
(or a premixed curry powder & masala powder)

Directions:

Any of the ingredients and portions can be changed to whatever you want

heat oil
add onion and sweat it before adding garlic, ginger and dry spices to taste
cook til very fragrant (about 30-60 sec)
add tomatoes cook for 60 sec
add broth
add lentils, veggies and potatoes
bring to a boil then simmer and cover til cooked through about 45 mins

serve with rice, quinoa, cous cous, pita bread, etc

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Veggie Turkey Burgers

2011-06-16T18:31:00.000-07:00

It's a miracle, a cooking related post!! I actually have been making variations of these burgers for awhile, but finally got around to blogging about them. Tonight I really love how they came out, so moist and flavorful, plus full of veggies.

These are a staple for us for a few reasons. They are tasty, healthy and convenient. I usually make them in the afternoon and cook two burgers for Cecily and Finn around 5pm. Then when I get home from my classes at night, I pop the rest in for Zach and me. Works out great for nights that I teach so I only have to prepare one meal even though the kids eat first.

Veggie Turkey Burgers
A Running Mama Cooks Original

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey breast
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 med carrots, grated
1 garlic clove, grated
1/2 large zucchini, grated
1/2 large summer squash, grated
1/4 cup grated Italian blend cheese
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Combine all ingredients and form into 6 burgers. Place burgers on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake for 20 minutes. Top with cheese and serve on whole wheat english muffins.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Sugar Free Challenge - Complete!

2011-06-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

Wow, I did even better than I thought I would!! Total weight loss = 4.5 lbs!

But more importantly I feel like it has put me on the right track. I have explored healthy food options that I probably would not have thought about before and feel like I can continue to eat this way for the most part. I feel better and more energetic.

It was a nice change from counting weight watchers points for weight loss. Don't get me wrong, I think weight watchers is awesome (and I lost 25 lbs on it between January and April!) but the more I do it, the more I find ways to "cheat" it by eating low point junk. This cleanse has opened my eyes to how much sugar I was consuming and has allowed me to feel satisfied by fruit and nuts instead of M&Ms and twizzlers.

I will admit that I wasn't perfect...I did start drinking coconut water which has sugar and a little bit of lite raspberry and walnut salad dressing too. But overall, I kept my sugar intake super low and my artificial sweeteners intake to zero.

Going forward I plan on adding agave syrup back into my diet because I love it in oatmeal and tea, and might indulge a bit on dessert on Sundays (If you know my Italian family, you know its really really hard to resist!) but I am leaving refined sugar and processed food behind. As I continue to explore clean eating, I hope to have some good new recipes to share!

Sugar Cleanse Day 4

2011-06-09T13:01:00.000-07:00

Day 4 of the sugar cleanse and still going strong!! The 2nd day was the hardest, but I feel like I am in a good groove now. The most difficult part has been finding quick and easy things on the go that are okay. And I am shocked at how many things have sugar in them!! I have been snacking on cheese, almonds and plain greek yogurt, plus strawberries and raspberries. I caved today and had a coconut water. That counts as natural sugar right? Whole grain toast and almond butter has been a go-to lunch as well as turkey and cheese roll ups.

Dinner has been tricky but I've had shredded chicken from the crockpot with roasted veggies mixed in as well as a chicken and veg stir fry. I think we are going to grill tonight. Hopefully I will have more food related posts for you soon, I am really slacking in the kitchen lately!

I was happy that I was able to stick to the cleanse yesterday during a beach day, but it was hard to resist gelato!! This weekend will be tough, but I will keep reminding myself that it is only 10 days. I usually feel like treating yourself here and there is the best way to stick with good eating in the long run and will continue to subscribe to that philosophy! Thankfully I have yoga teacher training all weekend so it will be much easier to be good.

And here are some beach pics!

Cecily and Livy posing for the camera
My beach babies Me and my guy :)

10 Day Sugar Free Challenge

2011-06-06T11:14:00.000-07:00

10 months post pardom and I have made it to my level one weight loss goal. Great, right? Definitely! But now that summer is here I am ready for level two and I only have 8 lbs to go. I hit a plateau about a month ago and have been stuck at the same weight, despite working out 6-7 days per week.

I am pretty sure I know what the culprit is - SUGAR. I have always had a huge sweet tooth and have not been very good lately at resisting certain things. Like sugary quick chek ice coffee. And nutella. And chocolate twizzlers (they are low fat, how bad could it be to eat the whole package in two days?). The list goes on and on. I have the constant urge to indulge on sweets and I would love to kick that.

I have decided to participate in a 10 day sugar free challenge from Run to the Finish in an attempt to reset my cravings. I don't plan on giving up the sweet stuff for good, but would love to not feel powerless over it. And if I happen to lose the last 8 lbs, bonus!

A Spoonful of Sugar Free is a great resource to check out if you are considering going down this road as well. She has some great recipes, tips and snack ideas. I have decided to keep fruit in my diet but have eliminated sugar substitutes and all refined sugar. Grocery shopping today was interesting, but I was able to stock up on some good food that will hopefully keep me satisfied. I'll be posting about the challenge over the next 10 days, so stay tuned for my progress!

Hillsborough Hop 5k Race Report

2011-06-04T19:40:00.000-07:00

This morning I ran the Hillsborough Hop 5k which is held at the Hillsborough YMCA. I was really excited for this race because I am both a member and employee of the Y. It was great being able to run with my fellow instructors, trainers and the members that I know and love. Such an awesome and inspiring group!!!

The weather this morning was perfect, a little chilly and overcast, just how I like it. I was feeling good and felt I had a good chance at running a pretty "fast" race. My last couple of training runs were very quick for me, so I felt confident. I tried to keep in mind that it is never a good idea to go out too fast and hoped I could pace myself well.

My pace was very consistent the whole way, but I knew towards the end that sub 30 wasn't in the cards for today. That being said, I was sure I would have a "post Finn PR" so I ran comfortably hard and finished strong. I crossed the finish line at 31:05. I shaved 2 minutes off my last 5k time (not counting the last race where the course was short) and 7 minutes off my first "post Finn" 5k. Not bad!!!

I feel like sub 30 is definitely do-able for me this summer and I will continue to work hard to get there. I am finding that running less and cross training more is helping me improve my pace quicker than running alone, so I will continue to spin and swim for cardio in addition to my runs. I am sure tons of hot yoga and boot camp isn't hurting either!

I am also starting to get the itch to try a triathlon. Anyone want to buy me (or lend me) a bike? :)

Splits:

Mile 1 - 9:47
Mile 2 - 9:57
Mile 3 - 10:01
.1 - 8:47

Boot campers!

Waiting for the start

Thai Pineapple Rice

2011-05-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

I told you I would be posting about this rice soon!!! OMG, So good!!! If you like pineapple, make this now!

I adapted it slightly (realized at the last minute that I didn't have any onions!!) and served it with grilled chicken marinated in soy sauce, white wine, olive oil, garlic powder and parsley. My Aunt makes it that way and its so yummy.

Thai Pineapple Rice
Adapted from Taste of Home Cooking

1 cup basmati rice, uncooked
1 tbs olive oil
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
20 oz can crushed pineapple
Soy sauce and cilantro to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and the jalapeno or red pepper flakes and cook until softened. Add the uncooked rice and coat with oil and shallots. Add broth and pineapple. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cover. Allow to simmer for approx 20 minutes until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed. Add a few splashes of soy sauce and a handful of chopped cilantro, stir and then taste. Add more soy or cilantro until it tastes good to you. The rice can be served hot, but it's also great at room temperature.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Chorizo Spaghetti

2011-05-16T17:39:00.000-07:00

I love chorizo and when I saw it at Wegman's this weekend when picking up a few odds and ends, I had to grab it. I haven't done my big shopping for the week and didn't have a lot of food on hand, but I threw this together this morning and hoped for the best. The sauce was a bit thinner than I would have liked (didn't have tomato paste) but the flavor was awesome!

I made this in the morning and put it in the crockpot so that all I had to do was make the pasta when I got home, but it could just as easily simmer on the stovetop.

Chorizo Spaghetti

Ingredients:

4 Chorizo sausage links, sliced
olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 large onion, sliced
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 cup red wine
Dried basil
Italian blend cheese

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add in the garlic and chorizo, cook until chorizo crisps up a bit. Place in the crockpot. Add in all the other ingredients, except the cheese. Cook on low for approx 6 hours.

Serve over pasta with a bit of Italian blend cheese.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Quest for the Cure 5k Race Report

2011-05-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

This morning, Zach and I ran the Quest for the Cure 5k at Echo Lake Park in Cranford. It was perfect weather for a race, a little overcast and not too warm, just like I like it. Cecily was seeing a play with my in laws, so we only had the Finny boy in tow. Zach took one for the team and ran with the stroller so I could see if I could beat my time from the 5k I ran 2 weeks ago.

I was feeling over confident and took off a bit too fast, especially since there were a few decent hills right off the bat. After about a half mile I started feeling a little crappy so I decided to back off a bit and just get throught it. I wasn't expecting a good time at all and stopped paying close attention to my garmin.

When I got to the 3 mile marker, I was surprised that my garmin didn't match up. I didn't push too hard at the end because I thought I had much further to go, but the finish was right ahead! My garmin read 2.88 and my time was 30:38. Not really sure what went wrong, but I can only assume that the course was short. So I am not going to claim that as an official time!

But regardless of the outcome, I am happy that I am still getting closer to breaking 30 minutes. I had a really nice morning racing and helping raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I ran the New Jersey Marathon 2 years ago with Team in Training, and this charity has a special place in my heart.

Splits:

Mile 1 - 10:49
Mile 2 -10:27
.88 - 10:55

Ready to race

Grilled Chicken and Veggie Skewers

2011-05-14T18:50:00.000-07:00

Warm weather = perfect timing for a grilling recipe swap!! I was psyched to get this recipe for a delicious chicken marinade from Sarah and loved that it was skewers. Zach and I love preparing chicken this way on the grill and I haven't done it in a long time.

It was a really good, healthy meal. Keep an eye out for Sarah's thai rice recipe in a week or two because I am dying to try it. I opted not to make it at the last minute this week because we were eating pretty late because of my classes and I didn't want to overload on yummy carbs at that time. But we are HUGE pineapple fans so I will be trying it soon!

Like Sarah, I marinated the chicken in pineapple juice, soy sauce, oil and pepper for about 2 hours and then placed them on the skewers. I also skewered some zucchini, onions (we LOVE grilled onions) and summer squash. They were seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil.

I am looking forward to having this meal become a summer staple!

Run for Rotary 5k Race Report

2011-05-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

This morning I ran the Run for Rotary 5k in Montgomery, NJ. What a beautiful day for a race!! This is the first 5k I ran 3 years ago when I started this journey and it felt awesome to be back.

I haven't raced a 5k since Thanksgiving and even though I know I have been getting faster, I wasn't sure what to expect. My first goal was to beat my Turkey Trot time, second goal was to beat 35 minutes and third goal was to beat 32:58, the time that I ran this race in 3 years ago. 2 out of 3 ain't bad, right? I finished in 33:05, just shy of goal number 3. But I couldn't be happier that I was able to shave 5 minutes off my time!!!

Here are my splits:

Mile 1 - 10:25
Mile 2 - 10:32
Mile 3 - 10:40
.1 - 9:09 pace

Looks like a sub 30 5k might be in the cards for me this summer!!

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes

2011-04-29T10:09:00.001-07:00

Wow, life has been busy!! Which means dinner usually isn't too exciting around here. I did make this new recipe on Monday night and they were very good. I saw it on Lauren's blog, it is originally a Rachael Ray recipe.

Next time I will take Lauren's idea of adding some green pepper for color and flavor, and probably use provelone cheese instead for the sauce.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 softball-sized onion, chopped
1/4 cup steak sauce
1 cup chicken stock
Salt and ground black pepper
4 dinner rolls (or 8 finger rolls), toasted if desired
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk (I used skim)
1 cup desired cheese, shredded

Directions:

In large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 turn of the pan of EVOO, brown the ground turkey, about 5-6 minutes. Add the onion and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the onions start to get tender. Stir in the steak sauce and chicken stock, season with salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and cook about 2 minutes.

While the meat is cooking, melt the butter in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring up to a bubble and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir the cheese in a figure-eight motion until it is all incorporated.

To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls, then top with the cheese sauce and replace the top of the roll.
ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

"Graceland" Eggplant Panini

2011-04-20T18:21:00.000-07:00

I was thrilled to find out that this week's theme for the recipe swap was sandwiches. Quick weeknight meals is what I am in need of the most since I am now teaching every evening during the week except for Tuesdays. Healthy sammies and wraps are the perfect fit for our family right now.

I was assigned Elisha's "Graceland" Eggplant Panini and it was great! I lightened it up by baking the eggplant instead of frying and also skipping the oil on the sandwich itself. I actually cooked the eggplant in the afternoon and all I had to do was assemble and cook the panini after putting the kiddos to bed.

Here is Lishie's original Recipe. I shared our go-to recipe for French Dip Sandwiches, one of our family favs.

Eggplant Panini
Recipe adapted from DeLish

1 Eggplant
1 egg, whisked
1/2 cup Bread crumbs
Italian Sub Rolls or full Italian Bread, sliced into sandwich sizes
1 Jar of Roasted, Sweet Red Peppers or 1 Fresh Red Pepper, Roasted
Fresh Mozzarella, sliced
Fresh Basil
Approximately 2-3 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:

Clean, peel, & slice the eggplant length-wise. Set up a mis en place: Whisked egg in one shallow bowl, Bread Crumbs in another. Heat oven to 400. Dip the eggplant slice first in the egg then coat the slices with bread crumbs & place on a baking sheet. Cook for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

After the eggplant is breaded & cooked, assemble the sandwiches... Bread, eggplant, peppers, mozzarella slices, basil leaves (I leave them whole) & finally the splash of balsamic vinegar.

Close the assembled sandwich & cook it either on a panini maker OR on a grill pan with a weight on the sandwich (another pan or heavy plate) until the mozzarella is melted.

ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

Crockpot Smashed Potato Soup

2011-04-12T09:41:00.000-07:00

I follow my cousin Katy's awesome blog, Tangerine Hearts, and came across this recipe the other day. She blogs about Fashion, recipes, and life in general. My favorite posts are her "What the Fug" segmants that highlight interesting (hideous and ugly) new trends in fashion. Definitely check her out!

This crockpot soup caught my eye because it looked so easy and yummy, plus it was easy to make this typically heavy soup on the lighter side. We really enjoyed it!

Smashed Potato Soup
adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Slow Cooker Family Dinners cookbook by way of Tangerine Hearts

Ingredients:

3 1/2 pounds potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 chopped yellow pepper
1/2 chopped red pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used fat free half and half)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
4 strips low sodium bacon, diced (I used turkey bacon)
additional sliced green onion

Directions:
In crockpot, combine potatoes, peppers, garlic and black pepper. Pour chicken broth all over.

Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours. Meanwhile cook chopped bacon until crispy, set aside.

After 8 to 10 hours mash potatoes slightly with a potato masher. Stir in cream, cheddar cheese and the 1/2 cup green onions.

Top individual servings with additional sliced green onion, bacon and cheddar cheese.

This recipe makes 8 servings; 243 calories per serving (without toppings).

Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce

2011-04-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

This week's recipe swap theme was chicken. I had so many good ones to choose from for this category, and ended up submitted my chicken pizza burgers. They were so yummy and thought it would be different than some other chicken dishes in the swap.

In return, I received Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki sauce from DeLish. This is the perfect example of a recipe taking me out of my comfort zone. I do not do well with white sauces at all. If I saw this in a restaurant, I would avoid it. BUT, knowing that the sauce is made with greek yogurt (which I love) and cucumbers (yum) I was actually excited to give it a try.

It ended up being a very yummy, super healthy dinner that both Zach and I enjoyed. Next time I think I will add some sliced onion.

Thanks Lishie!!

Chicken Souvlaki with Tzatziki Sauce
Recipe from DeLish

Ingredients:

Chicken -
1 lb boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbs fresh dill
1 tsp dried oregano

Tzatziki Sauce -
1/4 cup greek yogurt
1 tbs fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp garlic

Whole Wheat Pitas
Grape tomatoes, halved
chopped cucumber

Directions:

Chicken: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, dill & oregano. Arrange the boneless chicken on a foil lined baking sheet. Brush the olive oil & herb mixture onto the chicken. Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Dice the chicken.

Tzatziki Sauce: Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Serve the sauce topped on the chicken in the pita. Add desired amount of tomatoes and cucumbers

ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

Skinny Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

2011-04-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

Friday mornings are my weigh in days for weight watchers, and I lost another pound this week. I am officially ONE pound away from my pre-pregnancy weight! So what do I do to celebrate? Bake cookies!!

These are not just any cookies, they are from Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes. You would never know that these are low fat cookies, they are absolutely delicious. Think I can eat just 2? Probably not. Hopefully I'll burn it off at Hot Yoga tomorrow morning, my newest fitness obsession!

Low Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies
Recipe from Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes
2 cookies per serving, 5 weight watchers points +

1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups quick oats
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°; line two baking sheets with parchment paper or use a silpat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

In a large bowl, with a mixer, cream together the butter and the sugars on medium speed.

Add the egg, followed by the applesauce and vanilla extract.

Working by hand, stir in the flour mixture and the oats until just combined and no streaks of flour remain; stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls (approx 3 tbsp each) of the dough onto prepared baking sheets, flattening each cookie slightly (I forgot to do this). Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until cookies become light brown at the edges.

Let cool on baking sheet for 3 or 4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container so you don't eat them all in one sitting!

Makes about 30 cookies roughly 3 tbsp each.

Mushroom Spinach Risotto

2011-04-06T06:54:00.000-07:00

After a week of quick weeknight dinners, I was excited to take my time and make this for our Friday night dinner. I absolutely love risotto, and this one was totally worth the half hour of stirring!! I used my go to recipe for risotto and tweaked it a tiny bit. It was really good and the perfect compliment to london broil, which I simply season generously with Laury's and broil for 20 minutes.

Mushroom Spinach Risotto

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
8 oz package sliced cremini mushroom
1 shallot, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
a few dashes of red pepper flakes
1 c arborio rice
1/4 c dry white wine
5 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for a vegetarian version), heated on the stovetop or microwave
1 c fresh baby spinach
3 tbsp Parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a large saute pan. Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Remove from pan and set aside.
Heat remaining olive oil and butter in a large saute pan
Add shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes; stir until tender, about 2 minutes.
Add arborio rice and stir until coated
Add the white wine and stir until absorbed
Add the hot chicken broth, one ladle at a time, stirring constantly. Add more broth only when all of the broth in the pan has been absorbed by the rice. This entire process takes anywhere from 17 to 25 minutes.
Near the end, stir in the mushrooms and spinach
When you add your final ladle of broth, add the cheese.
Serve immediately

Beef with Snow Peas

2011-03-29T07:36:00.000-07:00

When this recipe was recommended to me last week I was dissappointed that I has already done my food shopping! It looked so good and right up our alley. I immediately put it on our menu for this week and it was as good as it looked and sounded. Super simple and quick too! We had leftover fried rice so I served it with that, but it would be awesome over white rice too. The sauce was delish.

Beef with Snow Peas
Recipe from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

1-½ pound Flank Steak, Trimmed Of Fat And Sliced Very Thin Against The Grain
½ cups Low Sodium Soy Sauce
3 Tablespoons Sherry Or Cooking Sherry
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
1 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Ginger
8 ounces, weight Fresh Snow Peas, Ends Trimmed
5 whole Scallions, Cut Into Haf-inch Pieces On The Diagonal
Salt As Needed (use Sparingly)
3 Tablespoons Peanut Or Olive Oil
Crushed Red Pepper, For Sprinkling
Jasmine Or Long Grain Rice, Cooked According To Package directions

Directions:

In a bowl, mix together soy sauce, sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, and ginger. Add sliced meat to bowl and toss with hands. Set aside.

Heat oil in a heavy skillet (iron is best) or wok over high heat. Add snow peas and stir for 45 seconds. Remove to a separate plate. Set aside.

Allow pan to get very hot again. With tongs, add half the meat mixture, leaving most of the marinade still in the bowl. Add half the scallions. Spread out meat as you add it to pan, but do not stir for a good minute. (You want the meat to get as brown as possible in as short amount a time as possible.) Turn meat to the other side and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove to a clean plate.

Repeat with other half of meat, allowing pan to get very hot again first. After turning it, add the first plateful of meat, the rest of the marinade, and the snow peas. Stir over high heat for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Check seasonings and add salt only if it needs it. Mixture will thicken as it sits.

Serve immediately over rice. Sprinkle crushed red pepper over the top to give it some spice.
ZACH'S RATING - ****

Challenge: Take Out At Home

2011-03-28T15:40:00.001-07:00

My friend and fellow blogger, Christina from Tales From the Mad Men Kitchen posted a challenge on her blog. This challenge was to create dishes that we would traditionally order from a Chinese take out restaurant.

When I looked at the challenge from Food.com, I was torn between two of my favorites - Sesame cold noodles and chicken fried rice. So, I made both! I used different versions of both dishes, Tyler Florance's sesame noodles and my own version of chicken friend rice. Enjoy!

Cold Sesame Noodles

Adapted from Tyler Florance

Ingredients:

1/2 pound Thin spaghetti
3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons oil
2 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon red chili paste, such as sambal oelek
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons hot water
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

Cook the noodles in large pot of boiling unsalted water over medium heat until barely tender and still firm. Drain immediately and rinse with cold water until cool. Drain the noodles really well and transfer to a wide bowl; toss with the sesame oil so they don't stick together. In a small saucepan, heat the peanut oil over medium-low flame. Add the green onions, ginger, garlic, and chili paste. Cook and stir for a minute until soft and fragrant. Mix in the brown sugar, peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, and hot water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and the peanut butter has smoothed out. Toss the noodles with the peanut sauce until well coated. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Garnish with the sesame seeds.

Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1 tbs oil
1/2 lb chicken tenders, cut into small slices
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot
3 cups cooked brown rice
3 eggs
6 oz can chopped water chestnuts
Soy sauce to taste
2 green onions, chopped

Directions:

In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until almost tender, 3-4 minutes. Add chicken and grate in carrot. Saute until chicken is almost cooked through, about 5 mins. Add rice and stir until incorporated. Crack eggs into a seperate bowl and whisk. Stir into rice mixture and scramble. Drain water chestnuts and add to rice. Add soy sauce to taste. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Thai Coconut Curry Chicken

2011-03-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

I was really excited for the recipe swap this week. The theme is Asian and I love cooking Asian food. I was happy to get a Thai dish since I do not have that much experience with Thai food. Also, it is from Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes and she is great! The original recipe calls for shrimp, but since I am allergic I used chicken instead.

At first I was little concerned while it was cooking because the smell of the fish sauce was so overwhelming. Fortunately, Gina mentions this in her post so I kept plugging away and hoping for the best. It turned out good. I wouldn't say it is my favorite dish, but it was yummy. Thank you Lisa, for sharing this with me!

Thai Coconut Curry Chicken
Adapted from Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes, by way of Lisa's Cooking Adventures

Ingredients:

1 tsp oil
4 scallions, whites and greens separated, chopped
1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb chicken tenders, cut into chunks
6 oz light coconut milk
2 tsp fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
salt to taste

Directions:

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add scallion whites and red curry paste and sauté one minute. Add chicken and garlic, season with salt and cook about 3-4 minutes. Add coconut milk, fish sauce and mix well. Simmer about 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat, mix in scallion greens and cilantro. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Overnight Oatmeal

2011-03-22T04:39:00.000-07:00

I use my crockpot all the time for dinner, but never really thought about using it to make breakfast. But why not? 8 hours overnight and voila! breakfast is ready! Sounds good, right?! I came across a blog called Weelicious and she had a "how to" video for making crockpot oatmeal. I love steel cut oats, but don't make it as often as I should because it is time consuming to do on the stove.

This was the perfect solution. I started my crockpot at 11pm right before going to bed and it was perfect by 7am. I happened to be up at 5 after feeding the baby, so I gave it a good stir and added a cut up banana for the last 2 hours.

Overnight Oatmeal
Recipe slightly adapted from Weelicious

Ingredients:

1 cup steel cut oats
2 cups water
2 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 banana, cut into chunks (optional)

Directions:

Add water and milk to crockpot. Stir in oats, cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg. Cook on low for 8 hours. Add banana or any other fruits or nuts towards the end of the cooking time. Serve with a little brown sugar or splenda.
***UPDATE I have been enjoying this for several days after making it. I usually reheat the oats with a splash of fat free half and half, then sweetening it with blue agave. Great breakfast!

Zucchini Chips

2011-03-21T17:09:00.000-07:00

Is it hard for you to get your kid to eat veggies? I usually resort to bribes to get Cecily to eat them, but it wasn't necessary with these! She gobbled them up.

They were Allison's idea and they were so good!!! I served them with these turkey burgers .

Zucchini Chips

Ingredients:

1 Zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch thin
1 egg
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450

Mix the Parmesan and panko together. Dip zucchini slices in egg and coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Please on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Run from Winter 10k Race Report

2011-03-21T13:19:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning I ran the Run from Winter 10k at Duke Island Park. It was a beautiful morning, cool and crisp 50 degrees. Perfect running weather!

That morning I was feeling very tired since it was Cecily's 5th birthday on Saturday. We spent the day in NYC at the American Girl store and had an amazing time! We were all beat from such a fun filled day and I was regretting signing up for a race the next morning.

I am so glad that I didn't bail on the race because I had such a great run! I felt good the entire time and ran faster than I had expected. My pace lately has been very slow (and I am normally pretty slow) so running with 11:30 splits the whole race was really good for me. Up until yesterday, I also hadn't run more than 5 miles since having Finn.

The course was nice and flat on paved trails. It was very scenic as well. I finished in 1:11:50, not too far off from my 10k PR. I was thrilled!

Here are my splits:

Mile 1 - 11:27
Mile 2 - 11:45
Mile 3 - 11:38
Mile 4 - 11:28
Mile 5 - 11:49
Mile 6 - 11:14
.2 - 9:53

This race has made me excited for all the spring 5ks coming up! I know I can crush my last time!

Cecily and Kit
Finny Boy

Zach and C

French Onion Mac 'n Cheese

2011-03-14T15:08:00.000-07:00

Week 4 of the recipe swap...holy yummy mac 'n cheese recipe!!! I was going to try to eat only a little bit of this (I halved the recipe) but that went out the window after the first bite. Whats not to love, it combines two of my favorite things - french onion soup and mac 'n cheese!

I know people have mixed feelings about Rachael Ray, but I happen to love her and most of recipes. I will definitely make this again.

French Onion Mac 'n Cheese
Recipe from Rachael Ray

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
2 large onions, very thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
1 pound penne rigate or whole wheat penne rigate pasta
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup whole milk
Freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 pound gruyère cheese, shredded (I used swiss)

Directions:
1.In a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions, thyme and bay leaf for 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and cook until the onions are browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate and discard the bay leaf. Reserve the skillet.

2.Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and return to the pot.

3.In the reserved skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour for 1 minute, then whisk in the chicken stock and milk and bring to a boil; season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Lower the heat and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cheese until melted.

4.Combine the onions and sauce with the pasta and toss well.

ZACH'S RATING - *****

Chicken Pizza Burgers

2011-03-11T18:24:00.000-08:00

Whipped these babies up for dinner tonight, and they were a hit all around. Even Finny loved little bits of the burger!!

The burgers were super moist and were great dipped into some extra sauce on the side. Great way to use leftover homemade marinara!

Chicken Pizza Burgers

Ingredients:

1 Lb ground chicken
1 egg
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup parm
3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
3 cloves garlic, grated or minced
fresh black pepper
1/2 cup marinara sauce
4 sliced reduced fat provolone cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Mix all ingredients together except provolone cheese and sauce. Form into 4 burgers. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes. Switch oven to broil. Spoon marinara sauce over burgers and cover with a slice of cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly. Serve on toasted hamburger rolls.

ZACH'S RATING - **** 1/2

Perfect Pot Roast

2011-03-10T17:55:00.001-08:00

Pot roast and the crockpot seem to go hand in hand, yet when I've made it in the past there always seems to be something that isn't quite perfect. Its usually very heavy and way too rich, even for my taste (and I like rich food on occasion!)

This was the exception. It was the perfect pot roast. Tender and flavorful, and the sauce was a delicious au jus, without being a super thick gravy. This will definitely be my go-to way to prepare it from now on.

The only problem with this dish is that I made it on Ash Wednesday. Woops!!

Perfect Pot Roast

Ingredients:

2.5 lb chuck roast
2 tbs olive oil
12 oz bottle of beer
12 oz bottle of Chili sauce
1 package Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 cup baby carrots
1 cup baby potatoes
salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat olive oil on medium high heat. Season roast with salt and pepper and sear on all sides. Place in crockpot. Add all other ingredients and cook on low for 10-12 hours.

ZACH'S RATING - **** 1/2

Prosciutto and Spinach Quiche with Potato Crust

2011-03-08T15:21:00.001-08:00

I'll admit it, I am a little slice happy since purchasing a mandolin slicer this weekend. I wanted to make a quiche for dinner tonight and thought a potato crust would be a great excuse to slice away! I looked around online for some recipes, and settled on this one from For the Love of Cooking. I heavily adapted the filling but used this method for the crust.

It was good, but not great. I wanted the potatoes to be much crispier and think that if it was done more like a fritatta in a pan and then baked, it would be better. I wont give up on this one, I think it can be great!

Prosciutto and Spinach Quiche with a Potato Crust
Adapted from For the Love of Cooking

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 oz prosciutto cubed
1/2 onion, sliced
1 tbs olive oil
8 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Direction:

Preheat oven to 375. Arranged potato slices on greased pie plate and cook for 10 minutes. Set aside

Heat pan to medium heat. Add olive oil and saute prosciutto until crisp. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels. Add onion and cook until caramelized, about 5-8 minutes.

Combine milk, eggs, prosciutto, onion, mozzarella, Parmesan, spinach and salt and pepper. Pour into potato crust and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until set. Allow to cook for a few minutes before slicing.

The potato crust

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes

2011-03-05T15:52:00.000-08:00

Week 3 of the recipe swap and I got super lucky again! I am sitting here in a major food coma after eating way too many of these delicious and rich potatoes. Saturday nights are usually my splurge night, so this meal was perfect (there will be no weight watchers points for this one!) I served the potatoes with grilled flank steak and steamed asparagus. The only change I made to the original recipe was adding a handful of shredded cheddar to the top of the casserole dish before baking. Added a nice crispy, cheesy crust.

These would be perfect for a special occasion dinner, over the holidays, or just a nice dinner party with friends. And it gave me the perfect excuse to buy a mandolin slicer which I have been wanting for awhile!

The theme this week was side dishes. I shared the recipe for caramelized green beans.

Creamy Au Gratin Potatoes
Recipe very slightly adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

4 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 onion, sliced into rings
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk (I used 2%)
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, plus more

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 1 quart casserole dish.

2.Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the onion slices, and add the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3.In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds. Pour cheese over the potatoes, and sprinkle with a handful of cheddar.

4.Bake covered for 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven.

ZACH'S RATING - **** 1/2

Turkey Sausage Cassoulet

2011-02-26T12:14:00.001-08:00

I'll admit I have never heard of a cassoulet before coming across this recipe, but maybe that is because I never really ate beans until recently! This recipe comes from the most recent edition of Fitness magazine. It was tasty and we enjoyed it, but it was missing something. Zach suggested adding a can of diced tomatoes next time, and I think he is right. It could use the extra liquid (some of the squash wasn't as tender as the rest) and tomato flavor would be a good compliment to this dish. I hope to revisit it soon.

Turkey Sausage Cassoulet
Slightly adapted from Fitness Magazine
Serves 4, 11 WW points plus per serving

Ingredients:

2 1/2 tbs olive oil, divided
2 shallots, minced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
pinch salt plus more to taste
4 uncooked turkey sausage links
3 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbs fresh sage, chopped
1 16oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tbs grated Parmesan
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375. Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat. Add 2 tbs of olive oil and the shallots, onion and pinch of salt to the pot. Saute 5 to 10 minutes and then turn off heat.

2. Remove casings from sausage and brown in a separate pan. Remove from pan and add to onion mixture.

3. Add the squash, broth, thyme, sage and beans to dutch oven; stir.

4. In a medium bowl, mix the panko with parmesan and remaining olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle over the sausage mixture. Cover and back from 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15 minutes or until topping is golden brown.

ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

Killer Meatloaf

2011-02-26T11:41:00.000-08:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love meatloaf! I am slowly but surely turning Zach into a fan too because its one of my favorite comfort foods. I usually try to cook with ground turkey whenever possible, but meatloaf is the exception. To me, it has to be beef. And when you use 95% lean beef, its really not that much more fattening.

I have always been intrigued by bacon wrapped meatloaf so I decided to give it a try. I used turkey bacon because the real deal would have been way too indulgent. The result? Meatloaf heaven!!

Killer Meatloaf
A Running Mama Cooks Original

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef
1 tbs olive oil
1 egg
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 onion, chopped
1 carrot, grated
1/4 cup ketchup, plus more
2 tbs dijon mustard
1/2 cup provolone cheese, cubed
3 slices turkey bacon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400

Heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft and slightly caramelized. Remove from heat. Mix all ingredients together except the bacon and form into a loaf. Arranged bacon on top and brush loaf with ketchup. Bake for 45 minutes.

ZACH'S RATING - **** 1/2

Maple Turkey Burgers

2011-02-22T09:56:00.000-08:00

Week 2 of the recipe swap! The theme this week was lunch, but we ended up having these for dinner. I shared the recipe for tortellini spinach salad. I wish I had a better picture of these turkey burgers because they were delicious! I made some small changes to the original recipe (added panko bread crumbs, cooked them in the oven instead of the grill, and skipped the maple dijon sauce) to accommodate our tastes. Oh, and cheese! I have to have cheese on my burgers so I included some reduced fat cheddar. Super juicy and tasty burgers. They will definitely be going into our rotation.

Maple Turkey Burgers
Adapted from Sandra Lee

Ingredients:

For Maple-Dijon Sauce: (I skipped this, but wanted to include it for those interested)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons real maple syrup

For Burgers:

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast
1/4 cup real bacon bits
1/2 cup chunky applesauce
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 tablespoons real maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
4 slices reduced fat cheddar cheese
Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
Hamburger condiments

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

For Maple-Dijon Sauce: In a small bowl, stir to combine mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, and 2 tablespoons maple syrup; set aside.

For Turkey Burgers: In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients for burgers. Wet hands to prevent sticking and shape into 4 patties. Cook on a baking sheet for 20 minutes. Add a slice of cheese to each burger and cook until melted. Serve on toasted bun with traditional burger condiments and a dollop of maple-Dijon sauce, if desired.
ZACH'S RATING - **** 1/2

**UPDATE - Since then, I have made these several times. I like that they are easy to make whenever it is convenient for me during the afternoon and I can just put the uncooked burgers in the fridge until I am ready to cook them. Works out well when Zach and I are going to eat later than the kids! This is a healthy, easy go-to weeknight dinner.

Baked Spaghetti Squash

2011-02-15T17:53:00.000-08:00

I love spaghetti squash, but have to admit that I never knew what to do with it besides bake it, scrape out the "spaghetti" and top it with sauce. Good, yes, but a bit boring. The other night I was watching Diners, Drive Ins and Dives on the Food Network andthey were making this dish. It looked SO good, and different, that I jotted down some notes and put it on my to do list for this week.

This is my version. It was delicious, healthy and very filling. A five star meal!

Baked Spaghetti Squash
Serves 2, 9 WW points plus per serving

Ingredients:

1 Medium Spaghetti Squash
1 tbs Olive Oil
2 shallots
1 tsp minced garlic
1 medium onion, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
2 large carrots, cut into small chunks
2 celery stalks, cut into small chunks
2 large zucchini, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, divided
1/2 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan
2 tbs fresh chopped tarragon

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cut the spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and boil for 15 minutes. Remove seeds and scrap out "spaghetti."

Heat olive oil on medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add onion, carrots, celery, pepper, and zucchini. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until vegetables begin to get tender, about 5 minutes.

Still in one cup of marinara sauce, parmesan, spaghetti squash and tarragon. Stuff veggie mixture into squash shells, top remaining sauce and mozzarella. Bake on 350 for 20 minutes.

ZACH'S RATING - *****

Pork Chops with Onions in Creamy Mustard Sauce

2011-02-11T16:47:00.000-08:00

Christina from Tales from the Mad Men Kitchen recently organized a recipe swap on a message board that I frequent. I was very excited to be a part of it and hope that this becomes a regular thing for us! This week, we were asked to submit a weeknight meal that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less, or in a crockpot. I submitted my crockpot chicken taco soup and was given this recipe in return.

I was really looking forward to trying it. This recipe makes me step out of my comfort zone a bit using mustard, which is a flavor I am just recently warming up to. The sauce was definitely my favorite part. I cooked it on high and admit it was closer to 3 hours, so my chops were a little dry. Next time I will definitely cook them on low. I also skipped the whipping cream in favor of fat free half and half to make it a bit more weight watchers friendly.

Pork Chops with Onions in Creamy Mustard Sauce
4-6 servings, 6 WW points plus per serving

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
4 to 6 Pork Chops, 1 inch thick
2 Onions, thinly sliced
4 Cloves garlic, minced
1Tsp Dry Mustard
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Cracked Black Peppercorns
Pinch Cayenne Pepper (optional)
2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 cup White Wine or condensed chicken stock (undiluted)
2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup Whipping Cream (I used fat free half and half)

Directions:

1. In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown pork chops on both sides and transfer to slow cooker stoneware.

2. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions to pan and cook, stirring, until softened. Add garlic, dry mustard, salt, pepper and cayenne, if using, and cook for 1 minute. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add vinegar and wine or stock and cook until thickened.

3. Pour mixture over meat and cook on Low for 4-5 hours or on High for 2-2.5 hours, until pork is tender and just a hint of pink remains. Remove pork chops from slow cooker and place on a deep platter. Stir Dijon mustard and whipping cream into juices in slow cooker. Pour over pork and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6

Serve with mashed potatoes or broad egg noodles

ZACH'S RATING - ***

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

2011-02-02T16:11:00.000-08:00

Some of my friends and family know that there was an incident when I was around 10 years old involving pureed black beans and a certain cousin of mine tricking me into thinking it was chocolate pudding. Needless to say that was a major shock and pretty much ruined beans for me. I literally haven't touched black beans since that day, until tonight!

I wasn't sure if I was going to care for this, but just like every meal I've made with beans in the past few weeks, I loved it!!! Tons of flavor and again, I really liked the beans! Another great vegetarian meal to add to my repertoire.

Southwest Stuffed Bell Peppers
Slightly adapted from Our Best Bites
5 WW points plus per pepper

6 medium sweet bell peppers (I used red and yellow)
1 Tbs salt
1/2 C cooked quinoa or rice (I used quinoa)
2 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 - 1 jalapeno, minced (or you could sub a small 3oz can of mild green chilies)
1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 green onions, sliced
1/2-1 tsp chili powder (you can start with 1/2 and add more to taste)
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 black pepper, plus more to taste
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire roasted
3/4 C jack or pepperjack cheese, divided
3-4 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
tortilla chips, just a handful and more for serving if desired.

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare peppers by washing, slicing tops off, and removing insides. Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon salt. Boil whole peppers for about 3-4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Remove from water with tongs and place on paper towels to drain.

Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and jalapeno (or chilies) and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add corn, beans, green onions, chili powder, kosher salt, and pepper. Stir until corn and beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Place peppers in a baking dish. Remove skillet from heat and add quinoa, tomatoes, 1/2 cup cheese, and cilantro. Stir to combine well and give it a taste. Add additional salt, pepper, and chili powder to your liking. Then evenly divide mixture between peppers. Top peppers with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and crushed tortilla chips.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Crockpot Chicken Ropa Vieja

2011-02-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

We really enjoyed ropa vieja when I made it with beef, so I tweaked the recipe a bit and used chicken to lighten it up. Delish!

Chicken Ropa Vieja
Serves 4, 5 WW points plus per serving

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chicken broth
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 small onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup red wine
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon white vinegar

Directions:

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Add chicken breasts and pour broth and tomato sauce on top. Add rest of the ingredients and stir until well blended. Cover, and cook on High for 4 hours, or on Low for up to 10 hours. When ready to serve, shred chicken and serve over rice (additional points).

ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

Pepperoni Pizza

2011-01-30T06:25:00.000-08:00

Last night I had a few girlfriends over for a Girl's Night In. Nothing beats good friends just hanging out with snacks and wine! We had some chips and dips (I made buffalo chicken dip that I posted about here) and I made a homemade pepperoni pizza.

I've posted about homemade pizza before, but I wanted to take the opportunity to share this recipe from Annie's Eats again for the perfect pizza crust because its so easy and so good!

This is the first time that I split the dough into two to make a thinner crust pizza and it was definitely the best yet. I topped the pie with my homemade sauce (I used my immersion blender to make a smoother pizza sauce), low fat mozzarella cheese, turkey pepperoni and shredded Parmesan.

And now for that crust recipe. Trust me, this is the way to go!!

Basic Pizza Dough
Recipe from Annie's Eats

Ingredients:

½ cup warm water (about 110°)
1 envelope (2 ¼ tsp.) instant yeast
1 ¼ cups water, at room temperature
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups (22 oz.) bread flour, plus more for dusting
1 ½ tsp. salt
olive oil or non-stick cooking spray for greasing the bowl

Directions:

Measure the warm water into a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Sprinkle in the yeast and let stand until the yeast dissolves and swells, about 5 minutes. Add the room temperature water and oil and stir to combine.

Place the flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Briefly combine the dry ingredients at low speed. Slowly add the liquid ingredients and continue to mix at low speed until a cohesive mass forms. Stop the mixer and replace the paddle with the dough hook. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form the dough into a ball, put it in a deep oiled bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Press the dough to deflate it.

To bake, place a pizza stone in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 450° for at least 30 minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Form both pieces of dough into smooth, round balls and cover with a damp cloth. Let the dough relax for at least 10 minutes but no more than 30 minutes.

Roll out the dough and drizzle a little olive oil on the crust. Top as desired and bake for 25 minutes.

Escarole and White Bean Stew

2011-01-27T08:06:00.000-08:00

My in laws gave me the "Crockpot Slow Cooker Bible" for Christmas and I have so many pages marked, its about time I get on it! Thursdays are our usual crockpot night because I teach at the gym, so I decided to give this one a try.

One of my goals in the new year is to also try more vegetarian meals. Not that I plan on giving up meat, but because they are generally very healthy and cost effective dinners. Plus, I have many family members that are vegetarian and I would like to be able to make them something other than meatless baked ziti when they visit!

I have to admit that I wasn't that excited about this meal. I am typically not a fan of beans, even though I am trying to be more open minded about them. But, it ended up being pretty good. There was something missing flavor-wise (I could have added more salt), but overall it was a nice hearty soup. And the beans were actually my favorite part!

Escarole and White Bean Stew

Recipe slightly adapted from The Crockpot Slow Cooker Bible

4 servings, 7 WW points plus per serving

Ingredients:

1 tbs Olive Oil

1 large onion, chopped

6 large carrots, cut into 1/2 inch rounds

2 tbs minced garlic

12 oz washed and chopped escarole

2 cans Great Northern White Beans, drained

4 cups vegetable broth

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Grated parmesan

Directions:

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and carrots. Cook until onion softens. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to crockpot and top with vegetable broth.

Add escarole, red pepper flakes and beans. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. Season with salt and serve with Parmesan cheese

And I can't resist sharing my baby boy's 6 month picture! Happy half birthday Finny!

ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

Walnut Crusted Chicken Tenders

2011-01-25T13:34:00.000-08:00

I have always been on the picky side when it comes to food, my friends and family would definitely agree. I have a few food "issues" and always had a long list of things I didn't like. Since I started cooking, I have tried a lot of new foods and realized that there are a lot of things on that list that are actually pretty good! (although mayo is still a no go!!!)

Nuts are number one on that list. I have recently discover that I like pecans, almonds, and walnuts. I like walnuts so much that I've been looking for new ways to use them. Tonight, I thought I would put a new spin on these oven "fried" chicken tenders.

These were good, but next time I think Id switch up the amount of walnuts and panko, making it more panko and less walnuts. It was a great flavor, but a bit overpowering.

Walnut Crusted Chicken Tenders

A Running Mama Cooks Original Recipe

Serves 4, 10 WW points plus per serving

Ingredients:

Cooking spray

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into tenders

1 cup walnuts, finely chopped in food processor

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup egg beaters

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Mix together chopped walnuts and panko breadcrumbs. Place in a shallow bowl or dish. Dip tenders in flour, then dredge in egg beaters and coat with walnut mixture.

Arrange tenders on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until cooked through.

Asian Chicken Burgers

2011-01-24T16:58:00.000-08:00

When I got this month's Food Network Magazine in the mail, I was excited to see "Light Family Dinners, Easy Low-Cal Recipes." This is the one that really caught my eye and it was delicious!

Asian Chicken Burgers

Adapted from Food Network Magazine

4 servings, 9 WW points plus per serving (including the bun)

Ingredients:

Cooking Spray

1 small carrot

1 small red onion, halved

1 pound ground chicken

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

2 tbs hoisin sauce

1 tbs grated fresh ginger

4 tbs low sodium soy sauce

1 tsp hot Asian chili sauce, such as sambal oelek

4 whole wheat hamburger buns

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Mist baking sheet with cooking spray. Grate the carrot and 1/2 onion into large bowl. Add chicken, hoisin sauce, ginger, 3 tbs soy sauce, panko and chili sauce, and mix until well combined. Shape into 4 patties and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Switch oven to broil to brown up the patties at the very end.

Meanwhile, slice the remaining half of red onion. Saute on med low heat in a pan sprayed with cooking spray. Add the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce to onions as they caramelize.

Serve burger topped with onions and a toasted whole wheat bun

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Bruschetta Pesto Tilapia

2011-01-19T17:30:00.000-08:00

Zach suggested that we have a bruschetta tilapia for dinner tonight so I did some searching around for ideas. I came across The Mad Chemist and her version of this dish. I decided to use that as my inspiration. At Wegmans, I found roasted red pepper bruschetta and used that because it sounded so delish! And it saved me the trouble of making bruschetta from scratch.

Bruschetta Pesto Tilapia
Adapted from The Mad Chemist
Serves 2, 11 WW points plus per serving

Ingredients:

4 Tilapia filets
4 tbs pesto
4 tbs roasted red pepper bruschetta (Wegmans brand)
1/2 cup asiago cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Pat tilapia filets dry and place on a baking dish. Top each filet with 1 tbs pesto and 1 tbs roasted red pepper bruschetta. Sprinkle with asiago cheese.

Bake for 5 minutes. Switch oven to broil and cook for 3 minutes more or until cheese is browned.

ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup

2011-01-18T10:56:00.001-08:00

The crockpot definitely saves my life on the nights that I teach at the gym. The last thing I want to do is cook after getting home at 8 and having to put both kids to bed! I didn't have a plan for dinner tonight but after taking a look through my cabinets and fridge, I put together this Chicken Taco Soup. I was hopeful that it would come out tasty, and I was right! It was super flavorful, had a little kick, was ready when I got home and, best of all, is super low in points!

I have to pat myself on the back, this was a great one!

Crockpot Chicken Taco Soup

A Running Mama Cooks Original

4 servings, 5 WW points plus per serving

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken tenders, cut into chunks
Olive oil cooking spray
1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
1 tbs minced garlic
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth
1 packet low sodium taco seasoning
4.5 oz green chili's, drained
1.5 cups frozen corn

Directions:

Heat pan to medium heat, spray generously with cooking spray. Add chicken and brown on all sides. Add onion, pepper and garlic and cook for 5 more minutes.

Spray crockpot with cooking spray. Add chicken and vegetables. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream and/or a little bit of Mexican cheese on top.

ZACH'S RATING - **** 1/2

Low Fat Granola

2011-01-18T08:05:00.000-08:00

Another snow day! Cecily, Finn and I are stuck inside. School is cancelled and the roads are super icy. Looks like my relaxing morning at the mall has to put off until Thursday.

Since baking cookies is out of the question, I decided to make some homemade granola. Granola is one of my favorite snacks, but it is always so high in fat. I adapted a recipe I found on weight watchers website, adding some chocolate chips for my sweet tooth and some protein powder to make this an even healthier snack.

I bagged it up in small zip locks, 1/2 cup per portion, so I can easily grab it on the go.

Low Fat Granola
Adapted from Weightwatchers.com
4 points plus per 1/2 cup serving

Ingredients:

4 cup uncooked quick oats
1 cup steel cut oats
2 scoops protein powder (I used banana flavored)
6 Tbsp honey
1 tsp canola oil
1/4 cup apple juice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix uncooked quick oats, steel cut oats and protein powder together and spread on a non-stick baking sheet with sides; bake for 10 minutes, stirring once.

Meanwhile, mix honey, oil, apple juice, spices and vanilla together in a cup. When oats are done, spoon into a large bowl; set pan aside. Add almonds to oat mixture and stir to combine. Pour honey-spice mixture over oat mixture and mix thoroughly to distribute and coat completely; spread mixture back over pan.

Return pan to oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes more, stirring every few minutes. Remove from oven and spoon back into bowl. (Note: Be careful that granola doesn't burn)

Stir chocolate chips and cranberries into mixture; let cool. Store in an airtight container. Yields about a half cup per serving.

Chicken White Pizza, Weight Watchers style

2011-01-18T06:28:00.000-08:00

The beginning of a diet is always the worst, it seems like there isn't anything satisfying to eat. Then after a week or two you discover different ways to create yummy, filling meals that are diet friendly. My newest favorite discovery is Bagel Thins. They are so versatile. I've been eating them with reduced fat peanut butter for lunch and with egg beaters and a little cheddar as a breakfast sandwich. Then had the brilliant idea to make bagel thin pizzas!

Our first attempt at this came out good, but they were hard to pick up. Then we realized if we toast the bagel first and then broil it with the toppings, it came out perfect. It is delicious with just pizza sauce and a little reduced fat mozzarella, but this one was definitely the best so far!

Chicken White Pizza

A Running Mama Cooks Original

8 WW points plus for both halves

Ingredients:

1 bagel flat

2 tbs part skim ricotta cheese

1/4 cup Perdue short cuts, chopped

1/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese

dried basil

garlic powder

Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Lightly toast the bagel flat. Spread with ricotta cheese. Place chicken and top with mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with basil, garlic powder and a little parm. Place under the broiler with door open until toppings are heating and cheese is slightly browned.

Down 6 lbs in 2 weeks. Weight Watchers rocks!

Chicken Meatball and Vegetable Soup

2011-01-12T14:59:00.000-08:00

The perfect snow day soup! Very hearty and healthy. And only 7 Weight Watchers points per serving.

Chicken Meatball and Vegetable Soup
A Running Mama Cooks Original
Serves 6
7 WW points plus per serving

Ingredients:

1 tbs Olive Oil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
pinch red pepper flakes
4 cups broth
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp minced garlic
1 lb ground chicken
1/2 cup oats
1/4 cup egg beaters
1/4 cup Parmesan, plus more
2 tbs pesto
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp fresh thyme
dried basil
1 cup frozen green beans
6 oz bag baby spinach

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onions, carrots and celery and cook until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add a few pinches of red pepper flakes

Add broth, tomatoes, bay leaf, and dried basil. In the meantime, combine ground chicken, oats, egg beaters, pesto, Parmesan, garlic and thyme and form into 1 inch meatballs

Bring soup to a boil. Add frozen green beans and drop in meatballs. Simmer on low covered for 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Stir in baby spinach and serve with Parmesan cheese.

ZACH'S RATING - **** 1/2

Skinny Banana Walnut Pancakes

2011-01-09T06:13:00.000-08:00

I think Gina from Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes is my new best friend. The last thing I wanted to do is give up Sunday pancakes while on a diet! I quickly found what I was looking for on skinnytaste.com. Banana pancakes are my favorite and these looked perfect. And only 4 points plus for 2 pancakes (with the nuts, 3 points without), not bad!

They were light and fluffy. I put a teeny bit of butter and light syrup and didn't feel like I missed out at all.

Banana Nut Pancakes
Recipe from Gina's Weight Watchers Recipes

1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 large banana, very ripe, mashed
1 cup 1% milk
3 large egg whites
2 tsp oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp chopped walnuts (optional)
butter flavor cooking spray

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine milk, egg white and mashed bananas in a bowl and mix until smooth. Combine wet ingredients with the dry and mix well with a spoon until there are no more dry spots. Don't over-mix.

Heat a large skillet on medium heat. Spray oil to lightly coat and pour 1/4 cup of pancake batter. When the pancake starts to bubble and the edges begin to set, flip the pancakes. Repeat with the remainder of the batter.

Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs

2011-01-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

I'm back on the wagon and staring the year off right with healthy eating. I immediately went to one of my favorite food blogs, Gina's Weight Watchers recipes, to get some ideas. This one caught my eye immediately. I love cooking Asian food at home, so much better than take out!

The only thing I changed about this recipe is that I used thighs instead of drumsticks. And with only 5 weight watchers points plus per serving (4 servings total) you cant go wrong! It was so good that I had it for lunch today with steamed broccoli and dinner with brown rice.

Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs
Very slightly adapted Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

Ingredients:

8 medium boneless skinless chicken thighs
Pam spray oil
1 cup water
1 tbsp Sriracha hot sauce (more or less to taste)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 tsp agave nectar (or sugar)
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp ginger, grated
2 tbsp chives or scallions, chopped
1 tsp sesame seeds

Directions:

In a heavy large saucepan, brown chicken on high for 3-4 minutes with a little spray oil. Add water, balsamic, soy sauce, agave, garlic, ginger, hot sauce and cook on high until liquid comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 20 minutes. Remove cover and bring heat to high, allowing sauce to reduce down, about 8 minutes until it becomes a thick glaze, turning chicken occasionally. (Keep an eye on glaze, you don't want it to burn when it start becoming thick) Transfer chicken to a platter and pour glaze on top. Top with chives and sesame seeds and serve

Dijon Crusted Pork Loin

2010-12-27T16:15:00.000-08:00

Yummy snow day dinner!! I had a pork loin frozen so I defrosted it for dinner tonight. I've only prepared pork loin in the crockpot or on the grill, so I searched around on food network for some ideas. I watched this video, and it was the inspiration for this meal.

It came out good, and I normally do not like mustard. The crust was delicious.

Dijon Crusted Pork Loin

Ingredients:

1 Boneless Pork Loin
2 tbs olive oil, plus more, plus more
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
lemon zest
1 lemon, juiced
1 tbs butter, melted
salt and pepper
3 large butter potatoes, peeled and chopped
5 large carrots, peeled and chopped
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Heat a pan on the stove top to med high. Add olive oil. Season pork liberally with salt and pepper. Sear all sides in the pan until a nice crust forms. Place in roasting pan.

In a small bowl, combine mustard, thyme, lemon zest and juice, garlic and butter. Brush onto meat.

Season potatoes and carrots with salt, pepper, thyme and toss with olive oil. Place around pork. Cook in the oven for 45 minutes or until juices run clear.

ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

Iced Sugar Cookies

2010-12-27T16:02:00.001-08:00

I thought I was done with baking for the season but then we had a snow day! Plus, I got a bunch of new cookie cutters from Santa, so I had to try them out.

Cecily and I made these today, it was a lot of fun!

Rolled Sugar Cookies

Recipe from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).

2.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

3.Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.

Cookie Icing

Recipe from cooks.com

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (sifted after measuring)
1 tablespoon low-fat milk (skim or 1% is fine although I have made this successfully using 2% fat milk)
1 tablespoon corn syrup (more if needed to reach desired consistency)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
food coloring (use colors of choice)

Directions:

1 VERY IMPORTANT; the confectioners sugar must be sifted before using.
2 In a bowl beat the sifted confectioners sugar with milk until smooth.
3 Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until smooth and glossy (if icing is too thick add in a small amount of corn syrup).
4 Divide into as many separate bowls as desired.
5 Add in different food coloring to each bowl beating/whisking until the intensity is achieved.
6 Paint the icing over the cookies using a brush or dip the cookie edges into icing (this will set quite quickly).
7 Place cookies on waxed paper to dry.

And as a side note, Happy 5 months to my boy!

Gingerbread Waffles

2010-12-27T14:39:00.000-08:00

These were a new addition to Christmas morning this year and they were really great! It makes a dense, cake-like waffle with great gingerbread flavor.

We also had Papa's breakfast casserole, fruit, monkey bread, coffee and mimosas.

Gingerbread Waffles
Recipe from Rachael Ray

Instructions:

3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, eyeball it
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter, plus some to butter the iron
Syrup, whipped cream or fresh fruits for topping, to pass at table

Directions:

Preheat waffle iron.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and brown sugar until fluffy, then beat in pumpkin, milk, molasses and melted butter. Stir the wet into dry until just moist. Do not overstir the waffle batter. Brush the iron with a little melted butter and cook 4 waffles, 4 sections each. Serve with toppings of choice.

Breakfast is served!

place settings

Santa came!!

Cecily was excited!

Christmas love

Annual Taylor/Maizel/Luciano Holiday party

2010-12-23T11:47:00.000-08:00

I love having the chance to entertain during the holidays, especially having our great friends the Maizels and Lucianos over. This tradition started 3 years ago when the "big kids" were only 2 1/2. I cannot believe how much our families have grown! Next year there will be another place at our table since Allison is having another little girl in a little over a week!

This was the perfect excuse to take out my good china and crystal and set a beautiful table. I served baked chicken, mashed potatoes, baked acorn squash, and caramelized green beans. Everything came out great, if I do say so myself :)

Here is the acorn squash, the only new recipe I used. Really festive and delicious.
Baked Acorn Squash
Recipe from Paula Deen

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash, cut in 1/2
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Scoop the seeds and stringy pulp out of the squash cavities and discard. In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, syrup and salt and pepper, to taste. Rub the squash cavities and cut sides of the squash with the butter mixture and place them on a baking sheet, cut side up. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour until the squash is tender when pierced with a fork. Serve 1 half per person.

The ladies

The Big kids, so grown up compared to last year!

The little ones, at least they are all in the picture

Peanut Butter Blossoms

2010-12-23T10:51:00.001-08:00

Last bit of baking before Christmas. I can't believe its 2 days away!! I decided to make Peanut Butter Blossoms because, well, they are awesome! And they are Zach's favorite.

I used the recipe from Hershey's. They came out great.

Peanut Butter Blossoms
Recipe from Hershey's

Ingredients:

48 HERSHEY'S KISSES Brand Milk Chocolates
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup REESE'S Creamy Peanut Butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Granulated sugar

Directions:

1 Heat oven to 375°F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

2 Beat shortening and peanut butter in large bowl until well blended. Add 1/3 cup granulated sugar and brown sugar; beat until fluffy. Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, baking soda and salt; gradually beat into peanut butter mixture.

3 Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in granulated sugar; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Spaghetti Squash

2010-12-17T17:54:00.000-08:00

Zach and I made this meal years ago and loved it, I am not sure what took us so long to do it again. So easy, really healthy, and delicious. Spaghetti squash is a great substitute for pasta and has about 35 calories per cup!!! Now I don't feel so bad about eating those Gingerbread cookies!

I can't even call this a recipe, so I'll just tell you what I did. I pierced the squash with a knife all over and baked for an hour on 375. Took it out and let it cool for about 15 minutes. Cut in half and scooped out the seeds and then removed the "spaghetti" with a fork. Seasoned with salt and pepper, some extra virgin olive oil, and topped with homemade sauce (I defrosted some last night) and Parmesan cheese.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Gingerbread Men

2010-12-15T12:52:00.000-08:00

I am definitely not a natural baker and these are a bit on the complicated side (for me anyway!!) but Cecily and I had a blast making them today. They actually turned out great! Time consuming but not too hard and really fun to decorate!

Gingerbread Cookies

Recipe from Food.com

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (optional)

Directions:

1 In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves until well blended.

2 In a large bowl (KitchenAid's great for this) beat butter, brown sugar, and egg on medium speed until well blended.

3 Add molasses, vanilla, and lemon zest and continue to mix until well blended.

4 Gradually stir in dry ingredients until blended and smooth.

5 Divide dough in half and wrap each half in plastic and let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.

6 (Dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, but in this case it should be refrigerated. Return to room temp before using.) Preheat oven to 375°.

7 Grease or line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

8 Place 1 portion of the dough on a lightly floured surface.

9 Sprinkle flour over dough and rolling pin.

10 Roll dough to a scant 1/4-inch thick.

11 Use additional flour to avoid sticking.

12 Cut out cookies with desired cutter-- the ginger bread man is our favorite of course.

13 Space cookies 1 1/2-inches apart.

14 Bake 1 sheet at a time for 7-10 minutes (the lower time will give you softer cookies-- very good!).

15 Remove cookie sheet from oven and allow the cookies to stand until the cookies are firm enough to move to a wire rack.

16 After cookies are cool you may decorate them any way you like.

Snickerdoodles

2010-12-15T08:21:00.000-08:00

Cecily and I have been baking some Christmas cookies this week. Of course that means I have been eating a lot of cookies!! New years and a new diet isn't far away, might as well enjoy the season, right?!

This recipe comes from Cecily's preschool teacher. Last year for Mothers Day they put together an adorable recipe box filled with recipes from the whole class. These are Mrs. Johnson's Snickerdoodles.

Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter soft
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Mix Sugar, butter, and eggs. Stir in flour cream of tartar, salt and baking soda. Chill dough. Roll dough into walnut sized balls. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Roll cookie in the mixture and bake at 375 for 10-12 mins.

Salisbury Steak

2010-12-13T17:00:00.000-08:00

I never thought I would be making Salisbury Steak. Bad school lunch is what I always associated with it , but when I came across this recipe in the Food Network Magazine last night, I was surprised at how good it looked!

I enjoyed this meal, it was easy to prepare and pretty tasty. I would definitely make it again, but I would use beef broth instead of water in the sauce to make it the flavor a bit richer.

Salisbury Steak
Recipe from The Food Network

Ingredients:

1 pound ground beef
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 onion, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
7 saltine crackers, finely crushed (about 1/4 cup)
1 teaspoon minced fresh sage
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces sliced mixed mushrooms
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Buttered egg noodles, for serving (optional)

Directions:

Gently mix the beef, egg, onion, cracker crumbs, sage, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl using your hands. Divide into 4 equal portions and shape into oval patties, about 1/2 inch thick.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the patties, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Add 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet and cook the mushrooms until slightly browned, about 2 minutes. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper to taste, scraping up any browned bits. Sprinkle in the flour and stir, then stir in 2 1/2 cups hot water and simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, swirling to combine.

Return the patties and any juices from the plate to the skillet. Simmer until the sauce thickens and the patties are cooked through, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and season with salt and pepper. Serve with noodles, if desired.

ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

Homemade Chicken Soup

2010-12-12T15:00:00.000-08:00

Rainy, cold day and a sick little girl = perfect day for homemade chicken soup just like Mommy used to make. Delicious and healthy. Sending a container to my poor sister stuck at home with the flu.

Homemade Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

1 pkg split chicken breasts
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
5 celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion chopped
2 bay leaves
4 bouillon cubes
1 6 oz bag baby spinach
1 tsp fresh thyme chopped
1/2 lb Ditalini or other small pasta
dried basil
salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a large soup pot, add carrots, celery and onion. Wash breasts and remove skin. Add to pot. Cover with water and set heat to high. Add bay leaves, bouillon, basil, thyme and salt and pepper. When soup comes to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 1 hour.

In a separate pot, cook pasta al dente. Remove chicken from soup and let sit until cool enough to handle. Remove meat and add back into the soup. Drain pasta and add to soup as well. Right before serving, add in whole bag of spinach and stir until wilted. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

ZACH'S RATING - **** 1/2

Chicken Curry

2010-12-08T17:13:00.001-08:00

Monday afternoon Cecily, Finn and I went to my cousin Ali's for a playdate. Our boys are only 10 days apart, it is so cute to see them together!!

For dinner Ali made Lentils Curry. It was something different than anything I make and I really loved it. I've avoided Indian spices in the past because I wasn't sure if I'd like it. Boy was I wrong!

One of the best things about this dish is how versatile it is. Tonight I made it with chicken. Really really delicious and super healthy. We ate it plain like a stew, but it would have been great over rice as well.

Chicken Curry

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken breast, cubed
3 carrots chopped
yellow bell pepper chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
red onion small dice
1 large potato med dice
veg oil
1 sm can diced tomatoes
2 cups veg/ck broth
tumeric
cumin
corriander
garahm masala
grated ginger
(or a premixed curry powder & masala powder)

Directions:

Any of the ingredients and portions can be changed to whatever you want

heat oil
add onion and sweat it before adding garlic, ginger and dry spices
cook til very fragrant (abt 30-60 sec)
add tomatoes cook for 60 sec
add broth
add chicken at this point and simmer partially before adding veggies and potatoes
bring to a boil then simmer and cover til cooked through about 45 mins

serve with rice, quinoa, cous cous, pita bread, etc

Phoenix and Finn. Two cutest boys I know!

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Upside Down Fettuccine & Sausage Bake

2010-11-30T15:42:00.000-08:00

I've had this recipe saved for awhile, and honestly I am not even sure what the source is. I liked how the pasta was layered on the bottom with the sausage and sauce on top, different than other baked pasta dishes. I wouldn't say it was an amazing dinner, but it was a tasty meal.

Upside Down Fettuccine & Sausage Bake

Ingredients:

8 ounces fettuccine noodles, freshly cooked
1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 - 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

Brown sausage in a medium skillet. Add onion during the last few minutes,. Drain off excess fat. Cook the fettuccine according to directions. Add entire can of tomatoes (including liquid) to the sausage mixture. Add the oregano and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese over tomato mixture.

Mix the eggs, 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, butter, parsley and garlic powder together in a separate bowl. Toss the noodles with the mixture. Spread noodle mixture in a 10-inch quiche or cake pan. Pour the sausage mixture over the top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with additional cheese, if desired. Cut into wedges, serve.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Caramelized Butternut Squash

2010-11-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

First apples, then pumpkin, and now squash. Its my third fall cooking obsession. I made this last week with chicken cutlets. They were so good, I could eat them like candy. I popped one in Cecily's mouth before she had a chance to argue and she ended up eating a whole serving.

Caramelized Butternut Squash
Recipe from food.com, by way of Beantown Baker

Ingredients:

1 lb butternut squash
1.5 tbsp butter, melted
1 Tbsp brown sugar
salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat oven to 400°F.

Peel squash and chop into large pieces.

Combine squash, butter, sugar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss.

Pour squash out onto a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake for about an hour or until browned.

ZACH'S RATING - *****

Butternut Squash and Spinach Bake

2010-11-26T06:23:00.000-08:00

I usually make a dessert for Thanksgiving but this year I decided to contribute a side dish. I came across this recipe on the Beantown Baker and had to try it. I love spinach and I love squash, how could I go wrong?

It was really unique and delicious. I will definitely be making this again. It was a lot of prep work, but easy to put together once all the chopping was down. The only change I would make next time is to add more pecans, possibly double what the recipe calls for.

Butternut Squash and Spinach Bake
Recipe from Beantown Baker

Ingredients:

3 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut in 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 6 cups)
10 oz fresh spinach, washed and stemmed
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions, trimmed, peeled and chopped (about 3 cups)
1 cup whole or low-fat buttermilk
2 large eggs, beaten
2 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1/2 cup bread crumbs, toasted
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup pecans, toasted
2 cups coarsely grated cheddar cheese (about 6 ounces)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-x-13-inch baking dish or 4-quart casserole.

Place 3 quarts water in a large stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the squash to the water, return to a boil, and cook for 5 minutes. The squash will turn a deeper orange. Add spinach to squash and boil one more minute. Drain squash and spinach and set aside.

Melt the butter in the stockpot and add the oil. Add the onions and sauté over medium-low heat until translucent and limp, about 8 minutes, stirring to prevent browning. Add the warm squash and the buttermilk, eggs, thyme, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, 1/8 cup pecans and 1 1/3 cups cheese. Blend with a wooden spoon or spatula until the ingredients are well combined.

Spread the mixture evenly in the baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining 1/8 cup pecans and 2/3 cup cheese. Bake 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

And now some holiday pictures!

The table at my Aunts house, Thanksgiving #1 for 48!!

Me and the kids

Zach and I

Thanksgiving #2 at the Taylors

Family shotCecily and Finn in their matching PJs

Turkey Trot 5k

2010-11-26T06:12:00.001-08:00

What a great start to Thanksgiving morning!! For the 2nd year in a row I ran the Turkey Trot in Morristown and this year I was joined by my sister Jillian for her first 5k!

It was a fun race with over 1,000 runners. It was a brisk morning, perfect for running. I was still slow, but felt much stronger than I did a few weeks ago in hoboken. I'm getting there! Jill and I finished in 38:10, crossing the finish line together.

Cecily wasnt too thrilled that we woke her up at 6:30 for this

Waving at the start

Coming down the home stretch

Crockpot Lasagna

2010-11-16T16:33:00.000-08:00

I'll admit I was skeptical, but this was awesome!!! I doubt I'll make it the regular way ever again!

Crockpot Lasagna
Recipe from Christina Cooks

1 pound bulk Italian turkey sausage
1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
45 oz. homemade spaghetti sauce
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 ounces)
1 container (15 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 no boil lasagna noodles

1. Cook sausage and onion in 10-inch skillet over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomato sauce, basil and salt.
2. Mix 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese and the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. (Refrigerate remaining mozzarella cheese while lasagna cooks.)
3. Spoon one-fourth of the sausage mixture into 6-quart slow cooker; top with 5 noodles, broken into pieces to fit. Spread with half of the cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with 5 noodles, remaining cheese mixture and one-fourth of the sausage mixture. Top with remaining 5 noodles and remaining sausage mixture.
4. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or until noodles are tender.
5. Sprinkle top of lasagna with remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Cover and let stand about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into pieces.

ZACH'S RATING - *****

Caramelized Green Beans

2010-11-15T18:30:00.000-08:00

This awesome side dish from Our Best Bites was a big hit tonight. My friend Ryan who doesn't like green beans cleaned his plate and thought they were awesome. Can't wait to make them again!!

Caramelized Green Beans
Adapted from Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh green beans
4 oz prosciutto, thickly sliced and cubed
1/2 red onion, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
olive oil
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

Directions:

Begin frying the prosciutto in a large skillet. Start boiling a large pot of water. Place beans in a colander and rinse them well. Then snap the ends off and snap them in half.

Prepare the sauce by mixing sugar, soy sauce, and salt in a small bowl

Add onions and garlic to skillet

Add beans to boiling water. Place colander in a clean sink. Boil for one minute; you're not cooking them until they're done, just blanching them to take the edge off. Meanwhile, stir the onions and garlic so they don't scorch. After one minute, drain beans in the colander in the sink.

Once beans have been drained, add them to the onions and garlic. Stir fry 2-3 more minutes.

Give your sauce a quick stir and then pour on top of the beans. Keep stir-frying until the beans get kind of glazy. Stir fry for another 2 minutes. Keep stir frying until the sauce sticks to the beans and the prosciutto. Transfer to a serving dish and allow to stand a few minutes so the beans cool down a bit and the glaze thickens up a little.

A closer look at the beans

Served with grilled flank steak that I marinated in Wegman's Teriyaki marinade. SOOO good.

ZACH'S RATING - *****

Salsa Chicken

2010-11-10T06:31:00.001-08:00

Seems like everyone has their own version of this recipe, here's mine! Easy and delicious!

Salsa Chicken

Ingredients:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 jar mild salsa
1/2 onion thinly sliced
1 packet low sodium taco seasoning
2 cups frozen corn
Cooking spray

Directions:

Coat crockpot in cooking spray. Place chicken breasts on bottom and cover with salsa. Mix in the remaining ingredients and cook for 6-8 hours on low. Shred chicken. Serve with yellow rice or tortillas with your favorite toppings.

Homemade Baby Food

2010-11-08T15:30:00.000-08:00

I have decided that I would like to make Finn's baby food at home instead of buying it since it is healthier and much less expensive! I have been reading up on it and started today with a batch of peas. Even though he isn't old enough yet, we have a deep freezer so I want to start making it now so that I have a jump start on it.

I have my eye on the Beaba Babycook but in the meantime I used my small crockpot and blender. 1 cup of fresh peas and 1/2 cup water for 4 hours on high. Puree in the blender and its done! I am freezing small portions in this tray I got at babies r us back when Cecily was a baby.

I've been using wholesomebabyfood.com as my guide.

And now for some cuteness!

My little prince

My two kiddos

Me and my little man

Aunt Lenora's Banana Bread

2010-11-08T13:50:00.001-08:00

For my bridal shower, I received a beautiful cookbook with recipes submitted by my friends and family. This one is from my Aunt Lenora. Since we had exactly 3 bananas that would have gone bad and a gloomy fall day, Cecily and I made banana bread. I loved that this recipe is really healthy, have to get back on the wagon after stuffing myself full of Halloween candy!!

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup wheat germ
3 med very ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup applesauce
4 egg whites

Directions:

Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix in wheat germ. Add all remaining ingredients and beat until well blended. Place in pam sprayed 8x4 loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Sausage and Broccoli Penne Skillet

2010-11-03T17:50:00.000-07:00

For dinner tonight I had planned on making sausage and spinach penne skillet, but realized that I didn't have a few of the key ingredients. My spinach wasn't good anymore and I didn't have any sundried tomatoes. I still used the same process, but changed it up a bit to suit what I had on hand. Turned out really good!

Sausage & Broccoli Penne Skillet

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound Italian-style turkey sausage, casings removed
3 medium garlic cloves, minced finely
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces (about 3 1/2 cups) penne pasta
2 broccoli crowns, florets removed and steamed (I used microwave)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Heat the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot and add in the sausage. Cook until lightly browned and no longer pink about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in the diced tomatoes, broth, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then add in the pasta. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook at a strong simmer, stirring often, until the pasta is tender and the liquid has thickened, about 15-18 minutes (if you find the liquid is absorbing too quickly and the pasta is still undercooked, add a bit more water in small amounts until the pasta is cooked thoroughly).

Stir in the broccoli. Take off the heat, stir in the cheese and pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Happy Halloween!!

2010-10-31T06:28:00.000-07:00

Almost every year Zach and I host a small Halloween party for our friends. I love this holiday, its so much fun to dress up and decorate the house. This year we dressed up as our kids, Cecily and Finn. I love how our costumes turned out!

Here is a look at my decorations. I've collected quite a few halloween things throughout the years.

For the food I served mainly tried and true recipes, with two new additions. I love cocktail parties with lots of appys, its my favorite way to entertain.

Garlic pecan cheddar cheese ring

Tastefully Simple Beer Bread

Dilled Shrimp

And my new favorite appetizer recipe, kielbasa bites, from Lauren's Kitchen. OMG they were good and so easy to put together

I decided to serve a "signature drink" and made Spiked hot apple cider in my crockpot. It was a hit!

And Fettunta Prosciutto, always a crowd pleaser

I also had Pumpkin soup, which I forgot to take a picture of and some chips and dip. We had a great time!

Mac & Cheese Muffins

2010-10-26T15:54:00.000-07:00

I had no idea what we were having for dinner tonight until about 5:00, when I remembered that I bookmarked Mac & Cheese Muffins on my google reader. I ran to the kitchen...pasta, check! Cheddar, check! Milk, check!! We were in business. I used a combo of recipes (a popular Nestie recipe as my guide), put the mac & cheese into large muffin tins and baked. Money!

Mac & Cheese Muffins

Ingredients:

2 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cups milk
2 tbsp butter
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp nutmeg
8 oz. small macaroni, cooked al dente
Plain bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Spray large muffin cups with cooking spray.

In medium saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Add flour, salt and pepper and whisk until combined. Add milk slowly, stirring constantly over medium-high heat until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.

Stir in 2 1/2 cups cheese until melted. Season with paprika and nutmeg. Add macaroni. Pour into muffin tins and sprinkle with remaining cheese and breadcrumbs.

Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

ZACH'S RATING - *****

Baked Potato Soup

2010-10-20T16:01:00.000-07:00

I think I have a new favorite source for recipes. Our Best Bites is a great blog with some awesome recipes. This is the second soup I've made of theirs and both have been winners.

This soup tasted SO rich, but it is really low in fat! The only change I made to the original recipes is that I used turkey bacon. If you love big bowls of comforting soup, you must try this!

Baked Potato Soup
Recipe by Our Best Bites

2 Tbs butter
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C flour
4 1/2 C low-fat or skim milk
1 14oz can chicken broth
4 medium baking potatoes (about 2 1/2 pounds) baked*
2 C grated cheddar (or sharp cheddar) cheese, divided
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 C light sour cream, divided
1/2 C chopped green onions, divided
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled, divided

*don't have time to bake potatoes in the oven? Just pierce them with a fork a few times and then pop them in the microwave. Cook in 5 minute intervals until a knife easily pierces through them. It usually takes 5-10 minutes. To bake in the oven, pierce each potato with a fork and place directly on oven rack. Bake at 375 for 45-60 minutes.

Melt butter in a stock pot over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 30-60 seconds until fragrant. Add flour to pan. Slowly add milk a little at a time while whisking constantly to eliminate lumps. Whisk until smooth and then add chicken broth. Bring soup just to a simmer and heat until thickened, stirring often, about 5 minutes.

Once soup is thickened, turn heat down to medium-low. Cut potatoes in half length-wise and use a spoon to scoop out potato flesh into the pot. Use a wooden spoon to smash potatoes, breaking up large clumps. Add 1 1/2 C grated cheese and salt and pepper and stir until cheese is melted. Remove pan from heat and stir in 3/4 C sour cream, 1/4 C green onions, and 4 strips of the crumbled bacon. Add additional salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with each serving with the remaining sour cream, onions, cheese, and bacon.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Garlic Herb Roasted Chicken

2010-10-19T16:25:00.001-07:00

I love roasted chicken. Our dinner plans fell through so I grabbed a whole chicken while we were food shopping. I don't have a go to recipe for roasting a whole chicken so I went online to look at a bunch. Below is the result! It came out juicy and delicious. Zach isn't too much of a rosemary fan, but sometimes I have to sneak it in :D Guess that's why my rating suffered!!

Garlic Herb Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

1 4-5 lb Whole chicken
1 whole head of garlic, plus 6 cloves peeled and smashed
1 lemon
1 bunch of fresh rosemary
1 bunch of fresh thyme
1 tbs butter, melted
olive oil
paprika
garlic and herb Mrs Dash
salt and pepper
2 cups baby carrots
6-8 butter potatoes
1/2 cup chicken stock

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and leftover pinfeathers and pat the outside dry. Place the chicken in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with whole head of garlic, half of the lemon and half of each bunch of herbs.

Brush the outside of the chicken with the butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Sprinkle generously with paprika and Mrs Dash. Chop remaining herbs and sprinkle half over the chicken. Drizzle with olive oil.

Cut potatoes into quarters. in a large bowl, combine potatoes and carrots with salt, pepper, smashed garlic cloves, the remaining chopped herbs and olive oil. Place around chicken in the roasting pan and cover with the chicken broth.

Roast the chicken for 1 hour and a half or until the juices run clear.

ZACH'S RATING - *** 1/2

Pumpkin French Toast

2010-10-16T06:44:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin french toast? Why not!! I have leftover pumpkin in the fridge so I thought Id put it to good use this morning. Came out great!

I didn't really measure anything, so this won't be a real "recipe." Just mix one egg, a splash of milk, a scoop of pumpkin, dash of vanilla and a generous amount of pumpkin pie spice together. Dip bread into the mixture coating it and cook in a pan with a little bit of melted butter.

Happy Blogoversary to me!!

2010-10-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe its been a whole year since I started this blog. I honestly wasn't sure how much I would keep up with it, let alone have people who actually read and follow it! I am so grateful to everyone for all of their positive feedback and comments on this little adventure of mine. One of the best things is hearing that someone else tried and loved one of the recipes!

I decided to go back to my first post, French Onion soup, and make it again tonight. I am on a quest to find the perfect recipe for this favorite of ours. While I don't think I can call this "perfect" it was pretty darn close! I loved this Rachael Ray recipe and will definitely use it again. I cut it in half to make one bowl each for Zach and I, but put the original amounts below.

French Onion Soup
Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray

Serves 4

Ingredients:

•6 medium onions
•4 tablespoons butter
•3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
•2 fresh bay leaves
•2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
•Salt and pepper
•1 cup dry sherry
•1 quart beef stock
•2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
•1 baguette, ends trimmed, sliced into rounds about 1-inch thick
•1/4 pound sliced provolone cheese

Preparation:

Heat a heavy soup pot over medium heat while thinly slicing the onions. Add the butter to the pot and melt. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper and gently caramelize, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes. If the onions begin to brown too quickly at the edges before they caramelize, turn the heat down a bit. Deglaze the pan with the wine, then let reduce for 1 minute while stirring. Add the stock and the Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 15 minutes more.

Meanwhile, place an oven rack in middle of the oven and heat the oven to 250˚F.

Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet and arrange the bread slices on it. Toast the bread for 15 minutes. Switch the broiler on.

Ladle the soup into bowls and place bread slices on top. Top with provolone slices and place under the broiler until cheese is brown and bubbly.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Creamy Pumpkin Penne

2010-10-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

I had high hopes for this recipe since I love pumpkin in savory dishes. While it was pretty good, I wasn't as impressed as I hoped to be. I did think that using cottage cheese for a low fat cream sauce was ingenious, so I will be using that technique again.

Creamy Pumpkin Penne
Recipe slightly adapted from Cara's Cravings by way Cook Pray Love

Ingredients:

8 oz whole wheat penne pasta
2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
about 2T chopped fresh sage
1 cooked chicken smoked sausage, sliced
1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese (1% milk fat)
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup nonfat milk
pinch of nutmeg
5oz torn spinach, thick stems removed
grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese, optional

Preparation:

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook gently for about 10-15minutes, until softened and beginning to caramelize. Add garlic, sage, and chicken sausage; continue to saute.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.

In a blender, combine combine pumpkin, cottage cheese, and milk. Blend until no lumps are present. Add to sausage mixture in skillet and continue to cook over low heat. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.

Drain pasta and return to pot over low heat. Add sausage mixture and baby spinach, and toss together. Cover for a few minutes to let the spinach wilt. Serve with parmesan cheese, if desired.

ZACH'S RATING - ***

Pumpkin Spice Granola

2010-10-12T11:58:00.000-07:00

Yes, it is official. I am obsessed with fall flavors. Especially pumpkin, so expect to see a few more pumpkin recipes before the season is over.

I love granola and have been meaning to make my own for quite sometime. So of course I take the plunge when I come across Pumpkin Spice Granola!! This was a great snack, I enjoyed some with a homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

Pumpkin Spice Granola
Recipe from Seconds for Satisfaction

You will need:

3 cups of old-fashioned oats
1 cup almonds, roughly chopped
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup dried fruit
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 t salt
2 t cinnamon
2 t pumpkin spice
1 egg white, whisked

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the everything except for the dried fruit. Mix thoroughly so that all of the dry ingredients are evenly coated with the wet ingredients.

In a small glass, whisk the egg white until it becomes frothy and foamy (about 2 minutes). Mix into the granola mixture.

On a greased baking pan, spread the mixture out in an even layer. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, to get evenly browned.

Remove from heat and let cool completely. As it cools, it will begin to harden and form into one large piece. Once it is cooled, using your hands, break up the granola into clusters of your desired size.

Add in the dried fruit.

Store in an air-tight container or resealable plastic bag.

Caramelized Apple Grilled Cheese

2010-10-12T10:42:00.000-07:00

Ok, I lied. THIS will be my last apple post (maybe!). I came across this recipe and couldn't resist. What a treat this was for lunch today! And such a creative way to use apples!

Caramelized Apple Grilled Cheese

Recipe from Closet Cooking by way of Beantown Baker

serves 1

1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 dash of cinnamon
1 apple (peeled, cored and sliced)
2 thick slices of good cheese (cheddar or gouda work well)
2 slices of good bread
1 Tbsp butter

Melt the butter in a non-stick pan.

Add the sugar and cinnamon and cook until bubbly.

Add the apples and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

Assemble sandwich and grill until golden brown on both sides, about 2-4 minutes per side or place in a preheated panini press

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

2010-10-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin is one of my all time favorite flavors. I was anxious to use the canned pumpkin I bought earlier this week so I looked up a bunch of recipes to find a pumpkin pancake for this morning. This one looked good and it didn't disappoint. I liked that it used mostly whole wheat flour. They were dense but not too heavy and very tasty. I cut the recipe in half because they were just for Cecily and me, and it worked out fine.

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes
Recipe slightly adapted from Pinch My Salt

Ingredients:

1 C. whole wheat flour
1/2 C. all purpose flour
1 t. baking soda
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 C. buttermilk
1 C. canned pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 T. oil
1 t. vanilla
2 T. dark brown sugar

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the first eight ingredients (whole wheat flour through pumpkin pie spice). In a separate bowl, whisk together the last six ingredients (buttermilk through brown sugar).

2. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and blend together with a wooden spoon until just combined. Lumps are ok, just make sure all the flour on the bottom of the bowl is mixed in. If batter seems too thick to pour, you can gently stir in a little more buttermilk.

3. Drop pancakes by ladleful onto a medium-hot griddle. Pancakes are ready to turn when the edges start to look a little dry and you can see small bubbles forming on the surface.

Tortellini Sausage Soup

2010-10-09T16:05:00.000-07:00

I love fall cooking!!! Nothing better than a hearty, healthy soup after a beautiful October day. This recipe was awesome, super flavorful. Trust me, make it!

Tortellini Sausage Soup
Recipe slightly adapted from Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

4 links Italian turkey sausage
4 cloves pressed garlic
1 onion, diced
½ c. water
3 cups chicken broth
½ c. apple cider
1 16-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 c. sliced carrots
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 medium zucchini, grated
8-10 oz. package cheese tortellini
2 Tbsp. dried parsley

Directions:

If you're using link sausage, remove the casings and crumble into a large soup pot. To remove the casings, you can use a sharp knife to cut a slit down one side of the sausage and then peel back the casing.

Begin cooking sausage over medium heat, stirring frequently. If your sausage is pretty fatty, you'll want to drain it when it's about halfway cooked. Meanwhile, chop onions and garlic

and add to the sausage. Continue cooking until onions are translucent and your sausage is cooked. Your house will smell heavenly.

Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, juice, water, chicken broth, carrots, oregano, and basil. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour. Add parsley and zucchini

and simmer for another 15 minutes or so.

Add the tortellini

and cook until tender, and then serve with grated Asiago or Parmesan.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Hoboken 5k "Comeback" Race Report

2010-10-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

Finally, a running related post!!! Today I ran the Hoboken 5k, my first since I was 9 weeks pregnant with Finn. Even though my time was almost 8 minutes slower than when I ran this race last year, it still felt GREAT to be back.

It was a beautiful morning, nice a cool and sunny. The course was nice, starting and finishing along the waterfront. I ran very steady pace, and finished in 38:17. My only goal was to run the whole thing, which I accomplished. Not too shabby for 2 1/2 months post pardom. I am really optimistic that I will be back to my old shape fairly soon.

Cecily helping me on the final stretch
Cecily kicking butt in the kid's run

Me and my guy :)

French Onion Meatloaf Muffins

2010-10-05T15:52:00.001-07:00

Meatloaf is one of my fav comfort foods. Its been so gloomy out that I've been craving it. Loved this French Onion twist!

French Onion Meatloaf Muffins
A Running Mama Cooks Original Recipe

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tbs olive oil
1 egg
2/3 cup French's Friend Onions, crushed, plus more for topping
1 pkg Lipton onion soup mix
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup, divided
1/2 cup provolone cheese, cubed
cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400°. In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, until onion is soft and caramelized, about 5 minutes

In a large bowl mix together beef, onions, egg, French's, onion soup mix, 1/4 cup of ketchup, cheese and thyme.

Spray large muffin tins with cooking spray. Add meatloaf mixture. Brush with remaining ketchup and top with French's fried onions. Bake for 35 minutes.

ZACH'S RATING - **** 1/2

Crockpot Spiced Applesauce

2010-10-05T09:36:00.000-07:00

Last apple post, I promise!! I don't think I can cut anymore up! But trust me and make this applesauce. SO GOOD!

Crockpot Spiced Applesauce
Recipe from Food.com

Ingredients:

8 golden delicious apples, cored, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1 Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker; stir to mix.

2 Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours, or on high setting for 3 to 4 hours.

3 When done, stir with a wooden spoon. Gently crush applesauce against side of slow cooker to desired consistency.

Low Cal Apple Crisp

2010-10-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

With all these apples in the house it is tempting to whip up a fattening pie or cake, so I am trying to find some low fat/cal alternatives. I came across this apple crisp recipe and decided to give it a try. At 3 weight watchers points per serving (can you tell I have some baby weight to lose :D) you can't go wrong! We topped it with a bit of fat free cool whip. Yum!

Low Cal Apple Crisp
Adapted slightly from Lower Calerie Cooking

Ingredients:

•4 cups peeled, cored, sliced golden delicious apples (3-4 medium apples)
•1 Tbsp granulated sugar
•2 tsp lemon juice
•3/4 cup rolled oats
•1/4 cup flour
•2 Tbsp brown sugar
•2 Tbsp melted butter
•1 tsp ground cinnamon
•1/4 tsp salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Place the apples evenly in the bottom of a 11x7 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

3. To complete the crisp, in a medium-sized bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and stir until the mixture resembles of course meal. Top the apples evenly with the oat mixture.

4. Bake the crisp at 350°F for 30 minutes.

Serves 6

Apple Muffins

2010-10-02T16:07:00.000-07:00

It was a beautiful fall day today so my family and I went apple picking. When we got home, Cecily and I baked these apple muffins. I adapted the original recipe to make it lower in fat (4 WW pts per muffin) and it didn't effect the taste one bit. They were yummy!

Since I have a ton of apples, I will be baking more soon!

Apple Muffins
Recipe adapted from Food.com

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar, packed,divided
1/4 cup vegatable oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup apple, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
1/4 cup walnuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon, divided

Directions:

1 Preheat oven to 325-degrees F.

2 Grease muffin tins or use paper liners.

3 In a large bowl, blend 3/4 cup brown sugar, oil, egg and vanilla with a wooden spoon.

4 Add flour, baking soda and salt.

5 Stir in apple, buttermilk, walnuts and 1/2 tsp cinnamon and mix thoroughly until combined well.

6 Spoon batter into prepared muffin tins.

7 In a small bowl combine remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar with remaining cinnamon.

8 Sprinkle over muffins.

9 Bake for 30-40 minutes or until muffins are browned and toothpick comes clean when inserted in middle.

ZACH'S RATING - *****

Crockpot Asian Beef and Noodles

2010-09-23T19:01:00.000-07:00

I was really in the mood to try a different crockpot recipe tonight. When I came across this one on Lauren's blog, I thought Id give it a try. It was super easy and I really liked it! Another good one for my crockpot rotation.

And not too bad as far as weight watchers is concerned, 12 points per serving.

Crockpot Asian Beef and Noodles
Recipe from Lauren's Kitchen

4 servings

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package frozen stir fry vegetables
2 - 2 1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
1 (12 ounce) bottle stir-fry sauce, any flavor
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles, broken (I used a 6oz package of Chinese chow mein noodles)
1/4 cup green onions, chopped

Directions:

Coat a 4 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Place frozen vegetables in the bottom and top with stew meat. In a medium bowl, stir together stir-fry sauce, water, and red pepper. Pour over stew meat and vegetables in cooker.

Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or on high for 4 1/2-5 hours (I recommend low, it will help to break the meat down more).

At the end of cooking time, discard spice packets from ramen noodles. Stir noodles and green onions into meat mixture. Cover and let stand 10 minutes more. Stir before serving. This can be kept on warm for 1-2 hours.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Healthy Butternut Squash Soup

2010-09-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

This soup tasted rich, but it was very low in fat and calories! I even put it through weight watchers "recipe builder" and found out it was only 3 points per serving. And it was super tasty and filling. Another 5 star meal, I'm on a roll!

Butternut Squash Soup
Recipe adapted from Food Network

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 fresh sage leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 medium butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, halved, seeded, and diced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth, or vegetable broth for vegetarian version
1/2 cup fat free plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, sage, 1 teaspoon of the salt and season with pepper, to taste. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, about 15 minutes. Raise heat to medium-high, add the tomatoes, and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the tomatoes break up and the onions brown slightly, about 7 minutes. Add the squash and the remaining teaspoon salt, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the squash is tender, about 12 minutes. Add the broth, bring to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until the vegetables tender, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender, or with an immersion blender. Return the soup to the pot and reheat over medium heat. Stir in yogurt and vinegar. Serve the soup in warm bowls with a touch of Parmesan cheese if desired.

ZACH'S RATING - *****

Cheeseburger Pasta

2010-09-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

Maybe it should be Turkey Burger Pasta?

This recipe is like homemade hamburger helper. Just as easy and so much better for you! I lightened it up a little more than the original recipe by using ground turkey breast and reduced fat cheese. Another winner from Allison, earning 5 stars from Zach!

Cheeseburger Pasta

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey breast
2 3/4 cups water
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tsp onion powder
2 cups elbow mac, uncooked (I used shells)
4 oz reduced fat velveeta, cubed

Directions:

Brown meat in a large skillet, drain.
Add water, ketchup, onion powder and mix well.
Bring to a boil and add mac. Simmer on med-low heat, covered, for 8-10 minutes (until pasta tender).
Stir in velveeta and cook until melted, stirring occasionally.

ZACH'S RATING - *****

Grilled Vegetable Salad

2010-09-12T15:27:00.000-07:00

This salad recipe came from Ina Garten's Grilled Panzanella Salad recipe. I decided to leave out the bread and add a spinach and arugula mix instead. I never thought of adding grilled veggies to a salad, but I am glad that I now know how good it is.

Grilled Vegetable Salad
Heavily adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:

Dressing -

Good olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad -

1 bag spinach and arugula mix
1/2 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded and sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 small container grape tomatoes, cut in half
10 large basil leaves
1 red onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
2 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 3 large pieces
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Directions:

Prepare grill.

In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Place the cucumber, tomato, and basil in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss together. Set aside.

When the grill is ready, brush 1 side of the onion slices and the peppers with olive oil. Place them, olive oil side down, on the grill and cook for 4 minutes. Brush the other side with olive oil, turn them over and continue cooking an additional 4 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the grill and place on a cutting board. Slice the peppers 1/2-inch thick, separate the onion rings and add them both to the cucumber mixture.

Add spinach and arugula mix to the cucumber mixture. Pour the reserved vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss together. Serve warm.

Cecily preparing the veggies for the grill:

Finn relaxing outside while we grill:

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Fettunta with Prosciutto

2010-09-12T15:16:00.000-07:00

Seriously delicious. And easy. Might be my new go to appetizer.

Fettunta with Prosciutto
adapted from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:

6 slices good French boule, sliced 3/4-inch thick
1 to 2 plump garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 cup good extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 ounces thickly sliced prosciutto, minced
1 1/2 ounces finely grated smoked mozzarella or good Parmesan
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
10 large basil leaves

Directions:

Heat oven to broil

Toast the bread on a baking sheet under the broiler until golden. Remove the bread from the oven and immediately rub the garlic cloves over the top of the bread's surface. For really garlicky fettunta, rub hard and use both cloves of garlic. Drizzle a generous tablespoon or more of olive oil over each slice of bread.

Combine the prosciutto, cheese, basil and parsley in a small bowl. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over each slice of bread. Return the bread to the broiler and cook the fettunta just long enough to melt the cheese and rewarm the toast a bit, about 1 minute. Serve hot.

ZACH'S RATING - *****

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

2010-09-12T07:25:00.000-07:00

This chicken was so good!! Perfect for dinner outside on a beautiful September night! I served it with a really good grilled vegetable salad and Fettunta with Prosciutto, also a Barefoot Contessa recipe. I was a little nervous about preparing a whole chicken this way since I've never done it, but it came out great.

Tuscan Lemon Chicken

Recipe from Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients:

1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken, flattened
Kosher salt
1/3 cup good olive oil
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, halved

Directions:

Sprinkle the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt on each side. Combine the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and 2 teaspoons pepper in a small measuring cup. Place the chicken in a ceramic or glass dish just large enough to hold it flat. Pour the lemon marinade over the chicken, turning it in the dish. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Turn the chicken 2 or 3 times while marinating.

When ready to grill, prepare a hot charcoal fire on 1 side of a grill (or turn a gas grill on low heat). Spread 1/4 of the coals across the other side of the grill. Place the chicken on the cooler side, skin side up, and weigh it down with the dish you used for marinating. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the underside is golden brown. Turn the chicken skin side down, weight again with the dish, and cook for another 12 to 15 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Place the lemon halves on the cool side of the grill, cut side down for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove the chicken to a plate or cutting board, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Cut in quarters, sprinkle with salt, and serve with the grilled lemon halves.

ZACH'S RATING - ****