Running Mama Cooks

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 - ****

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

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!!!)

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!

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!







Down 6 lbs in 2 weeks. Weight Watchers rocks!

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.

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

So, I have been the worst blogger ever, but I guess I have a pretty decent excuse! Baby boy is due any day now and even though I have been cooking here and there, I haven't been making anything too blog worthy. We have been eating a lot of repeat recipes (taco mac, spinach tortellini salad, Chicken spinach wraps, French's Fried Onion pork chops).

This morning, Zach picked several really nice green peppers from our garden, so I defrosted some turkey sausage we had in the freezer and made sausage and pepper sandwiches. They were really yummy.


Italian Sausage and Peppers Sammies
A Running Mama Cooks Original Recipe

Ingredients:

6 mild Italian turkey sausage links
2 tbs Olive oil
3 medium green peppers
2 medium onions
4 garlic cloves
1 large can crushed tomatoes
Basil
Italian seasoning
crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
4 hoagie rolls

Directions:

Brown sausage on medium heat. Remove and set aside. Heat olive oil and saute garlic until lightly browned. Add peppers and onions and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

Cut sausage into chunks and return to pan. Add crushed tomato and seasonings to taste. Simmer. Serve on lightly toasted hoagie rolls.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Update - I ended up going into labor that night!!!

Sorry I have been MIA for so long! I can't believe its been over a week since I've cooked anything (unless you count the box of Kraft Mac n Cheese I made the other night!). Life has been very busy, so we have been doing a lot of eating on the run.

Tonight we were finally all home for dinner so I prepared a rack of BBQ pork ribs that I've been meaning to make since last week. I defrosted the ribs and had them cooking in the crockpot all day so I could put this meal together quickly after a fun day at the beach! I got the idea for this method from our friend Jim. The ribs come out perfect every time. It may seem weird, but trust me on this one.

BBQ Ribs
A Running Mama Cooks Original Recipe

Ingredients:

1 rack center cut pork ribs
1 liter bottle pepsi
BBQ sauce

Directions:

Place ribs in crockpot and cover with pepsi. You may have to cut the rack in half. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400. Remove ribs from crockpot carefully (they will be falling apart a bit) and place on a baking sheet. Coat both sides with BBQ sauce and place in the oven for 20 minutes.

I served them with mashed red potatoes and corn. Yummy!

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Yes, my family definitely has a thing for French's Fried Onions. I posted awhile back when I made chicken fingers with them, and tonight I thought Id give pork a try. It did not disappoint!

French's Friend Onion Crusted Pork Chops
A Running Mama Cooks Original Recipe

Ingredients:

6 Boneless Pork Tenderloin Chops
1 large can French's Fried Onions
2 tbs flour
1/2 cup milk
paprika
salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat the over to 400

Place pork chops in between two pieces of parchment paper and pound thin. Place onions in a ziplock bag with flour and crush. Pour milk into a shallow bowl and season with salt, pepper and paprika. Put crushed onions into another shallow bowl.

Dip chops into milk and then coat with the onions. Bake for 30 mins.

I served the chops with Sauteed Garlic Zucchini
Sauteed Garlic Zucchini
A Running Mama Cooks Original Recipe

Ingredients:

4 zucchini, cut into half moons
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup shredded asiago cheese
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add Zucchini and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until tender. Approx 10 mins. Remove from heat and toss with asiago cheese.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

Since another preggo and I indulged in an Olive Garden craving for lunch today, I thought Id keep dinner nice and light. More spinach, what a surprise!!

Spinach BLT Wrap
A Running Mama Cooks Original Recipe

Makes 1 wrap

Ingredients:

1 Spinach, Garlic and Pesto Tortilla (I got them at Wegmans)
4 strips turkey bacon
1 vine ripened tomato, seeded and chopped
1/4 cups shredded asiago cheese
2 tbs Balsamic-Tomato dressing (see below)
1/2 cup cup baby spinach
Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat a panini press.

Cook bacon until crisp. Arrange bacon, tomato, cheese and spinach onto tortilla. Drizzle with dressing. Spray panini press with cooking spray and place folded tortillas seam side down. Grill until toasty.

Balsamic-Tomato Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

9 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
1 ½ tablespoon tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste (about 1/8 teaspoon each)
3/4 cup olive oil

Directions:

In a blender add all of the dressing ingredients except for the olive oil and process until smooth. Then, while the blender is running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until completely combined.

You are probably starting to see trends in my cooking when it comes to certain ingredients. I have been obsessed with Spinach lately, I cannot get enough of it! Definitely a good craving to have, unfortunately I have also been craving chocolate and peanut better :) This meal came about since I had leftover dressing from making Tortellini Spinach Salad with Balsamic-Tomato Vinaigrette. The dressing was so good I made it again over the weekend. It worked perfectly with the chicken, which instantly smelled amazing once it hit the grill. These wraps turned out great, earning 5 stars from Zach! Grilled Chicken Balsamic Spinach Wraps A Running Mama Cooks Original Recipe Makes 2 wraps Ingredients: 2 Spinach, Garlic and Pesto Tortilla (I got them at Wegmans) 3 thin cut chicken breasts 2 roasted red pepper 1/4 cups mozzarella cheese Balsamic-Tomato dressing (see below) 1 cup baby spinach Cooking spray Directions: Preheat a panini press. Marinate chicken in Balsamic-tomato dressing for several hours. Grill on barbecue or grill pan and slice into strips. Slice Roasted red peppers. Arrange chicken, roasted red peppers, mozzarella cheese and spinach onto each tortilla. Drizzle with dressing. Spray panini press with cooking spray and place folded tortillas seam side down. Grill until toasty. Balsamic-Tomato Vinaigrette Ingredients: 9 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano 1 ½ tablespoon tomato paste Salt and pepper to taste (about 1/8 teaspoon each) 3/4 cup olive oil Directions: In a blender add all of the dressing ingredients except for the olive oil and process until smooth. Then, while the blender is running, slowly add the olive oil and blend until completely combined. ZACH'S RATING: ***** Update - These are one of our usual quick dinners. We have taken to calling this dressing "crack dressing" because its so good! We also add sliced red onion now.

It is a comfort food kind of day. It has been rainy, cold and dark all day long. This meal was inspired by our friend Ryan's mom's Mac and Beef. She always sends a big pot of it down with him when he comes to visit. I have to say my version was pretty close. It was creamy with a good kick to it.

I almost always sub ground turkey for ground beef, but this dish felt like it needed the real deal.

Baked Mac and Beef
A Running Mama Cooks Original Recipe

Ingredients:

1.25 lbs 95% lean ground beef
1 lbs elbow macaroni (I used Dreamfields)
1 onion, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1 6oz can tomato paste
2 14.5 oz cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
1/4 cup white wine (would have used red if I had it)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
bay leaf
salt and pepper
8 oz cheddar cheese, cubed (I had 2% Velveeta on hand)

Directions:

Boil water in a large pot and cook elbows until al dente.

Meanwhile, brown beef in a large skillet. Drain fat. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Add onion and carrots and saute until tender, about 5-7 mins.

Add tomato paste and combine with beef. Stir in diced tomatoes and wine. Add dried basil and a bay leaf. Simmer.

Remove bay leaf. Mix cooked elbows with sauce and pour into a large baking dish. Stir in cheese. Bake on 350 for 20 minutes.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

I made this quick pasta as a side dish to tilapia tonight. It was a nice, light sauce and the fresh tomatoes and zucchini were really yummy.

Fresh tomato and zucchini bow tie pasta
A Running Mama Cooks Original Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 lb bowtie pasta ( I used Barilla Plus)
8 cloves garlic
Olive oil
16 baby roma tomatoes, cut into half
2 zucchini, cut into chunks
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper
Handful Parmesan cheese, plus more for the table


Directions:

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Salt water and add bow tie pasta.

Coat bottom of a medium sized pan generously with Olive oil. Heat over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, be careful not to burn. Add zucchini and cook for a few minutes, until tender. Add tomatoes, white wine, red pepper flakes, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Simmer until pasta is cooked. Stir in bow ties and toss with Parmesan cheese.

Operation "eat more fish" is going well! I am happy that this recipe was such a success and I can add it to my repertoire. The topping on this was so tasty and the mahi mahi was cooked perfectly.

Sun dried Tomato and Parmesan Crusted Mahi Mahi
A Running Mama Cooks Original Recipe

Ingredients:

2 mahi mahi filets
1 lemon
1 clove garlic, whole
1 tbs dried basil
Drizzle olive oil
Splash dry white wine
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 sun dried tomatoes
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450.

Place mahi mahi filets in a medium sized backing dish and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the zest of one lemon. Drizzle with olive oil, juice of the lemon and a splash of white wine. Cover loosely with foil.

In a Cuisinart, combine Parmesan cheese, sun dried tomatoes, pine nuts, red pepper flakes, 1 garlic clove and 1 tbs dried basil. Set aside.

Bake for 20 minutes. Bring oven to broil. Place sun dried tomato and Parmesan topping on fish and broil with oven door open until brown and bubbly, approx 3 minutes.

Roasted Zucchini
A Running Mama Cooks Original Recipe

3 zucchini
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper

Slice zucchini length wise and cut into half moon pieces. Toss with salt and pepper, garlic, and 1/2 tsp basil. Place in a baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes.

ZACH'S RATING - ****

I love stuffed peppers! Here is my recipe. I made them this afternoon and had them all set in the fridge so Zach could pop them in the oven while I was teaching tonight. Dinner was ready when I got home!

My Mom came over this afternoon and I made us a light early dinner. I knew this would be right up her alley and I have been meaning to experiment more with cooking fish. This ended up being a big winner!

Lemon Mahi Mahi with Garlic and Thyme
A Running Mama Original Recipe

Ingredients:

2 mahi mahi filets
2 lemons, one sliced, the for juice and zest
1 tbs lemon zest
2 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, smashed
5-6 fresh thyme sprigs
salt and pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450

place lemon slices in a small baking dish, covering the bottom. Add thyme sprigs on top. Season filets with salt and pepper and place on top

Drizzle filets with olive oil, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Scatter garlic cloves on top. Cover loosely with foil and bake for 20 minutes, until fish is opaque and flaky.

Serve fish on a bed of garlic spinach (see below)

Ready for the oven:

The weather is still summery and gorgeous! since we were eating outside, it felt like a good night for a salad. Plus a light dinner is a good idea with all the Easter candy still hanging around!

Asian Chicken Salad
A Running Mama original recipe

Ingredients:

Marinade:
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
4 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp grated fresh ginger

Dressing:
3 tbs low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbs canola oil
2 tsp brown sugar
a pinch red pepper flakes
1 sliced scallion

Salad:
1/2 head shredded napa cabbage
1 lb thin cut chicken breasts
1 large carrot, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup toasted almonds
1 11 oz can Mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup Chinese rice noodles, plus more for garnish

Directions:

Combine all ingredients for the marinade. Place chicken breasts in a ziplock bag and pour in marinade. Place in fridge for at least an hour.

Assemble all ingredients for the salad. Whisk together dressing and set aside. Grill the chicken until cooked through and cut into strips.

Toss dressing onto the salad and place chicken on top. Garnish with rice noodles.

ZACH'S RATING: ***

Spring is here!!! The weather the past couple of days has been absolutely beautiful. We took advantage of it tonight but grilling a yummy meal and eating outside for the first time this spring.

This meal was a staple for us last summer. Light and good. I served it with a simple salad.

Grilled Roasted Red Pepper Chicken
A Running Mama Original Recipe

1 package thin cut chicken breasts
1/4 cup fat free Italian dressing (tonight I used roasted red pepper vinaigrette)
4 roasted red peppers, cut in half
1/2 cup low fat Italian blend cheese

Place chicken breasts in a ziplock bag and pour in dressing. Marinate for at least an hour.

Place chicken on a hot grill and cook through. Place 1/2 a roasted red pepper on each piece and sprinkle with cheese. Remove from grill when cheese is melted.

We enjoyed some more outdoor time by dying Easter eggs and making s'mores by our fire pit! Such a fun Saturday night!!