Some Recent Eats

We've had some travelling, houseguests, and sicknesses around the Discovery household, so the cooking took a bit of a sidebar, but here are some recent eats. :-)

Spicy Chipotle Meatballs, Real Simple Magazine

Buffalo Chicken Salad, Clean Eating Magazine, March 2011

 Ingredients:
-1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-Olive oil cooking spray
-1 tsp smoked paprika
-1 tsp chile powder
-1/8 tsp salt
-1/2 sweet onion
-1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek-style yogurt
-5 tbsp low-fat buttermilk
-1 to 1 1/2 tbsp all-natural hot sauce
-1 head romaine lettuce, thick spines removed
-1 head red leaf lettuce, thick spines removed
-1 yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
-1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
-1 cup peeled and shredded carrots
-2 oz blue cheese, crumbled (I omitted)

Directions:
1. Preheat broiler to high. Place chicken on a baking sheet coated with cookign spray. Lightly mist chicken with cooking spray and sprinkle both sides with paprika, chile powder, and salt. Broil 6-8 inches from heat until center is no longer pink, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 3-5 minutes before cutting into bite sized chunks.
2. In a blender, puree onion, yogurt, buttermilk, and 1 tbsp hot sauce. Taste and add remaining hot sauce if you want more heat. Divide romaine and red leaf lettuce among four plates and top with bell pepper, tomatoes, carrots, and chicken, dividing each evenly. Serve yogurt mixture on the side or drizzle evenly over each plate. Sprinkle with blue cheese and serve immediately.

The Verdict: Very tasty. Will make again.

Orange Salmon with Asparagus, Clean Eating Magazine, June 2011

Ingredients:
-Zest one orange
-1/4 cup freshly squeezed OJ
-1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
-2 tsp grated ginger
-4 6oz boneless, skinless salmon fillets
- 16 asparagus spears, trimmed

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, combine first four ingredients and set aside.
2. Cut 4 large pieces of parchment paper and place 1 salmon fillet onto each piece. Divide asparagus spears among pieces of parchment, topping the fillets. Pour orange juice mixture over each fillet, and, working with one piece of parchment at a time, wrap fillets in parchment packets.
3. Place parchment packets onto a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until salmon is solid and firm and asparagus is cooked through but al dente. Serve with quinoa, whole-wheat couscous, or wild rice, if desired.

The Verdict: Very tasty. I've never de-boned a fish, so that was an adventure! :-) Next time, I might marinade the salmon in the juice for a little while. I don't feel like the flavour permeated the fish enough. I will definitely make again!

Have a great day! I start running again tomorrow after a month's hiatus! Gotta get in shape for that half!

Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Quesadillas

I know! Two posts in one day! CRAZY!

Well, here's another recipe from Clean Eating Magazine, June 2011!

Again, my plating skills stink... haha.

Ingredients:
Tomatillo Sauce:

- olive oil cooking spray
- 1/2 pound fresh tomatillos, husked, cleaned and halved
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- juice from 1 lime or lemon
- 1 tsp minced jalapeno pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- pinch salt

Quesadillas:

- 1 tbdp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- Pinch sea salt
- 1 red onion, sliced into thin rings
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced into strips
- 1 zucchini, washed and sliced into thin rounds
- 1 6 (or 8) oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
- colby jack or mexican blend cheese (or cheddar if you run out of both!)
- Whole wheat tortillas

Directions:
For the tomatillo sauce:
1. Preheat grill to high and coat with cooking spray.
2. Place tomatillos cut side down and grill 10-12 minutes or until softened. This seemed long... which is evidenced by the color of my tomatillo sauce. I would cut in half almost.
3. Remove from grill and pulse in food processor with cilantro and lime until pureed. Season with salt and garlic powder and set aside.

For the quesadillas...
4. Combine cumin, chili powder, and salt  in a small bowl.
5. Toss in a bowl with prepared vegetables to coat completely.
6. Arrange vegetables in a single layer on the grill and cook until softened, 10-15 minutes.
7. Grill the chickn until cooked through and grill marks appear, 10-15 minutes.
8. Assemble quesadillas by layering cheese, vegetables, and cheese on one half of the tortilla.
9. Place on grill and grill until cheese melts, flip over and grill until browned and cheese melts
10. Cut in quarters and serve with the yummy tomatillo sauce.

Serves 4.

The verdict: Delish! I accidentally burned the bottom of my quesadillas. I thought my panini press would brown the tops, but it didn't. Oh well. I loved the tomatillo sauce, even though mine turned out a different color. Haha. Definitely will make again!
One of my favourite blogs, Branny Boils Over, did this recipe a few days ago, but sans chicken. You can check it out here.

One Chicken... Three Different Meals

Sunday night I roasted a chicken with some great veggies.

From Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Cookbook

Ingredients:
- 1/2 turnip, peeled and diced (I omitted because I forgot to buy)
- 2 parsnips, peeled and diced
- 2 cooking potatoes (I used Yukon Gold), unpeeled and diced
- 4 stalks celery, trimmed and chopped
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (I omitted because I hate sweet potatoes)
- 2 large carrots
- 2 large yellow onions
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp coconut butter or olive oil (I used Land O Lakes light butter because I love it)
- 3 garlic cloves, passed through a garlic press
- 3 Tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 3 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 good-sized roasting chicken, washed, drained, and dried (don't forget the giblets!) Mine was 5 lbs
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp sea salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss all chopped veggies and olive oil in a large roasting pan.
3. In a small mixing bowl, place the coconut butter or oil, garlic, and chopped fresh herbs. Mix into a paste. Set the chicken on top of the diced veggies in the roasting pan.
4. Using your clean hands, scoop some of the herb mixture and rub in onto the chicken. Repeat until the mixture is used up and the bird has been coated all over. Season with salt and paprika.
5. Place roasting pan in hot oven and let roast at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and continue roasting for an hour to an hour and a half. You can check the temp of the meat by inserting a meat thermometer into the thigh. If the temp reads 165 degrees the chicken is properly roasted.
6. Remove from head and let sit, covered, for about 10 minutes. Carve and serve.

Monday night I took the leftover meat and made fajitas. Not a special recipe, but I find it to be tasty, as does the hubs.

Ingredients:
- 2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch strips
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch strips
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 tsp cumin (guestimate)
- 1/2 tsp chili powder (guestimate)
- Black Pepper to taste
- 1/8 tsp cayenne (guestimate)
- Chopped chicken (however much you feel like having in your fajitas... I eyeballed it to probably about 8 oz for four servings) I really need to measure things...

Directions:
1. Heat oil in pan
2. Add peppers, onions, and spices until they start to caramelize
3. Add chopped, cooked chicken and heat through
4. Serve with salsa, cheese, and any of your other favourite fajita fixin's. :-)

Tomorrow night I plan to make a stock from the carcass. I will post that process later. :-)

I just finished up my Spring Break, which was depressing... but... only 9 weeks of school left till SWEET SUMMERTIME!! :-) I'm still waiting to hear about my job for next year, but I'm just hoping and praying that I have a job in my county again next year. It's a great job and I am so blessed to have it this year. I really hope I can continue on there.

Y'all have a good night!

I am ashamed...

I've been a bad blogger. Really when have I been a good blogger? ;-) I've been cooking a lot of fun meals lately, but I've been apathetic about photographing my meals. I do have a few recipes for you all, though.

Not a whole lot has been happening around the house lately. DH hasn't had as many weddings to photograph this fall, which has been nice because it means we can spend more lazy weekends around the apartment. One miracle is that I've been a little better about staying on top of the chores around the house, which is nice. Now our dishwasher's being annoying, so we'll have to get one of the maintenance people out here to fix it. I cook too much not to have a working dishwasher.

We recently had the fall kickoff for our Youth Ministry at church, which was awesome. I am so looking forward to the things that God will do this year in our Lower (and Upper) School Ministry! A few favourite photos...

One of my favourite friends ever!

Two beautiful girls in my lifegroup!

Gonna miss these girls! (They are going up to Upper School) :-(

Two more girls in my lifegroup doing motions for Mercy is Falling

Worship led by Aaron and Jordan (and others)

I haven't been able to get in much substitute teaching so far this year, so I spend most of my days watching country music videos, Desperate Housewives, and Grey's Anatomy, planning meals, and playing games on the internet. Oh what an exciting life I lead. I made a commitment to start running for real when September hit and I've been good so far about getting to the gym or on the road (it all depends on the weather). I've run just over 13 miles so far this month, which is not amazing by any stretch of the imagination, but it's pretty darn good for me just starting out again. I plan on doing at least 3 miles tonight on the treadmill (it's a hot one today).

Anyway... Some eats...

Basil Chicken in a Coconut-Curry Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
• 16 oz chicken breast
• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1/2 of a large red onion, cut into thin wedges (1 cup)
• 2 fresh jalapeno chile peppers, seeded and finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 13.5- or 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk, low fat fine
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 4 servings hot cooked rice

Directions

1. In a medium bowl combine curry powder, black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the chili powder. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Add to spice mixture in bowl; toss to coat. Cover and chill for 1 to 2 hours to allow spices to penetrate meat. 
2. Spray oil into a wok or large nonstick skillet; heat over medium-high heat. Add onion, jalapeno peppers, and garlic to wok; cook and stir about 8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove onion mixture from wok. Add half of the chicken to wok. Cook and stir for 4 to 6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from wok. Repeat with remaining chicken. (I have a huge wok, so I cooked it all at once)
3. Stir together coconut milk, cornstarch, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt until smooth. Carefully add to wok. Cook and stir until slightly thickened and bubbly. Return chicken and the onion mixture to wok. Stir in basil and ginger. Cook and stir about 2 minutes or until heated through. Serve over hot rice. Makes 4 servings.

Review: More like Curry Chicken in Coconut-Basil Sauce, but you can't taste the sweetness of the coconut... or the basil. Maybe my curry is too spicy. I still LOVED the recipe though. It was DELICIOUS. I can't wait to eat the leftovers in a couple of minutes.

Beef and Chipotle Burritos

no photo available

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds boneless beef round steak, cut 3/4 inch thick
• 1 14-1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1/3 cup chopped onion (1 small)
• 1 to 2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 6 9- to 10-inch tomato-flavored or plain flour tortillas, warmed
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (3 ounces)
• 1 recipe Pico de Gallo Salsa
• Shredded jicama or radishes (optional)
• Dairy sour cream (optional)

Directions

1. Trim fat from meat. Cut meat into 6 pieces. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker place meat, undrained tomatoes, onion, chipotle peppers, oregano, cumin, and garlic.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours. Remove meat from cooker. Using 2 forks, pull meat apart into shreds. Place meat in a large bowl. Stir in enough cooking liquid to reach desired consistency. Divide meat among warm tortillas, spooning it just below the centers. Top with cheese, Pico de Gallo Salsa, and, if desired, jicama and sour cream. Roll up tortillas. Makes 6 servings.

Pico de Gallo Salsa: In a medium bowl combine 2 finely chopped medium tomatoes; 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion; 2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro; 1 fresh serrano chile pepper, seeded and finely chopped (see tip); and dash sugar. Cover; chill several hours.

Review: This was my second attempt at a slow-cooker meal after a miserable fail about a year ago. I LOVE this recipe. This will have to be a regular recipe. It was SO good. Very spicy, but not too spicy. We didn't use the jicama or the sour cream. It was sooooooooo good though. Yum.

Two-thirds!

We are two-thirds of the way through this year, already! That is SO hard to believe.

I spend the "summer" (who really considers September summer?) doing my own little challenge. It was called the Sans Soda Summer. I went three months without soda. This was one of my 101 in 1001, though according to the list, I was not required to make the three months consecutive, so I feel even cooler that I did make them consecutive. So... this was a good challenge. Most of the time, I didn't really feel the desire to have soda, but there were a few times when I could have really enjoyed a good ol' Boylan Black Cherry soda. I mean, I like soda, it's good, but I've never been "addicted" to it. Before I did this, I had a soda maybe every 10 days or so. I plan on keeping the habit up, but I will probably indulge in sodas like Boylan or Curiosity Cola, not Coke or Barq's.

So... the eats.

Flank Steak Rollup, Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients:

• Olive oil cooking spray
• 1/4 cups whole-wheat panko
• 1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
• 1 flank steak about a pound, trimmed of visible fat
• 3 oz spinach leaves
• kitchen string or skewers

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange a rack in a baking dish and coat with cooking spray
2. In a small bowl, combine panko, nuts, vinegar, garlic, salt, and pepper flakes. Set aside.
3.  Place steak on a work surface. Holding a sharp knife, parallel to the work surface and positioned along 1 of the longer sides, cut the steak almost in half horizontally so it opens like a book. Spread steak open with “spine of book” parallel to you.
4. Sprinkle panko mixture over steak leaving a one inch border along the farthest edge. Arrange spinach on top. Beginning with the closest edge roll steak up, gently pressing down on the spinach. Tie up with kitchen string at 1-inch intervals. Place steak in prepared pan and bake unto the meat thermometer reads 150 for medium and 130 for rare. Remove from oven, transfer to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil to rest 10 mins.
5. Remove foil and string and carefully cut steak crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Serve drizzled with any juices that accumulated on the cutting board.

 

Homemade Pizza

I used my normal pizza dough recipe, and then I added red and green peppers, onions, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, and some Jennie-O's Hot Italian Turkey Sausage that I removed from the casings and then cooked in my cast iron skillet.

Chicken Parmesan Burgers, Elly Says Opa

Ingredients:

Burgers:

• 1 lb. ground chicken
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
• 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup chopped flatleaf parsley
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced or pressed
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• salt and pepper

Accouterments:

• 1/2 cup pasta sauce
• 4 slices mozzarella or provolone (or 1/2 cup shredded)
• sauteed mushrooms (optional)
• 4 buns (brushed with a little garlic butter, they are even better)

Directions:

1. Lightly mix together all the ingredients for the burgers. Form into 4 patties. I like to make them about 30-40 minutes ahead of time, to let the flavors meld a little bit.
2. Preheat & spray the broiler with a little oil (or use the grill, or a pan). Broil the burgers for about 4 minutes on the first side, then flip and broil for 3 minutes. Top each chicken burger with 2 Tbsp. pasta sauce and a slice (or about 2T) of cheese. Place back under the broiler for 30-60 seconds, until cheese in melted and burger is cooked through. Top with mushrooms, if desired. Place the buns in the broiler for about 10 seconds, just until toasted.

I actually sauteed the mushrooms, then melted the cheese over them, then topped the burgers with the mushroom/cheese mixture, then added heated sauce to the tops of the burgers.


In other news, I tried my first green monster. It looked gross (thus no photos), but tasted delicious.

The recipe I used:

• 2 tbsp cocoa
• 2 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• Two handfuls of spinach
• Ice to make smoothie of good consistency (10 for me)

 I enjoyed it thoroughly! :-) Well, I think I am going to go off to the gym... time to get some running done. It's September and it's time to run!

Wow! 101 posts!

My last post was my 100th post! How cool (and appropriate that it was about Disney)!

I apologize for the lack in posts lately. DH's car gave us a LOT of trouble last week and $1250 later, it is almost all better. Sigh.

We've had some good eats lately, I tell you what.

Cajun Jambalaya, Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb raw shrimp, 26/30 size, peeled and deveined, tail on
• 4 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast, diced into 1 inch pieces
• 1 all natural low sodium turkey sausage (I used two Jennie O's links), sliced
• 1/2 medium white onion, diced
• 1 med green bell pepper, stem and seeds removed and discarded, diced
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 1 1/2 medium vine-ripe tomatoes, cored and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp salt-free Cajun seasoning
• 1 cup all-natural instant brown rice
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• Sea Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
• Olive Oil cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400* F
2. In a large mixing bowl, toss together all ingredients except cooking spray, mixing well until combined.
3. Prepare 2 foil pouches. Spray each piece of foil with cooking spray. Divide mixture evenly between both pieces of foil and seal.
4. Place pouches on a baking tray and slide onto middle rack of preheated oven for 25 minutes or until rice and proteins are fully cooked.
5. Carefully open pouch and pour mixture into a large bowl to serve immediately.

Modifications: I don't actually own Cajun seasoning, so I made my own. I also added some red pepper flakes and used rice that was already cooked in my rice maker. My shrimp were not peeled, because unpeeled shrimp are cheaper.

The Verdict: I loved this dish! I thought it was delicious! I think DH enjoyed it too.


Sweet and Sour Chicken, Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp raw honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or more...)
• 1/4 cup pineapple juice (I added)
• 1 1/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into 1 inch pieces
• 1 medium red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 fresh pineapple, cut into 1 inch cubes (I omitted)
• 12 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the first 6 ingredients. Place the chicken in a large shallow dish. Pour mixture over chicken, tossing gently. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet (or wok) over medium-high heat. Add chicken and marinade and saute for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Add bell peppers and onion and cook for 5 minutes or until vegetables are slightly tender. Add pineapple (if using) and cook for 2 more minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately over rice for a complete meal, if desired.

Verdict: I LOVED THIS DISH. DH was okay with it. He wanted more sweet taste and a little more spice. When I make it again, I will add more spice for sure. I'll also experiment with other veggies, like broccoli, water chestnuts, et cetera.

I made another dish from Clean Eating Magazine this week, but it was a fail. Big time. It ranked in the bottom three meals ever. The worst was moussaka, next is the Tuna Nicoise Stovetop Casserole. I made cabbage wraps. The filling was good, which is why I'm glad I reserved some of that for lunches this week, because it made a good little burrito today; especially when paired with my homemade baked tortilla chips and Tom Leonard's FIRE salsa (I love the spice!).

In other news: I've been running TWICE since the last post!

Last Thursday I did four five minute runs broken up by 2 minute walk breaks. It went pretty well. Today I did a five minute run, two eight minute runs, and another five minute run broken up with 2 minute walk breaks. I did 2.75 miles in 32 minutes, which is pretty decent.I haven't had any knee pain yet, which is really nice, but I have been having pain around my rib cage where the shelf bra and sports bra end. Perhaps they are too tight, but it really hurts after a while. We'll see what happens. I hope everyone's having a lovely day and that you enjoy these recipes!!

So easy...

Well, Monday I opened my door to see a plethora of mail strewn about our stoop because it wouldn't all fit in our tiny and ineffectual mailbox. Included in this mail was a new Cricut cartridge, a new lens hood for DH's beloved camera, and...

Photo credit (also a link to subscribe!)

I have a slight love affair with Food Network so, when they came out with a magazine, I subscribed. For three years (it was only $30 for three years since the mag was so new!). Well anyway, this little beauty shows up and I look at the cover and say to myself "Self, this is what you are making for dinner." So I did just that.

I've decided that you can mix corn with pretty much any other veggies and it'll be delicious. The recipe is a succotash (always makes me think of Sylvester from Looney Toons), but I didn't have lima beans (nor does DH like them), so I don't know if this qualifies anymore.

Ingredients for my "succotash"

2 cups corn
1 cup cherry tomatoes (I think grape would be better)
1 medium yellow squash diced into bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in pan and cook until squash is tender and begins to brown.

The other dish was a cheese stuffed chicken. The mag's was Pepper-jack Chicken. Don't get me wrong, I like Pepper-jack, and my husband LOVES it, so I made his with PJ, but I also had some goat cheese and dill that I was dying to use up before expiration, so I made myself...

Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast with Dill

Ingredients
1 oz goat cheese
1 tsp dill
1 4 oz chicken breast
Cajun seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive oil for brushing

Mix goat cheese with dill. Cut a two-inch wide pocket in breast and stuff pocket with cheese mixture. Sprinkle with Cajun spices, salt, and pepper then brush with olive oil. Place on preheated grill until cooked through.

This was amazing. I made the same for DH but used PJ instead of goat cheese and dill. He said it was one of the best chicken dishes I've made... and it's not even that fancy or creative! Sorry for the lack of photographs. DH's camera battery was dead. :-( With this dinner, I also made Omaha Steak's twice-baked potatoes. Nowhere near clean eating, but SUPER delicious!

***

I had substitute orientation today with the school for which I had the English teacher position interview. They filled all but one class internally and then hired someone with coaching experience for the last one. If only I'd played sports in high school. I'd love to coach! (First I'd have to get back in shape!) Oh well. There's a new job opportunity in sight, but it's low on the possibilities totum pole, so I'm trying not to get my hopes up. At least the HR rep at this school said to each one of the heads of schools (lower, middle, upper) that she wanted to use me a lot. It helps that I live extremely close to the school and that I'm awesome.

Well, it is currently monsooning outside (which we desperately need) and I am currently being told by my stomach that it is hungry (which it shouldn't be). I hope all two people who read this have a lovely day!

Happy August!

We spent this past weekend in Lynchburg for a wedding, which was so fun. It was such a joy to see our college friends again, especially since so many of them live so far away!

Us in our attire for the wedding

Having been out of town for soooo long, I've not been able to cook very much, but I will post some food pictures that I have from a bit ago!

Caribbean Catfish Po'Boys with a Greek Yogurt/Goat Cheese Spread 

(Clean Eating Magazine)

Me consuming said Po'Boy

Honey Mustard Chicken with Kale and Red Pepper Rice

(Clean Eating Mag)

This week, I have some very delicious recipes all ready to go! :-)

So... I haven't exercised in a thousand years... Until last week. I ran with my sister-in-law in Texas... more like I dragged myself across the pavement... I got through a slow mile, then decided that I was going to die. Haha. I would really like to get back into it now. My university has a 5k set for Homecoming, and I'd really like to do it!

In other news... I GOT A CRICUT! SUPER FUN shall ensue! :-)

If you desire the recipe for either of these foods, I will gladly post them, but I'm not in the mood to type them up right now. Haha. :-)

Weekend/Monday Update

Good day to all!

This weekend was Youth Weekend at our church, and I lead a small group of 6th grade girls. It was a blast!

For lunch yesterday, we had...

Steak Tacos with Avocado Cream Sauce

The taco, assembled!

The avocado cream sauce... with toppings behind. :-)

These were easy, easy, easy. I just seasoned the steak with some mexican spices, cooked it up in my cast iron, put it in corn tortillas, and served them with lettuce, tomatoes, red bell pepper, and cilantro and of course... the avocado cream sauce:

Ingredients:

1 avocado, pitted, peeled
6 oz greek yogurt
1 jalapeno pepper
1/4 cup cilantro

Directions:

Put all ingredients in food processor with standard blade and pulse until well combined.

And... for dinner tonight...

Chicken Breasts with Caramelized Onions, Cranberries, and Balsamic-Glazed Asparagus

Caramelize 1 medium yellow onion over low heat in nonstick or cast iron pan for 20 minutes, add 2 tbsp dried unsweetened cranberries, cook for 2 minutes. Remove from pan.

When the cranberries hit the pan, put ~1 lb asparagus (trimmed, on cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil, drizzled with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper), in a 350* oven for 15 minutes.

Heat pan over med-high, add four 4oz chicken breasts (pounded to same thickness) and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Add onions and cranberries and cook for 2 minutes.


Tomorrow night, we are headed to Charlottesville for an Iron and Wine concert- CAN'T WAIT!! :-) Everybody have a lovely night!

I love me some Tuesday...

Good evening, blog readers! I have been MIA from my blog for the weekend, but I am back, never fear!

I have two meals from Clean Eating Magazine for you, so look forward to that! :-) I officially started P90x for reals last night, now that I have all the DVDs. I'm excited about transforming my body... haha, that sounds super cheesy! Today, I subbed in 1st grade and tomorrow I have my health assessment at DH's work for insurance purposes. I have a feeling I'll get another 100%!

My meals for the day...

B: Mini Wheats (yes... the frosted kind... I couldn't get into my regular breakfast of...

Trader Joe's Natural Creamy Peanut Butter, Honey we got on vacay in SC, Whole Wheat toast! 

L: Leftover Chicken Pomodoro
D: Salmon Patties with Zucchini and Squash
S: Banana with PB
S: Dark Chocolate
Things I shouldn't have eaten: 1/4 of a small DQ blizzard (leftovers from Thursday), Two packages of smarties

And now... I'll give you the photos for my lunch today and dinner tonight.

Chicken Pomodoro Angel Hair Pasta

I made my own sauce for the first time and bought FRESH feta from Tom Leonard's... YUM

and...

Salmon Patties with Sauteed Squash and Zucchini

The patties were more like... crumbles... but still tasty. Also... I bought the wrong kind (and size) of canned salmon. There was a spine. In my can. Ew. I don't think we ate too many pin bones. ;-)

Well, I'd better get to the dishes... yay. Then P90x Day 2: Plyometrics!

What to do with yesterday's leftovers...

So. You roasted a chicken, you made the green beans and the potatoes. You consumed these dishes last night and now, tonight, you are still lovin' the idea of the dishes, but you aren't so sure you want a plate of the exact same meal you had last night. Have I got the fix for you!

Roasted Chicken and Penne

Sorry, it's not terribly photogenic...

Ingredients:
10oz cooked whole wheat pasta (I used thin Whole Wheat Spaghetti, but the magazine calls for penne)
Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water
1 cup of the potatoes from last night
1 3/4 cup of the green beans from last night
2 cups of shredded chicken
4 tbsp (mag called for 2, but it was NOT enough) of balsamic vinegar
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:
1. Combine pasta, potatoes, beans, chicken, vinegar, pepper, and 1/4 cup of the pasta water over heat
2. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved water until it reaches desired consistency (whatever that means!)
3. Serve on pretty plates to your very hungry husband. :-)

I subbed for a third grade teacher today, which was fun. Just a half day in the afternoon, which I love- I get to sleep in! :-)

DH and I have decided to put the house hunt on hold until we know more about our futures. Jobs are up in the air right now, so we both want to make sure we have the resources to pay for what we want and not be house poor. It was a hard decision, especially since we fell in love with one last week. Oh well.

I'm going to be starting P90X soon, so check back for info on that. Hope everyone has a lovely evening!

May I present... Hubert...

..who was our dinner.

This is Hubert in her raw form, before I descrated her body with oil and spices...

Wait, that sounds more like what they did in Biblical times to prepare a body for burial...

...

...

Moving on...

This is Hubert oiled, herbed, and balsamic vinegared with 3 lbs of her closest potato friends.

I was foolish and forgot to photograph Hubert in all her golden brown glory, but you can see her wing... here:

Such a lovely color, no?

And finally...

...

The feast:

Best green beans I've ever had. Thank you Tom Leonard's.

Oh man, this meal was to die for! So easy and SO delish!

Basically, you preheat to 400*, rub the 5-6 lb chicken down with oil, then rub your rosemary, salt, pepper, and thyme on top of the skin, under the skin, and in the cavity. Cut your 3lbs of red potatoes in half and toss with 2 tsp EVOO, and the same spice and herb mix as above. I never measure, I just eyeball what looks like enough. :-)
Put the chicken breast side up (or standing up, like my roaster has the poultry do) in the roasting pan rack (if you have no rack, just place it in) and put potatoes in the bottom of the roasting pan.

Bake for 45 min, cover with aluminum foil to prevent burning of the skin, bake for 45 min again. Breast should be at 160*, thigh at 170*, juices clear. Let the chicken rest on a cutting board (the temp will rise to a piping 170*) while you steam up your 1.5 (I think) lbs of green beans. :-)

I think I gave myself third degree burns trying to slice Hubert up too soon. That's what I get for naming the chicken we ate for dinner. Also, I could not stop laughing at the sight of Hubert sitting upright in my roasting pan. :-) Too funny!

As promised...

Tosca Reno's White Chicken Chili
Serves 8-10
From The Eat Clean Diet Cookbook

3 medium Poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
2 medium Jalepeno chili peppers, seeded and deveined, chopped
2 Vidalia onions, peeled and chopped
2 ribs celery, trimmed and chopped
1 large leek, white only, well rinsed and chopped
6 cloves garlic, passed through a garlic press
2 Tbsp ground cumin
2 Tbsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp dried basil
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cups water or low sodium chicken stock
2 x 15 oz cans of navy, cannellini, or other small white bean or combination, drained and rinsed
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cubed (I used about 2 and 1/4 and it was PLENTY)
Juice from 2 fresh limes
Juice from 2 fresh lemons
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4 green onions, trimmed and chopped for garnish

Preparation:

1. In a large saucepan or dutch oven, place all chiles, onions, celery, leeks, garlic, cumin, oregano, basil, rosemary, olive oil,  sea salt, and black pepper. Cook over medium heat until onions become translucent--about ten minutes.
2. Add 8 cups cooking liquid, beans, and cubed chicken and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and let mixture simmer for 40 minutes. Add lime and lemon juices, cilantro, and green onions. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! Loooove it.