Its Getting Hot in Here

Its cold outside, really cold. And, being as frugal as I am, (and considering how outofcontrol the summer power bills got) we have yet to actually turn on the heat longer for more than 15 minutes. The thermostat hasn't gotten below 68, so no need to really worry for now. But, today it was really really cold and I just couldn't get warm. Solution, turn on the oven! I made brownies and chicken parmesan. Typically I don't really cook using the oven, so baking was a rare treat and the suggestion of brownies was very popular! Win win win.

Brownies
1 Pillsbury sugar-free brownie mix (or probably any other brownie mix)
1 large egg
1/4 cup sugar-free raspberry jam
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Pre-heat the oven (something I rarely adhear to, but I planned to leave the oven on as long as I was able to) to 350. Mix together the wet ingredients with a fork until blended. Add the brownie mix and stir until completely mixed together (the recipe on the box says 50 stirs but I can't count that high). Dump the brownie batter into a pam-sprayed 8x8 or 9x9 or I used an 8 inch cake round pan. Bake for 28 minutes or until the fork comes out clean.

Chicken Parm
3 small chicken breasts
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup tomato sauce
Salt, pepper, red pepper flake

Dry the chicken and place on a plate. On a separate plate, mix together the bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and salt, pepper, red pepper flake. Dredge the chicken in the breading mixture and place on a non-stick-sprayed glass baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and cover with the tomato sauce making sure the top is coated and there is sauce under the chicken as well. Add some more parmesan cheese to the top of each piece of chicken and place back in the oven for another 10 minutes or until the cheese melts and the sauce is hot.

Now you're done and your kitchen is probably at least 5 degrees warmer. Just make sure you turn the oven off.

I Love Spinach

I love spinach, yes I do. The health benefits are terrific, plus the baby spinach used in salad lasts a lot longer than any other lettuce. Usually if I buy the 1lb package of organic baby spinach it lasts about a week and a half until it starts to look a little limp. So, instead of letting it rot or throwing it away, I usually try to cook the spinach somehow. Here's two recipes with left over baby spinach.

Florentine Sauce

As much spinach as you have left over

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup of parmesan cheese

Oregano, Basil, Salt, Pepper and red pepper flake

Add spices and tomatoes to a sauce pan and cook over medium heat until the tomatoes start to break down, stir frequently. This is probably about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat, add the spinach leaves and stir, cooking until the spinach wilts nicely. Remove the pan from heat (and turn burner off), and stir in the parmesan cheese.

Sauteed spinach and quinoa

As much spinach as you have left over

2 tbs lemon juice

1/2 cup cooked leftover quinoa (or another grain/pasta thats left over)

Salt, Pepper, Parsley and a smidge of red pepper flake

Toppings: blue cheese or gorgonzola cheese, toasted breadcrumbs, toasted pine nuts, golden raisins, etc (whatever is left over)

In a non-stick skillet sprayed with Pam on medium heat, add the spinach and spices and stir until a bit wilted. Add the lemon juice and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the quinoa. Let this mixture sit until the quinoa heats through. Serve and add toppings. If your guy is picky about veggies, add more cheese and microwave for 1 minute, stir and melt the cheese.

Pasta with Meat Sauce & Ricotta

I really enjoy making my own pasta sauce. It is great to control the ingredients and its seriously easy. Plus I like a really chunky sauce, and you just don't get that in a jar. This dinner is possibly the healthiest pasta with meat sauce ever - grass fed organic ground beef, whole wheat pasta, etc.

Meat Sauce

1 lb ground beef - the leanest you can find.

1 can diced tomatoes

Spices: oregano, basil, salt, pepper and red pepper flake

2 cups whole wheat pasta - I used penne

1/2 cup fat free ricotta cheese

While the water is boiling for the pasta, add the ground beef to a separate sauce pan. Cook and stir the meat so it cooks thoroughly and breaks apart into chunks. Once the meat is cooked, remove from pan and drain on paper towel. Add the whole wheat pasta to the boiling water and cook until done (8 minutes or so). With the pasta cooking, add the tomatoes to the sauce pan (after you wipe the pan with paper towel too), and add the drained meat too. Add all the spices to the sauce pan and just let it cook over medium low heat for about 15 minutes. Drain the pasta, top with sauce and a tablespoon full of ricotta cheese. Add some parmesan too if you'd like.

I served the pasta with a side of cooked baby carrots. You can't really ever get enough Vitamin A!

Calories in my portion: 330

Spicy Turkey Sauce over Medium Shells

This week at the grocery store, Hunt's canned diced tomatoes were on sale: 2/$1. Obviously I bought 2 cans. Red Bell Peppers were also on sale. And we had half a box of whole wheat pasta shells. Terrific start to a healthy italian meal.

1/2 lb of 93% Ground Turkey
1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
1 can Diced Tomatoes, drained
Basil, Oregano, Red Pepper Flake, Salt, and Ground Black Pepper
2 cups whole wheat pasta medium sized shells

While the water is boiling for the pasta, cook the ground turkey in a medium size pan. Once the turkey is cooked through, remove from pan and set on a paper plate lined with several paper towels. Smush so all the fat drains out. Wipe the pan with another paper towel. (Yes, I really do this paper towel smushing and wiping). Add the chopped pepper to the wiped pan and cook covered over medium heat until the pepper is really soft. Then add the tomatoes to the pan and a bunch of spices. At this point, the water should be boiling. Add the pasta to the pan and cook for 7-8 minutes or cooked to your preference. Let the tomatoes and pepper cook for another 2 minutes together and add in the drained turkey. Stir and let cook over medium-low heat until bubbly. Serve over pasta and top with some grated parmesan, fresh basil, etc.

Greek Chicken Wraps

So, we had ground chicken in the freezer and like always I didn't know what to do with it. We also had small tortillas from a prior fajita night. I really love the South Beach snack size tortillas - 90 calories and 7 grams of fiber. And, there was lettuce and feta cheese. I have always loved the chicken lettuce wraps at PF Chang's, so I wanted to do a spin on that. But obviously with less sodium and calories.

Greek Chicken Wraps

Chicken
1/2 lb ground chicken, 99% fat free
1/2 orange bell pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
Spices: Salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, oregano

Saute the chicken in a nonstick pan, stirring frequently so the chicken breaks apart. Toss in the spices and cook until done.

Greek Dill Sauce
1 6oz container of fat free greek yogurt
1 tbsp dill relish
Spices: oregano, lots of dill, salt and pepper

Mix together all the ingredients. Might be a good idea to do this the night before. It worked for me - made it much dill-ier.

Toppings: finely chopped romaine lettuce, feta cheese. Other options: olives, tomatoes, etc.

Calories in 1 wrap: 211

So, while researching for this blog post, I looked up PF Chang's nutritional information. Did you know that majority of their main dishes are supposed to serve 3 people?? The lesson here is two-fold, Know before you go, and Share Share Share!

Buffalo Wing Burgers

I had been craving wings for weeks, so when I was debating what to do with the ground turkey, I thought of wings! At Target, I found Frank's Red Hot Buffalo Wing sauce - with zero calories. I knew we already had blue cheese, celery and potato rolls. The Buffalo Wing Burger was born!

Buffalo Wing Burger
1 lb of ground turkey - use 93% lean or leaner
1/2 cup Frank's Buffalo Wing sauce
1 egg
1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1 stalk of celery finely chopped
Salt, pepper, parsley, chili powder
3 potato rolls
1/2 cup blue cheese
3 lettuce leaves

Mix the first 6 ingredients together. Adding more Frank's if it seems dry. Mold into 6 burgers (yes there will be leftovers). Grill until cooked through. Add one burger to each roll, topping with some blue cheese and the lettuce leaves. Add more Franks to the bun if you'd like. You can also add any other toppings you'd like.

Raspberry Ice Cream

Finding an icecream that is lactose free and tasty is pretty much impossible. So, having my own ice cream maker to make any type of icecream I wanted is awesome!

Raspberry Ice Cream
3 cups Fat Free Lactaid or any other lactose-free milk
1/2 cup fat free half & half
3 tbs sugar free raspberry jam

Wisk all the ingredients together and add to the icecream maker. Let it mix for about 25 minutes or until done. Makes about 6-8 servings.

Chicken and Penne with Tomatoes & Arugula

This dinner I made out of leftovers we had in the fridge. We had some raisins, salad greens, pasta and chicken. The pasta and tomatoes looked lonely, so I picked out the arugula from the salad mix and added to the pasta dish. It turned out to be a great meal!

Pasta with Tomatoes & Arugula
2 cups of penne pasta (use low-carb or whole wheat if you have it)
1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced in half
3/4 cup arugula
2 tbs parmesan cheese
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs butter (or butter-ish spread - I like the SmartBalance Light)
Salt, pepper, red pepper flake, oregano

Boil the pasta until al dente, or however you like it. Drain in the sink and then add the pasta back to the pan over low heat. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until the arugula is wilted.

Italian Herbed Chicken
1 lb chicken tenders
Salt, pepper, basil, oregano, parsley, red pepper flake

Coat the chicken in the spices and grill until done.

Salad with raisins & blue cheese
2 cups salad greens
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 tbs blue cheese crumbles
Salad dressing of your choice - I used Trader Joe's Pear Vinegarette, Yummy!

Fancy Friday Night Dinner

I love going out to dinner, but since I'm currently unemployed we don't go out as much as we used to. But, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy a fancy dinner at home - with multiple courses! This was a huge splurge diet wise, but I enjoyed every bite. We ate at a very leisurely pace, considering I cooked each course right before it was served. Probably it took us 3 hours to finish eating. It was wonderful.

Appetizer - Charcuterie (shar - coot - errr-eee)
Charcuterie is defined as cured meats. In Italian restaurants this is usually an antipasto

3 different meats like salami, ham and prociutto - about 4oz each, sliced
1 type of cheese like muenster, sharp cheddar - about 4 oz, sliced
Pickles
crackers or mini toasts
whole grain mustard

Arrange the ingredients in separate sections on a nice serving platter.

Salad
5 romaine leaves chopped
1 celery stalk chopped
1 carrot chopped
Dressing - I used the Trader Joe's Champagne Pear Vinegarette
Fresh ground black pepper

Main Course - Lemon Chicken Pappardelle
3/4 lb chicken breasts marinated in dill and lemon juice
1 package of Trader Joe's Lemon Pappardelle
1 small zucchini chopped into half moon
1 cup grape tomatoes cut in half
1 tbs butter
2 tbs flour
2 tsp parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chicken stock

Salt, pepper

Spray a large frying pan with non-stick spray, heat over medium heat and add the chopped zucchini. Cook for about 3 minutes or until slightly cooked. Meanwhile heat a large pot of water for the pasta. Remove the zucchini from the pan and add the chicken. Cook the chicken until its fully cooked. Remove from the pan, keeping all the nice chicken juices in the pan. At this point the water should be boiling - add the pasta to the boiling water and stir. Add the frying pan back over the heat - add the butter and flour and stir around until you don't notice any lumps. Next add the chicken stock, salt and pepper and cook until bubbly. This should create a nice sauce. Add the tomatoes to the sauce and let cook for a minute. At this point the pasta should be cooked. Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the sauce and tomatoes. Slice the chicken and add with the zucchini back into the pan. Stir all this around until well coated with the sauce. Plate and top with some parmesan cheese and fresh ground black pepper.

The main course only seems complicated, but was really easy. Just take your time. You can even cook the pasta before the rest of the dish, so you're only focused on one component at a time.

Lemon Herb Chicken, Corn on the Cob and Salad

I'm lucky that our city participates in a farmers market. I picked up peppers, fresh corn, a watermelon and pickles. The chicken I got at the grocery store on Monday and its been marinating in the freezer since then. To be honest, I had some trouble with the easiest part of the meal - cooking the corn!

Lemon Herb Chicken
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup lemon juice
Salt, ground black pepper, thyme and rosemary

Marinate the chicken with the rest of the ingredients at least 12 hours or overnight in a Ziploc bag. Mine had been marinating since I went grocery shopping on Monday; I divided up the chicken into 1 lb portions and put them in the ziploc bags with various marinades and then into the freezer.

Corn!
2 ears fresh corn, shucked
Spray butter
Salt and fresh ground black pepper

I picked up 5 ears of corn at the Farmers Market (5 for $2), and shucked and cooked them all tonight. Boil for about 10 minutes in a medium sized pot with a quart of water. Drain, let cool and then season. I enjoy spray butter for this because it can cover the whole ear and a lot less calories than loads of real butter.


The chicken and corn was served with an easy green salad. Above is a photo of the plated meal. Notice two major differences in the plates: 1. Lots more chicken and 2. Salad Dressing on the man plate. I dressed my salad with just balsamic vinegar and only portioned a small chicken breast. The man plate has 3 pieces of chicken and balsamic vinegarette. Its important to look at portion sizes as a way to measure calories. Men are usually bigger (in my case, 70 lbs and 8 inches bigger) and need more calories. The other way is to cut out calories in toppings on your plate that easily add up. In this meal, the salad dressing only had 40 calories per 2 tsps, but that 40 calories adds up over the day.

Balsamic Pulled Chicken Sandwiches & Chopped Salad

This all started with boneless skinless chicken thighs which were on sale at the grocery store for $1.29/lb. Of course the smallest package was almost 2 pounds - so I divided it into two ziploc bags with marinade. One had a dill/lemon/honey and one was balsamic and herbs. I also had left over brioche rolls (surprisingly I didn't eat them all since Sunday night!) - Yes! Balsamic pulled chicken sandwiches! And all those fresh veggies I picked up at the store would make an awesome chopped salad.

Balsamic Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3 rolls
Salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil

Marinate chicken in the vinegar and spices overnight or for a day or two. Grill until cooked through and slice while hot to get the pulled effect. Pile on rolls and top with cheese, sliced tomato, bbq sauce or any other condiments you'd like.

Chopped Salad

1/2 head of romaine lettuce

1/2 cup grape tomatoes sliced in half

1/3 green pepper

2 stalks celery

Choice of dressing

Chop all of the veggies into 1/2 inch pieces and toss to combine so it looks like one uniform salad with lots of colors. Add any toppings you'd like - sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, etc.

Sunday Night Cheesesteaks

It was Sunday night and we literally had no food in the house. Since we were near a Trader Joe's we popped in to pick up enough essentials to make dinner. I was scouring the meat section and noticed "Shaved Beef for Sandwiches" for $4.99/lb - a ha! Cheesesteaks!! This would be an easy meal combined with a salad made from the last of the baby spinach, dried cranberries and gorgonzola cheese. All we needed was cheese and rolls. I found a 6 pack of brioche rolls ($2.49) and some mild cheddar cheese ($2.09) - nice, easy and cheap!

Cheesesteaks
1 lb of shaved sandwich beef - or any really thin sliced beef
2 rolls
Sliced cheese
8 pieces jarred green peppers
Salt, ground black pepper, red pepper flake, parsley

Season and grill the beef until cooked through. I of coursed used the Foreman, but you could grill on whatever type of grill you have. If you choose to saute / broil, just drain the meat on some paper towel before adding to the rolls. Add the cheese to the top of the meat so it gets melty. Add to the roll and top with peppers. Makes 3 sandwiches.

Cost: $7.02

Calories in 1 sandwich: 542


I had every intention in diving straight into one (or 2) of these rolls - until I turned over the package and looked at the label. 160 calories in one roll. I had a perfectly good light hotdog roll that had 4 grams of fiber and only 80 calories. Yes, bringing the calories in my sandwich down to 462. A lot easier to swallow than almost 550.

Spicy Honey Chicken

I scored some chicken drumsticks at the grocery store today for only $1.52 for 5 drumsticks. I had previously made chicken with mustard and herbs and wanted to switch it up. Looking in the spice cabinet I spotted the cayenne pepper and honey - perfect. I served this chicken with greenbeans and carrots and baked potatoes. You could use boneless skinless chicken breasts also.

Spicy Honey Chicken
1 lb chicken drumsticks
2-3 tsps honey
Salt, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, chili powder, parsley

Rinse and trim chicken. Coat with spices on all sides. Grill until half-way done, flipping twice. Drizzle each drumstick with honey and let grill. On the George Foreman, this becomes a nice glaze. Do this a few more times, rotating the drumsticks and basting/drizzling with honey until done. Serve with your favorite vegetable and starch.

Better than ______ Brownies

This recipe is a sure-hit for any party, bbq or baking contest. Its won numerous awards (including a contest I created myself, ha ha). One word of caution, if these brownies are left unattended (ie if you "make them for home") they will be gone in one night. For me, these brownies are better than watching The Bachelorette with a bowl of icecream and sweatpants!

Better than _____ Brownies
1 Box of chocolate cake mix - not Devil's Food, preferably the "Triple Chocolate Fudge" from Betty Crocker
1 Egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 bag plus 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour milk and 1 cup chocolate chips in a microwaveable bowl and microwave for 1 minute. In a separate large bowl, mix together oil and egg. Add cake mix and stir until crumbly - mixture will be dryish but should clump together well. Add rest of the chocolate chips to the cake mixture. Press half of the cake mix and chocolate chips into a 9x13 inch baking pan. Stir together the milk and chocolate chips into a fudgy consistency. Pour this on top of the cake mix pressed in the pan. Now its time to get your hands dirty - crumble the rest of the cake mix on top of the fudgy stuff. Essentially this is a layered bar. Bake for 25-27 minutes or until bubbly in the middle and the cake mix parts look crisp. Try to let cool before you cut into 16-20 bars.

I highly recommend this brownie recipe for the next function you have to bring something to. You can also make alternate versions using different flavored chips in the cake mix part, or adding chopped nuts.

Cost = $8.17

Calories = you don't want to know

Penne with Turkey Parmesan Meatballs & Spicy Pepper Tomato Sauce

I don't think I've made pasta in about 18 months - its just not my favorite food. But, combined with ground turkey meatballs and an awesome sauce and you've got yourself a meal! I have always made my own tomato sauce, its pretty simple and cuts out the sugars and fats in jarred sauce.

Turkey Parmesan Meatballs
1 lb ground turkey - 93% lean
1/4 cup bread crumbs - unseasoned
1 egg white
1/4 parmesan cheese
2 tsps tomato sauce
Salt, ground black pepper, basil, oregano & parsley

Mix together all ingredients and form into 1 1/2 inch balls. Grill on the George Foreman for about 8 minutes or until cooked through. Alternatively, cook in a medium sized skillet browning on each side. Once cooked, drain well on a plate covered with paper towels. Makes about 18 meatballs.


Spicy Pepper Tomato Sauce
1 can diced tomatoes
20 slices of hot cherry peppers
Salt, ground black pepper, basil, red pepper flake

Cook all ingredients together in a medium sized sauce pan for 40 minutes or until thickened.


Serve together over penne cooked according to directions on the package - 10-12 minutes in boiling water.

Tuscan Steak Cobb Salad

My favorite cut of beef is a london broil steak. Its often on sale for under $3/lb and its really low in fat. With this recipe, I wanted to use up some of the vegetables that were a couple of days shy of landing in the trash. As I pulled out the avocado, tomato, spinach and gorgonzola cheese - it started to look like a cobb salad!

Tuscan Steak
1 lb London Broil cut of beef
Balsalmic vinegar
Rosemary, red pepper flake, salt and fresh ground black pepper

Season the steak with spices on both sides. Grill until about half-way done and then pour some vinegar over. On the George Foreman this becomes a nice glaze. Add more vinegar two more times before its finished. Total grilling time for medium rare is about 8 minutes

Cobb Salad
2 cups of baby spinach leaves
1 avocado
1 green pepper
1 medium sized tomato
1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese
2 tbs of low-fat balsalmic vinegarette

Wash and roughly chop the avocado, pepper and tomato into large chunks. Arrange on plates with sliced steak with spinach in the middle of the plate and then sections of vegetables, beef and cheese around.

Chicken Tacos with Homemade Salsa

I've never bought ground chicken breast before, but heck it was on sale so I figured I would try it! So on sale, that I got a pound of 99% fat free for only $2.40. We love spicy food and hadn't had tacos in a while - so I thought this would be a great foray into using ground chicken. Ground chicken tacos! Well, once I got home from the grocery store I realized that I hadn't purchased any salsa - usually a staple on the list - but I had purchased tomatoes and green peppers! I guess it was time for another first - homemade salsa!

Chicken Tacos
4 whole wheat healthy small tortillas - I used South Beach's Snack-Size Wraps (only 90 Calories each) http://www.southbeachdiet.com/santafe/products/snack.html
1 lb of ground chicken - look for the 99% fat free kind
Chili powder, salt and ground black pepper
Toppings: Avocado, lettuce, salsa, cheddar cheese

Brown the chicken in a non-stick pan stirring often. Add the spices and cook at least 10 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from pan and transfer onto a paper plate lined with paper towel to absorb the excess fat - yes that 1% will make a difference! Add meat to wrap and top with fresh avocado, lettuce and salsa.


Homemade Salsa
1/4 cup frozen corn (thawed)
1 tomato finely chopped
1/2 green pepper finely chopped
7 slices of hot cherry peppers chopped
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt, pepper, cumin, cilantro, oregano, parsley, and hot pepper flake to taste

Mix the vegetables with the lemon juice and spices. Let rest in the refridgerator for 1/2 hour before serving.

Herb-y Turkey Burgers

I love ground turkey and actually prefer it to ground beef. Usually I buy the package of Purdue 93% lean ground turkey for about $2.24. I make everything from meatloaf to meatballs to burgers and chili. This is a new combo for the turkey burgers. I really wanted to pump up the flavors to create a deep, complicated and rich taste. I like making my own burgers because I can easily separate out a portion for myself and then make the bf's larger! Taking control of your burger....

Herb-y Turkey Burgers
1 lb of ground turkey (93% lean)
1 tbs whole grain dijon mustard
1 tbs honey
1/4 of red onion finely chopped
Spices: thyme, rosemary, parsley, salt & pepper
3 English Muffins toasted
4 slices of Brie cheese

Combine the turkey, mustard, onion and spices until well blended. Be generous with the spices. Portion off into 3 burgers - 1 small and 2 large. Mold each large burger around one slice of brie. Grill for about 10 minutes or until done. Take the burgers off the grill. Drizzle with honey. Add extra cheese to the two larger burgers. Serve on english muffins with your choice of condiments - barbeque sauce, pickles or roasted red peppers are good choices.

Chicken Sausage with Roasted Tomatoes & Corn

I bought a couple of packages of chicken sausage on sale (2 for $5!) and threw them in the freezer for a good back up meal. So, I started defrosting the jalapeno kind in the microwave and looked for other ingredients in the fridge. I had picked up a large container of grape tomatoes which needed to be finished. But what to do with the tomatoes? Too many for salad and quite frankly I was tired of raw tomatoes. Ah ha! Time to roast them in the pan. This meal is really seasonal - the corn, basil and tomatoes are all very summer-y flavors - just mixed up to create a new taste.

2 cups grape tomatoes
2/3 cups frozen or fresh corn
1 package chicken sausage
Basil, salt and ground pepper

Heat a medium sized skillet (I used my regular one, not the non-stick) over medium high heat. Spray with cooking spray and add in the tomatoes. If the corn is frozen, defrost in the microwave for 90 seconds. Let the tomatoes roast in the pan for 3 minutes, add in the spices. Next, slice the chicken sausages length wise but leaving butterflied. Place the sausages face down in the pan with the tomatoes. Cover and just let this roll for about 3 minutes. Flip the sausages over and add the corn. Turn off the heat and leave covered.


Cost:
$4.70

Calories in 1 sausage and 1/2 tomatoes:
251

Steak Pinwheels & Cheesy Baked Potatoes

I love cooking steak (even on the George Foreman), but its hard to find steak in small enough packages - I usually look for less than 1 pound of steak for two of us. At the grocery I noticed .75 lbs of "Brasciole" cut steak, it looked really lean and was less than $4! Not sure what brasciole is, but it looked like two large thin sliced steaks, I figured I could work with that so I grabbed two packages. I already had cheese and baby spinach in the grocery cart - yes, I could make pinwheels that I used to buy pre-made at Stew Leonard's!



Steak Pinwheels
2 Brasciole cut Steaks (or other 1/2 inch thick cut steaks)
1/4 cup feta cheese
1 cup fresh baby spinach
20 slices cherry peppers
Dried oregano, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flake


Spread out one steak on a plate, top with half of the spinach first, then cheese, peppers and spices. Take one end and fold about 1/4 of the way to the other end. Proceed to roll the steak gently and place on the grill. Repeat same process for second steak. Cook about 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Cut each steak in half so it stays folded and serve with the pinwheel up for a lovely presentation.



Cheesy Baked Potatoes
1 large potato
1 small potato
3 pieces of cheese
Spray butter
Dried parsley, salt and pepper


Bake the potatoes in the microwave about 6 minutes on high. Cut each in half. Spray some spray butter, sprinkle with spices. Put a piece of cheese in each potato (2 pieces in the large potato for him) and close the hot potato around the cheese. The cheese melts and makes it really delish - you'll be surprised at how hot the potato gets and how fast the cheese melts.




Meal Cost:
$7.07


Calories in 1/2 steak pinwheel and small cheesy potato:
372.5

His & Her's Sunday Scramble

I really love making breakfast at home on the weekends - its relaxing, rejuvenating and tons healthier and cheaper than eating at a diner. I usually make breakfast sandwiches, but since it was a holiday weekend, I thought I would make something a bit more decadent. This recipe calls for making two separate dishes - one for him and one for her. I would normally suggest just eating a smaller portion, but you can get the same taste with a lot less calories by making a separate egg white version for her.



His Scramble
3 eggs
1 medium potato
2 slices of cheese - or about 1.5 oz of your favorite cheese
10 slices of jarred hot cherry peppers

4 frozen breakfast sausages (thawed and chopped)
Salt
Ground black pepper
Parsley
Crushed red pepper flake

Microwave the potatos for 5 minutes on high. Meanwhile heat a skillet over medium high heat. Scramble the eggs with the spices. Spray the skillet with non-stick spray. Once the potato is done, chop and add to the skillet with the peppers and sausages. Let this saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the egg mixture to the pan and cook about half-way and add the cheese. Turn the burner off and let cook until done.


Her Scramble
3 Egg whites
1/2 potato
6 slices hot cherry peppers
Salt
Ground black pepper
Parsley
Crushed red pepper flake

Cook the potato with the other potato. Heat the skillet over medium high heat. Scramble the egg whites with the spices. Spray the pan with non-stick spray. Chop the potato and add to the pan with the peppers. Let this saute for 2 minutes. Add the egg whites to the pan and cook until done, stirring occasionally.


His Scramble Calories = 610

Her Scramble Calories = 136

Party Kabobs!

So I was invited to a 4th of July party / barbeque, and I started to stress about what to bring. I usually make a salad, but wanted to switch things up. The last time I made a pasta salad it cost me about $12 in ingredients, so my goal was to make something super healthy and a lot less expensive. Here's my recipe for kabobs - if you can't find some ingredients fresh or on sale, just substitute.

Party Kabobs
1 small eggplant
3 not-too-ripe plum tomatoes
2 green peppers
1 small vidalia onion
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
fresh ground pepper
red pepper flake
parsley

Soak about 14 bamboo skewers in water. Chop all the vegetables into one inch cubes and add to a large mixing bowl. Toss the veggies with the olive oil and spices. Use a generous amount of spices to coat the veggies. Skewer the veggies on the bamboo sticks and place in a rubbermaid container for easy transport. Make sure to put the veggies on the grill before the meats - they usually take about 10-15 minutes to cook. Makes about 12-14 skewers.

Cost: $4.86

The Essentials Shopping List

Here are a few things I always have on hand and the best places to buy them!

Trader Joe's:
Balsalmic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Black pepper corns
Dried Herbs - oregano, cumin, basil, parsley, dill, chili powder - just buy all the herbs and spices here
Honey
Quinoa
Rice Noodles
Whole Wheat Couscous
Frozen veggies
Cheeses
Dried fruits and nuts

Grocery Store:
Lemon Juice - buy the store brand from concentrate in the big bottle
Meats
Fresh Veggies
Breads, etc

Happy shopping!

Maniac Marinade Chicken & Crazy Salad

The day after a night out and I'm feeling the need to start cutting back, I turn to a filling salad and grilled chicken. And ladies, if he's still hungry, this is a great opportunity to make a "side plate" with any leftovers that are in the fridge.

Maniac Marinade
2 tbs whole grain mustard
1/4 cup balsalmic vinegar
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp basil
2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp sea salt
fresh ground black pepper

Add all ingredients to a zip-loc bag, add 2 pieces of chicken breast (raw, cleaned and trimmed). Close the zipper and mash it all together until its well mixed. Let rest in the fridge for 4 hours or over night. Grill until done (8 minutes or so).


Crazy Salad
2 cups of greens
10 baby carrots chopped in half
10 olives
1/2 cucumber chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped
2 tbs feta cheese

Mix all ingredients and whatever else you have on hand. Measure out 1 tbsp of salad dressing to top.

Cost: $4.65

Calories in 1 piece chicken and 1/2 salad: 353

Buying meat for 2 people can be really frustrating. This week at the store, chicken breasts were on sale, but you had to buy the large package. And then, the large packages don't have an even number - always 5 or 7 breasts. This time I got a package with 2 larger pieces and 3 small pieces. I made the 2 large ones tonight and the other three I put in another zip-loc bag with a different marinade and stuck in the freezer for another meal.

Pantry Potato Salad

Here is the recipe for a potato salad that I made for dinner the other night. I hadn't gone grocery shopping in a couple of weeks, and this made a super meal made right from the stuff we had on hand.

Pantry Potato Salad

3 medium potatoes
3 eggs
1/4 cup light or fat free mayo
5 slices hot cherry peppers, chopped
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 tbsp relish
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper

Boil the eggs for about 10 minutes and then let cool. Peel them, discard the yolks and rough-chop. Bake the potatoes in the microwave while the eggs are cooking, cook on high about 7 or 8 minutes. Chop the potatoes and combine with the egg whites and place in the freezer while you combine the wet ingredients. When you're combining the rest of the ingredients, be sure to incorporate well so it creates a nice sauce for the potatoes and eggwhites. At this point you can also add any other ingredients you have on hand - some raisins, celery, carrots or fresh green pepper would all be lovely. Retrieve the egg whites and potatoes from the freezer and combine with the sauce. Let sit in the refridgerator for another 5 minutes. Then enjoy with your favorite beer or any other beverage you have on hand!

Asian Chicken with Veggies & Rice Noodles

Asian food can often be really high in calories, but by minimizing the sauces and carbs you can have a healthy dinner. This recipe uses rice noodles and frozen veggies, but you can swap out for brown rice and fresh veggies if you have them.

Asian Chicken:
3/4 lbs of chicken breasts
3 tbs of low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup of lemon juice
3 tsp of hot sauce
Cilantro
Crushed red pepper

Marinate the chicken at least 3 hours or over night. Grill for about 6 minutes or until cooked through.


Rice Noodles:
1/2 package of rice noodles
boiling water

Cook the noodles according to package directions - usually 4-6 minutes in boiling water.


Veggies:
1/2 package frozen stir fry blend

Cook according to package directions. Usually I put frozen veggies on one of our plates and microwave - that way I don't have one more dish to clean.


Create a plate with 1/2 of the plate as veggies, 1/4 as chicken and 1/4 as noodles. Top with 1 tsp of your favorite stir fry sauce.

Cost:
$4.97

Calories in 1 small chicken breast and 1/2 veggies and 1/4 noodles:
413


There are big take aways here: 1. the marinade helps to flavor the meal so you'll use a lot less of the sauce and 2. plating the components separately instead of stirring them all together helps you to focus on eating the veggies and protein first and saving the noodles for later.

Sirloin Tips, Zucchini & Baked Potatoes

I really love this zucchini dish; its cheap, healthy and really yummy. At this time of the year, zucchini is usually on sale for $0.79/lb. I bought some a couple of weeks ago and was a bit worried about what I would do with them. Zucchini can look too healthy and daunting to cook. The first time I made this recipe there weren't any left overs - good sign!

Sirloin tips:
3/4 lb of beef tips (usually sold as stew meat)
Dried parsley
Salt
Ground black pepper

Place the steak on the grill and coat with the spices. Grill on each side until preferred doneness.

Zucchini:
2 Medium Zucchini (or green / yellow squash)
1 tbs Olive Oil
3 tsp Parmesan Cheese
Salt
Ground black pepper
Crushed red pepper

Slice the zucchini on the diagonal (it looks much more luxurious that way!). Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat until warmish. Add the oil and zucchini. Coat with the salt, black pepper and red pepper. Stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently about 6 minutes. Plate and coat with the Parmesan while the zucchini is still hot.

Baked Potatoes:
1 Small potato (about 2 inches in diameter)
1 Large potato

Put the potatoes in the microwave on high for 6-9 minutes or until cooked on the inside.

Calories in 1/3 of the steak, 1/2 zucchini and small potato:
370

Cost of the meal:
$4.79


The biggest take away tonight is about package sizes. Most steak comes in a package that is way too big for two servings - usually over 1.2 pounds. The sirloin tips, often labeled stew beef, usually come in smaller packages - a pound or less - and are usually on sale or a lower price. In this case, the package of beef was $3.99/lb and cost $3.43. Look for a package that doesn't look too fatty and you'll end up with a good steak at a smaller portion for less money.

Man Food Trickery

When you start living with your significant other, a big challenge for women can be weight gain. Let's face it, men need a lot more calories than women do and their eating habits tend to lean more toward pizza and wings than grilled chicken and salad. As a woman, you have one of two choices: tiny portions of man food or choosing a healthier alternative. Or, you can make a healthier version of junk food!

This week I scored on the sales - Nathan's 97% Fat Free Hot Dogs for $2.65, hot dog buns for $1.69 and saurkraut for $1.25. Each hot dog only has 40 calories and each low calorie roll only has 80 calories. Dinner looked really manly and was filling - if he only knew the calorie count!

Hot Dogs & Saurkraut:
4 hot dogs (3 for him and 1 for me)
1/2 package of saurkraut
4 low calorie whole wheat hotdog rolls

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Slice each hot dog almost all the way through lengthwise. Add some nonstick spray to the pan and place the hot dogs slice side down to sear. Let them cook for a couple of minutes and then flip over. Let the skin side sear for about a minute and then place the saurkraut on top of the hot dogs, cover and let come to a boil.


Chopped Leftover Salad:
1 tomato
1 green pepper
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs balsalmic vinegar
ground black pepper
oregano

Chop the tomato and green pepper in bite sized pieces. Add to a medium sized bowl with the vinegar, oil, pepper and oregano. Stir to coat. Let rest in the refridgerator for a half hour. You can also add any other vegetables that you have on hand (carrots, celery, zucchini, etc).


Calories in 1 hot dog and 1/2 of salad:
186

Cost of meal:
$4.65

Now, I'm that much closer to buying a new dress that I want AND seeing the scale drop!

Lemon Pepper Chicken and Taboule

I went to the grocery store today and chicken drumsticks were on sale for $1.13/lb. I'd never cooked drumsticks before, but thought I might as well try for that price. Living in an apartment building with only the George Foreman as my grill, the drumsticks took a lot longer to cook than I thought. But, overall the dish turned out great! My partner was impressed and even went for seconds!

Recipes:

Chicken -
1 lb of Roaster Chicken Drumsticks
2 cups of Lemon Juice (I used from concentrate, it was totally fine)
Parsley, ground black pepper, salt

Marinate the drumsticks in the lemon juice and coat liberally with the pepper, parsley and salt. Let this soak in a ziploc bag for 3 hours or overnight.
Cook the chicken on a grill for 20-25 minutes or until cooked thoroughly.

Taboule -
1/2 cup of bulgur wheat
1/2 cup of water (or stock)
1 small tomatoes chopped
1/2 medium cucumber chopped
1 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tbs of lemon juice
Parsley, salt and pepper
Fresh salad greens (baby spinach or chopped romaine leaves)

Let the bulgur wheat and water soak for 2 hours in a medium sized bowl. Mix in the remaining ingredients and refridgerate covered for another 1/2 hour.

Serve the taboule over the salad greens

Calories per serving (1 drumstick and 1/2 of taboule)
414

Total Cost
$4.35