Wild Rice Pilaf

Recently I hosted a girls' dinner at my place with a menu of chicken breasts stuffed with prosciutto and asiago cheese, roasted asparagus, and this rice pilaf that stole the show. I think everyone at the table went back for seconds! See the website link for a picture, I forgot to take one!

REVIEW: This recipe got rave reviews on allrecipes.com which is usually a good sign, and it didn't disappoint. It was sweet, salty, crunchy, and starchy all in one scoop. Definitely use fresh parsley in this recipe, I made it again for Christmas dinner with dried and it was missing something for sure. I liked that this recipe was easy to make and can be made the morning of the party then reheated in the oven.

RECIPE:
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups wild rice
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup almonds, slivered
1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced
1 tbsp butter
canola oil
salt & pepper

Bring 1/2 cup vegetable broth to a boil. Add golden raisins, remove from heat, cover and set aside. Prepare wild rice according to package directions, adding a tbsp butter to the water. You made need more or less broth than the recipe calls for depending on the type of rice you get. While rice is cooking, heat a small amount of oil in a skillet on medium heat. Toast almonds in oil until they are a light brown color. When rice is done, combine it with fresh parsley, almonds, and golden raisins. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes 10 servings. (per serving: 230 cals, 6g fat, 38g carbs, 10g protein)

Warm-You-Up Meal in TX...Not Quite Right

Terrible photo, yummy mac & cheese with tomato-basil soup! This time of year I usually make fun of the southern folk who, as soon as November hits, don their sweaters, furry boots, and scarfs NO MATTER WHAT temperature it is outside. Well, now I did basically the same shameful thing but with food. I decided to make a cozy comfort dish sure to warm me up, but seeing it was a 75 deg day, it was totally inappropriate. But no less delicious! For the soup I had an interesting time trying to get the soup to stay in the blender and not splatter hot liquid all over the place. This is the first time I've made anything but smoothies in my new blender, so there must be a trick to it. One thing that helped was pureeing only 1/2 the mixture at a time.


REVIEW: Mac & cheese to me is kinda boring. It's noodles & cheese made for picky kids who refuse to eat normal food, so what? Haha. This gourmet version from Cooking Light totally changed my mind. I paired it with a creamy tomato basil soup (also Cooking Light) that my bf and I could not get enough of. Would've been perfect on a cold night.

RECIPE (3-cheese mac & cheese):

1 medium onion, chopped fine

2 tbsp flour

1 1/2 cups 1% milk

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

3/4 cup fresh parmesan cheese, shredded

2/3 cup low-fat mozarella cheese, shredded

2/3 cup plain breadcrumbs

2 cups whole-wheat pasta (I used mini shells)

salt & pepper

olive oil

Sautee onion and garlic in skillet with olive oil med-high heat for 8-10minutes. Add flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk and bay leaf, bring to boil. Cook 2 minutes until thick, stirring constantly with whisk. Stire gorgonzola and parmesan until completely melted. Discard bay leaf. Preheat oven to 375F. Cook pasta in boiling water until almost tender, drain, then add to cheese mixture. Coat baking dish with cooking spray, spread mac & cheese in pan. Sprinkle breadcrumbs, pepper, and parmesan on top. Bake for 25 minutes. Makes 6 servings. (per serving: 321 cals, 10g fat, 41g carbs, 17g protein)

RECIPE (tomato-basil soup):

4 large tomatos, peeled and seeded

4 cups tomato juice (low sodium if you can find it)

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped fine

1 cup 1% milk

4 oz low-fat cream cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Bring tomatos and tomato juice to a boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 mins. Puree tomato mixture and basil in blender or food processor. Return puree to pan, stir in milk, salt and pepper, cream cheese. Whisk and simmer med-high heat until cheese is melted and soup is thick. Serve with crusty bread. Makes 8 servings, 1 cup soup 1 slice bread for each. (per serving: 133 cals, 4.4g fat, 19g carbs, 5g protein)

The Healthiest Meal Ever (that actually tastes great!)

Haha, I love how I'm posting this right after my "meat 'n' potatoes" meal. But nevertheless, lately I've been trying to do my body right by eating more natural and vegetarian. Not sure how long I'll last before I crave a juicy burger, but it's 3 weeks in and I'm doing ok! The most fun part has been finding creative ways to get the same amount of protein I used to consume on my low carb diet. With so many resources out there, and several stores close by that carry a variety of natural ingredients, it hasn't been as hard as I expected. While searching allrecipes.com this week, I ran across this quinoa salad that got rave reviews AND packed almost 30g protein! I read about all the benefits of quinoa but had never tried it so this was my first time cooking it. Tastes pretty much like rice but less starchy, it might be bland on its own but mixed in with yummy flavors here, it was perfect.

REVIEW: I will be making this recipe again for sure, but I may try different veggies next time to change it up. It seems to be very versatile. Start to finish took me about 30mins, 1 pan, and it was easy! In Cooking Light I read that if you're stir frying tofu, you should press it between two towels (paper or cloth) with a weight on top for about 20-30 mins to squeeze out all the extra moisture. I've only made tofu twice and I did that both times, so I can't say what would happen if you didn't, but I bet the tofu would crumble during all the stirring.

RECIPE:
1 block extra-firm tofu, cubed
3/4 cup quinoa, uncooked
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup corn, fresh or canned or frozen all work
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 can black beans
1 tsp cumin
dash cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Heat canola oil in skillet on med-high heat. Sautee tofu cubes, onion, garlic, bell pepper for 8-10mins until onions are transluscent and tofu is slightly brown on edges. Add vegetable broth and quinoa, cumin, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Mix together and bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered for 20mins. Add corn, black beans, and cilantro and mix until heated through. Serve! Makes 6 large servings. (per serving: 400 cals, 6g fat, 30g carbs, 26g protein)

Nothin' Like Some Meat & Potatoes...

Sometimes you just have a craving for a meat and potatoes dinner. With Hurricane Ike looming upon us this past Saturday night, I decided to cook a meal that "sticks to your ribs"....you know, in case we got flattened by 85 mph winds and flooded by 8ft waves (none of which happened, although the weather people made sure you thought it would!).

This was my first attempt at cooking steak. I don't eat it much, so when I do I'll simply go to the numerous steakhouses on hand and satisfy my craving. Not knowing what I was picking out at the store didn't help. Luckily for me, Target had a sign posted that told me which cut was best for what. It was like "Steak for Dummies"! I ended up choosing a top sirloin 8oz steak to share.

REVIEW:

The best part of the meal was the mushroom-onion sauce that was drizzled over the top. With rich flavors of balsamic vinegar, garlic, and red wine, it complemented the meat soooo well. A side of baked sweet potato and sauteed broccoli completed the meal and (maybe) made up for the not-so-healthy side effects of beef.

RECIPE:8 oz top sirloin steak

garlic salt

pepper

Mushroom Glaze: (also from Cooking Light mag, slightly modified)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced (any kind works)

1 tsp thyme

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp red wine (basically just splashed it in the pan until it tasted good)

salt & pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350F. Sprinkle steaks with garlic salt and pepper on both sides. I also added meat tenderizer just in case my handy Target sign steered me wrong. Cover baking pan with aluminum foil (to catch the drippings), put rack on top of foil, and set steak on rack. Bake for 15mins, check on how it's cooking, then 10-15mins more until it reaches desired doneness. I really don't like overdone steak so I think checking it in the middle helps. While steak is cooking, heat 1 tsp EVOO in skillet on med-high heat. Sautee garlic 30 sec, then add mushrooms, thyme, salt & pepper. Saute until mushrooms are tender. Stir in balsamic vinegar, red wine and simmer until liquid is almost completely reduced. Serve over steaks with side dishes. Makes 2 servings. (per serving: 326cals, 11g fat, 23g carbs, 35g protein)

Spicy Thai Shrimp

Cooking Light magazine had a special section on "Dinners for Two" this past month. (Side note: When I was single, I probably would have called this discrimination and pouted for a few days before trying one of the recipes. Funny how attitudes change... :) My boyfriend was the lucky 2nd for my dinner experiments two nights in a row!

One recipe in the magazine that jumped out at me was a simple sauteed shrimp dish with some thai flavor. Yes, another Asian-themed meal! I'm still having fun trying out all the different ingredients and flavors . The recipes are neverending!

REVIEW:

Super easy and not very much prep time. Go easy on the red curry paste as a little goes a long way. The coconut milk balanced out the hotness and made the sauce so creamy. I served over my favorite sushi rice and with a side of broccoli. Bok choy or snap peas might have been a more appropriate side dish, but whatever works! Not sure what two people can eat this much food, because after he and I were stuffed I still had a sizable lunch to bring today. Reheated it tasted delicious.

RECIPE:
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon red curry paste
1 teaspoon sugar (I used one packet Splenda)
16 ounces large raw shrimp (frozen or fresh)
1/3 cup light coconut milk
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil (dried works fine too)

If you are using frozen shrimp, defrost in a bowl of icewater for 10 mins, then drain off all excess water and ice. Heat canola oil in large skillet on med-high heat. Add onion and curry paste, mix and sautee together for 4-5 mins. Add shrimp and sautee 3-4 mins (cook until the tails touch the body, then you know they're done). Pour in coconut milk and fish sauce, add sugar, basil and green onion. Mix until hot, only a minute or so, you don't want the shrimp to get rubbery! Makes 2 servings plus a lunch. (per serving: 255cals, 8g fat, 36g protein, 10g carbs...with rice add 386 cals per cup)

Asian Flair Chicken Pasta Salad

I wasn't sure how this salad would come out so I wasn't planning on posting it, but it turned out great! I'm packing it along with the mini cheesecakes for the fireworks show tomorow night. Everyone around us with their fancy Whole Foods takeout will be jealous. ;)

REVIEW: Healthy, tasty, and simple. If you haven't noticed by now, that's the theme of my blog and this dish fits it perfectly. The Asian flavors created by the sesame seeds, soy sauce, and ginger really wake up the otherwise basic pasta salad ingredients. And of course it has cilantro - my favorite!

RECIPE:

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
16oz whole wheat pasta
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup rice vinegar (don't use regular!)
3 tbsp white sugar
1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 tsp ginger, minced fresh or ground
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1/4 cup carrot, shredded
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup green onion, chopped
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted optional
salt and pepper to taste

Marinate chicken with a coating of cooking spray, soy sauce, salt and pepper, and cook whichever way you prefer. I usually broil at 500F 8-10 minutes on each side until breast is cooked through, this seems to add a little crisp to the outside while keeping the chicken juicy on the inside. While chicken is cooling off, prep broccoli, green onion, cilantro, and carrot. Saute broccoli with cooking spray in a skillet over med-high heat for 5-7 minutes. In an airtight container mix together soy sauce, rice vinegar, oil, sugar, ginger, sesame seeds, and pepper and shake well. Toss soy sauce mixture with pasta until lightly coated. Dice chicken and add to pasta along with broccoli, carrot, green onion and cilantro. Add more salt and pepper if needed. Makes 10 servings. (per serving: 350cals, 15g fat, 16g protein, 38g carbs)

4th of July Mini Cheesecakes

In celebration of 4th of July coming up, I made these mini cheesecakes topped with fresh raspberries and blueberries (I so love summer berry season!) for a picnic under the fireworks I'm going to tomorrow.

REVIEW: Great for cheesecake freaks like me who can't control themselves when faced with an entire pie. :) These took me about an hour and a half to make start to finish. If I had more than one mini muffin tin it would've taken me less than an hour. There were a lot of recipes out there that said to use vanilla wafers as a crust, but I can be a cheesecake snob here (it's my blog, so there) and assert that nothing substitutes for graham cracker crust! The trickiest part was getting the crust onto the bottom of the liner, but I seem to remember having that problem when making a big pie too, so I guess that's the drawback to a deliciously wonderful graham cracker crust. Oh and make sure not to fill the liners too much or you can't fit the fruit on top (see pic above).

RECIPE:

2 8oz packages Neufchatel cheese, softened

2 eggs

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup butter, melted

fresh fruit topping

Heat oven to 325F. Line mini muffin tin with liners. Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter until it sticks together. Flatten 1/4" layer of graham cracker mixture in bottom of each muffin tin liner. Mix cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until well-blended. Add eggs and blend well. Spoon in cheesecake filling on top of graham cracker layer almost to the top of the liner. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes, top with fruit and refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes about 40 mini cheesecakes. (per serving: 95cals, 5gfat, 1g protein, 12g carbs)

Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Creation

Getting dressed and leaving my place to grocery shop was the last thing I wanted to do on this lazy Saturday morning. Being that my fridge was completely empty besides one lonely tomato I had to get creative when making lunch. I am a big believer of having certain staples always available in the freezer, two of these being cooked shrimp and chopped spinach. I made this in about 30 minutes and I'm rather proud of how it turned out.

RECIPE:

10 oz whole wheat penne rigate pasta

2 cups frozen shrimp, thawed in a bowl of cold water

1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed

1/2 cup sundried tomatos, jarred in oil and coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 vegetable bullion cube

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

1 cup water

dash salt and pepper

parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, mince garlic and chop tomato. Heat skillet at med-high heat and coat with cooking spray. sautee garlic and red pepper flakes for a few minutes, then add 1 cup of water and 1/2 bullion cube, spinach, tomato, salt and pepper. Mix well and simmer on low until pasta finishes cooking. Mix shrimp, pasta and skillet mixture together, sprinkle with toasted pine nuts, parmesan cheese and serve.

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

Simple and delicious side dish you can make any night of the week in 15 mins. I had some leftover prosciutto from making my friend's awesome goat cheese bombs for a girls night, so I was looking for ways to use the rest of it. I've never used prosciutto before but I've had it in restaurants. After wandering around the grocery store searching for this mystery meat, I finally realized that they sell it at the deli like ham - duh! The asparagus comes out perfectly cooked and prosciutto is crispy like bacon. Yum!

RECIPE:

-Heat oven to 450F

-Wrap one-inch wide slices of prosciutto around the asparagus spears, leaving the heads exposed

-Spray baking sheet with cooking spray

-Place wrappd spears on baking sheet, sprinkle with pepper (no salt needed, the prosciutto is salty enough) and coat with olive oil or more cooking spray

-Bake 10 minutes, flip spears over after 5

Each prosciutto slice is about 50 cals and 2g fat, and asparagus is pretty much calorie-free!

Gazpacho Soup

Ahhh Gazpacho - the perfect summer soup! Gazpacho is widely popular in Spain and Portugal, and is served chilled as a refreshing meal. I do like tomato-based soups, as seen from previous posts, and when I saw this recipe in my Fitness magazine for only 215 cals per serving, I had to try it.

REVIEW: I made this soup pretty much per the recipe exactly, which is rare (the more cooking I do the more I like to tweak recipes!) and it turned out really well. Okay I did make one change, I ran out of tomato juice at 6 cups (even though i thought i had way too much by buying the enormous can) and added water to make it the right consistency. This soup works well to make at the beginning of the week, as it can be chilled in the fridge for several days and nothing will go mushy or stale, actually the flavors will blend together deliciously over a few days. I had it chilled in the fridge for an entire night and day before eating, and I noticed that the flavor changed, I ended up adding more salt and hot sauce to spice it up. I also defrosted some cooked salad shrimp to up the protein (although it's not reflected in the nutrition stats).

RECIPE:

1/2 cup EVOO

4 tablespoons lemon juice

8 cups organic tomato juice

4 large ripe tomatos, cubed

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

4 stalks celery, diced

1 large yellow or green bell pepper, diced

1 medium cucumber, diced

1 cup corn (frozen or canned or fresh)

small bunch cilantro, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

hot sauce to taste

sliced avocado (optional topping)

In a large (and I mean BIG) serving bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Pour in tomato juice and stir to mix. Add vegetables and cilantro. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or preferably overnight. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and hot sauce before serving. Garnish with sliced avocado and serve. (per serving: 215 cals, 14g fat, 4g protein, 22g carbs, 3g fiber)

Grilled Tilapia, Avocado-Orange Salad, Lime Vinaigrette

My condo HOA has finally used our money for something besides the lame "exercise" pool and repaving the parking lot...they bought us two huge fancy grills for us to use! I've never owned a grill besides the tiny propane one I take camping, but I love the flavor of grilled foods, so I'm eager to learn this skill. I made my first attempt last night with tilapia!

REVIEW: This was super easy, which worked for me since I wanted to start simple. The only problem I had was the tilapia sticking to the aluminum foil, which my helpful co-worker said can be solved by buying one of these. I thought the lime vinaigrette had good flavor, but it called for a whole cup of EVOO...isn't vinaigrette supposed to be light? I didn't use that much and used more lime juice but it still seemed heavy to me. The salad was a good side for the fish, and I added couscous to round out the meal.

RECIPE:

fish:

3-4 tilapia fillets

olive oil

1 tsp red pepper flakes

salt & pepper

avocado-orange salad:

1 14oz can mandarin oranges, drained

4 cups baby spinach

2 ripe avocados, pitted and sliced

1/4 cup crumbled feta or blue cheese

lime vinaigrette:

1 tsp lime zest

1 1/2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp orange juice

1 cup olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Combine lime vinaigrette ingredients into leak-proof container and shake well, then refrigerate. Season the tilapia filets with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil. Heat grill to medium-high heat and cook filets 4-5 minutes on each side. Really watch it (i.e. don't go play a round of flip cup after you throw them on) so you don't over cook this delicate fish! Combine the salad ingredients and toss with lime vinaigrette. Serve each filet with a generous side of salad and drizzle with more vinaigrette.

10 Step Chicken Parmesan

Easy & quick favorite! Most of the ingredients people would have around the house already and it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. Make it healthy by using reduced-fat cheese, whole wheat pasta, and heart-healthy pasta sauce. Serve with a big salad or side of green vegetables instead of the usual garlic bread or potatoes.

Ingredients:

1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

italian herb flavored bread crumbs

parmesan cheese

1 egg, beaten

olive oil

shredded mozarella cheese

1 jar spaghetti sauce, such as Ragu

pasta of choice

1. Pound 1lb boneless chicken breasts to 1/4" thickness.
2. Mix parmesan cheese with breadcrumbs (25/75 ratio)
3. Heat olive oil in large skillet on medium-high.
4. Dip chicken in raw egg.
5. Coat chicken in breadcrumbs mixture - you can do this by spreading crumbs on a plate and laying chicken down on it one side at a time, or you can put both the crumbs and chicken in a ziploc and shake it until fully coated. (I prefer option #1)
6. Carefully place chicken breasts in skillet and cook 3-4 minutes on each side.
7. Spread a layer of pasta sauce on bottom of glass baking dish.
8. Place chicken breasts on top of sauce, and add another layer of sauce on top, then top with shredded cheese and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
9. Bake chicken at 350F for 35 minutes, until cheese and sauce are bubbly.
10. Cook pasta per package directions.

Serve chicken over pasta with a couple of side dishes and it's a great meal!

Tomato Vodka Pasta

This is an easy, delicious pasta dish that I've made several times and everyone likes it, despite the fact that it's a meatless dish. It seems to work with all kinds of pasta, but this was the first time I tried the whole wheat kind. I have to admit grudgingly that using whole wheat wasn't QUITE as good as the processed, bleached, gloriously starchy kind. :) Serve with a side of vegetables or a spinach salad, and if you so choose, crusty bread and butter!

REVIEW: As in most pasta sauces, the fresher the ingredients, the better the taste. You MUST use fresh basil and garlic in this recipe or you'll lose a lot of flavor. Given more time to prep, I'd like to try pureeing fresh tomatoes rather than using the canned kind. This is one of those dishes that impresses your friends without a lot of stove-slaving. Love it.

RECIPE:

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 shallots, minced

1 cup vodka

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 32oz can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream

20 leaves fresh basil, shredded coarsely

16 oz whole-wheat pasta

salt and pepper

olive oil

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and shallots in olive oil 3-5 minutes. Add vodka to pan and simmer until vodka is reduced by half, 2-3 minutes. Add chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring sauce to bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. While sauce simmers, cook pasta in boiling water according to directions on package. While pasta cooks, prepare side dishes. Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to bubble, remove from heat. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves and serve.

Mango Salsa

I made the previously posted seared sesame tuna again, but this time added a mango salsa as a topping and sauteed bok choy instead of mustard greens as a side dish. The mango salsa turned out so great that I had to post it! It was very fresh and citrusy, with a little kick from poblano pepper. It can be made up to 4 hours ahead of time (keep refrigerated and tightly covered) to let the flavors mingle together. I think it'd work with any kind of white fish, I especially want to try it in fish tacos!

1 ripe mango, peeled and diced

1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup poblano pepper, diced fine

1/4 cup red onion, diced fine

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

dash salt

Combine the mango, poblano, red bell pepper, onion, and garlic in a bowl and stir to combine. Add the vinegar, cilantro, and salt, and stir well.

UPDATE: I made fish tacos with this mango salsa for a light lunch. Season tilapia fillets with salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne and broil them in the oven for 5 minutes on each side. Wrap shredded tilapia, 3 slices avocado, and a splash of lime juice in a whole wheat tortilla. Fresh and tasty!

Where to buy cheap Asian ingredients...

I forgot to mention....after spending a lot of cash at the local fancy market (similar to Whole Foods) for specific Asian ingredients, I discovered that you can buy this stuff online for much cheaper! I recently ordered from www.pacificmercantile.com and got all the non-produce ingredients I needed to host my soon-to-come sushi making party along with some really cool serving platters and dishes.

Shrimp & Tofu Pad Thai

Continuing my Asian theme, which I am getting into more and more lately, I was craving my favorite dish at Pei Wei today, Tofu & Shrimp Pad Thai, so I decided to attempt it myself! It turned out really really good! It was more flavorful than Pei Wei's version for sure and had the same kick. I am proud of it. :)

REVIEW: Once I had collected all the right ingredients, I think the recipe was pretty easy. By far the hardest ingredient to find was the talamarind sauce. My curiosity dictated that I had to research it on Wikipedia; apparently it's a tree and the fruit makes the sauce, in case you were wondering. Getting the proportions right was tricky, I think I had way too much noodles in proportion to the other ingredients but I'm a carb-o-phobe, and I would use more tofu next time, but overall it turned out awesome...even my (slightly inebriated) neighbor came over to taste and agreed with me! To quote him, "Youss rocked thish, arlishhhhaaa." :-D

RECIPE:
4 oz vermicelli, Japanese "rice sticks" noodles
10 oz firm tofu, cut into bite-sized slices
8 oz frozen shrimp
2 shallots (I used leftover pearl onions), chopped
1/2 cup scallions, sliced small
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup peanuts, coarsely chopped
2 cups bean sprouts
1 egg
2 tsp grated ginger

Sauce:
1 cup tamarind sauce
1 cup fish sauce
1/3 cup sugar
chili sauce to taste

Soak the noodles in a bowl of warm water. Make sauce by combining tamarind sauce, fish sauce and sugar over medium heat. Add chili sauce to taste (I used about 4 tsp but as mentioned previously, I am a wimp) and simmer until fully mixed, then turn off and let sauce rest.

Heat olive oil in skillet or wok. Sautee tofu, garlic, and onion until onions are translucent and tofu is crispy brown at the edges. Add noodles to skillet and pour enough sauce to coat skillet contents. Cook until noodles are soft, then push to side and add egg to skillet to cook until hard. Chop cooked egg and mix into rest of ingredients. Add bean sprouts, cilantro, scallions, shrimp, peanuts, and ginger to mixture. Add more sauce if necessary. Simmer for a few minutes until all are well coated by the sauce. Serve in bowl with fresh lime squeezed on top.

Homemade Protein Bars

Have you ever tried one of those store bought protein bars that costs $3 and leaves that nasty metallic taste in your mouth? Here's an alternative: homemade protein bars! Each one has 11g of protein and they taste sooo much better without all that processing.

REVIEW: These are really easy to make, and are filling and tasty. Perfect for when you're starving leaving work but don't want to eat too much before you work out. There is a distinct flavor of protein powder in these, so if you don't like the taste of your protein powder, you'll hate these. I have discovered Dymatize Elite brand which tastes delicious, even in bar form. I recommend the cafe mocha and rich chocolate flavors! Also, I could not find nonfat dry milk like the original recipe said, so I used buttermilk powder which is low in fat and worked fine.

RECIPE:
1 1/2 dry oatmeal
2 scoops chocolate whey protein powder
2 tbsp flaxseeds
1 cup cultured buttermilk powder
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup water
raisins or dried fruit

Spray 8x11 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine oatmeal, whey powder, flaxseeds, and powdered milk in a large bowl. Add peanut butter, vanilla, and water to create a sticky dough mixture. Knead in dried fruit. Spread mixture in pan evenly, using wet hands or spatula. Freeze for 1 hours or refrigerate overnight. Cut into squares and wrap individually to grab on the go. Makes 12 servings. (per serving: 200 cals, 5g fat, 11g protein, 25g carbs)

Onigri (Japanese Rice Balls)

Today I finally got around to making the delicious snack I had while on vacation in Tokyo! They sold these cute little rice balls in 7-11 all wrapped up in cellophane and ready to go. It took a little research but I found the official name and a recipe to make my attempt.

REVIEW: Using the right amount of rice and shaping them into triangles was tricky, but the rest of the process was easy.These are very portable, healthy snacks that are simple to make.

RECIPE: I followed the instructions on this website http://www.justhungry.com/2007/01/onigiri_omusubi_revisited_an_e.html and used canned tuna seasoned with salt, pepper, dill, and soy sauce. along with my now perfected (ha) sushi rice.

Spicy Chicken Tomato Bean Soup

A soup like this is PERFECT for a chilly night when I'm in my PJ's watching a movie! I'm nursing a bit of a cold, so I wanted to make something that would warm me up and treat my body right. This recipe is so flexible, once you have the base, you can add any veggies or spices you want to it. The chicken and beans in it made it a filling meal rather than just a first course.

REVIEW: The soup came out very flavorful, and I added just enough kick for me with cayenne pepper and a few drops of Louisiana hot sauce. I love love love cilantro so I chopped up about half the big bunch I bought at the store and threw it in there. Topping choices are endless...avocado, fat free sour cream or nonfat plain yogurt (i swear they taste the same to me), tortilla chips, shredded cheese.

RECIPE:

2 cans low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

1lb chicken breasts

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

14oz can diced tomatos

1 can condensed "healthy request" tomato soup

1/2 bag frozen corn

14oz can black beans

14oz can garbanzo beans
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

ground black pepper

dried parsley

chili powder

cayenne pepper

tobasco sauce

nonfat plain yogurt

avocado slices
shredded cheddar cheese

In a large soup pot over medium heat, combine chicken breasts, chicken broth, water, garlic, onion, parsley. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 1 hour, or until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken and shred (use two forks to pull chicken apart), then add back to soup pot along with the diced tomatos, tomato soup, black beans, garbanzo beans, corn. Add chili powder, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce according to taste. Simmer on low for 30 mins. Top with a dollop of yogurt, shredded cheese, and sliced avocado before serving. Serves 8.

Spinach, Artichoke & Feta Lasagna

Ok, if I were to have a "Best of Beyond PB&J" category ('cause I'm cool like that), this would DEFINITELY be in it. This turned out soooo delicious, for how easy and healthy it is. I just ate the huge piece pictured here, and I'm seriously considering having another one before the night is over. Don't judge, you would too! :)

REVIEW: It's been a long time since I've had veggie lasagna, and I was afraid this one would turn out bland, but it didn't. It rocked. I really have nothing else to say...oh except I forgot to get "marinated" artichokes, but I really don't think it made a bit of difference.

RECIPE:

9 oz whole wheat oven-ready lasagna noodles
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5oz) can vegetable broth
3 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 (14oz) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
1 (10oz) package frozen spinach, thawed
1 (28oz) "heart healthy" pasta sauce w/ mushrooms
4 oz fat-free feta
8 oz reduced-fat mozarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350F. Coat a 9x13 pan and a large skillet with cooking spray. Saute onion and garlic in skillet for 3 minutes until tender. Stir in vegetable broth and oregano; bring to a boil. Stir in artichoke hearts and spinach; reduce heat, cover and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in pasta sauce. Spread 1/4 of the artichoke mixture in the bottom of the prepared baking dish; top with 3 lasagna noodles. Make sure the noodles are completely coated with the sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over noodles. Repeat layers 2 more times, ending with artichoke mixture and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle crumbled feta on top. Bake, covered, for 40 minutes. Uncover, and bake 15 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Serves 8. (per serving: 427 cals, 5g fat, 24g protein, 40g carbs)