Category Archives: In The Kitchen
Tasty Tuesdays
GARLIC AND THYME QUINOA PATTIES
Preparation Time – 20 minutes
Cooking Time – 20 minutes
Makes – 20
Ingredients
Method
Notes
If you find it impossible to work with them or shape them, try adding 1 tablespoon of plain flour to make them hold their shape.
Tasty Tuesdays
This is a wonderful side dish for chicken, fish, or any other lean protein. Although I’m not a huge fan of tomatoes, I am a huge fan of garlic. Looks like a win-win to me. This recipe was adapted from Steven Raichlen, the BBQ king.
Garlic Grilled Tomatoes
Directions
1. Cut your tomatoes in half crosswise, season with salt and pepper.
2. In a small frying pan add crushed garlic, olive oil and fresh thyme, cook til golden.
3. Take off the heat and add in grated parmesan cheese.
4. Place your tomato halves cut side down on and oiled grill until you get grill marks, then turn them over with tongs.
5. Spoon the garlic cheese mixture on top and continue cooking.
Tasty Tuesdays
As promised, here’s my second vlog for the Tasty Tuesdays segment. Today we’ll be making… turkey meatballs! I wish I could sincerely apologize for my nerdiness, but I’m really not sorry about it 
Turkey Meatballs (makes 8-10)
Ingredients
1 package of ground turkey (or chicken)
Hamburger seasoning/garlic salt/garlic powder/creole seasoning
Minced garlic
Tomato Sauce
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Supplies
Aluminum Foil
Cookie Sheet
Mixing Bowl
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400° F.
2. Take meat out of package and place into mixing bowl.
3. Season meat with spices and minced garlic. Knead meat with hands until meat is saturated with seasoning.
4. Line cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
5. Mold meat into palm sized balls and place alongside one another on cookie sheet.
6. Place in the oven for 15 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and cover meatballs with tomato sauce, sprinkle mozzarella cheese.
8. Place sheet in the oven again for 5 minutes.
9. Enjoy!
Tasty Tuesdays
As colder weather storms in, I’ve noticed a craving for hot, delicious soup. And I’m not talking about the canned kind. There’s just something better about throwing a bunch of fresh ingredients together, immersed in a delightful and tasty broth. This soup takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, uses four ingredients, and provides you with at least one serving of vegetables.
Spinach & Tortellini Soup
Boxed chicken stock
Fresh cheese tortellini (we used Buitoni)
Bagged baby spinach
Parmesan cheese
Directions
Bring 4 cups stock and 1 cup water to a boil in a large saucepan.
Reduce heat, add a 9-ounce package of tortellini, and simmer until pasta is tender, about 6 minutes.
Stir in a 6-ounce package of baby spinach and cook until just wilted.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle soup into 4 bowls, and shave or grate Parmesan over top.
NUTRITION (per serving) 249 cal, 16 g pro, 36 g carb, 4 g fiber, 5 g fat, 2.5 g sat fat, 839 mg sodium
[recipe adapted from prevention]
Tasty Tuesdays
I thought I’d try something a little different for this post. I enjoy compiling the Tasty Tuesdays segment, but I usually find myself typing out a recipe and posting a picture. Bing, bang, boom- it’s done. Simple, easy… and kind of boring, right?
I thought I’d give this segment a twist and post a vlog (video blog). If all goes well, I plan to do a few posts a month in this format. Here goes. Oh, and I’d like to apologize for my nerdiness ahead of time.
I’d like to thank my mother for this recipe. Keepin’ me healthy away from home
Bread Crumb Chicken Breast Stuffed with Cheese & Asparagus
Ingredients
1 small-medium chicken breast
1-2 slices of provolone cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3-4 spears of asparagus
1 egg or 1/4 cup of egg whites
Tablespoon of bread crumbs
Pinch of garlic salt & cajun seasoning
Supplies
A metal mallet
2 sheets of saran wrap
Pastry brush
3-4 toothpicks
Small bowl (for egg/egg whites)
Glass Baking Tray
Directions (Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 35-40 minutes)
1. Leave chicken breast out to thaw.
2. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Once thawed, wash chicken breast under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
3. Tear two sheets of saran wrap. Place the chicken breast on one sheet; put the second sheet over it.
4. Using the mallet, flatten the chicken breast. Place flattened chicken breast in glass baking tray.
5. Crack egg/pour egg whites into a small bowl. Use pastry brush to spread egg/egg whites on both sides of the chicken breast.
6. Place 1 or 2 slices of provolone cheese and shredded cheddar cheese in the middle of the chicken breast. Wash and cut asparagus stalks in half and place over the cheese.
7. Grab one end of the chicken breast and fold over to meet the other end. (Careful, it may be slippery!) Secure ends with toothpicks.
8. Dab a little more egg/egg white onto the top of the chicken breast. Sprinkle bread crumbs, garlic salt, and cajun seasoning.
9. Place tray in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.
10. Enjoy!
Tasty Tuesdays
I love quinoa and as I’ve mentioned before (here and here) I love anything Italian, especially pizza. Put those two together and you get a nutritious snack featuring the goodness of whole grain packed with fiber and protein, as well as a savory gluten-free snack. What could be better? How about the fact that there are only 144 calories in 3 of these little treats? Sweet jeebus.
Gluten-Free Quinoa Pizza Bites
Ingredients (Makes 24 mini muffin bites)
1 cup uncooked quinoa
2 large eggs
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped (or 2 tablespoons dried)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pizza sauce for dipping
Directions
- Place the quinoa and two cups of water in a covered pot. Bring to boil and then simmer for 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix together all ingredients, except pizza sauce, in a medium mixing bowl.
- Distribute mixture into a greased mini muffin tin, filling each cup to the top (one heaping tablespoon each), and press down gently to compact.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Serve warm with sauce for dipping.
via fitsugar
Tasty Tuesdays
I’m always looking for a way to eat healthy at the office. I came across this pin on Pinterest and had to share. A Mason Jar Salad. Why didn’t I think of this before?
Tasty Tuesdays
Today marks 4lbs down since I began working out vigorously two weeks ago. While the exercise has definitely helped with the poundage and toning up, there’s one aspect everyone seems to shove aside: eating right. When it comes to reaching your health goals, what you put into your body is just as (if not more) important than what you sweat out.
As you can imagine, grilled seasoned chicken breasts, veggies, and salads can start to taste bland after awhile. I’ve had to take some extra time to search for new, healthy recipes. It’s worth it though, especially with the results I’m seeing. My favorite new foods (or grains) are quinoa and pilaf. These are good carbs, and boy do they help you get through those rough workouts.
Here’s one of my favorite recipes adapted from Self Magazine:
Quinoa Pilaf With Pine Nuts
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted in a dry skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown, 2 minutes
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
PREPARATION
- Bring quinoa and broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to low; cover; simmer until quinoa absorbs liquid, about 15 minutes.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to brown, about 6 minutes.
- When quinoa is done, fluff with a fork and transfer to a serving bowl. Stir in onion, pine nuts and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
The skinny
136 calories per serving, 6 g fat (1 g saturated), 16 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein
Me, Cook?
I’m not exactly sure what’s gotten into me lately… in a good way. After flying back to Texas from my Arizona Thanksgiving, I suddenly had the urge to COOK. It must have been those delicious home-cooked meals and hearing about my best friend Ryan’s cooking escapades. Those that know me know that this is not an area I usually dabble in, but I felt the need to give it a whirl.
Baking, yes. I love baking. Muffins, cupcakes, cookies, cakes, bread… you name it, I’ll bake it. But for some reason, cooking has never really appealed to me. I look at recipes and see ingredients like “shallots” and think to myself, “What in the world is that?” I couldn’t even begin to guess.
I have recently discovered that it’s not so much the cooking that is unappealing. It’s actually shopping for the ingredients. I tend to get extremely lost in grocery stores, wandering down multiple aisles two or three times because I usually miss an ingredient or two… or five. I know that, eventually, this will get better with time. The more time I spend in one grocery store, the more likely I am to familiarize myself with the exact aisles and locations of everything I need.
On Monday evening after work, I decided to brave the traffic and crowds and stroll over to HEB. My grocery list was all over the place and it took me awhile to figure out where everything was, but eventually I found it all. I rushed home and started cooking right away because I was starving. Note to self: Shop for ingredients the night before so you have everything you need for dinner the next evening.
Now, I will give myself credit for one thing. I am great at multi-tasking (or as my coworkers know it as, rapid-toggling) which allows me to cook a number of things at one time without the mess of overflowing pots and a burnt smelling stove-top. This came in handy for this particular recipe because you have to do a few things at one time in order for it to turn out right. It does take 45 minutes to cook, but trust me, it is well worth the wait when it’s done. Thank you to my Mom for providing me with this wonderful recipe
Drumroll please…
STUFFED SHELLS (makes 18)
You will need:
- 1/2 package of Barilla jumbo pasta shells
- 1 jar (27 oz) tomato basil spaghetti sauce
- 1 egg
- 1 container (15 oz) of ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 box of frozen chopped spinach (or half a bag)
To Cook:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook jumbo pasta shells and drain.
- Cook spinach in water (about 5 minutes) and drain.
- Stuffing: Beat egg in a bowl, then stir in the ricotta cheese, 1 3/4 cup mozzarella, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, and spinach.
- Spread tomato basil spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a clear, glass Pyrex rectangular baking dish.
- After shells have cooled off a little, fill them with the stuffing (in step 4) and place them in the baking dish.
- Pour the rest of the sauce over the shells and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the shells.
- Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
- Uncover the dish and bake again for 5 minutes.
& Voila! You have yourself a delicious meal. This truly is every cheese lover’s dream. And if you’re a lovely, single lady (or chap) like myself, you’ll have plenty of leftovers for lunch and dinner. If you want a less vegetarian version, try adding meat or sausage in the stuffing mix. I prefer it without meat, it tastes quite delicious. Happy Cooking!
Baker’s Street
If there is such a place as Baker’s Street, I undoubtedly should move there. Although I do not cook (ever), I absolutely love to bake. After the hitting the gym everyday this week (sometimes multiple times per day), I realized how hungry I had become. While salads and veggies are healthy and quite filling, sometimes what you really need is a delectable, fluffy treat. Sunday is the perfect day to write and to bake. Looks like I’ve got both down.
Last week I made crepes. Today I made banana bread. And let me just tell you… it is DELICIOUS. I wish I could say I made it from scratch, but then I’d be lying. I found this amazing mix from the Central Market down the street from my house. I’m guessing it is organic because everything in the store is labeled so. All you need are 2 eggs, 1/3 cup of vegetable oil, 2/3 cup of water, and the banana bread mix. Spray some non-stick spray in a loaf pan, pour it in, and stick in the oven for 50 minutes at 350 degrees. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself eating the most moist, rich banana bread.
In other news, my mother is coming to visit me in late February! I honestly could not be more excited! I have missed her so much and am thrilled I get to show her around my lovely little city. Now, if only the month of February could fly by…
More later. Ciao.
