*baked chicken and potatoes* April 20, 2009

I have been trying to keeping my meals relatively easy with few ingredients and this meal really required a few more ingredients and steps. I took it head on. I went on my usual publix trip, but this time I also picked up eggs, low-fat bread crumbs, a blend of herbs and spices, a chipotle spice, yukon gold potatoes, along with whole chicken breasts.

I really hate working with raw meat, but I sucked it up and cut off any excess fat from the chicken. Then I drenched them in the eggs that I beat up and then covered them in the crazy mixture of the bread crumbs and all the herbs and spices (I really loaded it on there!). And while the oven was still pre-heating to 400 degrees, I washed off the potatoes and cut out any spots that were questionable. I dried them off and covered them with just enough tin foil so that no potato was showing through.

Then the easy part…stick it all in the oven. The good thing about the potatoes is that there is no specific time for the perfect potato. Sometimes I leave them in there for two to two and half hours. But this time I just left them in about 45 minutes while the chicken cooked thoroughly. When I finally pulled it out, (the kitchen smelled so good!) I slightly mashed the potatoes some and added a little low-fat I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, some pepper (I don’t really care for salt), and some pinches of an herb/spice blend for a little extra flavor. I was also thinking garlic would have been a great flavor to add, on both the chicken and the potatoes. I might try that next time.

I was really surprised how easy it was to bake chicken. Although the clean up took a little more time than usual, it was worth it. I am so happy I have found some staple meals that are both healthy and quick (for the most part). I am not a horrible cook!

SPAGhetti! April 18, 2009

Personally, spaghetti is not one of my favorite meals. Alone, the sauce and the noodles just taste plain and slimy. But at the request of my boyfriend and roommates, I made my own version. I knew that if I was going to make spaghetti that it had to have meat in the sauce! To make it a healthier version, I used lean ground turkey meat (the same meat I used for “turcos”). It is more expensive, so occassionally I will use ground beef.

To start out, I cooked the meat and seasoned as it was cooking. I used parsley and a mix of ground herbs and spices for a hearty italian flavor. As the meat was cooking, I had the spaghetti noodles in some boiling water (seasoned with salt and a couple drops of olive oil — so the noodles wouldn’t stick together). When the meat was thoroughly cooked, I through in some sauce (yes, from a jar). I like this though because I can use a flavored sauce and it can be different each time I make it. I let the sauce simmer with the meat in it, in hopes it might take some of the flavor from it. And it did! When I was to serve, I just put the right amount of noodles in a bowl and topped them with deliciousness. This was a big hit with the boys. And for the girls, I added a little garden salad (from a publix brand bag) that I topped with some cucumbers and carrots. YUM!

The feedback was just for next time I should make some garlic bread. (which will probably be a publix brand frozen bread to stick in the oven) For a healthier version, I might consider using a loaf of wheat or oat bran bread and simply putting a low fat butter substitute and chopped or powdered garlic.

chicken salad:) April 16, 2009

This is one of my favorite meals ever. I tend to order grilled chicken Caesar salads just about everywhere I go. For my version, I made the process just about as simple as I could. I buy a package of pre-washed, cut romaine lettuce along with pre-cooked, cut chicken. Delicious. When the time comes for me to make dinner or lunch and eat, I just pull out the lettuce and chicken and put it on a plate. To top of the salad, I add baby carrots, cucumbers (if I have them), Parmesan cheese and whichever dressing I want.

To help make this an even healthier meal than it already is, I use a “free” or light ranch, Caesar or Italian dressing. These dressings have virtually no fat, and are low-carb. This serves as the perfect meal to have the ingredients for, so when it becomes last minute, you still have a delicious meal that just cannot be messed up. Also, this can be a very individual, custom salad that I can put whatever I want on it. Success!

Desserts! April 8, 2009

Even though I love that I am able to cook delicious dinner and lunches now, I wait for dessert, it’s my favorite mini meal. I have always loved to bake and now I like to make desserts that I can also save and have the next night.

Because my dinners are usually pretty healthy, I feel as though I can splurge some on a dessert. I do still try to go for reduced fat, low carb, low sugar substitutes. Recently I have made cupcakes, mini muffins, Jell-o with whipped cream and cinnamon rolls. When I can make desserts into an individual size, I do it because then I can just put the leftovers into some Tupperware and have them the following day or two.

For people who either do not like preparing desserts or are trying to watch a figure, I find that Fudgesicles and Popsicles are a quick delicious treat.

cHiCkEn WiTh GrEeN bEaN cAsSeRoLe April 8, 2009

After I had made one of my favorite meals from home, I was on a role and I had to make another. This meal required a little more work and preparation. I also had to make about 3 trips to Publix before I had everything I needed- I kept forgetting ingredients! Every year for Christmas and Easter my mother makes green bean casserole. Since I knew I wouldn’t be home for Easter this year, I decided to make and share one of my favorite dishes with my boyfriend and his roommates.

I first started prepping the casserole, which included a couple cans of cream of mushroom soup, green beans, milk, black pepper and some French’s Fried onions (mhmm). Then I threw the mixture in a disposable baking pan and baked it on 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. When the time is almost up, I just sprinkled some extra fried onions around the edge of the pan and stuck it back in the oven for the remaining time.

I wanted to complement the green bean dish with chicken. So while the casserole was in the oven, I cooked the chicken on the stove, in a pan with some chipotle and a general purpose spice. The chicken was a big hit with the boys.

Everyone loved the chicken and loved the green bean casserole, but not as much as I did. It makes me happy that I can make the foods I waited to have a couple times a year, whenever I want.

MMmmm…ZITI March 27, 2009

Ziti! One of my favorite home-cooked meals. I looked forward to nights when my dad would cook this at home and now, I can make it for myself. With just 4 main ingredients, it does not get much easier! All I had to do was cut up some hot sausage and cook on medium heat. Meanwhile the oven is preheating to 400 degrees and the pasta is in boiling water for about 10 minutes (lightly salt to flavor and add a little olive oil so the pasta won’t stick together).

After both the sausage and the pasta have almost finished cooking, they are ready for the large pan. All I did was layer some noodles, then add sauce and some sausage and top it off with some mozzarella cheese. I also had a mix of cheddar, colby and monterey jack cheeses that I added for some extra flavor. I love cheese!

To make this a healthier dish, I used whole grain pasta, a low-carb sauce and fat-free cheese. While I went for the good stuff and used pork sausage, turkey could also be a healthier alternative.

This was a great dish. If I were cooking for a group of people (4 or more), I would definitely want to make this for them. It seems very rich and reminds me of home, but it’s so easy and relatively light. I think some garlic bread or a salad would be perfect to top it off!

Healthy PIZZA! February 26, 2009

Yay! The day has finally come where I can indulge in a pepperoni pizza without so much fat and carbs and grease. A pita pizza! This pizza is the easiest meal I have made so far and I love it so much. All I had to get was a pack of whole grain or wheat pitas (flat bread can be a substitute), a bottle or package of pre-made pizza sauce, low-fat mozzarella and cheddar cheese, and pepperoni (turkey or original). Other fun and delicious toppings could include peppers, onions and turkey sausage. It’s great because you can get creative!
All I had to do once I had so diligently placed all my toppings, was throw it in the oven. I use a high power toaster oven, but a conventional oven would work just the same. It would probably have to be pre-heated at 400 degrees. The total amount of time to cook was also surprising to me. While the ingredients can all be eaten without being cooked, the whole pita pizza was finished in about 6-8 min and ready to eat!

“Turcos” February 11, 2009

In reality, turcos is my made up name for the dish I so easily whipped up for my boyfriend and myself. Essentially it’s just turkey tacos, a healthier version of the all-loving taco.

This was probably the easiest/quickest meal I have cooked so far. I have to remember to set out the meat early in the morning, so it has time to defrost. This is a problem I am running into- that I forget to take out meat until about 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. and the meat does not have enough time to thaw.

All I did was throw the meat into a pan on medium heat. The secret to this healthy meal is using ground lean turkey meat (the difference in numbers is amazing and the taste is still there). I let the meat cook then I added the seasoning pack (labeled TACO seasoning) with about 3/4 cup of milk to add some thickness and bring out the flavor. The meat takes about 7-10 minutes to cook fully through.

After the meat is done, it’s all about the toppings. I toasted my tortillas for a few minutes to add some crunch to my tacos. Then I topped with some low fat cheddar cheese, lettuce and medium chunky salsa. This was an easy meal that is easily re-heated and eaten again as left-overs. Also, cooking a whole package of ground turkey provided for about 3-4 servings, so it’s great for company.

Finally! A taco that I don’t have to feel guilty about eating and my stomach doesn’t hate me having an hour later. i

Stir Fry January 31, 2009

I successfully cooked up some delicious stir fry for some friends. I was so excited, because it looked perfect. People actually migrated to the kitchen to see what I was cooking.

I did use some help with cooking the chicken, but that’s only because I was busily cutting up like seven vegetables! I sliced and diced onions, red peppers, green peppers, carrots, snow peas, broccoli and water chestnuts. While the brown rice was cooking (it took about 25 min), I let the chicken finish marinating in some teriyaki and then added the vegetables. Then the kicker. I added the soy sauce, sugar, water and spice mixture to the pan. The key to an awesome stir fry is to let the whole mess simmer and thicken. After about 10 minutes, the stir fry is ready to be eaten! All that was needed to serve was a bowl and a fork. Put some rice on the bottom and then add the chicken and vegetables to the top. (And pile it on)

Total time for the recipe was about 30 min. I found this meal extra easy though because most of the time, the stir fry is covered on the stove along with the rice. I just had to check a couple of times. This is for sure a meal I will be cooking again!

Tip: rinse and soak rice pot and stir fry pan right after serving to avoid later trouble

Steak and Peppers January 29, 2009

So I finally took the plunge. I got the courage to cook my first meal. I have cooked before, but I am not so used to preparing everything. While I was tediously chopping peppers and dicing onions, there was steak marinating in a pan on a hot stove and pitas lightly toasting in a convection oven. No flames this meal, thank goodness. Overall the meal was delicious. I cooked for myself and my boyfriend, Chris. The meal consisted of thin steaks cooked in a pan on the stove in just some low-sodium soy sauce, pepper and some spices. Also in the pan was green bell peppers and some yellow onions sauteeing in the juices left behind by the meat. On the side, I had a toasted pita complete with tzatziki sauce (greek yogurt, garlic and cucumber). From start to finish this meal took 15 minutes to whip up. Get excited about the next meal. Stir fry.