Still Loving Skinny Taste...

I seldom go into my kitchen and create stuff from absolute scratch..maybe once in a while..but I mostly get my recipes from blogs and websites. I have a huge folder on my work computer full of bookmarks of recipes I've tagged that go into the must try category. Lucky for me, my husband will eat anything I put in front of him. He never complains if it stinks, or if I become obsessed with one thing...like zucchini enchiladas..and we eat it weekly. So, most of the recipes I post on here are things that we've tried and I decide are good enough or something unique and different that I feel compelled to share. You'll also probably notice that I get really excited when I find a good site and the things I try off of it are all really good.

So, I might sound like a broken record...but I am seriously enjoying almost everything I've made on http://www.skinnytaste.com/

Another thing we enjoyed this past week...Arugula Salad with Penne, Chick Peas and Sundried Tomato. A friend on a message board posted about it...I read it and got somewhat excited since I had every ingredient but one in the house. Yes, it might be sad that things like that excite me..but to each his own.

Another big plus about this dish...I used it as a side dish..it kind of has a little bit of everything..then it was lunch the next day as well. The portions were huge and I loved that it complimented some steak we grilled and then stood alone as a dish by itself the next day as well. I was a little scared that we needed to eat it all in one night and feared the arugula would get weird and wilted and I wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole..it would be like eating salad with dressing the next day..blechh. But, the arugula stayed nice and fresh for a good 2 days after I made it.

So...here's Skinny Taste's Arugula Salad with Penne...

getting mixed in my mixing bowl....

For slightly more appetizing pictures since I take all of mine with the handy cellphone cam...check out the original recipe here


Ingredients
3 cups baby arugula
6 oz Ronzoni Smart Taste penne pasta  (I used Whole Wheat Pasta from Trader Joe's)
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (I used a fig balsamic which was sooo good!)
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 cup canned garbanzo beans (chick peas), rinsed and drained
4 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly shaved (I just used fresh grated)

Boil pasta and then rinse in cold water. Toss with all the ingredients and Enjoy! This makes 4 generous servings.

Just a note...if you have leftovers..I found the next day that the oil and vinegar absorbed into the pasta quite a bit and added an extra dash of each to freshen up the leftovers.

Homemade Kale Chips

This was one of those things that I heard about and never really got around to trying. Mr. Allan and I are heard about of town for a mini vacation and this weekend was a mission to clear the fridge of perishable items. I had a bunch of kale in the veggie drawer and thought..it'd be a great time to give this a whirl!

I had looked at some recipes last year and just kind of winged this...

First, take a bunch of kale and wash it thoroughly. Take each piece and rip it into bite sized pieces and try to omit using the stems and spines. Throw them in a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil. Spread onto a cookie sheet and season with salt. Cook at 300 degrees for about 20-22 minutes.

Here's (what's left) of the final product. They are these light crispy chips and they were so good. I think both myself and Mr. Allan were surprised at how roasting the kale on a lower temp could make them turn into such a crispy snack!

Kick Ass Kale Chips

1 large bunch of kale, washed, and torn into bite sized piece
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place kale in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil (you can eyeball the amount, but just make sure the leaves are mostly covered, don't drench it.)

Mix well and spread evenly on a cookie sheet. Season with salt. Cook for 20-22 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

Cincinnatti Chili

I had never heard of this before some friends introduced us to it...and I'm a big chili lover. I love to make chili since it's so easy to substitute leaner meats, fill it with veggies and beans, and make a nice warm dinner. Last year we went over a friend's house and her husband made this dish. He had eaten it at an airport and we had heard him mention it before and tell us how much he enjoyed it. Cincinnati chili is basically a smokey chili served over pasta...and we loved it just as much as he did!

I was excited to open this month's Clean Eating Magazine and see a slimmed down "cleaned" up version. I thought it would be the perfect meal to accompany a day of football watching.

this month's Clean Eating..love this magazine!

Here's the Cincinnati Chili over about 1 cup of whole wheat spaghetti

Then I remembered I forgot the cheese...this was a perfect cold January meal and would be easy to make for a crowd. This recipe made dinner for myself and Mr. Allan, one night of leftovers, and then we froze the a container of chili to have on hand for later this winter.

Cincinnati Chili
from Clean Eating Magazine

1 large yellow onion, diced
1 lb extra lean (93%) turkey or beef
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
2 cups low sodium tomato sauce
2 cups low sodium beef broth
1 cup canned solid pumpkin
1 15 oz can of kidney beans
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
14 oz Whole Wheat Spaghetti
low fat shredded cheddar

Directions

Heat a large nonstick skillet on medium. Add onion and cook until softened. Add meat and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, oregano, cinnamon, and allspice. Cook for an additional minute. Transfer mixture to a large dutch oven or stockpot.

Add cocoa, tomato sauce, broth, pumpkin, beans, vinegar and honey. Cook for about 30 minutes.

Cook pasta according to package directions and top with a scoop of chili and cheddar cheese.

Just a couple notes...the original recipe called for a slow cooker. Instead of transferring the meat mixture to a dutch oven, you could put it in the slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Enjoy!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup from Skinny Taste

It might not look like anything too special as it simmers in a pot on my stove...but this soup was down right delicious! It was just what we needed on a lazy Saturday afternoon when the temps dipped colder than they've been all year. This soup is a perfect low fat comfort food!

If you haven't checked out Skinny taste (http://www.skinnytaste.com/) it's a fabulous site with tons of recipes and all the nutritional info, weight watcher points etc! I printed off so many recipes and have been making a Skinny Taste meal (if not more!) a week.

Skinny Taste Chicken Pot Pie Soup

1/4 cup flour (to make gluten-free use 2 tbsp cornstarch instead)
2 cups water
4 cups fat free milk
1 large celery stalk, chopped
1/2 medium chopped onion
8 oz sliced baby portabella mushrooms
2 chicken bouillons
fresh ground pepper
pinch of thyme
10 oz frozen classic mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, green beans, corn)
2 potatoes, peeled and cubed small
16 oz cooked chicken breast, diced small
salt

Create a slurry by combining 1/2 cup of the cold water with flour in a medium bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside.

Pour remaining water and milk into a large pot and slowly bring to a boil. Add celery, onion, mushrooms, chicken bullion, thyme, fresh pepper, frozen vegetables and return to a boil. Partially cover and simmer on low until vegetables are soft, about 20 minutes. Remove lid, add potatoes and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add chicken, and slowly whisk in slurry, stirring well as you add. Cook another 2-3 minutes, until soup thickens, adjust salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Here's a Link to the recipe on Skinny Taste complete with nutrional information and weight watcher points! Enjoy!

Skinny Taste Zucchini Enchiladas

 I know..everyone's talking turkey this week. Last night I went grocery shopping for the big eating holiday on Thursday also known as Thanksgiving. Smart move #1...go grocery shopping at or after dinnertime..no crowds whatsoever. But, besides the turkey, a million fresh herbs and all the other fixings..I also needed dinner for Monday thru Wednesday as well. I've written about a couple good recipes I've gotten off of www.skinnytaste.com. But, this one is my favorite from the site. I made it a couple weeks ago and we had it again last night. It's not too bad of a recipe, maybe 20-30 minutes prep and 20 minutes to cook.

Zucchini enchiladas right before they were popped in the oven...my sprinkling of cilantro is a little sad looking..but the cutting board was washed and the cilantro back in the fridge by the time I realized I should've chopped a bit more..

my dinner plate last night...it might not look like a gourmet meal but they were good!

Zucchini Enchiladas

(from www.skinnytaste.com)

cooking spray

1 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 medium scallions, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 medium zucchinis, grated
kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 cups grated reduced fat mexican blend cheese
4 Large La Tortilla Factory Low Carb tortillas
chopped scallions (optional)
chopped cilantro (optional)
* I also added a can of black beans
 
Enchilada sauce:
1 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp chipotle chilis in adobo sauce (optional for more heat)
1 cups tomato sauce
1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder (to taste)
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup fat free vegetable broth
kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste

To make the Enchilada sauce...I threw everything in a small sauce pan first. It simmered while I prepped the filling. Just stir it occasionally.

For the filling: Saute zucchini, garlic, and scallions. Add salt and pepper to taste. (I then added the black beans at this point) After about 5-7 minutes, remove from heat and mix in 1/2 cup cheese. Place filling in a tortilla, roll up and place in a casserole dish seam down. Once all the tortillas are filled (the original recipe makes 4, with the addition of the beans, I made 5 enchiladas). Cover with the enchilada sauce and top with additional cheese, scallions and cilantro. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.


Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 large enchilada •
Calories: 258.7 • Fat: 13.5 g • Protein: 22 g • Carb: 30.2 g • Fiber: 16.9 g

Holiday Drinks Beware!

I'm always up for a Pumpkin Spiced Latte. I'm not sure if I just enjoy the process of grabbing a friend or co-worker to take the walk to Starbucks a block from our office or if I really like the drink. I try and be smart and make it non fat with no whipped cream...I know..taking the fun out of it. It's so easy to grab a latte, mocha or coffee, but now that there are so many seasonal drinks out there, it's really eye opening to see exactly how many calories and fat grams you're downing.

I saw this on The Daily Meal (http://www.thedailymeal.com/). It lists some drinks to beware of...fun stuff like eggnog milk shakes from places like Sonic and Jack in the Box that aren't found in my neck of the woods. But, the Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks and Mc Donald's drinks are!

Here are some of the drinks highlighted by The Daily Meal

1. McDonald's Peppermint Mocha

The large size has 410 calories and 17 grams of fat, the medium rings in at 320 calories and 12 grams of fat and the small has 260 calories and 7 grams of fat.

The Daily Meal estimates that  for 60 more calories the large Peppermint Mocha from McDonald's, you could be enjoying their 10 piece McNuggets instead.

2. Starbucks....here's a little cheat sheet to some of the wintertime Starbucks favorites!

Caramel Brulee Latte...a Grande made with whole milk will set you back 430 calories and 17g of fat

A Grande Peppermint Mocha made with whole milk...that'll be 440 calories and 19g of fat

Grande Gingerbread Latte...360 calories and 17g of fat

if you're trying to not drink your daily intake of calories and fat and happen to find yourself in a Starbucks...keep it to a Tall, no whipped cream and non fat milk is the moral of this story! Those nutritional stats are for the Grande..aka Medium sized drink at Starbucks...I cringe to think what a Venti or Large will set you back.

3. Dunkin Donuts

Peppermint Mocha...470 calories and 17g of fat for a large

A large Pumpkin Latte will cost you 430 calories and 12g of fat and this one kind of came as an eye opener to me....a large Hot Chocolate...450 calories and 15g of fat!!!

The Daily Meal estimates that a holiday latte from Dunkin Donuts coming in around 460 calories is the equivalent to eating 13 chocolate glazed munchkins.

So, whether you're headed out for a dreaded grocery store run, Black Friday sales, or good old Christmas shopping at the mall, think twice about these little festive pick me up drinks. Or, if you're grabbing one, save some calories by getting the smallest size with no add ons like whipped cream and have it made with skim milk. As someone who watches their daily calorie intake, I'd rather be eating 450 calories than drinking them!

Skinny Taste

I think my sister gets credit for first telling me about this fabulous website. Then..I heard a couple mumbles and grumblings about it from other friends and sources as well. So, this past weekend I decided to dive in and try a couple recipes from www.skinnytaste.com.

Here's a little peek at this great recipe website!

So what did I try and why did I like them?

First up...Skinny Taste Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups

photo courtesy of www.skinnytaste.com

I made these for some dinner guests..ok my dad, step mom and 4 yr old nephew...but they were received with RAVE reviews from them as well as Mr. Allan. Even my nephew ate an entire roll by himself. They were a breeze to make (I also used the marinara recipe on skinny taste as well), a crowdpleaser, and made excellent leftovers as well. I also love that all nutritional info as well as WW points are listed!

SkinnyTaste Spinach Lasagna Rolls
Servings: 9 • Serving Size: 1 roll • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 6 ww pts
Calories: 224.9 • Fat: 5.1 g • Fiber: 3.4 g • Protein: 13.0 g • Carbs: 31.5

9 lasagna noodles, cooked
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained
15 oz fat free ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
salt and fresh pepper
32 oz tomato sauce
9 tbsp (about 3 oz) part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish.
Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 tbsp mozzarella cheese. Put foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts. Makes 9 rolls.

To serve, ladle a little sauce on the plate and top with lasagna roll.
 
Enjoy!

Motivating myself to work out

I've been in a slump lately...work got busy, it's getting dark out earlier, and we've been away the past few weekends. The number one area that's taken a hit in my life...my workouts. I'm usually pretty good with getting the gym a minimum of 3-4 times a week. I have my little classes I enjoy, I like to run, and overall really enjoy working out. The hardest part for me is carving out the time and getting my butt to the gym. Once I'm there and once I'm done, I feel so good about myself.

So, in order to get out of my work out rut, I've had to resort to my little tactics to motivate me to get excited and dedicated to a workout schedule again. Here are some little things that get me back in the swing of things...

Re-load the IPOD with new and more current music

I'm ashamed to say that I hadn't put new music on my Ipod in over two years...it's no wonder that I wasn't busting out the door to go for a run when the newest music I had on there was Ashlee Simpson. It took 10 minutes and maybe 10 bucks and a new playlist with current music I hear on the radio has motivated me to run a little more...

Treat yourself to some new workout gear

I have a never ending battle with workout clothes. I can never wear any of the cute tops because they typically have spaghetti straps or a racerback. If you're like me and actually have a chest that requires a good sports bra, you probably feel my pain of the never ending quest to find a top that doesn't show 75% of your sports bra. One quick fix for the work out blues is to usually buy something new..whether its nice running socks or a new pair of pants. I like Old Navy for workout clothes because they're cheap, but I do go back and forth. Their yoga pants have a great fit, but they last me 6 months at best. They stretch out and get terribly faded. So, I was excited to see a new line there that was made out of a different, more durable material.

These are Old Navy's new compression pants. I found them to run a little smaller than their yoga pants and did go up to a size L (I'm a size 8-10 in pants), although now that I think about it, the M probably would've been fine. They're made out of a shinier, sleeker material that workout pants normally are. The website lists them at $26.94, although I grabbed a pair of compression capris with a rouched bottom on clearance for $16. I love the wide low waistband that doesn't give you a muffin top and the material is holding up so much better.

On that same trip I grabbed this hoodie on a whim. I LOVE this stupid thing. It's as thick as a t-shirt but perfect for fall...you know when you're running to the gym and don't want to wear just a workout top or tee..this is perfect to throw over it. I'm extremely tempted to grab it in a different color as well!

Splurge on a new beauty product related to your workout

This may sound silly, but sometimes buying a heavy duty lip balm that I know will work well when I'm running in the fall will motivate me. Other times it might be a new headband to keep my hair back..basically if I can tie the product into working out, when I see it, it reminds me that I should be working out! So, last month the product was a new foot cream by LUSH. One thing I love to do as I change into workout clothes is to slather on a nice foot cream before I put my socks and sneakers on. While I work out, my feet are treated to a nice moisturizing workout as well, which prevents ugly dry cracked heels etc.

My choice..Lush's Pied de Pepper foot cream. It's made with cloves and cinnamon..it's kind of a like a Christmas party on your feet.

Make a friend at the gym

I've been going to my gym for a couple years. You start to see the same faces around there. So, be friendly and introduce yourself or start some small talk while you wait outside for your class to begin. I'm usually an all business type at the gym. I get there, workout, and get out. I'm not one to walk around etc. I like to do my thing and get home. But, I started talking to a girl I see there often and tends to take the same classes as me. Little things, like saying I'll see you at yoga on Thursday, keep me on track. Why? Because I feel guilty if I don't go on Thursday, and if I'm feeling lazy in a I don't want to drive to the gym or get off the couch mood, knowing that someone is expecting me to be there keeps me on track.

Hang a motivational picture up

This may sound super cheesy...but when I weighed over 200lbs and made the decision that I was going to, once and for all, get rid of the weight, I cut out a picture from the Victoria's Secret Swim Catalog of a twiggy model in a pink bikini and told myself I would wear that bathing suit one day. I think I kept it in my personal binder thing I carried around with me all the time. In that little binder I had my little Weight Watcher's journal and I had that picture I ripped out. Every time I went to write down what I ate, I saw that stupid bikini clad chic. It may sound so silly, but I never wanted her to win...it was like she was laughing at me saying look at me..I'm in a bikini and you're not. I'd like to think I conquered that bikini toting bitch.

 Whether it's a picture of yourself at a skinnier weight that you tack on the fridge or a picture from a catalog of something you'd like to wear but can't at your current weight, setting a goal of some sort will keep you motivated! One thing that killed me when I was overweight was the fact that I LOVED to shop but could never fit into the clothes I really wanted to wear. I'd go on rampages of buying tons of stuff just because I'd find stuff that fit and became the queen of accessories..mostly because a purse, shoes, or necklace isn't sized to make you feel bad!

Start a Motivation Fund

Super cheesy idea #2. If you have a certain amount of weight you'd like to lose, then reward yourself with mini milestones. I used to set aside $10 for every pound I lost. It went into one of those cheesy money jars that read "Hopes and Dreams" or something like that. After 10 or 20 lbs..that's a nice little outfit you earned yourself. Or, if you don't have a bunch of weight to lose but have been eyeing something, give yourself a goal...if you workout 4 times a week for the next month, then reward yourself with that new pair of Tory Burch flats! Whatever works for you..do it!

Life is short. You have this one body you've been given. Why abuse it by overeating and not exercising? Your body is made of a lot of stuff but included are muscles which need to be worked out and taken care of! I look at working out as the maintenance I need to live a healthy, happy life..and you should too.

Home Made Marinara

I was quite proud of our little raised bed garden this year. We stuck to our guns and kept as garden as organic as possible. We used no type of fertilizers or pesticides, and I think we did pretty well...that was until Hurricane Irene blew the garden over!

One thing that I haven't done well with in the past but turned out stellar this year...tomatoes. We live in the woods and one big problem we've faced every year is a fungus called blight. Since the conditions in the woods is typically damp, it's attacked our tomatoes in years past. Usually when there's a summer with a lot of rain...this kills us. This year we took extra precaution by placing piles of mulch around the base of each plant, we made sure to only water in the morning and later in the season, when a couple bottom branches began to yellow, we promptly cut them off.

The result....bowls and bowls of these.



so, I decided to make some fresh sauce. I've attempted this in the past and the process of boiling, peeling, and deseeding tomatoes is kind of a long one. I found other recipes that put the entire tomato in a food processor or blender but in the end, just went back to the old fashioned way of doing it. Here's what it looks like.

I took a paring knife and on the bottom of each tomato cut a big X..just deep enough to pierce the skin. Boil a pot of water and in goes the tomatoes. They stay in there a minute or two..just until you see the skins peel back.

Take the tomatoes out of the boiling water and place them immediately in an ice bath. This is so they can cool off and allow you to peel the skins and squeeze the seeds out.

 Here's what your peeled tomatoes look like..

I just take the tomato and squeeze. The seeds will shoot out. You can then take a paring knife and cut the base where the stem was out as well. Then you have a big bowl of tomato guts.

Since I had a lot of large tomatoes, I just roughly ran a knife through them to break them up a little bit. In a large pot I combined 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, 4 cloves of crushed garlic, 1 grated carrot, and 1 medium diced vidalia onion. I sauteed the veggies for 5 minutes, then added the tomatoes. I added a splash of red wine with one batch...once I drank all the wine and had none left..the next batch got a splash of balsamic vinegar. I let the mixture simmer for about 2 hours and then added some seasoning..mostly some salt, basil, oregano and parsley.

The finished product, in it's tupperware and ready for the freezer. 

You can use this sauce for anything. I top i over some whole wheat pasta and top it with fresh basil and a good quality Parmesan! I also like this sauce because it's a good way to use the uglier, maybe not so perfect, tomatoes in your garden!

Homemade Walnut Pesto

What's a girl to do when she's got about 10 colanders worth of this stuff....

It's official pesto making time...time to pick all my basil and replant before it starts to flower. This past week I made two huge batches of homemade pesto. One container is in the fridge and the others get thrown in the freezer so we can enjoy it all winter long.

I make my pesto a little different...instead of pine nuts or pignoli nuts, I use walnuts.

Some garlic, some decent quality olive oil, and cheese round out the ingredients. Pop them in the food processor and you have this...

I usually double the recipe, although every time I do I struggle a bit with getting all the ingredients into my 8 cup food processor.

Pesto with Walnuts and Garlic

3 cups loosely packed basil leaves

4 peeled garlic cloves

1 1/2 cups walnuts

3/4 cup of Olive Oil

1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese

Place basil, garlic, cheese and walnuts in a food processor and pulse until well combined. Stream in olive oil. Be sure to scrape sides well (especially the bottom near your blade).

Just a couple notes...the original recipe I found for this called for double the oil. I found it to be way too much. I cut it down to 3/4 of a cup. Since I primarily freeze my pesto, when I thaw it and put it in a dish, I do add a little bit more olive oil. For example, I made a Pesto Scallop dish with pasta. Once the pasta was cooked and the pesto added, I poured in an additional 1/4 cup of olive oil to mix with the pasta.

Also...I always just buy a hunk of Parmesan cheese at my local grocery store. This time I decided to splurge a little and bought some Parmesan from Whole Foods. I can't describe the difference in quality. Sure, it was a couple bucks more, but so much better than the run of the mill stuff at my big grocery store.

Easy Fresh Healthy Summer Dinner

I planted the garden a little late this year, so right now I have tiny baby tomatoes, green beans, lots of baby squash and cucumber plants that are loaded with flowers. One thing that is going absolutely crazy in my garden that I typically have absolutely NO luck with...tomatoes! The past couple years we've had the worst blight...a fungus that turns the leaves yellow with little black dots and the leaves eventually dry up as it crawls up the plant. With proper precautions...our tomatoes are thriving...I've never seen so many before!

So, it was time to whip out as many recipes that match up with what we're growing. Last night, a recipe by Ellie Kreiger from the Food Network...a simple cherry tomato pasta. Fresh, easy, and oh so good.

I've got lots of these

and made lots of this

Cherry Tomato and Basil Pasta

from Ellie Kreiger

1 pound whole wheat pasta

3 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes

4 cloves of garlic

1/2 cup basil

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

3 tbsp Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Boil a large pot of water. Salt and cook pasta according to directions. While pasta cooks, thinly slice 4 garlic cloves. Heat a large skillet with oil. Add garlic and saute for about 8-10 minutes until it is brown. (be careful...you look away for 2 seconds and garlic can burn!) Add cherry tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes until the tomatoes soften, but keep their shape. Once pasta is done, drain and add pasta to the skillet with tomatoes and garlic. Add about 1/3 of a cup of basil and half of the cheese. Toss and add salt and pepper. Place in a serving dish and top with additional basil and cheese.



An Inspirational Weight Loss Story

from Miss South Carolina, Bree Boyce, who went from 234lbs to 122lbs in a period of 3 years..that's right...a 112lb weightloss! Now, 22 year old Bree just snagged the title of Miss South Carolina and will compete in Miss America on January 14, 2012. The best part..she did it the right way with portion control, eating healthy, and exercise. Here's a clip from Good Morning America...

Grilled Eggplant, Green Olive, and Provolone Pizza

Sounds like a weird combo. I can't say I'm a huge fan of eggplant, provolone or green olives. But, I've been on a pizza kick lately. It's fun to try different combinations and see what works and what doesn't. While perusing some blogs looking for some recommended recipes, I stumbled upon this combo on the http://www.smittenkitchen.com/ site. While I don't like to eat any of these things individually...I thought maybe a combo of them wouldn't be bad! Mr. Allan loved this pizza..I quite enjoyed it myself. If you're looking for something different from your regular red sauce and cheese pizza..this might be up your alley.

It started off with slicing up an eggplant into 1/2" to 3/4" chunks. I then crushed a clove of garlic and mixed in 1/3 cup of olive oil. I used about half the garlic oil to brush on the eggplant before I through them on the grill and the other half was brushed on the pizza dough

I've been obsessing with this whole wheat pizza crust I found at my local Whole Foods ...the Top This pizza crust

Next up...I shredded some sharp provolone.

Once the eggplant was grilled, I chopped it into chunks and threw it on the pizza

Next up..some fresh chopped parsley and then a handful of chopped green olives 

Fresh out of the oven and still steaming...

Grilled Eggplant and Olive Pizza
from Smitten Kitchen

1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 pound eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch-thick rounds
1 pound store-bought pizza or homemade pizza dough at room temperature
5 ounces sliced provolone, cut into short thin matchsticks (1 1/4 cups)
Handful pitted green olives, coarsely chopped (1/3 cup)
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

To make this pizza on a grill, or in a grill pan: Stir together garlic and oil. Brush some of garlic oil on both sides of eggplant and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Grill over direct medium heat, covered, turning once, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes total. Cut into roughly one-inch pieces and set aside.

Stretch dough into about a 12- by 10-inch rectangle (or into the shape of your grill pan, which in my case, was square) on a large baking sheet or your counter and lightly brush with garlic oil. Oil grill rack, then put dough, oiled side down, on grill. Brush top with more garlic oil. Grill, covered, until underside is golden-brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.

Using tongs, return crust, grilled side up, to baking sheet. Scatter eggplant, cheese, olives, and parsley (whoops, forgot mine) over crust. Slide pizza from sheet onto grill and grill, covered, until underside is golden-brown and cheese is melted, about 3 to 5 minutes. (If you’re using an oven-safe grill pan, you can slide the pan into a preheated 500 degree oven at this point, as we did, which gets the toppings that much more blistered.) Season to taste with salt, pepper and a red pepper flakes.

Just a couple notes...

I used a pre baked crust. I grilled the eggplant on my outdoor grill, and then cooked the pizza on my pizza stone in my oven at 450 degrees for 11 minutes (it got cold outside and I took it inside!!)

Also, be sure not to use up all the garlic oil on the eggplant..you need to reserve some to brush on the crust as well!

Here's a link to the post on Smitten Kitchen featuring this pizza recipe! Click HERE

Enjoy!

My Favorite Summer Salad

I feel like it's so much easier to eat healthy during the summertime. Our grill is constantly on, so many vegetables are available to buy locally, our garden is growing, and I always have fresh herbs growing in boxes on our deck.

This weekend proved to be a beautiful one. After a hard day of working in the yard and planting the garden, among a million other tasks outside, Mr. Allan and I chilled a bottle of wine and got ready to grill. To pair with our steak, I made one of my all time favorite summer salad recipes.. Black Bean and Corn Salad. I have no idea where I got this recipe. I ripped it out of a magazine somewhere maybe 3 or 4 years ago. Its full of fresh ingredients and has a really nice vinaigrette type dressing to it. I make a huge batch and we eat with lunches and dinners and sometimes snack on it with tortilla chips as well.

All the ingredients chopped up and topped with a good dose of fresh herbs

Pour the dressing over it, and chill for an hour

  a close up peek...

Black Bean and Corn Salad

1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 pkg (10oz) frozen corn, thawed or 4 ears of fresh corn
1/4 cup green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced small
2 scallions, chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing
1 cup olive oil**
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

** I only use 3/4 of a cup of olive oil. I have made this recipe using the full cup and find it a little too oily

Directions
In a small bowl whisk together all the dressing ingredients. In a larger bowl, combine black beans and corn. Pour dressing over beans and corn and allow to sit while the other ingredients are prepared. Add remaining vegetables. Serve over mixed greens or as an accompaniment to any meal.

Just a couple of notes....I always have a bag of frozen organic corn in my freezer. Both Whole Foods and Trader Joe's sell a great frozen organic sweet corn. If corn is in season, I do like to add fresh corn. Shuck it, stand the ear up right, and run a sharp chef knife down the side. Also..don't omit the jalapeno. It doesn't add a lot of heat but definitely adds a little something something to this recipe. Just be careful not to touch your eyes or any part after you dice it! Be sure to wash your hands!

Enjoy!

Best Pizza Crust!

Pizza was just something I banished from my diet. Back in the day, at 1 A.M., after the bars let out, the normal routine called for hitting up the local pizza by the slice place. Whether it was Antonio's during my days in college in Amherst (love me some Tortellini Pesto Pizza) or if it was grabbing a Four Cheese slice at Via Via in Newport...it was a part of my diet...which is probably why I was overweight and unhealthy. When I woke up, started to get my weight and eating habits under control, certain things just got cut off for me. Bowls of ice cream at night, nachos at restaurants, and my wee morning hour pizza snack was also another casualty.

But..last summer I got into grilling pizza. I found that I could make this forbidden food a bit healthier by using a whole wheat crust, and not loading down on cheese, pepperoni, and other toppings. I do love to grill pizza, but sometimes rolling out the dough, maneuvering it onto the actual grill and controlling the air bubbles in the crust gets the best of me. So, I was on the hunt for something else that was a healthy alternative..and I found it with this stuff...

Top This pizza crust..sold in the frozen section at my local grocery stores and Whole Foods too!

Why do I like this...they have a whole wheat version, it doesn't break the bank on fat and calories and it's pre cooked. You get 2 crusts in a package. It comes frozen, defrosts in about an hour, and I threw it on a pizza stone with toppings, cooked for ten minutes and had dinner.

My friend J suggested this combo...

I started out with some goat cheese. I spread it around as the base

next up..some fresh spinach

then some thinly sliced prosciutto

I popped it in the oven on my pizza stone for 10 minutes

Dinner was done.

Here's the website for Top This pizza crusts. I believe they're sold around the East Coast area...but even better..here's a link to their recipe page with so many combinations to try!

..http://www.topthispizzacrusts.com/recipes.html