28 January 2014

Zucchini Pancakes

Awesome recipe from Skinnytaste! These have great flavor. I could easily eat the entire batch myself. The recipe doesn't call for it, but I like to put just a bit of light sour cream on top of the pancakes!


2 medium zucchini, grated (I use the attachment on my mandolin)
2 shallots, finely chopped
1/4 c fresh chives
1/4 c parsley, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 eggs
1/4 c grated Parmesan cheese
6-8 tbsp whole wheat flour
kosher salt and fresh pepper to taste
olive oil spray


Grate zucchini using the large holes of a cheese grater and place in a large bowl. I used the same mandolin attachment I use to make zucchini noodles. But instead of lengthwise - I grate the zucchini through the other way so the strands will be short. (That may not make sense...) Anyway, then add flour, shallots, garlic, parsley, chives, eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and spray oil to cover pan. Drop tablespoons of the batter into the skillet. Cook about 2 minutes on each side until golden brown. Set aside and keep warm. Spray more oil in the skillet as needed, and continue with remaining batter. Makes about 20 small pancakes. (My pancakes were a little bigger and I got 14 pancakes.)

Original recipe found here.




Sauteed Cabbage with Sausage and Mushrooms

Wow - this is GOOD. Easy too. I know I will be making this dish often. It's been a week since I made this (yes, I am behind on my posting). Just typing the blog entry about the dish makes me want some right now!



8 oz chicken or turkey sausage, cut into rounds (I used Johnsonville Apple Chicken Sausage)
2 tsp olive oil
2 c sliced mushrooms (I like baby bellas)
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced 
1 small head of green cabbage, hard core removed and sliced
1/2 tsp dried sage
dash cayenne pepper (I used more than a dash because we like the spice)
2 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste

In a large skillet, brown the sausage over medium heat. Once it is browned, set aside. Add 1 tsp oil to the pan, then add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic. Saute until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are tender. Remove them from the pan and set aside.


Add the remaining oil, then add the cabbage and start sauteing. Season with sage and cayenne. When the cabbage begins to soften, return the sausage and mushroom mixture to the pan. Cook until the cabbage becomes very tender. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper to your liking. Add more cayenne if you want the saute to be really spicy. Toss in the vinegar at the last minute, then serve immediately. YUM!


Original recipe found here.


Roasted Cabbage Wedges

New favorite way to eat cabbage - without a doubt. It is so easy and SO DELICIOUS!!



1 medium head of cabbage, cut into quarters, core removed
3 tbsp real bacon bits
1 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1 tbsp lite soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt/pepper, each

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, Worchestershire sauce, soy sauce, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Lay each wedge on aluminum foil and drizzle marinade over each wedge - make sure it gets in all the nooks and crannies. Top with some bacon bits and wrap up. Bake for 30 min, let cool, and enjoy!

Original recipe found here.

21 January 2014

Skinny Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

You would never know this soup is "skinny"! I also had no idea making my own tortilla strips was so easy. I love my crock pot because I like to think about it sitting there cooking during the day. :) It was also super cold today, so soup was appropriate. Approved by Will - and he can be picky about his chicken tortilla soup.


3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 c chopped onion
16 oz can black beans, drained/rinsed
16 oz can kidney beans, drained/rinsed
8 oz can tomato paste
10 oz pkg of corn kernels, frozen
2 -10 oz cans of diced tomatoes w/ chilies 
1 pkt reduced-sodium taco seasoning
1 tbsp chili powder
32 oz reduced-sodium chicken stock

6 corn tortillas, cut into strips
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional toppings: light sour cream, cheese, jalapeños, avocado, green onions, cilantro

For Soup:
Place chicken on the bottom of the slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients.
Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.

For Tortilla Strips:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray 2 baking sheets with cooking spray. If you don’t have 2 sheets than you will have to bake in shifts. Cut the tortillas into thin strips. Place strips evenly on baking sheets. Mist the tops with more cooking spray. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes or until the strips are golden brown.

Serve on top of the soup, along with any other toppings you like!

Original recipe found here.

Broccoli Parmesan "Meatballs"

Whoa! WHOA. These are so good. In fact, I think they were even better (if that's possible) for leftovers for my lunch today. I served these with spaghetti squash - I mixed in broccoli slaw because I needed to use the broccoli slaw. :) We used our favorite marinara sauce and sprinkled some Parmesan and green onions on top. You can serve them however you like though! Lots of different possibilities! Even as an appetizer with a little marinara or some kind of yummy sauce. 


Before going into the oven.

After:


1/2 c raw almonds
1 large head of broccoli, cut into florets & steamed (about 2 c)
1/2 c shredded Parmesan
1 tsp minced garlic
1-2 eggs, lightly beaten (recipe called for 1, I thought I needed two... but I think I had more than just 2 c of broccoli)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place the almonds in a food processor. Process until they're coarsely ground. Put the ground almonds to a medium bowl. Now place the broccoli florets in the food processor and pulse until chopped. Add the chopped broccoli, Parm cheese, and garlic to the almonds and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the egg(s).

Spray a mini-muffin tin with olive oil spray. Form the broccoli mixture into balls, squeezing them a little to make sure they hold their shape, and place each one in its own cup in the muffin tin. I got 22 balls, but I may have had more broccoli than I needed. Bake until meatballs are golden on the outside and heated through, about 30 minutes. I did flip mine after about 20 min. Remove tin from oven and run a butter knife along the edges of each muffin cup to loosen meatballs before gently popping them out. Serve however you'd like!

Original recipe found here - great step by step pictures.

Cabbage "Steaks"

I laugh every time I type Cabbage "Steak" ... because this is so not anything like a steak, but that's what they call it. It's awesome though!! Super easy to do. Delicious flavor. Try this one for sure.


I forgot to take a picture after they roasted, but you can see one in the background of this picture:

1 head of cabbage
olive oil spray
salt/pepper/garlic powder (to taste)
a few sprinkles of caraway seeds

Heat your oven to 400 degree. Cut your cabbage head in to about 1 inch rounds. I had a pretty small cabbage head, so I got 4 pieces + 2 small pieces out of mine. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray, and sprinkle cabbage steaks with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and some caraway seeds. Bake for 35-45 minutes. I flipped mine after about 20 minutes.

Original recipe found here.

11 January 2014

Creamy Taco Soup

This is actually the second time I've made this recipe. The first time was earlier in the school year and Will actually made it for me! I remember being super tired when I got home, and we ate it without ever taking a picture. I had one bowl and Will literally ate the entire rest of the recipe. So, I've finally made it again and I got pictures this time!

Super healthy and only have 275 cal per serving. It's made creamy NOT with heavy cream, but with pureed white beans and Greek yogurt!


3/4 c nonfat Greek yogurt
1 15-oz can 
50% less sodium white beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 4-oz can diced green chills
1 15-oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 c reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 c frozen or fresh corn
1 lb chicken breast
2 tbsp fresh squeezed lime
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp dried cilantro


Place 1/2 cup broth and white beans in a blender and puree. Add yogurt and blend again. Pour liquid into slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Cover and cook on Low for 6-7 hours.
Original recipe found here.

Sauteed Cabbage with Mustard Sauce

Well, cabbage is the newest veggie I'm obsessed with. I've sauteed it several different times, and this particular way blew me away! Yum - the combo of apples & mustard really works. The taste reminds me a little of sauerkraut. You can probably expect a lot more cabbage recipes to come! Sorry to those of you who aren't cabbage fans. :)


2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 tbsp apple cider
1 tbsp mustard (I used spicy mustard)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
3 c cabbage
cooking spray

Make mustard sauce by combining vinegar, mustard, olive oil, apple cider and caraway seeds. Chop cabbage into bite-size chunks. Spray nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat.  Add cabbage and sautĂ© 8 to 10 minutes, stirring several times. Pour mustard sauce over cabbage and stir.  Reduce to low heat, cover pan and simmer for 5 minutes to combine flavors. 

Original recipe found here.

02 January 2014

Pesto Zucchini "Spaghetti"

Oh wow!! This seems so simple, but it is SO good!! It's just the best combo of tastes - zucchini (which has a texture so close to spaghetti!), pesto, roasted broccoli and tomatoes that are so juicy.. Parmesan. I'm getting hungry again.

I've had several people ask how to make the zucchini into the noodles. I just use this $10 mandolin from Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Super easy. Check it out here.






4 medium zucchini, shredded using mandolin (I used 6 zucchini because I felt like mine were kind of small)
salt
1/2 c green onions, sliced
2 c broccoli florets
2 c cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp prepared basil pesto (I used Buitoni)
fresh Parmesan or Romano cheese, for garnish
Place zucchini strips in a colander over a bowl or in the sink. Sprinkle zucchini with salt and toss to combine. Let the zucchini sit for 15 minutes while the salt extracts the moisture. Drain excess water, squeezing zucchini. I also lay mine out on paper towels to try and dry it some that way.
I roasted my tomatoes/broccoli. You can saute it if you want, but I love the flavor roasting it added. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Toss broccoli and tomatoes with a little olive oil, salt, and garlic powder. Bake for 15-20 min. 
Meanwhile, heat a large pan to medium heat. Add the green onions and saute for a minute or two, then add zucchini, 2 tbsp of pesto, and roasted broccoli, tossing to combine all ingredients. The mixture only needs to warm up, so 2-3 minutes of cooking ought to do it. Serve with your roasted tomatoes and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
Original recipe found here.
We had this dish with Oven Fried Eggplant.


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