Holy Chicken Parmesan!

I have never been able to make a decent chicken parmesan. Try as I might, it has never turned out well...until now.


Yet another AMAZING blog my future sister-in-law introduced me to is Eat, Live, Run. This girl has the most fantastic recipes, and the first one I tried was her chicken parmesan. Why? It had the ingredient I never knew I needed:


Pepperoni.

Normally, I would have stopped there. Pepperoni is LOADED with fat and calories. However, this magical girl also introduced me to something else:


Turkey pepperoni!


It has legitimately 70% less fat than regular pepperoni...and it TASTES THE SAME! How did I not know this existed??


If you want to use regular pepperoni, be my guest. I'm sure it will be amazing, but I am TELLING YOU - you will not feel guilty about this chicken parmesan if you do it this way.


Here's what you need (adapted from this recipe):
4 chicken breasts, pounded thin (just put them in a ziplock bag and pound them with a big pan)
1-2 cups of panko bread crumbs (I used italian seasoned ones)
2 eggs
1/2 cup of flour (i used whole wheat)
1/4 cup of milk (I used fat free)
1 cup of shredded mozzarella (I used 2%)
1/2 cup of parmesan (freshly shredded! I probably used closer to a cup)
Turkey pepperoni
salt and pepper to taste
1 box of angel hair pasta (I use whole wheat)
1 jar of your favorite marinara. This is mine:

Here is what you do:
1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
2. In 3 separate dishes, put your eggs and milk (scrambled together), flour, and bread crumbs.

3. Season your chicken with salt and pepper, then dip it -  first in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumbs, then in the flour.
4. Place your chicken in a large pan with about 1/4 cup of canola oil. 
5. Fry the chicken until golden on each side (about 7-8 minutes per side). It should look like this:

6. Drain the chicken on a plate with a paper towel.
7. Meanwhile, grease a baking dish with PAM. Place your chicken in the dish, then cover with the jar of sauce (trust me - you want to use the whole thing), then both cheeses...then cover with pepperoni and sprinkle a little extra cheese on top.
8. Bake for 15 minutes, cook your pasta.
9. Put your chicken/sauce/deliciousness over your pasta and ENJOY!


I made some side salads with my favorite dressing. 

This meal was SO GOOD. We loved the leftovers, and it was just fantastic. There is just something about the pepperoni...and I love that I didn't feel guilty about it. 


It's not nearly as difficult as it sounds, so try it! Let me know how it goes :)

YUM!


Side note: I have to say, thank you so much for the support!! I really did not think anyone would read this (and my thought was even if no one read it, this was a great way to catalogue my favorite recipes), but thank you for reading and enjoying. It makes me so happy to be able to pass on these recipes!

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Slow Cooker Tacos?! Yes, please!

Recently, my future sister-in-law introduced me to this food blog that has quickly become my favorite. How Sweet It Is has so many amazing recipes, and the first one I tried turned out AMAZING, which makes me love her blog even more. 

I should also say I am a little afraid of my Slow Cooker. I know they are made to be left alone in the house for hours at a time, but I can't help but wonder if my Slow Cooker is the Slow Cooker that was made defectively and will explode while I am gone (can you tell I am a lawyer in training?). 

Really scary, huh?

ANYway, I tried out this recipe for homemade chicken tacos, and it was fantastic. I really did not change anything, but I will write the recipe anyway.

You need...

3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 3 big ones)

3/4 a cup of beer (I used Dos Equis Amber - about a cup)

1 TBSP of chili powder

1 and 1/2 TSP of cumin

1/2 TSP of paprika

1/4 TSP of garlic powder (definitely used a 1/2 TSP)

1/4 TSP of onion powder

Pinch of cayenne

1/2 TSP of salt

1/2 TSP pepper

3/4 cup of cheddar cheese (I used about a cup of 2% shredded)

Taco shells (I used soft multigrain)

Whatever your favorite taco toppings are (we used lettuce, onion, salsa, refried black beans and sprinkled some extra cheese on top).

Here is what you do...

1. Mix together all the spices in a bowl (I did this the night before).

2. Whisk the beer in with the 1 and 1/2 TBSP of your spices (I did this in the morning)

3. Put the chicken in the Slow Cooker, pour the beer/spices mixture over it, and cook on Low for 7-8 hours (or high 4 hours, but I did low - I was gone all day!).

4. After the 7-8 hours, uncover your Slow Cooker and shred the chicken. All the moisture in the cooker will be soaked up by your shredded chicken. You should be able to do this with a fork.

5. Add whatever spices you have leftover (or, if you like a more mild flavor, don't add it) and let it sit on low for another 15 minutes.

6. Stir in the cheese and quickly transfer to another bowl - getting cheese off your Slow Cooker = the worst thing ever.

7. Build your tacos and ENJOY!

This is going to be a new household favorite. So, try it (great weeknight meal), love it, and definitely check out How Sweet It Is.

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Healthy Pizza?? It DOES exist!

When I started dieting intensely last year, one of the things I missed the most was pizza. It is the ultimate comfort food, and I love it. The problem is, it is NOT conducive to dieting. 


One day at the grocery store, I discovered you can buy dough balls. This allows you to make your own pizza and control EVERYthing that goes into it - amazing!


In the beginning, I used fat free cheese and a LOT of seasoning, but I realized 2% cheese tastes MUCH better, and isn't that much worse for you. 

I should also explain that when I started making my own pizza, I used a cookie sheet. This works perfectly fine, but once this meal became a staple in our house, we bought a pizza stone. If you make this recipe and love it, buy a pizza stone. You can get one for about $30 at Target, and it makes the flavor and crunch MUCH better. 

This is my pizza stone! If you use a pizza stone, preheat your oven to 400 degrees, and put your pizza stone in for 10-15 minutes to warm it. Roll out your dough and put in on your pizza stone, and then add the other ingredients. This allows your crust to start getting nice and crispy. 


Here is what you need...


Whole wheat flour corn meal
1 roll of whole wheat dough*
1 can of pizza sauce (I use Don Pepino's - it's the best one I have tried!)
2 bags of 2% shredded mozzarella (I usually only use 1 and a half bags to cover the pizza on the stone)
Italian seasoning
Garlic Powder
Oregano
Fresh shredded parmesan


*You can usually find dough balls over by your deli. They are refrigerated. Make sure you choose whole wheat - MUCH healthier than white.

1. If you're not using the pizza stone, preheat oven to 380 degrees. If you are using the stone, make sure you lower the temperature. Make sure you take your dough ball out of the fridge an hour before you roll it out.
2. Using whole wheat flour, roll out your dough ball. I usually measure my cookie sheet/cookie sheet with parchment paper and cut it out so I know what I'm aiming for when I roll out the dough.
3. Place your dough on your cookie sheet/hot pizza stone.
4. Evenly spread sauce, cheese, and seasoning over your pizza. Add whatever else you want - I have done onions, broccoli, pepperoni (super unhealthy - weak moment), etc.

5. Put your pizza in the oven for 12 minutes. 
6. After 12 minutes, turn your pizza and leave in for another 10 minutes.
7. Take out your pizza and let it set for about 10-15 minutes.

8. How good does that look?? ENJOY! This is the most healthy version of pizza that exists. Do not feel guilty about this one!


If you really feel guilty, use fat free cheese, but honestly, the 2% tastes so much better. There are 12-15 grams of fat in the WHOLE pizza. Did you know there are 10 grams of fat in ONE piece of pizza from Papa John's??


Make this on a cookie sheet. Love it. Buy a pizza stone. Love it more. Thank me later :)

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The Italian Relaxation Meal

I should start this post by saying I am not, in any way, Italian. There is no one on either side of my family who is Italian. Despite this lack of Italian heritage, my family can cook some fantastic Italian food (at least I think it’s good). This meal is relatively simple, but can be really impressive when you’re cooking for a large group and you can say “yes, I did make this sauce!”

This recipe is my mother’s Rigatoni recipe. I'm pretty convinced she came up with this one her own because I never saw a printed recipe for this. If she didn't come up with this on her own, I apologize to whatever recipe book she borrowed it from in the 1970's.

I RARELY make this meal because it is not the healthiest recipe, and my fiancé and I don’t eat pasta very often. Last night was an exception. It has been a long week, and last night I really wanted to decompress by making a great, comforting dinner. I kept a glass of wine next to me at all times while cooking, and I felt great once I put the food on the table.

Here’s what you need:

4-6 cloves of garlic (I like a lot of garlic), diced

1 large yellow onion, diced

*1/2 roll of spicy sausage and 1/2 roll of reduced fat sausage (I used Jimmy Dean)

1 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes (San Marzano’s are my favorite)

1 15 oz. can of plain tomato sauce

2 tbsp. of tomato paste

½ cup of white wine (I used pinot grigio)

½ tsp. of dried thyme

1 cup of half and half

1 and a half bags of whole-wheat rigatoni pasta

Fresh shredded parmigiano reggiano cheese

*In regard to the sausage, feel free to mix it up. If you don’t like things spicy, use half a roll of Italian sausage, and half reduced fat.

Here is what you do:

1. Over medium-high heat, in a large pan, sauté your garlic and onion in about ½ tbsp. of olive oil (about 5 minutes) stirring consistently.
2.  Add ½ the spicy sausage and ½ the reduced fat sausage and mash it up with your spatula. Cook with garlic and onion until browned.

3. Once the sausage is brown, add whole tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste. Mash up the whole tomatoes and mix everything together.
4. Add the wine and thyme and stir.
5. Lower the heat to medium and allow to simmer (uncovered) for 20-30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, get a large pot, add water and a little salt in preparation for your pasta.
7. After about 20-30 minutes, add the half and half. When you add the half and half, turn on the heat for the water.

8. Allow the sauce to continue to simmer, stirring regularly. When the water comes to a boil, add your pasta. Cook until al dente (fairly firm – you don’t want mushy pasta!).
9. Drain your pasta.
10. Spoon your sauce over the pasta and add some cheese – enjoy!

I love this meal. It is so comforting, it is fun to make, and it seems really impressive with not a lot of work. This recipe will serve about 6 people, but if you are only cooking for 2, it makes the best leftovers.

We had a great Chianti with this, and by the end of the night, it felt like my week had never happened (probably due to the food and the wine) J

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Dressing Done Right

I love dressings. Dressings make a salad. Dressings also make a salad unhealthy.

I make salads on a pretty regular basis, and because I like knowing precisely what is in my salad, I also make dressings fairly frequently.

One of my favorite dressing recipes was initially taken from Copykat.com (http://www.copykat.com/2009/03/29/olive-garden-salad-dressing/ - original recipe), but I have EXTENSIVELY edited it to make it more healthy and more to my liking. It ends up tasting like a creamy italian dressing...without the cream.

Here's what you need:

1 clove of garlic (or a little more if you like things garlicky like my fiancé)*

1/2 cup of fat free mayonnaise 

1/3 cup of white vinegar

2 tbsp of agave or honey

4 tbsp of parmigiano reggiano (or 2 tbsp of shredded parmesan and 2 tbsp of romano cheese)*

1 tsp of vegetable oil

1 tsp of italian seasoning

1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice

*If you don't own a food processor, substitute the garlic cloves for 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp (I usually do 1 tsp) of garlic powder and whisk all the ingredients in a bowl.

*Note, fresh shredded cheese is the best. It adds the most flavor and you don't have to use as much. However, if you want to purchase pre-purchased shredded cheese, go for it.

Here's what you do:

1. Put all the ingredients into a food processor (or whisk in a bowl)

2. Blend well.

3. Put in a tightly sealed container (or you can buy empty dressing bottles at the grocery store - great way to store your own dressing) and let it sit overnight before using for the BEST flavor.

4. Enjoy!

You really only need 2-3 tbsp per salad and it lasts a good 7-10 days in the fridge. This dressing has a great flavor without you having to feel terribly guilty about it. My fiancé always asks me to make this, and it is a huge hit when I bring a salad to a dinner party.

Tomatoes from our garden this summer - yum!

My favorite salad:

1. Half arugula, half spinach

2. 1 campari tomato, sliced

3. a few strips of red onion

4. 5 pieces of a peeled cucumber cut in half

5. About 2 good spoonfuls of reduced fat feta cheese

6. This dressing

YUM! If you are not a salad fan, make that salad (assuming you like all the ingredients) with this dressing and become a fan!

Sorry for the lack of pictures - taking pictures of my dressing just looked strange and a little repetitive. I'll do better next time :)

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My Sous Chefs and Twice Baked Potatoes

Happy Sunday, everyone! We had a lot of leftover potatoes that needed to be used, so last night I made my stepmom's twice baked potatoes - they are one of my favorite side dishes, and they are great when you are cooking for large groups of people. I will say they are a bit time consuming, but definitely worth it.

Before I get to that, I wanted to introduce my two sous chefs. They are ALWAYS in the kitchen with me and willing to taste test anything.

This is Piper:

And here is Perry:

The two best sous chefs a girl could ask for! Now, onto the recipe.

This is courtesy of my stepmom, who is a great cook. She always makes these for holidays, and I can never get my recipe to taste EXACTLY like hers, but I definitely try.

Here's what you need:

Potatoes - I used 6, but use as many as you need!

2 tbsp of butter 

3-4 tbsp of low fat cottage cheese

1/2 a cup of 2% shredded sharp cheddar

1/4 cup of fat free milk

1/2 tsp of garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

Here is what you do:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Stab your potatoes a few times, wrap them in foil, and bake for 60-90 minutes (until they are pretty soft)

3. Take potatoes out and let them cool (unwrapped) for about 10-15 minutes.

4. Slice the potatoes in half.

5. Using a spoon, scoop the potato into a bowl leaving a shell.

*Make sure your edges are fairly thick - they have to be strong enough to hold your stuffing!

6. Add butter, cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, milk, garlic powder, salt and pepper to the potato you scooped into the bowl. Mash/stir.

7. Stuff the shells with the potato mixture. You want them to be stuffed pretty well. 

8. Put the re-stuffed potatoes back into the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until warmed through.

Yum! While these are not the most healthy side dish, they are not as bad as most if you use the low fat ingredients. Also, if you choose to use more than 6 potatoes, you may want to add a little bit more of everything.

Enjoy!!

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My love/hate relationship with quinoa

I really, really want to like quinoa. It is one of the best (if not the best) grain for you, and it seems to have a million health benefits.

Try as I might, I am generally not a fan of quinoa. I usually have to add a million different things to make it taste good, and then it is no longer healthy. Recently, I made a quinoa recipe (found on http://www.eating-for-england.com/quinoa-salad-beans-avocado/), and while it is far from my favorite thing, this recipe was 1. easy, 2. healthy, and 3. really great to take to school.

What you need:
1 cup of quinoa - make sure you rinse it (use one of the mesh strainers - took me awhile to figure this out)
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
6-10 cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 small cucumber, sliced*
1/2 a red onion, diced
1 and 3/4 cups of water (next time I plan to try chicken or vegetable broth to add more flavor to the quinoa)

*The original recipe called for avocado. I could not find fresh avocado (and honestly, it's not my favorite unless it's in guacamole, so I switched for cucumber).

1. Using a decent sized saucepan, pour a bit of olive oil in and put in your quinoa. Warm it for about 3 minutes stirring often.
2. Pour in water or broth. Cover and let simmer for about 20-25 minutes.
3. Once it's done, add your beans to warm them. Let cool for a few minutes.
4. Add your vegetables and stir well.

http://www.eating-for-england.com/quinoa-salad-beans-avocado/

I also added the following (sort of a dressing):
juice from one lime
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 tsp of cumin
salt
pepper

Mix it all together and pour it over your quinoa/bean/veggie mixture. Next time, I plan to use more lime.

And that's it! You can eat it cold or warm it up. It keeps well in the fridge for awhile, and you don't need to eat much to get full.

Hope you enjoy it as much as one can enjoy quinoa :)

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My Breakfast Love Affair

My fiancé and I love to cook. Cooking at home is so much healthier than going out, and it can be relaxing (which, as a law student, I enjoy thoroughly). Most of my standard recipes are pretty healthy, but every so often when I absolutely need comfort, I will cook something unhealthy (usually still better than going out to eat).

SO, for my first recipe to share, I thought I would give you my favorite (and super easy) breakfast casserole. I started with a recipe I found on verybestbaking.com (http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/29566/Potato-Bacon-Casserole/detail.aspx - original recipe) and slightly edited it to my taste. The best thing about this is you can throw it together the night before, put it in the fridge, and then just put it in the oven the next morning. Side note - I promise to start using my own pictures soon. Until then, picture from the web:

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/29566/Potato-Bacon-Casserole/detail.aspx

You need...

1 package hash browns (I use Simply Potatoes)

12 strips of bacon - cooked*

4-6 eggs (depending on how big your casserole dish is)

1/2 a yellow onion - diced

1/4-1/2 cup of evaporated milk (they make a 2% version)

1 package of 2% shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Salt

Pepper

*Helpful bacon tip - if you hate doing in the frying pan (I do, I always get burned!), put your bacon on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes (depending on how crispy you like your bacon). SO easy!

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Spray a non-stick spray in your casserole dish 

3. Put a layer of potatoes on the bottom - season with salt and pepper to taste

4. Sprinkle a layer of onion

5. Crumble bacon (or leave in strips - up to you!) and sprinkle a layer of bacon

6. Sprinkle a layer of cheese

7. Repeat - potatoes, onion, bacon, cheese - until you get to the top of your dish. Make sure cheese is on the top!

8. Whisk your eggs with your milk and pour the mixture evenly over your casserole dish. You want to ensure your bottom layer of potatoes is covered in the egg mixture.

9. Place in the oven COVERED for 60 minutes. Then, cook uncovered for 5 minutes.

10. Enjoy!

I love this dish. It keeps in the fridge REALLY well - all you have to do is reheat it in the microwave or oven. It is not the most healthy dish, but it keeps you full for most of the day, and it is absolutely delicious. Hope you enjoy!

P.S. The name of my blog is a play on my future husband's last name, in case you were wondering :)

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