Food In Many Forms

Since I started working full-time last September, I have relied heavily on leftovers to save me money and keep me eating healthy during the work week. This was one of the best leftover meals I have made so far. When combined with a 4-pack of chicken sausage, this recipe made about 4 1/2 meals for me last week. The flavors of the Spanish rice meld together making it more rich every extra day it hangs out in the fridge. That being said, I still want to experiment with adding other spices and perfect this dish which is sure to be a favorite. Future additions might include chili powder, oregano, garlic, fresh cilantro, hot sauce, or lime juice. I will keep you posted! Ingredients 1/4 cup olive oil 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 bell peppers, seeded, ribs removed, and diced 2 ribs celery, finely chopped (optional) 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 cup long-grain brown rice 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes 2 cups water 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 teaspoon cumin Pr...

This recipe calls for a "fiery" tomato sauce, but I left out the green chiles for a more mild (but still flavorful) version. Shakshuka Ingredients: 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 small onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 large bell pepper, diced 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp sweet paprika 1/2 tsp mild red pepper flakes, or more to taste 2 Tbsp tomato paste 28 oz canned chopped tomatoes, with their juice 1/2 tsp kosher salt Fresh black pepper, to taste 6 large eggs 2-4 Tbsp roughly chopped fresh parsley Directions: Heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over low-medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion, and saute for 2-3 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and red bell pepper, and continue to cook, stirring frequently, for 4-5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Stir in the cumin, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Mix well, and let the spices cook for 30 seconds. Next, add the tomato paste, and stir that into the mixture. Finally, add th...

Last week, a good friend of mine texted me, "I just made a very involved pasta salad". At the time, I thought, "hmm, okay cool... random, send me the recipe." But now after having made said pasta salad, I realize how much that is the understatement of the year. "Very involved" is exactly how I would describe it. Don't believe the New York Times' estimated prep time of forty-five minutes - it took me closer to an hour and a half or two hours to make. But it is pretty delicious. And a ton of food.  Ingredients: 2 lb ripe campari tomatoes, cut in wedges 5 Tbsp Olive oil Salt and pepper 2 or 3 garlic cloves, pressed 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional) 2 Tbsp capers, rinsed and chopped (optional) 2 medium eggplants, about 1 pound 12 oz whole wheat ziti or other short pasta 6 oz mild feta 1 small bunch of basil, for garnish Directions: 1. Heat broiler. Put tomato wedges in a shallow baking dish in one layer. Drizz...

Some of my best memories involve sharing a meal, a drink or a sweet. But it is funny how foods that are not memorable at the time become a source of nostalgia later on. For example, when I was studying at the school of public health, the daily grind had curry chicken salad sandwiches for sale. I ate them, just like I ate many things on-the-go, in between classes or to get me through a study session. At the time, it was just a sandwich, but now I have fond memories of eating them. So today, I embraced that nostalgia, and made me some chicken salad... a heavily adapted version of the Pioneer Woman's recipe. Ingredients: 1 1/4 pounds Chicken, cooked and diced 4 whole ribs of celery, chopped 1/4 cup sliced almonds 3 Tbsp light mayonnaise 3 Tbsp light sour cream 1/3 cup So Delicious almond milk creamer 1 Tbsp curry powder Salt & pepper, to taste Directions: Mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, almond milk creamer, and curry powder until well combined....

I think the "Cupcakes" turned out pretty well, but they really look and taste more like muffins. They would be great for a quick breakfast and are a lot better than some of those oatmeal breakfast bar recipes I've tried. I ended up doubling the recipe, which made 26 muffins. I ended up using almost an entire zucchini, two small apples, shredded carrots and chopped raisins, and I definitely recommend using some kind of dried fruit to add some sweetness. It seems like a lot of people just use the leftover fruits and vegetables from their juice smoothies, which I think is a great idea! 

It was just a matter of time before Pinterest entered my life in food form , and this recipe was too easy to resist. It took 10 minutes to prepare after I got home from the gym, and 25 minutes to bake. The original recipe had too many egg whites , and too few whole eggs for my taste, so the modified version below has twice as many whole eggs and half the egg whites. There are four servings after all, I think one egg yolk per person is okay. And that is my professional opinion ;) Healthy Breakfast Frittata Makes 4 Servings Ingredients: 1 Cup Eggwhites (I use eggwhites from a carton to make my life easier) 4 Whole Eggs 1/2 a Small White Onion Finely Chopped 2 Cups Spinach (not packed) 1/4 Cup Reduced Fat Feta Cheese Black Pepper, to taste Crushed Red Pepper, to taste Salt, to taste Directions: Preheat oven to 425 F. Place all ingredients in an 8×8 previously oiled baking dish sprinkling your spices on top. Using a fork fold ingredients together....

I had a little soup mishap, and it didn't turn out quite as delicious-looking as this one. But it was still pretty tasty, and I'm confident that if I could learn to follow directions, I could make some legit potato leek soup. I made this recipe even shorter and quicker than it already is by not mashing the potatoes or pureeing the leeks. So it actually looked more like the soup pictured. But I would definitely have chopped up the potatoes and leeks into smaller pieces if I had known I was going to go the lazy route. Potato Leek Soup From Eatingwell.com Makes 6 1-cup servings Active Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 45 minutes Ingredients 1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil 3 leeks, trimmed, cleaned and thinly sliced (3 cups) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 1 1/4 pounds all-purpose potatoes, (about 3 medium), peeled and cut into small chunks 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream Salt &...

Monday night, after the gym, I was inspired to pick up some sliced almonds and nonfat Greek yogurt, and make myself a fruit parfait for dinner. It took about 10 minutes to assemble, and it made for a healthy, satisfying dinner. A few Google searches later, I found this recipe for a Chicken, Pesto, Celery, Walnut, and Spinach Wrap . It's just as easy to assemble, and made for plenty of leftovers! Ingredients: 6 Fiber One garden vegetable wraps 1 1/2 pounds rotisserie chicken  4 stalks celery, diced 2 Tbsp pesto 3 cups spinach, fresh 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped Directions: 1) Pull the meat off the rotisserie chicken, remove the skin, and divide it into smaller pieces.  2) Mix the pesto, walnuts, and celery in with the chicken. 3) Sprinkle 1/2 cup spinach on a vegetable wrap and cover with approximately 3 oz chicken 4) Roll it up like a burrito and enjoy! Adapted from:  http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/quick-recipes/dinner/qui...

There is a lot to be said for a recipe that cooks up quick and requires minimal prep time. Even more so if it is also healthy, cheap, and uses nonperishable ingredients. So even though this is not my favorite Giada recipe, it is definitely worth keeping the ingredients around in case I ever need to cook up  a good amount of food in a short amount of time. I promise you, it will grow on you as you eat, especially if you are generous with red pepper flakes and the parmesan ;) Ingredients: 1 pound farfalle pasta - I had gemelli so that's what I used 2 heads broccoli, trimmed to florets (about 4 cups) - I used frozen 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves, chopped 5 anchovy fillets, diced 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup grated Parmesan - I used Romano cheese Directions: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally. Cook the bro...

I'm a fan of just about every thing Giada makes, and I had my eye on this recipe for quite some time. A perfect healthy date night meal. Ingredients 4 skinless chicken breast halves, with ribs 2 skinless chicken thighs, with bones 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1 teaspoon 1/4 cup olive oil 1 red bell pepper, sliced 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced 3 ounces prosciutto, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes 1/2 cup white wine 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 1 teaspoon fresh oregano leaves 1/2 cup chicken stock 2 tablespoons capers 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves Directions Season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. In a heavy, large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, cook the chicken until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside. Keeping the same pan over medium heat, add the peppers and pros...

After a late night watching Food Network, I was inspired to try one of Ellie Krieger's Meal Makeovers! Check out this Video, and Get Inspired! First on the list was her "Macaroni and 4 Cheeses" - made with more than a pound of pureed butternut squash and low-fat milk. I stepped it up a notch by using whole wheat pasta, and using half the amount of bread crumb topping.  After reading the reviews, I was concerned that the squash would overpower it, but after trying it, I thought there was a really great balance between subtle squash flavor and cheesy goodness.  I served it with a sprinkle of Old Bay Seasoning for an extra kick, instead of the Cayenne Pepper that Ellie recommends. On the side, I had some fresh asparagus from the University Farmer's Market yesterday. It was absolutely delicious after I brushed it with olive oil, sprinkled on some parmesan cheese and roasted it under the broiler until soft. Ingredients Cooking spray 1 pound whole wheat elbow m...

I'm totally on a Mexican Food Kick these past couple months... Mexican Noodles, Mexican Pizza, Mexican Dip... but hey, I will always take advantage of an opportunity to use taco seasoning and tons of fresh vegetables! So when my work today brought me to the CDC recipe database -  http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnparecipe/recipesearch.aspx  - I obviously chose the tortilla pizza to go in the cookbooks we are sending home with students next week after they visit the University Farmer's Market.  And isn't it only fair that I try out some of these recipes first?   And just to make this a little more interesting, I'm going to have a little nutrition face-off with a fellow blogger's Tortilla Pizza recipe - someone who "watches her weight" and tells us how her recipe is full of protein, fiber, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin C. We will see about that!  Skip below for recipes - I'm warning you, I might ramble a bit! Honey What's Cooking Mexican ...

So, I know I've talked about Ellie Krieger in the past, but I'm not sure I've ever actually made one of her recipes. She is the only Chef on the Food Network that is also a Registered Dietitian, and you know I am in support of that! This past Cinco de Mayo, I finally decided to make one of her recipes - a five-layer Mexican dip. It disappeared in the first twenty minutes of the party, and it was pretty easy to make. The only time-consuming part of the recipe was chopping up the veggies, but it was worth it! And the best part about Ellie's recipes? She does the nutritional analysis for me :) Ingredients 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 medium onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, preferably low-sodium, drained and rinsed 1 tablespoon minced chipotle pepper in adobo 4 tablespoons lime juice 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon water 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 cups corn kernels (10-ounce box frozen corn) 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves...

Hungry Girl is a great resource for low-calorie recipes, but as with most things, it's all checking your nutrition labels and making the best choices at the grocery store. I learned that the hard way when I tried to make Hungry Girl's Chicken Flautas . The Hungry Girl (HG) wants fat-free cheeses, corn tortillas and plenty of spices. My little downtown grocery store has none of this.  Let me cut to the chase - this 188 calorie recipe became a 420 calorie recipe out of no where! Mostly, I blame the tortillas, only afterward did I realize that flour tortillas have more calories than corn tortillas. It is still a great recipe even with my inadequate groceries, and it makes me think I want to start an under-500 calories series . It is a bit overdone, but being informed is always a good thing! Ingredients: 1/4 cup salsa 1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese 4 oz. cooked and finely chopped skinless lean chicken breast 3 tbsp. diced onion 1/8 tsp. cayenne ...

What better time to blog about  warm weather  and  picnics  than when it is rainy and cold outside! Last week, when it was warm and sunny, I rounded up some of my girlfriends and we set out for Patterson Park with  Tuna Sandwiches, Pasta Salad, Watermelon Slices and a Bottle of Wine . Sitting under a tree, watching baseball and eating refreshing food makes for an idealistic Sunday afternoon. I can't wait to do it again. I used bowtie pasta and added fresh basil. I just wish I had taken a picture of it, it looked even better than the picture on the website. A lot of pasta salad recipes use salad dressing, but I like that this  dressing  is relatively  natural  and  simple . INGREDIENTS Serving Size 6 servings (1-1/3 cups each) 12 ounces dry rotini pasta, uncooked (12 oz = 4-1/2 cups) 2 tablespoons Canola Oil 2 tablespoons Gulden's® Spicy Brown Mustard 1/2 pint grape tomatoes 1 large cucumber, sliced 1 can (2.25 oz ...

Don't let it's looks deceive you, this Turkey Noodle Casserole is pure delicious-ness. The peppers gave it a nice little kick without being overwhelming. Now if you like a little heat, you could probably use two or three chipotle peppers with no problem, but I liked it with just one. Doing the recipe analysis for this recipe, I was shocked how many calories 1 cup of cheese can have (about 400 calories for the brand I chose)! It's easy to forget at the grocery store that the cheese is all made with whole milk, unless it says otherwise. I feel especially silly for buying whole milk cheese, since I know 2% tastes exactly the same . Just making that simple switch could save you around 120 calories in this recipe and 12 g of fat ! Turkey Noodle Casserole (Serves 6) Ingredients 1/4 cup canola oil, plus more for preparing the pan 10 ounces rigatoni or other shaped pasta 1 medium onion, diced 3 large garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon taco seasoning 1 teaspoon drie...

I just finished prepping to make my favorite Jambalaya recipe  tomorrow, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to update the recipe with nutrition information.  Of course, as soon as I look at the nutrition breakdown, I realize the sausage is full of saturated fat and sodium. So I may consider switching out the sausage for shrimp. Replacing one sausage link with 3 oz of shrimp saves 76 calories, 10 g fat, 3.5 g sat fat and 810 mg sodium per serving!  Cajun Rice a la Ocean City Ingredients: 1/2 onion, finely diced 1 can dark red kidney beans 3 stalks celery, finely chopped 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped 4 pack of precooked Cajun Andouille sausage, sliced Bouillon cube (Recommended: Edward & Sons Not Chick'n)  Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 cups white rice Salt & Pepper Directions: 1. Boil 3 1/3 cups of water, drop in 1 bouillon cube and allow to melt, pour in rice 2. Sauté onion, celery, and bell peppe...

I've commented before on the convenience of recipes that use "1 can of corn" or "1 can of beans" or "1 can of pumpkin" rather than 4 oz, 1/4 cup or 1 lb. But of course, no one is ever worried about being convenient, or using what is left over. Well,  between pumpkin risotto and enchiladas, I had a lot of perfectly good canned veggies that were left unused . I used my search engine, and found this great soup recipe  with all three of those ingredients, plus some staple foods I always carry. Suddenly, I have a hearty winter soup that is only 147 calories, 29 g of carbohydrates and 9 g of fiber per cup.  I am getting practice counting carbs and monitoring my blood sugar at the diabetes outpatient center this week, and all of a sudden finding low calorie, high carbohydrate foods that are satiating has become a big problem. However, in this case, I am going to have to go for seconds, or get some extra dessert to fulfill my goal. Extra dessert? Da...

Remember that menu I made for the week? It went out the window tonight in favor of enchiladas. I walked to the grocery store just to get sauce and taco shells, even after buying all my groceries for the week based on my "planned" menu. Oh well.  Sandra Lee has a recipe that uses the leftover components of black bean burgers to make black bean enchiladas. Well, I   didn't want black bean burgers, but I have to give Sandy Lee some credit for the idea. Ingredients: Filling: 1/4 medium yellow onion, roughly chopped 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1/2 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained, divided 1/4 cup canned corn 2 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro leaves 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes Enchiladas: 1 (10-ounce) can enchilada sauce 4 soft taco shells 1/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute onions in a small pan until browned. Turn stove to low and add garlic, beans and corn. Cook until heated through. Stir in cilan...

I'm on my  third carton of eggs in six weeks , and today I began to wonder if this is a healthy trend. Between 2 quiches, a batch of lemon bars and some scrambled eggs here and there, I have used gone through 21 eggs . Not to mention the hard boiled eggs I eat at work, the egg whites in my favorite spinach feta wraps at Starbucks and the fried eggs going into my Au Bon Pain breakfast sandwiches. I have given myself a little too much wiggle room these past couple weeks, and my scale knows it. So after I finish the quiche that is baking in my oven right now, I am going to switch to egg whites and re-focus on lowering the fat and cholesterol in all parts of my diet . It also means that I am going to work hard to curb my cravings for cookies and sweets, and go for the fruit instead. Just this week, I decided to slice up some very ripe bananas and freeze them and they were such a great snack. I am stocked up on my favorite Greek yogurt, and my pantry is stocked with heal...