Monday, July 30, 2012

Spicy Raspberry Meatballs

I have been on a berry kick lately and these meatballs hit the spot. I saw them on the food network last week and they sounded so interesting I had to make them. The thought of fruity and spicy coming together made my mouth water. To add to the awesomeness that would become of these meatballs, they were turkey! This made me feel guilt free. When all the flavors come together it is just delightful! I ended up taking them to a get together to watch the Olympic games and everyone loved them.

 Ingredients:


Spicy Raspberry Glaze:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup raspberry jam
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon chile powder
  • Salt

Turkey Meatballs:

  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1/2 small white onion, finely diced
  • 1 pound ground turkey

 For the spicy raspberry glaze: Mix the butter and garlic over medium heat in a small saucepan and cook until the butter is fully melted. Add the jam, cayenne, vinegar and chile powder. Cook 2 minutes longer and sprinkle with salt. Pour half of the glaze into a bowl. Keep the other half of the glaze warming in the small saucepot.


For the turkey meatballs: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk together the egg, parsley, salt and cayenne in a small bowl. Add the panko, garlic and onions to the mixture and blend to combine. Mix in the turkey, using your hands, until just combined. Do not over mix; this will result in tough meatballs.

Form the turkey mixture into 1-inch balls and arrange on a parchment-lined cooking sheet. Brush the meatballs with half of the spicy raspberry glaze from the bowl. Bake the meatballs until cooked through and slightly firm to touch, about 13 minutes. Halfway through the baking time, turn the meatballs and brush them with the warmed glaze.


Garnish the meatballs with cocktail skewers for serving. Enjoy!

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Pluots


So if you're like me you do not know what a "pluot" is, this delicious fruit is a hybrid of an apricot and plum. I saw it the other day at the market and decided to give it a go, so glad I did. This fruit was so juicy and tasty... they have different varieties of them including heart, dinosaur egg, and red pluot. The one I tried was the dinosaur egg, it had a spotted exterior.

When I bit into it the red flesh was colorful and impressive. Very yummy so glad I tired it! This was a good afternoon snack that kept me feeling full until dinner.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wrap


Buffalo chicken is one of my favorite bar snacks, so I wanted to make a healthier version of this all time favorite without sacrificing the delicious taste. I was looking for the perfect lettuce cup for my buffalo chicken and I saw the "butter lettuce". This was the first time I attempted to make lettuce wrapped anything so I wanted something with a very mild flavor. Butter lettuce was the perfect choice, it was a little nutty and pretty crisp.
They come in this plastic box which was what attracted me to it in the first place. If you don't find this you can use any type, baby bok choy is a good choice also. 

Ingredients: 

chicken 
4 tbsp franks red hot
butter lettuce
blue cheese crumbles

This is probably the easiest recipe I have made so far, all you need to do it cook the chicken on a skillet and shred when it is cooked. Then add the franks red hot and mix until every strand is covered. You can add more or less sauce depending on how hot you like the chicken. After just clean the lettuce cups and you are set to go! 
 Pile on the chicken and sprinkle some blue cheese on top and enjoy!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Spinning Woes


Yesterday I decided I was going to give spinning class one more chance. I had a bad experience with it a couple months back because it left me so sore I could barely walk. The last time I tried it I know I didn't set up the bike properly so this time I asked for some help from the instructor.
I go to David Barton Gym in south beach.. their tag line is "look better naked" which I immediately loved. I love all the classes they offer and this was one I had to overcome! My mom gave me this gel seat to add comfort to my behind during the ride.. and boy did it help! 

I am a group fitness person, I love trying new classes and it makes it easier knowing other people are experiencing the same pain as me. This class was the perfect cardio remedy that I was looking for, it was group, quick, and in a dark room (so no one has to endure my crazy hair and expressions). I always hear the spinning class music in the distance from my pilates class and I loved it. The fast pace music that gets your heart pumping and makes you want to move. Overall i'm glad I gave it another shot because this time around I felt great afterwards! Invigorated is the word that comes to mind. Besides a little pain on my "butt bones" i'm great and the gel seat helped a lot. This will be my new cardio workout :)




Monday, July 23, 2012

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

I bought these egg roll wrappers the other day because I saw this clever idea to use them to make cheese sticks. I for one love cheese sticks, they're cheesy and filling. Usually this snack is served fried so I was excited to make a healthier version. I ended up adding some pepperoni and making it a pizza style egg roll. These were quick and tasty... perfect little lunch.

Ingredients:
egg roll wrappers
mozzarella string cheese
topping of choice
some olive oil spray

All you need to do is lay the egg roll wrapper out and out the string cheese in the middle and add you topping, then roll up according to the directions on the box. Put in a greased baking sheet and once all are wrapped spray with some olive oil. Pop into oven at 375 for approx 15min turning towards the end so that both sides brown.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Chia & Flax Seed Blueberry Muffins


Muffins are that breakfast staple which I didn't get into until recently. I discovered that there are so many variations than just your average muffin... like blueberries. I have not heard enough about blueberries, it literally feels like everyone is cooking and baking with them. So I had this longing to make some muffins with these juicy little berries!
I thought I might make them healthier by adding some chia seeds (my new love) and flax seeds. Only thing is I would make a small batch since its just me and Danny. This recipe makes 8 muffins.

Ingredients :
1 1/4 cup flour
6 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 egg beaten
6 tbsp buttermilk
2 tbsp + 2 tsp canola oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tbsp chia seed
1tbsp flax seed

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, both seeds and salt together in a bowl. In a separate bowl whisk the buttermilk, egg, canola oil, vanilla extract. Mix the dry ingredients and wet ones together and then fold in blueberries.

Once the mixture is ready it's time to fill the muffin lined tin.
Pop them in a 375 oven for about 20min until they start to brown a little on top. I used a bamboo skewer to check the doneness.
Place on a plate to cool and then enjoy these juicy muffins!!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Baked Ravioli


Italian food is one of those things that just gives a certain comfort to me... maybe it's the carb overload or all the cheese. I bought these ravioli stuffed with chicken and mozzarella the other day and wanted to do an appetizer plate. Only problem is me and Danny never really need appetizers for our meals.. So what was I going to do with these raviolis? Bake em' thats what! These were so good and surprisingly filling; we didn't eat anything beside them, which was impressive.
They also looked fancy, like something you would find at a party, very appealing haha.

Ingredients:

1 pkg ravioli
seasoned bread crumbs
egg beaters

All I did was dip the ravioli in the egg beaters and then dip into the bread crumbs.
Place on greased baking sheet & pop into the oven at 375 for 15min.  Enjoy!


Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Chocolate Surprise Bugles


         
        WARNING: EXTREMELY ADDICTIVE
Bugles.. I didn't think these salty treats still existed! I saw this idea on cookiesandcups.com and thought it sounded amazing, I mean seriously who doesn't want chocolate, peanut butter, and salty bugles together. While it is an odd combo of salt and sweet.. It is extremely yummy! The unexpected saltiness you get from each bite while the pb mix and chocolate make for a sweet candy experience. They're pretty easy to make just tedious when it comes to filling each cone with the peanut butter mix.

Ingredients:

Bugles
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 tbsp milk
chocolate

First things first... mix the PB and powdered sugar
Then add the milk while mixing with a hand mixer until smooth. Once the mixture is ready pour into ziplock bag and snip off the corner (If you have a piping bag you can just use that. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and start filling up each cone with the mixture.
Fill as many as can fit on the sheet.
Then dip these nutty cones in some melted chocolate, just the tips.
Pop into freezer and enjoy after about an hour!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

OMG mac n' cheese

Let me start by saying this was one of those things that made me say "wow I made THAT"! I had never made any sauce really, so I was thoroughly impressed with myself. It was so creamy and cheesy... the perfect side dish to my pan fried chicken. Danny loved it as well, we're big mac n cheese fans and this one he said and I quote "as good as any I've ever had". I will definitely be making this again, it was delicious! I adapted the recipe from mommy i'm hungry to serve 4.





Ingredients: 


8oz macaroni
4 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup flour
1 1/3 cup milk warmed
2 tbsp chicken broth
4oz velveeta cubed
4oz white cheddar cubed
1/4 cup panko
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp parsley


Heat oven to 350, Grease 8x8 glass dish.
Cook pasta for about 2 minutes less than the box calls, drain, set aside.
In a saucepan, melt 4 tbsp butter, salt & 
pepper. Once the butter has melted add flour, stir until smooth. Let cook for about 1 minute so it thickens. Add milk and broth, bring to a boil while whisking. Then add cheeses and stir until melted. Pour over cooked pasta and add to greased dish. Combine the panko, parsley and melted butter in a small bowl. Sprinkle macaroni with panko topping, bake uncovered 30 minutes. 


Then enjoy the creamiest mac n cheese ever!



Monday, July 16, 2012

Pizza Quesadillas



Mondays ... I wanted to start my week off with some comfort food, which for me is Italian and by Italian I mean pizza :) Oh my... cheesiness! It's not a surprise that I love pizza and I saw this on pinterest and knew I had to make it. Pizza quesadillas were easy to make and tasty, they literally took me about 10min. Great for a quick lunch and satisfies my pizza cravings.

Ingredients: 
Serves 1 

2 wheat tortillas
mozzarella cheese
pepperoni
pizza sauce


Sunday, July 15, 2012

Lambrusco


I wanted to share this delicious drink I found a couple weeks ago called "lambrusco". I tried this the night we went to Macchialina's. I'm really into pinot noir and this was supposed to be kind of like a sparkling pinot noir. My taste buds were in for a delightful ride. It was sweet like a punch with just an amazing refreshing taste. More of a cocktail really is what it reminded me of than a pinot noir. It was so good I have not stopped talking about it and I was set on finding it. So me and Danny went to Total wine which is the best store ever! This place is basically a warehouse of wines and alcohol, a toys r' us for adults as we call it. I knew we could find this lambrusco there, and of course we did.

 I encourage you to try it if you find it because it really is delish!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Pizza... the one food that I can probably eat everyday. I love pizza and was super excited when I saw a recipe for it in a "healthy" way. I mean it's made of veggies right?? Well all things considered it still packs some cals but hey... live a little :) . Making it was fairly easy so here are the steps.

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower
1 egg
1 cup mozzarella
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp garlic salt
olive oil for brushing

First I cut up the cauliflower into florets so that they would comfortably fit in the food processor.
Then for the tedious part... I have a small food processor so I had to rice the cauliflower in very small batches.

That's what it should look like after being processed, hence the term "ricing". Add 1/4 cup water and place the bowl in the microwave for 6min mixing half way through. I got all the ingredients I needed to make the crust.
Ok so you blend it all and you will have A LOT of "dough". Scoop some into a cookie sheet and spread out like a pizza.. It works to make it thinner, my first couple tries were somewhat of a fail so don't give up if it doesn't work the first time. Then Pop in oven at 425 for about 20min. After it is done pull it out and add toppings to it ... put it in on broiler for 4min or until cheese has melted.
Now enjoy! This isn't your typical pizza but a fun way to try something new. If you're not a cauliflower  fan then this is a good intro to it since the flavor is somewhat masked by all the cheesy goodness.

Friday, July 13, 2012

Crispy Onion Rings

I had a craving for some onion rings just not the greasy too many calorie kind..so I went on a mission to find a recipe that was baked. I found one on skinnytaste that sounded just perfect for me, only 2 WW pts and baked so I decided to adapt it.
The funny thing about my relationship with onions is I was not very fond of them until I started cooking myself. Their presence usually bothers me but never with onion rings. I have always enjoyed them! So let me share what I did with this yummy healthy kind.

Ingredients:

1 onion
seasoned bread crumbs
panko crumbs
2 cups buttermilk
salt

I cut the onion lengthwise to form rings, my onion was exceptionally large which now looking back I wish I would have bought the smaller kind.
Then I soaked the rings in buttermilk for about 1 hour in the fridge. Once the hour had gone by I made my dipping station which was the breadcrumbs and my parchment paper lined baking sheet. My only recommendation for this is to not put all the breadcrumbs in at once because they WILL clump and not stick to the rings. Dip the rings in the breadcrumb mix (panko and seasoned) then set on baking sheet.
Pop them into the oven at 425 for about 13min. Then enjoy! These make a great side dish or a yummy snack :)

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Summery Shrimp Quesadilla


I have been on a craving lobster rave since I got back from St.Thomas, I really really really wanted to make something similar to that delicious lobster quesadilla. So I figured the closest thing to a lobster I was going to get was shrimp! I have never cooked a lobster nor do I plan to anytime soon.
I have to say I was very pleased with my tropical makeshift quesadilla. It tasted like a vacation in my mouth. They were very easy to make and full of flavor, Danny was impressed with these which made me smile inside.

So to make them all you need is:

1/2 lb of shrimp
salt and pepper to taste
whole wheat torillas
mexican blend cheese
1/2 onion
cilantro
cumin
cayenne
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup of corn

I marinated the shrimp (tail off) for about 20min so the spices would stick. In a bowl I added the shrimp the sprinkled some salt and pepper, a dash of cumin, and a dash of cayenne. Mix it all together and placed it to the side.

When I started getting hungry I made my way back to the kitchen to put everything together for my quesadilla. I cut the shrimp up into thirds. In a sauce pan I added the chopped onion, shrimp, and corn over med heat until it began to be fragrant. Then squeeze some lemon over on top, I also drained it once everything was cooked so that the lemon would be more potent once added.

Put everything in a bowl to the side and add some chopped cilantro then start making the quesadillas. All I did was layer the cheese first then the shrimp mix and then another layer of cheese. Folded it over and waited for the cheese to melt and flipped. Repeat for as many as you want to make.

These were so good, really meaty and cheesy. I was surprised at how easy they were to make and how good they tasted!  

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Finger Lickin' Chicken



Let me start this off by saying I was obsessed with KFC when they featured their "honey bbq boneless wings"... I probably had these at least once a week. The sauce was what had me at hello! The moment I tasted it I was in heaven.. Bliss in my mouth, and then they were gone.
I love the taste of honey bbq it's sweet and a tad tangy just perfect but no sauce had the right balance like the one from KFC.
I ran across this recipe on pinterest and knew I had to make it.. and DING DING DING, it tastes identical!! I literally could put this sauce on everything.
The star was the bbq sauce I used..


Now let me walk you through the steps for making these morsels of deliciousness!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
chicken strips cut into nuggets
2 tbsp egg beaters
1/4 cup garland jack's
1- 1/2 tbsp honey
2 tsp Frank's red hot sauce

Mix the flour with salt and pepper and then set up the egg beaters in another bowl, dunk the chicken in egg and then cover in flour mix.

Pop them in the oven at 350 for about 20min flipping half way through.

While they're in there start making the delish sauce! Mix the bbq sauce, honey and franks together and once the chicken is done toss and serve :)