Pumpkin Shitake Mini Phyllo Cup Appetizers

I had the awesome opportunity to do a cooking demo at the Reston Williams-Sonoma. I had been wanting to do something combining pumpkin and mushrooms, and came up with this idea.  I tried a few different things: with and without the sage; with and without balsamic vinegar.  This recipe turned out to be the winner.  Some of the ingredients sound like they don't go together, but they really do!

This is also a healthy recipe! This recipe is packed with healthy nutrients including fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Pumpkin puree is loaded with carotenoids, including beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.  These antioxidants help protect your eyes and play important roles in your immune function.  Pumpkin is also a good source of potassium, which helps regulate blood pressure.  Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc and the antioxidant vitamin E, which both help your immune system.  Mushrooms are also loaded with healthy nutrients including many B vitamins, which help your body metabolize energy, and play a role in your nervous system. This delicious food also contains antioxidants including selenium and ergothioneine.   Mushrooms are a source of umami, the fifth basic taste, which gives a savory taste sensation.  Because umami increases the flavor of a dish, you can use less salt without compromising flavor.

Pumpkin Shitake Mini Phyllo Cup Appetizers

Recipe Makes 10 Servings

Ingredients:

3 tbsp pumpkin seeds (hulled)

½ tsp olive oil

¼ tsp pumpkin pie spice

2 cups chopped shitake mushrooms (stems removed)

3 tbsp finely chopped red onion

1.5 oz gruyere, shredded

1 tsp sage

¾ tsp dried chili powder, divided

½ tsp pepper

¼ tsp salt

¾ cup pumpkin puree

½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1 ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar

30 mini phyllo shells

Directions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350*F.  Bake pumpkin seeds 5 minutes, then remove.  Add olive oil, pumpkin pie spice, and ¼ tsp dried chili powder to the seeds.  Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Spread seeds evenly over parchment paper.  Bake 10 minutes.  Remove and let cool.

2.     Heat a medium sided sauté pan over medium heat.  When pan is hot, add chopped mushrooms.  Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add onions, sage, remaining ½ tsp chili powder, pepper, and salt.  Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.     In a bowl, combine pumpkin puree, ricotta cheese, shredded gruyere, and balsamic vinegar.  Add cooked mushroom mixture and stir.

4.  Spoon a heaping teaspoon of mixture into each phyllo cup.  Bake in oven for 8 – 10 minutes, until phyllo cups turn golden brown.  Remove from oven and top with a few toasted pumpkin seeds.  Serve hot.

Nutrition Information*: Serving Size 3 Phyllo Cups

104 calories, 5g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 114mg sodium, 10g carbohydrates, 1.5g fiber, 5g protein

Cranberries, Walnuts, and Brussels Sprouts

I am trying a few different ways to cook Brussels Sprouts.  I have roasted them with olive oil and garlic at 400*F for 20 - 25 minutes.  I made a recipe from American Institute of Cancer Research where it used raw Brussels Sprouts instead of cabbage in a slaw.  The slaw had dried cranberries, walnuts, and lemon juice.

I decided to try a similar recipe, but with cooking the Brussels Sprouts with fresh cranberries.  Instead of lemon juice, I used balsamic.  And I added blue cheese.  This can be served as a side dish, or as meal with rice or pasta.

What you need:
- 2 1/2 cups Brussels Sprouts
- 3/4 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper

What to do:
1.  Remove outer, loose leaves from the Brussels Sprouts.  Then, trim the stem off.  Next, use the point of a knife to cut a shallow 'X' in the bottom. Finally, cut each in half lengthwise.

2.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add Brussels Sprouts.  Stir and cook 2 minutes.  Add cranberries, vinegar, and water.  Bring heat to medium-high.  Cover with a lid for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove lid, lower heat to medium.  Cook 12 - 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.  Add honey, walnuts, cheese, salt, and pepper.  Cook 3 more minutes.

Yellow Squash Burgers with Middle Eastern Flavor and Chickpea Salad

The summer squash in our garden has been growing so fast the past week.  All of a sudden we have around 8 pounds of squash.  What do I do with it?  I made a squash gratin (I will post the recipe soon).  But that only used half of a gigantic squash.  I still have 3 more gigantic squash to use.  So I had to figure out how to make the squash be the main component of the meal.  So, I liked the idea of a veggie burger.  I know I JUST posted a veggie burger recipe, but I want to post this now to stay within the right season.  I decided to go with middle eastern spices and flavors.  Tahini does well to hold pureed food together, so you don't even need eggs.  The beans add some protein, and creaminess.  Pine nuts work well to create a firm structure.  I tried to make it without panko or bread crumbs, but it was just too wet.  The panko crumbs really helped them stick together.

The salad is similar to a dish I had many times in Dubai. It complements the meal perfectly.  The best part is, this meal is pretty low calorie, but really keeps you full for a long time.  If you need a big meal, you can do two patties, each on 1 piece of bread to make it open-faced.

This recipe makes 8 patties.  So you can make it for a small BBQ, or freeze half for another day.  To freeze them, prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Lay patties on the paper.  Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag.

Yellow Squash Burgers and Chickpea Salad

Recipe makes 8 servings

What you'll need:
For the Burgers
- 1 large yellow squash
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 1/3 cup chopped yellow onion
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1/4 cup fresh curly parsley leaves
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2/3 cup chickpeas
- 1/3 cup Panko crumbs
- 4 burger patties, or flatbread sandwich thins, toasted if desired
- lettuce and tomato for toppings

- 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp ground coriander
- 1/8 tsp paprika
- 1/8 tsp cayenne (or more if you like spicy food)

For the Salad
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 1 cup chickpeas
- 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
- 1/3 cup chopped red or sweet onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp ground coriander
- 1/8 tsp paprika
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh curly parsley

What to do:
1.  Preheat oven to 375*F.

2.  Trim ends off squash.  Cut squash in half lengthwise.  Remove seeds from one half and discard.  Combine squash and all ingredients through chickpeas in a food processor.  Process until smooth.  Scrape down the edges and process again if necessary.

3. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Use your hands to make 8 patties and place them on the baking sheet.  Bake 25 minutes.  Turn oven to 'broil' in order to toast the tops for 2 minutes.  Pull the baking sheet out, flip the patties, and broil for 2 more minutes.

4.  While the patties are in the oven, make the yogurt sauce by combining the ingredients Greek yogurt through cayenne.  Set aside int he fridge.  Make the salad by combining all ingredients in a bowl.  Set aside in the fridge.

Black Bean Quinoa Burgers with Stuffed Poblanos

I try to do at least 1 vegetarian meal per week.  But sometimes its hard to find something that my meat-and-potatoes-man fiance will like.  So vegetarian burgers usually go well.  My sweet potato and white bean burger go over pretty well.  I had seen some recipe using beans and quinoa and I figured that was a pretty good start.  I have been cooking a lot with quinoa lately, and I always have black beans in the house.  So then the next question is what are the seasonings.  I wanted it to be spicy, but not to much.  The cilantro-yogurt sauce helps to tame down the spiciness.  I also wanted to have something on the side.  I saw poblanos peppers at the market and thought I would stuff them.  Poblanos are not super spicy peppers, but they aren't sweet like bell peppers either.  I needed a lot of yogurt on my stuffed pepper, but my fiance thought it was delicious.

Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

and Stuffed Poblanos

Recipe makes 6 servings

What you'll need:
- 1/2 cup dry quinoa
- 1 1/2 cups drained and rinsed black beans
- 1/2 cup cooked corn
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp cayenne
- 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 tbsp tomato puree

Poblanos:
- 1/3 of bean mixture above
- 3 poblano peppers
- 1/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco

Cilantro-Lime Yogurt Sauce:
1 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup cilantro packed cilantro leaves


What to do:
1.  Boil 1 cup water.  Add quinoa.  Simmer for about 10 minutes.  Quinoa should be translucent.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Place all ingredients for the sauce in a food processor.  Puree.  Remove and refrigerate until the meal is ready.

2. Place beans in a bowl.  Mash with a fork.  Only partly-mash the mixture, leaving some whole beans.  Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, cayenne, cilantro, lime juice, onion, tomato puree, and quinoa.  Mix together.  Remove 1/3 of the mixture and set aside.  Lay parchment paper on a baking dish.  With the remaining mixture, use your hands to make 6 patties and place on parchment paper.  Place in oven for 20 - 30 minutes.

3.  Cut poblanos in half lengthwise.  Carefully remove seeds and white flesh.  These are the hottest parts of the pepper.  It would be wise to use gloves.  Also be sure not to touch any part of your skin with a cut, or your eyes or mouth.  Wash your hands immediately after.

4. Using the bean mixture that is set aside, add the chopped bell pepper and restaurant restaurant restaurant and mix.  Spoon into the poblanos.

5.  Heat grill over medium-high heat.  Add poblanos to the top rack (or a non-lit area of the grill).  At the same time, cook the bean patties on the grill for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until outside starts to brown.  Poblanos will be done with the outside of the pepper starts to wrinkle and blacken, and the inside mixture temperature reaches 165*F.  Serve on a toasted whole wheat bun with lettuce and tomato, and topped with the tasty cilantro-lime yogurt sauce. 

Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and Eggplant Open Sandwich

It's a long title, but you can't read that and not get hungry! This is a nice vegetarian sandwich for dinner, or a weekend lunch.  It is best when it is served warm.

It does take some time to caramelize the onions, but I think we can all agree that it is so worth it!  The eggplant is pretty easy to cook.  Just make sure you salt it, let it sweat, then dry up the sweat (and brush off the extra salt) with a paper towel .

Caramelized Onion, Goat Cheese, and Eggplant Open Sandwich

Recipe makes 2 servings

Ingredients:
- 1/2 an eggplant
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup goat cheese
- 4 slices bread (thin ciabatta, french baguette, or sandwich thin)


What to do:
1. Cut eggplant in half lengthwise, then in half crosswise.  Using two of the quarters, cut 1/2 inch slices.  Sprinkle salt on both sides and let side for 10-15 minutes.

2.  Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add onions.  Cook 3 minutes, then reduce to medium-low heat. Continue stirring occasionally for 20 minutes.

3. Use a paper towel to remove sweat and excess salt from eggplant.  Heat a flat pan over medium-high heat.  Cook each side 4 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.

4.  Toast bread, if desired.  Mix together the hot caramelized onions and the goat cheese.  The goat cheese will soften and become easier to spread on the bread.  Top with eggplant.  Enjoy while it is warm!


Slight Variation:
I tried this with ricotta cheese instead of goat cheese (because I didn't have any goat cheese).  That was a bit bland, so I drizzled some wonderful balsamic vinegar (from the Great Falls farmers market) over the top.  And I also added a little bit of basil.  That was quite delicious, too!

Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad

I felt like this was a pretty easy dish to make, but I also felt like I dirtied quite a few dishes.  There are a few things you could do to minimize the dirty dishes, which I have explained below.  Or, the rule in our house is: if you're cooking, someone else should be cleaning up!

The dressing is very simple and could keep for about 2 or 3 days after making.  So you can always make extra chicken, and take a salad to work with you the next day.

Cilantro Lime Chicken Salad

Recipe Makes 4 Servings

What you'll need:
For the dressing
- zest of 1 lime
- 2/3 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 tbsp agave nectar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1 cup cilantro leaves

- 2 chicken breasts (about 1 pound total)
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup corn (fresh is best now, but frozen is ok too)
- 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (any color you like)
- 1/3 cup chopped yellow onion
- 3/4 cup rinsed and drained black beans
- 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
- 8 cups lettuce

What to do:
1.  Preheat oven to 375*F.  Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When hot, add chicken breasts, being careful not to overcrowd the pan.  Sear each side 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.  Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.  Add chicken to baking dish and put in the oven for 16 to 18 minutes, until inside temperature of the chicken reaches 165*F. Remove and let rest 5 minutes.

2.  While the chicken is in the oven, make the dressing.  Combine all the ingredients in a food processor or blender, or use an immersion blender to puree the mixture.

3.  Reheat the skillet used for the chicken over medium heat.  When hot, add corn, bell pepper, and onion.  Cook 5 minutes.  Add beans and cook for 2 minutes.  Set aside.

4.  Evenly distribute lettuce, cooked veggies and beans, and tomatoes into 4 salad bowls.  Chop chicken into large bite-size pieces; add to salad.  Pour dressing over the salad and serve.

Zucchini Boats

I love pretty much everything that contains zucchini.  Stuffing zucchini just sounds like a delicious idea.  You can stuff it with veggies or with meat.  In this recipe I used only vegetables because I served it with with chicken parmesan.  You could also use a lean ground meat in the zucchini boat and serve with rice or pasta.  Or this could be the main component of a vegetarian meal.

Zucchini Boats

Recipe Makes 2 Servings

What you'll need:
- 2 excessively large zucchini
- 1/3 cup chopped white onion
- 1/3 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
- 1/2 tbsp oil from sun dried tomato jar
- 1/2 tbsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 tbsp shredded asiago cheese

What to do:
1.  Preheat oven to 375*F.  Cut zucchini in half lengthwise.  Use a small spoon or a melon baller to scoop out the inside.  Leave a little bit of the white flesh attached to the green skin.  Chop the parts of the zucchini that were removed.

2.  Heat oil from sun-dried tomato jar in a large saute pan.  When oil is hot, add chopped zucchini, onion, and sun-dried tomatoes.  Cook 4 minutes, while stirring.  Add paprika, oregano, salt, pepper, and cheese and combine.  Stuff mixture into zucchini boats.  Cook in oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until zucchini boats are softened.

Light Shrimp Scampi

I rarely order shrimp scampi at a restaurant because it never seems to taste just right.  Its not garlicky enough, or it is too garlicky; it's too salty; or too greasy.  Sometimes I want to order it as a lighter meal, but it ends up being so heavy because there is so much butter.

Shrimp scampi is actually pretty easy to make, so why not make it at home the way I like it, and in a way that is healthier for me.  I like to use a lot of lemon juice, more than most recipes call for.  You can use less if you prefer.  I use one sauce for the shrimp scampi, and for the green bean side dish. It makes things easier, but the lemony garlic wine sauce just tastes great with both green beans and shrimp.

If you do not like shrimp, you can always use chicken breast instead.  Make sure to cut the chicken into large bite-sized pieces. Then saute the same way as directed for the shrimp, except add on 4 more minutes.

Light Shrimp Scampi

Recipe makes 4 servings

What you need:
- 8oz dry spaghetti
- 3 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 3 tbsp minced garlic (preferably fresh)
- 3 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 1/4 cup white wine
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
 - half of a 24oz bag of trimmed green beans
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp butter spread

What to do:
1.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Reserve 1/4 cup cooking liquid before draining pasta.

2.  Heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a large, sided saute pan.  When oil is hot, add shallots.  Cook 2 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low heat.  Add garlic.  Cook 8 minutes, stir occasionally.  Be careful not to burn the garlic.  Add wine and lemon juice, simmer 3 minutes.  Add salt and pepper.  Pour or use a ladle to remove all but 1/4 cup mixture.  Set aside the rest of the mixture.

3.  Heat the 1/4 cup liquid mixture remaining in the saute pan over medium-high heat.  Add green beans.  Cover and cook 3 minutes.  Move green beans to an oven-safe container.  Set oven to Broil, and cook beans for 3 more minutes.

4.  While the green beans are in the oven, heat the large saute pan over medium-high heat.  When hot, add shrimp.  Let cook 1 1/2 - 2 minutes each side, until lightly browned.  When shrimp are cooked, add remaining wine mixture, reserved pasta cooking liquid, parsley, red pepper flakes, and butter.  Stir to combine.  Cook 2 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Emily, What Do You Eat?

I do realize it has been a very long time since I have created a post.  I feel really bad.  I have not forgotten that people come to my website for new ideas, and they have been staring at 'Sweet Potato Crepes with Apple Pork' for the past couple months.  Sorry!

I would say the reason behind my lack of posts is very similar to the reason many people opt to go out to eat or order in.  I have been so busy, so I often did not have time to plan meals and do effective grocery shopping.  So I was making meals with whatever was around the house.  I was also feeling pretty uncreative.  Instead of cooking new things most of the week with just a couple 'typicals' thrown in, I was cooking the 'typicals' almost every night.  I would look through magazines and cookbooks and just did not find anything that inspired me.  When I did cook a new recipe, I never got around to posting it.  I suppose I was spending a lot of my creativity on creating recipes for the Great Falls Farmers Market.  I even made the front page of the Great Falls Connection: http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/news/2013/jul/02/summer-abundance-hits-great-falls-farmers-market/.  I have also been working with the editor of Celebrate Home Magazine (http://www.celebratehomemagazine.com/).  Download the winter issue to learn the proper way to cut an onion, and stay tuned for the next issue featuring some nutritious and delicious recipes!

Everyone is always wondering what the dietitian eats.  When pople ask me what I eat, or what I cook, I am often not sure how to answer. I always think I cook a lot of everything.  I cook beef, pork, chicken, lamb, fish, shellfish; most vegetables; many different grains; Italian, Asian, American, Mexican cuisine.  So what am I supposed to say?  Well after these couple months of less-creative cooking, I have figured out what I cook often.

Fajita Taco Salad
I will cook this with stead, ground beef, chicken, or fish.  Once we had taco salad twice in one week, made with different meats.  My fiance didn't mind.  I always cut up onion and multiple colors of bell peppers, then cook them over the stove.  I add seasonings like cumin, paprika, chili powder, cayenne, and garlic to the vegetables and meat.  The vegetables and meat are laid over a large bed of mixed greens, then topped with plain Greek yogurt, salsa, fresh tomatoes, and usually hot sauce.  There is often some cilantro-lime flavored rice (white rice because my fiance hates brown rice, and I push for so many other healthy foods in our pantry that I have decided not to battle over the rice).  Leftover sauteed peppers and meat can be used to make a salad for an easy brown bag lunch the next day.

Grilled Steak with Baked Potato and Grilled Peppers
I bake the potato in the oven for about 30 minutes, then transfer to heated grill.  i cut up peppers and onions, and season with taco seasonings.  Then I put it in a vegetable tray on the grill and cooked until browned.  With the grilled steak, I top the cooked potato with the grilled vegetables, plain Greek yogurt, hot sauce, and sometimes salsa.

Pasta with Veggies and Beans
I cook up some whole wheat pasta (or Barilla Plus, made with legume flour).  I saute whatever vegetables I have, which is usually some combination of: onion, bell pepper, zucchini, mushroom, spinach.  I use olive oil, garlic, paprika, oregano, salt, and pepper to season. Then I add beans that I have drained and thoroughly rinsed- usually Great Northern, or Pinto beans.  After the pasta has cooked, I add that to the pan with the veggies and saute another few minutes.  Sometime I top with a little parmesan or asiago cheese.

Baked Chicken with Roasted Carrots and Potatoes
I cut baby carrots in half, chop some onion, and quarter little red potatoes. If I have frozen cauliflower, I will throw that in.  If not, I'll make a side salad to up the veggies.   I mix the carrots, onion, and potatoes (and cauliflower if available) together with minced garlic, paprika, salt and pepper, and cook it in the oven until nicely browned.  At the same time, I season some chicken, and throw it in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the internal temp reaches 165*F.

Spinach and Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Chicken
I cut chicken breasts in half, then flatten with a malet.  I add basil leaves, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped spinach, chopped onion, and a bit of cheese (mozzarella, parmesan, pecorino, or asiago).  Then I roll it up, and use tooth picks to keep it together.  While those are baking in the oven, I cook some green beans over the stove with minced garlic.

Sweet Potato Crepes with Apple Pork

I recently went to Nashville and Franklin with my mom and my sister.  We went to Puckett's for breakfast one morning.  I got the Southern Stack: sweet potato pancake, sauteed cinnamon apples, sweet potato pancake, pulled pork, sweet potato pancake, and a fried egg.  It was delicious! My fiance prefers savory to sweet breakfasts, so I figured he would like this dish.  Once home I decided to remake this dish with my own twist: sweet potato crepes stuffed with pulled pork sauteed in apple butter.

Making crepes can be very difficult.  I usually mess up my first one with a tear or too much batter or not enough twist to spread the batter.  The method I have described below is the slightly harder method, yet better for getting a thin layer of batter on the pan.  The other way is easier to do and may give you a more perfect circle shape, but may give you much thicker crepes (not necessarily a bad thing).  The easier way is to pour a ladle of batter into the center of the hot pan.  Then hold onto the handle tightly and start shaking the pan while tilting and making a circular rotation.

For the pork, I used 3/4 pound pork tenderloin.  In a slow cooker, I combined the pork with 1 tsp dijon mustard, 1 tbsp BBQ sauce, 1/4 cup worcestershire sauce, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup chicken broth, 1 tsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup roughly chopped red onion.  I left it in the slow cooker for 6 1/2 hours.    This made a little extra, which I plan to use for pulled pork sandwiches.

Sweet Potato Crepes with Apple Pork

Recipe makes 8 crepes

What you'll need:
For the Crepes
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/3 cup half and half
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1 egg

- 1 egg white
- 1 small sweet potato (mine made about 3/4 cup puree)

Filling
- 2 cups pulled pork (see above for marinade if desired)
- 1/4 cup apple butter

for pancakes: 1/3 cup half and half, 2/3 cup water, plus 3 tsp baking powder


1.  Heat pan to medium heat.  Spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Lift pan off burner and tilt sideways, almost vertically.  Using a ladle, pour mixture onto the center of the pan.  At the same time, twist the pan so the mixture spreads outward from the center.

2.  Cook for one minute without touching.  After 1 minute, gently lift the outside edges with a small rubber scraper.  Slowly move towards the inside of the crepe. Crepes should easily move when pan is shaken.  You can shake the pan occasionally to prevent air bubbles from forming.  Cook 2 more minutes (total of 3 - 3 1/2 minutes).   The side touching the pan should start turning golden brown, and may be wrinkly-looking.  Flip carefully using the spatula and/or your hands.  Do not pull to hard as the crepe is likely to break.  Cook 2 - 3 minutes on medium heat.

Center is NOT cooked yet

Center is cooked

3.  Let pan cool slightly before making next crepe.  Spray pan right before adding batter for the first 3 or 4 crepes.  After that, only use it if you see the crepes starting to stick to the pan.

4.  Saute pulled pork and apple butter in a pan over medium heat for 3 minutes.

Alternatives:
More Savory: use half the apple butter, add 1/3 cup low-fat cream cheese
More Appley: cut up one small honey crisp apple into small dices, then saute with pork and apple butter
More Sweet Potatoey: bake and puree 2 sweet potatoes.  Add 1/2 cup puree to pork and apple butter and saute

Chicken and Goat Cheese Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette

This week temperatures have reached 80 degrees.  I have really been missing the warm weather.  I am so ready for spring time.  I am also so ready for spring and summer fruits and veggies.  It's a little early in the season, but I decided to make a blueberry vinaigrette on top of a simple chicken and goat cheese salad.

Many dressings use a 1:4 ratio for vinegar:oil. Taste-wise I like a little more vinegar.  Calorie-wise, I like to spare a few calories and change that ratio to about 1:1 or sometimes 2:1.  You can vary the ratio depending on your taste preferences.  Dijon mustard may seem out of place, but it adds extra flavor and helps to emulsify the dressing.

What you'll need:
For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp champagne vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup blueberries
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp olive oil

For the salad:
- 1 chicken breast, grilled then cut into cubes
- 2 cups spinach
- 1 1/2 cups arugula
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
- 1/4 cup red onion
- 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
- 2 tbsp

What to do:
Mix all the ingredients for the dressing in a food processor.  Pour over salad.  Recipe makes two servings.

Veggie-Stuffed Shells with Homemade Meat Sauce

This tomato sauce is similar to my standard recipe, but I made a few changes so I figured I would type it out again.  This sauce recipe does make a large quantity.  I made this is my 5 quart dutch oven.  It was full before I added the meat.  So I had to remove some tomato sauce (about 2 cups) , which I just put in the freezer for another day.  After adding the meat, the pot was full again.  So I will definitely be freezing some of the meat sauce as well (about 2 cups).  I do love having sauces in the freezer for a rainy day (or most likely a stayed-late-at-work day).

Tomato sauce can be really easy to make, but it can also be high maintenance.  You want to make sure the sauce isn't boiling tos much, so you might have to stir every one once in a while.  But its really easy and much less maintenance to put all the ingredients in a slow cooker and turn it on before you head to work in the morning.

The stuffing for the shells is pretty healthy, especially for a cheese mixture.  I use part-skim ricotta instead of full-fat.  I add a little pecorino-romano for added flavor.  If you don't like pecorino, you could add parmesan.  The added veggies help boost the fiber content, and work as a low-calorie filler.  Without the veggies in the mix, you would end up with more ricotta cheese in each shell and therefore more calories per shell.  The filling made enough to stuff 26 jumbo shells.

What you'll need:
Sauce:
- 2 can (28oz each) crushed tomato
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 4 oz semi dry white wine
- 2/3 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 tbsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 4 1/2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 lb lean ground beef

Stuffed Shells:
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1/4 cup finely chopped zucchini
- 1/4 cup chopped spinach
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp ground pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp cayenne
- 1/2 cup shredded pecorino-romano cheese
- 1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta
- 1/3 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

What to do:
Preheat oven to 350.F.

1.  For the sauce: use a slow cooker.  OR Saute onions and garlic in olive oil for  4 minutes; add wine and simmer 3 minutes.  Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer 30 minutes to an hour.

2.  For the shells: cook shells 3 minutes less than suggestion on the box.  Drain but do NOT rinse.  Saute onion, bell pepper, zucchini, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat 4 minutes.  Let cool.  Mix together cooked veggies with the rest of the ingredients.  Stuff par-cooked shells.

3.  Cover the bottom of a large rectangle or square baking dish with meat sauce.  Lay stuffed shells tightly together in rows.  Cover shells with 1 1/2 - 2 cups meat sauce.  Bake at 350*F 25 - 30 minutes.

Sun-Dried Tomato and Warm Goat Cheese Steak Salad

I love using steak in salads.  It is really easy to use leftover chopped steak for a lunch salad.  I just pack the steak and goat cheese in one container, the veggies in another, and i put oil and vinegar in a small dressing container. Steak goes well with sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese, so this meal is quite yummy!  You can use sun-dried tomatoes canned in olive oil, or dried ones in a bag.  I used dry tomatoes, then soaked them in olive oil, garlic, and basil.

What you'll need:
- 2 petite sirloin steaks, grilled
- 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil, divided
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp garlic, divided
- 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
- 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 4 oz soft goat cheese
- 2 cups romaine lettuce
- 2 cups spinach
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup sliced white button mushroom (raw)
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- pinch freshly ground pepper to taste

What to do:
1. In a small bowl, mix together the sun-dried tomatoes, 1 tbsp fresh basil, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp minced garlic.  Let marinate 15 - 30 minutes.

2.  In a bowl, mix together the goat cheese, 1 tbsp fresh basil, 1/2 tsp garlic, 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper.  Using your hands mold goat cheese mixture into 4 small discs.

3.  Pour bread crumbs in a shallow bowl.  Coat goat cheese discs with bread crumbs. Lay on parchment paper-cover baking sheet.  Set oven to a LOW broil and cook 3 to 4 minutes each side.  Breadcrumbs should start to brown, but cheese should not lose shape.

4.  Toss lettuce and spinach with onion, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes (with oil), and balsamic vinegar.  Top with goat cheese and freshly ground pepper.  Recipes makes 2 entree salads.


ina's vinaigrette:
2 tbsp champagne vinegar
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
salt
pepper
sugar
raw egg yolk or mustard or mayo
1 cup olive oil- added to food processor slowly

Butternut Squash Gnocchi

Gnocchi is an Italian potato dumpling.  It is usually made with mashed potato, flour, and some egg.  There are many different way to make gnocchi.  One healthier version is to use butternut squash.  Butternut squash has a lot more vitamins and minerals, and a lower glycemic load (has a better effect on blood sugars compared to potatoes).

Gnocchi is pretty easy to make.  Homemade gnocchi is so much better than store bought because it is so light and fluffy!  First cook the butternut squash.  You can roast it in the oven at 375*F for 25 minutes, until squash is soft all the way through.  Once cooled, add this to a food processor to puree it.  Add in the rest of the liquid ingredients.  Then mix this with the flour in a bowl.  You roll out the dough into rope, and cut 1 inch pieces of rope.


What you'll need:
Butternut Squash Gnocchi
1 cup plus 2 tbsp butternut squash puree puree
1 tsp water
2 tsp egg mixture, divided
3/4 cup white flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt

8oz baby bella
4oz white button
1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
leaves from one sprig of Thyme
1/2 small garlic clove, minced

What to do:
 In a food processor, blend butternut squash puree, 1 tsp egg mixture, 1 tsp water.

 In a bowl, combine, squash mixture, 1 tsp egg, both flours, and salt. Mix with an electric mixture until combined. Mixture should be smooth, but not too wet.

With mixture, roll out on a floured surface to form a rope.  

Cut 1-inch long pieces of rope.  Press each gnocchi with flat side of

 surface to create lines.

 In a large pot, bring water to boil.  Add a batch of 10-15 gnocchi at a time.  When gnocchi floats, wait 1 minute, then remove from eat.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms.  Cook 6 minutes.  Add parsley, thyme, and garlic.  cook 2 minutes.  Add gnocchi to mushrooms.  Cook 1-2 minutes.  Recipes makes 3 servings.


To add in more protein- add pieces of cooked chicken

Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Pancakes

Some mornings I cannot figure out what to eat.  If I grab something like yogurt or an apple, I am always (and reasonably) hungry about an hour later.  So I wanted to make something that I can grab on my way out the door and it will keep me full, for at least the next 3 hours.  These pancakes are sweetened mostly with bananas.  There is minimal added sugar per pancake.  The combination of white and whole wheat flour adds a little fiber and protein without changing the texture too much.  The peanut butter help increase the protein and healthy fats.  Depending on how large you make the pancakes, 2 or 3 might be a good meal size.

These would be great for Easter brunch, served with fresh fruit.

What you'll need:
- 2 bananas (ripe)
- 2 tbsp peanut butter
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup white flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup nonfat milk, plus 2 tbsp
- 1/8 tsp fine salt
- dark chocolate morsels

What to do:
1.  Mash bananas.  Mix in peanut butter, sugar, and egg, until mixture is smooth.  Add in both flours, vanilla, milk, and salt.

2.  Heat a flat pan over medium heat, or use a griddle.

3.  Make pancakes using ~ 1/4 cup mixture.  When the tops of the pancakes start to bubble, add 3 or 4 chocolate morsels per pancake.  Wait until the bottoms are golden brown to flip.