memeinge.com/blog

If you currently subscribe to this blog, you will need to re-sign up for the new blog to continue receiving posts {I know it’s a pain – sorry!}

I have a couple of new recipes and posts that you have been missing out on since I switched, so be sure to check them out

• Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Lunch Ideas
• 21 Day Nutrition Cleanse
• Two for One Meal
• No More Boring Chicken

And if you sign up by today for the 21 Day Jump Start Nutrition Cleanse, you receive 10% off the cost.

Go here to learn more and to sign up! It starts June 4th, but you can start whenever you want

Thanks!!

Meme

For the past week I’ve been MIA. I promise I haven’t been ignoring you – I’ve been transferring my blog which took a lot more time than I expected ha.

I’ve now moved to having a self-hosted blog on my own website. Everything is the same except there is going to be a Recipage where you can search for specific recipes or by ingredient, dietary needs, course, or cuisine. You can even text yourself the recipe! {it’s on the blog but it’s still being updated – I’m hurrying!}

The new address is http://memeinge.com/blog/

All of the old posts are on there, and from now on it’s where all the new posts will be posted.

If you are currently signed up to receive emails for the blog, you will have to re-sign up. I apologize for the inconvenience; I just really like being my own blog owner

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments!

Back to regularly scheduled posts this week…

Meme

I’ve been talking a lot about sodium lately – see here and here

It’s probably because some of the clients I’ve been working with recently are on a low sodium diet, so I’ve been busy researching the sodium content in food (there are a lot of hidden sources!) and testing some lower-sodium recipes.

I was thinking that it might be helpful to share some of my lower-sodium recipes with my readers, too

So now I’ll be posting lower-sodium recipes on Sunday for my Salt-slashing Sunday series (say that three times fast – ha) to give some extra ideas to people in the market for low sodium recipes and ideas.

If you have any recipes that you would like to be “salt-slashed” feel free to comment or email me. I’d love any suggestions!

For my first recipe, I’m going to share a pizza sauce recipe. Homemade pizza sauce is a million times better than store bought. There is definitely a difference in my opinion!

And store bought pizza sauce is usually very high in sodium and sometimes even added sugar. Add the cheese, pizza, toppings, and the crust (bread is one of the top sources of sodium in the American diet), and you’ve got a sodium fest {not a fun party – more like a hypertensive wreck}…

I could lecture you about using less processed meats (i.e. pepperoni and sausage) on your pizza or limiting the amount of cheese. But I’m not because it’s Sunday, and there’s no reason for me to nag you about things you already know to be true.

But in one popular brand of pizza sauce I found, there is 250mg sodium per 1/4 cup serving. That’s not a huge amount but when you add salty pepperoni, sausage, and cheese on top it ends up being a huge dose of sodium in one slice.

Almost always the {better} alternative to store bought is homemade, and this pizza sauce has more than 100 mg sodium less than regular pizza sauce {it ended up being around 110 mg per 1/4 cup}.

And even if you aren’t too concerned with decreasing the sodium in your diet, this recipe is just really good. I love how there is added cheese in it because it helps make the pizza sauce (for lack of a better phrase) melt into your pizza better. Just try it and see what I mean…

Pizza Sauce

Makes about 3 cups

• 1 (8 oz) can no-salt added tomato sauce
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• about 1 cup warm water
• 1 TBSP honey
• 1 tsp dried onion flakes or powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder (or 1 tsp minced garlic)
• 1½ tsp salt-free Italian seasoning, like The Delicious Dietitian Italian-Mediterranean Spice Blend
• ¼ cup (about 1 oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ⅓ tsp salt

In a large plastic or glass bowl, whisk the tomato sauce, tomato paste, and water together. Whisk in honey and all remaining ingredients.

Cover tightly and let sit for at least an hour. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen for 3 months.

I like to freeze the sauce in ½ cup sections, so I can defrost the amount I need to make a pizza.

Have a wonderful and relaxing Sunday!

Meme

This is quite a busy weekend: there’s Jazz Fest, Cinco de Mayo, and the Kentucky Derby! So many things to celebrate & do, yay!

Since I’ve already posted two Mexican recipes this week, I thought I’d share something to help you celebrate the Kentucky Derby if you’re so inclined.

Lucky for me, my dad is a pretty good cook. His soups are the greatest comfort food I know, his fried chicken is to die for {and people, I do not ‘die for’ fried chicken. It’s just not my thing, but my dad’s fried chicken…well, it’s indescribably good – the perfect fried chicken}, and he makes the best mint juleps.

And whenever I think of the Kentucky Derby I think of mint juleps. In my brain the two are synonymous. So when I thought about a Kentucky Derby recipe I’d want to share, I immediately thought of a mint julep.

So I called the master mint julep maker {my dad, of course} and had him tell me how to make one and send me an email with detailed instructions.

I think the reason his mint juleps are so delicious is because of his attention to detail. Each drink deserves special care so you get the full mint julep experience. (my dad did not say any of this but I’ve spent years watching him make them the Friday before the Kentucky Derby and he painstakingly treats every drink like it is going to be judged in a contest.)

So if you know what’s good for you {because I do}, you will make some mint juleps for Saturday, even if you’re not watching the race. And more importantly, you will follow the specific instructions (see below)…

Disclaimer: These are for my 21+ readers, and be careful because they are strong! Oh and you may have noticed that no where did I say this was a healthy version. This is the real deal. Just don’t drink too many and you should be a-ok.

Mint Juleps

Makes 1 drink

• 2-3 mint leaves + more for garnish, washed
• 2 heaping tsp sugar, divided
• 3 ounces straight Kentucky bourbon whiskey (about 9 TBSP)
• Crushed ice

In a julep cup or a regular glass, muddle the mint and 1 heaping teaspoon of sugar together. Use the spoon to crush the mint into the sugar to make a syrup. Add a drop or so of water if needed to make the mint syrup.

Stir in 1½ ounces bourbon (about 5 TBSP).

Pack the cup with crushed ice.

Top with another 1 ½ ounces (about 4 TBSP).

Sprinkle with the other heaping teaspoon of sugar, and stick in the freezer.

Allow to freeze for at least 30 minutes – 1 hour. Garnish with a few mint leaves or a sprig of mint.

Enjoy {slowly}!

Now here’s the important part – my dad’s expert mint julep making tips:

1. Do not use bad/cheap whiskey!

2. Use a glass or a silver cup. Never use a plastic, paper, or Styrofoam cup.

3. You must use crushed ice. Put it in a bag and beat it until it’s crushed. Stick in a food processor. Just make sure it’s crushed.

4. Drink your mint julep slowly! Even though it tastes so good and you’re going to want to chug it – don’t! This is a drink to sip and savor.

5. By slowly drinking the mint julep, you give the ice time to melt to make your drink last longer.

6. If you’re feeling brave, you can always re-stir the mint and leftover crushed ice with some more bourbon…

7. You can keep these in the freezer for up to 1 week {but good luck with that – these go fast!}

This recipe was posted on a Slice of Southern Blog 

I bet you can’t guess what I’ll be making this weekend…

Meme

Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of research and recipe testing to create some low-sodium recipes that actually taste good. Sodium is an important mineral, but there is so much of it in our food today! I mean sodium is in literally everything. Everything.

There are many foods you wouldn’t expect to have a lot of sodium, so you need to read labels. Most condiments have a lot of sodium, so be careful when pouring on the soy sauce or ketchup or salad dressing…

Salsa is another great example of a condiment high in sodium. Not only is salsa healthy, it’s tasty and really versatile as well. It can be used in so many different ways. It’s great on eggs, with chips, over fish or chicken, in dips… You could even just eat salsa with a spoon {kind of like I did after making my own salsa}.

However, most bottled salsas have a ton of sodium. In one popular brand of salsa, for the 2 tablespoons serving size, there is 240 mg sodium Eek! If you eat ¼ cup then you’ll take in almost 500 mg of sodium! That’s a lot, especially when salsa isn’t going to be your main meal (I hope).

In an effort to help out my {wonderful} grandmother who is trying to prepare tasty yet low sodium meals, I’m posting a recipe for a low-sodium salsa. It has ¼ of the amount of sodium in regular bottled salsa!

This might be the easiest recipe I’ll ever post: it has only 7 ingredients including salt, and you probably won’t even have to go to the grocery store to get anything. It’s really inexpensive to make, and you can even make this in the winter when good tomatoes aren’t available.

It’s quick too! I timed it, and it took me under 9 minutes to make the salsa {preparation time included}.

You can certainly use fresh tomatoes, but I was in no mood to go to the store this morning, so canned tomatoes is what I used. Be sure to get the no salt added kind!

Easy Homemade Salsa

Makes about 4 cups 

• 2 (14.5 oz) cans no-salt added diced tomatoes or 1 (28 oz) can no salt added tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, roughly chopped
• 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
• ¼ cup cilantro (or parsley)
• 1 jalapeño*, diced (leave the seeds in for a spicier salsa or discard them for a mild salsa)
• ¾ tsp salt
• 2 tsp vinegar or lime or lemon juice, I used The Delicious Dietitian Tomato Wine Vinegar

In the bowl of a food processor, add the tomatoes with their juice, onion, garlic, cilantro, and jalapeño. Pulse until it reaches the consistency you prefer for your salsa.

Transfer to a plastic or glass bowl, and stir in the salt and vinegar.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, so the flavors can do their thang. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Enjoy with chips, over omelets, with fish or chicken, the options are endless…

Enjoy!

*You can substitute any hot pepper for the jalapeño. You can also use 1 (4 oz) can diced green chiles or ½-1 tsp red pepper flakes.

Also, if you don’t want to use a food processor, feel free to dice the onions and mince the garlic to be the size you want in your salsa.

Meme

If I don’t write things down, there is almost a guarantee that I will forget about it. There are way too many examples for me to list, so I won’t bore you with those petty details.

Yesterday, I was supposed to post about my April Foodie Penpal, and I completely forgot (it wasn’t written down). So here is my belated Foodie Penpal post…

Wondering what in the world a Foodie Penpal is? Well, it’s basically what the name implies – a penpal that you send food and food related items to.

You sign up by the 4th of the month, and on the 5th you are assigned a “penpal” for that month. You get in touch with your penpal – get their address, learn about their food preferences, etc. Then you come up with items to send them

This month was my first time, and I will definitely be doing it again.

It was really fun to come up with things to send for under $15. And I loved checking the mail to find my package of goodies!!

This is what my wonderful penpal, Lisa, sent me:

I absolutely can’t wait to try the Spinach & Herb Mix. I love how easy those things are to use, but most of the time they are full of sodium, sugar, and other weird ingredients (no thanks). But this one is free of all that; the ingredients are only onion, spinach, garlic, dill, and green onion!

The tea is delicious. I don’t know if Lisa read my mind or maybe my blog post about tea a while back, but she sure did make me happy when I saw tea in there – especially delicious tea!

And last, but certainly not least, the Hoppin Jon Seasoning – also free of weird ingredients and salt! I love black eyed peas

She sent a nice little card too

My foodie penpal sent me the best little package, and I love all of my goodies. Thanks again Lisa!!

Here is a little more info about Foodie Penpals (from Lindsay of The Lean Green Bean, who is in charge of the Foodie Penpals):

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal!
-The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penplas is open to US & Canadian residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.

If you’re interested in participating for May, please CLICK HERE to fill out the participation form and read the terms and conditions.

You must submit your information by May 4th as pairings will be emailed on May 5th!

*If you’re from somewhere besides the US, Canada or Europe and want to participate, send an email and I’ll see if we get enough interest this month!

Meme

I have a couple of questions for you today…

Do you like Mexican?

Do you like Taco Bell?

Do you have leftover lentil taco “meat” or leftover ground beef, turkey, or chicken?

Are you trying to decrease your sodium intake?

If you answered yes to those questions, then you are in luck because I have the perfect recipe for you:

Mexican Pizza!

Taco Bell’s Mexican Pizza is soo delicious… so so delicious. Unfortunately, not many items on a fast food menu can be considered healthy – talk about sodium! The Mexican Pizza has 860mg sodium {more than 1/3 of your daily limit}**.

Like I’ve mentioned before, preparing your own meals can help you eat healthier by controlling the ingredients and having the ability to lower the calories, saturated fat, sodium, etc. This Mexican pizza is under 500 calories, has 30% less sodium, and twice the fiber.

Homemade Mexican Pizza

Serves 1

• 2 whole wheat tortillas
• ½ cup black or kidney beans, mashed
• ¼ tsp salt-free Southwest seasoning, like The Delicious Dietitian Southwest Spice Blend
• 1 TBSP water
• ½ cup leftover seasoned taco filling, like lentils, lean ground beef or turkey*
• 3 TBSP low-sodium pizza sauce
• ¼ cup chopped tomatoes
• 5 TBSP reduced-fat taco cheese blend, divided
• 1 chopped green onion or 1 TBSP cooked onion, optional

Place tortillas directly on oven racks, and turn oven on to 400°F. Toast tortillas for 5 minutes in preheating oven. Flip and toast another 3 minutes (be sure the tortillas aren’t browning too much). Set aside.

Mix mashed beans, Southwest seasoning blend, and water. Spread onto one tortilla. Put tortilla on a baking sheet lined with foil or sprayed with cooking spray. Top mashed beans with seasoned taco filling. Sprinkle 2 TBSP cheese over it. Top with other tortilla.

Spread pizza sauce over tortilla. Sprinkle with tomatoes and onions if desired. Top with remaining 3 TBSP cheese.

Bake at 400°F for 8 minutes. Enjoy!

*If you are using unseasoned ground beef, turkey, chicken, or lentils be sure to season it with ¼ to ½ tsp of Southwest seasoning blend before adding it to pizza.

**Fast food can fit into any diet in moderation. Even though my Mexican Pizza is delicious, so is Taco Bell’s. And I will certainly still order it on occasion.

I linked this recipe to Slice of Southern: Southern Sundays 

I hope you have a great week

Meme

What are you eating for breakfast?

Are you eating breakfast? Please say yes!

It’s a great idea to make your breakfast ahead of time. That way you don’t have to worry about what to cook while you stumble through your house waiting for your coffee to kick-in.

You can make a vegetables frittata, sausage, French toast, or banana breakfast bars – yum!

These are so easy to make and taste like dessert. Who doesn’t want dessert for breakfast?

Make these and you have 12 days of breakfast made ahead. That’s almost two full weeks of breakfasts that you don’t have to do anything but microwave something for 20 seconds (and even that’s not a requirement).

I like to keep them in the refrigerator just because I don’t want them to go bad for some reason. After a week, I will put them in the freezer. You can let them thaw for a little or just microwave them for 20-30 seconds.

Sometimes, I’ll even spread a little more peanut butter on top…

These are great because a good sized bar is about 215 calories, has 4 grams of fiber, less than 7 grams of fat, and almost 9 grams protein which is pretty good for a home made bar. The TVP or textured vegetable protein and the peanut butter are what help up the amount of protein compared to other breakfast bars.

So go make these and have almost two weeks of not wondering what you’re going to eat for breakfast.

Remember that breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Why not enjoy it with these yummy banana bars?!

Banana Breakfast Bars

Makes 12

• 2 TBSP flax meal + 4 TBSP water
• 1½ cup oats
• ¾ cup textured vegetable protein or TVP*
• ½ cup white whole wheat flour or brown rice flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 2 bananas, mashed (about 1 cup total)
• ⅔ cup milk
• ½ cup maple syrup or honey
• 2 tsp vanilla
• ½ cup peanut butter

In a small bowl, whisk together flax meal and water {you just made 2 flax “eggs”}. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with non-stick spray. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, stir together oats, TVP, flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.

In another bowl, whisk together mashed banana, milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. Stir in the flax eggs. Stir in peanut butter until completely combined.

Add the oat/flour mixture to the banana mixture. Pour batter into prepared baking pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until edges are lightly browned and center is set.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting into 12 bars.

Enjoy!

This was linked to Eat at Home Ingredient Spotlight: Bananas

and Michelle’s Tasty Creations and Crafty Ideas Creative Thursday Link Party

*Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP) is a vegetarian source of protein made from de-fatted soy. You can find it in the bulk bins at a health food store (like Whole Foods) or near the quinoa, brown rice flour, etc. If you can’t find it or don’t want to use it, just substitute with an equal amount of oats.

I forgot to mention that these are egg-free, 100% whole grain, and can be gluten-free and nut-free. Use brown rice flour instead of whole wheat flour, and use sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter. The first time I made them, they were with brown rice flour and sunflower seed butter and they were just as delicious!

I even convinced these little cookie monsters that they were cookies – cookies for breakfast!

Have a great Wednesday!

Meme

How was your weekend?

Mine was great! My sister and her children came to visit! We had so much fun!

We went to the aquarium on Saturday…

look at the fish!

Spent Sunday at the Zoo…

It was the prettiest day and the temperature was perfect!

had to tell the elephants “Roll Tide!”

just petting the animals

not so sure about that snake…

soo happy to be on the train!

We loved the zoo!

 We had a wonderful time spending our beautiful Sunday morning at the zoo! It was a great way to end our weekend

On Friday evening we had a picnic in the backyard and didn’t do anything exciting to save up for our busy Saturday & Sunday plans. I made my sister and I some mushroom grilled cheeses, and they were amazing.

I thought I should probably share the recipe with you since April is Grilled Cheese Month.

Grilled cheeses are so versatile. And delicious. And easy. And cheap. Oh, they are just great.

They can even be healthy if you use whole wheat bread, reduced-fat cheese (or less of the regular kind), and add some veggies… just like my Mushroom-Gruyere Grilled Cheese.

I’m so glad I had to make this again today to take pictures. It would have been pretty hard to write about it and not be able to eat it again. And the second time around was just as delicious as the first.

It really does take less than 20 minutes to make, so make this for dinner tonight if you don’t already have plans.

Mushroom-Gruyere Grilled Cheese

Serves 2

• 1 tsp olive or canola oil
• 2½ cups chopped mushrooms (I had about 8 button mushrooms)
• ¼ tsp salt-free seasoning, like The Delicious Dietitian Southern Spice Blend
• less than ⅛ tsp salt
• 2 tsp red wine
• ½ tsp fresh thyme
• 4 slices 100% whole wheat bread
• 2 tsp unsalted butter, softened or heart-healthy butter spread
• 1½ ounces Gruyere cheese, sliced or grated (or you could substitute with Swiss cheese, Emmentaler, or Jarlsberg)

Over medium heat, heat oil in a large skillet. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook until they release their juices, about 5 minutes. Stir in salt-free seasoning and salt. Add red wine and stir until it evaporates. Remove from heat and stir in thyme.

Spread ½ tsp butter over each slice of bread. On the non-buttered side of two slices, put about ½ ounce of cheese. Top with mushrooms. Top mushrooms with remaining ¼ ounce cheese. Put other slice of bread on top with the buttered side facing up.

Over medium-high heat, cook grilled cheese until bread is toasted and cheese has melted, about 4 minutes per side.

Enjoy!

What’s your favorite type of grilled cheese? Do you like the standard (yet delicious) grilled cheese or a fancier one?

Have a great week

Meme

Taco seasoning packets scare me. Have you ever read the ingredients or nutrition facts label on one?

Here is the ingredients list in a popular brand of taco seasoning packet:

Chili pepper, Salt, Maltodextrin, Spice, Onion Powder, Corn Starch, Yellow Corn Flour, Contains less than 2%: Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Yeast Extract, Silicon Dioxide (anti-caking agent), Sunflower and/or Cottonseed Oil, Natural Flavor, Ethoxyquin (preservative).

Um…what?! Why all the weird ingredients?

• Maltodextrin is a highly process carbohydrate used as a food additive*.
• Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil is trans fat which is just plain terrible for you.
• Yeast Extract is used as a food additive or flavoring agent; it’s similar to MSG
• Silicon Dioxide is a food additive used as a flow agent to help powdered foods. {Isn’t that the same thing in breast implants?}
• Ethoxyquin is a preservative found in spices to prevent discoloration and in pet food. It has been linked to health problems in pets & fish. {no thanks}

While not all taco seasoning packets have these ingredients, they do have a lot of added sodium. Even the reduced-sodium packets have about 300mg sodium per serving, which is still a lot since you are most likely going to add other ingredients with sodium (tortillas, cheese, table salt, etc.)

Now that I’ve freaked you out, what do you do? Well, you can make your own taco seasoning; there are tons of recipes online for taco seasoning!

You can also use a salt-free, MSG free spice blend like The Delicious Dietitian Southwest Spice Blend, which is all-natural, vegan, gluten-free, salt-free, MSG free, calorie free, sugar-free, and has no preservatives or anti-caking agents. Use about 1 to 2 TBSP Southwest Spice Blend in place of 1 packet of taco seasoning.

Here is an inexpensive {less than $6 for the entire meal!}, meatless taco recipe. It’s hearty enough to please meat-eaters and non-meat eaters alike!

Lentil Tacos

Serves 4

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup lentils, rinsed
• 1 ½ TBSP salt-free Southwest spice, like The Delicious Dietitian Southwest Spice Blend
• 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, minced
• 2 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable or beef broth
• 8 hard taco shells
• 2 cups shredded lettuce
• 1 cup chopped tomato
• ½ cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar or taco blend

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion, garlic and salt until onion begins to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Add lentils and Southwest Spice Blend. Cook until about 1 minute. Add chipotle chile and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.

Uncover lentils and cook until mixture thickens, 6 to 8 minutes. Spoon about ¼ cup lentil mixture into each taco shell. Top with lettuce, tomato and cheese. Serve with salsa, reduced-fat sour cream, and/or avocado if desired.

Recipe based on this one from Self Magazine.

*All info from Wikipedia.

Have a great weekend!!

Meme

source: IMDb Troop Beverly Hills

It’s a silly little movie with some hilarious costume design {1989 was a lovely year for fashion…} If you’ve never seen it, the movie is about a wilderness girls troop {like Girl Scouts} in Beverly Hills and their “adventures” to become Wilderness Girls.

In an attempt to sell the most cookies, they put on a big production. One of the girls even sings a song a la Tina Turner.

Even though the movie is 23 years old and I haven’t seen it in a while, I sometimes get the Cookie Time Song stuck in my head… First, it makes me laugh; then, it puts me in a baking mood.

Truth be told, I can’t go very long without baking. I can always find an excuse to bake – food holidays, birthdays, Thursdays …

When I was a senior in college I didn’t have class on Thursday, so it became my designated “baking day.” You could pretty much almost always find me baking on a Thursday. I think I’m going to bring that back.

On a related note: I am forever trying to come up with the best chocolate chip cookie recipe. I want my chocolate chip cookie to be crunchy on the outside but chewy on the inside.

As much as I love the Nestle Toll House recipe cookies straight from the oven, the cookies harden as they cool, and the next day they are hardly even the slightest bit chewy {bummer}.

One of the best chocolate chip cookies recipes I’ve made is the Cook’s Illustrated The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, and it was pretty close to perfect! However, it is a little more work than I am usually in the mood for.

I want an easy chocolate chip cookie recipe – cream butter & sugar, add egg & vanilla extract, add flour, fold in chocolate chips, done.

Last week when I decided to bake, I looked over a couple of different recipes {mostly from the chocolate chip packages or bags of flour} and realized I only had one stick of butter & didn’t want to make 5 dozen cookies. I also wanted something a little more exciting than plain chocolate chip cookies.

Here is what I came up with to meet my criteria to be easy, chewy, and a little more exciting…

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Makes 30 cookies

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 1 large egg yolk
• ¾ tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour (you really cannot tell! I promise!!)
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup peanut butter chips
• ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed for about 2 minutes until fluffy & creamy. Add egg yolk and vanilla extract.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

On low speed, beat in ½ flour mixture. Turn off & scrape sides. Turn back on low speed and mix in remaining flour mixture.

Fold in peanut butter and chocolate chips.

Put tablespoon sized scoops of dough on a baking sheet about 1-2 inches apart. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes until very lightly browned (the centers will look soft). Let cool on baking sheet 2-3 minutes and transfer to cookie rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Now I’m off to do the Freddie…

Meme

This might be one of the most colorful meals I’ve made in a while. It makes me feel so good about eating it, and even better is that it was so delicious!

• Tuna is a good source of omega-3 fats, high in protein, and low in fat.
• Vegetables are full of antioxidants, phytonutrients & fiber, while also low in calories, fat, sodium, & sugar.
• Avocados are a great source of mono-unsaturated fat, which is a heart healthy fat that has been shown to decrease bad cholesterol, increase good cholesterol, and possibly help with weight management (if replacing unhealthy fats).

This meal will keep you full for a while without weighing you down. It’s the perfect Spring/Summer lunch or light dinner. Serve with some fresh fruit to make it even more colorful & healthy

No worries if you aren’t a fan of tuna. Replace the tuna with 4 oz shredded cooked chicken or turkey breast or ½ cup white beans or chickpeas.

Tuna Salad Stuffed Avocado & Pepper

Serves 1

• ½ avocado
• 1 (5 oz) can tuna, drained & flaked
• ½ tsp olive oil
• ½ tsp tomato wine vinegar, like The Delicious Dietitian Tomato Wine Vinegar
• ¼ tsp salt-free seasoning, like The Delicious Dietitian Italian-Mediterranean Spice Blend
• squeeze lemon juice
• ½ cup chopped grape tomatoes (about 6)
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper

Scoop out the avocado, leaving a ¼-inch border around the edges. Put avocado flesh in a medium sized bowl. Stir in tuna, olive oil, tomato wine vinegar, salt-free seasoning, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Mix well. Then add chopped tomatoes and green onion.

Slice the bell pepper in half, discarding the ribs and seeds. Dice half of the pepper, and stir it into tuna mixture.

Fill the remaining bell pepper half and the avocado shell with the tuna salad mixture. Serve with carrot sticks for dipping if desired. Enjoy!

Meme

It’s Peach Cobbler Daaayyyyy!! We must celebrate!

You have no idea how happy this makes me because it means spring is here and summer is just around the corner! I love hot weather and all of the delicious fruits and vegetables it brings…

A couple of years ago, when I first starting celebrating random food holidays, this was definitely one of the best. I texted my {wonderful} roommate at the time, and told her we would be celebrating peach cobbler day. Luckily, she happily obliged

 my iPhone picture 4/13/2010 haha

I made the Hungry Girl version of peach cobbler, and while it was pretty tasty, it wasn’t the greatest thing in the whole world. This time around, I wanted to make a version that didn’t taste super healthy but keep it from being too ridiculous – most peach cobblers have over 500 calories, a lot of fat, processed carbs and sugar. Most of the recipes I found had an entire stick of butter and 1-2 cups of sugar – eek!

No worries though because I think I’ve created a recipe for peach cobbler that you just might like. And most of the ingredients might already be in your pantry – all the more reason to celebrate Peach Cobbler Day!

Peach Cobbler

Serves 6

For the cobbler:

• ½ cup + 2 TBSP oats
• ½ cup white whole wheat flour (this is usually next to the whole wheat flour – Walmart even has it now!)
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp cinnamon
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup milk (you can use 1% or almond milk to be dairy-free)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 TBSP butter

Be sure not to forget the ice cream! Peach cobbler must be served a la mode in my opinion.

Note: If you don’t have nutmeg or almond extract, just replace them with cinnamon and vanilla extract.

Also, the oat flour is worth making, but if you don’t want to then you can just use 1¼ cup of white whole wheat flour and only ⅓ cup milk.

This recipe is shared on a Slice of Southern: Southern Sundays  

Have a great weekend!

Meme

This “chilly” weather has me craving casseroles again, but I promise I’ll try not to post any more since it is Spring and all.

So here’s my last one for a while… Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli & Rice Casserole – or “comfort food at its best”

This recipe can easily be halved or doubled depending on how many people you are interested in feeding.

I made the recipe to serve 4, and split the casserole into two smaller dishes. I cooked one immediately and ate one serving for dinner & the other for lunch the next day.

I allowed the other casserole to cool completely, covered it tightly with plastic wrap, and covered it with foil. If I lived in a perfect world, I would have taken the casserole out of the freezer in the morning and put it in the refrigerator to defrost. However, I am forgetful and didn’t take it out until about 30 minutes before I was ready to bake. If this happens, just sit it on the counter for a little and then preheat the oven. You don’t want to put a frozen or cold casserole dish in the hot oven. It will cause your casserole dish to break, and that’s just straight up no fun.

Once the casserole has defrosted, remove the plastic wrap (and throw it away) & re-cover with the foil. Bake it covered in a 350° oven for 25-35 minutes or until warmed through. Remove the foil and broil for 5 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

You can also make this ahead by preparing the casserole all the way until topping with cheese. After transferring mixture into baking dish, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Take out of refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°F. Top casserole with remaining ½cup cheese, and bake for 10 minutes. Broil for 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly & browned.

Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli, & Rice Casserole

Serves 4

• 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• 3 cups broccoli florets, chopped (can be fresh or frozen)
• ¼ cup green onion
• 2 tsp olive or canola oil
• ½ lb (8 ounces) chicken breast, cut into small pieces
• ½ tsp salt, divided
• ¼ tsp pepper, divided
• 1 tsp salt-free seasoning, like The Delicious Dietitian Creole Spice Blend, divided
• 2 TBSP flour
• 1 cup 1% or skim milk
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup plain fat-free yogurt
• 1½ cups 2% sharp cheddar cheese, I love Cabot

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt & fat. In the last 10 minutes of cooking, stir in broccoli and green onion. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with ¼ tsp salt, ⅛ tsp pepper, and ¼ tsp salt-free seasoning. Cook chicken until done, about 5-7 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour and ½ cup milk. Reduce heat to medium, and slowly whisk flour-milk mixture into skillet. Season with remaining ¼ tsp salt, ⅛ tsp pepper, ¾ tsp salt-free spice blend, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes. Slowly whisk in remaining ½ cup milk until the mixture boils. Stir constantly for 2 minutes while boiling. Remove from heat and stir in yogurt and 1 cup cheese. Once combined, stir in cooked chicken.

Combine chicken-cheese mixture with rice-broccoli mixture, and transfer to a 8-inch square baking dish sprayed with cooking spray or two smaller baking dishes. Top the mixture with remaining ½ cup cheese.

Broil until cheese is bubbly and browned. Let cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

*See notes above for make-ahead directions and freezing.

I’ll be back tomorrow with a food holiday recipe, so get excited!

Meme 

and now it’s night night time

Meme

When they are roasted, they just taste so amazing; plus you can roast so many different veggies – green beans, onions, peppers, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, mushrooms, garlic, asparagus, the list goes on… I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t roast celery, but that’s about it.

There are some vegetables not typically thought of for roasting; take cabbage for example. I know it sounds weird, but it’s actually really good!

Cabbage has tons of health benefits, and it’s really cheap. So, I’m thinking you should probably go ahead and jump on the roasted vegetable band-wagon. It’s fun!

Roasted Cabbage

Serves 4-6

• 1 small head cabbage
• 1 TBSP olive or canola oil
• 1 tsp salt-free lemon pepper seasoning or other salt-free seasoning
• ¼ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray or line with foil.

Cut cabbage into 8 sections and cut the core out of each section. Put on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle oil over cabbage and sprinkle seasoning and salt over cabbage. Stir around to evenly distribute.

Roast in the oven for about 20-30 minutes, flipping the cabbage half-way through cooking. Be sure to check every now and then to make sure the outer leaves aren’t burning. Turn the oven down to 375°F if they are cooking to fast.

Enjoy!

Note: This is how you roast any vegetable or combination of vegetables. Just adjust cooking time depending on tenderness of veggie {less time for green beans or asparagus and longer for onions or potatoes}

Meme

Well, this recipe helps you do all three of those goals in one!

First, it’s a make-ahead breakfast, meaning you can make it the night before and sleep in . Also, this makes a lot, so you can refrigerate or freeze the slices for future breakfasts.

Second, it has a ton of veggies in it. There’s spinach, red bell peppers, onions, and carrots. A lot of times I add mushrooms, but there weren’t any in my refrigerator today.

Last but not least, it will get you to want to eat breakfast. This frittata is delicious! Since you can eat this cold right from the refrigerator or reheat it for 1 minute, it takes no time to have a filling, healthy, and tasty breakfast for you. Now you have no excuse not to eat breakfast!

It’s a win-win-win situation: breakfast + vegetables + quick. {Note: the only thing not so great is that it takes a little extra time to prepare, and there will be a couple of things to clean. But since you only have to do it every 10 days or so, it’s not a huge deal.}

Vegetable Frittata

Serves 8-10

• 1 tsp olive or canola oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 3-4 carrots, diced or grated
• 1 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1 tsp salt-free seasoning, like The Delicious Dietitian Italian-Mediterranean Spice Blend
• 1 tsp oregano
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed and all liquid squeezed out
• 2 cups (16 oz) low-sodium low-fat cottage cheese
• 7 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray a baking dish or muffin tins really well with non-stick cooking spray.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and carrots, and cook until slightly tender, about 7 minutes. Add mushrooms, and cook until they release their juices, about 5 minutes. Season with salt free seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, and salt. Stir in spinach and remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together cottage cheese, eggs, mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Once combined, stir in vegetable mixture.

Pour mixture into prepared baking dish, and bake in preheated oven for 24-28 minutes until eggs are set. Remove from oven and let cool about 10 minutes before serving.

Promptly refrigerate leftovers. Frittata keeps refrigerated for 5 days and frozen for 1 month.

To reheat: From refrigerator, microwave for 1 minute, flipping over after 30 seconds. From freezer, microwave 1:30 to 2 minutes, flipping half way through cooking.

Enjoy!

Meme

It’s totally worth it finding & buying though, because not only is quinoa full of whole grain goodness {fiber, B vitamins, and other vitamins & minerals}, it’s also a good source of protein which makes it a great addition to meat-free meals. It is a complete source of protein, meaning it contains all of the essential amino acids. It’s gluten free, too!

Here are some cooking facts about quinoa:

• use a 1 to 2 ratio – meaning you cook 1 part quinoa to 2 parts liquid, so 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups chicken broth
• uncooked quinoa (almost) quadruples when cooked – 1 cup uncooked quinoa turns to about 4 cups cooked quinoa
• 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa makes one serving

It’s great as a side dish or for lunch or a light dinner. You can always add an additional source of protein like chickpeas, extra cheese (reduced-fat please), or cooked chicken to make it a more substantial meal. Also, quinoa is a pretty easy thing to bring for lunch or snack because it doesn’t have anything that easily spoils (unless you add something, of course).

Here’s one version of the recipe I usually use to make quinoa. I change it depending upon what is in my refrigerator, pantry, & freezer at the time. Feel free to add what you like and take out what you don’t. Enjoy!

Quinoa Pilaf

You can add 1 cup cooked chicken, turkey, chickpeas, or other beans to make this a more substantial meal.

Serves 3-4

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups low-sodium or salt-free vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 TBSP olive or canola oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, any color
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tsp salt-free seasoning, like The Delicious Dietitian Italian-Mediterranean Spice Blend
• 2 cup roughly chopped baby spinach leaves
• 1 cup chopped tomatoes*
• ¼ cup chopped toasted pecans, walnuts, or pine nuts*
• ½ cup reduced-fat feta cheese
• additional roasted vegetables, optional {I had leftover mushrooms that I added}
• 1 TBSP parsley, chopped

Bring quinoa and broth to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all of the liquid has absorbed about 15 minutes. {You can do this before making the pilaf. Just refrigerate the cooked quinoa until you’re ready to prepare the pilaf}

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions & bell pepper and cook until softened and translucent, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and stir for about 1 minute. Stir in salt and salt-free seasoning. Remove from heat and set aside.

Transfer quinoa to a bowl, gently stir in onion/pepper mixture, spinach leaves, tomatoes, nuts, cheese, and additional vegetables if using. Top with parsley. Serve warm or refrigerate and serve later. This will keep well in the refrigerator for about 2-3 days.

*You can always substitute sun-dried tomatoes for the regular tomatoes and chopped olives for the nuts.

Have a great weekend!

Meme

Some of the causes too much salt can have on your health:

• heart disease – including congestive heart failure and strokes!
• bloating
• high blood pressure
• osteoporosis
• kidney problems
• and more

Sneaky and obvious sources of sodium/salt {I use these words interchangeably} that you should watch out for in the grocery store:

• Chicken Breasts - look at the nutrition facts label.  Any chicken with added solution, salt, broth, or marinades with likely have a high sodium content. Chicken naturally has very little sodium, so avoid chicken that has anything over 75mg sodium per serving. Be careful because “all-natural” chicken can still have high sodium since the added chicken broth or salt is natural.
• Processed meats – most sandwich meats, sausage, bacon, etc. have a lot of sodium. “Smoky” usually means it is higher in sodium than its regular version. Look for uncured, reduced-sodium bacon & sausage.
• Packaged Oatmeal – make your own oatmeal instead of buying the packaged oatmeal because it usually has a lot of added sodium (along with added sugar and other things). Or if you must buy flavored oatmeal packets, look for low-sodium versions like Quaker Simple Harvest Multigrain Hot Cereal or Kashi Hot Cereals.

• Reduced-fat peanut butter – something has to replace the fat that is normally found in peanuts. When they take out some of the fat, they replace it with salt and sugar. Reduced-fat peanut butter is definitely something you should avoid, especially because peanut butter contains healthy fat. Be sure to buy the natural or simply peanut butter instead of the kind with added oils, hydrogenated oils, or sugar.
• Canned tomatoes, salsa, tomato sauce – look for no-salt added tomato products. Read the ingredients list and buy products that list only tomatoes as their ingredients
• Other canned foods:
  • Soups and broths/stocks – look for reduced sodium products. Try to find low-sodium or no-salt added broths and stocks; that way you can control the sodium and add just the amount of salt you want. When eating canned soups, stick to one serving size; most cans contain 2 servings and will give you almost half of the amount of sodium you should have in one day.
  • Beans – look for reduced-sodium or no salt added beans. Be sure to rinse the beans well to reduce some of the sodium content.
  • Vegetables – same as for beans: buy no-salt added canned vegetables and rinse before using {if needed, add plain water back to can}
• Snack foods:
  • Pretzels – just one serving of mini pretzel twists has almost 20% of the recommended limit for sodium a day! Try to buy lower sodium snacks like low-salt crackers, lightly or unsalted nuts, or unsalted popcorn (you can add a little salt yourself).
• Cheese – usually has a lot of sodium so look for reduced-sodium brands, and try to use less cheese in cooking. Swiss commonly has less sodium than other cheeses but double-check.
• Packaged products:
  • Rice, pasta, bread crumbs or other pre-seasoned foods are usually full of sodium! Avoid these products if possible.
  • Frozen meals & pizzas – almost all frozen meals have way too much sodium for one meal. Frozen meals can be helpful for portion control and for a quick & easy meal, but try not to eat them more than a couple of times per week. Be sure to add extra vegetables or fruit to the meal, too.
• Condiments:
  • Salad dressing – your best bet is to make your own because even healthier versions of salad dressings usually have over 350mg sodium (15% of daily limit) in just 2 tablespoons.
  • Ketchup – very few people stick to the 1 TBSP serving size of ketchup, so its sodium content adds up. Either buy the salt free ketchup or use less.
  • Salsa – check labels {I sound like a broken record!} Newman’s Own Salsa has less than most store brands and other popular salsa brands.
  • Sauces: soy sauce, BBQ sauce, hot sauce – all of these sauces typically have a lot of sodium in them. Soy sauce is the highest, and while the lower-sodium/lite version does have less, it still has a lot for a small serving. Just because it says “lower-sodium” on it doesn’t mean you can use an unlimited amount. For other sauces, just try to find the product with the lowest amount of sodium compared to other versions and use it sparingly.

Try using salt free seasonings & condiments instead of pouring or dipping your food into sodium filled flavorings. When cooking or marinating, use salt free marinades or make your own with oil & vinegar + fresh herbs and garlic. Season food with fresh herbs, spices, and salt-free spice blends. Eating less pre-packaged food, fast food, and  meals from restaurants will help you significantly save on sodium intake!

The moral of the story is that you really need to read food labels. Reading labels and ingredients lists are the best ways to determine how much salt a food contains. Foods that don’t typically have a label like fruits & vegetables are usually sodium free or have very low sodium. Frozen fruits and vegetables are good options as well, but be sure to buy products without added salt, sugar, or sauces.

And now you know all about salt

Have a great Thursday!

Meme

Information from World Salt Awareness Week and Cooking Light Magazine. Cooking Light has great articles for learning more about sodium content in food and how to reduce it along with great low sodium recipes!

The end of March is in sight, so I feel like my window to post warm casserole recipes is closing. Therefore, I’m going to try to squeeze in a few more before it gets too hot to even think about turning on the oven. And since it’s a Friday in Lent, I thought I’d share this super simple, tasty meatless casserole.

This takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish {and that includes chopping and opening cans, etc}. A normal person, who doesn’t get sidetracked 18 times while cooking, would probably be able to do it in less than 25.

So instead of rambling, I’ll make this post quick and give you the recipe:

Cheesy Bean Casserole

Serves 4

• ½ TBSP olive or canola oil
• 3 cups diced onion (about 2 onions)*
• 1 cup diced bell pepper*
• 2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans or black beans, drained and well-rinsed
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans no-salt added tomatoes, one drained & one un-drained
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• 1 TBSP salt-free Southwest spice blend, like The Delicious Dietitian Southwest Spice Blend
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp chili powder, optional
• 1 cup (4 ounces) reduced-fat cheddar cheese or Mexican cheese blend, shredded

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion & bell pepper and sauté until tender, about 7 minutes.

Stir in beans, tomatoes, garlic powder, salt-free spice blend, salt, and chili powder if using. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring well. Spoon the mixture into an 8 inch square baking dish or 4 individual baking dishes. Sprinkle evenly with cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

*You can use frozen chopped veggies to make this even faster to prepare since you won’t have to chop.

Note: This meal is so easy to cut in half. It also freezes well; freeze casserole in baking dish before topping with cheese. Transfer to the refrigerator the morning you plan to cook it, and take it out of the fridge before preheating the oven. Cook for 15 minutes (or whenever it is warmed through) instead of 5.

Also, this is gluten-free, wheat-free, egg-free, nut-free, & soy-free. Be sure to check your ingredients to ensure they are free of any allergens.

This recipe is linked to Eat at Home‘s Ingredient Spotlight: Beans 

and to Michelle’s Tasty Creations and Crafty Ideas: Creative Thursday Link Party No. 2 

Here are some other meat-free meals to eat on Fridays of Lent or any time of the year:

• Pistachio and Herb Crusted Salmon
• Butternut Squash Soup – omit the bacon
• Balsamic Chickpeas & Spinach
• Southwest Tofu Scramble
• Lentil Soup
• Spicy Tofu Soft Tacos
• Tomato Soup with Roasted Chickpeas – omit the bacon
• Four-cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
• Lemon-Herb Avocado Pasta
• Philly Cheese “Steaks”
• Mexican Pumpkin Soup
• Walnut Crusted Fish

Oh and don’t forget to celebrate National Chip & Dip Day. I promise you won’t regret making this amazing cookie dough dip!

I’m so excited because a lot of my friends are coming in town for the weekend to celebrate our friend’s wedding!! Congrats Louise & Jack – I’m so happy for y’all!

Have a great weekend!

Meme