Nakie.

Michael came over tonight to see the new place and have some chow. I made naked enchiladas and they were beyond tasty!

Naked Enchiladas
4 chicken breasts, cubed
1tbs EVOO
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 small zucchini, quarter chopped
1 cup frozen corn
Mrs. Dash table blend
Green enchilada sauce, small can
Colby jack or cheddar shredded cheese
Sour cream
Chopped tomato
Tortilla chips/Doritos

Saute the onion in the EVOO for 2 minutes.

 Add the chicken and Mrs. Dash seasoning and cook covered until chicken is no longer raw.

 Add corn and zucchini with 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook until zucchini is soft.

  Add green sauce. Allow to cook for 10 minutes on low. Dish up.

 Top with cheese, sour cream, chopped tomatoes and crushed chips. Viola! YUM.

 And just as a side note, I saw this a while back and it has come in quite handy. To quickly and easily dice up a tomato, cut from the bottom and cut across both directions, but don't cut all the way through. Then turn the tomato sideways and cut slices....easy peasy dicing!

Zucchini Chips

Ever wonder what to do with all that extra fresh squash the summer season has to offer? Make chips!

Zucchini Chips
2 small zucchini
salt/pepper/seasoning

Cut the zucchini into thin slices...the thinner, the better. They will dry faster and will be crunchier when done.

 Place all the slices in a bowl. Sprinkle with a very small amount of seasoning. I chose salt, pepper and garlic powder. I put the normal amount of seasoning I would use if I were to saute them, but it was about double what they needed; the dehydrator makes the seasoning so concentrated! I also drizzled with olive oil, but I really don't think it was necessary so I don't think I would do it again next time. Mix the spices and slices well so they are all covered.

 Place all of the slices in your dehydrator and turn on. Leave running for about four hours or until all of your slices are completely dried and crunchy.

 Enjoy!

Saucy Squash

I love the fresh produce that you can get in the summer....so tasty and so good for you! Tonight I made a saucy, cheesy squash dish that is similar to a lasagna and deeee-lish!

Saucy Squash
2 medium sized summer squash or zucchini
2 cups spaghetti sauce
2 cups shredded cheese
1 pound hamburger
1.5 cups spinach
Salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, Italian seasoning

Season the burger with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder and then brown in a skillet until cooked through. Slice the squash into thin pieces, 1/4 inch thick. Pour 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of an 8x8" glass dish. Layer half the of squash over the sauce. Cover with the spinach, then a layer of the burger and 1 cup of the cheese. Spread with 1 cup of sauce. Cover with the rest of the squash. Spread the remaining sauce on the squash and cover with cheese. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and put into a 350 degree oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until squash is soft.

 Lovely layers of color!

 When it's done, it will be a bit soupy, so a bowl is recommended as is Parmesan cheese...just cuz it's yummy. Enjoy!

Dinner for Three...

I got a Kitchenaid Professional 600 Series stand mixer for Christmas from Brandon and OMG, is it GORGEOUS! I have been wanting one of those bad boys forever. It is a color called Meringue....a lovely pearlescent white....so beautiful...so huge! It can make 13 dozen cookies or 8 loaves of bread at a time; Now, I seriously doubt I will EVER be making that many baked goods, but it's nice to know it will definitely be big enough to make anything I could ever want to mix up.

I have been dying to try the mixer since I got it, but haven't had the time nor the recipe to try. Today seemed like a good day to try out the beauty and do some serious cooking.....and cooking isn't fun unless you share the results, so I invited Mom and Dad for dinner tonight. I made apricot almond chicken with snow peas for the main course and espresso chocolate chip brownies for dessert...all low carb, and all pretty dang good!!

I made up the recipe for the chicken and was really happy with the result...makes 4 servings at 6.5 carbs per serving.

Apricot Almond Chicken
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1tbs lime juice
2tbs sugar free apricot preserves
1tsp red pepper flakes
1/2tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp ginger
8 chicken breast tenders
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1 1/2 cup snow peas

In a large bowl, whisk together apricot preserves, water, soy sauce and lime juice. Add  red pepper, garlic, and ginger. Stir well. No salt is needed for this recipe because the soy sauce with add more than enough; however, if you are using low sodium soy sauce, you might want to add a little salt, but it really isn't necessary. Place thawed chicken in the bowl and cover. Allow to marinate for 2+ hours. While the chicken is marinating, place the slivered almonds in a small skillet. Using medium high heat, toast the almonds, stirring often, until they are a golden brown. Set aside.

 Pour the chicken and all of the marinade into a large skillet. Cook, covered, on medium high until the chicken is cooked through.

Cube the chicken. Add the snow peas and cook, covered, for another 3 minutes. Remove the lid and stir in the almonds. Turn the heat down to medium low and continue cooking until the water cooks off and the sauce gets thick. This can be served with rice, but rice is definitely not low carb and actually isn't even necessary....this chicken is filling and tasty all on its own! I would have a picture to show you of the finished product, but we were so hungry I forgot to snap a pic before we gobbled it all down.

I have not done nearly enough baking in the low carb world to be able to wing it on my own baked goods recipes, so I used a recipe from a book called 1001 Low Carb Recipes by Dana Carpender....she is a low carb genius!

Espresso Chocolate Chip Brownies
1 cup Splenda
1/2 cup vanilla whey protein powder
1/4 cup almond meal
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1tbs instant coffee crystals (decaf or regular)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
2 large eggs
1/4 cup water
6 ounces sugar free chocolate chips or sugar free chocolate bars chopped to chip size in the food processor

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix splenda, protein powder, almond meal, cocoa powder, coffee and salt. Cut in butter until well combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add water and mix thoroughly. Stir in chocolate chips. Spray an 8x8 glass dish with cooking spray and spoon in the batter evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

The brownies can be cut into 25 pieces at 2 carbs per brownie, or 16 pieces at 3 carbs per brownie. I cut mine into 16 pieces; 25 pieces make for some small brownies! The brownies are not as sweet as normal brownies (duh) and taste more like dark chocolate than milk chocolate. I like the coffee flavor, but I think the full tablespoon was too strong; for me personally, I would like them better with about half the amount of coffee. I served it with a tablespoon of whipped cream (1 carb) for a pretty tasty dessert with total of 4 carbs.

The sweetness of the cream helps the flavor a lot, so I would definitely suggest using it. All in all, I don't think you will find a much better brownie for that low of a carb count....yum!

Happy 2011!

Happy New Year! and Merry Christmas too...seems I have been out of the blogosphere for a while. Let's see, where to begin....

I met a guy named Brandon at the beginning of November and we have been dating since. We really enjoy spending time together and he seems to fit in pretty well with the family. We're taking time to get to know one another and see where things go; I'm really happy. We have been quite busy during the last few weeks traveling and doing fun winter things. We went snowboarding a couple weeks ago- fun, but I literally bruised my butt. We also went to Bronner's Christmas Wonderland a week or so before Christmas and I got a few things to decorate my apartment....That place is awesome and has a lot of gorgeous stuff, but holy land of ticky-tacky Christmas crap.

Christmas was really nice. I went home Christmas Eve day and hung out with Michael for a while. Mom and Dad were visiting my grandparents and when the arrived home, we had pizza and wine...yummy. We finished the evening with some games of Scattergories and Pass the Pigs. The next morning, Aunt Joie came over and we all opened gifts. Santa got me an automatic car starter...wahoo! It will be soooo nice to be able to hit the button when I get up and have the car be warm when I am ready to go to class. I also got some great books and some dishes from Michael. We all sat down for breakfast and then Aunt Joie headed home. We spent the day watching movies and hanging out. Mom made a really yummy traditional dinner of turkey and all the fixings. The next day, Brandon and I headed to my Uncle Jim's house to meet up with the rest of the extended family. Uncle Jim prepared a great buffet lunch and then it was time for gifts; the younger kids all opened gifts from the rest of the family and then the rest of us did our traditional White Elephant gift game. It was a lot of fun and was really nice to be able to have everyone all together.

New Year's Eve this year was very low key and relaxing. Brandon and I decided not to fight crowds, so we went to Meijer and bought all the ingredients to make dinner. We made a Meatza....a pizza with a meat "crust", toppings, sauce and cheese...more carb friendly than regular pizza. We watched the first season of Glee- well, I watched and he kinda pretended to, while he played on his laptop and then we watched the ball drop at midnight....exactly what I was looking for....enjoyable, fun and relaxing and no stupid, drunk crowds. Perfect.

Today was a nesting kind of day. I cleaned my apartment, took down Christmas decorations and did some laundry. I also made dinner and holy cow, was it delicious! It was so good, I think I should probably share it with you....call it a late Christmas gift ;)

Crunchy Cabbage, Snow Pea and Chicken Lettuce Wraps
8 chicken breast tenders, thawed
garlic powder
sea salt
cracked pepper
1/2 cup snow peas, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 cup red cabbage, chopped small
2 medium celery sticks, chopped small
1tbs finely chopped onion
1/4 cup pecans, cut into large pieces
1/4 mayo
1/4 cream cheese, softened
1/8tsp cayenne pepper
1tsp lemon juice
Romaine lettuce leaves


Using a large a skillet, cook the chicken in olive oil on medium heat. Sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Allow the chicken to brown and then remove from heat. Place the cut beans in a microwave dish with 1tbs water and cook for 1 minute. Remove and drain. In a large bowl, combine the mayo and cream cheese with a whisk. Add the lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Place the cooled chicken on a cutting board and cut the chicken into small cubes. Add the chicken and remaining ingredients to the sauce and stir well. Spoon enough of the chicken mixture to fill each lettuce leaf. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!

 The above recipe is so yummy and so filling...it's a beautiful color and it is only 3 carbs..fabulous! I am starting the low carb eating plan again as my New Year's resolution. Happy 2011 everyone!

Apple and Pecans and Pumpkins...Oh My!

Holy cow, what a week...and it's only Wednesday. I have been studying, studying, studying since Friday in preparation for exams this week...well, actually for exams today, because they happened to fall on the same day. My day didn't start out the greatest; I haven't gotten much sleep in the last few days and I dragged my near-comatose butt out of bed to find cat throw up in front of my door. Yummy. I cleaned it up, turned around, and promptly stepped into another pile. Good morning! Ugh. I talked down my up-chuck reflex and headed about my business to get ready for class.

Today's schedule consisted of giving a powerpoint presentation to my classmates about small cell lung cancer, followed by an exam in my Infectious Diseases class, followed by my midterm lab practical for History and Physical Exam. I knocked my presentation out of the park; almost all of my classmates stopped me later and told me how much they liked it and how clear it was. WAHOO! I hate those things...I get soooo nervous. I followed that with a 90% on my first exam and a 100% on my lab practical....I guess all that studying paid off!

I came home, and to celebrate my awesome day, I decided to bake some treats. I stopped by the farm stand I mentioned a few posts ago and bought some more Honeycrisp apples and a baking pumpkin. I've been craving something sweet all day, so here's what I came up with:

Apple-Pecan Pumpkin Cookies
2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 cup oats
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raisins
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 medium apples, cored and chopped into dime-sized pieces

Blend together butter, white sugar and brown sugar. Beat in egg, vanilla and pumpkin.
In a separate bowl, mix together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, raisins, pecans and flour. Stir into pumpkin mixture. Add the apple pieces and mix well.

Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Harvest Time

I went home for a bit today to target shoot with Daddy-o, and on my way back to my apartment, I stopped at a local produce stand. I looooooooooove fall for a million reasons, but the fresh produce has to be in the top 10. I bought a couple candy onions, a red onion, a couple acorn squash and 4 huge honey crisp apples.

I could smell the sweet scent coming off the apples the whole ride home...delicious! As soon as I got home, I got to work making myself dinner with my fresh produce. Here's what I came up with:

Honey Dijon Harvest Chicken
4 chicken breasts
2 small acorn squash, peeled and cubed
1 small candy onion, cut in slices
1/4 red onion, cut in slices
2 large apples, cubed
2 boxes stuffing
1 can chicken broth
4tbs Dijon mustard
4tbs honey
5 sprigs fresh thyme

Spray a 9x13 glass dish with cooking spray. Place the chicken in the bottom of the dish. Layer the apples, then the squash, then the onions, over top of the chicken.

In a large bowl, whisk together the mustard, honey, thyme, and HALF of the chicken broth. Evenly pour over the layers.

Pour the two boxes of stuffing into the dish, spreading evenly. Mix the other half of the chicken broth with 3/4 cup water and drizzle over the stuffing, making sure all is moist. Add pats of butter evenly around the dish.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes. The squash should be soft, but the apples and onions should still have a slight crunch.

I loved this dish because it has the meat and sides all in one, and it was soooooo tasty! I love buying local produce...helps the farmers and it tastes so good. I served my plate up with a heaping portion and a glass of wine. Perfect fall meal!

Lunch with Dad

I only have one class in the mornings on Mondays so I invited Dad over to have lunch with me this last week. Here's the recipe from our delicious lunch (if I do say so myself):

Pecan-Breaded Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Chicken
4 chicken breasts, hammered flat
2tbs extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1/4 tbs garlic powder
1 cup spinach, chopped
I can medium artichoke hearts
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 sour cream
1/2 shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
1 cup pecans, crushed

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and add the chopped onions. Cook, covered, for 5 minutes and then add the spinach and garlic powder. Cook for 5 more minutes. Add the cream cheese and sour cream. Remove from heat. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Add cheeses and stir. Spoon onto the chicken. Roll up the chicken and secure with toothpicks.

Cover the chicken rolls in crushed pecans. Spray a 9x13 glass dish with cooking spray. Place the chicken in the dish and cover with the remaining pecans.

Bake for 30 minutes on 350 degree or until chicken is cooked through.

I forgot to take a photo when the chicken was done baking, but it was tasty, I can tell you that much. I served it with some garlic, sea salt and cracked pepper seasoned, fresh green beans.

Easy Cheesy Dinner

Italian Beef with Spinach
1lb extra lean ground beef
1 quart stewed tomatoes
1/2 cup onion, chopped
10 fresh sweet basil leaves
salt/pepper
garlic powder
1 cup spinach, chopped

In a large skillet, place the beef and onions. Add the salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. As the beef is cooking on medium heat, make sure to break the meat into small pieces. Tear the basil into small pieces and and add it to the skillet. When the meat is fully cooked and the onions are soft, drain the excess grease. Add the tomatoes and their juice. Also add the spinach and mix well.Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the spinach is cooked through. Serve topped with shredded mozzarella. Also good over pasta.

Egg-Cellent

The last few mornings I have been trying to get up at a decent hour and make myself a well-rounded breakfast. Today's dish was so tasty, I just had to share it with you.

Spinach and Onion Omelet
2 eggs
3 tbs milk
salt/pepper
1/2 cup spinach, chopped
1/4 cup onion, chopped
extra virgin olive oil
mozzarella cheese

In a small frying pan, drizzle about 2 tbs of EVOO. Add the chopped onion and cook on medium heat until soft, about 5 minutes.

While the onions are cooking, crack the eggs into a bowl and add the milk. Whip with a fork until blended.

Add the spinach to the onions and continue cooking for another 5 minutes so that the spinach is soft and the onions are starting to brown. Place the veggies in a bowl and set aside.

Empty the egg mixture into the warm pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and let cook for about 5 minutes or until the egg is well browned on the bottom and flips easily. Remove the lid, flip the egg and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Let the cheese melt, about one minute, and then spoon the veggies onto one half on the egg. Fold the egg in half and then transfer to a plate.

Enjoy!

It Sure Smells Like Fall....

FALL IS FINALLY HERE! The weather is finally starting to cool down; it's been breezy and cool enough to wear long sleeves and be comfortable. My new Food magazine came in the mail last week and it was crammed full of fall recipes...Oh how I love fall!

I decided to make a couple recipes from the magazine, but true to my own style, I could resist changing the recipes. So, here are my renditions of some of the magazines fabulous fall dishes...

Loaded Butternut Squash Soup
2 medium Butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbs sugar
1 stick salted butter
8 cups water
1/4 cup heavy cream
salt/pepper
1 loaf Pumpernickel bread
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic powder
Shredded Parmesan

Melt the butter in a large pot, add chopped onion and cook until soft, 5-10 minutes. Add the cubed squash and the sugar and stir until well mixed and the squash is glazed. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and continue to cook for 25 minutes, making sure the squash is cooked through and soft.

While waiting for the squash to cook, turn on the broiler in your oven and take out several pieces of Pumpernickel bread. Using a bread knife, cut the slices into small cubes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and then place the bread pieces on the sheet. Drizzle with the EVOO, and sprinkle with a little sea salt and some garlic powder. Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until the cubes are crunchy and toasted.

When the squash is cooked, while working in small batches, slowly transfer all of the cooked squash and water base to a blender or food processor. Blend of the soup until it is thick and creamy. Return to the original pan. Set to low heat and add the heavy cream and salt/pepper to taste.

Top the soup with the croutons and some shredded Parmesan.

In this picture, I also added some crispy prosciutto and fried onions, but found that the extra flavors weren't even necessary.

As a precautionary side note....don't put the squash peelings down the garbage disposal, or your sink will look like this:

Yummy.

Pinto Bean Pasta Fagioli

5 tbs extra virgin olive oil

3 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
1 quart jar canned tomatoes
1 large jar pinto beans
1 cup water
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping
1 box small pasta, like shells or macaroni
1 bunch Kale, stems and ribs removed, chopped
salt/pepper

In a large pot, place the EVOO and set to medium heat. Add the onions, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and rosemary. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until onion is soft.

Add the beans and the stewed tomatoes, including the juices from both. Add the cup of water and 1/2 cup of Parmesan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and add the pasta. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. Add the chopped Kale and salt/pepper to taste and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve topped with shredded Parmesan cheese.

I like this dish; it was a nice blend of cheesy and spicy. However, I am just not a big fan of the rosemary. I think next time I would definitely try sweet basil or oregano.

More Quick Grilled Dinner

Strawberry Lime Chicken
Chicken Breast, cut into cubes
5 strawberries, sliced
1tbs crumbled Feta cheese
3tbs lime juice
Garlic powder
Sea salt
Crushed black pepper
Olive oil

Place cubed chicken pieces on kabob skewers. Pour 2 tbs of lime juice over the raw chicken. Sprinkle with pepper, salt and garlic powder, to own liking. Place on the grill and cook through. Remove cooked chicken from skewers and place in bowl. Add the strawberries to the chicken and sprinkle Feta over the top. Drizzle with a small amout of olive oil and the remain 1tbs of lime juice.

Sweet strawberries, salty cheese, tangy chicken...nom nom nom!

Quick Grilled Dinner

I have been busting my butt the last week now that classes have begun, and today was no exception. I had class from 9-10am and then was at the library studying until 4pm. I had to leave to go pay my rent...almost forgot!....and then come home to grab a quick dinner before heading back to the library. I was looking for something a little different..I'm sick of salads, etc; they are easy to grab, but not much imagination is involved. Tonight I decided to do some grilling and the results were deee-lish!
Grilled Chicken with Tomato, Basil and Spinach Relish
Chicken breast, thawed
10 cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup fresh spinach, chopped
5-8 fresh basil leaves, torn
Sea salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Olive oil
Parmesan cheese, shredded

Place chicken breast on the grill, set to high heat, and cook through. While waiting for the chicken to cook, drizzle 1tbs olive oil in a sauce pan and heat to medium. Cut the tomatoes into halves and add to the oil. Add the basil, and spices to taste. Allow to cook on medium until the tomatoes are soft and they begin making a sauce, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and allow to cook through, about 2 minutes. Plate the chicken and cover with the tomato relish. Top with some shredded Parmesan cheese.

So yummy and sooooo quick!

Ping! Ping! Ping!

On my way home on Friday, I stopped at Papa's Pumkin Patch...I love that place. I love that the produce is local, just picked, the prices are right, and the people are sooooo nice. I CAN'T wait for Applefest there again this fall...woo! Anyway, I stopped in to buy some tomatoes for canning. I bought 50lbs of tomatoes and canned half of them today. I still have lots and lot and LOTS of salsa and peaches left over from last year, but I blew through the tomatoes I canned last year within a couple months. I love me some stewed 'matos! It's been a hot steamy day here in my apartment and a lot of hard work, but it's so worth it. I love being able to pull out a jar of tomatoes in the winter and use them in sauce or chili or even just eat, and have them taste so fresh.

Some of the tomatoes...getting ready for their bath...

Bath time!

Even Indy wanted to help....checking out the produce

Cleaning up dishes...

Even though he knows he's not supposed to...

Napping on the job.

It got too late to can the other half, but it will give me something to do tomorrow. I'm now sitting here, watching a movie and listening to the "ping" of my sealing jar lids....man, do I love that sound!

Scrumptious Summer

Hooray for fresh produce! I guess the first harvest from my garden was only a hint as to what was to come; I'm up to my eyeballs in summer squash, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and plum tomatoes....yum, yum, yum. I went out and picked all the ripe veggies this morning and when I came in to wash them, I noticed just how many I actually had. I was trying to think of a fresh, summery dish that would use a lot of zucchini and tomatoes, so here is what I came up with:

Saucy Summer Salad
3-4 ripe plum tomatoes
2 medium zucchini
6 tablespoons sour cream
4 tablespoon real mayo
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

Mix the sour cream, mayo, lemon juice and spices together, and place in fridge to cool.

 Cut the zucchini into thin slices.

Cube the tomatoes.

Place veggies in a bowl and cover with the sauce.

Stir well and serve chilled.

This salad is SO good! The zucchini are crunchy and the tomatoes are super sweet. I thought of using it as a side dish, but it with a small piece of garlic toast, it makes a great light summer dinner.

One word of caution however, this is not, I repeat NOT, a date night dinner....your garlic breath with burn the eyebrows off each other's faces.