The Wonderful World of Salads

This time I wanted to talk a little bit about salads. I sometimes think that they get a bad rep because people think they won't fill them up or they are "boring." You've probably also been told that salads can be just has unhealthy as a burger, depending on what you put on it. So you think, why even try??

For me, the lessons I've learned in salad preparation is go for color. The more vibrant the colors you have generally means that you are using natural, earth-growing vegetables and/or fruits. So that basically means nix the colorless ranch and croutons. 

When going for dressing, use as little as possible. I know, this is hard. I used to get fed up, thinking the lettuce was so bland and tasteless without it. Try this trick I learned: put your salad in a bowl with a lid. Apply a couple teaspoons of your dressing, lid it, and shake it up! This will evenly distribute the dressing, applying the flavor throughout the entire salad. Next, sprinkle the salad with a little lemon juice or salt and pepper if it needs more flavor. 

As far as what to put in your salad, that's the fun part! Be creative. Use whatever veggies you have at home and you like. Greens, tomatoes, carrots, these are veggies that can be indulged in. As far as your fats: olives, avocado, and nuts, use in moderation. However, these are the proteins and good fats that will make you full. I also love to put either diced chicken, shrimp or salmon in my salad. 

If you're feeling festive, spice it up! Try strawberries and feta cheese on top of a bed of spinach with a low-fat vinaigrette. Or put some oranges or pears in there, if you'd like. My main objective here to express how unboring and healthy salads can be. Just stay away from the bacon bits.

Enjoy!

Three Cheese Manicotti

I recently asked the BF if there was anything he'd like to see me make. His reply was, "Those noodles that are stuffed with cheese." So here you have it, Three Cheese Manicotti.

Difficulty Level: Medium

You will need:

1 Package Manicotti noodles
Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
Shredded Cheese (I like to use Fiesta Blend)
Parmesan Cheese
Basil
Oregano
Salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Ok, step one: cook the noodles. Be gentle with these so they don't tear. Just follow the directions on the box and drain them. Set aside to cool.

Next, add the ricotta cheese, 1/4 cup parmesan and 1 cup shredded cheese. If you look at any other recipes, they will usually tell you to put more than this. However, I try to keep the dish as low in calories as possible, so use your best judgment on this one.

In another bowl, add the jar of tomato sauce and generous sprinkling of basil, oregano and salt. You will then pour about half of it into a semi-deep baking dish.

When the noodles are cool enough to touch without hurting yourself, begin to gently stuff them with your cheese mixture. Once stuffed, place the noodles in the baking dish, on top of the sauce you have already poured. Add the remaining sauce. You can then sprinkle the top of the pasta with Parmesan or just a pinch more basil and oregano.

Cover the dish with foil (for best results) and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Cooking times vary, so always keep an eye on your dish!

When ready, serve with a side of steamed asparagus or your choice of a green.

Enjoy!

Chicken Lasagna

Living with someone with special dietary needs can be tricky. Especially when your special someone can't eat beef! Growing up in the United States, beef has always been a staple in my family's kitchen. However, now that my new family's needs are beef-free, I have since found alternatives for some of my favorite meals.

I give you, Chicken Lasagna!

Difficulty Level: Easy

What you will need:

Oven Ready Lasagna Noodles
1 Large Can Tomato Sauce
Basil
Oregano
Salt
Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese
Parmesan Cheese
Shredded Cheese (I use the Fiesta Blend)
Pre-Cooked Chicken

Preheat the oven to 350.

This recipe should be super easy as long as you have Oven Ready noodles and your chicken is already cooked. First, combine one container of the ricotta cheese with about 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Set aside.

In a bowl, add the large can of tomato sauce and sprinkle a generous amount of basil, oregano and salt. Don't add the chicken just yet. In your baking dish, pour a tiny bit of the sauce into the bottom. This is going to help cook the noodles so they won't end up hard on the bottom. You may now add your chicken to the bowl of the sauce mixture.

Now you are going to begin layering. Place lasagna noodles down, cover with cheese mixture and pour sauce on top. Place another layer of noodles down, and repeat until you have the desired amount of layers for your lasagna. When you have that final layer of noodles, top it off with sauce and a sprinkling of shredded cheese.

*Remember, the more cheese you add, the more calories. To save even more on your calorie budget, try to find wheat noodles and low-fat cheese.*

Another trick I've learned is to cover the baking dish with foil. This helps everything bake better and you get nice, soft, hot pasta every time. Baking times vary, so place the dish in the oven on 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour, but keep an eye on it! Nobody likes burnt lasagna.

Enjoy!

Oven "Fried" Chicken

Although I love fried chicken, I will be the first to admit that it is not the healthiest of foods. I decided that I would try a healthier alternative that would hopefully make the chicken just as crispy as it would be fried. I came up with Oven "Fried" Chicken.

Difficulty Level: Medium

You will need:

Raw chicken (any part is fine)
Saltine Crackers
One Egg
Paprika
Salt
Baking Sheet
Food Thermometer

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

This is super easy. All you do is crumble up the crackers. I suppose you could use a food processor, but it isn't really necessary. My hands worked just fine. Once the crackers are made into tiny crumbs, sprinkle some paprika and salt and mix it all together.

Next, crack the egg into a bowl. You are going to dip the chicken into the egg and then roll it around in the crackers mixture and place it onto a baking sheet. When you are done, stick it in the oven and bake at 400 degrees.

*Remember, when working with chicken, be careful! You don't want raw chicken touching anything you are not going to clean thoroughly afterward.*

As far as cooking time, it does vary based on the size/weight of the chicken are you using. Remember poultry should always be cooked to 165 degrees to ensure you don't get food poisoning. Just use a food thermometer and you will be fine.

Once the chicken is done, finish off the meal with home cooked mashed potatoes and a nice green salad. Enjoy!

My Relationship With Coffee

I just found this blog post I wrote in college. Even years later, it still applies!

I first met coffee when I was three years old. My parents would give me small doses with large amounts of milk. As I grew older, the doses became larger as my craving for it grew. Now, nearly seventeen years later, I drink coffee multiple times a day. I believe I'm truly addicted.

Unlike other relationships that have come and go in my life, coffee has always been there for me and, though I don't want to jinx myself, I think we have many more years to come.

Now I won't lie, our relationship isn't always easy. There are days when I stay with a friend who doesn't even own a coffee pot, a tragedy that always perplexes me. Then there are others when I am simply out of coffee grounds and unable to drink a cup before my morning classes. These are the hardest days and I have to force myself to withhold my extreme crabbiness until I can get a cup of the delicious caffeinated beverage.

There was a period, a few years back, in which my addiction to coffee had me concerned about the ramifications it would have on my health. My mother, for example, had once gotten an ulcer from drinking too much during a particularly stressful time in her life. To safe my stomach, I decided to give up coffee for good. Well, it only lasted a month. It turned out that without coffee, I was like Jennifer Grey after she got her nose job. I wasn't the same person as before and I definitely wasn't happy. I quickly returned to coffee, which graciously accepted me back. We've been together ever since.

I often wonder if I will ever find anyone as good as coffee has been to me. When I wake up, it's the first thing I want to see. When I'm having a rough day, it always comforts me. Unlike men, coffee never gets jealous when you experiment with another beverage. There was a week once when I decided to expand my horizons and try Chai on the side. Coffee never held it against me.

A lot of women joke about winding up as an old maid living with a dozen cats. Not me. I'll be the one living happily while growing dozens of coffee plants in my backyard.

Russian Teacakes

Today, while having a conversation with my sister, I remembered a special treat that my mom used to make whenever she held Tupperware parties. They were the tastiest things, and I always made to sure to get my share. Of course then my mother would tell me I'd better stop, or there wouldn't be any left for the guests!

As I learned today, the tasty treats I remembered are called Russian Teacakes and they are actually quite simple to make. I found the following recipe on AllRecipes.com.

Difficulty Level: Easy

You will need:

1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 all-purpose flour
1 cup pecans
1/3 cup powdered sugar (for rolling the cakes in)

To begin with, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Next, soften the butter and combine it with the 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla. Add the flour, pecans and salt to the mixture. When everything is mixed, it should be fairly easy to manipulate with your hands. Roll the dough into little balls and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

Now's the fun part! When the cookies come out, go ahead and drop them each into a little bowl of the remaining powdered sugar. Let them cool for a few minutes, then roll them around in the sugar. Done!

For my first attempt at making them, the teacakes turned out surprisingly well and were just as delicious as I remembered. Try them out and see for yourself!

Enjoy!

P.S. This recipe yields about 2 dozen teacakes. Next time, I will probably double-up on the measurements to make them last longer!

A Little Piece of the South: Candied Pecans

Recently, I visited my sister in Charleston, SC and had one of the tastiest treats I've had in quite some time: candied pecans. She took me to several little candy shops where smiling faces hand you candy samples, hoping to lure you in. Let me tell you, it worked. She and I stocked up on several flavors of nuts as well as pralines, which were all quickly devoured in..well, let's not focus on minor details.

Anyway, I felt a craving for this particular treat today and did a google search to find this quick and tasty recipe.

Difficulty Level: Easy

You will need is:

1 egg white
1/2 cup brown sugar (I used white)
1 "dash" vanilla (I unashamedly used quite a good deal more than a dash)
4 cups pecans

To begin, preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Use wax paper or foil to line a large cookie sheet. In a large bowl, mix together the egg white with the sugar. Add vanilla. When the mixture is nice and smooth, mix in the pecans. Pour onto the lined baking sheet and stick in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

While I'm being honest about the vanilla, I will admit I used a bit more sugar than was instructed. The result, however, was a truly awesome bin of pecans. Warning: they're highly addicting.