My PB + J

stuffed zucchini

i stumbled upon the recipe for stuffed zucchini from good ‘ole pinterest. all the ingredients fell right into the 17-day diet guidelines so i whipped it up for an easy weekend meal. i was so giddy while eating the first bite, it was so damn good. i actually took the filling out and mixed it into my rice and it was to.die.for.  thank you kayotic kitchen for this yummy recipe!
ingredients:
1 TB fat-free sour cream
1/4 – 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp curry powder
10 grape tomatoes finely diced 
1 tsp italian seasoning 
2 zucchini 
1 onion 
cheese 
pepper 
directions:
preheat your oven to 400 degrees. 
rinse your zucchini. slice in half length-ways. spoon out the guts until you have an empty boat. 
dice your zucchini pulp, tomatoes and onions. 
in a skillet saute the onions with 1 tablespoon olive oil or butter until translucent. add in curry and mix for 30 seconds. spoon onions into the bowl with zucchini and tomato. add in seasonings and sour cream. mix until combined. 

take your zucchini boat and spoon filling in. top with your cheese of choice. i used reduced fat parmesan and a sprinkle of cheddar. 

bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. turn the broiler on and cook for another 5 minutes until the cheese starts to get brown and bubbly.

i served the stuffed zucchini with a 1/4 cup of brown rice. next time i make this i plan on adding quinoa into the filling mix. DELISH!

chicken “taco” lettuce wraps

another recipe i made up for the 17-day diet. it really curbed my craving for mexican and i was full after two wraps. i had roasted a chicken one day and used the shredded meat for two recipes. honestly, it was the perfect amount for three wraps each and a little chicken, olives, avo and cheese for payton.

ingredients:

1/2 of a roasted chicken, shredded
1 packet taco seasoning
3/4 cup hot water
1/2 can sliced black olives
10 grape tomatoes, sliced
1/2 avocado (again not on cycles 1 or 2 but we splurged for some healthy fat)
6-8 pieces of boston lettuce
2TB  fat-free cheddar cheese
2 TB fat-free sour cream + 1/2 tsp tapatio

directions:

combine hot water and taco seasoning in a small bowl. mix until combined. in a skillet, add in shredded chicken and taco seasoning, bring to simmer and reduce heat until most of the liquid is gone. remember, you’re just reheating the chicken and letting the flavors soak into the chicken.

to assemble: lay lettuce on plates, add chicken and remaining ingredients. top with sour cream/hot sauce mixture. enjoy!

super easy and fast weeknight meal. you won’t even notice the taco shell is missing. . .promise! serve with black beans if you wish. 🙂

crunchy barbeque chicken salad

if you’ve known me for a while (in real life) then you know that i have a niche for flavors and telling the spices/ingredients used in a dish. i like to believe that this is one of my god-given talents but helped along by my daddy growing up. when dieting this comes in handy because i can literally take items on the list and make something that is damn tasty. like this crunchy barbeque chicken salad. i guess my restaurant background also helps me think of yummy salads, too! 
the ingredients:
1 head of romaine lettuce, chunky shred
1 jicama, peeled and sliced into sticks  
1 pasilla pepper, seeded and julienned
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into sticks 
1 avocado, diced (this is not approved on cycle 1 of the 17-day diet, but we used it anyway)
1/4 cup fat-free cheese 
4 baked chicken tenders
barbeque sauce (see recipe below)
cilantro dressing (see recipe below) 
here’s how:

in a bowl add in the lettuce and dressing. with the dressing, a little goes a long way so use your best judgement. toss the lettuce to coat. 
place lettuce onto a plate. layer the veggies, then cheese, and chicken. top the salad with a drizzle of the barbeque for some extra sweetness. 
enjoy. super easy and quick for a week night meal, especially if you pre-slice the veggies and cook the chicken! 
barbeque sauce:
(17-day diet adapted recipe)
1/4 cup low-sugar ketchup
a few dashes worchestershire sauce 
1/2 tsp agave
1 tsp chili powder 
mix all the ingredients together. you can marinate the chicken tenders with the sauce like i did and then bake them at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until they are cooked all the way through. 
cilantro vinaigrette: 
(my recipe)
1/2 cup packed cilantro 
1 garlic clove
1-2 TB minced pasilla pepper 
1 TB agave 
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (you could use white)
1-2 TB flax seed oil
1/2 tsp cumin 
salt & pepper to taste 
in a small food processor combine all ingredients and pulsate until you have a creamy, emulsified blend. you can adjust the agave/vinegar ratio depending on your taste. my dressing was slightly sweet, with a big cilantro kick and subtle kick of spice from the pepper. 

balsamic roasted brussels & cauliflower

 i have never been a real veggie fan but when they’re roasted vs. steamed i can consume a lot! i love when the natural sugars come out and caramelize the veggies, add in some balsamic vinegar and you get a punch of flavor with extra sweetness. i cannot wait until i can add in walnuts or heaven forbid some bacon because let’s be honest, brussel sprouts are so much better with bacon. But, then again, what isn’t better with bacon? this recipe isn’t from the 17-day diet cookbook, it just follows the guidelines. great for an afternoon snack or paired alongside lean protein. 
here’s what you need:
1 head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into bit sized pieces
1/2 pound of brussel sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
3 TB balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 TB flax seed oil (EVOO will work fine, too)
salt & pepper to taste
Here’s how:
preheat the oven to 350 degrees. in a medium sized pot bring water to a boil. once the water is boiling add the cauliflower florets and blanche them. this usually take 2 minutes at the most, you are not cooking them all the way through just softening them enough to speed the cooking process and to absorb the vinegar. 

remove the cauliflower from the pot with a mesh strainer and place in bowl. next, blanche the sprouts for two minutes.

remove the sprouts with a mesh strainer and add into the bowl with the cauliflower. drizzle the veggies with vinegar, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. toss to coat.

transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, remove from oven and toss. return to the oven for an additional 10-12 minutes.

remove from the oven, place in container and enjoy immediately or place in the refrigerator. 

so yummy! if you want to make them extra delicious add in some cooked bacon pieces and walnuts! this dish is great anytime of year but even better as a side to your Thanksgiving dinner!

Fa-La-La’ing with Cinnamon Rolls

I am a long time follower of The Pioneer Woman so when I was watching her Christmas special on the Food Network I knew I wanted to add her cinnamon rolls to our Christmas breakfast. I have only used yeast a few times, and while I am a baker I am not one to bake bread, ever. I have failed miserably but I blame my lack of patience. If I had a bread machine, maybe, since it does all the work for you. When you are placing the dough in bowls and praying for the temperature gods to be on your side, as it sits to rise it is way too much for me, too much of a commitment wasted if it fails. I decided to give PW’s recipe a go because she is so likeable and she’s the real deal. I set out the night before Christmas Eve, tears swelling my eyes (totally having a Like Water from Chocolate experience) from being over tired and the pressure of baking a red velvet cheesecake at the same time (that recipe is up next). Have you caught on that I take on too much at one time yet? Oh! and did I mention it was already 11:30 PM? Yeah, well it was and I am nuts. Luckily for me, the yeast gods were in my favor and Santa must have thought I was a good girl this year because I was able to add these soft, gooey buns to our Christmas breakfast table along to our neighbors as well. They were a hit and will become a holiday staple for year’s to come. I plan on making them again for New Year’s morning but a slight variation so stay tuned for that recipe as well! 
Recipe Directly From: Pioneer Woman 
(My notes are in Pink, excuse the photo lighting, remember it was late!) 

Ingredients

  • 1 quart Whole Milk
  • 1 cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 2 packages Active Dry Yeast, 0.25 Ounce Packets
  • 8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour *It took 2 additional cups of APF as I turned it out to roll. 
  • 1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
  • 1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
  • 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
  • Plenty Of Melted Butter
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
  • _____
  • MAPLE FROSTING:
  • 1 bag Powdered Sugar One pound or four cups
  • 2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring *I used Maple Syrup 
  • 1/2 cup Milk
  • 1/4 cup Melted Butter
  • 1/4 cup Brewed Coffee *I used Starbucks Caramel Via 
  • 1/8 teaspoon Salt

Preparation Instructions

For the dough, heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat to just below a boil. Set aside and cool to warm. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let it sit on the milk for 1 minute.


Add 8 cups of the flour. Stir until just combined, then cover with a clean kitchen towel, and set aside in a relatively warm place for 1 hour. After 1 hour, remove the towel and add the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and the remaining 1 cup flour (if your dough is still really sticky add in additional flour, it took me two additional cups) Stir thoroughly to combine. Use the dough right away, or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl. (Note: dough is easier to work with if it’s been chilled for at least an hour or so beforehand.)
Preheat the oven to 375°F.

To assemble the rolls, remove half the dough from the pan/bowl. On a floured baking surface, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 30 x 10 inches. The dough should be rolled very thin.

To make the filling, pour 3/4 cup to 1 cup of the melted butter over the surface of the dough. Use your fingers to spread the butter evenly. Generously sprinkle half of the ground cinnamon and 1 cup of the sugar over the butter. Don’t be afraid to drizzle on more butter or more sugar! Gooey is the goal.

Now, beginning at the end farthest from you, roll the rectangle tightly towards you. Use both hands and work slowly, being careful to keep the roll tight. Don’t worry if the filling oozes as you work; that just means the rolls are going to be divine. When you reach the end, pinch the seam together and flip the roll so that the seam is face down. When you’re finished, you’ll wind up with one long buttery, cinnamony, sugary, gooey log.

Slip a cutting board underneath the roll and with a sharp knife, make 1/2-inch slices. One “log “will produce 20 to 25 rolls. Pour a couple of teaspoons of melted butter into disposable foil cake pans and swirl to coat. Place the sliced rolls in the pans, being careful not to overcrowd. (Each pan will hold 7 to 9 rolls.) i cut directly on the foil, it did not tear. If you don’t want your rolls to look squeezed see her notes in Cinnamon Roll 101 on chilling the log first. I was working against time as I looked at unwrapped gifts. 
Repeat the rolling/sugar/butter process with the other half of the dough and more pans. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cover all the pans with a kitchen towel and set aside to rise on the countertop for at least 20 minutes before baking. Remove the towel and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until golden brown. Don’t allow the rolls to become overly brown. 

Remove pans from the oven. Immediately drizzle icing over the top. Be sure to get it all around the edges and over the top. As they sit, the rolls will absorb some of the icing’s moisture and flavor. They only get better with time… not that they last for more than a few seconds. Make them for a friend today! It’ll seal the relationship for life. I promise. She isn’t lying folks. We gave these to all our immediate neighbors, even the ones directly next door that we dislike and the young man’s eyes lit up and overjoyed he gave Jim a, “thanks man!” our other neighbor said if we saw him walking up and down the street it was because of my baking. This is a new tradition and something I will bake for our neighbors and family year after year! 

Yum! I am a new cinnamon roll baking addict. Beware friends. waaaa-ha-ha!