Comfort food gets skinny

Diagnosed with hypoglacemia 2 years ago, I've had to really think more about the way I eat. While I've always thought I've eaten pretty well, even some not-so-bad for you things will send my blood sugar into a downward spiral that I can't quite bring myself out of. In search of recipes that mimic my favorite foods with a slight twist, I found a fantastic recipe from Diabetic Living magazine for homemade macaroni and cheese. Tweaking a comfort food staple had me thinking that I was disobeying the old mantra of "if it 'aint broke, don't fix it". However, the end result was quite tasty. And the whole wheat noodles seem to be a little easier on my teeter-totter sugar levels!! Gabe and I have made this quite a few times and really enjoy it!!! Not to mention it's a little easier on the wasteline. So, if you're looking for a way to lighten up a hearty meal, give this a try!!

Skinny Cheddar Mac n' Cheese:

8    ounces dried wheat elbow macaroni
Nonstick cooking spray
1   12 ounce can fat-free evaporated milk
2    eggs, slightly beaten
2    teaspoons onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3    teaspoons salt
3    cups shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.  Cook the macaroni according to package directions, drain and keep warm
3.  While pasta is cooking, in a medium bowl, whisk together the evaporated milk, egg, onion powder, pepper and salt.
4.  Add drained macaroni and cheddar cheese (reserve some of the cheese for the top)
5.  Lightly coat a 2 quart baking dish with the nonstick cooking spray (I love mine from Crate and Barrell)
6.  Add the macaroni mixture and top with remaining cheese
7.  Bake for 25 minutes
8.  The last 5-10 minutes of cooking, turn your broiler on high to slightly "brown" the cheddar topping

Going green

I love anything homemade. And while I hate the clean up, cooking up something yummy in the kitchen always cheers me up. I've been wanting to make my own pesto, so recently I decided to give it a whirl and it was wonderful, and easy to boot!! We've mixed it in with a little red wine vinegar and drizzled it over our salmon and red cabbage, added it to a chicken and tomato pasta...really it's good on just about anything. And with only a few ingredients, it's a breeze to make!

Homemade Pesto: (as you can tell by this recipe, I never measure anything when I cook!)

1 handful of flat spinach leaves
1 handful of basil leaves
2 cloves of garlic
Freshly shredded Parmesan cheese (it's cheese, so you can't go wrong w/ LOTS of it!)
1 handful of toasted walnuts (traditionally, pine nuts are used, but walnuts are just as good!)
Olive oil
A pinch of salt

No chopping required. Toss in your spinach, basil, salt, shredded cheese and [peeled] garlic gloves into a food processor. Toast your pine nuts or walnuts for about 2 minutes over medium heat. Add to processor. Slowly drizzle in olive oil while processing until the texture is smooth. I add just a touch of water if it seems a bit too thick and I've already used quite a bit of oil!  Enjoy!

Building a better [and healthier] burger

On a mission to make things that are better for us, yet still taste great, I came up with this yummy concoction for dinner last night

What's on this tantalizing tower? It's a turkey burger, topped with fresh mozzarella cheese, spinach, chicken sausage and turkey bacon. And, well, just because you have to have a little bad with a good burger, there's some real mayo on there, too!! I'm happy to report, it was every bit of delicious!!

Valentine's Day Breakfast

Little did I know that planning a yummy Valentine's Day breakfast would turn into a 3 hour stint in my kitchen!! Nevertheless, with Gabe's help, we pulled off a fantastic and delicious breakfast for two. Ham cups filled with cheddar quiche, french toast and warm, gooey cinnamon rolls (thanks to a recipe from Fresh Mommy). And the best part for me? My kitchen was completely cleaned before we even sat down to eat. Ahhhh, sweet serenity (and cinnamon rolls!) Up next: Valentine's Day dinner. Stuffed chicken and ricotta manicotti and dark chocolate covered strawberries. What was that I said earlier about me eating good most of the time?

Fullfilling one of my New Year's Resolutions...

While I'm not big into resolutions, I decided to make a few this year that I felt I could really stick with. So, after giving it much thought, I made a short, but "do-able" list. One was to try a new recipe every week. Though it's only a few weeks into the new year, I have managed to find some great new recipes and, in sticking with my resolution, have made something new at least once a week. Last night we made Bacon and Edamame Wraps, which turned out WONDERFULLY! They are fantastic for you and, surprsingly, full of flavor! I found this recipe on the Diabetic Living website.  Diabetic Living is published by Better Homes and Gardens and is a wonderful site to find healthy recipes!

Bacon and Edamame Wraps:

16  Ounce Bag of Frozen or Thawed Shelled soybeans (if you can't find them shelled, just cook them and then remove the beans from the shells) Cook according to package directions

1  Medium fresh jalapeno, seeded and roughly chopped

2 tbs. snipped fresh cilantro

2 tbs. fresh lemon juice

2 tbs. water

1 clove garlic, halved

6-8 slices of cooked bacon (turkey bacon is a great substitute)

8 inch wheat tortillas

2 cups torn mixed salad greens

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Shredded Cheddar cheese **optional

1.   Cook edamame according to package directions, drain, then remove beans from shell

2.   Cook bacon to desired doneness

3.   In a food processor, combine edamame, jalapenos, lemon juice, water and garlic. Process until you get a thick paste (**If you find that it's too thick, add a bit more water or extra virgin olive oil to thin it out a bit)

4.   To assemble, spread a decent amount of edamame mixture onto each tortilla, all the way to the edges.  Top with the salad greens, tomatoes, bacon and cheddar. Roll tortilla, cut in half and serve

Starting to nest...(AND bake)

For the last couple of weeks, I have gone into, what I call, super-mommy-organized-nesting mode. Organizing closets, decluttering, craft projects and...today, baking. I have never been a baker. Cooking, I love. But baking? Well that just requires too much measuring and "exactness" that  don't have patience for. Or at least I thought. My mommy mode has fueled a desire to want to fill the house with the tastey, comforting aroma of something sweet baking in the oven. My first attempt? Whole wheat banana nut bread, from scratch. And I'm happy to report that it turned out DELICIOUS! And so a love affair begins...(I think)

Crock Pot Spicy White Chicken Chili

There's nothing better than a hot bowl of spicy chili on a cold day. Since I'm not a huge fan of the "regular" chili, I usually make this. It's quick and easy to throw together and it cooks in the slow-cooker all day so you can "set it and forget it" (hopefully I don't end up having to pay royalties on that!!!)

The recipe:
1 1/4-2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken
2 (15oz) cans Great Nothern Beans
2 (15 oz) cans Hominy (white corn)
2 Envelopes Taco Seasoning
1 small can of chopped jalapenos
2 (10 3/4 oz) cans condensed cream of chicken soup
28 oz. Reduced Sodium Chicken Broth
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
**Green Onion
**Sour Cream

1.   In a slow cooker (you'll need a fairly decent size slow cooker for this recipe), place the chicken
2.   Top with the beans and corn
3.   In a bowl, combine the chicken broth, condensed cream of chicken soup, taco seasoning, jalapenos, and red pepper flakes
4.   Cook on low setting for about 6-7 hours

5.   Garnish w/ sour cream and fresh, chopped green onions

Friday nights around the Redmond house...

In our house, we think our pizza is the best. A few months ago we decided to tackle the task of making our own pizza dough. Upon discovering how easy and yummy it was, 'Homemade Pizza Night' was born.  Naturally, we make a huge mess. But we always find that it's well worth it!