So, let's start with dessert first, shall we? I will be the first to admit that I have a sweet tooth. I generally do crave something sweet after a meal, which is fine, as long as I remember to keep it in moderation! I decided to try a new oatmeal raisin cookie recipe this week to satisfy my sweet craving, but hopefully also keep my portions in control. Oatmeal raisins to me are lovely because they are delicious and also they are satisfying. Eating one feels like indulging because of the brown sugar and the raisins. This recipe called for walnuts, but my family members, aka my roommates, are nutty enough (hehe), so I went without walnuts.
 |
| Oatmeal Raisin Batter |
I do have a oatmeal raisin cookie recipe, but I decided to try something new! So, I started... my batter looked delicious! I did my usual scooping for cookies, which means I took an ice cream scoop -- mostly because I have fun scooping my cookie batter this way, makes them uniform in shape, etc. -- and put 12 cookies on a cookie sheet. However, I forgot to read the directions, which stated that I should only put about 1/2 a teaspoon amount of batter and only 8 cookies per baking sheet.
Also, although they taste amazing, they have a crispier consistency and look "lacy" -- I am not exactly sure why, but it's something I plan to research before I bake these cookies again.
Alright, moving backwards from dessert, the first entree I made this week was called Grilled Chicken Caprese; this was also a new recipe from my recipe binder. For this recipe, I did read carefully, but then I decided to mix it up and make it my own. This was half because I wanted to see what happened and also because I had to make decisions based on what the grocery store had in stock. So, the recipe calls for using chicken cutlets... the grocery store only had chicken breasts when I went, so I decided, no problem, I would just butterfly the chicken breast, giving me two slices of chicken per breast. I also bought the mozzarella and tomato, deciding to cut these bigger (instead of thin tomato slice and shredded mozzarella) to match the chicken slices. Now, I do not have my basil planted yet this year -- oops, running late, darn cold weather, so I used dry basil, which I wouldn't do again. Especially this time of year, fresh is always better!
 |
| Grilled Chicken Caprese |
Now I understand why we wanted thin pieces of chicken, tomato and shredded cheese -- it was very difficult to roll these pieces of chicken. However, I rolled them as best as I could, pinned them together with colorful toothpicks (remember this detail for later) and placed them on the grill. I love grilling!
 |
| Sliced, grilled Chicken Caprese with creamed spinach |
I served this sliced chicken up with creamed spinach and some rice, just to add some other food groups onto the plate. It was delectable, definitely went into my recipe box for future use - although next time, I will follow the directions and use thin slices of everything. OR... I could use the same size chicken, grill it separately and then just heat the basil, tomato and mozzarella chunks on top for the last minute or two. Oh, the choices! I like having options and mixing up recipes -- I also enjoy that I feel more comfortable cooking to try variations of a recipe. This recipe lasted two days, with three people eating it for dinner and one lunch!
Now, I generally work later in the day, which can be tricky when trying to eat healthier. Here's how I work that out: I eat a large lunch, which is fine because I have the rest of the afternoon to work that off. Then, I pack a small dinner, which I will eat in my short break time during work. I have been going to kickboxing class on the nights when I get out of work on time, which helps me burn some more calories, but either way, when I get home later at night, I'm generally a little hungry and I am not yet tired enough to go to sleep.
 |
| SMOOTHIE - YUM! |
- 1 Cup frozen berries (blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries)
- 1 Tbsp. creamy PB
- 1/2 Tsp. chia seeds
- 1/2 Tsp. flax seeds
- 1 banana
- 1/4 Cup skim milk
The first night I made it, I put in a shot of skim milk and it was so thick, I ate my smoothie with a spoon - also, it only made one small glass of smoothie. However, if you add more milk (about 1/4 cup), you can make 2 small glasses, or one large glass, and still have it be relatively thick. YUM! It is reminiscent of ice cream too, because the frozen berries make the entire smoothie cold, without watering it down at all. I'm going to say it again: YUM!!!
Stay tuned, maybe next week I will try a different combination, but I'm in love with this combination at present.
Okay, last, but certainly not least, I made another entree today for lunch. This entree should cover lunch and dinner until the weekend -- I love making enough food for leftovers! It's delicious and also, cost and time efficient.
This entree was also a new recipe from the binder, called Corn and Chile Pasta Carbonara. I have explained this a lot, but my current roommates are not huge fans of spicy food, so this recipe is actually sans chiles. However, after cooking the pasta, I did chop up some jalapeno slices and topped my personal plate of Corn Pasta Carbonara with these for a little kick.
 |
| Corn Pasta Carbonara |
This was a delicious meal -- I love Spaghetti Carbonara, so this different twist was a great change on a classic. Also, the heat from the jalapeno was great -- I can't wait to try this with the chiles; I think put together with the parsley, thyme and chives, this is a terrifically seasoned pasta dish.
Okay, I know it's only Wednesday, but I'm done cooking for the week! I really enjoy getting back to basics, paying attention to what I am placing into my stomach, and taking the time to make it happen and eat as naturally as possible. I am looking forward to hitting up the farmer's market and getting my herbs planted soon - then I can cook even more naturally! However, that's it for this week - stay tuned and stay safe, healthy, and happy!
No comments:
Post a Comment