Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Fruity Fish

This was one of my super easy meals, but it tasted AMAZING...Tilapia loins plus this loverly Fischer Wieser Mango Ginger Habanero Sauce.
I had a little Raspberry Chipotle left in a bottle, so I added that to two of them. Bake at 350* for 20-25 mins. 
They all tasted amazing just the same. Served with asparagus and watermelon.

Fresh Peach Cobbler From Scratch

I had a few peaches that were begging to be used.
When their skins get a tiny bit wrinkled, they peel off with little effort. 
In no time I had hand peeled all of them, and then cut them into slices
For the topping I mixed about 1 1/2-2 cups of quick oats, a handful of smashed pecans, 1/4-1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1/4 cup of whole wheat flour, and some fat free parkay butter spray. 
As you may have noticed, I was totally winging this. Isn't that what scratch means? Okay, next I poured about 2 Tbsp of Bistro Blends Fig Balsalmic Vinegar (it's SWEET) with about 1 Tbsp of lemon juice to keep the peaches from turning brown. Added 1 tsp each of brown sugar and whole wheat flour, and whisked.
Poured over the peaches, and then tossed until they were coated. This is the thickening for the cobbler.
Pour the topping on top of the peaches and bake for 20-25 mins at 350*
Enjoy!

Friday, June 18, 2010

Scarecrow Roast

I call this a scarecrow roast because it's a no brainer. Tender piece of meat or not, if you cook it right, it turns out tender, so I favor lean over tender. First, I almost NEVER cook a roast with potatoes. Those greedy starches just sucks the juice right out of that meat. I usually just rub the roast with salt and pepper and crockpot it 'til it's ready, but I found these cute little marble red potatoes and broke my rule.
To compensate, I tossed in the whole can {no MSG}:

Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 until you can pull the meat off with a fork effortlessly. Keep cooking if it seems tough. It'll soften up in another 30-45 mins or so.
NOTE: I let this one cool and tossed in a gallon ziplock for quick meals while I finish my schoolwork this week, so no lovely plating.

Strawberry Cheesecake Shake


Two of the best dairy sources of protein I have found are plain Greek yogurt (I go fat free) and low fat cottage cheese. I have a depression era mentality when it comes to wasting food, so in an attempt to use up some strawberries and cottage cheese, I dreamed up this high protein breakfast shake:

1-1 1/2 cups strawberries
1/2-1 cup cottage cheese
1/2-1 cup vanilla soy milk
Splenda to taste

Blend and enjoy!


Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Spinach Stuffed Flank Steak

As many of you know, I rarely use recipes. The kitchen and grocery store are like laboratories where anything may happen. Today I stumbled upon a Flank steak. I have never purchased a flank steak, nary have I eaten one. I brought it home and stared at it. What might it become? It was just begging to be stuffed with some lovely filling, but with what? Black beans, corn, rice, and salsa? No. Perhaps some breadcrumb mixture? No, too cliché. This is the story of how Flank steak became a happy little dish, fresh from the sprouts of my own little mind.
Place on a sheet of foil.
Pound with a mallet
Cover in chopped garlic

Lightly sprinkle with balsalmic vinegar (it makes it tender, trust me)

Top with bruschetta and sprinkled with finely shredded cheese (I know, it looks like a pizza!)
...and torn baby spinach...
Carefully roll meat with the grain lengthwise.
Tuck ends and roll in foil.
Bake at 375* for an hour.
Remove and slice
I think I found a new favorite dish! Too good for words, and the meat was incredibly tender!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Breakfast

Yesterday I enjoyed a lovely egg white omelet with sundried tomatoes and spinach.


Despite the fresh spinach and pea pods I offered Kawi, he opted to dine on my utility bill.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Simply Spinach Strawberry Salad


With ten days to finish two classes, you have to keep things simple, but that doesn't mean it has to taste bad.
Okay, if you don't have Valdosta, use slivered almonds. Also, I usually go for light feta...
Top baby spinach with strawberries, a bit of Valdosta (or almonds), feta crumbles, and dressing.
Yum! (I know you appreciate my real camera shots rather than my washed out iPhone pics. Makes it look edible or something...)