Read Your Recipe!
Though I’ve had my reservations about my crock pot (steamed vegetables are gross), there is no doubt that crock pot chili is where it’s at. This recipe is easy enough for a weeknight (no browning the meat!), but tasty enough for company. You’ll notice that I haven’t posted chili yet on my site – that’s because I always feel slightly dissatisfied with versions I’ve tried. Well, not this time!
Sometimes I come up with “perfect meals” in my head. These are meals that taste good (obvi), but then contain only beautifully healthy ingredients and have that balance of whole grain, veggies, lean protein, dairy, and healthy fat. This is one of those meals. As my husband was eating it he said “If I ate this every day I’d live to be 100″.
Some Becca history; my dad is 100% Italian and my mom is of the Irish/Scottish persuasion. That being said, my mom made it her life’s goal to become the kind of plucky Italian cook that my dad was lucky enough to be raised around.
Who doesn’t love Caprese salad? No one. And once again without the double negative, EVERYONE loves this amazing combo. And really, it’s beautifully healthy in that it’s a balanced mix of carbs, protein, and healthy fats. Don’t just make this as a summer side with burgers – I tupperwared this for several work lunches and looked forward to it all morning!
S0 it’s almost April, and maybe you took advantage of the latest 40% coupon and bought some of those cute “boyfriend” shorts I just saw at the Gap. And then maybe you drove directly to CVS and bought sunless tanner for those pale snail legs. And then you bought enough salad greens for at least two weeks worth of meals.
You probably don’t watch The Bachelor or The Bachelorette—I’m sure you prefer cool, edgy, programs that straddle boundary lines and promote stimulating conversation (or at least, you tell people you do). I for one, shamelessly look forward to Monday nights. The show is mindless, silly, and absolutely addicting. I’ll never forget an episode from last year when one of the contestants told the lovely Emily over dinner that she “should try this, it’s called kwin-oh-ah.” Well shucks, that’s embarrassing. The poor guy was talking about quinoa, but pronounced it the way all of my students do.
Would you like to buy organic chicken but almost die from sticker shock when you see the price? This is my “more for your money” method. It’s true – this does take some upfront time. I generally dislike things that are total wastes of my life, but I’ve been doing this for months (that’s gotta count for something, right?).
And so goes my smooth entry into crockpot-land, or should I say the “shining beacon of hope for working moms”. Well, working moms and stay at home moms. And anyone else who would rather watch Friends from 5-6 instead of cook dinner.
I really really really love my pizza dough, seen here, but now that my husband and I have a kid and adore Friday nights “in”, sometimes I just want one big ol’ pizza for the two of us. If I’m going to eat half a pizza, let’s make it whole wheat so I feel a little better about myself. I’ve made this a bunch of times now and am always shocked at the ease and tastiness – definitely not as chewy and yeasty as my normal pizza dough, but close. Do you want a big ol’ less-guilt-but-still-delicious pizza this Friday night? Read on…
I’ve mentioned before that Christmas is a man’s holiday, and I’d like to offer up another example (as if you needed more reasons). If you are a man and you are reading this (and you help a lot at holidays and like to cook), then I need to tell you that I am big-time generalizing here. And you’re awesome. Husband, I know you don’t read my blog, but if you happen upon this post, know that while you don’t shop or cook at Christmas, you are generally helpful and great and I love you lots.
It was Monday afternoon. I had no fresh meat or vegetables. It was too late to thaw meat. Husband called and said he would be home at seven and was STARVING. Hmm. Pantry? If you have canned beans and tomatoes on hand, and you can always make a homemade dinner.
I came across this recipe, technically a quiche, and realized while reading through the ingredients list that I had almost all of the ingredients on hand. Quiche typically uses heavy cream and a whole lotta eggs, whereas this quiche’s filling used mainly low-fat ricotta cheese – definitely a much healthier take on a typically mega-calorie dish. I made my own crust (adding whole wheat flour), added bacon, and doubled the spinach. A sweet ricotta pie is one of my family’s favorites – what would a savory version be like? As yummy smells filled my house I got VERY excited to find out!
What’s red and green and not a Christmas cookie? This quinoa pilaf. Festive yet NOT made from two sticks of butter.
Creamy is in quotes because technically, “creamy” implies cream. There is no cream to be found here. I adapted this from a Cooking Light recipe – the title included the term “Carbonara”. Typically, pasta carbonara includes eggs, and that is the secret to this “creamy” sauce. Most definitely quick enough for a week night but tasty (and pretty) enough to entertain with. This meal came together in under 25 minutes – no lie!