Four Cheese Baked Penne

Welcome to this week's Craving Ellie In My Belly Recipe!  I'm excited to host for the first time.  As a people-pleaser/new host, I tried to play it safe with the recipe choice--of course I wanted to do something exciting or dessert-like (mmm, cake) but since we're still pretty early into the New Year, I wanted to respect those of you who may be trying to stay away from sweet treats.  I admire your willpower.

When we plan meals in our house, it looks something like this: I pick out a variety of recipes that sound good, and my husband picks his top 3 for the week.  I don't know why I even try this anymore--without a doubt, my husband will choose anything that resembles a burger or pizza.  I spent an embarrassing amount of time going through the CEIMB archives, trying to find something that hadn't already been done...and at the end of my search, had 4 choices I was fairly confident in.  I was slightly disappointed when the husband picked this one--seriously, why was I surprised--but oh well, here we go!

As I've previously mentioned before on this blog, I'm not a huge fan of pasta.  I like noodles and everything, but I just worry too much about calories, portions, etc.  This is largely due to the fact that I do not love marinara sauce.  Sigh.  I know, it's the low calorie/good for you option...but I just can't make my taste buds like it.  Having "four cheese" in the title definitely made me a little more optimistic about this recipe. :)

Cheesy goodness

So here's the rundown on the recipe.  Ellie says it takes an hour to prepare from start to finish (it took me about 10 minutes longer. I'm apparently slower in the kitchen than a professional chef. I suppose this shouldn't be surprising).  This is a little longer than I was hoping, since a lot of us don't have an hour between when we get home from work and when we want to sit down to eat...but the good news is, I think you could prepare the dish the night before, and just pop it in the oven for 30 minutes.

Ready to go in the oven!

The verdict: the husband loved it, and I really liked it, too.  I think this is as excited as I will get about a basic baked pasta recipe--so for those of you who are skeptical, go ahead and give it a shot.  I think it would be really easy to tweak--you could certainly add meat or veggies (we talked about adding spinach next time) to increase the protein/nutritional profile.

How much my husband ate. I think he liked it.

*Pros: Easy to find ingredients, relatively inexpensive, minimal mess, reheats well, could be prepared ahead, kid friendly (I think--what kid doesn't like noodles, sauce, and cheese?)

*Cons: Not a quick meal for weeknights, not exciting/company worthy

Will I make it again? Definitely.  We have several pregnant friends, and I think this would be a perfect "welcome baby!" meal to take.

Thanks for joining me this week--here's the recipe!

Craving Ellie in my Belly: White Chili

Christmas. Family. Food. California.  These are all things I love, and have been able to enjoy for the past 8 days. The husband and I enjoyed a wonderful week in California.  Playing with the niece and nephew, gorgeous Lake Tahoe, and catching up with friends and family were just what we needed after 5 lonely months in Texas. 

The family before Christmas Eve service

** I'm in my PJs for the next 2 pictures.  I'm kind of embarrassed to admit that I put them on Christmas Eve (we get a new pair every year!) and didn't take them off until we went skiing on the 26th.**

Helping Braden build his first Lego truck (note his bed hair--so cute!)

Playing in the snow with Hailey--yes, my jammies are under my fleece

 However, vacation is over and we're now back to reality. Sigh.

I'd planned to try out Ellie Krieger's "White Turkey Chili" while I visiting my family, but we had so many leftovers that we never got around to it.  Now that I'm home and the husband and I need to get back to our healthy eating, this was the perfect recipe for the first dinner back "home."  Thanks to Leslie of Lethally Delicious for picking this recipe--it forced me to try it out--and learn that hominy is something I should embrace, not fear. :)
    
While this recipe wasn't quick, it was certainly easy!

I forgot to get cilantro (oops) and I don't like greek yogurt (a sin in the foodie world, I know)--so we just ate our chili plain.  The husband topped his with some extra sharp cheddar--it was good, but unnecessary.

I was pleasantly surprised by this recipe.  I have a 50/50 chance with Ellie's food--sometimes I really like it, and other times it's bland.  I used heaping spoons when measuring out the spices (and added an extra poblano) but otherwise followed the recipe perfectly.

Will I make it again?  Absolutely.  Serve it up with Cooking Light's cornmeal biscuits and you have an enjoyable dinner!

Chicken with Mango Barbecue Sauce

Do you ever have days where you just can't do anything right?  I have those days.  The day I made this meal was no exception.  I pulled out my ingredients, chopped my veggies, and started cooking.  All was well...until I realized I used way too much tomato sauce.  Instead of 1/4 cup, I had put in a whole cup.  Oops.  This might not be a big deal for some, but I do not like tomatoes.  I tolerate the sauce on my pizza or in lasagna, but that's about it.  On top of that, I'd had only a little bit of sauce left in the fridge, so I opened a new can of diced tomatoes and pureed it as a substitute.

Imagine my frustration when I realized:

1. I'd had the right amount of sauce to begin with--and didn't need to open a can of tomatoes (that was going to go to waste in my fridge because I DON'T LIKE TOMATOES!)
2. I had to start all over because all I could smell was tomato.

I was so upset that I decided to wait until the next day to try this recipe again.

(We actually made this recipe a while ago...but I had a mini meltdown about food, blogging, and life in general after it...so I'm finally getting around to posting.)  I realize this seems uber-dramatic, but it seems I'm having some difficulty adjusting to life in a new state--far away from a job, friends, and family. Bear with me.

So, round 2.  Chop the veggies, cook the sauce, puree it in the food processor, and grill!

This dish was just okay.

I realize that I may have had super high expectations because of all of the *agony* (over dramatic?  Yes.  I am the baby of the family, after all) that went into this dish.

I also realize that I'm super picky about titles.  If it's going to be called barbecue sauce, it should taste like barbecue sauce.  The sauce tasted fine, but it didn't resemble barbecue sauce to me--but perhaps I'm already becoming a barbecue snob after my 4 months in Texas.  Who knows.

However, if you're more emotionally stable than I am and want to give this recipe a try, feel free!  It's quick, easy, and has ingredients you can find easily.

Have you ever had a meltdown in the kitchen? Do tell--misery loves company. :)  

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream

 I love tacos.

As previously mentioned, the husband and I are trying to incorporate more fish into our diets.  Of course when I say that we are trying, I really mean that the husband is going along with my wishes.  He's wonderful.


I love tacos, and I like fish, but I don't always like fish tacos.  Sure, they taste wonderful when the fish is deep fried--but I refuse to fry food.  However, the grilled tacos I've had at most restaurants are just kind of...blah.  I've never had the desire to make fish tacos before, until I saw Ellie Krieger's recipe included chipotle chiles.  Mmm.  Sign me up!



 The recipe was certainly simple enough!

1. Marinate fish for 20 minutes in olive oil and lime
2. Mix together chipotle cream
3. Grill fish
4. Assemble tacos

Consensus?  Yummy!

Time: 45 minutes total (includes 20 minutes of marinating)
Pros:
     *quick and easy
     *Tasty--the husband isn't a huge fish fan, and he really enjoyed these
     *can prep the cream ahead of time
     *Easy to tweak to your preference
     *possibly kid friendly, depending on the quantity/heat of chipotles (we like it hot and added extra)

Cons:
     *Fish was slightly bland
     *Best served during the summer, as fresh corn would really make this dish. Canned corn was just okay
     *Cream definitely tasted yogurty--I'm picky about both yogurt and mayo (the 2 main ingredients!), so I didn't love the cream--but the husband did, and he hates mayo

Splurge on good corn tortillas!  We used the cheapies that come in 30 packs for only a few bucks, and really wished we had the "real" corn tortillas---it would add a lot.

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving

Calories 420

Total Fat 17 g

Saturated Fat 2g

Protein 28 g

Fiber 5 g

Pork Medallions with Cherry Sauce

I've learned a lot from marriage.

Our wedding day, May 2007

• Men don't change (see this post)
• Some people (my husband) will never gain weight (see this post)
• Other people's needs matter more than my own
• I can't pretend I'm always altruistic--I'm the baby of the family, and sometimes I'm just too self-centered to take good care of my husband. I do try, though!
• Pork isn't so bad.

Obviously these are not listed in order of importance.

Before we were married, I had only eaten pork once, and it was too salty for my taste.  All of this "the other white meat" stuff fell on deaf ears--I was not interested in eating pork.

The husband, it turned out, loves pork.  So, in trying to be a good wife (see point number 3, above) I decided to try making pork for him.  The first time--not so good (I used this recipe, and it just wasn't for me.)  The next time I was a fan.  Since then--we've eaten it on many occasions, including a Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner that we hosted at our humble home.  Turns out pork has some good things going for it--and I can buy pork tenderloin super cheap at Costco. :)

When flipping through Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave, I was instantly drawn to the Pork Medallions with Cherry Sauce.  This sounded similar to the Cooking Light pork dish that won me over, so I figured we may as well try it out.

I've never bought dried cherries before--I always cheat and use Cherry-flavored Craisins (don't judge, I know they're so artificial, but we love them!).  I figured I should try these with the real deal though, so I splurged.

The recipe is certainly easy enough--and is on the table in less than 30 minutes!

Pros:
*Quick and easy! (less than 30 minutes)
*Easy to find/keep on hand ingredients
     (and relatively inexpensive)
*"Hands-off" enough so you can prep the side dishes/veggies while the pork cooks

Cons:
*Sauce texture is kind of funky--it's mainly dried cherries with some vinegar
     --I tried pureeing it when we reheated the leftovers, and that helped
*Taste = just okay

I wanted to love this recipe--but it turns out I just don't love dried cherries.  I'd like to say I'll revisit this in the future---but I don't think so.  I did like the fact that you cook the pork in a stainless (or not nonstick) pan--I forgot how wonderful those browned bits are that go in the sauce.  I'll definitely be using my stainless saute pan more in the future!

Nutritional Info:
Calories: 245
Total fat: 9 g
Cholesterol: 92mg
Sodium: 380 mg
Carbohydrates: 31 g
Protein: 8.5 g
Fiber: 0 g

Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper Sauce

I'm not a huge pasta fan.

I'm not really sure why.  I think part of the reason is that I don't like tomato sauce.  I'll put up with it on my pizza or in a lasagna, but really--I don't like it.  This is a huge dilemma for the health-conscious side of me, because now I'm left with cream sauces.  Of course these sauces taste good, but because I know how many calories are in them, I'm basically counting each piece of pasta that goes into my mouth to make sure I don't over-indulge. 

Not fun.

So while I don't typically make pasta, I was intrigued by Ellie Krieger's recipe in The Food You Crave for a "creamy red pepper sauce."  Creamy?  Yum.  Guilt-free? (I knew Ellie would deliver a healthy, low-cal version of a cream sauce).  Sign me up.  And I love peppers...so here we go!

Only a few ingredients needed--we're off to a great start!

Have I mentioned how much I love my food processor?

Mmm...feta

The verdict?  Pretty good!  This definitely isn't something I'll crave, but when the husband is dying for some pasta--and I'm not willing to make his favorite dish, macaroni and cheese--this will be a possibility!


**Note: this recipe makes a TON!  We ate it for several days.

Time: 30 minutes

Pros:
*Quick and easy
*Inexpensive ingredients--mostly pantry items (except feta, which we always have on hand anyway!)
*Mild flavor--might work for a variety of palates
*Reheats well

Cons
*Not as flavorful as other sauces--needs some tweaking


Future suggestions:
*add 4 oz light cream cheese for a little more creaminess--the sauce needed a little 'something' to bulk it up
*skip adding pasta water--I didn't add the whole 1/2 cup Ellie mentions, but shouldn't have added any at all.
*roast (hotter) peppers myself and use those for more intense flavor

Nutritional Analysis per serving (6 servings):

Calories:470

Total fat: 11 grams

Saturated fat:4.5 grams

Protein:18 grams

Fiber:10 grams

Craving Ellie in My Belly: Chicken Pot Pies

Forgive the poor lighting--our dining room is dark!

The husband is pretty easy to please.  He's almost always willing to try my latest concoctions (although he refuses to try the green monster), but there are a few dishes he always gets excited about:

1. burgers
2. pizza
3. pot pies

When I saw that this week's Craving Ellie In My Belly recipe was chicken pot pies, I knew I had to try it out.  I've made many pot pies in my lifetime, searching for the perfect one.  Would this be it?

Here's the rundown:
Prep time: 20 minutes (those veggies don't chop themselves, unfortunately)
Cook time: 25 minutes
Bake time: 30 minutes

Substitutions: We swapped out potatoes and green beans for broccoli and carrots. Shocking--the husband loves potatoes, but says he would prefer other veggies in his pot pie. I'm obviously not going to fight him on this one, since potatoes don't even really count as a vegetable. We love green beans, but haven't had them in a pot pie before--so thought we'd go with a safe standby--broccoli--which was also much cheaper at the store. :)





Pros:
*Rich and creamy
*1 dish meal--meat, carbs, veggies in one!
*Inexpensive/everyday ingredients
*Versatile--easy to change to your preferences
*Kid friendly
     --I wouldn't serve this to company because it isn't exciting and is kind of messy (unless you serve it in individual dishes)

Cons:
*Time consuming
*Lacked "crust"
(the husband said it didn't fully seem like a potpie without it--but he is a carb snob)

My thoughts overall?  Not the best pot pie I've ever had (Cooking Light has some good ones) but a good starting point.  I liked that it wasn't a canned soup base, but was still creamy.  I know phyllo dough is a calorie-conscious option, but the husband really prefers more of a crust (whether pie or biscuit) on the top.  I'd also add a little more seasoning to the dish.

When we need some comfort food, this recipe will be in the running.  Great choice--and thanks for hosting, Shandy of Pastry Heaven!

Stuffed Turkey Burgers

We all have a perfectionist inside of us.

Before all of you laid-back people start to disagree with me, I want you to think for a minute: there is some aspect of your life in which you demand perfection.

Maybe you insist on making the bed because your spouse doesn't tuck in the sheets right.  Perhaps you dry clean everything because even after years of practicing, your ironing is sub-par.  Maybe some of you set your alarm earlier than necessary because you need to make your make-up and/or hair just right.

Some of us are more in-tune with our inner type A personality--and I happen to be one of them.  The husband--not so much.

Today, we both realized his "baby" that he won't trust to anyone:

burgers.

As I begin to get out the ingredients for today's burgers, I notice he's hovering more than usual.   "Do you need something?"

"No."

"Okay, well I need to get started on the burgers."

I chop the peppers, grate the cheese...and see he's still standing there.  Hmm.  This is unusual.  Then, it hits me.

"Would you like to make the burgers?"

He smiles and nods, sheepishly.  The inner control freak is screaming inside of me, "I need to make these burgers! It's my blog!"  But...the key to marriage is compromise, and let's face it--the husband doesn't make requests too often.

I concede.

I will now chronicle his steps in the kitchen to create Ellie Krieger's stuffed turkey burgers.

**Note: I'm not a completely insensitive wife.  Every time a recipe requires grilling, I happily allow him to do it.  In our house, he's King of the Grill, and I like it that way.  So of course he was going to cook the burgers--I mean, I'm not trying to strip his manhood away or anything.

Step 1: Chop peppers, grate cheese, and form 8 patties.

Step 2: Top 4 patties with cheese and peppers; top with a "clean" piece.  Seal two patties together and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

**Note: we added our favorite seasoning for burgers: Susie Q's Santa Maria seasoning.  It's basically a slightly fancier garlic salt.

Step 3: Grill to perfection.

I don't know your take on turkey burgers, but here's mine in a nutshell:
Turkey burgers are nowhere as amazing as beef burgers.

There, I said it.  I know, I know--red meat is so much higher in fat and cholesterol, and I generally try to limit my intake...but so far, turkey burgers have been a sad substitute for the 'real thing.'

Until today.

I officially have faith in Ellie Krieger after today's meal.  I'm sure there will be ups and downs, as with any relationship--but today's burgers were so good that I now eagerly anticipate the next month of cooking with her recipes.  Because yes, as previously mentioned--I am type A and already have my next 4 weeks of meals planned out.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Pros:
*quick and easy
*delicious!
*kid friendly--I think
*satisfying and low-calorie
*the anal burger-person in your life will probably volunteer to make dinner

Cons:
*Husband says using previously frozen ground turkey would be tough to work with--so make sure you use fresh.  (Not a huge "con" in my book...but worth noting)

Go buy fresh ground turkey today--you won't be disappointed!

Here's the recipe, which is from The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life



Nutritional Info: (per burger patty)

Calories: 256

Total Fat: 7g

Cholesterol 56g

Sodium 630mg

Protein 43mg

Carbohydrates 5g

Fiber 0g

Greek Style Stuffed Peppers

My mother raised me right.   I have a vivid memory from high school where I was at a friend's house and had to shove dinner down my throat.  The main course?  Stuffed bell peppers.  I didn't like bell peppers, and I certainly didn't like the meatloaf-resembling filling.  It was awful, but I did it--because I was polite.

When the husband chose this recipe for dinner, I have to admit I was a little nervous.  Stuffed bell peppers?  I haven't eaten them in 10 years, but I'm still apprehensive.  However, I do like bell peppers now (love them!) and liked the idea of another well balanced (veggie, whole grain, meat) main course.

We really enjoyed these!  We'll definitely make them again in the future. 

Here's the rundown:
*Time: 1 hr 15 minutes total (15 mins prep)

Pros:
*tasty
*can be prepared ahead of time or in the crock pot
*includes whole grains and veggies (bulgur, spinach, bell peppers)
*inexpensive ingredients
*pantry ingredients
*reheats pretty well

Cons:
*long bake time
*(probably not) kid friendly

Notes:

• filling is slightly bland.  I tried another batch with added garlic and garlic powder and it was much better
• I made half in the oven and half in the crock pot (low for 4 hours)--both methods worked!
• The crock pot version was a little watery
• The oven version tasted better to me, but the husband liked how soft the bell pepper was in the crock pot version.
• This recipe makes a ton!  (We used an extra bell pepper and still had leftover filling!)
• I froze some of the filling to see how that works.

Nutritional Info:
Calories: 210
Carbohydrates: 19g
Total 6g
Saturated Fat: 2.5g
Protein: 21g
Fiber: 6g

Here's the recipe!

Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Couscous

I love one-dish meals.  Protein, whole grain, and vegetables in one meal?  Sign me up.  Well-rounded meal on the table in 20 minutes?  Definitely.

This dish didn't sound overly exciting to me, but I figured I'd try it.  Let's face it--while I like veggies, sometimes there isn't much time to get dinner on the table, and side dishes fall by the wayside.  The opportunity to make a balanced meal in a short amount of time is definitely appealing--I mean, you get 8 grams of fiber in this dish--that's 33% of what you need in a day.  Bonus!

The recipe is an easy one:

Prep ingredients

Cook chicken

Cook spinach

**Note: I would skip this step in the future.  As previously mentioned, I prefer raw spinach to cooked spinach--but thought I'd follow the recipe for the first time.

Prepare sauce

While the sauce was simmering, I quickly cooked my couscous.

Start to Finish: 20 minutes
Pros:
*quick and easy--virtually no prep
*one dish meal--bonus!
*very flavorful
*inexpensive ingredients
*easy to find ingredients
*uses pantry staples--should be able to whip this meal up at the last minute, without a trip to the store
*reheats beautifully--I liked it better the next day, but that could have been because I knew it was good and wasn't nervous about eating it!

Cons:
*none really--it isn't the most exciting of dinners, but it's a great, easy meal for those nights when you just need to get something on the table!

Will I make this again?  Sure.  It wasn't a "wow" meal, but it gets the job done!


Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach and Couscous
Ellie Krieger, The Food You Crave

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
• 8 ounces baby spinach
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup low-sodium canned chopped tomatoes with juice
• 2 cups whole wheat couscous, cooked

Directions

Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook about 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove the chicken and set aside. To the same pan, add the spinach and cook just until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Lower the heat to medium and add the balsamic vinegar and chicken broth to the pan and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook 3 to 5 minutes.

Place the couscous in a serving bowl. Top with the spinach, chicken and balsamic-tomato sauce.

Nutrition Facts
Nutritional Analysis per serving
Calories: 353
Total Fat: 6 g
Protein: 34 g
Carbohydrates: 42 g
Fiber: 8 g