Fun Weekend at Jacksonville Beach

A special Thank you!

To those of you who buy supplements through my site :) You guys are great!

Tortilla Soup

Recipe courtesy food network 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 6 cups chicken broth, low-sodium canned
• 1 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen and thawed
• 1 ripe tomato, chopped
• 1 cup shredded cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 limes)
• About a dozen corn tortilla chips, broken a bit
• Lime wedges, optional

Directions

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, chipotle, chili powder, and salt and cook until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat slightly, and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the corn and cook for 5 minutes more.
Pull the saucepan from the heat and stir in the tomato, chicken, cilantro, and lime juice. Divide the tortilla chips among 4 warmed bowls, ladle the soup on top, and serve with lime wedges, if desired.
Know-How Get every last drop of juice from those little limes. Before halving, microwave them for a few seconds and roll them under the palm of your hand to release the juice from the pulp.
Add a swirl of chile and homey tortillas to comforting chicken soup and you have a bold hug of a meal.

**My variation: Used low sodium chicken broth (2 14oz cans) instead of 6 cups. I cut the chicken into cutlets, covered them in my fav mojo sauce/smoked paprika/some chili powder/cayenne pepper and broiled for 5 mins on each side on the shelf closest to the broiler. They were juicy and flavorful! Then I cut them up into little pieces and added them after the rest of stuff has been cooked.**

Recipe

I never thought College Physics...

Would be harder for me than Organic Chemistry I and II....I guess it's because I don't like it! We have programs and computers to do all that number crunching...I'm not a human calculator/formula machine :)

It always helps to stay motivated when...

You are surrounded by people who take their health seriously :) Of course there are going to be the random few snackoholics *cough you know who you are lol* but variety is the spice of life!
I'm lucky to have very supportive people around me who don't push their junk on me. Here is a letter written by CT on the topic Chicken Tuna

Revamping my diet

As the colder weather starts creeping in...I will start making some adjustments to my diet and workout to keep out the boredom.

Cottage Cheese Pesto

Stumbled across this recipe and was delighted that it was sooooo good!!!!
Recipe Courtesy  Martha Shulman


Ingredients
2 plump garlic cloves, halved, green shoots removed
1/2 cup fresh basil or parsley leaves, or a combination
1 cup low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon plain low-fat or nonfat yogurt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan


Directions
Turn on a food processor fitted with the steel blade, and drop in the garlic. When the garlic is chopped and adhering to the sides of the bowl, stop the machine and scrape down the bowl with a spatula.

Add the basil and/or parsley, and process until finely chopped. Stop the machine, and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients, and process until smooth and creamy. Serve with pasta, or as a dip or spread.

If serving with pasta, use 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cottage cheese pesto per serving (in my home, that’s 3 ounces of dry pasta). Add a spoonful of the pasta cooking water to the cottage cheese mixture to dilute it before tossing with the pasta.

Yield: Makes 1 heaped cup (about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons).
Advance preparation: This will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator. It will become more pungent, however, and the green will fade.

**My variation: Can substitute the basil/parsley for rosemary and it was yum too. I have used this recipe on pasta and as a dip with ritz crackers. For some extra umph, I added smoked salmon (you can find it in the refridgerated section in your grocery) into the food processor.

I used no sodium chicken stock instead of water when I made it for pasta....Don't dilute too much!

No food processor? Try the blender, just takes a little more time and effort.**

NY Times 

FSU parking rant

I HATE having to waste time and gas driving around the parking garages for 15-20 minutes to get a parking spot!

If you are a freshman, and you leave your car in the parking garages for days and weeks at a time without using it, please leave it home or park it in the garages that aren't right next to high traffic buildings. For the love of all that is right and humane in this world :) That is all.

What do you do when your life gets too hectic??

Be super prepared!!!! I start classes again next week and I'm working @ the Derm's office + going to school + volunteering + putting in 4 hours at the Neuro lab = every waking hour packed to the max with stuff to do...
Does that give me an excuse to eat like crap and skip the gym??? Nope!

Being prepared is the only thing that will get me through it .....besides the cruise to the Bahamas that I'm looking forward to ;)

Can you tell that I haven't cooked anything in awhile? :)

Just spent a week in Miami, a few days in Orlando and now I'm back home and trying to get back into some kind of routine before classes start on Monday. Honestly I haven't cooked much, but that's life....I needed a break from it all before I start the grind again.

Loving life right now

Nothing to wake up to....except relaxation :) Having seafood pasta for dinner....lobster tail, shrimp, scallops, octopus...YUM!

Super busy

This is the final stretch :) Will post lots more recipes after Friday~

Chicken Stir Fry

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 15 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets
• 1 package shiitake mushrooms
• 2 to 3 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• Serving suggestion: Hot, cooked rice noodles

Directions

In a large skillet, heat the oils over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

Add broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, pepper, and onion and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in the water chestnuts. In a small bowl, combine broth, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ginger, and cornstarch.

Add to chicken mixture and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium to medium-low, and simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until sauce thickens. Serve over hot, cooked rice noodles.

**My variation: The chicken listed above was too bland for me, so I marinated it in 2 TBSP of soysauce, some fresh ginger and 2 TBSP of Hoisin sauce (the longer it sits, the better).

I used the whole 9.4 oz of Hoisin sauce (find one with low sugar if possible) and triple the amount of Low sodium soy sauce because the noodles seemed to suck it all up. I cooked the veggies seperately and the chicken separately then combined at the end.

I added in cashews, sesame seeds and 2 tsp sesame oil at the end.

To cut time, I used frozen veggies (broccoli and red/green peppers with onions)**

Short version: If you don't mind blandish food, go with this recipe. If you like your chicken to be covered in sauce, see variation.

Dessert - chocolate chip cookies!

Bought these to use tonight, but apparently they need reconstituting before cooking so I didn't have time...Next time though!!! :)

Chicken recipe

Hard work does pay off....

So after a summer of being a newbie intern...I got offered a part time job at the Derm's office :) Can't do full time because of my Fall '10 school schedule.
Now if only I can get an A in Organic Chem II all will be right in my world <3

Dinner tonight made by a pro chef, Doug

Strawberry/walnut/apple cider vinegar spinach salad
Ingredients
Strawberries (fresh/diced)--> at least 4 for single serving
Walnuts (chopped) amount to taste --> a handful
Apple cider vinegar (1-2 small drizzles)
Baby or regular spinach

Directions
Dice strawberries, add apple cider vinegar (enough to slightly wet strawberries) and mash into paste. Add walnuts and mix "paste", then add spinach. Mix and enjoy!

Homemade amazing mac and cheese
Ingredients

1/2 lb elbow macaroni

3 TBS butter

3 TBS flour

1 TBS powdered mustard

3 cups milk 

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 cup of yellow onion, diced

1 large egg

12 oz. shredded sharp cheddar
1tsp kosher salt

Topping

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to directions on box until al dente.

Melt butter in a pot and whisk in flour and mustard and stir for 5 minutes (or until no lumps). Add milk, onion, bay leaf and paprika. Simmer for 10 minutes and remove bay leaf. Add whisked egg and stir in 3/4 amount of cheese. Season with salt pepper to taste. 

Drain macaroni and add to mixture then pour entire thing into a casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and panko. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 mins.

**My variation- Use less butter ;)**

Salmon

Ingredients 

2 fillets of salmon
Rosemary
Dill weed (dry)
Black pepper
Thyme
Red cayenne pepper
Ground ginger
Soy sauce (drizzle)
Salt 

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease baking tray or pyrex with pam or canola oil. Wash fish and pat dry. Sprinkle with ingredients. Go light on the thyme and add salt last.
Bake for 10-12 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.




Uncooked

Cooked

Dessert

You can find this in the freezer section of the grocery.

OMG I almost died when I saw this tonight....It should win an award

Original

LOL

Food heaven....

Today I was in food heaven...Started with a egg & cheese bagel from Einstein Bros. (was hoping Einstein would rub off on me for my test!). Delicious~ But would never replace my egg omelet and oatmeal ;)

The test was rough but I think I passed (will find out on Friday)....Some girl freaked out when she saw the test and left the room. She didn't return until 5 minutes before the end of it and was still holding her head. Umm ya Organic Chem II has that effect on people lol~

Lunch--> Sushi and miso soup! Yum~ Went to Kiku...Great lunch deal = 3 rolls for $10 and awesome quality fish. Definitely not as good as Sakura but close.

Dinner--> Korean skirt steak and sweet potato with a glass of wine ;) Ugh the sauce is soooo good~

Can't wait for tomorrow

.....To be OVER!!! My last test before my final exam *chugs coffee*

This pretty much makes or breaks my grade (no pressure at all lolz)~

I plan to celebrate tmw night and the rest of the week regardless of whether I ace it or bomb it. Celebrating will involve some yummy food/wine (+pics!)

I swear...

It is amazing what my brain thinks up to distract me from studying something tedious ;)

Creativity seems to flow when I want it the least....how ironic!

Chili Dogs

Spur of the moment meal.....And a little CrAzY for a health nut ;)

Ingredients
Whole wheat hot dog buns
1 pack of turkey hot dogs

Quick Chili
(Recipe on the back of McCormick's chili powder pack)
1 lb of lean ground beef
1 can of organic unsalted or low sodium kidney beans
1 pack of McCormick's chili powder
1 can of organic diced tomatoes

Optional 
Sauerkraut
Mustard
Ketchup
Red onions (diced)
Jalapenos (diced)

Method
Quick Chili
Brown the beef on medium or medium/high heat then add the ingredients. Cook until everything else is hot. Takes about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile saute the hot dogs in a hot skillet or cook them however you like (boil, microwave,etc).
Broil buns for 1-1.5 minutes to make them toasty and then insert hot dog and top with fav toppings.
Really fast and easy!