Fresh Pumpkin Puree

Okay, I know that fall is pretty much over; but if you are like me, then you will cook with pumpkin as long as you can. I discovered last year that fresh pumpkin is definitely worth the effort. Up until then, I had always used canned. Then I decided to take the plunge and try roasting a pumpkin and making my own puree. After all that I made myself a pumpkin pie. Oh. My. Goodness. That was the best pumpkin pie I had ever had (up till then of course). After that I have went the fresh pumpkin way if I could, or had the energy.

It's really easy converting a recipe from canned to fresh.

Banana Crunch Muffins

Hooray for Sunday football! I am so excited to have football back. Not only to watch my favorite team defend their title, but for the fantastic game day food. These may be a little weird as a pick for Sunday games, but I believe everyone will love them either way. Keep these to the side and let people pick through the wings and chips, then they can grab a little dessert. 

Along with mashed, you have diced bananas for a change in texture, and the crunch from the granola and nuts are fantastic. Use them as a game day dessert, or keep them on your counter to grab as breakfast-on-the-go. 

Healthy Halibut with Strawberry and Poblano Relish

Ever since I started cooking, I have gotten more and more into the presentation. At first I didn't care how it was presented, as long as it tasted good. Now that I have learned so much, I am all about pretty food. With every dish, I try really hard to make sure everything is cut evenly and that it still looks as good as it tastes. I find myself getting upset if something goes wrong. My husband can definitely tell you how my mood will go from high to low when I mess up. Once I had friends over and they were laughing at me because I was upset about a dish I was making. I knew it would taste okay, but something went wrong and I knew it wasn't going to look as good as I wanted. In the end it all looked fine and tasted fantastic.

Well, that tangent was all because I love the look of this dish. The gorgeous white fish with the vibrant green cilantro and bright red strawberries. I mean, who can say no to something so pretty!

4th of July Cheesecake Yogurt Cupcakes

The 4th of July is a great time of year. Cold weather has finally moved away, and the sun shows it's face a little more. Grill parties are definitely a staple when the weather gets nice. The fresh ingredients that come out at this time of year are also why summer is great!

For some reason, the month of July has always put me in a good mood.  If we were back in Washington we would have been to at least two baseball games already. (Excuse me while I day dream about garlic fries and soft pretzels.) I love seeing the American pride everywhere too. That might be because we are a military family. Ever since my husband enlisted, holidays like the 4th of July and Memorial Day have a whole new meaning. I take pride knowing my husband is spending everyday doing what he does in part to work toward his dream, and sacrificing so much in order to do so.

You know, I may be feeling all "Let's go America" because of the World Cup going on right now. We are huge Seattle Sounders fans, and have been cheering on the players that have made it onto the USA team. Being able to watch the USA go as far as they did was awesome! Of course I wish they could have gone further. :(

Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

In my last post I mentioned that I was back to calorie counting. It's been going okay so far. There have been no casualties or injuries. The people that know me well, know that when I get hungry, I am not the happiest/nicest person to be around. I'm finding that I need to always have snacks on me to curb those cravings. All that means is that I really have to be strategic about what I'm eating. Once you find the right snacks and meals for you though things get really easy. :)

With calorie counting, I have to be careful about desserts. I love desserts. My sweet tooth is bigger than my stomach that is for sure. So I went in search of low calorie, "healthier" desserts. That is when I stumbled across this beautiful recipe. Oh man, I can't even tell you how much I love cheesecake. If I could eat it everyday, and not gain an ounce, I would totally do it. So of course I was definitely going to make this and eat it all up. Well not all, that wouldn't help me at all in my counting.

Since this is made with plain Greek yogurt, it's not as sweet or rich as regular cheesecake. When you are trying to eating a little healthier sometimes you have to change up the things you love. Even though this wasn't the sweetest cheesecake I ever had, it was definitely one of the best. Knowing that one slice wasn't going to make me feel full and weighed downed made it even better. My husband even went back for seconds, and he doesn't like sweets as much as me. :)

Double Chocolate Souffle Torte with Raspberry Sauce

I like living here in Colorado, but there is one thing I would gladly move elsewhere for. Baking! So many times I crave to bake something, then I remember I live at high altitude and it will probably turn out hard as a rock. There are tons of articles and tips on how to alter a recipe to fit high altitude. Whenever I decide to take a recipe and alter it, I end up with many failed attempts and wasted ingredients. I hate wasting ingredients. I know baking is a lot like trial and error, but I can't help it!

A lot of times I forget I'm at high altitude. I start baking and when I pull whatever it is out of the oven it's dense and hard. That's when I get sad. I have even thrown out rock hard cupcakes before and just reverted to the high altitude alterations on a box. Yes shameful, but sometimes I just want to bake and I only have the patience to waste so many ingredients.

Gooey Butter Cake with Dried Blueberries

Oh man did it feel good to get back into blogging. Knowing that I was going to share this recipe felt good, and made me try so much harder while making it. Of course I always have to remind everyone that I am not a professional and I make mistakes. This cake was supposed to be a little more under cooked than in the pictures. I mentioned before that we just moved into a house. This house was built in the 80's so some of the appliances are a little older. We are still trying to get used to the stove. It gets so much hotter than any other stove I have used! I have burned more things in the month we have lived here than in the last few years I have started cooking. 

All I ask is be patient with me as I get used to these new appliances and actually remember to take pictures. I almost forgot to take pictures of the dinner I made tonight. :)

Light Creamy Banana Pie

I am ready for summer! Here in Colorado we keep getting a few days of snow, then some sun, then snow again. This week is supposed to be warm and that makes me happy! I really want to wear my summer clothes, no more jackets please. :)

It's Pie Day! March 14th. 3.14...get it :) So in celebration I posted a great recipe for a quick light dessert pie. Creamy, but not too sweet, and full of bananas. This was so easy, because you could make this hours before dinner and not have to worry about dessert. My husband was a big fan, and so was I!

Happy Pie Day!

Light Creamy Banana Pie
adapted from Light Cooking 

Ingredients:
1 pre-made pie crust, 9-inch
1 can (12-oz) Light evaporated Skimmed milk
1 box (3.4oz) French Vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 bananas, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Bake pie crust as directed on package for empty crust; cool.
2. In medium bowl, beat evaporated milk, pudding mix and yogurt until mixture starts to thicken. 
3. Pour half of pudding mixture into cooled crust. Arrange banana slices over pudding mixture; top with remaining pudding mixture. Cover and refrigerate until firm. Garnish with whip topping, if desired.

Serves 8.

Nutrition: Calories 129; Fat 2g; Cholesterol 2mg; Sodium 245mg

Fondue Night

We made to our new home in sunny Colorado Springs! Took us about 2.5 days to get here from Washington, but it was such a great adventure. One that I am glad my husband and I were able to do together. We were lucky to find the perfect place to live only a couple days after arriving here; although we started with no furniture, we still love it! Now I just have to get used to cooking in a new kitchen.

For the past few days we have been shopping around to get the things we need, and of course I picked up a few things for the kitchen. :) My tools have changed, so it may take me a bit to get new recipes up, but I will try my hardest to get going! Thankfully, I have a back log of recipes to post.

One type of cuisine/meal/dish that I have loved for years would be fondue. I fell in love with a restaurant a few years ago and my mom was awesome enough to get me my own fondue pot. I've used it a couple times, but never like this. It was mostly there so I can enjoy chocolate in a fancy way. :) This time I really wanted to use it like you may at a restaurant. So I looked through my fondue cookbook, and gathered all the necessary items. It was really easy! I picked up everything that morning (look for meat sales if you plan on eating them that night), prepped what I needed to, and stored it in the fridge until it was dinner time.  Since I had everything prepped, all I needed to do that night was make the broth and that took no more than five minutes. If you plan ahead this will be one of the easiest meals ever. Plus, it's not one of those dinners that take three minutes to eat so you get to spend a fantastic night with people you love over a great meal! Okay, I will stop rambling and let you all get to cooking!

Here are some great dipping sauce ideas. They were also in the cookbook and went perfectly with the cooking style broth. I loved the Island Sauce, it was sweet and spicy!

Green Goddess Sauce Melting Pot Cookbook

Ingredients:
3/4 cup cubed softened cream cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons minced white onion

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in bowl with a whisk or an electric mixer for 1 to 2 minutes. Chill, covered, until serving time.  Makes 2 cups.

Island Sauce Melting Pot cookbook

Ingredients:
1/2 cup orange marmalade
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until fully mixed. Makes 3/4 cups.

Meat and vegetable dipper ideas:

Meats:

Steak (Any kind. I went to the store and found a good meat sale. Wasn't the best quality meat, but it was still delicious.)

Chicken

Lamp

Pork

Seafood:

Shrimp (Peeled and deveined. Tails are okay.)

Lobster

Vegetables:

Broccoli

Mushrooms

Potatoes

You could really use anything that you really like!

Zen Cooking Style Fondue
Melting Pot "Dip into Something Different" cookbook

Ingredients:
5 1/2 cups warm water
Juice of 1/2 lime
3 tablespoons chopped lemongrass
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon finely chopped carrot
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
2 teaspoons garlic powder

Directions:

1. Whisk the water, lime juice, lemongrass, onion, celery, carrot, salt, pepper, ginger, and garlic powder in a bowl until combined.
2. Pour into a fondue pot (electric or manuel). Bring to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat. 
3. Thread a piece of meat on a fondue fork; cook in brother to the desired degree of doneness. Throw the vegetables into the pot and remove with a slotted spoon when done cooking to taste. Serve with favorite dipping sauces.

Pear and Cranberry Pie

I get these random cravings for pie. It's very weird I know. For some reason an apple pie or lemon meringue pie comes into my mind and I can't stop thinking about it. After Thanksgiving I found an extra pie crust in my fridge and that is when the pie craving started. This recipe was very different, but the idea of bosc pears in a pie sounded fantastic. It really was. The sweetness of the pears along with the tartness of the cranberries really makes this the ultimate holiday pie. I know it really isn't the holidays any more, and cranberries are really hard to find in the store right now, but I just had to share this fantastic recipe. 

Pear and Cranberry Holiday Pie

Better Homes and Garden

Ingredients:

1 pre-made refrigerated pie crust

8 cups sliced red and/or green ripe pears (7-8 pears; 3-3 1/2 lbs)

1 cup fresh cranberries

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons apple cider

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons caramel-flavored ice cream topping, plus more for drizzling

Directions:

1. Roll out pie crust into 9-inch pie pan. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. Arrange half of pears in prepared pie pan; sprinkle with 1/2 cup cranberries. Arrange remaining pears atop cranberries. In a small bowl stir together 1/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, cider, and nutmeg; drizzle evenly over pears. Cover pie with foil. 
3. Bake 40 minutes. Remove foil; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon sugar. Bake, uncovered, 30-35 minutes more or until pears are tender and juices are bubbly. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack. 
4. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan combine remaining cranberries and 2 tablespoons caramel topping. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Speen over hot pie. 
5. Serve warm. Drizzle with additional caramel topping. 

Serves 8

Grilled Peaches with Frozen Yogurt

I have always wanted to do a grilled fruit recipe. One day near the end of summer I couldn't take it anymore and just had to grill up some peaches. It was a little chilly that day so I pulled out my cast iron grill pan. In just a few minutes I had some beautifully caramelized peaches that were tender and juicy. The frozen yogurt instantly starts to melt from the heat of the peaches and the toasted coconut adds a sweet texture to each bite. While toasting the coconut my house smelled so good! If I could toast those babies every night I would. This is definitely something everyone has to try. Even if it's snowing outside, pull out a grill pan and get grilling! Totally worth it. :)

Grilled Peaches with Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients:

3 peaches, cut in half

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons toasted coconut flakes

1 1/2 cups frozen yogurt

1 tablespoon honey (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat grill to high.
2. Brush peaches with oil. Grill until tender. 
3. Plate 2 halves with a scoop of frozen yogurt and garnish with coconut flakes.

Serves 3.

Nutrition: (2 peach halves and 1/2 cup frozen yogurt) Calories 154; Fat 4g; Carb 28g; Cholesterol 0mg; Protein 4g; Fiber 2g

Individual Low-Fat Lemon Cheesecake

One day I was craving cheesecake (naturally), but I didn't want a huge delicious cheesecake calling my name every time I opened the fridge. So I thought about single servings that won't make me really screw up my meal plan. These little pie crusts are very easy to find at any grocery store in the baking isle. Cheesecake has to be one of my favorite desserts, other than ice cream. Pumpkin cheesecake, raspberry cheesecake...pretty much any flavor will do. I throughly enjoy lemon flavor, and when I found this recipe I couldn't help but go for it. In the end I was very happy with the outcome. So fast and still satisfying. 

Now, when I call these low fat I don't mean they are super good for you. Just because there may not be a lot of fat, there is still a good amount of calories. One good thing is that the individual sizes stop you from eating to much. 

Stop reading, and start making dessert!! 

I didn't use all of these lemons, I didn't know how much I would need.

Individual Low-Fat Lemon Cheesecake
adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:
8-10 mini graham cracker crusts
1 (8oz) block 1/3 fat less cream cheese, softened
1 (14oz) non-fat sweetened condensed milk
1/3 cup lemon juice
zest of 1 small lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
fruit topping of choice

Directions:

1. Place softened cream cheese, condensed milk, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract in a medium mixing bowl. Beat until well blended. Pour mixture into individual graham cracker crusts. Depending on their size you can fill 8-10. Chill for 5 hours. Do not freeze.
2. Top with sliced strawberries, cherry pie filling, blueberries...etc. 

Makes 8-10

Nutrition: (1 pie crust and cheesecake) Calories 430; Fat 8g; Carb 80mg; Cholesterol 16mg; Protein 13g; Fiber 1g

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Peach Salsa and Crispy Asparagus

I told you all I would be MIA this last week. My husband came home for a week of leave, and that week filled up fast. Everyone who loves him wanted to see him, and we had side plans for a stay at the beach, it was like we packed a year into one week. I was happy that it went by quite slowly, but now that I just took him to the airport this morning, I am wishing it could have lasted longer. Now my second count down begins for the next half of this tour!

In the next few days I have to get back into my routine, so I thought I would start with a post! This recipe was something I had been wanting to try. I have seen salsas with mangos and oranges before, but I was never sure about them. For some reason a sweet salsa didn't sound appetizing to me. Well, for a couple weeks I was craving peaches like crazy and when I found this recipe and I really wanted to try. I was surprised how all of the different flavors blended together. The sweetness of the peaches, the citrus from the lime, and a little kick of spice from the jalapenos. You wouldn't think those would taste good together, but with a hot grilled piece of chicken the flavors really came together and make for one fabulous dinner!

Who needs fries when you can get the same crispy texture, with tons more nutrition from these crispy baked asparagus?!

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Peach Salsa and Crispy Asparagus
Pillsbury Fast and Healthy Cookbook


Ingredients:
Salsa:
1 cup chopped peaches (peeled if desired)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper
Dash salt

Chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:

1. Heat cast iron grill pan on medium heat. In a medium bowl, combine peaches, lime juice and brown sugar; mix well. Stir in bell pepper, onion, jalapeno, and dash of salt.
2. Place 1 chicken breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper. Working from center, gently pour with flat side of mallet or rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick; remove wrap. Repeat with remaining chicken breast.
3. When ready to grill, lightly sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; then brush lightly with olive oil  on both sides of breasts. Place chicken on grill pan, cook 6-10 minutes or until chicken is fork tender and juices run clear, turning once. Serve chicken with salsa.

Serves 4.

Nutrition: (1/4 of recipe) Calories 160; Fat 3g; Cholesterol 75mg; Fiber 1g; Protein 27g; Carb 6g

Crispy Baked Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan

Salt and pepper to taste

2 egg whites

Bunch of asparagus (20-30 pieces depending on size)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425º and line a baking sheet with foil, place a wire rack on the foil. 
2. Gently find the breaking point of each asparagus, and discard the bottoms. Wash and dry stalks.
3. Combine panko, parmesan, and salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Lightly beat the egg whites in a separate shallow dish. 
4. Dip each stalk into the egg whites then into the panko bread crumbs; if crumbs are not sticking dip into egg whites one more time and repeat. Place on wire rack on baking sheet lined with foil. Repeat until all asparagus stalks are covered. 
5. Bake for 20 minutes until bread crumbs turn golden brown. 

Serves 4.

Nutrition: Calories 183; Fat 5g; Carbs 22mg; Cholesterol 6mg; Protein 13g; Fiber 3g