Rosemary-Lemon Roasted Chicken with Fresh Harvest Salad

I think roasted chicken is one of my favorite meals to make. It is so easy, and absolutely gorgeous when it comes out of the oven all golden brown. I'm sure I've said this before, but I love pretty food!

This is a great fall recipe. So fresh with all the vegetables, and the rosemary gives the chicken a whole other dimension of flavor. Rosemary and lemon is such a great combo. Make this on a cold fall night and your family will love you forever. Make the salad first so it has time to chill while the chicken is cooking. Then as the chicken cooks, you can make whatever dessert you want, or sit down with a glass of beer and your loved ones. :)

It has been a while since I last posted, but I have had a tough last couple of months. On top of my husband leaving for training in another state, I have had been dealing with an anxiety disorder. I have been having panic attacks since high school, but they were years apart. For some reason starting in October I have had multiple attacks and severe anxiety on random days; usually for no reason. Now, I am learning how to keep myself calm in stressful situations. Yoga and chamomile tea have become staples in my daily life and I am realizing that cooking is also relaxing to me. So, luckily for me, one of my favorite things to do in life also helps keeps me relaxed. 

With my favorite season upon us, I will definitely be "relaxing" with tons of fall flavors and dishes. :)

Cool Salmon & Couscous Salad with Snap Peas, Orange, & Mint

I have been tempted to try a lot of new things. Like a cold salmon couscous salad for example. I would have never even thought twice about making this. When I saw this recipe I was actually excited to try it. So much nutrition and flavor! 

Now I had to cook my snap peas before mixing everything together. I am allergic to raw snap peas. I know weird. If they are cooked though I am all good. So just so I wasn't thrown any curve balls while eating I simply sauteed the snap peas for a few minutes. This dish is so flexible you could really do anything you want.

Spicy Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Wow, it has been a really long time since I last posted. Almost three months. What have I been doing with myself? Well, I started working full time about three months ago. Ever since then I haven't had much time to try new recipes. I had to get used to my new hours of working, and I really had to get used to both my husband and I working full time. For months it was just him working and me staying home with the dog. I had all the time in the world to plan out our weekly meals and work on new recipes. Well, three months of working and I think we are getting settled in our new ways. I have been looking for recipes that able me to prep ahead of time and allow my husband to finish right before I get home. So as you may guess I have been using my crock pot A LOT!

Now I'm going to try my hardest to get back into taking pictures and posting recipes, but I can't guarantee lots of posts.

Here are a few pictures of what we have been up to in the last few months though!

My husband loves to hike and spend the beautiful days outdoors. So I have been happy to join him and so has our pup Leia! We got her around February and were instantly in love. Thankfully she is an outdoors dog and loves to go on hikes with us. Living in Colorado Springs we have a plethora of trails around us so we will have plenty to do. Right now with the temperature above 90º we haven't been hiking much. Being from the Pacific Northwest anything above 75º I'm melting. Definitely have to get used to this heat!

Done with our crazy life! Here is a great healthy recipe that will spice up any night!!

Spicy Turkey Lettuce Wraps
adapted from P.F. Changs recipe

Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 onion, mince
salt & pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/2 tablespoon water
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (or less if you like it less spicy)
dash of pepper
3 green onions, chopped
1/2-8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained & chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
10-12 large outer lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

Directions:

1. Heat a large skillet on high. Add chicken, onion, salt & pepper, then cook until chicken is nearly done, stirring often to break up the meat. Add garlic and ginger then continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink.
2. Meanwhile, in a microwave safe bowl, combine soy sause, vinegar, oil, peanut butter, water, honey, chili garlic sauce and pepper. Microwave for 20 seconds, then stir until smooth. Add into the skillet and stir to combine.
3. Add green onions and water chestnuts into the skillet then cook for 1-2 minutes until the onions are soft and the water chestnuts are heated through.
4. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, and serve with cold lettuce leaves. 

Low-Fat Caesar Dressing and Baked Croutons

I have been slacking hardcore on postings. For some reason during the end of this summer I have been a little lazy. Plus this is one of the hottest summers we have had in a while and when it's sunny out, my house becomes an oven. I am pretty sure that is one reason why I haven't been cooking a lot lately too. There is no way I am turning on the oven and making my house even hotter. So maybe when I stop melting and the weather gets a bit cooler I will get up and start cooking more. I having been trying my hardest to find recipes that don't include baking or even using the stove. It's quite hard, so I have been just microwaving left overs or frozen dinners to save myself the extra heat. Lets hope fall gets here soon, I can't wait to start using fall ingredients!

This is a great simple recipe. I suggest making a large batch and saving the rest for later. I had a request do to just that from my mom, and I plan on jarring some up! Caesar dressing always is too bitter for me and I wanted to make one that was a little more sweet and lemony. That is exactly what I got. I left out the anchovies that originally come in caesar dressing, because well...it's anchovies. Without those salty little fish taking over my dressing, I believe that is why I didn't get a strong bitter taste. There was definitely a zest from the lemon and robust flavor from the Worcestershire sauce. Seriously, if you haven't made your own caesar dressing do it. Not only will you know what's in it and how healthy it can be, but it's so simple!!

I forgot to picture the basil, please forgive me! :)

Line your baking sheet with foil for an easy clean up!

So crunchy and flavorful!

Low-Fat Caesar Dressing
Adapted from lowfatcooking.com

Ingredients:
1/3 cup non-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced and crushed
1/8 teaspoon dried basil
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients together with a whisk until fully combined. Pour over salad. 

Makes 1/2

Nutrition: (2 tablespoons) Calories 82; Fat 5g; Protein 3g; Cholesterol 7mg; Carb 7mg; Fiber 0g

Baked Croutons

Ingredients:

Day old bread cut into 1/2 cubes (French or Italian work best)

Olive Oil (basil infused, garlic infused, or extra virgin)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Onion Powder

Garlic Powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º.
2. Spread bread cubes in an even layer on a foil lined baking sheet.
3. Pour olive oil over bread, tossing every so often until all are cover evenly with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, onion power, and garlic powder to taste.
4. Bake at 350º for 10 to 15 minutes, turning half way through. 

Spicy Grilled Shrimp

This is the first post of a new generation of pictures for this blog! On my birthday this year, my fabulous husband bought me the camera I have always wanted. Now I am the proud owner of a beautiful Canon Rebel T3. I spent days playing with settings and learning how to use it. Just as a warning, the next several posts will have funny looking pictures because I had changed a setting that made the pictures download in the wrong format on my computer. These pictures are okay looking because I messed with the settings afterwards, but the next few are not as pretty. I never said I was a professional photographer! 

Now that it's summer time, I thought it was appropriate to break out the grill. I have never grilled shrimp before and I just couldn't help myself when my day off turned out to be beautiful and sunny. Again, I'm no grilling expert. Pretty much every single recipe I make is just a learning experience for me. Then I get to share that experience with you, even if I make lots of mistakes. :)

It wasn't until I actually opened the shrimp package, that I realized they were cooked. As you can tell sometimes I'm not very observant! It didn't hinder anything I think, but I would have liked to use uncooked shrimp. Maybe next time. 

I also grilled vegetables as a side and I decided to marinade them just like the shrimp. I just made a little extra marinade.

Spicy Grilled Shrimp
allrecipes.com


Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons hot sauce
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon Asian chile paste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
12 wooden skewers, soaked in water

Directions:

1. Whisk together the olive oil, sesame oil, parsley, hot sauce, garlic, ketchup, chile paste, salt, pepper, and lemon juice in a mixing bowl. Set aside about 1/3 of this marinade to use while grilling.
2. Place shrimp in a large, resealable, plastic bag. Pour in the remaining marinade and seal the bag. Refrigerate for 2 hours. 
3. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Thread shrimp on skewers, piercing once near tail and once near head. Discard marinade.
4. Light oil grill grate. Cook shrimp for 2 minutes per side until opaque, basting frequently with reserved marinade. 

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition: Calories 320; Fat 22.8g; Cholesterol 230mg; Sodium 827mg; Carbs 4.1g; Fiber 0.3g; Protein 25.1g

Strawberry & Broccoli Orzo Pasta Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Vinaigrette

This weekend has been relaxing. I have done lots of cooking, along with a lot of absolutely nothing. Lazy days are one of my favorites. Of course once I start feeling like I haven't been active I get up and do a half hour workout, but hey that is less than 3% of my day. After the workout I don't feel bad about just sitting around blogging, or looking up recipes online. Plus, I'm not trying to lose weight, just get toned, so short intense workouts are really all that I need. I feel great after them, and I have lots of time left in the day to do what I please. Today that means I get to recipe search and cook as much as I want. :)

Recently I have been on a kick to try new things. This time I had a craving for orzo. No I have never tried it before this recipe, and don't ask me why I was craving something I have never eaten. I found this simple recipe and I thought it would be a good chance for me to finally try orzo pasta. Normally I don't like pasta salads. Cold pasta kind of weirds me out, but I thought that a pasta salad with orzo wouldn't be that bad. It wasn't! I had it for lunch three days in a row, and I had no regrets. Low in calories, great source of protein, and you get fruit and veggies all in one dish. A light and healthy lunch always makes me feel great the rest of the day! 

If you are like me and hate chopping broccoli because the little green "leaves" get everywhere and it's all messy, try this! I take the very point of the knife and make small slits in the stem, very close to the top. I then just pull it apart and you have tiny little broccoli. The "leaves" stay in place, and you don't have a pile of them sitting on your cutting board.  

Shake it up!

All my mixings are ready, just waiting for the pasta to cook. :) 

Strawberry & Broccoli Orzo Pasta Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
Sweet Treats and More


Ingredients:
 For salad:
3/4 cup uncooked orzo pasta
1 cup fresh strawberry chunks or slices
3/4 cup chopped fresh broccoli
1/4 cup slivered almonds
salt and pepper to taste

For vinaigrette:
1 tablespoon squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon sugar or honey
dash of salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Cook orzo pasta until al dente. 
2. Meanwhile, place all vinaigrette ingredients in a small tuber-ware bowl. Cover and shake until combined. 
3. Drain pasta, and rinse with cold water to cool off. Place in a medium size bowl and toss in strawberries, broccoli, and almonds gently. 
4. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss until evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: Calories 283; Fat 12g; Protein 8g; Carbs 40g; Cholesterol 0mg; Fiber 4g

Chicken Salad with Cranberries & Walnuts

I have mentioned before that a few years ago my husband and I went on a mission to get healthy and lose weight. After six months of working out 5 days a week, and watching my calories to the last gram, I finally reached my goal weight. Then, for the following year I relaxed on my workout schedule and eating habits, but still lost weight slowly. One year and six months after our initial decision to change our ways, I lost 35 pounds. It has been about 11 months since that day, and I am happy to say that I have been able to maintain my weight. Trust me, there were days when I just wanted to annihilate a gallon of ice cream, or 5 slices of pizza. On those bad days, I just remember how I felt before this journey and I know I never want to go back. I have never felt more confident or energetic in my life. 

Well, I have had another journey in the past couple of weeks. I made the decision to up my workout routine and change my eating habits once again. Yes, I feel great at where I am at weight wise, but there are still those little flabby parts I want to get rid of. So, I decided to maintain my weight while gaining muscle. I just want to be a bit more tone. That is where Protein comes in. For almost a month I have been indulging in protein shakes and high protein bars. I know you are probably thinking, "Ew, protein powder." That is what I thought before I actually tried it. The flavored ones, vanilla or chocolate, are actually really tasty. With milk! I tried with water, and it really turned me off. So if you have been wanting to try protein powder, but are a little weary, definitely try it with an 8 oz glass of milk. The chocolate powder makes it taste like chocolate milk. :)

Anyways, the whole reason why I am spilling this out is because yesterday I saw progress in all of this. About three weeks ago I measured my waist, butt, and thighs. The numbers weren't bad, but I knew I could do better. Something to remember when it comes to working out as woman is that sometimes we won't see results on the scale. It always seems easier for men because they can start working out and one week later they are ten pounds down, but maybe you gained a pound. I went through that for sure, and I quit for about two weeks. Now, I am really glad I came back in the game, because these last few weeks have shown me that getting smaller/toned, really has nothing to do with the scale. It's all about the measurements at this point. I have been weighing myself about two or three times a week, and the scale hasn't been moving drastically in either direction. Although, yesterday when I pulled out the tape measure I discovered that I lost an inch on my waist and butt, and a half inch on my thighs! Why am I telling you all this? I have no idea! I guess I am just really excited to see results!

Now go make this delicious chicken salad! :)

Please feel free to cook your own chicken breast and cut it up, I am just really lazy sometimes. :)

Chicken Salad with Cranberries & Walnuts 
adapted from The Yummy Life


Ingredients:
4 cups chopped, cooked chicken or turkey breast
1/2 cup dried cranberries*
1/2 chopped toasted walnuts**
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, stir together all ingredients until well combined. Serve in a sandwich or on top of a bed of lettuce. Put a dollop on crackers for an easy appetizer. 

Make ahead tip: This will hold for a day or two in the fridge, but yogurt gets absorbed into the chicken/turkey when it sits overnight. Stir in additional yogurt to restore the creamy consistency if eaten the next day. 

If you want a plain chicken salad, just omit the cranberries and nuts.
*Other fruit you can use: grapes or apples.
**Other nuts to use: pecans, sliced almonds, pine nuts, etc. 

Serves 3-4

Nutrition: (perserving 2/3 cups, not including bread) Calories 129; Fat 6g; Carbs 11g; Cholesterol 21mg; Protein 11g; Fiber 1g

Poppy Seed Dressing

Man, this week has been crazy! I swear life likes to throw everything at me all at once. I haven't even been able to cook anything in four days and I'm having withdrawals. Tonight I even went to the store to find something to make for dinner, but I'm not going to be home this weekend and left overs would just go to waste. I can't wait to get something cooking again, and I hope things calm down soon!

I go to Panera Bread all the time, and in the summer they have a Strawberry Poppy Seed salad that I love. One day I was craving that delicious salad, but it's not on the menu right now, so why not just make it myself? This recipe isn't the one from the restaurant, but it is almost as good. It's refreshing, citrusy, and tangy. I paired it with a spinach strawberry salad. So fresh! 

Low Fat Poppy Seed Dressing

skinnychef.com

Ingredients:

1/4 cup low-fat yogurt, preferably plain Greek drained yogurt

Zest and lemon of one lemon

1 tablespoon sugar, or sugar substitute

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

1/8 tsp salt

1/4 cup olive or canola oil

Directions:

1. Combine yogurt, zest, lemon, sugar, poppy seeds, and salt; mix well. Stir in oil and chill.
2. Toss with your choice of salad.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 

My choice of salad was a Spinach Strawberry Chicken Salad:

1. 2 cups baby spinach
2. 4 strawberries quatered
3. 1/2 package of cooked chicken strips, like Foster Farms Grilled Chicken
4. 1/8 cup pecans