Sirloin Kebabs with Rosemary Sprigs

There are days when I just crave a delicious juicy steak, but I don't want to go through the hassle of cooking it to perfect medium-rare. Cutting it up into small squares really quickens the cooking process, making my life so much easier. Then instead of using boring old skewers, take a couple sturdy sprigs of rosemary and add a completely different level of flavor. I was a little skeptical too, but it was great to have that extra boost of flavor. There was nothing boring about these!

Sirloin Kebabs with Rosemary Sprigs
Everyday with Rachael Ray - Dec 2012 issue

Ingredients:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2lbs beer sirloin, cubed
6 sturdy rosemary sprigs

Directions:

1. Combine oil, garlic, chopped rosemary, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Add cubed beef sirloin; refrigerate and let marinade for up to 15 minutes. 
2. Thread the beef onto the rosemary sprigs, piercing with the stem end. 
3. Over medium-high heat, grill meat, turning once, 8-10 minutes for medium-rare. 

Serves 6

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies

So the packing of all of my belongings have begun! In only weeks my husband and I are going cross country to start a whole new chapter in our lives. I am very glad for these extra weeks to pack, because I forgot how much I have accumulated in the last couple years. After college I moved home to my mom's and I thought at that time my belongings had been greatly reduced. Apparently since then I have doubled it. Now that we are moving into a home that is ours, I am trying to only keep the things that really matter. Unfortunately, I am very bad at throwing things away! Everything I have has some kind of memory to it, although there must come a time when they have to go in the garbage or to a thrift store. I am getting better at it though. :)

These brownies were so yummy. Chocolate and pumpkin is a really great combination. They were almost like blondies, but with a great twist in flavor. I will definitely be making these again!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Brownies
adapted from penniesonaplatter.com

Ingredients:
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pie filing)
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Direction:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Line an 11x7in pan with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine pumpkin puree, eggs and oil until smooth.
3. In a separate medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, spices, salt and brown sugar. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until throughly combined. Fold in chocolate chips. 
4. Pour into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before serving. 

Makes about 24 small brownies.

Skinny Baked Jalapeno Poppers

I really suck at this posting thing huh?! I didn't realize how long it's been since I last posted. Now that we are really close to my husband coming home, I stopped working and will be spending all my new free time packing. Hopefully I can also step it up on the postings. :)

I pulled out this recipe when we were gearing up for a football game. We didn't want a huge meal to worry about, only things we could pick up with our fingers and eat while jumping around screaming at the tv. These were great for just that. Plus they are much healthier for you than normal Jalapeno Poppers. No frying. No fatty cream. Just healthy delicious ingredients. I even had a skeptic try them and say they were just as good as the fried version. Now that's a gold star for healthy food!!

Skinny Baked Jalapeno Poppers
adapted from prevention rd

Ingredients:
10 jalapeno peppers, sliced in half lengthwise
5 oz light cream cheese
5 medium scallions, green part only, sliced
2 oz shredded low fat sharp cheddar
1/2 cup egg beaters or egg whites, beaten
3/4 cup panko crumbs
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Cut peppers in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and membrane.
2. Combine cream cheese, cheddar, and scallions in a medium bowl.
3. Combine panko, paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.
4. Fill peppers with cheese filling. Dip filled peppers in egg beaters, then into panko mixture, using a spoon to make sure all the seasonal doesn't fall to the bottom of the bowl.
5. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Line up filled peppers on sheet and lightly spray the peppers with a bit of cooking spray.
6. Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, until golden and cheese is melty. Remove from oven and serve immediately. 

Makes 20 poppers.

Nutrition: (per popper) Calories 41, Fat 2.3g, Cholesterol 4mg, Carb 2.8g, Fiber 0.4g; Protein 2.5g

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

I have probably said this many times, but I love my slow cooker. If I could use it every night I probably would. There are so many things you can make in a slow cooker, and I was happy to find out one of those things was Teriyaki chicken. I didn't have to wait for any take out, just had to throw everything in a my slow cooker in the morning and I had delicious Teriyaki waiting for me at dinner time.

All these flavors work so well together. There are so many strong ingredients, but they mix so perfectly. It really is like having authentic Teriyaki straight from your own kitchen!

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
adapted from Cooking Classy

Ingredients:
3 lbs boneless chicken breast
3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (or by taste)
1 1/2 tablespoons cold water
1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
Cooked long grain white rice
Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. Place chicken in slow cooker, set aside. In a mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, honey, orange marmalade, ginger, garlic, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Pour over chicken in slow cooker, cover with lid and cook on low for 5-6 hours.
2. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred. Strain sauce from slow cooker through a fine mesh strainer over a medium saucepan. In a small mixing bowl whisk together 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water and cornstarch. Pour cornstarch mixture into liquid in saucepan and heat mixture over medium high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture begins to gently boil. Allow mixture to boil for about 20 seconds until thickened. 
3. Return chicken to slow cooker and pour teriyaki sauce from saucepan over chicken. Toss gently to evenly coat. Serve warm over cooked rice and garnish with sesame seeds.

Low Fat Tamale Pie

Looks like I'm taking a break from all the pumpkin to get me a little bit of mexican. I love mexican food! Probably because I am half mexican, and I have been around homemade tortillas and tamales my entire life. I previously posted a cheese tamale recipe and believe me handmade tamales are definitely the way to go. Although, they do take a lot of time. You really have to set aside an entire day. I have seen tamale pie recipes everywhere and I was curious. I also had my mother asking me almost every week to make this. So I finally caved and decided to get it a try.

Compared to the traditional way to make tamales this was so simple and very delicious. You still get that great flavor of homemade tamales, but without all the time and still healthy for you!

Be very patient when mixing the cornmeal. Keep stirring so it doesn't burn and eventually it will thicken up. I didn't have my burner up high enough so I was standing there stirring for a while before I realized it was futile unless I turned up the heat. :)

Low Fat Tamale Pie
lowfatcooking.com

Ingredients:
Filling:
2 teaspoon canola oil
1 medium onion
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 lbs lean turkey (or extra lean ground beef)
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 (16oz) can corn (drained)
1 (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies
1 (4 oz) can sliced olives

Crust:
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
1 quart fat-free milk
1/2 cup reduced fat shredded cheese (monterey jack, pepper jack, or mexican blend)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400º.
2. Saute onions and pepper in a large skillet over medium heat till fragrant. Add meat, breaking it up, cooking until no longer pink. Drain liquid. Add chili powder, corn, chilies and olive. Simmer for 20 minutes. 
3. Meanwhile, combine cornmeal, salt and milk in a 2 quart saucepan. Heat on medium-high and until thickened, stirring continuously. Spread cornmeal over top of meat and vegetables. Sprinkle with cheese. Place on baking sheet and back for 20-25 minutes, until top is golden.

Serves 8

Nutrition: Calories 369; Fat 8.3g; Cholesterol 42mg; Carb 49.5g; Protein 23.9g; Fiber 6.8g

Pumpkin Macaroni & Cheese

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! Right now my turkey is in the oven getting nice and golden brown. My stuffing is keeping warm and my cheesecake is chilling in the fridge. I am set for a huge Turkey Day dinner!

I thought this out of the box (not literally) mac and cheese dish would be a great addition to any fall meal. Pumpkin, as you all know, is my favorite and I was so excited when I realized you could put it in mac and cheese. When I told people I made this, their first reaction was, "That's weird." Really though, it was fantastic. The pumpkin was not to strong, but with the nutmeg and paprika seasoning you definitely get the great fall flavor. It was so cheesy and gooey. I loved it!

I hope everyone has a great Holiday and gets to spend time with the ones they love. :)

Pumpkin Macaroni & Cheese
adapted from gimmie some oven

Ingredients:
1 (12 oz) can 2% evaporated milk
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
12 oz uncooked elbow pasta
2 1/4 cup reduced fat/part skim cheese (I used Italian blend)
1/4 cup panko bread cups

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Spray a 2 qt baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain the pasta, and then return back to pot. 
3. While the pasta is cooking, in a separate bowl, whisk together the evaporate milk, pumpkin, eggs, paprika, chili powder, nutmeg, salt and pepper until combined. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, pour the evaporated milk mixture into the pot with the pasta and stir until combined. Continue cooking over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 3-4 minutes, or until sauce comes to a simmer and thickens.
4. Remove from heat and stir in 2 cups of the cheese until melted and evenly-distributed.
5. Pour into prepared baking dish and sprinkle top with bread crumbs and the remaining cheese. 
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and the breadcrumbs are toasted. Remove from oven and serve immediately. 

Pumpkin Biscotti

I can not believe it has taken me this long to make Pumpkin Biscotti! Not only do I love biscotti, but I LOVE pumpkin. No need to fret anymore, because I have finally done what is right. These cookies were a great addition to my morning coffee. A hint of ginger and nutmeg, and a crunch from the pumpkin seeds. I took the white chocolate and just did a little drizzle. If you want to you are more than welcome to just dunk half of the cookie into the melted chocolate. As much as I love chocolate, white chocolate can be a little too rich for me.

These would be a great addition to Thanksgiving breakfast if you plan on a large family gathering. I know I would love it if someone had these sitting out waiting for me to enjoy. :)

The dough is very sticky so just work slowly to get it into the shape you desire.

Pumpkin Biscotti
dessertfortwo.com

Ingredients:
1 large egg
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch of ginger
pinch of ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
3 tablespoons pepitas, lightly toasted
1 ounces white baking chocolate (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, beat together with a whisk the egg, sugar, and baking powder. Beat vigorously until the mixture turns pale yellow and falls back in ribbons on itself when you lift out the whisk. 
3. Next, add the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, salt and vanilla. Continue whisking, aerating the mixture. 
4. Finally, sprinkle the flour on top and fold it in with a spatula. Fold in the pepitas last. 
5. Shape the dough into a flat log about 3" wide and 8" longs, using wet fingertips. Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
6. Remove from the oven, turn the oven down to 300º and let rest for 15 minutes. Slice into 1/2" slices, place them back on the baking sheet and bake another 30 minutes, turning them over half-way. 
7. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Melt chocolate in a microwave safe bowl at 30 second increments until melted and smooth. Transfer melted chocolate into a small ziplock back and snip a small corner of the bag. Pressing gently from the top drizzle the chocolate over the biscotti. Let cool and serve with your favorite hot beverage!

Makes 12 cookies.

Nutrition: (one cookie) Calories 104; Fat 2g; Protein 2g; Fiber 0g; Cholesterol 15mg; Carbs 20g