Cookie Exchange: Meltaway Cookies

Ingredients:
- 1 C butter
- 3/4 C cornstarch
- 3/4 C powdered sugar
- 1 C flour

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, beat butter until it is light and fluffy
2. Add cornstarch and sugar and blend well.
3. Beat in flour until thoroughly mixed.
4. Drop small teaspoons of dough onto baking sheets and flatten with the bottom of a glass. (Dip glass into powdered sugar to prevent dough from sticking.)
5. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
6. Allow cookies to cool on a wire rack and then frost them!

These were so delicious and appropriately named! They really do melt in your mouth!

Cookie Exchange: Brownie Cookies

Ingredients:
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. mix together all ingredients
3. roll into 1 inch balls
4. roll in granulated sugar
5. bake for 8-10 minutes
6. once cookies have cooled a little, dust the tops with powdered sugar

These were absolutely delicious! And they look so easy, I might just make them today :)

Lemon Herb Tilapia

So, fish probably isn't the best subject for photography, but I promise the taste of this fish totally makes up for its lack of color! I just made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious.

Cast of characters:

• one 5-7 ounce tilapia filet
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• juice from 1/4 of a lemon
• spring of fresh rosemary (or 1/4 tsp dried rosemary)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Place tilapia filet in oven safe dish. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. Place spring of rosemary on top and add salt and pepper, if you wish.
3. Bake for 13-15 minutes.
4. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info:

Calories: 145

Fat: 10.5 g

Carbs: 1 g

Protein: 14.5 g

Soup on Sunday: Spinach Soup

I have devised another healthy creamy veggie soup, just for you! (Ok, for me too) I know creamy spinach soup sounds a little strange, but it's really good!

Cast of Characters:

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 small Vidalia onion
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 medium baking potato (diced)
• 6 oz fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion until tender.
2. Add broth and diced potato. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about 8 minutes (until potato is very tender).
3. Add spinach and recover until spinach wilts (should take no more than 2 minutes).
4. Place soup and Greek yogurt in a blender to puree.
5. Pour soup into bowl and garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info:

Servings: 4

Calories: 112

Fat: 2.4 g

Carbs: 18.5 g

Protein: 6 g

Brown Sugar-Glazed Salmon

While I was at my parents' house for labor day (yes, this post is a little delayed), we decided that we wanted to try baking salmon for dinner one night (something I've never done). Luckily, I had my Recipe Binder with me, so we chose this recipe out of it and it was awesome! Here's the recipe with some minor alterations:

Cast of Characters:

• 2 salmon fillets (about 2 lbs)
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Directions:

1. Cut each fillet widthwise into four pieces. Place in a foil-lined baking pan; sprinkle with pepper. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, mustard and vinegar. bring to a boil. brush evenly over salmon.
3. Broil 6 inches from the heat for 1-2 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. (Watch very carefully at this part because brown sugar burns very easily).

Nutrition Info:

Servings: 8

Calories: 186

Fat: 5 g

Carbs: 5 g

Protein: 30 g

Protein Packed Mac & Cheese

As you may have noticed by now, I'm not really a fan of meat, so I'm always looking for new delicious ways to get protein in my diet (and peanut butter gets old really quick). I just thought I'd share with ya'll one way that I do this. Instead of adding 1/4 cup of milk when making my mac & cheese, I add 1/2 cup of nonfat plain Greek yogurt instead. 1/4 cup of milk only has about 2 g of protein, but the Greek yogurt has 23 g! Big difference! Not to mention, it gives the mac & cheese a richer flavor (without adding any fat!) and makes the sauce a bit thicker... cause no one likes watery mac & cheese.

Strawberry Smoothie

Summer is the perfect time for smoothies. When in a hurry, I used to run by somewhere like Smoothie King to get a liquid lunch. Little did I know, the smoothie I typically got was 400 calories! And some of their smoothies are more than 1,000 calories for a small! After this little discovery, I thought it may be best to stay away from smoothies, but that's easier said than done, so instead I created my own healthier alternative.

Cast of Characters:

• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup nonfat milk
• 6 oz fat free vanilla yogurt

Directions:

1. Blend well in your blender (works best if frozen strawberries are on the bottom)
2. Pour into awesome reusable cup with straw.
3. Enjoy delicious summertime bliss! :)

I'm sure this could be done with many other frozen fruits (mango, pineapple, raspberries, blackberries, etc.), but I don't currently have the time to experiment right now. Let me know if you try another combo that works!

Nutrition Info:

Calories: 188

Fat: 1 g

Carbs: 34 g

Protein: 12 g

Grilled Peaches with Greek Yogurt

I decided that I would celebrate my last day of summer vacation by making this simple and delicious (not to mention healthy) dessert for myself that just screams summertime.

Cast of Characters:

• 1 ripe (almost overripe) peach
• 1/4 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp granola
• 1 Tbsp honey (I prefer organic honey over the typical clover honey. It has more flavor)

Directions:

1. Cut peach in half and remove the pit.
2. Spray grill or peaches lightly with cooking spray. Place peaches with the skin side up on the grill. (I used my George Foreman grill for this part).
3. Remove peaches after about a minute or so.
4. Garnish the peach with yogurt, granola, and honey.
5. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info:

Calories: 160

Fat: 1 g

Carbs: 34 g

Protein: 7 g

Salmon, Asparagus, and Orzo Salad with Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette

It's time again for the Cookbook Challenge... Well, almost. This is my entry for August and it comes from Cooking Light: Fresh Food Fast (not to be confused with Fresh Food Fast: Weeknight Meals that I usually use). Since it's been so incredibly hot around here lately, I decided to do a light and refreshing pasta salad.

Cast of Characters:

Ingredients for Salad:

• 1 lb asparagus (cut into 3 inch pieces)
• 1 cup uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 1 large skinless salmon fillets (I used two medium ones)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (I omitted this)

Ingredients for Lemon-Dill Vinaigrette:

• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1 Tbs fresh chopped dill
• 3 Tbs lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler
2. Bring about 6 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add asparagus and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove asparagus from water using a slotted spoon or tongs reserving the water in the pan. Set aside.
3. Return reserved water to a boil and use it to cook the orzo. This should take about 9 minutes.
4. While pasta is cooking, sprinkle fillet evenly with salt and pepper. Place fish on a foil-lined broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Use 2 forks to break fish into chunks. (I actually chose to use my George Foreman grill to cook the fish since it was just too hot to turn the oven on today. It still turned out just great!)
5. In a bowl, whisk together all ingredients for the vinaigrette together. (I actually put all of the ingredients in a jar and shook it together. Created less of a mess than if I had chosen to use a whisk.)
6. Combine fish, asparagus, orzo, onion, and vinaigrette in a large bowl. Toss to coat evenly.
7. Allow to chill for 2 or more hours before serving.

This was incredibly simple to make, delicious, and absolutely perfect for a summer evening. It's filling enough to be the main dish, but would also work well as a side.

Nutrition Facts:

Serves 5

Calories: 370

Fat: 16

Carbs: 28

Protein: 31

Easy Peach Crumble

As many of my friends know, my favorite fruit is peaches (what Georgia native doesn't love peaches?), so today while walking through the grocery store, I decided to grab a few and see what I could do with them. Here's what I came up with.

Cast of Characters:

• 4 Large Peaches
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1 yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup of butter, melted

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Peel and slice peaches and plop them into a 9x9 baking dish. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon over the peaches evenly.
3. In a medium (or large) mixing bowl, mix together the cake mix and melted butter until the cake mix is fully covered. It should be a crumbly texture.
4. Spoon your cake mix and butter combo over the peaches and spread evenly over the top.
5. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.
6. Eat and enjoy!

I must say, I was pleasantly surprised by how this turned out. I think next time I'm going to try using apples and a spice cake mix. Anyone have any other good combination ideas?

Nutrition Info:

Servings: 9

Calories: 377

Fat: 16 g

Carbs: 57 g

Protein: 3 g

Dijon Green Beans

Last night's dinner was full of new recipes. To go along with my Panko Pan-Fried Fish Strips, I made a new green bean recipe. I'm still trying to decide if this recipe is a keeper or not, but I decided to post it anyway and let you decide for yourself.

Cast of Characters:

1 Tbs butter

2 tsp dijon mustard (more on this later)

1 Tbs fresh parsley

salt to taste (yes, my salt shaker is an owl)

Directions:

1. Cook the green beans according to the directions on the package or, if you bought fresh green beans like I did, cook them on the stove. (In a large saucepan on medium-high heat, bring water to a boil. Add in trimmed green beans and allow to boil, uncovered, for about 5-8 minutes until they are cooked to your liking.)
2. Once green beans are cooked and drained, mix in all other ingredients until coated evenly.
   
   Recipe Review: I am not a huge fan of dijon mustard, so I think the next time I make these, I will only use about 1.5 tsp of dijon mustard instead of the full 2. Aside from the small tweak that needs to be made, I really like this recipe. It's a little more exciting than just plain green beans and the only thing I had to buy for this recipe was the green beans. I think I just made up my mind about this recipe. I suppose I will try it again. :)

Nutrition Info:

Servings: 4

Calories: 35

Fat: 1.5 g

Carbs: 6 g

Protein: 1 g

Panko Pan-Fried Fish Strips

Once again, I found myself looking through my favorite cookbook EVER, Fresh Food Fast: Weeknight Meals, for my July Cookbook Challenge recipe when I came across the recipe for Panko Pan-Fried Fish Strips. I must be honest, I have never fried a single thing before in my life, so I'd be lying if I said I wasn't at least a little concerned, but they just looked so delicious that I chose to throw my fear aside and go for it anyway!

Cast of Characters:

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

4 tilapia fillets, cut in half lengthwise

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese Breadcrumbs)

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

Directions:

1. Combine first 3 ingredients; sprinkle evenly over fish.
2. Place buttermilk in a shallow dish. Place panko in another shallow dish. Working with 1 piece of fish at a time, dip fish into buttermilk, and dredge in panko.
3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the oil to the pan; then add half the fish. Reduce heat to medium; cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Repeat procedure with remaining oil and fish.

This is definitely a recipe that I will be repeating! My fears of frying were unfounded. (Do you like my alliteration?) This was definitely a winning recipe and pretty healthy too!

Nutrition Info:

Serving Size: 2 pieces (1 fillet)

Calories: 310

Fat: 9 g

Carbs: 17.5 g

Protein: 40 g

Sweet Potato Fries

This past week, on their way to the beach, my parents decided to stop at a little roadside produce stand where they bought peaches, cantaloupe, and a big brown paper bag full of sweet potatoes. I decided that since we some sweet potatoes to spare, I would try a new side to go with my Meyer lemon and dill fish parcels that I was making. I settled on the sweet potato fries recipe that I found in the latest issue of GreenWise.

Cast of Characters:

• Sweet potatoes
• Salt
• Pepper
• Ground cumin
• Paprika
• Chili powder
• Cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Cut potatoes lengthwise into quarters and then cut each quarter into thirds. (Anyone else feel like this is a 3rd grade math lesson?)
3. Spray a cookie sheet with the cooking spray and then spread out potato wedges. Wedges shouldn't be overlapping.
4. Sprinkle wedges evenly with salt, pepper, ground cumin, paprika, and chili powder.
5. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until soft.

Play around with trying some different seasonings. Let me know if you come up with a new combination.

Meyer Lemon and Dill Fish Parcels

For this month's Cookbook Challenge, Emily and I both decided to do it while we were at the beach with our family. Yet again, I chose a recipe from Fresh Food Fast: Weeknight Meals. This time I chose to try my hand at cooking fish (flounder). Fish is a great source of lean protein, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids (which are good for heart health).

Meyer Lemon and Dill Fish Parcels

Ingredients:

• 4 (6-ounce) halibut or flounder fillets
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 8 Meyer lemon slices (2 lemons)
• 1 Tbs butter, quartered
• 4 tsps chopped fresh dill

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut 4 (15-inch) squares of parchment paper. Fold each square in half. Open folded parchment paper; place 1 fillet near fold on each square.
3. Sprinkle fillets evenly with salt and pepper.
4. Top evenly with lemon slices, butter quarters, and dill.
5. Fold paper; seal edges with narrow folds. Place packets on large baking sheet.
6. Bake for 15 minutes or until paper is puffy and lightly browned.
7. Place 1 packet on each of 4 serving plates, and cut open. Serve immediately.

This recipe was a cinch to make and I will definitely be making it again! I chose to serve it with some sweet potato fries and steamed broccoli.

Nutrition info:

- Calories: 235

- Fat: 5.6g

- Protein: 42g

- Carbs: 6g

Zucchini Medallions with Parmesan Cheese

When I was in high school, this was one of my favorite things that my mom would make. So simple, but so tasty! Perfect as an appetizer or a side.

Ingredients:

• 1 medium zucchini
• Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil cooking spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Line a cookie sheet with foil
3. Cut zucchini into 1/4 inch thick slices (discard ends)
4. Place medallions on lined cookie sheet without any overlap
5. Quickly spray the tops of the medallions with the cooking spray
6. Top each medallion with about 1/8 tsp of Parmesan cheese
7. Bake for about 6-8 minutes
8. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info:

Serving Size: 8 pieces

Calories: 60

Fat: 4g

Carbs: 4g

Protein: 3g

Servings of fruit/ veggies: 1

Mini White Pizzas with Vegetables

I have decided to join my sister and her friends in their cookbook challenge this month. Every month, they choose a recipe from a cookbook that they already own, prepare it, and blog about it/ rate it. It just sounded like too much fun the I couldn't help but join in!

For my first post, I chose a recipe from Cooking Light's Fresh Food Fast: Weeknight Meals. As most of my friends know, I'm not really much of a meat eater, so I chose a recipe from the "Meatless Main" section.

Mini White Pizzas with Vegetables

Cast of Characters:

- 4 whole wheat pitas

- Olive oil-flavored cooking spray

- 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

- 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, separated into rings (I cut mine into quarters so they were easier to spread out evenly on the pita)

- 1/4 tsp black pepper (I don't like pepper, so I left this out)

- 1/8 tsp salt (left this out too)

- 1/2 cup light garlic and herb spreadable cheese (like Alouette Light)

- 6 Tbsp shredded Asiago cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat broiler

2. Place pitas on a baking sheet; broil for 3 minutes

3. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium0high heat; coat pan with cooking spray. Add zucchini, onion, pepper, and salt; saute 3 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

4. Spread 2 Tbsp of the garlic and herb spreadable cheese on each pita. Top each pita evenly with sauted vegetables and top with Asiago cheese.

5. Broil for 3 more minutes or until edges are lightly browned and cheese is melted.

After making these, I officially have a new dinner favorite! They didn't take longer than 20 minutes to make and they were so delicious. They're also pretty healthy!

Nutritional Info:

Calories: 290

Fat: 10 g

Carbs: 33 g

Protein: 15 g

Servings of fruit/ veggies: 1