Chicken with Caramelized Lemons and Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

This recipe is a one-dish wonder! The lemons and tomatoes provide great, light flavors to make this dish a summer-time staple! You can easily double the ingredients below to feed more than two. Serve with a green veggie or a light salad on the side, and you've got the perfect summertime meal!

Ingredients:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large lemon
1 cup of cherry tomatoes
1.5 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dried parsley (1tsp of fresh may be subbed... or, you can just omit it altogether)
garlic powder
pepper
salt

Directions:
Heat a cast iron skillet and olive oil to medium-high heat. Preheat oven to 400F.
Season the chicken breasts with garlic powder, salt and pepper.
Pan fry the chicken breasts for 1-2 minutes per side until browned (chicken does not need to be cooked through at this point, it will finish in the oven).
Slice the lemon in half and place the halves cut-side down in the pan.
Pour the cheery tomatoes into the pan and position them around the chicken and lemons.
Sprinkle the parsley on top and place the skillet into the preheated oven for 15 minutes OR until the chicken's juices run clear and the tomatoes are roasted.
Once you remove the skillet from the oven, gently rub the caramelized lemons over the chicken breasts before serving. For more lemon flavor, squeeze the lemons over the chicken - the caramelized pulp should create a thick glaze for the chicken.

Enjoy!
XO - K

Lightened-Up Gyros

Disclaimer: please excuse the poor photography in this post. I realize the lighting is bad, the steak looks black, and one wrap is half-eaten... I wasn't sure they would be post worthy, but I was pleasantly surprised and decided that I had to share! 

I made these for lunch today by mistake, and it was the best mistake I've made in a while! I had some leftover steak bits and wasn't sure about exactly what I wanted to do with them, I just knew I wanted some sort of lettuce wraps... Several ideas crossed my mind (teriyaki-style, fajita-style, black and blue...all of these will be attempted soon), but I decided to go with a Greek gyro theme.

I started by adding the steak bits and a pat of butter to the pan over medium heat. I then added several drops of sirracha sauce, a little garlic salt and some Greek seasoning. I played around with it until I found the right amount, so this can be completely tailored to your taste. Just remember, you can always add more, so start small! 

After swirling the steak around and warming it with the seasonings, I prepared my lettuce wraps. I began by spreading about 1/2- 1tbsp of hummus on the inside of the washed romaine leaves. Next, I divided the steak bits and spread them over the hummus. I then crumbles a little goat cheese on top and added an extra line or two of sirracha (I love the heat with the cool goat cheese)! 

You could always add more veggies, like cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, etc. I just used what I had handy and it did not disappoint! This recipe would also work well with chicken.

This is a low-carb, gluten-free, lighter way to enjoy the great tastes of gyros! 

Enjoy, 

XO

-K

Egg-less Cookie Dough

Okay, so maybe this can't be classified as a "healthy" dessert, but at least it won't give you anything extremely dangerous, like the regular, "raw" stuff! I find a spoonful of this to be the perfect way to satisfy my cookie dough cravings, which appear more often than you might think... It is wonderful on top of ice cream as well. Are you sold yet? Just in case you aren't, let's check out the lists below...

Shall we compare the dangers?

Regular, Raw Cookie Dough:

• harmful bacteria
• stomach cramping
• extra E. coli
• salmonella
• digestive distress
• etc.

Egg-less Cookie Dough:

• possible addiction 
• possible bliss-induced coma after consumption...
• ...that's all I've got

I think we have a winner, y'all! Keep in mind, this is to be consumed in moderation. (self control, self control, self control...)

Ingredients: 

1 stick unsalted butter, softened (Channeling Paula Deen yet? Just embrace it...)
3/4 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp of salt
1.5 tsp vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour (Swap for gluten-free, if that's your thing...)
2 tbsp milk
1 cup chocolate chips (I like milk, but semisweet or dark are fine too.)

Directions:
I have tried a mixer, but I prefer to keep dirty dishes to a minimum, so I usually hand mix! Either one will work though.

Blend together the softened butter and brown sugar. Next, mix in the vanilla and the salt. Mix well.

Next, stir in the flour. Calm down, I know it looks crumbly, but you are almost there, I promise. 
Now, add in the milk and watch it become gooey. 
Told you. 
Finally, fold in the chocolate chips carefully and have a spoonful, you've earned it. This can be refrigerated for later use... because you know the craving will return. I honestly don't know how long it will keep in the fridge, it has never lasted more than a week with me, but it can be frozen for up to three months. Don't forget to try it over ice cream. Yum! 
Enjoy! XO - K

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

Following along with today's Italian-themed posts, here's a recipe I have been wanting to try for a while. I have seen many cheese stick recipes using egg roll wrappers instead of the traditional breading, but most of them were still fried (yuck!)... Then I had a thought: Why not bake them instead? So, I did, and it was a wonderful idea. Is there really anything better than melty, hot cheese and marinara sauce? The answer is no. No, there is not.

It is only fair that I admit my mistakes before I pass this recipe along... I did not properly seal my egg roll wrappers with water before baking them. Two of them ended up oozing out and making a yummy, yet disastrous mess on the baking pan. Good news is, cheese is still tasty, even when it isn't pretty! :)

Ingredients:

4 mozzarella string cheese sticks
4 egg roll wrappers
Olive oil spray
Marinara sauce for dipping


Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a baking pan with olive oil. Place an egg roll wrapper at a diagonal, place one cheese stick at the top corner, and begin rolling it downward. Once you have rolled it half-way, tuck in the outer edges to keep the cheese from escaping... cheese is sneaky like that. Continue rolling the cheese stick inside of the egg roll wrapper and seal the last corner with water. Use small amounts of water to rub ALL of the edges and seal them very well (BIG step... do not take it lightly... lesson learned). Spritz the rolled cheese sticks lightly with olive oil spray - this will ensure they brown and crisp nicely. Bake for 12-15 minutes, turning halfway through baking. Serve with marinara. Enjoy!

Vegetable Parmesan (Eggplant, Zucchini, Squash)

This is one of my favorite Italian recipes! I had been wanting to make a hearty, meatless meal for a while. One that would satisfy the men in my life (brother and bf) who believe that a meal is incomplete without meat. This did it! I didn't even tell them it was meatless until after I got their votes of approval... sneaky, I know. I also made this dish gluten-free for Mom, who is sensitive to the stuff. The best thing about this recipe? Its even better the next day. You just can't beat dishes that make great leftovers.

Ingredients:
1 eggplant
2 medium zucchini
2 medium squash
1 bunch fresh basil leaves
1 jar of marinara sauce
3 eggs
splash of milk
1 ball of fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1 box of bread crumbs (I used gluten free and seasoned them myself, regular Italian seasoned is fine)
Italian seasoning
garlic powder
salt
pepper
Olive oil for pan frying veggies

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Chop eggplant, zucchini and squash into 1/2 inch slices.
Combine eggs with milk, salt, and pepper.
Mix together the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning to taste, if you aren't using pre-seasoned breadcrumbs. If you are, throw in some garlic powder anyway...because garlic is wonderful.
Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray or rub with olive oil. Set aside.
Pour a few tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and heat to medium.
While the skillet is heating, begin dipping the veggies in the egg mixture, then into the breadcrumbs to coat them.
Once the skillet is heated, pan fry the veggies in the skillet until they are golden brown and can be easily pierced with a fork. Place the pan-fried veggies on a paper-towel lined plate to drain any excess oil.
Begin placing the first layer into the bottom of the casserole dish. Pour 1/3 of the marinara sauce over the vegetables. Top with 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella, a few basil leaves, and 1/3 of the slices of fresh mozzarella. Repeat layering 2 more times until all veggies are used. Top with leftover marinara, basil leaves, and mozzarella slices. Sprinkle parmesan on the top.

Place in oven, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Variations: You could add meat sauce or prepare with chicken to make this dish even heartier. Also, if you prefer to use all eggplant, that works well too! There is a lot of room for variation in this recipe.

Island Wraps

Being a resident of the MS Gulf Coast, I frequent the islands with friends and family when the weather is nice. Growing up, we always stopped by the grocery store deli and got fried chicken and potato logs to take with us to the islands. Don't get me wrong, I love these delicious, southern delights... I just can't indulge too frequently, especially during swim suit season. Last summer, I decided to pack light wraps for my island lunch and they have become a staple. These are wonderful to have handy poolside, on the beach, or in your everyday lunch. I wanted to keep the wraps simple, so there are just a few fresh ingredients involved in this delicious lunch recipe. These are also vegetarian!

Recipe:

Red bell pepper strips (4)
Spinach (1/4 cup)
Avocado (2 slices)
Goat cheese (2 tbsp)
Hummus (2 tbsp - any flavor)
1 wrap of your choice

This recipe is all about preference and can be adjusted to your taste. First, spread the hummus onto the wrap, leaving a little space around the edges for folding. Next, place the spinach leaves down the center and top them with the red bell pepper strips, avocado, and goat cheese. Make a wrap fold (see diagram below) and slice the wrap in half. I wrapped it in aluminum foil and placed it in a ziplock bag. The foil does a great job of keeping the wraps in shape and secure in the cooler. Enjoy!

10 Day Water Challenge

10 Day Water Challenge

Fact: I do NOT drink enough water on a daily basis, despite boyfriend's best effort of buying me a super awesome Hydracoach water bottle (click to visit their website or purchase - they really are great)... Mine has somehow ended up with a hole in the straw part (probably because I held it with my teeth a lot...shhhh) so, I must order a replacement straw. 

Anywhoo... I want to share some of my findings with you. Boyfriend told me a while back that I should start drinking some ungodly amount of water (about 16oz), first thing in the a.m. This was not appealing to me, but I decided to research it anyway. I am sure that many of you have heard these things at some point. Just humor me, okay?

Here is a summary of what I learned about the benefits of drinking water:

• First thing in the morning, it kick starts your internal organs
• It re hydrates your body - something you desperately need to do after 8+ hours of sleep
• It flushes toxins out of your body (duh..)
• It boosts energy and helps you to focus and concentrate
• It gives you the illusion of feeling full before meals, which causes you to eat less - hello, weight loss! (drink 1-2 glasses before eating to test this out)
•  It improves your complexion by moisturizing and smoothing skin from the inside, out
• It boosts your immune system
• It can help with allergy troubles (BIG deal for me)
• It aids in digestion
• It keeps your joints lubricated to prevent sprains, cramps and other injuries
• It is a natural headache reliever
• Added bonus: It's cheap! 

Need anymore reasons to choose H20? I don't! 

So, here's my 10 Day Water Challenge: Every morning, for the next 10 days, I will force myself to drink 32 oz of room temperature water when I wake up. Including the 32 oz I drink in the morning time, I will also meet my Hydracoach goal of a  minimum of 70oz per day. This might not seem like much of a challenge for some of you, but I definitely don't get the daily amount of water that I need, so I am starting with this plan. I encourage you to do it with me and post the results! 

Here's what I hope to experience during my first challenge:

• boosted energy levels
• clearer skin
• less allergy attacks
• healthy weight loss

Other news: Mom swears by alkaline ("magic") water and boyfriend isn't sold on it... He's doing some kind of controlled experiment that involves bodily fluids and pH strips. Should be interesting...

Stay tuned for the results! Happy hydrating! 

XO, -K