Crock Pot Lasagna

Being an adult is a tough thing. Some days I look back on college life and reminisce on how easy life was...especially the summers. Living at home, working less than 30 hours a week and having home cooked meals. Thanks Mom! 

Sometimes the hardest part of my day is figuring out what to eat for dinner, especially when I've just gotten home from work and did not plan ahead. When you're ravenous, making a big meal is just not an option. Thankfully, the crock pot has come in handy many nights for dinner. I don't know how to make a whole lot of things in the crock pot, but I'm finding more and more recipes. 

I stumbled upon this recipe on Pinterest and also found another neat crock pot recipe site here.

Prepare the night before, stick in the fridge and plug in the next day before you head to work. :)

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped bell peppers
29 oz. can tomato sauce
8 oz. package lasagna noodles, uncooked
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese

Directions:
1. Spray the inside of the crock pot with cooking spray. 
2. Brown the ground beef and drain off grease except for about 1 Tablespoon. Remove beef  from pan. 
3. Saute peppers and onions in pan with grease until slightly softened. Add beef back in and stir in the tomato sauce. 
3. Spread 1/4 of the meat sauce on the bottom of the crock pot.  Arrange 1/3 of the uncooked noodles over  the sauce, breaking as needed to fit. 
4. Combine the cheeses in a bowl. Spoon 1/3 of the cheeses over the noodles.
5. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining sauce. 
6. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or to work around your work day, cook on high for an hour or two before work then cook on low or warm until you're home again. 
7. Let lasagna stand in crock pot with lid off for at least 10 minutes before serving. 

Orange Dreamsicle Cookies

Wow, it has been quite a while since I last posted. Summer's busy, ya know! I do have some good reasons!

Reason #1: Duluth is on a hill, however, after receiving more than 9 inches within 12 hours on June 20, it flooded. We are very blessed to have very little damage to our house, however, we did get a foot of water in our basement...which means we had to haul everything outta there!

Reason #2: It's a hot summer! I haven't been cooking that much. Can you blame me? Pregnant, summer, and cooking are three tough things to combine. :)

Anyway, my love of food includes looking at food. Just looking at it. So beautiful. Naturally, I love looking through food magazines which is where I found this recipe. I love when they change much loved desserts into other forms of desserts. So fun!

Yield 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
1 egg
1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
2. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.
3. In large bowl, cream butter, sugars, and zest with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg, mix well.
4. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix well. Stir in white chocolate chips.

5. Drop dough by tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes or until edges start to brown. Cool 3 minutes on pan and move to cooling rack.

6. Enjoy and think of the good ol' days of eating dreamsicles on the front porch. Or not, I didn't have a front porch or remember eating dreamsicles there, but it sounds like a good memory.

P.S. Isn't orange zest incredible? I can't believe how it can flavor things!

Peanut Chicken

Yes, I know, the picture isn't the greatest for this one. However, considering I'm an amateur, I figure you'll forgive me, right? 

Zach and I are always trying to make Asian food. Mostly because during preparation Zach gets to talk in an Asian accent. Just kidding. I mean, it's true... that's just not why we make Asian food. We find we really enjoy Asian food, especially at restaurants, however, make quick embarrassing versions of them at home. Embarrassing to Asians that is, we think they are yummy! I am slowly trying to make more authentic versions of them, I'm just nervous about buying some of the ingredients. Like for instance, fish sauce or oyster sauce. It doesn't sound like I'd really like it. I guess you'll just have to keep following my blog to see how it all pans out. 

I found this simple recipe in a Rachel Ray magazine. It's one we would try again!


Yield: about 4 servings

Ingredients:
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2/3 cup chunky peanut butter
1 pound cubed boneless chicken breast
1 cup shredded carrots
1 bunch scallions
brown rice (~4 servings worth, as listed in the package)


Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together water and peanut butter.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. (Fun fact: olive oil has a low smoking point, which means it starts smoking at a lower temperature than other oils. Make sure your stove top is really at medium heat and it won't start smoking or jumping out of the pan. Canola oil is also a good choice. It has a higher smoking point and still has those good unsaturated fats in it.)
3. Add the chicken, patted dry, and cook until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. 
4. In the same skillet, cook the carrots and 1/2 cup chopped scallion whites over medium heat for 30 seconds. 
5. Stir in the peanut butter mixtures. Return the chicken and juices to the pan and cook, stirring, until heated through; season with salt and pepper. 
6. Top with 1/4 cup chopped scallion greens and serve with cooked brown rice. 

Falafel with Tzatziki Sauce

This post goes out to one of my best friends Megan, who is currently in the Holy Land touring all those holy sites. Hope you're having fun, Meg! 

Before Megan left for the Holy Land we gave her an update on falafel. We basically said, "Eat as much as you can!" Zach and I have both been blessed that we each have also been to the Holy Land. The sites were incredible and there is much to say about them. However, I often associated many of my memories with food. When reminising on this trip I often think of falafel. One particular memory I have of falafel is our guide would always say, "and it will be served with a nice salad." I always thought, "that sounds nice," but never could seem to find the salad. Turns out...he was talking about the lettuce in the falafel sandwich. Same language, different cultures. 

Anyway, Zach and I have made falafel multiple times since then, but we just can't seem to master the recipe. The falafel always ends up falling apart. Then one lucky day at work I stumbled upon this recipe. We tried it one Friday night and LOVED it! Happy tummies! 


Side Note: The blog I got this recipe from is written by a woman who has a really great weight loss story. Check it out! http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com


Here is my modified version:


Yield: 2 servings


Ingredients:
For falafel:
15 oz. can chickpeas
2 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper


For Tzatziki sauce:
1-8 ounces container plain yogurt
1 cucumber-peeled, seeded, and diced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried dill, more or less for preference
1 large clove garlic


Falafel Topping:
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
4 pita bread pocket halves (5-6" diameter)
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions (optional)
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 cup chopped lettuce


Directions:
1. About one hour ahead of time prepare tzatziki sauce. Place all of the tzatziki sauce ingredients into a food processor and blend until well combined. Transfer to a separate dish, cover and refrigerate at least one hour for best flavor.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
3. Combine all the falafel ingredients into a food processor and pulse until well blended. 
4. Scoop the bean mixture onto a clean surface and shape into 8 equal sized patties. 

5. Place on a greased baking sheet  or I used my stoneware pan with parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes. 
6. Fill pita bread halves with 2 patties each, chopped lettuce, tomato, onion (if desired), crumbled feta and tzatziki sauce. ENJOY!

Homemade Tortillas

I have to admit...homemade tortillas remind me of Africa. Yep. When I studied in South Africa when I was abroad they had many foods we were familiar with including KFC and McDonalds. Mexican food though was hard to find or expensive. One favorite memory is how they pronounce jalapeno...exactly as it looks...ja-lap-a-no.


Anyway, my peers would make their own tortillas to save themselves some money. Now although Zach and I do follow a budget, we did not make homemade tortillas because we were trying to save money. We made them for the fun of it. Yes, it's true. We think making tedious food is fun. However, they were really yummy! If they are well wrapped they can also be stored in the freezer for up to a month. Pull them out the night before and reheat before using.

Following with my own recommendations to my patients, I try to eat half of my grains or more as whole grains. In this recipe, I mixed half whole wheat flour and half white flour, but you can do whatever pleases you. :) Zach and I actually used them to make enchiladas, but they can be used for whatever Mexican entree you desire!

From Taste of Home magazine June/July 2010
Yield: 8 tortillas


Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
3 Tbsp olive oil


Directions:
1. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil.
2. Turn onto a floured surface and knead 5 to 6 times.
3. Divide dough into 8 portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 7 inch circle.
4. In a large nonstick skillet coating with cooking spray, cook tortillas over medium heat for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Keep warm.

Naan

I've never been much for Indian food, but slowly I'm finding I enjoy it. Zach and I were invited over to his professor's house one night and she served this. It was fantastic! I didn't think I could possibly recreate it, but this tastes pretty dang good! It's soft, doughy and goes with just about anything. We love to have it for dinner with kabobs in the summer and it usually gets finished off at breakfast the next morning.

To make this recipe I combined two different ones I found here and here. 

Yield: 10-12 servings...that is, if you eat only one. 

Ingredients:

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons milk

1 egg, beaten

2 teaspoons salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour

2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)

1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.

2. Punch down dough and knead in garlic, if desired. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

4. After second rising, roll one ball of dough into a thin circle. Place on hot griddle or pan over high heat and cook for 4-5 minutes or until it is puffed up with some brown/black spots on the bottom.

5. Flip naan and repeat the process for the other side. 

6. Slide spatula under the naan and transfer it to the oven, directly on the rack, or I place mine on my stoneware. Cook for a minute or two until it finishes puffing up into a balloon. 

7. Remove naan from the oven and brush lightly with butter, if you like. Serve warm!

Cheddar Cheese Crackers

I stumbled upon this recipe at work one day during my lunch break. Yes, even though I work with food and nutrition all day (although in some ways indirectly), I still can't get enough of food. All in all, I think I was just surprised that you can make homemade crackers. Who knew?


I made these crackers one summer night when some kids we knew were playing Frisbee in the park across from our house. They came in for a break and the crackers slowly disappeared.


The benefit of making homemade crackers is that at least you know what is in them! Health-wise, you can avoid unwanted trans fats that are often sneaked into baked goods. I also made these on my stoneware pan, which provides even cooking for the perfect crispy cracker!

Yield: About five dozen crackers.


Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (more as needed)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1 cup tightly packed grated sharp Cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1/4 cup tightly packed Parmesan (4 ounces)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 eggs


Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. I used my stoneware pan and it is well seasoned so I did not grease it. However if you are using metal baking sheets, lay down parchment paper. 
2. Sift together the flours, salt and sugar and place in the bowl of a food processor fitted with steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Add the cheese and pulse several times to distribute it evenly throughout the flour mixture. Turn on the food processor and add the olive oil and eggs. Stop when the dough comes together. It will be soft and somewhat sticky. If it seems moist, add another teaspoon of flour and pulse until incorporated.
3. Lightly flour your hands and work surface. Scrape out the dough and form two equal pieces. Shape into rounds, wrap in plastic and let rest for 15 minutes.
4. Roll our each piece of dough between pieces of lightly floured parchment. Transfer to the baking sheet. Cut into squares of rectangles. I like using my pastry cutter that gives them wavy edges!
5. Bake 15-20 minutes, switching pans after the first 10 minutes from front to back and top to bottom. They will foam in the oven because of the cheese, but that will subside and they will bake crisply. The crackers are done when they are lightly browned.
6. Remove from the oven and cool on racks. Store in airtight container...if there is any left when you're done taste testing!

Confession #1

Yes, as the title states, I am a dietitian.  I am blessed enough to have a job at a little hospital in a rural town in northern Minnesota.  Thank God!  I spend my days learning about what people eat, telling them what not to eat, try to get them to eat, and every once a while guide some lost residents in the nursing home back to their rooms.  The latter isn't part of my job description, but then again a lot of things aren't.  For instance, I was the bearer of bad news to a woman who was convinced that reaching for food on the top of her fridge counted as planned physical activity or arm extensions.  Nice try, lady.  Okay, I digress.

My main reason for starting a blog was so I could post all of my pictures of food.  No really, I've been taking pictures of food since I got married...over a year ago.  It's about time I cleaned out that memory card. 

I bet you're waiting to hear my #1 confession.  Am I right?  Okay, here it is:  I eat sweets. Yep, the whole works, sweets, candy, baked goods, pies, etc. and I'm a dietitian.  Can you believe it!?  It's true!  I actually think I'm going to give them up for Lent this year because giving up sweets is going to be a true sacrifice, like die-to-myself type of sacrifice.  Here's is the education piece of the matter of why I can enjoy sweets and still maintain my ideal weight.  I typically limit my sugar, sweets and "empty calories" each day to about 200 calories.  By empty calories I mean foods that have calories, but no other real nutritional content, such as vitamins, minerals, protein, etc.  I believe food you love should be a part of your diet because it brings a little sanity and enjoyment to life.  Everything in moderation!

Welp, hope I haven't lost you in all my chatter!  I figure I can hook you back in with something yummy, right?


Here is one of my favorite recipes:

Chocolate Cookie Bark

I found this recipe underneath the microwave when I move into my husbands house after we got married.  Good find, right?

Ingredients:

1 Package (8 squares) Baker's Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate

1 Package (6 Squares) Baker's Premium White Baking Chocolate

2 Tbsp Peanut Butter

10 Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Directions:

1) Place semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate in separate medium microwaveable bowls.  Microwave until completely melted, following directions on package.

2) Add peanut butter to white chocolate; stir until well blended. 

3) Crumble half of the cookies over chocolate in each bowl; mix well. 

4) Drop spoonfuls of the chocolate mixtures onto wax paper-covered baking sheet, alternating the colors of the chocolates.  Cut through chocolate mixtures several times with knife for marble effect.

5) Refrigerate at least 1 hour or until firm.  Break into bite size pieces.  Store in airtight container in refrigerator. 

Now stop drooling and get cooking!  Remember, moderation in all things.  Enjoy!