Green Goddess Rice

So originally, I wanted to call this "Booger Rice", because it's brown and green.  But then I got back in touch with reality and realized there was nothing appetizing about that, even though I did find it kind of hilarious.  I then contemplated calling it "Brown and Green Rice" - but again, where's the appeal in that?  This is a quick, easy and healthy side that was paired perfect with chicken.  It's similar to a fried rice in terms of the cooking technique - but without all the extra fat and sodium.  

Green Goddess Rice

Ingredients 

1 c chopped broccoli (if fresh, steam prior to)

4 green onions, chopped

1 tsp garlic

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper

1 small vidalia onion, diced

1 tsp olive or coconut oil

1/2 tbsp butter

4 C cooked, brown rice

Heat olive or coconut oil, add in onions, saute until slightly browned.  Add in broccoli, garlic, salt, pepper and saute until softened.  Add 1/2 tbsp of butter, add green onions then add in rice and cook until slightly crisped. Serve warm.

That's it - super easy but super delicious.  I recommend adding more seasonings as you see fit - I love garlic and salt but didn't want to overwhelm the great taste of grilled sweet onions.  

The Challenge - Get Fit or Die Trying

I'm a healthy eater (don't let my blog recipes fool you).  I understand protein and carbs, and portion control. I understand what it takes to lose a pound, what needs to be done to get fit. BUT I recently came to realize that even though I eat a substantial amount of food, I actually have not been eating ENOUGH to actually lose weight or fat and sculpt lean muscles.  Here's the deal - one can actually be in "starvation" mode even if they don't seem to be starving and are actually eating.  Once one is in that mode, it is nearly impossible for them to lose weight because any change in their caloric intake sends the body frantically storing any fat it can find thinking it will never see it again.

I did some research and worked with a few healthcare professionals to learn that my basal metabolic rate is between 1900 and 2200 calories which means that if I just sat on the couch and did absolutely nothing, it would take that many calories just for my body to function.  Imagine that. Nineteen hundred calories.  I consume close to 1600 - but then I burn anywhere from 500-700+ when I work out.  My body was starving.

Interestingly enough, I went to Italy, didn't work out for two weeks and ate nothing but pizza, pasta, wine and beer and shockingly - lost almost four pounds! My theory was proven correctly - I needed more than what I was taking in in order to lose.

I had set out the challenge to myself before we left for vacation that I would be on a fit find for myself.  Now I know people who know me are thinking I'm crazy BUT - I want to be my best me. My leanest, meanest, fittest me. After all, these are the prime years - I should be in the best shape of my life with the most ability and that's exactly what I am going after.

So here's the challenge, in order to keep myself accountable for getting back to "wedding weight" but better (leaner, fitter, stronger) and to lower my body fat percentage, I would track my progress here.  I have to get some updates on my numbers as far as body fat percentage, so this will be an estimate based on where I was the last time I was tested.

I always talk about how much I eat so here's part of the challenge as well - to eat the 1900 calories I need a day and continue a great variety of foods. I want to push myself physically versus just the food piece of this. I've also become increasingly interested, post Italy, in what I eat here in the states that makes me keep weight.  Is it simply the muscle mass I lost in my arms and legs from not working out in Italy? Or is it something deeper.  Is it the preservatives in our foods? The sodium that is found in everything we eat, even if it is healthy? Do I get too much protein? I'm going to work to find out what is best for my body and my healthy! 

In Health, 
Ashlee 

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Let me first start by saying..."mmmmmm!". We went to a BBQ for my husband's side of the family, and the challenge is always, "What do I make that I don't have to count on a stove for, will keep, will feed a large crowd and PLEASE picky eaters?". I think, after this weekend, that I have found my solution - Loaded Baked Potato Salad.  It's a surprising change from the norm and packed with flavor, and perhaps the best part...it actually gets better the longer it soaks.  I always find that I love potato salad when its freshly made, but can pass on it when its the next day, with this particular dish, the flavors soak in and really deliver a punch with leftovers.

The recipe seems labor intensive, but I think some of the steps can be altered or cut out and the taste will still be delightfully delicious. I've added notations to which steps I think, based on other, similar recipes, can me altered.  I also doubled the recipe when I made it because the Zuniga family is a BIG crowd - and even with 4 lbs of potatoes, there was only a small container leftover!

I wish I would've taken more pictures of the "process" because I know everyone loves seeing food in the making. Buuut unfortunately, the night before I had a little too much fun which meant I was scrambling just to get the dish done on time, let alone propping up potatoes for a picture. Ain't nobody got time for that!

I think the recipe is great just how it is, but I did add in a few of my own ingredients and have to say, I don't think I'd try it any other way.

Loaded Baked Potato Salad

Adapted from Foodnetwork

Ingredients (for one batch, I doubled)

2 lbs red potatoes, skin on, washed

1 1/4 c sour cream

3/4 c mayonnaise

1/2 c white vinegar

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic

1/2 lb bacon, cooked and chopped

1 small vadalia onion, diced

1 1/2 c finely shredded cheddar cheese

4 green onions thinly sliced

Directions

In large pot, boil potatoes with 1/4 teaspoon of salt until just fork tender, remove and allow to cool. Meanwhile, crisp bacon, remove from heat, drain and chop leaving 1 tbsp of bacon grease in the pan.  Saute vadalia onions in bacon grease until caramelized  Rough chop the potatoes and fry with onions until crisped, add to large bowl and top with 1/3 of the cheese, allow to melt.  In medium bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic.  Slowly add to potatoes and gently fold in until well combined.  Add in 3/4 of the bacon, 3/4 of the green onions and another 1/3 of the cheese.  Refrigerate for up to an hour, top with remaining bacon, cheese and green onions before serving. 

A few changes - I have also seen some recipes in which the potatoes are baked in the oven with the skin on. This would be a great alternative to frying them as it would take less active time and be less fattening.  It was too hot in our house to do that when I made this originally, but I will certainly try it next time.  The vadalia onions were an addition I made, so they can easily be omitted although I thought they gave a great taste in combination with the white vinegar.  Bring it to your next gathering - you won't regret it! 

Crustless Chicken Quiche

I think perhaps the worst part about me not keeping up with my blog as often as I would like to, is that I lose a lot of the great stories that go along with the recipes.  This unfortunately, is one of those examples.  I decided to do a crustless quiche and wanted something that would have protein and veggies. I don't even remember what I served it with or why I went with the chicken, but here it is.  

Like most other quiches, its a great recipe to throw together after work or even the day before and then throw in the oven while doing other things.  

Crustless Chicken and Veggie Quiche

Adapted from Healthy.Natural.Easy.ish

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

6 eggs

3/4 cup milk

2 cups rotisserie chicken, shredded

2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped

1/2 c fresh spinach, chopped

5 stalks asparagus, chopped

2 cups cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375.  Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate.

Melt butter in a skillet.  Add onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and veggies, saute until slightly crisp. Continue cooking for about a minute.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Lightly beat eggs in a large bowl.  Add milk and whisk well.  Stir in onion mixture, chicken, broccoli and cheese.  Pour into pie plate.  Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

1st Annual Mother's Day Brunch 2013

So I've been away for quite sometime now. It's been one of those things where I cook everyday and write down any if my recipes and plan on blogging and it just never happens. See I've been really trying to focus even more on my fitness and fitness goals which means harder gym sessions and earlier bed times and healthier meals more frequently. While I generally cook healthy, it's my non-healthy foods that are my favorite recipes to share.

Enough of that noise - I decided to host a Mother's Day brunch this year. In recent years were quickly visiting each of our moms and trying to figure out what to do. It ranges from general visits to crowded, long lined brunches that are overpriced and overindulgent. I decided to start a new tradition this year - why not get everyone together and since I am merely just a dog mom right now, I can do all the planning and cooking. Everyone could just come and eat and relax and not have to worry about planning their day around the only available brunch time at the local Hilton.

The plan was simple, I wanted it to look like Pinterest threw up all over my party and I like to think I accomplished just that.

THE MENU

Italian Sausage and Egg Casserole

Chorizo Tortilla Bake

Egg White and Turkey Sausage Quiche Cups

Blintze Cake

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Chicken Salad Croissants

Parmesan Hash browns

Fresh Peach Bellini's

Fruit Kabobs

Italian Sausage and Egg Casserole

Adapted from keyingredient.com

Ingredients

1 LB sweet pepper italian ground sausage

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

2 green peppers, diced

8 eggs, lightly beaten

4 cups diced hash brown potatoes (thawed if frozen)

2 cups (8 oz) shredded cheddar cheese

1 12oz container ricotta cheese

1 1/4 cup shredded swiss cheese

2 teaspoons garlic powder

Directions

-In large skillet, brown ground sausage

-Remove and drain

-In same pan, sautee onion and green pepper

-Add in garlic powder and cooked sauge

-In large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients

-Add sausage mixture to bowl, mix well to combine

-Pour into lighty grease 13x9 in baking dish

-Bake uncovered in preheated 350 degree oven for at least 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.  Allow to sit at least 10 minutes before cutting. 

Chorizo Tortilla Bake

Adapted from Changetable.com

Ingredients

2 cups milk (I used half and half since it was a special occassion)

8 eggs

salt & pepper to taste

18 (6”) corn tortillas

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes

2 4-oz can green chiles

1/2 cup diced sweet onion

3-4 cups Mexican blend cheese - grated

1 lb ground chorizo

Cilantro or green onion for garnish

Directions

-Grease a 9” x 13” baking dish.  Set aside.

-Brown and drain chorizo, add onions and sautee until clear.

-Layer one complete layer of tortillas, careful to cover the entire bottom.  It's ok if they over lap a bit (about 6 tortillas)

-Pour tomatoes and green chiles in a strainer and allow to drain briefly.  Don’t overdo the draining - you don’t need to drain ALL the liquid.

-Beat together the eggs and half and half.  Add salt, pepper and garlic to taste.

-Mix together the tomatoes and green chiles, then spread about 1/3 of the mixture over the tortillas in the pan.

-Sprinkle with 1/3 of the diced onion and chorizo mix

-Pour a small amount of the egg/milk mixture over the top.

-Sprinkle with 1/3 of the cheese.

-Repeat layers two more times.

Bake for 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees.  Remove and allow to stand for 10-15 minutes before cutting. 

Egg White and Turkey Cups

Ingredients

12 Wonton Skins

8 oz Liquid Egg whites*

10 Jennie O Turkey Sausage Links, diced

4 green onions

2 TBSP cream cheese

1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese

mini muffin tin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, using non-stick spray, prepare mini muffin tin.  Stuff with wonton skins and bake for 10-15 minutes or until browned.  Remove and set aside.  Brown turkey sausage until cooked all the way through.  Add eggs and cook until no liquid remains.  Remove from heat and mix in cream cheese and half of the cheddar cheese.  Scoop into wonton skins and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted - serve immediately.

*can use more egg whites depending on how many guests are being served 

Individual Parmesan Hashbrowns

Recipe from Theyummylife.com

Ingredients

1 (20 oz) bag Simply Potatoes Shredded Hash Browns; OR 3-1/2 cups shredded russet potatoes, rinsed and squeezed dry in a towel

3 green onions, chopped (approx. 1/3 cup), both white and green parts

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 12 muffin tins with cooking spray; set aside. In large bowl, combine potatoes, onions, cheese, salt, and pepper. Toss lightly with a fork. Drizzle on olive oil. Toss with fork again until mixture is well combined. Spoon mixture evenly into 12 muffin cups. With the back of the spoon, apply gentle pressure to pack mixture into each cup. Bake for 60-75 minutes in lower third of oven. Let rest for 5 minutes, run a small knife or spatula around the edge of each cup, making sure the edges are loosened. Gently lift each potato cup out, invert it, place on serving plate bottom side up. Good served warm or room temperature.

**I cooked these the day before and then sprayed them with Pam and placed them on a cookie sheet to reheat.  They still turned out perfectly crispy and were an absolute hit! 

Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 8oz whipped cream cheese

1 .7oz package dry italian dressing mix

2 medium cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 tbsp dill

1 package Pepperidge Farm Deli Swirl Rye and Pumpernickel Bread

Directions

Combine italian dressing mix and cream cheese until well blended.  Refrigerate for at least one hour to allow flavors to seep in.  Remove from refrigerator, spread on two slices of bread (approximately 1 tbsp per bread).  Add cucumbers to cover, sprinkle with dill.  Cut off crust and cut into small triangles.  Repeat until all the cream cheese is used. Serve immediately.

Barcelona

I really wanted to keep a daily log of how our trip was each day but we foud ourselves so incredibly busy and exhausted that it was hard to find the energy every night to write what our day entailed. Well go ahead and skip the gory details of how we got to Barcelona a day late and just start with my grand negotiation skills and a little something called a little white lie for which I was told at a young age is ok as long as it doesn't hurt the other person (yes mom, I was impressionable when I was 6 and we didn't pick up mike Meyers because you told his mom you had the flu and didn't). Anyways, the hassle of the events the da before and the fact that it was our "honeymoon" got us bumped to our first ever first class flight. We we're finally on our way!

Our hotel ended up being perfect. A modern, clean, little boutique hotel with a hard bed that was surprisingly super comfortable (or was that the jet lag and exhaustion).

Since we lost a day I think we tried to win the record for most miles walked in half a day in Barcelona. We managed to walk Las Ramblas where we saw street performers, shops and plenty of outdoor restaurants. Along the way we stopped at La Boqueria - the most amazing outdoor supermarket. We were met my an array of colorful candies and fr fruit of every kind. I'll admit I had to plug my nose to avoid nausea as we walked through the fish street but oh, what sites! They had everything imaginable and the mass about of people really proved how popular a place it was.

Per the recommendation of a friend we found a small alley way bar where we enjoyed our first sangria and practiced our embarrassingly terrible espanol. The sangria was amazing- so fresh a fruity, nothing like I have ever had at home. We made our way to the Christopher Columbus statue and the the port. We tried to find a specific restaurant but gave up and found ourselves touring the gothic quarter. The streets and architecture are too stunning for a novice writer to easily describe, but I felt like I had been transported back in time, amazing.

We stumbled upon St. Paul? Church in the gothic quarter and it was a church freak like myself's dream. There were separate places for prayer with with different saints at each one. It was stunning, I regret not documenting which church it was exactly but am sure I can find it on google. We then headed to the Barcelona cathedral which is what we were originally trying to find and that was equally as stunning. It's incredible to me to think how long these structured have been around nearly undisturbed and perfectly preserved.

Stopped for lunch - maso menos - i had a ham and Gouda crept that was good but not worth the price and Steve had what would be his first of many disappointing hamburgessa. We decided that the only way to best jet lag was to push through the exhaustion and just keep going. Soon we went to the 45 minute walk uphill the the playa espana and montjuic where we saw spectacular views of the city and the remains of Olympic sites from the last time Barcelona hosted.

We ended our evening at Tapas 24, a recommendation from a friend who studied in Barcelona. Steve was relatively adventurous at dinner. We had sangria again which there was different than most places. We had roasted chicken and also ham croquettes. The roasted chicken was delicious, they reminded me of a roasted chicken with gravy - Steve really liked those and we ended up ordering a second serving of that. We also ordered "bikini comerc" which is like a small, grilled Iberian ham and Gouda cheese sandwich with truffle oil - another delectable dish that we ended us ordering second of. The truffle oil really gave the sandwich is flavor and I'd have to say that was one of my favorite dishes I had in Barcelona. We had pan con tomate which is basically a crusty bread with a garlicky olive oil and tomato spread. I think this Steve's favorite - I liked to dipped the bikini sandwich in the tomato spread. The final item we ordered was "ous estrellast al gust" which was a deep fried potato with chorizo and fried egg. This was surprisingly delicious and very filling. I think that I will attempt to make something similar one weekend for breakfast because I enjoyed it so much. Thanks for the recommendation Vanacker - definitely our favorite place in Barcelona!

Simple Sundays - Sausage Cheddar Bake

Growing up my mom tried to have big, early dinners on Sundays which was always a favorite. My mom would usually put a roast or something in early in the day and we'd have dinner around three. This allowed us to be able to relax and enjoy our evening all together before heading back to work or school the following day. I decided that as often as possible, I'd like to implement this concept with me and Steve, except simpler since its the two of us. I call it our "simple Sundays" where I put something in the crockpot in the morning or make a casserole the day before. Even sandwiches and canned soup might make an appearance for simple Sundays. I love this so much especially during Steve's busy season when Sundays are really all we have. Simple Sundays give us the freedom and liberty to do whatever we need to do during the day and relax at night without have to worry about stopping to make dinner or having to pick up something that's far from nutritious. I will guilt fully say, however that my first simple Sunday wasn't e aptly nutritious but mmmm mmmm was it delicious!

I got this recipe from HERE and followed it exactly as it was done. I would recommend, however, next time using a sausage with a softer casing than a traditional smoked sausage, possibly a soft skinned polish sausage or even diced ham.

Cheesy Sausage Bake
Adapted from food.com

Ingredients

3 cups idaho potatoes, peeled, boiled and cut into cubes when cool, approx. 1 lb
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 lb Velveeta cheese, diced
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 lb skinless smoked sausage (Eckrich is my favorite brand)
1/8 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

- Cut skinless smoked sausage in half, lengthwise, and then chop into 1/2 inch "half moon" cuts. Cook in a frying pan for about 15 minutes, turning frequently to SLIGHTLY brown.

- Meanwhile, put cooked & diced potatoes in 2 quart casserole. Add cooked meat and give it a gentle toss.

- Mix all remaining ingredients (except for shredded cheddar cheese & the paprika) in a saucepan over medium heat until warm, melted and smooth. (Use a whisk and stir constantly.).

- Pour white/cheese sauce over potatoes and meat. Sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top, and then sprinkle paprika evenly over the top.

- Bake in preheated 350°F oven for 35-45 minutes (watch, until golden brown on top).

This can be made the night before and just taken out an hour before wanting to heat it so it doesn't take too long to heat through. When I made it it seemed odd the one wouldn't mix all the ingredients together but upon baking, the cheese sauce melts through to the potatoes and sausage and creates an amazingly cheesy, gooey, casserole.