Stuffed Green Peppers

I have found a magical ingredient! It’s amazing: Ground Turkey Breakfast Sausage. It’s at Wal Mart with the other turkey meat. It’s sooo flavorful, so you don’t even need to add seasoning to most dishes. Everything I’ve made with it is delish, so I’ll have to post some other recipes soon. I tried this one last night, and it was great. I modified the recipe from www.sandyskitchenadventures.com. This recipe is great if you’re trying to eat more veggies, low carbs, and lean protein. A great lean and green meal!

Stuffed Green Peppers – makes 3 servings

3 large green peppers

1 lb lean ground turkey breakfast sausage

1 ½ cup finely chopped cauliflower (easier to cut if frozen)

1 can Rotel

A couple slices of low fat cheese

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Start a pot of boiling water. Chop off the top of the green peppers, take the seeds out, and boil the peppers in the water for about 5 minutes, or until desired tenderness.

Brown the turkey breakfast sausage and pat off the extra fat with paper towels. Combine the sausage, Rotel and cauliflower in a bowl. Place the peppers in a baking dish, then fill them with the mixture. Top with 2-3 thin slices of cheese. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and filling is heated through.

*If you use another meat, you will probably need to add seasonings such as taco seasoning, Italian,)

Tofu Scramble

Have you been wanting to try cooking with tofu, but not sure what to make? It IS a weird food, but is extremely versatile. It is so easy to cook with, and takes on any flavor you add to it. Tofu is used in place of egg in this recipe. You could use any spice combination and any vegetable you like. This tofu scramble makes a great breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and is also a great lean and green meal! Let me know how yours turns out! 

Tofu Scramble    

Serves 4

1 lb firm tofu

½ onion

1 clove garlic

1 jalapeno, seeded

1 cup broccoli, diced small

1 ½ cup tomato, diced

2 cups spinach, torn into pieces

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon curry

¼ teaspoon turmeric

1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce

Cilantro

1 Avocado

Fresh salsa

Drain tofu and crumble it with a fork with the salt, curry, cumin, turmeric and soy sauce in a bowl.

Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a pan on medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add the jalapeno, tomato and broccoli and sauté for 3 more minutes. Stir in the seasoned tofu and the spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted.

Dish onto 4 plates and garnish with cilantro, avocado and fresh salsa. 

Weight Loss Challenge!

As most of you know, I have recently decided to become a health coach for an amazing program. I really love helping people improve their health! The program is based on 3 things:

1. Medically formulated meal replacements, combined with healthy eating. The meal replacements assists in weight loss by balancing blood sugars while staying hydrated and nourished. That means you never go without food, and you get all the vitamins, minerals, water, and fat you need to help with digestion, not to mention weight loss.
2. A book and a workbook that I call "the curriculum"  for the program. It helps you transform mentally, or "get's your brain skinny".
3. A FREE health coach! (Me) Also, there is an awesome Facebook support group, multiple conference calls you can participate in weekly if you have questions, and a phone app. etc.

I was interested in the program myself, and decided to try it in April 2012. I knew I wanted to be a health coach, but wanted to try the program first. After losing 15 pounds, I decided that I was for SURE going to do this! I love the renewed energy I have, I love the way my clothes fit better, and of course, sharing this with other people!

So. As the new year is here, and people are making resolutions to improve their lives, I am teaming up with a few of my other health coach friends and doing a "Biggest Loser" type challenge. The best part is - the winner gets a HUGE cash prize! Right now the pot is up to $1600 ($20/person - I cover that for my clients that decide to participate). That means there are currently 70 people in on this - and there are sure to be many more as the deadline to sign up approaches! The last day to register is on January 15, 2013. All you have to do is be on the program for 3 months - and the person with the highest body fat percentage lost wins! If you are interested, contact me and I will explain how to get you signed up. Fill out the referral at www.takeshapewithsamantha.tsfl.com/explore and I will give you a call. Talk to you soon!

Pumpkin, White Bean Chicken Chili

 What are you eating for dinner? If it's not this, then change your plans immediately. And don't forget the Cumin!

Pumpkin, White Bean Chicken Chili

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped white onion
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 cup diced celery
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2-3 frozen chicken breasts
• 32 ounces chicken broth
• 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 15 ounce cans drained and rinsed white beans
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon Lawry’s Garlic Salt - I use this stuff on everything!!
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin

Directions

1. Saute the chopped/diced carrot, onion, and celery in the extra virgin olive oil with a bit of salt and pepper for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. 
2. While the veggies are sauteing, combine the other ingredients in a crock pot: the frozen chicken breast, chicken broth, milk, pumpkin, beans, salt, pepper, garlic salt and cumin. When the veggies are done, add those as well and turn the crock pot on high for 4 hours or until ready to serve.

Makes 8 Servings

Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms

I have some great cookies for you today! I made these last week for a Christmas party at my house, and then took the left overs to a cookie exchange. Everyone loved them- especially myself. ;) I feel like any cookie that also has candy in it makes it 100x more delicious. These are particularly delicious when they are still warm out of the oven, a few minutes after you put the hershey kiss in the middle.

photo via "Bake at 350"

Chocolate Peppermint Blossoms
{from bakeat350.blogspot.com}

1 & 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa (such as Hershey's Special Dark)
1 & 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, cut into chunks
1 & 1/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon peppermint extract - not mint extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar for rolling
Hershey's Kisses

Line cookie sheets with parchment.  Preheat oven to 350.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs and extracts, beating until combined and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.

Gradually, add the flour mixture, beating on low just until combined.  The mixture will be very sticky.

Place the bowl in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Use a teaspoon cookie scoop (or a spoon) to scoop generous teaspoons of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets.  Place the powdered sugar on a plate.

Gently roll each ball of dough through the powdered sugar until coated.  Place back on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes, until puffed and crinkly.  (Meanwhile, unwrap the Kisses.)

Remove from the oven and immediately press a Hershey's Kiss on top of each hot cookie.  Press firmly, so that it doesn't pop off.  Let the cookies sit on the sheet for 1-2 minutes, then remove to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Italy Photos

One time I entered a photo contest.... and didn't win. I wasn't even crowned runner up. But on this blog, I am a winner. Here are some of my favorite photos from my travel study, in Italy: (China is next)

  

  

 

 

 

The Purpose of A Blog

What is the purpose of a blog? Why write into a void space where you may or may not have control who reads your stuff. Some people want as much traffic as possible, and some want to monitor exactly who sees pictures of their children. To each his own, I say.

I've been thinking, what is the true purpose of my blog? Here are the phases I've gone through:

1. Art documentation
2. My Life at College
3. Food


Now what? I have so many other interests: travel, family, fitness, health coaching, photography, music, LIFE... Sometimes I want to talk about day to day stuff, but I don't want to lose the integrity of my self acclaimed "food blog". Does anyone even care, besides myself? Probably not. And for that reason, I've decided I will write about whatever I want. I'm not much of a writer though. Maybe I'll focus more on the pictures. Regardless, I thank my loyal readers and comment-ers, (MOM C.!) for your support in my quest to discover my purpose on earth: what to write my blog about! But seriously. I enjoy the freedom to write my blog and that I can change it along with my life as it also changes.

And with that, here's a little photo inspiration.....

Happy Christmas!

Temple love.

Hopeful Future Kitchen Decor

I just like this. New perspective.

DIY bow shirt

Everyone loves a PB&J. These are cute cut out with cookie cutters

My Twin: Liv Tyler. Should I name my first born daughter after her?

Pumpkin Pie Frozen Yogurt

Ok I'm freaking out right now because I have a spoonful of pumpkin pie frozen yogurt in my mouth that I just made! Oh boy. This is big. Not sure if you know this, but at about 3pm everyday I get this little voice in my brain saying "Hey, what do you think about going to get some frozen yogurt?" It's hard to keep saying "no" to that voice, so sometimes I cave. I guess fro yo is better than ice cream, right? haha Well with this new recipe is making my life better for these reasons:

1. I can have pumpkin pie fro yo literally whenever I want
2. It's cheaper (.34 cents/oz are you kidding me :( ??)
3. It's healthier - plain greek yogurt is 0% fat, low cal, low carb, high protein, no sugar. The whole recipe is 200 calories.
4. That fro yo voice goes away. At least for the day.

So without further ado I present to you....


Pumpkin Pie Frozen Yogurt

• 1 cup plain non fat greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 Tablespoon Stevia
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice - more if you like it

Mix everything together in a tupperware. The bigger it is, the faster it will freeze. Put it in the freezer and just mix it up with a spoon every 30 minutes or so. When you're ready to indulge, scoop the frozen yogurt into pretty bowls.

 

This is a great snack for the afternoon that you can't feel guilty about and that will keep you full. Enjoy!

Even my kitchen friends can't stay away:

Meatball salad

I know that the words "meatball" and "salad" don't usually go together, but trust me, it's good. Plus, the dressing is fantastic!

Meatballs

1 minced onion

1 T minced garlic

1 egg

2 T Tomato paste

1 lb ground turkey

1 T Dijon mustard

2 T finely chopped parsley

1 t dried oregano

½ cup breadcrumbs

Salt pepper

Mix all the ingredients with your hands (gross), and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. 

Salad

Lettuce of choice (I always go for spinach)

Shredded carrot

Cucumber

Cherry tomatoes

Celery

Parsley

Sliced olives

You can use anything for the dressing, but I suggest this yogurt based sauce. It tastes like ranch, but is much better (health wise and taste wise).

Lemon Yogurt Sauce

½ cup fat free yogurt

2 T lemon juice

2 T canola oil

1 t minced garlic

2 T minced parsley

salt

Whisk all the ingredients together and serve over salad.