Tofu with Mushrooms and Bell Peppers

Between favoriting, following, and retweeting the latest trendsetters, checking out my own Twitter profile page is a rare occurrence these days and updating my blog is even more farfetched. But when I stumbled upon my cobweb-covered blog today, I realized 1.) I need an update and 2.) most importantly, I have the perfect recipe to share! This week was my first experience both cooking AND eating tofu. First of all, the most important thing to remember is that tofu will taste like whatever you marinate it in. Tofu is made from soybeans, which don't have a lot of flavor on their own. I found this recipe on Cooking Light, which called to marinate the steak in a mixture of soy sauce and olive oil. The soy sauce paired nicely with the red bell peppers, mushrooms, and rice, giving the dish an overall asian feel. Also, cook on high heat, searing each side so it doesn't get overcooked.
This recipe called for extra-firm tofu which I was unable to find at my local grocery store, so I used medium-firm which I do not suggest. But overall, this was a great dish and the only thing I would do differently other than using extra-firm steak is that I might try cutting the steak horizontally to make it a little thinner.

Hopefully you will take my advice and try it at least once - and experience it for yourself! Below is the recipe - please feel free to comment :)

Cheesecake Tartlets

Last night we had Winston's dad and step-mom over for dinner. I made a margherita flatbread, put a pot roast in the oven and needed something quick and easy for dessert. I resorted to Pinterest, where I stumbled upon these guys. These mini cheesecakes are not only adorable but will keep you coming back for more! Add blueberries for a 4th of July look. Check out the recipe below. Enjoy!

PS. I cut this recipe in half, and still came out with about 15-20 Phyllo cups.

- 8 oz cream cheese

- 1/3 cup powdered sugar

- 2 tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice

- 1/2 cup heavy cream

- fresh raspberries

- Phyllo shells

Whip first 5 ingredients together, place into a piping bag with a star tip. Fill the Phyllo shells and top with raspberries or your favorite fruit. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to serve!

Baked Chicken Parmesan

This was a delicious and super easy alternative to regularly fried chicken parmesan, and my boyfriend and I loved it! Credits go to Skinny Taste for this recipe, and many more to come! Yum!!! 

Cabbage Soup

It's January - time to get a head start on your bikini body! One of the most popular diets going around is the 'cabbage soup diet'. The cabbage soup diet is designed to make you eat tons of vegetables - and practically nothing else - promising you will lose 10 lbs in 7 days.

Although this may sound like a miracle to some people, I personally do not feel the need to eat only vegetables for 7 days. Maybe if I need to squeeze into a dress for a formal party, but for now a healthy balance of all the food groups and regular exercise is my plan to a bikini body! 

Anyway, with Winston out of town tonight I decided to whip up a batch of my own take on cabbage soup, and I love it!! It's perfect for this time of year because it's warm and filling, but still 'zero' calories because it's all veggies!! Voilà!

Below you can find my recipe (from my mom) and feel free to tweak it in your own way. Also, as far as I'm concerned, a 'zero' calorie soup is permissible to be eaten with cheese - and I highly suggest Mediterranean feta! Yum!

Cabbage Soup

1/2 head of cabbage
1/2 head of cauliflower
2 large carrots, thinly sliced
1 can of petite diced tomatoes (low sodium)
1 can of sweet corn
1 cup of boiled kale
1 32oz. beef broth
1 Tablespoon celery seed
1/2 chicken bouillon
1 teaspoon basil

Put everything in the crockpot for 4 hours on high, or until cabbage is done. I added kale last - stripped raw kale from the stems, boiled in salt water for 20 minutes. Mix everything together, garnish with your favorite cheese. Enjoy!

Italian Wedding Soup

I can hardly believe it's almost mid-November.. Christmas will be here before we know it!! And as the weather gets cooler, I am in search of any and every soup/slow cooker recipe (healthy recipes are a plus)! So tonight when this recipe popped into my inbox via WebMD's 'Daily Bite' I knew it would be the perfect recipe to make and share tonight! 

This warm, soothing low calorie soup recipe can be found below. Enjoy!

• For the complete recipe, visit WebMD 

Mango Banana Smoothie

It's Sunday. Time to recover, revamp and and revive ourselves in time for Monday. For me that includes clearing emails, checking what this weeks schedule entails and mentally preparing myself for a flood of insurance claims. But it's also Sunday Funday - a day full of football games, movies and online shopping - and after all, it's still the weekend! I decided to relax today by cooking a couple of my favorite recipes (which will be posted) sharing this tantalizing fruity recipe.

Whether it's brunch with the girls or watching football with the boyfriend, this smoothie is a delicious mix of summer fruits and a splash of OJ makes it a perfect Sunday beverage. 

1 Banana

Handful of fresh or frozen strawberries

1/3 c. Fruit sorbet

1 T. Mango sorbet

1/2 fresh squeezed orange

1 T. Mango juice

Throw in the blender with a few ice cubes, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!! 

Amish Breakfast Casserole

Lancaster, PA - also known as 'Pennsylvania Dutch Country' is known for it's covered bridges, shoofly pie and horse and buggys. Growing up in Amish country, I spent my days sucking honeysuckle, attending 'barn parties' and saying prayer at the beginning of every school day. Friends and neighbors were treated like family. If a someone was in need, had a new baby, or a recent death, friends and neighbors would cook a homemade dish and bring it over. With that being said I can tell you first-hand that the Amish and Mennonites are some of the best cooks I've ever met. So, when I saw this Amish breakfast recipe on Pinterest I had to check it out.

Although this is a Dutch County classic, I think it would be enjoyed by just about anyone from any decent. Perfect for holidays or lazy Sunday mornings, this dish can be made ahead and warmed up again and again. Filled with 3 types of cheeses, bacon and eggs, this is a breakfast dish your loved ones won't forget! Check out the recipe below! 

Amish Breakfast Casserole 

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

35 mins

Total time

50 mins

 

Ingredients

• 1 pound sliced bacon, diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 24 ounces frozen shredded hash browns, thawed
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
• 12 ounces (1 1/2 cups) small curd cottage cheese
• 1 1/4 cups Swiss cheese, shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking dish by lightly coating with cooking spray.
2. Dice the bacon into bite-size pieces prior to cooking. In a large skillet, combine the onion and bacon and cook until bacon is crisp. Drain. Return the skillet to the stove and add the minced garlic. Stir for about 1 minute or until fragrant. Remove from stove.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the remaining ingredients. Stir in the bacon mixture. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and bake uncovered for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minute before serving.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 1 slice Calories: 273 Fat: 18 g Saturated fat: 10 g Sodium: 477 mg Fiber: 1 g Protein: 18 g Cholesterol: 153 mg

Tortellini and Garden Vegetable Bake

Fellow bloggers, I must tell you about this dish -- made from a combination of garden fresh veggies and 3-cheese tortellini covered in a light creamy sauce, it is perfect for all seasons! This delicious Taste of Homes recipe can be found below. Enjoy, I know I did!

Ingredients:

10 ounces dried cheese-filled tortellini (2-1/2 cups) or two 9-ounce packages refrigerated tortellini
1-1/2 cups sugar snap peas, halved crosswise
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
1 T. margarine or butter
1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into bit-size pieces
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/3 cup chicken broth
2 T. snipped fresh oregano
2 t. all-purpose flour
3/4 t. garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup milk
1 8oz. package cream cheese, cubed and softened
1 T. lemon juice
1 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
1 small red or green sweet pepper, coarsely chopped (I used an orange sweet pepper)
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Cook tortellini in boiling salted water according to package directions, adding the carrot during the last 5 minutes of cooking and the sugar snap peas during the last 1 minute of cooking; drain.

2.

Meanwhile, heat margarine or butter in a 12-inch skillet. Add chicken and mushrooms, and cook about 5 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove from skillet.

3.

Shake together chicken broth, oregano, flour, garlic salt, and pepper in a screw-top jar until smooth. Add to skillet along with milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; add cream cheese. Cook and stir until cream cheese is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Add pasta mixture, chicken mixture, tomatoes, and sweet pepper. Toss to coat. Turn into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking dish or shallow 3-quart casserole.

4.

Bake, covered, in a 350 degrees F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Stir mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Transport in an insulated carrier. Makes 12 main-dish servings.

Pepperjack Tomato Soup

It can be frustrating taking on a snow storm with spring just 2 days away. But why not enjoy the winter wonderland while it's still here? After all, the sparkling white snow glistening in the sunlight is genuinly beautiful and the brisk cold air can be refreshing!
The best way to warm up from a cold wintery night is comfort food; especially soup. This pepperjack tomato soup is one of my favorite recipes ever! After working for years at Isaac's I decided to try a stab at my own form of pepperjack tomato soup.
This creamy soup has a small kick to it-- or can be more powerful, it's up to you!

For a great way to warm up on a cold wintery night, check out this tasty take on tomato soup:

Pepperjack Tomato Soup
1 medium onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons butter
2 cans of diced tomatoes
2 cans of condensed tomato soup (you can also puree stewed tomatoes for this part)
1 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 package cream cheese
1 block pepperjack cheese
In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in tomatoes, soup, milk, sugar, basil, paprika and garlic powder. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cream cheese and pepperjack cheese.

This is super easy and delicious!

Savory Pork Roast with Apple Stuffing

It's a common dilemma: your sitting at your favorite spot for happy hour, and you have no idea what you want to drink. Although you can't decide between a few favorites, there's a 9/10 chance you've already picked your poison. Whether its beer, vodka, wine etc., you've probably narrowed your choices to a certain 'category'.
I use the same concept when brainstorming dinner ideas. I like to start with the type of meat I want to use that night. For tonight's entree, I decided on pork as a starting point and researched ideas from there.
Using Pinterest I stumbled upon this efficiently delectable apple stuffing recipe.

Credits for this dish go to SusieQTpies Cafe

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 garlic cloves

1 1/2 tsp. dried and crushed rosemary (or 4 1/2 tsp. fresh, chopped rosemary)

1 tsp. rubbed sage

1/4 tsp. ground pepper

2 medium RED apples, chopped with skin to equal about 2 cups

1/2 cup chopped celery (optional...I like it better without!) 

1/3 cup chopped onion

6 cups herbed and seasoned stuffing mix (do not use cornbread stuffing!!) 

1 can of cream of mushroom soup with 1 can of water

1/4 cup melted margarine or butter

1 boneless rolled pork loin roast (2 1/2 to 3 lbs.)
Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Press garlic into small bow. Add rosemary, sage and pepper; mix well.
3. Remove 1/2 tsp. of mixture for stuffing.

4. Core and slice apples, chop celery and onion and put in large mixing bowl.
5. Add apple, stuffing mix, soup, butter and reserved seasonings.
6. Mix well and spoon into deep dish baker or 9X9.

7. Rub the seasoning mix evenly over pork loin.
8. Place roast, fat side up, over stuffing.
9. Cover with Stoneware Baking Bowl or Aluminum Foil.

10. Bake for 1 1/3 hrs.
11. Remove Baking Bowl or Aluminum and bake 15-30 minutes more or until meat registers between 130 and 145 degrees.
12. Let stand 10 minutes before carving. Serve with steamed veggies of your choice!

* I used green beans (a favorite of my boyfriend) for my veggie of choice. You can choose whatever you wish! Enjoy!

xo, A

Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream

Ok, since I haven't updated my blog in awhile I want to document/update on some recipes I've made recently.
This particular dish is full of mouth watering ingredients; from 4 cheese stuffed ravioli to the tomato-basil cream sauce, this is one meal your family won't mind as a leftover- I promise.
This recipe was found on Pinterest, which I find is the easiest way to discover new ideas-- by looking at the picture! As you can see, this recipe particularly caught my eye :0 If you want to check out the original website, check out My Recipes 

Ingredients:

• 1 (20-oz.) package refrigerated four-cheese ravioli* $
• 1 (16-oz.) jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce $
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 2 medium-size fresh tomatoes, chopped** $
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese $
• Garnish: fresh basil strips

Directions:

1. 1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
2. 2. Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. Pour wine into sauce jar; cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan. Stir in chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup chopped basil, and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toss with pasta, and top evenly with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese. Garnish, if desired.
3. *1 (13-oz.) package three-cheese tortellini may be substituted.
4. **1 (14.5-oz.) can petite diced tomatoes, fully drained, may be substituted.
5. Note: For testing purposes only, we used Buitoni Four Cheese Ravioli and Classico Sun-dried Tomato Alfredo Pasta Sauce.

Marguerite Cleveland, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Southern Living
JULY 2007

Enjoy!!

xo, A

The Ex-Boyfriend Martini

Sitting at the bar the other night, I suggested the bartender make me something new. He told me he had the perfect drink for me, and sat this in front of me. He called it, the 'Ex-Boyfriend Martini'. It's coral glow and orange garnish overwhelmed me with love at first sight. Light and fruity, this martini is the taste of a summer afternoon, with the grapefruit and peach flavors making it just the right harmonious delight.
Coming in at only 101 calories, I knew I had to share this right away.
Below is a copy of the recipe, compliments of Houlihan's excellent bartenders. Enjoy!

• 1 splash Schnapps, peach
• 2 oz. Liqueur, fusion (X-Rated)
• 1 oz. Vodka (X-Rated)
• 1 splash Grapefruit Juice
• Serve in a cocktail glass, garnish with orange slice.

Strawberry Basil Lemonade Cocktail

The adult version of summertime lemonade. This delicious gin (yes, gin) cocktail is the perfect combination of strawberries and freshly squeezed lemons, with a hint of basil leaves to satisfy your summertime lemonade craving. Not a gin fan? Neither am I! It's made with Plymouth Gin instead of ordinary gin, so it doesn't have the pine cone taste. In fact, you can't even taste the gin! Credits go to Houlihan's in Hershey, PA (my favorite restaurant) for making my NEW favorite drink on the menu! It's light, sweet and low calories - everything a girl expects out of a cocktail! So if you live in the area, check out Houlihan's :)

xo

MacBook Pro

Alright bloggers, I can officially announce I am the proud owner of my first ever MacBook Pro!!! I am SO excited to use this new computer, and to make my blog even better. I fell in love with Apple when I purchased my first iPhone 4 from Verizon in February. The simplicity of Apple hooked me instantly, and I am ecstatic to use my new MacBook. This is finally my last semester in college, and I'm officially ready for it.

xo

White Gummy Bear Shots

If you have a sweet tooth and love gummy bears like I do, this is the perfect shot for you! The Warwick Hotel in Hummelstown, PA mixes up the perfect combination of cherry vodka and peach schnapps for the infamous white gummy bear shot! The White Gummy Bear shot features a variety of fruity liquors that results in a sweet gummy experience like no other. 
In case your local bar is unfamiliar, here is the recipe! Enjoy :)

White Gummy Bear Shot

1/2 oz cherry vodka
1/2 oz peach schnapps
splash of pineapple juice
splash of Sprite soda

PS. If you substitute the cherry vodka with raspberry it doesn't work right, but if you replace it with orange vodka, it tastes like an orange gummy bear! I've had all 3 kinds :) Post your feedback below!