Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream

I LOVE cherries.  I LOVE ice cream.  Combined, they are absolutely magical.  I tend to be pretty big on seasonal eating and flavors so I am especially partial to the idea of fresh fruit and home made ice cream on a hot summer's day.  Lucky for me, my craving for cherry vanilla ice cream hit towards the beginning of fall when there are still fresh cherries available at the super market without having to resort to the frozen ones. 

For some reason, it's damn near impossible to get decent, pure cherry vanilla ice cream around here.  Either it's made with maraschino cherries - which is all sorts of fake, corn-syrupy, oversugariness that I can't stand - or it's combined with chocolate chips - which I HATE in ice cream (not a popular opinion, I'm a huge weirdo, I know).  And then of course there's the issue of health.  I love ice cream but that's usually accompanied by way too much sugar and fat.  If you go with a "diet" ice cream, it's more often than not loaded with artificial sweeteners and way less flavorful or creamy.  I don't particularly think there should be a trade off between health and flavor.  That's why I set to create a pure cherry vanilla ice cream (I used a Cuisinart ice cream maker) that maintains its creaminess and flavor without throwing you off track if you're trying to lose weight and/or eat better and cleaner. 

I have to say, I was impressed with the results.  Fat free vanilla Greek yogurt gives the ice cream a sweet tangy flavor and a thicker consistency.  I've been on a mission to up the amount of protein I eat per day so both the yogurt and the fat free cottage cheese are great sources for that.  Even if you're not into cottage cheese - seriously trust me on this one and add it anyways.  The cottage cheese blends smooth and there's NO weird discernible cottage cheese flavor.  As mentioned, I'm a protein nut so I also added a scoop of vanilla whey protein I got from Whole Foods.  I pit and slice the cherries myself and after "marinading" in the ice cream, the ice cream takes on a pretty pink color and the cherries develop a slightly vanilla taste. 

So, there you go.  An ice cream low in fat, high in protein, and high in antioxidants and anthocyanins (fights inflammation) courtesy of the cherries (total super fruit) - all with ingredients you can pronounce.   I've been replacing my morning smoothie with this and I must say - any day that starts off with ice cream for breakfast is destined to be a good one :)  Enjoy!

Ingredients (8 servings at 1/2 cup pp):

• 1 cup fat free cottage cheese
• 2 cups fat free vanilla Greek yogurt (I used Trader Joe's)
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 scoop designer vanilla whey protein (I used Whole Foods)
• 2 cups pitted cherries 
• a couple of drops of almond extract

Recipe:

1. Pit the cherries and coarsely chop them.  I prefer to have BIG cherry chunks in my ice cream.
2. Follow the directions on your ice cream maker (I use one by Cuisinart)
3. Combine all the ingredients save for the cherries and pour into the ice cream maker.
4. Mix for about 30 minutes.
5. In the last 10 minutes, add the cherries.
6. Enjoy immediately and freeze the rest :)

Approximate Nutritional Info per Serving:

• Calories: 122
• Carbs: 21g
• Fat: 0g
• Protein: 10g

Black Bean and Corn Soup

Fall is here in New England, the temperature has dropped (seemingly overnight), and we're making the first fire of the season in the fireplace.  Totally perfect night for a hot soup and snuggling in front of the TV and obviously avoiding homework.

This is a creamy, spicy, chili-esque, black bean soup with corn and a variety of other vegetables that's so easy, you'll have it prepped and on the table in a half hour TOPS.  The best part is that besides all the awesomeness that is the ease of operation and flavors and whatnot, this soup is jam packed with all sorts of crazy health benefits - low fat, high fiber, high protein, vitamin A and C, and a GREAT source of iron (55.1% per serving!).  I ate mine topped with some shredded cheddar, fat free sour cream, and a slice of avocado and - let me tell you - I was in heaven. 




Ingredients (6 servings):

• 2 cans black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can of whole kernel corn
• 1/4 of a red bell pepper diced
• 1/4 of a white onion diced
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach
• 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken (or vegetable) broth
• 1 1/2 cups salsa (ex. Trader Joe's Salsa Autentica)
• 1 clove garlic minced

   
Recipe:

1. In a blender add 1 can of black beans, the bell pepper, the onion, spinach, salsa, garlic, and broth and puree until smooth.
2. Add the mix to a medium pot over medium heat.
3. Add the remaining can of black beans and corn.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve immediately with your choice of toppings (ex. cheddar cheese, sour cream, avocado, cilantro, tortilla chips, etc.)

 Approximate Nutritional Info per Serving:

• Calories: 187
• Carbs: 28g
• Fat: 0.9g
• Protein: 9g

Summer Lobster Roll Revamped

If there's one thing that's absolutely summer embodied here in New England, it's our lobster rolls.  I just came back from spending the weekend in Cape Cod for the Pan Mass race with my boyfriend and I took this as the perfect opportunity to get my fill of fresh lobster rolls.  Unfortunately, I've still found myself craving them upon my return to Real Life.

For those not from the area, a traditional New England lobster roll consists of fresh cooked lobster mixed with mayo and sometimes accompanied by celery or a bed of lettuce and served in a toasted, buttered hotdog bun. 

In short, it's awesome.

The lobster roll I'm posting here is a variation on the traditional characteristic recipe that was inspired by a Lobster Bruschetta recipe I saw some time ago.  Since it really is so associated with summer, I've combined fresh lobster meat (knuckles, claws, and tail) with seasonal vegetables and flavors - corn, red bell pepper, shallot, scallion, and avocado.  Instead of using mayo as a binder, the veggies are cooked with heavy cream until its thickened and then combined with the lobster.  The result is a sweet and creamy mix of all sorts of summery awesomeness.

Ingredients (5 servings - about a 1/2 cup per roll):

• 8 oz. cooked lobster meat (I used previously cleaned knuckles, claws, and tails) diced small
• 8.5 oz sweet corn 
• 3/4 of a red bell pepper diced small
• 1 1/2 shallots diced small
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbs fat free sour cream
• 1/2 tbs garlic
• 1/2 ripe avocado
• hot dog buns (I used wheat - I'm sure any sort of small yummy role will do)
• olive oil

Recipe:

1.  Dice lobster, pepper, shallots, and scallions
2. On medium heat, sautee the peppers shallots and garlic in a little olive oil until tender.
3. Add the heavy cream, lower the heat, and stir while the cream thickens.
4. Add the lobster, sour cream, and scallions and mix while removing from heat.
5. Toast the hot dog bun, add a slice of avocado to the bottom, and top with 1/2 cup of the lobster salad.
6. Enjoy!

Approximate Nutritional Info per Serving (one bun with 1/2 cup lobster salad):

• Calories: 258
• Carbohydrates: 30g
• Fat: 9g
• Protein: 15g

Apple Chicken Salad

After having been gone for the past two weekends and relying heavily on take-out this past week, it feels so good to finally have some home-cooking again!  This last weekend I spent in Paris, Kentucky meeting my boyfriend's family and exploring their 95 acre horse farm.  I had a great time but it is clear, more than ever, that I could never live down South.  It was very slow paced (I'm a million miles an hour 24/7) and to be honest, the sprawling farms were beautiful but the huge amount of space in between homes felt kind of lonely to me. 

One thing they DO have going for them south of the Mason-Dixon line is some ridiculously decadent, killer food (and apparently an obesity epidemic to match).  At this one restaurant in Winchester (Hall's On the River), I was introduced to what could possibly be the most shamefully unhealthy meal I have ever consumed - the Hot Brown.  Even better is that it came with a side of macaroni and cheese.  Needless to say, I'll be kicking my own ass at the gym all week just to make up for that one item of food alone. 

So, since the past week and a half has been spent chowing down on all sorts of naughty things, I figured I'd start this week with something fresh and light to get back on track.  This apple chicken salad is phenom - filling, colorful, tasty, and incredibly low cal/low fat.  It's great on its own or over a bed of field greens or, as I enjoyed it, as a toasted sandwich with brie.  I had marinaded my chicken breast in garlic, salt and pepper, lemon, and a little Italian dressing overnight prior to grilling it so I didn't feel like the salad needed any spices or any additional salt and pepper added - although I guess it comes down to personal taste.  The sweetness and crunch of the apple and bell pepper work perfectly to offset the savory taste of the grilled chicken and onion.  I think this makes a great summer dish - although I can see it working in the fall with fresh seasonal apples as well.  Either way, enjoy guilt-free :)

All the fruits and veggie prior to adding the chicken, sour cream, and mayo.  Love the colors!

Ingredients (4 servings - about a cup/pp):

• 2 cups shredded grilled chicken (mine was marinaded in garlic, salt and pepper, and a little Italian dressing)
• 1 apple diced
• 3 grape tomatoes sliced
• 1/3 cup of sweet bell pepper 
• 1/3 cup of purple onion
• 1/4 cup scallions (green onions)
• 1/4 cup fat free mayo
• 2 tbs fat free sour cream
• lemon juice

 

Recipe:

1.  Dice the apple, squirt with a little lemon juice (to prevent browning) and add to a large bowl.
2. Shred the grilled chicken (make sure it is somewhat cooled post-grilling) and add to the bowl.
3. Add the onions, scallions, pepper, tomatoes, mayo, and sour cream to the bowl.
4. Mix everything together and serve however you like (alone, over field greens, as a sandwich/panini with brie or cheddar, etc.)

Approximate Nutritional Info per Serving:

• Calories: 106
• Carbohydrates: 13g
• Fat: 2g
• Protein: 11g

Skillet Cheesy Pasta and Sauce

It's a rainy, stormy day and I'm in the mood to just stay in and watch the thunderstorms with Rocky while munching on some comfort food.  I wanted something simple and quick - and to be very honest, this is the ultimate in lazy girl meals.  The whole recipes takes less than a half hour total from start to clean-up and I'm sure would be fabulous with a salad and some crusty bread if you had some sort of last minute hostessing crisis or whatever. 

In the future, I would like to use my own sauce instead of going prepackaged - maybe something with ground turkey to up the protein content a bit.  I used Dreamfields pasta - anything else will probably alter the nutritional content and skyrocket the carbs a bit.  I used all lowfat/skim cheeses - however I'm sure anything a little more full-body will up the awesomeness factor.  All in all, the end result of this particular recipe is an incredibly creamy, gooey, tasty pasta dish that has definitely satisfied my craving for comfort foods on this rainy day.  Enjoy!

Ingredients (6 servings - about a cup/pp):

• 6 oz. elbow macaroni (I used Dreamfields)
• 3/4 cup tomato sauce (I used a jarred four cheese sauce)
• 14.5 oz. drained diced tomatoes (Italian)
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• 1/2 cup skim ricotta
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
• 1/4 cup parmesan
• 1 large onion
• 1 red/orange bell pepper
• fresh basil leaves (I used about 5)
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Boil pasta according to instructions and set aside.
2. Dice the onion and pepper and sautee in a large skillet until tender and somewhat translucent.
3. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes.
4. Add the diced tomatoes, pasta sauce, chopped basil leaves.
5. Stir well and allow to thicken for about 3 minutes.
6. Add the pasta and mix well.
7. Add the 3 cheeses and mix well until melted and evenly distributed.
8. Serve immediately and enjoy :)

Approximate Nutritional Info per Serving:

• Calories: 192
• Carbs: 26g
• Fat: 6g
• Protein: 10g

Shrimp and Quinoa Caprese Salad

I have been on a huge caprese kick lately.  Maybe it's the summer weather, maybe it's my need to try something new, or maybe it's just so awesome being able to use home grown tomatoes and basil rather than go to the supermarket.  Who knows.  Either way, I've been playing around and incorporating caprese into meals at least a couple of times a week - from sandwiches to bruschetta to pasta, I am officially obsessed.

Since I had some extra shrimp and quinoa left over from last night's dinner, I decided on trying a caprese-themed shrimp and quinoa cold salad.  I have to say, I'm really happy with the way it came out.  I used grape tomatoes since they're a bit sweeter than other varieties, have less/smaller seeds, and are generally less goopy.  I also added red onion for a bit of extra flavor.  The tomatoes, onion, and mozzarella get marinaded in balsamic vinegar and then added to the salad instead of being poured directly in which ensures that you don't end up with a soggy quinoa mess.  All in all, very light, flavorful, and a perfect dish for summer.

Ingredients (6 servings):

• 1.5 cups cooked quinoa (about 0.5 cup dry)
• 1 cup grape tomato sliced
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 10 basil leaves
• 8 oz buffalo mozzarella
• 4 oz cooked shrimp
• 3 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Recipe:

1. Cook the quinoa according to the directions on the package.  Typically thats done by bringing a 2:1 ratio of water and quinoa to a boil and then allowing it to simmer until the water has been absorbed.
2. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. While the quinoa is cooling, slice the tomatoes, onions, and mozzarella and combine with the balsamic vinegar.
4. Slice the basil leaves into thin strips.  
5. I suggest using pre-cooked shrimp for the easiness factor but if you prefer not to - peel and devein the shrimp and sautee until pink.  Allow to cool to room temperature.
6. Drain the excess vinegar from the bowl used to hold the tomatoes, onion, and mozzarella and combine with the cooled quinoa and shrimp.  Add the basil and olive oil and toss well.
7. Serve and enjoy :)

Approximate Nutritional Info per Serving: 

• Calories: 238
• Carbohydrates: 16g
• Fat: 15g
• Protein: 14g

Superhero Cupcakes

 

Today's post pays homage to what might be the coolest tutorial ever on cupcake decorating, found at Sugar Swings! Serve Some.  To some, it may not seem very advanced - but for me, my mind is blown.  I never ever even once thought that it could be so easy to handmake candy toppers for cupcakes, but alas, it is.  All you do is place a design outline underneath a piece of parchment paper (nonstick and see-through), and pipe melted Wilson Candy Melts over the design.  Pop them in the fridge for about 15 minutes so they harden and you're done.  They slide off the parchment paper super easy.

With mine, I made Spiderman, Batman, Green Lantern, and Superman cupcakes.  Each one has a candy topper except for the Spiderman ones - those got icing piped directly onto the frosted cupcake.  All frosting was white vanilla and dyed to match.  I absolutely LOVE the results and this was super easy, quick to make, and opens up all sorts of avenues for future cupcake decorating :)

Piping the black candy part of the Batman logo

Batman finalized

Superman

Spiderman

Green Lantern

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Tonight's entry is a joint effort by me and my boyfriend, Eric.  I've never cooked pork before, let alone a stuffed pork tenderloin so he was incredibly helpful in all of this.  Basically this is a lean pork tenderloin butterflied and pounded until it's a rectangular, flat-ish piece of meat.  After that, a goat cheese/cranberry/walnut/chestnut stuffing mix is spread across the meat and the tenderloin is tightly rolled back up, tied with twine, and cooked.  It's then sliced and served with mashed sweet potatoes and I have to say it came out pretty good.  Pork is one of those meats that combines really well with sweet fruit flavors so the cranberry adds a really nice contrast.  The creamy goat cheese, savory bread stuffing, and sweet dried cranberries sort of melt into the pork and the chestnuts and walnuts take on the flavor of the meat.  I think this would make a great autumn dish, maybe with an apple chutney and possiblyyyy a nice sangria :)

Ingredients (serves about 8):

• 1.5 - 2 lb. lean pork tenderloin
• box of bread stuffing (I used Stovetop's Savory Herb stuffing) - 3 cups needed
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 1 cup roasted and peeled chestnuts
• 6 oz. soft goat cheese
• 4 medium sized sweet potatoes (or red yams)
• 4 tbs butter (I used Smart Balance)
• 4 tbs fat free sour cream
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt and pepper to taste
• olive oil
• twine

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F and cook the stuffing according to the directions on the box.
2. In a large bowl, combine the stuffing, cranberries, walnuts, chestnuts, goat cheese, and garlic and mix well.
3. On a large cutting board, butterfly the tenderloin and pound until somewhat flat.
4. Rub the surface of the pork with olive oil and salt and pepper and flip so the spiced surface is now face down.
5. Spread the mix evenly over the exposed meat surface and leave a 1/2 inch border along the sides.  You can pile on the stuffing mix as much as you want, but there's a good possibility (based on the weight and how flat you pounded the meat out) that you won't use all of it.    
6. Tightly roll the tenderloin back up and tie off the ends and a couple of segments in the middle with twine.  You're looking to keep the roll in place when you're cooking the meat as well as keep the goat cheese from oozing out.
7. Put some olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Once heated up, put the tenderloin in and sear on both sides until it turns a light brown.
8. From there, transfer the tenderloin to the oven and cook for about 45 minutes - 1 hour.  Basically, you want the internal temperature to be at least 165*F.  
9. While the pork is cooking, peel the sweet potatoes and cube them.
10. Bring a large pot of water to boil and put the sweet potatoes in.  After 5-10 minutes, change the water and bring to a boil again.  I suppose this isn't really mandatory, I just like getting rid of the starchy water.
11.  Boil the potatoes until they're fork tender and drain.
12. Add the butter, sour cream, and mash until smooth. 
13. Once removed from the oven, allow to sit for a couple of minutes and then slice and serve with the mashed sweet potatoes.

 Approximate Nutritional Info per Serving:

• Calories: 339
• Carbohydrates: 29g
• Fat: 11g
• Protein: 27g

Red Velvet Rice Krispy Treats

I love Rice Krispies treats.  There is absolutely nothing better than that gooey/crunchy combo.  When I was little, my mum used to make these whenever we had elementary school parties and they always got gobbled up super fast.

I wanted to make something special for Biochem recitation class for my students so I decided to revisit Rice Krispies treats.  Hey, they worked in grade school - why wouldn't they work in grad school?  I happened to stumble across this recipe for Red Velvet Rice Krispies treats and lemme tell you, these were AWESOME.  Chocolatey and marshmallowey and red and crunchy... SO good!  So that being said, I did NOT create this recipe - just wanted to share it!  Enjoy!

Tropical Pizza

I've worked at a pizza place for about 11 years so when it comes to pizza, I've become a bit bored with traditional ingredients.  As a result, I'm always looking for new flavor combinations to spice things up a bit.  Last year, my boyfriend and I had rented a house in Puerto Viejo, Costa Rica.  One of the restaurants in the town specialized in a "tropical" pizza and I remember the both of us raving like crazies about it.  By far one of the most unique pizzas I've ever had in my life.  I think I might have dreams about it.

Upon first glance, the ingredients seem a little bit wonky and off-putting.  Coconut on a pizza?  I know, I know, it's a little bizarre.  Trust me though - it's a little slice of tropical heaven.  The pineapple and coconut give a little bit of sweetness which is really nicely offset by the saltiness of the ham and the spicy jalapenos.  All wrapped up in cheesy doughy goodness.  Yumyumyum.

Ingredients (8 slices):

• 1 cup sliced fresh pineapple
• 2 tbs shredded coconut
• 1 fresh sliced jalapeno (no seeds!)
• 1/2 a medium sliced onion
• 1/2 a sliced red bell pepper
• about 7oz of cubed lean ham steak (or Canadian bacon)
• pizza dough
• 3 cups Cheddar Jack/Mozzarella blend shredded cheese
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce
• 1 clove of garlic, minced

Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 425*F (or whatever your specific pizza dough says)
2. Add olive oil to a small skillet over medium heat and once up to temperature, add the onions, peppers, and garlic.  Sautee until tender and then remove from heat.
3. Spread the pizza sauce evenly over the stretched dough.
4. Spread about 1 cup of the cheese blend over the sauce.
5. Add the ham, pineapple, onions, and peppers.  
6. Spread another 1 cup of the cheese blend over the toppings.
7. Lightly toast the coconut in a dry skillet over low heat until it just starts to turn a golden brown.  Make sure not to over cook it since you don't want it to burn in the oven once on the pizza.
8. Add the jalapeno and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup over the pizza. 
9. Sprinkle the toasted coconut over the whole thing.
10. Cook for about 15 minutes or until the crust turns golden brown and the cheese has evenly melted.

Approximate Nutritional Info per Slice:

• Calories: 310
• Fat: 14g
• Protein: 20g

Sweet Potato Corn Chowder

 

Yesterday I got back from a trip to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic which was absolutely amaaaazing to say the least.  Perfect weather, white sand, turquoise water, lots of snorkeling, and killer fresh fish and fruit.  I can't rave about this vacation enough. 

But alas, all good things must come to an end and unfortunately that meant suffering about a 70* temperature drop upon arriving back in the frozen wasteland of Boston.  My body has officially gone into freakout survival mode and I'm desperately avoiding the outdoors at all cost.  My way of handling this?  Make some good comfort food, curl up with a book and my dog (I missed my sidekick) and pretend I don't have about 18 hundred loads of sandy laundry to do. 

This corn chowder is a bit different because it mixes yams and butternut squash (one of my staples) with regular yukon gold potatoes.  It's a heavy soup but since its thickened by pureeing about half of the potatoes and squash instead of adding heavy cream, its considerably healthier than a lot of other chowders.  If you have picky kids that get bent out of shape when they see veggies in their food, just puree the whole thing instead of half and add the corn after.  Voila!  No more visible veggies!  Serve this with a nice chunk of crusty bread and you're good to go!


Ingredients (4 to 6 servings - makes about 3 quarts):

• 1 onion
• 1 bell pepper (preferably red)
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1 sweet potato/yam
• 2 yukon gold potatoes
• about 5oz. butternut squash
• 7 or 8 baby carrots
• 17.5 oz corn (2 standard size cans)
• 2 cups chicken broth (or maybe vegetable broth if you're looking to go vegetarian)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 tbs sugar
• salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste
• chopped scallions to garnish

Recipe:

1. Add a little olive oil to a large pot over medium heat and allow to heat up.
2. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onions are somewhat browned and tender.
3. Add the peppers and carrots and sautee until the peppers are tender (~5 minutes).
4. Slowly stir in the chicken broth, water, potatoes, yams, and butternut squash and kick the heat up a bit.  Allow to simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
5. Lower the heat and remove about half (1.5 quarts) and puree in a blender until smooth.  Pour back into the pot and mix in the corn.
6. Add the half and half and the sugar and stir to equalize the temperature.
7. Taste test and add salt and pepper to your liking.

Approximate Nutritional Info per Serving (4):

• Calories: 270
• Fat: 7g
• Protein: 8g

Bearnaise Shrimp Pasta Salad

I am a huge fan of Bearnaise sauce.  If I could, I'd eat it with everything.  Or plain.  It's that good.  I'm crazy about it.  Sooo I decided to use it as the base for a cold shrimp pasta salad.  Now if you have the time/energy to sit down and make a homemade Bearnaise sauce from scratch, let me suggest a recipe here from Emeril Lagasse that's out of this world awesome.  If, on the other hand, you're feeling a bit lazy (no judgements here) - the Knorr flavor pack available at most grocery stores works juuuuuust fine.  It takes 2 seconds to make and today I used skim milk instead of whole milk and 3 tbs butter instead of 4 to lighten it up a bit.  I combined it with Greek yogurt which made it super creamy and gave it a bit of a tang while still maintaining the tarragon flavor.  Result = yum.  Bearnaise sauce 2.0.

This dressing combined with crunchy fresh veggies, macaroni, and shrimp is absolutely delicious BUT its also open to lots of variation based on what works for you.  I used onions, bell peppers, carrots but that can obviously be swapped out for whatever veggies you want.  My advice is to use the parsley sparingly - add a little at a time and test taste because sometimes the flavor can be a bit overwhelming.

Best of all, this took me MAYBE 15 minutes total to make.  I had leftover macaroni from my Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese and I thawed frozen cooked and deveined shrimp.  This was meant to be a side but is filling enough to work as an entree if you'd like too.

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

•  1/4lb. (about 12 lg) cooked shrimp, tails cut off (save yourself some time and thaw frozen cooked shrimp)
• 2 1/2 cup macaroni (or pasta of your choice)
• 1 1/3 cup Bearnaise cooled to room temperature (for quickness I used the Knorr pack - with skim milk and 3 tbs butter - but if you have the time, Emeril Lagasse has a reeeeeally good recipe here)
• 3 tbs fat free plain Greek yogurt (ex. Chobani)
• 1/4 of a bell pepper chopped small
• 2 baby carrots chopped fine
• 1/4 of an onion chopped fine
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• a quick sprinkle of chili pepper flakes, salt, pepper, Old Bay seasoning to taste

Recipe: 

1.  Boil the pasta, drain, set aside until room temperature.
2. Combine Bearnaise sauce and Greek yogurt and mix well.
3. Add the chopped bell peppers, onions, carrots, and parsley and mix well.
4. Add the spices to taste.
5. Add the shrimp and mix well.
6. Cover and refrigerate for a half hour for flavors to combine. 

Approximate Nutritional Info per Serving:

• Calories: 331
• Fat: 9.5g
• Protein: 15.5g 

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Ugh.  It's just been one of those days.  Despite me having an insane amount of work to get done by upcoming deadlines, the lab building was locked and apparently I'm the only one who didn't get the memo.  We're hitting a serious cold front up here, and I'm surrounded by sick people.  I put a hole in my brand new shirt after I just took out the tags, the package I'm expecting got lost in the mysterious realms of USPS, and I ran out of my favorite bubble bath.

Where can someone turn in clearly dire situations like this?  The obvious answer: a classic comfort food like macaroni and cheese.  For well over a year I have tried countless mac and cheese recipes looking for the perfect one.  Unfortunately, the Kraft blue box (don't judge!) remained the undisputed champion.

Until today.

Inspiration came from a Rachel Ray recipe I saw awhile back for Pumpkin Cheddar Mac and Cheese.  I'm not crazy about pumpkin (I prefer butternut squash) and the recipe seemed a little heavy for my tastes so I set about trying to reinvent mac and cheese in a slightly healthier form while still maintaining all those things that make it so damn good.

I think this recipe was pretty close to success.  It's significantly lighter than a majority of mac and cheeses yet still WAY creamier than any healthier versions that I've tried.  This was the first time I tried something like this though so if you try this and can think of ways to improve it, help a girl out and let me know!

Butternut squashy cheesy goodness

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

• 1 tbs butter
• 1 clove of garlic (I used minced)
• 1/4 tsp of red chili flakes (this definitely gives a kick - use less or more to your liking)
• 1/2 tsp of dry mustard
• 3 or 4 fresh sage leaves roughly chopped
• 1/2 of a small onion roughly chopped
• 2 red bell peppers chopped small
• 10oz (~1.5 cups) butternut squash cut into smallish pieces (I used the pre diced)
• 1/2 tbs flour
• 1 1/8 cups skim milk (I used skim but I bet whole would take this to a whole new level)
• 1 cup shredded fat free cheddar cheese (substitute full fat if you'd like)
• 1/2 cup fat free ricotta (substitute as above)
• 1/2 cup of reduced fat blue cheese crumbles (substitute, substitute, substitute)
• 2 cups macaroni
• a scallion or 2 for garnish

Recipe:

1. Boil the macaroni until they are tender but still somewhat firm, drain, and place to the side.  The idea is that you want them cooked, but strong enough to hold their shape when mixed around in the sauce.
2. Set your oven to 375.
3. In a pot melt the butter and add the onions and just one of the bell peppers.  Sautee until the onions start to brown a bit and the peppers are tender.  
4. Next add the garlic, sage, dry mustard, and chili flakes making sure to keep mixing for a couple of minutes.
5. Add the flour and mix so everything is evenly coated.  Keep mixing until the flour starts to brown.
6. Lower the heat and SLOWLY add the milk, mixing all the while.  Bring to a simmer.
7. Add the butternut squash to the pot and simmer until the squash is fork tender.
8. Scoop the entire mix into a regular blender and puree.  
9. Scoop the mix back into its original pot over low heat.  Slowly mix in the ricotta, cheddar, and blue cheese taking care to properly melt the cheeses.
10. Before you mix in the pasta, taste test the sauce!  See if you need more cheese, salt, whatever.  Some people are iffy about blue cheese so add a little at a time until you find what works for you.
11. Combine the macaroni, sauce, and the remainder of RAW bell pepper pieces and move the whole deal into some sort of casserole dish.
12. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
13. Slice up a couple of scallions and sprinkle on top for garnish.

Approximate Nutritional Info per Serving:

• Calories:  290
• Fat: 4g
• Protein: 22g