Mom's Marinade + Chicken Pineapple Kabobs

With August coming to a close, it's more important than ever to squeeze every last bit of outdoor fun out of my weekends. So J and I got a good group together, made some amazing food and spent the day on a boat. For my part, I made some delicious chicken kabobs with my Mom's ridiculously amazing marinade. 

What You'll Need:
(I usually double this)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons ground ginger
generous sprinkle of garlic powder

Cut the chicken (or steak) into bite size pieces and cover with marinade. Let meat sit in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours. Alternate marinated chicken, bell peppers, onions and pineapple onto skewers. Then grill and enjoy!

I love this recipe because it's simple, it utilizes fresh summertime veggies and it's a total crowd pleaser. Plus they're easy to eat on a boat -- no silverware needed! 

How are you spending the last few weeks of summer? 

xoxo,
L

Mozzarella-Stuffed Bruschetta Turkey Burgers

Ready for a kickass recipe that's both filling and healthy? Next time you're craving something that tastes indulgent but won't kill your diet, try these bad boys.

What You'll Need:
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp olive oil
1/4 red onion, grated
salt and pepper to taste
2-3 slices fresh mozzarella

For bruschetta topping: 
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup red or white onion, finely chopped
2-3 tbsp freshly chopped basil
salt and pepper to taste
Balsamic glaze for drizzling  

Directions:
Mix ground turkey, dried spices, garlic powder, oil, onion, and salt and pepper in a bowl. Separate mixture into four sections and create fairly thin patties. (I made this recipe to serve two people but if you're less of a fatass than I am, you can make it to serve four people... but I'm telling you, you'll feel like you're eating a turkey slider instead.)


Put 1-1/2 slices of mozzarella on top of one patty, cover with another and seal edges. Place burgers on foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes, then broil on each side for an additional 4 minutes. Use a food thermometer to make sure burgers are fully cooked at 165 degrees.


While burgers are broiling, dice tomatoes and onions. Chiffonade basil (tutorial here) and mix all three together in a small bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add a drizzle of balsamic glaze. Set aside in fridge.


When the burgers are done, top them with bruschetta and an extra drizzle of balsamic glaze. Then die of utter happiness. 

This recipe has about 420 calories per (large) turkey burger. I have a pretty sizable appetite and I was stuffed... pun intended.


Enjoy!
xoxo,
L

Healthy Breakfast: Peanut Butter Banana Waffle Sandwichces

I struggle with snacking my way through the workday. I try so hard to make healthy choices but those usually leave me starving after just a couple hours. Luckily I found this healthy solution: Peanut Butter Banana Waffle Sandwiches. I typically eat breakfast around 8am. And instead of ravaging my snack drawer around 11am, I was full clear until 1pm! Score!

  Picture from Google Images

What You'll Need:

2 Eggo NutriGrain Low-Fat Waffles

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 small banana

Toast the waffles, smear one tablespoon of peanut butter on each waffle, slice the banana, assemble the sandwich and voila! A 430-calorie breakfast that won't leave you searching for more food an hour later.

What's your trick to staying full without consuming a ton of calories? 

Don't forget to enter my Viola Jane giveaway to win the adorable gold sequin collar necklace HERE! 

xoxo,

L

Lemon Salad

You're probably asking yourself the same thing I did when I first heard the words "Lemon Salad". Will I be eating slices of lemons? What else is in the salad? This doesn't make sense... But after one bite, I realized it made perfect sense.

We got together with some friends Sunday evening for a fun "family" dinner. The couple that hosted us cooked a delicious meal which included aforementioned salad. 

It is as simple as pouring freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil over your favorite greens. (Approximately 1/2 cup EVOO and 1 cup lemon juice) You can also shave some Parmesan cheese over the top if you wanted to fatten it up a bit, but honestly it's perfectly yummy on its own. And hello, very low in calories!

 

Picture from Google Images

I will definitely be adding this to our healthy recipe rotation. On second thoughts, maybe I'll have it for dinner tonight... Thank you Marisa & Joe (And Joe's Nannie) for the introduction to this new dish!

Happy Wednesday loves!

xoxo,

L  

What I Made: Valentine's Day 2012

So instead of the typical romantic dinner date for Valentine's Day, the bf and I decided to cook a nice meal at home. I love to cook and he's quite the sous chef, so it works. Also, I way overindulged on macaroni & cheese and brownies on Sunday. As in like undo the top button of my jeans overindulge. Not pretty. And I knew the only way I'd eat healthier on V-day was if I cooked a good meal myself. 

I frequently visit the website EatingWell.com if I need inspiration for healthy and delicious meals. This recipe for Marmalade Chicken did not disappoint!

image from EatingWell.com

What You'll Need:
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon orange marmalade (I used two)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
8 ounces chicken tenders
1/4 teasoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 large shallott, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest (I left this out because my marmalade already had it)

Prep:
Whisk broth, vinegar, marmalade, mustard and cornstarch in a medium bowl.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden brown. About two minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add remaining oil and shallot to pan and cook, stirring often, until they begin to brown. Whisk the broth mixture and add it to pan. Bring to a simmer, scraping up and browned bits. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer; cook until the sauce reduces and thickens, anywhere from 2-5 minutes. Add chicken and return to a simmer. Cook, turning once, until chicken is heated through.

*This recipe only has about 213 calories per serving. I served it with lemon & garlic asparagus and roasted potatoes instead of broccoli and brown rice. Totally up to you!

For the MOST important meal of the evening, I created my own version of Eton Mess... which is basically strawberries or raspberries, pieces of meringue and cream. My version only has about 250 calories per serving.

image from FoodNetwork.com

What You'll Need:

4-6 meringues, broken into small pieces

2 cups fresh strawberries, cut into bite-size pieces

2 cups fat-free cool whip

Layer strawberries and cool whip and sprinkle meringues. Simple & sooo yum!

How did you spend your Valentine's Day? I hope you had a fabulous time no matter what you did.

Also, I would love for you to join my GIVEAWAY for the chance to win the adorable Emily Bracelet from Christina M. Boutique. ENTER HERE!

xoxo,

L

Pear & Bleu Cheese Salad

As a kid my parents had to beg and plead with me to finish my salad. Now, as an adult, I have grown to like them a bit more but I'll admit they're not the first thing I reach for when I want to eat healthier. I no longer have the golden retriever sitting next to me willing to eat any table scrap I offered him. But I do have other secrets for getting my daily dose of greens.


One of them is this recipe from my boyfriend's mother. Who knew that adding a pear and some bleu cheese to a typical salad would make me actually request this dish at family get-togethers?


What You'll Need:


For the dressing
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 medium shallot, minced
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup olive oil


For the salad
1 5-ounce bag mixed baby greens (baby spinach works too)
2 large ripe pears -- halved, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup crumbled bleu cheese
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
salt & pepper to taste


Whisk dressing together and pour over greens and pears. Crumble bleu cheese and walnuts over top and serve. Add some chopped grilled chicken breast and you have yourself a full meal!

picture from foodnetwork.com

If you know of any other delicious salad recipes that I should try, please send them my way! I'm always looking for new recipes to add to my arsenal!

You can also find this post on InWithSkin.com!

xoxo,

L

Teriyaki Steak Lettuce Wraps w/ Pineapple Salsa

This is one of my favorite weekday recipes because it tastes like you're treating yourself to something not-so-healthy but in reality, you're behaving like a perfect angel. It also combines two of my absolute favorite flavor combinations -- sweet & salty.


What you'll need:
2 premium top sirloin cuts, approximately 9 oz., cut into strips
Kikoman Teriyaki Sauce (my personal favorite)
Garlic sesame seeds
1 ripe pineapple
1 large red bell pepper
1 bunch fresh cilantro
7-8 green onions OR 1 small red onion
1/4 lime
1 head Iceberg or Bibb lettuce


Directions:
Marinate steak in teriyaki sauce for at least 30 minutes. The longer you let it marinate, though, the better. Broil for 8-10 minutes, flipping half way through.


Chop pineapple, pepper and onions into bite-size pieces and add to large bowl. Chop cilantro and add to mixture. Squeeze fresh lime juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Rinse and dry lettuce.

Baste cooked steak with extra teriyaki and sprinkle with garlic sesame seeds. Build lettuce wraps by using one large leaf as base of wrap.

google images

There are approximately 400 calories in two large lettuce wraps per serving. This recipe makes two servings. 

Hope you enjoy!

xoxo,

L