Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Oktoberfest 2009

Ahh, the most wonderful time of the year. Addison Oktoberfest!

I kicked off the festivities by participating in the Oktoberfest 5K to benefit Wipe Out Kids' Cancer. I was so excited to participate in my third 5K this year. I was disappointed in my time (31:23), however. I was hoping to break 30 minutes, but it didn't happen. I had a few things go wrong during my run, but the bottom line is that I finished and only took a short walk break.

Afterwards there was free beer available but we decided to head home and rest up. We returned that evening and met up with a bunch of our friends. We enjoyed lots of beer, soft pretzels and great company! Too bad I left my camera at home!

Monday, September 14, 2009

Herbed Chicken Parmesan

Another great Cooking Light recipe! The only thing I did differently was use olive oil instead of butter to cook the chicken, and melted mozzarella on top instead of provolone.

Yield
4 servings

Ingredients
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1 pound chicken breast tenders
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups bottled fat-free tomato-basil pasta sauce (such as Muir Glen Organic)
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) shredded provolone cheese
Preparation
Preheat broiler.

Combine 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a shallow dish. Place egg white in a shallow dish. Dip each chicken tender in egg white; dredge in the breadcrumb mixture. Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Set aside.

Combine 1/8 teaspoon salt, pasta sauce, vinegar, and pepper in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; vent. Microwave sauce mixture at HIGH 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Pour the sauce over chicken in pan. Sprinkle evenly with the remaining Parmesan and provolone cheese. Wrap handle of pan with foil, and broil 2 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Nutritional Information
Calories:308 (30% from fat)
Fat:10.4g (sat 5.7g,mono 3g,poly 0.6g)
Protein:35.9g
Carbohydrate:16.2g
Fiber:1.8g
Cholesterol:88mg
Iron:2.3mg
Sodium:808mg
Calcium:249mg

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Let's call them "crunch patties"

I have been craving falafel the last couple weeks. I found a recipe in Cooking Light that was quick, easy and delicious! I didn't make the yogurt sauce to go with, instead I spread the pitas with a little bit of hummus. We didn't have any ground coriander on hand, so I left it out and it still tasted fine. I might add a little bit of lemon juice next time, just to add a little extra flavor to the patties.

Falafel Pitas

If you don't have time to make the sauce, use commercial hummus thinned with lemon juice.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed pita)

Ingredients
Sauce:
1 cup 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
2/3 cup chopped peeled cucumber
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill
1 garlic clove, minced

Falafel:
1 (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil

Remaining ingredients:
2 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, cut in half
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup chopped plum tomato
2/3 cup thinly sliced peeled cucumber
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
Preparation
1. To prepare sauce, combine the first 4 ingredients; set aside.

2. To prepare falafel, drain chickpeas in a colander over a bowl; reserve liquid. Place chickpeas, 3 tablespoons liquid (discard remaining liquid), breadcrumbs, and next 5 ingredients (through cumin) in a food processor; process until minced. Divide chickpea mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Spread about 1/4 cup sauce into each pita half. Fill each pita half with 1/2 cup lettuce, 1/4 cup tomato, about 2 tablespoons sliced cucumber, 1 tablespoon sliced onion, and 2 patties.

Nutritional Information
Calories:303 (0.0% from fat)
Fat:10.8g (sat 2.2g,mono 5.4g,poly 1.8g)
Protein:14.4g
Carbohydrate:40.6g
Fiber:7.4g
Cholesterol:3mg
Iron:3.3mg
Sodium:569mg
Calcium:133mg