Really enjoyed conference, the messages, music, and the chance to be live in the Conference Center for the Sunday morning session.  It was raining on our way into the Conference Center but after, the gray weepy clouds had broken up and beautiful blue skies brightened up the day. 

Have fun, and create your own. They are tasty!

Energy Bars
Makes about 20 servings

Ingredients:

Cooking spray
1 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup toasted wheat germ
1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup pitted dried dates
1/2 cup powdered nonfat dry milk (I used about 1/3 cup soy milk instead.)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 large eggs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Place all ingredients except the syrup and eggs in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. Add the syrup and eggs and pulse until the mixture is well combined. It will resemble a coarse paste.

Transfer to the baking pan and spread evenly. Bake until just done, about 20 minutes. Cut into 20 squares.

Nutritional Analysis (per serving):
Calories: 133
Total Fat: 5 grams
Saturated Fat: 0.6 grams
Protein 5 grams
Carbohydrates 20 grams
Fiber 2.5 grams

I have two fabulous recipes that I absolutely have to share with you.

Here is the first, and I will post the other one a bit later:

I made this oh-so-yummy granola from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave on Thursday evening, and I cannot stop eating it. The toasted nuts are so tasty and it smell like warm apple pie when you are baking it. Mmm ... fall is in the (kitchen) air. I doubled the batch and we are already almost through the first. Make this a Sunday project!

Nutty Granola

Makes 4 ½ cups

3 cups old-fashioned oats

1/2 cup chopped raw, unsalted walnuts

1/2 cup chopped unsalted almonds

1/2 cup chopped unsalted pecans

1/2 cup maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup raisins, optional (I made it with 1/4 cup raisins, 1/4 cup dried blueberries.)

______________________________________________________

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl combine the oats, nuts, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and the raisins, if using. Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet and bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Transfer the sheet to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Take a look-y at the final product at top -- Dan put some nutty granola on top of his yogurt and finished it off with some fresh strawberries. Soooo good!

Nutrition Information

(Per ½ cup serving)

Calories 280

Total Fat 15 grams

Saturated Fat 1.5 grams

Cholesterol 0 mg

Sodium 67 mg

Carbohydrates 34 grams

Protein 7 grams

Fiber 4.5 grams

Check back later for a recipe for Energy Bars ... these babies are so easy and yummy, too!

For a comforting summer meal that uses up all those lovely seasonal veggies and keeps it on the lighter side, I turn to Ellie Krieger's recipe. It uses chicken stock, cornstarch, and skim milk for the sauce, and it turns into a velvety dream.

I basically cleaned out my vegetable drawer for this one: carrots, green beans, asparagus, green onions, potatoes, and garlic. After cooking the vegetables and making the sauce, you transfer the mixture into one large baking dish, or individual serving bowls. Then you layer on phyllo dough, another reason this is such a light recipe. I used three layers, but next time I think I might double that. It's just so crispy and tasty! Sprinkle on a little parmesean cheese, and bake.

This is sure to be a simple, tasty recipe than even the most seasoned chicken pot pie connoisseur will enjoy.

I was watching Ellie Krieger's show when I saw this recipe of chocolate mousse. [click image to go to actual recipe] It's made of silken tofu, Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate, half tablespoon each of Grand Marnier and brandy and a bit of sugar. This dessert is soooo good and easy to make, plus it is less in fat cos it's made of tofu and it tastes like the real thing! No more whipping egg whites and heavy cream and all that folding. =)

This time I am copying the whole receipe here:

1 tablespoon canola oil 1 large onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 (14-ounce) can low-sodium tomato sauce 1/4 cup tomato paste 1/2 cup water 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar 5 tablespoons molasses 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke1 whole rotisserie chicken, skin removed, meat shredded into thin strips (about 4 to 4 1/2 cups) 6 whole-wheat hamburger rolls 6 large green lettuce leaves Heat the oil in a large saute pan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, vinegar, molasses, pepper and liquid smoke and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add chopped chicken, return to a simmer, and cook an additional 10 minutes.Split rolls. Place a leaf of lettuce on each roll, then pile on 3/4 cup of the chicken mixture onto the roll. Per Serving: Calories 440; Total Fat 12 g; (Sat Fat 2.5 g, Mono Fat 5 g, Poly Fat 3.5 g) ; Protein 36 g; Carb 47 g; Fiber 5 g; Cholesterol 95 mg; Sodium 400 mg Excellent source of: Protein, Fiber, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Zinc Good source of: Vitamin A, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin K, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium Changes for my personal taste -- add a little heat Maybe a little less molasses and definatley more vinager

It has been a crazy few days with my computer on the fritz. And as a consolation prize to you having missed my Challenge posts so darn much, I will be making up for the last three days with a few extra posts.

So, get ready! Here we go:

Breakfast this morning was on the run. Dan and I had a meeting to attend and before I knew it, it was time to leave. I grabbed a chocolate peanut butter Special K Protein bar and a glass of water with a dash of 100% pure cranberry juice. This was the first time I tried these bars and they are quite tasty! They did not taste like some of the other bars I have sampled -- chalky, cardboard-like, you know the drill -- and it actually did hold me over until I arrived home for a small snack (1 cup of low-fat vanilla yogurt). These Special K babies clock in at 180 calories, 6 g fat, 5 g fiber and 15 g sugar. Now, I don't usually supplement meals with a bar, but they are a good emergency plan when your schedule just doesn't allow for a sit-down breakfast. Plus, I would rather eat a bar than nothing at all!

I completely forgot to photograph lunch before I chowed down, but I had about 3.5 oz. canned tuna mixed with 1 1/2 Tbsp. Lemonaise Light and 1/8 cup dried cranberries. I put it between some lettuce leaves and two slices whole grain bread. Mmmm!

When I had finished lunch, Dan stopped home to say hello and brought some flowers he had picked on his way inside. I thought I would share ... pretty, huh? What a sweetie.

After I said goodbye to Dan, I had to make a quick trip to Whole Foods. When I arrived, there was a huge Top Chef truck in the parking lot. Apparently, members from the show travel to different areas across the country, cook up some good food and put on a show for a few visitors. I didn't have time to wait around for a show, but I did snag some yummy tuna with olive tapenade on a little slice of bread.

After the grocery store, I went home and did some more work. A few hours later, it was time for dinner! My brother, Isaac, is visiting tonight, so I made him one of his favorites -- homemade Mac & Cheese! I based my recipe loosely on the one I have tried before from Ellie Krieger’s The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life.

I changed it up substituting whole wheat noodles for 1/2 of the plain pasta the recipe calls for; so, that means I had 8 oz. whole wheat and 8 oz. plain pasta. I also added a bit more cheese to make it creamier which, obviously, changed the calorie content of the dish. But that's the way Isaac likes it and I wanted him to be happy! (: I had a bowl, and I was totally stuffed . . . macaroni is filling!

Well, that's it for the night. Although, I did pick up some of those fabulous Whole Foods Chewy Brownie Cookies, so I may just have to have one of those!

We'll just have to see . . . (;

Ellie Krieger

Ellie Krieger, registered dietitian, Food Network star and author of one of my favourite go-to books gives us this weeks chef's tip. Ellie is not one of those nutritionists tries to tell you to live on celery sticks and grilled chicken breasts- she is all for enjoying and savouring your food. Her tip to start building a healthy relationship with food is all about the stops and starts. Stop eating by the sink, at your office desk and on the go. Start thinking about what you're eating, take time and pleasure over eating and cooking a meal and you'll get much more out of it. Now, stop complaining and start munching- at the dinner table, that is.

In this article about a (mute) swan that I found in a rubbish free paper that someone had left on a rain sodden table outside a Manchester bar, the interviewee claims to hear the sound of quacking outside. However, swans don't quack on account they are swans and not ducks so someone is lying and I don't like it one bit. Needless to say I am furious.

This news is from squacco and it must be said I agree with her. Like mutton for lamb, swans for ducks simply does not work and it is an appalling idea. It raises my hackles. Or it would if I had them.
Nobody serves swan anymore that I know of except for one small famous college over the pond. And it's my feeling they do it mostly for the feathers.

If you're looking for something motivatingly healthy to read this weekend about food, Clean Eating is out - it is the second issue of this new magazine, and it is very good. Ellie Krieger (who we mentioned earlier this week) is a contributor. You can get a taste at their beautiful website, just click here.

I wonder what ever happened in this town in Spain - from a story dated June 6, 2000 in Salon:

In two years, the northern Spanish towns of Villabilla de Burgos and Alcala de Gurrea will be running on artichokes. No kidding!

According to a Reuters report, the towns plan to burn giant, 10-foot-high artichokes at their twin power stations to convert the thorny vegetables to electricity.

Any guesses?

Back on Earth As We Know It, Men's Health with their ongoing compendium of "Eat This Not That" offers yet another list up to the world: 125 Best Supermarket Foods.

Ladies and gentlemen, rev your appetites—and steer your shopping carts toward the delicious staples of a healthy diet. We scoured the grocery aisles and chose the most reliable basics and the best secret ingredients that will improve your diet and take your cooking up a notch—all in one trip to the supermarket!

God it sounds exciting! Rev rev.

In "the best thing I've read all week" category lives something by Rachel Laudan. A snippet to taste:

Sustainability. It’s up there with motherhood and apple pie, who could be against something so eminently desirable. Yet the fact is that we have no analysis of what is sustainable and what is not. Assuming that if it’s small and organic it’s sustainable won’t do.

Some of the topics Rachel writes on, from her blog:

Big issues in food history. Does America have a cuisine? What is a cuisine anyway? What are regional cuisines? Is it possible to eat locally and why would anyone want to? What about servants?

Big issue in food politics. Basically I think that for all its problems, there’s never been safer, tastier food. So why is that? What are we doing to keep it so? What about all the naysayers and their doom and gloom?

Not only can she write, she has the academic background to back it up and even better, the woman is brilliant. :)

If you're still hungry just click on the YouTube video below. It's possible you may never be hungry again.

Enjoy your week-end!

No, that would be bad.

Bad kitchen karma.

And all my future cooking endeavors would be doomed.

So to appease the Kitchen Gods…not to mention my own personal St. Anthony of Bacon…I give you the main course from Win Some, Lose Some.

I will admit that as straightforward as this recipe is, I did have a near miss roasting the beef. Not a happy thought with an expensive piece of meat. So learn from me, be sure that your thermometer is inserted correctly into the roast. Because after 30 minutes in the oven, that temperature reading really should be somewhere around 130 to 140 degrees. And I don't know that it really takes 10 minutes to sear the meat.

We had a delay after the roast started doing its thing in the oven (near miss #2). So to keep things from going to hell in a handbasket, I pulled it at about 135 degrees, cooled the oven down, and let it rest in a low oven (about 175 degrees) until our guests arrived and we were ready to dig in (about another 30 – 45 minutes). And let me tell you, that roast was moist AND tender, more medium than medium rare, but lip smacking good.

Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Rosemary, Chocolate and Wine Sauce

Ellie Krieger – Food Network

1 (2-pound) beef tenderloin roast
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 small carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
2 cups dry red wine
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 tablespoon unsweetened natural cocoa powder
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Season the meat with the salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of the oil over medium-high heat until good and hot, then add the meat and sear until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total.

Transfer the meat to a rack set on a baking sheet. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part registers 140 degrees F for medium-rare, about 30 minutes, or to your desired degree of doneness. Remove it from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let rest until the sauce is nearly done before slicing.

While the meat cooks, make the sauce. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, carrot and celery and cook, stirring a few times, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the wine and broth and stir in the tomato paste. Add the bay leaf and thyme and bring to a boil. Simmer until the liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 40 minutes.

Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a small saucepan. Stir in the cocoa and rosemary and season with salt and pepper. Serve on the side with the sliced tenderloin.

Stuffed Greek Peppers

1 pound lean ground beef
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 medium zucchini, coarsely grated (about 2 cups) zucchini haters: you don't really taste it
1 small onion, minced (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup bulghur I substituted rice
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, cores and ribs removed I used green
2 (14 1/2-ounce) cans low-sodium stewed tomatoes, finely chopped
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese more if you're a cheese lover

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine the beef, spinach, zucchini, onion, bulghur or rice, egg, oregano, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined. I used dried oregano but will use fresh next time. Squishing the mixture all together is the fun part - tip: wear surgical gloves to keep the goo from getting under your nails.

Arrange the pepper halves cut side up in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and fill each pepper half with the meat mixture. Use bigger peppers than I did - these were what I had on hand.

Pour the tomatoes over the peppers and sprinkle with the feta cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until the meat mixture is completely cooked and the peppers are tender, about 25 minutes longer. Next time I'll add some of the cheese into the mixture too. Getting a bite with the cheese was esp delish.

This is out of the oven.

Serve on your favorite yellow rose dinnerware with a side salad.

The mixture freezes well too. One more thing I would add to the mix is Tabasco--obviously this is a Yankee recipe as the seasoning is not quite up to N'awlins standards! Enjoy!

Chopped salad - meaning romaine, carrots, tomato, can of corn( drained), toasted pecans and a sprinkle of goat cheese. The dressing was jarred pesto sauce thinned with lemon juice and whatever vinegar I grabbed.

cheese - smoked Gouda and a Cheddar/Stilton mix

and Something called San Francisco Polenta Bread  - I made it muffin form

Ingredients:

1 cup flour ( I only had whole wheat)

1 cup Polenta

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar

1 egg beaten

1 cup milk ( I used low-fat soy , it was what I had)

1/4 cup oil

preheat oven to 425 . mix ingredients bake 20 - 25 minutes in 8X8 pan or muffin tins

Very yummy - crunchy tops. but notice that last ingredient - oil. I forgot it - completely.Honestly, I never missed it. the left over muffins might be hard - but a little butter and heating them up in the microwave ought to take care of that.

That's the second time this week I misread a recipe. I tried to make Ellie Krieger's baked Falafel, but misread the oven temperature. It was tasty, but over cooked. I will try it again, but using the correct oven temperature.

Not this recipe!

Macaroni and 4 Cheeses
by: Ellie Krieger

INGREDIENTS:
Cooking spray
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 (10-ounce) packages frozen pureed winter squash
2 cups 1 percent lowfat milk
4 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 1/3 cups)
2 ounces Monterrey jack cheese, grated (about 2/3 cup)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons unseasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
1 teaspoon olive oil

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Coat a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook until tender but firm, about 5 to 8 minutes. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

4. Meanwhile, place the frozen squash and milk into a large saucepan and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally and breaking up the squash with a spoon until it is defrosted. Turn the heat up to medium and cook until the mixture is almost simmering, stirring occasionally.

5. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the Cheddar, jack cheese, ricotta cheese, salt, mustard and cayenne pepper. Pour cheese mixture over the macaroni and stir to combine.

Shredded cheese

6. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to the baking dish.

7. Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and oil in a small bowl.

8. Sprinkle over the top of the macaroni and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes, then broil for 3 minutes so the top is crisp and nicely browned.

Serving size: 2 cups (recipe serves 8 total)

Calories: 392
Fat: 11
Fiber: 3.5
WWP: 8

Buy the green one!  It's Great!

This morning I flipped to dog-eared page 18, Blueberry Blast Smoothies.  Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!   We ate all our blueberries earlier in the week, so I substituted strawberries and added a little flax seed and it turned out amazing!  Let me walk you through it...

Gather ingredients:  FF yogurt, FF milk, Frozen Strawberries and Flax Seeds (optional), oh and honey!  I always forget the honey!

Add 1/2c. FF yogurt and 1/2c. of FF milk to the blender

Add 1 rounded cup of Frozen strawberries

Measure out 1 tsp. of Flax seeds.  Aren't they pretty?

Add them to the blender

1 tbsp. honey

Blend until smooth.  I let it run about a minute.

See the flaxies in it?

Enjoy!

Recipe makes 1 serving (appox. 12oz)

Each serving is 3 pts/4pts with optional flax seeds

Instead I'm flipping back and forth between HGTV and Food Network, aka the Food Porn channel. I love watching the experts show people how to stage their houses to sell better, even though I don't have a house and am not selling or buying anything. Everyone should know by now that the keys are neutral colors and style, declutter and remove personal items and a lot of extra furniture, fix things that need mending, and spruce up the outside for curb appeal. See? I could have my own show.

Food Porn is addictive and I especially enjoy the personalities cooking with all their olive oil and butter, making rich and exotic fare fit for celebrations. Dinner at my house doesn't exactly qualify for that but I don't find that I want to eat everything on screen. Au contraire: seeing how much butter goes into the batter for good scones make me aware of how much those don't need to be part of my menu.

Ellie Krieger is one of my favorites. She is a registered nutritionist and her foods are both very healthy and flavorful. Someone on the Television Without Pity boards said, "I like Ellie. Her show is like watching fish in an aquarium. She is relaxing and lowers your blood pressure." That may sound boring but it really isn't.

Ellie uses fresh foods and explains things about why certain things matter in choosing ingredients - things that are not necessarily obvious. Another TWOP poster said, "She went to the grocery store and pointed out that sugar free and low/no fat isn't always a better choice than real food, and that you can have real anything as long as they're used with portion control in mind."

TWOP is one of my fav sites and there are forums for discussing everything you could possibly see on TV, from prime time network shows to reality shows (competitive, how-to, and candid - who knew there were genres of reality?) to cooking to sports to shopping to news. All loaded with snark. Each board has a moderator to make sure things stay within acceptable guidelines, but there is a lot of leeway and it can get heated.

It's fun, though, and I guess it shows that I'm far more a child of TV than of the movies.

This last weekend we got particularly burger crazy, as we wanted something easy to cook because we were all burned out travelling to Connecticut and bringing back our new dog, Kona, from the folks at Flora's Pet Project. And it didn't help at all that we were all couch potatoed when we got back and watched dietician-chef Ellie Krieger on Food Network cook up some particularly tasty looking DIY Diner Food.

Our first Turkey Burger was a bit of a cheat, as it involved the use of pre-made frozen burgers from COSTCO. All hail the mighty Kirkland! But we amped up this burger with our Giant Mushroom Chili that we made for the Superbowl along with a small amount of melted cheddar cheese, served on a whole grain burger bun. But it was a quick and easy lunch, and really satisfied that Chili Burger craving. Hell, the last time I had a real chili burger was back in August at The Varsity in Atlanta. This one was just as good, and nowhere near as bad for you. Next time I'm going to use use fresh ground turkey meat instead of COSTCO pucks.

But wait! There's more burgers in store. Click on the "Read the rest of this entry" link below for more.

The second burger is a full-out rendition of a diner classic, tweaked from Ellie Krieger's do it yourself diner food episode from Healthy Appetite on Food Network, circa 2005. Ellie's Turkey Burger, stuffed with mozzarella cheese and roasted red peppers is inspired genius. The only thing I could do to improve it was to add additional seasoning to the turkey meat, and I can't even claim credit for what I did, which is to add Awase Miso paste to the meat in order to punch up that meaty umami taste giving the bland turkey meat a beefy flavor. This stroke of genius I can only attribute to Seattle resident, computer industry writer and academic Chris DeVoney, who suggested I do this. Combine this with Baked Sweet Potato Fries and Baked Onion Rings (with a Lay's Baked Potato Chip crust!!!!) and a Burger Condiment-Flavored "Fixin's" Salad and you got yourself a serious burger plate that stands on its own. And you don't feel so guilty after eating it either.

Here we have 2oz of Lay's Baked Original Potato Crisps. These are going to be blitzed in the food processor until they essentially turn into crumbs, sort of simulating Panko in consistency. Ellie uses an unidentified gourmet baked chip on the actual show, but because they are processed/extruded like Pringles, I find that the Lay's give a nice consistent crumble and they are not oversalted. It's really not a bad snack as junk foods go, with only 120 calories per 1oz bag, and zero cholesterol and transfats.

Here we've separated approximately 1/2lb of turkey meat into four patties. I'm using regular ground turkey meat here where Ellie uses turkey breast meat, which is leaner. But this is what I bought on sale at the supermarket, and it does taste more like real burger. To the burger mix I added pepper and 2 teaspoons of the Awase Miso paste. In her episode, Ellie uses jarred roasted peppers packed in olive oil -- I just roasted a red bell pepper over the Garland burners using a pair of tongs and put it in a covered small plastic container to steam off the skin and to cool down. We then chopped it into a fine dice, and set aside 2oz of shredded skim milk mozzarella cheese. The burgers were then formed by sealing a mixture of the red pepper and cheese between two burger sides and sealed together by crimping the sides together tightly by hand.

30 minutes before cooking the burgers, slice up two nice sized sweet potatoes into thin fry shapes or pub chips using a mandoline and spray with PAM or olive oil. Bake in the oven at 450 Degrees.

Following Ellie's Recipe, slice up two large sweet onions into large rings, dredge and coat in flour/buttermilk/hot sauce mixture. Bake for 20 minutes at 450 degrees until done.

Grill the burgers until completely cooked through, on both sides. Remember, this is poultry meat, you don't want to undercook them. The pepper and cheese stuffing keeps them nice and juicy, though.

Onion rings should come out thusly.

Ellie's "Fixin's salad" combines all the great burger condiments in a salad. The only thing we did different here was to actually add yellow burger mustard to the vinaigrette.

Here's another version we did, stuffed with peppers, sauteed mushrooms, garlic, mozzarella, with basil mixed into the burger.

The two halves were crimped together and the burgers were cooked in a non-stick pan.

This was then served on toasted whole wheat pita bread with a simple marinara sauce with tomatoes, basil. garlic and red pepper flakes. Turkey Pizzaburgers!

Pizza Burger closeup, with sweet potato chips and more of those great onion rings.

Here's a "Tex-Mex" Turkey Burger, wth Red Onion, Mushroom Chili, Fresh Salsa, and melted Pepper Jack Cheese.

Got a great turkey burger recipe? Chime in.

I’ve got a total girl crush on Ellie Krieger. Seriously. She’s got some serious poise, class, and a great sense of style in all the dishes she creates. It’s only been a few weeks since my acquisition of her newest cookbook but it’s climbing up to be one of my favorite cookbooks in my small but nutrient-packed collection. My undisputed Domestic Goddess is, and always will be, Nigella Lawson (I worship her) but Ellie is not far behind.
My latest recreation from her cookbook, The Food You Crave, is this Portobello Panini with Gorgonzola and Sun-Dried Tomatoes. My version is slightly different because I used goat cheese I already had in a refrigerator instead of Gorgonzola, and I added a handful of spinach to make this panini a slightly more nutritious and colorful one. I also reconstituted and sandwiched more sun-dried tomatoes than the recipe called for because I love the tangy flavor of the tomatoes. The leftover baby spinach turned into a smoked salmon and capers salad that I added on the side. A sprinkle of lemon juice on the Portobello panini brought all the flavors together and gave it a refreshing final touch. Boy, with meaty and satisfying dish like this, who needs meat?
Next up on my “recreation list,” is White Bean and Roasted Garlic Dip. Maybe I’ll try it out this weekend when we celebrate my father’s birthday!  Will keep you posted.

I don't trust skinny chefs on television. While they may have the right idea...give me a break. Perhaps we're expected to believe its not possible to splurge in order to maintain a healthy weight. Or we're fooled into believing that a woman who prepares 3,000 calorie meals can easily maintain her weight without getting a spot of grease on her white Juicy Couture terrycloth sweatsuit.

Sorry, Ellie Kreiger, but since when has a handful of blueberries and a half-ounce of chocolate satisfied anyone's chocolate craving? I actually LIKE chocolate...and I don't ration it an ounce at a time, as it as if it were an expensive French perfume.

Then there are women like Sandra Lee. Does she spit the food out as soon as the cameras stop rolling? Where does all of her artery-clogging storebought food go? Are we really supposed to believe that re-decorating a store-bought pound cake ring counts as actually cooking? I’ll stick to making guilty-tasting, nutrient-rich food…without the Safeway bags, bakery container, and box of laxatives hiding in my garbage can when guests come over.

I'm actually not here to trash-talk television chefs. My mission is to obtain a healthy weight, feel confident, and share modified recipes and recipes of my own with whomever becomes bored enough to read this. But I might occasionally bitch about Giada de Laurentiis getting her boobs in my food on TV…sorry love, I know you’re gifted…but please try not to flash me.

Some days might be better than others as far as what I eat. I may occasionally fall backwards in my attempt to lose weight. I might state that celery is a food that burns more calories than the calories contained within the celery...ignoring the fact that my celery stick is coated in 100 calories worth of peanut butter. I'm human, and I get late night cravings while skimming Perez Hilton articles before bed.

I’ve rollercoaster dieted since I was 18. After realizing that my “fat pants” no longer fit, and given my family's health record, I am at risk of diabetes and obesity. I’ve decided to make some positive changes in what I eat.

Did I mention that I’m hungry?

As much as I love to cook and bake, you’ll be surprised to see how little cookbooks I own. Cookbooks, for me, are serious business and I don’t take them lightly. Before a book can secure a coveted spot on my lovely Ikea bookshelf, it must undergo an extensive selection process. And although the criteria I set are fairly simple and straightforward, it’s surprising to learn how many books actually make the cut.

I know that we’re not suppose to judge a book by its cover but screw it, I do. The book must, above all, capture my attention immediately, or I won’t even open it. If the cover is not attractive, how good can the recipes inside be? Cookbooks are about food, and I savor food and books with my eyes first.

I’m not too critical about the amount of photographs inside though. Believe it or not, some of my all-time favorite cookbooks have absolutely no pictures in them. For me, the written words are as delicious, or even more decadent, than pretty glossies. Well-chosen words tell a beautiful story, recreate a special experience, and paint a colorful flavor in my mind. And that is a real treat.

Last but not least, I need to feel the love. The book must have passion, pride, inspiration, a defined point of view, and yes, love. It must also be something that has a tremendous meaning to the author. I don’t look at cookbooks solely as a source of good recipes but also as a dialogue between two people who love and respect food very much.

My latest cookbook acquisition is Ellie Krieger’s The Food You Crave, which focuses on recreating food we love and crave, only healthier. My ritual when I first bring home the baby is to sit down with a cup of tea, go through the book from cover to cover and mark all the recipes that I would like to try with little stickies. By the time I finished skimming through the book, I had marked more than 30 recipes! Everything in this book is fabulous, using fresh and healthy ingredients. I cannot wait to try Grilled Zucchini Roll-Ups with Herbs adn Cheese (pictured above), Crab Salad in Crisp Wonton Cups, and Portobello Panini with Gorgonzola and Sun-Dried Tomatoes!  How delicious, healthy and satisfying do these sound?  I really appreciate the fact that Krieger, a registered dietitian, included nutrition information on each dish too.

Well, speaking of healthy and satisfying, I prepared this huge bowl of salad for dinner tonight (serves 2 as dinner, 4 as appetizers). This did not come from Krieger’s book, but it was inspired by a couple of recipes she created that used some of the same ingredients. This is a combination of savory smoked salmon, tangy goat cheese, meaty sautéed Portobello and Shitake mushrooms, creamy cannelloni beans, red onion slices, capers and a vinaigrette dressing on a bed of baby spinach. I bought each ingredient with an intention of creating couple dishes, but I got lazy so I decided to throw everything in a bowl and call it a salad. Despite the sloppy exterior, the salad was absolutely divine, healthy and complete guilt free.

The Food You Crave

By Ellie Krieger

★★★★★

Her Food Network show, Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger, is pretty darn amazing too!