Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp

Thai food is something that I have never attempted before. The variety of sauces and spices can overwhelm me in the kitchen but I decided to give it a try. Who knew it would actually be easy and low fat!!

Juicy shrimp, light coconut milk, red curry paste and scallions. Its as simple as pie...or should I say cake.
Food is a way to express your feelings, emotions, and ambitions all in one dish. You can travel to Thailand and still be able to have dinner on the table before the Bachelorette comes on.

Feel free to throw those shrimp tails at Bentely. I hope he has many bad hair days.

Coconut milk may be my new favorite ingredient. Not only is it light and creamy but you feel as if you were on a deserted island drinking pina coladas in every dish you put it in.

Who doesn't want to get caught in the rain?

Anyway this dish is so delicious and so simple. You will have dinner on the table in under 15 minutes. Did I mention this is healthy? Did I mention that you will go back for seconds? Did I mention that this will be one of your favorite go to meals on those days you just don't want to cook?

Get excited. Make this tonight. Your taste buds will thank me!

Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp

adapted from Skinny Taste

(143 calories per cup!)

Ingredients:

1 lb shrimp, peeled and divined

1 tsp oil

4 scallions, separate whites and greens

1 Tbsp minced garlic

2 tsp fish sauce

6 oz light coconut milk

1 Tbsp of Thai Red Curry Paste (you can find this in the Asian food isle)

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large non stick skillet on medium high heat. Saute scallion whites and red curry paste for about one minute.

2. Add shrimp and garlic to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper and saute for about 2-4 minutes.

3. Add coconut milk and fish sauce and mix well. Simmer about 2-4 minutes until the shrimp is cooked.

4. Remove from heat and add cilantro and scallion greens.

Serve over white rice.

Enjoy :)

Wake up and smell the baked brie

Happy Monday Morning! Are Mondays ever truly happy?

Happy is sleeping in on the weekends. Happy is all you can eat Champagne Brunch Buffets. Happy is spending the day in crystal clear water at Sand Key Beach.

Mondays are a reminder that all those happy things happened on the weekend and its time to start your week all over again.

But if you want to relax and indulge like its the weekend...make this.

Imagine gooey, creamy, decadent cheese oozing out of crispy flakey puff pastry. That screams weekend to me. This will help wake you up and get you ready to ride out that long week!

Wake up and smell the brie bakin'!

That also screams an intense workouts afterwards. But, who is counting points anyways...its the weekend right?

You will die happy and stuffed after eating this baked brie. There is no reason to think about the fact that its Monday while eating this stuffed masterpiece.

Now, get back to your weekend with this delicious easy recipe!

Baked Brie with Apples, Dried Cranberries, and Apricot Preserves

adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

1/2 Package Puff Pastry Sheets

1 egg

1 Tbsp water

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1/2 red apple, chopped

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup orange juice

1 (13.2 oz) round Brie cheese

Directions:

1. Thaw pastry at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. While thawing, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F and make an egg wash by mixing the egg and water together in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Put orange juice in a small bowl and heat in the microwave for 45 seconds. Add the dried cranberries to the heated juice until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and set cranberries aside.

3. Unfold puff pastry and roll out on a floured surface. Place brie round in the middle of the puff pastry. Top brie cheese with apricot preserves, apples, and dried cranberries. Fold puff pastry over the toppings. Press edges to seal and brush the egg wash over the puff pastry.

4. Bake 20 minutes until golden brown. Let stand 1 hour before serving.

Enjoy :)

Oh Twenty First Birthdays

Twenty First Birthdays. Enough said. My best friend Rima turned 21 and I knew I had to make an amazing cake to celebrate. I am not a very big baker but when I saw this BEAUTIFUL cake I knew I had to recreate it.

Mission: low fat strawberries and cream birthday cake.

chocolate

strawberries

whipped cream

custard

pirouette cookies

angel food cake

YUM!

When you think of 21rst birthdays you probably thing of tequila shots not chocolate covered strawberries. But, this cake is the best chaser for that tequila shot. Trust me.

The cake is really simple to make. So you have no excuse not to completely impress the person you make it for. I used boxed Angel food cake mix, cool whip, fresh stawberries, Pirouette cookies, and low fat strawberry jam! The only thing I actually made was the custard! The assembling of the cake is the best part!

The trick is to spray whipped cream in between the layers to make sure they stick! You layer strawberry jam, custard, and fresh stawberries between the layers. You should have 2 round cakes cut in half.

You should have 3 layers of filling in your scrumptious cake.

Frosting can be high in calories and sugar...so I used cool whip (a low calorie whipped cream). Genius. I spread a 16oz container all over the cake and put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes to harden.

Once the frosting is harded, assemble the pirouette cookies around the cake. I used hazelnut and dark chocolate pirouette cookies but you can use whatever flavor you want!

After the cookies are placed on the side of the cake, begin filling the inside with your chocolate covered strawberries and chocolate decorations.

For the happy birthday sign: just spread a thin layer of white chocolate on wax paper and place in freezer to harden for about 10 minutes. Once the white chocolate is hard, take the semi sweet chocolate and write Happy Birthday. Then place back into the freezer to harden.

Happy Birthday Rima!

Low Fat Strawberry and Cream Birthday Cake

adapted from The Baked Bean

Cake:

follow the instructions on the Angel Food Cake box or purchase a pre-made angel food cake.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries:

6 oz of semisweet chocolate chips
3 ounces of white chocolate chips
15-16 large strawberries
Put the chocolates in seperate microwave safe bowls.
One at a time, melt the chocolate in the microwave in intervals of 30 seconds, stirring each time. Heat and stir until smooth.

Pirouette Wafers:

store bought hazelnut or dark chocolate

Cool Whip:

16oz container

Custard:

Ingredients:
2 cups of half and half
1\2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks (you'll need the whites for the cake!)
3 Tbs Cornstarch
4 Tbs of unsalted butter, cold and cubed.
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions
Heat the half and half, vanilla extract, 6 Tbs sugar and salt in a medium pot over medium heat until it starts to simmer.

In the meantime, whisk the egg yolks, in a medium bowl, with the remaining sugar and cornstarch for about a minute.

When the half and half mixture reaches a full simmer, pour have of if into the egg mixture bowl and whisking constantly.

Return the mixture to the pot and whisk the cream over medium heat. Let the cream thicken for about 1-2 minutes. Once the cream has thickened, turn of the heat and mix in the butter until melted.

Strain the cream through a sieve over a medium bowl. Cover the bowl in plastic wrap and press the wrap directly over the cream so that a skin will not form. Refridgerate until cold and set.

Use right away of refridgerate until ready to use.

Enjoy :)

The BEST marinara EVER.

Jar Smar. DON'T DO IT. I know you are stressed, tired, poor and don't want to cook. I know you want to go to the store and buy pre-made marinara sauce thats BOGO.

I am telling you -this is not a short cut you want to take. I am all about staying in the merge lane until the last moment, ordering Net Flicks instead of driving to Blockbuster, and even making break apart cookies. I used to be a jar sauce girl. I tried once to make my own marinara sauce...lets just say lesson learned. It wasn't sweet and kinda tasted like rotten tomatoes. Not this one. This marinara sauce had my taste buds singing and asking for more!

The secret is...Tuttorosso Imported Canned Tomatoes. They are $1.87 at the grocery store. They are sweet and delicious. Trust me. You will never buy no name crushed tomatoes again.

Use this sauce to make this the next time you want to take a short cut.

Freeze it. Share it. Bathe in it? Make it!

Marinara Sauce

adapted from Gina's Skinny Recipes

Makes about 8 cups of sauce

Ingredients

2 cans Tuttorosso Imported Canned Tomatoes

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup carrots, chopped

1/2 large onion, chopped

1/2 cup fat free chicken stock

fresh basil

Directions

1. In a large pot, add olive oil, garlic, onion, and carrot. Saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes on medium high heat.

2. Add tomatoes and chicken broth and simmer for about 45 minutes.

3. Add basil in the last couple minutes to avoid bitterness.

4. Make sure you taste your sauce. Sometimes it needs just a spoonful of sugar :)

Enjoy :)

Diet Food? Yeah Right!

Who said when you diet you have to eat cardboard? I say you should eat the best you ever have on a diet. Eat cheese. Lots of it. Its good for you. They don't teach it to you in diet school...but it's true. My motto is eat that cookie now and you will die happy.

Well if you don't believe me that you can eat cheesy stuffed goodness and still be healthy then you haven't met this Chicken Rollatini. Chicken stuffed with spinach, mozzerella, and ricotta cheese oozing out of the middle. Then covered with the most delicious marinara sauce (super easy and cheap!) as well as a big whopping piece of mozzarella cheese?

I have died and gone to diet heaven.

This amazing moist, saucy, cheesy concoction is only 194 calories and 5 Points+! It is almost sinful when eating it. I felt guilty for all those other dieters eating horse food.

Put down the bran flakes and make this. You will not be disappointed.

Chicken Rollatini with Spinach and Ricotta

makes about 8 servings.

adapted from Gina's Skinny Recipes

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts butterflied and halved (or use 8 chicken cutlets)

1/2 cup whole wheat Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

3 eggs, whites only

5 oz frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed

6 Tbsp part skim ricotta cheese

10 oz part skim mozzarella cheese

olive oil non stick spray

1 cup marinara sauce

salt

pepper

Directions

1. Wash and dry chicken breast halves. Pound chicken breast halves thinly. Spray a casserole dish with olive oil spray. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Combine bread crumbs and 2 tbsp of parmesan cheese together in a shallow dish and 2 egg whites in another shallow dish. (used for breading)

3. Shred 1/4 of the mozzarella cheese and combine the remaining parmesan cheese, spinach, 1 egg white and ricotta cheese. Mix together.

4. Lay pounded chicken breast half down and spread 2 Tbsp of spinach mixture on top of the chicken. Loosely roll the chicken breast up and place seem down in the casserole dish.

5. Dip in egg whites then in bread crumb mixture. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts. Then spray the top of the chicken rolls with olive oil spray.

6. Bake for 25 minutes uncovered. Remove and add marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese. Put back in the oven until the cheese is bubbly and melted.

Enjoy :)

Goat Cheese?

Goat Cheese has never been something I was dying to try. I found it odd to be honest. But last night the goat cheese gods were calling out to me because almost every cooking show I watched yesterday included it in their recipe. I used to think goat cheese tasted like old socks, but when it is melty and creamy over grilled chicken breast...its amazing.

My mom decided to recreate Carrabba's Chicken Bryan. It is one of the most popular entrees in my family at this local Italian hub. So after my mom had a nice 90 minute walk we decided to take a spin at a recreation of Chicken Bryan. How could I resist butter, garlic, white wine, and roasted red peppers all in one sauce? Truth is - you can't. It's like when my grandma would take me into an all glass figurine store. She would tell me not to touch anything and to put my hands behind my back. Oh boy did that make you want to touch those little glass dolls more than ever. That is how I felt about this lemon butter sauce simmering away on the stove.

If you get a chance to make this for dinner this week do it! Its really easy and not THAT bad for you. Lets just say as the chicken grilled my mom and I played every Queen song recorded and posted on You Tube. Chicken, cheese, and sauce. YUM. I hope you enjoy :)

Carrabba's Chicken Bryan

adapted from Food.com

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• salt
• pepper
• olive oil
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• 6 sundried tomatoes chopped
• handful of fresh basil, chopped
• 4 teaspoons minced onion
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 6 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1/2 cup white wine

Directions:

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

1. 1. Brush chicken breast with olive oil to coat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. 2. Grill or broil chicken until done (about 10 minutes on each side) and prepare lemon butter sauce while chicken is cooking.
3. 3. Sautee onion and garlic in 2 Tbps butter until soft and translucent.
4. 4. Add white wine and lemon juice, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes to reduce.
5. 5. Add remaining 6 Tbsp butter, little by little, until it melts and mixture is emulsified.
6. 6. Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and basil, heat until hot (but do not overheat or sauce may break).
7. 7. Top chicken breasts with 2 oz each of the goat cheese. You can leave in medallions or spread on chicken breast.
8. 8. To serve, spoon lemon butter sauce over chicken breasts.
9. 9. Enjoy!

Summer is here!

Summer means beach bodies, lots of fresh veggies and fruits, sunscreen, sand, and for my family packing and selling our house.

I have a very busy summer ahead of me BUT this is the first summer since freshman year in college that I will be home. YES, I will be relaxing but I will also be a busy bee in applying to Pharmacy school, packing, getting healthy, and organizing my crazy 21 year old life.

In getting healthy, my mom and I decided to start walking twice a day and trying Weight Watchers Online. I know what you guys are thinking...your 21 and NOT overweight, why are you going on a diet? Well its not really a diet...its a way to portion control and watch what I eat. Its also a way to have consistency with my eating and exercising habits. Having my mom as my buddy will really help both of us complete our goals. Beware...the freshman 15 came late for me...I call it the Junior 15. EEK.

I am also going to my old high school trainer this summer 5 days a week. He really knows my work ethic and will make sure I have a good sweat every time. He knows the perfect level to push me. But, I am pretty nervous about going back to my high school gym. Last time I came in I was at my prime and now...not so much. Lets just say you may look skinny and in shape, but when you can't walk up a hill or a flight of stairs without gasping for air...then you know its time. Time to get HEALTHY!

I will be recording my adventures this summer and really try and stay on top of this blog. Sometimes its hard because you don't know who is out there reading, but at the same time its a blank canvas for expression.