Breadmaker 101: My first loaf!

So now that it is summer, I have a ton more time to cook and bake!  I'm still doing camp but I have way less work to take home with me. Camp has been really great so far.  I am the director for three park district camps and they have all been amazing!  The site directors and counselors are doing a fantastic job and that makes my job even easier! 

Today I am going to tell you about my latest obsession: bread!  I got a bread maker at one of the wedding showers and I have been totally obsessed.  I also got a bread making cookbook.  I have already tagged multiple pages of recipes I want to try.  The first loaf I decided to go with was a 1 pound whole wheat loaf.  It came out amazing and I promptly announced that we were done buying bread! 

Whole Wheat Bread in a Bread Machine

I used King Arthur white whole wheat flour and bread machine quick rise yeast.  

This was also a honey whole wheat recipe and I really liked the flavor.  I went with the dark crust option and I think I'm the future I'll go with medium.  I also didn't take the paddle out after the mixing stages and I ended up with a hole in the bottom of the loaf.  Next time I'll change that as well. 

If anyone has any suggestions for me on what I should make or technical things, I'd love to hear it! 

Enjoy :)

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits

I just finished my last training run for my marathon.  This week was sort of silly, but it was the final week of taper so really it was just about staying loose and feeling comfortable.  At this point in training, you are totally ready for the marathon so this week I just ran 3, 3, and then 2.  I don't want to tire myself out and I want to stay ready.  I just finished my 2 miles and I feel great! I am nervous, but so excited.

In honor of traveling to Nashville for the weekend, I decided to share a recipe for some good-old biscuits.  I saw the recipe on Cook's Illustrated and then I adapted it to use my favorite whole wheat flour.  They came out AMAZING! I ate these with everything! Chilli, butter and jelly, some peanut butter, anything!  They were flaky and super tasty and I was in love.

Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits

Ingredients:
3 cups King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
2 tbsp sugar
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
16 tbsp unsalted butter, frozen for about 20 minutes
1 1/4 cups light buttermilk, cold

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, toss the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Coat the butter with some of the flour mixture and then using a cheese grater, grate 14 tbsp of butter into the flour mixture.  Toss to combine.
3. Pour in the buttermilk and using a spatula, fold until it is combine.
4. Dump mixture out onto a well-floured surface and use your hands to shape the mixture into a rough square.  Roll the mixture out using a rolling pin (or if you're me, a wine bottle!).  You want to create about a 12 by 9 inch rectangle.  Then, fold this into thirds like a business letter about to go into an envelope.  Then, roll it out the perpendicular (see? math!) direction from where you rolled before into a 12 by 9 inch rectangle and then fold into thirds again.  Continue to do this for a total of 5 folds.

5. Roll the dough out into a square so that the dough is about 1 inch thick.  Cut into squares using a sharp knife.  Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet.
6. Melt the last 2 tbsp of butter and brush the tops of each biscuit with butter.

7. Place on the upper-middle rack of your oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.   Biscuits should be golden.

Enjoy :)

Clean Out Your Pantry Cookie Bars

I'm moving in THREE days!  I can't believe it!  We are buying our own condo and I couldn't be more excited.  This past week we have been packing up boxes, cleaning, and getting things in order.  I decided that I was going to cook/bake things that I had all the ingredients for already so that I could clean out the pantry/fridge.  This was the inspiration behind these cookie bars and I've gotta say, it was a great plan.

I only had white whole wheat flour left in the pantry so I used that.  I had more brown sugar than regular sugar, so I used more brown sugar.  And, I already had open bags of peanut butter chips and dark chocolate chips.  I figured that with that combo, I really couldn't go wrong.  Then, just for kicks, I threw in some old-fashioned oats as well.  Why not, right?  These cookie bars are super yummy!!!! I may have to host my own edition of chopped: clean-out-your-pantry-style.   It could be the next big reality show!  I would go to different houses of people who are moving and you would have to cook with whatever they had.  The Goal: make something amazing that uses as many ingredients as possible so that the pantry is clean when you are done.  I feel like I am onto something big here.  Feel free to contact my agent...

Anyways, I have been really busy getting ready for the move and I am grateful that I decided to take off half of Thursday and all of Friday so that I can just focus on moving and getting all settled in our new home.  I have an amazing kitchen waiting for me and I can't wait to beak it in!

Clean Out Your Pantry Cookie Bars
(Whole Wheat Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars)

Ingredients:
3 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cornstarch
1 cup old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
1 egg
1 egg white
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup peanut butter chips
1 cup dark chocolate chips
sea salt

Directions:
1. Lightly grease a 13 by 9 inch pan and preheat the oven to 350.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cornstarch, and oats.
3. In a large bowl, beat the butter, oil, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the egg until well combined.  Beat in the egg white until well combined.  Beat in the vanilla.
4. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture into the wet ingredients until just combined.  Stir in the peanut butter chips and dark chocolate chips.
5. Spread the batter out in your prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.  The cookie bars should be slightly browned around the edge of the pan.  Let cool for 20 minutes.  Cut into bars!

Enjoy :)

Vegetarian Pot Pie

On this snowy Tuesday, all I want is something warm and comforting in my tummy.  So, I decided to make a pot pie.  I wanted Bri to be able to eat it and so it became a veggie pot pie with tofu instead of chicken.  It was super yummy and crazy simple.  Here is what I did:

I mixed a bunch of delish veggies in a pot.  Then, I poured said delish veggies into a 9 by 13 inch pan.  Then, I put unrolled crescent rolls on top and baked it in the oven for 15 minutes.  The result:  A Vegetarian Pot Pie Casserole.  Yes, I am serious.

This was super easy and now I have some awesome comfort food that incorporates a bunch of vegetables and some solid protein.

Today, I keep looking out the window while at school and I am not looking forward to my drive home in all this snow.  At least I have a yummy dinner ahead of me!

Vegetarian Pot Pie

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried parsley
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 cup chopped tofu
6-8 small red potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 cup frozen peas
4 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
8 crescent rolls

Directions:
1. Melt the butter over medium-low heat and add in the celery, carrots, and onion.  Let cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add in the garlic, oregano, parsley, thyme, salt and pepper.  Add in the potatoes and tofu.  Let cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add in the veggie stock and increase heat to medium-high.  Add in the frozen peas.  Let cook until mixture starts to boil.
4. In a small bowl, place flour.  Ladel some veggie stock from your vegetable mixture into the flour and whisk to combine.  Then, pour the flour/veggie stock mixture back into the pot and stir to combine.
5.  Let cook while simmering for about 5 minutes or so.  Pour the mixture into a 13 by 9 inch pan.

6. Lay the crescent rolls on the top and cook at 350 for about 15 minutes or until crescent rolls are cooked and browned.

Enjoy :)

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Last night I made breakfast nachos for dinner.  Yep, it has been one of those kind of weeks...However, that means that you all will learn how to make amazing breakfast nachos in the near future!

This week have been really busy, but full of good things!  On Monday, I did not have school so, of course, I went for a 12 mile run.  It had snowed recently and so that 12 mile run left me feeling very sore.  This led to me not wanting to run indoors for the rest of the week.  Something about a treadmill just makes me so angry.  So, I decided to bundle up and run my 2 other runs outside.  I left early in the morning (5:30) and it was actually quite pleasant.  I sort of like being the only one out and about in Chicago.  It is peaceful and left me feeling calm and relaxed.

School has also been going pretty well this week.  We are graphing sine and cosine in the precalculus group and in AP Calc we are looking into applications of integration.  Volume is a tough one, but today one of the calc students took a quiz on it and killed it!!! I am so proud and excited for her.  Planning for both of these courses has been a lot of work, but the students are so great and I really love working with them.  It is totally worth the effort!

Otherwise, the condo stuff is still moving along.  We are signing a boat-load of forms, showing our apartment to potential subletters, and trying to work out and manage all of our funds.  It's stressful, but I am so excited to move towards closing on our place.  I LOVE it!

So, one thing that has helped me get through this week has been the fact that I had a mountain of leftovers from that time I made Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders.  This was one of the rare times that I made a non-vegetarian meal.  This means that I have a ton of leftovers and no one to help me eat them.  So, I have had some pretty delicious school lunches all this week.  The chicken came out great and super tasty.  Then, I mixed some Yogurt Blue Cheese Dressing into some Broccoli Slaw and I used that to put on top of my phenomenal chicken.  YUM!  I am obsessed with this recipe and I can't wait to make it again for some sort of sporting event!  March Madness is quickly approaching and it would be perfect!

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Blue Cheese Broccoli Slaw

Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts
2 bottles buffalo sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)
1 1/2 packets of ranch seasoning
Broccoli Slaw, 1 bag
2-3 tbsp blue cheese dressing (I used a Yogurt/Light one)
whole wheat dinner rolls (24-36)

Directions:
1. Place chicken, buffalo sauce, and ranch seasoning in your crock pot.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours.  After chicken is done, shred the chicken using two forks and leave on warm until you are ready to serve.
2. Pour the broccoli slaw into a large bowl and toss with the blue cheese dressing.
3. Serve with your whole wheat dinner rolls!

Enjoy :)

Avocado Egg Salad

How are your new year's resolutions going?

I am not a huge fan of resolutions.  I like to think of them more like lifestyle choices.  I decided that since my wedding is in less than 200 days, I am going to work on being healthy, eating well, and getting in great shape.  So far, I have lost some weight and I've been doing more strength training.  I feel great!  I am also watching my students take their last final right now and so I am getting focused on starting fresh with them next semester!  I can't believe I am already entering second semester...before you know it, it will be the end of the school year and time for summer!

Today I am sharing a recipe that has helped me stay focused on my goal of eating well.  I saw a recipe for egg salad that used avocado instead of the typical mayo/egg combo.  I love avocado and I figured this would be amazing!

I also saw an idea for a smoked salmon sandwich that had avocado on it.  So, I got to thinking:  What if I used my avocado egg salad to build a yummy salmon sandwich.  This way, I would get some great nutrients, lots of good protein, and it would be delish.

Avocado Egg Salad

Ingredients:
3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 whole avocado
1 tbsp non-fat, plain greek yogurt
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp chopped chives
fresh ground pepper
dash of lime juice

Directions:1. Place chopped eggs in a container.  Then, add in the avocado and mash with a fork until well combined.  Then, mix in the rest of the ingredients.

My smoked salmon sandwich! Avocado Egg Salad,
Smoked Salmon, and Cucumbers :)

Enjoy :)

For more avocado ideas, check out this page: 13 Health Benefits of Avocado

Eggplant Involtini

I have a recent obsession with America's Test Kitchen.  Everything that I have made from their site has been crazy delicious and easy to do!  This recipe was no exception.  It was like an eggplant parmesan meets a lasagna roll-up and it was super yummy.  It didn't take very long to make and it ended up yielding a ton of leftovers.  Who isn't a fan of that?

I'm also pretty pumped because today is Friday and I survived my first week back at school after winter break!  Tonight we have a holiday party for school and we are going to see a show at Second City!  I can't wait! 

So, while I will be dining out tonight and seeing a show, I figured you might be looking for a special dinner to make and this one is a must!

Eggplant Involtini

Follow the link for specific instructions, but here are a few things that I changed/noticed while I was cooking:

1.  I ended up with more lasagna rolls than they said I would (like 18 instead of 12)

2. Instead of white bread, I used whole wheat breadcrumbs

3. Instead of whole-milk ricotta, I used 8 oz of part-skim ricotta

4. So, instead of using a food processor, I simply mixed the breadcrumbs, ricotta, parmesan and basil together in a bowl.  

Other than this, I followed the instructions exactly and my eggplant involtini came out amazing! 

Enjoy :)

Happy Birthday Brian: Caprese Avocado Breakfast Sandwiches

Today is Bri's 25th birthday!!!  I want to wish him a very special birthday.  I can't believe that this is the age we will be when we get married in less than 8 months! Bri is so special to me and I love him so much.  I want today to be a great day for him.

I woke up WAY before him this morning and went to my zumba class.  Then, I picked up some stuff that I needed at Mariano's and headed home to make him a little brunch.

I made Caprese Breakfast Sandwiches and he said that it "really hit the spot."  Then, we sat down to watch the Bears game.

I am not a huge fan of watching football, so I started baking some Cookie Dough Frosted Brownies.  This dessert was Bri's request for his birthday treat and I'm pretty excited that it was what he wanted.  These brownies are SO good!

Tonight we are going to Jerry's Sandwiches for dinner with both of our families and it is going to be awesome.  I am always totally overwhelmed by their menu and I never know what to order.  I usually go with a last minute, gut reaction decision.  This means that I have tried a lot of different stuff at Jerry's and all of it has been great!  I can't wait!

Today is already super awesome and it is only going to get better...Happy Birthday Bri!

Caprese Breakfast Sandwiches

For one sandwich:
2 pieces of whole wheat bread (or one for an open face sandwich)
4-5 grape tomatoes, halved
1 avocado
1 tbsp lime juice
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of garlic powder
1 tsp balsamic syrup
2-3 slices of fresh mozzarella
2 eggs

Directions:
1. In a bowl, mash the avocado with the lime juice, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Set aside.
2. Toast the bread using a toaster or toaster oven.  Place on a plate.  On one slice, spread some avocado mixture and place the halved tomatoes on top.  On the other slice place the slices of mozzarella.
3. In a lightly greased pan over medium heat, crack the eggs and let cook until egg white parts turn white.  Flip and let cook for another 30 seconds-1 minute.  Place eggs on top of mozzarella side.
4. Drizzle some balsamic syrup over both sides and then put together for your sandwich!

Enjoy :)

Crunchy Black Bean Burgers

Guys, I am the worst.  I have been meaning to post this for like a week, but I have been too lazy/busy to work on it.  I've been really busy with school/cheer and I've been really lazy when I'm home because I just want to sleep/read.  However, I have a burst of energy because it is Friday and I am done teaching for the week!  Now I am just looking forward to a fun evening at a school social! 

After all the craziness that was Thanksgiving, it's nice to have a simple and delicious meal to come home to.  This veggie burger is that meal.  It's simple to make and it's a great dinner after all that stuffing, turkey, gravy...etc.  

Bri found the recipe for me because he had heard from a colleague that it was "the best" veggie burger recipe.  I don't know if we thought it was "the best" one that we had ever had, but it certainly was yummy and it reheated really well for leftovers!  

Crunchy Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients:2 14.5 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained

2 eggs

2 tbsp flour

4 green onions, chopped

3 tbsp cilantro

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp hot sauce

1/2 tsp ground coriander

pinch of pepper

1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips

olive oil

whole wheat hamburger buns

cheese slices, optional

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the flour until you have a paste.  Mix in the green onion, cilantro, garlic, cumin, hot sauce, coriander, salt and pepper.  

2. Place chips in a food processor and pulse until you have a finely ground mixture.  Add in the beans and pulse until beans are broken up.  Transfer this mixture to your other bowl and mix to combine.

3. Cover the mixture and place in the fridge for an hour. 

4. Once the mixture has chilled, heat a few tsp of olive oil over medium heat in a pan on the stove.  Form 6-8 patties using your hands and place in pan to cook.  I left them to cook for about 4 minutes on each side.  Serve with buns, cheese and whatever other toppings you want!

Enjoy :)

Smokey Chicken Avocado Roll-Ups

I have one excellent lunch today.  I hosted book club this past weekend and I decided to make these cute chicken roll-ups for the ladies.  I also made a dip and a Caramel Apple Cake, but you will just have to wait on those recipes.

The Chicken Roll-Ups were super tasty, a huge hit, and I secretly made way too many with the plan of keeping some hidden away in the fridge for myself.  Now, I have an awesome school lunch!

Last night we had cheer practice and I just have to talk about it here.  It was an amazing practice.  The team members who were at practice did a phenomenal job learning three new cheers.  Plus, we reviewed a fairly complicated dance that I taught them and they looked great!  This team is getting better every day and it is so incredibly exciting to see and be a part of.  I am super proud of them.  With basketball season just getting started, I can't wait to see what these girl's can do and where they end up.  We're also working on planning bonding activities, team fundraisers, and a cheer clinic.  I just love how into it the team is and it is so much fun.  I was nervous about becoming a coach because it is so time consuming, but I know I made a good choice because it is so fun and I just love all the girls!

Smokey Chicken Avocado Roll-Ups

Ingredients:
4 Flat-Out wraps
1/2 lb smoked chicken breast, sliced thin
1 avocado
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp siracha
salt and pepper, to taste
1 container roasted red pepper pesto
8-12 slices light, sharp cheddar

Directions:
1. Place avocado pieces, lime juice, siracha, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until you have a smooth paste.
2. Start with one Flat-Out wrap and spread some avocado spread over the first 2/3 of the wrap.  Use 2-3 pieces of cheese and lay them over the avocado.  You may have to break up slices to get a nice layer.
3. Lay slices of chicken over the cheese.
4. Drizzle the roasted red pepper pesto over the chicken.  Then, start with the end of the wrap that is not empty and roll tightly towards the other end until the wrap is completely rolled.  Cut into about 6 slices. Repeat this process with the other wraps.

Enjoy :)

Salmon Burgers

I had a bit of a crazy weekend.  Friday night was nice since I got to hang with my co-workers at a bowling alley after school and then I went to Half Acre with some friends.  Then, Saturday morning I went for a lovely 8.5 mile run.  I got home, showered and then Bri and I packed our laundry into my car and headed out to do our laundry at my parent's house (I know we are so not adults).  Anyways, while we were on the highway, we were cut off by another driver who was changing into our lane.  His car clipped mine and we lost control.  The car spun and hit the median.  By some miracle, we were totally fine and my car was still drivable.  The other guy was also uninjured, but his car was totaled.  He was blamed for the accident so I thankfully don't have to pay for the repairs on my car.  Overall, I am incredibly grateful to be alive, healthy, and able to back to school tomorrow.  

I think the weirdest thing about our weekend was how normal everything else was.  Laundry, book club, cooking, and so on.  It was just a very simple weekend aside from our crazy car crash.  I made these Salmon Burgers recently and they are super tasty.  I'm going to celebrate being alive and normal by eating them :) Oh, and I made a crazy tasty Siracha Greek Yogurt Spread to put on my salmon burgers! 

Salmon Burgers

Ingredients:

1 lb salmon

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

1-2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1 shallot, chopped

2 tbsp chopped Seafood Blend Herbs

1/4 cup non-fat, plain greek yogurt

2 tbsp dijon mustard

1 egg

Directions: 

1. Cook the salmon: Place the salmon on a piece of tinfoil and preheat oven to 400.  Drizzle a little olive oil over the salmon and sprinkle salt and pepper on it.  Drizzle with a tsp or two of lemon juice.  Then, wrap in the foil and place on a baking tray.  Cook for 20-25 minutes or until salmon is cooked through.  Let cool.

2. Once salmon is cooled, use a fork to flake pieces of the salmon into a bowl.  Add in the breadcrumbs, herbs, greek yogurt, and mustard.  Stir to combine.  Then, add in the egg and stir to combine.

3. Lightly grease a pan and form a salmon patty.  I made 6 patties with this mixture.  Place in pan and cook over medium for about 4-5 minutes.  Then, flip and cook for another 4-5 minutes.  

4. Serve with a bun or over a bed of greens and if you want, spread some Siracha Greek Yogurt Spread on top! 

Enjoy :)

For the Siracha Greek Yogurt Spread: Use 1/4 cup of yogurt, 1-2 tsp of siracha, 1 tsp lemon juice, and 1 clove garlic (minced).  Stir everything together and you are good to go! 

Sweet Potato Black Bean Veggie Burgers with BBQ Caramelized Onions

I have a pretty sweet week at school right now.  I survived Monday.  We reviewed graphing quadratics and I had cheer practice after school.  And now I have Tuesday, which I am already all planned for!  Wednesday is Veterans Day and so we do not have school and then Friday is a Teacher Institute Day.  So, I only have two more days of teaching this week!  Crazy!

Today I went to my boot camp class in the morning.  It was super tough since I was still sore from my work out on Saturday.  This past weekend I was hanging out in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin with my bestie, Tamara.  She took me with her to her work out on Saturday morning.  Slow motion push-ups are officially my least favorite exercise.  They are weirdly easy at first, but then you feel like your arms might just fall off for the next three days...Then today we did SLOW MOTION PUSH UPS!  I couldn't believe it.  I'm half way through my boot camp class when the instructor told us that we were going to do them.  We have never done slow motion push ups before, but of course we did today.  Now, I can barely lift my arms above my head.  Ouch.  I guess the good news is that if I keep doing them I'll have awesome looking arms for my wedding dress :)

Sweet Potato Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Ingredients:
1 sweet potato
3 scallions
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp of cilantro
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 red pepper, chopped
3/4 cups old-fashioned oats
1 egg
8 whole wheat buns
cheese if you want (we used colby jack)
BBQ Caramelized Onions:
1 red onion, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
BBQ sauce, to taste

Directions:
1. Peel the sweet potato and use your food processor with a grate attachment to grate the sweet potato.  If you don't have this, you can use a cheese grater with the largest holes.  Place sweet potato pieces in a large bowl.
2. Put the black beans in the food processor and pulse a few times to mash the beans.  Add these to the bowl with the sweet potato.
3. Mix in the scallions, cilantro, cumin, paprika, cayenne, cinnamon, salt, red pepper pieces, and oats.  Stir well.
4. Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. Mix the egg in with the other ingredients and place the mixture in the fridge to chill until the oven is ready.
6. Once ready, form 8 balls with the mixture and press into burger shaped rounds.  Place on baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes and then flip and bake for another 15 minutes.
7. For the caramelized onions, add onion slices, olive oil and bbq sauce to a pan.  Heat over medium until onion becomes translucent and soft.  Serve on top of burgers and feel free to add any other toppings!

Enjoy :)

Spring Veggie Pasta

I only have 6 miles left to do on my marathon training plan.  The race is super close and I figured I would share a yummy pasta dish in honor of all the carb loading I've been doing.  I ate this for dinner the night before my big 20 mile run and I felt great.  It was a pasta dish filled with great flavors and I loved the way the roasted broccolini and tomatoes came out.  I used whole wheat pasta and the whole thing ended up being a really healthy way to get some good carbs in your diet.  

Tomorrow I have a 4 mile run and then Thursday is a 2 mile run and then that is it! I am ready to run Chicago's fantastic 26.2 mile route!

School this week is also somehow flying by.  I'm not sure if it is excitement or nerves, but the time is just slipping right by me.  Plus, Wednesday is a testing day where I am proctoring the ACT and Friday is an Institute Day with no students.  Then, we also have Monday off for Columbus Day.  All this is making this, plus the marathon is making this week feel extra special and super strange.  Today my students are starting some graphing work for precalculus and my AP guys are getting ready for a test on Thursday.  I am trying real hard to stay focused, but I honestly feel a bit all over the place! Then, I also have cheer practice, but that is mostly just a lot of fun and the team is getting really good!

So to wrap up, this week is crazy, this pasta is crazy good, and I am a bit of a scattered-brained, mess.  So head over to Food & Wine for this pasta recipe, it is really yummy.  I followed everything pretty exactly except for the fact that I used whole wheat linguini and instead of shaved ricotta salata cheese (my grocery store did not have any), I used a hard goat cheddar cheese (which was super delish).  Have fun and enjoy!

Vegetarian Brussel Sprout Carbonara

School has been going pretty well.  Yesterday, the students were all taking the ACT test and so I had a chance to catch up on some work! This made me feel slightly less overwhelmed.  Now, when I say overwhelmed, I mean I am just really busy.  I am also really happy!  I can't wait to get cheerleading started and I feel like I am finally getting a good grasp on what I need to do for my classes.  I have a ton to do this weekend, but I think I am in a really good place over all!

One of my favorite parts about my new schedule is that I am able to work out before school.  I still wake up at the same time that I would have in order to commute to my old school, but since my commute is 1 hour (I KNOW!) shorter, I am able to get in a workout and a shower before heading over to school. This means that when I come home, I have more time to actually make dinner because I already did my workout!

Vegetarian Brussel Sprout Carbonara was one of the meals I was able to make when I got home from school.  I was inspired by the recipe over at Skinny Taste, and then I adapted it to make it vegetarian.  It was very yummy.  I loved the combination of the brussel sprouts with the parmesan pasta.  Plus, there was plenty for me and Bri to have for dinner as well as leftovers to bring for lunch.  It was a great weeknight meal!

Vegetarian Brussel Sprout Carbonara

Ingredients:
2 eggs
3/4 parmesan cheese, shredded
a handful of basil, chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
12 oz whole wheat spaghetti pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, chopped
12 oz shaved brussel sprouts
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs.  Add in 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese, basil, and red pepper flakes.
2. Bring a large pot of water to boiling and cook pasta according to directions until al dente.  Reserve 1 cup of pasta water.  Drain and set aside.
3. While pasta is boiling, in a separate, large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add in the garlic, shallots, and brussel sprouts.  Cook for about 10 minutes or until brussel sprouts start to soften and brown.
4. Add the drained pasta to the skillet.
5. With the reserved pasta water, spoon a few tbsp at a time into the egg mixture mixing well.  Do this until about 1/4 of the water has been added.  Then, add the egg mixture to the skillet and toss with the pasta and brussel sprouts.  Add more pasta water if needed.  Finish with sprinkling the remaining parmesan cheese over the top.

Enjoy :)

Caprese Avocado Toast

I have been super into avocado toast lately.  I know that it is "trendy" and it should be.  It makes for a great, quick meal and it is full of healthy goodness :)

I start with mashing up an avocado in a container and then sprinkling in some salt, pepper, and lime or lemon juice.  This is all "to taste."  Then, I just think about what I'm craving and throw that on top of the toast!

I use whole wheat toast, spread some of my avocado on top, and for this guy, I chopped up 3-4 grape tomatoes, sliced about 1 oz of fresh mozzarella cheese, and drizzled some balsamic syrup over the top.  YUM!

I found my balsamic syrup at Mariano's, but you can totally make your own! I think it should be a staple in every pantry.  It is so good! Use it for sandwiches, salads, pasta dishes and so on.  

I hope you are all drooling over this yummy avocado toast idea.  Go make some!  Me, I have to go get ready for another great day of high school!  On today's docket: Calculus quiz, absolute value problems in pre-calculus and some quiz writing for me! 

Enjoy :)

Spicy Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers

Can you believe it is SEPTEMBER?!?!?

I can't.  It feels like I was just finishing up the last year of school.  I can't believe I am already into my third year of teaching!  School is going really well so far and I am having a great time getting to know my students.  I have high hopes for this year and I can't wait to see how it goes.

Since it is September, I figured we could celebrate with a fall-like veggie burger recipe.  Now, I don't want summer to end, but I feel like good food can help ease the transition.  Fortunately, the weather is still certainly summer-like.  I hope it stays that way for a while!  While, fall is nice, winter is the worst.

I LOVE The Kitchn.  It is a great site with tons of amazing recipes.  Also, I love that the recipes are super use friendly and they all come with tons of tips, variations, and explanations.  I found this Sweet Potato Veggie Burger on their site and then I just changed small tidbits based on what I love and what we had in our fridge!  Please head over to the site for the recipe!

I made the sweet potato patties according to the directions, but here are the few things I added/changed.
1. I did not chop the sunflower seeds.  I wanted a bit of a crunch in there, so I left them whole.
2. I also used my food processor with a grater attachment to grate the sweet potato.  This made things go super quickly!  Then, I simply added the beans to the food processor and pulsed to combine.
3. Finally, for my toppings, I used some sliced tomato, sliced avocado, spicy cheddar cheese (sliced), and BBQ sauce.

Holy moly it was delicious!

Enjoy :)

4 Cheese Baked Pasta - Lightened Up

Last night, Bri and I met up with some friends for dinner and trivia.  I had never done trivia before and I was pretty pumped.  We were terrible!  However, the restaurant/bar was great and we had a ton of fun.  I will def be trying this out again.  I feel like if I continue to go to trivia, I should learn more and more so that I can be better at trivia...right?  

I wanted to share this recipe today because it just felt like an easy, pasta sort of day.  You know what I mean?  This is the kind of dish that I make ahead of time on a Saturday or Sunday and then eat the leftovers for like the whole week.  It was super yummy and those BBQ chips on top were one of my finer ideas.  You can also vary this dish greatly.  Try out different types of cheese, different toppings, different pasta! 

Four Cheese Baked Pasta
(adapted from How Sweet It Is)

Ingredients:
1 lb. whole wheat pasta
1/2 tsp olive oil
4 tbsp butter
1 shallot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups skim milk
1/3 cup marscapone
5 oz gruyere, shredded
8 oz light mozzarella, shredded
8 oz sharp white cheddar, shredded
salt and pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg
BBQ chips

Directions:
1. Make pasta according to directions, but drain 2-3 minutes before al dente.
2. In a large, oven-proof skillet, heat over medium.  Once hot, add in olive oil and butter.  Once butter has melted, add in the shallot and cook for 1 minute.  Then add in garlic and let cook for 1 minute.  Whisk in the flour and continue to whisk constantly for about 2 minutes.  Pour in the milk while continuing to whisk and let cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Stir in the marscapone until well combined and then add in most of the cheese.  Save about 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese.  Stir until melted.  Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
3. Preheat oven to 375.  Pour the drained pasta into the cheese skillet and toss until coated.  Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.  Crush the BBQ chips over the top of the pasta and let bake for 30 minutes.

Enjoy :)

Roasted Summer Squash

Is it summer?  Because this is Chicago and it's 60 degrees! What is that about?  Yesterday, I went to a water park with one of my camps and it was only 65!  The kids, of course, still loved it and the water was warm, but it just felt weird.  I mean, I was standing at a water park in a sweatshirt...

Anyways, at least I can celebrate summer with food!  The Taste of Chicago has arrived so that is a HUGE food event that is currently happening.  Plus, I made this Summer Squash dish in honor of the "season."  

This squash dish is incredibly simple and you can even incorporate other veggies if you want.  Here's the gist: Place a bunch of veggies in an oven-safe dish.  Sprinkle some salt, and pepper over the top.  Then, sprinkle breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.  You can use other veggies, you can use other types of cheese, you can even use something other than breadcrumbs.  I am going to try this out with BBQ potato chips for a different kind of flavor!  Have fun with it! 

Roasted Summer Squash

Ingredients:

2 yellow squash, sliced

2 zucchini, sliced

1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Placed sliced veggies in a 9 inch cake pan

3. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top and then sprinkle the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.

4. Drizzle olive oil over the top and then cover with foil.

5. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove foil and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes or until your breadcrumbs start to brown a little.

Enjoy :)

Butternut Squash Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Last night I had a really great dinner at Crosby's Kitchen.  The food was delicious and it is a really cute place.  I went with my buddy, Katie.  She is leaving for a 10 day trip to Israel! I am quite jealous of this.  It was so nice to enjoy a nice meal together before she leaves.  We both ended up ordering the Wrightwood Salad which has their famous cornbread croutons in it!  Cornbread croutons!!!  It was pretty darn delicious and it made me want to figure out a way to make this incredible salad at home.  I'll see what I can do and get back to you guys.  

I also picked up their homemade veggie burger to bring back for Bri.  He is such a veggie burger fanatic and when I saw that they made a homemade one, I figured he would want to give it a try.  The reviews are in and he said it was a really great veggie burger!  I figure that in the spirit of this awesome meal, I would share one of my own veggie burger creations.  I love how you can basically throw a bunch of your favorite flavors/health ingredients into a food processor and make a really yummy burger.  We make a bunch and freeze them for easy weeknight meals.  I love how easy this makes dinner and the recipe I have today was incredibly yummy.  

Butternut Squash Black Bean Veggie Burgers

Butternut Squash Black Bean Veggie Burger

Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 shallot, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes
1 pinch nutmeg
1 pinch cinnamon
1 14.5 oz can low-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
Toppings:
slices of cheese (I used pepperjack)
sliced tomatoes
ketchup or mustard (Bri is a ketchup fan, and I love spicy dijon mustard)

Directions:1. Heat olive oil and butter in a pan over medium heat.  Add in the squash, shallot, garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, and cinnamon.  Let cook, stirring occasionally, until squash can be pierced with a fork.  This took about 10 minutes.
2.  Place the squash mixture in your food processor and pulse until it becomes smooth.  Add in the black beans and pulse a few times to combine.
3. Place mixture in a bowl and stir in the beaten egg and the bread crumbs.  Place mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.  At this point, you can form your patties and freeze them for later use.  Otherwise, see number 4.
4. Once chilled, heat a skillet over medium and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Form burgers using your hands.  This mixture should make 6-8 burgers.  Place each burger on the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes or until burger starts to brown.  Flip the burger and repeat with the other side.  At this point, place cheese on top so that it melts.  Serve burgers with buns or bun-less and add whatever toppings you would like!

Enjoy :)

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

I just submitted my last final and my classes are over! My grad classes that is...My high school classes are done as of June 4th.  I am so excited to be done with these grad classes I can't even explain.  It is a great feeling and now I can officially start the countdown to the end of the school year and the start of camp!  I am going to be working as a camp director again and I am really excited about it.  I can't wait for another summer filled with art projects, playing on playgrounds, and going to waterparks!  

I made this super yummy macaroni and "cheese" recipe recently and it has been on my mind ever since.  I have seen a ton of recipes that sub out cheese for some sort of veggie to make the dish a little lighter and healthier.  This recipe uses mashed butternut squash mixed with some cheese to create a delicious and creamy "cheese" sauce.  You would never know that there are veggies in this!  Bri and I had this for dinner, but then there were enough leftovers for me to have lunch at school the next day too! 

I had a squash lying around so I decided to experiment with a new recipe.  I wanted to make something quick so I went with a stove-top style recipe.  I cooked some pasta, cooked/mashed the squash, and came up with this awesome cheese sauce.  You can use your cheeses of choice, but I went with some sharp cheddar and gorgonzola.  It was awesome!  I can't wait to try other variations of this dish in the future! 

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese 

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:
12 oz whole wheat macaroni noodles
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups skim milk
8 oz of cheddar and gorgonzola (4 oz each), shredded/cubed
1 tsp hot sauce (or more to taste)
1 tsp mustard (or more to taste)

Directions:1. Make the pasta according to directions to al dente, drain and set aside.
2. Heat olive oil over medium in a pot and place butternut squash in.  Let cook for 5 minutes or so then add the salt, pepper, cinnamon, and vegetable broth.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until squash can be easily pierced with a fork.  Using two forks or a potato masher, mash the squash until you have a smooth paste.  Pour in the milk and cheeses and mix until cheese melts.  Stir in the hot sauce and mustard and season with more salt and pepper if desired.  Pour the the pasta and stir to coat.

Enjoy :)