Chocolate-Almond Toffee Via Cooking Light Magazine

This one is tasty and a great way to inch into being comfortable making candy without the complexity of some confections. I found this recipe from Cooking Light Magazine which is one of my favorite sources for great recipes that are also healthier than most of the traditional recipes that our families are used to seeing.

Toffee is basically a caramel that is cooked at a higher temperature for a shorter period of time making it nice and crunchy unlike traditional caramel. In this recipe the toffee is spread to a thin layer which makes breaking and eating this toffee a lot easier and more approachable for those who are iffy when it comes to hard candies. This recipe is also very flexible as to the toppings and fillings that can be combined with the buttery candy. This recipe simply uses the chocolate and almonds which is a classic combination but there are lots of great nut and fruit combinations that could work great as well.

Materials:

1 cup sugar (make sure to measure using a dry measuring cup)
1/4 cup water
4 tbs softened butter (salted gives it a great caramel flavor so I recommend it)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
dash of salt
2 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 cup whole roasted, unsalted almonds, chopped

Parchment lined baking sheet
Candy thermometer if you have one

In a small, sturdy saucepan, heat the first 3 ingredients over medium-high heat, stirring until completely combined. At this point, DON'T TOUCH IT LOL :). Let it come to a boil and sit without stirring until your candy thermometer reads 325 degrees. I didn't have a candy thermometer so I just waited until the sugar turned a caramel color. Stir in the vanilla and the salt. Be very careful with this step because the sugar can sputter and there's nothing worse than a sugar burn!

Now, carefully pour your toffee over your baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Try to make a square shape. This will help you keep the candy at a consistent depth throughout the whole piece. Use a knife to spread it out. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Sprinkle your chocolate pieces over the warm toffee and let it sit for 5 more minutes. This will gradually melt the chocolate to the point where you can then spread it evenly over the whole square. Sprinkle your chopped almonds over the melted chocolate then let it sit for an hour or so until the candy is completely cooled. I usually put mine in the fridge so that the chocolate can harden quicker.

To serve, use a knife or any sturdy utensil to hit the toffee and crack it into pieces.

Simple & Quick Chili

This recipe is super simple and super healthy. Sometimes making chili can seem pretty intimidating because there are those recipes out there that have around 72 ingredients or they require hours and hours of  prep and cook time. This recipe, however, is a no-brainer and so adaptable. It's a great foundation recipe to creating your own unique chili recipe, after all chili should taste good to you not just some food critique from a magazine!

Serves 2

Materials:
1/4 lb. ground beef
1/4 of an onion, diced
2 tbs water
1/2 can of tomatoes
1/2 tbs chili powder
1/4 tbs cumin
1- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

First heat a pot with a fitted lid at MED heat. Add the meat and onion. Brown evenly stirring occasionally, making sure to break up the meat as you go. Add the salt and pepper to taste. With the extra spices in this dish not much salt or pepper should be needed.

Once you've done this, add the chili powder, cumin and garlic and cook about 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

At this point add your beans, tomatoes and water. I like to rinse the beans in cool water before adding them so that they don't have too much of the slimy canning liquid on them.

Now lower your heat to LOW and simmer COVERED for about 15 minutes. This helps tenderize the meat and cook the tinny flavor out of the canned tomatoes. After it has simmered for the time, remove the lid and simmer for another 5 minutes. You should remember to taste for seasoning. It's best to alter seasoning as you are cooking so that the end result is what you like.

Fini! :) Now you can top the chili over some healthy brown rice, mashed potatoes or it's good just by itself! I like to top it of with some low-fat cheese and sliced green onions. You can also try Greek yogurt, sour cream or tortilla chips. It's all up to you!

When choosing your ingredients have fun with it! You can use ground turkey or stew meat instead of the beef and whatever kind of bean you'd like. So versatile and so healthy!

Wolfgang Puck Pizza- Quick and Easy Pizza Dough

I LOVE pizza! Sometimes though, it can be a little pricey and high in fats and oils. This pizza dough recipe is simple, healthier and so yummy. It is said to be Wolfgang Puck's signature California pizza method. I never thought that I could make my own breads and pizza dough but I surprise myself more and more every day!

Materials:
1 package dry active yeast
1 tsp honey
1 cup fairly warm water (not too hot but about 100 degrees)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 tsp salt
1Tbs olive oil
Cornmeal
pizza toppings :)

To start I put one package of yeast in a large mixing bowl and add the honey. Next stir in 1/4 of a cup of warm water and let the mixture sit for 10 minutes to let the yeast activate. After 10 minutes the mixture will look frothy and that's when you add the salt, oil and last 3/4 cup of warm water and mix together well.

This is when I add the first cup of all purpose flour and stir til combined. Add another cup of flour and stir that til combined. Add the half cup of wheat flour and stir until it is too ridiculous to stir and then turn out onto a well floured (and CLEAN) surface. I usually add the last 1/2 cup of flour onto the work surface and as I knead the dough eventually it will pick up the rest but the flour will help the dough from sticking to the table. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes or until all the flour is picked up (cause by then it's about 5 minutes lol).

 Shape the dough into a ball and place in an oiled mixing bowl and cover with a towel and place in a warm area to help the dough rise. I usually place the bowl on or next to the oven while it preheats a bit. Let the dough rise for 30-40 minutes. Turn the dough out onto your work place (make sure to add more flour to help prevent sticking). Pat the dough to help expel some of the air built up while the dough set. Take a knife or scraper and cut the dough into 4 equal sized pieces. Shape the pieces into rounds. If you are not going to use all 4 pieces of dough you can either wrap the dough and keep it in the fridge or freeze it for later use. Take the dough ball or balls and place on a pan and cover to rise for a second time. This rise will be for 20 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

 Now that the dough has risen for a second time, place the ball on your work place and pat out the air and roll into a disk of your desired thickness. At this point place your pizza on a well cornmealed pan. At this point top with the toppings of your choice. I like to brush the crust with olive oil and some crushed garlic then spread on some pizza sauce with traditional mozzarella and a variety of vegetables. You can try anything from barbeque style to creamy mushroom and spinach.

Place your pizza pan on the lowest rack of your oven and cook for 5 minutes. Then bring the pan to the middle rack and finish with another 5 minutes of cooking. Let your pizza cool and enjoy. :)

My Greens Are Already Gross!

More times than not when we buy our favorite bags of salad greens they spoil quicker than we can eat them. But why?

 Usually when we put away the greens we don't think much of it. We just tighten up the bag and throw it back in the crisper. Not good! The way I keep my leafy vegetables from spoiling is by every time after I take some of the leafs out of the bag, I close on end of the bag with my hand and lightly shake up the bag to loosen the mix. It gives the leafs some air and space. If the leaves are smooshed together and wet, the leafs will start to rot and because they are in close contact with the other leafs they will rot even faster.

 Also, I never close up the bag tight before storing. When a fruit or vegetable of any sort is cut or damaged in any way it produces ethylene gas. If you have a bruised leaf in the bag it will start producing the gas and if you close the bag tight it will trap the gas in, spoiling the healthy leafs around it. So give them space and give them air! 

Tuna & Spinach Quesadilla

I never thought I would like this til I just sucked it up and tried it. So delicious and healthy, this is a great lunch for me and it's quite cheap!

2 whole wheat tortillas (we don't like bleached flour! Get your nutrients by buying whole wheat!)
1/2 a tin of tuna (tuna in water is the healthier choice to tuna in oil. Less salt!
4 tbs queso fresco (other cheeses would work just as nicely such as cheddar or mozzarella)
4 tbs salsa verde (I use Ms. Renfro's my favorite!)
1 cup of fresh spinach
1 scallion thinly sliced
salt and pepper to taste
Clarified butter or olive oil

Top one of your tortillas with the tuna, cheese, salsa, spinach and scallion evenly so it all cooks through at the same rate. If you want prior to adding the tuna you can season it with salt and pepper but I find that the salt from the cheese and the chilies in the salsa are enough flavor for me. Put your second tortilla on top.

 Heat your butter or oil through at Med heat in a skillet. Add your quesadilla and let it cook for about 1 minute then raise the heat to Med-Hi. This will allow the cheese time to melt first then you can focus on giving your quesadilla a good toasting. After about another minute or 2 use a spatula to flip your quesadilla and cook another minute or 2 on that side. Serve to a plate and cut into 4 portions.

Quick Tip: Invest in a set of tupperware. I bought some for a cheap 2 dollars at my grocery store and I love them so much. You don't have to use the whole tin of tuna once you've opened it! Save the other half for another time! Doing this will help you control your portion size and keep this a healthy fix.

PBJ&Bananas

Now I know what you are thinking; what is that beautiful thing?! Well let me tell you it is my take on a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with bananas. The only difference is the toasted English muffin. "You must love English muffins!" Yes, yes I do. They have the greatest texture, and if I'm gonna give into carbs I might as well eat some interesting variations. It's a great breakfast option giving you the energy and the full stomach to sustain you til lunchtime.

So to make this it's quite simple. All you need is:

Peanut Butter

1 Banana 

about 2 tbs of Fruit Preserves (I used strawberry, yum!)

and 1 split English muffin

Now as simple as this seems there are still some ways that you can make this healthier than usual. I buy a good quality, lower sugar fruit preserve. You want to know where your fruit came from before you eat it and buying organic fruits insures that you are not eating foods with preservatives and hefty amounts of pesticides. Also buy a better quality peanut butter with lower fat and additives. 

You might be thinking how do I buy these things on my college student budget? Well it's simple. Take time to read the ingredients and labels of the products, compare prices and compare price to quantity ratio. This will ensure that your getting enough bang for your buck!

Soba Noodle Soup

We all know that soup is generally healthy. Especially if it is a vegetable soup that is low in salt. This recipe I modified from one that I found of Martha Stewert's. Not bad I must say. Soba noodles are a Japanese buckwheat noodle that are a nutritious way to vary up your carb selection. If you have trouble finding Soba noodles any wheat wheat based noodle would work fine. Make sure you pay attention to ingredient variation and quality as well. It can drastically change the nutritional value of any meal you cook.

Serves 1

1/2 tbs. sesame oil
2 button or shiitake mushrooms sliced thinly
1 scallion sliced thinly
1/2 clove garlic diced
1/4 tbs. minced fresh ginger
Course salt (preferably sea salt or kosher)
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 oz Green tea or plain Soba noodles
a small handful of fresh spinach leafs
1/2 tbs fresh lime juice
1/4 tbs soy sauce

Heat a saucepan over medium heat. Heat the oil through then add the mushrooms, scallion whites, ginger, garlic and salt to taste. Cook until mushrooms are tender; about 3- 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add chicken broth and 3/4 cups of water. Bring to a boil. You might have to add a little more later if your soup has reduced greatly. Lower the heat to a simmer and add your Soba noodles and cook about 5 minutes. Add your spinach here and cook until the spinach is just tender, about 1 minute. Turn of the heat. Stir in your lime juice and soy sauce and top your soup with the reserved scallion greens. Yum!

Grilled Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

This blew me away. So simple. So tasty. Easy to make. There are many variations of ways you can prepare buffalo chicken but most include cooking in fatty oils, battering the chicken, and using a thick, fatty blue cheese dressing. This is a great easy way to get your buffalo chicken fix without feeling too guilty afterwards and it only takes a few ingredients. The toasted English muffin adds awesome texture also to this sandwich.

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt & pepper
Paprika
Olive oil

Frank's Red Hot sauce
Butter

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
1 scallion thinly sliced
1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

1 toasted English muffins
Extra chopped scallions
Washed, baby spinach

Heat a skillet at Med- Med-Hi heat. Drizzle with olive oil. Pound the chicken breast out till it is at an an equal width through the whole breast. Season with salt, pepper and paprika. Cook chicken in the skillet for about 5 minutes per side. Turn off the heat and let rest.

Mix the yogurt, scallions and blue cheese until thoroughly combined to make a spread for the sandwich.
Put the butter and hot sauce either in a double boiler to slowly melt and mix the two together or put them in a bowl and slowly microwave and stir until the butter and hot sauce are well combined. Turn the stove with the pan of chicken back onto low heat and pour over the butter and hot sauce mixture. Turn the chicken to warm and coat thoroughly.

Spread the blue cheese and yogurt mixture on the toasted English muffin. Place the chicken on top of the spread and continue adding the spinach and optional extra scallions. Serve.