Healthy "Crab Cakes"

OOOO these were so good.  SO good.  Light, crispy, deconstructed, fancy shmancy crab cake endive bites.  All the flavor with a whole lot less guilt. 

We were having friends over this weekend for a heavy steak dinner.  Steak + cooking at very high temps = high drama.  So not only did I want to make an appetizer that was light and wouldn't crush every ones appetite, but something that was easy to make ahead and assemble quickly.

Charlie and I made crab cakes at a cooking class a few weeks ago and they were so delicious, that all I've been thinking about is that flavor.  That fresh seafood, crunchy buttery flavor.  Since we were having steak, hash browns, wedge salad, and a mess of other things, I thought I'd make a slightly less horrifyingly fattening version.  SCORE.

With the crunch of the endive, I promise I'll never go back to the deep friend version.  These were so much better.

Here's the recipe peeps:

4 Heads of Endive
12 Oz of Premium Lump Crab Meat (Fresh is best or canned in the fridge section) 
1/4 Cup Hellman's Mayonnaise 
1-2 Tsp of Sriracha 
1 Garlic Clove, Finley diced and worked into a paste 
2 Tbs Finely Minced Chives, plus more for garnish  
1 Tbs of Dijon Mustard 
1 Tsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce 
1/3 Red Pepper, Finely Diced 
1 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice 
1/4 Cup of Panko Bread Crumbs, seasoned with salt & pepper
1 Tbs of Butter 
Lemon Zest 

Trim and clean the endive, separate and set aside the best leaves.  Drain crab and rinse gently with cold water, pick through grab and discard any rogue shells.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Add all the ingredients to the crab except of the lemon zest, Panko and butter.  Gently mix everything together, careful not to pulverize the crab - you want to leave nice big chunks.  If possible, chill crab mixture for two hours. Right before serving, melt butter over medium heat and add breadcrumbs that have been seasoned with salt and pepper.  Once they become golden brown, set aside.  Fill endive with a dollop of the crab mixture and then top with a little bit of bread crumbs and additional chives.  Finish with a little lemon zest and ENJOY.

Stay hungry!

Super Simple Spicy Shrimp

Charlie was gone this weekend so I knew I was going to be cooking a) mushrooms or b) seafood.  It was snowing all day Saturday so I decided to work with what I already had.  Shrimp it twas. 

Shrimp is such a great go to.  It cooks super fast and it can be made a million different ways.  Oh, it also keeps great frozen. I was in the mood for some kick so I decided to fry up some spicy shrimp and dip it into a Sriracha laced dipping sauce.  Yum.  I'm drooling up in here. 

This sauce was delightful.  I could have drank it.  I just threw together some fat free Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, fresh lemon zest, garlic, some finely chopped red and yellow bell peppers, Sriracha, and seasoning salt.   I gave it a little whisk and voila!   Dipping sauces don't really need to be carefully measured.  Just throw some stuff together and try it...see what it needs...and adjust.  Don't worry - I included exact measurements at the bottom.

You can really use whatever shrimp you like for this.  I usually buy frozen that have already been split and cleaned and thaw them out in the sink.  Obviously fresh is the best, but this is what I had on hand.  It's usually just me eating them, so it works well to buy them frozen and just take out what I need.

After thawing them out in the sink, I patted them down with a paper towel and tossed them with some blackening seasoning.

Charlie and I went to a cooking class on Friday and fell in love with grape seed oil.  It's a super light flavored oil and has a higher smoking point than olive oil, so it works well with searing at a high heat.  So I cranked the heat on high, added some oil, and then when the oil was glistening, I added the shrimp.  Grape seed oil and seafood were just made for each other.  Trust.

I think cooking seafood at a high heat for a lower time, helps form that nice outer crust.  Soft seafood is no bueno.   These came out beeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaautiful.

This makes such a simple, super quick (low carb!) appetizer.  

Just wait til you see what I did with the leftover shrimp.  YUM.

Super Simple Spicy Shrimp Recipe 
Shrimp:
2 Cups of Frozen or Fresh Shrimp, Thawed
1 Tsp of Blackening Seasoning
2 Tbs of Grape Seed Oil

Sauce:
1/4 Cup Fat Free Greek Yogurt
1/4 Cup Hellman's Real Mayonnaise
Zest from 1/2 Lemon
1-2 Tsp of Sriracha
1 Garlic Clove, Minced
2 Tbs Each, Finely Diced Red and Yellow Bell Peppers

Once thawed, pat shrimp with a paper towel.  Toss with blackening seasoning, set aside.  Mix all of the sauce ingredients together and set aside and chill.  Heat skillet over medium high heat and then add grape seed oil.  Let pan heat up until oil is hot and glistening.  Carefully add shrimp, one at a time and flip ounce shrimp turns pink and opaque, about 2 minutes.  Cook other side until shrimp curls and shrimp is cooked all the way through.  Serve immediately while hot with chilled, spicy dipping sauce.

Stay hungry!

Easy Healthy Lentil Soup

HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII GUYS.  Ok, I'm sorry.... I've been MIA, I know, I know.  Bad Jaisa, bad.  But I'm back and am well rested and am ready to bring a whole new slew of recipes your way.

My new years resolution for 2014 is for my body to GET ITS ACT TOGETHER. I'm serous.  It's been a rough six months. I got metal shards in my eye, then I got five teeth pulled where my husband video taped me waking up from anesthesia crying and being obscenely rude to a nurse, then I got the flu, a cold, and then another flu, and then I got pneumonia which absolutely laid me out for 6 weeks and then I went to Mexico and I'm not even going to tell you what happened to me there.  One thing that I learned in 2013, is to take better care of myself - including nourishing my body with delicious and healthy foods that will keep me going when the going gets tough.

There is something about lentil soup that just breathes warmth into my chilly, wintery Chicago soul. Chicago has a bunch of "fast casual" restaurants, like Chipotle, Protein Bar, and my recent fav, Naf Naf Grill.  Naf Naf Grill is a delicious Mediterranean restaurant that serves this lentil soup that could make a grown woman cry.  It's SO GOOD, yet very different from other lentil soups I've had.

It has a ton of brothy goodness and is BURSTING with savory flavors.  I decided to try to make it at home and guess what?  It came out identical.  I'm so impressed with myself.  HOLLA.  Oh and it has 200 calories for a generous 1.5 cup serving. SCORE.

Easy Healthy Lentil Soup 

1 Tsp of Olive Oil 
1 Yellow Onion, Finely Diced 
4 Cloves of Garlic, Finely Minced 
1 Lb of Split Red Lentils 
2 Large Fresh Bay Leaves (or 3 dry)
1/2 Tsp of Kosher Salt  
1 Tbs of Yellow Curry Powder 
1/2 Tsp of Cayenne Pepper 
1 Tsp of Cumin Powder 
18 Cups of Low Sodium Chicken Stock (swap for veggie stock for vegetarian soup)

Warm the olive oil over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and a couple tablespoons of stock.  Saute for 5 minutes.  Add the curry powder, cumin, and cayenne and a little more stock until onions become become soft and translucent and very fragrant. NOTE: Be careful not to brown the onions or garlic...if they start to stick, just add a couple more tablespoons of stock. Add lentils, salt, and bay leaves and stir.  Turn heat up to high and add 12 cups of chicken stock.  Once soup comes to a boil, reduce to medium heat, stirring every 5-10 minutes, for a total of 30 minutes or so.  Soup will reduce and thicken.  You can leave it like this, or add another 6 cups of stock.  I like a lot of broth so I get more for my calorie buck, but some people prefer it thicker.

Stay hungry!

A Review On VROU

When the opportunity came along to support a dear friend's sister's (who is also a friend of mine) new beverage, VROU, I jumped at the chance.  It's a drink made for women BY a woman who knows a thing or two about health and fitness.  And, well, I need all the help I can get. 

VROU is a super simple way to get multivitamins, antioxidants, and electrolytes to support the active lifestyles of women on the go.  It's also getting all kinds of press, including  WSJ, Forbes, Refinery 29 and Levo League. Check out their latest press in Cosmo!  Crazy, right?! 

I received a sample in the mail - one of each of their flavors.  Pineapple Mint, Orange Guava, and Cucumber Lime.  I'm obsessed with all three flavors but my absolute fav is the Cucumber Lime.  It reminds me of the cucumber water at my favorite spa, but it's better.  Charlie's favorite is the Orange Guava.  



As mentioned, VROU is made for busy women like myself.  Even though I try to eat healthy (ahem, sometimes) I don't really have time to double check to make sure I'm getting all of the right nutrients I need so the fact that it's affordable and comes in a tasty little drink (that only has 5 calories!) works perfectly for me.  Check out the nutrients and vitamins included in each bottle of VROU:

Ok I know it's totally NOT INTENDED for this, but I put a splash of cucumber vodka in the Cucumber Lime and added a cucumber for garnish and it was soooooo good.  Maybe if I use this for my mixers I won't get hungover?  TBD.  

Right now there is an amazing deal going on at Plum Alley where you can make a small investment in VROU and receive awesome perks.  For instance, if you invest $35 you will receive a case of VROU (your flavor of choice).

Congrats Kathryn on you entrepreneurial skillz and for making a product that's not only delicious, but amazing for women!

Here is Kathryn Moos, our friend and founder of VROU. 

Stay healthy!   



Blackened Salmon

Blackened salmon.  Now those are words I never thought I'd type on the blog.  I've been getting adventurous lately in trying to find new ways to make salmon...well, not taste like...salmon.  Blackening salmon HAS WON THE CONTEST.  Not only did I not hate this, I loved it.  Like really, truly loved it.  

If you don't like salmon, try this.  I swear you will love it.  Here's the recipe:

2 Skinless, Boneless Salmon Fillets 
Blackening Spice (you can find this in the spice aisle)
2 Tbs of Canola Oil 

Pour blackening spice onto a plate.  Press each side of the salmon into the seasoning and set aside. Add oil and heat a heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) on medium high heat for 3-4 minutes or until it starts to smoke.   Add seasoned salmon carefully to the hot pan and turn heat down to medium.  DO NOT TOUCH THE FISH for at least 2 minutes.  Check the fish.  It should have formed a nice black crust.   Flip the fish and cook for another 2 minutes.   Serve immediately.

Stay hungry!

Low Calorie Low Carb Chili

Low calorie, super easy to make chili you say?  YES.  Low calorie chili that's not only delicious, spicy, and satisfying, but will leave you full for hours.  OH, it's also low carb.  I swear.  You know I would never post anything that wasn't hungry approved. 

I usually eat it plain, but if you miss all of the yummy toppings, use only a little extra sharp cheddar. With extra sharp, you will need much less because it is so flavorful.  Instead of full fat sour cream, use a dollop of Greek yogurt.  SOOOO GOOD.

It's packed with extra lean ground turkey, eggplant and spinach.  Did I mention that Charlie not only loves this, but made a big batch of this for himself this weekend?  The proof is in the pudding chili. 

I make this chili with Rick Bayless' Chipotle Garlic Skillet Sauce.  I rarely use premade stuff.  But Rick Bayless is the man.  And it's all natural, with no preservatives with ingredients I can not only stand behind, but pronounce.  And Rick Bayless waved to me from his restaurant window in Chicago.  OKAY?!  Seriously though, he basically infuses roasted tomatoes with amazing flavors - saving me time and effort.  

Here are the nutrition facts for 1.5 Cup serving.  Not too bad.  Not too bad at all. 

Now for the recipe!  This is an extra big batch.  We usually make this on Sundays and eat it throughout the week.  You can easily half it for a smaller batch.

4 Large Purple Eggplants, peeled and diced 
1 Cup of No Salt Added Chicken Stock 
1/2 Tsp Kosher Salt
4 Extra Lean (99% Fat Free) Raw Ground Turkey (4, 20 oz packages)
1 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
2 Tbs of Cumin 

4 Garlic Cloves, chopped 

4 Packages of Rick Bayless' Chipotle Garlic Skillet Sauce 
4 Packages of Yellow Cherry Tomatoes 
6 Packages of Baby Spinach
2 Large Bunches of Green Onions, chopped 

Spray extra large pan with olive oil cooking spray and pre heat over medium heat.  Add diced eggplant and salt.  Stir and raise heat to medium high.  Stir every 1-2 minutes.  Add chicken stock and cover, stirring until eggplant has reduced for 50%.   Add raw turkey, red pepper flakes and cumin.  Stir turkey into the eggplant, then let it rest and stir every 3 minutes.  If turkey sticks, add a little more stock. Once turkey is cooked, add garlic.  Stir.  Add Rick Bayless' Chipotle Garlic Skillet Sauce.  Throw in cherry tomatoes.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Add baby spinach, stir into chili.  Add the chopped green onions and stir.  Serve and ENJOY.

Stay hungry!

Lemon Dill Quinoa Salad

I have an unhealthy obsession with quinoa.  Or maybe I should say healthy?  I love the stuff.  It's filling, yet light, packed with protein, and gives you that carb "fix" without all of the poof and guilt.  Yay, yay, yay...and yay. 

I really like fish, but Charlie does not.  So, with two fish friendly girl friends coming over for dinner on Friday, I thought I'd get adventurous.  I ended up making blackened salmon with this lemon dill quinoa salad.  It was delish.

The toasted slivered almonds added the perfect buttery crunch.

Here's the recipe:

1 Cup of Quinoa 
2 Cups of Low Sodium Chicken Stock (or water) 
Zest from 1 Lemon 
1/4 Cup of Slivered Almonds, Toasted 
2 Tbs of Lemon Juice 
2 Tbs of Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
3 Tbs of Fresh Dill, Chopped 
Salt to Taste 

Cook the quinoa per the box instructions with either water or chicken stock for extra flavor.  Toast the slivered almonds in a frying pan over low-medium heat with a little butter.  Once quinoa is cooked, toss with all of the ingredients.  Cool or serve immediately.

Stay hungry!

Super Green Smoothie

After I ate about 19 dough balls on Sunday, I decided I needed a little detox.  I was chatting about kale recipes a few weeks ago with my manager, Ross, and he shared a smoothie he makes with avocado, kale and mango.  I decided to do something similar, minus the avocado.  I LOVE the smoothie with avocado, but this is my favorite way of making it - it's so refreshing. 

Enter kale, mango, and pineapple smoothie.  This is delicious.  If you are craving something that will make you feel healthy from the inside out, this is the way to go.  If your fruit is very ripe, you won't need to sweeten it.  If you do, add a half a teaspoon or so of agave nectar.  A little goes a long way. Seriously - I crave these and can totally tell when I haven't had one in awhile.  

Super Green Smoothie Recipe 

2 Big Handfuls of Raw, Roughly Chopped Kale

1/4 Cup of Fresh Mango

1/4 Cup of Fresh Pineapple 

1/4 Cup of Water 

Handful of Ice 

Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth.  Serve immediately and enjoy.

Stay healthy! :)

Easy Banana "Soft Serve Ice Cream"

Last weekend I found myself in the unfortunate situation of a warm summer evening at home with no ice cream.  We live close to a farm-made ice cream stand, but on a Friday night in June (the first day of summer!) the line would be half an hour.  Ditto the local Dairy Queen by the beach.  Plus, we'd just gotten the baby down to sleep and there was no way we were waking him up, even for ice cream.

Ages ago, I remembered blending up some frozen bananas (at the suggestion of a friend) as a substitute to ice cream.  Turns out that banana ice cream is now a Pinterest darling, so I found a slew of recipes and suggestions, but I stuck with something very simple:

3 frozen bananas

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1/4 cup peanut butter

I popped all ingredients into my Cuisinart, blended until smooth, and popped into bowls.  This was enough for 2 servings - perfect for me and Jesse.

Considering how simple this is to make and how healthy it is compared to real ice cream, I'm definitely going to make it again and enjoy this summer.  Smooth, creamy, & rich.  Perfect for a healthy treat after dinner and even husband-approved!

Happy summer!  Enjoy & stay hungry!

Apple Manchego Salad

When I was in Minnesota last weekend, my sister in law, Holly, and her hubby Travis made this AMAZING salad.  I. Was. Obsessed.  And it is SO easy.  Like SO easy.  

Just three little ingredients...plus olive oil.  Manchego cheese is one of my favorites and is definitely the star of the show.  It's a firm, compact cheese that's creamy and buttery and just a hint salty.  I'm droolingalingalinglong. 

The beauty of this salad is the simplicity - just three delicious, flavorful ingredients that are cut uniformly.  It's important that the matchsticks are similar because texture is everything in this salad.  In order to achieve this, I used a mandolin.  Otherwise, I would have killed myself/cut my hand off. 

I used the "french fry" setting.  The julienne would have been too thin.

I did the same with the manchego cheese...perfection.

A little drizzle of EVOO and lots of freshly chopped chives add a savory balance to the tart and sweet apple.   Give it a light, gentle toss to incorporate all the ingredients. 

As Holly says, "the best bites are the ones with cheese."  I concur.

Apple Manchego Salad 

2 Tart, Crisp Apples (Braeburn, Pink Lady, Fuji), cut into matchsticks

1 Cup of Manchego Cheese, cut into matchsticks

2 Tbs of Finely Chopped Chives (I did a 1/4 cup)
2 Tbs of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Using a mandolin, cut the apples and cheese into matchsticks.  Finely chop the chives and drizzle the olive oil.  Toss gently.  Depending on how many chives you like, you can add up to 1/4 cup.

Stay hungry! 

Super Simple Grilled Asparagus

I hope you guys like grill recipes because that's basically all that we've been doing around these parts.  It's summery and beautiful in Chicago and I can't get enough of it.  

There isn't anything that quite compares to grilled asparagus.  It's tender, yet crunchy, smokey and super healthy.  Healthy and yummy?  BONUS.

Simple, yet so delicious.

Here's the recipe:

1 Bunch of Asparagus 
2 Tsp of Lemon Juice 
Lemon Zest 
Olive Oil 
Kosher or Sea Salt 

Squeeze fresh juice over asparagus and add lemon zest.  Drizzle olive oil over the asparagus and toss to coat.  Sprinkle sea or kosher salt over asparagus and grill for 5-7 minutes or until skin begins to blister and char.

Stay hungry!

Rosemary Garlic Chicken

This chicken is SO amazing and so easy.  I threw the chicken in the marinade before leaving for work and then Charlie grilled it up when we got home.  

And you know what?  This is a recipe that doesn't even really have a recipe.  Just some of that, a little of this, and voila - a tasty, easy dinner. 

Mmmm...hello crispy bits o' chicken. 

Here's the recipe:

3 Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts 
1/2 Cup Olive Oil 
2 Tbs of Chopped Fresh Rosemary 
4-5 Crushed Garlic Cloves 
1 Lemon, Juiced and Quartered 
Salt & Pepper 

Mix all of the ingredients together and toss the chicken in the marinade.  Marinade for 24 hours, but for at least 12.  Grill over open flame for 8-12 minutes or until juices run clear.  Serve with some grilled asparagus and you have a delicious, healthy week time meal.

Stay hungry!

Prosciutto and Cantaloupe Salad

I don't know how to spell...or pronounce things.  If it wasn't for my spellchecker, this post would be called  "Prociutto and Cantalope Salad."  All that really matters is that it's delicious...OKAY.  JEEZ.  (No seriously, it's amazing). 

Prosciutto and cantaloupe isn't a new concept...in fact it's an amazingly easy, no fuss, yet elegant appetizer.  The two go incredibly together - the smokey, salty meat holds up perfectly to the sweat and refreshing fruit.  I have not, however, seen this in salad form and BOY OH BOY is this good.  My husband actually said, "you can never, ever have a BBQ without making this salad again."  My arm is sore from patting myself on the back.

I ate this on the side of my apricot glazed chicken, but if you wanted to serve this as an appetizer, consider serving a couple of pieces of brie with it...

...ooo la la.  This is going to be one of my summer go to's. 

Recipe:

1/4 lbs of Prosciutto, finely sliced and chopped 

2 Cups of Cubed Cantaloupe 

1/8 of a Red Onion, sliced very thin 

2 Cups of Spring Lettuce Mix 

3 Sprigs of time 

2 Tbs of Balsamic Glaze 

Pile your lettuce mix on a platter.  Add your cantaloupe on top and then sprinkle on the chopped prosciutto. Use your fingers to gently mix the prosciutto and cantaloupe.  Sprinkle the red onion on top, followed by the sprigs of thyme. The thyme isn't just a garnish - it adds a wonderful fresh aroma and slight flavor to the salad - I wouldn't skip it.  Finish the salad with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. 

Stay hungry!