Crispy Pizza Wraps

It's the new year. Which means one thing:

people are resoluting to be healthier.

And this year Michael and I are very much amongst those peoples. We have a wedding to prep for!

I'm going to be primarily trying to exercise-but also just making better choices for food (less sweets/fats, pretty much no fried food and trying to limit the amount we go out to eat). Michael works so much that he doesn't have as much time to exercise and he's not a picky eater so we'll mostly be making diet changes for him. This means that there will probably be more healthy/healthier foods on the blog for the forseeable future...

...that said....everything in moderation.

There'll still be some treats, don't worry ;)

This recipe is a great way to bring in this new year! Michael loves pizza rolls and um...they're horrid for you. So I made these as an attempt to create a healthier copy cat. Are they the same as pizza rolls? No. They're not. HOWEVER they are delicious and still a tasty, lighter, little snack. You just use some wonton wrappers and, really, stuff whatever you want inside--if you want to get really healthy put some spinach and chicken in there (I tried to stay close to the inspiration with pepperoni and cheese). They're crispy/crunchy, easy, and a crowd pleaser!

Because being healthier shouldn't feel like we're denying ourselves :)

One Pot Garlic Parmesan Pasta

Rich, creamy, flavorful, healthyish pseudo-alfredo that makes minimal dishes and Michael actually likes.

It's a pre-Christmas miracle.

IT'S DECEMBER. Which means it's officially the Christmas season. Which means I can figure out how to decorate my new house. It means I get to watch Christmas movies. I can listen to Christmas music and no one can say anything about it! 

And there's gonna be cookies. Lots of cookies.

But sometimes we need to eat non-cookie things. And maybe we want that thing to be pasta.

I've already made this pasta twice. Because it is so good (also it doesn't make a ton of pasta so it was gone allll too quickly). Listen up to how this goes down: you make a sauce from chicken broth, milk, butter and garlic. Then you cook the fettuccine right in the sauce! This means you make everyone in one pot and it also means that the noodles soak up that flavor as they cook and this thickens the sauce in the process. You finish it off with some parmesan cheese (and maybe fresh parsley if you have it) and you're done!

The result is super creamy and rich and no one will ever believe that you didn't use heavy cream and tons of butter. Which is awesomeness. I will give you a couple pieces of advice: it's easy for the noodles to stick together so I suggest breaking them in half before throwing them in to cook and also just consistently stir and try to keep them separated. Also, the sauce gets extremely thick and somewhat clumpy as it gets cooled so it is definitely best served fresh, but you can add some milk and try to heat it back up to thin it back out if necessary.

Looking at these pictures...mmm....I think it's time for another batch!

Faux Fried Chicken Tenders

I am consistently making recipes that are baked chicken that is supposed to taste like fried chicken.

I know, I'm repetitive. Sorry. BUT--this recipe is the closest I have ever come to making baked chicken tenders that taste like the fried kind that you can get at virtually any restaurant/diner. They're, like, SUPER good. Especially when you serve them with mashed potatoes. Then it's just Southern comfort.*

*from a Yank who has never spent any significant time in the South. 

I'm having some troubles with my meal-making game, y'all. I'm just....uninspired for the most part. I know that Michael and I need to eat (things that aren't cookies) but I get so lazy and so like "blahhhh" when it comes to me making us something. I'm not sure what it is but I have got to snap out of it!

These chicken tenders and potatoes were the first legit. meal I'd made in awhile. It was pretty nice. I should really get my heiney in gear and make these things occur more frequently (Michael would certainly be grateful).

And if you want to know how these chicken tenders taste-um...awesome? They're moist and flavorful-with just a hint of spice. You can also absolutely mix things up with the seasonings (I adjusted the original recipe slightly for my own palate--I can't deal with very spicy things so I significantly decreased the spicy factor. Feel free to re-up it if that's your thing!)

I think these will be made fairly frequently around these parts from now on!

Homemade Ranch Dressing

I'm such an annoying lady sometimes. I know it. I just can't leave poor Michael in peace. All he wants is to eat his pizza rolls and spaghetti-o's, and I can't stop trying to take food he likes and make it from scratch.

But liiike....a girl's gotta try, right?

I really don't give the boy enough credit. He actually eats, probably, healthier than me. He's much better about eating his veggies. And he's a total champ at eating salads. Sometimes...when at a restaurant...he'll even order one...AS HIS MEAL *gasp* I can't even fathom that. A salad...for a meal? Does not compute in Kayle's brain.

Anyway, since we tend to have little side salads fairly frequently around our lil home, I was really excited about the idea of tackling a homemade ranch dressing recipe for Michael (I don't mind ranch but I'm more of an Italian/oil based dressing gal myself).

and I did.

Was it a success?

Sort of. Maybe. 

On the first attempt of making this recipe, it was entirely too garlicky for Michael's tastes (so I've adjusted the garlic/scallion amounts below) and seemed to be missing something. I researched ranch dressing a bit and determined we needed dill. So I added that and it definitely helped. So Michael kind of likes it. But not as much as storebought. BUT I haven't attempted it with less garlic yet. I'll keep ya posted on that.

Anyway, all that said...

I like garlic.

I actually like this dressing better than the kind you buy. And you don't have to stress about what you're putting on your salad and whether or not that's negating any healthiness you're getting (which...if you're me...is the entire reason you're eating the green things in the first place). You should def. give it a shot, and maybe customize it a bit to your taste! PLUS hey it's a new year, and I'm sure many of us have resolutions for healthiness or some such, am I right?

What sort of storebought recipes do you want to/like to try to recreate/replace with homemade?

Pan Fried Zucchini with STAR Fine Foods

Now, I'm gonna be honest...I do not understand the concept of frying vegetables (not counting potatoes because...well...obviously). As someone who is not a veggie fan, I figure the whole point is for them to be healthy, right? Well...apparently there are humans out there who just enjoy the flavor of vegetables-such as my boyfriend, the Michael. I don't know if I'd ever even heard of fried zucchini until I heard him salivating at the idea of it on a menu (at some early point in our relationship). I just didn't understand. But hey, to each their own.

Well, a couple years into us being a couple, I started this blog. And now I'm like supposed to try to make him happy by cooking him stuff he likes. And I'm gonna be real-I like it-I get this weird proud feeling when I whip up something he loves. Like, "Yeah....I'm awesome...go me." So, when I found myself with some leftover zucchini I said, "I'm gonna make up a recipe for fried zucchini for Michael. How hard could it be?"

You're probably expecting me to fall on my face after thinking that, huh? *phew* Thankfully, I got lucky! The recipe turned out perfectly, so it is worthy to be shared with all of you! Michael was really excited and def. a big fan of them (unsure of whether or not they're as good his mom's....I'll settle for that they're both good in different ways...) He raved a little, which of course made me glow in pride :).

Added bonus to these? I pan fried them in STAR's Grapeseed oil. I HIGHLY recommend using grapeseed oil because 1. it's a bit healthier 2. it's pretty much flavorless 3. (most importantly) it was the most painless frying experience I've ever had. It didn't smoke, it didn't spit at me, I escaped this whole experience unburned and without making a huge mess! WIN.

'Tis the season for parties, and I suggest you impress with some fried zucch's. You'll be glad you did.

(so will your guests)

{Baked} Fish Sticks

Of course I made these for Michael.

(Sometimes) I'm a nice lady.

Now...technically these are supposed to be fish sticks buut...I may have not cut the fish small enough? So it's more like just...baked fish?

When I look at these pictures, it actually reminds me of "fish 'n' chips"...minus the chips.

Michael loves fish and chips. And fish and chips make me think of British things, which makes me think about some of the hilarious people in my life. Let me elaborate:

Michael's best friend, David, is obsessed with all things British. He teaches Brit Lit at the high school Michael and I attended. He's basically in love with Queen Elizabeth (Tudor). His twin girls know all about the royal family-his daughter Kate especially loves hearing about Princess Kate. He has British flags um...everywhere.

One of my good friends in high school went through a strange phase senior year where...out of nowhere she would say something in a British accent and just speak like that for awhile and if someone pointed it out she'd be all "Oh? What? I am? I didn't even notice that! Strange." Um...you'd never been to England. You were just doing a strange thing and acting like it was unconscious lol.

Another friend in high school was also very obsessed with England (in addition to early, 18th century, America. She loves her some Thomas Jefferson). In college she did a semester abroad there and guess what? She bagged herself a Brit! Her first real boyfriend turned out to be an English boy and even after she had to come back to the states they visited each other often and then, a few months ago, they were married in a super charming wedding in the English countryside.

Anyway, all those British stories don't have much to do with anything. I just think it's funny the obsession some people have with British culture. Even those of us who aren't obsessed are fairly interested in, say, Kate & William and little Prince George. 

Back to fish: I adapted this recipe a fair amount to work with the ingredients I had on hand, and I think the result was even better that way! Michael really really enjoyed these and if you like fish (and/or British culture? :P) then you will too! They're also pretty darn quick and easy to throw together, and on the healthy side. Huzzah!

"Eat This" Chicken Fingers

I'm a simple lady with simple tastes. I don't usually want anything to do with frou-frou dishes (except for some select desserts), and really, I probably have the palate of a 5 year old. But gosh darn it I'm going to make the best immature food I can! Anywhozzle (yes, that's a word, I said so), I subscribe to Eat This, Not That's emails, which are actually some very realistic, and awesome tips for anyone just trying to make healthier choices. They also have these great "Cook This, Not That" articles, giving recipes for healthy versions of your favorite things you can cook at home. I LOVE these chicken fingers. They are also something you can tweak around if you feel like it. It's just a great, simple, yummy recipe that adults and children and adults-who-eat-like-children alike will love :)

"Eat This" Chicken Fingers

from "Cook This, Not That"

(disregard the pizza. That's a slice of Amy's Organic that went splendidly with the chicken.)

250 calories per serving (makes about 4 servings)

Lightened Up Spinach Artichoke Dip

I don't much like green vegetables. We don't get along. Which is why I was so annoyed when my best friend, Alex, would insist we share Spinach Artichoke dip whenever we would go out to eat at T.G.I. Friday's. To my surprise, I liked it-and grew to like it more and more the more I ate it. I was so proud of myself! I liked something healthy! Yay! Then, a year or two later, I found out-actually not so good for me. Well, sheesh, what's the point of eating green things if they're not even good for you?! Figures. Enter this recipe. I found it back when finding recipes was an occasional thing, and not yet an obsession, on Kraft's recipe website. It is supposed to be a makeover of the very dip I fell in love with at Friday's. Healthy Spinach Artichoke dip! Yay! But-would it taste good? Answer: yes!!! Yum! It is one of my favorite things to make now, and I hope it becomes that for you too!

Lightened Up Spinach Artichoke Dip (Recipe Makeover)

from Kraft Recipes