Apple, Spinach & Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

A few weeks ago I was looking at recipes online and found one that stuffed a chicken breast with apples and goat cheese, then they breaded and fried it...well I have made it healthier and I believe tastier as well. I know I sure didn't miss the breading and now I don't have to worry about left overs being soggy when I reheat it for lunch tomorrow!

Apple, Spinach & Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast: Serves 2

2 Chicken Breasts (Approx 1lbs)
2oz Goat Cheese
1 Large Apple Shredded (I used Gala)
2C Raw Spinach Leaves
Salt & Pepper

In a saute pan add the spinach, 1/4C water, and salt and pepper over medium heat, cover with a lid and wilt the leaves. This should only take a few minutes. Remove the spinach from the pan and press out any excess liquid, place the spinach in a mixing bowl. Next shred the apple and squeeze out any excess liquid and discard the juice. Place the apple with the spinach and flake the goat cheese into the mixing bowl as well. With a fork toss this all together until it is evenly mixed. Next split the mix into 2 even balls.

Now we can prep our chicken. Place a chicken breast in-between 2 pieces of wax paper and with a meat mallet or a heavy saute pan beat the chicken down to approximately 1/4" thickness. Salt & Pepper both sides of the chicken and set to the side and repeat with the other piece of chicken.

Once you have flatted the chicken place one of the balls of the stuffing mixture into the center of each breast and flatten it out over a half of the chicken leaving a 1/2" border around the edge of the chicken clear, then fold the piece in half to cover the stuffing. Place the chicken in a greased baking dish and bake at 375° for 30-35 minutes (will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken, a knife inserted into the chicken should produce clear juices when removed).

Slice and Enjoy!

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WW: 9 Points Plus / serving

Top Chef Just Desserts: Week 5

Jillian: Hey Sara! Week 5 of Top Chef, Just Desserts and this weeks challenges include a quick fire to make a unique candy bar and an elimination challenge of frozen treats to be served at a hot water park. I really thought that both of these challenges were difficult, as soon as I heard candy bar I immediately thought “Chocolate, Caramel, Nougat” and I was impressed by the different options that everyone brought to the table.

Sara: I was too! And I was pleasantly surprised by the humanity Orlando showed in helping Rebecca. I was disappointed in the Orange team, composed of Chris, Olrando and Matt. When I saw them come together I thought their dishes would blow me away! Instead I was annoyed Matt served a hot dish in a Cali waterpark!! Who does that?!?

Jillian: I’m so glad you brought that up. I was thinking “Oh Orlando and Chris...the two who had history before this show brought them together, this is going to be good!” and while I’m sure their desserts could of been great in a controlled environment they missed the fact that the challenge was to function out of a water park cart in a non-climate controlled place. I do think that Orlando is becoming just mediocre, while he isn’t normally in the bottom three he isn’t in the top either and I think he is realizing that too. Which dessert would you have ordered?



Sara: I would have ordered the dessert Katzie made, a Baked Alaska with a Spumoni twist! It looked yummy, water park appropriate, and was a judges fave. I figured it would be a safe bet. What about you?

Jillian: I really wanted to try Rebecca’s Lemon Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Sandwich. I really have a thing for lemon desserts and a frozen lemon dessert? Heaven. I really think those two really embraced the challenge not only making a delicious dessert but one that was appropriate for their environment and clientele.

Sara: Yes, and I was sad to see Amanda go but I think she will do well outside the show. I can’t wait to see how the Beastie Boy challenge next week plays out!!

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To check out more of Sara's posts on all things Girly go to Girly Obsessions.
(pictures courtesy BravoTV.com)

Hash Browns with Bacon & Onions

When it comes to breakfast I will chose pancakes, french toast and waffles 9 times out of 10 over eggs, but when the mood strikes and I decide to have an egg I want to have hash browns with them to soak up the yolk from my egg. I had left over Roasted Potato Fries from the other night and I decided to put those to good use in this recipe.

Hash Browns with Bacon & Onions: Serves 2

2 Servings Left Over Roasted Potato Fries - cut into cubes
2 Slices Bacon
1/2C Onions - Diced
2tsp Butter
Salt & Pepper

In a saute pan cook the bacon until just crisp, remove to a paper towel to remove any excess grease and when slightly cooled crumble into bits. Once the bacon is removed from the pan add the onions to the bacon grease and cook for 3-5 minutes until the onions start to turn tender. Remove the onions from the pan, drain the grease, then wipe the pan with a paper towel and return to the stove over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt, then toss in the potatoes with a little salt and pepper and let it cook for 4-5 minutes until it is warmed through, add the bacon and onion to the pan and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and enjoy!

Tips: Any left over roasted potato will work in this recipe! I served this with a poached egg on top for a full filling breakfast.

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WW: 7 Points Plus / serving (hash browns only)
9 Points Plus / serving (with 1 poached egg)

Garlic Chicken in a Tomato Cream Sauce

Last week I wrote to you about how I was shocked at a recipe that I thought was going to be so-so and in reality it was amazing. That recipe was the Spicy Shrimp & Tomato Pasta, from Cooking Light. Tonight I modified it to use chicken breast instead of shrimp. The result was just as delicious and extremely filling.



Garlic Chicken in a Tomato Cream Sauce: Serves 4

8oz Pasta
1lbs Chicken Breast - Boneless/Skinless - Chopped into bite size pieces
3-4C Chopped Tomatoes (I used Plum)
1TB Olive Oil
5 Garlic Cloves - Minced
1/2tsp Red Pepper Flakes
2TB Fresh Basil (2tsp Dried)
1/4C Parmesan Cheese
2TB Sour Cream (I use Daisy's Light)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add pasta. Cook as directed on the box until al dente. Drain and set to the side.

While the pasta water is heating up you can work on the chicken. In a large saute pan over medium heat add 1tsp of olive oil and 2 of the minced garlic cloves, heat for a minute then toss in the chicken with some salt and pepper. Cook the chicken fully, remove from the pan and set to the side. Add the remaining olive oil and garlic to the pan with the red pepper flakes and allow it to cook for another minute, add the tomatoes & basil and toss. Cover with a lid and stir every 2-3 minutes, the tomatoes will start to break down. Cook for 10-12 minutes total, remove from the heat and add the sour cream to the mix.

Toss in the pasta, stir and cover with a lid and let it sit for 3-5 minutes to soak up any liquids in the pan. Split into 4 bowls and add a tablespoon of Parmesan Cheese to each bowl and enjoy!

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WW: 10 Points Plus / serving

Roasted Potato Fries

I love potatoes. I just do, baked, fried, mashed, smashed, sauteed, roasted, boiled, you name it I'll eat it. So when I was making the Swedish Meatballs I had the idea to serve them with fries instead of my usual mashed potato. I used the same seasonings that went into the meatballs and the result was a very complimentary side dish.

Roasted Potato Fries: Serves 4

2lbs Red Potatoes
1.5tsp Onion Powder
1/2tsp Pepper
1/2tsp Salt
1TB Olive Oil
Ice Water

Slice the potatoes into 1/4" thick fry shapes and place in a large bowl of ice water, shake them around and remove from the ice water and dry with a kitchen towel. You will notice the water will turn cloudy when you place the potatoes in it, this is the starch on the surface leaving the potato which will allow the potato to crisp up better in the oven.

Put the dried potatoes in a bowl and toss with the remaining ingredients. Place on a greased wire rack on a cookie sheet and place in a 375° oven for 40 minutes, then crank the heat to 425° and cook for another 10-15 minutes to brown the fries. Remove from the oven, serve and enjoy!

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WW: 5 Points Plus / serving

Swedish Meatballs

One of my best friends is from New Sweden, Maine, and as you could guess many of the residents up there are of Swedish decent. We were living together for a few years, two girls out of college trying to make it in the real world, and her parents would come down to Baltimore every once in a while and I always looked forward to it as they are wonderful people and they always made us some delicious dinners! Her mom taught me how to make their family recipe one night and I will be forever grateful.

The first time I had Swedish Meatballs was during my Thesis Year of Architecture School about 4 weeks before our final presentation. Her parents had come down to the school to help out and support my friend and they were generous enough to cook for a few of us to make sure we had at least one healthy meal a day. They were unlike any Italian meatball I had ever had, no garlic, no oregano or basil and a gravy instead of a marinara sauce. Personally I like to serve these with potatoes though many serve with rice or egg noodles, but rest assured any way you have them they will be wonderful.

Swedish Meatballs: Serves 6-8

2lbs Ground Beef (I use 93% Lean)
2 Eggs
1-1/4C Milk
2 Pieces of Bread
1tsp Onion Powder
1/2tsp Salt
1/2tsp Pepper
1TB Butter
2C Water
1/4C Flour

In a large bowl break the bread into small pieces and pour 1/4C of milk over it (you will use the remaining cup of milk for the gravy), let it soak in for a few minutes then with your hands break it up so it is one even texture. Make sure to really break apart the crust so you don't have any large chunks. Lightly beat the eggs and add to the milk mixture, then add the ground beef, onion powder, salt & pepper. With your hands lightly mix until all of the milk mixture has incorporated with the beef. Make a small meatball and microwave for 20-30 seconds and do a taste test to see if it needs any more salt, pepper or onion powder. Once you have approved of the taste test it is time to get cranking on those meatballs.

Make meatballs that are approximately 1TB worth of meat mixture (will make approximately 55-60 meatballs) place meat balls in shifts into a greased saute pan over medium heat, brown all sides of the meatballs. You do not need to cook the meatballs 100% of the way through, but you shouldn't be able to see pink from the outside of the meatball. Remove the cooked meatballs to a casserole dish and repeat with the next batch until all meatballs have been cooked.

Once all meatballs are in the casserole dish you will notice that your pan has a healthy amount of browned bits on the bottom - don't worry we are going to save them! Take the butter and place it in the pan over medium heat and with a spatula loosen the brown bits. While the butter is melting mix the water and flour together and then add to the pan and stir together to incorporate. Bring the mix up to a boil whisking constantly, the gravy will thicken. Once it thickens to a gravy consistency add the remaining 1C of milk, whisk and bring back up to a boil and allow it to thicken again. Taste test to make sure it isn't bland and remember you could add more salt/pepper or onion powder to season. Pour the sauce over the meatballs then place in a 350° oven uncovered for 30 minutes, stir gently, cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes. Once it is finished cooking remove from the oven, stir again and let it cool for 5-10 minutes. The sauce will thicken while it cools. Serve and Enjoy!!!

Tip: If you can stand it make this the day before (including the baking!) and place in the fridge, then stir the next day and reheat in a 350° oven covered for 30-40 minutes until the sauce is bubbling. While Swedish Meatballs are fantastic the first day they are even better the second day!

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WW: 8 Points Plus / serving @ 6 servings
6 Points Plus / serving @ 8 servings

Zucchini Fries

Okay well last week my taste tester made some Zucchini Chips which were awesome, and tonight we tried a different mix on a thicker fry cut zucchini. I thought these were good as well but completely different than the original as the spice mix was different, it just goes to show your imagination is the limit to how you approach this recipe!



Zucchini Fries: Serves 2-3

2 Medium Zucchini (approx 9" long, 2" diameter)
1/2C Panko Breadcrumbs
2TB Parmesan Cheese - Shredded
1tsp Dried Basil
1/2tsp Seasoned Salt (I used Crazy Janes)
1/2tsp Garlic Powder
1/8tsp Pepper
2-3TB Milk

Mix Panko through Pepper together in a mixing bowl and stir together to evenly incorporate. Dip the zucchini slices in the milk, then place the zucchini into the breadcrumbs gently pushing the breadcrumbs onto the zucchini until it sticks. Place the breaded zucchini onto a greased wire rack over a cookie sheet in a single layer and bake at 425° for 30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven, serve and enjoy!

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WW: 2 Points Plus / serving @ 3 servings
3 Points Plus / serving @ 2 servings

Top Chef Just Desserts: Week 4

Sara: This week was so much fun! The Willy Wonka fantasy land the chefs had to recreate was amazing! I was blown away by what they came up with. And, I have to say I am not sad to see Craig go. It became clear he was just not on the same level of experience as the other chefs.

Jillian: I agree this week was just delightful! As an architectural designer I kept thinking of all the different ways I would of designed and created the wonderland! I think Katzie embraced the challenge the most really creating something completely new and fanticiful, while the other contestants did great jobs recreating items from the original set her pieces were original and really innovative!

What was your favorite display?

Sara: My fave was Katzie’s display. I loved how she thought to have a veggie garden, that you could pull pieces of carrot cake out of! I also really liked Matt’s display of cake pops. My least favorite was hands down Melissa’s, who also went home this week. Did you like her doughnuts?

Jillian: I really thought her idea was so basic! Those donuts just did not look appetizing, though they didn’t look as scary as Craig’s gummy bears. One thing I was surprised about was how they split into the creative team and the baking team. It seemed to me that it would of made more sense to have everyone helping to build, or to build in shifts because I feel some things got overlooked while overs like the Chocolate Waterfall were given way too much time. Overall I was really impressed with the whole space and I imagine the kids that got to experience it really were in 7th heaven!

Okay well now we know that Craig & Melissa eliminated who are we hoping to go next? I’m really pulling for Orlando to be next on the chopping block though I think the judges will keep him around for the drama effect.

Sara: Orlando might be a tool, but he is good at what he does. I think that Sally and Rebecca are heading out soon. Can’t wait to see what the next challenge is!



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All, go check out more of Sara’s Posts on Girly Obsessions, a great site for all things Girly!

Wholly Guacamole & Austin from Biggest Loser Meet Up!

Hi All, I wanted to tell you about a great experience I got to have today! Earlier this week I received an email from Wholly Guacamole about meeting up with their "Check Your Choice" tour with Austin Andrews from Biggest Loser at the Baltimore Farmers Market. They had heard about me from the CBS Baltimore Most Valuable Blogger 2011 Awards and asked if they could use some of my recipes on their blog that use guacamole.

My mom and I got to spend a little bit of time talking to Austin about his Biggest Loser experiences on the ranch as well as how he views healthy eating and living. He is an extremely positive person and I am very glad to have met him. We got to discussing eating and I mentioned how I am about "clean" cooking by using less processed foods, in a healthy way instead of eating a lot of diet foods in larger portions and it seemed that we were on the same wavelength of how to eat.

Austin is currently touring with Wholly Guacamole's "Check Your Choice" tour going around to different cities talking about eating healthy and wisely. You can check out their blog here! Wholly Guacamole is a company that I can fully approve of, they do not use any preservatives or additives in their Guacamole! How wonderful is that? While I often make my own guacamole it is nice to know there are companies out there that embrace the idea of not using chemicals to preserve their food.

Please check out the Check Your Choice website to see if they will be touring near you and if they are I highly suggest going out to say Hi and get your free serving of Wholly Guacamole from their Guac Mobile! I look forward to seeing where Austin & Wholly Guacamole go on their tour, I know they will do a lot of good throughout the Country delivering their message of healthy eating.

Spicy Shrimp & Tomato Pasta

At the beginning of this month I realized I always look up new recipes but I rarely try recipes as they are written, I often change a major element or the proportions to make healthier and I decided "enough" so I found a bunch of healthy recipes from Delish.com and Cooking Light that I wanted to try and tonight was most definitely a winning recipe. I saw the ingredient list and thought "hmm I bet that won't be super fantastic but it will be quick and easy and sometimes that is what counts" well guess what? I was dead wrong. This recipe just jumped up to one of my Top 10 and I have already started to think "I could do this with chicken too" and as my taste tester said "we should try it with veal!" If you were thinking about trying one of my recipes soon put this one on the list of contenders!

This recipe is from Lia Huber, Cooking Light, October 2007. I can't wait to make this dish for my family, it was decadent, creamy and rich and in my opinion a restaurant quality dish.



Spicy Shrimp & Tomato Pasta: Serves 4

8oz Pasta
1TB Olive Oil
1/2tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
4 Garlic Cloves - Minced
1lb Shrimp - Peeled & De-veined
2C Chopped Tomatoes (plum tomatoes preferable)
2TB Sour Cream (I use Daisy's Light)
1TB Fresh Basil (or 1tsp dried)
1/4C Parmesan Cheese - Shredded
Salt & Pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until it is al dente. Drain and set to the side.

Once you pasta starts cooking you can make the shrimp and sauce. Be prepared, your taste buds are going to start screaming to try the sauce soon. In a large saute pan heat the olive oil, red pepper flakes and garlic for a minute over medium heat, toss in the shrimp with some salt and pepper, cook for 1 minute then add in the tomatoes and basil and stir. Let the tomatoes cook down while the shrimp cooks, stir while it cooks for 6-8 minutes. Once the shrimp are cooked through turn the heat off and add in the sour cream and stir to melt it in. Toss in the pasta and cover with a lid and allow the pasta to sit for 3-5 minutes which will let the sauce absorb into the pasta.

I promise you get to eat soon. Lastly sprinkle the Parmesan Cheese into the pasta, place in a bowl and ENJOY.

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WW: 10 Points Plus / serving

Garlic Shrimp & Grits with Summer Vegetables

We all know I love Shrimp & Grits, but it has been weeks since I made any and I was feeling like I was going through withdraw tonight so I had to make some right away! My favorite way to have them is with basic Shrimp, Garlic & Grits but I also wanted to make these a little bit healthier as well as more filling so tonight I am adding some stir fried zucchini & onions which adds a nice variety to the dish and uses up more of those zucchini that have been overtaking everyone's garden!

Garlic Shrimp & Grits with Summer Vegetables: Serves 4

1C Grits
4C Water
3 Garlic Cloves - Minced
3C Zucchini - Chopped
1C Onion - Diced
1lb Shrimp - Peeled & De-veined
1/4C Parmesan Cheese
1TB Olive Oil
4tsp Butter
Salt & Pepper

In a sauce pot add water and bring to a boil, once boiling slowly whisk in the grits, salt and pepper, and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Stir often for the first 2-3 minutes then once every few minutes as it thickens. Once the grits have absorbed the water, add the butter and let it melt and stir to incorporate.

While the grits are doing their thing we can make the rest of the dish. In a saute pan place half of the olive oil & garlic over medium heat and let it cook for 45-60 seconds then add in the zucchini & onions with some salt and pepper and stir fry over medium high heat for 10-12 minutes.

Toss the shrimp with remaining olive oil, salt & pepper and remaining garlic. Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 400° for 6-7 minutes flipping once until cooked fully through.

Split the grits into 4 bowls and top with even amounts of vegetables and shrimp and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and enjoy!

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WW: 9 Points Plus / serving

Top Chef Just Desserts: Week 3

Top Chef Just Desserts: Week 3

Jillian: Hey Sara! I wish I could of been a contestant this week, the quick fire challenge with special guest Hugh Acheson - the task: create a small dessert that could be translated into a new flavor for Extra Dessert Delights Gum, is right up my alley. I would of loved to create a lemon berry dessert, sweet but tart. I was really excited when Craig won, while I don’t think he is going to make it much longer it was nice to see him get a vote of confidence with his winning Lemon Marscapone Pancakes with Amaretto Strawberries.

Sara: I thought I was going to be excited about Craig winning but I found myself annoyed. Mainly because I thought Carlos with his Passion Fruit Gelee, coconut Tapioca and Meringue should have won. It was adorbs! I was also a little weary that since he won he was one of the two team captains for this week. I feel he is so naive, that it seemed disastrous from the start to have him leading a team. What did you think?



Jillian: Oh my, while I was proud of Craig for winning the challenge I was real scared for him to be leading a team, and seriously what was he thinking picking Orlando? The challenge was to design a dessert table for one of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and I have to say I was surprised at Craig for trying to help everyone but it was obvious he was neglecting his own dessert and not giving the best advice. I felt awful for him when they were in front of the judges table and he was getting slammed by all the judges.

I would send this back to my girl Sara now but she has been having lots of technical difficulties this week so I'm just going to finish up with my thoughts of the two teams.

Obviously Craig's team did not do so well, while I thought their table looked nice, it was not up to par with the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills Standards and the desserts were rated as "okay" from the judges, nothing special and definitely not Top Chef Worthy.

Now Amanda's team on the other hand absolutely killed the competition with a beautiful and professional table setting and exquisite desserts for the Housewives. (see picture above)

In the end the Judges wanted to send Craig home but as he had immunity they were forced to eliminate Nelson - though they did not make it a secret that Craig was their first choice.



(pictures courtesy BravoTV.com)

Thank YOU!

I wanted to give a big shout out to all my followers for your support and wonderful comments.

Today I found out that I had been nominated and apparently won a CBS Baltimore's Most Valuable Blogger Award.

I look forward to continuing my recipe blog and finding healthy ways to have all kinds of wonderful food!

So Thank You All who continue to follow me and especially to those of you who nominated and voted for me.

- Jillian

Chicken Taco Casserole

As you know I am a big Chicken Taco Fan and tonight I am finding a use for the broken bits of tortilla chips that always seem to be at the bottom of my bag! I decided to make a casserole that has layers of all my favorite taco toppings topped with the broken chip bits and melted cheese. A great way to use something that you would normally toss in a very tasty way.

Chicken Taco Casserole: Serves 4

1lbs Chicken Breast - Boneless/Skinless
Chicken Stock
2 Bay Leaves
1/2C White Rice
1C Water
2-3TB Taco Seasoning
1/2C Sour Cream (I use Daisy's Light)
3/4C Corn
1C Salsa
4oz Avocado - Diced
2oz Monterey Jack Cheese - Shredded
1oz Blue Corn Tortilla Chips

In a sauce pot place chicken breasts and cover with chicken stock, add bay leaves and bring up to a boil. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and can easily be shredded. Remove from the stock and shred with 2 forks. Place the chicken in a saute pan with the taco seasoning and 1/2C of the chicken stock from the pot and cook it over medium heat until the chicken has absorbed all of the sauce and is evenly covered in seasoning.

While the chicken is cooking you can also cook the rice. In a small sauce pot place 1C of water with a pinch of salt and bring up to a boil. Add the rice once boiling and reduce to a simmer, stir once then place a lid on the pot and let it simmer lightly until all the water has absorbed into the rice.

Now that our parts are ready it is time to assemble the casserole. In an 8x8 greased pan place the chicken on the bottom and pat down then layer in the following order: sour cream, salsa, rice, corn, avocado. Place in a 350° oven for 20 minutes, remove and sprinkle the tortillas & cheese on top and return to the oven for 8-10 minutes to melt the cheese.

Remove, serve and enjoy!

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WW: 11 Points Plus / serving

Crispy Zucchini Chips

Has your zucchini plant gotten out of hand? My mom is always trying to give away these monster zucchinis whenever I go over her house and tonight I found a great use for them. Many thanks to my taste tester for actually preparing these for us!! This recipe was inspired by Delish.com, check out the original recipe here. I loved this and will definitely be making it again as it uses this wonderful ingredient in a new way.

Note that we made the slices real thin, like 1/8", when I do it again I will make them 1/4" thick as I think they will hold up even better.

Crispy Zucchini Chips: Serves 4

1.5C Panko Breadcrumbs
4tsp Seasoned Salt (I used Crazy Janes)
1tsp Pepper
1TB Dried Oregano
1TB Dried Marjoram
3TB Milk
1 Large Zucchini (approx 10" long 3" in diameter) Thinly sliced

Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a shallow dish, then dip the zucchini slices into the milk, shake the excess liquid off then dredge the slice through the dry ingredients. Place on a greased wire rack on top of a cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining slices. Bake at 425° for 30 minutes until golden brown. Let cool for a few minutes then serve.

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WW: 4 Points Plus / serving

Corn Cakes

Growing up we always had pancakes on the weekend and it was my Dad's job to make them the majority of the time. We always had different items in the pancakes - strawberries, blueberries, apples, peaches and yes even corn. If you are a fan of hush puppies you will really enjoy this recipe.

Corn Cakes: Serves 4-8

2C Bisquick
1C Milk
2 Eggs
1C Corn Kernels
2tsp Butter

In a mixing bowl mix Bisquick, milk & eggs together until the batter is just incorporated. Add the corn to the batter and stir again. I like to use canned Summer Crisp corn but nothing beats left over corn on the cobb that has been cut off the cobb and broken into pieces, you can also use frozen corn kernels that have been thawed and drained.

Now that the batter is ready it is time to make the pancakes. On a greased skillet over medium heat add 1/2tsp of butter and let it melt, add 1/4 of the batter to the skillet at whatever size pancakes you prefer (I used a tablespoon scoop today and made silver dollar pancakes). When you finish the first batch place them on a cookie sheet and place in a 200 degree oven to keep warm while you repeat this process with the remaining batter.

In my family we like to eat them plain, with honey or even maple syrup. Keep in mind that if you can't fathom having corn with breakfast you can also serve these as a side dish to a dinner the same way you would hush puppies.

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WW: 9 Points Plus / serving @ 4 servings
5 Points Plus / serving @ 8 servings

Roasted Vegetable Risotto

After a long weekend of eating out I really look forward to a nice home cooked meal with a healthy amount of vegetables. This recipe is great as it has very simple ingredients that you most likely have on hand, yet involves many wonderful flavors and healthy elements to provide a great balanced meal. I am serving it as a side dish to a baked chicken breast so as a side dish I would say it could serve 6, and as a meal I would serve 4.

Roasted Vegetable Risotto: Serves 4-6

1C Arborio Rice
4-5C Chicken Stock
1TB Olive Oil
1 Small Zucchini - Sliced (Approx 2C)
1 Onion - Sliced (Approx 1C)
3 Carrots - Diced (Approx 1C)
1 Bell Pepper - Diced (Approx 1C)
1 Bay Leaf
Salt & Pepper

In a sauce pot heat the stock with the bay leaf until boiling, reduce to a simmer and keep on the stove while you make the rice. In a large saute pan heat 1tsp olive oil over medium heat and add the arborio rice to the pan. Toast the rice for a few minutes until lightly browned then add salt & pepper and chicken stock 3/4C of a time and reduce the heat to low so the mix is just simmering. Stir often allowing the stock to absorb into the rice, once the liquid is gone from the pan add another 3/4C and repeat until the rice is tender. Depending how fast the liquid is evaporating will determine how much stock you use, my rice absorbed 4C of stock before tender.

While the rice is doing its thing you can prepare the vegetables. In a mixing bowl place all the cut veggies and toss with the remaining 2tsp of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Place on a greased cookie sheet and roast in a 400° oven for 20 minutes.

When you put the last scoop of stock in the rice add the roasted vegetables to the pan as well and finish cooking the risotto with the vegetables which will allow the roasted taste to permeate the rice as well.

Serve & Enjoy!

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WW: 6 Points Plus / serving @ 4 servings
4 Points Plus / serving @ 6 servings

Top Chef Just Desserts: Week Two

Quickfire Challenge: “When life gives you lemons make lemonade” - Margaret Braun, Pastry Chef, is this weeks Guest Judge. The chefs got 45 Minutes to make an amazing lemon dessert with the winner securing immunity in the elimination challenge

Jillian: I have to admit. I LOVE lemon desserts. I keep collecting lemon bar & lemon meringue pie recipes. My taste buds love the pop of tart and sweet that make you pucker! This challenge sure had my mouth watering!

Sara: I love lemon as well. 45 minutes is really not a lot of time, it seemed as though a lot of people didn’t get the results they wanted. I felt bad for Nelson who barely got his dish together. I was glad Matthew won, I am really starting to like him.

Jillian: I agree with you, I’m glad that we are starting to learn more about the contestants, I think I might actually get to like some people this year, instead of cheering for the lesser of two evils!

Elimination Challenge: To create a cake for 150 guests to celebrate the Disney Concert Hall (by Architect Frank Ghery), with each chef being responsible for 1 tier of the cake.

Teams:
#1 Matthew, Chris, Megan, Melissa
#2 Carlos, Rebecca, Sally
#3 Orlando, Nelson, Craig
#4 Amanda, Katzie, Van

Jillian: Surprise Surprise - Orlando says that “Cakes are my thing, Nelson is more architectural and Craig is the nit wit” - shocker you know he picked Craig hoping if they lost it would be obvious who would get eliminated.

Sara: Orlando is going to get kicked off because of his ego. He may have picked the team but he was not a great leader and was ready to throw a team member under the bus, before the competition even kicked off! Who does that?! I feel like Katzie is getting shafted on her teams so far. I really like her and see more potential then the challenges have allowed for her.

Jillian: Katzie...I don’t know how I feel about her yet, it seems like everyone is prejudiced against her because she works in a restaurant and I guess is relatively new to the dessert world. She seems to have some really nice ideas that are very different than the usual, like with her lemon dessert she made crepes then thinly sliced them into ribbons to resemble pasta and her whole dish looked like something savory while being a delicate dessert.

So back to the Elimination Challenge, which was your favorite/least favorite cake?

Sara: I loved the cake that Chris’s team made. It meshed together well, and looked great. I was not a fan of the cake Orlando’s team made. It was so disjointed! None of it looked like it was made to go together. What you about?

Jillian: I agree about Orlando’s teams cake, there was no unity there, but my least favorite was Amanda, Katzie and Van’s cake, not only was it disjointed but it was just technically sloppy, and it seems the judges and I were on the same wavelength as they sent Van home.

My favorite by far was Chris’s teams cake, as someone who works in the Architecture field and loves cake I thought it was a beautiful representation of the concert hall with the musical notes on the sheets that flowed away from the cake in the cascading pattern similar to the facade of the building. All the layers worked together and it was one cake, not four separate cakes placed together.

Sara: And my favorite moment of the night was a quote by Amanda, “This cake is heavy as a pile of poop.” Can’t wait for next weeks episode!

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