Last Post of the Summer!

Honey Balsamic Glazed Salmon

Now, before you get upset with me about not including the nutrition breakdown, let me explain! This last dish is a dish that my mother found in a cooking magazine (that's right, I'm going against my own rules and NOT cooking something out of my cookbook). My mother tried it one time, and we LOVE it! Since then we have both shared this recipe with many friends and have found that it is an instant hit. I am going by memory here people, so bare with me, and let's cook some salmon!!

Ingredients

-salmon (one fillet, two...or)

-1/3 cup oj

-1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

-couple tablespoons of honey

-salt/pepper

-olive oil

First you need to season the salmon with some salt and pepper (this is not mandatory you sodium conscious people). Put your skillet on medium heat (adjust as needed) and then put the salmon fillet in skin side up. Cook for about 5 minutes on this side.

Next, flip the salmon to the other side (skin side up) and cook for an additional 5-6 minutes. Now, when the time I have listed is up, please check your salmon and make sure it is completely cooked! This fish is a tricky one to cook. You may need to flip it again and cook it some more.

When the salmon is completely cooked through, put it on a plate and top it with foil to keep warm. Wipe off your skillet with a paper towel, and return to the heat. Mix up your balsamic vinegar, honey, and OJ with a wire whisk in a bowl. Pour the liquid into the skillet, and let it simmer for about 4 minutes. Use that wire whisk to stir a few times.

When the consistency of the liquid is like syrup almost, pour it into two small dishes or bowls (like baby bowls now, not cereal bowls). Uncover your salmon, pour the liquid over the top of it and VOILA! You have a delish dish! I usually serve it with some rice and salad.

Prep Time Rating: Easy

DLish Factor: 10 baby!

THANK YOU to all of you who have read my blog this summer! I had a BLAST cooking through a fun cookbook and hope many of you were able to try some of the recipes. I hope to return to this blog and add on more tasty dishes in the near future! But for now, it's back to school for this hungry wife/teacher.

Best Recipe yet!!

Honey Mustard Pretzel-Coated Chicken Fingers

Hot out of the oven!

Final product...yummm!

Ingredients (for one serving...double or triple as needed)

-3 tablespoons honey mustard (light or regular)

-2 tablespoons fat-free liquid egg substitute

-5 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 4 strips

-2 dashes salt

-2 dashes black pepper

-1 ounce (10 twists) hard salted pretzels, finely crushed

-2 teaspoons granulated sugar

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

PER SERVING: 349 calories, 2.5g fat, 928mg sodium, 39g carbs, 1g fiber, 13.5g sugars, 37g protein

*Put it over a nice green salad and add some low-fat dressing, and you've got a D-LISH meal!!!

-First you'll need to preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Next, mix the honey mustard (all ingredients listed above) and egg substitute together in a small bowl. Season the chicken strips with salt and pepper, and then soak in the mustard-egg mixture. Set aside to marinate for about 5 minutes.

-Mix crushed pretzels with sugar and spread mixture out on a plate (I had to crush extra pretzels so make a little bit more than you think so you don't have to go through the crushing process again...I used a potato masher hehe). Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

-Thoroughly coat chicken strips with the pretzel-sugar mixture, and then transfer to the baking sheet (but make sure there is no excess mustard-egg mixture left on the pieces). Mist the tops of the strips with nonstick spray.

-Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, flipping the chicken halfway through baking (that's 10 minutes for all of you who struggle with math, hehe) until chicken is cooked through.

BEST MEAL YET!!!!!

Prep Time Rating: Medium/Hard (Darn you pretzels! It's worth it though.)

DLish Factor: 9.5!!!

-This has been the most delicious recipe I have cooked yet...and it's SOOOOO easy/simple! I put the chicken strips over a salad and it made a GREAT dinner! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Sincerely,

The Hungry Wife

Back in the kitchen again!

ALOHA Pizza Luau!

Fresh out of the oven!

What is cool about this recipe is you can put whatever toppings you like on each piece!

I was craving some cake so I thought I would make one from scratch...looks good doesn't it? It wasn't...haha

Pizza Luau

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

PER SERVING: (entire recipe) 230 calories, 4.5g fat, 808mg sodium, 34 carbs, 6.5g fiber, 9.5g sugars, 17g protein

*Alright you carb concious ladies...I bet you are thinking "OMG that is wayyy too many carbs" but think again. Look at all of the nutrition components like the fiber and protein...you need carbs in your diet, just the right ones. Once you see the ingredients used to make this meal, you will realize they are good carbs!

First you need to preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Next, spread 1 tablespoon of low-fat marinara sauce (I used regular tomato sauce) onto each muffin half. The muffin is one light English muffin, split into halves (I used whole grain for extra nutrition...).

Tear 1 stick of light string cheese (these are sold individually in stores for like .25) into shreds and roughly chop chop chop, chop chop chop, chop that cheese string! Sprinkle that cheese on the muffin halves. Then top each half with some ham (two slices of deli ham cut into pieces) and pineapple (I bought a can of pineapple rings and cut the rings into pieces).

You can stop there, or you can add other toppings you like on the pizza...olives, onion, mushroom...etc. Just don't get carried away...after all, it's just a little muffin half! Place the muffin halves on a baking sheet that is lightly sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes...ALOHA!

Prep Time Rating: Super Duper Easy...and fun!

DLish Factor: 8.5

*Now, this is where I get stuck because a scale of 1-10 based on food has brussel sprouts at 1 and lobster at 10 for me...and let me tell you, not much compares to lobster. Then I got to thinking...sometimes healthy things just don't taste as good as the real deal...which in this case, is a greasy piece of pizza. However, I can honestly say that the more you stay away from foods like greasy pizza, you'll learn to love healthier dishes like this pizza recipe.

Enjoy, and until next time...healthy cooking!!

Sincerely,

The Hungry Wife

Meals for One, or Two....or more!

Santa Fe Cheesy Chicken Stir-Fry (for Holly!)

Mmmm Mmm Good! Look how colorful and cheesy!

Another close up with some garlic toast

I had to include this food creation from the World Cup Party I went to. One cookie cake was for Spain, and one was for the Netherlands...they vanished quickly.

Recipe

Prep Time:15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

PER SERVING: (entire recipe) 256 calories, 2g fat, 693mg sodium, 19.5g carbs, 3.25g fiber, 4.5g sugars, 38.5g protien

--My friend, Holly, requested this recipe on the 4th of July after looking through the Hungry Girl cookbook. Finally, I was able to make it! This is one EASY and DLISH dish! The unique thing about this recipe is you can leave out ingredients you don't like, and add extras of the things you do like...you get to be a cooking artist!

*I am including the ingredients for one serving of this dish, but obviously I doubled it...you can tripe it...or quadruple it...you get the point.

--First you combine 4oz. raw boneless, skinless lean chicken breast (chopped), 2 tablespoons of drained/rinsed black beans, 1/2 tablespoon cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon lime juice, and a few dashes of black pepper in a bowl. Mix it all together, and set aside.

--Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add 1/4 cup frozen corn, 1/4 cup thinly sliced onion, and 1/4 cup thinkly sliced red bell pepper. Stir these ingredients frequently, for about 4 minutes, until the onion softens.

*I cooked it for about 3 minutes because my corn started to burn, so I also adjusted the heat slightly

--Add the chicken mixture to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Obviously you will need to adjust this time to ensure the chicken is cooked all the way through.

--Add 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes and 1/4 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese (I added mozz. cheese and found it dlish) to the skillet and stir until the cheese begins to melt. ENJOY right away!!!! Oh, and I cheated, and added extra cheese...what can I say?

Prep Time Rating: Easy/Medium

DLISH Factor: 7.5! I thought this was SUCH a good dish...the reason I didn't rate it higher is because my husband and I compromised on a rating i.e.: he rated it lower than I would have. I hope you enjoy the dish and have FUN making it!

Sincerely,

The Hungry Wife

Things That Go Blend

Pretty in Pink Slushie Drink AND Mud Pie in the Sky, Oh My!

Pretty in Pink blended Drink (hehe, that rhymes!)

Alison, my wonderful helper for the day!

Mud Pie in the sky: delicious icecream-type treat



Pretty in Pink Slushie Drink
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Blend Time: less than two minutes

PER SERVING: (entire drink; now, I doubled the recipe to make it for two, and that was even too much...you can easily split one of these drink for a small treat) 125 calories, .5g fat, 11mg sodium, 31.5 carbs, 4g fiber, 21g sugars, 2g protein

I had my friend, Alison, over so we could experiment with some blender-focused recipes...and why not? It has been 100 freaking degrees for the past,well, forever!! These two blended treats will help put chill bumps back on your arms instead of sticky sweat from the heat!

First, you take 1 cup frozen unsweetened strawberries, (slightly thawed) 1.5 cups of chopped watermelon (seedless please), and put it all in the blender. Blend on high for 1 minute, until smooth. Add 1/4 cup diet lemon-lime soda (regular is fine if you have it in your fridge), a few pinches of real or fake sugar, and 1 cup of crushed ice to the blender. Blend again until it makes a slushie-like consistency.

ENJOY the sweetness...and the pinkness!

Prep Time Rating: Easy

DLISH Factor: 7.5-I will admit that I LOVE Sonic slushies because they are loaded with fruit (probably soaked in sugar) and extra sugar...however, this is a light, enjoyable drink. You may want to even cut back on some of the watermelon, and add extra strawberries.

Mud Pie in the Sky

Prep Time:5 minutes

Freeze Time: 8 minutes (trust me)

PER SERVING: (entire recipe) 263 calories, 2g fat, 226 sodium, 57g carbs, 3.5g fiber, 16g sugars 7g protein

In a small bowl, dissolve instant coffee granules and powdered creamer in 2 tablespoons warm water (I didn't feel like spending extra money to buy coffee granules, so I left that part out and it was still delicious). Add 2 teaspoons light/regular Hershey's syrup, a few pinches of real or fake sugar, and 2 tablespoons of cold water. Transfer all of this to the blender, baby!

Cut a no sugar added Fudgesicle bar into pieces, remove the stick, and add to the blender as well. Add 3/4 cup fat-free chocolate ice cream and 3/4 cup of crushed ice. Blend briefly at medium-low speed until just mixed. Spoon the mixture into a glass or bowl and then stir in some crushed up graham craker pieces or 1/2 pack of Oreo Thin Crisps.

Mmm Mmm Good!

Prep Time Rating: Easy/Medium

DLISH Factor: 9! I really liked this treat...probably because I have a love of anything with chocolate in it...hope you enjoy it!

Alison and I split this as well...no need to eat all of these recipes all on your own, share the love...and split the calories :)

Sincerely,

The Hungry Wife

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Talapia Fish!

Summer Time Dishes

The fish is in the foil, ready for the oven.

So Fancy Fish pack and a few side items

Gimme S'more Sundae

A Few Notes from the "Chef"

Apologies for the long break from blogging! We all know how holidays make us lazy...anyways, I am back with some great summer style dishes. They are both very easy, and pretty delicious!

TIPS

*I doubled the recipe for the fish recipe since I was making dinner for two...I added extra "paste" to the fish and that made it more tasty

*the marshmallow cream for the sundae didn't turn out to be the best idea in the world; I would just put a few spoonfuls because it hardens and it's a mouthful of sugar

So Fancy Fish Pack

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes (I cooked it 18)

PER SERVING: (1 fish pack) 205 calories (keep in mind that includes the fish and the asparagus...you add some fruit for a complete, healthy meal, and you are eating WELL!) 4g fat, 412mg sodium, 6g carbs, 2.75g fiber, 3g sugar, 35g protein

First you will preheat the oven to 375. Then, in a small bowl you'll mix 1 teaspoon of light butter, 1/2 tsp. of parsely, 1/2 tsp. crushed garlic, and 1/8 tsp. salt and mix together to make a paste-like mixture.

Next, you take a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil and spray some non-stick spray on it. Take 6 thick (or 8 thin) asparagus stalks (cut off some of the bottom) and lay them like a raft on the middle of the foil sheet. Take the talapia filet (or cod, or another white fish of your choosing) and lay on top of the asparagus. Spread the butter mixture onto the fish, and then wrap up the foil.

(those directions were for 1 serving; I made two of them)

Put the foil on a baking sheet, and bake in the over for 15-18 minutes. To make sure the food is finished, take it out at 15 minutes and check the asparagus with a knife (if you can put your knife through the asparagus easily, it's finished). Better to check and have to cook it longer than for someone to feel less stronger (get sick from the fish) ahahah I crack myself up!

Prep Time Rating: Medium

D-Lish Factor: 7 (this was the best recipe I have made yet aside from the pan fried chicken parm)

Gimme S'More Sundae

Prep Time: 5 minutes

*no cooking, just chowing down!

PER SERVING: (entire sundae) 175 calories, 1.75g fat, 125mg sodium, 38carbs, 2.25g fiber, 20g sugars, 4g protein

This is SUCH an easy way to spruce up your nightly dessert! Follow these easy, fun steps and your mouth will be having a party!

Spoon some fat-free chocolate ice cream (1/2 cup) into a bowl and set aside. Place a few spoonfuls of marshmallow cream into a plastic sandwich bag and cut off the edge. Squeeze some of the cream onto the icecream, yum!

Tip with some crushed graham crackers (I used half of a 100 calorie pack of think Oreo crisps) and some chocolate chips. Finish it off with some Reddi-wip or chocolate syrup.

Prep Time Rating: EASY

D-Lish Factor: 8; I LOVE chocolate!!

Alright people, I enjoyed it, I hope you enjoy it, and PLEASE COMMENT! One of the next recipes will be a fruity drink :)

Ooo la la! French Toast for two, monsieur!

French Toast for two, monsieur!

Delicious French-Toasted Waffles

Jimmy chowing down on overstuffed peanut butter'n banana french toast

Jimmy's rating of the banana french toast sandwich

It has been sooo fun cooking all of these recipes, but I had yet to cook a breakfast item...who doesn't love french toast? If you don't, you soon will! French toast is one of my favorite breakfast meals because I used to make french toast with my mom on some Saturday mornings...I can smell it now! I took the Hungry Girl cookbook, and used her innovative, yet easy ideas for changing up french toast.

French Toasted Waffles

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

PER SERVING: (entire recipe; 2 waffles) 274 calories, 6g fat, 807mg sodium, 41.5 carbs, 3.25g fiber, 6.5g sugars, 16g protein

First, you toast two Eggo Nutri-Grain Low-Fat waffles (I had regular waffles because my husband likes them, so I used those). Then, you mix egg substitute (1/2 cup), cinnamon (1/4 tsp), and vanilla extract (1/2 tsp) in a bowl. and set aside.

Next, you bring a large skillet sprayed with non-stick spray to medium-high heat. Add butter to skillet and allow to coat the bottom of the skillet. Meanwhile, coat the waffles in the egg mixture. Cook the waffles about 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown (watch how they are cooking, you might not need that long or you might need to adjust the heat).

Top with powdered sugar (d-lish) and serve with syrup :)

Prep Time Rating: Piece of Toast haha :) (that means easy)

D-Lish Factor: 7; it was simple but I thought it really tasted like french toast...my husband however gave it a 4...so you decide!

Overstuffed Peanut Butter'n Banana French Toast

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

*side note: I decided to cook this in addition to the first recipe because I looked at all of the ingredients, and I had them all in my kitchen...so, why not hit two recipes with one blog post?

PER SERVING: (1 sandwich) 327 calories, 8.5g fat, 700mg sodium, 48.5 carbs, 7.25g fiber, 11g sugars, 18g protein

*most of you are probably looking at the calories, fat, and carbs. Now, I claim to be no nutrition expert, but make sure you are looking at the type of carbs...i.e. the other nutrition facts. This recipe has peanut butter, bananas, and wheat bread...those are all good carbs, in moderation.

You need to combine egg substitute (1/3 cup), 1 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and a few pinches of sweetener (real or fake). Mix all of these in a bowl, and mix. Transfer to a small plate, and then set it to the side.

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, peanut butter, 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and few more pinches of sweetener. Mix all of these until smooth by stirring with the handle of a fork.

*now, I did not have the cream cheese, so I didn't use it, and thought it turned out pretty good...

Spread the cream cheese-peanut butter mixture onto one slice of bread. Put on half of a sliced up banana, a dash of cinnamon, and then top it with the other slice of bread. Press together to seal (you are making a sandwich).

Bring a skillet with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add butter and let it coat the bottom of the skillet. While the skillet is heating up, coat both sides of the sandwich with the egg substitute. You will need to coat the sides of the sandwich as well.

Place the sandwich in the skillet, and cook for 2-4 minutes on each side. Serve with syrup, and ENJOY!

Prep Time Rating: 5 (not difficult, just a lot of steps)

D-Lish Factor: 6.78 (Jimmy ate this, but I did have a bite...it was different, but I liked it! This is probably a dish most kids would like...steer clear adults, unless you're brave)


*PHEW, that's a lot of typing! I will be doing some summer-time recipes in my next few blog postings. ENJOY the 4th of July, and be safe!

Sincerely,

The Hungry Wife

Something Hot, Something Cold

Two Recipes in One Blog Post!

First of all, I must start with a an injury report, and then a few tips/lessons learned.

Injuries to date:

-2 burns on my finger (thanks to the stove)
-1 cut from an apple core cutter (more to come on that)

Tips/Lessons Learned:

-I find it relaxing to cook with a small glass of marsala wine (you can choose your own, of course)

-Always make adjustments in the midst of cooking, you don't always have to follow the recipe step by step

Something Hot: PAN FRIED CHICKEN PARM (For Sarah)

This recipe looked interesting to me because the coating of the chicken is Fiber One bran cereal...healthy, right? Ehh...not the most healthy recipe I will cook, but if you supplement it with the right sides (i.e. corn on the cob, and a small serving of whole grain rice) then it turns out to be a surprisingly healthy meal.

PER SERVING: (1 breast) 258 calories, 6g fat, 684 mg sodium, 16.5 carbs, 7g fiber, 1g sugars, 38.5g protein

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Instead of listing the ingredients for this recipe, I am just going to walk you through it. You basically beat the chicken breasts to about 1/2 inch thick. Then, you blend/process the fiber one cereal (1/2 cup for 2 chicken breasts) to a bread-like consistency. Put the bread crumbs in a seperate bowl and add italian seasoning (I didn't), some garlic powder, some onion powder (I didn't again...I'm a cooking rebel, what can I say?), and also some salt.

In another bowl, you mix 1/4 cup of tomato sauce with some more garlic powder and onion powder. Take your egg substitute (in the egg section @ any grocery store) and place 1/4 cup of that in another bowl. Coat the raw chicken in the egg substitute, and then coat the chicken in the Fiber One mixture.

Spray a large skillet with non-stick spray, and bring to medium heat. This is where I had a bit of a problem; the recipe calls for medium-high heat, but I found that too hot, and it began to slightly burn the mixture on the outside of the chicken...next time I am going with a medium-low heat. You cook the chicken about 4 minutes on each side, but just make sure it is cooked all the way through, take extra time so no one gets sick now!

Once the chicken is fully cooked, spread 2 tablespoons sauce over each breast, while the chicken is still in the skillet. Then, sprinkle some shredded mozzarella cheese over the sauce. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for about 2-3 more minutes, or until the cheese has deliciously melted!

VOILA! There are some pictures above of the dish. Thank you to my wonderful husband for being the plate model :) I figured it's probably better for you all to see the pictures to understand what to expect.

Prep Time Rating: Medium (it wasn't difficult, just a bunch of little steps)

D-Lish Factor: 7.58/10! (haha) I was pleasantly surprised that even though there were a few burnt looking places on the chicken, it actually tasted like toasted cereal and wasn't nasty at all. The dish was D-Lish!

Something Cold, Apple Shakers

I wanted to make something simple to bring over to a bible study I am currently doing with a few friends. I found one of the easiest and sweet treats there is out there!

PER SERVING: (1 apple) 102 calories, <.5g fat, 2mg sodium, 27 carbs, 5g fiber, 19 sugars, .5g protein

Prep Time: 5 minutes

No Cooking this time :) Just shaking!

Ingredients:

-1 Fuji apple, cored and cubed (I just cored the apples and then cut the slices in smaller pieces; also I did four apples total)

-1 no-calorie sweetener packet (Or, if you are against the fake sugar like I am, just use some real sugar)

-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Take the apple pieces and put them in a sealable plastic bag. Add the cinnamon and sugar (I added extra for extra sweet) to the bag, seal it, and shake shake shake, shake shake shake, shake the baggie!

Prep Rating: SUPER easy

D-Lish Factor: 10/10 baby! This was a wonderfully easy, and delicious sweet treat! Check out the picture at the top of hte page!

I had a wonderful time making these two recipes...keep reading for more coooking!! Don't forget to comment :)

Sincerely,

The Hungry Wife

Dessert first, please!

First Post: Easy Oven-Baked S'Mores-Stuffed Bananas

Dessert is my FAVORITE meal (haha) so I decided to kick off this blog with a dessert item. What's special about this recipe is that it's from the foilings section of the cookbook. In the foilings section, you put all of the ingredients into heavy-duty aluminum foil, seal it up, and bake it in the oven! How cool is that?

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Cook Time: 10 minutes (based on my experience)

Ingredients:
2 tblsp. mini semi-sweet choc. chips
1 sheet (4 crackers) low-fat honey graham crackers, crushed
4 sm. bananas, unpeeled, ripe
1/4 cup mini marshmallows
(whipped cream on top)

PER SERVING (I LOVE this) (1 stuffed banana) 152 calories, 2.5g fat, 29mg sodium, 33g carbs, 3g fiber, 19 sugars, 1.5g protein

Now, I am not going to type up every single step for these recipes. The basis of this recipe is that you cut a slit in the banana, and put in the graham crackers/choc. chips mixture (mixed together in a small bowl). You put mini marshmallows on top of the mixture, wrap the banana in heavy duty foil, and bake it at 400 for 10-12 minutes. I didn't top it off with whipped cream, but it sounds delicious (by the way I'll be using this word a lot, it's my favorite).

Hungry Wife Analysis

Prep Rating: EASY and FUN! (made this with Vanessa)
D-Lish Factor: 5/10
The reason I gave this recipe a 5 is because I didn't like the warm banana taste. The stuffing inside was great, but I've never eaten a warm banana, and don't think I will again. However, the other three people that tried it, liked it.

PLEASE post comments...what should I cook next? Any food ideas??