Eat Skinny Be Skinny: [GF] Grilled Jalapeno Poppers
PIN IT!It’s officially football season, friends!!! Although I’m not a huge NFL follower, I’m a FANATIC college football fan. As a native Ohioian, I’m naturally an Ohio State fan!
[via]
I’m so excited for the first Saturday I can actually sit down to watch a game with a cold beer and some fabulous tailgating snacks. Unfortunately, a lot of the tailgating staples, like hot dogs, burgers, fries, chips and deep fried chicken wings are FULL of fat and calories. Plus, who wants to be so full & bloated you can’t actually get up from the couch to cheer (or in my case, SCREAM) at the tv? Not I. Instead of being weighed down by food, I want a snack that will WORK with me and burn calories while I sit. Yes, such a thing exists. Let me introduce you to the jalapeno.
The jalapeno (or ja-lap-ano for smart arses like me) is a serious superfood. These sassy little peps are filled with a natural chemical called capsaicin. This little chemical (which is the cause of the super high kick of spice) quickens your heart rate and speeds up your metabolism. Finally, a snack that gives back! Since I’m not Adam Richman and can’t eat jalapenos on their own, I decided to do my own spin on the jalapeno popper, sans breading, frying and massive mozzarella. Instead, I grilled these poppers and stuffed them with a mixture of goat cheese, low fat cream cheese, a dash of freshly grated parmesean, some roasted red peppers and chives.
Tada! A healthy tailgating snack that won’t weigh you down. However, um, I must warn you. These little poppers ARE FREAKIN’ HOT. Like, smoke pour out of your ears, tears swelling in your eyes, nose burning hot. I had 1/2 of one and this was what immdiately had to follow.
A yep, I am ICING MY TOUNGE/LIPS with a polar pak. They were that hott. However, my roomate Ryan gobbled up about 6 of them without even flinching. I guess I’m a wimp. Either way, these snacks are not for the faint of heart but are a fabulous and healthier alternative to the fried popper you see in restaurants!
Recipe adapted from Food Network.
Grilled Jalapeno Poppers
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Servings: 8 whole peppers, 16 halves
Prep time: About 12 minutes
Cook time: About 6-7 minutes
SITE NOTE: If jalapenos are too hot for you (I’m with you!) you can substitute with regular bell peppers or banana pepeprs!
What You’ll Need:
- 8 jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded (remove ALL seeds!)
- 4 ounces of fresh goat cheese
- 3 ounces of low fat cream cheese
- 1/4 cup of parmesean cheese
- 4 fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1/2 roasted red pepper, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon of sage
- Salt and Pepper
- Cooking spray
How to Make Them:
- Spray grill (or grill pan if doing this indoors) with cooking spray.
- REMOVE all seeds from jalapenos by rinsing them off. Be sure to wear gloves when handling peppers so your hands don’t burn (which I did not). Arrange body side up (so you can fill them) on the grill pan.
- Mix together the cheeses, sage and salt and pepper. Using a small spoon, fill each pepper with cheese. Top with roasted red pepper and chives. Add a dash more of salt and pepper.
- Grill (or broil) for 5-7 minutes, until cheese is slightly browned and peppers are softened.
- Eat (if you dare) and enjoy! Just make sure you have a glass of water/milk beside you!
When you get over the intial mouth burn, the flavor is actually really good. The cheeses compliment the spicyness and the roasted red pepper adds just the right amount or smokey flavor.
I wish I wasn’t such a wimp because, from what I’m told, these little things are amazing! Plus, they are gluten-free!
Nutritional information [per 2 peppers]: 86 calories, 5 grams of fat, 4 grams of carbohydrates and 7 grams of protein.
Like That? Try This! Pear, Gorgonzola, Grueyere Pizza w/ Crumbled Bacon & Nuts
I hope your mouth is watering just by reading that title because just typing it has me in a pool of drool. Although I’m lucky enough to have a delicious piece of this pie next to me right now, just the ingredients alone are completely intoxicating. I know I say this, like, everyday, but this might be one of the best things I’ve ever eaten. I mean it this time.
To just kinda tell you how good this is, I gobbled down the piece I had in, literally, 2 minutes. I began eating it at 12:05 and as I type, it’s 12:07. I’m not even ashamed, I just wish I had more to eat of it. The flavors are absolutely out of this world. My taste buds are having a crazy orgy of happiness right now.
I think one of the aspects of this pizza that make is so incredibly delicious is the mix of the sweet, crunchy pears with the strong, creamy texture and taste of the cheeses. There is no better pairing in this world than that of fruit and cheese. (Add wine and you have a truly unbeatable combination). But I can understand some of your trepidation with pairing fruit and cheese ON A PIZZA. I promise you though, if you like fruit and cheese platters or baked brie with preserves, you will LOVE this pizza. The melty cheese over the soft, yet still firm, pear is a fierce combo. Add a freshly baked whole wheat crust, crumbles of maple bacon and some toasted nuts and you have the world’s best pizza. EVER.
Pizza, in it’s truest form, isn’t very healthy. At all. But this pizza, even with the two varities of hearty cheese and bacon, isn’t gut busting! Each 1/8 inch piece of this amazing pie has just 198 calories and 8 grams of fat! Of course, the more cheese and bacon you use the higher the calories and fat will be, however because these cheeses are so strong and flavorful on their own, you don’t need to use as much of them.
Guys, I’m serious, this is truly one of the best things I’ve ever had. I wouldn’t lie to you, would I? Of course not 🙂
Pear, Gorgonzola & Grueyere Pizza with Crumbled Bacon & Nuts
Yields: 8 slices
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 8-12 minutes
You can switch out the grueyere with fontina, mozzarella or provolone!
What You’ll Need:
- 1 8 inch whole wheat pizza crust
- 1 1/2 sliced Bosc pear
- 1 large medium onion, chopped
- 2 pieces of maple bacon, crisped and crumbled
- 3/4 cup of crumbled gorgonzola cheese
- 1/2 cup of sliced grueyere cheese
- 1/4 cup of chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, whatever you’d like!)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Dashes of salt and pepper
- Cooking spray
How to Make It:
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly greese a pizza sheet with cooking spray.
- In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onions and cook until soft, brown and carmelized. In the same saucepan, cook bacon until crispy, set aside.
- Spread onions over the crust, being sure to cover the entire crust.
- Spread 1/2 gorgonzola cheese mixture over the onions. Carefully slicing the pears (I cut myself doing this yesterday), slice into thin pieces. Place the pears over the pie in a circular fashion. Place sliced greyere slices over the pears. Cover with rest of the gorgonzola, crumbled bacon bits, nuts and salt and pepper.
- Toss a little bit more olive oil over the pie and bake for 8-12 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and crust is browned.
- Serve and enjoy!
I can guarantee you will LOVE this, what I can’t guarantee is that you won’t eat the entire thing in one sitting. I had to cut myself off at 2 slices and, basically, tie myself to the chair with a straight jacket so I didn’t attack the rest of it, mouth first. I may, or may not, have self control problems.
Nutritional information per slice: 198 calories, 8 grams of fat, 31 grams of carbohydrates and 10 grams of protein.
Five Thangs Friday: LONG WEEKEND!
WAHOO! It’s Friday! I swear it feels like I was just blabbing on to you guys about Wednesday and here we are 2 days later. Don’t get me wrong, I love that it’s Friday, I just wish time would slow down just a leeeetle bit, don’t you?
Onward to the 5 things currently happening in my world.
1. I HAVE A GIVEAWAY GOING ON, where you can win this fabulous apron (or a knife set), PLUS another goodie just because I love y’all.
I know, shameless plug, but it’s a really good giveaway (who doesn’t love Anthro?). Plus, it’s a chance for you all who haven’t seen the berries and cream commercial to GO WATCH IT. Actually, do it RIGHT NOW. I won’t be mad that you are leaving to watch it. It’s insanely hilarious. I basically pee myself whenever I watch it.
2. I have to conquer my extreme fear of flying AGAIN this weekend because I’m headed to New Mexico for a wedding tomorrow! The gorgeous bride, Mary, was at my wedding and has been such an integral person in my life! She’s a truly remarkable friend and I can NOT wait to see her get married in just a few short days!
Plus, as you can see, she totally just gets me. She is absolutely gorgeous so I know she will make the world’s prettiest bride. I’ve also never been to New Mexico (or really out west at all) so I’m excited to see what Alberquerque is all about!
3. I have discovered a way to cook tofu that makes it so indescribably good, you’ll want to marry it. I’m not kidding. You will want to take this tofu to the little white chapel in vegas and marry it. Without giving too much away (I’m going to be sharing the recipe next week!) it was marinated, rolled in spicy panko and baked to utmost perfect. Each bite is chewy, spicy, crunchy and savory. I brought the few extras we had left over for lunch todayand basically drank them [hence no photo]. Seriously, it’s unreal. The key to a perfect tofu is making sure you let it marinade long enough to absorb flavor AND bake it so it’s not jello. I mean, noone likes a thick, meaty like jello.
4. I am so happy it’s “fall.” Now calendar sticklers, I know it’s not fall YET, but in my mind, it’s here and it’s not going anywhere (that is, until the snow comes). I love every single thing about this season. I love the crisp in the air, the crunchy fallen leaves, the pumpkin patches, hot apple ciders (with rum), riding boots, chunky sweaters and amazing scarves. I just LOVE IT ALL. I have a full agenda already lined up for this fall and a lot of them are fun things we’ve done in years past!
Here are some of my favorite things to do in fall in VA/DC.
Hike the Shenandoah. Especially when the leaves are colored! It’s gorgeous.
Go to the Virginia wine festival! We went last year and it was great, albeit crowded. However, it was a great way to sample the great wines of VA.
Go to a fun pumpkin patch/fall harvest day and pose awkwardly with statues.
And pick pumpkins to carve (which I make E do all the grunt work, obv.]
Go to Six Flags for their Annual FrightFest! We went last year (with our now roomies!) and it was SO fun. Some of the costumes were absolutely terrifying. (Like a giant clown? No thank you!)
Dress up like a complete freak for Halloween. And, yes, that is my husband dressed as Gumby. I was June Clevage last year and I’m very happy to report that I still have that little pie. It makes a great accessory in my kitchen.
Plus, I plan on making (and eating) my body weight in these pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. SO FREAKIN’ GOOD.
5. It’s outfit time!
I love this outfit. The shirt is my absolute NEW favorite. It’s not only super comfortable, it’s super flattering. Plus, it has pockets! Pair this billowy shirt with a statement necklace and some skinny jeans and you have an easy, trendy and really comfortable outfit!
Top: Modcloth, $35
Jeans: Victoria’s Secret Low Rise Siren, $55
Shoes: Target, $12.99
Necklace: Gift from BFF
Have a great weekend, everyone!!
A Magnificently Fabulous Perfect Kitchen Giveaway
Note: This content is open to all US citizens and Canadian citizens. Unfortunately I can not ship internationally at this time.
With a title like that, how the heck can you turn away? I’ve been teasing you about this giveaway for about a week (and luring you to like me, how devious am I?) and now that I’ve well surpassed 500 likes on Facebook, I BRING YOU the best giveaway in all the land!
BERRIES? BERRIES AND WHAT ELSE? (via]
No little lad who loves berries and cream, I’m not giving away berries. I have something better. I have some awesomely trendy retro kitchen accessories to knock your socks off. Now, coming up with the goodies for this giveaway was easy. All I did was go to Anthropologie(to add more things I can’t afford to my ever enlarging virtual shopping bag) and click on the little ” house & home” section. I was immediately faced with the most amazingly retro, unique and fabulous home accessories ever. Since I just live and breathe blogging and was in a euphoric state thanks to my new likers, I immediately thought “these would be great for a giveaway!” So there you are folks, my life story in how I chose the items. Since I know your just DYING to know.
Well, the real reason you are here is because you want to win stuff. I don’t blame you. So I’ll show you what you can win and tell you how you can win them!
If you are the lucky person chosen, you will win YOUR choice of…
This “tea and crumpets” teal apron
OR (for my male viewers or ladies who don’t want an apron)
the Laguiole multi colored cheese knives set!
Plus, because I seriously love y’all and want to thank you, AGAIN, for following, reading, commenting and liking, you’ll also recieve…
Old fashioned milk jug measuring cups!
So how will the lucky reader be chosen? Easy. I’m going to host a guantlet, MTV style, and the person who survives wins the stuff. Duh.
[photo via MTV]
I kid, I kid. I’m pretty sure I could get sued for that. Instead, I’m going to have you help me gather some cool new recipe ideas. It’s a win-win! Here’s the official, fancy real rules:
1. LEAVE A COMMENT (mandatory) with a dish you’d like to see me lighten up. Or just a cool recipe idea you want me to make and test on my husband. PLEASE LEAVE EITHER A LINK TO YOUR WEBPAGE OR YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS SO I CAN CONTACT YOU IF YOU WIN! (P.S. No husbands are harmed in the production of my recipes.)
2. Share this giveaway on Facebook! Just make sure you LINK TO MY PAGE (The Realistic Nutritionist). If you don’t already like me, you will have to in order to tag me!
3. Tweet this! “I just entered to win fabulous retro goodies from @anthropologie on @realnutritioncg ‘s blog giveaway! http://bit.ly/o1VpN2 Enter to win!”
4. Follow me on Twitter @realnutritioncg!
See, it’s easy as pie. Giveaway ends September 16th at midnight.
Disclaimer: Anthropologie did not sponsor this giveaway. It’s coming from my own wallet!
Eat Skinny Be Skinny: Eggplant and Squash Lasagna
It’s Wednesday, Wednesday, gotta get down with Wednesday…(clearly sung to the tune of the smash hit, Friday, by that annoying 12 year old). And you know what, friends? I can totally get down with Wednesday. Just 2 days away from the glorious long weekend. Speaking of long weekends, what do y’all have planned for the last true weekend of summer? I’m heading to New Mexico (cue flight mental breakdown now) for a wedding! Although I’m pumped for the wedding, I’m completely terrified of the flight. Hopefully my friend “the xanax” will save the day.
Typically, my Wednesday posts are filled with WIAW goodies, but I sort of forgot to photograph what I ate for each meal this week. I guess I was too busy eating? Even if I did, it’d be hard to complete with the amazing eggplant vegetarian lasagna I made (pre-hurricane panic) last Friday.
Lasagna is such a great dish, for me, because it’s so hearty, homey, comforting and classic. It’s one of those dishes that insantly warms my soul. As a kid, my mom would make the best lasagna. It would be covered in cheese and incredible homemade meat sauce and sausage. Now, as I try to watch my figure and eat less things that moo, I wanted the same feeling I got when I used to eat my moms, just with more vegetables and a little less cheese. Although it’s quite different than the orginal, each bite was still equally as tasty. The chewy texture of the eggplant was similar to that of a hearty meat, like sausage, just without all the fat, calories and cholestrol! Every layer of this delectable lasagna was bursting with flavor, from the gooey mozzarella on top, to the chewy, fresh eggplant and squash to the zesty basil ricotta and homemade marinara sauce.
Another reason I love lasagna? (Funny story, I used to pronounce it la-zag-na). It makes FABULOUS leftovers! Plus, this version has less calories and fat (thanks to the subsitute of all veggies) so you can have your tiramisu too!
Recipe is adapted from Cooking Light.
Eggplant and Squash Veggie Lasagna
Prep time: about 20 minutes
Cook time: 45-55
Yeilds: 8 1/2 cup servings
What You’ll Need:
- 1 eggplant, cut into slices
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 cup of homemade marinara*
- 1/2 teaspoon of chopped fresh oregano (dry works too)
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (plus additional for garnish)
- 1 cup (8 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
- Cooking spray
- 1 (8-ounce) package precooked lasagna noodles
- 1 medium yellow squash, cut into slices
- 2 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
- Salt and pepper
*NOTE: You can skip making your own and use any store bought marinara instead.
How to Make It:
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer. Sprinkle evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and let stand for about 15 minutes.
- Combine basil, oregano, ricotta, and black pepper into a bowl.
- Arrange 4 noodles over the bottom of a greasted baking dish (9 x 13). Top with 1/2 cup of the marinara, half of eggplant, 1/3 cup of mushrooms, half of zucchini. Spread ricotta mixture over vegetables; cover with 4 noodles. Spread about one cup of marinara over noodles; layer with remaining eggplant, mushroom and zucchini slices.
- Arrange remaining 4 noodles over vegetables, and spread remaining tomato mixture over noodles. Top evenly with mozzarella.
- Cover with foil coated with cooking spray and bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes or until cheese is nice, bubbly and delicious looking. (very scientific).
I really can’t rave enough about this lasagna. The flavors are incredible and it’s truly not that hard to assemble, all you need is a bit of time and elbow grease. It’s also a great way to use up the remainder of your summer produce while still tricking your husband/kids into eating them. Trust me, y’all, I’m all about decieving my husband into eating things he “hates.” How else do you think he’d eat his veggies?
Nutritional information per serving: 264 calories, 9 grams of fat, 26 grams of carbohydrates and 20 grams of protein.
