Oven "Fried" Pickles

I love pickles!  They are probably one of my favorite things ever, and a few years ago I learned of a very, very unhealthy way to make pickles even more amazing...you deep fry them.  Something about the salty, crispy, hot outside and the garlic, vinegar, pickle inside just makes my day!  Unfortunately like all things fried, they're not very good for the waistline.  So I decided that if you can bake other things to make them seem fried, why not do pickles?  They turned out really good if I do say so myself.

Ingredients:

1 jar of thick sliced pickle chips
2 eggs
2 Tbl flour
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper (I like the heat with the other flavors)
Breadcrumbs
Non-stick cooking spray


Set up a baking sheet with a cooling rack on it.  Spray the cooling rack with the non-stick spray.  Turn the oven on to broil  Mix the eggs, flour, garlic powder, and cayenne in one bowl.  I started with one Tbl of floor, but my mix was runny so I kept adding more until there was 2 Tbl in it.  Do the same with yours since eggs can vary in consistency.  Keep the breadcrumbs in a separate bowl.  Dredge the pickles through the wet mixture and then coat them with the breadcrumbs.  Lay each chip on the cooling rack in a single layer.  Repeat until your rack is full.  Place the pan under the broiler for 2-3 minutes until the chips brown on the top.  Take them out of the oven and flip each chip over.  Put them back under the broiler for an additional 2-3 minutes.  Once they are brown, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool for a minute or two.  Then take them off the cooling rack and sprinkle a little salt on them.  They're now ready to eat!

I dipped mine in some fat-free thousand island dressing.  It was great, and they really satisfied my craving for something salty and fried.  I hope they can do the same for you!

Note:  You can use any seasoning you want in the batter.  Whatever suits your current craving!

Spicy Coconut Shrimp Curry

So a big ice storm hit Western Washington this week so I've had a lot of time to sit around the house and...COOK!  At least that's what I did while the power was on.  I wanted something to warm me from the inside out, so I went for hot and spicy.  The coconut milk gives it a creamy taste too, so its not all heat.  It is the perfect meal for a cold winter day.

Ingredients:
2 C Chicken Broth (fat-free, low sodium)
1 lb Peeled, Cleaned Shrimp
1/2 lb Frozen Cauliflower
1/2 lb Frozen Broccoli
2 Stalks Celery (finely sliced)
2 Carrots (finely sliced)
1 Bunch Scallions (diced)
1 Tbl Curry Powder
1/4 Tsp Nutmeg
Cayenne Pepper to taste
3/4 C Lite Coconut Milk
1 Tbl Flour
2 C Cooked Rice
Fresh Cilantro for garnish if you so desire

Put all of the ingredients except the coconut milk, flour, cilantro and rice in a large crock pot.  Turn on high and let cook for 4 hours.  Once that is done, mix the coconut milk and flour together in a separate bowl.  Once that is mixed pour it in with the curry mix.  Allow to sit, uncovered, in the crock pot, on high for at least 30 minutes or until it reaches your desired thickness.  Pour over 1/3-1/2 cup of rice and garnish with fresh cilantro (optional).

Garnish with fresh cilantro for even more deliciousness!

So there you have it!  An incredibly satisfying meal, made while you're off doing something else.  Enjoy and stay warm!

French Onion Soup

One of my favorite soups of all time is French Onion.  The combination of the butter, wine, onion and cheese all soaking into a crisp baguette.  However, like all things delicious and French it isn't naturally low in calories.  So I accepted that challenge and brought this recipe for Blogger Night with Melissa!  I eliminated the butter and lightened up the cheese.  I also used chicken broth instead of beef broth to stick with the Swank Diet that Melissa observes (read more about that on her blog).  You still get the flavor from the onions, only without all the extra calories.

French Onion Soup

3 Large Onions thinly sliced
1 Tbl Olive Oil
9 Cups Fat-Free, Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1 1/2 Cup White Wine (I used a Sauvignon Blanc)
1 Bundle Fresh Thyme
4 Bay Leaves
1 Tsp Salt
1 Baguette sliced thick
10 Slices Reduced Fat Provolone (I hate Swiss, it is yucky, but feel free to use it if you so desire)

Heat a frying pan on the stove to medium heat.  Add the olive oil and the onions.  Allow the onions to cook until they are soft and slightly browned.  Once they are fully cooked transfer them into your large stock pot.  Add the chicken broth, wine, thyme, bay and salt.  Set the pot to medium and cover.  Allow to cook through for 2-3 hours.

Just before you go to serve, turn on the broiler.  Toast the baguette slices until they are slightly crisp and brown.  Add a slice of cheese to 10 of them.  Allow the cheese to melt and pull these bread out of the oven.  Serve up a bowl of the soup and add a slice of cheesy bread to each.  Enjoy!

Also be sure to pop on over to They Call Me Hypo and check out Melissa's Quinoa Chili and Spicy Sweet Potato Soup.  You will not regret it!

Tip:  You can use the extra bread slices to soak up the Tomato Basil Soup!

Tomato Basil Soup

Some things just say winter to me.  Soup is one of them.  That's why this month's Blogger Night with Melissa was all about the soups, and we made some AMAZING dishes to cool up to on a cold winter night.  First I'm going to share with you my recipe for a light Tomato Basil and then I'll give you the recipe for my light version of French Onion soup.  Hop over to Melissa's blog where she shares a Bean-less Quinoa Chili (for those of you weirdos that don't like beans) and my favorite of the night Spicy Sweet Potato soup.  Seriously, I can't wait to make it again!

But first, try this amazingly simple and delicious family friendly recipe.  It is one of the easiest soups you can make, and it goes wonderfully with a toasted piece of baguette.

Ingredients
1 Tbl Olive Oil
6 cloves Garlic (or you know, a TON), chopped
1 28oz can Petite Diced Tomatoes, undrained
2 cups Low Sodium, Fat Free Chicken Broth
1 bunch Basil, finely chopped


Start by heating your pan, when its hot, add your oil and then your garlic.  Wait for the amazing garlic smell to hit your nostrils.  Add the tomatoes, chicken broth and basil.  Using an immersion blender (I bought one and I am already in love with it, but if you don't have one just use an upright blender) blend the mixture until smooth.  Serve with toasted bread, garlic bread, grilled cheese sandwich, or just eat it plain.  Either way it is sure to be a healthy, easy recipe that you can enjoy all winter long.

2012: Awaken

There has been something going around on the interwebs about finding one word that you want to describe 2012.  I really had to think about this.  Finding one word to sum up a goal, or a feeling that you have for an entire year.  So I started by looking back at last year, and what I was most disappointed in myself for not doing.

I'm disappointed that I spent so much time cooped up in my apartment.  I still spend too much time sitting alone watching TV.  Lacking the basis motivation to leave the house.  I am disappointed that I allowed myself to gain so much weight and that I can't seem to make myself strong enough to say no to the comfort that food has given me.  There are days when I feel the fat pushing up against my lungs and trapping the active person I know is inside me in a huge cushion of self-loathing.  I am disappointed that I let opportunities pass by my window while I was too emotionally tired to deal with the outside world in even the basest fashion.

So this year I want to awaken.  I want to take in the world.  I want to move. Dance. Laugh.  Cry.  I want to FEEL what is going on within me and outside of me.  I don't want to hide myself away from the world.  I no longer want to give myself excuse after excuse not to live every single day.  I want to work on this from the inside out.  Learn about myself.  Accept and love who I am and not allow anyone to make me feel differently. Stop using my weight as an excuse not to get out in the world and let people in.

So this year I will pull myself off the couch.  I will make myself feel the sun on my skin and stop hiding away.  Someday I will die, and I don't want to lay on my deathbed and cry over all the things I could have done.  I will awaken and see the world through new eyes and experiences, well rested from 2011 the year of hibernation.