RECIPE: Chicken Stew

I like this when I'm looking for some comfort food. It's hot and comforting and filling.

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Chicken Stew

2 tsp. canola oil
1 onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped or sliced
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups chicken broth
16 oz. potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup frozen green peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen green beans
1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and carrots. Add the chicken and cook until chicken is browned.

Add the potatoes and broth, and simmer until the potatoes are soft (I cover the pan for this part). Add the peas, corn, and green beans, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.

Combine the cornstarch with a couple of tablespoons of water, and add it to the pot. Stir until thickened.

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RECIPE: Noah's Spaghetti Pie

I call this "Noah's" Spaghetti Pie because when my eldest son, Noah, started kindergarten, we let him choose what to have for dinner on his first day of school--and he chose Spaghetti Pie. Now, whenever I make this, I think of him!

Noah's Spaghetti Pie

6 oz. Smart Taste pasta
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. fennel
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 cup mozzarella
8 oz. lean ground turkey (or ground beef)
1 cup part-skim ricotta
15 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 onion, chopped

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions (I like to break it in half first).  Combine the egg and parmesan in a small bowl and stir well. Add the egg mixture to the cooked spaghetti and stir well to coat the pasta. Spray a pie plate with cooking spray, and form a "pie crust" with the spaghetti mixture. Cook the ground turkey, onion, garlic, and green pepper until the turkey is browned. Add the tomato sauce, oregano, and fennel. Spread the ricotta on spaghetti "crust", and top with the meat sauce. Top the whole thing with mozzarella. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

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RECIPE: Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

My aunt gave me this recipe, and it called for Italian sausage. I made it more figure friendly by making my own Italian sausage with lean ground turkey. Of course, you can find the turkey Italian sausage at the grocery store and use it instead, but it's super easy to make this one.

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Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

For the sausage (alternatively, you could buy a package of raw sausage and use that instead, but this is very easy to make):

1 lb. lean ground turkey
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 Tbsp. fennel seed, ground
3/4 Tbsp. sweet paprika
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

For the soup:

1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can white beans
1 can tomatoes
4 cups beef broth
1 tsp. dried basil
2 cups tortellini
parmesan cheese (optional, for topping)

Combine all ingredients for Italian sausage. Brown sausage with onion and garlic in a soup pot. Add the tomatoes, broth, and basil and bring to a boil. Add the beans and tortellini, and cook until tortellini is cooked through.

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Tempo Run

Good grief! I just got back from doing a tempo run, which I have not done since, oh, 2010 sometime? What a workout! I started with 1 mile of easy running as a warm-up, and then I ran two miles at tempo pace, and then I ran easy to complete 35 minutes. Here are my splits:

I did my second mile in 8:47 and my third in 8:36. Not too bad--a little slower than my 5k pace, but a little faster than I was aiming for. I was aiming for 8:59/mi. I was exhausted after mile 3, but I wanted to do the full 35 minutes that was on the schedule, so I did an easy pace around the block. I truly felt like I earned those calories burned today!

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So Jerry and I started off our ninth year of marriage on the wrong foot yesterday--it was pretty funny, so I thought I'd share. I planned on making black bean enchiladas for dinner, and when I went grocery shopping last week, I deliberately bought a packet of enchilada seasoning mix. I specifically remembered buying it, because it's not something I normally buy.

Last night, when I was getting dinner ready, I went to get the packet, and couldn't find it anywhere. I got pissed at Jerry, because he usually tries to "help" putting away groceries, and I hate that--I can never find anything when he puts it away. So I was very snarky when I said, "So, Jerry, if you were putting away enchilada seasoning mix, where in the hell would you put it?" He started helping me look. The beans were already on the stove, waiting for the mix. We tore apart the pantry looking for the stupid packet. I was really mad at him for losing it, because I know where I would have put it and it wasn't there.

Finally, I decided to just use some of my homemade fajita seasoning mix instead. I threw it into the beans and started cooking it. Just as I did that, Jerry said, "What's this?" and sure enough, it was the packet of seasoning mix... right next to the rest of the ingredients I had taken out. I had no recollection of getting the packet out (from where I had put it away!), but apparently I took it out and set it with the other ingredients on the counter. Yeah, Jerry wasn't too happy ;)

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So about the Garmin... it sounds like some of you are interested in trying it out, so let's do it! If you'd like to get in on it, send me an E-MAIL at SlimKatie(at)runsforcookies(dot)com... obviously replace the 'at' and 'dot'. I write it that way so that I don't get tons of spam. Just put "Garmin" as the subject, and then in the e-mail, I'll need your name and home address. I obviously won't be posting your info on my blog or anything! I will have to give it to one person (via e-mail) so that they can send you the Garmin when they are done with it. Like I said, this will be on the honor system, so please don't take advantage of that! ;)

Julie suggested that each person give us a report when they are done--maybe a guest post?--with your thoughts on the Garmin. Ease of use, maybe how it helped you, if you think you may buy one, etc. So here is how it will work:  I'll package and send the Garmin to someone on the list. Once you get it, try it out for about two weeks. Then you package it back up and I will e-mail you the name and address of the next person on the list. You ship it to that person. And so on, and eventually it will make it's way back to me. I will send the instruction manual and other parts that come with it, so just make sure you put everything back in the box for the next person when you're done. The only thing I ask is that you take a picture of my beloved Garmin somewhere outside (on your wrist or not--it's up to you)--because I think it would be awesome to see my Garmin traveling the country! ;)

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And finally... I have a new project that I'm working on (I need to stay busy to avoid bingeing, especially when Jerry is working nights). I started a blog of JUST recipes, in case you are interested. I know some of you enjoy recipes, and some of you may not, so this way it'll be your choice whether to check them out. (I don't follow many blogs that post recipes or pictures of food--because it's a binge trigger for me. So I'd hate to trigger any binges on this blog!)

I won't put the recipes here on this blog anymore. I had no idea how to make a subdomain for runsforcookies.com, so I just made a free blogspot blog. You can find it here:  www.runsforcookiesrecipes.blogspot.com. I'm still working on getting it organized and all that, but I posted a trillion thousands 55 recipes last night. Whew! My hope is to eventually get ALL of my recipes there, with photos, AND nutrition facts--but it's going to take a while.

And FYI: You may not want to "follow" the recipes blog just yet... unless you want to be bombarded with recipes for the next few days! I'm typing like a madwoman to get the recipes in there, and then later I'll go back and add the nutrition info and photos. After a few days, I won't post so often over there.

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What's the silliest fight you've ever had with your partner? I remember ours like it was yesterday, but it happened when I was pregnant with Noah. I wasn't feeling very well, and Jerry decided to make dinner for us so that I wouldn't have to. He prepared a chicken and noodle casserole thing, with a whole bag of shredded cheese. I asked him what kind of cheese it was, and he said "Monterey Jack". I flipped out on him because the Jack cheese was supposed to be for the french onion soup I had made, and now there wasn't any left for my soup. I yelled, and cried, and threw a tantrum, basically, and all he was trying to do was make my life easier by making dinner.  Yeah, those pregnancy hormones can be a bitch ;)

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RECIPE: Two Ingredient Guacamole Recipe

This recipe is my go-to when I want to make something very quickly when visiting with a friend or when I'm just looking for something to much on (usually with margaritas, haha!). This is SO simple and SO easy--and it tastes SO good! Before I started losing weight, I actually used to make this and eat the entire batch along with an entire bag of chips. I know that's terrible, but it shows just how good it tastes. Now that I've learned portion control, I am able to eat just a small amount.

Serve with tortilla chips, of course! I like the Garden Fresh brand.

Guacamole

1 ripe avocado
1 cup Garden Fresh salsa (found in refrigerator section)

Mash the avocado until smooth, and fold in the salsa. It doesn't look very pretty, but it tastes fantastic. Serve with tortilla chips right away, because the avocado will start to brown.

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RECIPE: Protein Shakes and Smoothies Recipes (Part 3)

See Part 1 here.
See Part 2 here.

Just some more protein shake recipes :) These are my favorites as of lately. During the summer, I will even have these for lunch when I want something quick and cold.

The in-a-nutshell rundown:

Protein Powder: I've discovered that I have a sensitivity to whey protein powder, which is what I was using before. Lately, I've been using egg white protein powder, which is just as good. I use the Healthy 'n Fit 100% Egg Protein in vanilla ice cream flavor (when making chocolate shakes, I just add 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder). Use whatever kind you like. The only kind I've found to taste badly in these shakes is brown rice protein powder.

Gums: You'll also notice that I use xanthan gum and guar gum in my shakes. These are completely optional. I use them because it thickens the shake and makes it creamier; but not at all necessary. Just don't overdo the gums, because it'll be waaay too thick.

Milk: I've been using 1% milk lately, but I used to use unsweetened vanilla almond milk. You can use whatever kind of milk you like.

Yummy "extras": Finally, these shakes aren't super "healthy"--I use pudding mixes and syrups in them, which have sugar. But the pudding mixes make the shake taste so much better, and when you're having shakes every day, it's a great way to keep from getting bored. The extras seriously make a protein shake taste like a dessert.

Nutrition Facts: I'm not going to break down every one of these recipes (you can do that at Sparkpeople.com if you want) but I'll list a general idea of the calories in each ingredient for you to figure out yourself:

protein powder- 110 calories
sugar free syrup/extracts- 0 calories
regular flavored syrup (1 Tbsp)- 40 calories
1 cup almond milk- 40 calories
1 cup 1% milk- 100
1 Tbsp. pudding mix- 50 calories
1 Tbsp. nuts- 70 calories
1 Tbsp. chocolate chips- 70 calories
guar gum/xanthan gum-0

Here are the recipes for a few favorites... Just throw all the ingredients in the blender and let it rip. Each of these makes about 20-24 oz. (a large shake!)

German Chocolate Cake Protein Shake

1 cup milk
1 serving chocolate protein powder (or vanilla powder + 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder)
1 Tbsp. instant chocolate pudding mix
1 Tbsp. Torani coconut syrup
1/2 Tbsp. Torani caramel syrup
1 Tbsp. sweetened shredded coconut
1 Tbsp. pecans
1/4 tsp. guar gum (optional, for texture)
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum (optional, for texture)
10 ice cubes

Almond Joy Protein Shake

1 cup milk
1 serving chocolate protein powder (or vanilla powder + 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder)
1 Tbsp. chocolate pudding mix
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 Tbsp. sweetened shredded coconut
1/4 tsp. guar gum (optional)
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum (optional)
10 ice cubes

Turtle Cheesecake Protein Shake

1 cup milk
1 serving chocolate protein powder (or vanilla powder + 1 Tbsp. cocoa powder)
1 Tbsp. Oreo pudding mix
1 Tbsp. Torani caramel syrup
1/2 Tbsp. chocolate pudding mix
1/2 Tbsp. cheesecake pudding mix
1 Tbsp. pecans
1/4 tsp. guar gum (optional)
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum (optional)
10 ice cubes

Piña Colada Protein Shake

1 cup milk
1 serving vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup frozen pineapple
1 Tbsp. Torani coconut syrup
1 Tbsp. coconut
1/4 tsp. guar gum (optional)
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum (optional)
10 ice cubes

Mudslide Protein Shake

1 cup milk
1 serving vanilla protein powder
1 tsp. instant coffee powder
1 Tbsp. chocolate pudding mix
1 Tbsp. Torani Kahlua syrup
1/4 tsp. guar gum (optional)
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum (optional)
10 ice cubes

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RECIPE: Protein Shakes and Smoothies Recipes (Part 2)

(Continued from Part 1)

Before having surgery, my doctor wants me to get a LOT of protein while I'm healing. So I'm going to be having lots of protein shakes again!

Some notes on the ingredients I use:

Protein Powder: I've discovered that I have a sensitivity to whey protein powder, which is what I was using before, and I think it is the most preferable when judging by taste. Lately, I've been using egg white protein powder, which is just as good. Use whatever kind you like. The only kind I've found to taste badly in these shakes is brown rice protein powder.

Gums: You'll also notice that I use xanthan gum and guar gum in my shakes. These are completely optional. I use them because it thickens the shake and makes it creamier; but not at all necessary. Just don't overdo the gums, because it'll be waaay too thick.

Milk: I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but you could use whatever kind of milk you like.

Yummy "extras": Finally, these shakes aren't super "healthy"--I use a lot of pudding mixes in them, which have sugar. But the pudding mixes make the shake taste so much better, and when you're having shakes every day, it's a great way to keep from getting bored.

Nutrition Facts: I'm not going to break down every one of these (you can do that at Sparkpeople.com if you want) but I'll list a general idea of the calories in each ingredient for you to figure out yourself:

protein powder- 110 calories
sugar free syrup/extracts- 0 calories
regular flavored syrups (1 Tbsp)- 40 calories
1 cup almond milk- 40 calories
1 Tbsp. pudding mix- 50 calories
1 Tbsp. nuts- 70 calories
1 Tbsp. chocolate chips- 70 calories
guar gum/xanthan gum-0

Here are the recipes for a few favorites... Just throw all the ingredients in the blender and let it rip. Each of these makes about 20-24 oz.

Cinnamon Roll Protein Shake

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 serving vanilla protein powder
1 Tbsp. Oreo pudding mix
1 Tbsp. butterscotch pudding mix
1 Tbsp. Torani sugar-free caramel syrup
1 Tbsp. pecans
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. each guar gum and xanthan gum (optional)
1 cup ice cubes (I use 10 cubes)

Cinnamon Roll Protein Shake

Triple Chocolate Protein Shake

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 serving chocolate protein powder
1 Tbsp. Oreo pudding mix
1 Tbsp. chocolate fudge pudding mix
1 Tbsp. chocolate chips
1/4 tsp. each guar gum and xanthan gum (optional)
1 cup ice cubes (I use 10 cubes)

Triple Chocolate Protein Shake

Cake Batter Protein Shake (this really does taste like cake batter!)

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 serving vanilla protein powder
1 Tbsp. Torani sugar-free french vanilla syrup
1 Tbsp. cheesecake pudding mix
1 Tbsp. white chocolate pudding mix
1/4 tsp. each guar gum and xanthan gum (optional)
1 cup ice cubes (I use 10 cubes)


Butterfinger Protein Shake

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 serving chocolate protein powder
1 Tbsp. Oreo pudding mix
1 heaping Tbsp. PB2
1 Tbsp. butterscotch pudding mix
2 tsp. chocolate chips
1/4 tsp. each guar gum and xanthan gum (optional)
1 cup ice cubes (I use 10 cubes)

Butterfinger Protein Shake

Butter Pecan Protein Shake

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 serving vanilla protein powder
1 Tbsp. cheesecake pudding mix
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. butter flavored extract
2 Tbsp. pecans
1/4 tsp. each guar gum and xanthan gum (optional)
1 cup ice cubes (I use 10 cubes)

(To be continued in part three...)

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RECIPE: Protein Shakes and Smoothies Recipes (Part 1)

I NEVER would have thought that I would have jumped on the protein shake bandwagon, but breaking my jaw opened a huge new world of breakfast and even lunch possibilities. I've come to love these shakes so much that I just don't want to give them up!  I buy the EAS 100% whey protein powder from Sam's Club (It's $27 for 76 servings).  They have chocolate and vanilla, and I bought both.  I also use almond milk in my recipes--it's only 40 calories per cup, and it makes the shake taste so much better than with just water. I buy the Almond Breeze unsweetened vanilla almond milk.  And tons of frozen fruit (unsweetened)--cherries, blueberries, mixed fruit. I also freeze my bananas when they are ripe. I peel them, cut them into four chunks each and put them in a ziploc bag in the freezer.

If you really don't want to buy protein powder, you could probably substitute with Carnation Instant Breakfast.

Also, if you find yourself liking these as much as I do, you may want to invest in a good blender. I just spent $80 on a good blender that was WELL WORTH IT.

Some of you have asked for my recipes, so here are a few favorites:

Blueberry Muffin Shake  (My FAVORITE! Tastes just like a blueberry muffin)

1 cup almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1/2 cup frozen blueberries
1 Tbsp. pistachio pudding mix (I use regular, not the sugar free kind)
6 ice cubes

Combine all in a blender and blend until smooth. Makes one huge serving--about 20 oz or so.  260 calories.

Chocolate Cherry Almond Shake

1 cup almond milk
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1 cup frozen sweet cherries (NOT sweetened cherries--just plain old cherries, the sweet variety)
1/4-1/2 tsp. almond extract
4 ice cubes

Blend until smooth. This ends up being about 24 oz. 260 calories.


Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Shake

1 cup almond milk
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1/2 frozen banana
2 Tbsp. PB2
6 ice cubes

Blend until smooth. 257 calories.  (Sometimes I add 1/4 cup of oats to this instead of the banana--it tastes kind of like a no-bake cookie)


Pineapple Upside Down Shake

1 cup almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
3/4 cup frozen pineapple
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. imitation butter extract
1 tsp. cheesecake pudding mix

Blend until smooth. 253 calories.


Jamocha Banana Shake

1/2 cup almond milk
1/2 cup strong coffee (I make this and refrigerate it)
1 scoop chocolate protein powder
1/2 frozen banana
6 ice cubes

Blend until smooth.  193 calories.


Tropical Fruit Shake

1 cup almond milk
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup frozen mixed fruit (peaches, mangoes, pineapple, strawberries)
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 tsp. coconut extract
ice if you want, but it really doesn't need ice. You may need to add a little water to this shake, because it gets really thick.

Blend until smooth.  281 calories.

(To be continued in part two...)

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RECIPE: Bacon Broccoli Breakfast Pizza

This is a very hearty breakfast pizza. I imagine it would be good with different meats and veggies. Ham and spinach would be good! Ham and broccoli. Bacon and Brussel sprouts. Endless combinations!

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Breakfast Pizza

1/2 recipe of whole wheat pizza crust (see that recipe here)
1 pkg frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and squeezed dry
3/4 cup of cheddar cheese
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp. chopped green bell pepper
6 strips of cooked bacon, crumbled (I used the Hormel Black Label bacon that is 70 cals for 4 slices)
onion powder, salt, and black pepper to taste (I used about 1/4 tsp of each)

Spray a pie plate with cooking spray and sprinkle a little flour around the bottom. Spread the dough out along the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pie plate (adding flour if necessary to keep it from sticking). Spread the broccoli out on the crust, and top that with 1/2 cup of the cheese. Sprinkle the bacon and peppers on top of that. In a small bowl, beat the eggs, milk, onion powder, salt, and black pepper. Pour the egg mixture over the whole thing, and then top with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes, until eggs are just set (it took 35 minutes for me). Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting.

Makes 4-6 servings.

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RECIPE: Chicken (or Mushroom) Paprikash

My all-time FAVORITE comfort food is my mom's chicken paprikash.  She makes the chicken by dredging it in flour and frying it, then makes these awesome dumplings (similar to gnocchi) and a paprika-sour cream gravy to go over everything. I always used to pick that for my birthday dinners!  Anyways, here is my "lighter" version of my favorite comfort meal.  It tastes better than it looks, I promise :)

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Chicken or Mushroom Paprikash

I've actually made this with whole button mushrooms before instead of the chicken, and it was DELICIOUS. Cook it the same way, only substitute mushrooms for the chicken breasts. You can use plain water or vegetable broth for the chicken broth, if you'd like.


Chicken Paprikash

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (whole or cut in chunks)
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
4 tsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. paprika (Yes, Tablespoons--not a typo)
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup sour cream
8 oz. (dry) egg noodles

Start a pot of water to boil for the noodles, and cook according to package directions.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil. Add onions, and cook until the onions are soft and starting to caramelize. 

Add the chicken and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the paprika, chicken broth, salt & pepper. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat to low, and add the sour cream. Keep over low heat until the sour cream is heated through (don't boil it because it will curdle). Serve over hot cooked egg noodles. Serves 4.

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