High-Protein Cheesecake (super easy to make!)

I got this recipe from an exciting new book I'm reading called, "The New Rules of Lifting for Women." I wasn't a huge fan of this recipe, but Justin absolutely loved it. We might try adding chocolate chips, or using chocolate protein powder, or maybe adding some reduced fat cream cheese next time!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese

2 medium eggs

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 cup vanilla whey-protein powder

1/4 cup granulated splenda or stevia

Grated rind and juice of 1 fresh lemon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put all ingredients in a blender and process until very smooth. Spray 9-inch pie pan with cooking spray. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Place pan on top rack of oven and place a flat pan of water on the bottom rack. Bake 30 to 40 minutes. Chill well before serving.

Nutrition Facts:

190 calories; 20 grams protein; 7 grams carbs (1 gram fiber); 9 grams fat (5 grams saturated)

Chili-Lime Fish Fry with Tex-Mex Peperonata

Another recipe from Rachael Ray's cookbook! This was one of my first experiences cooking fish, and this was delicious!

Serves 4

Peperonata Ingredients:

2 tablespoons EVOO

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

2 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup beer or chicken stock (we used miller lite)

A handful of fresh cilantro leaves

To prepare the peperonata, heat the EVOO in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, jalapeno and bell peppers, and salt and pepper. Saute until the peppers are crisp-tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cook for 2 minutes, then add the beer or stock and stir for a minute or two more. Top with the cilantro and set aside.

Chili-lime Fish Fry Ingredients:

4 tilapia fillets

Salt and pepper

1 cup all-purpose whole wheat flour

2 eggs

1 cup bread crumbs

2 limes

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/4 cup vegetable, canola or safflower oil

Season the fish with salt and pepper. Arrange three shallow dishes; place the flour in one, beat the eggs in the second, and scatter the bread crumbs in the third. Season the bread crumbs with 1 tablespoon grated lime zest, the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and thyme. Coat the fish in the flour, eggs and seasoned bread crumbs.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. If the pan is not large enough to fry 4 fillets, heat the oven to 275 degrees and place a cooling rack on a rimmed baking sheet. As you fry the fish, transfer it to the rack in the hot oven to keep warm. Cook the fish for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until deeply golden and crispy. Season with a little extra salt and top the fish with lots of lime juice and then the peperonata.

Super Scampi

This is a delicious dish that I got from a Rachael Ray cookbook that Justin gave me for Christmas. This is easy, healthy and quick...and the flavors are fabulous!

We had enough for two meals...enjoy!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons EVOO

6 anchovies (we didn't use these)

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 cup dry white wine

2 stems of fresh oregano leaves, stripped and finely chopped

A generous handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces (we used smart balance sticks)

1 quart chicken stock

1 pound whole wheat linguine

2.5 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 cup fresh basil leaves, about 20, torn

Salt and pepper

Crusty bread, torn into pieces (delicious for soaking up the excess sauce at the end of the meal)

Directions:

Heat the EVOO over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the anchovies, garlic, and pepper flakes to the pan and cook until the anchovies melt into the oil, a couple of minutes. Add the wine, oregano, and parsley to the pan and reduce the wine for 1 minute, then melt the butter into the sauce. Add the stock and 2 cups water to the pan and bring to a boil. Stir the pasta and shrimp into the pan and reduce the heat. Simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the pasta is al dente and the shrimp are firm. Stir in the lemon zest and juice and the basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve directly from the hot pan with fresh crusty bread.

Villanova Game Day Feast

Villanova is the "best" basketball team ever, despite them being over-ranked every season.

Tonight, Justin and I made a feast in preparation for their big game against Pitt. I will cheer for Villanova or Justin will punch me in the face.

We made turkey burgers, sweet potato fries and iceberg wedges with homemade dressing. For dessert, we will be having pumpkin chocolate chip squares.

Justin's "The Man" Famous Turkey Burgers:

Mix ground turkey, eggs, bread crumbs, panko, onion, ketchup, parmesan cheese, sauteed spinach and feta cheese together in a big bowl. Cook on grill. Per Justin, measuring ingredients is not allowed with these turkey burgers.

Iceberg Wedge with Homemade Dressing:

Dressing:

1 tsp Dijon

2 TBSP sugar

1/2 cup water

2 tsp fresh chopped garlic

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1 TBSP salt

2 cups vegetable oil (we used smart balance oil)

Ground Pepper

Blend all ingredients together in blender except oil and slowly drizzle in oil after mixing other ingredients.

Cut head of iceberg into four sections, dice tomatoes and cucumbers, add dressing and serve!

*This recipe came from Mrs. Sorkin as a take-off of the dressing served at Maggiano's.

Sweet Potato Fries:

Slice sweet potatoes, toss in olive oil, dust with old bay, and cook in oven at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Squares:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (we used smart balance sticks of butter)

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 package (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line bottom and sides of 9x13 inch baking pan with foil, leaving overhang on all sides. In a medium bowl, whisk together flower, pie spice, baking soda and salt--set aside.

With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth; beat in egg and vanilla until combined. Beat in pumpkin puree. Reduce speed to low, and mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and a toothpick in center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in pan.

Life cake from pan (using foil as an aid). Peel off foil and use a serrated knife to cut into 24 squares.

You may substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon ginger, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/8 teaspoon of allspice and cloves for pumpkin pie spice.

*This amazing recipe of compliments of one of my best girlfriends, Leah.

Enjoy!

Healthy Peanut Butter Cookies

I stole this recipe from wholegraingourmet.com and it's amazing, especially if you love peanut butter! I think I have made one batch every week for the past five weeks! I have yet to locate carob chips, so I have not tried the recipe yet with those--looking forward to it, though.

I now make one large packet of no sugar added/fat free chocolate pudding, and then crumble these cookies on top...it's heaven.

Ingredients:

Dry Stuff:

1/2 - 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup oats

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

optional: 1 tsp cinnamon (I use about 2 tsp)

Moist Stuff:

1 1/4 cup smooth, natural peanut butter

1/2 cup liquid honey

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

optional: 1/3 - 1/2 cup chocolate or carob chips

Preparation:

1. Combine dry ingredients

2. Combine moist ingredients

3. Mix dry and moist ingredients together

4. Cool in the fridge for about 20 minutes

5. Drop teaspoons of batter onto lightly coated cookie sheet

6. Flatten with a fork (I've only made one batch where this was actually even possible for me to do!)

7. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-12 minutes (I've never cooked them more than ten minutes, and I usually stick to eight minutes)

Welcome!

So, I'm a little behind the times with the whole "blogging" thing. I should have done it when I spent a semester abroad in Paris...I should have done it as i journeyed through (and still am) business school...but I'm just getting around to it now. My Mom will be so proud that I am starting a blog about cooking...until a year ago, I was quite useless in the kitchen. Justin, my boyfriend, has encouraged me to start a blog for a while to share our cooking adventures with friends and family in the hopes that we would get some great recipes in return. So, the point of this blog is to share new and exciting recipes that we find and try...most will be pretty healthy...and pretty easy because we like simplicity in our cooking. I hope you enjoy the recipes and photos...and perhaps get inspired to try some on your own! Occasionally, we'll post pictures and comments about restaurants we have been to as well, similar to what Justin's sister-in-law, Erica Sorkin, does on her blog (check it out at itzyskitchen.com.) Enjoy! (I have added a picture of Justin and me:)