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Don't these remind you of the Little Debbies Oatmeal Creme Pies? I used to eat those almost everyday with my lunch at school. Ahh memories...

I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman's website, under the "Tasty Kitchen" section.  This recipe is certainly tasty.  The recipe was listed as easy, and personally I didn't find it too easy.  I bake a lot and can usually do it with my eyes closed and very quickly, and these cookies felt like they took forever! I am not that skilled with the piping bag, which may have been a factor, and my own cream cheese frosting recipe didn't go as planned, so that added to the time as well.  

Being on the Swank diet, I can't eat full fat, or even 1/3 fat cream cheese, so I had to make the frosting with fat free cream cheese.  The result tasted very good, but came out more as a glaze than as a frosting per say.   I think I will make these cookies again, they do taste amazing, I will just go into it knowing that I need some time. :) 

Ingredients for the Cookies: 
  • 3 cups of all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon 
  • 1 tsp baking soda 
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil 
  • 1 15 OZ can of pumpkin
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Ingredients for Fat Free Cream Cheese Frosting: 
  • 1 8 oz tub of Fat Free Philadelphia Cream Cheese (Plus more if needed to thicken the frosting a bit)
  • 2 and 1/2 cups of sifted powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt (I like Oikos)
Directions: 


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  


Beat together brown sugar, sugar, oil and pumpkin.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, followed by the vanilla.  In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.  Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. 


Using a pastry bag with a round tip, or a big zip loc bag with one corner snipped, squeeze out concentric circles of batter, starting from the middle and working outward until the circles are about 2 inches in diameter. Bake for 11 minutes and cool on a rack. 


Beat together the cream cheese, sifted powdered sugar, and vanilla.  Add the yogurt to help thicken the frosting a big.  Add more cream cheese as well if necessary.  The frosting is not thick, it is more of a glaze. 
 
Frost flat side of half the pies and top with another piece.  Enjoy right away or chill over night.  
 
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*Warning! This picture does not do the gyro justice.  I obviously liked the yogurt sauce a bit too much and smothered my gyro with it.  I also overpacked my gyro so much that I couldn't even fold it in half. Woops!*

Okay, just a little over two months ago my husband and I were eating authentic chicken gyros in Greece almost everyday for 10 days.  Needless to say, I was wary of how good these were going to be in comparison to the mouthwatering Greek gyros.  Well, they were absolutely amazing!!  They are so close to the original that we were shocked and ate up every bite within a couple of minutes (we didn't even talk!).  I actually liked that this recipe is healthier than the authentic ones but you don't miss the fattening ingredients (full fat yogurt, chicken cooked with skin, dark meat, etc.). The original recipe suggests not to use nonfat  yogurt, but I promise the consistency and taste was just as good with the brand of yogurt we used. 

Try this recipe, you will not be disappointed! 

Thanks to two of my favorite bloggers, Annie Eats and Elly Says Opa for sharing the recipe! (links to their blogs above)

Ingredients for Tzatziki Sauce: 
  • 16 oz plain nonfat GreeK yogurt (I used Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt and it is the thicket nonfat yogurt I have ever eaten.  This will be the only yogurt I buy from now on!)
  • 1 regular cucumber, peeled and seeded 
  • 3-4 gloves of garlic (remember that I love garlic)
  • 1 tsp of white wine vinegar
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Squeeze of fresh lemon juice (I used the juice of half a lemon)
Ingredients for Chicken: 
  • 4 cloves of garlic, chopped/smashed
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tsp of red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 
  • 2 heaping tsbp of plain nonfat yogurt (Oikos!)
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano 
  • Salt and pepper 
  • 1 1/4 lbs of boneless skinless chicken (or 3-4 pounds if you wanted to eat as much of it as we did!)
To Assemble: 
  • Pita bread (get something thick, more like flat bread, and preferable organic of course)
  • Fresh tomatoes, seeded and deiced
  • Red onion, sliced thin
  • Baked french fries seasoned with salt and pepper 
Directions: 

To make the tzatziki sauce, strain the yogurt using cheesecloth over a bowl.  Let strain for several hours or overnight (I did it for about 24 hours), to remove as much moisture as possible. 

Shred the cucumber (I used a cheese grater). Wrap in a towel and squeeze to remove as much water as possible.  Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumber, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and lemon juice.  Drizzle lightly with olive oil.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.   

To prepare the chicken, combine the garlic, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, yogurt, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste in a ziploc bag.  Swoosh the bag around a bit to make sure that everything is mixed well.  Add the chicken pieces to the bag and massage the marinade all over the so that each piece is well coated.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

Cook the chicken as desired, either in the skillet or in a broiler.  I cooked the chicken on the griddle to get some grill marks and then finished cooking it in the oven.  Once the chicken is complete, let it rest for a few minutes, and then cut it into strips. 

Heat the pitas in the toaster or oven, with a little olive oil on top if desired.  Serve immediately and get ready for your mouth to water!! 

Enjoy :)
 
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I believe this was the second recipe I ever learned how to cook, about 10 years ago when I was in high school.  The recipe has completely changed since then and now it's one of my quick and easy go-to meals that uses only a few ingredients that are standard in our household.  This is a an easy recipe to make your own by adding or changing ingredients.  I basically eyeball everything while I make it, so make sure to taste it as you go along and adjust the seasoning to your liking! 

Oh and I know it kind of looks like some green slop, but it's a very tasty green slop! 

Ingredients: 
  • 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breast 
  • Spaghetti or your favorite pasta (I love rigatoni with this dish but my husband hates it!)
  • 1 bag fresh spinach
  • 1/2 yellow onion, halved or quartered (small or medium onion depending on how much you like onion)
  • 4-6 garlic gloves, smashed with skin removed (can you tell we love garlic?)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for cooking chicken
  • 1 TSP lemon zest, or more if needed 
  • Juice of about half a small lemon 
  • Salt and pepper to taste 
Directions: 

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Make sure to salt the pasta and set aside. 

While the pasta is cooking, cut the chicken into cube or bite-size pieces.  Heat a large skillet with 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil and cook the chicken on medium-heat, stirring occasionally. 

While the chicken is cooking, put the onion chunks, whole garlic cloves, lemon zest, and entire bag of spinach into a food processor.  Pulse until everything is f minced and a pesto consistency.  Then, while the food processor is still on, add 1/4 cup of the olive oil to the pesto.  Turn off the food processor, remove the lid and add some salt and pepper and taste.  

After the chicken has cooked, turn the heat down to a simmer and add the pesto to the skillet.  Also add the juice of about half a lemon, or more according to taste.  Stir well to combine the chicken with the pesto.  Simmer the pesto on low heat for about 5-10 minutes so that the garlic and onion cook a little.  Taste the pesto and see if it needs more salt, pepper, or lemon juice.  

Once the desired flavor has been created, add the pasta to the skillet and stir well to combine. 

Enjoy! 
 
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W-O-W. This was absolutely decadent and delicious! I saw this recipe on Martha Stewart's website and I knew that I could make a diet-friendly version.  Martha's recipe calls for whole milk and butter, both of which were cut out of my version (and not missed one bit!). Honestly, before I took the first bite, I was wary of how it would taste, but it reminded me of the Boston Market creamed spinach, but only better!! I quote my husband, "This is one of the best meals you have made yet." This is definitely going into the regular rotation. Enjoy :) 


Oh and I believe the KEY to this being so delicious is the fat free half and half.  I have been using this lately as a substitute for whole milk and it has worked wonders! 


*Swankers, unfortunately I found out that we cannot eat Land O Lakes Fat Free Half and Half because it contains mono-diglycerides, which is basically another form of hydrogenated oil.  I will attempt this recipe again with 1% milk or skim milk to see if I can come out with the same results!* 

Ingredients: 
  • 1 pound/1 bag of fresh spinach 
  • 1 tbsp of vegetable oil (I used Mazola)
  • 1 large shallot or 2 small ones, minced
  • 1 tbsp of all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup of Land O Lakes Fat Free Half and Half
  • Kosher salt
  • Pepper
Directions: 

Place the spinach in a large saucepan over medium heat (the spinach will fill up the entire pot) and season with kosher salt.  Cover and cook, tossing occasionally, until wilted, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Transfer the wilted spinach to a colander, and rinse thoroughly under cold water until completely cooled.  Then, put the spinach in a thin towel and squeeze as much liquid out of the spinach as possible.  Set aside. 

In a medium saucepan (I used the same one that I cooked the spinach in), heat the vegetable oil over medium-low heat, add the shallot, and season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring until soft but not browned for 3 to 5 minutes. 

Then, add the flour, and continue stirring for one minute (do not let it brown).  After that, add the 3/4 cup of fat free half and half.  Simmer gently over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, for 1-2 minutes (or a little longer if necessary).  

Remove from heat, stir in the spinach and season with more salt and pepper to taste if necessary. ENJOY!
 
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I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman's blog and wanted to try it immediately! It's absolutely delicious and lives up to the Pioneer Woman's reputation.  This is the first recipe I have tried of hers, and I will definitely be trying more! 

Ingredients: 
  • 20 small to medium new potatoes
  • 5 to 7 whole heads of garlic
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
Directions: 

Quarter new potatoes and set on a large rimmed baking sheet. Lop off the very top of each garlic head and arrange throughout the potatoes. Drizzle olive oil over the tops of the garlic and all over potatoes; do the same with the wine. Generously salt and pepper potatoes and garlic. Toss potatoes to coat. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking for 20 to 30 minutes until nice and golden.

*Tip - I used tongs to squeeze the garlic out of the bulbs and it worked great.


 
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My husband actually came up with this recipe when he lived alone and was searching for something easy to make.  He loved Newmans Balsamic Vinaigrette, so he decided to try it as a marinade for chicken. The outcome was amazing!  I was even impressed when he made it for the first time.  We use Newman's Light Balsamic Vinaigrette because the flavoring in the regular dressing is a bit too strong as a marinade. Try this, it's easy and delicious!

Ingredients: 
  • Chicken breasts
  • Newman's Light Balsamic Vinaigrette 
  • Re-sealable plastic bag
  • Grill or griddle
Directions: 

Put chicken breasts into the re-sealable plastic bag (large ziploc bag) and pour some of the dressing into the bag, until all of the chicken is completely covered (about 3/4 of the bottle).  Massage the marinade into the chicken while in the bag, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to a couple of hours. Massage the marinade on the chicken occasionally. 

Heat up the grill and grill the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Serve with your favorite side dishes. 

Enjoy! 
 
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Giada has yet to fail me, and this is one of our absolute favorite Giada recipes. The sauce on this chicken is amazing, and I have made it slightly different ways and its always yummy.  Oh and even though this is a strongly flavored chicken, it's always a crowd pleaser!

I actually had the fun time of using my griddle for the very first time for this recipe!  Usually we grill on an outdoor grill, but since we are living in a condo, the indoor griddle had to do.  That thing is great!  We didn't get awesome grill marks, but they were definitely there and the chicken was moist. The best part was, the griddle was so easy to clean!  I highly recommend purchasing one of these if you don't have one already.  We also use the smooth side for pancakes every Saturday :). 

Ingredients: 
  • 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp plus 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
  • 1 large clove garlic
  • 1 tsp grated lemon zest
Directions: Whisk 1/3 cup of oil, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, fennel seeds, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a heavy-duty re-sealable plastic bag. Add the chicken and seal the bag. Massage the marinade into the chicken. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day, turning the chicken occasionally. (30 minutes is plenty of time if you are in a rush!)

Meanwhile, blend the basil, garlic, lemon zest, remaining 1/4 cup lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a blender until smooth. Gradually blend in the remaining 1/3 cup oil. Season the basil sauce, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Brush the griddle with olive oil and heat it on high.  Grill the chicken until just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to plates. Drizzle the basil sauce over and serve.

We served our chicken with a baked potato and some salad.  The potato was topped with some plain low fat yogurt, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  The salad was just some chopped up red onions, cucumbers, and tomatoes topped with some low fat balsamic vinegar dressing. Enjoy!

 
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The bananas went rotten in the house (it's hard to buy fruit when only two people are eating it!) so I decided to make some banana bread.  I had a momentary freak out because I cannot find my bread loaf pan, but then I decided I would just make banana nut muffins instead.  They came out absolutely amazing!  This is actually a recipe from the Swank MS Diet book, I just altered it slightly.  Yum! 

Ingredients: 
  • 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 and 1/2 ripened bananas (black!), about 1 cup when mashed
  • 1/2 cup nonfat/low fat plain yogurt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (tasteless oil!)
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts plus extra for topping (optional)
  • Cinnamon for sprinkling 
  • Brown sugar for sprinkling
  • Pam for Baking
Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 

Break peeled bananas in chunks and place in standing mixer.  Blend on low for a few seconds, then on high until bananas are completely mashed and smooth. Add yogurt, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.  Gradually add the oil and mix some more.  

Once the mixture is smooth, gradually add the flour mixture to the banana mixture and mix everything together by hand.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and continue mixing until everything is incorporated and smooth.  

Spray a cupcake pan with Pam for Baking and fill each cup halfway with the batter.  Sprinkle some brown sugar, cinnamon, and nuts on the top of each cupcake.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the edges of the cupcakes are slightly browned.  Enjoy this delicious treat! 
 
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WOW! This Giada recipe was absolutely delicious.  I stumbled upon it on The Food Network's website last week and bought all the ingredients to make it ASAP! While making it I became a little concerned that the end result may be a little to "lemony" tasting, but the flavoring was absolutely perfect.  This is definitely going into the regular rotation! 

Lemon Oil Ingredients: 
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 
  • 1 lemon, zested 
Pasta Ingredients: 
  • 1 pound linguini pasta
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced (I used three instead of the 2 in the original recipe)
  • 16 ounces of frozen shrimp
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 ounces of arugula (about 3 packed cups)
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Directions:

For the lemon oil: 

Combine the olive oil and the lemon zest in a small bowl and reserve. 

For the pasta: 

*Tip - Prep all the ingredients before you begin cooking.  Dice the shallots, mince the garlic, zest the lemons, chop the parsley, etc. This will make the cooking process much less stressful when  you get started! 

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.  Make sure to salt the water! 

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the shallots and garlic and cook for about two minutes or until soft and fragrant.  Add the frozen shrimp and cook until pink, which should be about five minutes.  Stir the shrimp a little bit so that it thaws out quicker and breaks apart.  I found that putting the lid on the skillet sped up the cooking process of the shrimp.  

Once the shrimp is cooked, add the cooked linguini, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Toss well to combine.  Turn off the head and add the arugula.  Toss more so that the arugula is evenly distributed throughout the pasta.  

Using a mesh sieve, strain the lemon zest out of the reserved lemon olive oil and add the oil to the pasta.  Discard the zest.  Add the chopped parsley to the pasta and toss more to combine.  Serve immediately. 

Try this recipe, it's perfect! 
 
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I love cookies!! I learned to bake cookies from my sister and we would bake cookies every year for Christmas for one or two days.  I absolutely loved it! When I started my diet, I couldn't eat a single one of my favorite cookie recipes anymore.  I have since found many delicious cookie recipes that are diet friendly, and peanut butter cookies are one of them.  This recipe is easy and delicious and I love the yummy peanut butter taste.  My favorite way to eat them is warm out of the oven with a glass of milk.  Enjoy! :)


Ingredients: 
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for dipping
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil (I like Mazola)
  • 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup organic creamy peanut butter (I like Publix)
  • 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp of skim milk
  • Pam cooking spray

Directions 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat the egg.  Add the sugars gradually, then the oil, vanilla extract, and peanut butter.  Scrape the bowl and beat well.  In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  I usually use a sieve to combine these ingredients.  Slowly add the dry ingredients into the peanut butter mixture.  Add three tablespoons of milk and mix well until blended.  

Using a cookie scoop or spoon, form the dough into balls that are about one inch in diameter.  Roll each ball in a bowl with granulated sugar and place on a cookie sheet greased with Pam.  Make the cookies about apart.  Press each cookie down with a fork to make the "peanut butter cookie" indentations. 

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until slightly browned on the edges.  Let them cool on a cooling rack and then store in an airtight container.