Clean Eating Italian Baked Ziti

Pasta is a great food for feeding a crowd, or in my case, feeding to college aged guys for more than one meal. Personally I don't make pasta all that often because it tends to pack the calories for a small portion size. I'm one of those people that would rather eat four or five small servings, low calorie foods than one serving of a high calorie food. But that's just me. All that being said, when I do eat pasta, I like it with sauce! We could get into the whole deal of my roommate that would happily just eat plain noodles, but ain't nobody got time for that!

Unfortunately, sauces also tend to pack in the calories due largely to fats(cream sauces), sugars and sodium. That's what makes this "clean eating" recipe awesome! You get to sweeten and flavor the sauce yourself so you control just how much of those culinary villains go in your dish in the first place! Don't be scared by the label "clean eating" and think that the recipe will be to challenging or require obscure ingredients. This recipe was quite the opposite on both accounts! I hope you enjoy it!

 What you'll need:

• 1 box whole wheat penne pasta
• 1 pound lean, ground turkey 
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp each garlic and onion powder
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 15 oz canned tomato sauce
• 1 cup parmesan cheese - I grated mine myself!

What you'll do:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. While pasta is cooking, cook the turkey in the olive oil.

3. Combine the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

4. Add the cooked pasta & meat to the sauce and mix well.

5. Transfer mixture to a baking dish and top with cheese.

6. Bake at 350F until the cheese is melted, about 15-20 minutes. 

Pre-oven shot!

Post-oven shot!

Lauren

The best crust ever! Oh, and some pretty good cheesecake too.

So, Matt's birthday was the 3rd. 

Yep, I've been trying to find time to post this blog for over a week now. 

I'm too gosh darn busy.

 Anywho...along with the awesome t-shirts I got him, which he LOVED,

 I also offered to make him any dessert he wanted.

Any dessert. 

Yep, out of all the desserts in the world he could have picked from,

he chose a plain, New York Style Cheesecake.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE CHEESECAKE.

But, he said he wanted it plain. 

That is just no fun. 

So, determined to do something unique to it, I turned to the crust.

 If you ask me, the crust has the power to ruin a dessert.

Consider pie for example, to me a good piece of pie has a warm, flaky crust underneath it.

 And have you ever had ice cream with pie crust pieces in it? DE-LIC-IOUS.

 So why can't a graham cracker crust be held to such standards?

 Naturally I went to Pinterest and searched "best crust ever".

 This recipe was the first one I followed and I'm pretty pleased that I did.

I actually doubled the recipe because I prefer my cheesecake

to have crust going up the sides as well as underneath it. 

What you'll need: 

• 1.5 cups crushed graham crackers
• 1/4 cup milk powder
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 stick of butter, melted
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

What you'll do:

1. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. 
2. Whisk butter and cream together until smooth. 
3. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until everything is evenly incorporated. 
4. Bake at 325 for ~13 minutes. Allow to cool while making the cheesecake you desire.

Baked and cooling.

My cheesecake got rave reviews by both Matt and his parents.

Although that could have been because it had 2.5 pounds of cream cheese in it...

You can visit here to get the recipe I followed. 

Although I believe New York Style is a standard recipe so if you Google'd it you would most likely be fine.

Tubing on his birthday!

Lauren

Chicken Bacon Ranch Garbage Bread

So, the internet here really hates us. Seriously. I have tried to blog about this meal every night since I made it but no...that is apparently not allowed. 

Moving on, I seriously outdid myself this time. The original inspiration for this meal was not that appealing to me. Reason #1, I don't like buffalo chicken. It's just too hot for me. Reason #2, "Garbage Bread" is just not an appealing name. Upon looking at the ingredients needed I quickly realized that I could turn this into Chicken Bacon Ranch Garbage Bread and that my friends is just what I did.

Let me tell you, it was delicious. A bit heavy on the cheese but no so much that it was bad. I'll definitely be making this again, and again, and again.

What you'll need:

• 2 boneless chicken breasts - I didn't pay attention and used 4 and that was way too much...
• 1 tsp-1tbsp olive oil
• 1 pizza dough - I used store bought and let it sit out while I prepared everything else
• 8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese - I used fat free & next time I'm using 4 oz
• 3 oz shredded cheddar - next time I'm using 4 oz
• 2/3 cup ranch dressing - I used yogurt based
• 3 strips bacon

What you'll do:

1. Pre-heat the oven to the temperature specified on your pizza dough. Roll the dough out onto a baking sheet to allow it to come to room temperature.
2. While heating the oil in a skillet, dice the chicken breast to bite-size pieces. Cook chicken completely and then allow to cool. 
3. Fry your bacon and then set it aside to cool. Once cooled, break it into small pieces.
4. Using a spatula, spread the ranch dressing onto the pizza dough leaving a one inch border. 
5. Add the chicken and bacon and then top with the cheeses. 
6. Begin to roll up the dough into a log. Be sure to tuck the ends initially to prevent any leakage. 



Lots of extra chicken...

7. Bake according to the directions on your pizza dough. I followed the instructions for "softer crust" but feel free to go with your preference. 

Mmm....gooey! 

This was really good, and my eyes were way to big for my stomach! I couldn't even finish the small section I cut for myself, or my veggies! I am definitely going to be making this again! Hopefully by the next time I can come up with a better name. Suggestions?







Lauren

Brats & Beer Cheddar Chowder

This was one of those recipes I knew I was going to try, regardless of how bad it was for me. Let's face it, there is really nothing healthy about this. Although it does lend itself to some healthier swaps, I did not go that route. I will definitely be making this again but I think it needs to be saved for a cold winter day! It was definitely nice to come home and end a long day with a big bowl of cheesy, delicious comfort food! 

After step 2.

What you'll need: 

• 2 Tbsp butter or margarine - I used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, shredded
• 3 large shallots, chopped - I omitted these
• 1 14 oz can vegetable broth
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk, half-and-half or light cream
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 10 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 12 oz smoke bratwurst or Polish sausage - I went with Eckridge turkey sausage links



After cheese addition.

• 1 12 oz can or bottle of beer or ale - I went with Blue Moon

What you do:

1. In a large pot or saucepan heat the butter on medium. Add onion, carrot and shallots and then reduce the heat to medium low. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is very soft and golden.
2. In a sealable container, combine broth and flour. Shake and combine until smooth. Stir into onion mix. Add milk and pepper. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens, about five minutes. 
3. Gradually stir in the cheese then reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring frequently until cheese melts, but do not allow to boil. Stir in sausage and beer and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through.

Served with salad and a Pilsbury Artisan Whole Wheat Dinner Roll 

Enjoy!

Lauren

Kona Kase Monthly Subscription Service

This is one blog that is long overdue. 

A little ways back I discovered a terrible and yet wonderful way to spend money that I shouldn't be spending: Monthly Subscription Services. If you're familiar with the concept, you know exactly what I mean. For those of you who aren't, let me enlighten you.

Pick a category, any category, like snacks, crafts, makeup, you name it really. Now imagine getting a themed package once a month filled with goodies pertaining to your category. Even though you pay for it, in most cases the contents are a surprise. Sounds awesome right? Trust me, it is!

Since I've discovered these services I've been a member to quite a few. Some I tried out but decided they just weren't for me, like KLUTCHclub, Conscious Box and Birchbox. Others I liked but I decided to end my subscription in order to not spend so much, like Blissmobox. I'm not going to tell you how many I currently subscribe to, because I don't want to think about the money I justify spending on them. But I will tell you about my absolute favorite: Kona Kase. 

Kona Kase is an active lifestyle themed service. This means that each month I get a box of snacks picked for their abilities to power me through workouts, help me make sure I'm meeting my dietary needs and provide tasty treats that won't ruin my day diet wise. I look forward to and love getting my Kona Kase each month! Receiving it seriously has the power to turn my day around. So why am I just now taking the time to blog about it? Well, it's because the August Kase blew me away and I knew that I had to share it with you ASAP! 

For starters, the August Kase contained three products I already know I love: a Larabar, Almond Butter from Justin's and a Quest Bar. Not to mention that the quest bar is their newest flavor, which I haven't tried yet! 

This Kase also contains a Rise Bar which I have wanted to try but I haven't found a retailer that sells the bars individually. 

I have to say though, the thing I'm the most excited for is the BioTRUST Protein Cookie. I really really hope that it actually tastes like a cookie because sweets are where I struggle the most with my diet and if there is a way for me to still incorporate them, I'll buy it by the truckload. 

If you're interested in trying a Kona Kase let me know! I can get you a customized referral link for a discount on your first kase! 

Until next time,

Lauren

Turkey & Egg Breakfast "Muffins"

Let's talk breakfast, shall we?

I love breakfast, it's the reason I get up in the morning.

Okay, I get up because I have to go to work, but breakfast makes the morning way more bearable.

Unfortunately, I have a 35 minute commute that already requires me to wake up at 4:30am.

This means my breakfast needs to be portable because there is no way I'm getting up any earlier than that.

On top of portable, my breakfast has to be healthy! Breakfast starts your day and your metabolism so it's important to get a good mixture of the essentials. You know, protein, carbs, fiber, the good stuff. 

This brings us to the main attraction: Turkey & Egg Breakfast "Muffins"! 

These little babies have it all! 

They're quick and easy to make, compact and very portable and let's not forget the most important factor, they're delicious! 

What you'll need:

• Sliced turkey of choice (honey roasted, mesquite, etc)
• Eggs or Egg Whites
• Salsa, Cheese or whatever "flavorings" your heart desires.

 What you do:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease a muffin tin.
2. Push two slices of turkey down into a muffin tin, mocking a liner.
3. Fill with egg/egg whites. Be sure to leave a little room for add-ins.
4. Mix in add ins.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until egg is cooked through.

Bam! Done. Just like that you've got a weeks worth of breakfast that store very well in the refrigerator. Now all you have to do is roll out of bed, pop one in the microwave for 30 seconds and go! 

Happy baking!

Lauren 

Bacon & Asparagus Penne with Alfredo

I feel like I need to start out by saying that it's not entirely my fault that I haven't had any blog posts recently! For some god unknown reason, Comcast hates us and our internet service has been pretty terrible recently. Hopefully the cooperation I'm getting from it right now lasts long enough for me to get a blog out!

In the meantime, I've made some pretty delicious meals recently. I love having roommates because it gives me the opportunity to 1) cook way more often and 2) get feed back on what was good and what was not so good. I got really excited for another variation on stuffed peppers, Chicken & Cornbread Stuffed Peppers. but was pretty disappointed with how they came out. Taste wise, they were pretty good but my end product looked nothing like the picture. If I experiment a little more and get better results you can be sure I'll blog about 'em.

Let's get on to the main attraction shall we? Now, pasta is something I eat sparingly. Well, not just pasta, pretty much carbs in general. I honestly cheat and have dessert more often than I have carbs. But pasta is cheap and filling, not to mention the boys like it. So I'm branching out a little and making more pasta recipes, like this deliciousness. Let's be honest, you really can't go wrong with any of the ingredients. Asparagus? Bacon? Alfredo? All super tasty and the asparagus is even good for you! This recipe really has it going too because on top of all the tasty ingredients, it was incredibly easy to prepare!

What you'll need:

• 8 slices of bacon, chopped
• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound pasta - I used penne
• 2 cups Alfredo sauce
• salt and pepper

What you do:

1. Cook the pasta according to it's directions. Before draining reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pan and set it aside.
2. Over medium heat, cook the bacon. When finished, leave 2 Tbsp of the grease in the pan and add the asparagus. Cook until tender, about 7 minutes, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
3. Add asparagus to the pasta and then stir in the bacon and Alfredo sauce. If you feel the sauce is too thick, add a bit of the saved pasta water to thin it out. Season with salt and pepper to your liking.

This is definitely a recipe I plan to make again, although next time I think I'm going to half the amount of both pasta and asparagus and add in some chicken breast!   

I promise to come back and add pictures as soon as the internet starts cooperating a little better!



Thanks for reading!
Lauren