Foodie Penpal-- Package from the Barefoot Baker

It's my second Foodie Penpal reveal, and this month, I was excited to get a box of goodies from Emma at the Barefoot Baker!  Emma just came back from a six-week internship in Spain and shared lots of goodies from her European adventures.

Her letter details each piece of the package and why she included it.  I received loose tea with rooibos, chocolate, and orange flavors- yum!!  Mini-nutella (she said that Italians were obsessed with it) could be my favorite part-- we have a jumbo size nutella in our pantry :)  There was also instant espresso from Italy, and her favorite granola bars, teas, and other great healthy snack food.

I can't wait to try all these new things.  Thanks Emma for the great package!!!!

My package went to Sarah, so check out her blog for more details!  Want to be a foodie penpal??  Click on the picture above for more information!

Buffalo Chicken Tenders

It's back to school time in Virginia!!!  I don't have kids in school, but I start a graduate class next Monday.  My favorite meal growing up (okay, still one of my favorite) are chicken fingers.  Being from Buffalo and loving chicken fingers, I saw this recipe from Alida's Kitchen and had to make it.  Some close runners up include chicken fingers with ranch breading and another one with crushed up cheez-its.  This was a winner for last night's dinner :)

Baked Buffalo Chicken Tenders

Ingredients
2 tbs whole wheat flour
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
1 pound chicken tenders/ chicken tenderloins
1/2 cup hot sauce
1 tbs butter, melted

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Use three bowls.  In one, combine flour, garlic powder, paprika, minced onion, and salt.  In another, mix the egg whites.  In the last, add the breadcrumbs.

Working with one tender at a time, dredge chicken in flour mixture, then dip in egg whites, followed by  bread crumbs, making sure chicken is coated, and then place on prepared baking sheet.  Repeat.

Bake for 20 minutes or until chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Meanwhile, whisk hot sauce and butter.  Once chicken is done, remove from oven and drizzle with hot sauce mixture, making sure to flip to get both sides.

Serves four.

Fried Green Tomatoes

More tomatoes!!!  This time, they are green.  One of my favorite movies is Fried Green Tomatoes, but can you believe that I have never eaten a fried tomato.  Seriously.

The CSA basket came with gobs of green and red tomatoes, so I decided to try my hand at green tomatoes.  I didn't have all the ingredients at home, but since the recipe I used was already adapted from a Paula Deen recipe by her sons, I figured I could adapt it a bit too.

I thought they were tasty, but of course, I had nothing to compare it to.  Oh, and see the last picture in the post- now I know why you should only fry green tomatoes and not red ones :)

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients
1/2 cup low-fat whipping cream (original recipe called for buttermilk)
1 egg white
10 drops hot sauce (about 1/2 tsp)
1 cup cornmeal
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbs vegetable oil
3 large green tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1 1/2 pounds)

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a large cookie sheet with nonstick spray.  Combine whipping cream, egg white, and hot sauce in a medium bowl. Mix cornmeal and salt in another bowl, like a pasta bowl. Dip the tomato slices into the liquid mixture, then into the cornmeal, gently turning to coat.

Heat 1 1/2 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the tomato slices in a single layer and cook until browned on one side, about 4 minutes.

Transfer the slices, browned-side up, to the cookie sheet.

Lightly spray the tomatoes with nonstick spray. Bake until the tomatoes are golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes. Serve hot.

Whoops- here's a picture with the red tomatoes.

Italian Beef and Green Bean Casserole

I received a dutch oven from two of my cousins at my bridal shower (#3) and never unpacked it (along with tons of other gifts that were in the corner of my dining room).  I finally did and had to use it immediately!  In my fridge, I found ground beef, eggplant, and green beans....I did a google search, found a recipe that mostly had the ingredients, and away I went.  I present Italian Beef and Green Bean Casserole.  It's adapted from Jan's Sushi Bar, and it was very tasty.  Hope you enjoy it!

Italian Beef and Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef, preferably grass-fed
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 large onion, diced
3 minced garlic cloves
2 cans (15 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
2 tsp dried basil (or 1 tsp fresh)
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
1 eggplant, peeled and cubed
1 green pepper, sliced
1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half
Parmesan cheese


Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Heat dutch oven (or skillet that can go in the oven), and cook ground beef until it is almost cooked, breaking it up while cooking.

Season with the salt and pepper and add onion and green pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened.

Add the garlic to the pan, and stir and cook for another minute until the ground beef is completely cooked through.

Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

Add the eggplant and green beans.  Cover and place in the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender and the green beans are tender-crisp. Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Maple French Toast and Bacon Cupcakes

Is it breakfast or dessert?  I think it could be both :)  My friend made this for a cookout last weekend, and I loved them so much, I had to share them on the blog.  I mean, what's better than bacon in a cupcake and mixed through the frosting?  Nothing.  Seriously, nothing.

Oh, and if you haven't noticed, I've stopped counting points for a while (see recipe below...haha).  We ate and drank whatever we wanted on our honeymoon, and I came back eight pounds heavier.  I know I need to get my embarrassed butt back to the Weight Watchers meeting and back to bootcamp, but I haven't done it yet :(  Maybe next week-- okay, seriously, I need more motivation.

But back to bacon!!!  Here's the amazing recipe from the Food Network.

Maple French Toast and Bacon Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes
1 cup flour
1 cup cake flour
1 box instant vanilla pudding mix
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbs potato starch (a little harder to find, check specially grocery stores)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp  nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup  light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup half-and-half, at room temperature
1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon (about 5 strips)

Glaze
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp cinnamon
3 strips bacon, cooked and chopped

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line12-cup muffin tin.

In a separate bowl, combine the flours, pudding mix, baking powder, potato starch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

In another  bowl, cream the butter and sugars with a mixer on low speed until combined, 6 to 8 minutes. Gradually mix in the vanilla and egg whites. Scrape down the sides of the bowl; continue mixing until light and fluffy. Add the flour mixture in small batches, alternating with the maple syrup and half-and-half, mixing after each addition and ending with flour. Mix until the ingredients are just combined. Fold in the bacon. The batter will be thick.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 of the way. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool completely.

While cupcakes are cooking, beat the cream cheese and butter with a mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup and cinnamon; beat until combined. Spread on the cooled cupcakes; top with chopped bacon.

Roasted Tomatoes

The Sunday before our wedding, Austin went into the kitchen and came out hours later.  Here's what he presented:

Huge brownie points to the future hubby (as if I wasn't going to marry him in 6 days anyways)!!  Sirloin steak and tomatoes from the CSA and toasted couscous.  There is nothing better than a meal like this on a Sunday afternoon.

Hope you enjoy this simple tomato recipe that Austin found and adapted from the Food Network.

Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients
24 large cherry tomatoes (in red and orange), halved lengthwise
3 tbs olive oil
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Arrange the tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper over the tomatoes. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are concentrated and beginning to caramelize. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Brown Rice and Zucchini Casserole

Zucchini is coming out of our ears, so when I saw this recipe after logging onto e-tools, I printed it out immediately for dinner that night.  Recipe was good, not great.  If I were to make again, I would add more seasonings and maybe even some ground sausage.  The recipe below reflects the changes I would make.

Brown Rice and Zucchini Casserole

Ingredients
3 medium zucchini, shredded through the large holes of a box grater
2 tsp salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cup cooked medium-grain brown rice, cooled to room temperature
1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
1 Tbs fresh, chopped basil
3 oz low-fat mozzarella cheese
1 Tbsp all-purpose whole wheat flour
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1/4 cup breadcrumbs, mixed Panko and Italian style
2 Tbs Parmesan cheese
1 pound Italian sausage (casings removed)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown Italian sausage, drain, and set aside.

Toss zucchini and salt in a large colander; set in the sink for 10 minutes. Rinse well to remove salt. Squeeze it by handfuls to remove all excess moisture. Transfer to a large bowl.

Stir in the eggs, brown rice, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, flour, lemon zest, thyme, basil and pepper until well-combined.  Add Italian sausage and mix well.

Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Spoon and spread the zucchini mixture into the pan. Mix the breadcrumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano in a small bowl; sprinkle evenly over the casserole.

Bake 25-30 minutes.

Serves 8, 4 points a serving (without meat).