Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

Another title for this post could have been "World's Easiest Side Dish." Now, many people think of broccoli as the flavorless and/or mushy steamed traumatic veggie of their childhoods. Watch as this baby is subjected to broccoli for the first time:





However, roasting the broccoli does magical things. It makes it crunchy and full of delicious, almost nutty flavor that is further enhanced by the parmesan cheese.

This healthy, tasty side dish also makes for a great snack. My roommate and I eat this stuff like it's popcorn. We have even been known to roast up some of this broccoli as drunk food... THAT'S how good it tastes!

This is super easy to make, so go ahead, give broccoli another chance.


Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of broccoli

• Grated parmesan cheese. Grate it yourself if you can, but the kind in the plastic canister is fine, too.

• Olive oil

• Garlic salt

• Pepper

If you notice, I don't really have amounts for any of the ingredients. That's because you can pretty much eyeball how much seasoning and cheese you need based on how much broccoli your bunch yields.


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash the broccoli and cut the stalk away from the florets (the nice bunchy part at the top).




Most people don't realize you can eat the stalk too and end up throwing away half their broccoli! Just peel the stalk with a peeler or a sharp knife to get rid of any leaves and to take off the tough outer peel. I just said "peel" a lot. Peel, peel, peel.

Anyways, it should go from looking like this....




...to this!




Slice up the stalk into thin chips. These are actually my roommate's favorite parts, as they become nice and crispy in the oven.

Cut up the florets and put them and the chips onto a baking sheet covered with foil for easy cleaning. Drizzle with olive oil and season with garlic salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat evenly.





Pop the pan into the oven for about 25 minutes. The broccoli is done when it has become nice and browned around the edges. About five minutes before it's done, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and toss to coat evenly, and put it back in the oven to finish roasting.





When the broccoli is done, put in on a plate or bowl, top with some more parmesan, and enjoy!





Do YOU have any recipes for easy vegetable side dishes? Have you replaced pizza and Chinese food with roasted broccoli as your drunk food of choice? Let us know!

Indian Spiced Chicken with Lentils

Are you sick of eating the same old flavors? Tired of eating out and always having Mexican or Italian? Why not spice up your life with Indian food!

Indian food is a delicious and usually very healthy option. However, many people have a fear and/or hatred of Indian food. They think that it is strange, smells funny, and will cause them indigestion. In fact, look what showed up when I Googled "indian food funny":




It doesn't have to be this way, my friends! I found a fantastic recipe for Indian Spiced Chicken with Lentils in a South Beach Quick and Easy Cookbook. I adapted the recipe to account for the fact that I am a complete wimp with spicy foods.

This recipe is easy, full of interesting flavor, and makes enough for 2-3 meals. Go on, give it a try. I dare ya ;)


Ingredients:

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast. This recipe can easily be adapted for vegetarians by skipping the chicken and adding more cauliflower.

• 2 cups frozen cauliflower florets. No need to thaw.

• 1/2 can light coconut milk

• 1 can low sodium chicken broth. Obviously if you are making this vegetarian, use vegetable broth!

• 1 cup dried lentils

• 1 onion

• 1 tbsp. lime juice. This was not in the original recipe, but I feel like it adds a nice brightness of flavor.

• 2 tsp. minced garlic, divided

• 2 tsp. curry powder, divided. Feel free to add more if you like it hot, but this is right at my personal threshold.

• 1 tsp. ground ginger

• Olive oil

• Parsley to garnish. Optional.

Yeah yeah, this has more ingredients than some of my other recipes and takes more time. But it is a nice change of pace, and like I said, this makes enough for at least a couple meals. Worth it!

Directions:

Peel and dice up your onion. Reserve half for the chicken, and put the other half in a small saucepan with some olive oil over medium high heat.

Let the onion cook for a couple minutes until it becomes soft and translucent. This is known as "sweating the onion." Not really sure whose bright idea it was to call it that, cause it makes me think of body odor. GROSS!




Once it has sweated, stir in 1/2 tsp. curry powder and 1 tsp. minced garlic.





Pour in 3/4 of your can of chicken broth and your cup of lentils into the saucepan. Stir to combine and cover with a lid. When the liquid starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium so it is at a simmer (small, occasional bubbles instead of rapid big ones).





Now, just fuhgeddaboutit! The lentils will take about 35 minutes to become tender, and the chicken only takes about fifteen minutes to make. According to my calculations, that leaves you twenty minutes to do whatever you want! In this time, you can:

A) Set the table if you have guests arriving for dinner.

B) Watch an episode of Family Guy on your DVR.

C) Drink. **


**DISCLAIMER: Stacy Chudwin assumes no liability if you get drunk and burn your house down.


Now, back to work! Time to make the chicken while your lentils are simmering away. Cut up your chicken breast into bite sized pieces and throw them in a large sautee pan with some olive oil at medium high heat.




Once the chicken is slightly browned on the outside (but not cooked all the way through), remove it from the pan and put it on a plate to hang out for a few minutes. Add the rest of your onion, garlic, curry powder, and ginger to the pan. Stir to combine.





When the onion has sweated and the spices are nice and fragrant, pour in the half can of coconut milk, the rest of your broth, the lime juice, and the frozen cauliflower.





Let the mixture cook and reduce for a couple minutes, and then add your chicken back to the pan. Mix it into the sauce, and let everything simmer at medium heat until your lentils are done. The lentils are done when they are nice and tender and don't taste like you are eating small discs of cardboard.




Pour the lentils in a bowl, top with the chicken and sauce, and garnish with the fresh parsley. Dig in!

Stacy Eats Her Words (and Quinoa)

I have confronted the enemy, and I have lost.

If you harken back to my first post ever on this blog, I asked the following question:

"Do you like to eat healthy in general but despise words like 'tofu' and 'quinoa' and those who use them?"

For me, the answer had always been yes. I grew up in a steak-and-butter household where the world of organic hippy healthfood was scorned. As I have gotten older I have begun to embrace healthier eating, but was never quite able to overcome my fear of scary foods like tofu and quinoa.

Last Wednesday, I faced those fears.

At my apartment complex, two lovely ladies from the Durham Whole Foods came to deliver a vegetarian cooking demo. Many of our residents are woefully unable to cook healthy foods for themselves, so Whole Foods came to the rescue!




I was personally excited to learn about some other meal options that DON'T revolve entirely around meat (I'm pretty sure every single meal I eat involves at least one dead animal), but you can imagine my horror when the menu for the demo included both tofu AND quinoa!!





Amy and Katherine of Whole Foods made it their mission to teach us that these foods were not only easy to make, but surprisingly delicious. They pulled up their bootstraps and got to work!




Skeptical doesn't even begin to describe how I felt, especially as the Whole Foods specialists began to explain the process of pressing tofu. I even got to try a little cube of raw, plain tofu, and it tasted like a squishy, cold packing peanut.

HOWEVER, once things got going, I was taken aback by how delicious these strange foods could be. The Whole Foods specialists showed us how to make baked tofu, how to cook quinoa, and how to whip up a super easy potato leek soup.

For the tofu, we cut it up into little cubes and then my roommate helped toss it with some Whole Foods Cajun Seasoning.

Then we just put it on a baking sheet with some cooking spray and popped it in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. Super easy, and it tasted SO different when it came out! Tofu is like a flavor sponge: it has no flavor of its own, but it absorbs whatever you cook it with. And if you bake it, it becomes nice and firm, not soggy.

While I don't think this will necessarily replace meat in my diet, it could be a tasty snack to have every once in a while.





After the tofu, it was time for the quinoa (KEEN-wa). Don't say "kwin-oh-a" or you will sound like a fool.

My boyfriend got roped into helping with this, but if anything, that should serve to demonstrate that ANYONE can cook this stuff. I legit have never seen this boy cook before in my life, and he was able to turn this....

....into this!

Okay, so it still looks sorta creepy. But the quinoa ended up being the surprise star of the night. It's a grain that is CRAZY healthy for you (it is a complete protein with all your amino acids, high in fiber, and cooks faster than rice!)

It has a nice texture too...a little crunchy burst sort of like caviar, but minus the fish egg taste, of course. You can mix it into pretty much any food you want (salad, soup, pasta, etc.)

My roommate and I immediately proceeded to buy some quinoa from Whole Foods that night! I was literally eating my words.

Some other things we learned that evening:

The joy of boxed broth:





The joy of spinach:

And, sometimes Whole Foods specialists double as paparazzi:





Over all, it was a fun evening and everyone learned (and ate) a lot.


Stacy's Final Thoughts (Jerry Springer style):


I guess this is the typical case of not judging a book by its cover. For years I judged tofu, quinoa, and other similar foods as gross healthy stuff that couldn't possibly taste good. It just goes to show you that you can't knock a food til you try it!

Thanks to Amy, Katherine, and Whole Foods for converting a non-believer ;)

Have you tried tofu, quinoa, or any other crazy foods? Were they better than you expected? Post and let us know! And if you want more info and recipes involving tofu and quinoa, check out the Whole Foods website!

Strawberry Glacee Pie

I know what you are probably thinking:

"Dammit Stacy, I told you I can't cook! You expect me to bake a pie? A pie with a FRENCH NAME?!"

Good news, folks: my Strawberry Glacee Pie involves NO BAKING and only has five ingredients!

This recipe makes for a healthy, pretty, and refreshing summer dessert. It's like a lower calorie, easier version of strawberry shortcake!! I found the recipe online years ago and have been making it for my family ever since. Enjoy :)

Ingredients:

• 2 packages of strawberries


• 1 graham cracker pie crust. They sell these ready-made in the baking aisle! They also have reduced fat ones to save some calories.

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 cup Splenda. You can use real sugar if you'd like. You can also enjoy adult-onset diabetes, but I wouldn't recommend it.
  


• 3 tbsp. cornstarch


• Whipped cream for topping. Optional. But so delicious it's not really optional.
  

This is a super easy dessert and is a great make-ahead option. It lasts in the fridge for a few days and is definitely a crowd pleaser!

Directions:

Slice up one of the packages of strawberries. Cut the tops off, and depending how thick they are, either slice them in half or thirds.

Then line the pie crust with as many of them that will fit. Let your inner OCD tendencies run free as you attempt to make pretty patterns while maximizing your berry to crust ratio!

With the other package of strawberries, cut the tops off and roughly cut the berries into smaller pieces to facilitate mashing (cutting them in half is just fine) and throw them into a mixing bowl.

When deciding which package of berries to use, feel free to use any mushier, janky looking berries for this step since they will get mashed up anyways.

Pour your water into the bowl with the berries. Using a potato masher, mash the berries into a pulp. Imagining your ex or little sibling's face can sometimes help. Work out that aggression!

If you don't have a potato masher, you can use any other kitchen implement to get the job done, but it won't be as fun or easy.

Mix in the Splenda (or sugar) and the cornstarch. DO NOT FORGET THE CORNSTARCH. One of my former roommates did and ended up with a watery mess of a pie. Also, make sure to add the cornstarch now while the mixture is cold so it doesn't get all lumpy.

Pour this mixture into a saucepan.

Turn the heat to high and let the mixture come to a soft boil (meaning it occasionally bubbles up.) Stir frequently to prevent burning. This should all take around 5-7 minutes, and you will know it is done when the mixture becomes thick, darker, and glassier looking.

Let the mixture cool for a few minutes so it isn't scalding hot. Then pour it into the pie crust over the layer of berries, smoothing it out so it's even. Put in the refrigerator for a couple hours until it has cooled and solidified.

Put on a plate and top with whipped cream. Easy as pie! (har har har)

Do YOU have any healthy, easy dessert ideas that sound fancier than they actually are?

Food Network Fridays: Sandra Lee!

One of the best ways to learn how to cook if you are a beginner is to watch other people cook. You can either peep into strangers' kitchen windows, or you can watch the Food Network!




I can't even tell you how many people I have converted to this channel. There is something oddly soothing about watching various personalities cook for you, and there are some really great tips. Every show offers gems of cooking advice buried under the humorous idiosyncrasies of the host, and it's up to you to separate the useful from the crap!

To introduce you to the awesome and surprisingly entertaining world of the Food Network, I am going to start a series called Food Network Fridays. Every other Friday I will showcase a different show on the Food Network for you to set your DVR to record.

And, to make it more fun for the weekend, I will also include a handy dandy drinking game each time to help you get to know each show!

This week, I am going to start with Sandra Lee. Her recipes are so easy and un-chef-like that they are perfect for a beginner cook. Bottoms up, everybody!




Shows: Semi-Homemade Meals and Money-Saving Meals.

Pros:

• Sandra's recipes are super easy to follow.

• Sandra somehow manages to be a MILF even though she doesn't have any children!

• Sandra loves to drink. In fact, she appears intoxicated for much of her shows.

Cons:

• Sandra's recipes are so easy they are barely recipes. It's more assembly than it is cooking.

• Sometimes her recipes are horrible. Observe as Sandra tries to choke down one of her own drink concoctions, a heinous mixture of lemonade, heavy cream, and vodka:

• She designs hideous abominations called "tablescapes" in which she gathers up as much cheap crap as she can from the craft store to transform her kitchen to match her recipe theme. Viewers, beware.

Sandra Lee Drinking Game:

• Take a drink every time Sandra says "super, super simple russipe!"

• Take a drink every time Sandra forces her sister's children to appear on her show or refers to herself as "Aunt Sandy."

• Take a drink every time Sandra uses a seasoning packet and talks about how it is full of lots of great flavors.

• Take a drink if Sandra's shirt matches her kitchen equipment matches her drapes.

• Take a drink for every tablespoon of Cool Whip Sandra uses.
  

• Take a drink every time Sandra say "rrrrich and duhLISHus!"

• On Money-Saving Meals, take a drink every time Sandra's math just doesn't quite seem to add up right.
  

• And finally, take a drink every time Sandra takes a drink. It's cocktail time, everyone!

Did you give Sandra Lee a try? Do you have any other additions to the Sandra Lee drinking game? Feel free to comment, and have a happy weekend!

Tilapia with Peach-Avocado Salsa over Black Beans

Spring is in the air! Birds are singing, bees are buzzing, and plants are rudely covering everything in their pollen (read: sperm).

As the world is warming up, you need something light and refreshing to cool you down! Tilapia with Peach-Avocado Salsa over Black Beans sounds like a mouthful, but it is a light and flavorful dish for spring. Easy, nutritious, and colorful, this makes for the perfect quick fix dinner.

Lots of the ingredients are items cut in half for a one person serving, but by all means, double them to make dinner for your friend, roommate, significant other, random hook-up buddy you would like to make your significant other, etc. etc.

Enjoy!


Ingredients:

• 1 tilapia fillet
  


• 1/2 can of black beans, drained. Remember that time I made Lorenzo's Burrito Bowl? This is the rest of that can of beans! Ya gotta love canned produce.

• 1/2 can sliced peaches in lite syrup. Save the other half for breakfast with cottage cheese. Yum!
  


• 1/2 avocado


• 1 tsp. minced onions. The kind in the spice aisle, not actual onion.


• 1 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro


• 1 tbsp. lime juice
  


• 1/3 cup Tequila Lime Marinade. I use my trusty Kroger brand, but feel free to find something comparable.

These simple ingredients make for a tasty and colorful dish. In general, the more colorful your meal, the healthier it is for you! *

*NOTE: This does not apply if the color is hot pink cupcake frosting.


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Drain your can of peaches, reserving about 1 tsp. of the syrup. Dice up half the peach slices, as well as your half avocado. Don't know how to cut up an avocado? Learn, dummy! Avocados are a delicious source of healthy fat. All you have to do is cut them in half lengthwise, working your knife around the pit so it looks like this:




Clearly I did not take this picture (my avocado photo studio was busy that day), but you get the point. After it has been halved, pop out the pit, scoop the flesh right out of the skin with a spoon, and dice it up to add to your salsa!

Combine the diced peaches, reserved syrup, diced avocado, minced onions, lime juice, and cilantro in a small bowl, mixing gently so as not to mash the avocado. Then pop it in the fridge to chill and let the flavors grind all up on each other.




Spray a baking dish * with nonstick spray and put your tilapia in the dish, surrounded by an even layer of the beans. Pour the Tequila Lime Marinade over the fish.

*NOTE: Use a smaller baking dish than I did if you have one. My %$@&ing roommate didn't wash ours after using it, so I had to use this large one.




Pop that sucker in the oven for fifteen minutes. Then take it out of the oven, scoop up the beans onto a plate, top with the tilapia, and spoon the cool salsa over the tilapia. How easy was that?





The peach is sweet and refreshing, the avocado is creamy and mild, and the beans provide a hearty and salty kick. This is one great way to jazz up a piece of tilapia!

Do YOU have any light and delicious spring meal ideas? Post and share 'em with the rest of the class!

Chicken Franzia

Last week, I was shocked and saddened to hear that the inventor of boxed wine, Australian winemaker Thomas Angrove, passed away at the tender age of 92. After playing a game of slap the bag to drown my sorrows, I thought about how to best honor his passing.

After all, this man was a visionary. He pioneered a way to bring wine to the masses in cheap and convenient packaging, even against criticism from his own family:

"His son, John Angrove, who has taken over the family business recalled his first reaction to his dad’s idea, calling it 'ridiculous' and saying 'nobody is going to buy wine out of a cardboard box and plastic bag.' "

Luckily for us, Angrove decided to let the haters hate and watch the money pile up.

I decided to share with you my delicious recipe for Chicken Franzia. This recipe is EXACTLY the same type of recipe you would see for Chicken Marsala, and the taste is similar (though not quite as rich and heavy.)

It was born out of desperation one night when I had a hankering for Chicken Marsala but did not have the time or budget to run to the store to buy Marsala wine. So, I went to the next best thing: an old box of Franzia hanging out in the back of my fridge. Thanks, Thomas Angrove!




So pour out some Franzia in Mr. Angrove's honor, and for more reasons why Franzia is awesome, check out this hilarious link. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

• 1/3 cup flour

• 2 tsp. garlic salt, divided

• 1/2 tsp. pepper

• 1 tsp. dried thyme. Or 2 tsp. of fresh thyme leaves.

• 1/2 package sliced mushrooms

• 1/2 cup frozen peas. These are optional, but I think they add nice color and texture. No need to thaw beforehand, as they will thaw and cook in the sauce.
  

• 1/3 cup Franzia white wine. I am sure many Italian grandmothers would hit me with their rolling pins if they knew I was suggesting this instead of Marsala wine. But really, Franzia or any other white wine will do in a pinch.

• 1 tbsp. butter

Not very many ingredients, and this makes for a fast and healthy chicken dish!

Directions:

Cut your chicken breast in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. This will help the chicken to cook faster and will even give you the impression you are eating more!




Cover the chicken breast halves with a piece of plastic wrap or a Ziploc bag. Then pound the meat flat with a meat mallet, rolling pin, heavy pan, or your forehead. You want them to have a uniform thickness of about 1/2 inch for even cooking.




Mix the flour, pepper, and 1 tsp. of the garlic salt in a plate or shallow pan to dredge the chicken breast halves. Cover both sides of both halves of the chicken completely and shake off the excess flour. The flour will give your chicken a nice golden crust and will help thicken the sauce!




Heat a sautee pan to medium high and melt your butter. Then put your chicken in. Don't move it around! Let it sear and develop a nice crust.




After a couple minutes, the side against the pan should be a lovely golden brown. Turn the chicken over, and add the sliced mushrooms to the pan around the chicken in an even layer. Drizzle the chicken and mushrooms will a little olive oil and sprinkle with the thyme and remaining garlic salt.




Once the mushrooms have softened and browned after a minute or two, add the Franzia and peas to the pan. Let the mixture simmer at medium low until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is completely cooked through (should only take another couple minutes.)




Put the chicken on a plate, pour the sauce and mushrooms over the top, and enjoy. Viva la Franzia!