"I don't believe in low-fat cooking." Nigella Lawson

Of course you don't, Nigella. I'm betting your hair is naturally that gorgeous, and you don't "believe" in hair products...

*humph*

Well, I believe in all kinds of cooking.  I think there is something to be said for the philosophy, "eat what you want in moderation," but sometimes, understanding where the moderate line begins and ends is the tricksy bit.

I do agree with Nigella.  I think "low-fat/fat-free/low-carb/no-carb/no-sugar/I think it's actually made of paper" diet food is doing more harm than good.  We get hypnotized into think that low-fat means we can eat twice as much, or that the weird 14-letter names of the chemical sugar substitute components in our packaged foods are really good for us.

My new mantra: If it doesn't come from the earth or eat from the earth, I don't want it.  *Mind you, I definitely just ate a granola bar.  The Valley of Nature made it...not me.  It was delicious.  I'm a work in progress :)

So...this will be a weekly thing.  We want to help you out.  We are giving you one recipe for each day of the week.  Maybe some days it will be a beverage, others it will be breakfast.  No matter what the recipe, we stand by the promise that these recipes will have fresh ingredients, interchangeable bits (for you's out there with the allergies), and if eaten in moderation, they will never hurt you :)  We are going to prove to you that cooking is fun.  It's simple.  And it's way more delicious than a Sonic Corn-Dog!

I bet Nigella would love us :)

--Rita

I laughed so hard reading this intro. I agree with Rita. I'm sure everyone on the Food Network or the Cooking Channel are practically perfect in everyway..grr. I do the whole "clean eating". Lots of fruits, veg, lean protein and such. I don't buy processed foods, even my 'fruit roll ups' are organic and all natural. I always thought to eat this way, I would have to make a lot more money than I do now. It's not true. Buy what's in season. A lot of my food is quick prep stuff. My lifestyle is very busy, like many of you, so I don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

--Amos


Monday:
Mornings can be rough...so start your day off with a delicious smoothie!
Simple Strawberry/Banana Smoothie!

• 1/2 frozen banana
• 3-4 fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1/4c milk 
• ice
• 1 heaping scoop of protein powder* (if that's your thing...)

I just dump everything in my blender at once.  It's not fancy.  I vary the amount of ice and milk depending on if I want something really creamy, or thin and more drinkable.  

I usually use frozen fruits because it gives body to the smoothie, but feel free to use whatever you have! 

*Sometimes I have pretty early mornings and an entire meal just doesn't happen for me, so I like to boost my smoothies and shakes with a little protein powder, because my smoothie frequently takes the place of my breakfast "meal".  I really love a vanilla ice-cream flavored whey protein, but if you use supplements like that, find something you like and drink up!


Tuesday:
Hummus Buffalo Shrimp Tacos:
What you'll need:

• Shrimp
• Corn Tortillas
• Hummus (any flavor-I use Red Pepper)
• Veggies
• Buffalo Hot Sauce
• Pepper Jack Sheese

First: Cook Shrimp
Second: Toss Shrimp together in a bag with Buffalo Sauce
Third: Heat up corn tortillas
Fourth: Assemble Tacos and Enjoy!

You can add Ranch Dressing and celery if you'd like. I love spicy food, so I don't bother.

Wednesday:
Turkey Sausage Veggie Polenta

I'm usually a grits girl. I am from Kentucky, it's what we do. Just to switch things up a bit, I use polenta. My mom used to make these sausage/cheese grits that I know are responsible for my hips and thighs. This is a healthier and tasty version.

• Polenta
• Turkey Sausage
• Vegetable Mix (onions, peppers, garlic, etc)
• Salt
• Pepper
• cheese (for topping)

First: Make polenta according to package directions.
Second: Cook up turkey sausage  in a skillet.
Third: Cook up veggies in a skillet, preferably the one used for the sausage. I use onions, peppers, garlic, corn and even some black beans for extra protein.
Fourth: Mix Polenta, Sausage and Veggies together and serve. I sprinkle a little cheese on top. Pepper Jack is my fav.
Fifth: ENJOY!


Thursday:
Pineapple--Green Tea

• 12oz pineapple juice
• 1 empty ice cube tray
• 2 green tea bags (or 2tsp loose green tea)
• 2C water, divided

Well ahead of time, pour the pineapple juice into the ice cube tray and freeze.

Take 1C of the water, bring to a boil over high heat.

Pour over the tea/tea bags and let steep 3-4min.  Remove the bags or strain, and let the tea sit till it comes to room temperature to help prevent the tea from getting cloudy.

Add the remaining 1C of water, cold, to the tea.  Pour in a container and refridgerate.

When ready to serve, pour in a glass w/2 pineapple ice cubes!


Friday:
Banana Cream!!!

I. Love. Ice. Cream. My friend, Terri, is an amateur boxer & she sent me this recipe for ice cream using a banana. Yes, a banana.

• Banana
• Milk
• Flavor of your choice (pb, berries, etc)

First: Freeze a chopped up banana. I usually freeze mine overnight.

Second: Add banana to blender. Then add half cup of milk. I use almond milk, but you can use skim/2%/whatever you like.

Third: Add your flavors. I use peanut butter, berries, cinnamon, whatever I fancy.

Fourth: Blend. It should be the consistency of  soft-serve ice cream.

Fifth: Enjoy!!!



Saturday:
Pizza-Night!!!! (bet you've never had this kind of pizza before....)
Bresaola and Arugula pizza with Parmesan shavings

• store bought pizza dough (read/ask for specific instructions if there is additional preparation for the dough)
• 2oz bresaola (If you find this difficult to locate, Trader Joe's sells it.  So don't fret!)
• 1 small bunch fresh arugula (or any peppery green you can find)
• 5tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1oz Parmesan shavings
• salt

Preheat your oven to 500 F.

Roll/stretch out dough into something that resembles a 9in circle (give or take).  Brush with the olive oil and bake for 20-25min, or until crust is lightly golden.

Take the dough out of the oven, spread the bresoala on top, drizzle with oil, and pop back into the oven for 2-3min MAX!  **You want to head the meat through, but not crisp it up.

Once the meat has been heated through, lay the arugula on top, sprinkle with salt and a little more EVOO, and the shaved Parmesan.

Voila! Pizza con Bresaola y Rucola :)

Sunday:
My take on a delicious iced-treat.
Thai Coffee
*I LOVE Thai coffee; sweet, creamy, iced. Delicious.  But sometimes you just want hot coffee.  So here's my alternative "hot" version of a delicious favorite.

• 8oz brewed hot coffee
• 1tbsp condensed milk
• cinnamon to taste
• 1/8tsp vanilla extract

Make your coffee to the specifications of your particular brewer of choice.  I make a nice strong espresso in my Moka Pot and add hot water (an Americano).

Stir in vanilla once coffee is made to give a nice flavor, then stir in 1tbsp of condensed milk.  You can always add more or less milk to taste, but it gives the coffee a sweet and creamy flavor.  Sprinkle with cinnamon, if you like that kind of thing.  It's delicious!

**Do you want this iced?  Just make a double brew of hot coffee, pour over ice, and add the ingredients in the same way!