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Mediterranean Chickpea Burger with Ranch Tzatziki & Giveaway!

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Kaitlin

I am so happy that it is finally grilling weather again! There is nothing better than hanging out with friends and family in the back yard, grilling up some burgers, and playing games. Last night I was able to go to my first barbecue of the season and I couldn’t be happier about it. I look forward to many more this summer! I am an unapologetic lover of cheeseburgers. I never get sick of them. But eating a cheeseburger, oh, once a week all summer is not a good habit at all. I’ve stayed away from veggie burgers for the most part because I was never a fan of the texture. But when MorningStar Farms contacted me about their new Veggie Mediterranean Chickpea Burger I was intrigued. There is a vegan pizza place in Philadelphia called Blackbird Pizzeria that has Chickpea Parm that I’m kind of obsessed with, so I was really looking forward to trying a chickpea burger too! The chickpea burgers also have spinach, Roma tomatoes, and Greek herbs and spices mixed in which deliver a ton of flavor without the fat and calories. These burgers are just 110 calories per burger and have 70% less fat than … Continue reading →

Steak Tacos with Lime Mayo

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Kaitlin

I had corn tortillas left over from making the Fish Tacos with Tomatillo Sauce. I needed another taco recipe that was completely different flavor-wise than the fish tacos, so I went for Cooking Light’s Steak Tacos with Lime Mayo in the May issue. (Note: the May issue has a ton of taco recipes, even a dessert one!) Ingredients: 20 baby sweet peppers Cooking spray 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed 3 tablespoons canola mayonnaise the zest and juice of 1 lime 2 garlic cloves, mined 8 (6-inch) corn tortillas 1/2 cup refrigerated fresh salsa 2 ounces queso fresco, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)

Vegetable Couscous Salad

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Kaitlin

The weather in Philadelphia decided to take a break from the cold and give us two days of summer! We hit temperatures above 80 degrees so I wanted to prepare a light meal that didn’t involve much time over a stove. This Vegetable Couscous Salad from Cooking Light is perfect for summer dinners. It also travels well, so it would be a great addition to a barbecue, just make it ahead of time and bring it with you! Ingredients: Dressing: 1/3 cup water 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 (.6 ounce envelope Italian dressing mix) or Italian spice blend Salad: 1 1/2 cups water 1 cup uncooked couscous 2 cups chopped red bell pepper (I used two peppers) 2 cups chopped tomato (I used two beefsteak tomatoes) 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese 1/2 cup finely chopped green onions 1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Artichoke and Arugula Pizza with Prosciutto

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Kaitlin

This weekend, I was looking for a quick meal to feed myself and a bunch of friends. I wanted something that doesn’t really involve a sit-down meal but would fill everyone up. Homemade pizza is perfect for situations like this. You can add whatever toppings you want and can even make a bunch of smaller pizzas to have variety. I found this recipe from Cooking Light and basically stuck to the recipe. I did substitute in fresh pesto instead of the jarred stuff and I’d suggest doing the same. Fresh pesto is so much more tasty and it really doesn’t take long to make. Ingredients: Cooking spray 1 tablespoon cornmeal 1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough 2 tablespoons commercial pesto (or homemade pesto) 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese 1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and drained 1 ounce thinly sliced prosciutto 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese 1 1/2 cups arugula leaves 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Radish and Arugula Crostini with Brie

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Kaitlin

Supposedly Spring started this past Wednesday. And yet, meteorologists in the Philadelphia area do not expect the temperature to go above 50 degrees for the foreseeable future. AND it’s supposed to snow on Sunday/Monday. What the heck?! Well, I’m sick of waiting for spring to arrive so I’ve decided to make it spring in my kitchen. Cooking Light seems to agree with me, and the April issue has a ton of recipes using the best of spring’s produce. This Radish and Arugula Crostini recipe immediately caught my eye; not only is it beautiful, but the ingredients give me hope that warmer weather is on it’s way. This recipe is also really simple. I made this as a quick appetizer to bring to a friends house and was able to make the entire recipe in 20 minutes! Ingredients: 16 (1/2-inch-thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette (6 ounces) Cooking spray 1 1/2 cups sliced radishes 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus the zest of 1 lemon 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon salt 4 ounces Brie cheese (about 1/2 cup) 1 cup baby arugula leaves

Linguine with Spinach-Herb Pesto

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Kaitlin

I love a fresh pesto, it brightens up any dish and just screams spring. I made Fettuccine with Seared Tomatoes, Spinach, and Burrata earlier this week and had some spinach left over. Cooking Light’s latest issue had a recipe for Linguine with Spinach-Herb Pesto which uses spinach, basil, oregano, and time to make a creamy pesto sauce. How great does that sound?? Ingredients: 4 ounces fresh baby spinach 1/4 cup slivered blanched almonds 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 large garlic clove, chopped 2 tablespoons organic vegetable broth 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (~1/2 a lemon), plus zest from 1/2 a lemon 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 ounce Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated and divided (about 1/4 cup) 8 ounces uncooked linguine

Fettuccine with Seared Tomatoes, Spinach, and Burrata

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Kaitlin

There are few things pasta can’t cure. (I’m not a doctor so don’t hold me to this) Pasta is my ultimate comfort food. Growing up, it was literally the only food my grandma (my mom’s mom) would make for me when I would visit, with the exception of Thanksgiving dinner. If I’m in a bad mood, need a pick me up, or feel a cold coming on, I want pasta. So when Cooking Light’s March issue’s photo was of a beautiful bowl of pasta, I was immediately excited for what deliciousness might be inside. Paging through, the issue didn’t disappoint. I plan on making quite a few of these, so expect a bit of a pasta week coming up! (I’m also about to move so my precious kitchen tools are little by little being packed away.) I naturally had to make the one on the cover first, so here is my take on the Fettuccine with Seared Tomatoes, Spinach and Burrata. First a little background on Burrata, which means “buttered” in Italian (interest peaked? I thought so). Burrata is basically the best mozzarella cheese ever. Why? Because it is mozzarella cheese with cream. Oh yes. You should be able to … Continue reading →

Crab Cakes with Spicy Remoulade

Posted on January 3, 2013 by Kaitlin

I realized I have never posted a recipe for crab cakes. That is ridiculous! So today’s the day. I found this recipe in one of my Cooking Light recipes and altered it a bit for what I happened to have in my pantry. Crab cakes: 1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, shell pieces removed 2 tablespoons finely chopped green bell pepper 1 1/2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 2 green onions, finely chopped 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 cup bread crumbs, divided 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided Remoulade: 1/4 cup canola mayonnaise 2 teaspoons minced shallots 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 3/4 teaspoon capers, chopped 3/4 teaspoon champagne vinegar 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Chai Tea Eggnog Sugar Cookies

Posted on December 22, 2012 by Kaitlin

Last year, I made sugar cookies and attempted to decorate them myself (attempted being the key word). I may be getting better at cooking, but my decorating skills are still really sub par. I didn’t want to give away funny looking cookies again this year but wanted to still make sugar cookies. Cooking Light’s Chai Tea Eggnog Cookie was the perfect choice. Plus, these cookies are really quick to whip up because you can absolutely use sugar cookie mix! Ingredients: 1 chai tea bag 1 (17.5-oz.) package sugar cookie mix 1/2 cup melted butter 1 large egg 4 tablespoons eggnog, divided 1/2 cup powdered sugar 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg Note: These cookies are non-alcoholic so they are fine for all ages of cookie lovers.

Fish Tacos with Lime-Cilantro Crema

Posted on December 10, 2012 by Kaitlin

It’s funny how you can go years, even decades, thinking that you don’t like a certain food only to find you can’t get enough of it when you’re older. Fish tacos is one of those foods for me. They pack a ton of flavor but are a healthier option than other proteins (as long as the fish isn’t fried, that is). I also love how quickly you can cook them up, perfect for a weeknight dinner! Cooking Light always has the best taco recipes so I naturally went in search of a fish taco recipe there. I found this recipe in the myrecipes.com new cookbook: Myrecipes’ America’s Favorite Food Cookbook, which you can win by entering below! Ingredients Crema: 1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise 3 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream 1 teaspoon grated lime rind (I just used the zest of one lime) 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice (I used the juice of one lime) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 garlic clove, minced Tacos: 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1 1/2 … Continue reading →