Now Eat This! – Livingleen

Happy Friday Friends!

Its been awhile but I’m finally posting a new installment of Foodie Friday and it feels GREAT!! I have been wanting to share some of the delicious bites for a bit and today’s the day! Inspired by Rocco Dispirito’s Now Eat This! I have made my own mildly healthy version of Jalapeno poppers. While I do love a good healthy alternative, I try to steer clear of some non-fat or low fat versions of things because the process of removing the fat adds more harmful chemicals than its worth in calorie savings…..ANYWAY!!!! Below is my recipe, with a lot of help from Rocco, for Jalapeno poppers – perfect for Labor Day Weekend! Also, check out all the other amazing recipe’s he shares in his book – there are some great tips!!

Jalapeno Poppers

6 Jalapenos – halved and seeded
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup cream cheese
1 small bunch green onions finely diced
1-2 cups whole wheat panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 whole egg + 3 whites
Spray Oil – from your own spritzer or from grocery story
Salt and Pepper

Allow cream cheese to soften by sitting out for a bit before beginning the recipe. Preheat the oven to 475 and begin to prep the jalapenos. Once halved and seeded, place peppers on a metal rack on a sheet pan in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. In a bowl mix cheddar cheese, cream cheese, green onions, and salt/pepper to taste. Spoon mixture into the jalapeno halves and prepare your eggs, panko, and flour for breading. Carefully dip each jalapeno (with filling) into the flour, then egg, then panko, before resting on the rack to go back in the oven. Once all 12 are complete, spray with cooking oil and bake for 15-20 minutes.

While they’re not super healthy, they’re a lot better for you than their fried friends on most pub menus and perfect for a bit of guilt-less indulgence.

Until next time, keep smiling! 🙂

Happy Hump Day!

The snow continues here, only a few inches thankfully, but I wont let it get me down! In a few days I will be visiting one of my college besties in New York for her town’s St. Patty’s Day celebration! While we both keep crazy schedules, we always make time to visit each other a few times a year and the Rockaway St. Patty’s Day parade has been one of those occasions for many years!

In other efforts to keep the snow from bringing me down I have been trying to make comforting evening meals that taste indulgent but are totally healthy! This Asian stir-fry is one such comfort food I can’t live without – and neither can Phil! I have been making variations of this forever, but thanks to the Rocco Dispirito’s Now Eat This Book, I have taken all my Asian dishes to a whole other level while still keeping it guilt free!

Tofu Teriyaki Stir Fry

1 cup brown rice
2 cloves garlic minced
1 shallot finely chopped
1 small head nappa cabbage
1 small box of shitake mushrooms
1 small head of broccoli
1 red bell pepper
1 block extra firm tofu
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 batch Rocco’s Rockin’ Asian Sauce (1/4 cup chopped ginger, 5 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 bunch scallions fine chopped, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 3/4 cup stock, 1/2 cup reduced sugar ketchup, 1 tbsp corn starch, 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar)

* Cook brown rice as instructed on package (1cup rice 2cup water boil/cover for 20-30 minutes). Drain and dry tofu, slice into cubes and bake in oven @ 400 for 10-15 minutes, rotating every few minutes. As tofu cooks, heat non-stick pan to medium and add sesame oil. Add shallots and garlic to the pan first, followed by all the vegetables except the cabbage. Cook veggies until tender, add cabbage, rice, sauce and tofu.

The dish, sauce and all, takes about 35 minutes and is AMAZING as leftovers!

Nothing like a little comfort food to carry you over the mid-week hump..enjoy!