Recipe Thursday: Birthday Steak!

Ok so you're not going to put candles in it or anything but my birthday is coming up and steak and potatoes have been my meal of choice for as long as I can remember. Com'on now! I'm a good Midwest girl!! So in honor of my impending birthday, I bring you a healthy steak recipe to enjoy the next time you want a nice dinner!! Yay steak!!!

Chef Meg's Grilled Garlic Citrus Flank Steak

Nutrition Info

• Calories: 233.1
• Fat: 13.2g
• Carbohydrates: 4.2g
• Protein: 23.7g

Ingredients

Marinade:
10 cloves garlic, minced
1 t salt
1/2 t black pepper, cracked
1 t oregano
1 c orange juice
1 lime, juiced
1/4 c olive oil
1 1/2 lbs (24 oz) flank steak, trimmed of visible fat

Directions

Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Place steak in a plastic bag or glass dish and pour in marinade to cover. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. 

Preheat grill to moderate heat. Remove steak from marinade; discard any leftovers. Grill, turning once until desired temperature is reached. For this large cut of meat, I recommend cooking to medium rare (135 degrees) and allowing the meat to rest for 5 minutes once taken off the grill to allow juices to redistribute. Once removed from the grill, the meat will continue to cook slightly, raising the temperature to medium (140 degrees). 

Serving size is three ounces of beef; makes six servings.

NOTE: The nutrition info is calculated for half the marinade as the other half is discarded.

Recipe Thursday: Mac and cheese make over!!

This past weekend, I don't think I have ever been soooo relaxed...I didn't know what to do with myself I was so relaxed but it was nice! The best part? It had nothing to do with food! HOWEVER, let's be real... no matter how much you learn that food isn't emotion..that you can break that tie...sometimes we all need something creamy with a lot of down home "did mom make this" warm food...and we feel that way more in the winter. Mac and cheese is one of my favorites so when I found this recipe, I knew I had to share... ENJOY! See http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/baked_mac_cheese.html for the recipe source!

Baked Mac and Cheese

4 servings

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tablespoons plain dry breadcrumbs, (see Tip)
• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1 16-ounce or 10-ounce package frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 3/4 cups low-fat milk, divided
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 8 ounces (2 cups) whole-wheat elbow macaroni, or penne

PREPARATION

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat an 8-inch-square (2-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Mix breadcrumbs, oil and paprika in a small bowl. Place spinach in a fine-mesh strainer and press out excess moisture.
3. Heat 1 1/2 cups milk in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until steaming. Whisk remaining 1/4 cup milk and flour in a small bowl until smooth; add to the hot milk and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce simmers and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar until melted. Stir in cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
4. Cook pasta for 4 minutes, or until not quite tender. (It will continue to cook during baking.) Drain and add to the cheese sauce; mix well. Spread half the pasta mixture in the prepared baking dish. Spoon the spinach on top. Top with the remaining pasta; sprinkle with the breadcrumb mixture.
5. Bake the casserole until bubbly and golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through Step 4. Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, if necessary, then bake for 35 to 45 minutes.
• Tip: To make fresh breadcrumbs, trim crusts from whole-wheat bread. Tear bread into pieces and process in a food processor until coarse crumbs form. One slice of bread makes about 1/2 cup fresh crumbs. For dry breadcrumbs, spread the fresh crumbs on a baking sheet and bake at 250°F until crispy, about 15 minutes. One slice of fresh bread makes about 1/3 cup dry crumbs. Or use prepared coarse dry breadcrumbs. We like Ian's brand labeled “Panko breadcrumbs.” Find them in the natural-foods section of large supermarkets.

NUTRITION

Per serving:
576 calories
22 g fat ( 11 g sat , 2 g mono )
69 mg cholesterol
63 g carbohydrates
37 g protein
9 g fiber
917 mg sodium
403 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (290% daily value), Calcium (70% dv), Folate (37% dv), Iron (15% dv).

Carbohydrate Servings: 3 1/2

Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 1/2 medium-fat meat

Thumbs Up for Rock and Roll!

How can you NOT get pumped up by this little guy? I'm saving this video on my phone, computer, youtube playlist...every year. To read the comments and see the motivation and inspiration this little rock star has churned up is incredible. I think "thumbs up for rock and roll" is my new battle cry!!

Recipe Thursday: Banana Mousse

This sounds soooo good... can't wait to make it!!! (From the Beachbody site: http://www.teambeachbody.com/image/image_gallery?uuid=681f5bcb-f027-438a-af7e-4707c1fb1077&groupId=10137&t=1240008719301)


Banana Mousse

Ingredients
2 Tbsp. low-fat milk
4 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 medium banana, quartered
1 cup plain, low-fat yogurt
4 slices banana (1/4 inch each)
In a blender, blend milk, sugar, vanilla, and the quartered banana together at high speed until mixture is smooth. Pour into a bowl and fold in yogurt. Chill mixture for at least 45 minutes in refrigerator; when chilled, spoon mousse into 4 dessert dishes. Cut 4 1/4-inch slices from banana, and stand 1 banana slice on its side in each bowl. Makes 4 servings.

Preparation Time: 1 hour

Nutritional Information (per serving)

Calories: 89
Protein: 4 g
Fiber: 1 g
Carbs: 16 g
Fat Total: 1 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g

Recipe Thursday: Chicken Satay with Veggies

Let's start the new year off with a new way to cook up chicken...such a great healthy lifestyle staple can always use a new recipe, right? Thank you Spark Recipes!

Chicken Satay with Vegetables (Chef Meg's Makeover)

Nutrition Info

• Calories: 237.6
• Fat: 10.9g
• Carbohydrates: 13.0g
• Protein: 22.9g

Ingredients

Marinade:
1 T coconut milk
1 T brown sugar
2 T soy sauce, low-sodium
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 t cumin
1 lemon, juiced

Sauce:
1/4 cup natural, no salt-added peanut butter
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 T hot curry paste (use mild if you don't like much heat)
3 T soy sauce, low-sodium
1 T light coconut milk
1/2-3/4 c water

Vegetables and Chicken:
16 oz chicken breast, boneless and skinless, diced into 3/4 inch cubes
1 T peanut oil
2 c carrots, shredded
1 onion, sliced
1 c mushrooms, sliced
1 c broccoli florets
1 c sugar snap peas
1 red pepper, sliced

Directions

Prepare marinade by placing all ingredients in a glass dish. Toss diced chicken into the dish and coat in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Prepare the sauce by combining all ingredients into a small saucepan. Start with 1/2 cup of warm water and add more if mixture seems thick. Place on the stove over low heat to warm. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and stir fry in 1 tablespoon of peanut oil in a wok or flat bottomed pan. Stir fry over high heat until meat is completely cooked, remove from pan and reserve. While wok or flat bottomed pan is still hot, add onions and carrots. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms, broccoli, snap peas, pepper. Continue to stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Add chicken back into the wok along with the sauce. Heat until mixture for 1-2 minutes or until the chicken is hot. 
Makes 6 two cup servings.

Editor's Cooking Notes:
For a complete meal, serve with brown rice or rice noodles.

If you're watching your sodium, reduce the amount of soy sauce, but keep in mind that it will affect the balance of flavors in the sauce.

We used all-natural peanut butter for a fresh taste and healthy dose of real nuts. Chef Meg served hers over rice noodles (95 calories per half-cup serving), but you could also serve this with brown rice.

Number of Servings: 6

Have I mentioned that Shakeology is amazing?

But don't just take my word for it.... check it out!

Happy New Year!

Another year gone and I have to say that I'm so excited about the many blessings I have going into 2012. Thank you so much for reading through this blog for another year...through the highs and lows...cleanses, workout routines, injuries, races, and more.

As 2011 fades into our past and we blaze into 2012, here's to a happy, healthy, successful, and fulfilling year for you and your loved ones! I sincerely pray for the best for you! May you be blessed many times over in 2012 and many years to come.

Now drink some water and get going on some goals - 2012 is OUR YEAR! :-)