Let's have dinner together for Cinco de Mayo!

I've been wanting to do this for a long time. Let's see if we can manage it.

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo. It's also my late grandfather's birthday. So I'm feeling festive! I already posted a delicious protein drink you can enjoy in the spirit of the day, but I thought it might be fun to have dinner together too! How? Easy.

Step One: If you haven't already check out my Taco Casserole recipe. It's the most popular recipe on Bariatric Foodie. Here's the recipe.  

Step Two: Make Taco Casserole! This recipe uses ingredients you can find in any grocery store. The best part? It's easy to modify it and make it your own!

Step Three: Post about making Taco Casserole! Here's three ways:

• On Facebook: Drop a pic on the Bariatric Foodie Facebook Wall
• On Twitter: Tweet your picture and tag @BariatricFoodie
• On Instagram: Tag your picture @bariatric_foodie_nation

As I see photos tomorrow night, I'll share them! I'm also going to pin them to this Pinterest board. Remember, if you make changes to the recipe, let us know what you did so we can get new ideas too!

UPDATED: Since I nearly had a brain explosion over some tech difficulties related to this post and you all hung in there anyway (like the champs that you are!) I am now offering a PRIZE for anyone who participates. If you make the casserole and share a pic (using one of the methods above), you'll be entered to win a prize pack of Premier Protein stuff PLUS a copy of The Bariatric Foodie Breakfast Book.

All you have to do is share your picture using one of the three methods above. You don't need to register or do anything else. I'll note who submitted something and enter you. I'll announce who won on May 6. Easy, right?

That's my small way of saying I'm sorry for melting down. I'm human. It happens!

Crustless Pizza Casserole

You know what's really empowering, Foodies?

Making something the way you like it, just because that's how you  like it. Not the way the kids like it or your spouse likes it, but just the way you want it.

I had an epiphany recently. I've spent a lot of my post-op career catering to everyone's preferences in my crusade to get my kids and family to eat healthier. In the process I did several things:

1. I stopped even thinking about what I like the best and why.
2. I put my children under the delusion that they live in a 24-hour diner, complete with a short-order cook.
3. I got a case of "food burn-out."

What's food burn-out? You all have experienced it, I'm sure. It's when you just get tired of thinking about, prepping, and cooking food. So you don't. Instead you eat things that are convenient (and sometimes not healthy). Or worse, you fall back on take-out a lot.

As for me, I fell back on my default foods (stuff I could eat anytime like cottage cheese and Greek yogurt) and let the kids go crazy with take-out. Bad mom!

What I've learned from this is that even when it comes to cooking my needs are important too. So I vow to make more meals the way I like them!

Which is what brings us to this pizza casserole. There are several reasons why my daughters probably won't touch it. For Diva, the Elder, it contains three vegetables that are on her "no fly" list (I've tried to get her to embrace more veggies...she's 16 so at this point trickery doesn't work anymore!). For Diva, the Younger,  (13) she  now eats a pescetarian diet and so the ground meat is no-go. But me? I love it! So here goes.

Nik's Pizza Casserole

Ingredients:

• 2 c. whatever veggies you like, diced (I used onions, yellow bell peppers, and zucchini)
• 1 clove garlic, minced (or 1 tsp. already minced garlic)
• 1 lb. Italian-style ground meat (I used turkey)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1.5 c. your favorite pizza or spaghetti sauce
• 1.5 c. shredded pizza blend or Italian-blend cheese (or mozzarella if you like to keep it simple)
• Toppings: I used one serving of turkey pepperoni (17 slices) and 1/4 c. sliced olives, but add anything you like on top of pizza!

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Set a skillet over medium-high heat and let it get hot (2-3 minutes) before adding nonstick cooking spray (or 1 tbsp. of oil if you like that better). Add veggies and saute for 2-3 minutes until soft. Add garlic and saute an additional minute or so.

Add the ground meat, breaking it up with a spatula and mixing in the vegetables. Cook until meat is done through. Drain meat of any excess fluid with a colander.

Turn stove heat to medium-low and add sauce, stirring to fully combine. Simmer about 5-7 minutes or until sauce turns a deeper shade of red. Your mixture should be saucy but not soupy. Ultimately the veggies will continue releasing water as they cook so you don't want your sauce to have too much liquid. If there seems to be a lot, drain some of it off before doing the next step.

Transfer mixture to a casserole dish (this is an 8 x 8) and spread to make sure it's an even layer. Now comes the fun part. Toppings! I love pepperoni and black olives on pizza so that's what I topped mine with, along with the shredded cheese.

I baked mine for about 20 minutes, long enough for the cheese to melt, brown just a bit and for the pepperonis to become slightly crispy. Technically it's ready when the cheese is melted so let it go as long as you want until it's the way you like it!

No need to let this casserole cool. The ooey-gooey factor is part of the joy of it!

This will be my lunches for the week. Meanwhile the kids are eating...something...(shrugs).

Single Serve Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower

Yesterday I posted the above picture on Facebook of my beautiful little lunch: about 2.5 oz. grilled salmon, along with a spear of brocolli (both leftover from a trip to TGI Friday's) along with a side of cheesy mashed cauliflower I made that morning.

Since I only wanted it that day, I made a single serving. I know some of you either live alone or have family who won't touch veggies with a ten-foot pole, so I though this recipe might be useful to you as well.

Nik's Single Serve Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower
Makes about 1/2 c. (ish) of mashed cauliflower. Divide that into as many portions as you see fit!

Ingredients:

• 4-6 frozen cauliflower florets 
• 1/4 c. (ish) of water
• 1 wedge of Laughing Cow Light spreadable cheese (any flavor you like - I use Garlic & Herb)
• 1 tbsp. shredded cheese of your choice
• 1 heaping tsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place florets and water in a bowl. Microwave on high for about 2 minutes. This should leave your florets pretty soft. If not, keep microwaving in 15 second increments until they are!

Drain the water and mash the florets (this can be done with a sturdy fork although for me any excuse to use my potato masher is a good one!).

While the florets are still hot, mix in your cheeses (Laughing Cow, shredded and parmesan), along with your salt and pepper. Mix in well.

I personally like to add parsely to the top (I'm a visual eater) but that's not necessary. If it's not hot enough for you, pop it back in the microwave about 30 seconds to reheat it through. 

Enjoy!

Ten-Minute Meal: Nik & Steak & Cheese Zoodles

This "as it happened" lunch is brought to you by...Nik! :) Seriously though...submitting a recipe for the contest is as easy as snapping a pic of one of your meals!

 



Hey friends! Are you getting together your entries for the 2^ndannual Bariatric Foodie “Play With MY Food” recipe contest? (If not you should be. For simply sharing the recipe and a pic of one of your meals you could win a $50 Amazon gift card!)

If you need some inspiration, here’s a really quick and easy dish I made myself THIS very morning for lunch that is the perfect kind of recipe (and an example of what I mean by a decent food picture – this was taken with my phone).

Nik’s Steak & Cheese Zoodles

Ingredients:

• 3-ish oz. leftover cooked steak or roast beef (NOTE: You don’t HAVE to use beef. If you’ve got leftover chicken make it chicken and cheese…seafood, make it seafood and cheese. You get where I’m going with this right?)
• 1 oz. onion slivers
• Zoodles (zucchini noodles I made using my spiral vegetable cutter)
• Whatever random quick-cooking veggies you wanna throw in there (I had spinach so I used that)
• Salt, pepper, garlic (or garlic powder)
• 1 wedge Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb cheese
• Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Spray a skillet with non-stick set it over medium heat and let it get hot. Throw the steak and onions on there and get them cooking.

Meanwhile you can be cutting your zoodles. (It’s a quick, easy and, dare I say, fun process!)

Add zoodles to the pan and toss it around with the steak and onions. Let those go about a minute before adding the other veggies you intend to use. Add spices.

Once everything is tender (it only takes 3-ish minutes) throw in the Laughing Cow Light wedge (NOTE: you may want to dice it up. They don’t exactly “melt” easily). Toss throughout (I use tongs) allowing the temperature of the food to soften the cheese.

When ready to eat, top with Parmesan cheese and enjoy! These tasted like a steak & cheese sub - without the bread! And it literally took me 10 minutes to make.

So if you were hesitating to enter the contest because you thought you needed a "fancy" dish - don't! In fact most of the judges WANT simple and good recipes. So get yours together and submit by September 30 for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card! Plus you'll be helping to fill the contest e-book that will be available to everyone for FREE download.

Keep playing with your food!

White Cheddar Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower

Before we get to this, let me introduce you to Annikki (pronounced "Ah-nick-eye").

You all know her best as "La Grande Diva," my precociously picky child (who, at the writing of this blog post is 14 years-old).

The story of how this side dish came to be has everything to do with her. You see, she's a "meat-and-potatoes" kind of kid so naturally, many of the dishes I present to you guys don't go over so well with her (she even hates Taco Casserole, if you can believe it).

But she's generally a good sport about trying things and when she's forced to eat vegetables she does not like (except peas, wherein she tries to fake anaphylaxis). All this is to say that because she is such a good sport, every once in a while I make a dinner that she likes, simply because it's what she likes. Last night's dinner was one such occasion.

The menu:

• Grilled steak (she covets steak but I rarely buy it, both because I have trouble eating it and because of my inherent distrust of the contents of most beef)
• Roasted red potatoes (for anyone who deeply  misses pictures of potatoes, I put one down yonder)
• Cheesy Cauliflower Mash: White Cheddar edition (great mac 'n cheese swap, by the way!)

It is that last that we will focus on today! This recipe is a bit different from my Four Cheese Mashed Cauliflower recipe, not only in its recipes but also in how I prepared it. So let's get started, shall we?

Before we get to the sauce, you should put a pot of water on to boil your cauliflower. I use bagged frozen for convenience but you can use fresh if you like (I recommend cutting it into florets before you begin).

Also preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Nik's Awesome Cheese Sauce

This iteration of Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower begins with cheese sauce. Have you all ever made cheese sauce? It's dreamy. It also tends to be carby and fatty but you can exert some control over both of those things with a few simple swaps. Here's the basic recipe to the sauce you see here.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. butter or butter substitute (I admit I used Blue Bonnet Light, which has half the calories of butter. You do what you think is best!)
• 2 tbsp. of flour of some sort (I used some of my last bag of now discontinued - sniff, sniff - Atkins Baking Mix that I re-sifted to get it to a super-fine texture but I imagine soy flour would do well here. Perhaps almond flour although I'm not sure what that'd do with the taste.)
• 1.5 c. cold milk (I used skim. Again, your choice!)
• 1.5 c. + 1/3 c. shredded white cheddar cheese (You can do reduced fat if you want. I did not.)
• 1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese (just because I like the taste of it! It's optional.)
• Any spices you like (I generally add garlic powder, a dash of salt, fresh ground black pepper and a "splick" of cayenne)

Directions:

Set a small pot over medium heat and let it get hot (about 3-ish mintues). Add butter and melt.

Add flour and stir until flour has absorbed the butter. It will look kind of like Play-Doh.

(This next part is tricky so if you have a better way, use it!)

With one hand, pour the milk into the pot. Be sure it is COLD! With the other hand, whisk the flour/butter mixture in. There may still be some flour bits floating around. Theoretically this shouldn't happen if the milk is cold and the flour/butter combo is hot but if it does you can fish them out with a slotted spoon.

Let this mixture come to a simmer, then add your white cheddar cheese (the 1.5 cups), Parmesan cheese and seasonings. Stir with a long wooden spoon until it thickens, usually about 2-3 minutes. If you're ready to mix it with your cauliflower (or chosen "thing"), do so. If not, keep the sauce going on low until you're ready to use it.

Now let's get back to that cauliflower.

At this point your water should be boiling. If you use frozen cauliflower, dump it in there and let the whole thing return to a boil. It cooks pretty fast (about 5 minutes or so). If you're using fresh add that and cook until very tender (about 7-8 minutes) for fresh.

Once your cauliflower is cooked, drain it and then mash it by whatever means you have available (I use a potato masher). 

Mix the cheese sauce into the cauliflower in the pot and then empty it into a casserole dish (I used an 8 x 8 Pyrex dish). Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup of cheese on top and add any other spices you like to the top (I usually do salt, pepper and a sprinkle of Herbs de Provence) and bake it for 30 minutes or until it is bubbling and the top is slightly browned.

Yep...my child loved her dinner. Oh yeah, here are the red potatoes in case anyone is interested. 

Yes, I had a few. Potatoes are not the enemy for me! 

Grilled Pears with Herb & Cheese Topping (featuring Laughing Cow White Cheddar Cheese)

I'd love to tell you I thought of this recipe all on my own. That it was some figment of my imagination bourne of my vast culinary experience that I just knew would hit the palate the right way.

But I'd be lying.

In truth this recipe is an amalgamation of a bunch of things I've seen: on Food Network, in magazines, at fancy dinner events. So I can't say with confidence that this was an original idea so much as I can say that I guard my food memories very well. Which, to be fair, is a skill!

This was another of the recipes we made at my Laughing Cow cooking party. Fresh off the defeat of "Pork Meatball-gate" I was feeling a bit less than confident about my recipe skills. But we forged on and I'm so glad we did because this was yummy! It's easy to make but feels gourmet. It's savory, sweet, chewy and crunchy - it hits all the pleasure zones!

Grilled Pear with Herb & Cheese Topping
(Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil + 1 tbsp. melted butter
• 2 pears, cut in half, cored and seeded
• 1/3 c. ricotta cheese
• 4 Laughing Cow White Cheddar cheese wedges
• 1 tbsp. basil (we used fresh leaves from Margaret's plant), rough chopped
• 4 tbsp. sugar-free caramel sauce
• 1/3 c. sliced almonds

Directions:

Combine olive oil and butter in a bowl then, using a food brush, brush the cut side of the pear and grill about 7 minutes or until tender and it's developed grill marks.

In a bowl, combine ricotta and Laughing Cow cheeses and mix thoroughly. Add basil and mix again. Refrigerate mixture until ready to serve.

Set a dry skillet (meaning no non-stick cooking spray) over medium heat and allow it to get hot. Add almond slices and gently toss about 3 minutes or until slices darken and you can smell the almonds. Remove from heat.

To assemble the dessert, place a pear on a plate, fill the cavity with the ricotta/cheddar mixture, drizzle with caramel and top with toasted almonds!

This was one of those desserts that was really complex and I loved it. The basil really stood out and tasted fresh against the slight salty-ness of the cheese, which complimented the caramel and the almonds gave the thing a "pie crust" kind of feel.

My advice? Make this next time you have someone over to dinner. It looks gorgeous, it tastes divine and it will put you squarely in the dinner host(ess) hall of fame!

Stuffed Portabella Mushroom featuring Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb Cheese

Dear Foodies who hate mushrooms:

While I do not apologize for this dish, I understand. You feel about mushrooms the way I feel about… … (trying to think of something I don’t like…) … oh, terragon! I hate terragon. So yes, I can empathize!

But rest assured the other Laughing Cow recipes I developed are mushroom free and delicious. Check back throughout this week as I share how Bariatric Foodie imagines the possibilities with The Laughing Cow!

To everyone else:

So I bought this Portabella Mushroom. And I’d never cooked one before so I was a bit nervous about the whole thing. I mean I’d eaten one before and loved it but never cooked one. I asked for suggestions on Facebook and Twitter but finally I decided, you know what, I’m gonna use what’s in my refrigerator! I have an abundance of veggies that need using and it seemed wasteful to go out and buy more food, especially considering I’m leaving town in two days!

So here’s what I came up with.

Nik’s Baked Stuffed Portabella featuring Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb Cheese

Ingredients

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1 Portabella mushroom, cleaned, stemmed and “spongy part” gills removed
• 2 tbsp. diced onions
• 2 tbsp. finely diced zucchini
• 2 tbsp. finely diced yellow squash
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 wedges Laughing Cow Garlic & Herb cheese
• 1 egg
• ½ tsp. Herbs de Provence (or fresh herbs of your choosing work well too!)
• 1 heaping tablespoon your favorite shredded cheddar cheese
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Clean outside of mushroom with a damp paper towel and then spray it with nonstick cooking spray. Use salt and pepper as desired.

Spray down a small skillet and sautee the onions, squash, zucchini and garlic until just tender.

In a bowl, thoroughly mix together Laughing Cow wedges and egg. Add vegetables.

Place mushroom in a baking pan that’s been coated with nonstick and pour egg/cheese/veggie mixture in. Top with shredded cheese.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until egg mixture is set, cheese is brown on top and the mushroom has flattened considerably.

I garnished with fresh diced tomatoes (I liked the pop of color).

WARNING: A full-size Portabella is going to yield more than one serving. My advice? Let it cool for a few minutes and slice it like a pizza. It keeps for 2-3 days in the fridge and if you’re ok with reheated food, this reheats well in the microwave. If you’re not good with reheated food then you might consider either halving the filling recipe and using baby bellas OR sharing this recipe with someone you love, who also loves mushrooms.

Enjoy!

BF Cook-along: Butter Garlic Herb Tilapia w/ Squash and Cheesy Cauliflower

Obligatory "Fed" Disclaimer: When clicking links in this blog post related to products, you will be redirected to sites where those products are available for purchase. If you purchase products through those links, a portion of the sale price is paid back to Bariatric Foodie. 

I really enjoy doing these cook-alongs on Facebook. It holds me accountable to cooking lunch for the week and gives you guys a look into my warped thought process!

So this week I got some beautiful stuff at the farmer's market, including HUGE zucchini (I always overbuy), some yellow squash (my grandma called them "crook-necks"). Since I had such an abundance I decided to start my cook-along there.

Indulge me a memory. As a kid my now late mother (who I call "Mama Foodie") did not believe in kitchen machinery. Food processors offended her sensibilities and a mandolin slicer? Get outta here! Nope. Instead...she had me.

Now when I was younger I resented this, especially because my brothers got to watch tv while I was being forced to chop veggie after veggie after veggie. But the good part about this (for you and for me) is that I can chop darn near anything, any way, really fast! These days I do so to honor my mom's memory. It almost feels like we're still cooking together.

S'anyway, that's all to say that when I looked at the whole squash and zucchini, in my mind's eye what I saw was this:

And I knew that I wanted to do a "flavor build-up" as I call it. In my world, this is where you layer flavors so that when they cook in an oven they all come together in a glorious marriage of nummyness! To start I made the world's simplest butter garlic herb sauce:

Nik's "Really Simple" Butter Garlic Herb Sauce

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter (if you don't use butter...use what you use)
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp Herbs de Provence (if you don't have this French herb blend handy use the herbs you like. Italian seasoning also works!)
• Salt/pepper to taste
• Optional (but I used) A splash (I'd estimate about 2-3 tbsp) white wine

Directions:

Set a pan over a medium flame and add your butter.

Once it melts, throw in the garlic and herbs and mix it with a whisk or a fork.

After it gets to a simmering boil, add the wine and cook an additional minute or two.

NOM! Once I tasted it I poured it over my veggies and I knew just what protein I wanted to stick on top. TILAPIA!

I love tilapia although I don't eat it very often (don't ask me why, there is no good reason!). So I put a few frozen filets on top of the veggies and seasoned them with salt, a generous dose of black pepper (I am a fan) and a sprinkle more of Herbs de Provence. And into a pre-heated 350 oven they went for 35 minutes! It came out looking (and smelling!) lovely. Check it:

Now, I'm all into eating healthy but I also whole-heartedly believe that every meal should have some little indulgence. One might argue that the butter in the fish is indulgence but considering the butter made up 200 calories, split among four portions, I think I have room to play with my food!

I had a bag of cauliflower I'd thawed then promptly forgot about it so I needed to use it. I wanted cheesy mashed cauliflower but my original recipe calls for more cauliflower than I had and, frankly, I didn't want to get stuck eating it for two weeks! So I worked out a quickie version.

Nik's Quicky Cheesy Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. milk
• 1/2 shredded cheese of your choice
• 1 bag cauliflower florets, cooked and mashed
• An additional sprinkle of cheese over the top

Basically you make a simple pan cheese sauce by letting your milk come up to a slow simmer in a pan. Add the cheese once the milk is hot and stir well. I used the same pan I'd made the butter garlic herb sauce so I had that good pan crud (and residual butter!) working for me. You may have to stir a few moments to get it to melt down completely but eventually it should look like this:

Transfer your cauliflower to a pan (I used an 8x8) and pour the cheese on top. Sprinkle a little extra cheese on top (and to keep with the Herbs de Provence theme, I sprinkled some of that on too). Bake in a 350 oven for 30 minutes or until cheese on top is browned!

Who stole a bite???

I love these kinds of dinners. They confuse my kids because it feels like they have had a starch when they have not! But it's still good! 

If you wanna join in on the cook-along fun, be sure to tune into Bariatric Foodie's Facebook Page on Sunday nights. That's when I usually do a cook-along. If I do one during a different time I usually send out an event invite.

Until then, keep playing with your food!

Nik's Cheesesteak Ramekin

Looking to check-in your Week 4 Bariatric Foodie Pledge goal? Click here!

I know. Ok? I KNOW. I do. I know.

Some of you live alone. Some of you have families who hear healthy and say "[BLEEP] no!" And so with many of my recipes you make them and you have a WHOLE lotta food left. What can I say? I blog my truth and my truth is that I've always had two other mouths to feed (and very often the occasional adopted, hungry drifter).

This time I'm going to give you an individual recipe. It is small. It is fast to make. It only requires a few ingredients. But here's the "catch." It's friggin' DELICIOUS! So don't be surprised if those same people you struggled to feed before try to swoop in and steal this. And don't blame me! After all, it's easy enough to make another one, right?

Nik's Cheesesteak Ramekin
Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 2 oz. thin-sliced deli roast beef (you can go for low-sodium if you need), chopped
• 1 tablespoon of finely diced onions
• 1 tablespoon finely diced green peppers (if you can do them)
• A few slices of mushroom (if you like mushrooms)
• 1 Laughing Cow Light French Onion-flavored cheese wedge
• 1 slice of reduced-fat provolone cheese
• Any condiments you used to love on your steak sub
• A three-ounce ramekin 

Directions:

Spray down a pan with nonstick and let it get  hot. Add onions, mushrooms and peppers and sautee about a minute.

Add the beef and sautee that until either warmed through (if you are new out and/or have a sensitive pouch) or crispy (if you, like me, have an Iron Pouch).

This flavor added a LOT of flavor to my beef/veggie mixture

Turn off the heat in the pan and drop the Laughing Cow cheese wedge right on top of your steaming hot meat mixture and allow it to soften. Then mash it through the mixture (it doesn't really melt into stuff but you can mash and mix).

Next add any condiments you like directly to the meat mixture. I just wanted ketchup so that's all I added.

Place the mixture in your ramekin and top with a slice of provolone. Then stick the whole thing in the microwave for about 30-45 seconds to melt the cheese.

And voila! A cheesesteak sub. No bread. In a ramekin. In a size that does not make you want to cry.

...my work is done here...

Baked Cheese Crisps

Cheez-Its. They are my kryptonite. Can anyone relate?

Baked cheese is not my invention but I appreciate it, as I do snacks like "Just the Cheese." But...I'm a single mom with two kids, a dog and a cat to feed all on one meager salary so...sometimes a Foodie's gotta do what a Foodie's gotta do.

So here's how I get my Cheez-It fix on the cheap. This is the simplest thing I've probably ever posted on this blog. There are two ingredients. Cheese and cheese.

So here's how it goes down.

Step One:

The beauty of these things is they work with a variety of cheese qualities. Here, as you can see, I've used budget ingredients ;)

Choose your cheese(s). You can use one type of cheese or several. You can also add things in. I like spicy stuff, so I've done Mexican blend with a pinch of ground Chipotle pepper in it. I've done Parmesan/Romano (with a teeny bit of mozzarella) with a pinch of Italian spices. Let your imagination go wild! Here I did Colby Jack and Parmesan. It's an unlikely combo but then I'm an unlikely girl :)

I use full-fat cheese. I suspect this will still work with low-fat cheese but the cook times might be longer as reduced fat cheeses don't tend to melt as fast as full-fat. I do not know about fat free cheese because, frankly, it frightens me. :)

If you are using one cheese, measure out a serving of it for each person who will partake. If you are using more than one cheese, use equal parts of each.

Step Two:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. While it's heating up, line a baking sheet with parchment paper (not aluminum foil, not non-stick cooking spray on the cookie sheet...parchment paper). Lay out your cheese however you want. I like to mix mine up a bit. You may like it layered. It's yo' thang. Do what you wanna do!

You can also do one big cheese crisp and break it up or do little rounds (I'm showing both ways in this post). Or heck...get creative. Make cheesy hearts if you wanna!

Step Three:

This is where the journey gets highly personal. When I researched how to make this, most sources said bake for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is very browned around the edges and lightly browned in the middle. In my oven, however, this took more like 13 minutes. Your mileage may vary. I'd say start checking on it at 7 minutes and let it go until it looks like this:

Or like this if you are doing rounds:

I love you too  much to lie to you, Foodies. The rounds got made because I made the big one...and the kids ate it before I could take a final pic!!!

Step Four:

This is, by far, the hardest part. Turn off the oven and walk away! The cheese crisps will continue to cook a bit on the hot cookie sheet but that will just contribute to them being crispier. But they MUST cool to be crispy. So you want crisps? Walk away!

Step Five:

When you come back you should have little pieces of cheesy heaven! And one note: If you overcook the cheese, no worries! (Unless it's burnt black...that tends to be...yucky...). When trying to get down exactly how long it took for these to cook I overcooked quite a few batches and both the divas and I still loved them!

Now, since you've only used one portion of cheese (which is what I'd use in any recipe where I  use cheese) to me these could be a snack. But most of the time, in my eternal weirdness) I find myself doing other things with them. Like dipping them in Greek yogurt ranch dip. Or crumbling over a salad. Or tossing atop a bowl of soup (that didn't work out so well for me by the way).

Whatever way you choose to do it, this will definitely give you your cheesy fix. Enjoy!

Alethea's Shrimp & Quinoa

Well, folks. It was bound to happen. With two kids in public school, some noxious germ was bound to find its way into my body. My immune system is fighting hard, though!

So while I am down for the count, I thought I'd share some Foodie submissions. I just love it when you guys email me with pictures and recipes about how you are playing with your food!

This week we have two offerings from the Foodie Nation. I'll post the second tomorrow!

Alethea's Shrimp & Quinoa

Here's the back-story she sent me:

Ok, so I set out to make shrimp and polenta from the Bobby Dean show, but it turns out polenta is not that popular in "po-dunk" Ohio so I had to make some adjustments. For the most part it was good but lacking a flavor punch (suggestions welcome, Foodies!). I am going to try it again. My youngest really liked it and he hates everything!

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c. diced Canadian bacon
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
• One 14 1/2-ounce can petite-cut, no-salt diced tomatoes
• 1/4 c. dry white wine
• 2 tbsp. plain nonfat Greek-style yogurt
• 1 tsp. hot sauce
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 dozen large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails on
• 3/4 c. uncooked quinoa
• 3 cups hot water
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, for garnish, optional

Directions:

Add the bacon to a nonstick skillet and saute over medium heat until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a plate and set aside. Add the garlic, onions and bell peppers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, wine, yogurt, hot sauce and salt, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the flavors are blended and the sauce begins to thicken, 6 to 8 minutes. Return the bacon to the skillet. Add the shrimp and cook until the shrimp turn bright pink and are cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a heavy cast-iron skillet, add your quinoa and allow it to toast for about a minute. Add the hot water and slowly whisk the quinoa and water together. Reduce the heat and simmer about 7-10 minutes, or until the quinoa is fully cooked (Click here for an easy primer on quinoa!). Remove from the heat., 

Serve the shrimp mixture over the quinoa. Sprinkle with the chives if desired.

Nik's Notes:

Alethea noted that it needed a flavor punch. Here are several ways to do that:

• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, while toasting the quinoa if you like a spicy kick
• Play around with the kind of bacon you use. You can use a sweeter smoked bacon if you want a slightly sweet off-set or a smoked bacon. Also, I'd use center-cut bacon. Less fat, more meaty flavor!
• Instead of bacon, try dicing up some turkey smoked sausages and following the recipe the same way
• If sodium isn't an issue, try a can of pre-flavored diced tomatoes. They come in such variations as tomatoes and chiles (in mild, medium or hot), Italian-style and garlic and herb

How would YOU make this dish your own, Foodies?

Dee Dee's Cheesy Squash & TVP Casserole

I just love it when you guys play with your food and let me know about it. It's so exciting to see what you're cooking up.

My pal Dee Dee sent this to me to show her first attempt at working with TVP ("What the heck is TVP?"). It looks yummy, vegetarian-friendly (correct me if I'm wrong) and easy to make! 

Thank you, Dee Dee, for this scrumptious recipe!

Dee Dee's Cheesy Squash and TVP Casserole

Ingredients:

• 3 zucchini squash, sliced thin
• 2 yellow squash, sliced thin
• 1 medium onion, sliced thin (you might want to go with a white onion since the veggies will sweeten up a bit from cooking)
• 1 c. Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
• 1 c. + 1/2 c. whatever cheese you like (she used an assortment from her fridge that included cheddar, mozzarella, Italian blend and Parmesan)
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning
• Garlic salt & black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl (using one cup of your cheese) and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. This allows some of the water to come out of the veggies, rehydrating the TVP and allowing it to soak up the flavor of the veggies. 

Spray a casserole dish down with non-stick cooking spray (Dee Dee used an 8x8 dish) and transfer mixture into it. Bake for one hour. 

Turn off the oven, cover with another generous sprinkle of cheese and and allow it to remain in the oven as it cools. 

Nik's Cheesy "Faux-tato" Bacon Soup



This soup is good.

No...this soup is DAMN good.

OMG. I have to get myself together just to give you the recipe.

So...potato soup. Oddly enough, I wasn't a big fan pre-op. I loved a nice, loaded baked potato but soup didn't really do much for me.

But I love this soup. I was inspired to make it by a friend who mentioned missing potato soup. I figured...since we already know that all carbs are not evil...why not?

I'm giving you this recipe in two forms: The "quickie" version (which yields just a few servings for those Foodies who live alone or simply travel alone on the path to good health) and the family style version, which is what yielded the beautiful ramekin you see above. It also fed the divas (who also loved the soup) for a few days. Winning!

Nik's Cheesy "Fauxtato" Soup

Quickie version

12 oz. can of any kind of white bean (cannelini or navy work well)
1 c. unflavored Greek Yogurt
1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth
2 tsp garlic powder
(Optional: 1-2 scoops unflavored protein powder)

(We'll get to the cheese and the bacon in a moment...)

Directions:

Drain the beans of the canning liquid and put them in a pot. Add chicken broth and garlic powder set over a medium flame until it comes to a slow boil.

Add yogurt and protein powder (if using) and give it a stir. Then use an immersion blender to puree the whole thing. If you don't have one, place the mixture into your blender and blend on the puree setting.

Family Style version

15 oz. low-sodium chicken broth
1 whole clove garlic
1 small onion, quartered
1 lb. dry white beans (the soup picutured is made of navy beans)
1 c. water
1 c. unflavored Greek yogurt
Optional: 2-3 scoops of unflavored protein powder


(Yes..yes...I promise I have NOT forgotten the bacon and cheese!)

Directions:

Place chicken broth, garlic clove and onion in a pot over a medium flame and cook until it comes to a boil. Turn off heat, remove onion and garlic and put liquid in a crock pot.

Add beans and water and cook on low until beans are very tender (about 3 hours).

Drain excess liquid into a bowl but keep the beans in the crockpot. Add the Greek yogurt and protein powder (if using) and puree the soup with your immersion blender (or traditional blender). If it seems too thick, add liquid back in by the half-cupful until it is about the consistency of cooked oatmeal or grits.

Now...onto the fun part. The bacon and cheese!

Once your soup is done, ladel out your little portion. Add to it about an ounce of whatever cheese you like (you all will not be surprised to know I chose fresh grated Parmesan which, to me, is the king of all cheeses) and either 1 slice of bacon (pork, turkey, soy...your choice) or 1 tbsp real bacon bits.

FOR VEGETARIANS: This recipe can also work for you! Substitute veggie broth for chicken, imitation bacon bits for real and...well...I've never been completely sure what the deal is with vegetarians and cheese. Can someone please 'splain that to me?

One last note: I didn't have any extra Greek yogurt on hand, but if I did, this easily could have been a "Loaded Baked Faux-tato" Soup. Mmmmm... But that brings me to an important point. PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD! If you want brocolli/cheese...go for it! Or whatever you want. It really is up to you.

This soup is soooo good. It's Saturday. You have some time. Go get the stuff to make it!!!