Cinnamon Chips

I love cinnamon apples, pears, etc in the Fall, so today we tried something new and it was a success! I am always happy to find a lower-guilt level desert. This is super easy too!
I used whole wheat carb-balance tortilla. Cut them in pieces. Then spray them with Pam spray and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 400 for 10-13 minutes, and there ya go! Yummy, healthy cinnamon chips.

Taco Chili

Since this is the first open-windows day of the year, I am celebrating with some yummy (and healthy!) chili. I got this recipe from weight watchers and have been meaning to back it up for some time now, so this is great.

Ingredients:

• 1lb 97% fat free ground turkey
• 1 chopped onion
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 cups celery (not too finely chopped)
• 1 15oz can tomato sauce
• 1 small can diced green chilies
• 1 or 2 15oz cans of stewed tomatoes
• 4 16oz cans beans (mix or match pinto, black, kidney etc)
• 1 packet ranch dressing mix
• 1 Packet taco seasoning
  
• 2 teaspoons cumin (or more)
• 16oz bag frozen corn
• 1/2 cup water (optional- I usually don't need it after the canned tomatoes and beans)

Cooking Instructions:

Brown the turkey, add onions, garlic, and celery halfway through. One by one add the remaining ingredients. DON'T DRAIN ANYTHING. Heat through, simmer for a while if you like.

Sunday Splurge... Chicken Rigatoni

Even though we are focusing on healthy cooking, I usually let myself "splurge" once on the weekend and make an especially sinful meal or dessert. This week it was chicken and pasta in a white wine cream sauce... Wine, cream, cheese, and pasta... could you get any better????

Here's the recipe... the only change I would make is cutting it in 1/2.... As is, it makes about 6 servings.... I made the mistake of making the whole thing... now instead of just one meal, I have 3 leftover servings of this sinful treat...yikes!!!!

http://www.thenovicechefblog.com/search?q=chicken+rigatoni

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2tablespoons olive oil
  
• 4 grilled chopped chicken breasts
  
• salt and pepper
• 10 basil leaves (finely chopped)
  
• 1 large onion chopped and caramelized
• 6 garlic cloves chopped
  
• 10 ounces dry marsala wine
  
• 20 ounces heavy cream (or evaporated milk for a lighter version)
  
• 1 box (24 ounces) rigatoni pasta (pre-cooked or cooked as you are cooking the sauces)
  
• 2 ounces freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used twice this!!!!)
  

In a hot sauté pan add butter and olive oil and let melt. Then add chicken, basil, caramelized onions, garlic, salt and pepper and sauté for approximately 2 minutes. Add the wine and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and bring to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and stir until all pasta is covered with sauce. Lastly add the parmesan cheese and stir until all chesse is melted!

Savory Substitutions

Since we are on a healthy mission, I thought we could list when we found some decent substitutions for less-than=healthful things. My favorite as of late:
Tazo Apple Cinnamon Spice Tea: I am spoiled and only buy the Tazo teas..they are so good. I like this one b/c once Fall hits I want to drink cider every day, but it is not the most calorie-conservative. This does not taste like cider, but it is a nice hot fally-substitution.

Fiesta Rice

You can have this as a side, or I like to add cheese and chicken and make it a bowl meal!

Yield

8 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup chopped green onions
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked brown rice
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Dash of salt
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with chiles, undrained
• 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Preparation

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add corn to pan; cook 10 minutes or until corn starts to brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan. Set aside.

Melt butter in pan. Add onions; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in rice, cumin, and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add chicken broth, black pepper, salt, and diced tomatoes to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in reserved corn and beans. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro and juice.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 226 (16% from fat)

Fat: 3.9g (sat 1.3g,mono 1.7g,poly 0.7g)

Protein: 6.6g

Carbohydrate: 43.5g

Fiber: 4.9g

Fabulous Fajitas... No Grill Required!

(Pics courtesy of Recipe Zaar... I am not used to this whole blogging thing yet and forgot to take my own!!!!

Okay... so this was actually a mis-read of thel recipe on my part (oops!) in which I originally thought the whole recipe was meant to be made stove-top... Turns out the meat is actually meant to be grilled, but by the time I realized that, I had all the ingredients prepared and was in no mood (or state of dress) to hike out to the cabana grill that is currently our only option grill-wise. Sooo... I tried it all stove-top and was pleasantly surprised!

Here is the recipe (from Recipe Zaar): http://www.recipezaar.com/Chilis-Fajitas-8595

The only modification I made was stir-frying the meat on the stove in the same pan as the veggies. It turned out great!!! Hubby said they were better than the pre-marinated stuff we used to buy to grill! To complete the whole Chili's illusion, I went by their "To Go" counter this morning and picked up chips and salsa (waaaay more than you could ever eat at one meal!) for $3.00!

Chili's Fajitas Recipe #8595

Serve on flour tortillas with cheese, guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes, and lettuce.

SERVES 4

For the marinade

• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Meat

• 1 lb top sirloin steak or boneless skinless chicken breast

Vegetable sauce

• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
• 1 dash salt
• 1 dash black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Vegetables

• 1 large Spanish onion, sliced thin
• 1/2 green pepper, sliced thin
• 1/2 red pepper, sliced thin
• 1/2 yellow pepper, sliced thin

1. Combine the lime juice, water, oil, garlic, soy sauce, salt, liquid smoke, cayenne pepper, black pepper and either the sirloin OR the chicken in a Tupperware container, cover, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
2. Discard leftover marinade.
3. Grill meat over medium flame 4-5 minutes on each side.
4. Cut meat into thin strips.
5. Set aside and keep warm.
6. Combine the 2 Tbls. water, soy sauce, lime juice, salt, pepper and olive oil.
7. set aside.
8. cook onion and peppers in oil until brown.
9. remove from heat.
10. pour reserved mixture over onions and peppers.
11. combine meat, onions, and peppers.

French Toast (for the healthy and the not-so-healthy...)

You can probably tell just by looking that I do NOT wake up to green monsters like Cassie... Though I swear I will try one since you say you truly cannot taste the spinach... Anyway, here is MY breakfast recipe from the morning... I'll give you the healthy version and the not-so-healthy (but super yummy) version.

Healthy Version Ingredients:

(makes 1 serving or 2 small servings)

2 slices whole grain bread

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon skim milk

Non-stick cooking spray

sugar free fruit preserves

Not-so-Healthy Modifications:

White bread instead of whole grain

Butter instead of non-stick spray

Syrup instead of preserves

Cooking Instructions:

In either variation, whisk together egg, cinnamon, vanilla, and milk. Dip bread in mixture, coating thoroughly. Heat non-stick spray or butter in skillet. Place dipped bread in skillet, browning each side. Top with syrup or preserves. Enjoy!!!

I usually make one piece of the french toast per person and then use the same pan to make mini omelets (1 egg a piece) to go along with them.

The Green Monster

This is something you REALLY have to give a chance despite its looks. Athletes love smoothies because our bodies absorb the nutrients from produce most efficiently in liquid form. Well, lucky for us, Spinach- one of the most incredible super foods- is completely flavorless when it is blended up with other things! So, the Green Monster has become a favorite breakfast item of mine.
Here is my usual breakfast recipe:

2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 banana (cut up)
2 tbs natural Peanut Butter
1 cup skim milk
ice
Blend it all up until it is looks like something that would project out of Linda Blair.

I use that recipe generally because it has a perfect balance of protein and carbohydrate plus the spinach. It leaves me stuffed for hours. You can change it up so many ways though- essentially just make your favorite smoothie, but ass spinach because it is flavorless and adds a massive nutrient kick! I love using strawberries and blueberries, but that is not going to make it a pretty green ;P

Another cool thing, you can totally get kids into this drink because of the way it looks.

Tortilla Soup

I happen to be a soup junkie...so my post may have a common theme :P
This was sooo good! I used whole wheat carb-balance tortillas to make the chips. Also, if you aren't into too spicy, you may want to use a little less poblanos, but not much less. It was only slightly spicy. Just to make it easier, I used boneless, skinless chicken breast. I am not one to dissect chicken...

http://family.go.com/food/recipe-ew-631163-tortilla-soup-t/

Here’s a version of chicken tortilla soup that’s both super-easy and delicious. To make it even quicker, use crumbled baked tortilla chips in place of the homemade tortilla strips and skip Steps 1-2. Serve with vinegary coleslaw, lime wedges and hot sauce.

Prep Time:	30 minutes
Ready in:	45 minutes
Yield:	6 servings, about 1 1/3 cups each
Ease of Prep:	Easy

Recipe Ingredients
	8 corn tortillas , halved and thinly sliced
	Canola or olive oil cooking spray
	1 tablespoon canola oil
	3 Anaheim or poblano peppers , diced
	1 medium onion , diced
	1 teaspoon ground cumin
	1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs , trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (see Tip)
	4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
	1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles
	2 tablespoons lime juice
	1/2 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
	1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Recipe Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Spread tortilla strips in an even layer on a baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Bake until browned and crispy, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add peppers and onion and cook, stirring, until the onion begins to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Add cumin and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add chicken, broth, tomatoes and their juice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in lime juice. Serve each portion topped with some of the baked tortilla strips, Cheddar and cilantro.

Tip: To trim boneless, skinless chicken thighs, we like to use kitchen shears to snip the fat away from the meat.

Health Advantages: low calorie, high fiber, low cholesterol, healthy weight.

Nutrition Information
Servings Per Recipe: 6
	Amount Per serving
	Calories:	288 cal					Carbohydrate Servings:	1 1/2
	Carbohydrates:	25 g		Dietary Fiber:	5 g		Cholesterol:	56 mg
	Fat:	12 g		Sodium:	483 mg		Saturated Fat:	4 g
	Protein:	20 g		Potassium:	404 mg		Monounsaturated Fat:	4 g
	Nutrition Bonus:	Vitamin A (40% daily value), Iron (15% dv).
	Exchanges:	1 starch, 1 vegetable, 2 lean meat, 1 fat

The Recipe That Started It All... Veggie Lover's Chicken Soup

Believe it or not, our joint obsession over this simple little soup recipe is what prompted the entire concept of this blog... Cassie made the soup first with her own modifications... I tried it the next night making a few changes of my own... then Cassie made it AGAIN a different way... then I added more ingrediants into my leftovers... Basically, this one simple recipe has fed us for a week and sparked our collective cooking creativity...

Here is the original: http://family.go.com/food/recipe-ew-504823-vegetable-lover-s-chicken-soup-t/

But here is our (highly superior!) revision:

Yield: 6 bowls of soup (Cassie makes less at a time, so 1/2 the recipe if you choose! I like to have the leftovers to take to lunch at work)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (enough to coat the bottom of your pot - you may need more if your veggies start to dry out or stick)

8 ounces chicken tenders , cut into bite-size chunks

2 cups finely diced veggies (I use zucchini, carrots, and celery; Cassie has also tried artichokes and broccoli... whatever you have/like seems to work just fine! If you use spinach, make sure not to add it until the end...)

1 large shallot , finely chopped (or 2-3 little ones)

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend

1/8 teaspoon salt (or garlic salt)

1 can italian style diced tomatos

32 ounces reduced-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 tablespoons orzo or other tiny pasta, such as farfelline, or 4 tablespoons rice

Directions
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add veggies, shallot, garlic, Italian seasoning and salt and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened. Add tomatoes, broth, wine and orzo (or other pasta or rice); increase heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the pasta/rice is tender, about 8 minutes, or according to package directions. Stir in spinach (if using), the cooked chicken and any accumulated juices from the chicken; cook, stirring, until the chicken is heated through, about 2 minutes.

This is great to eat off of for a few days and it supposed to freeze well too (haven't tried that yet!) Enjoy!

-Lauren

Welcome to Clumsy Cookery!

Hello and welcome to our little corner of blog-land. We are just a couple of normal, everyday girls (with no cooking talent whatsoever) trying to find fun, reasonably healthy ways to feed ourselves, our husbands and one lone toddler.

This blog is an attempt to collaborate on our cooking, share and store our successfull recipes, document our disasters, and otherwise record our clumsy kitchen antics for posterity (as if posterity cares...)

We are always looking for yummy new recipes to try, so send us your favs!

The Clumsy Cooks,
Lauren and Cassie