Pao de Queijo (Brazillian Cheese Bread

Hey all, if you are looking for a healthy post, I'm sorry, I can't help you. This is definitely an everything in moderation scenario. Husband and I were at the farmer's market for our anniversary weekend and we stumbled across a new booth selling brazillian cheese bread. They had a HUGE sign that said GLUTEN FREE!!! so of course I had to sample and then inevitably purchase the treats. After demolishing the ones I bought in under an hour I knew I had to have them again. I went to my favorite gluten free store, Against the Grain and found that they sold the dough. So I bought that and ate it in about the same amount of time. Then I took to Google and Pinterest and found 4 different recipes for these delicious treats. I found some tapioca flour at Kitchen Kneads for a great price so it was just a matter of time. We tweaked this recipe a little by using Cojita cheese. We also were going to add diced jalapenos but decided to master the recipe first and then add the peppers. Consider it mastered. It was super easy! Thing 2 who is gluten free gobbled up 2 and a half of these things he calls cupcakes. Even super picky, super sweet niece ate one! I decided to use them as hamburger buns since we were having a 4th of July BBQ and oh my goodness. I am never eating a hambuger on a normal gluten free bun again! They even tasted better than normal buns or ciabattas! They are totally high calorie for which I apologize but it is a great gluten free alternative to a normal roll or bun or bread. 5 out of 5 stars and 2 thumbs way, way up!!! Just some advise, when it says serve warm, they mean it. Heat it in the microwave if you are eating it the next day. Also we didn't have to add any additional flour after the 3 1/2 cups.

Source: chefinyou.com

Serves: 8-12

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 tablespoons butter melted
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3-1/2 cups tapioca flour + 2 tbsp
• 2 eggs slightly beaten
• 1 cup grated farmer's cheese or any firm, fresh cows milk cheese (I used fresh Mozzarella)
• 2-3 tbsp grated cheddar cheese (optional)
• salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix milk, salt, vegetable oil and butter in a pot, and bring to a boil.
2. As soon as it boils, remove from heat. Stir tapioca flour into the milk and butter mixture.
3. Stir in the eggs and the cheese, and mix well.
4. Let mixture cool for 15-30 minutes, so that it will be easier to handle.The recipe mentions refrigeration for 15 minutes. But if you see the picture below with the measurement they provided it was more of a bread broth and when I added extra flour it became like this. Much better. The measurement I have provided makes it easy to roll into balls.But then as I mentioned previously add it with discretion. Its still sticky but flouring your hands make it easier.
5. With floured (tapioca flour) hands, shape the dough into small balls. and place them on a baking sheet.
6. Bake rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, until they are puffed up and are golden. They will rise slowly and puff up mostly in the last 5 or 10 minutes. You know they are done when there is amazing aroma wafting (tapioc'ish (#!#$?) smell?), the bread puffs up with lots of cracks (looks like some dinosaur egg hatching!) and it gets this v. slight yellowish glow with flecks of yellow here and there (cheese flecks?)
7. Serve warm
               

And yes, that is mayonaise and BBQ sauce dripping from my burger. Don't judge.

Open-Faced Hummus Sandwiches

Sometimes I am a mean wife and plan things that I know Husband won't like just because I want them and I make the meal plan. This is definitely one of those things. I had thought maybe, just maybe he might like it but alas, no dice. He couldn't even finish it. I, on the other hand, LOVED it. The whole thing ended up blowing up in my face when I could not restrain myself from eating the rest of his sandwich when he didn't finish. That'll teach me. So here's the thing about this recipe... If you like all of the ingredients you will absolutely love this if not you probably won't like it at all. I give it a 5 out of 5 stars. We won't talk about what Husband would give it...

 

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 (1 1/2-ounce) slices sourdough bread
• 1 1/2 cups quartered grape tomatoes
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 (8-ounce) container plain hummus
• 1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

Directions

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Arrange bread on a baking sheet. Broil 1 minute or until toasted. (Or put it in the toaster like we did...)
3. Combine tomatoes and next 6 ingredients (through garlic). Spread about 1/4 cup hummus over each bread slice. Divide tomato mixture evenly among servings. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons cheese.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 358

Fat: 20.1g

Cholesterol: 7mg

Sodium: 811mg

Fiber: 4.3g

Protein: 12.3g

Tomato-Provolone Sandwiches with Pesto Mayo

This was another "what do we have in the kitchen" recipe. We used our homemade pesto and the honey-oatmeal wheat bread and although it tasted great I think it would be even better on sourdough as the recipe says. Husband and I gobbled this up pretty quick so it must have been a 5 out of 5 stars and super easy to make.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons organic canola mayonnaise (such as Spectrum)
• 5 teaspoons refrigerated pesto
• 8 (1 1/2-ounce) slices sourdough bread
• 4 (1/2-ounce) slices provolone cheese
• 1 cup arugula leaves
• 8 (1/4-inch-thick) tomato slices
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Combine mayonnaise and pesto in a bowl, stirring well.
3. Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Broil bread 2 minutes or until toasted. Turn bread over; place 1 cheese slice on each of 4 bread slices. Broil 1 minute or until cheese is bubbly. Spread about 2 teaspoons pesto mixture over each cheese-topped bread slice. Arrange 1/4 cup arugula and 2 tomato slices over pesto mixture; sprinkle tomato slices evenly with pepper and salt. Spread about 1 1/2 teaspoons of remaining pesto mixture evenly over one side of each remaining bread slice; place 1 slice, pesto-side down, on top of each sandwich.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 329

Fat: 16.7g

Cholesterol: 16mg

Sodium: 630mg

Fiber: 2.9g

Protein: 11g

Honey-Oatmeal Wheat Bread

This is definitely one of those recipes where if I can do it you can too. On my quest for the perfect sandwich bread I found this and since we had everything for it already I decided to give it a whirl. When adding all the ingredients I kept thinking "there is NO way this will taste good" with molasses and honey and oats but I am happy to report this was REALLY good. Thing 1 and I split a piece and he begged for more so it is definitely kid friendly. Husband gobbled up the bread butt so fast I could tell he wasn't lying when he said he loved it. It is a little more calories than I would hope for in a piece of bread but I figure with all the good stuff baked in to it I'd rather this than a piece of wonder bread. 5 out of 5 stars from everyone in the house.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water (100° to 110°)
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 1 (1/4-ounce) envelope active dry yeast
• 3 cups all-purpose flour divided
• 2 ¹⁄₂ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup uncooked regular oats
• 1 tablespoon salt
• ¹⁄₄ cup honey
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• Vegetable cooking spray

Directions

1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a 2-cup glass measuring cup; let yeast mixture stand 5 minutes.
2. Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oats, and salt.
3. Beat yeast mixture, 1 cup all-purpose flour, honey, and olive oil at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until well blended. Gradually add whole wheat flour mixture, beating at low speed until a soft dough forms.
4. Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface, and knead 9 minutes, adding additional all-purpose flour (up to 6 tablespoons) as needed. (Dough will be slightly sticky.) Place dough in a large bowl sprayed with cooking spray, turning to grease top of dough.
5. Cover bowl of dough with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk.
6. Punch down dough, and divide in half. Roll each portion into a 13- x 8-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Roll up each dough rectangle, starting at 1 short side, jelly-roll fashion; pinch ends to seal. Place loaves, seam sides down, into 2 (8 1/2- x 4 1/2-inch) loaf pans sprayed with cooking spray.
7. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until almost doubled in bulk. Remove and discard plastic wrap.
8. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes or until loaves sound hollow when tapped and are golden. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove loaves from pans, and cool on wire racks.
9. Note: If you don't have a heavy-duty electric stand mixer, you may mix dough by hand with a wooden spoon.
10. This recipe makes two loaves, so freeze one after cooling to help it stay fresh longer. Slice first, if desired; then wrap the loaf in plastic wrap and aluminum foil, and place in a zip-top plastic freezer bag. Keep frozen for up to 1 month.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 150

Fat: 2.4g

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Sodium: 297mg

Fiber: 2.4g

Protein: 4g

Rustic White Bread

Bread attempt number 2 = successful! This recipe was much easier/quicker and turned out much better for sandwiches which is what I was looking for. This one is kneaded by hand which as a non-bread maker I didn't have a clue how to do so once again I took to Google and found this You Tube video which was quite helpful. Thing 1 ate the end piece ( or as we affectionately refer to it in our house, the bread butt) and his response was "That's a yummy bread Mom." I think I am almost ready to tackle a sourdough so be looking for that in the future. For now, enjoy this bread that is a 5 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
• 1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
• 3 cups bread flour divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon cornmeal
• 1 teaspoon water
• 1 large egg white lightly beaten

Directions

1. Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup warm water in a large bowl, and let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 3/4 cups flour and salt to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).
3. Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 45 minutes or until doubled in size. (Gently press 2 fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.)
4. Punch dough down. Cover and let rest 5 minutes. Shape dough into a 6-inch round; place on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Lightly coat surface of dough with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 45 minutes or until doubled in size.
5. Preheat oven to 450°.
6. Uncover dough. Combine 1 teaspoon water and egg white, stirring with a whisk; brush over dough. Make 3 (4-inch) cuts 1/4 inch deep across top of dough using a sharp knife.
7. Bake at 450° for 20 minutes or until bread is browned on bottom and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 128

Fat: 0.6g

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Sodium: 201mg

Fiber: 1g

Protein: 4.6g

Crusty French Boules

I decided to take on the challenge of bread making since I have been scared of it for so long. Don't ask me why I picked a recipe that takes like 2 days to kick off my bread making practice, temporary insanity maybe, I just did. Surprisingly it wasn't awful. Not wonderful, but not awful. Normally Husband helps me with the cooking and actually does the majority of it but I took such ownership over this recipe about the only things I let him do were rip the plastic wrap and spray the bowl. I'm glad too because once this came out of the oven I had such a sense of accomplishment. I know, normal people make bread all the time but for me this was a triumph and the start of something hopefully fantastic. This was a pretty good recipe but I was expecting something a little different to come out of the oven. The loaves were very thin and flat so they didn't make great sandwich bread like I was hoping. The flavor and texture were good so that was a plus. I left the pâte fermentée in the fridge for just under 3 days (supposedly 48 hours is best) and it was just fine. I think I will attempt another bread and see which one I like better. Ok, maybe a few more. All in all a 4 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 5 ⁶³⁄₁₀₀ ounces all-purpose flour divided (about 1 1/4 cups)
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon active dry yeast
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₂ cup warm water (100° to 110°)
• Cooking spray
• ³⁄₄ cup warm water (100° to 110°)
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
• 4 ounces bread flour (about 2/3 cup)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal

Directions

1. To prepare the pâte fermentée, weigh or lightly spoon 4.5 ounces (about 1 cup) all-purpose flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine 4.5 ounces all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon yeast, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add 1/2 cup warm water, and beat at low speed until mixture is thoroughly combined. Add enough of the remaining 4 tablespoons flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough just begins to pull away from sides of bowl. Increase mixer speed to medium, and beat for 2 minutes. Place dough in a small bowl coated with cooking spray. Place a piece of plastic wrap coated with cooking spray directly on dough. Refrigerate 48 hours or up to 3 days.
2. Remove pâte fermentée from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes.
3. To prepare the dough, place 3/4 cup warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attached, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon yeast. Let mixture stand for 5 minutes or until bubbles form. Add pâte fermentée to yeast mixture; let stand 10 minutes. Weigh or lightly spoon 9 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 cups) and 4 ounces bread flour (about 2/3 cup) into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add flours and 1 teaspoon salt to bowl; beat at low speed until flour is incorporated. Increase mixer to medium speed, and beat for 6 minutes. (Dough should form a ball.)
4. Place the dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray; lightly coat dough with cooking spray. Cover with plastic wrap, and let stand in a warm, dry place, free from drafts, for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down, and divide into 2 equal portions. Knead each portion for 1 minute. Shape each dough portion into a 5-inch round by pulling the sides down, pinching and tucking them under the bottom center of dough, forming a smooth, taut surface on the top. Place dough rounds on a baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Lightly coat surface of dough with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 1 hour and 15 minutes or until doubled in size.
5. Place a small ovenproof saucepan with 3 inches of water directly on the floor of oven. Preheat oven to 450°.
6. Uncover dough. Spray dough lightly with water. Make 4 (4-inch) cuts 1/4 inch deep in dough to form a grid across top of each loaf using a sharp knife. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes. Remove water pan from oven. Bake an additional 15 minutes or until bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when bottom is tapped. Cool on a wire rack. Cut each boule, crosswise, into 12 slices.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 82

Fat: 0.3g

Cholesterol: 0.0mg

Sodium: 148mg

Fiber: 0.6g

Protein: 2.5g

View recipe at plantoeat.com

Open-Faced Beef, Tomato and Pepperoncini Sandwiches

We made this for a picnic with my brother and sister in law and I have mixed feelings about it. The reason I chose this recipe in the first place is because I had a major craving for pepperoncinis. The flavor of this dish hit the spot. The steak was perfect and full of flavor and the peppers added a nice kick but this sandwich was so incredibly difficult to eat. Everything kept falling all over the place and left me wondering if the perfect flavors were even worth the hassle. I'm sure they are as I practically licked my plate clean but if you find and easier way to eat this let me know! 4 out 5 stars for pure inconvenience.

Source: Fresh & Easy

Course: Snacks and Sandwiches

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 (1.5- ounce) slices sourdough bread
• ¹⁄₂ pound flank steak
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon black pepper
• cooking spray
• 2 cups grape tomatoes halved
• 1 cup mixed baby greens packed
• ¹⁄₂ cup pepperoncini peppers drained and chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil extra-virgin
• 1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
• 1 garlic cloves -- minced
• ¹⁄₄ cup crumbled feta cheese (1 oz)

Directions

1. 1. Toast bread slices; set aside.
2. 2.While bread toasts, sprinkle steak with salt and pepper. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak; cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Cut steak diagonally across grain into very thin slices.
3. 3. While steak cooks, combine tomatoes and next 6 ingredients in a medium bowl.
4. 4. Place 1 bread slice on each of 4 plates. Top evenly with tomato mixture and steak.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 259

Fat: 9.9g

Cholesterol: 27mg

Sodium: 608mg

Carbohydrate: 25.4g

Fiber: 2.6g

Protein: 18.5g

Blue Cheese and Pear Sandwiches

Love this. We've made it quite a few times since I started trying to finish this post and it has become one of our favorites. It's super quick, light and easy to change up to fit the needs of each person. Mine is on the right in the picture and is pretty true to the recipe except I substituted arugula for the watercress and I used a slice of some fresh sourdough we got from the farmer's market. Husband's is on the left and since he doesn't have quite as good of a relationship with blue cheese as me I made his with a slice of honey maple ham and a little provolone. Same technique and everything with the broiler and I did put arugula on his too. He loved it as well and this will become one of our standbys for sure. Both get a 5 out of 5 stars.

Source: Fresh & Easy

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 (1 1/2-ounce) slices peasant bread
• Cooking spray
• 1 ¹⁄₃ cups coarsely chopped watercress
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 medium pears thinly sliced
• ¹⁄₂ cup (2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

Directions

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Place bread slices on a baking sheet. Coat each slice with cooking spray; broil 2 minutes on each side or until lightly toasted.
3. While bread cooks, combine watercress, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a small bowl; toss gently.
4. Place pear slices evenly on bread slices; top with blue cheese. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; top with watercress mixture. Serve immediately.
5. Serve with: White Balsamic–Dill Pasta Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 211

Fat: 6.9g

Cholesterol: 11mg

Sodium: 506mg

Fiber: 2.5g

Protein: 7.5g

Bacon and Egg Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions and Arugula

I was incapable of waiting for dinner so I heated up left overs but Husband was excited to have this so he made it for himself. I insisted he give me a bite so I could try it and rate it and it was pretty good. He used white bread instead of wheat since it's what we had on hand but wheat would be good too. To make this recipe kid friendly we just left out the onion and arugula. I liked this sandwich because it didn't taste super egg-y but the decision on rating was ultimately up to Husband. He gave it 5 out of 5 stars and was making yummy noises while eating it so you know he meant it.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 4 slices center-cut bacon
• 2 cups thinly sliced onion
• 1 tablespoon water
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon Mexican hot sauce (such as Cholula) or Tabasco
• 1 tablespoon butter
• Dash of sugar
• Cooking spray
• 4 (1/2-ounce) slices whole-wheat bread
• 2 large eggs
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup arugula

Directions

1. Cook bacon in a nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp (about 8 minutes). Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings; drain on paper towels. Add onion, water, and hot sauce to drippings in pan; cover and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in butter and sugar; cover and cook for 3 minutes. Uncover and cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Set aside; keep warm.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place bread in pan, and cook for 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Set aside, and keep warm.
3. Recoat pan with cooking spray. Crack eggs into pan, and cook for 2 minutes. Gently turn eggs, one at a time; cook 1 minute or until desired degree of doneness. Sprinkle evenly with salt and black pepper.
4. Place one bread slice on each of two plates; arrange onion mixture evenly over bread. Place 1 egg, 2 bacon slices, and 1/2 cup arugula over each serving; top with remaining bread slices. Serve immediately.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 277

Fat: 13.9g

Cholesterol: 205mg

Sodium: 622mg

Fiber: 3.8g

Protein: 14.7g

Ham and Swiss Egg Sandwiches

We actually did this breakfast sandwich for lunch today. I was expecting great things and was a little let down. The english muffin was a little dry which made the sandwich difficult to eat. Husband suggested he spray them with cooking spray before broiling them and I think if we make these again we will. The thing that makes these sandwiches worth it is that Thing 1 ate it and liked it. It was a little fat for his little hands and mouth so his bites ended up being huge. We made mine with just egg whites since I think I may be mildly allergic to the egg yolk and after my first bite was lacking in flavor I grabbed a few leaves of fresh basil and put them on it. I think the basil did add a nice touch but still couldn't make me love this dish. I give it a 3 out of 5, husband gave it a 4 out of 5 and when Thing one was asked how much he liked it he said "40 minutes". So 40 minutes out of 5 stars it is.

 

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Cooking spray
• 4 ounces thinly sliced lower-sodium deli ham
• 4 large eggs
• 4 English muffins split and toasted
• 4 (1-ounce) slices Emmentaler or Swiss cheese

Directions

1. Preheat broiler to high.
2. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add ham to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan. Recoat pan with cooking spray. Crack eggs into pan. Cover and cook for 4 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from heat.
3. Place 4 muffin halves, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Top each half with 1 cheese slice. Broil for 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Divide ham among cheese-topped muffin halves; top each with 1 egg and 1 muffin half.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 344

Fat: 14.7g

Cholesterol: 250mg

Sodium: 553mg

Fiber: 0.0g

Protein: 23.5g

Open-Faced Chili Dogs

For those of you that want to hide the fact that a meal is healthy from your spouse or teenage children this is for you. This is one of Husband's favorite meals now and it's pretty easy. The chili dog pictured was left in the broiler a touch to long but it still tasted great. Rather than boil the hot dogs we throw them on the Foreman grill. I'm sorry but to me the only thing grosser than eating a boiled hot dog is the nasty hot dog water left in the pot. 5 out 5 stars.

Source: The Juan-Carlos Cruz Calorie Countdown Cookbook

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 small onion
• 1 red bell pepper diced
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 15 ounce can black beans with liquid
• 2 tomatoes diced
• 4 low-fat turkey dogs
• 2 hot dog buns separated to make 4 halves
• ¹⁄₂ cup shredded low-fat cheddar

Directions

1. 1. Preheat the broiler.
2. 2. Heat the canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and bell peppers. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and chili powder. Cook until well blended, about 30 seconds. Add the black beans. Cook until warmed through, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat. Cook until the chili thickens, 10-15 minutes.
3. 3. While the chili is simmering in a medium saucepan, cover the hot dogs in water. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 4 minutes or until heated through. (Or use Foreman grill)
4. 4. Remove 1 hot dog from the saucepan and place on 1 bun half on a baking sheet. Top with one-quarter of the chili and one-quarter of the cheese. Repeat for remaining 3 hot dogs. Place hot dogs in the broiler for about 1 minute, until cheese begins to melt. Serve hot.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 314

Fat: 12 g

Cholesterol: 44 mg

Carbohydrate: 35 g

Fiber: 9 g

Protein: 18 g

Summer Tomato, Mozzarella and Basil Panini with Balsamic Syrup

We actually made this quite a while ago and never blogged it but it's probably better that we waited and could perfect the process before posting. We LOVE this sandwich. Everything on it is super flavorful. Be careful when reducing the vinegar because if you do it too long it gets gross. Don't judge based on time but on amount. We used only the grill pan the first time we made it and the cheese didn't melt completely so the next time we wrapped it in foil and put it in the oven at 300 degrees for 10 minutes before using the grill pan for 5 minutes. It turned out perfect. 5 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• ¹⁄₂ cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 (8-ounce) piece Cuban bread cut in half horizontally
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 12 large basil leaves
• 5 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese thinly sliced
• 2 medium tomatoes thinly sliced
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray

Directions

1. Bring balsamic vinegar to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 8 minutes). 2. While vinegar reduces, brush cut side of top half of bread with oil. Top evenly with basil, cheese, and tomatoes. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Brush cut side of bottom half of bread with reduced vinegar; place on top of sandwich. Invert sandwich. 3. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat the pan with cooking spray. Add sandwich to pan. Place a cast-iron or heavy skillet on top of sandwich, and gently press to flatten. Leave skillet on; cook 3 minutes on each side or until cheese melts and bread is toasted. Cut sandwich into 4 equal pieces.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 325

Fat: 13.4g

Cholesterol: 28mg

Sodium: 726mg

Carbohydrate: 37.4g

Fiber: 2.5g

Protein: 13.6g

Warm Prosciutto-Stuffed Focaccia

"On Saturday he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice cream cone, one pickle, one slice of swiss cheese, one slice of salami..."

After a hiatus the caterpillar is back and cheating a little bit. We agonized over the salami and ended up using prosciutto instead. Not the same at all but we couldn't figure out a healthy use for salami so this will have to do. We liked this sandwich but we make a similar panini that we like better. I did like the roasted red bell peppers which the other panini doesn't have but there were some flavors missing. All in all a good sandwich and 3.5 out of 5 stars.



Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 (9-ounce) round loaf focaccia bread
• 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto*
• 4 ounces thinly sliced Muenster cheese
• 1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
• ¹⁄₄ cup bottled roasted red bell peppers drained
• 2 tablespoons light balsamic vinaigrette

Directions

1. Cut bread in half horizontally, using a serrated knife. Top bottom bread half with prosciutto and next 3 ingredients. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette; cover with top bread half. Wrap in aluminum foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until warm. Cut focaccia into six wedges. Serve immediately. *6 ounces of ham may be substituted for prosciutto for approximately the same amount of calories.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 233

Fat: 35%

Cholesterol: 30mg

Sodium: 648mg

Carbohydrate: 24.9g

Fiber: 1.4g

Protein: 13.5g

Out-n-In California Burger

"On Saturday he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice cream cone, one pickle, one slice of swiss cheese..."

If you know me personally you know the draw to this recipe. The thought of never having In N Out again would be a sad one. Even with this recipe I think someday I will have to go indulge. But for now this is a yummy alternative. When I read pickle and swiss cheese I automatically thought of this. I think this is the only recipe containing 2 of his foods. It's cheating I know. Husband should not be considered a Californian since he doesn't really like In N Out so he skips the sauce and just does mustard and ketchup. He also leaves off the pickles. That's one of the great things about this recipe; you can customize it to your taste. We cook our burgers on the foreman grill and use garlic salt to season them which really increases the flavor. This is one of our favorites and we love that it quick and easy. 5 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking light

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 pound ground sirloin
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 4 (1-ounce) slices reduced-fat lower-sodium Swiss cheese (such as Alpine Lace)
• 4 green leaf lettuce leaves
• 4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns
• 4 (1/4-inch-thick) slices red onion
• 8 (1/4-inch-thick) slices tomato
• ¹⁄₂ ripe peeled avocado cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
• 8 bread-and-butter pickle chips

Directions

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small bowl.
2. Divide beef into 4 equal portions, gently shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Press a nickel-sized indentation in the center of each patty; sprinkle patties evenly with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side. Top each patty with 1 cheese slice; cook 2 minutes or until cheese melts and patties are desired degree of doneness.
3. Place 1 lettuce leaf on bottom half of each hamburger bun; top with 1 patty, 1 onion slice, 2 tomato slices, about 2 avocado slices, 2 pickle chips, about 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce, and top half of bun.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 389

Fat: 16.5g

Cholesterol: 72mg

Sodium: 806mg

Carbohydrate: 34.7g

Fiber: 2.4g

Protein: 38g

Open-Faced Prosciutto and Plum Sandwiches

"On Wednesday he ate through three plums, but he was still hungry."

This was a tough one for us. We liked it and then we didn't and then we did. We literally had to pick it apart piece by piece to figure out what we liked and what we didn't. We finally decided that we really like the goat cheese, prosciutto and plum. I didn't mind the arugula but husband wasn't a fan and neither of us liked the "sauce" with the ginger on top. We used 2 different kinds of plums. The reddish one in the picture is called a black plum and the yellowish one is a sweet plum. We got a lot of plum recipes while searching for one so I think we may branch out and try others to see if they are any better. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Recipe from Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• ¼ cups fig preserves
• 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ¼ teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger
• ⅓ cups (3 ounces) soft goat cheese
• 4 (2-ounce) slices country wheat bread toasted
• 1 cups loosely packed arugula
• 2 ripe plums cut into thin wedges
• 3 ounces very thin slices prosciutto

Directions

1. Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring with a whisk; set aside. 2. Spread 3/4 ounce cheese evenly over each bread slice; divide arugula, plum wedges, and prosciutto evenly over sandwiches. Drizzle each sandwich with about 1 tablespoon fig preserves mixture.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 318

Fat: 9.1g

Cholesterol: 26mg

Sodium: 689mg

Carbohydrate: 45.5g

Fiber: 1.9g

Protein: 13.1g

Pear-Walnut Sandwiches

"On Tuesday he ate through two pears, but he was still hungry."

This is the one day I was not worried about at all. I have a million pear recipes but in the spirit of the blog we decided to try something new. This is one of those "what's not to love" meals. Cinnamon raisin bread, good. Pears, good. Cream cheese and walnuts, good and good. But my favorite part was the sprouts. Weird, I know, but I just wanted more. Luckily the sprouts are the least caloric thing about this sandwich so if you like them like me go ahead and pack 'em on there. Husband loved how quick and easy this was and we will definitely make it again. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• ½ cups (4 ounces) tub-style light cream cheese
• 8 (1.1-ounce) slices cinnamon-raisin bread toasted
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts toasted
• 2 Bartlett pears cored and thinly sliced
• 1 cups alfalfa sprouts

Directions

1. Spread 1 tablespoon cream cheese evenly over each of 8 bread slices. Sprinkle 1/2 tablespoon walnuts evenly over each of 4 bread slices. Top each evenly with pear slices, sprouts, and 1 bread slice. Cut each sandwich in half diagonally.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 335

Fat: 29%

Cholesterol: 15mg

Sodium: 363mg

Carbohydrate: 52.2g

Fiber: 5.9g

Protein: 8.7g

Buffalo Chicken Wrap

Last night we had a family picnic in the park and we, of course, decided to try something new. I sent husband a bunch of links to different wrap recipes and this is the one he picked. I could have guessed that really... you put "buffalo chicken" in the title of any recipe and he's game. I suggested to him that he could swap out the blue cheese for feta (even though I LOVE blue cheese but he does not) and leave out the celery. It tasted pretty good but I would've preferred the blue cheese. It was a nice picnic recipe and I could see us making it again. 3.5 or 4 out of 5 stars.

Recipe from Eating Well

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce such as Frank's RedHot
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar divided
• ¼ teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pounds chicken tenders
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• ¼ cups crumbled blue cheese
• 4 8-inch whole-wheat tortillas
• 1 cups shredded romaine lettuce
• 1 cups sliced celery
• 1 large tomato diced

Directions

1. Whisk hot pepper sauce, 2 tablespoons vinegar and cayenne pepper in a medium bowl.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken tenders; cook until cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add to the bowl with the hot sauce; toss to coat well.
3. Whisk mayonnaise, yogurt, pepper and the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl. Stir in blue cheese.
4. To assemble wraps: Lay a tortilla on a work surface or plate. Spread with 1 tablespoon blue cheese sauce and top with one-fourth of the chicken, lettuce, celery and tomato. Drizzle with some of the hot sauce remaining in the bowl and roll into a wrap sandwich. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 275

Fat: 8 g

Cholesterol: 55 m

Carbohydrate: 29 g

Fiber: 3 g

Protein: 24 g

Turkey Antipasto Panini

Today's lunch is another Panini. We are obviously big panini fans in this house. I've made this a few times and the thing I love about it is you can customize it to each person. Leave out the red bell peppers or artichoke hearts, swap out the turkey for some good ole' prociutto and use any kid of cheese you like! And if you don't have a panini maker it's not a problem. We use our foreman but we've also done them on the griddle. Just a yummy quick sandwich. 5 out of 5 stars.

Recipe from Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 8 (0.9-ounce) slices crusty Chicago-style Italian bread
• 8 ounces shaved lower-sodium deli turkey (such as Boar's Head)
• 1 (6-ounce) jar quartered marinated artichoke hearts drained and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup moist sun-dried tomato halves packed without oil and sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced bottled roasted red bell peppers
• 12 basil leaves
• 4 (1-ounce) slices reduced-fat provolone cheese (such as Alpine Lace)
• Cooking spray

Directions

1. Preheat panini grill.
2. Spread mayonnaise evenly over each bread slice. Top each of 4 bread slices evenly with turkey, artichokes, tomato, bell pepper, basil leaves, and cheese. Top with remaining bread slices. Coat both sides of sandwiches with cooking spray.
3. Place sandwiches on panini grill. Grill 3 to 4 minutes or until bread is browned and cheese melts. Cut panini in half before serving, if desired.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 361

Fat: 10g

Cholesterol: 35mg

Sodium: 1087mg

Carbohydrate: 39.8g

Fiber: 4.5g

Protein: 26.9g

Another plus is that while you are making a sandwich for you it's super easy to slap together a fancy grilled cheese for the kiddo. Thing one ate this before I could even say slow down!

Prosciutto, Pear and Blue Cheese Sandwiches

Yes, that is my half eaten sandwich you are looking at. In a desperate attempt to have something to blog tonight I had husband take a picture of my sandwich half way through eating it. We were invited to a spur of the moment family picnic at the park tonight so we decided to ditch our plans for dinner and do sandwiches and wraps. A fine decision in my opinion. I saw this sandwich in an add in my Cooking Light magazine and tracked it down online. It has all the flavors I love (and possibly flavors only I love) and is fairly simple to make. For time sake I threw the bread in the toaster instead of broiling which I will try next time. I left out the butter and the pepper and swapped gorgonzola crumbles for the blue cheese. I give it 4.5 out of 5 but plan to re-rate it when I make it again for our anniversary picnic in a week. I hope to get a better picture next time too!

Recipe from Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8 slices 100% multigrain bread
• 1 tablespoon butter softened
• 3 cups arugula
• 1 medium shallot thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
• 1 ripe pear cored and thinly sliced
• 2 ounces blue cheese sliced

Directions

1. Preheat broiler. 2. Arrange bread in a single layer on a baking sheet; broil 3 minutes or until toasted. Turn bread slices over; spread butter evenly over bread slices. Broil an additional 2 minutes or until toasted. 3. Combine arugula and shallot in a medium bowl. Drizzle arugula mixture with oil and vinegar; sprinkle with pepper. Toss well to coat. Divide arugula mixture evenly among 4 bread slices, buttered side up; top evenly with prosciutto. Divide pear slices and cheese evenly among sandwiches; top each sandwich with 1 bread slice, buttered side down.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 324

Fat: 13.8g

Cholesterol: 26mg

Sodium: 706mg

Carbohydrate: 36.4g

Fiber: 9.7g

Protein: 15g

Open-Faced Turkey Patty Melt

Tonight's dinner was of course another favorite (we've been making all of our favorites to get pictures for the blog.) We don't love rye bread so we use whatever other bread we have on hand. Tonight was ciabatta bread. We also peel a clove of garlic, cut it in half and rub it on the bread straight out of the oven to give it more flavor. Occasionally the ground turkey is a consistency that is hard to work with when forming patties but once we put it on the foreman grill (we use this instead of a pan) it ends up just fine. 5 out of 5 stars.

Recipe from Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup vertically sliced Vidalia or other sweet onion
• 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pound ground turkey breast
• 1 large egg white
• Cooking spray
• 4 (1-ounce) slices reduced-fat Swiss cheese
• 4 slices light rye bread
• 1/4 cup country-style Dijon mustard

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion to pan. Cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned; stir occasionally. Transfer onion to a bowl.
2. Preheat broiler.
3. Combine cheese and next 4 ingredients (through egg white). Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty. Return pan to medium heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan; cook 4 minutes or until brown. Turn patties over; cook 1 minute. Top each patty with 1 cheese slice; cook 3 minutes or until cheese melts and patties are done.
4. Place bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet; broil 2 minutes or until toasted. Spread 1 tablespoon mustard on each bread slice; top each serving with 1 patty. Divide onion mixture evenly among sandwiches.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 348

Fat: 9g

Cholesterol: 50mg

Sodium: 848mg

Carbohydrate: 22.4g

Fiber: 1.5g

Protein: 43.4g