It isn’t until very recently that the concept of eating plain yogurt has become more popular. It’s with the rise of Greek Yogurt’s popularity that more Americans are open to the idea of eating yogurt that isn’t Vanilla or Strawberry flavored.
It took me a long time to realize that most people (Arabs not included) don’t use plain yogurt or keep it in their house. It’s practically unheard of to spinach, malfouf or kubbeh bel sineyeh without it! And Mansaf is basically yogurt and lamb. (more…)
Mac and cheese, the ultimate comfort food, right? I’m a total sucker for Velveeta, too. At our house, as a kid we used to have macaroni & cheese and hot dogs. Healthy. Unfortunately, comfort food equals an unsightly amount of calories. Calories we, quite frankly, can’t afford to be consuming. Not if we want to fit into our super cute, bought it a little-too-tight because I know I can lose weight before the event dress, for example. I can’t tell you how many of those I own.
Total sucker for comfort food. Yes, I’m the one in the Kenmore Fridge ad – the one who grazes. Regularly. That’s why I try to keep my fridge as snack-free as possible. But not all mac and cheese is bad for you. Honestly. (more…)
Since I got back from Sydney, Australia, I have been on this crazy seafood kick. I loved seafood before – I’m talking crab legs, oysters, lobster, salmon, snapper, shrimp, you name it I’ll eat it. But after the trip, I have been craving it almost daily. While in Sydney, I had the pleasure of trying Australian Barramundi, native to Northern Australia. I’ve found that in general, people in the U.S. like to have their fish filleted before they eat it. I, on the other hand, find it more appetizing to order grilled fish and have the whole fish handed to me on a platter. Some may say, “ew, how can you eat it when it’s looking at you?” Well, I don’t really think too much into that. The eyes don’t really catch my attention as much as the rest of the fish. I’d say, if you haven’t tried it that way, give it a try. You may surprise yourself and actually like it. (more…)
Lasagna, comfort food at its finest. Unfortunately, I don’t have the time or patience to boil noodles, and then layer and wait for baking time. This week seems to be dragging. Midweek can feel either closer or further away from the weekend, depending on how Monday and Tuesday panned out. This week, Wednesday felt a long way away from Friday. The thought that Friday wouldn’t get here any sooner only made me lazier, not wanting to run errands or tidy around the house. Instead, I started dinner, and curled up with my new favorite app – iBooks. (more…)
I have not abandoned Measuring cups, Optional.
I know it’s been over a week since I’ve posted new recipes – but all for good reason. It’s been a hectic two weeks around here. I started a new job with tons of new responsibilities. With a background in communications and public relations, I wanted to branch out of the agency world and move to an in-house position where I can focus all my efforts on one client – rather than seven, or more, at a time. Week one went great (for those of you interested)! With the earlier hours, I now have time to go to the gym (something I’ve been slacking on) and make dinner, with time to see my family, watch TV or blog.
I have been living on a combination of eating out, and quick meals. But I was able to make this light pasta dish with sea scallops – a seafood I’ve been wanting to experiment with.
Sea Scallops with Lemon Pepper Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
10 large frozen Sea Scallops 1/2 package Spaghetti Noodles 4-5 tablespoons I can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Light Lemon Pepper spice, to taste Sea Salt, to taste Olive Oil Cooking SprayDirections
Defrost sea scallops in the microwave. Meanwhile, boil spaghetti noodles, as directed on the package. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat, and spray with olive oil cooking spray. Sprinkle salt on the sea scallops, then pan sear 3 minutes on each side. Remove from heat. Drain the spaghetti noodles, then mix in I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Light and Lemon Pepper to taste. Serve the sea scallops on top of the pasta – or mix them in (but be careful not to break the scallops).
Servings: 2
Nutrition Information: Cals 370. Carbs 36g. Fat 12g. Protein 28g. Sodium 386mg.
We’ve had a pretty busy Sunday running errands and getting ready for the upcoming work week. I’m sure I’m not the only one that thinks weekends are way too short. If it were up to me, we’d have five-day weekends and two-day weeks. Doesn’t that sound much better? If only …
Since I made it to the grocery store and filled our fridge and non-pantry up with goodies for the week, I thought I’d throw together a laid-back early Sunday night dinner. It’s a little twist on the average pasta.
Baked Pasta and Meatballs
Ingredients
Pasta of Choice (I used Bow Tie Pasta) Tomato Sauce of Choice (We had some Tomato Sauce with Garlic and Basil) 1 can Mushrooms Mozzarella Cheese Beef MeatballsDirections
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil pasta as directed. Saute drained mushrooms in a small saucepan, add pasta sauce and simmer. Drain noodles, mix together pasta sauce and noodles, then pour into a baking dish. Place meatballs on top of the pasta, add thick layer of mozzarella cheese. Bake for 25 minutes, until cheese is fully melted.