A Fresh Start

There's nothing like a new pair of sneakers, is there? The promise and anticipation of miles filled with good intentions...the sights the two of you will see...(sappy alert! sappy alert!)...

I'm not one for a hard and fast list of official resolutions, but everyone needs a fresh start now and then. What's better than the beginning of a new decade? Like many of my peeps, I too have resolved to take better care of myself in this new year (and perhaps see a certain number on the scale...again...).

After a month of stuffing myself to the brim with deliciously rich and in-no-way-figure-flattering holiday foods, I am vowing right here and now to eat more fruits and veggies, cook more for myself, use new ingredients and yes, to use those sneakers and sweat more.

My chicken avocado feta wraps have me off to a pretty good start this January 2nd.

After flipping through all my cookbooks, making my grocery list and stopping at Whole Foods, Publix and Costco (hey, I'm a foodie), my fridge and pantry are sufficiently stocked with everything needed to make delicious, healthy meals for the next two weeks.

(So what if I never actually tasted the sweetness of a Chick-fil-a peppermint chocolate shake? Too late now!)

I've recently become slightly obsessed with different ways to use tortilla wraps. They are a light and health alternative to a heavy sandwich bread; plus, they're fun and come in all different flavors. My personal favorites: spinach and sundried tomato.

Today, I spread some artichoke-garlic hummus over a spinach tortilla...

...topped it with grilled chicken, feta cheese, Romaine lettuce and avocado slices.

Delish!

Chicken Avocado Feta Wrap

I’m always trying new kinds of tortillas and stuffing them with different ingredients. This wrap is great for a quick lunch on the weekend or for a healthy lunch during the workweek. You can change it up with different kinds of hummus and cheese or even substitute the chicken for thick-cut veggies if you prefer a meatless version.

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 spinach tortilla (sundried tomato would be yummy too!)
¼ Cup of hummus, any kind you like
Half of an avocado, diced
¼ Cup of crumbled feta cheese
2 Romaine lettuce leaves, washed and trimmed
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Heat olive oil in nonstick skillet over medium high heat.

Place chicken breast between two pieces of wax paper; use a meat mallet to tenderize the chicken breast until it is about ½ inch in thickness.

Sprinkle chicken liberally with salt and pepper on both sides; place in skillet and cook until golden brown on each side and juices run clear when poked with a fork.

Let chicken breast cool; cut into strips or dice as you like.

Heat tortilla in microwave for 10 seconds; spread with hummus.

Place chicken, avocado, feta cheese in the center of the tortilla; top with the lettuce.

Roll up the tortilla and cut in half; enjoy!

Holiday Round-up

Here it is, three days post-Christmas, and the blues are beginning to set in. The packages have all been given and unwrapped, the food has been eaten (well, actually, it continues to be eaten), and the countdown to the New Year has begun.

I thought I'd do a bit of a holiday round-up of the feasting that has gone on the past week before bravely heading into 2010 with the obligatory "I'm going to eat better and exercise more" resolution (come on, you have it too).

A couple of weeks ago, I made a sweet, festive cranberry upside down cake and served it on my adorable green cake stand, which I only get to use about once or twice a year.

The recipe was from Cooking Light, and the presentation of it was absolutely divine; if you are ever in need of an impressive holiday dessert, this is a winner. The crumbly yellow cake is topped with fresh, tart cranberries dancing with syrupy brown sugar and butter.

Christmas Eve dinner at my parents' house means good old lasagna. We have a Stouffer's lasagna every year, which has been cooking in the oven as we're sitting in church. By the time we walk in the door, the house smells of the goodness of cheese, meat, tomato sauce and more cheese.

Christmas Day brings tender prime rib coated with a crust of olive oil, salt and pepper: the staples. We marry the meat with assorted sides (mostly of the carbohydrate variety mind you), so that by the time we're finished eating, everyone but the dogs is basically in a food-induced coma. I love Christmas.

We can't forget the wine.

Then, there are the pies... This year, mom made two sinfully delicious pumpkin spice pies that were topped with gingersnap cookies and a crunchy cinnamon-pecan streusel married with a creamy ginger-cinnamon whipped cream. Seriously. Yum.

After we finish our dinner, every year, we head to our dear friends' home for more yummy food and drink. And, every year, there is a homemade Italian cream cake that is almost too pretty to eat. The layers of moist cake are topped with icing that's as light and fluffy as a cloud and peppered with sweet coconut flakes and finally sprinkled with a dusting of green and red Christmas magic.

Now, as I sit here typing, with my pants a bit tighter than a couple weeks ago, I say a warm "hello" to the grilled chicken and lettuce that is most certainly in the near future.

Farewell to Christmas 2009.

Saturday Night Pizza

It may sound crazy, but one of my favorite things about being single is the fact that on a whim, I can have a cozy Saturday night at home where I cook up some yummy food, pour a glass of wine and rent a movie (or watch some good girly TV). Tonight is one of these nights.

After having finished up my Christmas shopping this afternoon (and being several pennies poorer for it), I challenged myself to come up with a quick, easy dinner recipe made from ingredients I already have in the house. I whipped up what I like to call, appropriately, Saturday Night Pizza (aka any kind of pizza you want with whatever toppings you like).

It might seem silly, but I had a bit of apprehension about putting the ingredients together: a few pieces of Canadian bacon, a whole wheat Boboli pizza crust, some shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, an onion and fresh rosemary. Oh, and of course, a nice glass of wine.

To make things easy, I used my favorite pizza sauce, Dei Fratelli. If you try it once, you will never, ever buy jarred pizza sauce again or slave over your own. It comes in a can, and has the freshest tomato taste mixed with sweet garlic and herbs.

I added a little Canadian bacon and fresh rosemary (let's be honest, rosemary makes everything better).

Next, caramelized onions. I'm slightly obsessed at the moment with caramelized onions. Why? Who knows. The mere fact that a savory onion with a bite to the tongue can slowly cook in a bit of olive oil and butter, bringing out its sweet, sugary flavors amazes me. The texture and taste totally change.

Top it with the cheeses, and pop it into the oven. In 15 minutes, my house smelled delicious and my mouth was watering.

The final product: ooey, gooey, cheesy, savory, sweet goodness on a plate. On TV, a little holiday chic flick.

I love Saturday nights.

Saturday Night Pizza

Ingredients:

1 small onion, sliced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
1 package of your favorite pizza crust (such as Boboli)
1 Cup prepared pizza sauce (I use Dei Fratelli)
1 ½ Cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 Cup of shredded parmesan romano cheese
2 teaspoons of fresh rosemary, chopped
4 slices of Canadian bacon, cut into small squares

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat oil and butter in small skillet on medium heat; add onion and cook slowly on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until onions are caramelized.

Place pizza crust on baking stone or cookie sheet; spread pizza sauce on crust.

Add Canadian bacon, rosemary and caramelized onions; top with cheeses.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.