Popovers!

Now that the wedding is over and I am starting to have a little bit more time on my hands, I decided to make this blog a little bit more official by establishing my own domain: fitgirlfare.com! This is very exciting and means there are many many more recipes and posts to come. This will be the last post on the current blog so please, check out the new site and continue to read my posts there. And now on to the important stuff... Popovers!

I like to think that Popovers were one of the first foods that I totally mastered. They say it’s hard to make popovers turn out in a new oven and its generally luck of the draw, but I’ve found that my recipe is pretty fool proof. Plus, who cares if they don’t pop right or look a little funky, they always taste delicious! Popovers probably aren’t a food you thought you would ever see on a healthy living blog, however, I’ve made some modifications to at least make them a little bit less unhealthy and having one or two isn’t going to get me off track – it’s all about balance and moderation, right?

The trick with popovers is patience. I am not the most patient person in the world especially when it comes to food, but the batter needs to rest after you mix it up. If you don’t let it rest, I find that they don’t rise quite as well and they become eggy on the inside instead of light and airy. Some recipes tell you to get everything at room temperature and then mix it up, but I have always mixed everything together and let it sit on my counter to rest while it comes to room temperature.

I have also become quite adventurous with my popovers. Black Pepper and Gruyere are a great addition and, if you’re really splurging, bacon, chive, and cheddar is an awesome combination. For breakfast you can add a little bit of cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar and you have makeshift donuts! If you are adding cheese or any non-spice ingredient make sure to add it on top after you pour the batter into the cups. If you add it directly to the batter the popovers don’t work as well.

Popovers
Total time 1.5 hours
Makes 4-6 popovers depending on the size of your pan

2 large eggs
1 cup Skim Milk (this is my “healthier” substitution, most recipes call for whole or 2%)
1 cup All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbs butter melted and cooled

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and then stir in the rest of the ingredients leaving some lumps. You don’t want the batter to be completely smooth – according to Alton Brown, the lumps help to create more lift! Let the batter sit for at least a half an hour. I don’t think it can sit out for too long, but keep in mind there are eggs and milk in there.

Once the batter has rested, pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Put your popover pan in the oven while it is preheating so that it can get hot. If you don’t have a popover pan you can use a muffin tin or you can use small glass cups (like Pyrex). Let the pan heat up in the oven for at least 5 minutes after the oven has pre-heated. While it’s getting hot, cut enough pieces of butter to go in each cup that will get filled with batter. The pieces should be about ¼ of a tbs. Remove the hot pan and put the butter in each cup. Then fill with the batter. You should fill the cups about ½ to ¾ of the way. Any fuller and you will make a mess of your oven. Plus, they don’t seem to get any bigger if you fill them more, just more eggy on the inside.

Bake the popovers for 40 minutes without opening the oven. If you open the oven during this time they will fall. The popovers should be golden and puffy when you take them out of the oven. Immediately, pierce each popover with a sharp knife to let out the steam. This will help to keep them crunchy on the outside and should prevent them from falling. Serve right away!

Tilapia Tacos with Guacamole

I’m back! Sorry for the prolonged absence – our wedding was a blast and I can’t believe it’s over! Afterwards, we spent a few days in West Virginia at a beautiful cabin with picture perfect views. I thought we would hike and go to restaurants and explore, but we slept, a lot. I didn’t realize how exhausted I was until we got to the cabin on Sunday after the wedding. I am so glad that we didn’t try to take an extravagant honeymoon right away – and now we will have a chance to pretend to be newlyweds again this fall when we do take our honeymoon! We have had quite a bit going on with house projects and puppy class and I haven’t had all that much time for cooking fun things, but in honor of Cinco de Mayo yesterday, I thought I would post this fish taco recipe that I whipped up last week. First, some puppy pictures because he is just too cute.

 

 

Even though the wedding is over and I’m not on wedding diet mode anymore, I have still been keeping up with my healthy living attitude. Fish has become a regular protein for us and, surprisingly, we are both loving it.

I had planned on making a cabbage slaw to go on top but I didn’t have time to go to the store to get the ingredients. In my opinion it wound up better with just the homemade guacamole – sometimes less is more!

Tilapia Tacos
Total Time 20 minutes
Makes about 8 tacos

For the Fish:
4 4oz Tilapia Filets
1 ½ tsp cumin
1 ½ tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp Salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
8 corn tortillas

Mix all of the spices together and coat the tilapia filets. Heat about 1 tsp of oil over medium heat. Add the fish and cook 3-4 minutes a side depending on the thickness of the fish. Remove the fish and set it aside. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel and put another teaspoon of oil and heat over medium heat. Fry the tortillas (I had to do 2 at a time because of the size of my pan) for about a minute each side. You don’t want them to get brown, just warmed up and a little crispy.

For the guacamole:
2 avocados
1 small jalapeño
Juice of 1 lime
2 tbs cilantro
½ tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste (I added about ½ tsp pepper and almost a teaspoon of salt)

Remove the seeds and mince the jalapeno and put it into a bowl with the lime juice, cilantro, garlic powder, and salt and pepper. I find that if you let the jalapeno sit in the lime juice it’s not quite as pungently spicy. I let mine sit for about 10 minutes while I was cooking the fish. Then add the avocado and mash it all together. I like my guacamole pretty chunky so I used a fork and just mashed it lightly. If you like yours creamier, you can always put it in a blender or use an emersion blender.

To assemble:
Take one tortilla and break apart half of one tilapia filet into chunks (it should just fall apart pretty easily). Set the fish in the middle of the tortilla and top with about a tablespoon (or more!) of guacamole. Serve with brown rice and black beans (black bean recipe to come!). Enjoy!

Linguine with Shrimp, Kale, and Tomatoes

Lambeau is the best puppy. It seems like his biggest pleasure in life is to cuddle. Here are some puppy pics to brighten your day.

 Isn't he just the cutest?

I have been shopping at Whole Foods a lot lately. Yes, it can be expensive but it also has great produce and great seafood. I have also noticed that unless you're buying the exotic fruits, nice cheeses, and expensive beers, the prices are actually pretty comparable to the regular grocery store. Last week I really wanted to make something with shrimp in it and it just so happened that the shrimp at Whole Foods was on sale. I bought a pound of unpeeled shrimp but in hindsight I should've paid the extra dollar to get the already peeled and de-veined shrimp.

One thing I really like about this dish is that it tastes so fresh and light even though its a pasta dish. It also requires minimal ingredients, dishes, and time. Plus, as an added bonus, my non-fish-loving fiance really enjoyed it!

Linguine with Shrimp, Kale, and Tomatoes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Serves 2

1/2 pound Linguine
3-4 slices bacon
1/2 lb shrimp
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 bunch (about 4 cups) kale, washed and chopped
1.5 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. Towards the end of the cooking time, reserve about 1 cup of pasta water.

Cut the bacon into small pieces and add it to a large non stick skillet. Cook until crispy then set aside to drain on a paper towel lined plate. Wipe out the bacon grease from the pan with a paper towel and put the pan back on the stove over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and the shrimp. Cook the shrimp for a few minutes each side until it is completely pink. Just make sure not to over cook it since it will be going back into the pot, it would be best to under cook it just slightly at this point. My shrimp were pretty small so it only took like 3 minutes total. Remove the shrimp and set a side. Add the onion to the pan and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and the crushed red pepper and cook until its fragrant. Then add the kale and saute for about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, the shrimp, the cheese, and the pasta to the pan and cook until the tomatoes get warm and the cheese melts, about 5 minutes. At this point you can decide if you want to add the pasta water. I added about 1/2 cup to mine just to give it a little bit more sauce. Sprinkle in the bacon and serve with more Parmesan if desired.

Kale & Potato Fritata

Usually when I think of breakfast for dinner I think of lots of pancakes, bacon, and eggs. However, recently I have been crazy about eggs. I used to be nervous to eat a lot of eggs because of the supposed effects it can have on your cholesterol. A few weeks ago though I read that the USDA has decided that cholesterol from foods doesn't really impact your health as much as they originally though it did. For me this is great news. Now I probably eat eggs 4-5 days a week. Hard-boiled eggs especially are a great snack and make a great lunch at work.

Another great way to eat eggs is in a Fritata. A Fritata can basically be anything you want. For mine, I used kale and potatoes - it was vegetarian day, so I didn't use meat this time.

This was absolutely delicious. I served it with a salad of arugula and green onion dressed with just a little bit of salt, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. It was a great dinner and would be great for brunch as well.

Kale & Potato Fritata
Total Time: 45-50 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Serves 4-6

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp oil
1/2 onion, minced
1 bunch kale (4-6 cups), washed and chopped
1/2 tsp oregano
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 large potato, peeled and sliced into 1/8 inch think rounds (I used my mandolin)
1/4 cup milk
8 eggs
1/2 cup Parmesan

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium non-stick pan, heat 1 tsp oil. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic, oregano, salt and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the kale and cook for about 8 minutes, until the kale is completely cooked and then set it aside to let it cool. While the kale is cooking, whisk milk with the eggs in a small bowl until well mixed. In a separate cast iron pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the potatoes in one layer all over the bottom of the pan. Let the potatoes cook for about 10 minutes making sure the bottom doesn't burn. Put the kale and onion mixture over the potatoes then add the eggs. Put the skillet into oven and bake for about 25-30 minutes until the egg is set and cooked through. In the last 10 minutes or so of cooking time add the Parmesan cheese on top. Let it sit for about ten minutes then serve with a simple green salad.

Chicken Burrito Bowls

I used to be able to go to Chipotle and order a Chicken Burrito Bowl with lots of cheese and sour cream and a tortilla on the side without even thinking about how many calories I was consuming in one sitting. When I was in college I used to drive almost an hour each way just to eat a Chipotle burrito. It was delicious and I often get cravings for Chipotle. Sometimes I indulge and go have a burrito or a burrito bowl, but I can't always justify the calories that come with one of those things. A burrito from Chipotle can have upwards of 1200 calories depending on what you put on it. 

 

You can't really make a burrito like Chipotle, there's just nothing like it, but this is a great, healthy alternative that definitely satisfies those cravings. In my opinion its the chicken that makes or break it. I like it when its spicy, has a nice crust on the outside, and has some little burnt parts. The best way to get a nice crust with some little burnt bits is to cook it on a hot grill, but you can get almost the same effect if you use a hot cast iron pan.

 

I like to load mine up with lots of toppings. Sour cream and cheese are a must have for me. Recently instead of using sour cream I have started using Greek yogurt. It is just as creamy and tangy as sour cream but it is so much better for you!

Chicken Burrito Bowl
Serves about 4
Total time: 35 minutes

For the chicken:
6 chicken breast halves
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsps. cumin
2 tsps. oregano
1 tsps. chili powder
1 tsps. garlic powder
1/2 tsps. salt
1/2 tsps. black pepper

In a medium bowl mix 1 tbsp. olive oil with all of the spices. Add the chicken and mix up until all of the chicken is coated in the spice mixture. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes to so it absorbs all of the flavors. If you are using a grill, get the grill really hot by pre-heating it on high for about 10 minutes then turn the heat down to medium. Oil the grill with the remaining olive oil and then put the chicken breasts on. Flip after 4-5 minutes - there should be nice grill marks. Cook another 4-5 minutes on the other side until the chicken is cooked through. If you are using a pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil in a cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until there is a nice crust on the first side. Flip and cook for another 4-5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Let is rest for about 10 minutes then chop it up into bite sized pieces.

For the Burrito Bowls:
3 cups cooked brown rice
3 cups black beans
Chicken from above
Toppings: Guacamole, Salsa, Cheese - cheddar is a great option but if you can find it, queso fresco is a great cheese (it's kind of like the Mexican feta), onions, jalapenos, corn, Greek yogurt (as a great sub for sour cream) and any other toppings you want!

In a bowl place 1/2 cup cooked rice, 1/2 cup black beans, 1 chicken breast half and any toppings you want!

Kale Chips

The other day I bought several bunches of Dinosaur Kale at whole foods. The dark green, flat leaves looked perfect to make some kale chips. I had made kale chips before and I knew it was super easy so I decided to try a couple different things this time. I got a dehydrator for Christmas and had yet to use it, so I thought this was the perfect opportunity. I split the kale into two bunches - one to roast in the oven and one to put in the dehydrator.

 

 

 

I also wanted to see if it made a difference if I salted the kale before I cooked it or if it would taste just as good if I salted it afterwards. So I salted half of each bunch before I started cooking it and left the other half unsalted.

Another thing to keep in mind is to make sure you cut the thick rib out of the center of the kale leaf before you cook them. If you don't, the leafy part of the kale will get crispy but the rib will get chewy and make the chip less than delicious. Also, make sure the leaves are very dry. It's important to wash the kale but make sure to dry it well afterwards.

It doesn't take much olive oil to get the chips crispy. For all of my kale, I used about 3 tablespoons. I put it in a bowl and kind of massaged it into the kale for a few minutes. This is the point when I added the salt to the batches I wanted to pre-salt.

The results were interesting. The oven chips were nice and crispy and the pre-salted chips were definitely better than the chips salted after baking. It seemed to make the salt stick better when I pre salted it which I liked a lot. The dehydrated chips took a long time. I was skeptical that they were going to turn out at all. They were ok, but still kind of chewy. The oven baked chips were definitely superior - delicious and healthy!

Kale Chips
Total Time: 25 minutes

1-2 bunches of Dinosaur Kale
2-3 tbsps. of olive oil
1/2 tsp. kosher salt

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash and dry the kale. Remove the think rib from the center of each of the leaves. Cut the leaves into half or thirds to make a nice chip sized piece of kale. Put the kale into a large bowl and top with the olive oil and salt. I had about 8 cups of kale and I used 3 tbsps. of olive oil - you really don't need that much. Toss the kale, olive oil, and salt together so that each leaf is coated. Place the leaves on a tinfoil lined cookie sheet. They can be touching but they shouldn't be overlapping a lot. Bake for 20-25 minutes until they are nice and crispy. They can be eaten right away or kept in a plastic bag for a few days.

Pan Fried Cod

It was a big weekend in our household this past weekend. We got a puppy! This is Lambeau (yes, named for Lambeau Field!). He is 11 weeks old and we adopted him from Shenandoah Valley Dog Rescue.

 We are not quite sure what breed he is, but he looks like a mix between a golden retriever and some sort of shepherd. All he really does is sleep, but he is too cute.

In food news, I have decided that I am going to eat more seafood. I enjoy sushi but other than that I don't eat a lot of seafood and I don't always enjoy it. However, fish is full of omega-3s and other nutrients that you can't get from a lot of other sources. My fiancé is not a big seafood lover (or eater) so I didn't want to just jump in and eat a tuna steak. I decided to start with a white, flaky fish that isn't super "fishy." We tried Tilapia one night and, since it went over well, the next week decided to try some Atlantic Cod.

The cod was much different than the tilapia - delicious and still not super fishy. I've read that Atlantic Cod is a great fish to eat. There is a lot of it in the ocean so it is not usually farmed, it has lower levels of mercury, moderate levels of Omega-3s, and my fiance said it was a make-again meal!

Pan Fried Cod
Time: 10 minutes

4 cod filets
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp paprika
dash of cayenne pepper
4 lemon wedges

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat. Mix the flour and spices together on a plate. Coat the cod filets with the flour mixture. Once the oil is hot, add the cod filets. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until the fish is flaky. Squeeze one lemon wedge over each filet and serve immediately.