Cheddar Beer Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

What to do with leftovers of cheddar beer chicken? I think I ate that every single day for lunch and dinner last week. It was so flavorful and satisfying. It tasted amazing as a taco salad or in a burrito with the simple flavors of avocado, lettuce and Greek yogurt.

I was really craving a baked sweet potato for lunch the other day and thought that be the perfect vessel for this chicken. I cooked several sweet potatoes until their sugar started to burst from their skin. I topped them with spinach, cheddar beer chicken and honey goat cheese. The sweet and savory worked really well for this chicken. The extra kick of hot sauce was a nice surprise.

Cheddar Beer Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
By Fallon

Ingredients:
4 Sweet potatoes
1 cup of cheddar beer chicken
1 large handful baby spinach, chopped
Honey goat cheese
Hot sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and clean sweet potatoes. Bake sweet potatoes on a baking sheet for 60 minutes or until soften and sugar starts to burst from skins.

Combine chicken and spinach and heat on stove top till hot. Once potatoes are done, remove and cut horizontal. Place chicken mixture in middle and top with crumbles of goat cheese and a couple dashes of hot sauce.

Today is the Superbowl and I’m going for the GIANTS all the way! 

Who are you rooting for?

ENJOY!
Fallon

Goat Cheese, Fig and Prosciutto Flatbread Salad

My favorite food items I eat daily are goat cheese, prosciutto, gluten free tortillas, red bell peppers, almond butter, red wine and dark chocolate. That is all that EVER sounds good. Weird huh? I mean it not a terrible thing right? Wine and chocolate? Goat cheese and prosciutto?

My favorite brand!

Adds great flavor to everything. That is why I eat it with almost everything. haha

I had a few Facebook recommendations on what I should make this weekend. Appetizers or bacon jam were my choices. Bacon jam is dangerous. Appetizers not so much. I decided to take my favorite food items (well certain ones) and make a delicious flatbread pizza topped with salad. It is delicious and also great with wine ;)

Goat Cheese, Fig and Prosciutto Flatbread Salad
By Fallon

Ingredients
1 brown rice tortilla (these crisp up perfectly!)
2 tablespoon goat cheese, softened
1 tablespoon fig butter or preserves
1/4 cup red bell peppers, diced
1 tablespoon shallot, sliced
Handful baby spinach, chopped
1-2 slices prosciutto
1/2 tablespoon sliced blanched almonds
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Find a small baking sheet that is big enough to fit a large sized brown rice tortilla. Flip it around and use the bottom of the pan. This will create an even layer for a crispy flatbread.

While the oven is preheating, cut the bell peppers and shallots. Chop the baby spinach and set aside. Place the plain tortilla in the oven to warm up for about 5 minutes. Flip around half way through, it should start to bubble/crisp up. Take out and spread goat cheese and fig butter. Top with bell peppers and shallots. Place back into the oven for another 5 minutes or until you can smell the peppers and shallots. Take out and top with spinach, sliced bell peppers, almonds, prosciutto and a drizzle of oil.

My favorite extra virgin olive oil!

Season with salt and pepper. I cut it into 6 pieces. Now if I didn’t have to go into work I would of had a nice glass of red wine to go with it. ;)

       

The plus of this flatbread is that it is gluten free! The crunch from the almonds is a nice surprise and goes well with the prosciutto and fig butter. I love fancy finger foods like this and was so simple to throw together. The only downside is, that it can get messy with the spinach and stuff falling off if you are trying to serve this at a cocktail party!

Fallon

Steakwich kind of lunch

Our brand new dining table arrived and my babe is putting it together as we speak. It was just noon and that means it is time for lunch! We had a wonderful steak dinner Sunday night and I made sure to have some leftovers so I could make him a delicious steak sandwich. He said it was pretty amazing.

Here is what you’ll need: leftover steak, leftover sweet potatoes, chewy whole wheat bread, grainy mustard, avocado, red onion, romaine lettuce and pickles.

On the side I gave him some sesame seed crackers and slices of brie.

How about that for a Monday lunch? I was kind of jealous that I wasn’t getting a sandwich like this!

 

 

Picked up this brie from Trader Joe’s, buttery and creamy!

My boyfriend is getting a steakwich, while I’m going to roll with some broccoli slaw and roasted chicken! Oh and a pita pizza sounds good too. ;)

Happy Monday!

Fallon

Our New Temp Table.

This cooler has been very helpful with our move. At first it kept our water cool during our roadtrip, along with homemade sandwiches to eat on the road.

As soon as we found our new home (apartment) this cooler became an elevated stand for my laptop so we could watch dvds.

Then last night the coolest thing happen. I complained how I was tired of eating my meals on top of a kitchen counter. I always eat sitting down, FYI. My boyfriend grabs the cooler and places it where eventually a table with chairs will be placed. I finally ate dinner without hunching over and making a mess!

I sit here now eating my lunch, Indian style and I'm so freaken happy!

Spinach, Mushroom and Steak Quesadillas

I was inspired by this wonderful quesadilla posted by Pioneer Woman. I made a few adjustments from the original recipe and it made one very happy boyfriend. I added some leftover steak by slicing it up and using pepper jack cheese to add a little spice! You can easily add in chicken or leave the meat out of it! I lightened up my version by using only 1 tablespoon of butter for flavor and using whole wheat tortillas to get an extra fiber boost. I cut the recipe in half since lunch was only my boyfriend and I, which is the version below. You can easily double it, if feeding for more people. This makes for a great weekend lunch when you don’t know what to make or have very little time!

 

Spinach, Mushroom and Steak Quesadillas

Adapted from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter

8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced

2-3 tablespoons chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Several handfuls of baby spinach

4 whole wheat flour tortillas

2-3 ounces pepper jack cheese, grated

2 ounces, goat cheese (chevre)

Cooking spray

Salsa, for serving

Directions

Melt butter in a large skillet and add sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then saute over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, then pour in chicken broth. Add salt and pepper. Continue cooking for 6 to 8 minutes, or until all liquid is evaporated. Add the spinach to the mushrooms and mix around gently until it starts to wilt. Remove from heat and set aside.

To assemble the quesadillas, arrange grated pepper jack, spinach, and mushrooms on top of one flour tortilla. Dot with goat cheese. Top with a little more pepper jack, then top with second tortilla.  Spray the tortillas on the outside with cooking spray and place on a hot skillet. Cook till golden brown on both sides and until cheese is totally melted. Repeat for remaining quesadillas. Slice quesadillas into four wedges and serve immediately.

   

Enjoy,

Fallon

Wheatberry Salad

If there is a cookbook I need to utilize more often it would be Clean Food by Terry Walters. All her recipes are vegetarian based and are divided by seasons. I’m more aware of what fruit and vegetables I should consume during Winter and vice versa thanks to this book. I’ve been going through it a lot recently and have tried several of the recipes. Making these healthy meals has helped me maintain my weight since moving to El Paso. I thought I’d have a more difficult time but I’m actually doing really well on maintaining a healthy lifestyle. I’m not able to get to the gym all the time but I push myself to workout at home using DVDs. At the end of the day it all balances out but it helps to eat a healthy meal that will satisfy you and not leave you feeling hungry during the day.

I’ve recently been on a wheatberry kick and came across a salad in Clean Food. It was slightly different from the first wheatberry I made. This had a simple dressing of lime juice and toasted sesame oil. Since it is still winter here, I opted to use pink lady apples. In the summer though peaches would be a wonderful addition!

This salad was delicious after I let it set in the fridge overnight and let the flavors come together. There was a lot of action going on with this salad from the chewy wheatberries, crisp apples, sweet currants and toasted sunflower seeds. I once again set the wheatberry salad on top of spinach! It is one of the best lunches I’ve been having lately.

Wheatberry Salad From Clean Food

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups wheatberries

Sea salt

4-5 scallions, chopped

1 cup chopped apples (granny, pink lady etc)

1/2 cup currants (I used organic Thompson seedless raisins)

1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds

Juice of 1 lime

3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

Directions

Rinse wheatberries, soak in bowl with enough water to cover for at least 1 hour, then drain. In large pot, bring 3 1/4 cups water to boil. Add wheatberries and pinch of salt, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until all water is absorbed (35-45 minutes). Set aside to cool, then fluff with fork.

In large bowl, combine cooked wheatberries with scallions, apples, currants and toasted sunflower seeds. Toss with lime juice, toasted sesame oil and pinch of salt. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

 

Eating healthy really is not difficult at all! Look at how simple the ingredient list is and how quick everything eventually came together once the wheatberries have cooked. I tried out a cookie recipe the other day using some ripe bananas. I can’t wait to show you guys that recipe as well from Clean Food.

Enjoy,

Fallon

Goat Cheese Avocado Walnut Sandwich

Sandwiches to me aren’t always impressive. I rather just have a simple peanut butter and jelly sandwich then anything else. About 2 weeks ago I was asked to be in this performance for an Old Navy Conference. I’m not a professional actor by any means, I was more of an extra with 1 line ;). It was in front of 1,400+ people and I spent several days rehearsing for the 2 hour performance. It was a great learning experience, I met some nice people and learned a little bit about acting!

I was surprised to find out that they were buying our lunches. They kept ordering from a place called ‘wichcraft. The menu was full of sandwiches from hot, cold, panini or breakfast style. I’m glad I wasn’t paying because the prices were a bit high and everything was ala carte like for drinks, chips, dessert etc. My first day there I right away picked a goat cheese sandwich with avocado, celery, walnuts and watercress on multigrain bread. WOW was this sandwich great. The goat cheese was creamy, the avocado was buttery, the celery offset the peppery watercress and the big doughy slices of multigrain bread was just what this sandwich needed. BUT.. my walnut pesto was missing. I was not a happy camper. I knew I could make this sandwich at home and it would taste even better.

Goat Cheese Avocado Walnut Sandwich

Serving 1 person

Ingredients

2 slices of your favorite whole grain bread, fresh

1 oz chevre goat cheese

1 oz avocado

1-2 tbsp celery, sliced

1 tbsp walnuts, chopped

Spinach or green of choice

Fresh ground pepper

Take out the goat cheese in advance so it has time to soften up and spread easily onto the bread.

On one slice of bread smear the goat cheese and smear the avocado on the opposite piece of bread. Place the celery on the goat cheese side, and the walnuts on the avocado side. Ground fresh pepper on both sides and place the spinach on one side of the bread and close the sandwich. Enjoy!

The walnuts add crunchy texture and a nutty flavor, making a good companion for avocado!

This is a Great Harvest Dakota roll. It is my favorite bread because it has whole grains, texture from sunflower seeds, millet, and sesame seeds.

This is my new favorite sandwich. So easy and portable. I feel good eating it and I love the amount of flavor this simple sandwich has to offer.

As for ‘wichcraft, this place was awful. Not only did they not put walnut pesto on my sandwich, but the following day I ordered a panini with cheddar cheese, ham and green apple slices. It sounded like a good combination but oh SO GREASY! I’ve had a panini before with cheese everywhere but never once greasy. They also forgot my cream’wich cookie. One of the ladies had to go back and when she brought it to me, it was the size of an Oreo, warm  and basically fell apart as I ate it. Did not enjoy it at all and was very disappointed. I kind of felt bad she had to go back and get it. It wasn’t worth it.  I’m sorry Tom Colicchio I love you and your great expertise on Top Chef, but this casual restaurant just wasn’t up to the standards I expected from your culinary background.     

With love,

Fallon

I'm awful + yummy veggie burger lunch!

I don't know why all this time I kept thinking I started my blog back in August 2009. I actually just realized my first post was on July 8th, 2009. HELLO!!! I totally forgot it was my blog's birthday, and I did nothing cool to celebrate it. Does that make me a bad blogger? I seriously don't know where my mind was, but I know during this time I had a lot going on. I'm going to make it up once my kitchen is back to normal. That sounds fair right? Oh my, I just read my first blog post, I guess I didn't believe in proof reading. heh! Speaking of birthdays, mine is well TODAY! The kitchen is still being worked on, so my plans to make this awesome chocolate chip cookie cake has been postponed. I remember seeing this Emeril Live episode and the recipe been bookmarked since. Just saw it is from 2004! So if someone wants to make this for me and surprise me, that be awesome. hehe. Don't worry I'll be having awesome birthday desserts since all my favorite restaurants have sent me coupons for a free birthday dessert, score! They are just trying to sabotage my figure! In the mean time, here is a lovely lunch I put together the other day. Luckily I do have a toaster oven during the remodeling. Been great for heating up frozen burritos and toast! I had 1 piece of Great Harvest honey whole wheat bread left and figured a veggie burger was in order. Popped the frozen toast and veggie burger into my oven to cook. I used a new spread on the bread from Trader Joe's, Masala Lentil dip. It is a different spread, spicy and sweet? Carrots taste really good with this dip. It went really well with the honey whole wheat bread and the Dr. Praeger California veggie burger. We had some chopped up romaine, that I added. On the side were cute little pickles for crunch. The flavors all went well. This was nutritious and very filling. I love these veggie burgers, they are not high in calories or protein, so it is easy to bulk up for added nutrition. FYI: The veggie burger was super hot from the oven and I was super hungry. I took the biggest bite and before it was too late I burned the roof of my mouth! The past few days have been no fun eating salty and hot foods. Ice cream, frozen bananas, and iced water have been lovely. heh I'll be back with a birthday recap and kitchen recap next week. Recently, a lot of cake shops have opened up in Las Vegas and been featured on many TV shows lately.. I'm thinking a red velvet cupcake is in order. Doesn't that sound like a good idea? Happy Birthday to me! Fallon Check out my birthday recap from last year by clicking HERE! It's a long one.

National Wear Red Day®

Logo is from NHLBI website.

February 5th is National Wear Red Day® hosted by The National Lung and Blood Institute. It is to encourage women to understand how to take care of themselves, be heart healthy, take control of the risk factors, and to decrease heart disease. It is time to get healthy and it all begins by taking care of yourself. Being stressed out, smoking, drinking, lack of sleep, poor diet are factors that lead to an unhealthy lifestyle and can increase the chance of heart disease. One of my favorite blogs, Big Red Kitchen is making an event for this special day for women to make a heart-healthy meal and to share with other bloggers! Right away I knew I had to be part of this because I thrive to make heart-healthy meals and to live a healthy lifestyle by working out, having a clean diet, less stress and just being happy! Who loves pizza? It probably one of the best meals because it an easy meal made up of bread, cheese and sauce! It may be easy but not the most healthiest option. Some pizzas are loaded up with grease, too much cheese, fatty meats that all adds up to a whole lot of calories and unhealthy fats. Definitely all leading to an unhealthy lifestyle and can increase the changes of heart disease. I'm a huge fan of pizza but I had to find a way that would satisfy my pizza craving but without all the fat and calories. 


I bring to you, Pita Pizza! I came up with this pizza 3 years ago when I started losing weight and was watching my calories. Mind you I don't count calories anymore but it is always good to be aware of calories being consumed in some meals. This pizza helped with my craving the saucy and cheesy goodness. Not only that but the healthy benefits were even better. This was also when I started to realize counting calories didn't mean what I was eating can be considered healthy. I started learning more about nutrients in foods and how to stay satisfy by using healthy fats lean proteins, fruits and vegetables. It started with using whole wheat pita bread. I got my fiber and benefits of using whole grains. I used tomato paste as my "sauce" and gave me amazing flavor and extra lycopene when heated up in the oven! I used part-skim mozzarella which was lower in fat and good source of protein. To bulk it up I would add vegetables like spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, red bell pepper etc. If I had some lean turkey sausage or grilled up chicken breast, I'd add that to my pizza as well. To enhance the flavor and get that Italian pizza taste I use seasonings like garlic powder, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes. I would serve this with a green salad and it was my perfect go to meal. My Pita Pizzas would range from 250-300 calories with a side salad, making for a very satisfying meal.

It gets even better. People are usually always in a "rush" so ordering pizza would be an easier alternative. Well pita pizza is great for when you don't have much time and need a quick meal. It comes together very quickly and it is healthy at the same time! I have taken photos of the steps to constructing a pita pizza, so next time you are in a rush this can be your go to meal! It also be great way to get children involved in the kitchen because they can learn about healthy ingredients and they can build their own pita pizzas!  

Pita Pizza By Fallon  
Ingredients
100% Whole wheat pita bread
Tomato paste
Cheese (I use part-skim mozzarella or goat cheese)
Pizza toppings (vegetables, fruit, and/or lean protein, sun dried tomatoes, fresh basil, olives etc.)
Seasonings (Salt, pepper, dried basil and oregano, garlic powder, red pepper flakes)

First preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with tin foil and spray with a little olive oil so pita pizza doesn't stick, just in case! 1. Take a 100% whole wheat pita and lightly pat with water. This helps create moisture and forms a perfect crust for the pizza.

This is the brand I use. I've only seen it at Wholefoods in the 
refrigerated section with the other breads and wraps.
 

Love the nutritional stats!100 calories and has 4g of fiber and 7g of protein. 
Ingredients like fresh carrots, barley flour, millet flour, lentil flour and 
spelt flour that you can't find in other 100% whole wheat pitas!
 

2. Take a tablespoon of tomato paste and spread around. Season with garlic powder and basil.

3. Next take your toppings of choice and pile on top. I used spinach and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.

This great big tub of organic spinach came from 
Sam's Club and only cost around $3.00.
 

4. Top with cheese of choice, I used mozzarella. I then decided to add sun dried tomatoes and sprinkle the top with oregano and red pepper flakes.

They are packed in olive oil and you can simply just pat the oil off 
on a paper towel. Just a few will add a lot of flavor!
 

5. Place into preheated oven and let cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes set the oven to broil and let the pizza form a nice bubbly, brown top for 1-2 minutes. Next, cut into 4 sections and ENJOY!

The perfect serving, a whole pita pizza for oneself!
  Look at the deliciousness from the broil! 

I couldn't just stop there. Since pita pizza is a meal I consume about 2-3 times a week I thought I'd also share a quick dessert I consume often as well. I usually keep a granny smith apple cut up in a plastic baggie in the fridge that has been sprinkled with cinnamon. Great for quick nibble or snack for work since it all ready to go!
I also have many jars of nut butters opened and my choice for this dessert was Nuttzo! A great source of Omega- 3 which are healthy fats and are very good for you! Just one serving gives you 50% of your daily needs. This particular nut butter is a mixture of Valencia peanuts, flaxseed ground and whole, hazelnuts, cashews, almonds, Brazil nuts and sunflower seeds. Plus everything is 100% organic! To learn more about the nutrition in Nuttzo check out this page on their website.

Sadly my last jar!
 

Granny Smith apple with cinnamon + nut butter= pure satisfaction!

Thank you to Robin Sue at Big Red Kitchen for coming up with this exciting event. This post has shown a different side to my blog and kind of lets you know my healthy lifestyle I do live. I hope this meal is heart-healthy enough for the The National Lung and Blood Institute. I also hope that you've enjoyed this post and try Pita Pizza as soon as possible! You won't be disappointed!!

Have a heart healthy day!!
Fallon