my favorite chef

I am loving Ellie Krieger on the foodnetwork. If you're not familiar with her show, she's the host of Healthy Appetite. Her recipe's are great because they are 1. hard to mess up 2. healthy and balanced without tasting bland and 3. quick

<-------Isn't she a cutie! She looks so fresh and clean, i think thats why I like her!

She has multiple videos on foodnetwork.com and i find myself sitting and watching them one after the other for hours (yes, i live a very boring life at the moment). She's not annoying like rachel ray, and everything she makes is so easy. Even my sister Ashley could follow her recipes, and Ashley's idea of cooking is blending a smoothie.

Ive posted some of my favorite recipes.... ENJOY!

Penne with Roasted Tomatoes, Garlic, and White Beans

Ingredients

• 3 large tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled (**I changed this to 6)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1(15 ounce) can cannellini beans
• 1/2 pound penne pasta
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
• ***I added escarole (a green similar to spinach)
• Directions - Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Slice each tomato into 8 wedges and discard the seeds. Put the tomato wedges and garlic into a 9 by 13-inch roasting pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and a few turns of pepper. Roast in the oven, uncovered, for 40 minutes.

Saute the escarole in non-fat cooking spray or a little evoo until it is soft and wilted down

Drain the beans into a large colander in the sink. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain the pasta into the colander containing the beans, so the hot pasta water will warm the beans. Return drained pasta and beans to the pasta pot. Add the escarole into this mixture

When the tomatoes are done, pick out the garlic cloves, squeeze the garlic out of the skin into a small bowl and mash with a fork. Pour the roasted tomatoes into the pasta pot, add the garlic, the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the basil and additional salt and pepper, to taste. Toss to combine. Serve topped with the Parmesan.

Tabbouleh Salad

Taco Salad

Ingredients - For the Meat:

• 3/4 pound lean ground beef (90 percent lean or higher) (**or ground chicken if your like me and dont like beef)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more to taste
• 1/3 cup water

For the dressing:

• 4 medium tomatoes, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (i also added lemon)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

• 2 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Cheddar
• 2 ounces baked corn tortilla chips (about 32 chips)
• ***I also added some chopped up avocado on top of my salad, and my dad put some sour cream on top of his.

Directions: To prepare the meat, heat a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook until no longer pink, stirring occasionally and breaking the meat up with the spoon. Add the garlic and beans and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the chili powder, cayenne and water and stir until well combined and some but not all of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly. Meat mixture may be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

To make the tomato dressing, in a medium bowl, combine tomatoes (with their juices), oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Dressing may be prepared up to 2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Place 2 cups of lettuce on each plate or in a lunch container. Top each serving with 1 cup of the beef mixture then sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of cheese. If making to-go, pack 3/4 cup of the tomato mixture in a separate sealable container and put about 8 chips in a separate bag. Right before eating, pour a portion of the tomato mixture with the liquid on top of each salad, and crush tortilla chips on top.

Saucy Salmon

Fig Bran Muffins