Spaghetti and Meatballs

Lately I have been having this hard core craving for Spaghetti and Meatballs, so I just had to make it. This recipe has definitely become one of my faves! Never underestimate making your own tomato sauce, because you can control the flavor and the fat. And it doesn't really take that long either. Completely worth it! Serve it with a light, fresh salad to balance out the meal. Here are my modifications:

-Use the leanest meat you can find. I had 93/7 beef, and 90/10 pork. It's also great that the recipe calls for baking the meatballs, instead of finishing it off in the sauce. Baking it will pull out the fat into the baking dish, and you can scoop out the meat with a slotted spoon.
-Use half the amount of Parmigiano-Reggiano in the meatballs.
-Add mushrooms to the sauce.
-Use skim milk.
-Use whole wheat bread instead of the white bread.
-Use low-fat, low-sodium mozzarella
-Use whole wheat pasta, if you don't mind the flavor.

Buon Appetit!

Grilled Chicken, Grilled Vegetables, and Saffron Rice

The sun finally came out after weeks of raining here! So naturally, I had to break out the grill to celebrate. I think the beauty of this meal is in it's simplicity. All I had to do was rub some olive oil, hawaiian salt, pepper, and tequila lime rub (courtesy of Kinder's) on the chicken breasts. Then, grill it for about 13 minutes on high. It comes out wonderfully juicy. As for the vegetables, just cut up some red peppers, zucchini, and eggplant. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then, grill it for about 5-6 minutes on high. The saffron rice is simply arborio rice cooked in a pinch of saffron and low sodium chicken broth. It's a completely flavorful, healthy, and balanced meal.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Alright, there is nothing like chocolate to cheer up Raquel when she's had a bad day and is stuck on cranky. But, just because I'm making her chocolate chip cookies doesn't mean it has to be super bad for you. I lucked out on finding this Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, and I didn't even need to make any modifications! Love it.

Spaghetti Carbonara

Oy Vey....I can see that I've neglected my blog for a while. Sorry folks. Well, I'm finally catching up right now with a heap of foodie posts that I didn't get a chance to write about this last month. You'll notice that the next couple will be very focused on carbs. Well, that's basically because I've decided to double my weekly running mileage in preparation for the fall marathons. And don't forget, carbs=energy.

This particular recipe isn't entirely healthy for you, but I had to do something with my leftover turkey bacon. Essentially, I modified Tyler Florence's Spaghetti Carbonara. And it was a total hit with me and Raquel. Although, you never can go wrong with bacon. Here are my modifications:

-Use turkey bacon, and make sure to drain out the fat. When he says to toss the pasta in the bacon fat, use a bit of olive oil instead.
-Add an onion, asparagus, and mushrooms. It adds color and a bunch of vitamins/nutrients that lightens up the meal.
-Use half the amount of cheese. if it's not salty/cheesy enough, you can always add a little bit to your own plate.
-Note: I can't actually do this last modification in my dishes, because Raquel hates whole wheat pasta. But, if you can get away with it, I'd highly recommend it.

Try it out folks. Essentially, this dish is bacon and eggs, except on pasta!