Hey friends! I would love to hear from you. If you have any questions, comments or special requests for "Lean Paula Deen" recipe make-overs...just send me a little note! Thanks!
I love, love, love this recipe! The week I tested it out, I made it on three different occasions. It makes a fabulous appetizer, as well as the perfect lunch or light dinner. The best part is that from start to finish, this pizza only takes 20 minutes! That's faster, and much healthier, than delivery. Alright...enough chat. Let's get to the video! Here I am, along with my little helper, making our take on Rachael Ray'sGoat Cheese - Spinach Pizza.
GOAT CHEESE - SPINACH PIZZA Makes 1 Pizza (2 Servings)
INGREDIENTS:
One FLAT OUT Flatbread Light 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
1 cup (or handful) of fresh baby spinach
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 ounce soft goat cheese
2 ounces FAT FREE Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1/2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400°. Place flatbread on pizza stone and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Toss the spinach with olive oil. In a small bowl, mix goat cheese and cream cheese. Place cheese mixture in a Zip-loc bag for applying the cheese; trim small piece off corner .Top the crust with the spinach, tomatoes. Top with goat/cream cheese; squeezing from Zip-loc bag. Sprinkle with additional teaspoon of Parmesan, if desired. Bake for 10-15 minutes.
Ok, with most things in life, it is easy to fall into a routine. This includes everything from Tuesday is "Taco Night" to the lunch you take to work. Routines work for us. They keep things simple and organized in this often times crazy and chaotic thing we call life. I get that. When you find what works, ya stick with it. But what about our workouts?
I admit to being the guilty party in creating my workout monotony. Every session pretty much resembles the last. Maybe there were a few extra speed intervals there on the treadmill? Or perhaps I was feeling saucy and added some ab work one day last month? Ok, so there is a little variation, yet not enough to make a difference. My body knows what is coming every time I step into my Nikes. There is no element of surprise. I give my body the same workout and in return, I get the same results. No change, progress or improvement; just the same ol' Lindsay. Hell, I don't even get sore muscles anymore! I am not challenging myself at all. I am currently residing in a fitness comfort zone; desperate for a move into a place that pushes my abilities and a creates a stronger me. So, here's the plan.
Last year, my adorable husband Rudy (who understands my love of everything health, nutrition and fitness) purchased P90X for me. Yes, the program that you see on infomercials claiming to transform anyone into a strong, super "beachbody" in 90 days. It has been sitting in a box for a year and it is time to bust it out. I am going for it! Or as P90X says, "BRING IT!"
I started last night and let me tell ya, my body was surprised. Actually, maybe not surprised; more like blindsided. My upper-body is so sore and I LOVE it! I sound crazy, right? But it's a good kind of sore because I know that I have challenged myself and woken up those sleeping muscles. Did I fall on my face a couple times doing push-ups last night? Yes. Did I feel like I should be writing a book called, "Diary of a Whimpy Mom"? Yes. But this is the beginning of change. It was a wake-up call. I have been neglecting strength training for too long. Now I am motivated to take back my strength.
Strength training is important to the overall health of both men and women. Need a bit of convincing? Here is a list of benefits to weight training; found on www.mayoclinic.com:
*Develop strong bones. By stressing your bones, strength training increases bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis.
*Control your weight. As you gain muscle, your body gains a bigger "engine" to burn calories more efficiently — which can result in weight loss. The more toned your muscles, the easier it is to control your weight.
*Reduce your risk of injury. Building muscle helps protect your joints from injury. It also contributes to better balance, which can help you maintain independence as you age.
*Boost your stamina. As you get stronger, you won't fatigue as easily.
*Manage chronic conditions. Strength training can reduce the signs and symptoms of many chronic conditions, including arthritis, back pain, depression, diabetes, obesity and osteoporosis.
*Sharpen your focus. Some research suggests that regular strength training helps improve attention for older adults ** For the full article on mayoclinic.com, click here.
Not only will this P90X program add a little spunk into my workouts, but it will also allow me to gain the multiple benefits to strength training. I am ready! Are you?
Anyone else tried this program? I would love to hear your take on it!
Ina Garten, also known as Barefoot Contessa, does a wonderful version of the fried onion ring. She uses cornmeal and butter milk; followed by a short dip in the fryer, to create her mouth-watering, Cornmeal-Fried Onion Rings. Well, you can already guess that the frying isn't gonna fly in the cookin' lean kitchen. Therefore, I have created a slightly different version of this yummy fried treat. We are baking them and they are going to be just as crispy, delicious and satisfying as the oh-so-fattening version. Have at it!
OVEN BAKED ONION RINGS Makes 8 servings
INGREDIENTS:
2 large Vidalia onion (sweet onion) 2 cups FAT FREE Buttermilk 1 tablespoon Paprika 1-1/2 cups flour 3 cups ( or about 2 sleeves) REDUCED-FAT Townhouse crackers salt pepper cooking spray
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
In a medium bowl, mix buttermilk, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix well.
To crush the crackers, mix in a food processor or place in a sealed plastic bag; crushing the crackers with a rolling pin. Empty the crushed crackers into a shallow bowl. Add Paprika; a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper.
Slice onion; separate into rings.
Add the remaining flour into a large plastic bag. Add a handful of rings to the bag, seal and shake; coating the rings. Dip the flour coated rings in the buttermilk mix, then the cracker mix. Place on a prepared baking sheet (coated with non-fat cooking spray). Repeat for remaining rings. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and crispy.
Serve immediately, adding just a tiny pinch of salt before digging in.
*Suggested dipping sauce: 1/2 cup of fat free or light ranch dressing + 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce; mix well. SOOOO YUM!
RESULTS:
One of my weaknesses is the onion basket at Buffalo Wild Wings. The beer battered and fried rings, with that outstanding dip, is just out of this world. I don't even know the calorie count on those things and I don't want to. It would probably ruin the experience completely. I do know that it isn't good, so these baked rings make a great substitute when craving that flavor but not wanting to sabotage my healthy eating for the week.
The exact amount of crackers, buttermilk, etc. needed depends on how big the onions are; which is why the recipe calls for 2-3 sleeves of crackers. Just buy a box and you will be set! If you have to add more buttermilk, crackers, etc., to finish all the onions...go for it. You aren't going to hurt anything. The major nutritional changes were made when we switched from frying to baking. So, enjoy making these and don't stress too much about exact ingredient amounts. There is only so much cracker batter you can get to stick to an onion. You will be fine!
Hi all! Just wanted to tell you a little bit about myself. In a nutshell, I am a 31-year-old mother of one little girl,an elementary school teacher, fitness lover and slightly new cook. My interest in healthy living goes way back to my years growing up in an active family. I have always been involved in athletics and made efforts to eat well. With a Bachelor's Degree from Elon University in Exercise/Sport Science, I am able to make educated choices about health and nutrition for myself and for my family. Exercise and healthy eating have gone from something I study, to simply a way of life. To top it off, my new found love for cooking has been a way to apply what I know and to tap into my creative side. This is my passion.
Just to let y'all know, I am not Paula Deen. Although I did get to cook with her in Savannah last June, Paula is not affiliated with this blog. The same goes for Bobby, Rachael, Ina and Giada. I am simply a woman that loves finding inspiration in their fabulous recipes and making them work with my passion for healthy eating. The content of this site is protected under copyright law. Please do not use or reproduce without consent. Oh, and one last thing. The nutritional information provided was calculated using information gathered from www.livestrong.com and the packaging of the products used. They were not figured by a nutrition professional, but they are as close as I can get.
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