Sharing small healthy recipes one day at a time...starting now

As a true southerner, born and raised in the beautiful state of Alabama, I have never been far from delicious food. It is not uncommon for a true southern girl to love the kitchen and some of the delicacies practically bred into us to love from birth. While I must admit all those true traditions of fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, and gigantic portions do tempt me on occasion, I have really made it part of my true nature to change the lives of those around me by creating things that don't quite affect the waistline like those dishes that are generally considered everyday meals by my fellow Alabamians. 

Also, a problem that affects our culture now more than ever is something else I would truly love to change. That is the sheer amount of restaurant fare Americans eat on a daily basis. I think a lot of our issues stem from the fact that many families these days simply are not as large as those of year's past. It occurred to me some time ago that people just do not want to cook for themselves alone or just for themselves and their husband or wife due to the amount of food most recipes generate. Just the thought of making so much food only to end up throwing it out causes many people to grab a quick bite out and just be done with it.

For as long as I can remember, I have been cooking for just myself. When I was very small, I never wanted what my mother was cooking for our family of four and ended up rummaging for something I could make myself. Daily dinners in my house often included hamburgers, fried chicken, fried potatoes, and the like. My full-time job working mother was not going to make something special just for me after all!! I remember even as a five or six year old trying to figure out how to make a meal of instant mashed potatoes, canned beans, and a cornbread pancake with just water and egg and some cornmeal. Yes, I was not a common child I admit. Having so much experience fending for myself as a young person truly started a lifetime passion of creating small portions of healthy recipes. This is how I got where I am today.

I find myself today, a 35 year old woman, with a passion and a dream that involves my love of cooking. Nothing makes me happier than creating a healthy, satisfying recipe out of simple ingredients that I can share with family and friends.  I hope you enjoy and follow my blog where it is my quest to inspire you to cook for yourself or for you and someone you love. You are worth it!!

Special thanks to my very close friend (my I.C.) for inspiring me to start this blog and share my passion with the world. 






Kitchen basics: Before you begin, you may find that you do not have a well stocked kitchen to tackle cooking on a regular basis. I have a few things I recommend any kitchen should have. You can build from here.

one small and one large nonstick skillet
large stockpot (think stew, chili, and cooking pasta)
large cookie sheet or jelly roll pan
silicone baking mat
1 quart and 2 quart saucepans

You should always have these on hand for healthier cooking:

olive oil
nonstick cooking spray
kosher salt
ground pepper
crushed red pepper
small spice rack that has the basics
panko breadcrumbs
vanilla extract
sugar substitute such as truvia or splenda
honey
garlic and onions
canned white tuna in water
canned tomatoes
canned beans of any kind
dry whole wheat pasta
flour

Recipe One:

I had a little trouble with where I should begin, but decided on a meal you can serve together or break apart as you see fit. I wanted to share something delicious and totally inspiring so you will want to start taking care of yourself starting with this recipe.


Easy-2-Make Chicken Cutlets:

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts pounded to 1/2" thickness
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons water
2 cups of panko breadcrumbs
2 cups of self-rising flour, divided
2 tablespoons dried crushed rosemary
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

Drizzle and heat olive oil on medium high heat in a large nonstick skillet. Line up three dinner plates on the counter nearest your stove top. In dinner plate closest to the stove, put the 2 cups on panko, 1 cup  of flour, rosemary, thyme, paprika, salt, and pepper and mix to combine. There will be excess of this mixture, but its nice to have to make sure the chicken is well coated. In the second plate, mix the egg whites and water. In the last plate, put the leftover 1 cup of flour. Place the chicken breast one at a time, first in the plain flour, then the egg/water mixture, and finally the panko mixture making sure it is thoroughly coated. Shake of excess. Place in hot skillet. Cook about 4-5 minutes per side depending on the size of the chicken until cooked completely. If pan seems dry partially through cooking process, you can quickly remove and spray with a little cooking spray as needed. 2 servings.

Sauteed Spinach Sidedish:

1 16 oz pack of prewashed baby spinach
2 cloves of garlic
1 small yellow onion
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Heat olive oil on medium heat in a large nonstick skillet with high sides. Chopped onion into a small dice about 1/2 inch pieces. Saute in oil until translucent.  Slice garlic as thinly as possible and add to onions. Cook for another minute. Add spinach, salt, and pepper and toss to combine. Cook another few minutes until spinach is wilted. Serve. 2 servings.

Best, Healthy, Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

4 oz. fat free cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup of plain nonfat greek yogurt
1/4 cup of egg substitute
4 tablespoons of dry mix vanilla instant sugar free pudding
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups plain almond milk
1/3 cup Truvia or other sugar substitute

Recipe is for 1 quart of homemade ice cream in an electric mixer. Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with an electric mixer until completely combined. Place in an electric ice cream freezer and mix per manufacturer directions. Best texture if it allowed to freeze for 30 minutes prior to serving. If frozen longer, I usually soften in the microwave for 30 seconds to allow easier scooping. 4 servings.

Please enjoy these recipes and let me know what you think!