Spaghetti Squash Puttanesca

This is such one of the healthiest, delicious and low-cal meals that I know of. And it is perfect for post-holiday dieting.  Spaghetti squash is approximately 40-45 calories per cup and full of a bunch of vitamins.  And you can use it the same way you would use actual spaghetti.  Plus, if your family is anything like mine and your husband and kids are not big fans of squash you can make them regular spaghetti puttanesca and sneak in a bunch of squash and they will be none the wiser but all the more healthier for it - mwa ha ha ha ;)

INGREDIENTS

1 Spaghetti Squash
1 can organic tomato sauce
kalamata olives chopped
1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 large vidalia onion, chopped
1 teaspoon anchovy paste (another ingredient I keep hidden from my family ;)
1/2 cup red wine (I suggest Cab or Zin)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
capers (optional)
grated cheese for sprinkling

To prepare the squash preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  

Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and other gunky stuff from the middle of each half.  

On a cookie sheet with high enough sides or in a large baking dish drizzle some olive oil on the bottom and fill about 1/2 inch with water or chicken broth or both.  Place squash halves face down on cookie sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes until the squash is tender when you stick a fork into the outside skin of it.

Let cool for a while and work on the sauce.

For the sauce: in a heated pan cook onions on lowest heat in olive oil for about 30 minutes.  Then add in garlic and chopped tomatoes.  Raise heat a little and cook for about 3 more minutes.

Add in can of tomato sauce, anchovy paste, red pepper, oregano and salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer for 20 minutes.

With a fork scoop the spaghetti squash out - it will come out super easy and in strands that look like spaghetti.

Mix the squash in with the sauce and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.  

I add in the olives right before serving because cooking them changes the taste a little and I like them better uncooked.

Sprinkle with grated cheese and enjoy this VERY low-cal, healthy meal.  

And since it is so low-cal a nice glass of Pinot Noir would certainly be acceptable even if you are dieting.  A 5 oz glass of Pinot is only 120 calories and a 1 1/2 cup serving of the squash with the sauce and cheese is only about 130 calories!

Enjoy!!!

:)

Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint cookies are totally awesome and you can get creative with them by putting whatever you want into the thumbprint.  They are also the perfect cookie for kids to help with because kid-sized thumbs make the perfect sized indentation :)

Both my girls love to help me make them and we usually fill them with strawberry jelly and roll them in sweetened coconut flakes.  But they also can be filled with chocolate chips, m&m's, mini peanut butter cups, candied pecans and apricot jelly and any other sweet bit of deliciousness that is the size of a thumbprint.

Baking is really relaxing for me (especially when I have wine to go along with it) and it is great mother-daughter together time.  I love making cookies with my kids every Christmas!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 sticks of unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg white beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
• Sweetened flaked coconut
• Strawberry jelly or jam
• Optional - powdered sugar for sprinkling over when they are finished

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  
  

  With an electric beater cream together the butter and sugar until they are combined and then add vanilla. Sift together the flour and salt in a separate bowl. 

  
  

  Add dry ingredients to butter and sugar mixture a little at a time and mix until dough starts to come together. Form dough into a flat disc, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• 
  
  Roll the dough into balls - about 1 1/2 tablespoons in size. Dip each ball into the egg wash and then roll it in coconut. Place the balls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet (you can grease it with a thin layer of butter or cooking spray) and with your thumb press a hole about 1/2 way down into the top of each ball.  Spoon jam into each indentation. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the coconut is a golden brown. Cool thoroughly before serving.

Enjoy with a glass of organic milk ;)

These are what we made today - thumbprint cookies, my awesome chocolate chip cookies Freaking Awesome Chocolate Chip Cookies and lemon-glazed ricotta cookies.  My girls and I had the best time making them and taste-testing them!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Pancakes from Scratch

Pancakes are a family favorite and you can make them healthy or as a "special treat."  You do not need a mix to make them, they are much better from scratch and not difficult at all :)

Plus they are a great breakfast for Christmas morning along with hot chocolate or coffee with cream and cinnamon!

Ingredients

2 cups flour (whole wheat or regular or a cup of both)

1 3/4 cups milk 

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

Mix ingredients together (use all organic if possible).  You can add more milk if necessary.

Heat a pan and coat with butter.

Pour 1/2 cup measurements of pancake mix into pan.

Cook until lightly browned.

This is where you can make them healthy or not - you can top them with fresh berries, syrup and butter, marshmallows and chocolate chips, banana and peanut butter (Elvis style), apple slices that have been sauteed in butter and cinnamon...the list goes on forever.

You can also add ingredients to the mix to make them healthier or not or give them a different flavor such as flax seed, granola, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, canned pumpkin, cinnamon, chocolate chips, dried cranberries, coconut flakes...again the list goes on and on.  

Enjoy!!!

:)

Fondue

I love fondue and so do all of my kids - granted it is certainly not the healthiest thing in the world but sometimes you have to indulge and I make myself feel better by using mostly organic ingredients and then eating only 1,000 calories total the next day. ;)

I always experiment with different cheeses and meats and veggies to dip.  One of my favorites is the following recipe with thinly sliced london broil, roasted broccoli and of course fresh baguettes.

INGREDIENTS

4 oz fresh fontina cheese

4 oz gruyere

2 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons California Chardonnay

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

The fondue part is easy - you just melt everything together in the fondue pot.

As for the other ingredients, that is up to you, I gave you my favorites but you can also use sausage, roast potatoes, grilled chicken, grilled asparagus (one of my faves) and basically any cut of meat or veg that will stand up to being dipped in hot cheese.

For this particular fondue recipe I like a really nice California Chardonnay - use the same one in the fondue and then the rest of the bottle is yours, minus the 2 tablespoons.  Enjoy bitches :)

Cannolis

Cannolis

Today I had planned on making my awesome chocolate chip cookies but after grocery shopping, cleaning, making chili and putting up our Christmas tree I was not up to it so my daughters and I decided to make cannolis.  Cannolis are really easy to make especially if you buy the shells ;) (Who has time to make them from scratch!?!?!).  The cream, however, can be made in a few short minutes.  I use mascarpone cheese in mine to make the filling lighter and fluffier.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup mascarpone cheese

1 cup ricotta

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon Baileys Irish Cream

1 cup chocolate chips

Cannoli shells

Extra powdered sugar and some cinnamon for topping.

Put all ingredients, except chocolate chips and cannoli shells, in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. 

Then stir in chocolate chips.

Chill in fridge for 3 hours.  

Put in pastry bag or plastic bag with corner cut off and squeeze into shells.  

Top with a sprinkle of powdered sugar and cinnamon.

Deelish :)

The filling can also be used as icing for a cake or cupcake or to dip fruit of angelfood cake in.  

Thanksgiving Soup

I LOVE Thanksgiving leftovers and every year I make an awesome leftover soup.  It's healthy and comforting and you can freeze it in individual containers and enjoy it on a night when there is no time to cook :)

Now usually I don't measure this out I just throw things in so I have no specific measurements.  I am giving you the approximate measurements and you can adjust them to your tastes.

2 cups leftover turkey - mostly dark meat - shredded or chopped

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped celery

3 scoops of stuffing (my stuffing has sausage in it and that adds to the flavor)

3 tablespoons turkey gravy

1/2 cup Chardonnay

2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon chicken seasoning

Salt and pepper ONLY if needed - everything should be pretty seasoned already.

Throw it all in a slow cooker on high for 5 hours or low for 8 and enjoy with the rest of that Chardonnay ;)

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I'm back! It has been a while but I have been super-busy trying to make a living, scrambling to get a new used car, welcoming my new niece into the world and getting over hurricane Sandy and I have been slacking on my blog :(
I hope everyone had a fun turkey day! I had a massive 25.7 lb. bird and a ton of leftover turkey which is exactly what I wanted - I am a roast turkey addict, it is my favorite food. Stay tuned for slow-cooker turkey soup tomorrow!

Italian Hero with a Twist ;)

Everyone probably knows what an Italian Hero is - ham, salami and provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, oil and vinegar on a hero roll.  Now, while that sandwich has its place among football gatherings, pizzerias and other casual get-togethers, I want to give you my classed up Italian Hero recipe.

I know I have said it before and I will say it again - I cannot heat up the kitchen in the Summer - it's freaking unbearable.  So if anyone is wondering where the actual cooking recipes went to, rest assured they will be back in the end of September and I can't wait - roast chicken, roast beef, roast veggies, mashed potatoes, I'm counting the days until my favorite season - Fall.  In the meantime I am giving you this...this awesome, classy, delicious sandwich - eat up bitches.

INGREDIENTS

Prosciutto di Parma sliced paper thin

A nice high-end Italian salami

A REALLY good sheep's milk cheese - I like Manchego even thought it is Spanish cheese, not Italian but I'm not all Italian and I am part Spanish so I'm allowed to make these crazy adjustments to the Italian hero.

Good Italian bread or French baguette from a BAKERY - not a supermarket

Arugula

Thinly sliced shallots

Thinly sliced tomatoes

Salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar to taste

The rest is easy, cut a piece of bread as big as you want your hero to be then cut that piece in half longways.  I like about 6 inches.  Pour about 2 teaspoons of olive oil and one teaspoon of vinegar onto the bread - make sure it is evenly distributed.  Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on. 

Pile on the meat - prosciutto first, about 2 slices then salami, depending on how big the salami roll is 2-3 pieces.  Do not overdo it on the cheese - sheep's milk cheese has a strong taste and you don't need a ton plus the less cheese the less calories.

Then comes the veggies, arugula first, a small handful.  Then as much or as little sliced shallots as you like. 

Here is the important part - the tomatoes.  Don't overdo it on the tomatoes!  Just 1 or 2 very thinly sliced pieces of tomato are all you need! Too much ruins the sandwich by soggying it up!

This goes really well with an Italian Pinot Grigio or a Prosecco which is what sparkling wine from Italy is called :) 

Now go and enjoy your classed-up sandwich night!!!

Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream

One of the best presents I ever got was this ice cream ball.  I highly recommend getting one - they are inexpensive and I have seen them at Target.  Whenever I want to occupy my kids for a half hour or so I fill up the ice cream ball and let them roll it around on the kitchen floor.  They love it because they know they will have ice cream when they're through.  I love it because it gives me a half hour to do whatever I need to do.  

You also get to be as creative as you want in inventing your own ice cream flavors and you can make it much healthier than store bought ice cream.  It's a very simple process, you fill the outer part of the ball with ice and the inside container with the following ingredients :)

INGREDIENTS

1 cup organic whole milk 

2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

2 tablespoons organic sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup chopped fresh organic strawberries

1/4 cup chocolate chips

SOOOOOOOO simple - just stir the chocolate syrup, vanilla and sugar into the milk then pour it into the inside container with the chocolate chips and strawberries.

Then hand the ball off to your kids and have them shake it and roll it around.  It does take about a half hour to freeze up and I always have to add more ice about half way through but there is NOTHING like homemade ice cream!!!

This should make about 2 servings but if there's any leftover you can put it in the freezer and have it as dessert the next night - Enjoy :)

Banana Nutella and honey Sandwich

I believe I have said before that Summer is not my favorite cooking season - I really shine in the Fall and Winter when I can BAKE THINGS!!!  But here is a healthy and easy vacation recipe that the kids will love and is perfect for lunch :)

1/2 banana sliced

2 pieces whole grain bread lightly toasted

1 tablespoon Nutella

1 teaspoon honey

Spread Nutella onto toast and drizzle honey over it.

Place banana slices on top of that.

Place the other piece of toast on top of that.

Cut into triangles and serve.

It's a great way to save some money on vacation and give the kids a delicious lunch - enjoy!!!

Dirty Blue Chese Bacon-Tini

I am in a contest to win a year's worth of bacon - bacon is very important to me!!! Please help me out and like my recipe on facebook!!

Thank you soooooooooo much :)

https://www.facebook.com/WholeFoodsMeat?

The Oakland Journal has my Sangria recipe up :)

http://theoaklandjournal.com/

White Sangria

Sangria can be made from basic ingredients that (if I have taught you anything) you should already have in your bar set up and ready to go for sangria in the summer :)

I use a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, 1 tablespoon of Cognac, I can diet or regular Sprite, 1/2 cup triple sec, 1 cup mango juice, and any freshly picked summer fruit you can get your hands on. 

Throw everything besides the Sprite in a pitcher overnight then add the Sprite right before serving - oh my God - it's awesome.  

Today, I used raspberries from School Lunch Farm who is at the Oakland, NJ Farmers' Market on Saturdays and also has a CSA drop off there and also runs this awesome organization slowfoodnnj.org 

Stop by the farm and pick up some of her great organically grown, delicious produce - Municipal Lot on Ramapo Valley Rd. Saturdays, 9-1 now through October - see you there!!!  :)

Green Summer Martini

Summer is not a time I really enjoy having the oven on and I shortcut a lot of meals to keep my house cool.  What I do do a lot of in the summer is cocktail so I'm putting up my Green Summer Martini Recipe for you :)

INGREDIENTS

1 shot vodka (a good vodka!)

1 shot banana Malibu Rum

1 shot Midori

1/4 cup Pineapple Juice

Shake all ingredients over ice - and I mean really shake them in a shaker until there are little tiny pieces of ice floating in it and the pineapple juice has frothed up.  Then strain into a chilled martini glass and enjoy!

If you are feeling extra fancy you can garnish with a nice chunk of honeydew melon but save it till the end so it soaks up all the alcohol ;)

Farmers' Markets

Maybe I haven't mentioned it but I am one of three women who organize and run the Oakland, NJ Farmers' Market - the other two women are Jane Graham and Salma Shamy.  We started three months ago (on a total volunteer basis and oh how I probably would not have volunteered if I knew how much work was involved) and today was our opening day and it was totally awesome!  


So I want to make today's recipe about how you can do something fun with your family on a Saturday (such as go to the Oakland Farmers' Market, oaklandfarmersmarket.com where there is a kids' craft and play section, delicious food, crafts, live music, and even yoga!) and still have time to make a healthy family dinner.

Today I bought fresh homemade spinach fettucini from Maria's Biscotti, www.mariasbiscottionline.com and some super-delicious, homemade olive bread from All in the Icing Bakery, www.allintheicing.com - both selling their awesome products each week at the Oakland Farmers' Market.  Tonight, I made dinner in literally 5 minutes.  The pasta took three minutes to cook and I just melted butter and grated cheese over it and served with the olive bread on the side.


Super delicious and super easy!  Support your local markets, businesses and community :)


If you're in northern NJ visit the Oakland Farmers' Market every Saturday from now until October 27, 2012.  9 am - 1 pm in the municipal lot on 202 (Ramapo Valley Rd) in Oakland NJ. 
contact: oaklandfarmermarket@gmail.com

We are still accepting food, art and craft vendors as well as yoga instructors to teach classes.


FYI - being the Renaissance woman that I am - I am also an artist and will be displaying my work at the market next Saturday July 7, 2012 - The OFM is so awesome we also support the arts!


www.tracyditolla.com

Summer Salad

My Summer Salad is easy and light and delicious.  It is great to serve at BBQs or as a light dinner.  I suggest making it about an hour before eating it because that gives the flavors a chance to really blend together.  Even my kids and my salad-hating husband love it when I make this dish :)

INGREDIENTS

2 Cooked chicken breasts, chopped

Baby kale (can also use arugula, baby romaine or fresh spinach)

1 peach

1 small cucumber, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles

Salted pecans

1 tbsp plus 1 tsp Olive oil

1 tsp Balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper

So, this is super-easy, I like to put the chicken in while it's still warm then just mix all ingredients together and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Make sure it is mixed thoroughly and let it sit a few minutes so the goat cheese melts into the olive oil a little and the kale wilts slightly from the warm chicken.  

It's sooooooo freakin' good and a great dish to throw together to bring to a bbq potluck or serve at any summer party.  Plus it's low calorie and really healthy :)

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek!!!!!

Sorry, massive computer problems are keeping me from posting :(
I promise I will be back with an excellent new recipe in a week or so :)

Cheesy Veggie Pillows

Cheesy pillows are the name my daughter came up with for these yummy, cheesy, meaty delicious bites.  You can fill them with any meat-cheese-veggie combo and they can be served as a side with dinner, as an appetizer or as hors d'oeuvres at a party.  They do take a while to put together but they cook really quickly and are totally worth it.  Today I made veggie pillows as a side for dinner and nutella banana pillows for dessert.

INGREDIENTS

1 package of wonton wrappers

1 cup cherry tomatoes cut in half

1 cup cooked spinach

Fresh fontina cheese

Cream cheese

First assemble the pillows.  Have a small bowl with water set next to you.  Place a tomato half, some spinach, a piece of fontina and a dab of cream cheese in the center of the wonton.  Then dip your finger in the water, moisten the edges of the wonton wrapper and fold all four corners into the center as pictured below.  Repeat till you're done with all the wrappers.

 

Heat a pan with a coating of olive or canola oil and then cook the pillows.  They cook really fast - just a minute or two on each side so don't leave the pan.  Then serve :)

For dessert pillows do the same thing except fill with dessert ingredients - we used nutella, banana slices and a few chocolate chips.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar after cooking - so yummy!!!

Open Faced Egg and Goat Cheese

If there's one thing that New Jersey is famous for it's diners.  Diner food is total comfort food and one thing that I know everyone who grew up in NJ did was go to a diner for breakfast after a night of heavy drinking.  I used to swear that eggs and cheese could cure a hangover until I reached my thirties and I realized that the cure for hangovers is being in your twenties.

This is a healthier, classed up version of a diner staple - the egg and cheese sandwich.  It is low calorie and has more than one serving of vegetables in it.  The goat cheese adds creaminess but keeps it lighter than smothering it in butter would.  One serving is approximately 275 calories. 

INGREDIENTS

Organic whole wheat toast

1 organic egg

1 slice roasted pepper

1/2 cup organic arugula

2 teaspoons goat cheese

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Toss the bread in the toaster.

Heat a pan with a very thin layer of olive oil.  When pan and oil are hot crack in the egg.  Cook until done.  I usually flip mine once and leave the yolk a little runny but not too runny.  Season with salt and pepper.

Spread goat cheese on bread.  The arugula goes on next with the egg on top of that - this wilts the arugula a little which is what you want.  On top of everything goes the roasted pepper.  

That's it!  This dish takes less than 10 minutes to make so you can even prepare it before work and have a healthy and delicious start to your day :)

Tracy's Slow Cooker Jersey Chili

This is my Jersey-fied version of chili.  It's one of those dishes that everyone in my family eats and loves and is also good for you.  Since it's made in the slow cooker it's the perfect meal for days when you have some free time in the morning but will be busy later on in the day.  I make it with ground turkey but you can substitute that with ground chicken, beef or pork or a combination of ground meats.  

I use dried beans because I hate anything out of a can (Can = gross!).  Dried beans are also cheaper :) Just put them in a bowl, cover with water and put in the fridge the day before you are going to use them.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 lb. ground turkey

1 cup pre-soaked pinto beans

1 cup pre-soaked garbanzo beans

1 1/2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes

1 whole roasted red pepper, chopped

1 whole small red onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons Worcestershire

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Salt and Pepper to taste

(sometimes I add in a couple tablespoons of salsa but if you don't have any it's still good without it)

Sour cream and shredded cheddar to garnish

First turn the slow cooker on high and add the olive oil, garlic, onion, beans, roasted pepper, tomatoes.  

In the meantime heat a pan with a little olive oil and cook the ground turkey almost all the way through.  Season with salt and pepper.

When the turkey is done add it into the slow cooker with the chicken broth and all the spices. 

If you want the chili done quicker keep the slow cooker on high the whole time and it can be done in about 4 hours.  I start it on high for the first 2 hours and then turn it to low and cook for a total of 5-6 hours.

After 4 hours I usually taste it to see if it needs more salt, pepper or any other spice.  If it does I add them in and let it go another hour if not - still let it go another hour.

Serve in a bowl topped with a spoonful of sour cream, a sprinkle of shredded cheddar and tortilla chips on the side for dipping - freaking delicious!!!