Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

This fun twist on chips and salsa is a family favorite! I have been making it for a few years, usually for special occasions (like Easter today!) and it's always a hit. If you aren't the biggest fan of dicing and dicing and dicing, I don't recommend this one for you. But it will definitely improve your knife skills :)

What you'll need:

For the Salsa:

• 2 medium apples
• 1 8 oz package strawberries
• 1 4 oz package raspberries
• 3 kiwis
• 1 Tbsp jelly or preserves of your choice

For the Chips:

• 14 small flour tortillas (regular or whole-wheat)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• Canola oil spray

What to do:

First you want to dice your fruit- this can be tricky if you don't have much experience with dicing, so I'm going to walk you through it step by step. First, cut each apple in half, and place each one cut-side down.

Slice your apple into thin slices

Place the slices flat on your cutting board, cut them into strips, and then cut in the other direction to form small cubes. Place in a medium-large bowl.

Use the same method with the strawberries. Roughly chop the raspberries, or halve them if you like. For the kiwis, cut off both ends and stand the kiwi up on your cutting board. Work around the kiwi with your knife, cutting off the skin.

Lay the kiwi back down, and cut into slices

Use the same method as the apples: lay the slices down and cut into strips, and then into cubes in the opposite direction. Combine all fruit in a medium-large bowl. Add the jelly and mix thoroughly.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Stack your tortillas and then cut into fourths. Spray each with canola oil, and place on a cookie sheet. Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and mix well with a fork. Sprinkle a little bit of the mixture on top of each tortilla chip. 

Bake the chips for about ten minutes, or until crisp. Let the chips cool, and serve!

Vegan Carrot Cupcakes

I decided to do a little baking this afternoon! These are super moist and delicious, and also vegan! A friend in one of my classes made them and passed along the recipe, and I just love them. Try them out as muffins or add vegan cream cheese icing to transform them into cupcakes. Very easy and quick recipe!

What you'll need:

For the Cupcakes:

• 2 c whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 c sugar
• 3/4 c canola oil
• 1 c unsweetened applesauce
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 c shredded carrots

For the Icing: 

• 1/2 c vegan cream cheese (or regular cream cheese if you aren't vegan!)
• 2 c confectioner's sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp chopped walnuts, to garnish
• 2 Tbsp shredded carrots, to garnish
  
  
  

What to do:

Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake wrappers. Combine all dry ingredients and whisk. In a separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients (excluding the carrots). Combine the wet with the dry ingredients. Mix with an electric mixer, and then fold in the carrots. Pour the batter evenly into 12 cupcake tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out cleanly. Cool on a wire rack.

or until they look like this!

While your cupcakes are baking/cooling, make your icing. Cream the cream cheese until just softened. Add the confectioner's sugar in increments. Mix until smooth and creamy, then mix in the vanilla. Keep covered in the fridge until you are ready to ice your cupcakes until ready to use. Once your cupcakes are cool, ice your cupcakes.

Garnish with the chopped walnuts and shredded carrots!

Loaded Buffalo Joes

Sometimes cravings get the best of you, and all I could think about at the gym yesterday was what I was going to do with my ground buffalo when I got home! Sloppy Joes are one of those things from my childhood that I love, but now realize they just aren't good for you. So I decided to try my hand at creating a healthier sloppy joe -- using bison and a ton of veggies! I promise they are just as delicious (and just as messy!) as the regular kind :)

What you'll need:

For 4 Buffalo Joes:

• 1 lb ground buffalo
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1/2 onion
• 3oz cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 6oz package of mushrooms
• 1 6oz can no salt added tomato sauce
• 3 Tbsp no salt added tomato paste
• 1 can red kidney beans 
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• A pinch of each:
• dried oregano
• dried basil
• dried rosemary
• dried thyme
• garlic powder
• red pepper flakes
  
  **You can sub in Italian seasoning for these spices, I just didn't have any!

What to do:

Chop/dice the onion, bell peppers, and mushrooms.

Sauté the chopped vegetables over medium heat with the olive oil. Add the spices and mix well.

Add the ground buffalo and the cherry tomatoes. Cook over medium heat until the meat is browned.

Add the kidney beans, tomato sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, and vinegar. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve on a whole wheat bun and enjoy!

Fresh Octopus Salad

Warning: If you have a weak stomach when it comes to unusual foods, you may want to skip this entry. My mother has been making this salad for as long as I can remember, and it's always been a family favorite. It's just so light and refreshing. For those of you who don't have much experience with octopus- it isn't fishy in flavor at all, so fear not! Last night, my Mother and I teamed up in the kitchen to make this delicious salad!

What you'll need:

2 whole large octopi (can be found at most large farmer's markets)
1/2 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley
10 sticks celery
1/2 onion
juice of 2 lemons
olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste

What to do:

1. Confront your fears. Octopus is friend, not foe! 

2. Boil the octopi for about 45 minutes in a large covered pot 3/4 filled with water. If the octopi are extremely large, boil each in a separate pot. The octopus is done when it looks like this:

While the Octopi are cooking:

3. Dice the onion and celery, and combine in a large mixing bowl.

4. Roughly chop the 1/2 bunch of flat leaf parsley, and add it to the diced onions and celery. Set aside until the octopi are done cooking.

Once your octopi are done:

5. It's time to clean and break down your octopi! Drain the pot, and pull out each octopus individually. Using a clean pair of kitchen scissors, cut off each tentacle. Then, trim the purple skin if you wish. My mother and I do this because the texture of the skin can be quite jelly-like. Working your way down with the scissors, cut each tentacle into bite-size pieces. You may also use the heads if you wish, but we typically discard them. Place the pieces in the bowl with the chopped vegetables and herbs.

6. Dress with the juice of both lemons and olive oil. The amount of both may vary depending on the size of your octopi, just use your best judgment and taste.

7. Combine well. Add salt and pepper to taste (once again, this is a personal preference).

8. Serve chilled and enjoy!

Cheater's Chili

I make this chili a lot for friends in Athens when we have "family" dinner nights at my apartment. When I made it at home for the first time, my mom looked at the ingredients and shook her head at me, claiming it was "cheater's chili". But she quickly bit her tongue once she tried it. Who said simple can't be delicious? Anyone can make and impress friends with this chili!

What you'll need:

For the Chili:
1 lb lean ground meat (I used ground venison)

1/2 large green bell pepper, diced

1/2 onion, diced
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can light red kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 8 oz jar salsa (however hot you'd like)
2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 packet reduced sodium chili seasoning mix

To garnish:
fat free sour cream
2% reduced-fat cheddar cheese, grated

**Always try to buy reduced sodium or no salt added versions of the canned ingredients, if you can.

What to do:

For the Chili:

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the meat with the diced onion and green bell pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes. Drain the fat.

Add the mixture to a large pot, also over medium heat. You can do the first step in the large pot to start off with, but it makes it harder to drain the fat.

In a large colander, drain and rinse the beans thoroughly. Add them to the pot with the meat, along with all of the remaining ingredients. Mix well.

Reduce heat to low, place lid on the pot, and simmer for at least an hour. Make sure to stir occasionally to prevent the chili burning to the bottom. Serve with sour cream and cheddar cheese!

Enjoy!

"Leftover" Mini Lasagnas

Due to the awful weather we're having in Athens and being trapped inside the house, I decided to put my time (and leftover ingredients!) to good use. Yesterday I made Mushroom, Spinach and Arugula Raviolis and had quite a few leftover wonton wrappers, as well as the mushroom/greens/cheese filling for the raviolis. So I threw these things together with some other ingredients and made mini lasagnas!

Idea adapted from Can You Stay for Dinner?

What you'll need:

For the Lasagnas:

• 12 oz raw ground meat of your choice (I used ground venison) 
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 jar of your favorite pasta sauce
• dried oregano
• dried basil
• 1 ½ cups leftover ravioli filling OR part skim ricotta cheese, if you aren't working with leftover ingredients
• 1 package square wonton wrappers
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• salt&pepper
  

What to do:

Preheat oven to 375ºF. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the meat with the onions, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the jar of pasta sauce to the meat, bring to a gentle boil, and reduce heat to a low simmer. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Set aside.

Spray a cupcake pan with non-stick spray. Then, place a wonton wrapper inside each of the cups, pressing firmly on the bottom and sides. Using a tablespoon, spoon a scoop of the filling (or ricotta) into each of the cups.

Now spoon a scoop of the meat/onion/sauce mixture into each cup. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Repeat this process, and then cover the top with another wonton wrapper (you will have 3 in each cup). Spoon a bit of sauce over the top (no filling or ricotta this time) and top with mozzarella cheese.

Bake the lasagnas at 375ºF for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.

Let the cups cool, and then carefully remove the lasagnas from the cupcake pan using a spoon. Sprinkle with basil and oregano to serve!

This one was SO easy and delicious, I definitely recommend trying it out!

Mushroom, Arugula and Spinach Ravioli in a Parmesan "Cream" Sauce

Tonight I tried my hand at making ravioli for the first time! And right off the bat I'll tell you- I didn't make the pasta. I know I know... I bring shame to my Italian family. But trust me, these were enough work even with the pre-made pasta. So if you've got some time to kill, or a couple midterms you want to avoid studying for (points to self) give these a go!

As for the recipe, I adapted recipes from Cooking Light Magazine and Giada De Laurentiis to sort of create my own. So many ravioli recipes call for heavy cream in the sauces, which pains me to use in any of my cooking since it's basically obesity in a bottle. So I tried to lighten things up with a faux-cream sauce, and it turned out just as tasty as the real thing!

the ingredients

Things you'll need:

For the sauce:

• 1 cup low-fat milk
• 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons of Spinach/Mushroom mixture
• salt and pepper to taste

**You'll make the spinach/mushroom mixture for the raviolis, but save a bit for the sauce. It adds a nice touch.

For the Ravioli:

• 1 package wonton wrappers
• 1 package fresh spinach
• 1 package fresh arugula
• 8 oz baby portobello mushrooms
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 large egg, beaten with 1/2 tsp water
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

 

For the Ravioli:

In a large skillet, sauté the mushrooms in olive oil over medium heat for about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add in the arugula and spinach, cover with a lid, and allow the greens to wilt. Once wilted, add the mushroom/greens mixture to a food processor and pulse until a course mixture is formed. If you don't have a food processor, a blender should work just fine.

The mushrooms and greens are ready for the food processor when they look something like this.

Empty the mixture from the food processor into a medium bowl, and combine with the ricotta and the grated Parmesan. Mix thoroughly and set aside until you are ready to fill your raviolis.

Ravioli filling

Now you are ready to fill your raviolis! Lay out wonton wrappers on a plate/surface and brush each one of them with the egg wash. Using a tablespoon, spoon a scoop of the mushroom/greens mixture into the middle of each wonton wrapper. Save about 2 tablespoons of your mixture, you'll need it for the sauce.

Next, place another wrapper on top of each open ravioli. Make sure no air bubbles are in your raviolis- this will cause problems later (trust me!). 

Seal the edges of the ravioli with a fork, and place them on a floured baking sheet. Cover with a towel so they don't dry out. 

In a large pot, boil the raviolis (3-4 at a time) for 2-3 minutes. Remove from pot with a slotted spoon. Repeat the process until all your raviolis are done, and then add the sauce to them!

To make the sauce, heat the milk and the flour over medium-low heat in a small saucepan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat, and add the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and remaining spinach/greens mixture. Stir, and add to ravioli. Garnish ravioli with some chopped arugula and additional grated Parmesan cheese.

Final Product!