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Hi, my name is Aileen and it’s great to see you here sharing my blog. I have been cooking since I was a teen. My Mom put a home cooked meal on the table every night and so do I (it’s a challenge when you work full time, but it is well worth it!). I love food – I love making it, I love eating it. I love how it brings people together. My most favorite thing to do is share a meal with family and friends. And we often end up talking about other food while we are eating this food. There’s pretty much nothing I can’t make, though I really prefer cooking savory meals to baking. I have made it all from scratch at one time or another and still cook mainly this way. I have a discerning palate and a taste for spicing things just the right way. My recipes are definitely not bland and that helps when creating satisfying meals – your mouth knows it ate after it’s done with one of my meals  I am one of 5 Neon Pigs, a self named group of foodies. How did we get the name? We decided it was sooooo appropriate because everything right in the world exists in a BBQ joint with a neon pig hung in the window  I was blessed with a great metabolism and for years and years ate anything I wished without gaining an ounce. From 35 forward I gained a few pounds here and a few pounds there and then after age 40 my metabolism came to a screeching halt and I could just not get off the weight that had compounded with just plain exercise. A drastic plan was needed….so here I am, 40 something and trying to make my world right by creating recipes that satisfy yet still fall into a healthful lifestyle that I know I will have to now forever follow if I want to maintain a healthy body.

Egg and Spinach Muffin

Either as a breakfast or a lunch, this egg sandwich is fabulous. It matches savory egg yolk with crisp spinach and creamy cheese and satisfies the soul 🙂

Egg and Spinach Muffin
Egg and Spinach Muffin

1 serving
245 calories per serving

1 t butter
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste
1 English muffin, split and toasted
1/4 c baby spinach leaves
1 wedge light Laughing Cow cheese (original Swiss or Garlic Herb flavored)

Melt butter and cook egg 2 minutes each side or until desired doneness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread cheese on toasted muffins, add egg and spinach and make a sandwich.

Spinach with Ginger Dressing

This tastes as good as any ginger dressing you get at any Asian restaurant (usually served at Hibatchi places). Whip some up and if you don’t have any spinach around, place on any leafy greens.

Spinach with Ginger Dressing
Spinach with Ginger Dressing

3 servings
173 calories per serving

2 T minced onion
3 T peanut oil
2 T distilled white vinegar
1 1/2 T finely grated fresh ginger
1T ketchup
1 T soy sauce
1/4 t minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
5 oz spinach
1 small carrot, grated
1/2 medium red bell pepper, very thinly sliced

Combine onion, oil, vinegar, ginger, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic, salt and pepper in a blender. Process until combined. Toss spinach, carrot and bell pepper with the dressing in a large bowl until evenly coated.

Chicken and Pesto Soup

By adding pesto to the broth, you end up with a soup that is so tasty and delicious ! It really makes an ordinary chicken broth something very special.

Chicken and Pesto Soup
Chicken and Pesto Soup


5 servings
235 calories per serving

2 teaspoons oil
1/2 cup carrot , julienned or shredded
8 oz. leftover cooked chicken
1 large clove garlic, minced
5 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 t oregano flakes
4 oz. baby spinach, coarsely chopped
15 oz. can chick peas, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper to taste
2 T prepared pesto (available in the refrigerator section of your market)

Heat oil in soup pan and add carrot and chicken and heat for 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add broth, oregano, salt and pepper and heat 2 minutes. Add spinach and chick peas and cook 3 minutes. Add the pesto sauce and cook 5 minutes so all flavors blend.

Pumpkin Dessert Bars

Rustic and homey – these pumpkin bars with pepitas are a great dessert for those who like desserts a little less sweet.

Pumpkin Dessert Bars
Pumpkin Dessert Bars

8 servings
264 calories per serving

½ c whole wheat flour
1 c rolled oats
½ t baking soda
½ t cinnamon
½ t allspice
¼ t salt
½ c canned pure pumpkin
1 egg
¼ c canola oil
1 t vanilla
¼ c sugar
¼ c raw,. shelled pumpkin seeds (Pepitas)
Pam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8×8 square baking pan with Pam. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Whisk together pumpkin. egg, oil, vanilla and sugar then stir pumpkin mix into the flour mix and stir in pumpkin seeds. Spread evenly into prepared pan and bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool and then cut into 8 bars. Wrap bars individually and store in the refrigerator.

Open Faced Bacon Melts

This makes a great brunch or lunch. The flavors mingle very nicely and the sharp flavor from the swiss cheese adds a nice flair to this sandwich.

Open Faced Bacon Melts
Open Faced Bacon Melts

1 serving
330 calories per serving

1 light English Muffin (100 calories)
Mustard
2 thin slices Canadian Bacon
1 slice tomato
2 basil leaves
2 slices light Swiss cheese (80 cals per slice)
8 spritzes ICBINB Spray

Spray muffin with ICBINB Spray and then spread with a little mustard. Add bacon, basil and tomato and then place on a pan in your toaster oven and heat through. Finally top with cheese and heat until it is melted.

Spanish Chicken

Quick and easy yet tasty and healthy !

Spanish Chicken
Spanish Chicken

2 servings
207 calories per serving

2/3 c finely chopped onions
¼ c sliced mushrooms
1 ¼ c cubed cooked chicken breast (Perdue Shortcuts work great here)
½ 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
½ c cooked rice
½ c tomato juice
½ c chicken broth
1/3 c frozen peas
1/4 t tarragon flakes
1/4 t rosemary
Pinch of pepper
Pam
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Saute onion and mushrooms in a pan sprayed with Pam. Cook 4-5 minutes then place in a 1 quart baking dish and mix in the rest of the ingredients. Cover and bake 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.

Risi e Bisi (Rice and Peas)

So rich, so creamy, so flavorful – this risotto is perfect next to anything.

Risi e Bisi (Rice and Peas)
Risi e Bisi (Rice and Peas)

6 servings
231 calories per serving

5 cups chicken stock
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf
2 springs of parsley
2 T oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 celery stalk, chopped
2 strips bacon, chopped
1 c raw arborio rice
2 c frozen peas
1 T butter
2 T chopped parsley
3/4 c grated parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

Place stock and fresh herbs in a soup pot and bring to a boil then reduce heat and keep at a simmer. Saute onion, celery and bacon 5 minutes. Add rice and stir to coat then cook 1 minute. Remove herbs from stock and add 1/2 c of stock to rice mix and stir constantly so stock is absorbed. Add another 1/2 c and cook until stock is absorbed. Then add peas. Continue to add stock 1/2 c at a time and cook until absorbed until rice is tender and the mix is a little thinner than risotto. When done, stir in parsley, butter and parmesan and serve immediately.

Zucchini Fritters

This one is a great side dish. It’s tasty and something a little different than usual. You might even get the kids to eat zucchini 🙂

Zucchini Fritters
Zucchini Fritters

4 servings
155 calories per serving (serving = 2 fritters)

2 c shredded zucchini (use a cheese grater – the same size you would use to shred cheddar cheese)
1/2 c panko breadcrumbs
1/2 c shredded parmesan cheese (not grated, shredded)
1/3 c shredded onion
1/4 c Egg Beaters
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 t black pepper
2 t oil, divided

Combine the first 7 ingredients. Heat 1 t oil. Spoon 1/2 of mix by quarter cupfuls into pan. Press down a bit with the back of a spoon to make sure each fritter holds together well. Cook 2 minutes each side. Repeat with the second batch.

No Guilt Cheese Quesadilla

When you spread a Laughing Cow cheese wedge on a tortilla and replace the need for lots of regular high fat cheese, you end up with a lunch or appetizer that is not only packed with flavor, but it’s virtually no guilt !

No Guilt Cheese Quesadilla
No Guilt Cheese Quesadilla

2 servings
137 calories per serving

1 wedge Laughing Cow Light Queso Fresco & Chipotle cheese
2 flour tortillas (80 calories each)
1/3 c low fat shredded cheddar cheese
Pam

Spread the Laughing Cow cheese on the tortilla. Top with cheddar and fold. Spray pan with Pam and heat well. Add tortillas. Spray the sides of the tortillas facing up. Cook 2 minutes then flip and cook the other side 2 minutes.

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