Parmasean Risotto Peppers, Panko Breaded Zuchinni, and Italian Cheese Stuffed Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Dear sweet baby Jesus - my legs feel like they did after the first week of soccer preseason in college...DEAD! I've ran almost 25 miles in 5 days...and as proud as I am of meeting fitness goals I never thought I would, I'm really craving a 2 hour massage! Anyway- this food made it all worth it at the end of the day...a bit of comfort food with an Italian feel to it. Its still "good for you" too ;)

Picture Below: Hollowed out an bell pepper...filled it with the prepared parm/garlic risotto (boxed) and cooked in the oven for about 15 minutes. The recipe for the Panko Breaded Zuchinni can be found at http://prouditaliancook.blogspot.com/2010/08/zucchini-tomato-gratin.html - made a few adjustments (like using chopped Roma tomatoes and seasoned Panko breadcrumbs.

Yummy veggies full of seasoned flavor! 

 Okay this chicken I am pretty proud of! I kinda made the recipe up because I love stuffed chicken of any kind. 

Instructions: 

1) Marinate chicken breasts (2) overnight in Italian dressing.

2) Saute red and orange bell peppers on the stove in a skillet with 2 tablespoons Italian dressing and couple tablespoons of olive oil.

3) Cut chicken breasts in half long ways...just enough to stuff with the cheese mixture. Place in a glass baking dish.

4) Mix together: 1/3 cup cream cheese (low fat), Italian or Mozzerella cheese blend (1/2 cup), tablespoon of chives,  chopped sauteed peppers, and a teaspoon of garlic. 

5) Stuff the cheese mixture into the halves of the breasts.

6) Cover both breasts with two cups of marinara sauce.

7) Place in heated oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked fully. 

Summer Time Shish Kabobs!

So I ran my first 10k race this past weekend. It was a great experience. The Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City is a very pretty run along the shore of Lake Michigan. I went with a couple of my girlfriends and we had a fantastic time in Traverse City! It was a weekend filled with gluttony after the race- testing out the good eats of Traverse City of course! If you ever venture up that way, you absolutely need to check out Soul Hole- best food I've eaten in a long time! So good! We were in a food coma for hours afterwards literally. So after meeting my 10k goal, I'm now training for a half marathon in September! I'm stoked. Now Austin is actually working out with me too...starting slow of course because he's not a runner. However, it is so nice to come home and walk and run with him. Now its something we share in interest in! I never thought I'd see the day ;) I'm proud of him though. 

This is a fun weeknight meal or weekend meal. We've been trying to be really health conscious of what we eat...eating loads of protein and veggies with whole grains on the side. Austin and I have been working hard at this weight loss thing. It's really nice to work at it together and plan meals together based on our diet goals. Trust me that this meal is lacking nothing taste wise.This is so filling and full of flavor!

 We used a variety of veggies: tomatoes, green pepper, red pepper, red onion...

 Marinated the chicken overnight in a honey ginger sauce...you can use any sauce you'd like of course.

Pineapple adds a sweet flavor to everything!

 Grill em' up! They don't take terribly long...15 minutes maybe.

YUM! Enjoy :) Love summer food!!!

Rachel Ray's Mexican Corn Salad

I admit...I have been slacking in the food blog posting as of late. Life has quickly become insane with work, school, and wedding season kicking off last weekend. So much fun, but so much to do! I am so excited for summer as I begin my internship in about a month- eek! It will be a summer of lots of learning, being crazy busy, as well as more weddings! With all that going on, I hope to stay dedicated with the meal posting. Austin and I have begun to dedicate ourselves to healthy eating. I enjoy eating healthy anyway, but we're kicking it up a notch by doing it together. I'm hoping it will be easier to meet fitness and weight goals if we work at it together ;) We'll see how it goes!! So far so good, but this is literally day 2 of the Lettinga team efforts of eating healthy.

 So I love me some good quality Mexican food. This salad is everything you need for a little quick fiesta during the week. It is a fun, healthy, and colorful summer salad. It's actually a great dip for tortilla chips as well...but seriously what isn't good with a tortilla chip?! I found this recipe on Rachel Ray's website...steered away from Pinterest for a change...so liberating! Austin has been actually looking at my pin boards to tell me what to make next...I figured we needed a change! haha

 Recipe is as follows...
 1 can, 14 ounces, black beans, rinsed and drained
 2 cups frozen corn kernels 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped - I chopped 7 green onions instead
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, half a palm full
 2 teaspoons hot sauce, just eyeball the amount (recommended: Tabasco)
1 lime, juiced 2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil, eyeball it
 Salt and pepper (I also added garbanzo beans and a can of tomatoes and green chilies)
**I also chopped an avacado, added a can of tomatoes with chilies, and a can of garbanzo beans too and added that in there...yum!

  Directions Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let stand at least 15 minutes for corn to fully defrost and flavors to combine, then toss and serve. The corn will also place a quick-chill on this easy side-salad as it defrosts -- no need to refrigerate!

All the ingredients set out ready to go!

Draining & rinsing the beans, corn, and tomatoes...

Choppin up the veggies!

Stir it all up...and its litterally that easy.. Add in seasonings, lime juice, olive oil, S&P, cumin, and hot sauce...

                        Served ours on a hamburger patty...its pretty much delicious with anything!