FOOD: a very amazing strawberry dessert

So I saw a post for Cheesecake stuffed strawberries and I thought mmm, those look amazing! And high calorie, because if you're like me you can't just have one, or two or seven!!! LOL So I devised a solution! A bowl of sliced strawberries topped with the cheesecake mixture! Now that's dessert!
You will need:
A bowl
1 tbspn low fat cream cheese (20 calories)
1 teaspoon agave syrup
A half teaspoon vanilla essence
About 6 strawberries, sliced (50 calories)
Total: 70 calories!

In your bowl beat the bejingles out of the cream cheese and add the agave and the vanilla. Scoop up the enitire mixture in a tablespoon and put the sliced strawberries in the bowl. Top with the cheesecake mixture. If you want the full cheese cake effect, sprinkle some graham cracker crumbs on top or drizzle with choc syrup!

FOOD: Rushed Riblets with bbq marinara

Mondays are always manic in my household. I wake up early to sneak an extra load of laundry in before tge kids wake up, then its the middle schooler off, the elementary son off to school and then the toddler and preschooler have swim lessons and lunch playdates. Somewhere in between my brain is trying to comprehend dinner plans. Its got to be something quick, because I volunteer at the school till late afternoon and I have my fave Zumba class around 6:30pm while my kids have activities till 8pm. So dinner has to happen between 5:30pm and 6:30pm. I had some riblets defrosted but had failed to remember to buy bbq sauce, so heres what I threw together:

You will need:
Penne/ shell pasta
2 tbspn olive oil
2pounds pork riblets
Crushed garlic
Marinara sauce or tomato sauce(i used both)
Chopped celery and or cream of celery soup.
Chopped broccoli
Parmesan cheese

First get the garlic all aromatic in the pot with some oil. Then add the riblets which I cut up into bite size chunks. Brown well add some salt and pepper and tenderizer to help speed up cook time. Bbq spice or some mesquite is yum too!

Once cooked through allow to simmer for 15mins then add celery and sauce and allow to simmer away while you prepare the pasta and steam or boil the broccoli, stir occasionally.

Once pasta is al dente, throw in a big pasta bowl, spoon pork riblets on top and pour remaining sauce over it. Encircle with broccoli florets and top with parmesan. ( or for a less healthy option, smother in mozzarella and cheddar and broil in the oven on low.

Serve with garlic toast or yummy garlic flat bread! Enjoy with some choc wine or just a good bottle of pinot! ( of course a bad bottle works ok too! ;)

FOOD: Getting more for your loin chop

Tonight was one of those days where Mike had a protein shake smoothie for dinner and I ate earlier. Still our brood needed dinner. I had a few pork chops thawed I had good intentions of making a huge meal of. Instead I quickly whipped up a pasta dish with gorgeous veggies and sauce.

You will need:
2 Pork chops chopped into cubes or 300g or so of meat
About a cup of chopped broccoli
About 1 cups of pasta of your choice( i used egg noodle)
Frozen peas
Sour cream and milk

Heat up some olive oil and garlic and fry the pork adding some salt and pepper. Once cooked well, add a good dollop of sour cream. Keep on medium heat and splash some milk in there, the smell should be rich and heavy. Add more milk and throw in the pasta, cook till pasta is tender then add in the frozen broccoli and peas. Top with ground pepper and parmesan! Yum!

FOOD: Panini with Chicken and Zucchini smothered in ginger and mango sour cream sauce

I have been trying to cook healthier, basically, avoiding boxed food and harsh additives. My motto is :" If I can identify the direct source, and its natural, its all good." For instance, what is in those sauces in bottles, powders and cans? I can make sauce in many different ways, here is but one example in this recipe.

You will need:
Lemon juice
Vinegar
3 Chicken breasts
2tbspns olive oil
1teaspoon butter
A bit of garlic
A dash of salt
2or 3 zucchini sliced
A few dollops of sour cream
A splash of milk
Some chopped or grated ginger
A splash of mango juice
Some black pepper ground or powder

Start by washing the chicken, add a few splashes of lemon juice and red wine vinegar to a bowl of water and let the chicken sit for about 15-30mins.

In a large pot, heat the oil and butter on medium heat. Add the garlic, some amazing aroma should be filling the air. Allow the butter to brown slightly.

Cut the chicken breasts into diamond shapes or whatever you wish, not too small, make a cut in the middle of each piece it will allow all the flavours to get right into the meat.

Place chicken in pot and coat well with garlic butter goodness! Add salt or paprika or pepper. Allow to brown well on each side, not black or crispy just well gorgeous. Remove from pan and set aside.

Fry the zucchini in the remaining buttery oil. Remove and set aside, add salt if desired.

In the same pan with the buttery dregs and chickeny bits from browning, add a few dollops of sour cream, mix well, sour cream will be a brown creamy colour. Add chopped or grated ginger and smell that amazingness!!!

As the sauce thickens add a splash of milk and mango juice and allow sauce to thicken again. I have decided this would make a fabulous pasta sauce, soon to be tried, with more sour cream of course, low fat if need be or using a rue.

Add the chicken to the sauce and start toasting your panini. Throw as much chicken and sauce on your panini as you desire and top with zuchini, ground black pepper and a sprig of parsley! Enjoy with a cocktail or a mocktail or a darling bottle of white. Enjoy! I know I did! ;)