"Sweet 'n Sassy Boneless Hot Wings"

Seriously, who knew healthy could be this good?  These are another must.  These little chicken nugs were super easy to make, and were spicy and delicious.  We guarantee that this would be a smash hit with anyone, even guys...just leave out the details about how healthy they are!  This is one recipe we will be sure to make again and again.

Basically, you bake chicken (coated in egg beaters and whole wheat flour) and then dip it in a mixture of delicious sauce.  If you want to know what that sauce is, ask us or BUY THE COOKBOOK.  It's worth it.  FYI, we split one serving and had a fresh salad and it was more than enough!  Now we have yummy leftovers for lunch tomorrow-- it's always good to have a lunch to look forward to...it helps get us through that next period of high-schoolers.

Wine and (blue) cheese .. yum!

Fresh ingredients make all the difference.

Here it is!  

"Outside-In Cheeseburger Patty"

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

MMMM MMMM GOOD

Every now and then a girl needs a burger.  Not a veggie burger, not a turkey burger, but a real beef, juicy, meaty burger.  We found the solution to the red meat craving, without breaking the calorie or fat bank.  And here it is...

Can't you just smell it from the other side of the computer??

Here's the most important part...it includes cheese.  It is a big cheesy, gooey, yummy mess.  The trick you ask...Laughing Cow (whoever invented this is quite brilliant)!

The next trick is serving it on a bed of lettuce, and not on a bun.  Honestly, we didn't miss the bread at all.  It was so cheesy and flavorful that the bread would have just gotten in the way!

Place the seasoned meat (don't forget worcheshire sauce) on a plate and indent the middle.  Add a wedge of LC cheese and cover the top by patting it back together.  Cook about 5 minutes on each side using a grill or saute pan.  Top away!  We placed ours on lettuce and topped with onion, ketchup, mayo, and pickles!

Even hungry girls can eat the real thing ;)

Mexi Mess and Brownies

This past weekend was filled with football and friends, but no cooking.  It's nice to take a break every now and then, but I am excited to get back in the kitchen!

Last Thursday, we couldn't decide what creation to whip up so we took a gander in our kitchen and decided on enchiladas.  These turned into something we called a Mexi Mess.  We used ground turkey (instead of beef), enchilada sauce, taco seasoning, black beans, corn, wraps, various cheeses, and healthy toppings-- they turned out amazing.  The leftovers were perfect for lunch at school the next day!

Before baking...

Delicious toppings :)

Mexi Mess

Although our original intention was enchiladas, it became an enchilada salad (aka Mexi Mess), and was scrumptious.  Mmmmmm.  Having a grocery shopping addiction isn't all the bad....

Another treat was a pillsbury recipe for cashew brownies.  They had homemade fudge, cookie dough, cashews, and other bits of goodness.  These were a hit at the game!

"Honey Mustard Pretzel-Coated Chicken Fingers"

Day 17, September 22nd:

Tonight's dish is a yummy version of chicken fingers and a spur of the moment brussel sprout dish.  I love having a well stocked kitchen so that anything is possible.

The chicken was another easy meal to throw together.  Mix, marinate, coat, cook, but OMG it was to die for!  BRILLIANT!  This puts the captain crunch chicken to shame.  The pretzel coating was still crispy and every bite was coated to perfection.  We added some Newman's Own Light Honey Mustard for dipping.  This will definitely be a repeat recipe.  

The brussel sprout recipe was a random find thanks to the internet.  Brussel sprouts in cheese sauce-- Food Network is awesome.  This took some time and effort, but good food is worth the work!

 

"Spicy EZ Mac n' Cheese"

Day 16, September 21st:

This was good, but could have been better. The basic recipe was whole wheat noodles, queso fresco laughing cow cheese, frozen cauliflower and cheese, cilantro (we left this out), and some spicy seasonings. We used broccoli instead because the store was out of the cauliflower. To us, it was a little bland, but it took about 15 minutes and was a cinch to make. Although quick recipes are a must, it doesn't leave much room for blogging.

Next time, these are the additions I would like to add: fresh jalapenos, tomatoes, corn, turkey sausage (or some kind of meat), and possibly a dollop of reduced fat sour cream.  It also needed LOTS of salt. But on the bright side... you cook, you learn.  Cook on fellow hungry girls!

"Planet Hungrygirl Sweet n' Cap't Crunch Chicken"

Day 15, September 20th:

Tonight we made delicious fibery and sweet chicken tenders.  This recipe was adapted from the chicken appetizer at Planet Hollywood and made for people, like us, who are trying to eat healthy.  These chicken tenders consisted of captain crunch and fiber one cereals with a few seasonings, which coated the outside, to create a delicious treat.  The best part was how simple it was to make!  Just dip in egg beaters, dip in the mixture, and cook!

The dipping sauce was so basic, yet such a perfect combination!  Just mix honey mustard and creamy dijon mustard (we used a Grey Poupon version) together for a sweet sauce to compliment your meal.  Your friends will be impressed...and so will you.

On Holiday

Day 9-14, September 14-19th:

Well, the reason for the lack of posts is that E was in Ireland.  It was lovely!  Since I wasn't cooking over there I took some photos of the food that I enjoyed for your viewing pleasure.  I learned that everything is "brilliant" or "lovely" and there are always at least 2 courses.  There are no appetizers; everyone has their own personal starter.  My jeans are noticing.

Lemon and Lime Tortlette

Scallop Starter

John Dory (fish) with Lobster Ravioli

Steak - possibly the most amazing one I've ever had

Check out those rasberries!

Deep Fried Brie with Cranberry/Apple Sauce -- AAAAMMMAAAZZZIIINNNGGG!

Fish n' Chips :)

I ate like a king...now it's back to healthy food :)

K made these while I was on holiday--- how beautiful!

Bagel Pizza

Day 8, September 13th:

Birthday Cake

Day 7, September 12th:

E's birthday!  Here is the finished product of the cake, as promised:

Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Buttercream Icing

Game Day

Day 6, September 11th:

Game Day = No new food.

BUT we did make the buffalo dip again and it was a hit!

Better luck next time Noles...

Maple French Toast Bacon Cupcakes

Day 5, September 10th:

We had a busy weekend filled with football, friends, and birthdays, so sorry for the late postings.

Who knew bacon in a cupcake could be so good?  K did when she discovered these at a tailgate the previous weekend.  So we decided to try this ourselves.  This called for a lot of ingredients..as you can see...

This was one of those recipes where it felt like it wouldn't end...mix this, then do that, then do the first thing again... but it was well worth the effort.  The batter tasted like a cinnamon roll, but when baked and mixed with bacon it was a breakfast buffet in a cute, tasty cupcake.  Who doesn't love salty and sweet?

"Buff Chick Hot Wing Dip," Jelly Meatball Subs, & Birthday Cake

Day 4, September 9th:

MMMMMM.  This is the best recipe we've made so far, hands down!  Ok so, we didn't use fat free everything, but it was nothing more than reduced fat.  We couldn't stop eating it.  If either one of us were alone we probably would have licked the bowl clean.

It was warm, creamy, and who can pass up a recipe with cream cheese in it?  Not us.  Once again, we had chicken from a can and once again we have no complaints.  DELICIOUS and perfect for tailgating!  Everyone needs a good healthy dip for football season (GO NOLES)--and we found it!  Voila!  Introducing the "buff chick hot wing dip..."

nom nom nom

We had to force ourselves to put the appetizer away so that we could move on to dinner-- Jelly Meatball Subs.  The recipe for meatballs came from a friend and the addition of a sub came from another friend...and we have a meatball sub!  Sometimes it takes a handful of people to create something this ingenious.  It's definitely not a first date meal, unless you want to share your first night together feeling extra full (of yummyness) and out a roll of paper towels.  This is a super easy recipe (not from the cookbook).  Take one jar of chili sauce and one jar of grape jelly-- mix together on the stove until blended together.  Unfreeze some frozen meatballs, place on a toasted sub roll, pour the sauce on top, and enjoy!! Easy peasy.  There are PLENTY of leftovers to munch on for lunch too!  

A cute fish plate doesn't hurt either ;)

Another not so Hungry Girl creation is E's birthday cake!

This past month I took a beginner's cake class at Michaels. I learned so many useful techniques for cake decorating and baking. E told me she wanted a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing for her birthday this Sunday. (My Mom's favorite cake too, so I better perfect it :) Tonight I have only prepared the cake itself and the inner cream cheese buttercream. Yum Yum! It is a great idea to bake for your friends in order to practice learned techniques. 

Tomorrow night I will post the finished product! Happy almost Friday!

Here's what I have so far...More tomorrow!

This was a day filled with cooking!  Cooking makes Hungry Girls happy :) 

Stuffed Chick Cordon Bleu

 Day 3, September 8th:

First, we would like to apologize for the late post-- we had this written last night, but it mysteriously disappeared into thin internet air.

So, yesterday we got a brand spankin' new hot water heater.  After not having one for a week and a half, and having to take freezing cold showers, it was the best present ever.  This led to wine before dinner, which led to a later dinner, which led to the mysterious disappearance of the blog that we worked so hard on last night.

GOOD NEWS!!!  Blogger is smarter than we are, and it saved it for us...it just took some time to find--here it is:

Let me just preface,

We haven't had hot water for a week and a half...seriously! Can't we shower in peace? But today the glorious package arrived in the form of a brand new water heater and 2 people to install it. Hip Hip Hooray!

Sometimes after a long day the last thing you want to do is get in the kitchen and cook. We even thought about making a frozen meal, but what's the fun in that? Tonight the recipe of choice is "Stuffed Chick Cordon Bleu." This figure friendly meal was found in our Hungry Girl 1-2-3 book and get this...it's only 222 calories per serving and super easy. We know what you're thinking...Cordon Bleu and 222 calories in the same sentence? Well, believe it fellow Hungry Girls!

So, we made "stuffed chick cordon blue"-- not too shabby.  We didn't have a meat mallot to flatten out the chicken, so we made do with a can, but we think our impatience from starvation kept us from pounding the chicken to the correct thinness.  This led to a thick chicken and made it harder to roll.  See picture.

Ready for the oven!

While this was cooking we made some frozen brussel sprouts with a lemon butter sauce.  FYI frozen brussel sprouts are gross and should never be used as a replacement for fresh ones.  We learned our lesson.  We have leftovers in the fridge, and I have a feeling that they will remain there until we toss them in the garbage or feed them to the dog. 

This is the dog.  He wants to be famous.

So, for future reference...make sure the meat is as thin as it is supposed to be and use fresh veggies! This recipe uses ham and laughing cow cheese, in case you were wondering how this could be good for you.  But, other than that, it was delish.

One more thing, the casserole from Day 2 was even better leftover!  Stay Hungry ;)

"Apple" Sugar Cookies and "Chicken Enchilada Casserole"

 Day 2, September 7th:

   Well, let's just say sometimes I get a little frustrated when things don't come out right... and they didn't this afternoon. I came across this innovative recipe to make sugar cookies that resemble slices of apples. Simple enough, right? Wrong. The website I got the recipe from is wonderful. She has great ideas and includes pictures of all of her products. Mine, however, ended up nothing like the picture...boo! I made the dreaded mistake of placing the cookies too close together on the baking sheet.  Then again, E reminded me that even bad things can turn into good things (as she enjoyed a bite of a "mess-up").  They taste wonderful, as they should- it was a pre-made sugar cookie mix! I sent the same picture from below to my Mom and she said how cute they were...we can always count on our Mamas. :) Enjoy anyways and better baking next time!

This evening K worked on the enchiladas while I drank wine and observed... I have kitchen duty tomorrow.  This is what pre-cooking looks like:

The enchiladas consist of chicken from a can.  I wasn't sure how I felt about that at first, but it ended up tasting...well, like chicken.    The dish turned out better than expected, with a few added ingredients--sour cream and jalapenos.  Also, we used non-mexican frozen veggies (carrots, zucchini, etc) so next time I would use a corn concoction.  The recipe calls for the dinner to be layered, and I have to say that the layers of tortillas were so good; they were crispy and tasted like chips.  Overall, for being a healthy dish it was pretty yummy.  Cook on Hungry Girl.   

Straight from the oven...

Added ingredients ;)

"Yumbo Gumbo"

Day 1, September 6th:

After a three day weekend, and a three day break from our high school students, K and I cracked open the new Hungry Girl 1-2-3 cook book she bought.  After oohing and aahing over almost every recipe we decided to try something new and set out on an adventure.  We are going to cook, blog, and drink our way through the book (and some other recipes) to survive our first year of teaching and our last few months of being roomies, with the occasional random fattening item.  We can't help it, we're girls.  We wrote a list, checked it twice, and went to the store.  Of course, we ended up with way more than we needed, but who doesn't love a well-stocked kitchen?  And, it's not my fault we happened to discover the hidden cart of sale wine at Publix.  We chose "Yumbo Gumbo" to begin our journey.  We chopped peppers and onions, de-tailed shrimp (we are creating our own cooking lingo), and added Chalula hot sauce to taste.  This one turned out GREAT, but the whole point of this is to try new things, so good or bad we'll be posting.  

Only 165 calories of shrimp deliciousness.