Meeting Jeni from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams

I had butterflies in my stomach, my pulse quickened and I could feel myself getting anxious.  Was I getting ready to give a presentation at work, go to the doctors or some other place which would evoke this sort of feeling?  No, I was on my way to meet a local food celebrity - Jeni of Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams fame.  If you're from Columbus, you most likely know about Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams.  The creator, Jeni Britton Bauer, is like a celebrity to me.  Her ice cream is addictive and the fact she started this small company and how it's grown is impressive.  She makes the most unique ice cream flavors including Ugandan Vanilla Bean, Salty Caramel and one of my personal favorites, Goat Cheese with Cognac Figs. Yes, you read that correctly, goat cheese in ice cream.  As you can see, you're not going to find any regular mint-chocolate chip here!

I had the opportunity to take a cooking-demonstration class taught by Jeni this past month, which is what brought on the emotions listed above.  During the class she demonstrated how to make two different flavors: rose ice cream with white chocolate and almonds and an orange infused ice cream with chocolate flecks, which by the way, were amazing!  While instructing us on how to make these flavors, she discussed different aspects of herself, her company, differences between making ice cream for her stores vs. making it in smaller batches at home and the technical science behind making ice cream.  Who knew ice cream was such a complicated science? 

I generally don't allow myself to buy cookbooks because 1. I already have so many and 2. So many recipes are now available online or courtesy of my local library.  However, I considered this a special circumstance and bought a copy of her cookbook.  This would give me the opportunity to both meet her to sign it and learn how to make better ice cream at home.  Can I just say she is one of the nicest people I've ever met!  Not that I expected her to be otherwise, but she was so friendly, open and talkative to everyone there.  When it was finally my turn to meet her, I asked her what advice she'd give to someone, like myself, who might want to start a food business one day.  We spoke for a bit about my food interests and she finally said something to the point that sometimes you just have to jump in and do it.  Start out small, but start none-the-less.  So that's what I'm doing.  Every recipe I made, success or fail, is one small step towards my foodie aspirations. 

I wish her the best of luck and I know with our love of her ice cream, Jeni can count on Kevin and I to be repeat customers for years to come!  If you're lucky enough to live near one of her stores and have yet to try it out, please go, you will not regret it!

P.S.  I have already made one recipe from her cookbook.  It was honestly the best ice cream I've ever made at home.  If you enjoy making ice cream at home, I suggest buying her book. 

Here are a few pictures from the class:

Jeni Demonstrating her ice cream making skills

Meeting Jeni!

Pizza Grilled Cheese

Have you ever had a food craving where you know it wasn't going to subside until you ate whatever it was?  I tend to get those a lot.  Just the other day I was in the mood for a grilled cheese sandwich when I remembered we were all out cheese singles - what was a girl to do when a craving hits! After remembering the left over ingredients from making pizza the other night, I thought "what about pizza in the form of grilled cheese?   Could it be done?"

The answers is "Yes!"  I'm here to show you how to do it:

Pizza Grilled Cheese
Serves: 2

4 slices of Bread
1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Turkey Pepperoni, chopped
dash Italian Seasoning
1/4 cup Pizza Sauce
*sliced Black Olives, optional

Butter one side of each bread slice. With the buttered side laying on the plate, sprinkled on some mozzarella, a dash of Italian seasoning, the chopped pepperoni and then the rest of the cheese.
Putting cheese on the bottom and the top will help make the contents stick to both pieces of the bread.

*Side Note: I happened to have some left over black olives in the refrigerator, so I added a few to my sandwich.  Feel free to add any of your favorite pizza toppings too!

Top with the other slice of bread, buttered side facing up.  Pre-heat a sauce pan, over medium heat, for about 2 minutes. Since I used a non-stick pan and the bread was buttered, I didn't spray the pan with cooking spray.  Place sandwiches in pan, cook for 5-6 minutes total.  I cooked the first side for three minutes, flipped and cooked for two more and then flipped back to the original side for one more minute.

Serve with a side of warmed pizza sauce.

Enjoy!

P.S. Hubby asked for a second sandwich after finishing his first, so make sure you have extra ingredients on hand!

xoxo Melissa

Mediterranean Pizza

While my husband and I are generally healthy eaters, we both really enjoy pizza.  We occasionally splurge and order it, but I'm a big fan of making it myself.   This allows me to make it healthier, add whatever toppings I want and it's much cheaper.   I usually make the pizza dough recipe from my Martha Stewart Everyday Cooking cookbook, however I found this whole wheat pizza recipe on her website recently and thought I'd give it a go. 

When I lived in Massachusetts, there was a pizza place near me called Three Aces.  They made the BEST Mediterranean pizza and I've been hooked ever since.  I don't know if I'd call this "healthy" or not... but I like to think it's on the healthier side as far as pizza goes.

Mediterranean Pizza
Serves 2-4

1/2 recipe of Martha's whole what pizza dough, link above.
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
8 oz. Pizza Sauce
1 tsp Leaf Oregano
1 (10 oz) Box Frozen Spinach, thawed
1/2 (14.5 oz) can Artichoke Hearts, drained and diced
1 (2.35 oz) can sliced Black Olives, drained
1/4 cup sliced Banana Peppers
1 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/3 cup Feta Cheese

Make pizza dough per Martha's directions.  When making pizza dough, I generally freeze half of the recipe for later use.  I used 1/2 of Martha's recipe.  Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Sprinkle a little cornmeal on a kitchen counter.  Roll out dough to the desired shape.  Place dough on a 15-inch pizza pan sprayed with cooking spray.  I usually let mine sit for about 10 minutes if it doesn't quite fit the pan and then try to stretch it out a little further, right on the pan.  With a fork, make prick marks all over the dough to prevent any air pockets from bubbling up.  Bake pizza shell for about 10 minutes.  Check on it every few minutes to make sure no air pockets are forming.  Take dough out of the oven. Sprinkle minced garlic over crust. Spread sauce over dough & garlic and then sprinkle with oregano

Layer on ingredients: spinach*, artichoke hearts, black olives, banana peppers, mozzarella and feta cheeses.

* Once spinach is thawed, take small handfuls over the sink and squeeze out the water.  You don't want your pizza to get mushy from excess water

Bake for another 10 or so minutes, until cheese is melted and slightly browned.  Try to let it cool for 5 minutes, if you can!  I love that first bite, with all of the veggies, salty cheese, sweet sauce and crisp whole wheat crust.  I could probably eat this whole pizza if I wanted  to - Enjoy!

This is what the pan looked like when we were done... clearly this was a 2-serving pizza night!

Cornmeal-Crusted Catfish Sandwich

With Lent upon us, I've been working on some different fish dishes to serve on Fridays.  My husband will often make cornmeal-crusted catfish or tilapia, which is really good!  In an effort to change things up a bit, I've decided to turn it into a sandwich.  I love a good fried fish sandwich and while those on restaurant menu's call my name, my arteries and overall health say "no!"  This is my slightly healthier take on a fried fish sandwich. 


Cornmeal-Crusted Catfish Sandwich
Serves: 2

2 Catfish filets
2 tsp Cornmeal
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
Pepper

1-2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil for skillet

2 Hoagie Buns
Light Mayo
Shredded lettuce

Lay fish filets on a plate.  Sprinkle on cornmeal, Old Bay seasoning and fresh ground pepper.  Use 1/2 tsp of cornmeal, 1/4 tsp Old Bay and 1-2 grinds of fresh pepper, per side.  Flip filets over and repeat. 

Heat 1-2 Tbs oil in a sauce-pan, over medium heat. You want enough oil to easily cover the bottom of the pan.  Once the pan has heated for a minute or two, add the filets.  Cook for 10-12 minutes total, flipping once.  The cooking time will depend on how big and thick your fish is. 

 
While fish is cooking, take out a cookie sheet.  Lay a paper towel on top of the cookie sheet and put a cooling rack on top.  After the fish is done cooking, you will let them sit here for a minute or two. This step can be optional, but it helps drain any extra oil before putting it on your sandwich.  Plus it gives you time to get your sandwich ready.

Once the filets are done cooking, move them to the cooling rack for a minute or two. 

While the fish is cooling, prepare your sandwich.  On one half of the hoagie bun, spread as much mayo as you'd like.  Top other half of hoagie bun with the shredded lettuce. 

Lay fish on top of lettuce. Top with the other half of the bun. Try not to inhale it all at once!  The salty and slightly crunchy fish filet, combined with the tangy mayo and fresh, crisp lettuce!  Delish!  I hope you enjoy this "healthier" version of a restaurant style fish sandwich as much as I did!

xoxo Melissa

Cocoa Berry Smoothie

I love smoothies!  I love how many national food chains such as Panera and Starbucks are now serving smoothies!  I do NOT love how they tend to cost almost $4.00!  In an effort to not go broke by feeding my smoothie addiction, I have started making my own at home.  Here's one of my recent concoctions.  Enjoy!


Cocoa-Berry Smoothie
Serves: 1

3/4 cup Milk (I used 1%)
1 cup Frozen Strawberries
1 1/2 Tbs Fat Free Whipped Topping
3 tsp Chocolate Pudding Mix, dry

Add all ingredients to the blender:

Blend until smooth. If you find the smoothie too thick, add additional milk as needed. Depending on how thick you want it, you may have to stop and stir a few times.

 
Once smoothie has reached your desired consistency, poor into a cup and enjoy!  At first sip it tastes mainly like strawberries, but has a subtle chocolate flavor from the pudding.  If you want it more chocolate-y, you can always add more pudding mix to it. This makes about 2 cups, which I consider a good 1-serving. Enjoy!

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Nutritional Info*
Calories: 233
Fat: 2.5 grams
Fiber: 3 grams


* I have manually calculated this information, based on the ingredients I used. Your own recipe's nutritional information may vary, depending on the specific ingredients you use

Banana Walnut Oatmeal

To continue the celebration of the start of my blog, I feel it's only appropriate to share another great start to my day: Banana Walnut Oatmeal!   This recipe may not have won over my anti-oatmeal husband, who finds oatmeal "too mushy," but this is one of my favorite variations.  It almost reminds me of the Jiffy-brand banana walnut muffins my mom used to make for us on special occasion mornings. I can remember as a child getting ready in the morning and smelling the wonderful just-baked muffin smell wafting upstairs to my bedroom and knowing it was going to be a good start to my day!  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have!


Banana Walnut Oatmeal
Serves 2

3/4 cup Water
3/4 cup Light Vanilla Soy Milk
3/4 cup Quick Oats
1 Medium Banana, diced
1 tsp Brown Sugar
1/4 tsp Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Nutmeg
Dash salt
2 tsp Chopped Walnuts
Drizzle of Maple/Pancake syrup

Add water and milk to a medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Heat for a minute or two.   Do not let the milk boil.  Once it seems like it's getting pretty warm (you will see steam), add oats, diced banana, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and a dash of salt.  Reduce heat to medium-low and stir frequently for 2-3 minutes or until oatmeal has reached desired consistency.  I know some people like their oatmeal stiffer, some like more liquid.  I also try to mash up the bananas a bit while stirring so the banana pieces are smaller in the final dish.

Spoon into two bowls.  Sprinkle1 tsp of chopped walnuts on each serving. Drizzle with a little maple or pancake syrup, if desired.  After your first bite, you will not regret making this one!  Enjoy not only a healthy (in my opinion), but also a delicious and filling breakfast!

xoxo Melissa

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Nutritional Info per serving*:
Calories: 227
Fat: 4.3 grams
Fiber: 5.1 grams

* I have manually calculated this information, based on the ingredients I used. Your own recipe's nutritional information may vary, depending on the specific ingredients you use

Apple Pie Oatmeal

As my first recipe post, I thought it might be appropriate to start with the first meal of the day... breakfast!   I don't know about the rest of you, but I wake up hungry and my first thought is "hooray, time to eat!"  I often go through food kicks and my current breakfast kick is oatmeal.  I know, I know, oatmeal may not be the most glamorous food, but boy are there a lot of ways to pep it up and make it pretty darn delicious!  Today I will share with you my apple pie oatmeal.


Apple Pie Oatmeal
Serves: 2

3/4 cup Water
3/4 cup Light Vanilla Soy Milk*
3/4 cup Quick Oats
1 Apple, peeled, cored and diced
2 tsp. Light Brown Sugar, divided
1 tsp. Cinnamon, divided
dash of Salt
drizzle of Pancake or Maple Syrup

To make the "apple pie" portion, put the diced apple, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1 tsp of brown sugar in a microwave safe bowl.

Microwave apples in 30-second intervals, until apples are slightly softened.  I microwaved mine for 2 minutes total.  Stir at each 30-second interval.  Let cool while you make the oatmeal.

To make the oatmeal, add the water and milk to a medium sized saucepan. Heat for a minute or two over medium-high heat.  Do not let it boil. Once it seems like it's getting pretty warm (you will see steam), add the oats, 1/2 tsp of cinnamon,1 tsp of brown sugar and a dash (or two) of salt.  Turn the heat down to medium and stir for 2-3 minutes, until oatmeal reaches desired consistency.  Once this happens, add the apples and stir to incorporate throughout.

Spoon into two serving bowls.  Drizzle with a little syrup.  When you take that first bite, incorporating the comforting oatmeal, a piece of cinnamon-y apple and sweet maple syrup, boy is it good!  You might actually forget for a moment that you're actually eating oatmeal!  Enjoy!

xoxo Melissa

*Recipe hasn't been tested with anything besides light vanilla soy milk. I would assume it'd taste just as good with another type such as skim, 2%, etc. I happen to have a lot of extra light vanilla soy milk around the house right now because hubby got on a soy milk kick and I bought a new 1/2 gallon while grocery shopping without him... got home and he's now off soy! Gotta find someway to use it up! After this soy milk is gone, I will probably substitute either skim or 2%.

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Nutritional Info per serving*:
Calories: 207.3
Fat: 3 grams
Fiber: 4.1 grams


* I have manually calculated this information, based on the ingredients I used.  Your own recipe's nutritional information may vary, depending on the specific ingredients you use