Skinny Faux 'Fried' Tomatoes

December 19, 2014 Amanda Plott

This post was brought to you by Collective Bias, Inc. andQuaker®. I received compensation to write this post … but, all opinions expressed are my own. #CollectiveBias #LoveMyCereal #QuakerUp

I'm a southern girl. You know, the born in Texas sort... It's not an uncommon place to find fried anything all around you here in the Lone Star State. I mean, have you been to our State Fair? Eek gads, man! Even so, I've got to be honest here. The only thing I care for at all that is fried would be french fries, pickles, and of course... tomatoes!

As you can imagine, fried tomatoes (especially green ones) were once a common place and a staple to southern food. Now though? You're hard pressed to find a single place in a giant city that fries them anymore.

A couple months back I was venturing out and trying a newly opened movie theater over closer to my mother's end of the world here in Austin. I don't know about you, but from what I remember, back when I was a young girl your options at movie theaters were fairly limited. I'm talking hot dogs, pop corn, soda, and an array over overly priced candies. In today's world though, the most of the movie theaters that I go to are all about beer, wine, and gourmet foods! This particular place was no different, featuring an amazing wine selection and beautiful food options that put those old-time hot dogs to bed...

Cranberry & Walnut Brussel Sprouts

December 9, 2014 Amanda Plott

Can you believe that I've never cooked brussel sprouts before?! Honestly, I'd never even eaten a brussel sprout until about a year ago when I was downtown at this fun little restaurant called The Lucky Robot. They have these crispy pan seared (or fried) brussel sprouts that are served with some sort of kicked up soy dipping sauce. A-ma-zing!

I've been looking for an excuse (as if I needed one) to make brussel sprouts ever since.

With another major foodie-holiday rolling up on us all quickly, I thought that a side of some brussel sprouts with cranberries, walnuts, and blue cheese would make a great tasty side dish for any holiday meal!...

Skinny B.L.T. Soup

November 25, 2014 Amanda Plott

I'm busy in the kitchen this week as I prepare for Thanksgiving so... I needed something super simple to make myself for lunch that I could then enjoy for a few days after the one preparation. I've been craving a nice BLT sandwich lately, but I'm also trying to stay away from gluten a little bit too. So, with bread out of mind (and BLT Lettuce Wraps already done), I started to think about how else I could enjoy the flavors of a BLT in a different form. Ta-da! BLT soup.

This soup is pretty amazing. When topped with the shredded lettuce, the greens wilt just enough to soften but still retain a bit of texture; adding another dimension to an otherwise rather smooth soup. And of course, the bacon adds all the awesome. How can you go wrong with anything involving bacon? You can't!...

Cauliflower & Hominy Smash

September 10, 2014 Amanda Plott

This cauliflower hominy smash is a perfect lower carb substitution for potatoes. In fact, I would say that I enjoy this smash just as much as mashed potatoes, if not more. The texture of the two vegetables, along with the milk and a touch of butter leave this side dish tasting very close to a cheesy smashed potato with hardly any of the guilt!

Not that potatoes are a bad thing at all. They have their place in my heart too.

You get a nice heaping half cup of this smash for only about 72 calories and 13 grams carbs, and trust me... you won't miss their potato counter part at all. What's even better is that they are gluten free and clean!...

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

September 3, 2014 Amanda Plott

We love pickles in this house.

My little girl alone goes through about a jar every week or two this summer. She's especially fond of pickled carrots as I've found out recently. And have you seen the price for pickles? Holy moly! If you're wanting a good pickle, you're going to be paying $3-4 bucks a jar. Eep!

The past few weeks I've been playing around with a grocery service that delivers organic and local produce straight from nearby farms to your home. I've been getting the 'local box' which comes with a variety of that weeks 'special' produce, fruits and herbs. It's been fun and very interesting. I get to work with a lot of new-to-me ingredients that you normally wouldn't find at the grocery store either; such as sweet potato greens, hon tsai tai, and cucamelons.

Well, I was supposed to get cucamelons, but unfortunately they were swapped for something else after I had planned on pickling them. Bummer. Oh well! I did still get some fresh organic dill in my delivery so I decided I'd just pickle some cucumbers and carrots instead!...

Skinny Southwest Chicken Dip (Crock Pot)

August 6, 2014 Amanda Plott

I was craving something that was a little 'snacky' for a dinner this week. Sometimes, you just don't feel like having a meal for a meal. If that makes any sense at all to anyone else. So I settled on a chicken dip.

A while back I made a really tasty Skinny Buffalo Chicken Dip before, but since this was going to be partially for dinner, I wanted something that was a little different and maybe had some more substance to it. I did, however, use the same basic idea from the buffalo dip to create this southwest version of it.

This southwest chicken dip was nothing short of amazing, and it totally didn't feel or taste as if there was anything skinny or light about it. It's always nice to feel as if you're indulging, even if you aren't!...