Raw Chocolate Protein Bars, by Diane

I've been eating so many raw bars on the go and it's occurred to me lately that I can probably make my own fairly easily and for way less money. This is the first recipe I've tried and with a few changes on my part the result was awesome! Super easy to make, and they will last you all week and then some. The protein comes from hemp and brown rice, and they are raw because all you have to do is refrigerate them for a bit and they are good to go! There's no added sugar in here either, the sweetness comes from the dates.

The idea for the bars came from here: http://www.greenkitchenstories.com/raw-hemp-protein-bars/


Ingredients:

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2 packets chocolate Amazing Meal powder
1/4 raw cacao nibs
4 tbsp chia seeds
20 dates, pitted
6 tbsp coconut oil, room temperature
1 vanilla pod (scrape inside out and discard pod)
Water, as needed
6 tbsp rolled oats


Directions:

1. In a food processor, pulse pumpkin seeds through chia seeds quickly. Do not over-process, you want it a little crunchy. Place the mixture in a bowl and set aside.

2. Add dates, coconut oil, and vanilla to the food processor or high speed blender and run until smooth. Add water until it creates a smooth paste. Pour over the dry ingredients, add oats and stir until well combined.

3.Spread the batter evenly into a 9x13 baking dish, pressing to compact. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Cut into bars. Wrap them in paper and store in an air-tight container. Will keep around a week in the fridge.

Coniglio di Nonna (Grandma's Rabbit), by Cheryl

So we've had rabbit many times while being in Italy. And while it's not a specialty in the Naples area, other regions of Italy like Tuscany serve rabbit often. While at an Italian grocery store called Ipercoop, I was intrigued by the rabbit pieces I saw in the poultry section. I knew that whatever I bought in the store my neighbor would have a recipe for, so as soon as I returned home I asked her what to do with it. She gave me her grandmother's rabbit recipe, which was very tasty. The recipe itself reminded me of chicken cacciatore with the rabbit pieces being a little bit tougher than chicken. Rabbit isn't as easily accessible in the states as it is here, so I might try my hand at this one more time before we leave. It's a solid recipe and bread dipped in the sauce is delicious. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 rabbit, in pieces
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 onion, sliced
1 tablespoon of butter
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 cup of water
120 ml of white wine
salt, pepper, and the spices of Nora's Aunt Carla (seemed to be rosemary and oregano among other things).
bowl of water and about 5 lemons

Directions:

1) Soak the rabbit pieces in a large bowl with water and lemon juice for two hours.

2) Dry the rabbit with paper towels.

3) Heat the oil and butter in a pan. Add the onion and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the white   wine and let it simmer down.

4) Add the rabbit pieces and brown on both sides.

5) Add the water, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and spices, and cook for 45 minutes.

Basil Shrimp with Feta and Orzo, by Cheryl

I found this recipe on Cooking Light's website while looking for a shrimp dish. This was really easy to make and very light! I enjoyed it very much, although I think I might have cooked the orzo too long. Jon could take it or leave it as he said it was good, not great. I had the leftovers for lunch today and they really filled me up for the entire afternoon. I really wasn't sure how the feta cheese was going to play into the dish and though that it might not belong, but it worked really well and was great! I'll definitely be making this again, but maybe just for myself as a lunch option. Yum!

Ingredients:

1 cup orzo
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup diced tomato
3/4 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup feta cheese
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used precooked shrimp, but it calls for uncooked)
1/4 cup fresh basil

tin foil or oven bag

Directions:

1) Preheat 450 degrees.

2) Cook pasta in boiling water for 5 minutes. Place the pasta in a large bowl.

3) Stir in the olive oil, and the next seven ingredients through pepper and mix. Add shrimp and basil and mix.

4) Place in an oven bag or hand-made oven bag (I used tin foil) and bake for 25 minutes if shrimp are raw or 15 minutes if shrimp are already cooked. Open the foil and voila!

Healthy Homemade Green Bean Casserole, by Diane

This recipe was the side dish to our amazing steaks on Superbowl Sunday. I will definitely be making this from now on at holidays instead of the typical green bean casserole which calls for canned soup and canned fried onions. Much healthier and actually much tastier too! I got this recipe from Ellie Krieger's book, Comfort Food Fix, which a friend got me for the holidays. It shows all kinds of tricks to make comfort food healthier and homemade, and I am loving it so far!

My only adjustment to this was that I needed almost double the flour and olive oil, which I kept having to add back into the pan.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
6 medium shallots, sliced into rings (about 1 cup)
1 1/2 pounds thin fresh string beans or haricots verts, trimmed
1 pound button mushrooms, sliced
6 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
3 cups low-fat (1 percent) milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Olive oil cooking spray


Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. 
2. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat until very hot but not smoking. Add 1/4 cup shallots and cook, stirring, until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining shallots, cooking 1/4 cup at a time. Reserve the oil in the skillet.
3. Place the green beans in a steamer basket fitted over a pot of boiling water. Cover and steam until bright green and still crisp, about 3 minutes.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved shallot oil in a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushroom liquid is evaporated and they begin to brown, about 12 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a bowl.
5. Whisk together the milk and flour until the flour is dissolved. Add the mixture to the skillet and, whisking constantly, bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium low, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the green beans, mushroom mixture, 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, the parsley, nutmeg, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
6. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Spoon the green bean mixture into the prepared dish and sprinkle the top with the crispy shallots and the remaining 2 tablespoons cheese. Bake until golden on top and bubbling, about 20 minutes.

Pan Seared Steak, by Diane

This recipe came from Cooking Light and I finally got to use it at our Superbowl party this Sunday. I am not usually crazy about steak, especially if it's made at home. But this recipe wowed everyone in the room- and it was the first thing to be eaten on everyone's plates! The difference from grilling or broiling (which I usually do) is the searing in the cast iron skillet which gives it a nice crust, then allowing it to sit covered so the steak gets nice and juicy. The recipe also calls for garlic, butter, and fresh time which makes a killer flavor on the crust! This will definitely be on repeat in this house!!

A word of caution- this recipe is SMOKY so make sure to turn on fans and open windows in the beginning!


Ingredients:


2 (12-ounce) lean, grass-fed New York strip steaks (we used tenderloins)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 thyme sprigs
2 garlic cloves, crushed


Directions:

1. Let steaks stand 30 minutes at room temperature.
2. Sprinkle salt and pepper evenly over steaks. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add steaks to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Reduce heat to medium-low; add butter, thyme, and garlic to pan. Carefully grasp pan handle using an oven mitt or folded dish towel. Tilt pan toward you so butter pools; cook 1 1/2 minutes, basting steaks with butter constantly. Remove steaks from pan; cover loosely with foil. Let stand 10 minutes. Reserve butter mixture.
3. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Discard thyme and garlic; spoon reserved butter mixture over steak.

Banana Oatmeal Pancakes, by Cheryl

I got this awesome pancake recipe from my dad who read it in Men's Health. I'm always looking for different ways to make pancakes more healthy and I think I found my go to pancake recipe. Since he gave it to me a month ago I've made these about five times. They are very filling and use oatmeal instead of flour to give it some consistency. They're also a really good pre-workout meal and keep you energized throughout your sweat session. This is the only way I'll be making pancakes from now on! Yum!

Ingredients (makes one serving):

- 1/2 cup oatmeal (I use steel cut oats)
- 1 egg (recipe calls for two, but one is just fine)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 heaping tablespoon apple sauce
- 1 banana
- 1 tablespoon flax seed (optional)

Directions:

1) In a blender or food processor blend the egg and the banana until smooth.

2) Add the vanilla, apple sauce, and oatmeal to the blender and blend.

3) Spray a pan with pam spray and make some pancakes!