Foodie Friday

Welcome Back to Foodie Friday! This past week has been a good one for me. First of all, I got to go shopping and, for the first time in years, I didn't leave the mall depressed. No, I was elated when I walked out those big doors because I'd just found out that I'd dropped two full pant sizes! It was the most unbelievable feeling. I was practically hopping, skipping, and jumping while singing empowerment songs. Okay, maybe, that is stretching it. But you get the idea...I was happy.

 Also, I finally got into the swing of my exercise program this week. After walking on my treadmill frequently in the last few weeks, I started to find myself enjoying it. Go figure. Now, my treadmill time is my Zen time. And no one seems to bother me. No phone. No Internet. No television. No screaming 'Mom!' or 'Babe!' I just put on my headphones and walk to the beat of my Workout Playlist. (Eventually, I hope to run. But alas, that's another blog...)

So, that pretty much sums up my week. Are y'all ready for the food? Because I got some yummy porn for you:

 A big Greek burger w/ lettuce, tomato, & a juicy slab of bacon on Ezekiel Bread. 

The sides include a zesty tzatziki sauce and spicy oven-fried zucchini.

Amazingly, neither the zucchini or bread contain any flour!

(see recipes below)

 One of my personal favorites - Chicken Piccata!

Yum.

Only this is Chicken Piccata with a twist.

I used Coconut flour and Egg Whites for breading rather than AP Flour.

And since I was a good girl with my breading, I treated myself with peas.

Man, do I love those peas.

Almost as much as that Chicken Piccata. 

Nom. Nom. Nom.

(see recipes below)

An Inside Out Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, and Avocado Sandwich.

I used flour-less Ezekiel bread rather than a traditional loaf to save on carbs.

Also, I opted to make a mayo with avocado instead of eating it in large slices.

For the side, I went with the always yummy, never fail, pan-fried zucchini.

(see recipes below)

 Leftovers from the BLTA! Lunch never looked (and tasted so good).

Bean-Free Chili topped  w/ green onion, cheese , and a dollop of Daisy Sour Cream.

(see recipes below)

RECIPES

Greek Burger

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

1 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Oregano, eyeball it

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Directions

Heat an indoor grill.

While you wait for the grill to heat, place the ground beef and Feta in a large bowl. (Do not mix yet.)

Dust the top of the meat and Feta with Oregano, Salt, and Pepper. I can’t give exact measurements because I eyeball it. (Sorry about that)

Using your hands, mix the beef, Feta, oregano, salt, and pepper until well incorporated. Do not over mix! (Pretty, pretty please…)

Once everything is all mixed up, score the meat into four sections then separate it and form it into patties.

Finally, cook the hamburger on the grill until the meat reaches desired temperature.

Chicken Piccata

*I altered Giada's recipe slightly*

Ingredients:

Skinless and boneless chicken breasts

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup coconut flour, for dredging

1 egg white, for binding

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg white until it is frothy. Then dredge the chicken first in the egg white then in the flour, shaking off all excess. 

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.

Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley.

BLT's Avocado Mayo

Ingredients

1 Avocado, diced

1 cup of Mayo

1 dash of Lemon Juice

Dried tarragon, to taste

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Directions

In a bowl, mix together the avocado, mayo, and lemon juice.

Once blended, add salt, pepper, and tarragon to the mayo/avocado/lemon juice mixture.

At this point, you will need to taste the mayo to determine how much of the salt, pepper, and/or tarragon you require. Personally, I love tarragon so I use more than is necessary. But that’s up to you.

Pan-Fried Zucchini

Ingredients

1 Large Zucchini, cut into thin slices.

A dash of lemon juice

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Directions

In a skillet, warm the olive oil.

Meanwhile, fan the zucchini slices out on a plate.

Liberally sprinkle one side of the zucchini with salt and pepper.

When the olive oil is warm, place the zucchini in the skillet.

Cook the zucchini until it is starting to turn a golden brown color then add a dash of lemon juice.

Continue to cook until the zucchini is nice and caramelized on the outside.

Oven-Fried Zucchini

Red Chili

Bon appétit!

XOXOXO,

-Mia