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Skinnified Sunday: Rachael Ray’s Double Bacon Beer Burgers

September 13, 2011 · by Ari ·

Sorry this is so late! Life has been crazy. Yesterday I barely spent any time at home, and that time was spent choreographing and getting the pumpkin spice latte cupcakes up! Anyway, Sunday was a pretty amazing day, and in addition to all the food pictures, Steve took lots of pictures of the family

Like mother, like daughter 🙂

We even finally got one together!

I love my children!

Me & Jasy

But mom, when do I get a burger?

Onto the food! I guess I’ve been in a Rachael Ray kick lately. Next week I will have to open a different cook book. These burgers turned out pretty spectacular. At the end of the dinner everyone was like “Well this wasn’t the ‘skinnified’ part, right?” Ohhhhh yes it was! Here we go…

Original Recipe:

  • 1 tablespoon EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 10 slices smoky bacon, 2 of them chopped
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
  • 3/4 pound ground chuck
  • 3/4 pound ground sirloin
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • A few hearty glugs stout beer, such as Guinness, half a bottle
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
  • 3 tablespoons grainy mustard
  • 1/2 pound sharp white aged cheddar, sliced
  • 8 leaves red lead lettuce or red leaf romaine
  • 1 red onion, sliced
  • 4 Kaiser rolls or crusty rolls, split open

My Swaps:

  • I made 1.5 of the recipe because I was cooking for 6 instead of 4. We’re popular 🙂 (+fun!)
  • Olive oil who needs it?! (-fat, -calories)
  • Center cut or turkey bacon for regular bacon (-fat, -saturated fat, -calories)
  • 1 slice bacon per burger (-calories)
  • 2 lbs 96% lean ground beef for chuck/sirloin–the first time I’ve used actual beef in FOREVER! (-fat, -saturated fat, -calories)
  • Fat free sour cream for sour cream-you could also use non fat Greek yogurt (-fat, -calories)
  • Light havarti for sharp cheddar (-fat, -calories) But to be honest, next time I would skip the cheese for myself because with all the other flavors, I just didn’t need it.
  • Red onion ehh just didn’t feel like slicing one haha
  • Whole wheat sandwich thins for Kaiser rolls (-calories, +fiber, +protein)
  • Grilled instead of pan friend in bacon drippings (-gross, -fat, -calories, -heart attack)

Skinnified Double Bacon Beer Burgers

yeild 6 servings (well it actually ended up making 7 burgers)

  • 9 slices center cut or turkey bacon, 3 of them chopped
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 lbs 96% lean ground beef
  • 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • A few hearty glugs stout beer, such as Guinness, half a bottle
  • 3/4 cup fat free sour cream
  • 1.5 tablespoon prepared horseradish
  • 4.5 tablespoons grainy mustard
  • 6 slices light havarti
  • 8 leaves red lead lettuce or red leaf romaine
  • 6 whole wheat sandwich thins

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350.

2) Bake 9 slices of bacon for approx 15-20 minutes on a slotted broiler pan until crispy.

3) Spray nonstick pan and cook three chopped slices of bacon until they begin to crisp.

4) Add chopped onion and cook until tender. Approx 5-7 minutes

5) Remove, place in a large bowl and cool.

6) Add meet, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and combine with hands–the fun part!

7) Form into desired size of patties (we had enough for 7) with a small thumb print in the middle for even cooking *see picture below

8) Grill until desired “doneness”

9) Place in a cake pan, and pour room temperature Guiness over to soak in.

10) Crisp up sandwich thins in the oven with cheese on top.

11) While buns are crisping, combine sour cream, horseradish and mustard.

12) Top buns with burgers, lettuce, sour cream mixture and any other desired toppings (I added tomatoes)

13) Enjoy!

 

Steve, me, Hank, mom, Charlie, Jason!! The best friends feel just like family!

TAAAAADDDDAAAA!!!!

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged: burger, clementine, family, friends, recipe, skinnified, steve, winston

Breakfast Sammies

September 11, 2011 · by Ari ·

After working up an appetite during my run this morning, I invited Jason over to join us for breakfast. I was planning on making a skinnified eggs benedict, but I didn’t feel like bothering with making a healthy hollandaise sauce–I don’t know if I even like the stuff (can you believe I’ve never tasted it?!) So the next best idea was egg sandwiches–think McMuffin style.

I got work crisping up some whole wheat English muffins in the oven on burn broil.

That broil button can burn food in a second. Watch out. Luckily, today I kept a good eye on things!

Winston and Clementine made sure to keep their eyes out too. What fun is it to beg for burnt food?

Eventually, all the laying around got to be very strenuous for Clementine, so she got some rest.


I cooked one egg per sammie (I usually do an egg + a white for myself, but that was the last of the eggs). A while ago I bought these egg thingies special for making the perfect muffin size egg. I love kitchen things!

Topped each muffin side with freshly grated goat cheddar, and then cooked lean meat of choosing (turkey, canadian bacon, turkey bacon) and stuck back in the oven on burn broil until the cheese is melty.

I topped 1/2 with fresh tomato and my egg and the other half (that I did not put cheese on) with sunflower butter and fig jam. Half savory, half sweet! 🙂

The boys each had two sammies. They were hungry!

About to start tonight’s skinnified dessert! Hope everyone is having an amazing weekend!

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged: breakfast, clementine, egg, english muffin, friends, puppies, winston

A new PR for me!!!

September 11, 2011 · by Ari ·

Good morning everyone!!! It is the most beautiful morning we’ve had here in Phoenix in quite some time and I couldn’t be happier! Finally the weather is good enough for a beautiful morning run. Let me preface with the fact that I hardly ever run and when I do, it is almost always on a treadmill and I have never gone outside and even measured my distance, but today was different, because….

I have an announcement to make!!!

I have decided to run my First.Race.Ever. The Susan Komen Race for the Cure. I didn’t want to announce until I was certain I could do it and wouldn’t back out. Running has been incredibly hard on my body in the past due to my very short achilles tendins, and has caused a lot of pain, but it is something I can and WILL push through because I have dreams of one day completing a marathon. Starting small.

I have only ever run 3.1 miles ONE TIME in my life. It was on the treadmill and I remember when I was done I wanted to cry. I went from not being able to run a full minute to running a legitimate race distance. I felt so proud. I did it that day in about 37 minutes. Not fast, but I am not speedy and I’m okay with that.

This morning I got up early, realized my window to take advantage of 75 degree temperature was small, and got my booty out the door to see how I did in the great out doors. I not only met my goal of making the 5k (I wasn’t sure I’d be able to outside since the one time was inside and almost a year ago), but I made a new PR that I’ve only been dreaming of–29:59!!!!! Just barely, but under 30 minutes!!!! I kind of wanted to cry–again.

The first mile flew by and I started to wonder why I wasn’t going for a longer race! Mile 2 still felt good, but I started to wonder when the end would come. Mile 3 I just wanted to be done haha. It was getting warmer out, I was tired, and I remembered why I am doing a 5k to start haha. The good news? My run ended me perfectly at Starbucks for water and iced coffee!

 

I don’t know how some people take pictures of themselves for their blogs after workouts and look super cute. I was a red, sweaty mess.


 

But ohhhh so happy. Now Jason and Nacho are coming over for an impromptu breakfast!

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged: 5k, coffee, fitness, friends, running

Penny Rae Vintage

September 10, 2011 · by Ari ·

We are taking a moment from normal posts about my life and recipes (but trust me, the french toast I just made will be coming ASAP) to give out shout out to one of the most amazing and talented women I’ve ever met. Melissa Rae has been one of the most important friends in my life since we met working at theatre camp together in 2005. She is a constant glimpse into the kind of person I hope to become someday. A few (I forget exactly how long) years ago she made a shift in her career and started her own fashion design company. I know it hasn’t been easy for her, but her designs are amazing and she works so hard and is just so talented. I cannot talk her up enough. To fully understand, you’d have to meet her in person. If you live in the STL I highly suggest trying to make that happen!

Anyway, it is an incredibly exciting time for her as one of her garments is featured in this month’s issue of PEOPLE MAGAZINE!!!! I’m so very proud of her and I cannot wait to get my butt to the magazine stand.

If you have a moment, check out her clothes, give her some love, and a shout out for this huge accomplishment. She is oh so very important to me.

http://www.facebook.com/pennyraevintage

Off to work, posts tonight about the super cute restaurant I tried last night and the super delicious french toast I created this morning. Happy Saturday!

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged: friends, penny rae vintage, work

Labor Day=More Lavosh Pizzas!

September 6, 2011 · by Ari ·

Happy Tuesday after long weekend! I don’t know about you, but my weekend seemed like a whirlwind and right now I am enjoying some much needed time in a comfy chair at home watching trashy reality tv (ANTM–I can’t help it, I love it).

Yesterday Steve and I brought mi hermano (ever since Jacob started taking Spanish in school and insisting that he is a “double threat”, we only refer to each other by hermano and hermana) over to Jason and Nacho’s for Labor Day. Nacho volunteered to make his delicious baked artichokes (YUM), I volunteered to make lavosh pizzas (and of course dessert), and hermano’s mom (yes our family is confusing–we have the same dad) offered to go to Serranos and pick up queso 🙂 On the way over we completed a madlib that begam “Hello. Hermano pickle here to tell you about the jo mama.” I love madlibs.

As soon as we got there, I got to cookin! 4 different lavosh pizzas. I made way too much food. And ate too much, but it was worth it :O) I tried a small slice from each pizza and was lured in by the huge bag of kettle chips sitting on the counter–whoops!

In order of my favorite to least favorite 🙂

Bruschetta Lavosh Pizza

yeild 8 slices

  • 1 whole wheat lavosh crust
  • 1-2 tomatoes (vine ripened or roma), chopped
  • 3-4 basil leaves, chopped
  • handful spinach leaves
  • 1/4 cup part skim mozzarella, grated (friendly reminder that cheese is ALWAYS better when you grate it yourself!)
  • 4 oz herb goat cheese
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, reduced (I didn’t use any sugar)

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 450

2) Place lavosh crust on a foiled cookie tin and crisp in the oven for 3-4 min

3) Top with tomatoes, basil, spinach and mozz

4) Use a spoon to dollop goat cheese in the center of where each slice will be

5) Bake for 5 minutes

6) Slice and plate

7) Drizzle with balsalmic reduction and enjoy!

Mexi Lavosh Pizza

yeild 8 slices

  • 1 whole wheat lavosh crust
  • 1/2 tomato (vine ripened or roma), chopped
  • 1/4 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1/2 jalapeno, chopped
  • 3 tbs chopped onion
  • 3 tbs chopped red pepper
  • 3 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
  • 2 tbs taco seasonings
  • 1/4 cup part skim mozzarella, grated

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 450

2) Saute jalapeno, onion and red pepper with non stick spray and 1/2 tbs taco seasoning

3) With an electric mixer, combine cream cheese and remaining taco seasoning

4) Place lavosh crust on a foiled cookie tin and crisp in the oven for 3-4 min

5) Evenly spread cream cheese/taco seasoning micture

6) Top with tomato, onion, jalapeno, red pepper, and mozz

7) Bake for 5 minutes

8) Slice and enjoy!

Spinach and Artichoke Lavosh Pizza

yeild 8 slices

  • 1 whole wheat lavosh crust
  • 2 handfuls spinach, chopped
  • 1/3 cup artichoke hearts, chopped
  • 2 ounces reduced fat cream cheese
  • 1 ounce low fat ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 cup part skim mozzarella, grated
  • 1 tsp lemon pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 450

2) With an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, ricotta cheese, lemon pepper, garlic, spinach and artichokes

2) Place lavosh crust on a foiled cookie tin and crisp in the oven for 3-4 min

3) Evenly spread cream cheese mixture

4) Top with mozz and extra spinach if desired

5) Bake for 5 minutes

6) Slice and enjoy!

The last one was an imitation crab + spinach. We were all luke warm about it. It was good, but just didn’t compare to the other three, so I’m gonna leave it off from here. If you really want the recipe, ask and I will share.

I also brought the sweet potato cupcakes, and they were a hit!

How was everyone’s 3 day weekend? Enjoy the 4 day work week!

Filed Under: Uncategorized · Tagged: cooking, family, friends, pizza

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