I like roasted red peppers now.

I never liked peppers of any kind. And now all of a sudden, I like peppers. I made the bomb sandwich tonight - grilled eggplant and zucchini, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella on a whole wheat roll. It would have been better on ciabatta or a baguette, but I only had whole wheat rolls, so that is what I used. Next time, I think I will add basil or pesto and buy some good, yummy bread.

Dinner tonight: Homemade pizza with pesto, chicken, sundried tomatoes, mozzarella and parmesan cheeses.

Lunch. Courtesy of the Pioneer Woman.

I saw this the other day and have been craving a greek salad ever since. I bought everything for it at the grocery store earlier this week and now it is time to make it. Yum.

I’m making spicy roasted chickpeas. The recipe is super easy and I hear they are pretty delicious.

• 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse and drain the chickpeas and dry by rolling them around in a kitchen towel. Combine the oil, paprika cumin, cayenne and salt in a large bowl. Add chickpeas and toss to coat evenly. Transfer the chickpeas to a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread them out in a single layer. Bake until golden and crispy, 25 to 35 minutes, shaking the tray to toss after 15 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and transfer the chickpeas to a serving bowl.

(Recipe via Food Network. Photo via family.go.com)

Planning my Superbowl menu.

Superbowl is definitely a day to nosh on delicious food, but I am going to attempt to stay somewhat on the healthy side. I have been doing really well with WW over the last few weeks, even going out on the weekends, having drinks with friends, splurging on things I love (like an eggroll and General Tao’s chicken!).

So here are some healthier recipes I am thinking about for Superbowl Sunday:

• - Hot Spinach Dip, from Skinny Taste
• - Chicken Poppers, from Weight Watchers
• - Baked Zucchini Sticks with marinara dipping sauce, from Skinny Taste
• - Lower Fat Queso, my own recipe

And by cutting back a little, that leaves room for drinks and dessert!

*Note: I am not making all of this food. Maybe just a few things!

I have known of The Pioneer Woman for quite some time now, but I heard her recipes involved a lot of ingredients and took a lot of time to cook, so I never actually went to her site.

I just saw this (which looks fantabulous) and decided to check out the recipe. I had no idea what I was missing! The Pioneer Woman is awesome! And while some of her recipes look like they will take a lot of effort to make, she has some great 16-minute meals, like Mini Meatball Sandwiches and Beef and Bean Burritos, and some of the other recipes look pretty manageable. I am also a big fan of making extra food and eating it for a few days (or freezing it, if I can).

Not to mention, The Pioneer Woman, who lives on a ranch in Oklahoma, is freakin’ hilarious. Like really funny. She was a high-heel wearing 9-5er living in California until…On a short visit to her hometown, she fell in love with her husband, who she calls the Marlboro Man. She has four kids, who she refers to as “punks,” is obsessed with her camera and apparently cooks up a storm.

I highly recommend you check out her site if you haven’t. If not for the recipes, for some inspiration and probably a good laugh.

Cold-Brew Coffee

Makes 4 servings

• 1 cup coarsely ground coffee
• 4 cups water

1. In a large jar or container, combine the coffee grounds and cold water. Stir, cover and let sit for at least 12 hours, preferably overnight.
2. Line a coffee dripper or fine-mesh strainer with a coffee filter and place over a pitcher. Slowly strain about half of the coffee. Replace the filter with a new one and repeat with the remaining coffee.
3. Pour the coffee over ice and dilute to taste with water and/or milk.

Thanks, TastingTable!

Sort of Peach Cobbler…for One.

I love dessert. I can’t help it. After dinner, I like to have something sweet. I hate making or buying a cake or pie or cookies because I will eat way too much in one sitting.

Here’s a recipe I just came up with tonight. I don’t have exact measurements, but I think you’ll get the idea. I don’t have a name, so I think I will call it Sort of Peach Cobbler…for One.

• 1/2 cup frozen peaches
• A little bit of butter
• 1 Splenda packet
• A dash of cinnamon
• Lowfat vanilla ice cream
• A sprinkle of granola

Melt butter in a pan. Add frozen peaches and saute until thawed. Add Splenda and cinnamon and continue to saute until heated through. In a bowl, add ice cream. Pour peaches over ice cream and add granola on top.

It tastes sort of like peach cobbler or peach crisp. The fruit can easily be swapped out for other frozen fruit, such as berries, or fresh fruit, such as apples. It was delicious and very simple to make.

Enjoy!

I am making a twist on this dish for dinner tonight. Escarole is impossible to find in Dallas (most people don’t even know what it is), so I am using Brocolli Rabe or Rapini, another vegetable that no one in Dallas knows about. It’s kind of bitter, looks like leafy broccoli. It’s a Italian thing.