In the kitchen: Mediterranean basil salad

It's been super busy around these parts, hence the reason for my absence the past few days. The fiance and I had a blast in San Diego last weekend, complete with a successful alumni tailgate. We had a few hundred people show up. If only our Cougs would've won ... But staying at a rad beach house, a pub crawl in Gaslamp and making new homies and reconnecting with old ones definitely made up for it.

This week has been spent preparing for my mud run Saturday. And after the not-so-healthy eats and drinks that were consumed in San Diego, we needed a fresh and wholesome dish. Enter the Mediterranean basil pasta salad from our go-to pasta cookbook.

I left the dressing off to make it more low-cal and low-fat. If you decide to omit the dressing, a nice substitute would be skim milk ricotta cheese.

Still hungry? Check out more yummy recipes here.

In the kitchen: Asian chicken noodle broth

It seems like Gwyneth Paltrow is everywhere these days: Singing on Glee, starring in movies, helping me in the kitchen. I discovered her lifestyle newsletter GOOP and was really impressed by the yummy recipes she features. In the name of my lifestyle change, I'm eating better (the fiance is along for the ride).

Looking for a nutritious yet tasty meal, I turned to Gwyneth. And she came through in her newsletter about Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. Pretty sure his Asian chicken noodle broth created a revolution in our tummies. It was delicious, filling and super easy to make (and this is coming from somebody who has like zero culinary skills). Happy cooking!

Serves 2

1 tablespoon mixed seeds (pumpkin, poppy, sun flower)

a small handful of raw cashew nuts

1 quart chicken broth, preferably organic

2 skinless chicken breast fillets, preferably free-range or organic

2 teaspoons five-spice powder

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

olive oil

a thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger

½ to 1 fresh red chili, to your taste

4 ounces rice sticks or vermicelli

a handful of snow peas

6 thin asparagus spears or 4 regular-sized spears

6 fresh baby corn or 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels

soy sauce

juice of 1 lime

a small handful of spinach leaves

Check out my past cooking adventures here.

In the kitchen: Crock pot goodness

Growing up, I wasn't interested in cooking. Baking during the holiday season is fun, but a Food Network show isn't in my near future. But avoiding the preparation of food is tough when your fiance is an amazing cook. And after almost six years together, his enthusiasm and a few of his culinary skills have rubbed off on me. 

Enter the crock pot, a beautiful machine that has yanked me from the "I don't cook" category. It doesn't get much easier than throwing in the ingredients and letting them sit all day, yet there's still the satisfaction of making a yummy meal. And not to mention the delicious smells.

Below is one of my fave slow cooker recipes from SparkRecipes. We use the handy (and free) iPhone app a few times a week to make healthy and tasty meals. Enjoy!

Sweet treat

With the Holidays in full effect, allow me to add to the calorie-fest that occurs between Thanksgiving and New Years. According to a friend, Shower Surprise is my "signature dessert," AKA it's really the only thing I can bake. I'm unsure on the name's origin, but the recipe has been in my family for as long as I can remember.

I made it for Thanksgiving, and to ease the burden of confection-induced guilt (and inches), I used reduced fat and fat free ingredients. I also recommend cutting the sugar out of the filling if you're not into super sweet yummies.