food glorious food: guest chef edition.

This week we are lucky enough to have the fabulous Hannah guest chefing for us MizFits.

She’s the creator of two must-bookmark blogs: nutritious junk and this waif cooks.

Bottom line? she’s an actress who’s refusing to settle for a role as “waitress” while she waits for her big break (which is coming, People. She’s amazing.) and until she’s whisked away to fame & fortune is happily helping the rest of us cook our way healthy.

I love food and cooking, but i am also a health/fitness junkie, and hence started nutritious junk which is a review of food (and some non-food) related products, gizmos, books, movies, and other thoughts of mine.

I majored in theater at UCSB and in my junior year I decided to be ballsy and throw myself into the intensive Culinary Arts Degree program at the Le Cordon Bleu.

It’s rare to see a health conscious chef and even a female chef, so i really think it’s crucial I do my part. (MizFit note: Amen, Sister!) I am trained in classic French techniques which are beyond unhealthy, but learning the basics is the best way to learn how to tweak it correctly.

Since I exercise a lot and since making hollandaise and tempering chocolate is an arm workout in itself, I do like to eat a lot of energy boosting foods. I think cooking is the best thing one can do if you want to progress into healthier eating. I say if you want a cookie, eat it but MAKE IT from scratch. Make a cookie, eat it, and share it with your friends, it’s also good because freshly made desserts can often taste stale the next day, unlike those twinkies and oreos. (MizFit note: such a good point about the going stale! That said Im not 100% confident it would prevent me from consuming dayoldNestleTollhouseCookies but perhaps I’d pause before doing so.)

I dont swear off foods, so this is simply a recipe of something I was craving and modified after taking my baking course. Its got protein, some carbs, and the sweetness comes only from the fruit.

Phyllo is a great way to replace the high fat flaky crusts that usually come with most pot pies.
Each of these cups (they are mini cups, mind you) are 35 calories with only 2 g fat and 4 g carbs. I don’t make this as often as I’d like, when I am at culinary school, most of my meals are really simple, noncooking type meals like sandwiches, cereals, fresh fruit and veggies, and yogurt.

Morroccan Chicken Pot Pie
1 can of 98% fat free chicken breast (or left over
chicken chunks or those packages chicken breast chunks
they sell in the cold cut dept, or if your vegitarian,
this works great with beans!)
1 tablespoon dried apricots (or dried raisins, raisins
are not my cup of tea but i love the sweetness the
dried fruit gives to the dish so i use apricots or
even prunes)
dash of cinnamon, cumin, salt, and paprika
1/4 onion, chopped
teaspoon olive oil (enough for sauteeing onion)
1/4 cup green olives
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
lemon juice

Mix chicken cubes with paprika, cumin, and cinnamon in large bowl to coat. Sprinkle chicken generously with salt and pepper. Cut lemon in half; remove seeds.
Using small spoon, scoop out enough pulp and juice and to chicken mixture; stir to blend.
Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, olives, and apricots. Sauté until onion is almost tender, about 4 minutes.

Add chicken mixture and stir 1 minute. Add broth and bring to boil stirring occasionally. Transfer filling 4 mini phyllo cups. Each cup has about 80 calories each.

Thanks so much, Hannah. Like it or not you’re now an honorary MizFit!