It was 34 degrees when I left on my walk before work. Although this time of year while it starts out chili it does usually warm up to the 50s, but still – I want it to start out in the 50s and end at a perfect 75! You know what is a great part about living in the sticks? You can take your morning walk in your pajama pants. I am klassy like that.
I only snuck in 20 minutes, but it was very refreshing and a great way to start the day. I mean, just look at the view a mere 2 minute walk from my house?!
Breakfast was leftover steak, egg whites, zucchini and potato hash with 1/2 an ounce of Alpine Cheddar Cabot cheese – that cheese is like butter and a half ounce goes a long way. On the side was a cup of sliced strawberries.
When it was time to go to the gym at lunch, I looked at the weather and it was already up to 54 degrees so I drove a couple minutes from my office to the nature preserve and got my steps in with wonderful fresh air. It was a tad windy, but nice – even nicer when everything turns green!
So I had this idea about turning my leftover buffalo chicken chili into a buffalo chicken chili lasagna using zucchini in place of noodles. Jacky gave the idea thumbs up and blog reader Molly suggested blue cheese – genius!
- 3 cups leftover chili
- 1 large zucchini, cut into thin strips
- 1 cup fat free ricotta cheese
- 2 tablespoons Tapatio hot sauce
- 2 ounces cheddar cheese
- 2 ounces crumbled blue cheese
- 1 ounce shredded Cabot Alpine Cheddar
Heat oven to 350. Put 1 cup of chili on the bottom of a 9×9 pan. Mix the Tapatio and ricotta cheese together and set aside. Cover with a layer of zucchini, then a layer of the spicy ricotta, then some of the cheddar cheese, crumbled blue cheese and keep layering – finishing off with the cheddar cheese. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely. Now I had a bit of liquid in the bottom of my dish, but I just left it in there. Once I reheated it at lunch it was fine. Check out the score I got on the blue cheese!
Not the prettiest picture, but it was delicious. I did end up adding more Frank’s hot sauce to it though. 
I did get a bit hungry later in the afternoon, so I had my new favorite snack – banana peanut butter bites with walnuts.
Hannah pinned last nights dinner for me to add to the weekly menu. Although it is kind of funny, after she started eating it she said “I love the sauce, the noodles and the zucchini and cilantro, but I think it’s a bit too much on the shrimp. She probably left behind 8 shrimp on her plate! The only thing I changed from Nicole’s recipe was reduced the oil down to 1/2 a tsp. vs. the 2 tablespoons, and left out the crushed red pepper and reduced the sriracha so Hannah would actually eat it – Jacob and I both liberally added sriracha to our dishes!
I had about 1/2 a cup of noodles and the rest shrimp and zucchini. With the added sriracha, it was the perfect amount of heat.
I didn’t get my after work gym workout in because I had to work late, but I still managed to get in a decent amount of steps – I’ll just push back my strength training a day – no big.
Alright, I am off to the knee doctor before work – fingers crossed it isn’t anything too serious. Make it a great day!
checking back in.
what did the doc say??
Going back for an MRI this morning to see if there is a tear – knees look good though
Hope your knee is okay. I’m love walking more and more especially since Bella loves it so much too. Our previous dog wasn’t a walking dog, she didn’t really like it. In fact I decided last week that walking is my number 1 exercise from now on. No more running events but lots of walking events that I want to do in the future.
Hope your knee is okay! I am just getting over the plague (aka a sinus infection, tonsilitis, and bronchitis) so I am catching up on blogs! That shrimp and zucchini dish looks amazeballs.
I was just wondering as I was reading this when you were going to the DR – hope you get some answers on your knee.
I would eat that dish with less Siricha, too but it looks awesome!
Yep, I reduced it to 1/2 a teaspoon vs. the 2 TABLESPOONS the recipe called for – still not sure how I popped out a kid who doesn’t like spicy stuff! 😛
Looked like a lovely walk in the morning. A 50 degree morning walk will be in the near future. Your amount of daily steps is amazing. We have a “Top Ten Day” today for our 70 degree weather. Food looks very good, but I unfortunately prefer breaded deep-fried shrimp (butterfly).
For the record Joanne, I prefer the breaded deep-fried shrimp too, although my deep fryer has been banished to the basement for my #21 day cleanse 😀
Biz,
What a lovely walk you had. I like your pajama pants. Good Luck at the Knee Drs. and let me know how u did.
Feel Better
Larry
Thanks Larry – at least it doesn’t hurt when I walk, so I’ve got that going for me 😀
That shrimp dish looks amazing! Definitely giving it a go!! I love the banana snack too- perfect and healthy! Glad you got outside yesterday. It is so nice here today, I’m definitely planning on going for a little outdoor quick run (since I have to teach indoors tonight). Happy Tuesday pretty lady
Have fun at your class tonight – one day I’d love to take your class!
Bullets two days in a row!
~ I once made a Buffalo Chicken Lasagna, only with ground pork and ground beef because hubs is allergic. He said it’s the best lasagna he’s ever had! I noticed you used cambazola in your lasagna! I’m guessing that made it creamier? I love the idea of zucchini for the noodles.
~ That’s funny Hannah thought it was too much shrimp. When I’m in a restaurant and get a shrimp pasta or something, the shrimp is the first thing I eat up! She’s going to go vegetarian before you know it. 😉
~ I like how you often reduce the oil in dishes. When I’m following a recipe and I measure and dump in 2 Tbsp or whatever of olive oil, I can’t believe how much ends up in the pan. I think, “I never put that much in when I’m not measuring!”
~ The shrimp dish sounds up my alley and I’m thinking of doing a different version… Maybe making the zucchini the noodles. Hmm…
– You know I love your bullet point comments! I loved the cambazola cheese in this dish, so pungent and stinky and creamy – swoon!
– I call Hannah a Flexitarian because while she’s not a big meat eater, she’ll eat a French dip sandwich – what the what?!
– I know, 2 tablespoons is way too much, I can usually get away with 1/2 a teaspoon and Pam 😀
The view on your walk looks refreshing. I hope your knee is ok.
My x-rays looked good – but I may have a tear on the inside which only an MRI will see, and that’s scheduled for tomorrow – fingers crossed its nothing major – I’ve got 7 weeks until my Spartan race!