Pan Seared Salmon

Before we get to the salmon, I wanted to give you the links to the recipes I'll be using for dinners later this week (according to the menu).  I may be making some adaptations and making the recipe my own, but these sites were the inspiration.  I'll post my version of these recipes later this week if I make any major changes. 

Buffalo Chicken soft tacos or lettuce wraps
http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/04/crock-pot-buffalo-chicken-lettuce-wraps.html

Shrimp Scampi
http://caloriecount.about.com/shrimp-scampi-ala-cooking-light-recipe-r31959

Orange Chicken
http://www.examiner.com/article/orange-chicken-the-crockpot

Now to tonight's meatless monday...
Over the years, I've grown really fond of salmon. I mean I used to hate it and everything about it. But then I had salmon cooked as it was meant to be cooked and I found a whole new appreciation for the fish I already knew was full of omega-3 healthy goodness.

And so began my journey of making it at home. I tried cooking salmon a thousand different ways, but it never tasted as good as when I would order it from a restaurant. Until one day, I finally got it right. This salmon recipe is soooo good, we eat it cold for lunch the next day over a huge salad. Yum!

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do! I'm serving mine today with a side of lentils (recipe follows) and roasted brussel sprouts. It was so good, I think I cleaned my plate off in less than 10 min (which is not that unusual in our house if I really like something). Happy Cooking!

And here's to the healthy home revolution!!!

Pan-Seared Salmon with lentils and roasted brussel sprouts

3 cups brussel sprouts
Cooking spray
1 T olive oil for drizzling (or you can omit this step)
salt to taste

First, prep the brussel sprouts and get them in the oven. I cut the bottoms off, then cut in half, spray pan with cooking spray, sprinkle the sprouts with some kosher salt, drizzle with olive oil (optional) and roast at 400 for 30min. Simple and delicious! If brussel sprouts aren't your thing, then substitute another cruciferous vegetable.

Now to the lentils...they came out totally different from what I expected, more like a purée, but very yummy. I adapted the recipe from the back of the lentil bag. Here's what you'll need:

1 T olive oil
1 cup red split lentils, sorted and rinsed (I found mine at Trader Joe's)
2 1/4 cups low sodium broth or stock of your choice (I had a box of turkey stock already open)
1/4 cup dry white wine (I used Pinot grigio)
Pinch of red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4-1/2 tsp each salt & ground black pepper (I used 1/2 tsp of each and it was perfect for us, but it might be too seasoned for a child)

Using a medium saucepan, heat the oil in the pan over medium high heat. Add the lentils and toss to coat, stirring for about 1 min. Add broth, wine, and seasonings. Bring to a low boil, cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 15-20 min or until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. (while you are waiting for lentils to cook, start the salmon). You'll see from the pictures below that the lentils broke down and it turned into a purée of some sorts.

The Pan Seared Salmon
1.25 lbs of wild caught salmon, cut into 4 or 5 relatively equal serving sizes (your fish monger can assist with this at the store)
1/4 tsp of each of the following: salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder (I would usually just sprinkle till it looks right, but today I measured for you. You may want to use less seasoning depending on your taste)
Cooking spray
1 T olive oil (optional)

Heat a large skillet of medium-high heat. Sprinkle the seasonings on the side of the salmon with no skin (I never season the skin side because I hate the skin and take it off after it cooks). Spray the pan with cooking spray right before you place the salmon in the pan. Place it skin side down first, and LEAVE it ALONE! Let it cook for 4-5 min, add the olive oil if you wish, then flip it to the other side. Cook an additional 4-6 min until sides are no longer bright pink and it flakes easily. Do not over cook. Take salmon out of the pan and let rest 5-10 min to allow for easy skin removal.

If you time it right, the entire meal including prep will take less than 40 min to make. Plus my husband and I each have leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Did my toddler eat this? No, but he did enjoy the bowl of plain pasta I made him. ;)

Good morning!

Good morning friends! Just a little morning food and fitness inspiration for you to start your day off right. Here's what I'm having for breakfast: water, coffee, 1 cup of Kefir (my morning staple, a probiotic yogurt drink that helps my digestive system) along with a slice of whole grain bread (I like the Ezekiel brand found in the organic freezer section) with 1 T natural peanut butter and 1/2 cottage cheese on the side.

And incase you're looking for some more workout ideas, I'll be doing this kickboxing workout today, http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/power-punch?workout=30178,
followed by 10 minutes on the exercise bike we got for Christmas, (cant do more than that yet because I desperately need a seat cushion), and this ab workout
http://www.wholeliving.com/147374/six-core-abdominal-moves/@center/136759/your-best-body-summer?xsc=pin_wl_getfit_abs.
(Update:  This workout was a killer...I'll have to wait a few more months before I attempt this ab workout again.  I would rather do the 300 ab workout - and yes, I have done it before.  Not as bad as it sounds).

I'll be back later with a new recipe for you. Have a great day!
Sarah

PS. I'm testing out my ability to upload photos today - sorry for the lame picture of peanut butter toast. I'll do better next time, I promise. :)

Healthy Home Revolution: week 1

So here we go!  First, we need to take care of a few housekeeping issues to help you and your family be successful in this journey.  If it sounds like I'm repeating myself, I am.  There are a few very important ideas to this Healthy Home Revolution and I'm really trying to drive them home, no pun intended. 

- Know your daily caloric needs and stick with it!   I'm using the equations provided in the Beach Body insanity program to help me calculate my caloric needs, (and due to copyright issues, I will not be posting that here).  However, the average female who is moderately active for 3-5 days a week needs 1800 calories a day.  If you are less active, then obviously adjust from there.  Here's my situation just to give you an idea:  I consider myself a very active person, I don't really sit down during the day, and I workout on most days at a high intensity (hard to hold a conversation because I'm breathing so hard) for at least 30 min.  I also still breastfeed 7-10 times in a 24 hour period, (so please add 300-500 cal for that depending on the age of your baby and frequency he/she nurses).  My daily number when calculated is about 2300, (sometimes 2100 if I'm not working out as much that week due to sickness, vacation, etc).  This means 2300 dividing into 5 meals, so my day might look like this:  400 cal breakfast, 400 cal snack, 500 cal lunch, 400 cal snack, 600 cal dinner.  I know that seems like a lot, but its to keep your body fueled and your metabolism soaring.  Hope this gives you an idea, but please let me know if you have any questions.

- Make a grocery list for the week and plan ahead!  You will be most successful when planning your meals ahead.  Pick a few things for breakfast, lunch, and snacks that you can repeat through out the week and purchase the ingredients for those.  These meals and "snacks", (although a snack might look very much like a meal), must fit into your daily caloric needs.  Please refer to the bullet above for assistance with that.  Read labels and use a calorie counting app to help you calculate this.  It might seem like a lot of work at first, but as soon as you so it once, then you have that information for the rest of your life.  It really does make a difference!  And so you don't get bored, change up your dinners each week to keep things exciting.  I'll help you with that with my weekly meal plan I'll be posting each weekend.  Make extra, and you have leftovers for the next day at lunch or dinner if you don't want to cook each night of the week. 

- Remember to eat!  I've never had a problem with this, and frankly, don't understand when a person says, "I just forgot to eat lunch today."  Forgot to eat???  Me?  Never!!!  Anyway, back to the 5 meals: Breakfast time, mid-morning snack, lunch time, mid-afternoon snack, and dinner.  And remember, depending on your caloric needs, your snacks might look more like a meal.  Everything counts including your coffee creamer, end of the day glass of wine, etc.  Again, planning is the key to make this a no-brainer.  Here are a few ideas to get you started, each based on a 300 calorie meal.  Please add more to it to make up for the difference.  (And if you are math challenged 5 x 300 = 1500 calories, about 800 less than I would need a day...that means I'm adding an extra 200 calories to 4 of my meals.  I might be adding more of one ingredient, or adding a piece of fruit depending on the meal.)
                - Breakfast ideas:  Fruit and cottage cheese (1 cup of 1%milk fat cottage cheese, 1 cup mixed fruit, 1/2 cup whole grain cereal); Berry Protein Smoothie (1.5 scoops of protein powder, 1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries, 1 cup skim, almond, or soy milk); Cereal Bowl (1 cup high-protein whole-grain cereal such as Kashi go-lean, 1 T ground flaxseeds, 2/3 cup skim, almond, or soy milk, 1/2 cup sliced bananas).

                 - Mid morning snack ideas:  any of the above, yogurt bowl (1 cup nonfat greek yogurt, 1 dices apple, 2 T chopped walnuts, 1 t honey), nutrition bar with 1/2 cottage cheese (choose a bar with app 200 cal, less than 25g sugar and AT LEAST 10g protein), Deli Sandwich (1 slice whole grain bread with 2 oz turkey breast, 1 slice reduced fat cheese, and as much sliced tomato as you wish.  Drink 1 cup of tomato or vegetable juice with it).

I'll be back later this week with lunch and mid-afternoon snack ideas, but I wanted to get you started.  Obviously, there are lots of other options out there, so don't be afraid to create your own options.  Just remember to keep it whole-grain, high protein, and low sugar.   

 - Clean out those cupboards!!!  Get rid of things you no longer want/need to eat, or put away your favorite junk food for your cheat meal or cheat day.  Don't keep the nutella next to the natural peanut butter so that it stares at you every time you make your breakfast toast.  Not fair!  Just tuck it away in a special place (perhaps 1 shelf in your cupboard) where you keep "treats".  I totally and whole-heartedly recommend you give yourself 2-3 meals or one day a week to eat whatever you want, or add treats to your meal.  Now I don't mean to go ahead and eat 3 donuts for breakfast and an entire pepperoni pizza for lunch.  Just give yourself some leniency to eat your favorite foods, even if they aren't the healthiest.  Just please do so in moderation so that the rest of your hard work is not for nothing.  If you deprive yourself of the things you like the most, then your body will natural crave more and you will set yourself up for failure.  Reminder:  this is not a diet, this is a life-style change.  Eating well, fresh, un-processed, lower fat, lower sugar, whole grain foods to help you and your family be healthy from the inside out.

Okay, great!  Done with housekeeping for now.  I'll be throwing in tips and other ideas through the weeks to come so please stay tuned.  In the meantime, I promised you a new exercise routine that you can do in the comfort of your own home and this weeks dinner menu.  So you will find both below.  I hope you have a fabulous week!!!  Thank you for going on this journey with me!

Sarah

 20 min at-home circuit work out:  Please remember to consult a doctor before you begin doing any new exercise program.  Be mindful of your body and your own limits, and modify the exercises when necessary.  Wear comfortable fitting sneakers, and take breaks when needed.  Always have plenty of water on hand.  Lastly, be sure to warm-up for 5 min before you begin (walking in place, stepping side to side, etc) and cool down with stretches at the end of each workout. 
           Do each movement for 30 seconds, with 30 second rest in between circuits.  Do the list twice through, for a total of 20 min (not including warm-up or cool-down).  The second circuit gives the options of adding weights to 3 of the 4 exercises if you have weights in your home.  If not, your body weight will suffice.  If you are not familiar with any of the exercises listed, please look them up so that your form is correct.  Many of them can be found on youtube.
Remember, 30 sec each move with 30 sec rest in between, do list twice through.  Use a timer on your cell phone....ready, go!!!
           1)  jump rope
                front kicks
                burpees
                jumping jacks
     REST
            2) 10 push ups (can modify on knees) alternating with 10 tricep dips
                 alternating front lunges (using weights)
                 squat press (using weights)
                 back row (again, using weights)
     REST
             3) skaters
                 side shuffle with tap to the ground
                 mountain climbers
                 squat jumps
      REST
              4) plank
                  bicycle crunches
                  v-sits
                  reverse crunch
      REST
      REPEAT again from the top

Congrats you did it!!!  It will get easier each time, but you have to start somewhere.


WEEK 1 Dinner menu:  Many of my recipes come from my head or from the internet.  I'm not posting recipes today, just the menu to give you an idea of how you can plan for your family.  Make the necessary adjustments according to their taste (swap out veggies or protein) and go from there.  I'll be posting the recipes each day this week as I make them in my home, so you can always follow my dinners a week behind if you so choose.  I should mention that we tend to have theme nights in my house.  It goes a little something like this, but I don't always stick to it:   Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesdays (or something related to Mexican food), Italian on Wednesdays, my pick on Thursdays, Pizza on Fridays).  Happy cooking!

Monday:  Pan seared salmon, warm red lentil side dish, roasted brussel sprouts
http://deliciouslydomesticdining.blogspot.com/2013/01/pan-seared-salmon.html

Tuesday: crock pot buffalo chicken soft tacos or lettuce wraps, roasted broccoli
http://deliciouslydomesticdining.blogspot.com/2013/01/buffalo-chicken-tacos-crockpot-style.html

Wednesday:  low-fat version of shrimp scampi, whole grain pasta, green beans, salad
http://deliciouslydomesticdining.blogspot.com/2013/01/light-easy-shrimp-scampi.html

Thursday: crock pot orange chicken, stir-fried veggies, brown rice
http://deliciouslydomesticdining.blogspot.com/2013/01/attempting-chinese-take-out-at-home.html

Friday: pizza night (we order from our local place - this will continue to be a "cheat" meal for me)

Saturday: pork loin, whole wheat couscous, asparagus, salad
http://deliciouslydomesticdining.blogspot.com/2013/01/crock-pot-pork-roast.html

Sunday: leftovers or eat out

The Healthy Home Revolution 2013: Here's to a healthier and happier you!

2013: Here's to a healthier and happier you!  The Healthy Home Revolution

I'm back!!! Finally!  Having a 2nd kid really throws off your game.  I've missed sharing recipes, although I've done my fair share of Facebook status updates, (sorry friends).  But I'm excited and ready to begin a new year!

This year I want to focus on being healthy, both physically and emotionally, and I challenge you to join me.   This isn't about unrealistic resolutions we make and then break when eating the same old boring chicken really starts to suck.  These are life sustainable changes for a healthier future.  And better health means a happier you!   I'm going to share my recipes, but most will be healthier versions of comfort classics, or new recipes I've discovered in an effort to loose 15 - 20 pounds of baby weight, (depending on the week).  I'm also going to share exercise tips, workouts, and general things that I find helpful in organizing this crazy life I live.  And yes, that might include parenting things from time to time, so sorry to those of you with no kids.  That's just the stage of life I'm in right now: the lack-of-sleep, lucky-if-I-can-shower-or-pee-alone stage.  But I digress...

I ask that you join me in this effort, not just for your own health, but for the health of our families.  Please share this with anyone you know who might be interested and let's start a "Healthy Home Revolution" - an online group of friends both near and far, with one common goal: working towards a healthier us.  We can support each other on this journey and bounce ideas off one another.

So let's get started!  Here are a few key points to keep in mind as we create our Healthy Home.  This isn't meant to be preachy, just encouraging and hopefully a helpful starting point to a lifelong journey.

1)  Eat healthier foods and eat more frequently:  eating healthier doesn't have to be boring or difficult.  It can be making simple substitutions to recipes, eating home more frequently, and planning meals ahead of time.   Know how many calories you should be eating a day, making sure that you are eating enough calories (look at labels on your food or use a calorie counter to help) and not too many all at one time.  You also need to eat more frequently to rev up your metabolism and stabilize your blood sugar.  Five "meals" a day is the easiest way to do this, spacing them about 2-3 hours apart.  I will be posting on each of these in greater detail including recipes, weekly meal ideas, and links to websites that I find helpful.

2)  Exercise:  find the time to work out - just do it!  Even if it means getting up an hour earlier, asking someone to watch the kids, or even working out with your kids.  Do it in front of your favorite TV show instead of eating potato chips or ice cream.  Exercise for 30 minutes, 3-5 times a week and it will make a world of difference!  Start small and work your way up.  I would rather work out hard for 10 minutes than to have done nothing at all.  My personal goal is to exercise 6 days a week and I always work out at home.  I'll be sharing many ideas, most involve no equipment, just your motivation to get up and moving.

3)  Carve out quiet time:  research has shown that meditating for 8 minutes a day can lead to a happier you and even help you loose weight!  (Don't ask me what research...I saw it on the Today Show).  I'm new at meditating, but the goal is to focus on your breath only.  One suggestion is to breathe in for 8, breathe out for 8.  I tried this the other night before bed and fell asleep less than 2 minutes in.  What can I say?  I'm a work in progress.

4)  Focus on a Healthy Home:  don't focus on the scale or on being thin.   Your goal should be more about your overall health, the health of your family and loved ones, and having more energy to be the kind of person you want to be.  You can starve yourself to get to the number you want to see on the scale, (and I have known many women who struggle with this), but we all know that is not a healthy way to loose weight.  Focus on a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.  Much more on this to come...

5)  Be sure to get enough rest:  my, how I miss sleeping!!!  I know, it's such a commodity these days. However, sleep is a necessity and our bodies natural time to recover and prepare for the next day.  The average person needs about 8 hours of sleep a night to function at their best.  Just try...I know life gets in the way, (believe me, I have a 10 month old that STILL wakes up a minimum of 3 times a night), but sleep is such an important part of our health.

Okay, well that's it for now my friends!  I'll be back tomorrow with this week's meal ideas, a new recipe, and a new workout to jump start our Healthy Home Revolution.  I hope that you'll join me!

Here's to a healthier us!

Slow Cooker Chicken & Biscuits

I think my husbands' exact words were, "this is damn good".   So simple and comforting, this Chicken & Biscuits recipe was adapted from a recipe I found through pinterest.  Since the recipe only requires half a can of biscuits, I cooked up the extra for some breakfast sandwiches tomorrow.  Even my toddler loved this new "soup" as he called it.  Another great slow cooker recipe for you!  Eat up!!!

Slow Cooker Chicken & Biscuits
3-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 3 large ones, half of the value pack I bought on sale this week at the grocery store)
2 tablespoons of butter
2 cans of cream of chicken soup
1 can of chicken broth
1 onion diced
1 tablespoon of dried parsley
1/2 bag of frozen mixed vegetables, approximately 1 1/2 cups (I used carrots, peas, green beans, and corn)
4 grands flaky refrigerator biscuits, cut into 10 pieces (I used kitchen shears to do this)

Place the chicken breasts on the bottom of the slow cooker.  Add the butter, onion, parsley, soup, and broth.  Cook on high for 6 hours.  Once 5 hours have passed, add the frozen veggies (if you will not be home, then add the veggies with the rest of the ingredients).  Carefully remove chicken breasts (they will be falling apart), shred them, and return them to the pot.  Add the biscuit pieces and continue to cook on high for 30 more minutes.  Serve hot and enjoy! 

The original recipe can be found at http://www.bubblecrumb.com/2010/02/14/crock-pot-chicken-and-dumplings-recipe/

Whole wheat banana chocolate chip muffins

Owen loves "cake" and those of you who have followed my blog know that we make lots of muffins and call them cupcakes.  He doesn't know the difference and its another way for me to get fruits and veggies into his growing body.  Two-year olds can be picky eaters at times, so it calls for some creativity.  I tweaked this recipe from  a regular banana muffin recipe at www.catcancook.com.  I make my muffins  with whole wheat flour and add applesauce for an extra moist cake.  I also added some mini-chocolate chips to bribe my toddler even more.  We loved them!

Whole-wheat banana chocolate chip "cupcakes"
3 mashed bananas
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1/3 cup melted butter  (you could substitute canola oil for a more heart-healthy fat)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350.   Combine the banana, apple sauce, egg, sugar and butter in a large bowl with a spoon until well incorporated.  In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients just until combined, being careful not to over mix (I find that this makes a softer and more tender muffin).   Add chocolate chips, again being careful not to over mix.  Pour batter into a muffin tin sprayed with cooking spray (I used Pam baking spray) and bake for 18-20 min.  Makes 12 "cupcakes". 

Slow Cooker Meatsauce

Another great recipe for the slow cooker!  I'm always thinking of ways to take everyday recipes to my slow cooker.   Dinner time seems to be a combination of the witching hour for kids and a stressful time for mom and dad as they are coming home from a long day at work.  Everyone needs those one pot meals where you throw everything in and forget about it.  This is a flavorful meat-sauce that cooks all day and you don't need to be home to stir it.  Just come home to dinner being (almost) done!!!  Serve it over pasta with a green salad and Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Meat Sauce
1/4 lb sausage and 1 lb lean ground beef, cooked and drained
2 medium onions chopped
1 green pepper chopped
4 cloves of garlic minced
2 tablespoons of sugar (this is to cut the acidity of the tomatoes)
1 tablespoon of salt
2 tablespoons of dried basil
2 (16 ounce) cans of Italian style tomatoes, diced or smashed up
1 (6 ounce) can of tomato paste

Add all the ingredients to your slow cooker and stir well.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-6 hours.  Serve over your favorite pasta with a green salad for a complete meal. 

Slow Cooker Minnestrone Soup

Super easy and a guaranteed crowd pleaser!  Perfect for a cold fall or winter day.  Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Minestrone Soup

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrot
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped potatoes
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can of diced tomatoes with juice
2 cups chopped escarole
1/4 cup uncooked cannelini beans
4 cups of chicken broth
1 1/2 cups V-8 juice
1/4 cup uncooked ditilini pasta  (save this until the end)
salt & pepper to taste

Add all of the vegetables and the beans to the slow cooker and cover with the liquids (v-8 juice and chicken broth).  Add salt to taste, stir and cook on low for 8 hours.  Add the uncooked pasta 30 minutes prior to serving.  Season with salt and pepper and serve. 

Easy & light mini cheesecakes

My mom made a recipe similar to this growing up, each and every Christmas.  I was craving them and decided to create a recipe that was lighter and only made 12 (since I knew there was a good possibility I would be responsible for eating most of them).  They came out great and I'm making them again this week!  I hope your sweet tooth enjoys these mini cheesecakes!

Easy & Light Mini Cheesecakes
12 foil muffin tin liners (must be foil)
12 vanilla wafers
2 (8 ounce) packages of Neufatel cheese (the 1/3 less fat version of cream cheese)
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
cherry pie filling (or your favorite cheesecake topping)

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Line your muffin tin with foil liner and place 1 vanilla wafer in each muffin cup (the vanilla wafer acts as your crust).  Combine Neufatel cheese, sugar and vanilla until well-blended.  Add in eggs and mix well.  Pour over wafers filling 3/4 of the way to the top (I use an ice-cream scoop to assist in this process).  Bake for 25 minutes.  Do not remove from pan until completely cool.  Top with your favorite cheesecake topping and store in the refrigerator. 

The best EVER Turkey Burgers

I'm obsessed with the turkey burger from Yardhouse restaurant.  Its like nothing I've ever had and had to find a way to make it at home!  Success on my first try!!!  These burgers are not only healthy and low-fat, but packed with flavor and sure to please any crowd - including my red-meat-loving husband who usually orders the beef burger loaded with bacon and cheese.  He couldn't get enough of these burgers!  Plus there are shredded carrots and zucchini hiding with the meat to keep them moist and flavorful, so my toddler was eating veggies without even knowing it. 

I love, love, love these burgers!  Did I mention that they are the best turkey burgers I EVER had???  Husband and toddler approved, I hope you love them too!

Turkey Burgers with Roasted Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella
For the Burger itself:
1 lb ground turkey breast (sometimes labeled extra lean turkey) or ground chicken (I usually get whatever is cheaper)
1/2 cup grated carrot
1/2 cup grated zucchini
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
salt & pepper to taste
fresh mozzarella, sliced thin

Combine all the ingredients listed above (except for the mozzarella cheese) and form into 4-7 patties, depending on the size of your burger buns.  These burgers are very low in fat, which means they will not shrink, so make the burger the exact size that you want.   Cook in a frying pan or on a griddle for 5-7 min each side, being careful to only flip once so that you can allow a crispy, caramel-colored crust to form on the outside of the burger.
Once the burgers are done, turn off the heat and place one thin slice of fresh mozzarella and use a cover or tented piece of aluminum foil to melt the cheese.  Place on your favorite burger buns and top with the roasted tomatoes.   

For the roasted tomatoes:
These roasted tomatoes are so yummy, you won't need any other condiments!  another great way to cut added calories, salt, sugar & fat.  Plus the fresh mozzarella is delicious!

4-5 Roma tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick
Olive oil cooking spray
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees.  Spray baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray and place the tomatoes in a single layer.  Spray the top of the tomatoes with the olive oil spray and sprinkle with garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper.  Roast for 15-20 minutes.  Place on top of cheesy burgers and enjoy!!!