CEiMB: Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese

I haven't been able to post a Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe in a few weeks. First I was on vacation (see below), then two days after I got home my brother and sister-in-law welcomed a baby girl into this world (also see below). It is their first child, and I am now an aunt! Between all of that and trying to catch up on things at work, I haven't been able to blog as much as I normally do. So I was glad to get back to with this recipe for Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese from The Food You Crave: Luscious Recipes for a Healthy Life by Ellie Krieger. This particular recipe was chosen by Leslie of Lethally Delicious.

I am really glad she chose this recipe because it is quite different from the way I usually make grilled cheese. I like my grilled cheese the way I had it as a child, two slices of Kraft singles sandwiched between two slices of white bread slathered with butter. Serve that up with some Campbell's tomato soup, and I am happy. However, I was glad to get a chance to try something different. This sandwich combines two different cheeses (I used colby and pepper jack), with caramelized onions and tomatoes. It really is a great combination, the spicy cheese with the sweet onions and juicy tomato. It is a quick and easy snack, and I would definitely make it again

Badlands National Park

Devil's Tower National Monument

Grand Teton National Park

Yellowstone National Park

Sunset in Montana

and...my beautiful niece Julia Marie

CEiMB: Shrimp Roll

This week's Craving Ellie in My Belly is from MacDuff of Lonely Sidecar. MacDuff chose for us to make a web-based recipe, Lobster or Shrimp Rolls, by Ellie Krieger. This is a healthier version of the standard Lobster Roll. The recipe stated that you could use shrimp in place of the lobster. I happened to have some cooked shrimp on hand, so I went with that option. This recipe is a lighter version of the traditional roll because it substitutes some of the mayonnaise with non-fat Greek yogurt. I used a fat-free version from FAGE Yogurt. Other than that, the recipe is pretty standard, there is lemon and scallions, but I also added some fresh dill and fresh parsley. I thought the Shrimp Roll tasted pretty good. The yogurt didn't seem to take away from the flavor too much, and I definitely think that the addition of the fresh herbs really helped brighten up the flavor as well. If I made this again, I would probably use lobster. I think what was missing for me was the sweetness that the lobster would have added to the mix. The shrimp isn't as sweet as lobster, and the lobster would have added a nice balance to the tanginess of the lemon juice and the yogurt.