Recipe: Sweet and Spicy Scrambled Eggs

I love how versatile eggs are, and how many kinds of vegetables there are. The possibilities seem endless. I sauteed 1/2 cup chopped onion and 1/3 cup chopped mushroom in about 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil, then added 1/3 of a yellow bell pepper (chopped up) for the last minute or so. This was all seasoned with sea salt, fresh pepper, oregano, and ground red pepper. Then I cooked up 3 eggs (this was a post-workout meal), seasoned with salt and pepper and added the vegetables in. I topped with 2 tablespoons of red salsa and 1 tablespoon of sour cream. I really wish we had green salsa, because I think that would have made this perfect. I loved the blend of the sweet bell pepper and the spicy salsa and ground red pepper.

Recipe: Guacadilla and Spicy Bean Taco

I love me some Mexican food! Of course, I normally have my Mexican food smothered with cheese. So I need to find a new way to enjoy it. So I made a guacadilla (quesadilla with guacamole instead of queso) and a spicy bean taco. I served with red salsa, sour cream, and green salsa. I need chunkier salsa. And sour cream that wasn't frozen at one point (it just never goes back to the same consistency). And next time, I'll put them in order of the Mexican flag. Because that would be artsy. Also, I was sooo close to making this vegan and skipping the sour cream. But I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Still, it would be very easy to veganize this recipe :)

Guacadilla
-whole wheat tortilla
-avocado
-lime
-garlic salt
-grape tomatoes

I mashed up 1/4 of an avocado and mixed some garlic salt and lime in. I spread that on a whole wheat tortilla and added sliced grape tomato. Fold it in half and crisp it up on a pan with some cooking spray.

Spicy Bean Taco
-corn tortilla
-black beans
-cumin
-garlic salt

I toasted a corn tortilla on a pan with some cooking spray, then folded it in half and took it off the heat. Then I heated up 1/2 cup of black beans, and mashed them with cumin and garlic salt. I put the beans in the tortilla.

Here is a picture of the first time I made a guacadilla (earlier this week -- I was trying to be healthy). I didn't toast it, but I would definitely recommend toasting now that I've had it both ways. Also, my sour cream was thicker then. But I like the way you can see the guacamole and tomato in this picture.

Recipe: Mushrooms Stuffed With Spinach Cream Cheese

Okay, I found a real winner here (as long as you like mushrooms, as I do). I removed the stems from baby portabella mushrooms. Then I microwaved them for 1 minute. In the meantime, I got 3 tablespoons of Greek cream cheese and 1/4 cup of frozen spinach in a small bowl. I pulled out the mushrooms and microwaved the cream cheese and spinach for 20 seconds. I used a paper towel to absorb the moisture from the mushrooms. Then I added 1 teaspoon of grated parmesan and 1/2 teaspoon of granulated garlic to the cream cheese and stirred it all up. I scooped the cream cheese mixture into the mushroom caps, then sprinkled the tops with ground red pepper. (The mixture would have been perfect for 10 good sized mushrooms. I only had 9 left, and a few of them were pretty small, so I ended up really heaping the cream cheese on top. It was delicious, but it could have gone a bit further and been more filling with more mushrooms.)

Recipe: Stir Fry Omelet

This was ridiculously delicious! I cooked 1 cup of frozen stir fry veggies (from that giant Costco bag) with some soy sauce and ground ginger (I didn't measure, sorry). Then I beat my eggs with white pepper and garlic salt. Cooked up the eggs, added the veggies, and voila! a whole new take on eggs for breakfast. Changes I would make next time: more ginger in the veggies, and more garlic (but not salt) in the eggs.

Recipe: Ham and Cheese Broccoli

I really like broccoli. I love ham and cheese. So I put them all together for a delicious, low-carb dinner. I grilled the about a cup of broccoli and 2oz of ham (which I cut up afterwards) and then topped with 1oz of cheddar. Next time I will use more broccoli, because there was plenty of ham and cheese (never too much, but enough that I could make it more filling by having more broccoli).

Recipe: Stuffed Mushrooms

Hubby hates mushrooms, but I love them! So any time I'm only cooking for myself, it's a good opportunity to make something yummy that he just wouldn't appreciate. I even splurged when I was at Costco and got the baby portabella mushrooms instead of the normal white button cap ones. I removed the stems and grilled the tops. I made a cream filling using 1 tablespoon of sour cream, 1/2 tablespoon parmesan, and a sprinkle of garlic salt. I used that to fill half the mushrooms. The other mushrooms were stuffed with Greek cream cheese and a bit of green salsa. I cut up a red bell pepper and grilled that to go with the mushrooms too.

Here is my less healthy version from last week. I melted the mozzarella on the George Foreman, and then used it to stuff the mushrooms. It wouldn't be too bad if I hadn't stuffed them to overflowing (but that's what made them extra delicious). I will have to try this again, but only use a measured amount of cheese so I don't have to feel so guilty. I also put the grape tomatoes on the grill until they were warm.

Recipe: Tomato and Mozzarella Salad

So easy, and so delicious. I combined 20 grape tomatoes, 2 oz of mozzarella torn in pieces, 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil, and some dried basil leaf. It would have been absolutely amazing with fresh mozzarella and basil, but as it was, it was still really good. I highly recommend this!

Recipe: Veggie-Chacon Omelet

I love when my fridge is stocked full of vegetables, because it means I have so many options when making omelets! This morning I filled my omelet with chicken bacon, sauteed onions, sauteed mushrooms, sliced grape tomatoes, and sliced jalapeno. The eggs could hardly contain all the goodness I put in there!

Recipe: Chicken Burger

Hubby loves making hamburgers. And I love eating them. But it's really easy for the calories to add up. So I asked him to make me a lighter version. He used 1/2 lb of ground chicken to make two patties (seasoned with Montreal Chicken Seasoning, rosemary, and thyme), which he grilled on the George Foreman. Then he melted 1/2 oz of mozzarella on each patty. He served each patty open-faced on half a slice of sourdough toast with red leaf lettuce, sliced tomato, sliced jalapeno, and grilled mushrooms (I got baby portabellas at Costco, and they just taste so much better than the regular white mushrooms I normally get).  The total for both burgers was about 500 calories, which was amazing for how delicious and satisfying they were. Props to the mister for making a healthy dinner taste like a cheat meal!

Recipe: Apple Berry Salad

I was really craving fresh fruits and vegetables today, so I decided to make a delicious (and very large) salad for lunch. I used an entire head of butter lettuce (I told you it was big!), sliced up 5 strawberries, chopped up half an apple, and threw in 10 raspberries. Then I used 1 tablespoon of poppy seed dressing. It was light, but filling, and only had 200 calories!

Recipe: Bean "Meatballs" and Gravy

This turned out so good. I'm a total meat-and-potatoes gal, but it's not the most conducive diet to getting healthy. This totally hit the spot though!

I used the last of my bean "meatballs" and made 1/3 cup of brown gravy using 1 tablespoon of dry brown gravy mix. I used instant mashed potatoes to make a single serving. Instead of using butter and milk, I just made them with water. But I added garlic salt, chives, and rosemary to the water while I was heating it up and it made for some deliciously fragrant and savory potatoes, so I didn't even really miss the dairy. I heated up some canned green beans (they really aren't as good as fresh, but they're much cheaper and you can have them all year around), which I seasoned with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.

Oh, and you can make this whole dish from food storage items! See, food storage doesn't have to taste bland! Really, this dinner was delicious and it's definitely going to be made again!

Recipe: Bean "Meatball" Sandwich

Super easy, and super yum! Sourdough toast, leftover bean "meatballs," a tablespoon of pasta sauce, and a sprinkle of parmesan. Really, that's it!

Recipe: Cinnamon Honey Apples and Quick Candied Pecans

Oh my goodness was this delicious! First I melted 1 tablespoon of butter over low heat. Then I added in 1/2 cup of pecans and 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and heated and stirred until it caramelized. Then I set it aside to cool. Next I took an apple and sliced it thinly, about 1/8th inch slices. I laid the slices out on a plate and drizzled 1/2 tablespoon of honey over the slices and sprinkled them with cinnamon. Then I microwaved the apple slices for one minute so that they were soft and tender. I made a pretty stack of the slices, then topped with 1/8 cup of candied pecans (1/4th of what I made). It tasted like autumn and holidays. It had 250 calories, but 185 of that came from apples and pecans, which by themselves would just be a healthy snack. So really only 65 of those calories should count as dessert, which is a pretty good deal if you ask me, especially considering how filling and satisfying it was!

Recipe: Squash Spaghetti and Bean "Meatballs"

Now, I'm not allergic to anything, and I'm not morally opposed to meat. In fact, I love eating meat and have out-eaten my husband at an all-you-can-eat Brazilian churrascaria. Several times. But I find something strangely satisfying about making a gluten-free vegetarian version of a classic dish. Not to mention the fact that it had way fewer calories than the typical preparation. No, it doesn't taste exactly like spaghetti noodles and meatballs. Yes, you can tell it's healthier. But it's still a dang good dish, and I will definitely be making it again.

1. Prep your squash noodles. You want to "sweat" out the extra moisture, or you'll end up with something really soupy. Slice the squash and lay flat on a plate. Sprinkle with salt and let sit about ten minutes. Use a paper towel to soak up all the moisture. Now cut the slices into long, thin strips. Then microwave the squash until it is tender (stirring every minute so it cooks evenly). Once again remove excess moisture from squash.

2. Make your bean "meatballs." (Recipe here) (I really don't know what to call these, because "beanballs" sounds kind of dumb.)

3. Assemble your dish. Put your "noodles" in a bowl. Top with 1/2 cup of pasta sauce and some "meatballs," then sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

While the beans definitely did not have the texture of meatballs (they were much, much softer -- not surprisingly), they had a delicious flavor. The crushed red pepper and fennel seed were a really good addition to the spice mixture, and made it reminiscent of Italian sausage.

Recipe: Chicken Avocado Wrap

Another lunch, another wrap! Pretty simple, but I love taking pictures of all the healthy food I'm eating. So I had a flatbread wrap, chicken breast lunch meat, sliced olives, red leaf lettuce, and avocado, all topped with some sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. I love avocado. And this wrap didn't need any extra condiments because the avocado was so rich and creamy. I only wish I had had something red to put in there, then this would have looked even more amazing. But as it was, it was super delicious.

Recipe: Spicy Bean "Meatballs"

I used a food processor to mash up one rinsed and drained can of black beans with oregano, thyme, garlic salt, dried minced onion, sea salt, fresh pepper, crushed red pepper, and fennel seeds. I pulsed until everything was combined well, but it still had some bean intact to give it more texture. Form the mixture into balls (about the size of a ping pong ball) -- I got 9 out of this. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Cook bean meatballs, browning on all sides.

The texture is definitely a lot softer than a traditional meatball, but you can still pack some great flavor in these and (BONUS!) it was made entirely from things that you can have in your food storage!

Squash Spaghetti and Bean Meatballs

"Meatball" Sandwich

"Meatballs" and Gravy

Recipe: Iced Chocolate Soy Milk

I love icy drinks. Summertime, wintertime, anytime. I also love chocolate. This was super easy, totally yummy, and guilt free! I used my smoothie blender (each cup is about 12oz and the blade screws like a lid onto the top) to combine 1 cup of light vanilla soy milk, 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 packet of 0-calorie sweetener, and a lot of ice. What I got was a tall glass of icy chocolate goodness for under 100 calories. Definite winner!

Recipe: Chocolate Peanut Butter Bananas

Ever have something absolutely delicious that doesn't photograph as well as you wished it would. That was totally this treat. I sliced up a banana and made tiny sandwiches using the bananas as the "bread" and putting a dab of that Skippy chocolate peanut butter I got. I used a small banana and 1 tablespoon of the peanut butter. The picture looks a little... slimy because I had to keep my kids from destroying the house before I could take a picture. When I first put it together, it looked really nice though. And even after it looked like this, every single bite was delicious. I bet this would be so good frozen. Just imagine it with me. Oh yes, I think I'm going to have to try that soon.

Recipe: Stir Fry

Well, I wanted to see if I could make my own stir fry, so I don't have to buy the prepackaged stuff. I'd say I was pretty successful. I threw 2 cups of broccoli florets, 2 cups of chopped carrots, 2 cups of sliced mushroom, 1/3 a green bell pepper all chopped up, and 1 drained can of yellow corn into a big pot. I added 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of water. I cooked it on medium-high for about 5 minutes, covered, but stirring every minute or so. Then I added 2 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce. Cooked it for about 3 minutes then took it off the heat. It was good, though my sauce wasn't quite as tasty as the one from the package. And I'm not sure it was less expensive enough to be worth all the effort. Especially since my favorite part of stir fry is the water chestnut, which I don't even know where to buy, or how much more that would make it cost. Also, I'd probably nix the corn next time. My little girl loved picking out the corn and carrots, but for me it was hard to eat and was the highest calorie item I put in. Cauliflower, snap peas, and red bell peppers would have made this really nice. And maybe the baby corn. Where do you even get baby corn? I'll try to do it a little different next time, because I'm definitely not ready to give up!

Recipe: Open Faced Breakfast Sandwich

This morning I decided to see how my chicken bacon would do being cooked in strips. I was really pleased that it picked up some caramelization and golden color, but it wasn't as crispy as I'd hoped it would be. Maybe I took it off the heat prematurely. It tasted pretty good, it just wasn't the texture I was hoping for (especially for my sandwich).

Speaking of the sandwich, it was pretty simple to put together. I made the chicken bacon and cooked 3 egg whites (which were seasoned with rosemary, thyme, sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, and a pinch of ground red pepper). Then I toasted a slice of sourdough and topped it with the chicken bacon and eggs.

I decided to do it open faced because I find it easier to eat, plus I feel like I'm getting more. I think next time I will add just a little mayo to the toast so it isn't quite so dry (or avocado, if I have one on hand). And I'll try to get the chicken bacon crispier. The way I cooked it, it was a bit hard to bite through it with everything else, and sometimes it came out of the sandwich instead of breaking off.