Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Skinny Crustless Quiche

I saw this recipe on The Skinny Fork yesterday morning & realized that that we had everything to make it.  I emailed it to my roommate & we decided to make it for dinner last night.  We added a chicken breast to it and HOLY CRAP -- delicious!  It might be an unpopular choice to make quiche without crust but, for me at least, it's not worth negating all of the effort Ive put forth for 10 minutes of satisfaction.  And hell, there was absolutely NO sacrifice here.  It was even more delicious second day.

Recipe slightly adapted from The Skinny Fork
Yields 8 servings
100.8 calories per serving


INGREDIENTS
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed
8 oz sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c reduced fat feta cheese, crumbled
2 large eggs
4 large egg whites
1 c skim milk
3/4 c reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1 chicken breast, grilled & diced
Salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350.
Spray a 9 inch pie pan with cooking spray & set aside.

Drain liquid from the spinach & place at the bottom of the pie dish.

Over medium heat, cook saute the mushrooms & garlic until the mushrooms are cooked through.
Spread mushrooms on top of the spinach.
Sprinkle the feta over the mushrooms.

In a bowl, combine the eggs, egg whites, milk, salt, & pepper & 1/2 c of the cheddar.
Whisk together until well blended & pour over top of all ingredients in the dish.

Sprinkle the chicken & then the remaining cheese on top.

Bake for 50 - 60 minutes.


Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Green Bean & Mushroom Casserole

I slightly adapted this from Budget Bytes.  It was just a couple of substitutions to make it just a little more healthy.  My roommate, Katie, described this all "mushroom stuffing deliciousness" although she was a little wary of the texture before actually tasting it.  Ill take that as a seal of mouth watering approval.

Yields 6 servings.
141 calories per serving.


INGREDIENTS
2 cans green beans
4 tbsp margarine, divided
1 small onion
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1/4 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp salt
2 tbsp flour
1 c vegetable broth
2 tbsp parmesan cheese, shredded
1 c panko

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375.
Spray a 9x9 cooking pan with cooking spray.

Dice the onion & cook over medium heat in a large pan with 2 tbsp of margarine until they are tender.
Add the mushrooms to the skillet & add salt & thyme.
Cook until the moisture from the mushrooms has mostly evaporated.
Add flour to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the veggie broth and stir until flour has dissolved.

Allow mixture to simmer and whisk in 1 tbsp of parmesan.
Add the green beans, stir to combine & remove from heat.

Meanwhile, melt the other 2 tbsp of margarine in a bowl.
Add panko and parmesan & stir to combine.

Add the mushroom mixture to the baking pan.
Top with panko mixture.

Bake for 30 minutes.


Sunday, November 24, 2013

Mexican Mac & Cheese

Hey guys!  Hope you're as stoked as I am about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.  It's my one cheat day this month.  It's especially exciting because I get to break out my family recipes that I only make on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  My family is SUPER Polish so we eat kielbasa at all holidays and man, it's delicious!

Anyways, that has nothing to do with this recipe.  This is another recipe Ive adapted to be healthier than the original.  It was a lot of simple swaps to ensure the calorie count is low enough for my intake levels.

Recipe adapted from Better Homes & Gardens
Yields 12 servings
287 calories per serving


INGREDIENTS
1 box whole wheat penne
1 lb turkey sausage, casings removed
1 onion, chopped
16 oz salsa
16 oz reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease a baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Cook pasta according to box directions, drain, & set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook sausage & onion until meat is browned & onion is tender.
Stir in salsa.

Layer half of pasta, half of sausage mixture, & half of cheese in baking dish.
Repeat layers & bake for 35 minutes.


Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

Ive been big on pasta for lunch the past couple of weeks.  I find that carbs are energizing in the middle of the day.  This looked delicious and I love all things Cajun -- almost as much as I love Mexican food.


Recipe from Eating Well
Yields 6 servings
329 calories per serving

INGREDIENTS
8 oz whole wheat rotini
1 tbsp canola oil
2 slices turkey bacon, chopped
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into one inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
28 oz diced tomatoes
1/3 c lowfat sour cream
1/2 c scallions, sliced

DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of water to boil.
Cook pasta until tender, according to package directions.
Drain & set aside.

Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Add bacon and onion & cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes until starting to brown.
Add chicken, bell pepper, cumin, and black pepper.
Cook, stirring, until the onion and bell pepper start to soften, about 4 minutes.

Add flour and stir to coat.
Add tomatoes, undrained, & bring to a simmer.
Cook, while stirring, until the sauce is bubbled and thickened and chicken is cooked through.
Remove from heat and stir in sour cream.

Stir pasta into sauce and sprinkle with scallions.


Sunday, November 10, 2013

Turkey Spinach Pasta Bake

I swiped this from Budget Bytes.  I cant say how much I love this blog!  Ive said before that her recipes are great and cheap but not always healthy.  This recipe I did not adapt, though.

Yields 9 servings
350 calories per serving


INGREDIENTS
1 box whole wheat penne
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed
12 oz Italian turkey sausage
2 c part skim mozzarella
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried basil
pinch red pepper flakes
cracked black pepper
24 oz marinara sauce

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.
Cook pasta according to box directions.
Drain pasta, return to pot & stir in marinara sauce.

Meanwhile, cook sausage over medium heat.
Cut into pieces and set aside.

Place spinach, cheese, garlic powder, basil, red pepper flakes, & black pepper into a bowl.
Add sausage to bowl & stir well.

Coat a 9x9 pan with cooking spray.
Pour half of the pasta mixture on the bottom of the pan.
Layer half of the spinach mixture on top.
Repeat layers once.

Bake for 30 minutes.


Skinny Chimichangas

Another nod to white girl Mexican food.  Hah!  This I found on Recipe Girl.  Ive never actually made my own chimichangas before and this seemed like the time to try it out.  My only real complaint is that you have to wait forever for them to cool down.  Maybe it's just because we were starving.  When we could eat them, they were delicious.

Yields 4 servings
172 calories per serving


INGREDIENTS
1/2 lb ground turkey 
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
8 oz tomato sauce
2 tbsp mild green chilies
1/3 c reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
4 flour tortillas


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400.
Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray & heat over medium high heat.
Add turkey, onion, garlic, chili powder, oregano, & cumin.
Cook until turkey is browned, 6 minutes.
Stir in tomato sauce and chilies; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat & stir in cheddar.

Meanwhile, wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and place in the oven for 10 minutes to warm.

Spoon about 1/2 c of the filling into the center of each tortilla.
Wrap and place seam-side down on baking sheet.
Lightly spray with cooking spray and bake for 20 minutes.


Skinny Beef Enchilada Dip

I found this recipe on Emily Bites.  My roommate and I made it for dinner earlier this week and as part of dinner last night; a night we fondly refer to as white girl Mexican night.  It was delicious and almost addictive.  Hats off, Miss Emily!

Yields 12 servings
129 calories per serving


INGREDIENTS
1.5 lbs lean ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 c enchilada sauce
6 oz lowfat monteray jack cheese

DIRECTIONS
Heat the beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it browns.
Drain, put back into skillet, add diced onion & garlic and stir to combine.
Cook for an additional 4 minutes until onions are softened.

Add the enchilada sauce and stir to coat.
Reduce the heat to simmer and sprinkle cheese on top.
Cover the pan and let simmer 3 - 4 minutes, until cheese is melted and dip is heated through.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Mexican Mac & Cheese

This is another adaptation for a lunch dish this week.  And some more white girl Mexican food.  I may not make authentic Mexican food but, it's still pretty damned good.

Yields 12 servings.
215.4 calories per serving.
Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens


INGREDIENTS
12 oz whole wheat penne
1 lb ground turkey
1 c onion, chopped
16 oz salsa
16 oz lowfat Mexican style cheese
1 tsp ground cumin

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.
Grease a baking dish with cooking spray.
Cook pasta according to box directions; al dente.
Drain & set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook turkey & onion until meat is browned & onion is soft.
Drain fat, return sausage & onion to skillet & stir in salsa.
Add pasta & mix together.

Pour into baking dish, top with cheese, & bake for 30 minutes.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Mexicali Hamburger Casserole

Ive decided to try something new here on my blog.  Ive been doing the weight loss/eating healthy thing for a little while now.  While Im no nutritionist, I feel like I have enough knowledge to be able to challenge myself to make dishes that have too many calories and bring them down to a healthier level.

The original calorie count for this recipe was 506 calories.  With a couple of easy swaps, I managed to bring it down to 346 calories per serving.

The only thing I wouldve done differently is add some cumin.  This was tasty but a little bland.

Recipe originally from Better Homes & Gardens.
Yields 6 servings
346 calories per serving


INGREDIENTS
1.5 lb lean ground turkey
15 oz can diced tomatoes
12 oz can corn, drained
1/2 c plus 2 tbsp lowfat Mexican cheese
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c cornmeal
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
2/3 c skim milk
2 tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.

In a large skillet cook & brown turkey; drain off fat.
Stir in tomatoes & corn and heat through.
Transfer to a baking dish & sprinkle with 1/2 c cheese.

For corn bread topping, in a medium bowl combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Stir in egg, milk, & oil.
Evenly spread on beef mixture and top with 2 tbsp cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes.