Monday, January 27, 2014

Spaghetti Frittata

I dont know what's my thing with pasta for lunch the past few weeks but, I dig it.  I think it's the carbs that fill me up and energize me.  This was a little bit of a challenge but, not a pain in the ass.

Recipe from Eating Well
Yields 6 servings
178 calories per serving


INGREDIENTS
8 oz whole wheat spaghetti
4 tsp olive oil
3 onions, chopped
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1/2 c skim milk
1/3 c parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tsp basil
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta according to box directions.
Drain & set aside.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
Add onions & cook until golden, about 10 - 12 minutes.
Transfer onions to a bowl to let cool.
Wipe out the pan.

Whisk together eggs, egg whites, and milk in a large bowl.
Stir in the onions, parmesan, basil, salt, & pepper.
Add the spaghetti.

Spray the pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat.
Pour in the egg mixture and distribute evenly.
Cook until the underside is golden, flip onto a plate & place back into the pan on the uncooked side.
Cook until the other side is golden.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

Breakfast Bruschetta

During the week, I like to have something quick before I have to get ready for work.  So, on the weeekends, Im happy to be able to take my time making breakfast.  I seldom have the same thing every week.  This particular dish was freakin' delicious.  You get an enormous portion and for only 121 calories.

Recipe from Slender Kitchen
Yields 1 serving
121 calories per serving


INGREDIENTS
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tbsp basil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 egg

DIRECTIONS
Mix tomato, basil, & vinegar in a medium bowl.

Heat olive oil over medium high heat.
Add the garlic & saute until fragrant & softened.
Add the tomato mixture to pan & simmer.
Turn off burner and set aside.

Prepare egg how you prefer -- I scrambled it.
Place egg on a plate & pour tomato mixture overtop.


I made 2 pieces of toast to eat along with this and it was a great combination.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Skinny Spinach Artichoke Dip

Whenever I go to a restaurant, this is ALWAYS my entree of choice.  I was browsing my usual food blogs the other day and decided to adapt this particular recipe to make it a little skinnier -- and it was actually pretty easily done.  I ate a serving of this with a serving of Triscuit thins and it was the perfect combination.  Talk about a tasty late night snack!

Recipe adapted from BHG dot com
Yields 10 servings
157 calories per serving


INGREDIENTS
1 oz artichokes, drained & chopped
2 slices turkey bacon, chopped
1 c chopped spinach
1 oz light sour cream
3 tbsp flour
1/2 c lowfat mayonnaise
3/4 c shredded parmesan cheese
2 scallions, chopped

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.

Cook bacon in a medium pan until browned and slightly crispy.
Add spinach & cook for another minute & set aside.

In a large bowl stir together sour cream & flour until combined.
Stir in mayo.
Add 1/2 c cheese, scallions, artichokes, and spinach mixture.

Transfer to an ungreased 9 inch pie pan.
Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Let cool for 15 minutes & serve!


Friday, January 24, 2014

Mustard Chicken

I wanted something a little different than just grilled chicken and veggies for dinner tonight. I still had some brussels sprouts leftover from last night and this chicken was perfect alongside of it.  I also had a little bit of A1 with the chicken as well and it was so delicious.  I inhaled my dinner tonight.

Recipe from KitchMe
Yields 4 servings
178 calories per serving


INGREDIENTS
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c Gulden's spicy brown mustard
1/2 c breadcrumbs
1 dash salt
1 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400.

Paint chicken on both sides with mustard.

Place breadcrumbs, salt, & pepper in a bowl; mix to combine.
Cover chicken in breadcrumbs & place in a baking dish covered with olive oil spray.

Bake for 20 minutes.


Thursday, January 23, 2014

Garlicky Brussels Sprout Saute

As all of you know, I love brussels sprouts.  I saw this recipe & realized that I had all the ingredients to make this as a side tonight so, I did.  It's perfectly spiced & garlicky enough to sate my garlic obsession.  I served this aside grilled chicken breasts.

Recipe from Vegetarian Times
Yields 6 servings
87 calories per serving


INGREDIENTS
1lb brussels sprouts
2 tbsp olive oil
12 cloves garlic, peeled & quartered lengthwise
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 dash salt
1 tsp black pepper
1.5 c water

DIRECTIONS
Place brussels sprouts in a food processor.
Pulse until shredded.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
Add garlic & cook until browned.
Increase heat to medium-high.
Add brussels sprouts, brown sugar, salt, & pepper.
Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until browned.
Add 1.5 c water & cook until water is evaporated.

Spice with a little more black pepper, if desired, & serve immediately.


Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Pasta With Chickpeas

This was SO super simple and fast to make.  Not to mention, super tasty!  It's been a perfect lunch this week.  Some may find it a little bland but personally, I thought it was just spiced enough.

Recipe from Food 52
Yields 8 servings
140 calories per serving

INGREDIENTS
1 box whole wheat rotini
14 oz chickpeas
14 oz diced tomatoes
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
Salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta according to box directions, al dente.
Drain & place in a large bowl.
Add remaining ingredients & mix well.

You could eat this either hot or cold.  I tried both & personally, I prefer it hot.  Chilled chickpeas are okay but, they're better hot.

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Crispy Baked Avocado Fries

I saw this and thought it was an interesting concept.  When I tried them, I wanted to eat ALL of them.  They're crispy on the outside & soft on the inside.  I dipped them in ketchup but, I feel like you could use sour cream, too.  It's a little high in calories to be a side dish for my intake but, it was filling enough to have as a midday meal.

Recipe from Closet Cooking.
Yields 4 servings.
354 calories per serving.


INGREDIENTS
2 large avocados, sliced
Salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 c flour
1 egg, beaten
1 c panko

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 425.

Season the avocado with salt & pepper.
Dip them in flour, then egg, & then panko.
Place on a baking pan.
Repeat until all pieces are coated.

Bake for 20 minutes.


Friday, January 17, 2014

Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

I dont know about you guys but, I freaking LOVE brussels sprouts.  It's rare to see a recipe that uses them so when I saw this, I knew I needed to taste it.  This was a perfect side dish to my turkey burger last night.

Recipe from Skinny Kitchen
Yields 4 servings
85 calories per serving


INGREDIENTS
1 bag of steam in bag brussels sprouts
Olive oil spray
2 tsp garlic powder
1 dash salt
1 dash black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

DIRECTIONS
Steam brussels sprouts as directed on package.

Spray a large pan with olive oil spray.
Heat over medium low heat.
Add all ingredients & saute for 5 minutes until veggies are blackened.


Sunday, January 12, 2014

Fiesta Spaghetti

I figured it was about time for a white girl Mexican dish for lunch this week.  I loved making this because it was so fast.

Recipe from RoTel.
Yields 6 servings.
292 calories per serving.


INGREDIENTS
8 oz whole wheat spaghetti
2 tbsp olive oil
16 oz tomato sauce
10 oz diced tomatoes and green chilies
15 oz canned black beans
1/2 tsp cumin

DIRECTIONS
Cook spaghetti according to package directions.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
Add onion; cook for 5 minutes.
Add tomato sauce, undrained tomatoes, black beans, & cumin.
Cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

Drain the spaghetti & stir in sauce.


Saturday, January 11, 2014

Funfetti Cake Batter Dip

As soon as I saw this recipe I KNEW I needed to make it.  I, then, emailed it to my roommate and the response I got was "YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS".  I then saw that strawberries were on sale this week at the store so that sealed the deal.

Recipe from The Skinny Fork.
Yields 16 servings (1/4 cup = 1 serving).
167.5 calories per serving (!!!)


INGREDIENTS
1 box Funfetti cake mix
2 c fat free vanilla Greek yogurt
4 oz fat free Cool Whip

DIRECTIONS
Place all ingredients in a bowl and stir.
Mix until well blended.
Serve with strawberries.


Sunday, January 5, 2014

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken

I hadnt done a crockpot lunch in a while and this seemed simple enough.  The only change I made with this was adding 2 cups of cooked brown rice.  I thought it would be a nice addition to just chicken and a little more filling.

Recipe from Slender Kitchen.
Yields 8 servings.
177 calories per serving.


INGREDIENTS
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
3 tbsp garlic powder
1/3 c low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 c ketchup
1/4 c honey
Pinch red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS
Whisk together garlic, soy sauce, ketchup, & honey.
Add chicken to the crockpot.
Pour in sauce & stir together.
Cook on low for 4 hours.


I found that in my crockpot, this only needed about 3.5 hours.  I put the crockpot on warm for the last half hour while I prepared the rice.

Bacon Maple Shortbread

Happy New Year!  It's been a little bit since Ive posted and I apologize.  I have to confess, I havent been eating the healthiest the past few weeks or working out like I usually do, which totally sucks but, Im not back on the horse.

I actually made these for my boyfriend who -- like most normal humans -- completely loves bacon.  It's his favourite food group.  Haha.  When I looked at the calorie count, I realized that this would be perfect for the blog.

Recipe from Closet Cooking.
Yields 20 cookies.
99 calories per cookie.


INGREDIENTS
4 strips low-sodium bacon, cooked & crumbled
1 stick margarine, room temperature
1/4 c maple syrup
1 1/4 c flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350.

Cook the bacon & set aside on paper towels to drain.
Beat the margarine and syrup together until smooth.
Mix in flour, corn starch, bacon, & salt.

Spray down 2 baking pans with cooking spray.
Roll dough into balls & bake for 12 minutes.