Bacon & Egg Breakfast Burritos

I dont know about you guys but, breakfast burritos are one of my favorite things on the planet.  Unfortunately, they're usually pretty high in fat & calories.  This recipe is only 195 calories per burrito which made me really want to make it.  I had two of these for breakfast this morning & they were so incredibly tasty.

Recipe from Better Homes Test Kitchen
Yields 4 burritos
195 calories per serving

INGREDIENTS

4 slices of bacon, chopped

1 c fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 c green pepper, chopped

1/4 tsp chili powder

4 large eggs

1/4 c tomato, seeded & chopped

4 8 in whole wheat tortillas

DIRECTIONS

In a large nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp.

Remove bacon from pan & let dry on a paper towel.

Leave all but 1 tbsp of bacon drippings in pan.

Add mushrooms, sweet pepper, & chili powder to the skillet.

Cook & stir for about 3 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

In a bowl, whisk eggs & pour over vegetables.

Cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat.

Stir in bacon & tomato & keep stirring until egg is cooked through.

Divide onto tortillas & roll up.

Parmesan Garlic Potatoes

There are about a million variations you can do on this recipe but, I thought Id try one that I found on LaaLoosh.  Id made this as a side to turkey burgers that Id made for my roommate & I.  It was really fast to make, which made it perfect for a weeknight.

Recipe from LaaLoosh.com
Yields 7 servings
114 calories per serving

INGREDIENTS

2 large potatoes

Olive oil cooking spray

6 tbsp parmesan cheese, shredded

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400.

Slice potato & place in a large bowl.

Spray with olive oil & add cheese, garlic powder, & salt.

Toss gently to coat.

Arrange potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Spinach & Artichoke Pasta

I try not to eat too many carbs because they really make me blow up like a balloon but, when I do eat them I try to have them at lunch so that I can avoid the 3pm crash at work.  When I saw this recipe I had to go for it because I love spinach & artichokes together.  I did alter it a bit but, it's still inexpensive to make (as per the point of the particular blog I got it from) and really healthy.

Recipe is from Budget Bytes.
Yields 6 servings.
264 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS

1 c marinara sauce

1.5 c whole wheat pasta, dry

1 pkg frozen steamable spinach

1 can artichoke hearts

1/4 c shredded parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Add the pasta, bring back to a boil, & cook for 10 minutes.

While waiting for the pasta to cook, steam spinach in the microwave.

Strain & pour pasta into a large container.

Add the rest of the ingredients & stir.

Kale Chips

This a really simple recipe but, Id never tried kale chips before.  I figured that there would be no better way than to kick off my third round of eating clean & no binge eating by making my very own.  I love kale to begin with but these are PERFECT for a snack when you want something crunchy.

Recipe from Eating Well
Yields 4 servings
110 calories per serving

INGREDIENTS

1 large bunch of kale

1 tbsp olive oil

a teeny bit of salt

garlic powder, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400.

Remove stems from kale & rip leaves into small pieces.

Place kale in a large bowl.

Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & garlic powder, & blend together with hands.

Spread kale over 2 cookie sheets without overlapping leaves.

Bake for 12 minutes.

Let cool & enjoy!

Twice-Baked Pesto Mashed Potatoes

I love twice baked potatoes & seeing this with pesto in it.  I knew I had to make it.  The original recipe tells you to bake the potatoes in the oven for an hour and a half but, I dont know about any of you but, Im a busy gal & I dont have time for that on a weeknight.  So, thank god for the microwave potato setting.  Anyways, I made this for my new roommate & I tonight and it was delicious!

Recipe from BHG dot com.
Yields 8 servings.
271 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS

4 russet potatoes

1/2 c basil pesto

1/2 c parmesan cheese

1/4 c skim milk

salt & pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350.

Place potatoes in microwave (two at a time) on the potato setting.

Let cool, cut in half horizontally, & scoop out insides into a bowl.

Add pesto, 1/4 c of the cheese, & the milk; mix until smooth.

Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Spoon the mixture into the potato shells.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Mexican Rice

Well, about as Mexican as a white girl can get on the east coast.  Haha.  I suppose it should be more Mexican - style rice.  I actually ended up doubling this because I wanted it to feed me throughout my work week and, obviously, 4 servings doesnt work for a 5 day work week.  I tend to do this with a lot of recipes because Id rather have leftovers than not have a lunch on Fridays.  Im pretty sure this is meant to be a side dish but, rice is super filling for me since I dont eat a lot of carbs.  When I do, it's usually for lunch.

Recipe is from Vegetarian Times.
Yields 4 servings.
190 calories per serving.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp olive oil

1 c brown rice, cooked

1 c frozen corn

1 c frozen peas

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp oregano

2 tbsp tomato paste

DIRECTIONS

Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add rice & saute for 3 - 4 minutes, or until rice begins to brown.

Add corn, peas, garlic, cumin, & oregano, & saute for 1 minute.

Spoon tomato paste into a 2 cup measuring cup.

Add 2 cups of water & stir to combine.

Pour tomato paste mixture into rice & season with salt & pepper.

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, & simmer for 15 minutes.