Apple & Bulgar Stuffed Acorn Squash

I was gifted a big bag of acorn and butternut squash a few weeks back and wasn't exactly sure what  I wanted to do with them because lately I have been short on time and preparing mostly quick, healthy meals. On one of the acorn squash I noticed a sticker with instructions on how to microwave the acorn squash. I had never though of that before! With that info in mind I decided to whip up a delicious autumn meal in under 15 minutes!

Ingredients
1 acorn squash (about the size of a grapefruit)
1 cup dry bulgur wheat
1 medium apple (I used jazz)
2 medjool dates
2 tbsp craisins
1 tbsp coconut oil
1/4 cup pecans
1/4 medium onion
olive oil spray
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Slice acorn squash in half, remove the seeds and spray with olive oil spray. Place cut side up in microwave for 6 minutes.
2. In a medium sauce pan add two cups of cold water to one cup of dry bulgur wheat. Set on medium-high. Once it comes to a boil reduce to low and cook for 12-15 minutes or until tender.
3. Add coconut oil to a saute pan.
4. Chop onion and add to coconut oil.
5. When acorn squash is finished cooking, scoop out flesh with a spoon. Run a knife through the chunks and add to onion.
6. Chop apples and dates and add acorn squash mixture. Add craisins. Saute for 5-6 minutes.
7. When bulgur is cooked, add to pan with apple mixture. Add cinnamon and pecans to mixture.
8. Scoop into the shells of the acorn squash & enjoy!

Optional:
Adding a cooking sweet potato would have bee FANTASTIC but I didn't have any in my pantry!

TIPS:
Make this gluten free by using amaranth, quinoa or brown rice instead of bulgur.

Chick Pea and Spinach Sauté

Recently I was in Atalntic City for a bachelorette party and we dined at a tapas restaurant in Revel Casino called Amada (a Jose Garces restaurant). The restaurant offered a pretty extensive menu of tapas or Spanish style appetizers, finger foods and snacks. This restaurant offered gourmet tapas and I was just in heaven! S many items were absolutely delicious but one in particular stood out, the "Espinacas con garbanzos". Let me say that my version was not anywhere as amazing as the version I had however, it is so delicious in a different way. Give it a whirl! 

Ingredients 

2 tbsp olive oil 

1 can garbanzo beans 

2 cups frozen spinach 

1 large clove garlic, minced

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp paprika

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp red pepper flakes

4 heaping tbsp tomato sauce 

Salt and pepper

1) Heat olive oil in a large saucepan until hot. 

2) Add 1/2 can chickpeas to skillet carefully (the chickpeas will cause the oil to pop so be careful). 

3) Cook chickpeas on medium-high heat for ~10 minutes until crispy. Set aside. 

4) In a different skillet, cook spinach in a small amount of water until wilted. Drain water when spinach is completed. 

5) Add tomato sauce, spinach, seasonings and garlic to the 2nd skillet. Cook on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. 

6) Add other 1/2 can of chickpeas and lemon juice to spinach mixture. Cook for 5-7 minutes. 

7) Add original crispy chickpeas and fold into the spinach mixture. 

8) Allow to rest for a few minutes. 

This can be served alone, with a hearty Italian bread or over quinoa! 

 

Nutrition Information

285 calories per serving
34 gm carbohydrates
13gm fat
0 gm saturated fat10gm protein

62mg sodium
2gm sugar
8 gm fiber

TexMex Style Soup

Hi Everyone! So as many of you probably know, I LOVE Southern California (specifically San Diego). I dream of living there and enjoying the wonderful weather and food someday! I also LOVE soup; is that weird? Its mid-Summer here in NJ and the weather isn't too bad- about 85 degrees and clear today. Typically we get dreadfully hot and humid weather that is not appropriate for soup. I am a year-round soup eater and today I was reminiscing about SoCal and decided to make a spicy little soup.

Ingredients
1 head of cauliflower, cut up in large chunks
3.5 cups low sodium broth (i used vegetable)
1 medium onion
2/3 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1/2 cup low fat shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried oregano
2 large bay leaves
Sriracha-optional
Avocado- optional
Salsa- optional
Olive oil

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2) Place cauliflower on an non-greased baking sheet with a silpat. Back for 30 minutes.
3) While cauliflower bakes, slice onion into and caramelized with a 1-2 tsp olive oil. The edges should become slightly browned.
4) Once cauliflower and onions are done, add to a pot with low sodium broth. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes on medium/low.
5) To blend the vegetables you can either use an immersion blender (which I don't have) or pour the soup into a blender and blend until smooth. Return to pot and turn to medium heat.
6) Add black pepper, paprika, oregano, salt and bay leaves. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
7) Grate garlic cloves into soup and add Greek yogurt. Stir until smooth.
8) Add cheddar and mozzarella cheese and cook another 5-6 minutes until melted and mixed thoroughly.
9) Serve with optional toppings such as sliced avocado, sriracha for heat or your favorite salsa ( I use Trader Joe's Corn & Black Bean Salsa). Enjoy!

1 Pan Vegetable Stew

Hi Everyone!
I just began the final leg of my nutrition internships yesterday! I am still going to try to post as much as a I can but make sure you keep an eye on my Facebook and Twitter accounts for  items as I make them. This stew was inspired by my friend Marielle. We share a lot of similar food interests; she is a more strict vegetarian than I am and has made her own version of this twice recently. She always sends me pictures and I decided that I was going to tackle it today! In total, this really only took about 30 minutes from start to finish. I happened to have all of these items on hand but this would make for a beautiful post-farmer's market meal! Not pictured, I enjoyed this with a nice triangle of ciabatta! Mmmm!

Ingredients
1 can crushed tomatoes (28oz)
1 can chick peas, drained (15oz)
4 stems kale, chopped & including stems
3 large portobello mushroon caps
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
~ 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
4-5 stems scallions, chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lemon
salt & pepper to taste

1) On medium heat add olive oil, onion and garlic. Allow to brown slightly.
2) Add kale and tomatoes. Cook about 5 minutes until becomes wilted.
3) Add chick peas, mushrooms, scallions and garlic. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Sauce will reduce slightly.
4) Zest the 1/2 lemon and squeeze juice into mixture. Add parsley.
5) Cook on medium low for 4-5 minutes more.
6) Rest for 2-3 minutes.
Enjoy!

It is really the easiest meal to make! The most time is spent chopping everything up!

Options:
1) If you are not a vegetarian simple add meat. Chicken or ground turkey would be fabulous.
2) If you don't have parsley, basil would be a great substitute. I would imagine dried herbs would also work well but not provide the fresh flavor.
3) If you don't have scallions they can be omitted entirely. They are a member of the onion family and mine were going to go bad if I didn't use them.

Black Bean Red Pepper Salsa

This is so good! I wanted to toss something on top of my tilapia for lunch and I whipped this up in under 5 minutes!
It tastes great hot but chilled is just as good! Would pair nicely with raw veggies as a dip, whole grain pita or pretzels! Mmmm!

Ingredients
3/4 cup black beans, rinsed
1/2 red pepper
1/4 large onion
3/4 cup corn, cooked or fresh
3-4 stems cilantro
Fresh Lemon
2tsp olive oil
Sea salt
Pepper
Chili powder
DriedOregano
Dried Basil
Dried Parsley

1) Coat the base of the frying pan in olive oil. Heat on medium.
2) Chop the onion and red pepper into small chunks. Add to frying pan.
3) Allow pepper and onion to cook for 4-5 minutes or until the chunks begin to soften slightly.
4) Add corn and black beans.Cook for 4-5 more minutes stirring frequently.
5) While the beans and corn cook, chop cilantro into small pieces and add.
6) Add dry seasonings to taste. I added 2-3 "shakes" of each seasoning and ground the salt grinder twice.
7)Stir in all seasonings and remove from heat.
8) Squeeze lemon juice on top and mix in.

Enjoy!

Tips
1) Cook frozen corn in advance and drain before using in this recipe. Fresh corn would work perfectly.
2) If you dislike cilantro, you can omit it. The flavor will vary slightly but still will be delicious!

Brown Rice, Zucchini & Kale Bites

Kale is the way to my heart! <3 

Hey everyone!
I put a picture of this on my Instagram and Facebook (follow me!!!) and I got so many requests for the recipe, so here goes!!!

The recipes has several steps but overall is pretty simple. It happened to come together for me rather quickly because I already had brown rice made.

Ingredients
1.5 cups cooked brown rice
5 bushy stalks of kale
1 cup shredded zucchini
2 eggs
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
olive oil
parmesan cheese

A) In a large pot, steam kale with about 1 inch of water. Kale will be done when leaves are bright green and slightly soft.
B) Allow kale to cool on paper towels. On a cutting board, remove leaves from stem.
C) Chop leaves into fine pieces and place in a bowl.
D) In a separate bowl whisk eggs together with spices, flours and cheese.
E) Slowly add brown rice, kale and zucchini. Keep mixing gently to incorporate all ingredients.
*Be careful not to beat the mixture too much. If your kale is still very hot it could cook your eggs!
**If your mixture still looks very wet, add a tbsp of whole grain flour to thicken it up.
F) Heat about 1 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan on medium until oil begins to bubble slightly.
G) Using a spoon or spatula, scoop a golf ball sized amount of the mixture and lay it into the pan. Using the backside of your spoon or spatula, press it down to make a patty.
H) Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes before flipping. The cooked side should be a golden brown color. Repeat for other side and remove from heat.
I) Optional- Sprinkle a small amount of parmeasan cheese on top & enjoy!!!

Tips:
- Depending on your pan you can cook several patties at one time. I cooked three at a time in my 9 inch pan.
- This is a great leftover meal. If you don't have precooked brown rice, make sure your rice is fully cooled before mixing with eggs. Both hot rice and kale will definitely give you scrambled eggs before you cook!
- Quinoa, white rice and barley would also work in this recipe!
- I initially tried this with egg beaters but there was not enough binding by the eggs. You can try 1/4 egg beaters with 1 whole egg.

Veggie & Bean Soup

Veggie & Bean Soup!

Hey Everyone! I hope you are all doing well and being safe after the Hurricane Sandy craziness we have all experienced over the last 48 hours! As most of you probably know by now, cooking relaxes me, so I decided to make a hearty soup to ease the nerves from the recent events. I was also away for 3 days before the hurricane so when I returned home, I had some veggies that needed to be cooked or they'd go bad. I also had a slight case of cabin fever where I was eating pretty much everything in sight! :) Most of it was pretty healthy but this soup will fix me up! I loved using the Spaghetti Squash as noodles in this dish! Delicious and low in carbs!

Ingredients:
32oz low-sodium vegetable broth
2.5 cups chopped kale
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 box frozen lima beans (10oz)
4 carrots
1 spaghetti squash
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 medium onion
olive oil
3 cloves garlic
3 bay leaves
Italian Seasoning
Black pepper

1) Preheat oven to 425F. Slice spaghetti squash in 2 and place face-down on a roasting sheet. Place in oven for 30 minutes.
2) In a large pot, pour in 4Tbsp olive oil and heat on medium high.
3) Chop onion and add to pot.
4) Mince garlic and add to pot.
5) Allow onion and garlic to sweat (about 4-5 minutes). Stirring every minute or so.
6) Add vegetable stock, bouillon and 2 cups of warm water. Allow to boil.
7) Slice carrots.
8) When liquid is boiling, add kale, carrots, spinach, frozen lima beans, rinsed kidney beans, 1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning and 3 bay leaves.
9) Cook soup on high for 15 minutes, then turn down to medium-low.
10) When spaghetti squash is finished roasting, remove from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before handling.
11) Using a fork or pasta spoon (or my pastasaurus :), scrape inside of spaghetti squash. The insides will pull like spaghetti noodles. Add the noodles from 1 half of a squash to the soup.
12) Allow to cook for 10 more minutes on medium-low.

When "noodles" are al dente, turn off heat and enjoy!!!

Rawr!!!!!
My Pastasaurus! My brother's lovely girlfriend, Allie gave it to me for Christmas last year!!! Love it! 

Tips:
a) Remove the seeds from the squash before roasting, makes for easier removal of "noodles".
b) You can make this simple soup with anything you have around your kitchen. Feel free to add potatoes, celery or broccoli.
c) If you are not a "salty" person, you can also sub the stock for low-sodium stock or remove the bouillon cube.
d) If you want a Pastasaurus, here is the Amazon link.

Sesame Peanut Tofu over a Simple Kale Salad

Mmm mmm good!

So, last night I was perusing Facebook and stumbled across a delicious looking photo of some kind of sesame tofu that my FB friend Jeffery had posted. The tofu was skewered and sprinkled with sesame seeds. The picture look fabulous and got me in the mood to try something different.
This recipe was a spontaneous try in my kitchen to see how it turned out. I was hoping it wouldn't be horrible and it wasn't! It was very tasty and I will absolutely be making this again! The instructions are long but in total it took me about 20 minutes to put this lovely lunch together! It served as one big lunch for me, so if you are making this for more people just double the recipe.

By the way, Jeffery has a really fabulous food/healthy blog, too! Check it out "The Matters of Mitter".

Ingredients
For the sauce:
1 Tbsp organic peanut butter (regular peanut butter would also be fine)
2 tsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Paprika
Chili Powder
Black pepper
Salt
Vegetable Seasoning (I used a locally made one but you can make your own in a flash. See the tips below).

For the Salad:
5-6 stems of kale, washed and dried
1/2 block of extra firm tofu, water removed
1 tomato
1-2 slices of vidalia onion
1/2 lemon
sesame seeds

1) In a saucepan, combine oil, peanut butter and soy sauce. Mix.
2)Heat mixture on medium-low until peanut butter begins to melt. Stirring continuously.
3) I used very limited amount of paprika and chili powder. I'd say about 1/4 teaspoon of both. If you prefer more heat, add extra. Add in the vegetable seasoning and stir. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.
4) Reduce heat to low and let simmer.
5) While sauce is simmering, cut your 1/2 block of tofu into 3 slices. Then cut slices into triangles or whatever shape you like.
6) Using a misto sprayer, spray a frying pan with olive oil and place slices into the pan.
7) Saute on medium heat until the edges of the tofu begin to brown slightly. Flip. This may take 3-5 minutes for each side.
8) While tofu and sauce are cooking, cut the kale. I included the stems for a little extra crunch.
9) Cube the tomato.
10) Mix the kale, tomato and sliced onion in a bowl or add to a plate.
11) When both sides of tofu are browned add the peanut sauce mixture. Cook an additional 2-3 minutes flipping and turning the tofu continuously.
12)  Squeeze the lemon juice onto the salad to brighten up the flavors.
13) Gently add tofu to the top of the salad.
14) Sprinkle with sesame seeds and some of the remaining sauce if you like.

Enjoy!

Tips:
a) If you don't have a vegetable seasoning that you like, you can simple make your own by mixing your favorite seasonings together and keeping a bottle in your spice cabinet. The seasoning I used is a mixture of flax, mustard seeds, onion, parsley, oregano, garlic, dill, fennel, turmeric, sesame, and paprika. Big flavor!

b) If you have time, I'd try to marinate the tofu in the sauce. It would give a nice flavor boost!

Thanks & Have a Delicious Day!

Tuna Pasta Salad

Some of you may know that I hate to waste food! So many people in the United States and around the world are food insecure. According to the EPA, in 2010 over 34 million tons of food waste was generated. 34 MILLION TONS!!!!! Now, I am sure a large part of that is food bits that couldn't be consumed (peels and such), but think about the mouths we could feed if we all took time not to waste food?

I am always saving and eating my leftovers in an effort not to waste food. Sometimes, eating the same thing 2 days in a row can be boring so I often try to revamp it. This recipe is completely made up of leftovers minus the tuna. Here we go!

Ingredients
1 can tuna in water, drained
1/2 cup leftover cooked spinach
1.5 cups leftover cooked whole wheat ziti pasta
1/2 cup heirloom tomatoes (almost at shelf life)
2 tbsp fat free cream cheese (last bit of the container)
2.5 tbsp low fat mayo made with olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Paprika -optional
Red pepper flakes- optional

1) In a large bowl, add a tiny bit of water to pasta and mix. This will help break the stuck pieces apart.
2) Slice tomatoes in half and add to pasta.
3) Add spinach, mayo and cream cheese.
4) Using a wooden spoon or spatula, mix ingredients thoroughly.
5) Season with spices to taste. I generally use the tiniest bit of salt and more seasoning. The paprika and red pepper add a nice pop of flavor.

Tips
1) Think about your leftover recreations when making your main meals. If you know you may have too much  of an ingredient, keep in mind ways to use it the next day.
2) You can swap chicken/turkey for tuna in this recipe and it will still be delicious!

Have a Delicious Day!

Kale Chips!

I didn't have time to take a picture of my finished product because I was Skyping with a friend and munching away. This is what they look like when done!
Photo Credit:  Kalyn's Kitchen

So I posted a photo of kale chips on my Facebook page a while back and I have gotten a lot of requests for the recipe. Kale is one of the world's superfoods and is very high in Vitamins K, C & A! It is high in fiber and pretty darn delicious, too!

I am a potato chip kind of person. I love the crunchy, salty, greasy aspect of it. But guess what? Crunchy, salty, greasy isn't great for your outsides or insides. Kale chips are a perfect way to get the craving for the crunchy, salty, greasy without all the negative side effects.

Ingredients
1 bunch kale
Olive oil in a misto (or olive oil spray)
Sea Salt Grinder
Black Peppercorn Grinder
Baking sheet pan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
1) Thoroughly wash and dry kale.
2) Using a knife, slice the leafy portion off of the center stem of all of the kale.
3) Cut the kale leaves into "chip sized" portions. I like tortilla sized kale chips, about 1 inch x 2 inch.
4) Spray olive oil on the sheet pan.
5) Spread kale out on the sheet pan. Try not to let leaves overlap. You may need to make two batch or use 2 sheet pans.
6) Lightly spray the kale with the olive oil. The idea is to provide a light coating and not soak the kale. Soaking it will cause the kale to get soggy and not achieve the crispy, chippy effect.
7) Using the sea salt and peppercorn grinders season to taste.
** Kale doesn't need much seasoning so I wouldn't advise going overboard with the salt. The natural flavor is delightful. Enjoy it!
8) Bake for 7-10 minutes. Keep an eye on your kale. If the edges begin to darken, it's done.

Tips
a) Save the stems of the kale in a freezer bag to make your own vegetable stock! Mmmm!
b) Kale smells absolutely putrid as it bakes. PUTRID! Don't let it discourage you from trying this tasty, healthy snack!

Kale me, baby!

Have a delicious day!!!! xoxox

Baked Avocado with Tomato salad & Steamed broccoli!

I absolutely love avocado! Its an amazing fruit that is commonly associated as being a vegetable because it isn't sweet. They are so versatile and can be incorporated into so many things besides guacamole (which is one of my favorite things in the world to eat!).

A very good friend of mine posted a blog about baking an avocado in an egg! It is pretty simple and the original post that I was inspired by came from here. I Googled it and there were so many baked avocado messes that came up from the weight of the egg causing the avocado to roll. My finished product was intact! Yay!
Check out the recipe for my whole delicious and nutritious lunch!!
Have a delicious day friends!!

Ingredients
1 avocado
1 medium/large egg
1 tomato (I use slicing tomatoes on the vine)
10 yellow grape tomatoes
1 cup broccoli
1/4 cup chopped onion
10 stalks chives (I used the smaller, prepackaged kind)
Italian seasoning (McCormick works well)
Onion Powder
Garlic Powder
Salt
Black Pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

AvocadoPreheat your over to 425 degrees.
1) Start by selecting an avocado that is just ripened enough to be somewhat tender when you squeeze it. You don't want one that is too firm or that gives way when you grip it.
2) Press the avocado slightly into your cutting board so one side flattens out slightly. Don't press too hard so the skin breaks. Just enough pressure that the avocado doesn't roll around on your counter.
3) Roll the avocado a half turn so you can see the flat side and the remaining rounded side. Cut it in half so there is a flatter side and will be your "dish".
4) Remove the core of the avocado and discard.
5) With a spoon, follow the edge of the hole left in the avocado and scrap out toward the bottom and edges of the existing hole. Make room for the egg to be dropped into it.
6) Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic and onion. Place on a baking sheet.
7) Crack and egg and gently allow the uncooked egg to fall into the hole you created.
8) Season the egg with the same spices as in step 6.
9) Gently put the baking sheet into the oven for about 15 minutes or until the egg is cooked through.
Tomato Salad
1) Chop vine tomato, yellow grape tomatoes, chives, onion and place in a bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the salad and season with salt, pepper, garlic and Italian seasoning.
*If you have some, add basil or fresh mozzarella cheese. It's mouthwatering!

Steam the broccoli and plate with avocado and salad!

Enjoy!! Mmmmmm!

Vegetable Medley over Bulgar Wheat

This was a delicious meal I prepared pretty quickly for my lunch!
Loaded with fiber, iron and protein this is a nutrient rich meal with lots of flavor!

This recipe was essentially a "leftover" food item recipe that turned out to be delightful! I had some fresh spinach that I feared would go bad if I didn't do something with it within the next day or so. Here is what I ended up with!

Like my fancy "takeout" container?
I didn't have time to plate it nicely, ha!

Ingredients
1 Cup fresh spinach (frozen would also work, make sure it is thawed first)
1 medium sized white potato peeled, sliced into very thin slices
1 carrot
2 cloves of garlic
olive oil spray (I use a mister)
1/2 cup Gimme Lean Meat Substitute (if you eat meat, feel free to use ground turkey, very lean beef or ground chicken)
1/2 cup dry bulgar wheat
Black pepper
Salt
Onion powder
Rosemary

1) Spray a sautee pan with mister to coat with olive oil mist.
2) Add 1 clove garlic and turn heat to medium. Allow garlic to simmer slightly.
3) Spray pan again with mister and add potato slices.
4) Allow slices to brown. Stir and flip frequently so the potatoes don't stick to the pan. (About 4-5 minutes).
5) In a small saucepan bring 1.5 cups of water to a boil. Add spinach and cook until spinach wilts and become a very bright green. Reduce heat and add 1 garlic clove. Simmer for 2 minutes.
6) Using a pasta spoon or any spoon with holes to drain water, transfer drained spinach from saucepan to sautee pan, leaving the excess water in the saucepan. Allow spinach to cook with potatoes.
7) Using the leftover water from the spinach, prepare your bulgar wheat. Add bulgar wheat and bring back to a boil. Once boiling, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until the wheat absorbs the water.
8) Using a peeler, peel off the top layer of the carrot and discard. Then peel slivers of carrot until the carrot is mostly peeled. Add slivers to sautee pan.
9) Mist with olive oil spray.
10) Add seasonings to taste.
11) If using, Gimme Lean meat sub or another kind of meat substitute, add to vegetable medley. Break up pieces until it resembles ground beef. If you chose to use a meat, follow the instructions below.
12) Continue to cook for a few more minutes or until the medley and "meat" are browned slightly.
13) Spray bulgar wheat with mister and spinkle a small amount of onion powder. Top with vegetables and enjoy!!


Using Meat:
In a separate pan, brown thawed meat before starting to cook the vegetables. This process takes much longer than substitutes because they are essentially ready to eat. After the meat of your choice is browned, drain excess liquid and add to vegetables at step 11.

** I used the excess water from the spinach because I like to utilize all of the vitamins and minerals present in a food. When a vegetable is boiled, the colored water leftover contains many minerals and vitamins that were leached from the food during boiling. Using that same water to boil a grain that absorbs water allows you to still enjoy the benefits of all of the nutrients in the food.

Sauteed Cranberry Kale over Quinoa

This recipe was suggested to me verbally by a co-worker. I am not sure if it turned out just as she explained but I really enjoyed it anyway!


Ingredients4 stems of kale
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup craisins
3/4 cup cole slaw mix
3 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup quinoa
black pepper to taste
onion powder to taste

Cut the kale leaves from the stems and roughly chop leaves. Discard stems or save for vegetable stock by freezing in a ziploc bag.

Drizzle approximately 1 tbsp of olive oil onto a frying pan. Heat pan on medium heat.

Add garlic clove and allow to marinate oil.

Add kale leaves and gently stir in oil & garlic.

Add cole slaw mix & stir.

Add craisin, pepper and onion powder and let vegetables cook for 10-15 minutes. The kale will brighten in color and you may see some browning of leaves.

Add additional oil as necessary if the mix begins to dry out.

Prepare quinoa plain or with vegetable stock for added flavor.

Enjoy!!!!

Longans!

Mmmm I haven't seen these in a restaurants yet!

Eggplant Parm

Big mama eggplant!

I made eggplant parm tonight that I adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook. I thought I had some breadcrumbs but was out. What to do?? Improvise! I always have some kind of carby, crunchy stuff in my cabinets. I used Wasa crackers, whole wheat saltines, ground flaxseed and bran meal. I tossed all of it in a food processor with onion powder, dried oregano and 1 large minced onion. I then sliced up my huge eggplant and dipped the slices into the egg, then into the "breadcrumb" mixture. I made sure I patted down both sides so the crumbs would stick well. 

Like my official "chinese takeout" mixing bowl?

I baked the eggplant for 25 minutes ate 350 degrees. I utilized some sauce I made last week and froze. Pour a little on the bottom of a glass baking pan and place the baked eggplant slices on top. I then poured a heavenly amount sauce over top of the eggplant and topped it with low-fat mozzarella cheese.
Put the eggplant back into the oven for about 20 minutes. The cheese will become bubbly and begin to brown on the edges. I made some fettuccine as a side dish to complete the meal.


While my eggplant was cooking I decided to try make beignets from the show "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" on the food network. The recipe was super easy to make As you can see by the pictures, I had some trouble maintaining the oil temperature and the little beignets came out somewhat well done :)  . I sprinkled them with powdered sugar for good measure.
I also hate to waste food so I cooked the egg that remained from my eggplant. I made it into a little omelette for breakfast tomorrow.

My eggs are in the shape of a steak!

My Review
The eggplant came out great! The breadcrumb mixture added more depth of flavor than I expected. The eggplant was nice and tender and cut easily. The dinner was a success! I brought some to my parents for a quick taste and they loved it as well.

I need to work on my plating. I was so hungry!

A bit crispy, huh?

The beignets were pretty good but as I said; a little well done. The flavor was nice and they were surprisingly filling. I would like to try them with a nice cappucino or latte. Mmmmm!

Sharing garden goodies!

So tonight I ate leftover frittata for dinner and didn't make much of anything. I did want to share my thoughts on summer gardening. I just love that summer brings out the green thumb and sharing in people. A lovely co-worker in my office gave me a giant eggplant today because she has excess. I have gotten some wonderful gifts this summer such as onions, scallions, squash, tomatoes, red peppers, habanero peppers, basil, mint and rosemary!! Its wonderful that we can all share our love for fresh, organic produce with one another!

By the way, I accidentally ate part of a habanero tonight while making my lunch for tomorrow and it nearly burnt my tounge off!!!! Anyone want them?? I have about 8!!!!

That's it for tonight! Tomorrow I am making eggplant parm!! Pictures to come!

Yesterday

I have been so busy organizing a mini-baby shower for a friend at my now ex-job, but I wanted to share my fun meals from yesterday!

I absolutely LOVE breakfast food! It makes being a healthy eater in the morning a little difficult for most, but I have some ideas to slim down some classics! Yesterday I enjoyed Chocolate Chip Banana French Toast.
 It was DELISH!!!! (I know delish isn't a real word, but they were just that good.) I made them with 35 calorie whole wheat bread, egg beaters and skim milk. I try to make everything a "one pot" meal so I actually mix the milk, beaters, cinnamon, and brown sugar into 1 bowl. Dunk the bread and grill in a frying pan. I had to take a picture of my pan because its hot pink and totally cute!
As I cooked the slices(individually) I pressed 6-8 chocolate chips into the already cooked toast. I made 3 pieces and topped them off with a whole sliced banana and a drizzle of maple syrup. I washed it all down with a cold glass of milk! Yum!!!

For lunch I ate at Wegman's and should have taken a picture of my Indian cuisine but I was starved and ate it up.

My boyfriend has been asking me to make tacos for a while so since I had some time last night, I made tacos. I sauteed a bunch of veggies (asparagus, red peppers, zucchini & onions), cooked up the ground beef and prepped several sides. The sides includes low-fat shredded mozzarella, low-fat sour cream, guacamole, and diced tomatoes. I am a vegetarian so I just ate the veggie portion but he told me the meat was tasty.

Enjoy the photos! I'll post more from my adventures tomorrow. I am baking some old family recipes with my mom and grandmom! Yay!!

Have a delicious evening!!
The HealthyAngel

Tuna Waldorf Salad

I have off this week so I decided to make something different each day. Today I decided to make a tuna waldorf salad for lunch. I didn't have any walnuts so I subbed them for almonds. I used a pink lady apple and light mayo.
It was delicious and I ate it in record time!

Breakfast

Its been rainy and snowing around here lately so I decided to have some heart-warming oatmeal for breakfast. I mixed old-fashioned oats with a chopped pink lady apple, ground flaxseed, almonds, brown sugar and cinnamon.
It is cozy and comfy with a slight sweetness. It was very good!
See you at lunch!
Have a delicious day!
TheHealthyAngel