Mexican Quinoa

I love love LOVE this versatile dish, adapted ever so slightly from Annie’s Eats. It’s hearty, but not heavy and super tasty. It’s good warm or cold as a salad. It makes a good topping for a burger if you’re going bun-less too.

Yummy in my tummy

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons. olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
• 1 can (14.5 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chili peppers, with juice
• 1 cup frozen corn
• Salt to taste
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• Juice from half a lime

Directions:

• Add oil to a medium saucepan and heat over medium high heat. Add garlic and jalapenos and saute for a minute or two.
• Add quinoa, chicken broth, black beans, tomatoes and corn and bring to a boil. Simmer covered for about a half hour until liquid is absorbed. I took the lid off for the last five minutes and stirred it every once in a while.
• Add cilantro, lime juice and salt. Enjoy!

Quick-glance nutrition information (from myfitnesspal app)

Servings: 5 (1 cup each) | Calories: 262 | Fat: 4.8 grams | Carbs: 46.9 grams | Protein: 12.5 grams

Skinny BBQ Turkey Meatloaf

Do you ever make something a lot and love it, and then the “season” for it ends and you forget about it? That’s what happened to me with this Skinny BBQ Turkey Meatloaf. Last winter I was making this all the time. And I totally forget about it this past winter, until I was trying to think of something to make with ground turkey that wasn’t meatballs. I can’t believe I didn’t think of it sooner.

It comes out really moist and I like that you can customize it based on your BBQ sauce preferences. I like it with Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey Chipotle sauce. I wish I had a pretty picture to share of this one, but I don’t. But if you head on over to Skinny Kitchen, you can check it out for yourself.

I recommend trying this recipe out soon, because if you’re like me, once the temperature warms up a bit more, I won’t be using my oven again for a long time.

Eating Colorful Foods

Sometimes eating pretty food just makes meal time better. And I know it’s good for you to eat a wide range of colorful veggies. But I didn’t set out for that when I decided to make Thai Chicken Pizzas. Instead, I was trying to think of a way to use up some cilantro I had left and a reason to buy a package of soft pitas from my local discount produce store. I must have had inspiration from some prior Pinterest browsing when I decided that’s what I was going to make. I whipped up a quick chicken in peanut sauce, cut and shredded some veggies, and voila!

Isn’t it pretty?

I layered a whole wheat pita with peanut chicken, a bit of shredded mozzarella, some jalapenos, red peppers, zucchini, carrots and stuck it in the toaster oven to bake. Once everything was warmed through and cooked a bit, I topped it with fresh cilantro. I will definitely be making these again!

Here’s the recipe for the peanut chicken. Have fun playing around adding different types of veggie toppings!

Peanut Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 cooked chicken breast, shredded (mine yielded about 7 ounces)
• 3 tsp seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup warm water
• Red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions

• Stir together peanut butter in water until it dissolves. Stir in rice vinegar and pepper flakes. Mix in chicken until coated.

Quick-glance nutrition information (from myfitnesspal app)

Servings: 4 (about 3 ounces each) | Calories: 201 | Fat: 12.3 grams | Carbs: 5.5 grams | Protein: 18.7 grams

Oatmeal Banana Pie!

Okay, so it really is baked oatmeal. But since it was Pi Day over the weekend and I wanted to use my pretty pie dish, I’m calling it oatmeal pie. I’ve been seeing baked oatmeal recipes on Pinterest and decided it was time to try one. I’m glad I did. This was an easy, healthy and special breakfast.

A healthy breakfast treat

Ingredients:

• 3 bananas, mashed (I used smaller bananas and ended up with about 285 grams)
• 1 cup fat free milk
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1.5 cups quick oats
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbs chopped pecans
• A few dashes cinnamon

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray an 8 x 8 baking dish or pie pan with cooking spray.
• Mix mashed bananas, milk, egg and vanilla.
• Add oats, baking powder. baking soda, cinnamon and nuts. Mix well and let sit for 10-15 minutes.
• Pour into baking dish and bake for about 40 minutes, until center is set and edges are browned.

I topped this with a drizzle of maple syrup because it needed a little more sweetness. I think if my bananas were riper or if I had used bigger ones, it might have balanced it out a bit more. But the maple syrup was an extra nice treat!

Quick-glance nutrition information (from myfitnesspal app)

Servings: 4 | Calories: 241 | Fat: 6.1 grams | Carbs: 39.8 grams | Protein: 8.4 grams

Source: http://www.southerninlaw.com/2014/03/healthy-banana-bread-baked-oatmeal-recipe.html

Healthy Bowl Recipes

I came across this Fitness Magazine article while browsing Pinterest and was instantly intrigued. Healthy Bowl Recipes for dinner.  That sounds really easy and actually kind of fun! I think they know just how to hook you because I probably wouldn’t have been as excited if everything was neatly portioned out on a plate. But mixed together in a bowl? Now that caught my interest.

I’ve been craving steak and Mexican, so I thought I’d do some Mexican Steak Fajita Bowls! Other than accidentally overcooking my steak, they came out really good.

Here’s what I put in each bowl:

• Steak (obviously)
• Quinoa
• Black beans doctored up with some spices
• A little bit of corn (it was in the freezer and I love it)
• Sauteed onions and peppers
• A fresh salsa made from chopped tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice and a little salt

It was something easy and different. And you can customize them based on what you’re craving or your eating style. And all the protein in this kept my full for a while!

Have you tried anything like this yourself? What other combinations are good?

Split Pea Soup

It’s no secret that I’ve been on a soup kick lately. Split Pea Soup is one of my favorites from childhood. I love it, although it kind of bums me out that it’s so high in carbs. But there’s a decent amount of protein (and lots of fiber) in it, too!

Yummy

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried split peas
• 7 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon marjoram
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 8 oz ham, chopped
• A few twists freshly ground pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• Additional 1/2 cup water
• Salt to taste

Directions:

• Combine ham, 7 cups water, bay leaves, bouillon cubes, pepper and marjoram in a pot. Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add onion, carrots and celery and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally.
• Add additional half cup water if soup seems thick. Season with salt, if needed.

Quick-glance nutrition information (from myfitnesspal app)

Servings: 9 (1 cup) | Calories: 197 | Fat: 0.5 grams | Carbs: 40.5 grams | Protein: 20.5 grams

Turkey and Spinach Meatballs

I’m usually not a big fan of touching raw meat. In fact, I’ll go way out of my way to avoid it – think rubber gloves, awkward use of two forks. But I have made these meatballs twice now and willingly smushed raw ground turkey around in my hands. I guess I just like them that much.

The first time I made them, I followed the recipe as directed here. But this time, I decided to make Italian meatballs to pair with spaghetti squash. I like both versions of the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
• 3/4 cup oatmeal
• 1/2 cup fat free milk
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 1/4 onion, minced
• 1 box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and extra liquid squeezed out
• Hearty shakes garlic powder, dried oregano and basil
• 1 cup spaghetti sauce

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 pan with cooking spray.
• Combine all ingredients except sauce in bowl. Mix well with your hands.
• Form 16 meatballs. Top with sauce.
• Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through.

Quick-glance nutrition information (from myfitnesspal app)

Per meatball | Calories: 70 | Fat: 2.5 grams | Carbs: 5.3 grams | Protein: 7 grams

Adapted from here.

Quinoa with Kale and Feta

You know when you see a recipe and you know it’s going to be good? I knew this Quinoa Salad with Kale and Feta was going to be so good, and I’m not sure why because I honestly wasn’t sure if I liked kale. I think I cooked with it once or twice before and couldn’t remember the outcome. But it seems like everyone trying to be healthy bows down to kale, and quinoa… and I already love quinoa, so… this had to be a winner, right?

It looks pretty, too!

And oh man, it was. I haven’t tried it cold yet (for the salad part), but warm, this made the perfect side dish for my single gal Valentine’s Day dinner for one. I paired it with some oven baked chicken tenders (“breaded” with almond meal). I was in healthy meal heaven.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 tbs olive oil
• 1/4 red onion, diced small
• 1 container baby kale (5 oz.)
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup feta crumbles
• 1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds
• 1-2 tbs fresh lemon juice

Directions:

• Cook quinoa according to directions. Once water is absorbed, remove from heat and pour dried cranberries over quinoa in pot. Put a piece of paper towel over the top of the pot and place lid back on. Set aside.
• Heat olive oil in skillet and saute the onion until it begins to soften
• Add kale to the pan and cook until wilted
• Pour quinoa and cranberries into large bowl. Add kale and onions, top with almonds and feta. Mix well. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste and mix well.

Quick-glance nutrition information (from myfitnesspal app)

Servings: 8 (about 4.5 oz – sorry, I weighed instead of measured!) | Calories: 147 | Fat: 4.8 grams | Carbs: 21.4 grams | Protein: 5.3 grams

Originally from here.

Recipe Monday – Applesauce Almond Meal Pancakes

I’ve been craving a really good (i.e., bad for me) breakfast for ages. Maybe if I just went out for breakfast, I wouldn’t be spending all this time on Pinterest looking for healthy breakfast recipes. But then I wouldn’t have stumbled on this Grain Free Applesauce Pancake Recipe. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to get me some almond meal, stat.

Pancakes yasss

I cut the recipe in half because it was my first time making them and I regretted it immediately. Unlike the Banana Pancakes recipe I posted, this one really tastes like pancakes. What’s even better, if you choose maple syrup to sweeten them, you won’t even feel the need to put more syrup on top.

So if you’re looking for a yummy and healthy breakfast, check out these Grain Free Applesauce Pancakes over on Fit Foodie Finds.

Recipe Monday: Cabbage and White Bean Soup

I had some luck with two recipes I winged this weekend. One was a crock pot pork stew-thing that could have gone pretty wrong and the other was a soup, which would have been pretty hard to screw up. Although in my wine buzz, I probably could have managed it, but I didn’t. And now I want to share it with you.

I was inspired by some so-called zero points Weight Watchers recipes I saw on pinterest, but I didn’t follow any one recipe specifically. I’ve been adding some turkey meatballs from my freezer to up the protein count. This would also be great with some boneless pork ribs thrown in.

Cabbage and White Bean Soup

Yum yum soup

Ingredients:

• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1/4 vidalia onion, chopped
• 1/2 small zucchini, sliced
• 3 cups cabbage, chopped
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, with liquid
• 1 14.5 oz can great northern beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• Using an immersion blender, puree about half the beans with a little liquid (optional)
• Put all ingredients (except salt and pepper) in a pot and bring to a boil
• Simmer for about 45 minutes, until vegetables are soft
• Season with salt and pepper to taste

Quick-glance nutrition information (from myfitnesspal app)

Servings: 4 (2 cups each) | Calories: 168 | Fat: 0.8 grams | Carbs: 32 grams | Protein: 9.2 grams