Almost spaghetti...

Today, I made some veggie filled spaghetti sauce.  I sauteed half a diced onion, a whole diced red bell pepper, and about a dozen mushrooms.  After they were tender, I added about 4 minced garlic cloves and cooked until fragrant (about 1 minute more).  Then, I added a 15 oz can of petite diced tomatoes and a 15 oz can of tomato sauce.  I then added some basil, oregano and red pepper flakes.  Finally I sliced up some chicken sausage and let it all simmer

As if all of those vegetables weren't enough, I decided to make some spiralized zucchini and squash with my new little gadget (found on amazon for less than $10).  I like to fool my husband with things that I cook sometimes so I decided that I would make his dinner half whole wheat spaghetti, half spiralized zucchini and squash.  ;)   My dinner was all veggies though, no real spaghetti.  

After I spiralized the veggies, I sauteed them in a little misted olive oil until cooked through (just a few minutes).  I must say this was very yummy!  I make spaghetti squash every now and then, but I must say that I like this much better because these spiralized veggies kept their shape and texture and it was like actually having spaghetti.  I will make this all the time!  Even my husband liked it!  

I wonder what else I can spiralize....  ;)

Cheesy Roasted Veggies

Looking for a yummy side dish for dinner tonight?  Try this!

1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups cauliflower
1 garlic and cheese laughing cow cheese wedge

I roasted the veggies on a lightly sprayed cookie sheet (I even lightly misted the veggies) at 425 degrees for about 15 minutes or so.  The time will vary depending on how big your veggies are.  When they were done, I zapped the cheese in the microwave for about 15 seconds in a ramekin.  Then I mixed the cheese in with the veggies in a bowl.  I totally sat down and ate the whole bowl.  It was delish and only 130 calories.

Quinoa, Red Pepper, and Cucumber Salad With Avocado and Lime

Here is my salad for the week!  I am thinking this will be yummy in a wrap as well.  :) I adapted it from here.  

Kosher salt


1 cup quinoa


1 garlic clove, pounded to a smooth paste with a pinch of salt


1 large shallot, finely diced


1 jalapeño, seeded and finely diced


Juice of 3 limes

1 medium red pepper, halved, seeded, and finely diced


1 English (seeded) cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)


1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro, plus sprigs for garnish


3 ripe avocados, diced

Directions

1. Cook 1 cup of uncooked quinoa according to package directions.

2. Put the garlic, shallot, jalapeño, and lime juice in a small bowl. Season with salt and stir to combine. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. 

3. Put quinoa, red pepper, cucumber, diced avocado and chopped cilantro in a medium bowl. Add garlic, shallot, jalapeno mixture.  Fold to combine.

Makes 5 servings

Cinnamon Apple Quinoa Bites

Pinterest strikes again!  I came across these little numbers and at about 35 calories a piece, I couldn't help but make this apple pie tasting goodness!  I adapted the recipe from here.

1 cup cooked quinoa

1 cup quick oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 cup chopped apples

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Add all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined.  Spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

I plan on breaking a few of these up and putting them in my yogurt.  Oh my!!

Wheat Berry Salad

Have you ever had wheat berries before?  They are the whole wheat kernel, composed of the bran, germ, and endosperm.  They are a true whole grain.  This is what I have made for my lunch for the week.

I decided to add some wheat berries to some veggies to make the salad I found here.  Ir is so yummy and I LOVE the crunch of this salad.  It is very satisfying.

Serves 4

1 cup wheat berries, preferably the soft white variety
1 lb tomatoes, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded, and finely chopped
3 celery stalks, cut lengthwise into thirds and finely chopped
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
the juice of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Soak the wheat berries for 8-16 hours.  Drain them in a fine-mesh sieve or colander. Pour wheat berries into a large saucepan, fill it about two-thirds of the way with water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until grains are tender with some chew still left, about 1 hour. Drain, then run under cool water to bring wheat berries to room temperature. Drain thoroughly. Add the chopped vegetables.

"Baked" apples

As you may know from reading my blog in the fall, I love apples.  I go apple picking with the hubs and our kids every year.  I love apples baked/cooked in everything too.  It is a cold and snowy day here and I just needed a snack that would warm me up and make me think I was eating something that wasn't so good for me.  :)

I cored and sliced an apple and threw it in a Tupperware container that had a vent on the top.  You can use your own favorite container you toss your leftovers in.  If it doesn't have a vent on the lid, just don't close it all the way.  Once the apple was in the container, I sprinkled about 1/4-1/2 tsp of cinnamon over them, 1 packet of stevia and a hand full of raisins.  Then I added 1/4 tsp corn starch and 1 tablespoon of water.  I put the lid on, gave it a shake, vented it, and put it in the microwave and cooked for 2 minutes.

Yummy, pie-like deliciousness!

Mediterranean Farro Salad

I love farro.  I love salads.  I love making salads on Sundays to have for lunch all week.  :)

I adapted this recipe from here.  Actually, the only thing I changed, was I omitted the olive oil.  

• 10 ounces farro (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon
• 8 ounces green beans, cut into 1 to 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 cup pitted black olives
• 1 medium red pepper, cut into thin strips (about 4 ounces or 1 cup)
• 3 ounces Parmesan, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 small bunch chives, snipped (about 1/4 cup)
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups of water with the farro. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat until the farro is almost tender, about 20 minutes. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and simmer until the farro is tender, about 10 minutes longer. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the green beans and stir. Cook for 2 minutes.  (I used a frozen steamer bag of beans that I tossed in the microwave, so either way will work.)   Transfer the cooked green beans to a bowl of ice water and let cool for 2 minutes. Drain the green beans.

Once the farro has cooled add the green beans, olives, red pepper, Parmesan, and chives. Stir to combine. In a small bowl mix together the sherry vinegar, mustard, pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir to combine. Pour the sherry vinaigrette over the farro salad. 

French Onion Soup

I LOOOOOOOVE French Onion Soup, but a lot of them aren't very good for you.  This is what I whipped up today and I must say, it is delicious!

Makes 5 servings

3 large sweet onions
Cooking Spray
6 cups beef broth
1/2 cup Sherry
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
3 sprigs of fresh thyme chopped
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2.5 oz grated parmesan cheese

I sliced the onions in about 1/8th inch slices and tossed them in a stock pot that had been sprayed with cooking spray.  I started them off on high and cooked them down for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Then I lowered the heat to medium-medium high and cooked until golden and caramelized (about 20 minutes more).

Then I added the sherry, balsamic, thyme and pepper.  I stirred it all until it was incorporated and then added the beef broth.  I brought it up to a boil.

I added 2 cups of soup in my mug and grated 1/2 oz of parmesan on the top.  Oh MY!  SO YUMMY!  I know what you are thinking, "What about the baguette, Kim?"  Well, I didn't add it.  It ends up being a soggy lump anyway (In my opinion).  If you miss it, think about adding a few croutons before adding your parmesan.  That would be easy peasy.

Nutritional Info:  161 calories for 2 cup serving, Saturated fat: 2 grams, Dietary Fiber: 3.6 grams, Sugars: 8.8 grams, Protein: 8.6 grams

Food of the Week: Chobani Bite

Heaven in a cup

I just came back from the grocery store and had to share a very yummy treat I got.  They are called Chobani Bites and they are single sized Greek Yogurt snacks that can curb your afternoon cravings.  This is my new favorite 3pm snack.  The one I had today was Coffee and Dark Chocolate flavored.  Ummmm, YUMMMMMM!  They are only 100 calories each and have 8 grams of protein!  That is the perfect snack to help me get through to dinner.

They come in 4 different flavors, Fig with Orange Zest, Caramel with Pineapple, Coffee with Dark Chocolate Chips, and Raspberry with Dark Chocolate Chips.  I can't wait to try more!

Creamy Roasted Broccoli

I am the only person in my house that eats broccoli.  No matter how I make it, they always turn their noses up at it.  Now I just make it for myself and hope someone shows some interest in it.  I love roasting broccoli.  It gives it a yummy, nutty flavor.

3 cups of fresh broccoli
1/2 cup garlic hummus
2 Tablespoons of parmesan, grated
A few spritzes of olive oil

Roast your broccoli in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes or so.  Add the hummus and parmesan and eat.  It really couldn't be easier.  It is a delicious side dish, snack or lunch.

Caprese Roasted Tomatoes

I had this as a side dish to my steak last night and it was DELISH!  I love Caprese salads so it was no surprise to me how yummy these were.

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 large tomato, cut in half
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 hands full of baby spinach
1 hand full of basil leaves
fresh mozzarella, sliced

I poured the balsamic in a dish and placed the tomatoes, cut side down, in the vinegar.  I let them sit for about 20 minutes or so.  I then put the tomatoes cut side up on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

Then I tossed the spinach and basil in a pan and wilted it with a couple of spritzes of olive oil.  When the spinach and basil was almost done, I added the minced garlic until fragrant.  Once the tomatoes were done in the oven, I put half of the spinach/basil mixture on top of each tomato.  Then I added a slice of fresh mozzarella to the top and put it under the broiler until all melty.   So yummy!

Peanut Butter and Banana Streusel Muffins

Let me start out by saying that these are regular size muffins, not mini muffins, and each one has ONLY 125 calories!!!!  I love streusel!  I especially love streusel that has actual brown sugar and butter!!  Of all of the healthier muffins I make, these are BY FAR my favorite.  That is not to say that those other muffins are bad.  These are just AWESOME!

I adapted the recipe from here.

Streusel:
3 Tablespoons whole grain pastry flour
3 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon honey

Muffins:
2 cups whole grain pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup PB2 (powdered peanut butter) + 4 Tablespoons of water
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup skim milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Coat a 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray

Streusel: Make the streusel by combining all of the ingredients together with a spoon until it forms wet crumbs

Muffins: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until combined. In a large bowl, whisk together the banana, applesauce, peanut butter, sugar, and egg until blended. Whisk the milk and vanilla into the banana mixture until combined.

Stir the flour mixture into the banana mixture with a spoon, just until blended. Do not overmix. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, dividing evenly. Crumble the streusel mixture on top of the muffin batter, dividing evenly.


Bake for 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Easy Omelets!

As you all know, I am a big planner.  I plan my breakfasts, lunches and dinners a week ahead of time and most weeks, have my breakfasts and lunches prepared on Sunday so all I have to do is grab it and eat during the week.  This leads me to make better choices when eating because I already have it made, so I don't decide to have a bag of buttered popcorn with additional butter added for lunch.  I have no excuses.

Here is another yummy breakfast option...OMELETS!  Who doesn't love an omelet?  You can make it however you want.  You can make a different one each day.  Get a giant muffin tin, spray with cooking spray, and add 1 whole egg and 2 egg whites.  Then all you need to do is add your favorite omelet fixins.  Put it in the oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Make them on Sunday for the week and keep them in the fridge in a sealed container.  Pull one out every morning and warm in the microwave and add a whole grain English muffin or some fruit and Breakfast is done!  One large egg has 70 calories and each egg white is 17 calories, so with that as your base, you start with 104 calories for the eggs.  All you then have to do is add what you put in it!

Mine had diced red onions, diced mushrooms, baby spinach and red peppers...So delicious!

Vegetable Soup with Lentils and Quinoa

So I decided to use everything that I already had on hand (and left over from other meals) to make my soup for the week.  It is delicious and so filling!

1 cup dry lentils (cook them according to package directions)
1/2 cup dry quinoa
1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 medium zucchini
2 celery stalks, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups kale, chopped
3 medium red skin potatoes, diced
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano
pepper to taste

In a large stock pot, spray some cooking spray and add the onion, carrots and celery until softened.  Then add the garlic for about 1 minute.  Then add the zucchini,  diced tomatoes and cooked lentils.  Add the dry quinoa and potatoes and cook about 10 minutes or until quinoa and potatoes are cooked.  Once they are cooked through, add the kale and herbs.

This makes about 12 cups of soup.  I eat 2 cups at lunch.

Nutritional info for each 2 cup serving:  261 calories,  0 grams saturated fat, dietary fiber 15.2 grams, 8.7 grams sugar, and protein 14.9 grams

Coconut-Carrot Morning Glory Muffins

I find myself intrigued by bizarre recipes lately.  Would I have eaten a muffin with carrots, applesauce, raisins and coconut a couple of years ago?  Heck no!  It would have most definitely had chocolate chips of some sort.  When I came across this recipe in my Eating Well (February 2013) magazine, I knew I had to try it.  It makes a great breakfast!

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats, plus 2 T. for garnish
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted if necessary
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, plus 2 Tablespoons for garnish
1/2 cup raisins

Preheat oven 350 degrees

Whisk the flour, oats, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in a bowl.

In another bowl, whisk eggs, applesauce, honey, vanilla, and oil.

Mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just moistened.  Gently stir in carrots, raisins, and coconut.

Distribute batter into 12 muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray.  Sprinkle extra coconut and oats on the tops.

Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Nutritional Info: calories: 186, Saturated fat: 6 grams, Sugar: 7 grams, Protein: 4 grams, and Fiber: 3 grams

Farro Bean Soup

Here is my lunch for the week!  It is going to be another cold week, so i am going to have some nice hot soup!  Adapted from here.

Makes about 7 servings

2 oz diced prosciutto

1 medium onion, diced

1 celery stalk diced

3 garlic cloves minced

cooking spray

1, 14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes

2 cans white beans, drained and rinsed

2 small zucchini, diced

3-4 cups chicken broth

3/4 cup uncooked farro

1/4 cup chopped basil

red pepper flakes, optional

salt and pepper to taste

Spray a pot with cooking spray and toss the prosciutto in and let it cook for a minute then add the celery and onion.  Stir until softened (about 6 minutes or so).  Add the garlic and continue cooking for an additional minute.  

Add the tomatoes, zucchini, beans, chicken broth and farro.  Cook farro in soup until done (see cooking directions on your farro).  Add basil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.  If the soup is too thick add some more broth.  ENJOY!

Nutritional info:  414 calories, 0.5 g saturated fat, 21g Dietary fiber, 5.2 g sugar, and 25g protein!

Porcini Mushroom Soup

I LOVE soup when it is cold and yucky outside.  For my lunch this week, I made some soup.  This recipe makes 10 cups and at 111 calories per cup, go ahead and eat 2 cups per day.  It is so delicious and filling.  I adapted my recipe from here.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
16 oz sliced button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms
5 minced garlic cloves

4-5 cups of chicken broth
3 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 can diced tomatoes or freshly diced
1 cup uncooked farro

salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon of dried oregano

grated pecorino cheese (optional)

Pour 1 cup of water in a heatproof cup or bowl and put the dried porcini mushrooms in it.  Place some plastic wrap over the top with a few knife vents and place in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Let it steep while you work on the rest of the soup.

In a large stockpot, pour 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and the onions, carrots and sliced mushrooms.  Cook until softened and all of the liquid has rendered from the mushrooms, about 15 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for a couple of minutes more.

Dice the softened porcini mushrooms and place them in the pot as well as the liquid from them (you may want to strain the liquid though a paper towel in case there is any grit resting at the bottom of your glass).  Add 4 cups of chicken broth, tomato paste, diced tomatoes and farro.  Bring pot to a boil and then simmer for however long it says to cook your farro on the package.  Mine from Trader Joe's says 10 minutes.  Depending on how much broth your farro, soaks up, you may choose to add another cup of broth.

Add the salt, pepper and oregano.

When serving the soup you may want to add a bit or grated Pecorino.  :)

Nutritional Info (without cheese) 10, 1 cup servings:
Calories: 111, Saturated fat: 0.2g, Dietary fiber: 4.1 g, sugar: 3.6g, and Protein 6.7 g.

Warrior Salad

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  I am so ready to get back to my regular schedule.  I have eaten whatever I have wanted and not worked out as much I should have.  It is the holiday season, so I'm not going to dwell on it.  What's done is done.  Time to move on and get back to it.  I can absolutely tell I have not been eating well or been working out.  I have less energy and just feel kind of blah.

I got the recipe for this salad from a cookbook that I got for Christmas (The Chew) and it is from Daphne Oz.  I changed it a little by not adding as much olive oil, but here it is.

Serves 4

Dressing:
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp real maple syrup
1 tsp. whole grain mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Salad:
2 cups cooked quinoa
3/4 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup scallions, thinly sliced

Nutritional info:  265 calories, 0.5 g saturated fat, 46.1 g carbs, 5.5 g dietary fiber, 8.3 sugars, and 8.4 g protein.

Turkey Noodle Soup

Mmmmmmmm, Soup.

Hi there!  Remember me?  I know, it has been a while since I last posted, but you know how life gets sometimes, right?

I had never seen these before, but they are YUMMY!

Anywho, I had a bunch of leftovers from Thanksgiving so I made myself some yummy soup for my lunch this week.  I will try to give you measurements, but I honestly just threw some things in the pot.  In my stock pot, I sprayed some cooking spray and added 4 diced celery stalks, 1 medium onion, diced and about 15 sliced baby carrots.  I cooked them over medium high heat until almost tender then I tossed in about 10 oz of diced cremini mushrooms (button would work fine as well).  After all of the veggies were tender I added 10 cups of low sodium chicken broth.  Once it came to a boil I added half of the bag of whole grain noodles and cooked them for 1 minute less than the recommended time on the bag.  Then I added about 2-3 cups of diced turkey (you could also use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store) and about 1-2 Tablespoons of fresh thyme.  I let the turkey heat through for a couple of minutes and served it up!

This is a perfect lunch for me now that it is cold outside, I can just heat it up and eat.  YUMMMMMMMY!

Quinoa stuffed peppers

I am not going to lie.  I was so excited to make these....but I knew I would have to sell it to the hubs.  This is a meatless meal and even though he has lost over 60 lbs, he needs to have his meat at dinner time.  I thought about it long and hard all day long and the only thing I could think to do was to have him bring home a rotisserie chicken on his way home from work.  LOL!  I really liked it.  It has basil, cheese, tomatoes....what's not to love??

I found the recipe here.  The recipe makes one pepper, so plan accordingly.  

Ingredients
1 medium red or green bell pepper
1/3 cup cooked quinoa
1/3 cup chopped tomatoes
1/3 cup grated zucchini
1 Tbsp minced basil or parsley
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, divided
1 Tbsp pine nuts, divided
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. Cut the top off of the bell pepper and remove the seeds and ribs, leaving the remaining pepper intact. Trim the bottom slightly, if necessary, so it will stand up straight.

3. Combine the quinoa, tomatoes, zucchini, basil or parsley, 1 tablespoon of the cheese, 2 teaspoons of the pine nuts, lemon juice, oil, and garlic in a medium bowl. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

4. Place the bell pepper in a baking dish and add enough water to come halfway up the sides of the dish.

5. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Top the pepper with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cheese and 1 teaspoon of pine nuts and bake, uncovered, for 15 more minutes or until the cheese is melted and the nuts are golden.