Simple Salad

 

This is my go to salad when I want a quick, delicious, filling lunch. It's easy, nutritious, and most importantly makes me want to eat some more. The veggies are super healthy and you get a nice protein boost from the garbanzo beans and egg.

Simple Salad

Ingredients:

Lettuce (romaine, spinach, spring mix, whatever you like)  

1 hard boiled egg (you can just use the whites if you want)

black olives

red onions

garbanzo beans

craisins

For the dressing:

EVOO

balsamic vinegar

white wine vinegar

kosher salt

black pepper

Directions:

Throw all the salad ingredients into a bowl. Drizzle with a little EVOO (a little goes a long way. I actually spray mine with an olive oil sprayer), then with balsamic, white whine vinegar, and season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Mix it up and enjoy! 

 

Black Bean Yam Soup

This. Soup. Is. Amazing. The first time I tried it, my mom had received a jar of it homemade from a friend. It was love at first bite. I begged her to get the recipe, and when she did, we made it right away. Its thick, warming, and has an incredible taste. Served with a piece of fresh, crust multi-grain bread, it's pure perfection.

Black Bean Yam Soup
Ingredients:
1 tsp Extra Virgin Oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 red/ green pepper, chopped
1 dry chipotle pepper, coarsely chopped  (use red pepper flakes if you don't have this)
2 cups Vegetable Stock or broth
3 cans (15.5 oz each) Black Beans, undrained
1 can (14.5 oz) Diced Tomatoes with Roasted Garlic & Onion
2 medium yams or sweet potatoes, peeled, diced 1/2-inch
2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 clove (or more) garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp Hot Cocoa Mix
2 Tbsp Honey
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
 Heat oil in medium stockpot on medium-high. Add peppers & onions and chipolte pepper. Cook, stirring, 3-4 min until soft, but not browned. Add stock, beans and liquid, tomatoes, yam, vinegar, garlic, cocoa powder, honey, chili powder, cumin, and cinnamon.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low, uncovered, 25-30 min or until beans are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with a crusty piece of bread. Yum.


 

Split Pea Dal

Mmmmm....I love Indian food. I would eat it everyday if I could. It's so full of complex and interesting flavors. I ate this particular dal everyday for lunch until it was gone. And then I wished for more.

Split Pea Dal

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups water, divided 

1 cup dried yellow split peas

1 bay leaf

2 cups chopped cauliflower

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

3-4 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon cumin seeds or powdered cumin 

1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons turmeric

1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cube chicken bullion (DO NOT simply omit this to make it vegetarian. Replace with some other similar seasoning)

4 cups torn spinach 

Combine 2 1/2 cups water, peas, and bay leaf in a large saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, 50 minutes or until tender. Add 1 cup water, cauliflower, and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; discard bay leaf.

Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat . Add onion, ginger, and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add cumin and next 5 ingredients (cumin through cloves); cook over low heat 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add onion mixture to pea mixture. Simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until thick. Stir in spinach; cook 3 minutes or until spinach wilts.

I ate this with a whole wheat pita  sprayed with olive oil and crisped up in a pan. You can eat this with naan (my favorite), roti, or simply a pita. I highly recommend crisping it up in a pan. The outside gets nice and crunchy and the inside stays soft. 

Fried Rice

I love Chinese food. But one bite would send me into what I like to call a grease coma. Not fun. So yesterday I made this Shrimp Fried Rice for lunch and it was delicious. You can add whatever mean you want, such as chicken, beef, tofu or whatever else you like. You can also mix up the veggies in here. I went for the traditional peas and carrots, but peppers or broccoli would be delicious too. I found the recipe here and followed it exactly, except with not as much oil.

Chili Dog

Alright, not the prettiest, I know. But the taste makes up for it. This is your average meaty, cheesy, chili dog, but a lot lot lot better for you. It took me about five minutes to make these for my mom, my little bother and I, and we all thought they were wonderful.

Chili Dog

Ingredients: 

Ball Park Smoked White Turkey Franks ( 45 cals, fat free, all white meat, no fillers!)

light wheat rolls 

can of chili (use any kind. I used turkey, but vegetarian would also work)

diced onions

relish

mustard

light cheddar cheese

Directions:

These can be made in the oven at 350 for in the toaster oven if your lazy like me. Place buns in a heatproof dish and toast until a little crispy. Remove and squeeze some mustard and relish into the buns. Next place the hot dogs and top with chili. Dice some onions and place on top. Finish the dogs with a sprinkle of light cheddar cheese. Put the dogs in the oven or toaster until the buns crisp up, the filling is hot, and the cheese is melty, about 5-7 minutes.  

Spicy Chicken Bowl

So this recipe may seem a little strange. But I love it. Whenever I got to one of my friends house, I always see her brother eating the same thing. I mean for every meal, five times a day, every day. He's buff, healthy, and addicted to working out. I was curious one time so I had him make me one. It was so good! (Which was kind of a bummer because I always made fun of him for it) This is definitely not a gourmet dinner, but it is a fast healthy, and tasty lunch anytime.

Spicy Chicken Bowl

Ingredients:

Brown Rice

Boneless, skinless chicken breast (or rotisserie chicken)

Frank's Red Hot Sauce

Fat Free or Light Mexican cheese blend

Cook rice according to directions. You can cook a bunch and leave it in the fridge along with extra chicken, or just make a little for one serving. If you are cooking your own chicken, put a few pieces in a slow cooker in the morning on low and they will be done when you get home. If you're not this organized (like me) you can pan fry them, boil them, or stick them in the microwave for a few minutes with some water. Shred the chicken and place roughly the same amount of rice and chicken in a bowl. Add hot sauce to taste (I like a lot) and top with some cheese. Put it all in the microwave for Minuteman until the cheese is nice and melty. 

Mexican Eggs

My mom lived in Mexico for a summer and brought back all kinds of good recipes. This one has become a family favorite. There are not many things that all three men in the house beg for, and these eggs are one of them. We make a ridiculously large amount of these, leave them on the counter, and they don't last an hour. Expecting a "thanks!", my mom and I usually just get a "is that it?" These eggs are perfect for breakfast, lunch, or even a quick dinner. We even served them at a football party and they were a hit.

Mexican Eggs

Ingredients:

1 T olive oil

1 oz can rotelle tomatoes (diced tomatoes with green chili), drained

1   14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic

10 slices canned or fresh jalapeños, minced

Lowry’s seasoning salt to taste

Pepper to taste

12 eggs, beaten

Corn tortillas

Hot sauce

 Directions

Sauté onions in olive oil until transparent.  Add garlic. Continue to cook until garlic is soft. Add both cans of tomatoes and cook thoroughly. Add salt and pepper. Add eggs and cook just like you would make scrambled eggs. 

Warm tortillas on a skillet or over gas burner, turning frequently.  They should be crispy and begin to bubble.

Serve eggs with tortillas and hot sauce (I use Frank's red hot. Even if your not a fan of hot sauce, try it!). Tear the tortillas into quarters and pick up egg with tortilla sections or you can make mini burritos like my dad.

Turkey Reuben

The only reason I can think of not to eat a Reuben is because of its rather unappealing nutritional stats. But don't worry. I've taken care of that. I use a much healthier turkey pastrami that is just as good regular, along with light swiss cheese and a light yogurt thousand island dressing. Trust me, if my brothers didn't notice a difference, neither will you.

Turkey Reuben 

Ingredients:

2 slices Rye bread 

Light Thousand Island Dressing

3 slices Turkey Pastrami

 sauerkraut

light swiss cheese

Directions:

Turn on a panini press or mini grill. Spray the outside of the Rye bread (use Rye!) with cooking spray. Spread a few teaspoons of light thousand island dressing on both halves. Add a few slices of turkey pastrami, 1 to 1 1/2 slices of light swiss cheese, and a generous helping of sauerkraut. Place the second piece of Rye on top and grill sandwich until golden brown and crispy.

Greek Pizza

Yum! We had a get together at my house yesterday and a friend brought a few of these delicious pizzas over. They were great! Full of Greek veggies, this "pizza" is light, quick and flavorful.

Greek Pizza

Ingredients:

whole wheat pita bread

purple onion, sliced

feta cheese (you can use fat free or regular)

green and/or Kalamata olives

mushrooms, sliced

green and red peppers, diced

artichoke hearts

fresh basil

Directions:

Brush the pita bread with a little olive oil and crisp it up, either in a pan, in a toaster oven, or in the oven for a few minutes until crispy but still soft. Remove pita and top with remaining ingredients to taste (the more the merrier!). Stick it back in the oven for a few minutes until warm.

Buttermilk Pancakes

I love pancakes. I really do. But your average pancake does not contain the nutritional stats I would like them do. That said, not all pancakes are created equal. I have successfully made pancakes that are delicious and nutritionally sound. The real difference is in the flour used as the base for the pancake and obviously, the omitting of oil or butter. There are many options for a healthier flour and I have tried most of them. Oat flour is good, but it doesn't taste like a traditional pancake. Today, I made these pancakes that use whole wheat flour. The whole wheat, combined with flax and cinnamon give the pancakes a nice nutty flavor and they are extraordinarily fluffy. I don't have pancakes very often, but I'm glad I made these. My whole family ate them!

Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour <---(I now use whole wheat white for both flours)

1/2 cup all purpose flour<---

2 tablespoon flax meal (optional)

1 tablespoon sugar substitute 

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch of salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

2 eggs

 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/4- 1/2 cups of milk

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk the wet ingredients in another (reserving 1/4 cup of the milk). Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix just until combined (don't worry about lumps. Mixing too much creates excess gluten, which will make your pancakes less fluffy). Test the batter and add up to a fourth of a cup more milk to get your desired thinness ( I don't like mine thick at all. I think they are fluffier when they are thinner). On a hot skillet, pour 1/3 cup of batter and cook until bubbles show around the edges. Flip. Cook until golden brown.

I top mine with sugar free maple syrup and in this case, homemade raspberry preserves. If you want to make a fruit topping, simply add any kind of fresh/frozen fruit to a pot, add sugar substitute to taste, and add some water. Let the mixture cook until thick. If you want it a little thicker, whisk some corn starch into the sauce. My favorite fruits to do this with are blueberries and raspberries.

**Today, after I put my leftover pancakes in the toaster, I topped them with peanut butter and raspberry preserves. It was delicious. Reminded me of a pb&j sandwich. 

Healthy One Ingredient Ice Cream

Mmmmm...I just finished one of these and couldn't wait another minute to tell you about it. This ice cream is healthy, creamy, delicious, and made out of one ingredient: frozen bananas. It takes literally two minutes to make and is the perfect ending to any meal. You can add anything to it and make it any flavor you want. The picture happens to be my favorite, mint chocolate, but the possibilities are endless. Chocolate peanut butter, cherry chocolate, raspberry, banana caramel, ect. 

Healthy One Ingredient Ice Cream

Ingredients: 

1 frozen banana* 

any flavor combo add ins**

fat free whipped cream (optional)

Place frozen banana and added ingredients into a high speed blender or food processor (the better the blender, the better the ice cream). Blend until creamy. Add any mix-ins desired (raisins, chocolate chips, cookie crumbs, ect.) Top with fat free whipped cream. If you want a thicker ice cream, stick it in the freezer until set.

*Let your bananas ripen until they are black before you put them in the freezer. The riper the banana, the sweeter it is due to the higher amount of natural sugar. I let my bananas ripen for as long as possible, peel them (impossible to peal after frozen), and place them in a zip lock baggies in the freezer.

**Favorite Flavors- add before blending

Mint Chocolate- 2 drops peppermint extract (it's strong), squirt of sugar free chocolate syrup or a tablespoon of cocoa

Chocolate Cherry (or raspberry)- 6-7 frozen cherries, squirt of sugar free chocolate syrup or cocoa

Chocolate Peanut Butter- tablespoon of peanut butter (or peanut butter powder), squirt of sugar free chocolate syrup or cocoa

Caramel- spoonful of fat free/sugar free caramel

Try adding any other fruit, such as frozen raspberries or blueberries 

I haven't tried it yet, but I plan on making a cafe mocha flavor by adding instant coffee granules

Roasted Veggies

Roasted vegetables are one of my all-time favorite snacks. They are delicious, amazingly good for you, and you can eat a boat load of them and not feel guilty:) Making them is as easy as it gets and they are done in about a half an hour. The pictures show one of my favorites; brussel sprouts. Above, you can see the raw, seasoned veggies and below after they've been roasted (they must have literally just been taken out of the oven considering they're still there). 

You can roast any kind of vegetable you want. Play with the seasoning to find your favorite. I promise they won't last long, as you can see below. 

Roasted Veggies

Ingredients:

Vegetables (brussel sprouts, red peppers, carrots, broccoli, califlower, turnips, beets, green beans ect.)

Kosher Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

Garlic Powder

any extra seasonings you like*

Directions:

Preheat you oven to 400 degrees. Cut your vegetables into a reasonable size. I like my brussel sprouts in half, or if they are very large in fourths. Place on a sprayed cookie sheet. Lightly drizzle olive oil and mix, making it so there is just enough olive oil to allow seasonings to stick (too much wont hurt). Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder (or another seasoning combo). Mix to combine. Roast vegetables for about a half an hour, checking every ten minutes untill your desired doneness. 

Some great combos-

carrots-add fresh chopped rosemary (delicious!)

            -leave out the garlic and pepper and glaze with honey 

Broccoli-when almost done, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese

              -add balsamic when seasoning

The Only Way to Eat Chili

My mom makes the best chili. Hands down. (Alright, alright MY favorite chili). It's the perfect blend of everything that makes delicious chili; the spices, the beans, the tomatoes, the mushrooms...I could go on forever. Unfortunately, that recipe is still in the a hand full of this a pinch of that format. Next time we make chili we will be measuring out the ingredients so I can post the recipe. But in the meantime, I will be sharing the ultimate secret on how to maximize your chili enjoyment. And here it is (drum roll please) : a PB&J sandwich. Yup. That's it. Who would have guessed? I can remember the first time my mom forced me to try this heavenly combo. And I remember my skepticism. I couldn't have been more wrong. There's something about the sweetness of the sandwich that balances out the tartness of the tomatoes that creates perfection. Every time I try to convince someone new to try dunking a PB&J sandwich in their chili, I get the same reaction: disgust, followed by extreme skepticism, and hopefully (with an hour or so of convincing) a feeble promise to try it the next time the opportunity presents itself. And when that opportunity does come along, and they try this amazing duo, they eat their words. Along with the best bowl of chili they've ever had. Ever since my first PB&J/chili experience, I haven't been able to eat a bowl of chili alone. Its like it's naked or something. I'm begging you people, try it once and you will be converted. 

Best Way to Eat Chili

Ingredients:

Peanut Butter

Jelly

2 slices of bread 

Chili

an open mind

Directions:

Make your best PB&J sandwich. Grab a bowl of chili. Dunk. Eat. Be amazed. 

Chocolate Mug Cake

Beware of this recipe. It's so easy, it's hard to find an excuse not to make it. Not to mention the fact that is is super healthy, with no flour, fat or sugar. This cake is quick, easy, delicious, and a life savior for all my fellow health nuts. It takes me longer to eat this baby than to make it, and I enjoy every second of it.

Chocolate Mug Cake

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons cocoa (dark or regular)

3 tablespoons egg beaters

1 tablespoon pumpkin puree (you can also use applesauce) 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon milk

2-3 tablespoons sweetener (truvia, splenda, stevia, ect.)

any add-ins- I like to use PB2 (or peanutbutter) or a few drops of peppermint extract

spray of fat free whipped cream

Directions:

Mix in a mug (or a bowl) and microwave on high for 1 minute. If you like a less-molten cake, go for a minute and a half. Add whipped cream to your hearts desire. 

Best Popcorn

When I'm searching for a snack I always end up at the same place: my popcorn maker. Quite frankly I'm in love. I try not to think about the day when I go to college and have to leave my precious baby behind. I probably make popcorn a least three times a week and I haven't used the microwave in a few years, thanks to my popper. This popcorn is delicious, addicting, and best of all extremely nutritious. It's full of fiber, iron, vitamins, calcium and even protein. It's filling and very low in calories, making it my go to snack. People beg for this popcorn once they taste it and once you make it, you'll know why.

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup popcorn kernels

Popcorn seasonings- Act II buttery popcorn salt, Kernel Seasons popcorn seasoning

Directions:

Make popcorn in popper using a few drops of oil (that's all you need). If you don't have a popper, put popcorn in a pot on the stove top with a few drops of oil. Cover with a lid and stir until popcorn begins popping. When the popping stops, remove from pot. Season first with a small (it's potent) amount of Act II buttery popcorn salt. Mix. Spray popcorn with cooking spray and coat with your choice of Kernal Seasons seasoning (my favorite is White Cheddar). Toss popcorn, spray, and add more Kernal Seasons. 

Variations-

Use Kernal Seasons Nacho Cheese or Garlic Parmesan 

Sprinkle with Truvia, Cinnamon, and sugar free maple syrup for a sweet treat

Creamy Pumpkin Pie

Around the holidays, when I get a craving, it's for one thing; pumpkin pie. I have two options. 1: ignore craving and dream of pumpkins. 2: make a healthy pumpkin pie that I can eat as much as I want. I think I'll go with two. After making a few decent pies that I enjoyed (can't say the same for my family) I finally got this one right. The filling is light, creamy, and just as good as regular pie. While nothing beats a flaky, buttery pie crust, this one is a nice, healthy substitute that goes well with the filling. Next time you're making a pumpkin pie, try this one. My family liked it(crazy, I know) and yours will too. 

Creamy Pumpkin Pie                                                                                                                             

Ingredients:

3/4 cup pecans
3/4 cup oats (ground in food processor)
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch salt
1/4 cup canola oil (or less)
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons skim milk

Filling:
1 15 oz.can  pumpkin
2/3 cup Truvia, Stevia, or Splenda
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves                                                                                                                    1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 
1 egg yolk
1 cup unsweetened plain almond milk
2 egg whites

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine the pecans, flours, cinnamon and salt in a food processor and process until ground. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil and maple syrup. Add the skim milk. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Press into a 9-inch pie pan, making sure the crust is of uniform thickness. mold the edges as you please and bake for 10 minutes. Cool.

Combine the filling ingredients, except egg whites, in a bowl and whisk until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whites (don't stir) into the filling mixture, until the egg whites are fully incorporated. Pour the filling into the crust. Bake about 45 minutes, until the center is  set. Cool well before serving. Top with a dollop of light whipped cream.

(adapted from www.whatwouldcathyeat.com)

Icy Mocha Frappe

When I'm searching for a really light treat, I always make this Frappe. It's a blended, icy coffee drink that's really satisfying despite it's lack of fat and sugar. You can add anything you want to the basic recipe, such as raspberries, bananas, peanut butter, caramel, vanilla, or peppermint extract. 

Icy Mocha Frappe 

Ingredients:

1 cup ice

3/4- 1 cup cold coffee

splash skim milk (substitute any kind)

few squirts of sugar free chocolate syrup

1 T (or to taste) Truvia, Stevia, or Splenda

Directions:

Throw all the ingredients into a blender and blend. If your feeling naughty top with a squeeze of light whipped cream.

Portobello Red Pepper Panini

Every summer, when red peppers are in season, my mom and I buy large amounts (I'm talking five to ten bushels), spend way too long cleaning them, and freeze them for later months. When everyone else is paying ridiculous prices for peppers at the store, we simply grab a bag out of the freezer and roast them (heh heh). If any make it past the first five minutes they are out of the oven, they get added various recipes, such as this panini. It's one of my favorites, being quick, healthy, and incredibly tasty. 

Portobello Red Pepper Panini

Ingredients: 

2 slices of bread (I use Arnold Select Sandwich Thins)                                                      

Pesto

Roasted Red Peppers*

Light Swiss Cheese

Onions (I like to sauté mine first)

Portobello Mushroom

Directions:

To make roasted red peppers and mushrooom, slice peppers and coat lightly with olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and granulated garlic to taste. Season the portobello in the same way and roast both in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20-30 minutes, or until beginning to blacken. 

Heat a mini grill or panini press while assembling the sandwich. Spray the outside of the bread with cooking spray or lightly brush with olive oil. To assemble sandwich, spread a layer of pesto and cover with sautéed onions. Place the portobello mushroom on top, followed by a generous helping of roasted red peppers. Top with a slice of light swiss cheese(or your favorite kind) and add the other slice of bread. Cook until the outside is golden brown and crispy.

*if you do not have red peppers, substitute tomatoes 

Also, if you don't have a portobello, you can use turkey or chicken (like in the photo:p)