egg muffins & quinoa

So i started working through my new cookbook and have 2 ideas to share!

Egg Muffins- never thought to bake eggs in a muffin pan before! Just mix egg whites & eggs with a little milk, pour into muffin cups and bake for 12-15 min at 400 degrees! Sprinkle with bacon- yum! Jessica Seinfield suggests adding chickpeas for added protein without the fat, but we didn't really like the taste. I would add more cheese to bake into the egg!

Quinoa- my new favorite super food- a protein rich seed that's gluten free! It's a little pricey so I am keeping my eyes open for sales. I cook mine for dinner with chicken broth to give it a great taste instead of cooking with water. Jessica has a recipe for breakfast made of cooked quinoa, sweet potato puree, little maple syrup, milk, cinnamon and pinch of salt! So yummy, i loved it!

microwave cake- i know, weirdest post i'll ever make

I am a little embarrassed to even be putting this up, but i'm making it right now for the second time and there's a chance I might make it again and I don't want to lose the recipe. Especially since I googled my way around and found it on www.elder-one-stop.com= Your one-stop Resource for elderly issues & Seniors. hahah- i was afraid i would forget the website name.

I made it one night for alex when he really wanted a dessert and we had next to nothing but whole wheat pastry flour, butterscotch chips & carob powder. I'm sure i could have found a recipe a little healthier, but this is what i tried and alex liked it!

Microwave Cake

by Marta

This extra rich, natural microwave cake is an easy 5 minute cake-for-one recipe, made in a mug...with options.

This is perfect for both elderly and kids to make, it's so easy. Great when you're in a hurry or just want a quick but home-made tasting treat. Make sure you use a microwavable mug!

Ingredients
4 Tablespoons of flour (healthy option: whole wheat pastry flour- i used this)
4 Tablespoons sugar (or splenda they said)
2 Tablespoons coco (or try carob powder- i used this)
Pinch of salt (optional)
1 egg
3 Tablespoons of oil
2 Tablespoons of milk
About 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons chocolate chips (healthy option: carob chips)- i used butterscotch
1 Tablespoon dried fruit (optional)- didn't do this

Put the dry ingredients into a microwavable mug. Mix well.
Next, add in the egg and mix together thoroughly.
Then add in the milk, oil and vanilla, mixing well.
Add in the chocolate chips and dried fruit, if using.
Give it one final mix.

To bake your microwave cake, just put your mug into the microwave.
Cook for about 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
NOTE: The cake will rise over the top! This is normal.
Let it cool before eating. You can dump the mug upside down and put the cake on a plate or in a bowl. This may also be enough for 2 people depending on their appetites, especially if you add ice cream!
FEEL FREE TO ADD ICING TOO!

broccoli salad

This is from Publix Apron's Recipes. A friend made it for a party and i like it! Simple, raw broccoli, yum.

Ingredients
12 oz fresh broccoli florets
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3 tablespoons cooked bacon pieces
8 oz light Vidalia onion dressing (1 cup) - INSTEAD of this dressing, the lady at publix said they were told to use this Naturally Fresh POPPY SEED dressing. that is what I used. try each if you want!


Steps

1. Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces, if desired; place in medium bowl.
2. Add remaining ingredients; toss to coat. Chill until ready to serve.

CALORIES (per 1/4 recipe) 270kcal; FAT 16g; CHOL 20mg; SODIUM 430mg; CARB 27g; FIBER 3g; PROTEIN 8g; VIT A 50%; VIT C 130%; CALC 20%; IRON 4%

New fav smoothie

So my new fav smoothie is:

1 cup kale
1 orange peeled
1 cup another fruit
1 cup apple juice
1 cup ice

blend...
yummy

Greek Chicken & Orzo

A group of friends & I do this thing called "Meals in Heels". See my friend Danielle's post about it.

One of our favorite meals to make & freeze is Pampered Chef's Power Cooking Recipe for Greek Chicken & Orzo!

What you need:
1 lb. of cooked chicken (cut chicken into cubes and cook over olive oil on med-high heat until no longer pink)
2 medium zucchini, cut into
1/4 in. pieces
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans,
drained and rinsed
1 can (14 oz) garlic and onion-
flavored diced tomatoes
3 tbsp Greek Seasoning (found at Publix & Walmart)
2, 14oz cans of chicken broth
1 box (16 oz) Orzo pasta (found at Publix prob walmart too)
Feta Cheese for topping
Kalamata olives for topping if you like

Directions:
• Add tomatoes, garbanzo beans, greek seasoning, two cans (14 oz each)
chicken broth and 1/2 cup water to (12-in.)
Skillet; cover. Bring to a simmer over
medium-high heat.
• Reduce heat to medium; add 1 lb uncooked
orzo. Cover and cook 5 minutes (or halfway
through cooking time according to package
directions), stirring occasionally.
• Add chicken & zucchini. Cover and cook 5-7
minutes or until orzo is tender and zucchini
begins to soften. Remove from heat; top with
2 oz crumbled feta cheese. Sprinkle with
coarsely chopped pitted kalamata
olives, if desired.

yummmmmmmy! We've made it without chicken and it's great. we've made it without chicken or beans and it's STILL great! so for all you veggies out there, this is a good one!

veggie burgers anyone?

Hey again! I tried to take off my comment about not having made them before, and the whole post disappeared! We tried them, but used our own black beans we soaked & cooked- didn't work too well.

Just use canned black beans and canned corn and it should be great!

Thanks Dawn!

Vegetarian Black Bean Burgers

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained, rinsed and mashed

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/3 cup whole kernal corn

1/4 cup think and chunky salsa

1 garlic clove, pressed

2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

1. Mash beans. Finely chop onion. Add onion, corn, salsa, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper to beans. Mix well. Add bread crumbs and egg whites to bean mixture; mix well. Form bean mixture into four round patties, about 1/2 inch thick.

2. Heat skillet over medium heat until hot. Lightly spray pan with nonstick cooking spray; cook patties 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cucumber-Lime Smoothie!

Any of you doing a co-op or with a garden, have cucumbers coming out of your ears?

I found this...and I think it needs a little something extra...i'm going to try it again with strawberries too! Let you know how it goes.

This came from Diana's Desserts
Comments:
A healthy (yes, healthy, each serving has only 21 grams of carbs and fat-free) and refreshing drink to serve your guests during the warm summer months.

Ingredients:
3 quarts water
3 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Crushed ice (optional)
Slice of lime or mint sprig, for garnish (optional)

Instructions:
1. Pour 1/2 cup of the water and 1 cup of the cucumbers in blender. Blend until cucumbers are pureed then add more cucumbers and water until all cucumbers are pureed.
2. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain cucumbers into a pitcher to remove seeds and pulp (I DID NOT DO THIS..didn't need to). Stir in remaining water, lime juice and sugar.
3. Chill before serving over crushed ice garnished with a slice of lime.

Makes 4 servings (Serving size: 9 ounces/269 grams).

Variations:
Instead of cucumbers, use tropical fruits like papayas, guava, pineapple or traditional fruits like orange, pink grapefruit, cantaloupe, watermelon or a combination of 2 or more.

Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe (9oz./269g)
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount per serving
Calories: 86
Calories from fat: 0
Total Fat: 0g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 5mg
Total Carbohydrates: 21g
Dietary Fiber: 2g
Sugars: 12g
Protein: 2g
Vitamin A:10%
Vitamin C: 35%
Calcium: 4%
Iron: 4%

Swiss Chard Pot Stickers!

We got some Swiss Chard a few weeks ago and the farmers gave us a recipe, I lost it so I found this one on Whole Living! We left out the mushrooms. Alex LOVED them to say the least. Great way to sneak in some veggies!

Makes 24

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, such as safflower
• 8 ounces Swiss chard (one small bunch), leaves coarsely chopped, stems minced
• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and discarded, caps chopped (I DIDN'T USE MUSHROOMS B/C WE DON'T REALLY LIKE THEM...)
  
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons rice-wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (DIDN'T USE THIS EITHER B/C IT WAS EXPENSIVE)
  
• 1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 24 round dumpling wrappers (FOUND THESE AT ASIAN STORE)
  

Directions

1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add chard, mushrooms, scallions, and garlic and cook until chard stems are crisp-tender and liquid has evaporated, 3 to 4 minutes. Squeeze excess liquid from chard. Transfer to a bowl; stir in vinegar, sesame oil, and soy sauce; season with salt and pepper. Wipe skillet dry and set aside.
2. Place 1 rounded teaspoon filling toward the edge of a dumpling wrapper. Moisten one edge with water using your finger. Bring two edges together, forming a half moon and enclosing filling. Pinch a couple of small pleats along top layer of wrapper. Seal by pressing pleated and unpleated edges together. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat. Keep dumplings and unused wrappers covered with damp paper towels while working.
3. Heat remaining tablespoon vegetable oil in reserved skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange dumplings in pan, tightly, flat-side down, and cook until deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup of water. Return to heat. Cover and cook until heated through, all the water has evaporated, and bottoms are crisp, 4 to 6 minutes more (remove the lid for the last 30 seconds of cooking). Slide dumplings onto a serving platter, and serve with dipping sauce (we used duck sauce).

cinnamon baked french toast

So easy! You can put it all together the night before, stick in fridge and put in oven in the morning! I've made it twice. Alex liked it better the second time when I cooked it a little longer.


The Pioneer Woman's French Toast!

veggie lasagna

1 9oz box whole wheat lasagna (no bake, the brand she used was Gia Russa, but I am sure you could use any no bake noodle)
2 24 oz jars tomato basil spaghetti sauce
2 eggs
2 lbs. ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
1 Tablespoon dried parsley flakes
2 medium sized zucchinis or 3 small (my mom used a combo of yellow squash and zucchini)
1 8oz package baby bella sliced mushrooms
1 6 oz package baby spinach
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves fresh garlic minced (she used more garlic)
additional grated parmesan and romano cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 9X13 glass baking dish (if using a foil pan it says to allow 10-15 extra minutes to cook) with nonstick cooking spray
2. In a medium bowl combine:ricotta, mozzarella, grated cheese, eggs and parsley; set aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute garlic; add zucchini, squash, mushrooms and gently saute for approximately 2-3 minutes (careful not to overcook, they will continue to cook while baking); set aside
4. remove lasagna from box, DO NOT BOIL
5. To assemble, cover the bottom of the baking dish with 3/4 c sauce
6. Layer 4 uncooked noodles (slightly overlapping), 1/3 of ricotta cheese mixture, 1/3 of veggies and 1/3 of spinach. Drizzle 3/4 cup of sauce over veggies. Next layer another row of noodles and press down slighlty, repeat previous steps until there are 4 layers. Top with 3/4 cup sauce
7. Cover with foil and bake for 45-50 min or until hot and bubbly.
8. Remove from oven and let stand for 15-20 min before cutting and serving. Heat remaining sauce and serve with lasagna.

yummy smoothies

spinach

I've always loved the idea of spinach, but unless it is cooked and hidden inside of something, I have had a hard time eating it raw. My sister Erin gave me this recipe for a smoothie she & her roommate make almost every morning. Now I'm addicted. (Ava loves it too!- without the protein).

• 1 banana
• 1 cup of another fruit (fresh or frozen strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries)
• 1 serving protein powder of your choice (i have a few sugg if interested)
  
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 1/4 cup of milk or water
  
• 4 or 5 icecubes to make cold
• BLEND
• then add 1 cup raw spinach
• Blend again! So YUMMY!

baked Taquitos

got this from The Mother Huddle...love her blog. it is yummy!

Lower Fat Baked Taquitos

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1-1/2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded or cubed

1 can diced green chillies

1/3 cup onion. chopped extra fine

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1 tsp cumin

salt to taste

1/3 cup cottage cheese, optional

corn or flour tortillas

1-2 Tbsp oil

Mix black beans, chicken, onion, green chillies, cilantro, cumin and cottage cheese. Add salt to taste.

If using corn tortillas warm them in a skillet on each side or they will break apart when you try to roll them up. Place a couple tablespoons (more if using flour tortillas) of mixture on edge of tortilla and roll up.

Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Repeat until mixture is gone. Baste with oil and place in a 375º oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes on each side or until crispy. Serve with Pico de Gallo, sour cream and guacamole.

My little guys love these because they can just pick up the whole thing and it is easier and less messy to eat then a taco or burrito. I hope your families love them too.

I’m not kidding when I say I can’t stop thinking about desserts. I have literally been dreaming about them. I can’t wait for May 22nd when I can start trying them. Stay tuned they look really good…in my head anyway.

Strawberry/Banana Sorbet!

Even though I won't forget this, I wanted to post it for anyone who might read it.

Our new fav dessert is strawberry & banana sorbet.

2 frozen bananas
2 cups frozen strawberries?

blend in blender

yum

Yummy Salsa & Really Yummy Dip!

These are both from an awesome lady Lyn who is on our Young Life Committee. She's made these for numerous leader meetings and it allllll gets eaten!

Black Bean Salsa

1 can black beans rinsed and drained in a colander
1 can white corn drained
1 can rotel tomatoes drained
1 can black eyed peas rinsed and drained in a colander
---- 1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup red, yellow or orange pepper chopped (I think they all taste the same)
cucumber peeled and chop
Viva Italian (Kraft?) salad dressing is my favorite or any kind of Italian salad dressing

Chill. Serve with scoops. I add an extra can of black beans sometimes or whatever I feel like. It really doesn't matter. Sometimes I add an extra can of corn.Add more or less onion and pepper if you want too. More rotel tomatoes if you want it to be more like a salsa. It is fun to play with and you really can't mess it up.


Corn Dip


8 oz cream cheese
3/4 stick butter or margarine
frozen white corn
jalopeno peppers chopped several teaspoons (as hot as you like it)
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt ( if you have it)

Place in baking dish in oven at 350 degrees. Do not mix. As it heats every 15 or so minutes, stir. Heat until bubbly. Serve with corn chips or Tostitos. It seems so thick at first but it will soften and mix. I add a good bit of corn then I don't feel so bad eating all the cream cheese and butter. ENJOY!

susan's great trail mix bars

> Peanut Butter Trail Mix Bars-
>
> 6 cups of raw oats (just the regular oats- not quick ones)
> 1 1/2 cups of raisins (I use cranberries instead b/c i don't like raisins)
- Hide quoted text -

> 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
* can add unsweetened coconut (optional- I did not)
* can add chocolate chips (1 & 1/2 cups- I added about 1/2 cup bc that's all I had- bc of adding to the heated honey, they will just be melted into the mix so you can't really taste them like in cookies. So I added less just bc of calories :))
> 1 cup of honey
> 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
> 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter
> 1 tsp vanilla
>
Can also add any- dried fruit, other chopped raw nuts, etc.

Combine first 5 ingredients (or all dry ingredients) in a large bowl. Combine honey and syrup in a pot on the stove. Bring to a boil. Add PB and vanilla. Stir until PB is melted. Pour over oat mixture. Then press into 9 x 13 casserole pan. Cool & cut into bars. You can put in freezer if after cooled it is too crumbly.

Enjoy!

A new Tilapia Fav

We've loved Tilapia for a while, and usually just season with allspice and lemon juice. Well, i guess the allspice was old, so i threw it away. Last minute we found this easy recipe and happen to have all the ingredients, so we tried it. It's good...but I would suggest not cooking the max time...ours was just a little overdone.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan (for 2)

Original recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Broiled-Tilapia-Parmesan/Detail.aspx

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon butter, softened
• 2-1/4 teaspoons mayonnaise
• 1-1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/8 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 pound tilapia fillets

Directions

This recipe's Ingredients were scaled to yield a new amount. The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield of 8 servings.

1. Preheat your oven's broiler. Grease a broiling pan or line pan with aluminum foil.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise and lemon juice. Season with dried basil, pepper, onion powder and celery salt. Mix well and set aside.
3. Arrange fillets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Broil a few inches from the heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove the fillets from the oven and cover them with the Parmesan cheese mixture on the top side. Broil for 2 more minutes or until the topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Be careful not to over cook the fish.

Turkey Chili

Stephanie's Mom's Turkey Chili!
Very good!

1 lb of ground turkey

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can kidney beans

1 can tomato sauce

1 can tomato soup

1 beef bullion cube (if I spelled that right)

1 yellow onion

1 dash of soy sauce

1 dash of worchestershire sauce

1 dash of onion salt

1 dash of celery salt

1 dash of pepper

Cover the turkey and diced onion and beef bullion cube in your pan (that you will make the rest of the chili in) with water and brown your meat. Once the meat is brown add all other ingredient and simmer for an hour stirring regularly.

Blackeyed Pea Salsa!!!

Mrs. Snell's super yummy and good for you!
Eat with tortilla chips!

2 cans blackeyed peas (rinse them!)

6 roma tomatoes

2 large cucumbers (cut up into small pieces)

3 ears of white corn (or reg corn, white is better- just wash and cut of pieces from ear)

1/2 cup of white wine vinegar

1/2 cup of olive oil

dash of salt and pepper

dash of sugar (I do this to taste)

dash of oregano

(mrs. snell puts garlic in hers but I've never done that)

Corn, Avacado, Tomato Salad/Salsa

Corn, Avocado & Tomato Salad (good with tortilla chips- it's more like a dip than an actual salad)
2 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 1/2 cups corn kernels
1 1/2 cups diced avocado (1/2 inch pieces)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup finely diced red onion

In large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, cilantro, salt & pepper. Add the corn, avocado, tomatoes, and onion and toss to mix. Serve at room temperature.

YL Camp's BIG COOKIE!!!

My FAVORITE dessert at a week of YoungLife Summer Camp is THE BIG COOKIE! It's a giant skillet baked cookie with icecream on top. Each table gets one and everyone dives in! (or for germaphobes, you can scoup some out on your own plate).

Skillet-Baked Cookie

Cindy Young (Martha Stewart’s Living Dessert of the month for July 2002)

2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

¾ c. unsalted butter softened

½ c. sugar

¾ c. packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1-½ mixed milk and semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 9 oz.)

1. Preheat oven: 350 degrees

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes (use the paddle attachment on an electric mixer). Add egg and vanilla; mix until they are fully incorporated. Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Transfer dough to a 10 inch ovenproof skillet. Press the dough, flattening to cover the bottom of the pan. Bake until edges are brown and the top is golden, 35-40 minutes. Do not over bake. It will continue to cook for a few minutes out of the oven.

4. Cool on a wire rack for 15 to 20 minutes. Cut into 8 wedges. Serve warm. Top with vanilla ice cream and hot caramel sauce.

Simple Chicken Salad

3 cups chicken, white meat, cooked & cubed
1 1/2 cups celery, diced
3 eggs, hard boiled chopped (alex doesn't like the eggs, so I don't put them in)
3 TBSP sweet pickle relish
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup light mayo (I sometimes use Vegenaise)

Mix all together!

172 calories per serving
6g of fat
22g protein
5g carbs
1g dietary fiber
134mg cholesterol
488g sodium

Exchange: 3 lean meat, 0 veggies, 1 fat, 1/2 other
carbs
You could put it over lettuce to add some veggies

Mini Turkey Meatloaves

My husband's office created a recipe book with suggestions from all of the employees. We tried this one the other night! I made 4 mini meatloaves, we ate almost 2 and froze the others for later!
SO EASY to make!!

Mix:
1.5 lb ground turkey
1 cup bread crumbs (I used italian breadcrumbs)
1 cup canned tomato sauce
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 T. italian seasoning
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
Salt & Pepper

Whisk together:
1/4 cup ketchup
2 T. brown sugar
1 T. spicy brown mustard

Directions:
Line the bottom of a broiler pan or cookie sheet with aluminum foil and place in oven at 425 degrees. Whisk together ketchup mixture. In large bowl combine the meat and other ingredients. Blend together and divide into 4 parts. Shape into mini meatloaves about 4" long and 3" wide (mine were just blobs on the pan, doesn't matter if you don't care what it looks like). Brush loaf with ketchup mixture. Remove the heated pan from oven and mist with cooking spray. Transfer loaves to pan. Bake for 25-30 min. Remove and let sit 2-3 min to cool.

Enjoy!!!! We at it with broccoli & carrots! i might add some variations later.