French Toast (with hidden veggies!)
Serves 4
Inspired by: Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious
In a shallow dish combine:
4 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable puree (banana, pineapple, sweet potato, carrot, or pumpkin)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Whisk to combine.
Coat a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and set in on medium high heat. Then add 2 tsp (fat free) margarine to pan. When the margarine sizzles:
Then soak slices of whole-wheat bread in the mixture for 30 seconds per side. (no more than 1 minutes or they will get too soggy) Add the soaked bread to the pan. Cook until golden brown on the outside-about 2 minutes per side. Repeat with more slices.
Serve warm with syrup and fresh fruit!
***A note on purees:
I used sweet potato puree for this recipe. You can not taste it at all! To puree sweet potatoes simply roast several potatoes (skin on) at 400* for 45-50 minutes. Then discard the skin. Put veggies in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
I make a large batch and keep any extra in the freezer.
Chipotle Taco Salad
Serves 4
Inspired by: Nutmeg Notebook
Dressing:
Mix the following ingredients in a small bowl:
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 tbs minced chipotle in Adobo sauce (use more for added spiciness)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
the juice of 1 lime
Set aside.
Salad:
Combine in a large bowl:
4 cups shredded romaine
2 cups roasted chicken breast (about 2 breast)
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 diced avocado
1/2 thinly sliced red onion
1 15 oz can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 8 oz can corn (rinsed and drained)
Toss and coat with dressing. Serve Immediately.
Nutrition:
250 calories per serving, 8 g fat, 23 g protein, 7 g fiber
Chocolate Mug Cake
Mix the following in a large mug:
4 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 tablespoons peanut butter
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg
Stir well!
Microwave for 1 and 1/2 minutes for a gooey chocolate cake! Cake is done when it is moist, not runny. Top with vanilla ice cream and fresh fruit!
Believe me when I say use a large mug! This really serves 2.
Easy Bowl Bread
Serves 4
Inspired by: Alexandracooks.com
In a large mixing bowl whisk 4 cups all-purpose flour and 2 tsp salt.
In an additional small mixing bowl dissolve 1 tablespoon sugar in 2 cups warm water. (Not too hot!) Sprinkle 2 teaspoons active dry yeast over the top. Do not stir. Let stand for 10-15 minutes, until the mixture is foamy or bubbly. Stir and add to the flour. Stir this mixture with a wooden spoon for best results. Cover this bowl with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour in a warm spot.
Preheat oven to 425*
Grease 2 oven safe bowls (I used my Pyrex) with 1 tablespoon butter each. Grease well!!
Now punch down your dough using 2 forks. Scrape it down. The dough is a very wet dough, so this is not the easiest task. Divide dough into 2 equal portions, and place in greased bowls. Let rise for 30 more minutes.
Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375* and bake for 25 minutes longer.
Remove from oven and place onto cooling racks. Let cool about 10 minutes before slicing. This bread is so good when its warm! Crispy on the outside, but so moist on the inside!
Rosemary Balsamic Chicken
Serves 2
Inspired by: A recipe I saw on The Chew (very loosely)
Start by marinating 2 chicken breasts with the following:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
salt and pepper
Mix well and seal in a zip-lock bag or a bowl with a lid. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350*
Pour chicken and marinade into a glass baking dish.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Serve over pasta and fresh rosemary.
Nutrition: 350 Calories, 13.1 grams fat, 1.7 carbs, .2 g fiber, 53,6 grams protein (Chicken only, pasta not included)
This is a very easy dish, and it makes your whole house smell so good! I loved being able to use fresh rosemary from our garden.
Shrimp and Pineapple Orzo
Inspired by: This one is my own concoction
Prepare 1 cup (dry) Orzo according to package directions. Drain.
In a large skillet, over low heat, saute 1lb shrimp in 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon minced garlic.
When shrimp is almost fully pink, add the juice of 1/2 grapefruit and a handful of cilantro leaves. Then stir in 1 cup of chopped pineapple. Heat through.
Add the shrimp and juices to the cooked Orzo. Stir. Serve with slices of grapefruit. Salt and pepper to taste.
Lemon Dill Chicken Pasta
Inspired by: thepioneerwoman.com
Serves 2
In a zip-lock bag combine:
1-2 chicken breasts sliced into tenders
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
the juice of 1 large lemon
salt and pepper
a few sprigs of fresh dill
Marinate chicken in the fridge for 1-24 hours.
Preheat oven to 350*
Pour contents of marinating bag into a baking dish. Take out the dill sprigs. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.
Meanwhile, cook 2 servings of pasta (your choice!) according to package directions. I used Fettuccine, since I had it on hand.
Drain pasta.
In a small sauce pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add in the juice of 2 lemons. Whisk together. Add 1 cup of heavy cream (you can use 1/2 heavy cream, and 1/2 half and half for fewer calories) Whisk until hot. Add 1 & 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese and melt. Salt and pepper.
Mix together the pasta, sauce and chicken in a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and dill. Serve immediately!
Baked Sweet Potato Flautas
Inspired by: Peasandcrayons.com
Serves 2+
Preheat your oven to 425*
Peel 1 medium sweet potato. Poke a few holes in the potato and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile combine the following in a mixing bowl:
1/2 diced red onion
1 cup of black beans
1 cup corn
1 cup diced tomato
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup enchilada sauce
Dice your sweet potato and add to the mix.
Stir well.
Heat about 10 corn tortillas in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
Add your filling to each shell, down the middle. Top with shredded mexi-blend cheese. Roll each flauta and place on a greased wire baking rack. (I seriously took the one out of our toaster oven and used that! Be sure that you have a baking sheet under the rack—toppings can fall out during baking) You may need to secure with a toothpick.
Bake for 15 minutes. When finished, broil for less than a minute to make the top extra crispy.
Serve with salsa, guacamole, or sour cream!
We even had a little filling left over that we just ate with chips-delish!
This recipe is gluten free and vegetarian!
Honey Lime Tilapia
Inspired by: One Lovely Life
Serves 2
In a large sealable bag combine:
2 tilapia fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
the juice and zest of one lime
Mix well, and let marinate for atleast 1 hour (up to 24 hours) in the fridge.
When ready to cook, preheat your broiler.
Place the fillets on a broiler pan, and bast with marinade. Cook for about 10 minutes, and the fish is brown and flaky.
Sprinkle with lime juice and serve over rice.
Greek Chicken Skewers
Serves 2
Inspired by: A Hint of Honey
Slice 2 chicken breasts into 1 inch pieces. In a bowl mix 4 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tsp dried oregano and salt & pepper. Place chicken breast in bowl, stir, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Slice the following into 1 inch chunks:
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
and 1/2 red onion
Thread chicken and vegetables onto skewers. (If you are using wooden skewers and a grill, be sure to soak skewers in water first to prevent burning!) Discard marinade. Squeeze lemon juice over the skewers.
Grill or broil for about 5 minutes on each side. Serve hot!
371 Calories per serving
