Recipes

Healthified Italian Sub

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Today, it dawned on me:  I am kitchen appliance dependent. 

Nearly every meal I cook up makes use of my oven, stove top, or George Foreman grill.  If the meal is not something that typically requires one of these appliances I FIND a way to use them.  A sandwich, for example, can go from “meh” to “ohmmmmmmm myyyy gawddd” with just a quick bake in the oven. 

Take a gander at today’s lunch:

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Why oh why can’t I put a toaster oven in my cubicle???  Google searches for “cubicle toaster oven” and “George Foreman in my cubicle” turned up with disappointing results…  (Yes, I actually spent 30 minutes looking at this) Alas, at least I get to use my gadgets for weekend lunches!

Today’s delicious healthified Italian sub consisted of:

  • 1 Pepperidge farm 7 grain deli flat
  • 4 ounces lean turkey breast
  • 1/2 a slice Sargento Pepper jack cheese
  • red onion
  • tomato
  • banana peppers
  • 4 slices turkey pepperoni
  • 1 tbsp Ken’s Steakhouse Lite Italian Romano dressing
  • Couple sprinkles of Franks Red Hot
  • dried oregano
  • black pepper

All together nah:

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I popped this guy into a 400 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, until the cheese was nice and melty:

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Then sandwiched the two halves together:

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YEESSSSSS.

Of course I also had a good size salad on the side, which rounded out this lovely Sunday lunch.

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Love me some veggies Smile

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<3

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Stats on the sandwich:  312 calories, 33g carbs, 9g fat, 28g protein, 6g fiber

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Recipes

10-Minute Taco Salad for One

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When I was a kid, there were a few dinners that I got off the charts excited about.  Spaghetti, Meatloaf, Stuffed Cabbages, Steaaaaaak, anything involving potatoes, Paella, Hamburgers, Pizza, Macaroni and Cheese… ok maybe there were more than a few….  But one of the ULTIMATES was Taco Salad Night.  Just thinking about it makes my tummy rumble!

Last night, in anticipation of my very own Taco Salad Night, I pulled 4 ounces of 93% fat free turkey breast from the freezer to defrost.  I swear, freezing individually portioned meats (and meals) never ceases to bring me joy!

Four ounces of love:

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All I could think about ALL DAY at work was TACO SALAD!  I’m talking a serious unable-to-computate-numbers craving.  I could barely make it til 5.  Thankfully, my tasty taco salad for one cooks up in ten minutes flat—sooooo, I didn’t have too long to wait once I finally arrived at home.

Feast yo’ eyes!

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First up, I seasoned the defrosted turkey breast up with a little salt and pepper and cooked in a sauté pan until no longer pink.  Then I sprinkled on 1 tbsp of McCormick’s taco seasoning blend and a 1/4 cup a water, reduced the heat, and let the turkey simmer away until the liquid thickened.

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Meanwhile, I put 1/2 a bag of romaine lettuce on a plate and topped with some chopped tomato, onion, banana peppers, 2 tbsp fat free sour cream, and the secret ingredient:  10 smashed up baked nacho cheese Doritos.

10 minutes to tasty!

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When the hot meat hits the smashed Doritos and mixes in with the sour cream you get this deliciously cheesy slightly spicy oh-so-creamy sauce. 

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LOVE this taco salad!

Stats on the taco salad:  368 calories, 34g carbs, 11g fat, 26g protein, 8g fiber

 

 

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Recipes

White Chicken Chili

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Last night was my first night back from Charlotte, AKA my first night home alone.  I knew I needed something healthy after the Charlotte Restaurant Binge but I was really craving comfort food.  Soooooo, I decided to go with a healthified version of the white chicken chili the BF made a few months back.

I started off by heating 1 tsp of olive oil in a large pot.  Once hot, I added 1 large chopped up onion (the larger the better.. I’m talking softball size).

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I tossed four cloves of minced garlic on top (to keep the garlic from burning), and once the onions were soft and translucent I added:

  • 2 4 ounce cans chopped green chilies
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 32 ounces reduced sodium free-range chicken broth
  • 2 cubed up grilled chicken breast
  • 1 diced jalapeno
  • 3 cans great northern beans, rinsed and drained

Chopped up chickies!

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I let everything simmer for 15 minutes or so:

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Thennnnn I stirred in 3/4 of a cup reduced fat Mexican blend cheese.  (I probably could have got away with 1/2 a cup of cheese—ohhhhh well)

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How easy is this by the way????

Once the cheese was melted, I divided the soup up into 6 even portions:

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I popped a couple of the portions into the freezer and some into the fridge for lunch this week.  And of course one was for dinner tonight!  I poured that lucky portion into a bowl and topped with some sliced jalapeno:

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Dinner is served!

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D-E-L-EEEEEEEEEESH 😀

Stats on 1 Serving White Chicken Chili:  277 Calories, 37g carbs, 5g fat, 29g protein, 11g fiber

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Recipes

Turkey Time

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I swear every time I make meatballs I forget to write down what I threw into them.  Ohhhh, the elusive turkey meatball recipe… changes every time.  Yet, always tastes delicious.

I bring you spaghetti squash with turkey meatballs and garlic mushroom marinara:

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Easier than it looks, I promise!

(Check out this post  for some tips on cooking up your spaghetti squash)

While my spaghetti squash was doing its thang in the oven, I got to work on the meatballs.  Here’s what went into them:

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Your guess is as good as mine. Winking smile

Alriiiiiiiiight, here’s approximately what went into the meatballs:

  • 10 ounces 99% fat free ground turkey breast
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tbsp bread crumbs
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp marjoram
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp dried oregano

This mix gave me 10 2-bite meatballs:

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I sprinkled each meatball with a little olive oil (about 1 tbsp for all 10 meatballs).  I cooked these in a 400 degree for 15 minutes, flipped them over and cooked for another 10.

Meanwhile, I sautéed 2 cloves minced garlic and a couple handfuls of sliced baby bella mushrooms in a sauce pan:

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Then added 1.5 cups of Prego sauce to the pan along with some garlic powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and dried oregano.  I popped a lid on the pan and let it simmer away on low heat until the meatballs and spaghetti squash were done cooking:

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I promise you–this dish will totally satisfy your pasta cravings.  Look how tasty:

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As an added bonus, I was able to get 3 servings out of this batch.  Hello tomorrow’s lunch and the day after tomorrow’s dinner!

Stats on 2 cups Spaghetti Squash with 3 Turkey Meatballs and 1/2 cup sauce:  320 calories, 37g carbs, 10g fat, 27g protein, 7g fiber.  Molto bene!

Since the ground turkey comes in a 20 ounce package, I decided to use the remaining 10 ounces to make up some of my beloved Turkey Meat Muffins Open-mouthed smile 

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Only thing I did different this time was to omit the oil.  I didn’t notice much of a difference, so I think I’ll stick with the oil-free version in the future. 

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I LOVE these guys for several reasons.

  1. They are pre-portioned and super cute.
  2. They satisfy my belly in a healthful way.
  3. Leftover meatloaf sandwiches rock my socks off.
  4. Saying “meat muffin” brings an unavoidable smile to my face 😀

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Nom.

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Recipes

Szechwan Shrimp

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Whelp, I haven’t been doing much blogging lately BUT I have been doing a decent amount of cooking!  Time to play catch up!

Three things that I look for in any good recipe:

  1. Easy.
  2. Healthy.
  3. Onions.

ok… The recipe just has to be friggin delicious (usually that comes with the addition of some onions, but not always).

This recipe for Szechwan Shrimp has been a favorite of mine for a couple years now, simply because it meets my three criteria (even the onions!).  Even though it has lots of ingredients, most of them are things I always have on hand.  Can’t complain about that!

First up, I mix up the sauce ingredients in a small bowl:

  • 2 tbsp water
  • 1 tsp ketchup
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp honey
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 1/8 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp olive oil

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Then I sprayed down a skillet, heated it over medium heat, and added 1 large sliced green onion and one clove minced garlic.  I let these sauté for a bit, then added 3 large raw shrimp:

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Once the shrimp was cooked through I added the sauce and used a rubber spatula to combine. 

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I let the mixture heat up until it started to bubble and thicken and then tossed on top of 1 serving of brown rice.  I also added some steamed oriental veggies and a Chung’s veggie spring roll:

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So pretty!

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So delicious…

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