Italian eggs

I have had eggs made like this at least once a weekend for the past 6 weekends. And for a few quick weeknight dinners. I am absolutely obsessed.

The idea came to be because I needed to use up some cherry tomatoes and spinach. Then I ate them, fell in love and couldn’t stop making them. They have evolved a bit over time, but mostly due to ingredients on hand.

I start by frying one or two eggs in a skillet. Try to keep the eggs on one half of the pan. Sprinkle them generously with salt, pepper and Italian seasonings.  Put a big handful of spinach in the empty half of the pan(and cherry/grape tomatoes, sliced in half, if you have them). Top the spinach with a few spoonfuls of marinara. stir a bit until the spinach wilts. OR, you can scramble the eggs and cook the spinach and tomatoes in with them. So many possibilities.

While you are doing this, toast a piece of bread(I prefer sprouted grain).

Top your toast with spinach/marinara then eggs.

Or vice versa. I have done it both ways and it is equally delicious.

Devour.

Healthified doughnuts

I am not a huge doughnut fan. Or are they donuts? Either way, Brian sure does love them.

In an effort to make quick and delicious breakfasts for him, I discovered this gem of a recipe. I present to you, Banana Chocolate Chip Donuts. Clocking in at slightly 200 hundred calories a piece(with my adaptations), they afford you the luxury of eating a donut without breaking the calorie bank. Or spending the rest of the day at the gym. They are dense, moist, and most tasty when warm out of the oven. Mmm mmm mmm.

I do have a small confession. These are probably nothing more than muffins in the shape of donuts are so much more fun to eat then muffins. And they seem like such a splurge.

I adapted this recipe to make it even more healthified! What did I change?

I used half whole wheat and half all-purpose flour. I cut the amount of chocolate chips in half(big calorie saver and they had plenty of chocolatey goodness). Oh, and we had the donuts without being dipped in cinnamon and sugar. Who needs to add the extra calories? Otherwise, it’s the same process. So, lets look at some pictures.

Donut pans! Where did I get mine? I smartly used a 50% off a single item coupon at Michael’s coupon and got 2 pans for less than $10. They are Wilton brand and worked great.

What a great way to start the day. Coffee and a guilt free donut at the bus stop:

These were super easy to a make and would be easy to make even healthier. Substitute different fruit, add cinnamon, really the possibilities are endless with this recipe. The original recipe said that it makes a dozen donuts. I came out with 14, but mine may have been a little smaller. Oh well, that’s calories saved! They also keep really well. I divided them out in single servings and sent them with Brian throughout the week for breakfast. I imagine they would freeze well, too.
I will definitely be making them again soon.

Apple cinnamon yogurt

Yep. It’s as easy at it sounds. And tastes a little bit like apple pie a la mode.

1 cup of plain or vanilla Greek yogurt

1 apple diced

cinnamon

If you use plain yogurt, you may want to add a drop or two of vanilla, but if you don’t, this is still wonderful. Mix everything together and eat! I put in tons of cinnamon. No really, like a tablespoon just for the health benefits of cinnamon, but would suggest that people start below that amount. This would also be a great post workout snack.

Bread maker bagels

I’ve made homemade bagels before. They were delicious. I wanted to make them again. But not the same ones.

So, I began scouring blogs for good bagels and kept running across recipes for bagels that started the dough in the bread maker. I was intrigued. I was also a little worried that they wouldn’t turn out well. They turned out great. I’m not sure making the dough in the bread maker simplified the recipe all that much. The only change I made to the recipe was that I used half regular and half whole wheat flour.

Here are some pictures from the process:

In the bread maker:

Out of bread maker:

Bagel toppings. Everything and rosemary/sea salt:

Top those bagels!

What about making a breakfast sandwich with one of these beauties?

Weekend breakfast

After working out this morning I made this filling breakfast.

Baby portabellas and tomatoes on sprouted grain toast, topped with an egg. I had a guava and a clementine on the side. And a big mug of coffee.

Talk about starting the day off right!

Getting back on track

So, I haven’t written my blog post on my 10 day trip yet. But I am going to go ahead and write this one anyway.

I feel like I have a little bit of a jumbled brain and might ramble. Sorry.

I am shockingly tired for having just returned from a vacation. Usually I am energized and ready to take on the day. Not this week. I am just dragging! I have been eating healthy, working out and getting enough sleep. What gives? I have no idea but I am going to keep on, keeping on.

The other thing that has suffered(besides my energy levels) has been my cooking. Tuesday night, I had to be an adult and skip a fun dinner with the ladies to go grocery shopping and get my life back together after being off of a schedule. Last night, I went to the gym then came home and made a quick batch of homemade sweet potato and black bean veggies patties to eat over the next few days. (Sorry for the shoddy picture. It was late.)

Tonight, I would like to make a big batch of veggie soup. I love soup in cold weather. Not to mention, you can make a lot to eat for a week and put some in the freezer for later. And it’s healthy. It’s a great meal starter, side or main dish.

This weekend I want to crock pot  or oven braise some chicken and veggies. Can you tell I am in total comfort food mode with the cold temperatures that we are currently appearing in Chicago? A pasta bake might be in order, too. Really, I need to reload the freezer with meals for us.

Other things on the agenda this weekend?

• Blogging. I have so many recipes that I am behind on. Sorry guys.
• These Rosemary Fig crackers! Don’t they look amazing?
• Some sort of baked good. Probably muffins. I want to make something so that Brian has a quick and healthy grab and go breakfast. Pumpkin and peanut butter? Apple cinnamon? Blueberry coconut almond? Who knows.
• Bagels. Another breakfast option or sandwich stuffing holder. I found a recipe the other day to make the dough in the bread maker. I’ve made bagels by hand before and really have enjoyed them, but would like to try this method, too.
• I also want to make these grain free peanut butter cookies. Without the chocolate chips. I was doing well with the very limited sugar. Then I went on vacation for 10 days and ate sugar. Not everyday, but about half of them. Yikes.  Now I’m back off the sugar and missing sweet treats. Hopefully I will be over it by the weekend and not make these.
• I also want to make a big batch of rice so I can throw together a quick meal and not have to make the rice at the same time. I’m curious about these two recipes. Crock pot fried rice and perfect brown rice that I first saw via More Cheese More Chocolate.
• I’ve been eating hummus like it’s going out of style lately. So, I need to make a batch of homemade hummus instead of continuing to buy tub after tub.

Well, after reading back over this post, it looks like I have a very busy weekend ahead of me. Not to mention, making it to my favorite early morning Saturday day class. So hippy dippy and relaxing.

What is everyone else looking to do this weekend?

Tips to succeed in healthy eating

It’s day 2 of the new year! How is everyone doing on their resolutions?

I had a very successful day yesterday. After having a few drinks on New Years Eve, I wanted to eat crap yesterday. Even if I only have one drink, I always want to eat crap the next day. I hate it. Which is why I have cut back and almost eliminated alcohol from my diet. But I didn’t eat crap yesterday. I knew ahead of time that I would probably want to eat crappy and safe guarded myself against it. How?

Planning.

That is the number one key to being successful in healthy eating. Plan your grocery lists and stick to them. Plan your meals. Plan to have healthy snacks ready. Look at restaurant menus ahead of time and decide on what you will order. Doing this will eliminate the impulsive poor decisions.

I almost always have eggs on hand. They are one of my favorite breakfasts and they are so filling and nutritious. They go great with a side of fruit or veggies. I will eat eggs for almost any meal as my source of protein. Even better…they are inexpensive. And cook very quickly, so they are a fast and easy meal.

The other thing I do is make large batches of things. Eat some. Freeze some. Always have food on hand to eat so you don’t grab fast food or go out to eat. I dedicate a good portion of my weekends to cooking so I have food during the week and have no excuse for making poor choices when I get home late and don’t want to spend much time in the kitchen. I made a big batch of this amazing Moroccan lentil soup that Brian and I can’t stop eating.

I also made two big batches of kale salads. The avocado kale salad and the detox kale salad. I love kale salads because they are packed with nutrients and kale is so hearty that it will last for days in the fridge without wilting. Pre-made salad? Perfect.

Utilize your slow cooker. If you don’t have one, get one! They are great for making big batches of soup and a whole variety of other things, including desserts! Look what I made in my slow cooker while I went out to dinner yesterday.

What are those mysterious bundles of aluminum foil? Sweet potatoes. Cooked in the crock pot. Ready to go so I can just reheat the sweet potato and have a filling and healthy side at any meal this week. Just wash, poke a few holes, wrap them in foil and place in slow cooker. Cook on high for 2.5 to 4 hours depending on size and amount of potatoes in crock pot.

Combat hunger by having healthy snack on hand. I always pack an extra piece of fruit or some carrots to snack on while I’m at work. I also keep a bag of almonds in my desk drawer.

So combat pit falls by planning. Always have something healthy ready to eat to avoid temptations.

Ban holiday bloat!

Ugh! It’s the sixth of December and I haven’t blogged once this month! Shame on me.

It seems like the holiday season has already started to take its toll on me. I haven’t been getting to the gym nearly as much and instead have been going out  for fun social events that involve drinking and eating foods I don’t typically eat. While they are always a good time, I can always feel it the next day.

I would say, when did I become so old? But I think  it’s more that I started taking better care of myself(less booze, less processed foods, more exercise,  more organic food and tons of fruits and veggies) and now I can really feel it when I veer from that lifestyle. I literally crave salads and water.

To help counteract the junk I have been taking in, I have tried to throw some more green smoothies in my diet. Yes, they often taste like salads in a glass, but it makes me feel so much better that something good is going into my body. It also helps with all the bloat I get from deviating from a less processed diet.

Here is one I have been making:

A few hand fulls of romaine and spinach. 3 stems of kale with leaves on. 1 apple. 2 stalks of celery. 1/4 of an avocado. Squeeze of lemon. 3-4 cubes of ice. 1/2 to 1 cup of water.

Blend really well.

If you aren’t a fan of the glowing green smoothie, you probably won’t like this. To make it taste more like a smoothie than a salad, add in banana or a pear. Parsley is really good thrown in there too.

I thought it was good enough to drink down and made me feel a ton better, too!

Here’s to finishing the year as healthy as I started it! Bottoms up!

Crockpot chicken curry

I love Indian food. I love curries. I love the way your house smells after you cook them.

What’s better than to come home to that smell and dinner made? Not much.

Adapted from this Pinterest recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes
• 5 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 large bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 5oz tomato paste
• 14oz can light coconut milk(use full fat if you want)
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 jalapeno(I used two and it was very spicy)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch

Place carrots in bottom or slow cooker.

Place cubed chicken on top of that.

Put everything else except the water and corn starch into the food processor. Process/blend until mostly smooth.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and carrots.

Cook on low 6-8 hours. I left it in while I was at work, which was probably closer to 10 hours.

When I came home, the crock pot looked less than appetizing.

I was a little worried, but I gave it a stir and it looked much, much better.

It was also much darker in color and more red than I expected. I attribute this two things. I used a red bell pepper instead of green and I used light coconut milk and the absence of the extra coconut fat could attribute to the darker color. I would like to prematurely note that the flavor is wonderful.

An hour before serving, mix water and corn starch in small bowl. Stir until corn starch is dissolved. Then add to the crock pot and stir to combine. Leave on low for one more hour, then serve. The corn starch helps to thicken up the sauce.

Serve over rice, with naan and garnish with cilantro(optional) and a dollop of plain Greek yogurt.

This curry is awesome. It’s very thick, almost like a stew. We could have eaten it without the bed of rice. I ate leftovers on naan, almost like a sandwich for lunch. I also ate leftovers on a corn tortilla, topped with an egg for breakfast.

This curry is to good it can be eaten any meal of the day.

Eggvacado

This is a delightful and simple breakfast.

Cut an avocado in half. Remove pit. Scoop out a little extra avocado on each side. Those chunks of avocado when directly in my mouth.

Crack an egg in the crater that you have made. You might have some egg white spill over, so it’s best to do this in a baking dish or ramekin. Salt and pepper.

Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes.

This was my eggvacado after 15 minutes. Still with a runny yolk hidden inside.

One of my coworkers was cooked all the way through. So, cook it how you like it.

But it is a very filling, creamy, buttery and naughty tasting breakfast. Just think how delicious it would be to have some toasted points to dip in all that goodness?