Search Results for: fall

Arugula Lemon Pesto

Published Aug 27, 2012 by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Last week I was browsing at the grocery store when I noticed a big container of Spicy Wasabi Arugula on sale. Regularly $6, I snatched it up for just under $2 and didn't look back. But Wasabi Arugula....what could I use this for? I recalled the spinach pesto I made for grilled cheeses not too long ago, and thought I could probably use this arugula and do a pesto with it.....pesto doesn't always have to be made with basil, right? So I figure this pesto can be made with any type of arugula, or green leafy veggie. I also wanted to cut down on the oil a little bit, so I decided to add some lemon juice to help with the blending process. I might try kale pesto next....sounds good, right? Use this for a pasta, chicken, fish, veggies, roasted potatoes, or pizza....the options are endless! Put it on a grilled cheese like I did with my spinach pesto, drool!

Arugula Lemon Pesto

Ingredients

2 cups of packed arugula leaves I used wasabi arugula!, stems removed
½ cup of shelled walnuts or almonds
½ cup fresh Parmesan cheese
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves or not, if you are using a food processor, peeled and chopped
2 TBS Lemon Juice
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Combine the arugula, salt, nuts, garlic into a food processor. Pulse mixture. Add parmesan cheese and pulse mixture.
Continue to pulse while drizzling the olive oil into the processor. Add lemon juice last and pulse until combined.
Remove the mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl. Use for whatever you want!

Recipe Notes

Sometimes it’s good to make extra pesto and save some for later use. I love putting a some into freezer trays, freezing, then popping out into a zip lock bag. Presto! Pesto whenever you need it!

Potato Salad with Bacon & Parsley

Published Aug 15, 2012 by Allyson
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I am not usually a fan of potato salad, but the dressing on this along with the parsley make it really tasty. This specific recipe calls for bacon, but you could leave that out for a vegetarian potato salad as well. The Dijon sauce is tangy, yet not too tart. Do not overcook the potatoes or you will have a mashed potato mess. This Potato Salad with Bacon and Parsley would be great as a side dish at a BBQ, to bring to a potluck, or to have as a side for your dinner. There are minimal ingredients, and most things you probably already have in your pantry. With not much a of a mess and quick clean up, this is a quick and easy go-to recipe!!

potato salad 1 — Potatoes and Sauce before whisking - so vibrant!

Potato Salad With Bacon & Parsley

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds new potatoes I used 1 bag of baby red potatoes
kosher salt and black pepper
4 slices bacon
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped

Instructions

Place the potatoes in a pot with water to cover and 1 teaspoon salt and simmer until tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool. Cut into quarters.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels. Crumble when cool.
In a large bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, mustard, ¾ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Toss with the potatoes, bacon, and parsley.

Recipe Notes

Serves 6
The potatoes can be cooked and tossed with the dressing and the parsley up to one day in advance. To ensure that the bacon stays crisp, add it just before serving.

Recipe From Real Simple Magazine

Nutritional Information:

Super Easy Strawberry Basil Margaritas

Published Aug 13, 2012 by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Last week I was helping plan and organize a Mexican Themed Girl's Night party for my boss, and I was excited to find some new mexican recipes, along with some fun cocktails. Whenever I think of a fiesta, I think of margaritas! It wasn't until a few years ago that I actually started liking margaritas, and they have to be made perfectly; on the rocks, with a ton of lime, and salt on the rim. However, when I was searching for new recipes I came across the most delicious looking Strawberry Basil Margaritas, and decided it had to be made. My boss agreed that it looked wonderful, so we added it to the menu. Well, I was so excited about these margs, that I had to go home and make it that night. While I put my son to bed, my husband ran out and bought the couple of ingredients we didn't have, and by the time Austin was asleep, my husband was chopping up strawberries. This is definitely super easy, inexpensive, and would make an awesome party cocktail. The recipe says to let it sit overnight, but 20 minutes was long enough for us. We did drink more the following day, and it had a bit deeper flavor, but it was still really good right away. These are super easy, and super strong! Serve them up with some Bean and Potato Enchiladas, or a Southwestern Pizza! Enjoy!

Super Easy Strawberry Basil Margaritas — Strawberries & Basil.....mix it up!

Strawberry Basil Margaritas

Ingredients

1 can frozen limeade concentrate 12 ounces
10 strawberries or 12 if you're using smaller ones from the farmer's market or your backyard.
8 basil leaves
2 to 2 ½ cups tequila gold or silver

Instructions

Empty the limeade concentrate into a pitcher. Add 2 ½ cans of water. Add 18 ounces, or 2 ¼ cups cans of tequila (or a bit less, if you don’t want your drinks to be quite as strong).
Hull the strawberries, slice lengthwise, and add to the pitcher.
Crumple the basil a little in your hands or muddle it a bit (this will help the basil flavor release into the drink) and add it to the pitcher, too.
Place the pitcher, covered, in the fridge overnight, or for at least four hours. (We drank after about 20 minutes and were still delicious)

Recipe Notes

When you remove the pitcher from the fridge, your margaritas will be a lovely pale pink color. Serve over ice and enjoy!
Makes 1 pitcher, or about 8 servings

Like summer cocktails as much as I do? Check out these other drinks from Domestic Superhero:

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Thanks for visiting!

- Allyson

Sauteed Asparagus with Poached Eggs, Tomatoes & Goat Cheese

Published Aug 9, 2012 by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

I was browsing the farmer's market a couple weeks ago and found the most perfect looking asparagus. Lately I have been enjoying asparagus more than usual (even though I love it), and picking it up whenever I can. It really makes a tasty side and there are so many delicious ways to fix it. I decided to make the asparagus the bulk of this meal, add a poached egg (which I am still trying to get better at doing, see basic explanation), toss on some cherry tomatoes, and add a sprinkle of goat cheese. Let me tell you, it was brilliant. Since the eggs were poached nicely, the yolk was super runny and made the perfect 'sauce' for the asparagus. The goat cheese warmed when put on top of the asparagus and had the perfect melty bite with the tomatoes and egg. I ended up cutting up everything and mixing it all together...messy, but perfect in my opinion. My husband wanted a little more, so he had 2 poached eggs. I can see this dish being served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner...really, any meal! Serve it up with some lovely buttered toast or an English muffin. Serve it in a roll as a delicious egg sandwich.

Sauteed Asparagus with Poached Eggs, Tomatoes & Goat Cheese

Ingredients

4 large eggs or more if you want more than 1 egg per person, poached
32 asparagus spears probably 2 bunches, ends trimmed and washed
1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper
4 TBS Crumbled Goat Cheese
Container of Cherry/Grape tomatoes quartered

Instructions

1. Add 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil to a large skillet and heat on medium/high. Add asparagus, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and saute for a few minutes until tender (3-4 minutes).
2. Assemble by placing 8 asparagus stalks on a plate. Top with poached egg, ¼ cup tomatoes, and 1 TBS goat cheese. Add additional salt and pepper to egg if desired. Serve warm.

Recipe Notes

4 servings, 191 calories per serving (1 egg)

Broccoli, Bacon & Egg Cups

Published Aug 6, 2012 by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Egg cups have been all the rage lately, and it seems like they are popping up everywhere. I have seen them offered on some brunch menus, all over pinterest, and as cute appetizers at different parties. It makes sense because they are easy to make, apparently freeze well, and are delicious.

It really is a great idea to make a bunch of these, freezer individually and then pop 2 into the fridge at night for a quick grab and go breakfast the following morning. I hear these are kid friendly too ! I didn't try these specific egg cups, because they include bacon and I made them for work, but they did look and smell delicious.

I would definitely try these at home with maybe spinach or tomatoes in place of the bacon. These are super healthy and only have 5 points per serving (3 cups per serving).

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Broccoli, Bacon, and Egg Cups

Ingredients

6 slices uncooked turkey bacon sliced crosswise into 1⁄4-inch strips
2 cups uncooked broccoli frozen, chopped
1 small uncooked red onion chopped
1.5 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 TBS all-purpose flour
1 cup buttermilk
3 large eggs
3 large egg whites
4 TBS parmesan cheese grated, freshly grated
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

Instructions

Place the oven rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 350ºF. Heavily spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
Spray a nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat. Add the bacon and sauté until crispy, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Return the skillet to the heat. Add the broccoli, onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning; cook until the vegetables are just tender, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the flour and the cooked bacon. Set aside to cool.
Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, egg whites, cheese, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until blended. Stir in the cooled vegetable mixture, then spoon evenly into the muffin cups. Bake until set in the center, about 20 minutes.
To remove, run a narrow rubber spatula or knife around the edge of each muffin cup. Yields 3 mini egg cups per serving.

Recipe Notes

If you have leftovers, they reheat beautifully in the microwave. You can make the vegetable mixture and the egg mixture (minus the buttermilk) up to a day in advance; store them in separate containers in the refrigerator. Simply whisk in the buttermilk right before cooking.
Choose bagged frozen broccoli over the solid-brick type. Its flavor and texture are usually better, and it’s easy to measure out the allotted amount.
Makes 4 servings, 3 cups per serving. 5 WW points per serving

Simple Brussels Sprouts

Published Jul 31, 2012 by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

A few weeks ago I was looking for a healthy and hearty vegetable to serve as a side with dinner. I wasn't sure what to make, but I felt like trying something different. A few of my friends suggested trying brussels sprouts, but I was skeptical. I actually had never even tried these mini cabbages, but I always thought they were not tasty. I was wrong. I was wrong. I was wrong. These are so simple to make, and were delicious and healthy. They were satisfying and the more I research different brussels sprout recipes, the more intrigued I am to try them every way possible. This recipe is simple, and it's likely you already know how to make them. If you don't though, please give them a try. Like me, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Simple Brussels Sprouts — Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Simple Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

1 Mesh Bag of Brussels Sprouts about 20, ends trimmed and cut in half
1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil use more if you want, I was trying to keep it light
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper or less if you don't like much pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place all ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Toss with hands to evenly coat sprouts with EVOO, salt, and pepper.
3. Dump onto a sprayed (pam) baking sheet. Stick in oven. Cook for 30-40 minutes, shaking the pan around every 10-15 minutes for even cooking. The sprouts should be brown on the outside when finished. Serve hot and with more salt if desired.

Recipe Notes

2 Servings, 10 sprouts (whole) each. 110 Calories per serving.

Quinoa & Tomato Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

Published Jul 19, 2012 by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

I was searching for a good recipe for portabella mushroom caps and found a few yummy ideas. Grilled caps, caps stuffed with tomatoes and mozzarella, caps with a balsamic glaze...all kinds of ideas! I was thinking to do the caps stuffed with tomatoes and cheese, but I realized I didn't have all the ingredients. I had started cooking the mushrooms and thought I needed to 'stuff' it with something that was going to be more filling because it was going to be our entire meal...I don't really cook many sides when at home. Immediately I thought of quinoa! I could mix it with the tomatoes and it would be filling and healthy. Perfect. Rice cooker out, quinoa in, 10 minutes later it was ready to go. I also decided to add a slice of melted Lite Jarlsburg cheese to the top, which made it feel decadent and creamy. I didn't follow any specific recipe for this dish, so I am claiming it as my own. It was really tasty, not too filling (I wasn't too full, but I wasn't hungry either), and really healthy. With only 231 calories, 4 grams of fat, and 14 grams of protein, this was a total win! I will definitely be making these again!

Quinoa and Tomato Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

Quinoa Stuffed Portabella Mushroom Caps

Ingredients

6 oz Portabella caps I have seen packs of 2 or 3, I get a pack of 2 since there are only 2 of us
1 can Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with garlic, although I love the pepper kind too!
2 slices of Lite Jarlsberg Cheese probably any cheese would be tasty
1 cup Cooked Quinoa

Instructions

1. In a medium pan over medium heat add tomatoes. Let simmer while you prepare mushrooms.
2. Remove gills and stem from inside of mushrooms (spooning it out is the easy way!). Spray cooking spray in a different pan and set over medium/high heat. Lay mushrooms on pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Flip and cook on the other side.
3. Add quinoa to pan with tomatoes. Mix and turn heat off. Preheat broiler on HI.
4. Remove mushrooms from pan and place into baking dish (broiler safe) or on baking sheet. Divide mushroom mixture in half and spoon onto each mushroom (so each has ½ the mixture). Place slice of cheese on top. Place under broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese (watch it!).

Recipe Notes

**For me, the mixture was a little too much to put ½ cup of tomato mixture on each mushroom, so I put a little less than ½ and then served the rest on the side. It was really tasty even by itself!
Serves 2, see below for nutritional information (6 points per serving for WW)

Quinoa stuffed mushrooms — Quinoa and Tomato Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

For those of you on Weight Watchers, each serving has 6 points!

Love quinoa like I do? Check out these other great quinoa recipes!

Guilt-Free Spinach Dip - Low Cal, Low Fat, High Protein!!

Published Jul 16, 2012 by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Spinach dip is one of those things that nearly everyone loves, and it is always around during the holidays, sporting events, cocktail parties, and pretty much whenever people get together. It is so yummy, but by taking a look at the ingredients, it is not healthy at all. Tons of mayo and sour cream bulk this recipe up with saturated fat and tons of calories. The standard serving is classified as 2 tablespoons.....TWO TABLESPOONS??? Who eats that little spinach dip? I mean, seriously?!?! In that small amount there are 8 grams of fat, 80 calories, and 2.5 grams of saturated fat (too much!), and no one eats just one serving! So last week I was craving spinach dip so bad after my friend, Stacey, posted a picture of her delicious spinach dip in a bread bowl on her way to a party. DROOL. I had to make it, literally. I went out to the store a few hours later and picked up all the ingredients. Once I got home I decided I would try to tweak the original recipe and replace a lot of the bad ingredients with Greek Yogurt. These days it seems like everything can be replaced with Greek yogurt. I always use it in place of sour cream, and I can never tell the difference so I figured it would be the same story for the spinach dip. I did decide to leave a tiny bit of reduced fat mayo in the recipe, because mayo has a certain zing that is hard to replicate, and I didn't want the recipe to feel like it was lacking something. Anyway, it turned out great! I worked out the nutritional information as well, and cut out all the saturated fat, reduced the fat by a ton, and the calories as well. I decided to make the serving a lot larger (⅔ cup), which to me seems more realistic.

This is how the nutritional information compares (both have 6, ⅔ cup servings)

I mean, look at the difference!!! By modifying with the greek yogurt you save 43 grams of fat, 350 calories, 14 grams of saturated fat, and you gain nearly 7 more grams of protein. This is a win!!!

Guilt-Free Spinach Dip - Low Cal, Low Fat, High Protein!! — Low fat, low cal, protein packed Spinach Dip!

Here is the recipe folks....

5 from 1 vote

Guilt Free Spinach Dip - Low Cal, Low Fat, High Protein

Ingredients

1 packet Knorrs Vegetable Recipe Mix
¼ cup reduced fat mayo
10 ounces frozen spinach thawed and drained
22 ounces Fage total 0% yogurt or 2 cups+ ¾ cup
Chives to garnish optional

Instructions

Combine all ingredients and chill about 2 hours. Serve with your favorite dippers.

Recipe Notes

A new serving idea: Hollow out cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes. Fill vegetables with Spinach Dip and garnish with a sprig of dill.

**My nutritional information does not include bread bowl or dippers.

You can also connect with me here:

Thanks for visiting!-Allyson

Chickpea & Brown Rice Veggie Burgers with Tomato Salad

Published Jul 11, 2012 by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

I am a big fan of veggie burgers and think they are a great healthier option to a big beefy burger. This reminds me....before I was a vegetarian and when I was living in Berkeley (this might be an oxy moron), I used to frequent this pub/bar with the BEST Blue Cheese Burger EVER. OMG, I am drooling just thinking about it. A big beef patty, a huge mound of blue cheese, and an buttered toasted roll. It was so so so good. Unfortunately, from what I have heard, Raleigh's burned down after changing ownership. Oh well, good for me since I would be tempted to devour it upon visiting the bay area. Anyway, back on topic. My boss found this Veggie Burger recipe from Weight Watchers and it looks pretty good for you chickpea/hummus lovers out there. I don't really eat chickpeas anymore because the texture really bothers my stomach (same with avocado, it sucks!), but these looked pretty appetizing. While I was making them I kept thinking it would be easy to turn them into little balls, too, and make them into a falafel type of meal. Also, the recipe called for 1 egg white, but I couldn't get the ingredients to bind well at all with just one, so I ended up using 2 and it was perfect.

This recipe is only 4 points on weight watchers for the whole meal! Salad and burger!! You could probably add a bun if you wanted for a few extra points as well. It is super healthy, packed with protein, and I think will even satisfy meat eaters. If you wanted, you could double or triple this recipe and freeze the patties for later use as well!

Anyway, I think the real star of this meal is the salad! It is such a pretty component and dressed up the burger so nicely! I made a cucumber and tomato salad with the left over veggies and it was so delicious and pretty!

Chickpea and Brown Rice Veggie Burgers — Ingredients...there are lots! And so many colors!

Chickpea and Brown Rice Veggie Burgers

Ingredients

1 cup cooked chickpeas
½ cup cooked brown rice
2 tablespoon dried plain bread crumbs whole wheat
3 tablespoon shredded carrots
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3 tablespoon uncooked scallion s, minced (1 medium)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
1 lg egg white I used 2 egg whites because the burgers wasn't binding well

Instructions

To make burgers, place chickpeas in bowl of a food processor; pulse for 10 second intervals until a course texture is reached, about 20 to 30 seconds total. Add rice and pulse again to combine, about 10 seconds more.
Spoon mixture into a large bowl. Add bread crumbs, carrots, parsley, scallions, lemon zest, coriander, salt and pepper; mix to combine. Add egg white and mix again to combine; refrigerate for at least 10 minutes or up to overnight.
Spray a grill rack or grill pan with cooking spray; heat grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.
Form the mixture into 4 burgers using about ⅓ cup of mixture for each (I used a ½ cup but didn't fill it all the way up, it helped form a nice burger shape). Place burgers on the pan and spray the tops with cooking spray. Grill burgers, without moving them (don't move them-you want a nice crisp on each side!!), until golden brown and crispy, about 6 to 8 minutes. Carefully flip burgers and cook until golden brown and crispy on other side, about 6 minutes more. Yields 1 burger per serving.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers Points: 4 per serving (salad and burger)

Tomato Salad

Ingredients

½ cup s cucumber(s), diced
¼ cup s sweet red pepper(s), diced
2 tablespoon uncooked red onion s, thinly slivered
¼ cup s grape tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 tablespoon parsley fresh, chopped
3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil extra-virgin
¼ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon pepper

Instructions

To make salad, combine salad ingredients in a medium bowl; toss to combine and set aside.

Chickpea & Brown Rice Veggie Burgers with Tomato Salad

Caesar Roasted Cabbage

Published Jul 9, 2012 by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

In my house we don't eat much cabbage, but when it was on super sale around St. Patricks day I decided to try a few different recipes. One I found that I really liked was a homemade baked egg roll recipe. It was really tasty, easy, and the cabbage tasted delicious. With the left over cabbage I made some stir fried cabbage with various veggies and soy sauce, which was also yum. Anyway, when I saw this Caesar Roasted Cabbage recipe on one of my favorite food blogs, Budget Bytes, I decided to give it a go. It was pretty easy to make, and the only trouble I ran into was keeping the cabbage together, and it ruining my nonstick pan. I don't know why, but I have been having a lot of trouble with sticking lately. I use foil/spray/whatever, and it still sticks. Anyway, I ended up having to throw away my baking sheet which sucked, but I guess I need to be more careful with my cooking precautions. The cabbage turned out delicious and would make a great side to any meat or burger. It can probably be paired with anything actually. My husband even went as far as to say it, 'is the best cabbage' he has ever had! Woo!

This recipe is also SUPER cheap...like under $5 for sure. All you need is the dressing (which you might already have), and the cabbage. I have seen cabbage as low as 15 cents per lb, so be on the lookout for a good sale price and this recipe would be super cheap.

Caesar Roasted Cabbage

Ingredients

1 head of Cabbage
8 oz. caesar dressing not creamy

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove any wilted leaves from the outside of the cabbage. Rinse under cool water and shake as much excess water from the cabbage as possible.
2. Cut the cabbage into wedges, leaving the stem/core intact (this will hold the wedges together during roasting). Place the wedges on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Brush the dressing onto all sides of the cabbage wedges, even the bottom.
3. Let the cabbage roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes depending on the size of the wedges and your desired doneness. About half way through (15-20 minutes in), remove the cabbage and carefully turn wedges over to allow them to roast on the other side (tongs work best). The cabbage should be tender and brown and crispy on the outer edges.

Recipe Notes

Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 35 min. Total time: 45 min.

Recipe adapted from Budget Bytes

Guest Blog: “Guiltless” Fettuccine Alfredo with Sautéed Mushrooms & Broccoli

Published Jun 27, 2012 by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

I have noticed more and more recently a lot of 'Guest bloggers' being featured on some of the blogs I follow, and I decided I wanted to give it a try! I love sharing recipes with friends, and I know a lot of people that are kind enough to share their recipes with me! I am part of a 'Menu Planning' group that gives me inspirations for recipes, and keeps me in check (most of the time...) with my weekly meal planning. Since I started my blog a few months ago, the group has been really supportive of my blog and recipes! I thought it would be a great place to start to find some cool guest bloggers!

So, first up we have Shannon! She made a delicious 'Guiltless' Alfredo sauce to go with fettuccine with mushrooms and broccoli! For sure this is a girl after my heart! The only thing that could have made this whole experience better was if I had been invited over for dinner!!! I am going to add this recipe to menu in July! I can't wait to try it!! She also took the time to write this entire blog post, take the photos, and include a blurb about herself!! I am so excited to feature Shannon! Here we go!

“Guiltless” Fettuccine Alfredo with Sautéed Mushrooms & Broccoli

Who doesn’t love Alfredo sauce?

My thighs, that’s who. Just looking at the stuff makes my bathroom scale start doing its best Buzz Lightyear impression…To infinity and beyond! Seriously though, as an on again, off again Weight Watchers girl, I avoid cream sauces like the plague. My husband, on the other hand, often orders the creamy, carb hugging goodness when we go out to restaurants, and nothing happens to HIS thighs… the jerk.

Anyway, I stumbled across a “guiltless” Alfredo sauce recipe and thought we might as well give it a try. It runs right around 100 calories per ¼ c. serving, which my thighs are already thanking me for. It requires simple ingredients that you probably already have on hand and seemed very simple to make.

This would be great over grilled chicken, but we like to incorporate a few vegetarian meals in our repertoire each week, so I made this over pasta with sautéed baby portabella mushrooms and broccoli florets. My 18 month old son devoured it, and even asked for more “noodles” for breakfast the next morning.

Here goes:

You’ll need:

photo 1 (3) — This recipe is not for the lactose intolerant

And...

Veggies! You could definitely get creative here.
Spinach, peppers, and artichokes (read: bacon) would be great additions.

Start by heating some butter, and throwing in some garlic. I used pre-minced garlic in the jar for this because weeknights are not for doing everything from scratch.

We have a motto in my family that goes something like this, “MORE GARLIC.” While the garlic works its magic, blend the cream cheese and milk in a blender until smooth.

Add the blended mixture to the garlic and butter, and stir, stir, stir!

This is the part where you show your multi-tasking skills because on the next burner, start sautéing MORE garlic (refer to family motto) and throw in those veggies! Don’t forget to keep stirring the sauce!

Confession: I also used frozen broccoli and pre-sliced mushrooms. Guess what, it was still awesome!

That’s pretty much it. Once the sauce thickens, all you have to do is throw in the parmesan, stir it up, cover, and let it sit for about 10 minutes while you finish up everything else. The finished product looks something like this:

“Guiltless” Fettuccine Alfredo with Sautéed Mushrooms & Broccoli and a Guest Blogger!! — “Guiltless” Fettuccine Alfredo with Sautéed Mushrooms & Broccoli

My husband, the Alfredo expert, proclaimed this dish as delicious, though he could tell is wasn’t as heavy as the original version. To me that is a good thing, because I didn’t feel like a beached whale after eating dinner that night!

“Guiltless” Fettuccine Alfredo with Sautéed Mushrooms & Broccoli

Ingredients

3 oz. light cream cheese
2 c. low fat milk I used 1%
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. Butter
2-3 tbsp. Flour
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
4-5 cloves minced garlic
8 oz. sliced baby portabella mushrooms
1 head fresh or 1 package frozen broccoli florets
1 box of fettuccine
black pepper to taste

Instructions

Directions

1. In large pot, boil water (be sure to add salt!). Add fettuccine and cook until al dente, according to package directions.
2. While pasta water is heating, place milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. In sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add half of the garlic. Let the garlic sauté for about 30 seconds, then add the blended mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more until it thickens.
3. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the parmesan. Cover and let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. As the sauce thickens, add olive oil to a pan and heat on med-high. Add the rest of the garlic and sauté until vegetables are soft (but not mushy).
**Leftover sauce can be reheated by adding a bit of milk to help thin it back out.

Recipe Notes

**A couple of notes: The sauce definitely needed pepper, but I did not want to compromise the color of the Alfredo, so we added it to our plates. If I had some ground white pepper on hand, I would have added that to the sauce as I was making it. Also, I doubled this recipe and that seemed to be just right for an entire box of pasta.

Recipe adapted from “Our Best Bites”

Shannon Brenner lives in Pittsburgh, PA. She is a career counselor, mother, wife, pretend chef, blogger, and Steelers fan (not necessarily in that order).

Thank you so much, Shannon!!!

Pecan Crusted "Fried" Chicken

Published Jun 26, 2012 by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

I made this recently for my boss and I thought it looked really good. It seems like a great alternative to frying chicken, it is healthy, and it was really easy to make. The recipe was found in the Weight Watchers Just 5 Ingredients cookbook. It has 5 or less ingredients, and doesn't take long to cook at all. The recipe has 6 weight watchers points per serving (4 servings). The recipe is pretty inexpensive as well, so that is great if you are on a budget. I would also say this is good for kids and could be a nice alternative to chicken nuggets. You could easily cut the breast into strips and coat it like to make a more chicken 'tender' look. While making this recipe I was reminded of the Pecan Trout I made not too long ago. It was essentially the same recipe, so I guess recipe could be alternated with chicken/fish/turkey...maybe even pork. I served this with a side of roasted broccoli and carrots, but probably any side vegetable or wild rice would be yummy.

Pecan Crusted "Fried" Chicken — Get your recipe ready!

Pecan Crusted "Fried" Chicken

Ingredients

¾ cup lowfat buttermilk
4 5 ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast
¼ finely chopped pecans
⅓ cup plain dried breadcrumbs
1 tsp. Cajun Seasoning

Instructions

1. Pour buttermilk into medium sized bowl. Add chicken breast. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine pecans, bread crumbs, and cajun seasoning in a shallow bowl or dish. Remove 1 chicken breast from buttermilk, let buttermilk drip off, and then dredge the chicken into mixture, coating both sides. Repeat with remaining chicken. Lightly spray chicken on both sides with non-stick spray.
3. Spray a large oven-safe nonstick skillet with non-stick spray and set over medium/high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to over and bake until chicken is cooked, about 10 minutes (depends on the thickness of your chicken).

Recipe Notes

FYI: Most skillets are oven-proof up to 350 degrees. If you aren't sure about yours, wrap the handle in aluminium foil twice. Or you can just transfer the chicken to a baking sheet (I did this because all my chicken didn't fit in the skillet at once).
Nutritional Information per serving (4 servings): 153 calories, 9 grams of fat, 32 grams of protein. 6 Weight Watchers points per serving.

Loaded Baked Potato Fries

Published Jun 25, 2012 by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

My husband and I really enjoy going to Bar Trivia, and used to go all the time before we had our son. Now that we have a little one at home, we try to go a few times a month. One place we love going, TJ's, has the best bar food ever. My husband loves their cheese fries, as do I, and we always order them. Served with delicious homemade ranch, they are so good, but so unhealthy. I wanted to find a recipe that was a little healthier (still not healthy), and just as tasty. I turned to one of my favorite food blogs, Budget Bytes, and she had a great looking recipe! I was super excited to try it because it was cheap, easy, and looked to be mouth watering.

I had my husband do most of the prep work while I was putting my son to bed, so I didn't get photos of the whole cooking process. I decided I wouldn't even take a final picture, but then once I tried the fries I had to document them! They are so good, I don't want anyone missing out! The spices are a really awesome combo and make the fries super delicious and the corn starch really helps them crisp up (and these are baked, not fried). From now on I will use this recipe while making any oven fries, even without the cheese. I bet the spice blend would be delicious on sweet potato fries as well. The original recipe calls for sour cream to be served with the fries, but I highly suggest homemade ranch. There is nothing better than ranch to go along with cheesy fries!

Also, if you are a fan of bacon on fries, you could easily throw on some cooked bacon on the top!

Loaded Baked Potato Fries

Ingredients

3-4 lbs Potatoes
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbs. Chili Powder
½ tsp. Paprika
¼ tsp. Garlic Powder
¼ tsp. Salt
¼ tsp. cracked pepper
1.5 Tbs. corn starch
1 cup low fat shredded cheddar cheese
½ bunch chives

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Wash the potatoes well. Cut the potatoes into strips or "fries", approximate ½ inch thick.
2. Place the fries in a bowl and add the olive oil and worcestershire sauce. Toss to coat. In a small bowl combine the chili powder, smoked paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Stir to combine the spices, then add to the bowl with the fries. Toss to coat once more.
3. Line a baking sheet (or two) with foil and spray lightly with non-stick spray. Spread the fries out on the baking sheet so that they are in a single layer and not piling up on each other. Use two baking sheets if needed. Bake for 40 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
4. After 40 minutes, they should be slightly brown and crispy on the edges. If you cut your fries thicker, they may need more time in the oven. Transfer the fries to an oven safe casserole dish. Top with the shredded cheese and return to the oven for about 5 minutes more or until the cheese is fully melted. Chop the onions while the cheese is melting. Top the fries with the green onions and dollops of sour cream or ranch. Serve immediately!

Recipe Notes

Total Recipe cost: $5.81
Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 45 min. Total: 1 hr.

Recipe adapted from Budget Bytes

Provolone White Bean Grilled Panini with Basil & Tomato

Published Jun 22, 2012 by Allyson
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When I first saw this recipe I knew I had to try is asap! It looks so delicious and creamy, yet not too unhealthy. I had never used white beans in a sandwich before, and while intrigued, I was a little skeptical that it would resemble hummus. I used to love hummus, but since I had my son I cannot eat it. Just having a tiny taste of it makes me have the worst chest pains. Same with avocado anything. It is so sad. My doctor said that it's the texture getting stuck in my esophagus and that's that is producing the pain....so I try to avoid anything that might be similar to these textures. I had no issue with this white bean mixture though, which made me really happy (especially because I didn't have to spend a few hours in excruciating pain).

Anyway, it is really easy to get the beans into a paste if you microwave them for about 30 seconds (drained and in a bowl) and then use a potato masher to mash them up. It takes a little elbow grease, but it's worth it. Also, if you don't have a potato masher, just use a sturdy fork. I still prefer using a fork to mash black beans. This recipe is for 4 sandwiches, but I cut it in half to make just 2. It was perfect!

There are two options on how to cook this sandwich (see instructions). One if for on the grill, which the original recipe called for. I don't have a grill so I used a pan, just like I usually do when I make a grilled cheese or something similar. It worked out fine for me, and I am sure was not so different, but I think using the grill is somewhat of a novelty. Try it, let me know how it is.

Provolone White Bean Grilled Panini with Basil & Tomato — Adding the tomatoes

Provolone White Bean Grilled Panini with Basil & Tomato

Ingredients

1 cup fresh basil leaves finely chopped
½ cup light mayonnaise
3 cups shredded smoked Provolone cheese about 8 oz.
1 15- oz. can white beans rinsed and drained
½ cup chopped red onion
8 slices of good bread sliced french, fresh rye, etc

Instructions

OPTION 1- on the grill

1. Preheat grill to medium high. Combine basil and mayonnaise in small bowl, and set aside. Use potato masher to mash beans up. Toss together cheese, beans and onion in medium bowl.
2. Spread 1 Tbs. mayonnaise mixture on each roll. Divide bean-cheese mixture among rolls. Close sandwiches, spritz with cooking spray and wrap in foil.
3. Wrap 4 bricks in foil. Place 4 sandwiches on grill, and set bricks on top of each. Grill 3 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.

OPTION 2- In a skillet on the stove top

1. Combine basil and mayonnaise in small bowl, and set aside. Use a potato masher to mash beans up. Toss together cheese, beans and onion in medium bowl.
2. Spread 1 Tbs. mayonnaise mixture on each roll. Divide bean-cheese mixture among rolls. Close sandwiches, spritz with cooking spray.
3. Place sandwich into skillet and cook on medium until golden brown on each side (about 3 minutes on medium heat).

Recipe adapted from Vegetarian Times.

More Gallery Wall

Published Jun 19, 2012 by Allyson
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I posted a couple weeks ago about the maps that I have fallen in love with while in the process of putting together a gallery wall. These types of walls are very popular right now, and it seems like a really cool way to display things that have meaning to you and are creative and cool. I have found a couple more cool things to add.... (ignore the pink borders, wordpress adds that automatically and would not be around the actual print).

A DIY eyechart! I think these are so cool. I found a really great website that will make them for you, with any words you want, as long as you agree not to sell them. You can check it out here. I made the chart, and then edited it in photoshop to get the final look. I added the heat sign, and then the black boarder. I think framed this would look awesome!

Before the edit above

After the edit....This is a simple edit which can be done in many free programs as well.

I also love these blue prints, but they would likely need to be edited so the writing would be clear. The quality of the copy is too small to have the writing come out clear enough.

I also really like simple words or phrases on canvas. These could be really nice, especially since I am obsessed with the yellow and grey color combo.

I would really love to make a large world map and pinpoint all the places we have been together. This would be difficult though, because every time we travel we would have to replace it. I mean, I guess it wouldn't be that bad considering we don't travel that much now that we have a child, but hopefully we would be able to add more places in the near future!

Do you have any idea's for a gallery wall? How about a wall that inspires you?

Chive-Mustard Chicken With Sugar Snap Peas

Published Jun 11, 2012 by Allyson
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I made this recipe last week for my boss and it seems pretty tasty. The sauce with the snap peas was delicious, so I can imagine paired with the chicken it would be really good. The recipe is from Fit Magazine, so it is also pretty healthy. I have included the nutritional information below, along with the WW point (7). This was quick to make and had minimal ingredients, most things you probably have in your pantry right now! If you want to try this with fish or pork in place of chicken, that would probably be yummy as well.

Chive-Mustard Chicken With Sugar Snap Peas

Ingredients

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4, 6 ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used more)
½ cup white wine
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped shallots or red onion
½ pound sugar snap peas strings removed
¼ cup chopped chives

Instructions

1. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Lightly dredge chicken breasts in flour mixture. Reserve remaining flour mixture.
2. In a small bowl, combine wine and mustard; stir in broth.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1 table-spoon oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and saute until golden, about 2 minutes a side. Transfer to a plate.
4. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet. Reduce heat to medium, add shallots and cook about 30 seconds. Stir in reserved flour mixture and cook until dissolved, about 30 seconds. Add wine mixture and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
5. Return chicken to skillet with any juices that have accumulated on the plate. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer until chicken is just cooked, about 2 minutes a side. Place a chicken breast on each of four dinner plates.
6. Add peas to skillet and return sauce to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium low and simmer until peas are crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Stir in chives. Divide peas among plates and spoon sauce over chicken.

Recipe Notes

Makes: 4 servings
Prep: 20 mins Cook: 10 mins
Nutritional facts per serving: 348 calories, 40g protein, 13g carbs, 12 g fat, (2 g saturated fat), 2 g fiber

7 WW points

Greek Yogurt Strawberry Banana Bread - Healthy & Delicious!

Published Jun 8, 2012 by Allyson
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All my friends know I am crazy about banana bread. I found the best recipe ever, and I make it all the time. Even people who aren't a fan of bananas usually like it. It's really delicious. Anyway, of course I am browsing pinterest the other night and I see a recipe for a healthy strawberry banana bread. The recipe uses whole wheat flour, brown sugar or a sugar substitute, and greek yogurt. No butter, no oil, no white flour....how can this turn out well? I was practically drooling over the photos she posted so I decided I needed to make this asap. I remembered that we had 2 brown bananas in the fridge, and after reading the recipe, I knew we had all the other ingredients as well. I decided to make it while dinner was baking...I was already in the kitchen anyway, right?

About an hour later it was ready. At first I wasn't sure how it had turned out because the top was a little browner than usual. But, then I remember the wheat flour and thought maybe that was why. As I cut into the bread I could see it was super moist and already I was drooling again. This is a great 'healthy' recipe that really makes you feel like you are indulging. It is going to be a staple from now on! Try it, you will LOVE IT! The girl over at No Sugar Sweet Life is a genius!!

Greek Yogurt Strawberry Banana Bread....Healthy and Delicious! — Bananas (I only used 2)

Greek Yogurt Strawberry Banana Bread....Healthy and Delicious!

Ingredients

1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1.5 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ cup brown sugar or ¼ cup agave
3 large ripe bananas I used 2
2 eggs
6 oz. Chobani Strawberry Banana Greek yogurt I used Strawberry
1 cup diced fresh strawberries

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Start by combining flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
In a separate bowl, mash bananas with a fork until they are gooey and liquid-like.
Add eggs and sugar and mix thoroughly.
Add greek yogurt
Whisk until everything is well combined and there are no lumps.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. At this point, fold in the fresh strawberries!
Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and distribute evenly.
Put into the oven and bake for one hour, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean (55 minutes for me).
Transfer to a cooling rack and (try to) let the bread cool for at least ten minutes before slicing.

Recipe adapted from The No Sugar Sweet Life blog.

You can also connect with me here:

Thanks for visiting!-Allyson

Linguine in Tex-Mex Pepper Cream Sauce

Published Jun 1, 2012 by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

This is a super quick and easy meal to throw together. You probably have a lot of the ingredients already, which make it cheap too! You can throw most of the ingredients (ok not the pasta) into the food processor and save yourself a lot of prep time.

The taste in this recipe came together very nicely. The original recipe called for pumpkin seeds as a garnish, but since they didn't carry them at my local grocery store I opted to leave those off. It may have been a nice addition, but without them the recipe did not feel like it was missing anything. Also, since I started using Cajun Spice when cooking, I have become addicted to it. So I did throw some in the sauce here for good measure as well (but I guess it's not necessary).

For someone wanting meat in their dinner, this would be great for chicken or shrimp. I would saute the chicken up in the cajun seasoning, set aside after cooked, and then cook the veggies and follow the rest of the recipe. Add chicken/shrimp on top of pasta at the end.

Linguine in Tex-Mex Pepper Cream Sauce — Ingredients

Linguine in Tex-Mex Pepper Cream Sauce

Ingredients

1 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion diced
2 teaspoon Cajun Spice
1 red bell pepper diced
1 teaspoon salt
3 cloves garlic minced
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
¼ cup cilantro plus more for garnish
4- ounce can mild diced green chiles
⅔ cup shredded Reduced Fat Mexican cheese blend
½ teaspoon black pepper
⅛ to ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper to taste
1 pound linguine pasta

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers and salt and cajun spice and cook until tender stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Meanwhile cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions
2. Place the veggie mixture into a food processor with sour cream, cilantro, green chilies, cheese, cayenne and black pepper. Puree until smooth scraping the sides as needed.
3. Toss the pasta with the sauce. Plate and garnish with cilantro.

Salsa Poached Eggs & Cheese Grits

Published May 29, 2012 by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

I have posted a couple other recipes involving eggs, so it is probably pretty obvious that we eat a lot of eggs and we love them in our house. I have been digging poached eggs lately, and when I saw this budget friendly recipe for Salsa Poached Eggs on Budget Bytes, I was so excited to try it. But......then I noticed the side she used in the original recipe were grits. I am not a huge fan of grits, although they have grown on me a little bit since living in the south. I actually really didn't like them until I had the most amazing tomato basil cheese grits at Buckhead Diner. They were to die for, and I have been wanting to find a mock recipe for those since (stay tuned for that...). So, I figured that maybe with the sauce and egg that the grits would come together nicely....and my husband loves them, so I knew he would enjoy it regardless.

You might be wondering if this is a breakfast recipe....but I made it for dinner. I think that it could be breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner! It's good for any meal! Also, if you don't like a runny egg then you can definitely cook longer to harden the yolk...probably 12-14 minutes simmering (you can poke it to test).

I modified the recipe a tiny bit, so I will adjust the recipe I post below as well. This turned out really delicious and I will definitely be making it again. Also, the total cost for this recipe was around $4.50, which is crazy cheap. Per serving only $1.13!! It is pretty healthy, and with the grits it is extremely filling. Score!

Salsa Poached Eggs with Cheese Grits — Salsa Poached Eggs & Cheese Grits

Salsa Poached Eggs & Cheese Grits

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium vidalia onion chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 14 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
3 oz. tomato paste
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cumin
pepper to taste
4-5 large eggs
3-4 sliced green onions

Ingredients for Quick Grits

3 cups water
¾ cup quick cooking grits
¾ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup reduced fat extra sharp cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

1: Heat a large skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoon of olive oil. Dice the onion and add it to the skillet along with the minced garlic. Cook over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent (5-10 minutes).
2: Once the onions are translucent, add the roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, and diced green chilies. Also stir in ½ cup of water, ¾ teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of cumin. Stir everything together and allow it to come up to a simmer over medium heat.
3: Make four or five indentations in the sauce with the back of a large spoon. Crack an egg into each. Reduce the heat to low, place a lid on top of the skillet and allow the mixture to simmer while you make the grits. It should take about 10 minutes of simmering on low with a lid for the eggs to poach.
4: In a medium pot with a lid, bring 3 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Once it reaches a rolling boil, stir in the ¾ cup of quick cooking grits and ¾ teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to low, place a lid on the pot, and allow it to cook on the lowest heat setting for 5 minutes. After five minutes it should be thick. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter and then the cheese. Place the lid back on the pot to keep them warm until you're ready to serve.
5: Once the eggs are done cooking, spoon some grits into a bowl and top with an egg and a spoonful or two of the tomato sauce. Add sliced fresh green onions on top.

Recipe Notes

This recipe makes 4 servings and each serving has 7 WW points. Enjoy!

Roasted Rosemary Potato Wedges

Published May 21, 2012 by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

This recipe is from a Weight Watchers recipe book, and it's very simple and easy. The recipe called for pre-packaged potato wedges, but I decided to make them from scratch since I couldn't find those at the store (super easy anyway). I would consider this a 'pantry recipe', because you probably already have all the ingredients in your pantry (maybe not the potatoes, but close enough!).

These potato wedges would be a great side to any meal. They have only 2 WW points per serving (1 cup of wedges), so you can have a generous portion.

Roasted Rosemary Potato Wedges — Sliced Potatoes

Roasted Rosemary Potato Wedges

Ingredients

1 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 tsp. Minced garlic
1.25 lbs of Yukon Gold Potatoes about 3 medium potatoes
1 tsp. Dried rosemary
¾ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
cooking spray

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Cut potatoes into wedges.
3. Combine oil and garlic in a large bowl. Add the potatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and rosemary and toss to coat.
4. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Place potatoes on a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes and then flip potatoes. Bake for an addition 5-10 minutes until potatoes are browned and can be forked easily.

Recipe Notes

Makes 4, 1 cup servings. 2 WW points per serving.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 123; Fat 3.6g; Pro. 3.6g; Carb. 18.1g; Fib. 3.7g;
Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers Cookbook.

Healthy Chicken & White Bean Chili

Published May 14, 2012 by Allyson
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This recipe comes from the South Beach Diet Cookbook, but does not lack taste! It is the kind of meal you can feel good about eating, and satisfied and full at the same time. The ingredients are minimal, and most you probably already have in your pantry, which makes it inexpensive as well. For a little decadence top with a little reduced fat cheese and reduced fat sour cream (or greek yogurt, which tastes just like sour cream but is packed with protein).

This recipe is super quick, so it's great for a week night meal. I would imagine it would freeze well too, if you wanted to double the recipe and save some for the future. It took about 10 minutes to prep and get cooking, and about 30 minutes overall (but only 10 of hands on time). Also, the original recipe called for turkey, but for some reason stores around here do not carry turkey breast/cutlets outside of November!!! So, chicken it was. You could probably play with the types of beans used as well (navy, black, pinto, kidney..would all be good).

low carb chili 2 — Saute onions and garlic

low carb chili 3 — Put the seasoning on the chicken (kind of reminds me of taco seasoning!)

Healthy Chicken and White Bean Chili — Low Carb Chicken White Bean Chili

Healthy Chicken & White Bean Chili

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion roughly chopped
1 garlic clove minced
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 14 ½–ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Add chicken, chili powder, and cumin; cook, stirring often, until turkey is no longer pink inside, about 5 minutes.
Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until flavors blend, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Recipe Notes

4 (1 ¼–cup) servings
Prep time: 10 minutes
Start to finish: 30 minutes
Nutritional information
260 calories
5 g total fat (0.5 g sat)
21 g carbohydrate
34 g protein
6 g fiber
500 mg sodium
8 Weight Watchers Points per serving

Recipe from The South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook

DIY Dresser Refinishing!

Published May 7, 2012 by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

I am obsessed with Pinterest (if you aren't on it, let me know and I will send you an invite!), and you can find anything and everything on that website. I love it because I can put my ideas somewhere and be somewhat organized about it. I am also a very visual person, and for me when I see something I am more likely to be inspired to do it (rather than just reading about it). Insert refinished furniture here. I always knew you could refinish furniture, but I never knew how to do it. Insert Pinterest here. I found so many awesome furniture makeovers; Hideous side tables, 1960's outdated night stands, beat up abused dining room tables...you name it, I found it. Since we moved into a new house, that needs some furniture, I thought it would be a great idea to find some quality pieces that just needed a little TLC and refinish them. But what to do?!?! Paint colors, glazing options, new hardware?!?! There were so many options. First I started lurking on craigslist like a crazy person. I was looking and looking for the perfect item to make over...and finally, after a few weeks I found it! It was for sale at a church sale and marked down from $90 to $60. It is huge, but I could envision it perfectly in our entry way.

At the time, I didn't realize how difficult all the carving etc. would make it...

So this is the glorious dresser! Inside those middle cabinets are 3 pull out drawers, so it has a lot of storage. There were a lot of dings, scratches, and little chunks of wood missing, so I had a big sanding job in store. I borrowed my boss's orbital sander and bought some different types of sandpaper. I used 120 grit for most all of it, and then a little finer towards the end. I took off all the hardware, and filled those holes with wood filler and then sanded that as well. I found it really difficult to get the holes to completely go away, so a couple of the drawers have tiny indentations, but I am going to tell myself that I am the only one that will really notice them. After sanding and sanding and sanding for what seemed like forever, and coated everything in our garage with an inch of dust (no joke), I felt like it was sanded well enough.

Next I had to decide on a paint color, how hard could it be? Well, with me being the most indecisive person alive when it comes to 'big' decisions like that, of course it was difficult. I took a million paint samples, even though I knew I wanted the paint in the grey family.

I first decided to go with 'Beluga' from Behr:

paint 2 — Bottom Color, Beluga....too dark??

But after telling the gentleman at Home Depot to whip it up, I started panicking that it was too dark, and I asked him to stop!

paint3 — And then I fell in love with 'Pencil Point'...but eventually decided it was too dark and maybe had a hint of blue (or maybe I am crazy...)...

I grabbed a couple more samples and then headed back home to think it over. I consulted my husband and he said that he liked 'Annonymous' (see below), but I thought it was too light. I ended up falling in love with the 'Dark Granite', and sent my husband back to HD to pick up a quart.

While learning about how to paint wood furniture, I learned that you must prime the piece, or it will end up in a disaster. I was planning to prime it separately, but then the guy at Home Depot told me that you can buy paint with primer in it!! So I added the primer to the paint and saved myself an extra step of painting.

Onto the painting! I plugged my ipod into the garage, got my paint set up, and got to it!

I put a second coat on the top because it was already dry by the time I did the rest, and I let it dry overnight (well, more like 2 days). I was actually dreading tackling the drawers because they have so much carving/detail on them that I thought they would be really difficult. They were, but it wasn't too bad. I also felt like it would take a long time to do all 9 drawers. I decided that I wouldn't paint the inside, and eventually just line the bottoms with pretty paper or fabric (that will be done in the future). A few days later I did a 2nd coat on the entire dresser, and it looked great! There was still a tiny bit of wood coming through on the left and right sides of the dresser, so I did one more coat on those, and then another coat on the top. Lastly I did all the drawers, and those definitely took the longest. I ended up putting 2-3 coats on depending on how it was looking. I had a hard time with some of the spots with the wood filler (from the hardware holes), and ended up having to sand it down a lot more over those areas, and then repaint...it was a process.

Next I was on the hunt for some new drawer pulls and handles. I was just browsing at Home Depot and came across these pulls that I really liked. They were only $2.99 per pull, which was inexpensive, but since I had to buy 8, I knew it would add up quick. The door handles were only $3.49 per piece (I got 2). Andres helped me measure the drawers so that I would get them exactly in the middle, and then we drilled the holes. A little while later we were able to screw in all the pulls and bring it inside!

DIY Dresser Refinishing — Finished Dresser!

Completed Dresser (the color is WAY lighter here than in real life)

Well, that is it! Hopefully I will have the top adorned with cute decor soon enough! Stay tuned!

Things you might need for this project (aff links):

Like furniture DIYs as much as I do? Check out my other projects:

DIY Dresser to TV Console

DIY Dresser Refinishing Tutorial

DIY Tufted Ikat Ottoman from Upcycled Pallet with Tutorial

Refinished Farmhouse Hutch Tutorial

You can also connect with me here:

Thanks for visiting!

- Allyson

Gnocchi Mac & Cheese

Published May 4, 2012 by Allyson
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.

Gnocchi? Love. Macaroni and Cheese? Love. Pairing the two? AMAZING. Go to the store right now and buy these ingredients. Make this for dinner. You will not be sorry.

I made this recipe a little while back, so I didn't take pictures throughout, sorry! If you aren't a mustard fan leave the dijon out because it does give it a mustard taste. If you like mustard, leave it in. I have found myself adding bits of mustard to nearly all my macaroni and cheese type recipes because it just adds a little kick and extra flavor. Mustard and extra sharp cheddar are a solid pairing.

ps-don't make this if you are on a diet. This is not diet food.

Gnocchi Mac n' Cheese

Ingredients

1 pound purchased or homemade gnocchi
2 Tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons garlic finely chopped
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
¾ cup milk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup shredded Gruyere cheese
¼ cup shredded fontina cheese
Salt and white pepper to taste
⅓ cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
Basil leaves for garnish optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 F. Prepare gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and place gnocchi in a single-layer in a 1-½ quart shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in flour until it thickens and bubbles, then whisk in milk and Dijon. Continue to whisk mixture and cook until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
Combine Gruyere and fontina, then add by the handful to milk mixture, stirring until melted before adding the next handful. Once all cheese is melted, season sauce with salt and pepper.
Pour sauce over gnocchi and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano over top. Bake gnocchi until they puff and cheese is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Let gnocchi rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Recipe from Cuisine at Home

Low Carb Crab Cakes with Mustard Sauce

Published Apr 27, 2012 by Allyson
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Did you know that carb and crab are essentially the same word? Usually crab cakes are loaded with bread crumbs, which make them a higher carb dish, but this recipe does not have bread crumbs, making it lower carb. The mixture seems very loose when you first mix it, and it seems like the cakes will fall apart when you put them in the pan, but if you get the pan pretty hot before you add the cakes, they stay together and crisp up very nicely. They are accompanied by a mustard sauce as well. I think these crab cakes would be as an appetizer to be served at a party, or even as a meal served with some side veggies.

Low Carb Crab Cakes

Ingredients

Crab Cakes

1 pound blue crabmeat
1 tablespoon small diced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon small diced green bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon low fat mayonnaise
2 eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoons Maryland-style crab seasoning recommended: Old Bay
2 tablespoons canola oil

Mustard Sauce

¼ cup low fat mayonnaise
¼ cup Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients, except oil and Mustard Sauce until blended. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. With a tablespoon, carefully spoon poker-chip size mini-cakes into the pan. (The batter will be very loose since there are no bread crumbs, but once the egg in the mix starts to cook they will hold together fine.)
Cook on 1 side until firm, about 2 minutes, and then flip and cook for about 1 more minute. Cook in batches as necessary.
Serve hot with mustard sauce.

Recipe Notes

Makes 18 one cake servings.
Each crab cake is 1 WW point. The sauce is 2 WW points per teaspoon.

Recipe from Foodnetwork.com

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Cajun Vegetable Pasta

Published Apr 25, 2012 by Allyson
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Often when we go out to dinner I see something on the menu like Cajun Pasta. 100% of the time it is Cajun Pasta with Chicken, and usually when I ask for no chicken, it is brought to my attention that the chicken has already been cooked in with the sauce. Major fail. It would be so easy to make the sauce and chicken separately, and substitute something like broccoli or mushrooms in place of the chicken. No dice. Most places are happy to add chicken or meat to anything, but often find it difficult to serve without it. This also reminds me of a time when I found a delicious sounding salad, Blue cheese, pine nuts, cranberries, spinach leaves, and filet. I really wanted to order the salad sans filet, but I couldn't justify ordering a $17.99 salad when leaving off the costliest ingredient. Oh well, is the life of a vegetarian. There are tons of delcious vegetarian restaurants and menu items out there, so I shouldn't complain...but it just shouldn't be so hard to leave the chicken/meat out!

Enter 'Cajun Chicken Pasta'. I love The Pinoneer Woman. Her recipes always look super appetizing and amazing. I found this recipe on pinterest and I knew I had to make it. Cajun spice? LOVE. Spicy pasta? LOVE. Peppers, onions, garlic? LOVE. This dish was after my heart. With chicken being the main ingredient, I knew I had to sub it with something. I am guessing it would have probably been good just leaving it out, and using the onions/peppers as the featured ingredient, but I decided that broccoli could be a good replacement. Who doesn't love broccoli in pasta? Come on. I also made the recipe a tad healthier by subbing half and half in place of heavy cream, and using a bit less oil while cooking. I think for a pasta dish this is fairly healthy.

This dish turned out so well that my husband ate about half of it in one sitting. It was so flavorful and it had the perfect amount of spice to get your tongue tingling. It wasn't difficult to make, however there was a bit of prep work, and the outcome was well worth all the work put into it. Since this recipe did have meat originally, you could obviously use meat in your recipe. Pioneer Woman recommend chicken, sausage, shrimp, or crawfish. You can find her recipe here. For the meat free take on this recipe, continue down.

Cajun Vegetable Pasta — Add pasta and serve

Cajun Vegetable Pasta

Ingredients

3 Cups Broccoli florets
3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix More To Taste
1 pound Fettuccine
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
½ cup water
2 Tablespoons Fat free Margarine
1 whole Green Bell Pepper Seeded And Sliced
1 whole Red Bell Pepper Seeded And Sliced
½ whole Large Red Onion Sliced
3 cloves Garlic Minced
4 whole Roma Tomatoes Diced
2 cups Vegetable stock
½ cup White Wine
1 cup fat free half and half
Cayenne Pepper To Taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper To Taste
Salt To Taste
Chopped Fresh Parsley To Taste

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!
Add water to skillet, and then add broccoli. Sprinkle 1 ½ teaspoon Cajun spice over broccoli and stir. Let broccoli cook for 2 minutes and remove from pan, set aside. Add olive oil and butter to pan. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.
With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and vegetable stock. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in half and half, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!
Finally, add broccoli and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.
Top with chopped fresh parsley and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

This recipe has 10 WW points per serving if using the fat free versions (how the recipe is listed), and it takes it up to 12 if you use real butter and reduced fat half and half.

Quick & Easy Cheese Danish

Published Apr 23, 2012 by Allyson
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I have made this recipe twice, and it is definitely blog worthy! It is soooo easy, simple, has minimal ingredients, and so satisfying. I, like most people, love cheese danish, and this does not disappoint. You can whip this up for breakfast, a snack, to bring to a party...the options are endless. They are also really good both cold and hot! This isn't healthy, but it's worth the once in a while splurge! Also as a side note, this is pretty much the same recipe as sopapilla (Spanish cheesecake), except you would add cinnamon sugar to the top before baking. I will probably post that recipe soon as well.

Quick & Easy Cheese Danish — Spread 1 can of crescent rolls onto greased dish

Easy Cheese Danish

Ingredients

2 cans ready to use refrigerated crescent rolls
1.5 8- ounce packages cream cheese I use Neufchâtel cheese because it has less fat/calories than regular cream cheese
¾ cup sugar can sub splenda
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg white

Glaze

½ cup powdered sugar
2 Tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13X9-inch baking pan. Lay a pack of crescent rolls in the pan and pinch the openings together.
Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and egg together until smooth. Spread the mixture over the crescent rolls evenly and then lay the second pack of crescent rolls on top of the cheese mixture. Brush with egg white.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top is golden brown.
Top with glaze after cooling for at least 20 minutes.

Recipe adapted from The Adventures of a Kitchen Girl

Weight Watchers Spinach & Mushroom Stuffed Shells

Published Apr 20, 2012 by Allyson
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Now that I've made this recipe a few times, I thought it was time to post it. It is a weight watchers friendly recipe, and only has 8 points per serving, which is great. Although it's a healthy recipe, you don't feel like you are sacrificing the taste because these stuffed shells taste like a total splurge. This is definitely a go-to recipe when you are craving Italian food!

Spinach and Mushroom Stuffed Shells

Ingredients

24 jumbo pasta shells (8 ounces)
3 cups prepared jarred marinara sauce
2 onions finely chopped
2 pounds fresh spinach trimmed and washed
2 cups chopped mushrooms
2 cups fat free ricotta cheese
1 large egg white
⅔ cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup fresh basil finely chopped
1 tablespoon dried oregano
5 garlic cloves minced
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Cook shells until just tender, according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
Spray a large nonstick skillet with non-fat cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add onions and mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add spinach in batches and toss with tongs until wilted. Drain in a colander, pressing out excess moisture with the back of a spoon. Let cool. Set aside.
Combine ricotta, basil, oregano, garlic, breadcrumbs, ¼ cup Parmesan and nutmeg in a bowl; mix well. Add the reserved spinach and mushroom mixture and season with salt and pepper. Stir in egg white.
Stuff each of the reserved shells with a generous 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture.
Spread 1 cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange the stuffed shells in a single layer.
Top with the remaining 2 cups of the sauce and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Bake until the top is golden and the shells are heated through, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 45 minute(s)
Entire recipe makes 6 servings
Serving size is 4 shells
Each serving = 8 Points +
PER SERVING: 269 calories; 5 g fat; 48 g carbohydrates; 27 g protein; 7 g fiber

Recipe from laaloosh.com

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Broccoli, Mushroom & Cheddar Quiche with a Brown Rice Crust

Published Apr 18, 2012 by Allyson
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I really love frittatas and quiche, but I wanted to try something a little different for a change. My husband loves brown rice, and I stumbled upon a brown rice crust recipe and thought it might be interesting. It turned out to be a hit, and it kind of tasted more like a casserole. I love the flavor of brown rice, so it probably wasn't too hard to please me, but my husband enjoyed it as well. This recipe was a little time consuming, but it was worth it in my opinion. It would be a great option for dinner, lunch, or breakfast, and it is also pretty healthy! This is a vegetarian recipe, but you could easily throw in some shredded chicken or turkey, sausage, or bacon to make it meat friendly.

19735188061_IMG_3137 — Preparing the brown rice crust

19735188060_IMG_3138 — spread for the crust

19735188057_IMG_3142 — Broccoli, Mushroom, and Egg Mixture poured into crust (mine went a little over the crust, oops!)

19735188056_IMG_3143 — After it's baked! Yum!

19735188054_IMG_3145 — Broccoli, Mushroom, and Cheddar Quiche served with some sourdough toast

Broccoli, Mushroom & Cheddar Quiche with a Brown Rice Crust

Ingredients

2 cups cooked brown rice
¼ cup low fat cheddar cheese finely grated
5 eggs
1 cup skim milk
2 cups broccoli cut into bite sized pieces and blanched
8 oz package of mushrooms chopped
1 cup low fat sharp cheddar cheese grated
4 green onions sliced
1 pinch nutmeg optional
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Mix the rice, finely grated cheese and one egg in a bowl. Press the rice mixture into a pie plate, about ¼ inch thick.
Bake in a preheated 450 degree F oven until the edges and bottom just start turning golden brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Turn oven to broil on high for 2-3 more minutes until crust looks crisp.
Mix the remaining eggs, milk, broccoli, mushrooms, sharp cheddar cheese and green onions in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into the pie crust.
Bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven until golden brown and set in the center, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Serves 6

Bean and Potato Enchiladas

Published Apr 16, 2012 by Allyson
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People that know me, know that I LOVE Mexican food. I have never met an enchilada I didn't like, and am always trying to come up with different combinations. I think my love for Mexican food grew when I was in college. My freshman/sophomore years I worked during the summer in the best Mexican restaurant ever, Sagebrush Cantina, and got to know the food a little too well. Nachos, enchiladas, tortilla soup, sopapilla, flan, queso, flautas....I am drooling just thinking about it. The staff received a heavy discount on the food, which was prepared by a real Mexican staff (who didn't even speak English), so it made it very difficult not to indulge in everything. The restaurant was very popular, so it was always busy, and there was always a wait which made the 10 hour shifts go by very quickly. I eventually quit, and moved away to California, but I still have a soft spot in my heart for Sagebrush Cantina, and make a point to stop by at least once when I am in Michigan visiting my parents.

So, as you can probably gather, I love making Mexican food. I decided to try out some vegetable enchiladas using potato, which I haven't tried before. I think they turned out delicious, and with the potato they were very, very filling. I had a little bit of filling left over, and my husband was happy to eat that up with tortilla chips!

Bean and Potato Enchiladas

Ingredients

1 TBS Olive Oil
¾ cup copped onion
½ cup green pepper
1 medium yukon gold potato
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon cumin
2 gloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup black beans canned or pre-cooked, I use Bushes reduced sodium
¾ cup refried beans
¾ cup Kraft 2% Mexican blend cheese divided (½ cup, ¼ cup)
7-8 whole wheat flour tortillas could also use corn or white floor
1 can of Old El Paso Medium Red Enchilada Sauce
Spoonful of light sour cream or plain greek yogurt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Heat oil in skillet, and add garlic. Cook 1 minute on medium. Add onion, green pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and salt, and stir and cook for 1 minute. Add potatoes. Cook for about 5 minutes, until potatoes are soft. Add black beans, and refried beans and combine until well blended. Add ¼ cup of cheese and mix.
3. Put just enough enchilada sauce in a baking dish to cover the bottom (probably ¼ cup). Take a tortilla, fill with mixture, roll, and place into dish. Repeat until your dish is full (they should be side by side pressing against each other), 6-8 enchiladas. Top with remaining sauce and remaining cheese.
4. Cover with foil and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
5. Serve with a dollop of sour cream or greek yogurt.

Recipe Notes

Weight Watchers points: 6 points per enchilada

Quinoa Cakes with Poached Eggs & Roasted Vegetables

Published Apr 3, 2012 by Allyson
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Quinoa burgers with Poached Eggs — Quinoa Cakes with Poached Eggs &Roasted Vegetables

Since my husband and I are vegetarians, I try really hard to figure out ways to incorporate enough protein into our diet. It is pretty easy to sneak protein into meals, and this meal is no exception. Since learning about quinoa, I have jumped on the quinoa bandwagon and am still riding it at full-speed. I love it, and don't miss meat while eating it. It is so hearty, filling, and healthy, it makes me happy to be eating it. I always make a large batch of quinoa, and keep some in the fridge to throw in sauces, smoothies, and whatever else. It is one of those foods that taste like whatever you flavor it with, so it can be easily disguised.

Quinoa cakes or patties are easy to make, and so delicious. I have tried them with different spices, cheeses, sauces, and I have yet to meet a combination I didn't like. I really love the spicy ones, but I think for this recipe with the poached egg, I like the egg to take front and center. Speaking of eggs, I had never poached an egg until about 2 months ago. For some reason I have always been intimidated by the seemingly difficult task of poaching an egg, but once I found a really basic explanation, I felt it was time I try it! The first couple eggs I overcooked, and then the next few eggs I under-cooked and they fell apart. This was not going the way I had hoped. After about 6 eggs, I felt like I had mastered it.....fast forward to my second time poaching eggs (for this recipe), I definitely did not master it. I messed up the first 3 eggs, and then finally figured out that I wasn't putting enough water in the pot, and the tops weren't cooking well enough, and once I added a little more water I was good to go!

Quinoa Cakes with Poached Eggs

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa at room temperature
2 large eggs beaten
½ tsp. coarse salt
⅓ cup minced fresh chives plus more for garnish
2 large shallots finely chopped
⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup whole grain bread crumbs plus more if needed
Olive oil for frying patties
for serving Shaved Parmesan
for serving 6 poached eggs (one for each patty)
for serving Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Combine the quinoa, eggs, salt, chives, shallots, Parmesan, and garlic in a medium bowl. Stir to blend. Mix in the bread crumbs and stir gently until evenly incorporated. Let sit for 5 minutes. Form the mixture into six evenly sized patties, about 3-4 inches in diameter.
2. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat and swirl to coat. Add the patties to the pan so that they are not touching. Let cook about 4 minutes or until the first side is lightly browned. Carefully flip the patties with a spatula and let the second side cook until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining patties, using additional olive oil if needed. Top each patty with a bit of shaved Parmesan, a poached egg, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Quinoa cakes with poached eggs and roasted vegetables

Recipe adapted from Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen
Love quinoa like I do? Check out these other great quinoa recipes!