P2: French “Toast”

October 3, 2011

OK, YUM!  If you are like me, you are now hopefully reaping the benefits of all the hard work you have put into your summer gardens!  My squash and zucchini are out of control! So much so, I was about to throw it out, until I saw a blog that made french toast using eggplant. This gave me an idea!  Why not use zucchini?!  Guess what is even better… for those in P2, you can have this!

Directions:

Slice a large zucchini into 1/4″ slices. Stab multiple times with fork and pat dry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soak slices in an egg mixture of 3 egg whites, 1TBSP milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and stevia. You will want to use enough stevia to make sure mixture sweet enough. Be sure to test one cooked before continuing with the rest of batch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Place onto hot pan or griddle. Make sure you use enough PAM to keep egg from sticking(PAM OK in 800 protocol).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let cook through, then turn over, but gently loosen from pan before turning. Egg mixture will stick if not using coated pan. Cook until you have a nice crisp on each side. For added thickness, double dip into egg mixture and cook again. Again, make sure to do a light spray of PAM in between turning to prevent egg from sticking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy with your fresh fruit, and some capella drops or glycerin stevia!  Just be sure to eat right away, because the moisture from the zucchini can make it soggy. :) My 2 and 4yo even enjoyed this!

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All About Pumpkins!

September 28, 2011

I love this time of year and you can’t go wrong with anything pumpkin, so I just wanted to share some of my favorite pumpkin recipes. Some healthy, some, not so much. :) But first, did you know…

*Six of the seven continents can grow pumpkins including Alaska! Antarctica is the only continent that they won’t grow in.
*The tradition originally started with the carving of turnips. When the Irish immigrated to the U.S., they found pumpkins a plenty and they were much easier to carve for their ancient holiday.
*Pumpkins contain potassium and Vitamin A.
*Pumpkin flowers and seeds are edible.
*In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies, not the filling.
*Colonists sliced off pumpkin tops; removed seeds and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. This was baked in hot ashes and is the origin of pumpkin pie.
*The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighed over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12 dozen eggs and took six hours to bake.
*Pumpkins are 90 percent water.
*Pumpkins are a fruit

Pumpkin Nutrition Facts
(1 cup cooked, boiled, drained, without salt)

Calories 49
Protein 2 grams
Carbohydrate 12 grams
Dietary Fiber 3 grams
Calcium 37 mg
Iron 1.4 mg
Magnesium 22 mg
Potassium 564 mg Zinc 1 mg
Selenium .50 mg
Vitamin C 12 mg
Niacin 1 mg
Folate 21 mcg
Vitamin A 2650 IU
Vitamin E 3 mg

SOME OF MY FAVORITE PUMPKIN RECIPES :)

Pumpkin Cake by Candice

2 c sugar
4 eggs
1/2c oil
1/2c applesauce (you can do all oil or all applesauce depending on how healthy)
2c canned pumpkin
1c flour
1c ground oats (or all flour)
1/2tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon – I use a whole tsp – I like lots :)
2tsp baking soda

beat sugar and eggs till fluffy – add oil/sauce, sift in dry ingredients. Add pumpkin till well blended. bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes. Then I use cream cheese icing and sprinkle with cinnamon :)

Amount Per Serving (20 servings)
Calories 260.5, Total Fat 9.8 g, Saturated Fat 2.0 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1.9 g, Monounsaturated Fat 5.2 g, Cholesterol 42.5 mg, Sodium 47.2 mg, Potassium 113.4 mg, Carbohydrate 44.3 g, Dietary Fiber 1.8 g, Sugars 32.4 g, Protein 2.7 g

Pumpkin Seeds by Candice

Seeds are edible – just wash the gunk all off with water and spread out on a flat surface to dry for a day or two. Once dry, toss on a cookie sheet with 1-2 TBSP of melted butter and sprinkle with garlic salt. Bake in oven at 350 for 15-20 minutes, flipping every 5 minutes.

1/2c plain pumpkin seeds = Calories 142.7
Total Fat 6.2g, Saturated Fat 1.2 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 2.8 g, Monounsaturated Fat 1.9 g, Cholesterol 0.0 mg, Sodium 184.0 mg, Potassium 294.1 mg, Total Carbohydrate 17.2 g, Dietary Fiber 0.0 g, Sugars 0.0 g, Protein 5.9 g

Pumpkin Pie by Candice

-1 pie, just double for 2
1 c cooked pumpkin
5 oz evaporated milk
3 eggs
4 tbsp flour
1 tsp vanilla
2 c sugar
1/2 c butter

Double boil ingredients until thickened.
1/2 bake pie crust
place mix in crust and bake at 350 for 45 min or until browned.

Serves 10
Calories 353.0
Total Fat 14.9 g, Saturated Fat 7.7 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1.1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 5.0 g, Cholesterol 88.8 mg, Sodium 242.3 mg, Potassium 148.3 mg, Total Carbohydrate 51.9 g, Dietary Fiber 0.5 g, Sugars 43.3g, Protein 4.3 g

PUMPKIN SHAKEOLOGY! MY FAVORITE!!!
1 cup skim milk (or milk alternative, or just water)
1 scoop chocolate Shakeology
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4-1/2 c. canned pumpkin(NOT pre made pie filling!)
sprinkle with pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon
5-6 ice cubes

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 c whole wheat white flour – (I used 1c flour-400cal, 1c ground oats-300cal)-CE
3 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 c skim milk
1 c pumpkin puree
1 egg
2 tbsp canola oil – you can cut all together and just add 2 extra TBSP of pumpkin or apple sauce
2 tbsp vinegar
optional – a couple of chocolate chips :)

Heat up griddle at 350 degrees or pan at medium to medium high heat.

Mix all ingredients well. Take a 1/4 cup of batter and spoon it onto the griddle*. Brown on both sides. Serve with real maple syrup, or yogurt (my favorite!).

* This batter is thicker than I am used to working with. After spooning it onto my griddle, I took the back of a spoon to spread it out a bit.

Makes 14 pancakes. 107 calories per pancake.

(I got 20 out of this recipe – which nutrition info would be: Calories 70.6, Total Fat 2.0 g, Saturated Fat 0.3 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.6 g, Monounsaturated Fat 1.1 g, Cholesterol 11.0 mg, Sodium 101.1 mg, Potassium 104.7 mg, Total Carbohydrate 14.8 g, Dietary Fiber 1.7 g, Sugars 3.8 g, Protein 2.3 g, plus your chocolate chips :)

BHG – Pumpkin-Chocolate Cheesecake Bars – these are definitely not healthy, but yummy!!!

Ingredients
1-1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1-3/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut up, or 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1-1/4 cups sour cream
1/4 cup sugar
Grated fresh nutmeg and/or milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate curls

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly grease a 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set aside. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and 1/4 cup sugar. Stir in the 1/3 cup melted butter. Press mixture evenly into bottom of the prepared baking pan; set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and the 1-3/4 cups sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Beat in pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt on low speed just until combined. Remove 1-1/4 cups of the mixture.

3. In a small heavy saucepan, combine the 6 ounces chocolate and the 2 tablespoons butter. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Whisk chocolate mixture into the 1-1/4 cups pumpkin mixture. Pour over crust, spreading evenly. Bake for 15 minutes.

4. Carefully pour the remaining pumpkin mixture over baked chocolate layer, spreading evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes more or until filling is puffed and center is set. Cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

5. In a small bowl, combine sour cream and 1/4 cup sugar. Gently spread over cookies. Cool completely. Cover and chill for at least 3 hours. Cut into bars.* Before serving, sprinkle with nutmeg and/or chocolate curls. Makes 24 to 36 bars.

*Test Kitchen Tip: To make triangle-shape bars, cut the cookies crosswise into four strips. Then cut each strip into five triangles (you’ll end up with two half-triangles from the ends of each strip).

To Make Ahead: Bake and chill cookies as directed; cut into bars. Place in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Do not freeze.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN – ENJOY!

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The Other White Meat, and Super Food: Quinoa!

June 13, 2011

I had some Pork Tenderloin in my freezer that I needed to use, but am not the biggest fan of Pork(Picture Samuel L Jackson in Pulp Fiction). So, I figured I may as well make the best of it and experiment. I had 4 cuts to cook, at about 4-6oz each.

I decided to try a marinade and see what I could come up with.  I found some honey, lite soy sauce, and garlic.

In a small saute pan I added 1/4 cup honey, 1/4 cup of lite soy sauce, and a large spoonful of minced garlic(I love garlic).  I let simmer on med heat until it came to a boil, stirring as needed.  After simmering for a few minutes, I turned the heat off, and stirred occasionally.

 

I then dipped the meat and placed into a seal-able container. I poured the remainder of the marinade over the meat, and let marinate in fridge for several hours. If you want to reduce calories from sauce, just dip meat for a minute or two, and don’t add remainder of sauce.

 

After the meat marinated for several hours, I sent it out with my hubby to the grill. While my hubby grilled, I busted out my new best friend, super food, Quinoa! I have heard about this for awhile, but have never actually tried it. I’ve been trying to choose healthier alternatives, and saw this at Costco, so I thought it was about time I gave it a try!

You boil 1 cup of water for a 1/2 cup of Quinoa.  I did 1 cup, to 2 cups water. I boiled a chicken bullion cube and some garlic powder in the water for seasoning.

It actually turned out really good! I like it way better than rice, and even my kids wolfed it down! My hubby even liked it! My favorite part about it is that it absorbs all of the juices/flavors from your other foods… super yummy!

 

 

For my vegetable, I blanched some asparagus then sauteed it in olive oil, lemon juice, lemon pepper, and, well… more garlic(I told you I love Garlic! Just don’t come around me when I’m working out;).

 

 

Super easy, and very yummy, even the pork!  Both of my kids cleaned their plates!

Approximate Nutrition for 1 – 4oz chop, marinade, asparagus, and quinoa: 450 calories, 13g fat(if using oive oil), 42g protein, 42g carbs, 5g fiber. Not bad, and very filling! I will definitely be using Quinoa more!

 

 

 

 

More about Quinoa:

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) uncooked
Energy 1,539 kJ (368 kcal)
Carbohydrates 64 g
Starch 52 g
Dietary fibre 7 g
Fat 6 g
polyunsaturated 3.3 g
Protein 14 g
Water 13 g
Thiamine (Vit. B1) 0.36 mg (28%)
Riboflavin (Vit. B2) 0.32 mg (21%)
Vitamin B6 0.5 mg (38%)
Folate (Vit. B9) 184 μg (46%)
Vitamin E 2.4 mg (16%)
Iron 4.6 mg (37%)
Magnesium 197 mg (53%)
Phosphorus 457 mg (65%)
Zinc 3.1 mg (31%)

Quinoa is considered a grain, grown in South America, and can be compared  in texture to rice. But unlike rice, it contains essential amino acids and is considered a complete plant protein.  For those that can’t eat wheat, guess what? It’s gluten free! It’s well balanced, high fiber, and good for you. Like I said before, I like it better than rice!

 

Hope you enjoy!  ~Candice

 

 

 

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Chicken Spinach Roll Ups

May 16, 2011

Working with as many people as I get to, I come across lots of healthy recipes and like to occasionally test them out! Thanks to Janet J., I found and tried this Chicken Spinach Roll Up. It was really yummy and I wanted to share it with everyone.

Shopping List for 4 servings:

2 full boneless skinless chicken breasts – halved

Bag or cluster of spinach(about 6oz)

Small container of Feta or preferred cheese

1 chicken bullion cube, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper, or any other desired seasonings

 

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 350. Pull out 2 long sheets of  plastic warp – place one sheet on counter and lay your chicken breast on top.   Place second sheet of plastic wrap on top of chicken.  Proceed to beat the living crap out of your chicken until it is evenly flat. LOL I had never actually done this before, and thought it was kind of fun! Good workout, too ;)

 

 

 

 

 

STEP 2: Heat desired amount(I’m not a measurer, just an eye baller8) of olive oil in saute pan. Lightly saute garlic, salt, and pepper, until golden.  Add spinach an toss until it cooks down to desired consistency. On the side, dissolve 1 bullion cube in 4 oz of water.

 

STEP 3: Divide spinach mixture into 4 servings, 1 for each breast. Evenly spread mixture on one end of chicken. Sprinkle with desired amount and type of cheese(JJ used goat).  Tuck and roll up chicken,  pinning together with toothpicks to keep from unrolling. Place in coated baking dish. Pour bullion over chicken.

 

STEP 4: Bake at 350, for approx 30 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Check and rotate as needed. Pair with a side of wild or brown rice, or a baked or mashed sweet potato for a complex carbohydrate.  Can add more veggies or a salad to fill you up even more!  I sauteed asparagus in the left over oil and garlic mixture. This was super easy and yummy! Even my 4 year old loved it! ENJOY!

 

 

 

Nutrition: 1 wrap(depending on size of chicken breast) = Approx 220 calories, 32g protein, 2g carb, 9g fat(3g of that is saturated), 1g fiber, .5g sugar, 227mg sodium, 101mg cholesterol.

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