Southwest Veggie Frittata

To me, eggs are one of the greatest "blank canvases" when it comes to cooking.  You can spice and flavor them in tons of way.  I'm always a sucker for Southwest flavors and find them sneaking their way into a lot of my meals.  I find that eggs and Southwest flavors blend very well together.

This meal works well for breakfast or dinner or warmed up for lunch the next day.  It is also a great make-a-head meal.  I made ours the night before and put it in the refrigerator.  I pulled it out of the frig about 20 minutes prior to cooking so the eggs could come up to room temperature before baking.

SOUTHWEST VEGGIE FRITTATA

2 cups sweet potatoes, diced 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalepeno, diced (remove seeds and veins if you don't want too much heat)

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

1/2 green pepper, diced

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms, diced

1/2 cup black beans

1/4 cup roasted green chilies, diced (canned ones work just fine)

8 eggs (or 16 egg whites)

2 tsp cumin

zest of 1 lime

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.  Toss sweet potatoes with oil and place on baking sheet.  Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until nice and soft.  (You could always just boil the sweet potatoes, but I love the flavor they provide when roasted.)

In a bowl, whisk together egg whites, cumin, lime zest, salt and pepper until well combined.  Add in onion, garlic, jalapeno, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, sliced mushrooms, black beans and chilies.

Put roasted sweet potatoes into the bottom of a greased baking dish.  Pour egg mixture on top.  (The capacity of mine was 2 quarts.  An 9 x 13 would work as well, but you may need to adjust the baking time.)  Bake for about 35-45 minutes, until the eggs are set and the edges are slightly browned.

Slice and serving with sour cream and avocado.

 

My Favorite Green Smoothie

I am in LOVE with this smoothie! There have been days when I've had one for breakfast and dinner (yes, I've been slacking in bit in the cooking dinner department).  Not only is it creamy and smooth and wonderfully delicious, it's packed with both fruits and veggies.  It's a great way to get excellent nutrition to start (or end) my day. 

Don't let the combo of veggies freak you out.  I had never thought about adding avocado to my smoothies until I read a recipe using them to create a creamy chocolate shake.  I decided to give it a try and man, I'm so glad I did!!

Yes, avocados are a little on the high side when it comes to calories, but the nutritional benefits definitely outweigh the addition of the calories. Avocados contain folate, potassium, monosaturated fats (the good fats) and are very high in fiber.  They have also been shown to help lower LDL and raise HDL.

My second favorite addition to this smoothie....the kiwi!  I'm addicted to them right now.  While not technically a superfood, this little green gem is packed full of vitamins A, E and C, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes.  It's also a great source of fiber, packing almost twice as much as spinach.  Take that, Popeye!

And those little chia seeds...great source of both protein and fiber.  If you don't like the feeling of the seeds whole in your smoothie, you can always grind them into a powder prior to adding them in.

It's easy to add in a little extra protein when I drink these after a workout, too!  Add a little vanilla protein powder or Greek yogurt (plain or vanilla) and you've got a great post-workout smoothie!

MY FAVORITE GREEN SMOOTHIE

1/2 cup diced pineapple, frozen
1/2 banana, sliced and frozen
1 kiwi, peeled, sliced and frozen
1/4 avocado
1 cup spinach
2 inch chunk of cucumber
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp chia seeds
1/4-1/2 cup water
optional add ins: 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder or 2-3 tablespoons Greek yogurt

Place almond milk in the blender first, then add remaining ingredients, only adding 1/4 cup water.  Blend on high until everything is blended well and smooth.

Depending on your fruits and blender, you may need to add an additional 1/4 cup water to get and keep everything moving.  Add it slowly and in small amounts so your smoothie isn't too runny.

NOTE: To make things easier, I put the pineapple, banana and kiwi in food saver bags and freeze them together.  That way I can just grab one bag from the freezer and I'm ready to go!

Linked to: Allergy Free Wednesdays, Mix It Up Monday

Italian Chicken Roll-Ups

The other day I had a craving for Italian food. Normally, that isn't something I crave. Since the majority of it contains pasta and I'm not a huge fan of gf pasta, I don't eat much of it. However, thoughts of tomato sauce and cheese sat in the back of my head all day while I was working.

In honor of my hubby's Italian heritage (which means I really should work on creating more Italian recipes for him) and what I found in my refrigerator, I came up with these Italian Chicken Roll-Ups. The hubby has raved about them and asked for them for dinner repeatedly.

I served our roll-ups over sauteed spiraled zucchini noodles, but they would also be delicious over any regular pasta, gluten free pasta or quinoa. 

ITALIAN CHICKEN ROLL-UPS

2 chicken breasts
4 wedges Laughing Cow Light Swiss* (see note)
1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 - 2/3 cup chopped spinach
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Lightly grease an 8 x 8 baking dish.

Trim chicken breasts and cut in half, width-wise.  One at a time, place each piece inside a gallon size baggie and pound flat to about 1/4th of an inch.  You want it as thin as you can get it without creating holes or ripping your chicken.

In a bowl, combine the cheese, Italian Seasoning, spinach, salt and pepper.   Spread a fourth of the mixture onto each piece of chicken.  Roll each piece up and place seam side down in the baking dish. 


In a separate bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese and garlic powder.  Sprinkle mixture over the tops of the roll-ups.  


Bake, uncovered for 25 minutes.  Remove from the oven and pour sauce over the top of the chicken. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over the top and return the pan to the oven.  Bake for another 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.


NOTE: each wedge is just about an ounce.  You could substitute in 4 ounces of any soft, spreadable cheese i.e. ricotta, cream cheese, etc.


Linked to: Heart & Soul Hop, Gluten Free Wednesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays

Spinach Artichoke Dip

A couple years back, I made a spinach artichoke dip for a party the hubby and I went to. The hubby loved it and so did everyone else. Unfortunately, the only thing I could remember about it was that it wasn't healthy at all!

When the hubby asked me to make it again for our Superbowl party, I was stumped. I knew I couldn't make it the same way (I had no idea what recipe I had used). We've been working hard to change up the way we eat lately. Not that we are dieting; we are just trying to be more healthy all around. As I was researching recipes on the Internet, I couldn't find one I like or felt wasn't too unhealthy.

Unfortunately, time was running away from me that Sunday. We had people showing up in 30 minutes and other than buying some cream cheese, I hadn't given the dip a second thought. Luckily, we always have spinach and cheese in the drawer. I threw a bunch of things together and this is what we ended up with. I didn't pre-cook my spinach. No one seemed to notice. If you would prefer to use frozen spinach, make sure it is very well drained. Squeeze out as much water as you can before using!!

I'm assuming it was delicious as I had to quickly snap a picture of the hubby's plate in order to get something to put on the blog. I apologize for the quality of the picture!

SPINACH ARTICHOKE DIP

5 cups fresh spinach, chopped
2 wedges Laughing Cow Light Swiss, softened
5 tablespoons grated Parmesan
8 oz 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
1/4-1/3 cup skim milk
1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped **see note at end
1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, laughing cow cheese, grated Parmesan, garlic and Italian Seasoning. Add in 1/4 cup milk. Stir in spinach and artichoke hearts. If the mixture feels too thick, add the remaining milk, a tablespoon at a time.

Pour mixture into a 1.25 quart ceramic baking dish (I used the small one in this set). Sprinkle grated mozzarella on the top. Cover with tin foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with fresh veggies or gf crackers for the gluten-free; sliced baguette or pita for the non-gf.

**NOTE:
If using frozen artichoke hearts; thaw, drain and chop. If using canned artichoke hearts, rinse some of the oil off first, before draining and chopping.

Coconut Rice

We don't typically eat much starch or grain at our house. I find that most of them, even the ones that are gluten free, don't agree with my tummy. However, every once in a while, we splurge a little and I seem to do ok.

The night we had our Sweet and Spicy Pork Roast with Mango Salsa, we accompanied it with some coconut rice. I have to say...it was delicious. A perfect combination with the mango and spice. The coconut flavor was definitely in the forefront, but not overpowering. I included some dried coconut when I cooked the rice. If you find that you don't like the texture of dried coconut, you can simply leave it out!


COCONUT RICE
1 cup water
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup rice (I used jasmine rice as that is what I had on hand, but regular white or brown rice work just as well. The brown rice adds a nice nutty flavor.)
3 tablespoons dried, unsweetened coconut
pinch of salt
handful chopped cilantro

Combine water, coconut milk, rice, coconut and salt in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a gentle simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit for 10 additional minutes. Fluff with a fork and stir in cilantro.

Sweet and Spicy Pork Roast with Mango Salsa

It has been quite some time since I have posted anything here. Working two jobs and a hubby in law school keeps us pretty busy around here. I have found that I rely more and more on my crock-pot to make dinner happen. The majority of my upcoming posts will be focusing on crock-pot and/or make a-head meals...for breakfast and dinner! I really struggle with breakfast at times :)

However, last night I found myself with a night off and a generous amount of time to make dinner. That doesn't mean this meal took a generous amount of time. It was actually very easy! I threw the roast in the oven, put the rice on half way through and it turned out wonderfully. The only secret....making the salsa AT LEAST one day in advance. It needs time to sit and "marinate" in the fridge. I had originally planned to make this meal last weekend, so my salsa sat for a few days. It was still delicious, probably more so than it would have been the same day.

We love Asian flavors at our house. This is a great way to bring a new sweetly spiced flavor to a traditional pork roast. The honey allows for a slight crystallization on the outside, sealing in the moisture and flavor. The sweet chili sauce and siracha add a slight heat to the roast, which is easily modifiable to your individual taste!

SWEET AND SPICY PORK ROAST

2-3 pound pork roast (mine was a top sirloin roast from Costco)
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
1 tsp honey
2-3 tsp siracha (adjustable to your personal heat level)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Trim fat off pork roast, as personally desired. Rub ginger and garlic powder mixture on all sides of the roast. Place in the oven for 40-45 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the sweet chili sauce, honey and siracha. Set aside.
When the internal temperature reaches about 140 degrees (pork is safely done about 145 degrees), turn on broiler to low. Brush the outsides of the roast with the chili sauce mixture and place back underneath the broiler to allow the sauce to crystallize on the outside. I ended up brushing the sauce on 3 or 4 times. I did have a little sauce left over that I put on the table with the roast.
Remove the roast from the oven and tent with foil for about 10 minutes. Slice and serve with mango salsa. We ate ours with coconut rice and steamed broccoli. I will post the rice recipe tomorrow! :)

*I didn't have a roasting pan so I just line a baking sheet with tin foil and placed my roast on that. If you have a roasting pan, that would probably be a better option.


MANGO SALSA
1 mango, peeled and diced small
1/3 onion, diced small
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced small
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1/2 tsp cumin
pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients together and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving.

Mini Turkey Meatloaf and Mashed "Potatoes" aka Cauliflower

With the hubby's birthday, we haven't been sticking to the food path so well the past week. Today, I could certainly feel it...especially when it came to what I felt like eating. I wanted something homey and comforting, yet healthy.

This became a very "traditional" comfort meal, except there was nothing traditional about it. Turkey meatloaf full of veggies (gotta sneak these in where ever I can!) and mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. I wasn't sure if the hubby would like it at all, but he loved it! This will definitely become part of our regular dinner rotation.

Mini Turkey Meatloaf


1 pound lean ground turkey (93/7 works best)
1/2 large onion, diced very finely
2-3 cloves garlic, minced finely
1 carrot, shredded
1 smallish zucchini, shredded
1-2 stalks celery, diced finely
1 tsp thyme
1/4 cup ketchup
salt
pepper

Line muffin tin with liners. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Make sure that the zucchini is wrung out. I do this in a kitchen towel. You don't want any extra liquid in the zucchini.

Mix all ingredients together so they are well combined. Fill liners with mixture. You can top each mini meatloaf with ketchup at this point if you want. It helps to seal in the moisture.

Bake for 30-35 minutes. This makes 11-12, depending on how full you fill the liners.

I served ours with mashed cauliflower and a big salad. It was incredibly delicious, satisfying and filling.


Mashed Cauliflower

1/2 head of cauliflower
2 cloves garlic, whole
2 tablespoons Spectrum shortening (butter would work fine)
1/4 - 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk (half and half for you dairy lovin' folks)

Boil or steam cauliflower together with the cloves of garlic until the cauliflower is very soft. Drain and try to squeeze out as much water as you can.

Transfer to a bowl and mash together along with shortening and milk. Season with salt and pepper.

This made enough for about 4 servings.