Recipes

Stuffed Zucchini

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I saw this recipe for Turkey Stuffed Zucchini on the Skinny Taste website a while back, and have been wanting to try it out since then.  Tonight was the night!

First, I sliced 2 large zucchini in half lengthwise, and then scooped out most of the innards (I hate the word “flesh” in reference to foods, so I choose “innards” instead 😉 ):

Then I chopped up the zucchini bits I had scooped out and set them aside. 

Meanwhile I sprayed a pan with cooking spray, and once the pan was warm I added:

  • 1/2 white onion, chopped
  • 3 gloves garlic, minced
  • 10 sprays parkay butter spray (yes, I actually counted them out 😉 )

When the onions were translucent, I added the chopped up zucchini bits, seasoned everything with some salt, and cooked about 3 more minutes.

Next, I added a splash of white wine .  I’m not a white wine drinker, so I went with the only white I had on hand —   charles shaw chardonnay — AKA two-buck-chuck 🙂

When the wine was mostly evaporated, I added:

  • 1/2 a package (about 10 ounces) of 99% fat free ground turkey breast
  • a healthy sprinklin of Red Pepper Flake & S
  • a light sprinklin of cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp each of garlic powder, paprika, and marjoram

After the turkey was cooked through, I put the mixture into a bowl and added:

  • 2 tbsp grated parmesan
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 4 fresh basil leaves, chopped

The rosemary and basil were from my backyard garden 😀

I don’t know why it makes me so happy when I use fresh herbs from my garden… It’s not like I put any effort into their growth and prosperity.. other than dropping them in the dirt, I just leave them to flourish on their own 🙂 

I stuffed the zucchini halves with the turkey mix, then sprinkled with 2 tbsp Progreso Plain bread crumbs.  Put everything onto a cookie sheet that I sprayed with cooking spray:

Next, I carefully poured 1/2 a cup of free range chicken stock into the pan and covered tightly with foil.  These baked at 400 degrees for 35 minutes.  Then I removed the foil and cooked for an additional 5 minutes.

These were yummy!  Next time, I think I’ll cook up some spicy red sauce to go on top of the zucchinis.  Also, I like my veggies on the crunchy side, so I will use less chicken stock in the pan and probably cook them less time.  Definitely gonna make these again and tweak things up a bit.

On the side, we had a salad consisting of romaine lettuce, red onion, green pepper, and a couple generous handfuls of cherry tomatoes that I also grew in my backyard garden 😀 

I had some Ken’s Steakhouse dressing on top, of course.  Ken’s my homeboy 🙂

Stats on 2 stuffed zucchini halves:  286 calories, 24g carbs, 4g fat, 39g protein, 4g fiber

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What I ate

Short and sweet

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Breakfast #1

First thing first, as soon as I opened my eyes this morning it was all about EGGS.  I cooked up a 3 egg white scramble with S&P and Frank’s Red Hot, 1/2 cup oven baked potatoes, 1/2 of a Thomas’ multi-grain English muffin, and a dollop of ketchup (of course!):

Stats of B#1:  168 calories, 31g carbs, 1g fat, 16g protein, 5g fiber

Breakfast #2

 A couple hours later, I eagerly dug into my overnight oats.  I made the usual version, but subbed in blueberries for strawberries and added a tablespoon Bear Naked Maple Pecan Granola:

Creamy deliciousness:

Stats of B#2:  259 calories, 49g carbs, 6g fat, 8g protein, 8g fiber

The BF’s Breakfast #1

When we were on vacation in Charleston, we had breakfast at Hominy Grill twice and it was DELICIOUS.  Both times, we considered ordering their fruit and granola parfait, but opted for pancakes and omelets instead.  Ever since then, the BF has been craving the parfait, so being the nice lady I am, I made him one for breakfast this morning:

 

This parfait consisted of 1 container Dannon Vanilla Greek Yogurt, 1/4 cup Bear Naked Maple Pecan Granola, and 1 sliced banana:

 

Jarrod said he REALLY like the parfait.  Only change we’ll make for next time is to use strawberry yogurt instead.  YUM!

Stats on the parfait:  345 calories, 66g carbs, 5g fat, 17g protein, 5g fiber

Lunch

Lunch was 2 ounces of leftover chicken from last night’s Cajun pasta atop a Light Flat-out Italian wrap with spinach, tomato, onion, and a few drizzles of fat-free Italian dressing:

I wrapped everything up burrito-style, then cooked on the george foreman grill for about 5 minutes until it was heated through and the wrap was crispy:

YUM!

Stats on the wrap:  220 calories, 28g carbs, 4g fat, 28g protein, 12g fiber

And with that, it’s off to make some dinner!

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Recipes

Cajun Chicken Pasta

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Change of plans for dinner last night!  Jarrod decided he wanted to make us some dinner, and of course I was not opposed to such a wonderful idea 🙂

Jarrod and I LOVE pasta.  Prior to my 2010 plan to healthify my life, I’d eat pasta 2-3 times each week.  Nowadays, it’s more like 0-1 times per week.  As evidenced by the pasta dinner we had on vacation (and again, and again, and again, and again), we just don’t really EVER get sick of a nice pasta dinner.

First, Jarrod sautéed some garlic, sliced onions, sliced white mushrooms, and the rest of the banana pepper I grew in my garden:

Once the veggies were nice and tender, he added them to a simmering pot of Classico Fire Roasted Tomato & Garlic sauce.  Meanwhile, he threw some chicken breasts on the george foreman grill.  They were seasoned up with a little olive oil and A TON of cajun seasoning.  And he also dropped some Dreamfields Penne Pasta.

Pasta dinner comes to fruition:

On the side, we had a delicious salad consisting of romaine lettuce, sliced red onions, roma tomatoes, green pepper and Ken’s Steakhouse Lite Balsamic Dressing:

LOVE me a good salad!  I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again:  that Ken really knows a thing or two about salads!

This dinner rocked my socks 😀

Jarrod didn’t measure all of the ingredients out like I do, so calculating the stats was more of an art than a science this time. 

Stats for 1 4 ounce boneless skinless chicken breast with 1 tsp olive oil, 1 serving Dreamfields Pasta, 1/2 cup Classico Fire roasted Tomato & Garlic sauce, 1/4 cup sliced white onion, 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms, 1/4 cup sliced banana pepper: 434 calories, 57g carbs, 8g fat, 31g protein, 9g fiber

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What I ate

Saturday eggs, smoothies, & tuna salad

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This morning I woke up bright and early to try and pick up on my interval running (even though I had already decided to take a week off of high-impact excercise)…  I was able to get 1.5 intervals in before my knee started hurting 🙁  Looks like I’m going to be in the walking group at the Healthy Living Summit.

 

Breakfast of champions

After my disappointing run, I wanted a delicious breakfast to perk me up.  I cooked up 1 egg sunny side up, and had a piece of Country Hearth 12 Grain bread with sunflowers and a half a cup of oven baked potatoes:

Why are egg yolks SOOOO delicious tasting?  I find them oddly decadent!

Stats: 250 calories, 37g carbs, 7g fat, 12g protein, 2g fiber

Soon after downing this delicious breakfast, I was already feeling hungry and decided to make a fruit smoothie. 

I threw the following into the blender:

  • 1 container Yoplait Strawberry Greek Yogurt
  • 1/2 cup Almond Breeze unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
  • 1/4 cup fresh blueberries
  • 6 medium strawberries
  • 1 cup fresh spinach
  • 1/2 cup ice

This puppy definitely filled my belly up!

Stats on my smoothie: 199 calories, 32g carbs, 2g fat, 14g protein, 4g fiber

After watching me down my smoothie, Jarrod got jealous and decided he wanted a smoothie too.  So we threw the following into the blender:

  • 1 scoop optimum nutrition whey chocolate protein
  • 1/2 cup frozen sliced bananas
  • 1 tbsp JIF peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup ground-up quick oats
  • 1/2 cup Almond Breeze unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
  • 1/2 cup ice

This doesn’t look like much, but I tried a sip and it was AMAZING: 

Tasted like a shake you’d get at a hamburger stand.  I’m going to try and make a lower-calorie version sometime!

Stats on Jarrod’s chocolate peanut butter banana smoothie: 377 calories, 39g carbs, 12g fat, 33g protein, 6g fiber

  

Lunch

A little before lunch, I headed over to my mom’s house for some quality time with the fam.  Just as I was about to leave, I locked my keys in my trunk…  😯 What am I, 16 again?  When I was younger, I had the joy of consistently locking my keys in my car.  Actually, the day I first got my license I locked my keys in my trunk and had to have my dad come rescue me…. Oh joy….

Once I got the key situation all worked out, I headed home to make a tuna wrap for lunch.  Here’s what went into the tuna salad:

  • 1 can chunk light tuna in water, drained
  • 1/4 cup red onion
  • 1/2 a chopped roma tomato
  • 1 tbsp Ken’s Steakhouse Lite Creamy Ceaser Dressing
  • S&P

Then I added a few slices of a ginormous banana pepper I grew in my backyard garden:

I put the tuna salad atop a Light Flat-out Italian wrap with 1 cup of spinach:

Then I wrapped everything up burrito-style and grilled on the george foreman grill for about 5 minutes:

DELICIOUS.

Stats on the tuna wrap:  282 calories, 28g carbs, 9g fat, 32g protein, 12g fiber

 

I’m hoping to try out a new recipe for dinner tonight.. I have a few ideas in mind.  Maybe a nap will help things come to fruition 🙂

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What I ate

A whole day of FOOD

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Guess who forgot her camera cord at home today???  That’s right, one fervent-frazzled-foodie 😀

That’s ok, now I get to take my time with this lovely Thursday post, rather than rushing through a lunch-time blog session!

Today should have marked Day #1, Week #6 of my interval training plan… But unfortunately during my run in Charlotte Tuesday morning I started to have some knee pain 🙁

I haven’t had any problems throughout my entire interval plan.  I think the pain was probably caused by having to run on the sidewalks in the city in combination with the TON of walking we did on vacation. 

When I woke up this morning, I was still feeling a little pain in my knee.  I think I’m going to forgo running outside for a week before attempting to pick up on my intervals again.  Hopefully that will be sufficient time for me to get right back on track.  Until then, I’ll stick to the low-impact elliptical. 

Can’t believe tomorrow is Friday already!  Love short workweeks–even if it has been a hectic one.  You can always gauge my level of overwhelmsion at work by the cleanliness of my desk.  Case in point, today  my desk looked like it might try to swallow me whole at any moment:

Breakfast #1

Leftover’s from the scramble I made Tuesday night:

This was tasty, but I was really craving some eggins with turkey sausage.  Think I’ll have to pull some of my Jennie O’s out of the freezer tonight!

Stats on B#1:  141 calories, 13g carbs, 1g fat, 19g protein, 3g fiber

Breakfast #2

Long-awaited return of OVERNIGHT OATS!  Missed these guys so much on vacation!  I actually contemplated packing OO supplies to take on  my vacation, but once I saw the exorbitant amount of food I packed I decided against it.  I also nixed bringing the immersion blender and almond milk to make smoothies… haha 🙂

Last night, I mixed up:

  • 1/2 cup uncooked quick oats
  • 1/2 cup Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond Milk
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • sprinkling of cinnamon

This morning, I topped the overnight oats with fresh strawberries and blueberries:

GLORIOUS!

Speaking of overnight oats, I get a whole lot  of questions on how to make these.  If you’re intrigued, check out my Overnight Oats Addition to the Foodie Q&A Page.  Also check out the recipe page for some ideas on what to put in your overnight oats!

Stats on B#2:  200 calories, 36g carbs, 5g fat, 6g protein, 6g fiber

Lunch

While making last night’s dinner, I threw and extra chicken breast on the grill for my lunch today.  I was feeling a little saucy 😉 so I decided to make up some healthified buffalo chicken.

This time, I used the following:

Lucky for me, this mixture made enough for 2 wraps so I saved the other half for tomorrow.  I put the buffalo chicken on a Mama Lupe’s low carb tortilla:

Then topped with some tomato and onion:

I was super excited for lunch ALL day today… couldn’t wait to devour this spicy treat.

Last time I made this buffalo chicken salad, I used a lot less sauce.  I think I prefer it extra saucy 🙂

On the side, I had a jumbo salad with romaine, tomato, onion, banana pepper, green pepper, and 2 tbsp Ken’s Steakhouse lite Italian Romano dressing:

Stats on Wrap & Salad:  302 calories, 34g carbs, 9g fat, 28g protein, 10g fiber

Dinner

While trying to decide what to make for dinner, I came across a bag of calabacita veggies in the freezer:

This reminded me of my shrimp quesadillas, which sounded likes a fabulous idea for dinner. 

Here’s what went into the quesadillas:

First I carefully sliced a Joseph’s low-carb tortilla in half, then I topped it with a quarter of the bag of steamed calabacita veggies, a thinly sliced light mini baybel cheese round, and three large grilled shrimp that I had seasoned with lime juice, S&P, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and red pepper flakes:

I put the other half of the pita on top of my masterpiece and grilled on the george foreman for 4 minutes until the cheese was melty and the pita was crispy.  Then I topped with 2 tbsp Breakstone’s Fat Free sour cream, 1/2 a plum tomato, 1/4 cup red onion, and some banana peppers:

I love it when a meal is healthy and tastes AMAZING like this one did.  Look how yummy:

On the side, I had 1 cup each of roasted broccoli and cauliflower:

These veggies were seasoned with Black pepper, garlic salt, and onion powder.  I placed them on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray and gave them a good toss before roasting in a 415 degree oven for 15 minutes.  Y-U-M.

Next time I make quesadillas I think I’ll sub in some pinto beans for the shrimp and make a vegetarian quesadilla with TONS and TONS of veggies…. mmm can’t wait! 🙂

Stats on the quesadilla & fixins:  296 calories, 34g carbs, 6g fat, 24g protein, 69g fiber

Stats on the roasted veggies:  55 calories, 11g carbs, 0g fat, 4g protein, 5g fiber

All together now:  351 calories, 45g carbs, 6g fat, 30g protein, 11g fiber

Late-Night Snack

Post-dinner snack tonight was a delicious fruit smoothie.  I put the following into the blender:

  • 1/4 cup plain Stonyfield Farms Fat-Free Yogurt
  • 1/4 cup Almond Breeze Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
  • 1 packet truvia
  • 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
  • 1 cup spinach
  • 1/4 cup frozen blackberries
  • 1/2 cup ice cubes

 Blueberry bliss:

How can healthy foods taste so darn good??  Still baffles me!

All together now:  101 calories, 23g carbs, 1g fat, 6g protein, 5g fiber

Special Surprise

As you may recall, the BF was out of the country for work on my birthday, and the day after he returned, we headed to Charlotte/Charleston.  On vacation, he told me my present was “too big” to bring to Charleston, so I’d have to wait til we got home.  He also expressed some worries that I wasn’t going to like the gift…  Uh oh…  😯  

All I really wanted for my birthday was a night out in Charleston and a cupcake — (which I got several times over on vaca!), so I wasn’t too worried about the gift.

Last night was THE NIGHT.  I sat down with two nicely wrapped presents.  I was super excited to open them, albeit slightly apprehensive.

Here’s what was in the packages:

If you are like me, you’re probably wondering what the heck I’d use two travel guides to New Orleans for.  Maybe you are quicker at gathering the facts than me…. but for those who aren’t:  WE’RE GOING TO NEW ORLEANS IN OCTOBER!!!!  How awesome is that?!?!?  Flights and hotel are already booked!  Now all I have to do is research all the best places to eat 😀

 

QUESTION:  What’s the best surprise and/or birthday present you have ever received?

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