Breakfast for Dinner!

This was one of my favorite dinners. First of all, I am a sucker for any and all pancakes. But these were LEGIT. Beats any pancake house I've been to! And they are healthier. Go figure. That USUALLY doesn't happen! Second of all, most of you who really know me, know that eggs essentially make me GAG. Pregnancy has changed that. I could have eaten this whole thing if I was a little further along and had the excuse ;)

ENJOY THIS! Make it for dinner, or go ahead and make it on a Saturday for breakfast!

Ellie Krieger's Broccoli Frittata

• 2 tsp Olive Oil
• 1 medium red onion, sliced (I used a yellow onion)
• 2 cups broccoli, steamed and chopped (I bought 1 bag of chopped frozen broccoli and steamed it in the bag in the microwave)
• 4 eggs
• 4 egg whites (Yes, that's a total of 8 eggs folks!)
• 2 T water
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
• (Not in original recipe, but I used): 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper)
• (Not in originial recipe, but I used 1/2 tsp salt)
• (Not in original recipe, but I used 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in large, cast-iron skillet (or any oven safe skillet you have). Saute onion in hot oil for about 5 minutes, until soft
2. Beat eggs and egg whites together with water  (I used a whisk)
3. Add broccoli to the skillet with the onion and mix together. Cook another 2 minutes.
4. Pour egg mixture over the onions and broccoli and make sure it spreads evenly. 
5. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook about 8 minutes. Edges should be firm, but center will be a little runny
6. Top center with cheese, and pop in the broiler for only about 2 minutes (uncovered)
7. Slice into 8 wedges and serve

*Variations are possible here. You could do mushrooms and spinach. You could go the Greek route with olives and spinach and top with feta. Possibilities are endless! Experiment and let me know what works!

Ellie Krieger's Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

• 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour OR whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk, low fat
• 3/4 cups milk, fat-free (I actually used soy milk here)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 T honey
• Cooking Spray

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
2. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, buttermilk, milk, honey, and vanilla (I used a whisk)
3. Coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and preheat over a medium-low heat/flame.
4. Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing only to combine. Batter WILL be lumpy
5. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to ladle batter into griddle or skillet
6. Flip pancakes when they are golden brown on bottom and bubbles form on top (about 1 1/2 minutes per side). Cook other side until golden brown. Keep pancakes warm in oven while you finish the remaining ones

Roasted Butternut Squash over Arugula

Watch out men, its another vegan entree! Nick liked this one better! It was super easy, very light, but very yummy (Especially if you are a butternut squash fan.. which.. I am!) My college roommates can vouch for me on that!

Ingredients for Salad:

1 small-medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp olive oil

6 oz arugula

1/2 cup toasted almonds

Ingredients for Dressing:

1 tsp olive oil

1 T honey

1 T red wine vinegar

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1. Toss butternut squash with oil, salt, and cinnamon. Spread on baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, toast your almonds if you haven't already and whisk together the dressing. Set both aside.
3. Place a mound of arugula on each plate. When squash is done, top with squash, almonds, and then pour dressing over each serving.

Enjoy :)

Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Chick Peas over Spaghetti Squash

First and foremost, forgive me for not posting in over a month! Why has no one held me accountable? I have actually made probably 5-6 tasty dishes that I would love to share, but the photographs are not worthy of the blog. Yes, I have standards... But alas, the reason for this post!

This is not a meal that will satisfy your "Meat and Potatoes" man. This is a vegan recipe that is very healthy and most girls will LOVE it. Men will search anxiously to no avail for some kind of chicken, beef, etc. Nowhere to be found. I loved this... and since I'm selfish.. I will share with you!

The List

1 medium to large spaghetti squash

1 pound brussels sprouts 

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

3 gloves of garlic, pressed

1/2 cup vegetable broth (you could use chicken)

15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Sliced or Slivered almonds if desired

The Rules  Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce squash 8-10 times with a skewer all the way through to the flesh. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at least an hour, turning every 25 minutes. I probably baked mine closer to an hour and a half. Skin should soften and get brown. A knife should slide through like butter. Allow to cool and set aside until ready to handle.

2. While squash is nearing the end of its cooking time, trim and discard the ends of the sprouts. Cut sprouts in half and place on a baking sheet. Spray them all with cooking spray. Once the squash comes out, pop these babies in and bake about 15 minutes until starting to brown.

3. Meanwhile, cut squash in half, seed it, and then start shredding the squash with a fork into a large bowl. Cover and keep warm.

4. In a large skillet, cook the onions on medium-high heat until they start to become golden (5 or 6 minutes). Add sprouts, garlic, and vegetable broth and cover. Cook about 5 minutes, adding broth as necessary. Add chickpeas, basil, and red pepper flakes. Cook until heated through. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice. 

5. Toss everything with the squash in the large bowl and then serve it up with almonds as a garnish!

Enjoy :)

Amanda's Steak Tacos ... (Originally from Weight Watchers, but I'll give her all the credit!)

So, this is an EASY, EASY recipe that is absolutely wonderful. If you haven't noticed, I am into using the slow cooker lately. I have one more slow cooker to post, but I'm determined to post something else before it! Anyways, this was out of a Weight Watcher's Cook Book, but I will always know these as Amanda's Steak Tacos from now on. If you want to read about the girl who inspired me to quick drinking Diet Coke cold turkey, check out her blog!

So, here is the recipe. Come home to a dinner that cooks all day, but takes about 10 minutes to put on the table!

Ingredients

• 1 pound flank steak (picture below if you aren't sure what to look for)
• 1 t chili powder
• 1.5 cups low sodium beef broth
• 3/4 cup chunky salsa
• 2 T diced green chiles (drained if necessary)
• 1/2 cup black beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• Whole Wheat Flour Tortillas (got some AWESOME ones from Trader Joes)
• Low Fat/Reduced Fat Sour Cream

Directions

Whisk the beef broth and the chili powder in the slow cooker. Add flank steak and cook on low 8-10 hours.

Transfer steak to a cutting board and shred with 2 forks. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid from the crock pot and get rid of the rest. Wipe out crock pot with a paper towel. Return meat to slow cooker.

Stir in reserved cooking liquid, salsa, beans, cilantro, and chiles. Cook on high for 5 minutes.

How good does that look? Here is what you'll need to finish this off:

Top each tortilla with some beef, a spoon full of salsa, and a little dollop of sour cream!

Enjoy :) SO GOOD!

Apricot Smothered Seared Chicken

This is delightful! I found this on eatingwell.com in their 500 calorie or less chicken dinner menu archive! SO, SO tasty. Sweet and savory. We served it with some spinach and brown rice and Nick declared, "It's a keeper!" I must say, it has been quite awhile since I've heard those words come out of his mouth in regards to my cooking. Anyways, here is the recipe!

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts- I only used 3- but really you just need 1 per person!
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 medium shallot, minced
• 4 fresh apricots, pitted and chopped
• 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon , or 1/2 teaspoon dried

Directions

• Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Pound until flattened to an even thickness, about 1/2 inch or a little larger. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Place flour on a large plate or shallow dish. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off excess. (Discard any leftover flour.)
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned and no longer pink in the center, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm. (If necessary, cook the chicken in two batches with an additional 1 tablespoon oil.) To be honest, I didn't like how slow it was cooking in the skillet, so after about 5 minutes per side, I popped them in the oven at 350 and let them finish baking for about 10 minutes while I did the next step!

• Off the heat, add wine and shallot to the pan. Return to medium heat and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Add apricots and cook until the fruit begins to break down, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in preserves, tarragon and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Return the chicken to the pan and cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve the chicken with the sauce.

• On this last step, I just pulled them right out of the oven, placed the chicken in the pan to let it soak up some of the juice in the sauce and then smothered them when I put them on our plates. 

I already cannot wait to have this meal again! Try it out, and enjoy!!

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry- It's a Cinch!

This has minimal ingredients, but major flavor! Loved it. Very budget friendly!! You could definitely add your own flair to this to "beef it up." Next time I think I'd add some sweet potato, maybe even some green beans.. you'll see!

My pictures didn't come out so well- mainly because I just wanted to EAT it... but... either way- make this and then decide for yourself. Don't judge this book by its cover!

Ingredients:

1 large onion sliced

1 large green pepper chopped into 1 inch peices

1 can stewed tomatoes, chopped up

1 lb chicken, cut into 1 inch peices

1/2 cup mango chutney (Couldn't find this, so I bought mango salsa)

2 T cornstarch

1 1/2 tsp Curry Powder

1/4 cup water

(Brown rice is optional for serving)

Directions:

Place onions, peppers, tomatoes, chicken, and chutney/salsa in a slow cooker.

In a separate bowl, whisk cornstarch, curry powder, and water. Pour over chicken and toss to coat.

Cook on low for 4 hours.

Serve over brown rice :)

Enjoy! Its TOO easy!

Old Fashioned Chicken n' Dumplin Stew/Soup!

This is the best soup ever. And I can say that because its my Mom's recipe and everything she makes is wonderful... The dumplings are light and healthy whole wheat! This was perfect for a potential ice storm. Luckily we have leftovers for tomorrow should weather be as bad as they say! You'll want to make this.. its delightful and warms you up from the inside out. I truly hope you enjoy it as much as I do! The ingredient list looks long, but I promise its a cheap meal that lasts more than 1 night!

The actual recipe is pretty lose. I'll give you the exact measurements, and then let you know what I did!

Soup Ingredients:

2 cans of chicken broth

1.5 cups water

1 bay leaf (fresh or dry)

1 1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 large onion chopped

2 large carrots sliced (I used 3)

3 stalks of celery sliced (Not in the original recipe)

10 oz frozen peas (I used a whole 12 oz bag)

6 oz yolk-less noodles (I used the whole 8 oz bag)

2 cup pre-cooked cubed chicken

Dumpling Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp ground red pepper

1 T butter

1 egg white

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 T fresh parsley

First, combine all ingredients for the soup except for the noodles. They suck up a lot of water/broth! Bring to a boil and let cook until you are about 15 minutes away from "dinner time." I let mine simmer about 1 hour.

Add noodles and let cook while you make the dumplings.

For the dumplings, mix together your dry ingredients. Cut in the butter until well mixed. Add your egg white, buttermilk, and parsley then stir to combine.

Drop dumplings by heaping tablespoons into the soup (they will float)

Cover for about 5-7 minutes until cooked through

Ladle into bowls and seriously, ENJOY!