Healthy Eggplant Parmesan

Serve with Tomato Lime Meatballs!

Ingredients
1 large eggplant, peeled (use a potato peeler)
4 egg whites
Fat-free Parmesan cheese
Garlic powder, to taste
1 cup of low-carb marinara sauce

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Cut eggplant into ¼ inch slices.

3. In a shallow dish, beat egg whites and 4 tablespoons of water until foamy. Dip eggplant slices into egg whites, then into fat-free Parmesan cheese, pressing cheese into eggplant.

4. Place eggplant on prepared baking sheet that has been sprayed with vegetable spray and sprinkle with garlic powder.

5. Spray vegetable cooking spray over eggplant slices.

6. Bake 30 minutes at 400 degrees, turning eggplant over after 20 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through.

7. Cover with 1 cup of low-carb marinara sauce and bake for 20 minutes, or until eggplant is piping hot and sauce is bubbly.

Tomato Lime Meatballs

Easy... delicious... healthy...

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground turkey breast

2 small onions, chopped

1/4 cup old fashioned oatmeal (as a healthy substitute for bread crumbs)

3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

6 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. paprika

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp. ginger
1 tsp. turmeric (can substitute ground mustard if you don't have turmeric)
3 Tbsp. lime juice
1 jar low carb/low sugar marinara or spaghetti sauce (I use Classico's Red Pepper sauce for a kick)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine ground beef, 1/2 of the onion, oatmeal, parsley, cilantro, egg, cumin, paprika, red pepper flakes and, if desired, salt and pepper. Shape into 1-inch balls or use an ice cream scoop for easier, more uniform meatballs.
3. Arrange meatballs on baking sheet and bake 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile heat olive oil in 4-quart saucepot over medium heat and cook remaining onion, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in garlic, ginger and turmeric and cook 1 minute. Stir in lime juice and sauce.
5. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes.
6. When meatballs are finished baking, stir them into the sauce and cook an additional 10 minutes or until meatballs are done.

I imagine this would be sinful served with pasta... but it's hearty enough to eat by itself or with a simple, healthy Eggplant Parmesan.

Crockpot Lasagna

Hello, comfort food! I would feel guilty if this wasn't such a healthy alternative to the traditional lasagna recipes. And an added bonus, after a long day at work dinner is already waiting for you!

Ingredients
1 lb. ground turkey breast
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove minced garlic
28 oz. crushed tomatoes
15 oz. tomato sauce
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese -OR- 2% cottage cheese (which is what I use because I always have it on hand)
1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
6 pieces no-cook lasagna noodles
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions
Cook turkey, onion, and garlic in a skillet over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, and seasonings. Simmer 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine ricotta/cottage cheese and 1 cup mozzarella cheese.

Spoon 1/3 of turkey mixture into bottom of a 5-qt. slow cooker. Break 3 lasagna sheets in half and arrange over mixture. Top with half of cheese mixture. Repeat with another layer and finish with 1/3 of turkey mixture.

Cover slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Remove cover, turn off heat.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over top of lasagna. Cover and set aside until cheese melts and lasagna firms up, about 10 minutes.

Notes
A fresh salad sounded great with my lasagna, but if you want to up your veggie intake without serving a side dish simply add diced zucchini, mushrooms, and/or spinach to the sauce/turkey mixture.

Turkey Burgers

Since hubby was flying late last night, I just threw some ingredients together for a quick dinner.. these lil guys were delicious! I honestly didn't measure any of this, except for the turkey, but these are my best guesses as to how much of each ingredient...

1 lb. ground turkey breast
1/4 to 1/2 C. old fashioned oats
1/2 C. chopped spinach
1/4 C. BBQ sauce (probably less... I used a few squirts)

Combine all ingredients and pat out into 4-5 patties.

Heat grill to medium-high. Spray a double-layer of tin foil with cooking spray and set on grill grate to heat. Place patties on heated tin foil. Flip burgers after 5 minutes. Cook another 5 minutes, or until cooked through. You could baste these with more BBQ sauce if desired, but this way provided just the right amount of BBQ flavor.

I had my turkey burger (no bun) with steamed spinach and steamed green beans. Grilled corn on the cob or grilled veggie packets would be delcious if you had a little more prep time!

Taco Seasoning

A much better alternative to buying the packets of seasoning at the store. My husband said this was better anyway :)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container.

After browning and draining your choice of ground beef/turkey/turkey breast, add 3/4 C. water and 2-3 T. of seasoning per pound of meat. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Serve with homemade whole wheat tortillas!

Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas

Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Stone Ground)
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
3 teaspoons of olive oil
3/4 cups of warm milk

Directions:
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil.
Slowly add the warm milk.
Stir/Mix until a loose, sticky ball is formed. (I got in with my hands a little, too)

Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.
Place dough in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
After the dough has rested, break off eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate and then cover balls with plastic wrap for 10 minutes.

After dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and six to eight inches in diameter.  Keep rolled-out tortillas covered with plastic wrap until ready to cook.

In a dry iron skillet heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.

Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.
Makes eight tortillas.

I also made my own taco seasoning to put with ground turkey breast... and served with a side of 0% Greek Yogurt (a great substitue for sour cream) and Salsa!

Chocolate for Breakfast!

I usually have the same thing for breakfast every morning... 1/2 C. eggbeaters with any combination of spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, diced bell peppers, and/or onions. It's delicious and I enjoy it, but when this little recipe from SELF Magazine graced my inbox, I decided to switch it up. I'm glad I did... it was YUMMY and I wouldn't be opposed to having this for dessert on occasion :)


Directions:
Cook 1/4 cup old fashioned oats in 1/2 cup skim milk.
Mix oatmeal with 1/2 mashed banana (I used one -whole- of those cute little mini bananas), 2 tsp cocoa powder, 1 tsp brown sugar, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon.
Top with 1/4 cup skim milk and 1 1/2 tbsp ground flaxseeds (optional).

Nutrition Content
344 calories, 8 g fat (1 g saturated), 57 g carbs, 10 g fiber, 16 g protein

A lot of carbs, which I've been doing without, but whole grains like oatmeal are A-Okay!!

Eggplant (No-Noodle) Lasagna

To me, a pasta-less diet is an absolutely absurd idea. But for the past... oh, 30 some days I've gone almost entirely starchy-carbohydrate-free. (And almost entriely alcohol free...) There were a few weak moments and other times when Michael and I just wanted to enjoy a nice dinner out that I caved to cheese-filled tortellini and a few pieces of warm, yummy bread and a glass of wine. But other than that, 30 some days of no pasta, no rice, and no bread! And no, I DO NOT plan to continue the trend for all of eternity..

I've made this once or twice before, but made it slightly differently last night and it turn out AMAZING! Since my hubby is on a cross-country trip this week I now have a whole pan sitting in the fridge... think it will freeze well?

Ingredients
2 or 3 medium size eggplants, peeled and cut lengthwise into strips
1 lb. turkey breast
1 T. olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Handful of spinach, chopped or torn
2 C. 1% cottage cheese
1 egg yolk
1/4 C. fat-free parmesan cheese
1 T. each of dried basil and Italian seasoning
1 jar of spaghetti/marinara sauce of your choice (I found a low sugar/low carb roasted red pepper sauce)
Fat-free mozzarella cheese, if desired

Directions
Preheat oven to 375.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and chopped onion.
Add turkey breast and brown along with the garlic and chopped onion mixture.
Meanwhile, combine the cottage cheese, egg yolk, parmesan cheese, and seasonings in a bowl. Mix well.
Then spoon about 1cup of spaghetti sauce into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Spread to cover.
When the meat and onion mixture is finished cooking, you will layer your lasagna like this:

1. Sauce on the bottom (I already said to do that)
2. Strips of eggplant (just like you would lasagna pieces)
3. Cottage cheese mixture
4. Chopped spinach (just sprinkle over)
5. Turkey mixture
6. Repeat, ending with enough sauce to cover and sprinkle with mozzarella, if desired.

Cover the lasagna with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking for another 15 minutes or until cheese is golden. Let sit 5-10 minutes before serving.

Oatmeal, Cherry, & Almond Cookies

Also known as 'Power Cookies' because they pack just the right amount of protein. If you're like me, you like to know what's actually in your food. So instead of grabbing a box of processed, prepackaged protein or granola bars... take a few minutes to whip these up instead. They can be frozen and popped in the microwave for 30 seconds to be enjoyed for breakfast or as a snack throughout the day. Take some with you when you travel for an alternative to gas station or airport garbage...

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 tablespoons almond paste
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
10 packets of Truvia
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup vanilla whey powder
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat together applesauce, almond paste, flaxseed oil, Truvia, and agave nectar.
Beat in egg and vanilla.
Mix well.
Add flour, baking soda, salt, pepper, and whey powder. Beat thoroughly.
With a wooden spoon, stir in oats, cherries, and almonds.
Mix well.
Spray cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
Drop batter by the spoonfuls onto cookie sheet. Flatten each cookie with the back of the spoon.
Bake 12 minutes or until slightly brown.
Remove from oven, let cool, and store in airtight container.

I can get 36 cookies out of one batch, but the recipe says 18. I would personally rather eat 2 smaller cookies than 1 big one - but it's your call! :)

Enjoy!

Spinach & Feta Stuffed Chicken

I created this recipe to fit in with our healthy living plan (aka..eeks.. diet) of minimizing processed foods and eating 'cleaner'. Michael LOVED this recipe and requests it often...

Ingredients: 
4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Garlic/Onion Powder
Bag of Spinach
1/2 Onion, Chopped
Feta/Bleu/Gorgonzola Fat Free Cheese Crumbles (your preference)
1 C. Low-Fat Cottage Cheese OR O% Fat Greek Yogurt (your preference)

Additional:
Balsamic Vinegar (For Reduction Sauce)
OR
Frank's Hot Sauce (No carbs, No Sugar)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
In between 2 sheets of plastic wrap, pound out chicken breasts with mallet or heavy glass until fairly thin.(Or butterfly your chicken breasts). Season with garlic or onion powder if desired.
Sautee spinach and onion in 1 Tb. Olive oil just until spinach is wilted. Drain, if needed, and let cool slightly.
Combine spinach, onion, and cottage cheese/greek yogurt.
Spread mixture over the top of thinned chicken breasts.
Top with 1 T. of crumbled cheese for each chicken breast.
Roll up chicken and close with toothpicks.
Place in baking dish or on baking sheet and cover with foil.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

While the chicken is baking.. make the Balsamic Reduction: Pour desired amount of balsamic vinegar in a pan (keep in mind, “reduction” means “reduce” so the amount you pour in needs to be MORE than what you want to end up with). Heat pan to high and stir briskly, especially once boiling to prevent burning. Continue stirring until vinegar turns thickens/turns syrupy.
After chicken is finished, pour balsamic reduction over the top OR heat up some hot wing sauce for this step instead.

Serve with baked/grilled asparagus (425 degrees for 5-10 min) YUM!