Pumpkin Bread Pudding

This one is straight from the Forks Over Knives Cookbook. This is quite possibly the best Vegan cookbook I have ever seen!! I happen to have some pumpkin puree in the fridge and a loaf of stale french bread.

Ingredients:

1 1/4 C pumpkin puree

1 C plant based milk

1/2 C Maple Syrup

2t Vanilla Extract

2T Cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/8 tsp ground cloves

8 slices stale whole-wheat bread, cut into one inch cubes (about 6 cups)

1/2 C golden raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Have ready an 8x8 inch nonstick or silicone baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, milk maple syrup, and vanilla. Add the cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves and whisk well. Stir in the bread cubes and raisins, and toss to coat completely.

3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown and firm to the touch. Serve warm.

Protein Powders and Meal Replacement Shakes

It's that time of year. Everyone is looking for the quick fix to eating healthier. I get a TON of questions about vitamins, protein powders and shake programs. So here is my breakdown.

Let me start by saying EVERYONE needs a supplement. No matter how clean you eat, it's practically impossible to get all of the nutrients you need in a reasonable amount of calories. So please, take a multivitamin. Do your research. I choose a product called Reliv. I've been on it for over a year, and have noticed dramatic improvements in my digestive health, and sleep patterns. But I'm not here to sell you on my multivitamin!!

Next up... protein powders and meal-replacement shake programs. Here's my opinion. Try food first. I know you think this might be your problem (too much food, that is), but if you are willing to make the commitment to shakes and a "diet", you should be able to commit to a real food program. I have tried using shakes/powders, and they don't satisfy me. I like food! I want to EAT my meal, not drink it. I found myself eating more calories because I still needed the crunch and flavor of actual food. That being said, if you think you want to do the shake thing - try making smoothies with yogurt, almond milk, peanut butter, spinach, avocado, bananas, etc. (Just not all of these together, yuk!) There are a million smoothie recipes online, so google it!

My other "beef" with shakes is the chemicals. Call me hypocritical- I just recommended vitamins, which- if you read the ingredients, contradict the #1 rule of nutrition- if you can't pronounce it, don't ingest it. But, I still believe vitamins are a necessity. That being said, why would you double that by putting more of it in your body?

You will hear these shakes called "nutritional supplements". It's true, in some cases, your shake could be your vitamin. If that is the case, you should only be taking them once a day-just like a vitamin. My dislike of these programs comes when you start seeing "diets" that require you to drink 2-3 shakes a day, taking some kind of energy drink to keep you focused in the afternoon, and then some kind of sleep-aid at night... all labeled under "good nutrition". Ugh. Are you seeing the problem here?

I know there are a million people out there who will disagree with me. "I need protein after I work out!" is the #1 excuse... guess what?! An apple with a Tablespoon of natural peanut butter, is a ton healthier for you- and you will feel better about yourself. And unless you are a body builder- you don't need THAT much protein after you work out.

So in review, I will say... Take a vitamin, and to quote Michael Pollan "Eat Food. Not too much. Mostly plants."

2013 One Word: Nourish

Nourish; Provide with substances necessary for growth, health, and good condition

So, there it is...my 2013 One Word. Nourish. As a Fitness Chef, this word means so much to me already. In it's most obvious definition, I intend to nourish my body with healthy foods. But it goes beyond just my body, and includes my brain, mind, soul, relationships, family, home and things I haven't even thought of yet. And of course, this includes YOU, my reader, follower, friend. Not only do I want to Nourish myself in all of these ways, but I want to feed you all of my discoveries, so that you can grow into the healthy person you wish to be.I'm so excited to see where this word takes me!

Here is a photo of the sign I created. It's a 12x24 sign that is hanging over my dining room table! The letters are formed with dried beans, grains, lentils, and corn. I love it!! And since I study at my dining table, I look at it regularly!



If you have questions about the One Word movement, please feel free to contact me.

Here is a link to a short video about picking your own One Word!

If you live in the Twin Cities area, I'm hosting a One Word Workshop on January 5th! Come and create your sign! Contact me for details.

Best of luck to you in fulfilling your dreams, goals and adventures of 2013!

Spicy-Sweet Cashew Chicken

I have a love of Chinese food. I think I've mentioned that in this blog before. Tonight I concocted a pretty awesome little dish! I think I was motivated to write it down, so that I can be sure and make it again!

Cashew Chicken

Ingredients:
1 Chicken breast cut into 1inch chunks
1 T cornstarch
1/4 onion thinly sliced
1 garlic clove sliced
1 cup broccoli florets (pre-cooked, steamed or raw- preference is up to you)
1/2 cup cashew halves
1 cup brown rice

  For sauce:
1 T Rice Wine Vinegar
3 T Honey
1.5 T Soy Sauce (low sodium if you like)
1 T Sriracha

Instructions:
Cook rice according to package directions.

In small bowl mix sauce ingredients, and set aside. (This makes more sauce than you need)

Heat 1T oil in large skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and mix in cornstarch. When oil is hot, add chicken and onions. Cook 5-6 minutes until chicken is browned and mostly cooked. Add in broccoli and cook until chicken is cooked through and broccoli is tender. Add sliced garlic and cashews, and cook for 1 minute. Spoon in half of the sauce mix. Stir constantly and let cook until sticky (about 1 minute).

Serve over rice, and drizzle with more sauce if you like. This serves 2 people.

* You could also add sliced red pepper to this recipe. I would have, if I'd had any!!

Mushroom Pepper Spinach

I love spinach, and I eat it regularly. I feel like no meal is complete if it doesn't have something green, so spinach is an easy fix. I saw a recipe similar to this one the other day, and had to try it.

Ingredients:

Mushroom Pepper Spinach

2 cups spinch
1 cup mushrooms (cut into chunks, not sliced)
1/2 yellow (red or green) pepper cut into strips.
olive oil

Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Lightly spray with non-stick spray or a teaspoon of olive oil. Add mushrooms and peppers and cook until browned. Do not add salt! When peppers are cooked to desired texture, remove pan from heat. If you want spinach completely wilted, do this next step immediately, if you prefer more of a "salad" then a "side dish" wait about 5 minutes or until pan has slightly cooled.Add spinach and a drizzle of olive oil.  Mix well, salt and pepper to taste and serve.

This makes one large serving! Pictured here with Maple-Mustard Salmon!

The Assist...

I've said it before... I get my energy from a great writer, and inspirational speaker that I have been following for years... probably about 8 years. His name is Jon Gordon. I was introduced to him through my best friend, who had heard about him through her work. I signed up for his newsletter immediately, and at one point even worked with him one-on-one over the phone.  I've read all of his books and we've met once, when he was here in Minneapolis and spoke to the public. I am a true follower!

This morning he tweeted, "Great leaders don't succeed because they are great. They succeed because they bring out the greatness in others."

It's almost like he's been reading my mind for the last couple of weeks. I've been saying for years that "In the game of life, the greatest statistic in the assist".  It is not about our individual success, but how we help others succeed. But, in the last few weeks, it's really hit home in my brain. I've been using this analogy to figure out how to make changes to Dandy Life.

Obviously, I want my business to succeed. So, how do I make that happen?! What really is the goal of my business?! I've spend a lot of time over the last few weeks hammering this out. In the end, the goal of Dandy Life is to help you grow a healthier lifestyle. To do that I feed you inspiring words and health tips, I offer you opportunities to talk about creating a healthy life, and I give you tools to get there. My hope is that you take bits of this information and use it to nourish your goals and dreams.

Dandy Life will be "Great" when YOU feel great! :)

Healthy Plates is now My Dandy Life!!

2012 was definitely a year of change for me, and for Dandy Life, we have both grown and changed. Therefore, I'm making some changes with this blog. Dandy Life has never been just about food, it's been about wellness and health. I consider myself a "Health Coach", it goes beyond nutrition, to living healthfully. I eat clean, with very little processed or fake food. I use essential oils to relieve pain, clean my house, and lift my spirits! I am studying to be a personal trainer- in part so I can use my knowledge to improve my own performance!

Putting it generally... This blog is more about sharing my journey and hoping that it helps you grow. The Dandy Life Website, will continue as the primary site for the professional side of the business. You can look there for info on Nutrition based Classes, Cookery Services, and Essential Oils. Healthy Plates, will now be called.... My Dandy Life. My Dandy Life will highlight my personal journey. No worries- you will still find recipes! But, I hope it will turn into more of a Health Coaching Journal, than a food blog.

Please have patience as I make these changes!

I look forward to sharing 2013 and all of it's glory with you!

Tonya

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I don't bake, but I do have 2 specialties, my Holiday Biscotti, and these PB cookies! It's the holidays, and I wanted to make Peanut Butter Blossoms, so I used this recipe instead of just plain peanut butter cookies... they are delicious! And, I made some healthier substitutions.

Holiday Biscotti on the left, Cookies on the right!

Ingredients:

1 1/2C firmly packed brown sugar

1C creamy Peanut Butter (try using all natural- no sugar added pb)

3/4 C butter (sub coconut oil for up to half)

1/3 c water

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

3 Cups Oats

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 bag Hersey kisses (or 1 1/2 C semi- sweet chocolate chips)

Heat oven to 350. Beat together brown sugar, peanut butter and butter until light and fluffy. Blend in water, egg and vanilla. Add in dry ingredients 1/3 at a time and mix well. Shape dough into 1 in balls. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are light golden brown and start to crack. Immediately when cookies come out of the oven, place a Hershey Kiss on the top. Transfer to cooling rack.

If you are using chocolate chips, mix them in before rolling into balls.

Holiday Biscotti

It's that time of the year!! There is no escaping the Christmas Cookie Infestation! I love biscotti any time of year, but here is a fun and festive one.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour *
1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 C (one stick) butter, room temperature**
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1.4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup pistachios
2/3 cup dried cranberries

decoration:
12 oz white chocolate

Biscotti on the left, Peanut Butter Cookies on the right!

Red and Green sugar crystals

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Mix the sugar, butter, lemon zest and salt in a large bowl with a mixer. Add eggs, one at a time. Blend in dry ingredients until just blended. Stir in pistachios and cranberries.

Form the dough into a log about 3 inches wide and 13 inches long- it should be about an inch thick. Bake until light golden brown, about 30 minutes. If in doubt- go shy on the time. Over baking at this point makes for crumbly biscotti later.  Let cool for 30 minutes.

Slice biscotti with a sharp knife into pieces about 1/2 in thick. Place slices on baking sheet and bake until toasted pale golden, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a cooling rack.

When biscotti is cool, they can be drizzled with melted white chocolate (according to package directions) and sprinkled with colored sugar.

Biscotti will last about 4 days in an airtight container, or 3 weeks wrapped in foil, and frozen in a resealable plastic bag.

* Consider using half whole wheat pastry flour, and/or subbing almond meal as directed by the package. I did both of these things and they turned out great!

** Try using pureed prunes for up to half of the fat in any baking dish. I used 2T this time, and it worked great!

Pumpkin Pancakes

It's that time of year... all things Pumpkin! Last year, I wrote up this Pumpkin Latte recipe, this year, it's pancakes and Pumpkin Power Bread.  There were lots of of Pumpkin Pancake recipes out there, so I combined a bunch and this is what I got! As it turns out, this recipe is Vegan!

Ingredients:
3/4c whole wheat flour

Pumpkin Pancakes

1T sugar
1tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin spice
1/3 c pureed pumpkin
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 c Almond milk (coconut or cow's milk would work too)

Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl, then add pumpkin, milk and vanilla. Stir until just mixed. Batter will be thick (like biscuits). Heat griddle or fry pan on Medium heat, using a little non-stick spray, oil or butter. Spoon batter into pan. Cook 4 minutes on each side. Makes about 4 pancakes (2 servings).

Serve with real maple syrup and chopped pecans or walnuts!

Note: These are really dense and filling. You really only need 2 pancakes! Remember there is no oil in the batter (as is typical with pancakes), so using a little fat in your pan is necessary! I used coconut oil, which also added delicious flavor!

Pumpkin Power Bread

I love bread! In particular, I love bread with stuff in it, that makes it flavorful and fun to eat. Even better when it has healthy stuff in it! This was great fresh out of the oven, and fantastic toasted! It made a fun mid-morning work snack, and a great weekend breakfast with coffee!  Not too sweet and a lot of great flavor! This is pretty much the recipe from The Chew with just a little less sugar.

Ingredients:

Pumpkin Power Bread

1 1/2 C whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp baking soda

5 Tbls Sugar

1/2 tsp Nutmeg*

1/2 tsp Cinnamon*

1/2 tsp Allspice*

1 tsp ginger*

1 C pumpkin puree

2 eggs

1/2 c Coconut Oil**

1 tsp Vanilla extract

4 T Honey

1/2 C walnuts, chopped

Heat oven to 350. Sift together dry ingredients; including spices in a small bowl. In a large bowl mix together Pumpkin, eggs, oil, vanilla and honey. Add dry ingredients to wet and combine. Do not over mix. Stir in walnuts. Pour mix into buttered bread pan, and bake 35-40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

* You could substitute the nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice and ginger, for an equal amount of Pumpkin Spice (or 2 tsp).

** I substituted half of the Coconut Oil with Prune Puree. 

Breakfast Pudding

A friend of mine saw this recipe in a magazine, and scribbled down the basic idea and then said, "you should try this, it sounds good."... uh... ok! I'd seen recipes that called for putting a fried egg on your oatmeal, but that didn't sound appealing at all! This idea sounded a little scary too, but when the weather turned colder, a hot cereal breakfast sounded good. It provides some great protein, and this one serving will keep you content all morning!

Here are the basic ingredients:
1/4 cut cream of rice cereal
1 cup of water
1 egg

Crack egg into small bowl, beat with fork and set aside. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small pan, then add cereal and whisk. When cereal starts to thicken (about 2 minutes) spoon a few tablespoons into the egg to temper, then add the egg to the hot cereal and whisk together, cooking for about another minute.  Pour cereal into bowl and mix in flavorings.

There are a million ways to flavor this stuff! I usually start by cooling it off with a few tablespoons of Almond Milk. Here are some of the combos, I've tried. I use about a tsp of anything sweet unless noted;

Brown Sugar
Honey
Maple Syrup (with or without toasted almonds, walnuts, pecans)
Pureed Pumpkin- heaping Tablespoon, usually paired with Maple Syrup
Cinnamon and vanilla (dash of each)
Peanut butter and honey
1/2 sliced banana

I haven't tried it, but I suppose Cinnamon Raisin, or Apples and cinnamon would work.

I've also made this as a batch (3 servings at once) and then just heated it in the microwave with some almond milk to thin it out a little. This works well, and saves time and dishes in the morning.

I actually ate this on the morning of my duathlon, it was in the low 30's, and the hot cereal was filling, and provided the right mix of pre-race carbs, with the protein to sustain me.

Pumpkin Pie Spice

This time of year, lots of recipes call for Pumpkin Pie Spice. It seems like a huge waste of money (and space) to buy a spice mix like this that you will not use much of, and that contains just a mixture of what you already have in your cabinet.  Here is the blend that I use. I typically make a batch of this whenever pumpkin first starts arriving in my brain, and use it through the season.

4 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

Mix together and store in a sealed container.

Use it in these recipes:

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Pumpkin Pancakes

What's on MY plate?

I haven't been the best blog writer these days. There's no excuse except to say, I'm busy! Who's not?! The last 6 months I've been training hard for my first triathlon (in June) and Duathlon (in Sept). While I've been a healthy eater for a long time- the training put a whole new spin on things for me. After losing 10 pounds in 4 weeks, I knew I needed to change things up in my diet. Sure, I was eating healthy, and constantly, but was I eating enough, and the right mix of food?

 My schedule revolved around eating to live, not living to eat, like usual.  I wasn't being creative with meals, just doing the basics. In this time I did a lot of reading... and now I want to share with you some of what I've learned. Sure, this blog is mostly about food, but it's also about living a healthy lifestyle.

In general, you could say that I'm moving towards Natural Eating. My thoughts about this started to change, when I had a flash back to an Essential Oils seminar that I went to this past winter. For over a year now, I've been using essential oils instead of lotions and perfume. Then a few months ago- I decided to spray some perfume on before I went out, within an hour I had red itchy bumps on my arms where I had sprayed. I thought back to my seminar, when the speaker talked about how absorbant your skin is, and why would you use perfume, it's just dumping chemicals into your bloodstream. Long story short- if I'm not willing to put chemicals on my skin, why am I eating them?!

This led me to really cutting back on low-fat and no-fat foods. Realizing that to replace the flavor that comes with fat, manufactures tend to use salt, sugar and  chemicals to make up the taste. Yuk! How is THAT healthy? I'll would rather work off the tablespoon of real cream in my coffee, than make my body process and detox a non-dairy creamer (um... what is it??)! Same goes with sugar. Give me the real stuff, plain and simple, most of the "natural" sugar substitutes are created by chemical processes anyway.

So then I started finding lots of info on the Real Food Movement. Some of my friends, and followers participated in the 10 day Real Food Challenge. To put it simply; you eat real food! :) Anything that comes out of a can, box, bottle or bag, should have less than 5 ingredients. This sounds simple, but take a look at the ingredients on your loaf of bread! Then, check out your jar of peanut butter. More than 5 ingredients, right? And what are some of those words even mean? It goes straight back to the old saying... if you can't pronounce it- you shouldn't eat it! I encourage you to spend more time reading labels and enjoying real food.

So that's where I am at today. Enjoying more real food. Stay tuned, and stay healthy!

Apple Nachos

When you are trying to eat healthfully, dessert always gets left behind. But, let me tell ya... this is the perfect dessert for 2 people! (or a snack indulgence for one). 321 calories total. You decide if it's worth it!

Apple Nachos

Ingredients:
1 apple, thinly sliced
1 T creamy peanut butter, melted
1T sweetened coconut flakes
5-6 pecans, chopped.
1T chocolate chips
lemon juice

Spread apples out in a thin layer (slightly overlapping) on a plate (squirt with lemon juice to keep from browning, if desired). Drizzle melted peanutbutter over the apple, then top evenly with coconut, nuts and chocolate chips.

It's easy and fun!

Motivation Jars

While this blog is intented mostly for food related items, it's also my outlet for tips and other healthy lifestyle choices! When I saw this idea on another blog this week, I HAD to do it, and so, I ran with it (quite literally).

The idea behind the motivation jars is that your goal will become very visual. My new goal is running a half- marathon in August! 13 miles! I was born a sprinter, so this distance thing is a whole new ballgame. So far, I've really enjoyed it. I have written up a training plan, and know that along this journey will be about 500 miles of training (a little less). As I write this- I'm 34 miles into it!

I created 2 jars... one that represents the 500 miles I have to run in preparation for my race. I'm calling this: Miles to Go. The other is the miles I've completed: Miles on the Journey. I will transfer beads from one to the other each day that I run.

I'm using these small beads for the day-to-day runs. These 6 beads represent this morning's run. I'm pretty sure I've never run 6 miles at once before. Today is a big day!

These are my race beads. 13 of them! I can't wait to transfer them over!

So- find yourself a couple of clear jars, and get creative. Try the dollar store- that's where I found these wine glasses. I wish I had beads that were a little larger- so it was more significant, so I might still work on that one. I will keep you posted.

I've placed my motivation jars on a shelf in my living room. This is a place where I will see them often... when I come downstairs in the morning and when I'm sitting on the couch!

Maple-Mustard Salmon Glaze

Maple-Mustard Salmon

I may never LOVE salmon, but the marinades and glazes I've been finding have been spectacular! I think this would be great on any seafood, maybe even chicken! And, you probably have it in your fridge.

simply mix together:
1T spicy grain mustard
1T maple syrup

Since I'm still learning to like salmon, I typically grill it, to keep the fishy smell out of the house. For this recipe, I lightly coated the salmon with Pam (olive oil spray would work too), then grilled it for 2-3 minutes before flipping over, and brushing on the maple- mustard mix, until the Salmon is cooked to your liking (another 2 minutes). There was enough glaze for 2 servings of fish.

Peanut Butter Dip

Are you a peanut butter junkie? I know a LOT of people who are! Unfortunately peanut butter is more of a fat, than it is a protein. But, this simple dip turns it into a GREAT healthy snack! It's super easy! Are you ready?

PB yogurt dip

Mix together:
1 Tablespoon of creamy peanut butter
3 Tablespoons of non-fat, plain greek yogurt.

DONE!
(if it's too yogurty for you- try just adding a smidge of honey)

This makes 4 Tablespoons of Dip- a perfect amount for 1 apple!

An equal amount of Peanut Butter:
400 calories
32 grams of fat
16 grams of protein

This Dip (as written)
155 calories
8 grams of fat
12 grams of protein.
All the peanutbuttery goodness!

Greens and Beans Soup!

I am trying to get back on the "bring your lunch to work" bandwagon. I've discovered that the easiest thing for me to bring is soup! And since I need to break in my new dutch oven (thanks mom!), today was the day to whip up something new. This recipe is the culmination of a few I found. One of them was very similar, but also included browned sausage! I chose not to add meat, but if you did, I would add 1 lb of sausage to the first stage of this soup... mixed with the onions and garlic.

Beans and Greens Soup

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

7 cloves of garlic, minced or grated

1 head escarole, chopped

2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 tsp dried oregano (thyme or rosemary would also work here)
4 cups fat free chicken stock

1 cup water

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon lemon rind

3  15oz cans Great Northern Beans, lightly drained.

salt and pepper

Directions:

Warm the oil in a large pot of medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 10 minutes, until veggies are soft. Stir in the escarole, sugar, and oregano, cook for another 10 minutes.

Add broth and water, and heat until boiling over medium-high heat. When soup boils, reduce heat to low, add the cheese and lemon rind and stir continuously until cheese is melted (enjoy the wonderfully fresh scent with the lemon hits the hot soup!). Stir in the beans, season with salt and pepper, and let simmer for 20 minutes to several hours!

Michael Symon's Grilled Salmon with Shaved Carrot Salad

Ok people. I have some confessions to make.
#1- I hate Salmon
#2- I have a huge crush on Michael Symon!
#3- due to #2, I am addicted to The Chew!

As it turns out, I love Iron Chef Symon enough to trust that I might really like his salmon dish from the show earlier this week. It was fantastic! I might have found my salmon cooking mistakes as well; don't over cook the fish, and remove the skin before cooking! While the smell was still really fishy, the fish didn't seem nearly as oily as it usually does. Enough- here's the recipe!



Grilled Salmon with shaved carrot salad



Ingredients:

4- 6oz pieces of salmon

4 oz EVOO

1 bunch of scallions

1/2 cup toasted peanuts

salt and pepper

3 medium Organic carrots

1 Tablespoon cumin seed

1 cup mint leaves

2 oz red wine vinegar

Instructions:



Season salmon with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Grill for 2 minutes on each side.

While the salmon is grilling shave the carrots, toast the cumin sees and peanuts, slice the scallions thin and tear mint leaves.

Place carrrots, cumin seeds, scallions and mint in a large mixing bowl with the peanuts.

Whisk together the oil and red wine vinegar and add to the vegetables. Season liberally with salt and pepper, Place the salmon on a platter and top with the shaved carrot salad.



* what I did differently: I didn't have cumin seeds, so I just sprinkled a little ground cumin on the carrots- go easy! Also- I subbed cashers for peanuts (almonds would work too)- it's just what I had in the house. I also made just one serving, so I kind of guessed on amounts. However, I'm not a big mint-in-food fan so I went pretty light on the mint. Oh- and I made this on my George Foreman Grill-- it was too cold, damp and windy tonight for the grill. None-the-less, the flavor was amazing!!

Spaghetti Pie

This is my dual purpose post! It is Week 1 in my friend's 52 Recipe Challenge (post a new recipe once a week), and it's also my "Healthy Every Week" recipe. In week 2 of the Food Network's "Healthy Every Week" Challenge, we are focusing on whole grains. I think by now, most of us are using the whole wheat or whole grain pasta.  Here is a fun recipe to make with Spaghetti Night Leftovers!



Spaghetti Pie



Ingredients:

1 egg
2 cups cooked whole wheat or whole grain spaghetti noodles
2/3 cup spaghetti sauce
2 oz of goat cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

Coat small oven safe casserole dish (8x8 or smaller) with non-stick spray.

Scramble the egg in a medium bowl, season with salt and pepper. Add cooked noodles. Mix well. Carefully pour noodle mixture into prepared casserole dish. Top with spaghetti sauce and crumbled goat cheese. Bake, uncovered until egg is set and cheese has browned- about 15-20 minutes

* Turn this pie into a pizza, by layering your favorite pizza toppings on after the sauce and before the cheese. I frequently use, Turkey Pepperoni, onions, mushrooms, peppers and spinach. This is a perfect way to get a serving of veggies into a very low-fat meal!

Serves 2- perfect portion control served with a side salad!

** Be sure to check the "Healthy Every Week" & "52 Recipe Challenge" tags to see all of my recipes for these two Challenges!

Avacado Egg Sandwich

Happy New Year! This year my motto is- Operation 2012: Desire to Inspire! Each month I plan to do something that inspires you to get healthy!! In January, I am participating in the the Food Network's Healthy Every Week Challenge. Each week the Healthy Eats blog, will be posting articles and recipes on a different healthy thing to do. Week 1 is breakfast. So today's recipe is a fun egg sandwich. Healthy avacado, and tomato slices on whole wheat bread with an egg! Easy! But here's the recipe!


Avacado Egg Sandwich



Ingredients:

1 whole egg (or 2 egg whites, or egg subsitute)

2 slices of whole grain bread, toasted

1/4 Avacado, sliced

2 slices Ripe Tomato

While bread is toasting, scramble egg in a small bowl. In a small fry pan, cook egg as you would cook an omelete, one small circle, until egg is cooked through. Salt and Pepper to taste.



Place egg, tomato, and avacado on toast, and enjoy!

* if you don't like tomatoes in the winter, try a Tablespoon of salsa instead!

Here's to a Happy HEALTHY 2012!