Skinny Lo Mein

Mmmmm!  This dish is wonderfully delicious and FAST.  If you have your veggies cut up, you can be in and out of the kitchen in 30 minutes.  No, really...  I'm telling the truth.  This recipe makes 4 good-sized bowls.  The sauce is perfectly savory without being overly salty.  The vegetables are perfect...  don't worry about what the recipe calls for, just use whatever you've got in the fridge!  It's a great way to get rid of stuff before it gets too old...  take it from me, that's exactly what I did!  I wanted to include broccoli, like the original recipe, but I didn't have any quickly available...  so I just used what I had in the kitchen and it was fantastic.

Another thing that I really love about this meal is that it is totally budget friendly.  Uz and I are trying really hard to stop some unnecessary spending in our lives...  with my surgery, birthdays, and the holidays coming up, we'd like to be able to put back some money for those events and still pay down a good amount on our student loans.  This recipe just needs some chicken and whatever vegetables you want to get rid of, and the sauce is really cheap to make as well.  Add that to the fact that it's super-fast, and I have a feeling that we'll have some sort of spin off of this meal quite often in the next few months.

So do yourself a favor and whip this up...  impress someone with your culinary skill and present them with Skinny Lo Mein!

Skinny Lo Mein

Adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

8 oz dry spaghetti (I like Smart Taste Ronzoni)
2 TBS oyster sauce
4 TBS reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp minced garlic
~ 1 TBS Sriracha sauce, if you like it hot
3 tsp canola oil
16 oz boneless skinless chicken breast
salt & pepper
1.5 c sliced carrots
2 large celery stalks, thinly sliced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
4 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced

Cook spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain then set aside. Combine oyster sauce, soy sauce, chicken broth, garlic, and Sriracha in a small bowl then set aside. Season chicken strips with salt & pepper then set aside.

Heat an electric wok to 375 degrees, or a very large skillet over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil then add chicken and cook until no longer pink in the center. Remove to a plate and set aside. Heat another teaspoon of oil in the wok then add carrots and celery. Cook until slightly tender. Add remaining teaspoon of oil then add mushrooms, bell pepper, and green onion. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes.

Add cooked chicken and noodles back into the wok. Pour in sauce, then mix together well, and serve.

Summer Veggie Skillet with Potatoes and Chicken Sausage

You know what I loved about this meal?  Besides the fact that the potatoes were out of this world...  and besides the fact that the vegetables were perfect and the chicken sausage was divine.  It's a one pot meal.  I only had one dish to wash, besides a couple bowls to hold the meat and potatoes in.  It was heavenly!

Uz and I both voted this meal a 10 out of 10!  I'm sure we'll have it again soon... and I can't wait to remake it with fall veggies when it's that time of year.

This is also dairy-free, gluten-free, and egg-free for those of you who look for that.

Enjoy!

Summer Veggie Skillet with Potatoes and Chicken Sausage

From SkinnyTaste
Serves: 4 (about 1.75 c.)
Stats: 326 cals

1 lb baby red potatoes, cut in half or quartered
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp kosher salt
fresh cracked pepper
14 oz Italian chicken sausage, sliced 1-inch thick
1 large onion, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of the knife (do not use jarred minced garlic, you need the real thing!)
1/2 orange bell pepper, diced 1-inch squares
1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced 1-inch squares
1 red bell pepper, diced 1-inch squares
2 tbsp fresh rosemary (or other fresh herb such as thyme)
2 cups zucchini, 1/2 inch thick and quartered

Place oil and potatoes in a large, deep non-stick skillet with a tight fitting lid on high heat; season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. When the skillet gets hot and starts to sizzle, reduce heat to low and cook with a tight lid on for about 20-25 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to prevent the potatoes from burning. Remove from heat and let them sit 5 minutes without removing the lid.  Set potatoes aside on a dish.

Add the sausage to the skillet and saute on medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally until browned but not quite cooked through, about 10 minutes. Season chopped vegetables with salt and pepper. Add onions, peppers, garlic and rosemary to the skillet and mix. Continue cooking stirring occasionally until onions and peppers become slightly browned. Add zucchini and cook an additional 5 minutes, mixing as it cooks until cooked through.

Return the potatoes back to the skillet and mix well. Adjust salt and pepper as needed; cover and cook 5 more minutes.

Makes about 7 1/2 cups. 

recipe: Mac and Cheese Broccoli Casserole

Don't be scared by the word "casserole".  Repeat after me:  "Casseroles are friends.  Casseroles are not scary.  Casseroles are easy.  Casseroles are tasty."

Anyway, this is a really good and filling dish that can be used as a side, or even a main meal.  For those of you who crave lots of meat, throw in a cup or so of shredded chicken.  Or add ground hamburger meat to make it a healthy alternative to Hamburger Helper!

Sorry for the awful picture...  We got home at 9:30 on Sunday evening after being gone since 9:00 am.  Thankfully, I had pre-made this on Saturday so all I had to do was add the bread crumbs, parm, and spray then bake to heat up.  So, instead of taking a picture of the pretty finished product, I ended up diving in headfirst and eating.  So a picture of my lunch portion today will have to do until the next time I make this, and can update the picture.  Sadly, you can see the gorgeous topping of breadcrumbs and cheese...  the crispiness is our favorite part! 

 

Alternatively, you can check out SkinnyTaste's version...  they are basically the same, with a few minor changes. 

Mac and Cheese Broccoli Casserole

Adapted from SkinnyTaste
Serves: 8
Stats:  349 cals per serving

12 oz pasta (such as elbows, twists, penne, etc... long spaghetti-like noodles don't work so well)
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup minced onion
a tad of minced garlic
2 cups 2% milk
1 cup fat free chicken broth (vegetarians use vegetable broth)
8 oz (2 cups) shredded cheddar
salt and fresh pepper to taste
12 oz fresh broccoli florets
1/8 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
cooking spray

Cook pasta and broccoli together in a large pot of salted water, according to package directions for al dente (or slightly under cook 2 minutes). Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large, heavy skillet, melt butter. Add onion and cook over low heat about 1 minutes; add garlic and cook for another minute. 

Add flour and cook another minute, or until the flour is golden and well combined. Add milk and chicken broth and whisk, raising heat to medium-high until it comes to a boil; cook about 5 minutes or until the sauce becomes smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the sauce is thick, remove from heat, add cheese and mix well until cheese is melted.

Adjust salt and pepper to taste, add cooked macaroni and broccoli and mix well. Pour into prepared baking dish.

If you're going to refrigerate or freeze, stop here.  When it's time to heat the dish, thaw (if needed) and continue to follow directions.  You may have to cook 20-25 minutes if cold.

Top with grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Spray a little more cooking spray on top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, then broil for a few minutes to get the breadcrumbs golden.


So we had a square of this casserole for dinner, along with a meat.  Uz had a broiled hot dog with a bun and mustard...  I had half a sausage biscuit leftover from our Sunday School breakfast.  I was going to have a hot dog, but I was so hungry while I was waiting on this to finish baking and prepping for the pork carnitas that I had to have a little sumthin'-sumthin'.

And check this cutie out!  She's got her favorite little Sonic Tot toy... how can anyone resist this?

recipe: Burgers and Grilled Ratatouille Pasta

Sometimes I'll ask my husband what he'd like me to put on the meal plan for the coming week.  99.99% of the time, he says either "enchiladas" or "steak".  So, when I asked him recently, I was expecting one of those two options.  I had prepared myself.  I was ready.

And you know what he said?  "Burgers".

BURGERS?!?!

Well, okay then.  So we had burgers!

For the burgers, I picked up some gourmet Fiesta burger patties from Sunflower Market.  While Uz grilled up the meat, I sauteed some onions, jalapenos, and purple bell peppers in olive oil for a burger topping.  We served them with whole wheat buns, and I think there was some mashed avocado in there, too.  My burger was HUGE, and I only ended up eating half of it.

For a side, we had Grilled Ratatouille Pasta from Everyday Food magazine.  It was WONDERFUL.  It made a big amount, so it could definitely serve as a main dish.

Grilled Ratatouille Pasta

From EveryDay Food magazine
Serves: 4 for a main dish, 8-10 for side dish

4 large tomatoes, cut into thick slices
1 small eggplant, cut lengthwise into thick slices
1 medium zucchini, cut lengthwise into thick slices
1 small red onion, halved
2 bell peppers, halved
1/4 - 1/2 c. olive oil for grilling
12 oz cavatelli pasta
2 TBS olive oil
2 TBS balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
shaved parmesan cheese

Grill all vegetables until slightly charred, brushing with olive oil as needed.  Set on a cutting board and let cool slightly.

Cook pasta as directed on the package.  Reserve 1/2 c. pasta water.

Roughly chop vegetables and add to pasta.  Add olive oil and vinegar, with salt and pepper.  Use pasta water to make a slight sauce (I only added 1/3 c.)  Top with parmesan.

recipes: Grilled Chicken and Pesto Sandwich

I was looking for an easy summer recipe that didn't heat up the kitchen, and I found it!  Uz loved this sandwich, so I'm sure we'll have it again once or twice before the summer is over.  It's best with homegrown tomatoes (obvs!) and fresh pesto.  I used some Greek bread from the local farmer's market...  It had a distinctive Greek flavor, lots of olive oil and flecked with kalamata olives.  I also picked up some pink tomatoes from the farmer's market, as my big tomatoes aren't quite ripe yet...  Soon enough!

Easy Grilled Chicken and Pesto Sandwich

Serves: 4

Thin sliced bread
24 oz chicken breast, divided into 4 pieces
4 TBS pesto (1 TBS per sandwich)
1 large tomato
mozzarella ball, sliced thick

Season the chicken breast with salt and pepper and throw on the grill.

When the chicken is done, quickly grill the bread to toast, and then assemble the sandwich.  That's it!

For the pesto:

2 cups basil leaves
1 cup baby spinach (if you don't have spinach, substitute with 1 cup of arugula, more basil, parsley, etc.)
salt
minced garlic (or garlic clove, crushed into a paste)
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup nuts (walnuts, almonds, pecans, etc.)
1/4 cup shaved parmesan

If not using minced garlic:  on a cutting board, sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt over garlic and roughly chop. Using a flat side of the knife blade, crush mixture into a thick paste.

Add garlic to a food processor with nuts, basil, spinach, and 1 tablespoon oil.

Pulse until ingredients are finely chopped. With machine running, add remaining oil in a slow, steady stream.

Add Parmesan and pulse to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

recipe: Skinny Asian Fried Rice with Bangin' Grilled Shrimp

We had SkinnyTaste's Asian Edamame Fried Rice and Bangin' Grilled Shrimp Skewers, served with grilled broccoli from the garden and some grilled pineapple rings.

I did the prep and inside cooking while my husband manned the grill.

We loved the shrimp!  The sauce was excellent.  Instead of using lite mayo, I subbed it for Greek yogurt.  I'm not a fan of mayo, plus it lowered the calories a little bit.  Anyway, I just wish I would have made more shrimp.  Can't wait to have that again!

The rice was good, but it didn't knock my socks off.  I think next time I would cook the rice in chicken broth for some added flavor.  I also think I didn't use enough garlic.  Either way, it wasn't as savory as I was expecting.  I added some extra low-sodium soy sauce and that helped, as well as a spoonful of Sriracha sauce.  It was good, but not as good as I wanted it to be.  I'll have to play around with this recipe a little more!  My husband really liked it, so maybe I'm just being too picky.

Without further ado...

Skinny Asian Fried Rice

adapted from SkinnyTaste
Stats: ~183 cals per 3/4 c.
Serves: 8

3 cups leftover cooked brown rice
2 egg whites, scrambled
1 whole egg, scrambled
1 tbsp olive or canola oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, diced
5 scallions, chopped, whites and greens separated
1/2 cup shredded carrots
cooking spray
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce, tamari for gluten free (or more to taste)
salt and fresh pepper to taste

Whisk eggs and egg whites, season with salt and pepper. 

In a hot wok, spray a little oil and cook the eggs. When cooked, remove from pan and set aside.

oh, this is exciting.

Let the wok get really hot. Add oil and cook onions, scallion whites, carrots and garlic for about 30-60 seconds, careful not to burn.

oh, baby!  look at that steam!

Add brown rice and stir well a few minutes to heat through.

Add cooked egg along with soy sauce, scallion greens and peas, mixing well for about 3-4 minutes.  

 

And our meal:

recipe: Mexighetti Bake LITE

In my eyes, my mom invented the Mexighetti Bake.  Now, I realize that there are many versions of this dish floating around the world, but humor me.  My mom INVENTED IT.

Now, her version is wonderful.  Luscious and gooey and extremely FATTENING.  So I tried to lighten up.  After a few tries, I think I've finally come up with the perfect Mexighetti Bake LITE. 

At least, we love it!

If you know me at all, you know that I try to use unprocessed foods when I can.  This recipe has Velveeta.  Not a ton, but it's got it.  Velveeta is NOT an unprocessed food... but I haven't been able to recreate Mexighetti without it.  It also has some Healthy Request Cream of Chicken.  You can totally make your own roux, but I was a little short on time and it was in the pantry.  I think it would be better with your own roux, but it is perfectly fine and dandy with something from a can.  I'm believe that if you eat clean and healthy 80% of the time, then you can splurge the other 20% without regrets.

My problem is splurging more than 20%, but that's another story...

Anyway, here's my take on Mexighetti Bake LITE.  It's easy, budget-friendly, fast, and pretty low in cals.

 

Mexibake LITE

Stats: ~325 cals per serving
Serves: 8

8 oz pasta
shredded chicken (I use about 1 to 1.5 cups cooked OR 0.7 to 1.0 lb raw chicken)
12 oz broccoli florets (you can also use frozen mixed veggies, frozen broccoli or cauliflower... get creative!)
1 can Rotel
1 can Healthy Request Cream of Chicken (or equivalent amount of homemade roux/cream of chicken)
6 oz 2% Velveeta
1 cup shredded cheese (any flavor!)
1/8 c. breadcrumbs
Cooking spray

1.  If chicken is already cooked and shredded, skip this step.  If chicken is raw, boil in water or broth until it's cooked; shred or chop into bite-sized pieces.  SAVE THE WATER/BROTH!!!

2.  Chop broccoli into bite-sized florets.

3.  Using the same water or broth you cooked the chicken in, boil the pasta until it's almost cooked.  Add in the broccoli for the last 3-4 minutes.

4.  Drain pasta/broccoli, and pour back into the pan.  Add the Rotel, chicken, and cream of chicken.  Don't use a tiny pan like I did... use a big one so you can have room to toss.  I didn't have room, so I had to add the cream of chicken separately.  Also, the pasta and broccoli will cook better in a large pot, where they have more room to do their thang.  I was just in a hurry last night and grabbed the first pot I saw without thinking ahead.  Oops!

5.  Toss, mix well, and pour into 9"x13" baking dish.

6.  Usually, I add the Velveeta first, and then sprinkle the shredded cheese, and top with bread crumbs.  I mixed up the cheese and Velveeta, and it tasted fine.  So, just throw the cheeses on there and call it good.  Then top with bread crumbs and spray with cooking spray. 

7.  Stick it in the oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until cheeses are melted and you can see a little bubbling going on.  Turn the broiler on, and let cook under broiler for a couple minutes, until it starts to brown.  DON'T BURN!

8.  Let sit for a few minutes before you eat it.  Just stare in awe at its gooey-ness.  YUM!

let's get a close up...  mmmm!

Dinner was 1/8 of the mexibake LITE, two lightly broiled apricots, and a glass of water mixed with Emergen-C for my scratchy throat.

Close-ups!

foggy brain

I'm feeling kind of foggy this morning...  woke up with a scratchy throat, so that's no good!  But there was a gorgeous sunrise to greet me this morning as I ate breakfast.  There's nothing like a little sunshine to help me wake up in the morning.

Who's looking forward to a long weekend??  I sure am!

For dinner last night, we munched on pulled pork tacos with toppings (Green Zebra tomatoes from the garden, onion, cilantro, jalapeno, white beans, and avocado) and some salad and waffle fries.  Not too exciting but very satisfying!

not pictured: avocado

these little babies are from my garden!  first tomatoes of the season, from my Green Zebra tomato plant.

I ended up having 2 of these!

It's about to get really busy for me at work.  I'm kind of looking forward to it, but I think it's going to be pretty stressful.  We're behind in a project I'm being assigned to, so I have a feeling that there's going to be quite a bit of overtime required to get it caught up.  It's a good thing piano lessons will be out for the summer (except one!)... or at least until July.

Anyway, I really, really, really want to fix up our laundry room.  I spend a lot of time in there, either doing laundry or walking in and out to fetch things or put things away.  It's so "blah" right now...  ugly, if I want to be honest.  I'd like to do it on a budget, because...  well, my hubs and I are on a semi-tight budget.  At least, we're trying to be.  We really want to pay off these student loans!

I guess I just need to get with it, make some decisions, and just DO IT.  Maybe I'll make it my mini-project over this long weekend.  Don't you feel great after you finish a project?

How about a little inspiration?

I especially want something like this, maybe in a pretty, neutral pattern.

All of these are from my Pinterest board.

So ,what do you think?  Maybe I'm crazy, but hopefully I will actually get this done.  Slowly, like the poor old tortoise, my little house is starting to coming together and look more and more like a home.  Isn't that exciting?

Anyway, I'm hungry so I'm off to find a healthy snack.  I haven't done well with snacking choices this week, so hopefully I can start doing a little better.  Wish me luck!

recipe: Skinny Alfredo with Chicken and Broccoli

Another recipe!  I was a cooking and baking machine last night...  just call me "Chef", I won't mind.

This is a super-easy, fast, budget-friendly, waistline-friendly recipe.

Skinny Alfredo with Chicken and Broccoli: adapted from Courtney Horan's Skinny Chicken Alfredo
Stats: ~295 - 340 , depending on how much chicken, broccoli, and/or cheese you use (mine was 340)
Serves: 6-8

~3.5 cups shredded chicken
5 cups roasted broccoli florets
8 ounces pasta (any kind!)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 cup fat-free, low sodium chicken broth (or 1 cup water and 1 TBSP/cube bouillon)
1/4 cup plain lowfat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup 2% milk
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pinch ground nutmeg
3/4 cup Italian cheese (parmesan, mozzarella, asiago, or a mix)

not pictured: garlic

In a pot of boiling, salted water, cook the pasta for approx. 8 minutes.

Add the broccoli florets for the last 4 minutes of cooking.

 

Drain and set aside.
 
In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is golden, 1 to 2 minutes.

mmm...  breathe it in!

Whisk in the flour until smooth, about 2 minutes.

Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, Greek yogurt, milk, pepper and nutmeg. Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly.

Lower the heat and simmer, stirring gently, until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Stir in cheese.

Add cooked chicken and broccoli to sauce mixture, followed by the cooked pasta. Toss to combine and serve with more Parmesan, if desired.

we like to add crushed red peppers to ours for a little heat; normally, I would add these right after the garlic, but I forgot so I had to add it in at the end.

Note:  This is not an extremely saucy dish...  I would double the sauce if you want it really drippy and yummy.  It is perfectly fine this way, but I know a lot of people really love their alfredo sauce, so I wanted to warn you all!

Dinner is served, baby!

a small plate of alfredo with a spinach/arugula, white bean, sundried tomato salad drizzled with strawberry balsamic dressing.

simple summer salad:  1 cup white beans (drained and rinsed if from a can), 1 TBS sun-dried tomatoes, lettuce mix

recipe: Frito Chili Pie Wrap

We had Frito Chili Pie Wraps Sunday evening for dinner.  It was cool and rainy all day, so they ended up being the perfect comfort food... especially for two sicklies!

This recipe has been adapted from Cooking Light's version of Frito Chili Pie.

Frito Chili Pie Wraps
Stats: 1/3 c. ~88 cals (for a small wrap, ~290 cals)

0.70 lbs 93/7 ground beef 
1 (15 oz) can of red kidney beans, drained
1 1/4 cups chopped onion 
1 TBS minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper 
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt 
1 tablespoon no-salt-added tomato paste 
1 cup fat-free, lower-sodium beef broth (or 1 cup water with 1 beef bouillon cube)
1/3 cup water 
1 (10-ounce) can Rotel, undrained

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add beef to pan; sauté 5 minutes, stirring to crumble. Remove beef; drain. 

2. Wipe pan clean with paper towels. Add onion to pan; sauté 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in beef, cumin, pepper, and salt.

3. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add broth, 1/3 cup water, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 20 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

4.  Measure 1/3 cup chili mixture into one flour tortilla that has been heated on a skillet.  Top with a few fritos and 1 TBS shredded cheese.  Wrap and enjoy!