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29 posts tagged diet
Peas from our garden this morning. Twenty down, about five hundred more to go.
It’s taking strength to stay away from the chocolate in the kitchen.
Lately I’ve been yawning at the idea of facing Greek yogurt every morning for breakfast. While looking for something different I hit upon these mini, crust-less quiches.
I liked most of what I read in the recipe, especially the combination of half eggs and half egg whites, but decided to create my own version, which added sausage and green onion. You could easily substitute cooked, crumbled turkey bacon for the sausage if you’re looking for something lighter.
These would be a perfect do-ahead food served alongside a fruit salad for a shower or brunch. This week they’ll be my go-to for an easy breakfast or lunch.
Mini spinach, sausage and mushroom quiches. Makes 12
Ingredients:
- Cooking spray
- 1/3 package Jimmy Dean sausage (freeze remaining)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cups sliced white or cremini mushrooms
- 1 green onion, sliced thin (use both white and green parts)
- 1 cup frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of moisture
- 4 large eggs
- 4 egg large whites
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup grated Fontina cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly coat a 12-cup nonstick muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Cook sausage in skillet, breaking it up into pieces as it cooks. Drain sausage thoroughly. Wipe out skillet. Add the olive oil and sauté mushrooms over medium-high heat until mushrooms release liquid. Continue cooking until liquid has evaporated. In a bowl combine the cooked sausage, mushrooms, onion and spinach. Set aside.
Whisk the eggs, egg whites, milk, and salt and pepper until well combined. Divide the cheese evenly between the muffin tins. Pour egg mixture into muffin cups, filling them about half-way. Top with the sausage, mushroom and spinach mixture.
Bake until the quiches are well risen, golden brown and set, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with greens or a fruit salad.
My go-to, healthy breakfast
This breakfast sandwich takes less than five minutes to prepare!
- 1 piece multigrain bread
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 Morningstar sausage patty (or other small, meat substitute patty)
- Thin slices of reduced-fat cheddar cheese
- Sliced tomato
- Lettuce
Toast 1 piece multigrain bread and cut in half. Spray a small, glass dish with non-stick cooking spray and pour in one lightly beaten egg. Microwave egg 50 seconds on high. Remove egg and microwave sausage patty on high for 1 minute. Create sandwich!
Baguette with avocado
This combination has appeared here over and over with slight variations. It’s a staple at our house.
Apples and pears
A couple of days ago our family acquired a chip maker. It came with a small mandoline that cuts paper-thin slices of fruits and vegetables and a microwavable tray to cook them on. After this new kitchen toy came out of its packaging I could barely contain my excitement as I sliced up apples, pears, potatoes and a mango. The rest of the produce in our crisper was saved from my exuberance only because prior plans made for the afternoon took me out of the kitchen.
It’s going to be fun to use these thin crisps in salads, as snacks, or as vehicles to hold cheeses and dips.
Ceviche
Suh-vee-chey. It even sounds delicious. I love this stuff and was sneaking little pieces of shrimp from the glass as I was taking pictures. It’s fresh and light and makes a great appetizer or brunch side dish.
Traditionally, ceviche is made by marinating raw fish in lime or lemon juice. The acid in the juice “cooks” the fish without using any heat. Some people feel more comfortable to slightly cook their fish in boiling, salted water prior to marinating it. I don’t precook mine, but either way you choose, it’s important to use only the freshest, cleanest fish available.
From my internet sleuthing I found many recipes for ceviche. A recipe very similar to the one I ended up with said that these proportions make 4 servings, but those would be huge servings. I would suggest you make half the recipe to create 4 appetizers or make it as-is and invite more people. If you have too much it’s just as good or better the next day.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 to 2 pounds medium-size raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into small pieces (about the size of large blueberries)
- 1 cup fresh lime juice
- 4 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 4 green onions (including green), thinly sliced
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (or less if you prefer a milder taste)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
- Tortilla chips
Directions:
Place the shrimp and lime juice in a large glass bowl and stir to coat shrimp. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or until shrimp are opaque. Mix in the tomatoes, onion, cucumber, and cilantro. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
Remove ceviche from the refrigerator and mix in the Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. (I drained off a little of the lime juice from the shrimp before adding the other ingredients.)
Spoon ceviche into glass margarita or martini glasses and top with avocado pieces. Serve with tortilla chips.
Heart-healthy egg white omelette
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Heat small skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil and a small handful of fresh spinach. Stir spinach until it wilts and remove from pan. Set spinach aside.
Whisk 3 egg whites in a small bowl. Add a little more oil to the skillet and pour in egg whites. Using a chop stick, scramble eggs lightly. When egg whites are barely set remove pan from heat and top with spinach and tomatoes. Pop skillet in the oven and bake for about 5 minutes, or until done. Season with salt and pepper.
It’s not as healthy, but substituting butter for the oil adds more flavor. Also, you can top the omelette with some grated, low-fat cheese before it goes in the oven. Yum.
Late breakfast
Mash an avocado with a little lemon juice and some salt. Spread it on a piece of toasted multigrain bread. Add sliced tomatoes and top with poached egg.
Inspired by Martha Stewart Living magazine.
This recipe’s been bookmarked for a long time, and I literally mean bookmarked with a sticky note in a tangible book. Today as I was looking for something to fix for dinner I decided maybe tonight was the night to finally give it a go. Jasmine rice is simmering on the stove and this soup is hot in my Dutch oven. It’s good food for a cold, winter night in Portland, Oregon.
Thai Shrimp Bisque from Cooking Light
Ingredients:
Marinade:
- 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp
- 1 1/2 tablespoons grated lime rind
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
Shrimp stock:
- 2 cups water
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
Soup:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/3 cup chopped celery
- 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
- 1 tablespoon grated lime rind
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
To prepare marinade, peel shrimp, reserving shells. Combine shrimp and next 8 ingredients (shrimp though garlic) in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes.
To prepare the shrimp stock, combine the reserved shrimp shells, water, wine and 1 tablespoon tomato paste in a large Dutch oven. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until the liquid is reduced to 1 cup (about 10 minutes). Strain mixture through a sieve over a bowl, and discard solids.
To prepare the soup, heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and celery, and sauté 8 minutes or until browned. Add 1 cup shrimp stock, coconut milk, and 1 tablespoon tomato paste, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup, and level with a knife. Combine flour and reduced-fat milk in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add to pan; reduce heat, and simmer until thick (about 5 minutes). Add shrimp and marinade, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in 1 tablespoon lime rind, 1 tablespoon cilantro, and salt. Yield: 6 (1 1/2-cup) servings.
