Zucchini Lasagna

First, I would like to note that we completed a 5k today! I knew I needed to make something that I could pig out on a litttttle, because, well, I was starving the entire day.

Assuming you can get 6 servings out of this, this recipe weighs in at just 206 calories! 

 13 g carbs, 3.6 g fiber, 7.5 g sugar, 22 g protein!

I will tell you, I was actually shocked at how absolutely delicious this turned out. The texture of the zucchini is a lot like regular lasagna noodles, and, well, let's face it... if you can still put cheese on it, we're in good shape! So, I start with ground turkey meat...

I season the meat really well (garlic and basil pretty much does the trick) while I am browning it because I have another confession... this is what I use for my sauce...

(I know, I know, sacrilegious... but I honestly can't make anything from scratch taste better, especially not in 10 minutes... On the plus side, Prego now makes a low sodium option that tastes absolutely delicious, too!)

See? Now we have a wonderful sauce in about ten minutes! The next part is a little more tricky... I did have to specifically go out and buy a mandolin to slice the zucchini lengthwise...

Then, we layer! Sauce, zucchini, sauce, zucchini, cheese... ta da.

Yum! Cover, cook for 20 minutes at 400, the broil uncovered for the last five minutes. Again, this was soooooo good! 

Ingredients:

3 Zucchini

Your favorite pasta sauce

Ground turkey

Italian cheese blend

Spices

Layer, bake at 400 covered for 20 minutes, the broil uncovered for 5 minutes.

Cheesy Broccoli Quinoa Casserole

That broccoli cheesy rice casserole that you've had for years can now be healthy for you! By adding Quinoa (protein!) it can now be a complete meal, too! I made the whole casserole and plan on eating this deliciousness all week for lunch :)

All this for 264 calories, 18 g carbs, 0.8 g sugars, 13.2 g protein ! (Makes 4 servings as a meal, could easily be 8 servings as a side dish)

First you start with a soup cream base. You can save a lot of calories and sodium by making this yourself, and it's super easy. Combine: 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons corn starch, 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (I prefer "Better than Bouillon" brand), and a dash of pepper to taste. Whisk all together in a small saucepan, stirring frequently. Bring to a boil for one minute, then set aside.

Then, you'll need to cook your quinoa. Start with 3/4 cups uncooked quinoa and follow the instructions on the container that you have. 

Combine cooked quinoa, the soup base, 2 wedges laughing cow cheese, 2 tablespoons skim milk, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 2 cups cooked broccoli, a dash of pepper and a dash of nutmeg. Pour into casserole dish and sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes (I broiled for the last 2 minutes to give it a little crunch on top.

Sooooo good!

Ingredients:

Cream soup base: 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons corn starch, 1 1/2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (I prefer "Better than Bouillon" brand), and a dash of pepper to taste.

3/4 cups uncooked or 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa 

2 wedges laughing cow cheese

2 tablespoons skim milk

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups cooked broccoli

a dash of pepper 

a dash of nutmeg

top with parmesan cheese

Carrot Raisin Oat Muffins!

Yes, the title is kind of a mouthful, but these muffins are too! They pack a punch with awesome flavor plus a serving of fruits and veggies too!

Preheat your oven to 375. In a large bowl, mix together all of your dry ingredients: 2 cups whole wheat flour, 1 cup rolled oats, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves and 1/4 cup stevia.

These dried spices taste great and have great health benefits!

Then, in a separate bowl, combine all of your wet ingredients...
1 cup skim milk, 1 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1 egg (I use egg whites), 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

Then add your wet ingredients to your dry ingredients, and stir in 2 cups shredded carrots and 1/2 cup raisins.

Mix well and pour everything into muffin cups. If desired, sprinkle a few more oats on the top of the bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

2 cups whole wheat flour 

1 cup rolled oats 

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 

1/4 cup stevia

 1 cup skim milk

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 egg (I use egg whites)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups shredded carrots

1/2 cup raisins

Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

90 Calorie Cookies!

Makes 13 BIG cookies! 88.5 calories, 15.8 g carbs, 2.2 g fiber, 4.3 g sugar, 2.3 g protein.

Ingredients:
2 cups oats
3 bananas (ripe)
1/2 cup skim milk
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans (optional)

Mix together, bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet, enjoy!

Baked Turkey Meatballs

When I started eating healthy I was pretty sure that I would never be able to eat Italian food again. Well, with this recipe, Italian could totally be a once-a-week meal again! They are super-easy to make, absolutely delicious, and they don't weigh you down like some Italian foods can do. I had a XXL package of ground turkey, so this recipe actually has 10 servings (so, there's my lunch for the next week, too), but this could easily be halved to accommodate a family of 4.

 Three of these meatballs clock in at 148 calories, 6.4 g carbs, 1 g sugar and 16.5 g protein (if you have 6 then double those numbers, etc).

So, I started with ground turkey (the leaner the better), in this case it was 2.5 lbs, but again, you could easily half it. I like to sneak spinach into my food because I don't particularly love the taste, but I always feel awesome after I eat it. So I chopped up two cups of raw spinach...

Added that to the ground turkey along with 1 egg (I used egg whites), three tablespoons minced garlic,  a half a cup of parmesan cheese, a half a cup of chopped white onions, and a half a cup of bread crumbs.

(Parmesan is a good cheese to use because it has such a strong flavor that a little bit of it goes a long way.)

Then, my least favorite part, mix it all up with your hands...

Then roll up into golf sized balls and place onto a cookie sheet lined with wax paper (no oil needed).

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, then turn over and broil on high for another 5 minutes to get a nice crispy meatball. (If you are using turkey, make sure it is cooked through to 165 degrees)

And then you just do whatever it is you like to do with meatballs... make a sandwich, make spaghetti, or a little of both. I took them and added them to my favorite sauce in my crock pot and let that simmer for a few hours...

And served with whole wheat pasta... quick, easy, and delicious :)

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs ground turkey meat

2 cups chopped, raw spinach

1/2 cup raw onion

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs
3 tablespoons minced garlic

1 egg (or egg whites)

pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine ingredients, roll into golf ball sized balls, cook at 400 for 15 minutes, then broil on high for 3-5 minutes. Ensure turkey is cooked to 165 degrees. Enjoy!

Mexican Night- Chicken Quesadilla with Roasted Corn

Nutrition Facts (as I have prepared): 351 calories, 29.5 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 6 g sugars, and 32.5 g protein.

My key focus (and possibly struggle) with dinner tonight was to keep the cheese in a supporting role versus a starring role (ugh, but I love cheese so much)! Anyways, that is the key to keeping the calorie count down with this meal, along with some simple substitutions. Another thing I can't stress enough is that this is a perfect opportunity to load on the veggies! I used what I like and what I have at home, but many more veggies (spinach, tomatoes, peppers, whatever!) could easily be added or substituted. 

So, I started by grilling some chicken (I prefer cutlets because of how lean they are)... you can also save calories by using dry spices to season instead of a liquid marinade...

While those were grilling, I started "roasting" the corn. When I say roasting, all this is is putting it into a skillet on medium-high to high heat and browning. No oils, no butters, nothing extra needed and this will help really bring out the natural flavoring of the corn. I used canned corn (no salt added)- drained, but you could take it off of the cob also.

Leave it without stirring for 2-3 minutes so it can get nice and brown and then you can stir...

It takes about 5 minutes total to finish. I wont use the whole can tonight.

Then in the same pan I browned some onions (again, no extra butter, oil, etc)...

Reduce the heat on the burner to medium-low. Empty the skillet, then put a tortilla in...

And start filling....

Veggies, then chicken...

Then cheese... remember, not too much! A little goes a long way (I didn't believe it at first either). I just used a simple Mexican blend...

Since everything's already cooked, it's just a matter of getting the tortilla a little crispy and melting the cheese... about two minutes. Then fold it over. I flipped it once, with tongs, for good measure.

The first one got a little crispier than the second one, lesson learned: medium-low heat. Then, I skipped on what would usually be sour cream, and topped it with delicious 10 calorie salsa (giving it even more veggie goodness).

(Yes, my disposable plates are super classy)

Ta-da! Totally satisfying and delicious!

Ingredients:

Grilled chicken cutlets

Roasted corn

Grilled onions

Whole wheat tortilla

Mexican blend cheese

Salsa (optional)