Hummus

Hummus

2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 t salt
1 15.5 ounce garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (low sodium)
1/2 t minced garlic
1/4 C vegetable broth (low sodium) or water to thin

Place all ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.  Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 1/3 C serving size, 98 calories, 4g protein.

**This is adapted from Bob Harper's (trainer on the Biggest Loser) Signature No-Oil Hummus.  I find this very fresh and yummy! Not as intense as normal hummus. Very yummy with cucumbers or pita crackers. And PS. I didn't use low sodium.

My Fave Smoothie

My Fave Smoothie

1 C frozen blueberries
1 medium carrot, peeled
2 C spinach
1/2 C plain greek yogurt (Fage or Kirkland brands)
1 T wheat germ
1 T ground flaxseed
1/2 t cinnamon
water to liking (I use about 1/2 C)
Truvia to liking (it's a natural no calorie sweetener)

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth.  I like mine with a little texture, but if you are bothered by texture, add a little more water and blend like crazy!

**This little powerhouse has 250 calories, 10 g of fiber and 18 g of protein. It's a favorite lunch for me! And supposedly most of these ingredients have crazy super powers, even the cinnamon!
**Update, as of late I haven't been using the carrot....but I've been adding in a T of Udo's oil to save my body from all the damage I'm doing running! :)

Pepper & Onion Cream Cheese Wrap

Pepper & Onion Cream Cheese Wrap

1/2 a jar Harry & David Pepper Onion Relish
8oz cream cheese
tortillas - Costco's uncooked are my fave
grilled chicken (great marinated in Lowry's mesquite)
mango salsa
avocado
spinach

Mix the pepper onion relish with the cream cheese. Easiest with an electric mixer, but don't beat excessively.  Spread a tablespoon or two of the cream cheese mixture all over the tortilla. Place chicken, spinach, mango salsa and avocado on tortilla and roll up using the cream cheese mixture to glue the wrap shut.

Mango Salsa

2 mangoes peeled, and finely diced
1/4 C red onion finely diced
1/2 C cilantro minced
juice of 1 lime

Mix all together and let sit for at least 1/2 hour. I usually make it a day ahead and keep it in the fridge.

**My sister in law taught me this years ago and I have used it for several parties and showers.  This is my combination, but you could use almost anything as long as you use the cream cheese and relish mixture!
**You can order the relish online, or the park city outlets have a Harry & David store. Stock up. Just pouring the relish over a block of cream cheese for a dip is divine!

Power Pancakes

 Power Pancake

1/4 C old fashion oatmeal
4 egg whites
1/4 C low fat cottage cheese or tofu
1 t vanilla
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
pinch of salt (only if using tofu)

Blend all ingredients in a blender and cook in a nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray.

**My girlfriend Diana introduced me to these years ago, adapted from the South Beach Diet, and I had forgotten about them. But I decided to revive them for another MOMO! (Meal On My Own)
**These things are amazing. For that stack of pancakes (used tofu), it's about 250 calories, 6 g fat, 3g fiber and 26 g of protein!

** To this little stack above I added 1/4 C cooked quinoa to the batter (just because I had some in the fridge and I want to use it up) and then served them with 1/4 C fat free greek yogurt sweetened with truvia and blueberries.  The whole meal was about 350 calories, 5 g fiber and 33 g of protein. Seriously, this is what I needed after a 10 miler on a Monday morning. It's now close to 1:00pm and I'm not even hungry yet!

Whole Grain Waffles

Whole Grain Waffles

2 eggs, beaten
1 3/4 C skim milk
1/4 C applesauce
1/4 C pumpkin (canned)
1 t vanilla
1 C whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 C flax seed meal
1/4 C wheat germ
1/4 C flour
4 t baking powder
1 T sugar
1/4 t salt

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, applesauce, and vanilla.  Beat in the flours, flax seed, wheat germ, baking powder, sugar and salt until batter is smooth.  Preheat a belgian waffle iron (probably would work in a normal waffle iron, I just don't have one), and coat with cooking spray.  Pour batter into waffle iron and cook until crisp and golden.

**I made these right along side THESE, and both Hans and I liked these better! So healthy, yet so light and crispy.  I also made a simple fruit syrup with some blueberries, raspberries, water and a couple teaspoons of sugar, boiling until thick. Oh and I added a little lemon curd...mmmm. Delightful!
**Original recipe was from allrecipes.com, but I changed it.
**Estimated 250 calories, 6 g fat, 8g fiber and 12 g protein per waffle! Fat content is high, but that's from the awesome flax seed, wheat germ and eggs! NO added oil, that's why you can add the whipped cream!

Greek Style Yogurt

Greek Style Yogurt

1 gallon skim milk,  plus 1 cup (less or more)
1/3 C plain greek yogurt
1 t vanilla

Heat the milk in a heavy bottom pot (that has a lid), slowly to 180 degrees to prevent scorching. Use a candy thermometer.  Once at 180, turn off the heat and let milk cool to 110 degrees.  Stir in the yogurt. Put lid on pot and place somewhere a temp of 100 degrees can be maintained. (I have an oven that if I heat for a minute or so and then put on the oven light, my temp stays between 100 and 110... I used a meat thermometer to keep it in check.)  Let sit for 6-8 hours or until yogurt is set and yellowish liquid is on top.  Remove yogurt, scooping with a large spoon and place in a cheese cloth (4 layers) lined strainer sitting in a bowl.  The bowl should be pretty big, a lot of liquid comes off. Wrap up cheesecloth on top, spinning together.  Place in the refrigerator overnight.  The next morning, remove yogurt from cheese cloth and place in a bowl, using a hand mixer, mix in enough milk to reach desired consistency.  Mix in vanilla. If you want it sweetened, add agave to taste.  Place in tupperwares in the fridge.  My batch makes between 6 and 9 cups of yogurt. 

**So Breanna makes incredible whole milk yogurt that is to die for HERE, but I am in love with non fat Greek yogurt and didn't have great success with it the couple times I followed recipes.  That was until....I saw Bre's mom Lisa at a fruit stand and she told me a couple secrets....First,  after straining, most recipes say to stir in some of the strained off liquid to soften the consistency.  That left me with an incredibly sour yogurt.  Lisa told me to stir in more skim milk.  Wow, did that ever change it.  It was creamier with a way better flavor!  Second, other recipes use a cup of yogurt, but the 1/3 cup does what it needs to and doesn't overwhelm with a strong flavor.
**I know my picture looks like there are chunks, but I have never noticed anything but creamy, tart goodness.  However, I usually am eating this with fruit and granola.
** I did a little calculation, my last batch had 21 grams of protein per cup. Booya!
**No one eats this but me. Oh well.

Caponata

Caponata
2 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (to yield 4 cups)
¾ cup Newman’s Own Balsamic Dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, medium diced
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup roughly chopped golden raisins
1 teaspoon hot chili flakes (or more if you want more heat)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ cup water
1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
1 baguette sliced slightly on the bias (looks prettier that way)

In a large bowl add the eggplant and ½ cup of dressing. Stir to coat and let marinate for 10 minutes. Meanwhile in a large saute pan caramelize the onion with 2 tbl olive oil until deep golden, about 10 minutes over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the pine nuts, chopped raisins, and chili flakes. Saute and stir to combine. The gentle heat of the chili flakes should release possibly causing a sneeze, or two. Cook that for about 3 minutes then add the eggplant, sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa and continue to saute until the eggplant starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the thyme, tomato paste, water, and remaining ¼ cup dressing. Cover the pan with a lid and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Continue to cook, covered, for 15 minutes. The eggplant should give up some of it’s moisture so that it just starts to loose it’s shape. Add the salt and carefully taste for flavor.

**Once again, Hans is out of town, Gray had his wisdom teeth out, Chloe fell asleep at 5:30, Rock and Tru are at friends and Josie is happy with a slice of baguette with butter...so it's another meal on my own (MOMO) and I'm thrilled!  I've been wanting to try this recipe for a while and knew I would receive resistance.  I adore eggplant. Adore.  And this made a delightfully, sweet, spicy, creamy, nutty meal for me and I'd make it again in a heartbeat (but maybe add a few more pine nuts). I made half the recipe and had left overs. Even if I took it as an appetizer, I'd probably half it.  Would be delightful served along side some hummus, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella and anything else served on sliced baguette.
**From Not Without Salt.
**Mitzi...this is what you missed out on when you said you didn't like eggplant ;)

Yogurt, Berries and Almonds

Yogurt, Berries and Almonds

1 C Fage plain yogurt (or any greek style yogurt unsweetened)
splenda
1/2 C blueberries
1/2 C raspberries
1 T sliced almonds

Mix your yogurt and splenda to your liking (I use 6 packets, I know, it will probably kill me, but I love it).  Top with berries and almonds.  Yummy to top with a little cinnamon too.

** This is one of my most favorite meals, breakfast, lunch or dinner, not only because it tastes so good, but because it is packed with power.  250 calories, 23g protein, 7g of fiber ... as well as all the antioxidants in the berries and good fat in the almonds. The greek yogurt has almost double the protein of normal yogurt and it is so creamy and delish.   All super foods in their own right, put them together and they are amazingly tasty!

Acorn Squash and Spinach Egg White Omelet with Apple Salsa

*** Disclaimer...I'm starting a new label on this blog.  It will be MOMO....Meals On My Own....yes, sing the Les Mis song.  The purpose of this blog was to only do family loved, tried and true faves.  But I want to keep track of my faves...healthy faves...so they will be under MOMO.  These are the meals I usually make myself when Hans is working late or out of town and I don't want to eat what you kids are eating and you definitely don't want to eat this. So it really is again, just for me, but maybe some day, one of you kids will like it!

Acorn Squash and Spinach Egg White Omelet
with Apple Salsa

1 C acorn squash, peeled and chopped (probably just as good with butternut)
1/2 C onion chopped
1 big handfuls of spinach chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used the jarred)
1/4 t cumin
pinch - 1/8 t cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste
3 egg whites 
1 babybel light cheese round (grated)

Roast the squash in the oven at 350 for 20 min until soft.  Doesn't take long if your pieces are small.  Spray skillet with pam and cook onion for about 5 minutes.  Add garlic, cumin and cinnamon. After about a minute, add the squash and spinach. Cook until spinach is wilted, a few minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Wipe out pan and spray heavily with pam.  Add the egg whites and tilt pan so a nice round is created. Cook through, on med low heat.  I sometimes flip mine.  Add squash mixture back, sprinkle on grated cheese and fold over omelet.  Top with apple salsa (a must).

Apple Salsa
1/2 apple, diced (fuji)
2 T cilantro, chopped
1/4 C onion, diced
1/2 lime juiced
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and serve on top of omelet.

**This is my own creation, adapted from a quesadilla recipe. It is just about the same, except add 1/2 C black beans into the squash mixture, put it in a tortilla and use a lot of cheddar cheese. I also added the cinnamon which is total yum.
** OK, here is the awesome news.  This is 280 calories, 21g of protein, and 12g of fiber.  It is one of the yummiest healthy things I've had in a long time, and I crave it!  Sometimes I double the squash portion and save the 2nd half for the next day lunch or dinner!