Low Carb Egg & Stir Fry Breakfast

I wanted to make my low carb, quick breakfast stir fry meal a little more brunch worthy, so I added an over easy egg. Simply perfect. 

Steamed Greens & Poached Egg

Recently, I've been making more low-carb/low-fat breakfasts and lunches, and a lot of times those meals are featuring greens, veggies and eggs. This time I decided to steam kale, spinach, onions and bell peppers together. Once all the veggies were tender, I gently cracked an egg over the top, poured a bit of water into the skillet to create a little steam, then put the lid on until the white of the egg was just set. Yum! I think this is such a nice, healthy way to start the day, or enjoy a light lunch.  :)

Turmeric Tuna Salad Lettuce Wraps

I've been trying to include more of the golden spice ~ turmeric ~ in my diet. And I've recently found another simple and tasty way to sneak it in ~ I'll often just add a teaspoon to my tuna salad. So simple and tasty, and when stirred into the salad, it adds a lovely golden orange hue. For a low carb meal, I like to nestle the salad in a lettuce leaf, top it with some avocado and chopped tomatoes, and lunch is served.  If turmeric is good enough for Dr. Oz, it's good enough for me.  :)

Sautéed Trout with Steamed Veggies

Lately, I've been buying fresh water fish for our meals, instead of ocean fish... and trout is my new favorite.  It tastes similar to salmon and it's so simple to prepare.  For this meal I just quickly sautéed the trout in a little olive oil and served it with some steamed veggies and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Spray.  Low carb, low cal, low fat, quick & easy to cook, and it's Fat Flush Plan friendly ~ gotta love that.  :)

Hamburger Patty Salad Deluxe

When I crave a hamburger, but don't want all the carbs, I'll have it...but, without the bun.  I'll put the burger on top of a chopped iceburg lettuce salad, and then smother it with ~ sliced fresh onions, dill pickle chips, chopped tomatoes, a little ranch dressing, mustard & ketchup.   Is it the same as a traditional, juicy burger?  Nope, but my ~ Hamburger Patty Salad Deluxe ~ sure is tasty, and it hits the spot!

Italian Baked Tuna

When I made this ~ Italian Baked Tuna ~ I didn't actually have a recipe, I just kept digging through the fridge/pantry, looking for toppings that sounded good, and kept layering ingredients until I felt like it was complete.  I started with the tuna on the bottom, and then added some ~ crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, capers, dried basil/oregano/garlic, chopped onion, sliced celery/green olives. Once it was all finished, I realized I'd created an Italian-flavored 'sauce'...cool!  I baked the tuna steak according to the package directions and in about 10 minutes it was done.  I nuked a variety veggies while the fish was cooking.  It was a really tasty, low carb, Fat Flush Plan-friendly meal, all without any fuss.  I just love happy accidents!

    

Steak with Mushroom Sauce on Steamed Kale

A simple, low carb meal that really satisfied.  I started with a bed of steamed veggies ~ kale, onion, sliced garlic and carrots.  Then I topped it with leftover steak, that had been tossed in an easy 'mushroom sauce', a drizzle of Sriracha Sauce, crushed red pepper flakes and fresh cracked pepper.  I made the 'mushroom sauce' from a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup that was mixed with a little water, just enough to thin it until I got it to the right 'sauce' consistency.  Nothing fancy...pretty quick...but, really tasty.  Sometimes simple is best.  :)

 

Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger ~ a Depression-Era food classic that has stood the test of time...

A few weeks ago, I was watching the Travel Channel's show ~ Man v. Food Nation ~ and saw this segment on the famous Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger.  It looked and sounded so good, that I just knew I would have to try making that onion burger at home sometime.  

Well, lunch today was that 'sometime'.  Roy & J had theirs with cheese and I made mine 'low carb' (enjoying it without a bun).  It was a hit!  I used almost an entire large onion...but, next time I will add even more.  It is amazing how much onions will reduce and since the onion is the star of the show ~ the more the merrier!  Check out the backstory of this old-time, Depression-Era, most innovative of American burgers in ~ this Fried Onion Burger recipe.  More real-time cooking in my kitchen.  :)  

Superfood Veggie Scramble with Chickpeas ~ Meatless Monday

I had one last 'Little Bessie' egg in my fridge, and I was all set to make a pretty meal.  I planned to saute superfood veggies (kale, spinach and 3 colors of bell peppers), getting them ready so I could crack my huge, double-yolk egg on top of their healthy goodness and then poach those two beautiful, mounded yolks (that came out of that one egg) and enjoy my breakfast...  

What really happened was that one of the yolks burst when I cracked the egg ~ WAH!!  Total bummer!  Since I couldn't make what I wanted, I got cranky and just scrambled it all together.  Since I was on a roll, I added some chickpeas that were in the fridge for good measure and topped it all with some salsa.  It had became a glorious, tasty mess.  Not pretty, but it was ~ low fat, low carb, low cal and yummy ~ all the same.    Some days chickens, some days feathers...some days cracked yolks.  Ya gotta roll with the punches and not let it ruffle your feathers.  (tee-hee ~ every pun intended! :)  Happy Meatless Monday!

Green Cake Batter Smoothie

Green Cake Batter Smoothie

Cowabunga!!  This stuff is amazingly good!  It tastes just like cake batter ~ no fooling!!  This smoothie gets it delightful green color from spinach, but just because you make this with spinach, don't let it turn you off.  You can't taste the spinach, at all.  Indulge your inner kid & have this green concoction for breakfast or a treat.  Ya gotta love a green smoothie when it tastes like cake batter.  

The following recipe was adapted from one by Mama Pea, over at ~ Peas & Thank You.  If you haven't been to her site, go check it out, it's awesome!!  She makes the most amazing vegan food & smoothies.  Plus, she is funny as all get out.  After reading one of her posts, I was inspired to rush right into my kitchen to make her Cake Batter Green Smoothie, but I was missing a bunch of the ingredients she called for.  I just used what I had on hand that sounded like it would create a similar taste.  Not having the exact ingredients for a recipe will NEVER stop me.  As Monty Python once said: Adopt, adapt & improve!

I must say, the shocking green smoothie turned out fantastic!  Of course, Roy wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole, because of the vibrant green color.  Sucker!  His loss was my gain ~ all the more for meeee!  J tried it & liked it.  He won't pass up anything that tastes like cake batter...and you shouldn't either.  Thanks for the bit of green inspiration, Mama Pea! 

Green Cake Batter Smoothie 
makes 1 smoothie

Ingredients

• 2 cups  prewashed/bagged baby spinach
• 1/2 cup fat free milk
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
• 1/4 cup quick oats
• 1 tsp almond butter
• 1/2 cup silken tofu
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 slices frozen banana (cut into approx 1/2 inch slices)
• 6 ice cubes
• 2 packets Equal, or to taste (or sweetener of choice)

Directions
Throw all ingredients in blender & blend until smooth.

What an easy way to eat your greens ~ enjoy!

Poached Eggs with Fire Roasted Tomatoes & Spinach ~ Meatless Monday

For a super easy, really tasty and very low carb breakfast, I like to turn to eggs poached right in the skillet with some juicy, sauteed veggies.  I'm a huge fan of canned, Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes.  When you add them to lightly sauteed spinach and then crack an egg or two on top of the mixture, you can't go wrong.  I'm heavy handed with the tomatoes, I just can't get enough of the lightly smokey flavor!  I'll sprinkle on some herbs, spices and maybe some chipotle Tabasco sauce, too.  I let it all simmer/poach until the egg is almost set, then I cover the skillet with the lid for an extra minute or two, just until the egg white 'sets' on top of the egg ~ then breakfast is served.  I think this would also make a great brunch or light lunch/dinner, too.   Who says eating low carb has to be boring?  Certainly not me!  Poached Eggs with Fire Roasted Tomatoes & Spinach ~ what a great way to start your Meatless Monday!

Tipsy Lemon Pepper Chicken

The other night I made an old favorite of ours ~ Tipsy Chicken.  This time I included some sliced Meyer lemons and cracked black pepper under the skin before I put the chicken in to roast.  It 'perfumed' the chicken (Roy's word, not mine :) with the lovely citrus aroma and flavor of my go-to lemon.  I used a crisp white wine and a classic dry chicken rub, it was a wonderful combo.  I love cooking chicken this way ~ it's easy, it's tasty, it's tender, the chicken cooks up moist and since it's sitting up, all the fat drains as it bakes.  I make it with beer, red wine, soda or whatever liquid strikes my fancy ~ same goes for the herbs and spices.  Check out the simple recipe ~ HERE.

Grilled Pork with Sauteed Kale, Squash & Almonds ~ making the most of leftovers

I always try to get creative with leftovers.  I look to see how much I have of whatever is leftover, then I see what I have that is fresh to use and then I go hunting for what might be on it's last legs and see what I can come up with.  For this meal, I had some leftover grilled pork ~ so I sauteed some fresh kale, garlic, some seen-better-days squash and then added the last of the slivered almonds.  Tossed in the sliced pork, gave it a splash of  EVOO, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a sprinkle of zesty spice blend, let it all heat through...and lunch was served.  Quicker, cheaper and healthier than take-out.  I like that and so does my wallet.  :)

Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap with Avocado ~ Low Carb

Today, the ~ Ides of March ~ are upon us.  Every March 15th, I feel the need to eat a meal that includes the name, Caesar, in it.  Don't know why, I just do...call it a quirk.  :) 

Last year I shared my healthy and good-for-you ~ Kale Caesar Salad with Homemade Vegetarian Caesar Salad Dressing.  This year I'm going for a low carb ~ Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap with Avocado.  Using my favorite precooked, packaged chicken strips & low calorie Caesar dressing  makes it a snap to throw together.  A salad, all wrapped up, nice and snug.  (I think of it as a toga for food :)  Caesar, all hail!  teehee


Chicken Caesar Salad Wrap with Avocado ~ Low Carb

Gather it together ~

• low carb tortillas (I use La Banderita)
• fully cooked sliced chicken strips (like John Soules brand) heated or chilled ~ your call
• chopped lettuce ~ romaine or whatever is in the fridge
• sliced avocado
• chopped tomatoes
• thin sliced onion
• Caesar dressing
• grated Parmesan cheese
• salt/pepper, to taste

Wrap it up ~ 

• layer a bit of all the above ingredients on the low carb tortilla and then roll it up, sandwich wrap-style (OR toss all the chopped ingredients together with the Caesar dressing, just as you would a tossed salad, then fill/wrap the toga...Oops, I mean tortilla.  :)   Enjoy!

Grilled Pork Loin Chop Salad

I'm trying to eat more salads and eat a bit more low carb.  One way I like to do that is to grill a piece of meat on my George Foreman Grill and then serve the sliced meat on top of a big bed of fresh lettuce and chopped up veggies.

For this salad, I cooked a lean pork loin chop and seasoned it with a Cajun spice blend.  Then I just sliced it up and drizzled the salad with a light vinaigrette.  (in case you were wondering, that big bowl of salad was just for me :)   It was on the table in no time, I like that.  Simple cooking at its best.

Vegetarian Mock Smoky Chicken Salad Wrap ~ Meatless Monday

 

I'm having fun coming up with new ways to spin one of my favorite beans, the ever popular and versatile ~ chickpea. (aka ~ garbanzo beans)  I usually turn them into a tasty Mock Tuna Salad (see my recipe ~ here), but, I was getting bored with that sandwich flavor, so...

This time I decided to spin them into a Vegetarian Mock Smoky Chicken Salad.  Using toasted walnuts and a little liquid smoke really gives this vegetarian salad a 'meaty' flavor boost.  To me, the toasted walnuts, when paired with a hint of liquid smoke, really gives a bit of bacon-y flavor.  Oh, yeah!  The cranberries add a nice sweet/tart accent and the other veggies provide a nice, cool finish.  Layer it all in a low carb tortilla, wrap it up and you've got a super lunch for your Meatless Monday.  Enjoy!

Quinoa, Kale, Walnut & Cranberry Salad

When I'm trying to get more greens into my diet, kale is one of the first veggies I head for.  I really enjoy eating raw kale in salads, especially when I have some leftover quinoa in the fridge.  Throw in a handful of walnuts and cranberries, a big spoonful of quinoa, then drizzle on some olive oil and balsamic vinegar, give it all a toss and I'm good to go.  Who says eating your greens has to be boring?  Certainly not me!

Day Spa Fruity Water ~ Cheaters Version ~ a simple & cheap recipe that makes a variety of low calorie ~ Fruit Flavored Waters ~ quickly!

Apple Cinnamon Day Spa Fruity Water ~ Cheaters Version ~ The basic recipe can be varied by using any 100% fruit juice concentrate flavor that you like.  Tropical, citrus, fruit punch blends ~ whatever you can find at the market.  It's super easy & a pretty cheap 'copycat' way to enjoy the trendy 'Fresh Fruit Infused Water' that's so popular right now.  (Shhh... you could even doll-up a glass with a slice of fresh fruit when you pour it for company, so it looks like the real deal.  I'll never tell! :) 

(If you want to see the recipe first ~ scroll down.  If you want to hear me on my soapbox first, read on...)

Lately, I've been seeing a lot of pins on Pinterest showing how to make Fresh Fruit Infused Waters.  All of the photos show beautiful, water-filled carafes and glasses, full of glorious jewel-toned, sun ripened fruits, fresh herbs and occasionally, spices.  Talk about eye candy!  I instantly fell in love with the idea of creating this lovely drink at home.  So, on the 'Fruity Water' (as my English hubby calls it) bandwagon I jumped and off to the market I went, determined to 'brew' a batch for myself...

Only problem was, it's wintertime and the cost of the fresh fruit is up there.  Grrrr.   So, I opted for frozen fruit, still a bit up there price wise, but not near as bad.  I used these recipes for inspiration for my first batch.  As I waited (a tad impatiently) for to the water to be 'infused' enough to notice/drink, I watched how all the vibrantly colored fruits began to lose their beauty and eventually become pale, limp and sorry looking.  It made me feel sad.  Well, that was unexpected... the pictures never showed that part of the 'fresh fruit infused water' making process.  It makes perfect sense, it just never really occurred to me.  I was so completely seduced by the tempting photographs ~ showing the color saturated, full 'o' life fruits, all bathing in the beautiful, water filled carafes.  (I'm such a sucker for a pretty food picture!)

Yes, the water did take on a delicately flavored hint of the fruit, but, at the end of the day, seeing the lifeless/tasteless and almost colorless fruit left sitting in the bottom of the container, just left me wanting.  It seemed such a waste, all that real fruit flavor, diluted into a weak shadow of itself.  It really made me less enthusiastic for the whole 'fresh fruit infused water' process.  I've come to the conclusion, that for me, I would rather eat my fruit.  I'd rather savor every colorful, full-of-fruit-flavor bite ~ than to give it a long soak in water...wasting away, leaving just a hint of its true, sun-kissed flavor essence behind.  Meh!

On a more positive note ~ With all that being said, I did drink 64oz. of water that day with no problem at all!  Having a little hit of flavor in the water made it super easy to do.  I decided there had to be a better and cheaper way!  Hmm...Why not just use 100% frozen fruit juice concentrate instead?   A little bit goes a long way and there's no 'waiting' time, just stir and you're good to go. Booyah!  Now, everyone says that just by 'infusing' the water with fresh fruit, that it's a no-calorie drink.  Well, I've decided that using 2 tablespoons of 100% frozen fruit juice concentrate (approx. 60 calories) in 64oz. of water (turning it into about 8 calories a glass), was an acceptable trade-off.  It's still a super low calorie drink to me, it won't break the bank, and if you buy frozen cans of juice that have a resealable lid, you can buy a variety of flavors and make a different tasting batch every day ~  Double Booyah!

It's just SO MUCH CHEAPER to use 100% frozen fruit juice concentrate and here's the best part ~ there is no sad, depleted fruit left behind in the bottom of the pitcher at the end of the day!   When you consider how much fresh fruit costs, (and even some frozen fruits) it's just so much more budget friendly to use 100% concentrated fruit juice.  I'm so happy with my 'Day Spa Fruity Water' copycat version of 'infused' fresh fruit water, and at about 1 calorie an ounce/8 calories a cup, I'm happy with the calorie count, too.  OK, I'm off my soapbox now, time for me to drink up.  :)  ~ Enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Day Spa Fruity Water ~ 'Cheaters Version' ~ vary the juice flavor for unlimited possibilities! 
makes a little more that 64oz.
inspired by this recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp frozen 100% apple juice concentrate
• 1/4 tsp to 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (more or less to taste ~ the more you use, the more golden & cinnamon-y flavored it gets ~ I'm a bit heavy handed, I really like cinnamon :)
• 64 oz. filtered water (or the usual kind you drink ~ tap, bottled, etc.)

Directions

Mix the apple juice concentrate, cinnamon and 1/2 cup of water in a pitcher/container large enough to hold all the water.  Stir it until the cinnamon is completely blended into the juice.  (if you don't mix the cinnamon in really well first, it will just float on top when you add the rest of the water)  Add the remaining water, stir and then leave in the fridge.  When ready to serve, give it a good swirl, to get the cinnamon mixed back up again (it settles to the bottom after a while) or just let it stay down there ~ as you like.  Serve straight-up or over ice.  Enjoy!

*Just a little heads up ~ ground cinnamon's viscosity (that occurs when it sits in liquid over a period of time) might make it clump together & form into 'strands' while in the bottom of the container. (it kinda reminds me of the 'Mother' found in the bottom of organic unfiltered apple cider bottles)  You can drink the remaining cinnamon on the bottom, or pour it out, your call.  I usually drink it.

~ Flavor Variations ~ 

• 2 Tbsp any flavor  ~ 100% fruit juice concentrate blends
• fresh ginger, mint, basil or whatever herbs/spices might inspire you   

Prepare it the same way, mix and match to your hearts content, with the addition of herbs/spices or without.  Make it anyway you like! 

Lemony Kale Salad ~ Lisa Oz / Dr. Oz

I was reading a magazine and came across an article from Dr. Oz and his wife, Lisa.  She mentioned a salad that she likes to make at home, it's her own recipe for ~ Lemony Kale Salad.  It sounded really good, I had almost all  the ingredients to make it ~ so I did.

I skipped the hemp seeds since I don't have any in my pantry, I used an onion instead of a shallot and threw in a handful of chopped walnuts.  As Lisa says, get your hands messy and give the salad a really good massage.  It's super easy, super tasty and super good for you.  Cool!  Check out the recipe ~ here ~, it's over on the Oprah site.

Festive Christmas Eggs ~ A low carb, low cal & low fat breakfast treat!

Festive Christmas Eggs ~ Great for the holidays, but they would be wonderful for anytime of year.  These are a simple way to eat low carb, low fat and low cal.  What a deal!

My friend, GA, shared a photo link on Facebook of an imaginative way to cook your eggs.  It was from the Facebook fan page for ~ Mama Earth Organics.  I love the way it looked and decided to try it in my kitchen.  They didn't have a 'recipe' listed, just a 4-square photo showing how they did it.  Couldn't be simpler ~ take a ring slice of bell pepper; crack an egg in it and cook it until done.  Theirs were 'sunny side up' and looks like it had a tomato slice nestled down on the bottom.  I just used the sliced bell pepper and the egg, but about half way through cooking mine, I added a little water & covered the skillet with a lid to get a little steam action going ~ so my yolks are still runny, but covered with cooked white on top.

This was ready in under 10 minutes.  I just love how pretty it looks and you can't beat the carb, fat or calorie count!

Sure makes for a pretty presentation, perfect for a Christmas morning breakfast or brunch.  Actually, they would be great anytime of day and there's no need to only enjoy them during the holidays ~ especially when you're looking for an extra special way to serve the incredible, edible egg.   If you'd like to see more cool recipes, stop by the Mama Earth Organics website for more info about their organic food delivery service (in the Toronto area), recipes & such.  Enjoy!