Quinoa Sweet Potato Hash

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When my husband first saw this dish he said, “Well, that looks interesting.”  My kids said, “We are not eating THAT.” And I said, “That is gorgeous, I wonder if it tastes good?”

I made 3 servings.  I took my husband one in his home office.  (He works from home 3 days a week–which is amazingly wonderful.)

I ate the 2nd serving myself.  And then I quickly ate the 3rd serving before he found out it was available.  Yep, it’s that good.  It totally overcame my selfless nature….bwa ha ha.  Now that I see the nutrition profile (below) I understand why I wasn’t hungry until mid-afternoon, lol.

Here’s a recipe for 1 serving and you can multiply it as you wish.  I cheated on the veggie chopping of it all and used frozen Southwest blend veggies that I snagged on sale for $.69 a lb.  It was cheaper than buying bell peppers this time of year too. (Next time I’m adding some spinach just before I drop in the eggs.)

1 cup peeled and diced raw sweet potato

1 cup mixed chopped bell peppers, onions and mushrooms

1/4 cup quinoa, uncooked and rinsed

1 strip turkey bacon diced, optional

1/2 cup water

1 egg

Add veggies, quinoa and diced bacon to a non-stick or cast iron skillet.  Saute for 3 minutes or until quinoa is toasted.  Add water, bring to a simmer, reduce heat, cover and set timer for 15 minutes.  When all the water is absorbed, put the quinoa mixture aside and crack an egg in the middle.  Cover and cook for 3 minutes more.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Add a few parsley flakes for garnish.

If you want to reduce calories a bit, try cutting the amount sweet potato in half.

This recipe was inspired by: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2012/08/quinoa-breakfast-skillet/

Amazing Black Rice Chicken Salad

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Amazing isn’t a strong enough word for how delicious this salad is!  I used black rice because I saw it at Costco one day and thought I would try it.  It’s cheaper than wild rice and is a change of pace from my usual brown rice.  It cooks up a deep purple color and the rinse water turned purple right away.  I’ll admit that the first time I opened the bag, it looked like I had bought 3 lbs of mouse turds.   But that’s the last time I will mention that.

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free, soy free, egg free.  🙂 And definitely fitness plan friendly.

The recipe is for one serving, but you can multiply it as many times as you like for additional servings.

Black Rice Chicken Salad

1/2 cup cooked black rice

2 oz cooked chicken, flaked

1/2 small avocado, cubed

1/2 oz chopped almonds

3 baby carrots, sliced

2 Tbs chopped celery

2 Tbs green onion, sliced

2 tbs chopped bell pepper (red would have been beautiful)

2 Tbs craisins

dash salt

1/2 tsp stevia blend

1 Tbs lime juice

Toast almonds either in a skillet or for 90 seconds in the microwave on high. Stir everything together and enjoy.  I ate mine right away, but I imagine it only gets better chilled.

1 recipe has 498 calories; 25 g fat (from the almonds and avocado);26 g protein; and 34 net carbs (11 grams of fiber!)  You can reduce the calories by halving the amount of almonds and avocado. Replace the volume with fresh copped veggies. This saves 187 calories and 11 g of fat.

P.S.  I’m still working hard at my Fit Yummy Mummy nutrition and exercise program–but while the busy holidays are upon us, I’ll just highlight the best of the new recipes I’m creating–instead of writing down everything I eat. I think I’ll go back to that eventually since it really does help.  I do tend to eat a lot of the things I enjoy most over and over.

 

Best Ever Protein Pancakes

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I’ve seen several recipes for these floating around pinterest and decided to try my own version.  They were amazing!  My protein pancakes are different because I used whole eggs, levening, and a little stevia for flavor. Also added a little almond milk to make it easier on my blender. It’s little known that the egg yolk contains almost as much protein as egg whites.  Yes, they have fat and cholesterol, but they also have folate and lots of other vitamins too.  A little fat in the diet is essential for healthy skin, hair, nails and balanced hormone production. And the lecithin in the egg white works with the cholesterol in the yolk to neutralize the negative effects. When God made eggs, He made the perfect food!

The small amount of leavening in this recipe makes the texture just like a regular pancake. My kids gobbled them up.  They even thought they were white flour pancakes–not bad for 100% whole grain.  For my gluten free friends, if you get gluten free rolled oats–these are perfect for you. I have to watch my dairy–lactose makes me miserable, but cottage cheese is cultured enough that it doesn’t bother me. If you have a dairy protein allergy or an egg allergy, then these aren’t for you.

 

Here’s the recipe:

In a blender or food processor combine:

1 cup rolled oats (or quick oats but not instant oats)

3 whole eggs

1 cup 1% cottage cheese

2-4 Tbs milk (I used almond milk) enough to get the blender flowing

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 Tbs stevia blend (I used stevia in the raw.)

Blend on high until a thick batter forms.  If your eggs were bigger than mine, your batter may be thin–but it will thicken upon standing.  Oats soak up a lot of liquid. Cook these on a griddle preheated to 350 degrees.  It makes 9 3-4 inch pancakes.  3 pancakes has 20 grams of protein and 243 calories.  Add 1/2 cup of applesauce or other fruit for a perfect 300 calorie breakfast.

 

Sweet Potatoes!

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Grandpa Coffman grew some giant sweet potatoes this year!  And he shared with us.  So I have been scouring the web for some new recipes to use the bounty.  Here are some in my must try file.

Betty Crocker's Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Bacon

Betty Crocker's Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Applesauce

 Sweet Potato Hash Browns

Sweet Potato Pancakes

Sweet Potato Waffles

And since we love potato and eggs for breakfast, I’m going to try some breakfast favorites  like:  Egg Burritos and Frittata.

 

Restaurant Style Spinach Queso Dip Recipe

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Heidi and Caleb are home after spending a week on the farm. It took about 2 days for me to get over how easy it was to set the table and put children to bed with 2 less and then really start to miss them. I’d think of questions to ask them, things I wanted to show them…and then realize they weren’t there. Sniff. When they showed up yesterday, Grant took turns grabbing their necks and just leaning in. It really made their day…and mine too.

School starts on Thursday for us. Wednesday is Heather’s birthday and we have shopping plans :). And I just signed on as our school’s High School music teacher. I’m super excited and nervous all at the same time. I have to leave in 5 minutes for my first staff meeting in 11 years. But first, I want to give you this fantastic recipe that I developed last night in honor of my children’s return.

Everyone in the family loved it. Even the picky non-spinach eaters. We used mild chilies and it was decidedly not spicy. You could use spicier chilies or add more cayenne if you like. But taste it first and adjust as you go.

2 cups milk

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup flour

1/4 tsp cayenne

1 tsp cumin

1 can, 4 oz, green chilies

2 cups finely chopped spinach (I used fresh, but frozen would work too.)

Whisk flour into milk and add remaining ingredients.  Cook and stir over medium high heat until thickened.  Stir in 2 cups of cheddar jack cheese (Costco has this in 5 lb bags for a bargain.)  Cook a little longer just until cheese is melted.  Serve with tortilla chips.

Getting Ready for the First Day of School

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I know some of you have already started school.  But for the rest of you, here’s a fun idea via pinterest. I’m gearing up for packing lunches and hope to add a few more fun items once in awhile.  I’ve put my brainstorm of ideas into my latest eBook, Homemade and Healthy to Go. It will be available for sale on August 15th, After I give all current Grocery Shrink Plus subscribers their free copy.  Membership has its perks and if it’s not the 13th of August yet, you can still subscribe to the menus and get your free copy too.

This next idea isn’t mine, so isn’t in the book. Isn’t it adorable?  And Smarties are at Dollar Tree :).

 

Here’s the original pin:

Click the photo to find the original post and instructions

 

Here’s my version.  Definitely not as cute without the red and white polka dots!  I loved her scallops so splurged on the 3.5 inch cutter below since Joann had them 40% off.  It was still $15 on sale so I will be using these circles everywhere.  On place labels; birthday gifts; Christmas Gifts; baby gifts; cupcake picks…my family is going to get sick of paper scallops.

My color printer is on the fritz, so I opted to cut the scallops out of scrap cardstock, and print just the circles.  Glue dots stuck everything together quickly.

Homemade and Healthy to Go

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I’ve written a new eBook!  And now you know why my blog has been a little quiet this summer.  It’s finished, but not quite available yet.  My Grocery Shrink Plus subscribers get the first peek, and they get it for FREE.  The book will sell for $10 to all non-subscribers and at 100 pages of ideas and recipes for packing frugal lunches, it’s well worth the cost.  But there’s no reason not to get it free.

I have more resources in the works and with school starting soon, will have more time to work than ever.  Grocery Shrink Plus subscribers can expect to get a free resource similar to this every month they stay members in good standing.  Now I call that an upgrade!  Not only do you get more recipes, more instructions, more value in your meal plans than any other service….you get free bonus’s too.

There’s still time to subscribe to the menu’s before the bonus goes out, but you need to subscribe before Monday August 13th.  I won’t be emailing out separate bonus’s to all late subscribers like I do the menu plans.  It’s a one time mail out to current subscribers at the moment I hit send.  No exceptions, no apologies.  Make sure you’re on that list :).

Meet Another Winner and Her Recipe–Beth Nepote

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I’d like to introduce you to Beth Nepote and her lovely family! Her winning recipe is Greek Tortellini and Spinach Pasta Salad.  But first, let’s get to know her a little better.

Q. Tell us about yourself.  What are your hobbies, interests?
 A. I love to cook, grow my own foods and read.


Q. Tell us about your family.  Who are you cooking for these days?
A. I cook for my husband and two daughters, 15 and 9.


Q. Does your family have any dietary restrictions or fitness goals that affect your meal planning?
A. I work to make our meals as healthy as possible but still palatable to my picky family. I also have several food allergies to work around.


Q. Are you a cook by the recipe kind of girl or just until it looks right?
A. I use recipes and tweak them based on our tastes.


Q. What is your favorite kind of food to cook?
A. I love making jams and preserves right now.


Q. What is a budget saving tip you use?
A. I grow my own veggies and herbs, and have some young fruit trees that will produce in the next year or so. I shop at Aldi and Wal-Mart for the rest of our food. We also have hens who should start laying soon.


Q. If cost was no option, which food would you buy more of?
A. My family would say steak!


Q. Tell us about the recipe and how you came to tweak it.
8. I was introduced to the dish as a side dish with several additional ingredients. I wanted to make it a light meal my family would eat. I added the grilled chicken and left out the hard-boiled eggs, onion and kalamata olives.


Greek Tortellini and Spinach Pasta Salad


Ingredients
20oz fresh cheese tortellini
1/2 c. EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
1/4 c. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. baby spinach leaves
1 c. crumbled feta cheese (about 6 oz.)


Directions
1. Cook tortellini per package directions
2. Drain pasta
3. Mix olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, parsley, oregano and salt in a large bowl
4. Add cooked pasta and toss to coat
5. Cover and chill – 1 day is ideal, 2 hours is minimum
6. Mix in spinach and feta and serve immediately

Meet a Winner and Her Winning Recipe!

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Meet Nicole Cotts and her beautiful family. I could just eat them up!  But maybe instead I’ll fix some of her Mandarin Chicken Salad.  Before I reveal the recipe, I want you to get to know her better.


1.  Tell us about yourself.  What are your hobbies, interests?

I think the most important thing about me is I’m a sinner saved by grace.  Nothing beats that!  Next, I’m a wife of 13 years to my wonderful husband.  I’m a mom to three crazy boys, a lab puppy and a cat!  I work part time as an adoption caseworker, providing birth family counseling as well as doing home studies for adoptive families.  I’ve also just started selling Pampered Chef just for fun.  I love to bake, read, write and scrapbook but rarely have time for any of them!

2.  Tell us about your family.  Who are you cooking for these days?

I cook for myself and my husband as well as my three boys ages 9, 7 and almost 2.  I also make all of my puppy’s food as if I don’t have enough to do!

3.  Does your family have any dietary restrictions or fitness goals that affect your meal planning?

I’m a Fit Yummy Mummy so I definitely have to take that into consideration when planning meals and cooking.  I find it’s not that difficult to combine the two, but I do tend to spend more money than I would if I wasn’t trying to eat so much fresh produce.

4.  Are you a cook by the recipe kind of girl or just until it looks right?

I like to have a recipe to help me figure out proportions and give me an idea where to start, but I’m definitely an “until it looks right” kind of cook.  I often leave things out or use what I have on hand when I cook.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t!  I’m not a very creative cook, I’m always looking for recipes on the internet and such that will give me an idea to start with.

5.  What is your favorite kind of food to cook?

I definitely enjoy baking, I love to make desserts!  Definitely my downfall 🙂

6.  What is a budget saving tip you use?

I like to use fresh produce early in the week and canned or frozen later in the week so there’s no waste in produce.  My husband always takes leftovers for lunch which saves a ton and I always freeze leftover breakfast items (pancakes, waffles, breakfast sandwiches, etc.) for him and the kids to grab and go in the mornings.  Then I don’t have to get up to cook for them and he doesn’t eat cereal!  My kids don’t like to wait for me to make them breakfast and I can workout in the morning before my breakfast.  I also like using coupons for things like toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, soap, etc.  I haven’t paid a cent for these things in years!  Then I can use our grocery budget on healthy foods.

7.  If cost was no option, which food would you buy more of?

Nuts.  I love pistachios, pine nuts, almonds, pecans.  You name it!  I’d probably buy all organic chicken, too, but it’s just too expensive for all of us!

8.  Tell us about the recipe and how you came to tweak it.

My aunt sent me this recipe years ago when she worked at a cute little shop/lunch spot.  This was just when fruit in salad started to become really popular (at least in my little world!).  When I first started making it, I think I left the chicken in the pot too long and it always turned out dry.  I now add 2 cans of mandarin orange juice and cook it for less time.  This makes it juicy and so yummy.  Just recently I heard you can put the cooked chicken breasts in the kitchen aid mixer and it shreds it perfectly!  Honestly, the crunchy salad topping makes this salad.  I’m often out of sunflower seeds and make it with just the ramen noodles and almonds or whatever nuts I have on hand.  It’s still really yummy.  My kids love to put their salads together by themselves and they love the addition of the chow mien noodles on top.  I love that we can eat this salad all year long because it uses canned mandarin oranges, but in the summer I often add fresh strawberries to make it extra tasty!  Something else I do that makes this salad seem a little more like a restaurant salad is chop the salad in small strips.  It’s easier to eat looks prettier, too.  I hope you all enjoy it!


Mandarin Chicken Salad  My kids love this!

Salad Topping

3 oz. sliced almonds
1/2 c. sunflower seeds
2-3 oz. ramen noodles, crunched well
2 T. sugar
1/3 c. butter

Melt butter on medium heat.  Add sugar and all other ingredients.  Stir constantly until lightly brown.

Poppy Seed Dressing

3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
2 T. poppy seeds
1/2 medium white chopped  onion
3/4 c. oil
1/3 c. vinegar

Mix in blender.  Shake before serving.

Chicken

Put 2 lbs. frozen chicken into a kettle with juice from 1 can mandarin oranges.  Simmer until juice is gone (about 1/2 hour)  Cool and break into small pieces.

To put salad together:

Lettuce, crunchy salad topping, chow mien noodles, mandarin oranges, and chicken on top.  Serve with poppy seed dressing.

Time for a Recipe! Italian Stir Fry

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We finally have an offer on our house!  It’s a terrible offer, insulting really.  But we took it.  We aren’t scheduled to close until August 29th–and a lot can happen between now and then.  If everything goes smoothly, it will be a relief to only own 1 home.

This recipe serves 1, but can easily be multiplied for  a family.  This is a typical lunch or dinner for me on the Fit Yummy Mummy program.

You can vary the vegetables to suit your taste.  I just grabbed what was on hand.

1/4 onion, sliced

4 oz Italian spiced ground turkey (I buy this from Aldi, and sometimes spice my own ground turkey with basil, rosemary and garlic salt, with a pinch of cayenne.)

3 baby bell peppers, sliced

1/2 cup summer squash, sliced and quartered

1 cup fresh or frozen green beans

1 cup spinach

Saute onion and ground turkey together until turkey is almost cooked through.  Add additional vegetables and saute until crisp tender.  Season with garlic salt.  You can also stir in 1/2 cup of marinara sauce at the end.  This is very filling, but very low in calories. 1 protein serving and 4 veggie servings!