Showing posts with label breakfast. Show all posts
Showing posts with label breakfast. Show all posts

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Pistachio French Toast.....Yum!

Before I had to give nuts and nut butters I was addicted to anything that involved them.  When I found out about this month's Recipe Redux contest my mind immedietly went to pistachio butter.  


Pistachios make a great, everyday healthy snacking choice for people looking to satisfy a salty snack craving the smart way, and still do something good for themselves. Pistachios are a deliciously simple way to snack healthy. A one-ounce serving of pistachios equals approximately 49 nuts, which is more nuts per serving than any other snack nut, and a reduced serving of about 30 pistachios is just about 100 calories.

Crack ‘em, Chew ‘em, Love ‘em, Leave ‘em: Let the Pistachio Principle be your guide! Empty pistachio shells may serve as a “visual cue” of how many pistachios you’ve consumed, so don’t discard the shells after you’ve enjoyed the treat inside. {Side note:  You can also use the shells when you grill.  They will add a nutty smokiness to your food}

Study participants who left pistachio shells on their desk reduced their calorie consumption by 18 percent compared to participants who discarded shells immediately after consumption.

People who consumed in-shell pistachios ate 41 percent fewer calories than those who consumed pistachios without shells. This suggests that empty shells may be a helpful visual cue as to how much has been eaten – thereby potentially encouraging reduced calorie consumption.
Need another reason to go nuts snacking on pistachios? Recent research from Harvard University and published inNew England Journal of Medicine suggests that the benefits of snacking on nuts go up as the number of servings goes up, too. Bottom line: more nuts, more benefits. Go for a daily handful of pistachios as part of a healthy diet. A daily handful of pistachios is a delicious and healthy everyday snack for those striving for seven servings a week.

We were asked to do the Perfect Pistachio Pairing {try saying that 3 times fast}  What could be better than creamy pistachio butter paired with warm french toast and maple syrup?

Creamy + Warm + Sweet = PERFECTION!

This recipe appeals to everyone.  It feels indulgent but it's really not that bad.  The girls and Ken both loved it.

I love how the pistachios gave the french toast a slight green tint

Pistachio Butter

Ingredients

16 oz in-shell pistachios
2 T sugar free maple syrup

Directions

  1. Shell pistachios
  2. Place pistachios and syrup in food processor and process for about 10-15 minutes until a smooth consistancy


Pistachio Butter Battered French Toast


Ingredients

8 slices whole wheat bread
4 eggs/ equivalent egg substitute
.25 cup skim milk
.25 cup pistachio butter

Directions



  1. Combine everything except bread in blender or food processor until completely combined.
  2. Dip bread into egg mixture so it soaks into both sides
  3. Grease a skillet or griddle and heat on medium.
  4. Place bread in the skillet and cook until the first side turns golden brown (about 
  5. Flip and cook the second side until brown.
  6. Drizzle with maple syrup

Hope you enjoy!  What do you do pair with your pistachios?


I received free pistachio samples from the Pistachio Health Institute mentioned in this post. By posting this pairing I am entering a contest sponsored by Pistachio Health Institute and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.



Sunday, January 26, 2014

An Inspired Post

My trip to Smoothie King really opened my eyes to the possibilities of vegetables.  The fruits really blend well with the vegetables.  They also hide the taste.

Tonite was smoothie and muffin nite.  I decided to slip some spinach into my smoothie.  I was surprised at the fact that I couldn't taste the spinach at all.   



The one in the front is mine.  The only difference between mine and the girls' is the fact that I added spinach.  But honestly, I bet if I had added spinach to theirs they wouldn't have known.


Spinach Smoothie
Serves: 1
Calories: 226
Carbs: 41 g
Protein: 17 g


Ingredients

4 oz (.5 cup) Fat free plain Greek yogurt
.5 medium banana
About 2  cups of spinach
.25 cup blueberries
.25 cup raspberries
4 frozen strawberries
.25 cup light soymilk

Directions

  1. Put all ingredients in the blender and puree until smooth.
Do you add vegetables in unexpected places?  I'd love to hear about it! 

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Cookies For Breakfast

Seeing the look on a 4-year-old's face when you tell them that we are having cookies for breakfast is priceless.  "COOKIES??!!??  REALLY??"  Well, these cookies are the perfect breakfast item.  Low calorie, fat and sugar.  Kaylee and Mo were only surprised when I told them "You can't have more than 4."  You should definately try these for breakfast tomorrow.  Make sure to keep them in the fridge since they don't have any fat.  The only fat in them comes from the oatmeal.  No fat = no preservatives which means that they will rot if you leave them on the counter.

I made these because I had a bunch of overly brown bananas and needed something to do with them yesterday morning.


Super Banana Breakfast Cookies
Adapted from: Watching What I Eat: Banana Oat Breakfast Cookies
Makes 12 cookies
Calories: 82
Fat: 0.8g
Sugar: 7.0g
Protein: 1.7 g

1 1/2 cups oatmeal
3 bananas
roughly 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup craisins
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon  or pumpkin pie spice

Directions
  1. Preheat oven 350
  2. Mash 2 bananas and mix with vanilla
  3. Mash the 3rd banana and add enough applesauce to equal 1 cup. (mash the banana then put it in your measuring cup and top it off with enough applesauce to reach 1 cup)
  4. Mix everything together
  5. Let rest for 10 minutes
  6. Drop onto cookie sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes.

They are perfect for the on-the-go morning family.  Oh and if you wanna be fancy you can whip up a maple glaze for the top.  Combine a bit of maple syrup with some powdered sugar and drizzle on top.  YUM!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

A Great Brunch Idea...Swet Potato Pancakes!!

Recipe Redux Time! Yes folks, it's that day of the month when I reveal my entry for the Recipe Redux.  If you don't know what it is then click here to find out more.

The theme this month is Shower Brunches.  If y'all read my blog regularly then you know that I love live for breakfast foods.  I could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  When I got this theme I was super excited.  I got an idea but, by the time I went to make it, my star ingredient had gone bad.

When I came across this recipe I knew it was perfect.  It's a little sweet, a little savory, great for brunch.  I have been munching on them since I made them.  I spread them with peanut butter, dip them in syrup, and make them into pb&j sandwiches. I actually made these on the day of Kaylee's party because I couldn't eat the cake and I didn't want to be left out.  



Sweet Potato Pancakes
Adapted from Super Healthy Kids
makes 6
calories 101
fat 0.2
protein 4.7

Ingredients
1/2 cup sweet potato.
1 cup skim milk
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c egg substitute
3/4 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder


Directions
  1. Cook sweet potato until soft.  (You could possibly use canned if you wanted to)
  2. Mash and measure out a cup and place in a bowl.
  3. Add skim milk, egg substitute cinnamon and vanilla and mix well.
  4. Mix in flour and baking powder
  5. Using a 1/4 measuring cup drop onto greased heated skillet (heat the skillet on medium to medium high)
  6. Flip when the sides start to bubble 
  7. When the second side is brown take off


Every time I get the hankerin' for pancakes I think I'm going to make this....or I'll just make a big batch to freeze so I can eat them whenever I want.  These would also be great to serve a child who doesn't care for vegetables. 





  

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Veggies Invade My Breakfast

I took a big risk on this recipe.  This was either going to be a dinner that the girls would love or hate.  Luckily they loved it.  I edited a recipe for bread pudding and made it lighter and healthier. I threw a bunch of leftovers in it.  According to Kaylee it tasted like veggie burgers.  Which I could totally understand.  It kind of does have a burger-y type taste.  Kaylee is one of the main reasons I made this.  She's been bugging me for bread pudding for a while now.  I decided to start off with a savory one.  She loves stuffing and this is basically a stuffing with milk instead of vegetable broth.  This type of recipe is really versatile.  You can throw in whatever you have on hand.  Squash?  SURE!  Mushrooms?  Onions?  Spinach?  Yes, yes and yes. 



Almost Fat Free Strata
Serves 5 (Mine was cut into 15 pieces so that's 3 pieces per person each slice has 75 calories and 0.3 grams of fat )
Calories: 222
Fat: 0.8 gram
Protein: 23.5 grams

10 slices of reduced calorie whole wheat bread, cubed
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
6 medium mushroom diced, (2 cups)
10 baby carrots, sliced paper thin
1/2 of a butternut squash
1 1/4 c egg substitute (approx 6 eggs)
1 1/2 c skim milk
1 cup fat free mozzarella
1/4 c fat free feta
1/2 c lima beans
1/4 cup soy crumbles

Directions
  1. Sautee mushrooms, onions, and carrots until soft.  At the end add the squash, soy crumbles and lima beans until warm, cool slightly
  2. In a separate bowl whisk together egg substitute, milk, and cheeses.
  3. Spray a 13 x 9 pan and put the bread half the bread evenly along the bottom
  4. Spread vegetable mixture, and ontop of that the rest of the bread
  5. Pour egg, milk and cheese over the bread and vegetables.  Press down to make sure that all the bread soaks up some liquid.  Put in the fridge for atleast 2 hours.  
  6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. 

What vegetables would/do you put in your strata?

Thursday, January 31, 2013

That Swagger...

Wow, we've already finished a whole month of 2013!  It seems like time has just flown by!  I am honestly excited for this year.  I have so many plans and big dreams for this year.  It pumps me up to see what the rest of the year holds in store.

Today I noticed something as I was walking out of the gym.  I walk differently.  No, it's not because my legs feel like jelly (even though they do half the time.)  It's a swagger.  

I very rarely have a swagger.  It's completely an "I'm-awesome-and-I-bet-you-can't-do-what-I-just-did" confident swagger.  It feels great to have visible confidence.  I'm the girl that normally walks with her head down, doesn't make eye contact and rarely starts a conversation with a stranger.

But, after the gym, I'm a big dog (in my own head.)  I will answer any question, and look you dead in the eye.  The best thing that comes with my swagger??  I feel damn sexy.

You want to know what makes me feel not sexy after a workout?  The reason I have a waddle rather than a swagger?  Waffles.  Yes, waffles.  Syrup is my major kryptonite.  I love it.  Honestly, I put it on everything.  It sweetens my morning oatmeal.  Before I discovered Stevia I used syrup to sweeten my coffee.  Half the reason I make breakfast for dinner is because of syrup. 

I made 4 different kinds of waffles tonite.  Plain, pumpkin, blueberry, peanut butter, and chocolate chip.  All of them were fat free and they were all delicious.  The girls know that I will always make them 1...just 1 chocolate chip waffle (or pancake.)  That's all I will ever make.


I adapted this recipe from  Vegan Waffle Party
If you want to make it a bit healthier then switch some of the white flour for whole wheat.  You can make it a 50/50 split if you'd like 2 1/2 whole wheat and 2 1/2 white flour.


  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 4 cups white flour
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 c vanilla yogurt
  • 4 1/2 cups fat free soy milk
  • 6 T sugar free maple syrup
Directions
  1. Mix whole wheat flour, white flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a mixing bowl.
  2. In a separate bowl mix yogurt, soy milk, and syrup
  3. Mix wet ingredients into dry
  4. Heat your waffle iron, spray with pan spray and cook waffles according to manufacturers directions.
Variations

Pumpkin
Measure out about 1 cup of batter and stir in 1/4 cup of pureed pumpkin, a dash of pumpkin pie spice and a tablespoon of syrup

Chocolate chip
Sprinkle a small handful of chocolate chips onto the batter when you get it in waffle iron.

Blueberry
Mix in 1/4 cup of blueberries per 1 cup of batter

Peanut butter
Measure out 1/2 cup of batter and stir in one tablespoon of PB2.

Each plain waffle has about 175 calories.  Not bad unless you're like me and eat 3.5 in one sitting!! 

What do you like to add to your waffles? 

Sunday, December 30, 2012

Triple F...Fat Free Frittata

Tonite's dinner was quick and simple.  I looked in the fridge and couldn't find anything to make a full "meal".  [I've never been good at that.  Mr. Amazing can look into the fridge and find 40 different meals, I see nothing...]  I did see 4 containers of egg substitute and the new oven-safe skillet that Baye gave Mr. Amazing for Christmas (so he could "cook good food" for her) 

I have been wanting to try making a frittata for forever and I finally had to tool to make it.  But, I had 6 people to feed.  A 12 inch skillet wouldn't be big enough.  I searched online and found out how to make a frittata in a casserole dish.  (Why couldn't I have found it MONTHS ago??)

It was perfect.  I served it with baked potatoes and Green Goddess muffins from Happy Herbivore.  I added a grated zucchini and substituted the applesauce for mashed carrots.  They were awesome.  Next time I'll remember to get a photo before they all disappear. 



Fat Free Frittata

Ingredients
3 cup egg substitute (I used a combination of egg whites and egg substitute)
24 oz mushrooms, sliced and sauteed with 1 T minced garlic
1 medium onion, diced and sauteed with 1 T minced garlic
Splash of skim milk
1/2 cup of shredded fat free cheddar

Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 375
  2. Line a 9x13 casserole dish with parchement and spray it with non-stick spray
  3. Put the mushrooms in the bottom, completely covering the bottom of the pan
  4. Scatter the onions around on top, and then sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheddar on top of that
  5. Pour the egg into the casserole dish 
  6. Top with remaining cheese
  7. Bake for 45-50 minutes until the egg is set

Next time I make it  I'll try to remember to get a good picture of it.  So next time you look in your fridge and only find a bunch of eggs and some veggies, make it into a frittata!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Curveball Week

I'm a bad mom.  My house ran out of milk last night.  I thought I had enough to last me until this morning but, it all got drank with dinner.  This is what my kids ended up with for breakfast.

Awwww, poor babies??  I think they're pretty damn lucky that we had no milk or they would have been stuck with boring cereal.  I wish I had taken a picture after I stirred it tho.

Curveball Oatmeal (serves 2)
2 servings of oatmeal, cooked to your liking (I used the directions on the tub)
4 T sugar-free maple syrup
4 T cocoa powder
2 T chocolate chips


  • Stir everything together until the chocolate chips are melted and the cocoa powder is distributed evenly
  • Divide evenly among 2 bowls 
  • Finish with a splash of skim (or non-dairy) milk to cool and/or thin it out 
I added a sprinkle of cherry craisins to theirs.  For mine I reduced the cocoa powder to 1 1/2 Tablespoons and added half a banana and a splash of soymilk.  (I used soymilk in the girls too)

Calories --281
Fat --  7.2 g
Cholesterol -- 2 mg
Sodium -- 161 mg
Carbs -- 57.9 g
Fiber -- 7.7 g
Sugar -- 6 g
Protein -- 8.1 g

See?  It looks decadent and unhealthy but the calories aren't all that bad.  

Life loves to throw me curveballs though, just like the oatmeal.  This weekend life threw me another curveball.  I finally (after about 2 months) got my motivation back to exercise.  But, when I woke up Saturday morning determined to workout, my knees were killing me.  I've been in serious pain since then.  Now I'm on the hunt for a zero impact mega calorie burning workout.  Now isn't that a big FU to start off the holiday season?? 

Now off to the chiropractor.  Hopefully they can work the issues out of my knee. 

Do you have any curveball recipes?