morning mug muffin

One Minute Cocoa Flax Muffin

Ingredients

1/4 cup ground flax seed
1 egg
1 tsp butter
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cocoa powder
1 tsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a large mug and microwave for 50 seconds.  Pops right out – you don’t even need to grease the mug.

[Recipe source: here.]

Saw this recipe and thought, "Hey, I have all these ingredients, a microwave & a few coffee mugs." So, I tried it.  

Something different in the morning besides oatmeal or eggs. And, honestly, does it get any quicker & easier than this? Only if a big bird flew through your kitchen and dropped a muffin into your outstretched hands.

What I'd do differently next time:

• more cocoa or maybe use a darker cocoa
• salted butter (only had unsalted to use this morning)
• top with a smear of natural peanut butter

~♥~

the people have spoken

First, thanks to everyone who voted in the nosey parker poll about your favorite roasted veggie. So, here's what I'm going to do with this awesomely powerful information: post recipes so you can make the most fantastico version of your favorite.

Time's a-wasting as roasting season only lasts so long. Let's get started with cauliflower. There are some good deals on cauliflower to be found right now as it is at the peak of its season.

Here's my favorite method to roast cauliflower (from Summer Tomato):

Roasted Curried Cauliflower
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
1 large cauliflower (or several small ones), ~2 lbs
Curry powder
Olive oil
Kosher or sea salt

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
Break cauliflower into medium-small florets and place into large bowl or baking pan. Be sure the pieces are as evenly sized as possible, or they will cook unevenly. Drizzle cauliflower pieces generously with olive oil and season well with salt and curry powder. Distribute evenly in a single layer at the bottom of a baking pan. If necessary, use a second baking pan to be sure the pieces aren’t too crowded.

Cover the pans with foil and place into the oven. Roast, covered for 10-15 minutes. The cauliflower should be slightly soft and start looking translucent. If not replace foil and cook another 5 minutes. When the cauliflower has finished steaming, remove the foil and toss with tongs. Continue to roast, stirring every 8-10 minutes until the tips of the cauliflower begin to brown and become crisp as pictured. Approximately 30-35 minutes.

Image source: Pink of Perfection

I go back and forth seasoning with curry powder or with garlic and red pepper flakes. Any leftover from dinner is chopped up finely and added to scrambled eggs for breakfast. Very tasty.

Note: Fitville's on Facebook. Check it out.

~♥~

back to the garden

Each Monday, I receive an email from the Meatout Monday folks. Honestly, I don't always open them but I did this morning because the word "kale" caught my eye. Just happens I have some kale that needs to be used today. This email offered a recipe for White Bean & Kale Stew. Sounded good except for the fennel bulb. Did a quick search of the internets for other recipes with kale and white beans as main ingredients. What I found is they are mostly a variation on a basic theme. Going to try my own variation tonight and see what happens. May even make some kale chips.

Guess what?! I have a renewed interest in trying new clean eating recipes. Do you have a current favorite? I'm also putting together a list of blogs focused on clean eating. Do you have one or know of one to suggest?

For those of you catching the "back to the garden" reference: click here.

Monday weigh in: 137

~♥~

orange food

Had the Dr. Oz show on in the background as I was doing some cleaning and kept hearing about the amazing cancer fighting properties of "orange foods." I happen to like pumpkin and sweet potatoes so I did a little jiggity-jig and listened up for some recipes.

Here's an easy one for spicy pumpkin soup that I'm going to try tonight. What would you serve to go with this?

Update: I made the soup last night. Verdict: OK. Suspect there are better recipes out there. Will keep tweaking it.

 [Image source]

~♥~

How to make the perfect vinaigrette

~♥~

stuffed peppers

News flash - I made dinner the other night using a new recipe! As usual it was a simple dish. It turned out pretty well, although I think the flavoring could be amped up. Do you have a favorite recipe for stuffed peppers?

Here's a link to the clean eating recipe I used. The only change I made was to add brown rice to the stuffing mixture. Will use fresh garlic in the saute next time and will parboil the peppers before baking them.

* This is not a photo of what I served but it's pretty, no?

~♥~

in praise of roasted brussels sprouts

There was a time (most of my life, actually) when I believed that brussels sprouts belonged in the same category as lima beans and liver. Sisters and brothers, I'm here today to share with you that I've since seen the light! Brussels sprouts are good; dang good. Whipped up Ina Garten's simple recipe for roasted brussels sprouts last night. The only thing I did differently was to srinkle a bit of finely shredded aged parmesan cheese before serving. Leftover sprouts will be sliced very thinly and added to egg beaters for breakfast. Oh, yes, they will.

~♥~

Mmmm, soupy

For dinner last night, I tried a new recipe for Winter Squash and Red Pepper Soup. We liked it but would not be in any hurry to have it again. John, while liking the overall taste of the soup was disappointed that he couldn't taste the red peppers more. This was probably my fault as I didn't measure the amount of squash I used and may have used more than the recipe suggested. When I have a cup of leftover soup for lunch today, think I'll add some thyme.

~♥~

d'oh

Went to the lab for a blood draw today and was told that for one of the tests, the blood needed to be drawn between 7 - 9 am. It was eleven and I'd been fasting since 8 pm. Then I was told that I didn't need to fast for any of these tests. So, who's playing with me here -- the doc or the lab guy? Oh well, tomorrow morning it is. It's not as if the fasting is hurting anything.

On a more positive note, I weighed myself again this morning and was down two pounds. WTH?

Going to make the ol' favorite fall recipe from the Moosewood book. The spaghetti squash casserole. Sometimes the texture is a little strange but it makes really great leftovers. Do you have a favorite squash recipe?

~♥~

Mmm, mmm good!

Have I got a recipe for you. It's from Clean Eating:

Buttermilk Pancakes (with blueberries)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup organic Sucanat (couldn't find this so used something similar)
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 egg white
1 tbsp low-fat sour cream
Olive oil cooking spray
Pure maple syrup

Instructions

One: In a large bowl, combine flour, Sucanat, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Two: In a separate bowl, stir together buttermilk, eggs and sour cream with a whisk; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. (fold in blueberries)

Three: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Mist skillet with cooking spray and heat until melted. Pour 1/4 cup batter into skillet for each pancake and cook for 2 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges appear cooked. Carefully turn pancakes over and cook for 2 more minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Repeat with remaining batter, re-misting skillet with cooking spray between batches. Serve immediately with syrup.

I added organic blueberries. Since there was only the two of us, I refrigerated the leftover pancakes. The leftover pancakes are good without any syrup -- just wrap a pancake in a paper towel and nuke for about 24 seconds. I think if you add blueberries, you can reduce the amount of Sucanat a bit too.

Loved these pancakes!

~♥~

pumpkin pancakes

Made pumpkin pancakes Sunday morning by combining two recipes. One was from Martha (who needs no last name) and the other from a healthy type recipe website. Martha's recipe was too fussy (and not too healthy) and the healthy one suggested adding artificial sweetener. So, here's my own kitchen-tested recipe for pumpkin pancakes:

• one egg
• one cup skim milk
• 3/4 cup all purpose white flour
• 3/4 whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup cooked pumpkin (I used TJ's organic canned pumpkin)
• Two teaspoons baking powder
• pinch of salt
• Two tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• pinch of nutmeg
• pinch of cloves
• chopped pecans
  

Was going to top off the pancakes with delicious maple syrup but some dolt (me) put it in the pantry, not the refrigerator so it was growing something. Instead, we poured a little local honey on top. Yum. Next time around, I'll add the amber, wildflower honey to the mix instead of sugar and will top the pancakes with the new maple syrup I need to pick up from TJ's. Yep, that's the plan.

~♥~

you gotta try this

Pumpkin Smoothie*:

1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp light agave syrup
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
6 oz (3/4 cup) almond milk or pumpkin spice flavored soy milk
6 ice cubes

ADDED: Try adding a few drops of vanilla.

Update: Upped the pumpkin slightly & reduced the yogurt just a bit and added a scoop of french vanilla whey protein. Ooh la la. Ready now to hit the bike trail!

* recipe from Chris Freytag

~♥~

it's a beautiful day

Started the day with a 25 mile ride by the river. The weather was perfect, 81 to 86 degrees. Felt very energetic. Even though I handle heat much better than in the past, it still makes a big difference.

Came home and made the highly touted green smoothie. Here's what went into the blender for the inaugural GS:

• a package of organic baby spinach
• an organic mango
• a banana
• a little orange juice
  

This made the perfect amount for J & I. We loved it. Delicious!

Thanks to everyone who left recipes for their versions of GS in the comments of the previous post. I'll try them all.

~♥~

something new

Last night we tried a new way to prepare fresh halibut. I'd give this recipe five stars out of five stars.

Grilled Halibut with Lemon-Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (preferably extra-virgin)
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil or 3 teaspoons dried
• 2 teaspoons drained capers
• 4 5- to 6-ounce halibut steaks (about 3/4 inch thick)

Preparation

Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic cloves and grated lemon peel in small bowl to blend. Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh basil and capers. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 hour ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Season halibut steaks with salt and pepper. Brush fish with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette, dividing equally. Grill or broil halibut steaks until just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer fish to plates. Re-whisk remaining vinaigrette; pour over fish. Garnish fish with remaining 1 tablespoon basil and serve.

Note: Make more of the vinaigrette than the recipe calls for.

Now that we are infatuated with this vinaigrette, we'll be needing the Costco size jar of capers. This should be good to use with grilled skinless chicken breasts as well.

~♥~

cauliflower power

Turns out I love roasted cauliflower. And, there's an added benefit -- munching on the bits that don't make it on to the baking sheet for roasting. It's tasty raw, steamed or roasted. Yum.

Here's the recipe I've been using:

1 head cauliflower, chopped up bite-size
1/4 cup EVO
5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
red pepper flakes (to taste)
kosher salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp dry thyme leaves (or 2 tsp fresh when in season)

Put the cauliflower in a bowl and pour EVO over. Toss. Add everything else and toss again. Spread on baking sheet. Bake at 450 for 20 minutes. Easy peasy.

~♥~

goin' meatless today

What a terrific way to celebrate the arrival of spring: today is the Great American Meatout!

In honor of both, here are links to two healthy salmon recipes. I love salmon. If there are thoughts of a special dinner to celebrate something, my first choice is always wild salmon.

The first recipe is from Dr. Andrew Weil. It's Grilled Salmon with Mustard Sauce. Quick, easy & healthy.

Here's the second recipe:Salmon in a Couscous Crust. This is a Tyler Florence recipe via Kahaki Kitchen. I haven't tried this yet...I can hardly wait!

Be good to yourself & enjoy the new season!

~♥~

Recipe - Lemon-artichoke chicken

This was delicious! Got the idea to try it from Tena at Shrink to Fit. The recipe is from the January issue of Clean Eating. I just recently subscribed to this magazine so I didn't have this particular issue. I did manage to find the recipe on a blog that is now one of my favorites: Kahakai Kitchen. The only thing I'd change is pan searing the chicken using only a spray of olive oil. It wasn't enough IMO. Next time (and there WILL be a next time) I'll pour about 1 1/2 TBS olive oil into the skillet and use a pastry brush to spread it around the bottom of the pan.

Here's the recipe:

Lemon-Artichoke Chicken

Serves 4

1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 Tbsp dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt or coarse kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning (to taste)
1 lb thin chicken cutlets
olive oil cooking spray
1/2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, cut lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and cut into sixths
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 tsp lemon zest
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

In a shallow bowl, thoroughly combine flour, oregano, pepper and 1/4 tsp salt. Dredge each chicken cutlet in flour mixture, shake off excess and place on a plate. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium to medium high, so skillet is hot but not smoking. Add 1/2 the chicken cutlets and cook 3-5 minutes per side, until lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer to a clean serving plate and repeat with the remaining cutlets, coating the skillet once more with cooking spray. Cover your serving plate with foil to keep the chicken warm. Adjust temperature to medium-low and heat oil. Place onion in pan and cook, stirring frequently until soft and golden, about 5-6 minutes. Add garlic, cooking for 1 minute, stirring constantly; then chicken broth, bringing it to a simmer; followed by artichokes, lemon juice and zest, simmering for 2-3 minutes until heated through and slightly thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour artichoke mixture over chicken cutlets, sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Nutrients per serving (4 oz chicken, 1/2 cup artichoke mixture): Cals: 220, Total Fat: 4.5g, Sat Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Omega-3s: 90mg, Omega-6s: 700mg, Carbs: 20g, Fiber: 2g, Sugars: 2g, Protein: 27g, Sodium: 420 mg, Cholesterol: 65mg

[Source: Julie O'Hara, Clean Eating Magazine, Jan/Feb 2009]

~♥~

Recipe - Orange Roughy in Scallion and Ginger Sauce

This is a favorite of mine since my South Beach Diet days. Since then, we've discovered the frozen orange roughy fillets at Costco. Made it again last night. Yum.

You'll see this meets my criteria for a great recipe: easy, healthy & tasty!

Ingredients
1/3 cup dry sherry or vermouth
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
2 orange roughy fillets (last night we used three fillets so we'd have left overs for lunch today)

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Mix the sherry or vermouth, soy sauce, sesame oil, onion, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl.

Place the fish fillets in an ovenproof casserole dish. Drizzle the marinade over the fish and bake for 12 minutes or until the fish flakes easily.

Cod, sole, or flounder may be substituted for the orange roughy.

Nutritional Info
242 calories
6 total fat (1 g sat)
45 mg cholesterol
3 g carbohydrate
35 g protein
1 g fiber
1154 mg sodium *

* this is the only downside -- make sure you use low sodium soy sauce as I'd hate to see the sodium amounts for regular soy sauce.

~♥~

salad dressing quest continues

Progress has been made in my quest to find a great, healthy dressing for salads and my current health food crush, broccoli slaw. I'll start with the one I've actually tried: Galeos Miso Ceasar. Oh, baby, this is a good tasting and healthy dressing. I learned about it from Jillian Michaels -- it's her favorite.

Now, here are a couple recipes from blogland:

Hemp Oil Dressing (would this cause a problem with drug testing?)

1 cup hemp oil
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3 large cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp Himalayan crystal salt

Blend for 30 -45 sec From Crazy Sexy Life

This one is from Lyn at Escape from Obesity:

1 cup apple cider
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Simmer together on med - low heat for about 5 minutes. Add one teaspoon Dijon mustard, some fresh black pepper and a dash of kosher salt. Whisk away!

~♥~

Ode to Seared Ahi Tuna

It was a beautiful day when we found the frozen ahi tuna steaks at Costco. We've been using an elegant & simple recipe from Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Diet. We serve the tuna on top of lightly sauteed shredded green cabbage. Add a drizzle of Terrapin Ridge's Hot Wasabi Garnishing Squeeze and it looks beautiful and tastes heavenly. I think snow peas would be a great side dish with this but we haven't tried that yet.

Here's a link to the recipe. Enjoy!