Low Fat Oatmeal Muffins

I know you have heard it said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, blah, blah, blah.  Well, it's true.  Did you know that skipping breakfast can make weight control more difficult, and eating a healthy breakfast can actually help with weight loss and aid in maintaining a healthy weight?   Maybe we all understand that it is important, but let's face it, mornings can be CRAZY!  Getting everyone to school and work on time is hard enough without trying to cook a well-balanced breakfast.  Often it is easier to grab a cup of coffee or fall victim to the plethora of store bought convenience foods like sugary cereals, donuts, muffins, waffles, and my most despised item ~ toaster pastries (which my kids love ~ ugh!).  Have you ever actually read the ingredient labels on most package breakfast foods?  I mean, are half the ingredients even food?  My thought is if I can't pronounce it, I probably shouldn't eat it.

Even amidst all the morning craziness eating a healthy breakfast is possible, with a little planning and some delicious recipes, of course.

Muffins are great for busy mornings. They can be baked the night before and simply warmed in the microwave in the morning, or if time permits, the batter can be prepared the night before and then baked in the morning.

These Low Fat Oatmeal Muffins are delicious and healthy and a perfect with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk. You can customize the recipe by adding raisins, craisins, chocolate chips, nuts, or apples. I love that they only have 110 calories and less than 1 gram of fat each.  Now that is my kind of breakfast!

Buon Appetito!!

Low Fat Oatmeal Muffins

source: www.food.com

prep: 15 minutes

soak: 1 hour

bake: 20-25 minutes

yield: 12 muffins

calories: 110

fat grams: 0.7

1 cup rolled oat (old fashioned oatmeal)

1 cup skim milk

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed (I like to use 6 Tbsp honey instead)

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 egg whites

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

Soak oats in milk for 1 hour.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Spoon into a muffin pan that has been lightly greased or sprayed with nonstick spray.

Bake at 400 F for 20-25 minutes.

Variations: To make Oatmeal Raisin Muffins, Oatmeal Apple Muffins, or Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins, add raisins/chopped apples/chocolate chips to the batter.

Turnip Green Stew

When we lived in Meridian, MS we had some of the best neighbors.  Buster and Jewel was an elderly couple that lived across the street and became like grandparents to our family.  I remember the first time we met Mrs. Jewel, she was so excited to tell us about her church and how much they loved the pastor. She was so convincing that we visited the church.  We loved the church too and ended up joining and serving for three years until Brandon received orders to Charleston, SC. 

Mrs. Jewel loved sharing recipes, shopping deals or anything else that she thought would be of interest to me. This was one of those recipes. She told me it was the best turnip green recipe she had ever eaten. She was right about the church so I was certain that these greens would be great.  It is now one of my favorite recipes.  Mrs. Jewel is so wise.  

The recipe makes a lot, so for our family of four I typically prepare only 1/2 the amount. These greens go great with a side of buttered cornbread!

Buon Appetito!

Turnip Greens Stew

prep: 5 minutes

cook: 30 minutes

yield: 6 to 8 servings

calories: 114

fat: 5.1

• 
  2 cups chopped cooked ham 
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 
• 3 cups chicken broth 
• 2 (16-ounce) packages frozen chopped turnip greens
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen diced onion, red and green bell peppers, and celery
• 1 teaspoon sugar 
• 1 teaspoon seasoned pepper

1. Sauté ham in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add broth and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes.
2. Collard 'n' Black-eyed Pea Stew: Substitute 1 (16-ounce) package frozen chopped collard greens for turnip greens. Prepare as directed, and cook for 15 minutes. Add 1 (16-ounce) can black-eyed peas, drained, and cook 10 more minutes.

Pumpkin Risotto

I am so excited to share this authentic Italian recipe that I received from an Italian friend! While living in Italy we participated in the Amici program which matches American families with Italian families who share similar interests and whose kids are the same gender or close in age. We were matched with a wonderful family, the Lorenzos.  Despite the language barrier we had great times together. The dad, Enzo, and the boys, Riccardo and Federico, speak pretty good English. The mom, Giusi (pronounced Juicy), didn't speak any English, and I do not speak Italian so communication was a challenge. We wished that we could talk to each other more, but were able to find common ground through shopping and cooking. This is a picture of our families a few days before leaving Italy.

The front row: Federico, Giusi, me, Graham, Riccardo
The back row: Enzo, Collin, Brandon

We spent Christmas Eve 2011 at the Lorenzo's home. Giusi is a fantastic cook! She served this Pumpkin Risotto as well as about 6 other delicious dishes.

Risotto is a very popular rice dish in Italy.  The rice is cooked in either meat or vegetable broth and usually includes butter, parmesan cheese, and onions.


According to the World Encyclopedia of Cooking Ingredients, the most popular variety of risotto is Arborio, Vialone Nano, and Carnaroli. Arborio is the best-known Italian risotto; Vialone has a plump grain and a firm inner starch, so that risottos made using this rice tend to have slightly more bite; Carnaroli is a premium rice and has a firm bite.

Risotto Rice

When cooking Risotto it must be constantly tended to and cannot be left to simmer like typical rice.  Broth is added gradually and must be stirred occasionally until absorbed. This is repeated until the rice is done. This is not a fix-it and forget-it dish, but the results are truly worth the effort.

The original recipe calls for sausage. I didn't add sausage. Instead I chopped one piece of bacon and added it to the onions for flavor. The results were awesome. I have included the original recipe with my changes in parentheses.

This Pumpkin Risotto is so flavorful and beautiful making it perfect for a special occasion or entertaining.

Buon Appetito!

Pumpkin Risotto

yields: 4 servings 

with sausage

calories: 781

fat: 41

without sausage

calories: 594

fat: 25.8

400 grams pumpkin 

300 grams risotto rice (Arborio or Carnaroli)

3 Italian sausages (I used 1 piece of bacon instead)

1/2 onion

1/2 glass of white wine

About 1/4 cup olive oil 

1 liter chicken or veggie broth

1- 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese (I love the robust flavor of parmigiano reggiano, but it is quite expensive.)

1-2 Tbsp butter (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Chives

1. Peel pumpkin and cut into small pieces (approximately 1/4 inch cubes).
2. Peel and cut onion into thin strips.
3. Saute onions in olive oil until browned. 
4. Remove casing from sausage and crush with fork and add to onion (I added the bacon instead).
5. Saute the meat and add the white wine and let it evaporate.
6. Add pumpkin letting it cook for about 10 minutes over low heat. 
7. Add the rice and let it toast.
8. Pour in broth gradually stirring often. 
9. You can mash the pumpkin with fork if it is not fully cooked and allow it to fully cook. 
10. When rice is cooked add butter if desired, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and chives to taste. 

After rice is cooked, taste test to determine how much butter, cheese, salt, pepper, and chives need to be added. 

Grain-Free Chorizo Stuffed Peppers

Don't you just love chain emails?  You know the ones. They instruct you to share an email with 10 people if you are not ashamed of Jesus, or share an email with 10 friends and you will have good luck, but if you don't share BEWARE!! I usually don't participate in chain emails. I really think they are stupid, a waste of time, and downright annoying. That is, unless it is a recipe chain email. I am always looking for new recipes so the prospect of receiving ones that are tried and true was enticing, and I fell victim to the possibilities. I really wasn't sure if anyone would participate, but I sent out emails to 20 of my closest peeps who were supposed to email 20 of their closest peeps who were supposed to email me recipes. Confused yet? I was surprised by the response and actually received several good recipes. This "Stuffed peppers" recipe was one of them. It came from a fitness trainer on our base in Italy. Funny thing is I didn't even know her but had seen her picture around base advertising her services. She shares her Italian experiences on a blog that you can see here. 

At the time, I was fasting from grains as I was praying through an issue, so this grain-free recipe came at the perfect time. Typical stuffed pepper recipes call for rice, but this recipe uses cauliflower "rice" instead, so out of curiosity decided to give it a try. Chopping the cauliflower very finely in a food processor gives it the consistency of rice. I actually think I now prefer using it in stuff peppers instead of rice. The cauliflower is light and doesn't lead to bloating or the heavy feeling that can result from rice. I enjoyed this dish so much that I ate it for leftovers for about 3 days until it was gone. 

This recipe calls for Chorizo which is a spicy Spanish pork sausage. If you don't want to use sausage you could use lean ground beef or turkey instead.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do! 

Buon Appetito!

Grain-Free Chorizo Stuffed Peppers

source: Erin Work, http://www.mi-scusi-italia.blogspot.com/

yield: 6 servings 

nutritional facts calculated using sausage, 1/2 cup of cheese, and no sour cream 

calories: 461

fat grams: 30.3

3 or 4 large bell peppers (I like to use red)
Small head of cauliflower
1lb (or 1.5lb depending on the package) chorizo sausage
Small onion, chopped
1-2 Tbsp Olive oil
14.5 oz can crushed tomatoes
salt pepper
Cheese (optional)
sour cream (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 450.
2. In a food processor, chop the cauliflower to a "rice" consistency (or chop the heck out of it using a knife and cutting board).
3. Wash and cut the tops off the peppers, removing seeds and inner membranes.
4. Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat, add 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, and begin to sauté the onions. 
5. Add chorizo to the skillet and stir until meat is browned.
6. Add the cauliflower "rice" and crushed tomatoes to the skillet, cooking at an aggressive simmer for 10 minutes or until cauliflower is cooked.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste.
8. Place the hollowed bell peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet, and scoop chorizo mixture into the peppers.
9. Bake for 30 minutes, sprinkling with cheese for the last 5 minutes if desired. 
10. Serve with cheese and sour cream.

3 Ingredient No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars

Do you have 10 minutes in the evening to dedicate to making a delicious healthy breakfast? If so, you have to try these bars!

Breakfast is so challenging at my house. My boys do not typically like the same foods for breakfast. My older son enjoys a traditional breakfast of eggs and bacon or sausage, pancakes or waffles. My younger son would rather eat pizza, spaghetti or leftovers from the night before. I have to admit, spaghetti was often on my breakfast plate as a kid, but when I became pregnant with my first child that all changed and from then on I could only eat breakfast foods for breakfast. Spaghetti for breakfast ~ yuck!  Since he will not experience pregnancy, I am hoping puberty hormones will eventually cause him to develop a more mature palate.

These Peanut Butter Bars are AMAZING! I made some last night and served them this morning with fingers crossed. Both boys really liked them! That totally excites me, but what excites me even more is that the bars are healthy too. They were eating oatmeal and they didn't even care! Woohoo! I can't get them to eat oatmeal for anything. So this recipe is definitely a keeper.

I feel a little David Letterman coming on.

Top 10 reasons why you should make this recipe:

10. Only 3 ingredients!
9. 10 min prep time!
8. Both my boys like it so I bet your family will too!
7. Perfect on-the-go food!
6. Customizable ~ add in dried fruit, nuts, or protein powder (for extra flavor and protein)
5. Satisfies longer than sugary cereals, bars, or processed pastries!
4. Oats help lower cholesterol!
3. No baking required!
2. No morning dishes to wash!

and the number one reason you should make these bars 

1. Your kids will be eating oatmeal and loving it!

Buon Appetito!

3 Ingredient No-Bake Peanut Butter Bars

source: www.food.com 

prep: 10 min

bake: 0 min

yield: 12 bars

calories: 281

fat: 12.2

1 cup natural peanut butter

1 cup honey*

3 cups old fashioned oatmeal*

1. Put peanut butter and honey in a heavy saucepan and heat on low until thoroughly combined and becomes a liquid consistency. 
2. Mix in oats and stir. 
3. Press into a 9 x 9 inch pan. 
4. Cover and let set overnight. 

*for gluten free, use gluten free oats

*for clean eating, use raw honey

Roasted Tomato-and-Feta Shrimp

This recipe is so versatile and can be served as an appetizer, salad, or main dish. The beauty of the fresh ingredients make for a gorgeous presentation. All these are good reasons to make this recipe, but the best reason is because it is delicious!

I think it is awesome and I think you will love it too :)

Buon Appetito!

Roasted Tomato - and - Feta Shrimp

source: Southern Living December 2010

6 servings

prep: 10 minutes

bake: 25-30 minutes

calories per serving: 233

fat grams per serving: 12.3
nutritional info does not include French bread

• 2 pt. grape tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds peeled and deveined, medium-size raw shrimp (31/40 count)
• 1/2 cup chopped jarred roasted red bell peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 (4-oz.) package crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Crusty French bread, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 450°. Place tomatoes and next 4 ingredients in a 13- x 9-inch baking dish, tossing gently to coat. Bake 15 minutes. Stir in shrimp and peppers. Bake 10 to 15 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Toss with parsley, feta cheese, and lemon juice. Serve immediately with crusty French bread.

Roasted Green Beans with Sun-dried Tomatoes

I'm back!! It feels so good to sit here and type this blog post. Life is slowing down a bit and I am loving it!!! I hope you all enjoyed a great summer. Fall will be here before we know it and soon I will be posting yummy fall comfort foods. The leaves here in Maryland are already starting to fall, which seems odd since it is in the 90s today. In Sicily we didn't experience fall like in the states so I am looking forward to the trees changing colors soon. We have gorgeous views from our house and can't wait for the sea of green trees to change to autumn shades.

Veggies are so important to a healthy diet and should be served with each meal. I don't know about you, but it is always a challenge to come up with new ways to cook vegetables. One of my favorite ways to prepare vegetables is to roast them. Roasting is super easy and a really healthy way to enjoy your favorite veggies.

I love this recipe; the combination of green beans and sun-dried tomatoes is perfect. While living in Italy sun-dried tomatoes became one of my favorite foods. I love them in salads, on sandwiches, and in pasta.

This recipe calls for fresh green beans. You could use frozen, too. It also calls for pine nuts. I had a ton of pecans so that is what I used. It still turned out scrumptious.

Buon Appetito!

Roasted Green Beans with Sun-dried Tomatoes

source: Southern Living November 2010

serves: 8-10

prep time: 15 minutes

cook time: 25 to 30 minutes

for 8 servings:

calories 178 

fat 15.1

1 1/2 fresh green beans trimmed

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped

1/3 cup pine nuts

3 Tbsp butter, melted

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp

1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss together all ingredients. Place mixture on a 18 x 12 inch jelly-roll pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or to desired degree of doneness, stirring twice. 

Lazy Lil's Easy Mango Salsa

Now that it is almost summertime and getting oh-so-hot outside  I start to crave foods that are light and refreshing like this Easy Mango Salsa.  It is the perfect blend of spicyness and sweetness.  One of the ladies in my bible study brought this to a meeting and I just loved it. I love mango and it is especially yummy and refreshing in this salsa. Paired with baked tortilla chips or gluten free corn chips this makes for a healthy, delicious addition to your next Mexican menu or BBQ. This recipe makes a ton so it is great for crowd!

Lazy Lil's Easy Mango Salsa

Yields: 16 cups

Serving size: 1 cup

calories: 133

fat g: <1

 INGREDIENTS:
4 cups chopped mango
2 cans stewed tomatoes, diced
1 small white/red onion, diced
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
2 limes,juiced
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups canned diced green chiles or
2-5 fresh green chiles, chopped finely
6 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
8 cups of mild/medium store bought salsa

DIRECTIONS:  Makes 16 cups approximately.
1.  Combine all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
2.  You can substitute the chopped mango with canned crushed pineapple, fresh chopped peaches or diced avocados, corn, black beans.

Buon Appetito!

Marinated Grilled Veggie Skewers

These delicious marinated grilled veggie skewers would make a perfect addition to your Memorial Day cookout. I made this recipe several weeks ago when we had our Italian friends over for dinner and karaoke. We planned to cookout steaks and chicken so when I came across this recipe I thought it would be a perfect compliment. It is super easy and doesn't take a lot of time to prep which is great when trying to prepare several other dishes. The marinade can be made the day before and then simply add the veggies a couple hours before grilling.


These veggies made such a pretty presentation and were a big hit with everyone at the party. They are really healthy so you can save those calories for dessert!



I used the recipe as a guide, but didn't follow it exactly. You can use whatever vegetables you like. I did not add the crushed red pepper since I wasn't sure if my guests would like them spicy.

Marinated Grilled Vegetable Skewers Recipe

Source: www.divinedinnerparty.com

Ingredients:
Veggies:
1/2 C. thickly sliced zucchini
1/2 C. red bell pepper chunks
1/2 C. yellow bell pepper chunks
1/2 C. thickly sliced yellow squash
1/2 C. wedged red onion
16 fresh mushrooms
16 large cherry tomatoes
Wooden skewers


Marinade:
1/2 C. olive oil
1/3 C. soy sauce
1/3 C. lemon juice
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp. honey
2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional-- only if you like heat)


Instructions:
1. Place all your veggies in a large mixing bowl or resealable plastic bag.
2. In a separate small bowl, combine the marinade ingredients.
3. Pour over veggies and marinate at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.
4. Soak skewers one hour in water.
5. Preheat the grill to medium heat.
6. Place your veggies on the skewers, dividing them evenly. Reserve the marinade.
7. Grill veggie skewers directly on oiled grill rack for about 15 minutes, till crisp-tender. Brush occasionally with reserved marinade.

Cold Marinated Veggie Variation: Don't have time or space to make your veggies on the grill? Turn your veggies into a cold salad, instead.
If you know you're tight on time, this is a good element of your dinner party menu for the grill to make ahead of time. In this case, you can take carrot slices, chopped Brussels sprouts, broccoli, asparagus, and cauliflower and turn them into a cold salad by simply adding some chunks of provolone, mozzarella, salami, ham, and a little vinaigrette – fast, easy and very appealing!

Buon Appetito!

Tortilla De Patata Con Ajo Y Perejil (Spanish Tortilla)

The past couple months my friend Ginny and I have been training for the Palermo, Sicily half marathon which is this coming weekend.  It will be my first half marathon. Eek! I met Ginny in 2007 when our husbands were both stationed at the Naval Hospital in Charleston, SC.  We became fast friends and soon began training for the Cooper River Bridge 10k run.  I had never run a race and at that time could probably only run one mile.  It took me several months to be able to run 4 miles without stopping.  To my credit I WAS pushing a jogging stroller which makes running much more difficult.  Ginny is a natural runner.  She ran the Disney half marathon without training.  I didn't even know that was possible.  Ginny was such a sweetheart and was really patient with me during our training.  She never complained when I asked to walk, which I did often.  We never ran the full 6 miles while training for the run, so I was super excited when I ran the entire race without stopping. Here we are after the race.

Fast forward a few years and our husbands are once again stationed together.  I love how the Navy can bring wonderful people back in your life even half way around the world.  This past September Ginny ran the Dingle Marathon in Ireland along with her husband James, my husband Brandon, and my next door neighbor, Jen. Here is a pic of the runners after the race.

Jen's husband Mike did a half iron man the same weekend in Galway, Ireland.  Here is a pic of him with his darling daughter.

It was Brandon's first full marathon and he did great finishing in 4 hours 15 minutes even though the course was extremely hilly and very tough even for experienced marathon runners.  He is also training for the Palermo half marathon.  Here is a pic of him running in Dingle. It was a beautiful course.

Jen and Mike are rockstars. Even after just racing in Ireland they flew to the states a couple of weekends ago and ran the Marine Corps Marathon.  I am surrounded by running greatness!  They all inspire me to keep going and not give up.

A couple of weeks ago Ginny and I ran an eleven mile long run. It was hard and I will confess I walked a tiny bit.  I don't particularly enjoy long runs but after burning over 1100 calories, I love getting to eat whatever I want.

Needless to say, I am extra hungry on long run days. So mid-afternoon as I was finishing cleaning my house I realized I was getting really hungry. I was just getting ready to find something to eat when  I got a call from Jen saying that Mike, who is a great cook, had just cooked a Spanish Tortilla and wanted to know if I wanted any. I was not familiar with the dish and was excited to try it.  The aroma was wonderful and I knew if it tasted anywhere near as good as it smelled, I would want to blog about it, so I took a picture just in case.

The Spanish Tortilla, or potato omelet, is a typical Spanish dish and one of the most popular tapas. Tapas are little meals or appetizers and are eaten anytime of the day or night. In Spain you will find an abundance of tapas bars/restaurants. We had an opportunity to eat at one while touring Barcelona. We enjoyed some delicious tapas and seafood paella but at a hefty price. That lunch costs us over $100!  Just think how much money I am saving you by sharing this recipe! The restaurant where we ate was on La Rambla a very popular street in Barcelona. There were lots of shops and restaurants. It reminded me a lot of the states.

La Rambla

street performer in Barcelona

and another one

I was very impressed with Mike's cooking skills as the omelet was beautifully browned to perfection. It was absolutely scrumptious! The protein from the eggs and the carbs from the potatoes made it a perfect post-long-run snack.

If you are not familiar with this dish, it may be helpful to check out this link for a step by step pictorial of a similar recipe. This dish makes a perfect breakfast or brunch food.

Tortilla de Patata Con Ajo Y Perejil

(Potato Omelet with Garlic and Parsley)
Source:  Rockstar Runner Mike Delicioso! The Regional Cooking of Spain
Serves 8-12 for tapas, 4 for supper

3/4 cup olive oil

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

4 medium-large baking potatoes, peeled, and sliced into 1/8 inch slices

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Salt

5 large eggs

Heat the oil in an 8 or 9 inch skillet until just hot enough to sizzle a piece of onion, and cook the onion very slowly for about 20 minutes (alternatively, the onion can be sliced and cooked with the potato without discarding). Skim off the onion and discard. Add the potato slices one at a time, making layers and salting each layer lightly. Cook slowly (in effect, "simmering" the potatoes in the oil) until the potatoes are tender (they should not be brown), lifting and turning them as they cook (this may also be done in the basket of a deep-fryer). Drain in a colander and pat with paper towels. Reserve about 2 tablespoons with the oil. Wipe out the skillet and scrape off any stuck particles.

In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork and add salt to taste. Stir in the garlic and parsley. Add the drained potatoes, pressing the potatoes with the back of a pancake tuner to completely immerse them in the egg. Let sit 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat 2 teaspoons of the reserved oil in the skillet to the smoking point. Add the potato mixture all at once and press with the back of a pancake turner to spread the mixture evenly in the skillet. Lower the heat to medium-high and cook until the tortilla is lightly brown underneath, shaking constantly.

Slide the tortilla onto a dish, cover with a second dish, and invert. Add another teaspoon or so of reserved oil to the skillet, heat again to the smoking point, slide in the tortilla, and continue to shake the pan until the tortilla has browned on the other side, tucking in any tough edges with the back of the pancake turner. Turn the tortilla, twice more, to perfect its shape and cook it a little more (about 30 seconds on each side). It should remain juicy within. Cut into wedges or 1 1/2 inch squares that can be speared with toothpicks. Serve warm or at room temperature (it can be made several hours in advance).

Nutritional Facts per 1/12 serving
195 calories
15.6 grams of fat
3.7 grams of protein
1 gram of fiber


Buon Appetito!