Easy Healthy Recipe Roundup

Today I wanted to share some of my favorite simple and healthy recipes. We are all busy, all the time. It's really easy to get home and nuke something, order take out, or just eat cereal (I am guilty of all of these things). But when I take the time to do a tiny bit of planning, and realize that cooking a good meal doesn't have to be a daunting task, the process becomes so much more enjoyable. Personally, I like cooking especially when I have something really good to look forward to. Note: I have made all of these recipes during the week when I have gotten home from work so they are all manageable I promise. Also they are all Weight Watchers friendly and boyfriend approved!

Natalie's Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Meatballs

It's no secret I love Natalie's recipes, and this one is a real winner. I had never made meatballs before, but since making these I have made them several times. You can sub lean ground turkey if you cannot find chicken, I have done both and they come out great.

Cheesesteak Stuffed Peppers

I love this recipe for when I am trying to ease up on the carbs. This carb addict doesn't even miss the bread. They hit all the right flavor notes and they are a real bang for your calorie buck.

Kale Caesar Salad

I actually never knew I was capable of being a salad addict, but this salad changed my mind. FYI I am too lazy most of the time to make my own dressing so I use a light caesar and measure out a little bit and toss it into the salad really well. I do make my own croutons, with whatever I have around (Fiber One bread, sourdough, etc) and to make it a full meal I will toss some grilled chicken or shrimp on top.

Loaded Turkey Chili Baked Potato

First, you know I love Gina's recipes and cannot wait for her cookbook to come out. Whenever we make chili there is always tons leftover. This recipe is so comforting and filling and when I have leftover chili around, it comes together quite easily (also don't be afraid to use premade from your grocery store just adjust nutrition content if you are counting).

Natalie's Korean Beef Bowls

Yup another recipe from Natalie. I tried this on a whim after we have been ordering Chinese way too often. It is in full rotation now and I always have the ingredients on hand. It's easy, spicy, and makes great leftover lunches. I serve it over jasmine rice from Trader Joe's or brown rice, use super lean beef, and throw in raw asparagus or broccoli while it simmers. 

Roasted Balsamic Brussel Sprouts

Yes, sometimes I just want a big bowl of brussel sprouts (but I will typically have some protein too just because it's the right thing to do). They are delicious, versatile, and very filling. I mix up my recipe from time to time. Sometimes I will add some thick cut bacon, truffle oil, parmesan, etc. The combinations are endless.

Old faithful or my anytime meal, Avocado Toast

If you have ever seen my Instagram, you can see that I love avocado toast. It's so simple and delicious I just never tire of it. There is no recipe link for this because all I do is mash half an avocado with sea salt and red pepper flakes, slather it on your toast of choice (I highly recommend sourdough), top with more salt and pepper flakes, et voila best easy meal ever!

Now it's your turn. What are some of your favorite, healthy meals you make after work? I am always looking for new ones to try!

Monday Jump Start: Lightened Up Quiche

I play around in the kitchen a lot, but coming up with a good recipe is always exciting for me (especially when it's healthy too). I love quiche for it's ease, versatility, and square meal all in one. What's more comforting than pastry, cheese, and ham? This recipe was created by modifying a recipe Natalie posted about. By modifying amounts of full fat and calorie ingredients with lower fat ingredients my quiche came out wonderfully without the guilt! In no way does this quiche taste figure friendly. You still get all the lovely cheesey, decadent satisfaction that comes from quiche with a lot less fat. This makes a really easy dinner, brunch dish, or quick lunch when reheated. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Skinny Ham & Cheddar Quiche

• 1 deep dish pie shell
• 3 large eggs
• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar (I grate mine myself for a finer shred)
• 2 slices good quality lean deli ham, chopped
• 2-3 scallions, chopped
• 1/2 cup fat-free milk
• 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 (oven temperature vary I usually heat mine 10-15 degrees higher)

Take your pie shell out of the freezer and allow to thaw for 10-15 minutes

In a bowl, whisk together whole eggs and egg whites. In a separate bowl mix together flour and baking powder. Once mixed, add some of the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and incorporate. Add egg and dry mixture to the rest of the eggs and add in the milk. When everything is mixed together add pepper and salt (go easy on the salt as the ham and cheddar have salt in them). Set aside.

When the oven has reached the proper temperature, I like to pop the pie crust in for a few minutes to get it going and reduce the risk of soggy crust (3-5 minutes should do). Remove the partially baked crust and add the ham, cheese, and scallions directly into the pie shell. Pour the egg and milk mixture over top the ingredients in the pie shell. If you are compelled, you can give everything a quick stir with a spoon. Transfer the quiche to a foil-lined cookie sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes until the quiche puffs up some* and is golden brown on the top.

Let the quiche cool for about 10 minutes before serving. Leftovers will last a few days when kept covered and in the refrigerator. 

Recipe is 7 Weight Watchers Points Plus per serving, 6 servings per quiche.

*Quiche may fall some during the cooling process because of the egg whites, this is totally normal.

Weekend Links: Food + Wine Edition

I have to point out that this DIY bruschetta bar is the best entertaining idea ever and looks insane!

This week's links are all going to be food and beverage related. You're welcome. I get really excited about food in the summer. The variation and selection is so much better, there's grilling involved, and everything is better with the addition of fruits and veggies. So let me share with you some of my favorite food and drink related links this week.

My fave fabby lady Mrs. Lilien shared her favorite flank steak recipe and it sounds awesome (also a great inexpensive cut to entertain with, win win people!).

Gina once again kills it with zucchini tots. These look positively scrumptious. 

The Barefoot Contessa knows her booze. Her pink grapefruit margaritas sound killer and so refreshing for pool lounging or a BBQ!

Wrap your head around this: Raspberry Limoncello Prosecco. BOOM!

I live for summer peaches, the only thing better than a peach is most likely peach berry crumble.

Do you like to drink your dessert? How about a strawberry riesling slushie to cover all the bases of fruity, sweet, and boozey?

Fried chicken, while delicious, is awful for you. Try a lightened up oven fried version that looks like it doesn't suck (most of those recipes out there are just dry bread crumb crusts, bleh).

Homemade pizza is awesome. Grilled or in the oven it's always a winner. I stepped up my game a notch and made dough from scratch with this recipe. It was so easy and fast, I will never buy dough again!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend! xx

Fit Talk: Skinnytaste

In the spirit of keeping Thursday posts aligned with health (typically Eat, Sip, Wear, Do but on a litttle break to come back with great conent) I wanted to share with you all my favorite website and soon-to-be cookbook Skinnytaste. I'm sure you've all heard that abs are made in the kitchen and/or that weight loss is 80% what you put in your body. However, in doing some more digging, it seems like 90% of weight loss and maintenance has to do with diet. When I say diet I don't mean a course of restriction, but rather your overall eating pattern.

If you have ever tried to lose weight, or struggled with your weight you know how hard it can be to find nutritious filling meals that you want to eat. We all have the best intentions, but those steamed veggies and lean pieces of fish can get monotonous. This is where Skinnytaste comes to slay the diet food dragon. Gina Homolka started Skinnytaste to share her passion for creating delicious, nutritious meals that you can feel good about serving to yourself, and feel even better about eating. Often, our favorite foods are loaded with not so figure friendly ingredients. Gina is a master at recipe recreation so we can still enjoy our favorites with minor tweaking. Another reason I love Skinnytaste recipes is that they are all compatible with Weight Watchers and their all things in moderation approach.

Some of my favorites from Skinnytaste are:
Lavash Flatbread Pizza
Spicy Shrimp with Chilies and Garlic
Skinny Overnight Oats

Gina's cookbook is currently available for pre-order, and will ship September 30th. I am pre-ordering my copy ASAP, and cannot wait to have it as a kitchen staple. While the recipes are great for those looking to lighten up their meals, I have to also stress that those who couldn't care less about their physique (like freak of nature boyfriends who lose weight by blinking) love them too. You won't be disappointed!

Do you have any other go-to sites or cookbooks for healthy, delicious eats? I would love to hear about them!

OMR: In the Kitchen

This week's On My Radar is a little different. I never spent much on kitchen gadgets and tools because I didn't cook consistently enough to warrant the spending. However, lately all of that has changed. I'm cooking dinner 4-5 times a week, and bringing my lunch to work everyday. I'm re-energized in the kitchen, and that makes me want to "pimp it out" if you will.

A stand mixer is a staple and no brainer, but this copper one is simply stunning.

I love love love cookbooks as I have mentioned before, and Bobby Deen's cookbook and My Paris Kitchen are currently on my wishlist.

Zoodles are all over Pinterest! The pasta alternative looks awesome, but hand cutting veggies into pasta-like strips just ain't gonna happen. A handy spiralizer will do all the work for you!

I'm a big fan of sea salt for many reasons, but I hate the clunky cardboard tube it comes in. I would love a beautiful salt cellar to house my salt and decorate my counter top with.

Something I have wanted for a while but never pull the trigger on is a mandolin (I think my fear of it is the driving factor). It's definitely not necessary, but perfectly thinly sliced veggies = perfect veggie chips and this carb addict needs some crunch in her life.

If you are anything like me then you have no clue what actual portion sizes are. I used to have a food scale and it really helped me stay on track. This sleek model needs to be mine.

The Le Creuset matte collection is gorgeous. On top of being functional, their enamel is fairly non-stick which is great for those of us that don't have the patience to scrub pots.

Want to crush garlic and herbs like a pro? A mortar and pestle is just the ticket, and the white marble screams luxury.

Falling for It

It officially feels like fall here in DC and that makes me one happy camper. As cliche as it is, it truly is my favorite time of year and with it comes so many things I love. This fall I am really looking forward to: 

Rich burgundy lips + nails and winged eyeliner

Vests and leopard

Chili and Cornbread

And of course, pumpkin spice anything

Cookbook Love

1/2/3/4/5/6

It's no secret that I love cookbooks. I could literally sit for hours and fawn over the glossy pages. Cookbooks put me in a good mood and relax me however silly it may sound. Unfortunately I lost a box with all my cookbooks in it, and I have been meaning to build up another collection .

In all reality I would take any cookbook I could get my hand on, but I thought maybe I should start with some that are either about topics I am interested in (whole foods cooking/lifestyle cooking ), or doable meals that lean less on gourmet and more on practical.  Future posts on attempts from new cookbooks coming in the near future!

What are your favorite cookbooks? Any must haves out there?

Menu Planning Week 2

Recipes and images from PaleOMG and Nom Nom Paleo
Frittata/Short Ribs/Meatballs/Hash/Lettuce Cups

This week's menu comes after some deliberating about trying to incorporate the "Paleo" lifestyle in our (the boyfriend and my) diet. I know I'm not willing to go 100% all in, but I think doing 4-5 days a week is pretty doable. I know there is a lot of time and prep work involved in this lifestyle, but I really want to crack down on my carb addiction.

 I searched two well known Paleo recipe sites PaleOMG and Nom Nom Paleo for easy, tasty recipes that I would actually want to make. We haven't started just yet, but I think we're both looking forward to breaking our addictions and honestly eating some "real" food. Has anyone else tried Paleo yet? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!