Baked Eggplant Sandwiches

February 21st, 2013 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (0 Comments)

Yummy in my tummy!

baked eggplant sandwiches

Mr. Cyclist tried to recreate these eggplant sandwiches from Food Wishes. I bought the ingredients, and he cooked them up.

They tasted so sinfully delicious! They did have a thin slice of salami and some cheese inside, but they were baked and not fried. And at least you get to eat a vegetable. OK, enough. I made it seem as healthy as I could. But, I would classify these as neither healthy or unhealthy–maybe neutral.

Below you will find the Food Wishes video on how to make these eggplant bites.

Don’t worry, we didn’t use too much oil or butter. He suggests to eat them room temp, but I loved eating them still warm. And we did cook ours much longer than 20 minutes. However, I love eggplant no matter what, except maybe completely raw. So, I am easy to please when it comes to eggplant.

You could make a variation on these sandwiches, too! Perhaps using mozzarella, basil, and sun-dried tomato! Or, turkey instead of salami. But, we only used a tiny thin slice of salami on eat sandwich. So, it was an easy way to portion control.

Well, I have been super busy this week! How about you? I just need some time to get a good relaxation. Maybe go take a bubble bath!

relaxation

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Pizza on the Grill

July 7th, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (0 Comments)

A while ago I saw Bobby Flay (on TV) making pizza on the grill, and I doubted it was as easy as he made it seem.

I was surprised by how quickly it cooked and how easy it turned out to be.

Tip: You can use a whole wheat dough (Trader Joe’s sells whole wheat dough) and top with loads of veggies!

And it doesn’t matter if yours turns out a funny shape because it will just look more rustic!

Here is Bobby Flay’s video on how to make these grilled pizzas:

My family realized that we cooked a few too many pizzas that night:
And then my Pinterest mind created these star-shaped watermelon pieces:
All you need is a cookie cutter. Super cute and festive for the 4th of July week!

Hope everyone had a safe and festive Holiday!

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Nutrition Fail: Slim Jim Weekend

June 19th, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Eats of the Week - (0 Comments)

Slim Jims are on the top of my list as some of worst foods (health-wise) that you can possibly eat. Processed, nitrite-filled meat product=terrible for health.

Anyway, we had a fun tubing day for Father’s Day.
And my Dad and brother insisted the day called for some Slim Jims.

They insisted that they only eat Slim Jims about 5 times total per year, so it was OK. What I was more bothered by was the Race Track convenient store we stopped at. It was the biggest gas station store I have ever been in. Packed with all kinds of processed junk foods. Pretty much a dietitian’s nightmare.
The good thing is that these mega convenient stores usually carry some fruit cups, fresh fruit, nuts, trail mixes, and carrot sticks. The problem is you just have to stay focused and go straight to the healthy choice.

I decided to go with some pretty plain coffee… it took will power to avoid the mega wall of froyo aka yogurt sugar food.
When we got home, Psycho Holiday Baker was at it again. This time, she was cooking an amazing Father’s Day feast.
Homemade empanadas which she said took her 2 hours to make! Very filling and impressive, but not so healthy.
Shrimp pasta and chicken pasta all Italian style for dinner:
These cute and tasty desserts:
Mason jars filled with angel food cake, strawberries, lemon juice, blueberries, homemade whipped cream, and toasted coconut. They were a big hit! And a light, healthy dessert option.
Have a good week!

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Tastiest Nachos

May 14th, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (1 Comments)

Mr Cyclist and I make the best nachos. They are not covered in too much cheese, so some may still desire more cheese, but we’re trying to keep it a little healthier.

Secrets to the Best Nachos:

  • Start with a layer of organic tortilla chips (used Costco brand)
  • Add some black beans and corn (1 can of each, drained)
  • Add some diced pickled jalapenos (or fresh)
  • Reduce 1 can of Rotel on the stove top (this means: boil off the liquid until the Rotel looks like diced tomatoes in a pan). Then, add the Rotel.
  • Add your favorite cheese (we used a sharp cheddar, shredded). If you add too much cheese, the chips won’t get as crispy and you will make the nachos less healthy. Try to use less than 3 oz.
  • Dice about 6-7 oz. of grilled chicken (cooked with your favorite seasonings) OR to keep it vegetarian, add more beans or a healthier re-fried bean (ex: Amy’s lower sodium organic).
  • Add some sliced veggies if you have it. We used a yellow bell pepper that had been lightly sauteed first with the chicken.
  • Sprinkle cumin, ground black pepper, garlic powder, chipotle chili powder on top.
  • Bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes, then broil for about 3 minutes.
  • After cooking, add fresh cilantro.

There you have it! The perfect nacho recipe. And slightly healthier because not as much cheese was used. We ate a salad on the side to make sure to get in some greens :)

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Broccoli and Cheese Dip

November 7th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (1 Comments)

I was craving some tasty spinach and artichoke dip, but decided to try to make a healthy broccoli and cheese dip since I had more of those ingredients at home anyway.

Let’s get to it!

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 pounds frozen broccoli
  • 1-2 tsp. garlic
  • 1 shallot
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (reduced fat if you like)
  • 2 Tbsp. parmesan cheese
  • 1-2 Tbsp. feta cheese
  • 2-4 Tbsp. reduced fat cream cheese
  • garlic and onion powder
  • red pepper flakes
  • salt and pepper
Directions:
  1. Roast broccoli on a baking sheet in the oven at 425 for about 20 minutes until the broccoli gets crispy. During the final minutes of roasting, add the shallots and garlic and salt and pepper.
  2. Remove from oven, and place broccoli on a cutting board. Chop cooked broccoli into big chunks.
  3. In a 9 x 9 baking dish, add the broccoli, and all of the cheeses. Add the onion powder, garlic powder, and spices. Reserve the parmesan cheese, and a little cheddar cheese for the top of the dish. 
  4. Stir the mixture in the baking dish, and spread evenly. Top with the reserved cheeses. 
  5. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes, then broil for 2-3 minutes.

This dip definitely tastes lighter, but it still has a lot of flavor because the broccoli is roasted first. I ate some of it with a fork because there is so much broccoli. There is definitely more broccoli than there is cheese. Mr Cyclist says if this dip were an option in a restaurant, he would order it. So, I guess it passes the taste test!

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Accidental Delicious Dish

October 26th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (1 Comments)

I can get pretty creative when I am trying to use up ingredients in my pantry or fridge. Sometimes I end up making wacky things that taste good, or sometimes they turn out pretty bad. But, it is always good to take a risk because you might make a new favorite meal!

I shall call this dish Phyllo Deep Dish Pizza:
Looks a little messy because we couldn’t wait to dig in. No time for picture taking!

I lined the quiche dish with phyllo dough that had been sitting in the freezer forever, then added the rest of my mini quiche mixture (broccoli, chicken sausage, cheese, and spices), and then topped with plenty of vodka sauce (from Trader Joe’s). Then baked at 350 for about 20 minutes or so, and there you have it!

It was probably one of my favorite dishes I have made so far, probably because I love pizza, and all the ingredients involved in this dish.

Anyway, here is what we did with the other part of the broccoli, chicken sausage, and cheese mixture:
Mini Quiche!

We just placed phyllo in muffin tins, added the broccoli mixture, then poured an egg mixture to fill up the cups.

May be a little messy, but it was a great experiment. Of course, phyllo dough is not the healthiest food on the planet, but it is not terrible for you. My version of this meal is definitely lightened up from what you would normally get in a restaurant, or from a frozen meal. So, I don’t feel guilty ;)

Plus, the goal is never to feel guilty about foods we eat. The focus should be more about eating all foods in moderation, and slow down to enjoy every bite.

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Baba Ghanoush and Kale Chips

October 24th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (1 Comments)

Happy 1st National Food Day!

This weekend I had watched Food Matters, and I got in the mood to make some vegan dishes. If you haven’t seen it, the documentary is about how nutrition and vitamins/minerals can be more powerful and effective than drugs. I like this idea because it would place Dietitians and Doctors in Nutrition at the same levels as Medical Doctors since RD’s can prescribe nutrition. But, that is not going to happen–at least not any time soon.

Anyway, I would recommend watching the film because there are some valid points. Emphasis on some. Never believe 100% of what a documentary says. Just take away a few of the key points since most of the time I find these films sensationalized.

Anyway, since I was on my super duper veggie health kick, here is the baba ghanoush I made. I love anything with eggplant, and I have never made baba ghanoush before, so I gave it a try, and it turned out great.

Baba Ghanoush Recipe

  • 2 medium eggplants
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 Tbsp. red onion, chopped
  • juice of 1-2 lemons
  • 3 Tbsp. fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • 5 Tbsp. tahini
  • salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Place eggplant on a baking sheet, and bake for about 25-30 minutes until softened, and skin begins to wrinkle. Note: You could peel the eggplant first, and then roast pieces of it, but I feel that it loses moisture this way.
  2. In the meantime, in a medium saucepan, brown the onions and garlic. Set aside.
  3. When the eggplant has cooled, peel away the skin. Cut of the stem, and add the flesh to the saucepan.
  4. Add the lemon juice, tahini, and seasonings to the saucepan. With an immersion blender, pulse the mixture until mostly smooth. It is OK if there are a few chunks. Note: If you do not have an immersion blender, add all the ingredients to a food processor to blend.
  5. Lastly, add fresh parsley, and stir. 

You may need to add extra lemon juice or tahini, or even a little olive oil, depending on how you like yours to taste. I ended up adding a little extra tahini. Another idea is to add a few toasted sesame seeds for some additional flavor!

Baba Ghanoush is a pretty light side dish, or dip for veggies and whole grain crackers.

I also made some kale chips to go with everything:
I haven’t perfected my kale chips recipe yet, so I will post that when I get it better!

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Healthy Snack: Lentil Spread

September 21st, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (1 Comments)

I was at Trader Joe’s the other day and picked up a lentil spread to try. I get tired of hummus sometimes, so I figured I would try something else in the legume family.

This dip/spread has a ton of flavor, and I had lentils and jar of masala sauce at home, so Mr Cyclist decided he would try to make his own version of the dip. It was a great idea because making this type of spread at home is a much cheaper way to eat this snack. Homemade lentil dip makes about 4 cups (or more) while this one from Trader Joe’s is only 7 ounces!

Homemade Lentil Spread Ingredients:

  • 1 Jar Masala Sauce (Trader Joe’s has one, or you can make your own)
  • 2 Cups or more Lentils (Didn’t measure, just poured into saucepan)
  • 1-2 Cups Water (Just add some to cooking as needed to let the lentils absorb more moisture)
  • 2 Tbsp. Dried/Fresh Cilantro
  • Juice of 1 Lemon

You can add any extra spices and herbs that you like. In fact, I am not exactly sure what Mr Cyclist put into the spread. I know he added extra brown sugar for a little sweetness, and I did not like that–too sweet for me.

Anyway, you can experiment with this type of dip/spread and you could make all kinds of variations on this. This one just happened to have more Indian flavors. I will definitely be making something like this again because it was pretty filling, tasty, and nutritious!

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Healthy Appetizer: Cucumber on Flatbread Crackers

August 24th, 2011 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (1 Comments)

When I am trying to use up vegetables that will go bad soon, I can get creative with my snacks. I had a large bag full of cucumbers, and decided to make a Greek yogurt dip to go with them. The dip turned out not to be a favorite, but when spread on crackers with the cucumber, it was delightful.

Here is the boyfriend holding the flatbread cracker topped with cucumbers, yogurt sauce, and sun dried tomatoes.

You can make all kinds of variations of this by using olives, artichokes, pesto, other seasonal veggies–get creative!

Happy Hump Day :)

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So Long Holidays, Until Next Year…

December 29th, 2010 | Posted by Nicole in Miscellaneous | Recipes - (3 Comments)

 

It was a white Christmas this year in Atlanta. A once in a lifetime thing! It hasn’t snowed on Christmas in Atlanta in 130 years.

We hibernated for a while inside, but then decided to try to go sledding (with no sleds) in the pitch dark. Still was a lot of fun!

On to the food: We had delicious crab cakes for an appetizer on Christmas.

The recipe came from a restaurant called Van Gogh’s in Roswell, GA. Best crab cakes ever!

They are a little difficult to cook because there is no breading filler to help hold them together. But, sometimes the messiest food is the most delicious.

I have searched the internet, and here is the recipe I found that seems the closest. The crab cakes are made with flour and a little heavy cream, and some spices. Then, there is a dressing that goes on top that is a mustard and leek vinaigrette.

How was your Holiday?

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