Crock Pot Recipe: Lentils, Chicken Sausage, Kale

May 4th, 2013 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (1 Comments)

I discovered this light and more natural chicken sausage at the grocery store the other day:

Lean chicken sausage

healthy chicken sausage

Most turkey and chicken sausage you find will be closer to 9-16 grams of fat per link, and will contain many more preservatives or additives. Since this sausage was so light, the taste was so-so. I would not recommend using these sausages for cooking in a mixed dish because of the lower fat content. They do not add flavor to the meal because they are so light (and typically, that is what you use sausage for!). These sausages would be much better grilled by themselves. Or, cook your dish first, and then add the sausage at the very end.

For recipes, I would use a slightly higher fat sausage–I tend to choose this Al Fresco brand  (or Aidell’s brand) when they have it at the store. Their products have 5-10 grams of fat.

Anyway, let’s move on to the recipe!

crock pot lentils with kale

Crock Pot Lentils with Kale and Sausage

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 shallot, minced (optional)
  • 2 tsp. minced or crushed garlic
  • 1.5 tsp. dried sage (fresh would be better)
  • 1 tsp. dried parsley
  • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 10-12 oz. natural chicken or turkey sausage (not too low fat like the ones I used!), sliced
  • 1.5 cups dry lentils
  • 1 large bunch of kale, leaves torn from the stems
  • 1 cup water
  • 1.5 cups reduced sodium chicken stock (you may need to add a little more as it cooks down)
  • 1 cup red wine

Directions:

  1. Heat your crock pot on high. Meanwhile, prep your vegetables.
  2. Add olive oil, onions, shallots, garlic, and seasonings and allow to heat up in the crock pot.
  3. Next, add your sliced sausage, and stir to combine.
  4. Next add the lentils, liquids, and lastly, the kale.
  5. Cover and heat on high for about 1 hour.
  6. Reduce to low heat for 4-5 more hours.

This dish could cook all day if you were to go to work and come home for dinner. The lentils need a while to cook and soften. This is an easy, full of fiber, complete meal!

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What’s for Lunch?

April 24th, 2013 | Posted by Nicole in Eats of the Week - (1 Comments)

I am a big fan of packing lunches for my day. I used to pack lunch the night before, but now I mostly do it in the morning. I just make sure I set enough time to do it–and it only takes 5-10 minutes! The payoff is huge. You save calories and a lot of money by eating packed lunches.

I recommend this to my patients all the time, but they complain that it takes too much effort. If it’s not part of your routine, it’s time to create this new habit. It may be a little difficult in the beginning, but it will get you feeling healthier in no time :-)

People are always wondering what I am eating for lunch, so I will post a few examples for you. You can also follow me on Instagram where I post many of my lunches ;-)

Brown Rice “Pizza” Tortilla

This was one that I made on my day off in the toaster oven. A brown rice tortilla, topped with fat free ricotta, sun dried tomatoes, spinach, sliced peppers, onions, and then topped with some cheese at the end.

wrap as pizza

tortilla as a pizza

Turkey Burger Salad

This is a typical lunch leftover. I usually will take whatever leftover dinner meat/protein that we have cooked and put it on top of some salad greens. A little crazy, but it is super easy.

turkey burger salad

Whole Foods Lunch

This is not really a pack-a-lunch meal, but Whole Foods lunches can be a treat from time to time. I usually get some type of kale salad with a protein source like tuna (pictured below). and of course, a kombucha to drink. The salad was only $4!! The trick is to fill it mostly with greens that don’t weigh that much.

lunch at Whole foods

Black Bean Burger Leftover Lunch

This is another leftover lunch from when we made homemade black bean burgers. I added a side of Brussels sprouts, all on top of  a bed of spinach. On the side, I think I had some salsa and light sour cream.

homemade black bean burgers

Lighter Tuna Salad

Most tuna salad can be crazy high calorie because of all of the mayonnaise. But, we make ours with a light or olive oil mayo and some other seasonings (and some mustard).

Just another typical lunch of a protein on top of some veggie or greens!

healthy tuna salad

I use very little dressing due to the flavor of the other ingredients. And, I don’t like when my lettuce gets soggy.

You may be asking where are all of the carbohydrates? Well, I usually eat fruits and nuts for my snacks during the day, and more carbs in the morning and evening (example: oatmeal and sweet potatoes). If we had leftovers that work well to bring to lunch, I will include it (for example: beans or quinoa). I usually pack some sort of side to my lunches–maybe another fruit or random healthy snack like Mary’s Gone crackers!

My lunch bag is similar to this one below. I like it because it looks more stylish and like a purse–not a diaper bag or lunch box!

What is your typical lunch?

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Holiday Festivities and The $4 Turkey

November 25th, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Eats of the Week | Healthy Living - (0 Comments)

Yes, I got a turkey for $4! Craziness. All you have to do is buy the turkey 1 to 2 days after Thanksgiving. The turkey was supposed to be about $14 for 10 pounds, but it had a discount of about $10!

I should run back and get another!

We started this tradition of making a turkey after Thanksgiving because I never do Thanksgiving at my home, so I miss all the leftovers.

By the way, my bourbon vegan truffles came out fantastic. Recipe here.

I put these cute little leaf sprinkles on them for fall ;)

We got our Christmas tree safely home yesterday. I could have sworn it was going to fall off the car.

The kitties have been running everywhere around the tree. This morning, one even tried to climb it!

I underestimated their ability to jump, and had to move ornaments higher. They look sweet, but they are trouble makers! Haha.

Time to get ready to cook that turkey! Going to eat it with some mashed cauliflower instead of mashed potatoes. I have this amazing recipe that I will post later.

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Easiest Crock Pot Chicken BBQ

October 23rd, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Food Review | Recipes - (0 Comments)

When you think of BBQ, many think it is unhealthy because of the meat, the high sodium content, and the sugar from the sauce. I have been making this recipe over the past few years, and health-ified it!

I made the chicken in a crock pot, added about 1/2 a bottle of Williamson Brothers Chipotle BBQ sauce (only 4 g sugar per serving!), a few splashes of Italian dressing, 1-2 spoonfuls of brown sugar, and a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce.

Then, I let it cook for about 5-6 hours on low.

So, this makes this BBQ fairly healthy. The meat is very lean (made from chicken breasts) and the sugar is reduced. The only negative is that the sodium is still significant. I made sure not to add any extra salt.

I put my BBQ on top of this sprouted bagel half:

These bagels are made by French Meadow Bakery (I found them in my local Kroger). I love them–they remind me of an Ezekiel style bread. Much healthier than any bagel you can get at restaurants. Plus, they have about 5 to 10 grams of fiber per bagel!

Anyway, we also had a side of grilled asparagus (even though they are not really in season right now… just wanted to eat the little stalks!).

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Freeze Ahead Black Bean Burgers

October 2nd, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (2 Comments)

I was browsing the website, skinnytaste.com, the other day and came across this idea for black bean burgers made from scratch! I thought, how hard can that be?

It would give me another use for my food processor again. And, the best thing I love about this recipe is that you can make a bunch, and store in the freezer until you are ready to make a burger. They freeze extremely well.

Freeze Ahead Black Bean Burgers

Makes about 12-13 burgers

Ingredients

  • 2, 16 oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained well. Pat dry with paper towel.
  • 1 small red pepper (if large pepper, use a little less), cut in large pieces
  • 1/2 a bunch of fresh cilantro
  • 4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, with 2 tsp. of the adobo sauce
  • 1/2 a yellow onion, sliced
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats (use GF oats to make GF recipe)
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 tsp. dried cumin
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil, for cooking

Directions:

  1. Rinse and drain the beans. Make sure to dry well. Excess moisture in this recipe makes the burgers too liquidy.
  2. Put all of the ingredients in a large food processor, and blend together! If you do not have a large food processor, you can use a smaller one to blend all of the ingredients except the beans. You can mash the beans with a fork, and then stir the ingredients together.
  3. Chill the mixture for about 30 minutes to help firm so you can make into burgers.
  4. Next, line a large plate or baking sheet with wax paper or plastic wrap. Spoon out the plate like you are making large cookies.
  5. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap and freeze until you are ready to make the burgers. **I recommend freezing in a plastic freezable container if you are not going to make that night or the next day.
  6. To cook: Heat a large saute pan with 1 Tbsp. olive oil on medium. Add the burgers still frozen to the pan. Cooked uncovered for about 6-8 minutes per side. Flip when they become firm enough to put the spatula underneath.

You could serve on some whole wheat buns, or just eat it by itself. I prefer it on top of a salad with some avocado! Yum!

The next day, I brought it to work with a side of Brussels sprouts.

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300 Calorie Meal: Kale Egg White Omelet

August 8th, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Love Your Humps | Recipes - (0 Comments)

I experimented with cooking kale in an omelet. I was a little afraid if it would work or not. Well, it did! Kale in an omelet is a go. Just reminds me of broccoli in an omelet.

The best thing about this meal is that it is fast, cheap, healthy, and easy. And, you can eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

Kale Egg White Omelet

Makes 1 large omelet
Ingredients:

  • Organic cooking spray
  • 1-2 Tbsp. chopped onion
  • 2 kale leaves (pull the leaves off the stems, and tear into small pieces)
  • 3 Tbsp. salsa (Try to use a thicker salsa. I like to use black bean and corn salsa.)
  • Salt and pepper (just a tiny pinch)
  • About 1/2 cup egg whites (just enough to fill up the kale mixture)
  • 3 thin slices of cheddar cheese (or other cheese)
Directions
  1. Spray a small omelet sized pan with the non-stick spray. Add the onions and kale, and cook for about 5 minutes until the kale is wilted, and darkens.
  2. Add the salsa. *Tip: Try not to add too much salsa liquid to the pan because it can cause the omelet to get too liquidy.
  3. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Turn the heat down, and add the egg whites.
  4. Allow to set for about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the pan to allow extra egg white on top to slide to the sides of the pan.
  5. When it looks like the egg mixture is set, flip as best you can with a spatula. Cook 2 more minutes.
  6. Add the slices of cheese to half the omelet. Wait another minute, then fold the omelet in half to create a pocket for the cheese.

If you are cooking, and this gets a little messy, that is OK. It doesn’t have to perfect. It will still taste great! When you add tomatoes to an egg dish, it doesn’t hold together as well. Plus, it is often harder to cook with egg whites only. So, don’t feel bad if yours doesn’t look super pretty.

This meal totaled out to be about 260 calories. So, you could add a side fruit or side of Ezekiel bread if you’d like to add a few more calories.

Love Your Humps Wednesday

Talking about not being perfect…

Via Pop Revolver and Pinterest

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Whole Foods Hack: Salad Bar

August 7th, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Whole Foods Hack - (4 Comments)

Many in the blogosphere refer to Whole Foods as Whole Paycheck because of their higher prices. And, their food is so exciting that you end up spending a fortune if you don’t control yourself.

So, I am creating a new segment in my blog where I will talk about how I budget when I go to Whole Foods, and leave without spending a fortune.

Whole Foods Salad Bar Hack

I am becoming an expert at walking out the door with a $5 Whole Foods salad, and avoiding a $20 salad like I hear others complain of.

Looks like a mess, but I will explain…

  • Start with a bed of spinach or baby greens. This adds bulk to your salad without adding much weight! Skip the romaine which is a little heavier and slightly less nutritious.
  • Avoid heavy vegetables and fruits such as tomato, fresh fruit, cucumbers, and baby carrots. High water content equals high cost.
  • Choose light-weight veggies or shredded/thinly sliced vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, and cabbage.
  • Add other light-weight toppings such as sunflower seeds and dried fruit.
  • Choose your protein source wisely. I tend to choose boiled eggs (don’t weight that much), a small scoop of tuna, a few beans, and/or 2 small pieces of tofu.
  • Avoid oily foods since heavy fat sources tend to weight more.
  • Limit your dressing. Try to add a simple splash of vinegar or a tiny teaspoon of a vinegar-based dressing. Or skip dressing all together.
  • Enough is enough. Know when to stop adding toppings. As soon as you start to think, is this enough? Stop adding toppings and put a lid on it!

Other tricks:

  • Bring your own salad dressing and sides.
  • DO NOT buy fruits from the salad bar. Buy 1 apple or other piece of fruit from somewhere else, and bring it with you for your day. One apple may cost about $1, but from the salad bar could cost $4!
  • Try not to buy beverages from Whole Paycheck–there is free filtered water in the cafe eating area.

Do you have any tricks to getting a cheaper salad bar at Whole Foods?

I just hope they don’t figure out how we are getting the most of the bar, and start raising the prices!

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Healthy Budget Meals under $10: Eggplant & Pesto Chicken Skillet

August 1st, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (1 Comments)

Food costs continue to rise, so we might as well learn to make meals that are inexpensive and easy! And then, spend more money on kombucha, coffee, or expensive seed crackers later ;-) Or, save money for other things like traveling, student loans, or a new outfit. Take your pick!

I created this dinner concoction after thinking about dinner plans quickly at the grocery store.

My thought process: Eggplant is on sale. I feel like eating chicken. Pesto sounds tasty. Combine them together!

Eggplant & Pesto Chicken Skillet

Ingredients:

  • 1 Eggplant: $1
  • 1/2 a jar of pesto (about 1/4-1/2 cup): $3.50 per jar
    • *Tip: Buy pesto made with olive oil only, or at least canola oil. Avoid the more inflammatory soybean oils.
  • 1.5 lb. chicken breast: $4
  • 1 lb. box whole wheat linguine: $1
    Total Cost: $9.50 + tax

Pantry Staples:

  • Parmesan cheese to add at the end
  • 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil for the skillet
  • A few sun dried tomatoes (optional)
  • 2 tsp. garlic
  • dried basil
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Heat up a large cast iron skillet on medium-high, and add the olive oil. Next, preheat the oven to 375 F.
  2. Add the chicken breasts to the skillet and season with salt, pepper, and dried basil. Turn down the heat to medium, and cook about 3-4 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, cut up the eggplant into cube-size pieces.
  3. Add the eggplant around the sides of the chicken. Add a pinch of salt, pepper, and the garlic (and sun dried tomatoes if you have them) on top of the eggplant.
  4. Spread a generous layer of pesto on top of each chicken breast. Remember not to use the same spoon in the pesto that you have touched the chicken with.
  5. Place the skillet into the oven, and cook for about 20 minutes. Halfway through, stir the eggplant mixture. Cook the pasta while the chicken is in the oven.

Delicious, and budget friendly! I ended up eating more of the eggplant to get in more veggies and the eggplant was so tasty.

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Black Rice… It’s Forbidden

July 19th, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (0 Comments)

Haha, not really. But, black rice is also called forbidden rice, probably because it is so creepy looking. When eating it, I kept feeling like I shouldn’t be eating something this color.

I got interested in cooking it more after writing this post over at Diet-Blog. Think of how blueberries have potent antioxidants–noted by their dark blue color. Well, black rice (almost a super dark purple) contains potent antioxidants as well. Perhaps it is healthier than brown rice!

Most recipes I read about took black rice in a citrus, spicy direction. I decided to combine ingredients I had at home to make my own concoction:

Spinach, Mushroom, & Sausage Black Rice

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups dry black rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 carton mushrooms, sliced
  • 1 bag fresh spinach (about 6-11 oz)
  • 3-4 chicken or turkey sausage links, cut or break into pieces before cooking
  • 2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 tsp. dried basil and sage
  • salt and pepper
  • Fresh parsley (optional)
  • Parmesan or Romano for serving on top (optional)

Directions:
1. Black rice takes a long time to cook, so start it earlier and go do something to forget about it for a while. Bring to a boil in a medium saucepan, then simmer for about 1 hour. Check while cooking to see if you need to add more water.
2. When there are about 20 minutes left, saute the onions in olive oil in a large saute pan. Allow to turn golden. Then, add the sausage and mushrooms and allow to cook about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add the spinach, and place a lid on it so that it cooks down.
3. Add your spices and seasonings. Stir to combine and taste test to see if you need any more seasonings.
Serve with Parmesan or Romano cheese grated on top (optional). Also, garnishing with a fresh herb helps to lighten the dish. Try a parsley or cilantro.

Voila! See, it doesn’t look that pretty. Did you know blue/purple foods can reduce our appetite? Perhaps that is why this deep purple rice is not so appealing. But, it was unique and pretty tasty. The mushrooms were actually the best part because they absorbed all the flavors!

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Leftover Boiled Eggs? Make Egg Salad!

April 10th, 2012 | Posted by Nicole in Recipes - (0 Comments)

I didn’t boil a lot of eggs at Easter, but after eating some deviled eggs I had a craving for some egg salad. Weird, I know. Anyway, I tried to make the healthiest egg salad I could without sacrificing the flavors I enjoy.

Healthier Egg Salad Substitutions:

  • 6 boiled eggs (3 with the yolk removed), chopped
  • 3 Tbsp. olive oil mayo (less calories, and uses olive oil as the main fat)
  • 2 tsp. mustard
  • 1-2 Tbsp. sweet relish and 1-2 Tbsp. dill relish (dill relish has no sugar)
  • celery seed or celery for more flavor

Combine all together, and serve atop a bed of salad! Half of the above recipe is less than 300 calories–a perfect lunch addition!

A variation on this is to use avocado instead of mayo. This works as long as you are going to eat it right away. I couldn’t do this because I was going to make a bunch for the week, and didn’t want brown salad.

Have a healthy week!

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