A Touch of Green

Posted on January 8, 2011 by kissmybroccoli

How is everyone’s First Weekend of the New Year going? Don’t know about the rest of you, but this past week felt like it was TWO WEEKS long!

I was so excited to wake up this morning on my own at the lovely time of NOT 5am! I woke up and made a little something different for breakfast and was finally able to shoot some pics in the light of day! I love you sunshine!

This morning’s bowl of oats was inspired by the lovely Heather after seeing here Oat Bran 101 post yesterday.

"Green" oats and a nice cup o' Joe!

All I did was cook 1/3 cup of oat bran in 1 cup of water, added a good handful of spinach and gave it a whirl in the Magic Bullet. Then I topped it with mild salsa, a bright and sunshiny egg and some fresh ground black pepper.

After breakfast, I headed over to SAMs Club to stock up on some produce for the coming week. Next week I will be working my late shift (9a-7:30p) so I like to make sure I have plenty of fresh food options to choose from.

Left to Right: Sliced mushrooms, mandarin oranges, 3lb container of spinach that will be gone by this time next week, sweet mini-peps, snap peas, frozen mixed fruit: mango, strawberries, peaches, and pineapple, Honeycrisp apples (so excited these are still available), portobello mushrooms, raspberries, and blackberries (great deal on the berries, only $3!)

Yep, this should keep me pretty busy! 😉

As soon as I got home, those little peppers were just screaming, “Make a salad with us!”

A Mighty Colorful Lunch:

  • spinach
  • mushrooms
  • mini heirloom tomatoes
  • cucumbers
  • shredded carrot
  • mini peps
  • red onion

Topped with roasted pine nut hummus and served with baked tortillas (I cut up a Trader Joe’s whole wheat tortilla and baked in the oven a 350 degrees until lightly browned and crispy). After the pic, I drizzled a little balsamic vinaigrette dressing on top.

I LOVE plates full of color!

I needed to scratch the baking “itch” that’s been nagging at me all week, so I decided to finally make some of Katie’s 24 Carrot Gold Muffins that I’ve had bookmarked FOREVER!

While the muffins were baking, I decided to make myself a little snack. I’ve been dreaming of a creamy chocolate dip for the last few days so I decided to take a stab at it:

Bitter Chocolate Pudding Dip:

  • 1/4 ripe avocado
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/8 cup + 1 tablespoon almond milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon agave nectar
  • splash of vanilla
  • dash of cinnamon

All ingredients went into the Magic Bullet and were pureed until smooth. I added a little sweetener to it, but not much since I like the taste of bitter dark chocolate. Feel free to add more agave or honey as needed to suit your own taste.

 

Does this not remind you of a crab? Dip=shell, apples=feet 😉

I dipped honeycrisp apple slices, but I think this would also go great on sliced banana or graham crackers too!

Oh don’t worry, I didn’t forget about the muffins!

I spread some greek yogurt “frosting” on top of the taste-tester muffin with a little dash of cinnamon! Oh my…oh my!! I decided to go with raisins, coconut, and walnuts for my add-ins. I loved the way they all came together to make such a wonderful mix of textures with just the right amount of sweetness! Thank you Katie for the awesome recipe!

And then there was dinner! I couldn’t forget #2 of my list of “intentions” for the year!

Smoked Paprika Salmon wih Balsamic Green Beans

The salmon was from a pre-cooked frozen package I picked up at Trader Joe’s so all I had to do was thaw it out, season it up, and slap it on the grill (pan). I sprinkled some fresh basil on top just for color, but it ended up really upping the flavor of the dish! Loved it!

I served the salmon atop some of Bob’s Red Mill Quick Cooking Bulgur and simply followed the cooking instructions on the side of the package. This was my first time trying bulgur. It tastes a bit like soft rice with a great nutty taste. Just like other grains, it is very versatile, but with a much quicker cook time! Plus, plus!

Balsamic Green Beans with Mushrooms & Onions: (makes 2 servings)

  • 6 ounces fresh green beans
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/4 red onion, sliced
  • 1 1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • pepper to taste

1. Place green beans in a covered pot with about 1 inch of water in the bottom. Turn to           medium-high heat and steam for about 5 minutes, or until the beans have a bright               green color to them.
2. Saute mushrooms and onions in olive oil, stirring occasionally until brown and                   tender, about 7-8 minutes.
3. Add green beans to skillet with mushrooms and onions, add balsamic vinegar, and stir.
4. Season with Italian seasoning and pepper and continue to cook over medium heat until     the balsamic thickens into more of a sauce and clings to the veggies.

Best green beans I’ve ever tasted! If you’ve never cooked with balsamic vinegar, you MUST give it a try. Just add it in to your next veggie saute! The flavor is amazing!

Hope I’ve entertained you enough with my day of cooking adventures. Didn’t realize till just now how long this post has gotten!

What did you get into today? Anyone else do any baking?


 

Posted in Breakfast, Entree | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Friday Feasting & Fool’s Gold

Posted on January 7, 2011 by kissmybroccoli

So we FINALLY made it to Friday! Everybody here and accounted for? Wait, has anyone seen little Johnny? Oh never mind, there he is sleeping in the back! 😉

I left you last night to find some snackage and drool over the best magazine ever published (oh my gosh, so much inspiration). After seeing both Heather’s and Christin’s oat bran sundaes this week, I really wanted one for myself. I was dreaming of a concoction that included a scoop of my coffee flavored Arctic Zero, but I wasn’t sure about having caffeine so close to bedtime so I went in another direction.

Remember how I told you guys earlier that if I had to put a name to my cooking style it would be a “Look Cook”? I look around the kitchen and see what needs to be used up and POOF! it appears! It goes a little like this:

“Hmm, what to eat, what to eat, what to eat. I don’t want something too heavy before bed. I need something satisfying”
Opens refrigerator
“Oh, that carton of egg whites is still in here! I really need to use that up. Wait, what’s in that bowl again? Oh yeah, the leftover roasted veggies from the Pizza Mountain.”

*POOF!*

Roasted Veggie Egg White Omelet:

  • 8 tablespoons egg whites
  • Leftover roasted veggies (about 1/4 cup worth)
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 tablespoon nooch
  • 2 tablespoons salsa

1. Pour egg whites into small skillet* and allow to cook until the edges start to pull away.
2. Top with roasted veggies and season with black pepper. (Don’t over-do it though, you       don’t want to weigh it down too much.)
3. Carefully flip the entire thing over in the skillet.
4. Allow to cook for about 2-3 more minutes and then invert onto a plate.
5. Top with a good sprinkling of nooch and some salsa.
6. Eat with a fork as is or fold in half for the traditional omelet look.

*I actually attempted to type this twice and kept spelling “skittle!” 😀

Salads aren’t the only way to use up veggies! The nooch was the perfect addition to this little snack! So tasty! I didn’t even regret not having a “sundae.” That’s because I knew I would make it first thing this morning! 😉

I know, I know! First, she’s having cookies for breakfast and now ice cream? When will the madness end??

Hazelnut Coffee Carob Oat Bran:

  • 1/3 cup oat bran
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 scoop coffee flavored Arctic Zero
  • chopped hazelnuts
  • unsweetened shredded coconut
  • carob chips

1. Bring 1 cup of water to boil on the stovetop.
2. Add oat bran and continue cooking for 2 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 2 more minutes.
4. Pour oat bran into a bowl and top with Arctic Zero, hazelnuts, coconut, and carob.

Mmm, mmm, mmm! This bowl made me think of having warm creamy oats with a freshly made frappuccino. Just like Christin said, “the warm oat bran and the cold ice cream [were] just dreamy together.”

Tonight, a friend of mine was in town from Oklahoma and I met her, her husband, their little girl and some other friends at Hooters for dinner. I got the “flappetizer” (5 hot wings) naked with medium sauce and a garden salad.

Not a fan of croutons…hence the reason they were sitting next to the wings! The salad was a lot bigger than I expected, but I finished it all, my wings, and some nibbles off my friend’s plate of fried pickles! The wings were a bit greasier than I expected, but the extra dashes of hot sauce made me forget all about that!

I rarely ever eat greasy/fried foods and with a dinner like this, I was a little worried about how my body would handle it so as soon as I got home I fixed myself a cup of tea and had a couple of pieces of my newest obsession:

Meet the lovely Crystallized Ginger!

I bought some crystallized ginger MONTHS ago for a recipe that I forgot about and then later lost…sad, I know. After seeing Elise eating this stuff like it’s the gateway to the fountain of youth, I decided to give it a taste…ok at first, but once you get past the sugar-coating, it has that ginger “burn” to it. I wasn’t a fan at first…until I tried having it with a fresh hot cup of tea. Right after chewing up a piece, just before the burn comes, I take a drink of tea and voila, pure delicious goodness!

I’ve found that as soon as I feel a touch of indigestion coming on or when I’m at work and have to scarf down my lunch in 5-10 minutes, popping a couple of these little golden nuggets eases the feeling and warms my tummy. Plus, it is so much better than taking antacids!

Well, off to bed! “See” you guys tomorrow!

Have you ever tried crystallized ginger? If so, what do you think of the taste?

Any big plans for the weekend?
Not, me! Just some reading, relaxing, and I’ll probably play around in the kitchen. I feel a bit of a baking itch coming on!

Posted in Breakfast, Entree | Tagged , , , , , | 20 Comments

Cookies for Breakfast

Posted on January 6, 2011 by kissmybroccoli

How’s everyone faring this first week of the new year? Me? I can’t wait until tomorrow is over so that I can wake up, turn over, and not see the numbers 5, 0, and 0 on my alarm clock!

So after my perfect plate of breakfast bliss (man, I’m a sucker for alliteration) on Monday (thanks again Chelsea for the awesome recipe!), I vowed to make the rest of the week’s morning meals using the “Gem-bras-nibble-few” approach! Confused? Just click my newly coined acronym and all will be revealed! 😉

Tuesday was a fantastic bowl of Overnight Pumpkin Oats and for the last two days, I have experimented with the Breakfast Cookie! Who knew cookies for breakfast could be so filling AND healthy?

Pumpkin & Cranberry Pecan Breakfast Cookie: (serves 1)
Inspired by Gina aka “The Fitnessista”

  • 1/3 cup rolled oats
  • 1 tablespoon almond butter
  • 1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
  • 1/8 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1/8 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/8 cup dried cranberries
  • 1 tablespoon chopped pecans
  • cinnamon

1. Combine oats, almond butter, and protein with a fork until it forms a crumbly mixture.
2. Combine with milk and stir.
3. Stir in pumpkin, cranberries, pecans and a dash of cinnamon.
4. Spread on a small plate and form into a cookie shape.
5. Refrigerate overnight and devour in the morning!

Cinna-Raisin PBB Breakfast Cookie: (serves 1)

  • 1/3 cup rolled oats
  • 1 tablespoon salted peanut butter
  • 1/2 scoop vanilla whey protein
  • 1/2 banana, sliced thin
  • 1/8 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1/8 cup raisins
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut
  • cinnamon

Same steps as above, but after making your crumbly mixture, mash the banana slices into it before adding the milk.

The concept behind these “cookies” is similar to the overnight oats only with less moisture in the ingredients so that it can keep a cookie-like shape. It still stays pretty soft so I ate mine with a spoon, but according to Gina, you can pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes to get it to harden more.

I was totally craving a yogurt parfait for my after work snack today. I’m all out of yogurt, but I did have a liiiiiiiitle bit of pumpkin kefir left!

What’s in the Bowl?

  • 1/2 cup Lifeway Pumpkin Kefir
  • Toasted wheat germ
  • Barbara’s Cinnamon Puffins
  • Quaker Oat Squares
  • Kashi Go Lean

The amount of cereal looks like a lot in the pic, but was only about 1/2 cup total. I ate this at 4:45 with a cup of decaf coffee made with my new Xpress SmartCups and I am just now (4 hours later) starting to get a little hungry. I forgot how well kefir fills my belly! Love that stuff…too bad that was the last of the pumpkin flavor! 🙁

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I believe I may go find myself a little snacky snack and cuddle up with this little mailbox treasure for the rest of the night!

Posted in Breakfast | Tagged , , , , , , | 11 Comments