The Hunt is On

I know, I know, I'm a horrible blogger! Or recipe creator/tester. Please find it in your hearts to forgive me. I thank you. That being said, I am now on the hunt for a new type of recipe to try. I am searching for recipes to eat cool or at room temperature.

Here's the deal: I currently have 2 jobs. I am a substitute teacher and I work at a gym. Most days I go straight from a school to the gym. This means that I am packing my lunch and dinner before I go to the school in the morning, and I am carrying both around with me all day. Sometimes I am lucky enough to be in a class that has a fridge or a microwave, but most days my meals stay with me in my bag. I am seriously over carrying a cold-cuts sandwich or PB&J. So I am now on the hunt for recipes that will last all day and do not require heating (or refrigeration, preferably). The only exception I am willing to make is for soup, and only because I have a kick-butt camping thermos that would probably keep soup surface-of-the-sun hot for days if I chose. Ok... Maybe not that hot, but it keeps it nice and toasty warm for at least 10 hours. More than enough time!

To start things off, here is the first recipe I am going to try:

Ham, Cheese, and Spinach "Crustless" Quiche*

Serves 6. Approximately 180 calories per serving.

2 large eggs

1/2 C liquid egg whites

1 5-oz can evaporated milk

2 t Dijon mustard

1/2 t salt

1/4 t ground black pepper

1 10-oz box frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 6-oz chunk ham, diced

1/4 t Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb blend

3/4 C grated part-skim Swiss cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Spray a 9-inch pie plate with non-stick spray

Whisk eggs, egg whites, milk, mustard, salt, pepper in a medium bowl. Add ham, spinach, Mrs. Dash, and cheese. Pour mixture into pie plate and back 25-30 minutes. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes. Cut into 6 wedges and serve.

*This recipe is a variation on a section found in the Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight & Eating Great by Pam Anderson

This Blog is Not Dead!

Or even forgotten. But I kind of don't have an oven or stove at the moment, so my recipe testing is a little limited! Ok, so maybe that's not a totally valid excuse seeing as my oven just broke a week ago and my last post was MONTHS ago... Shut up. I really need to get more organized with that.

Ok, goal for THIS blog, find new and awesome recipes to share ASAP. Wish me luck! ;-)

Italian Tomato Chicken

Italian Tomato Chicken

Serves 4. Each serving is approximately 90 calories.

8 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast

1 15 oz can diced tomato

1 C frozen 3 pepper and onion (I used Kroger Recipe Beginnings)

2 T sun-dried tomato vinaigrette

1/4 C banana pepper rings

Put all ingredients in a crock-pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Enjoy!

I served mine over whole wheat rotini. Yum!

Buffalo Chicken Salad!

I have to tell you, I love me some spicy food. I put the southwest Mrs. Dash on almost everything. One of my major dieting weaknesses has always been hot wings. So, when I saw the Buffalo Chick'n Salad in the Hungry Girl 200 Under 200 cookbook, I knew it was something I was going to have to try. I didn't follow her recipe exactly (partly because I was missing a few ingredients), but I think it turned out wonderful! You try it and let me know what you think. And of course, feel free to swap out the Frank's Red Hot sauce for your personal favorite sauce. Frank's is what the original recipe called for, and I happen to like it better than anything else.(Except Chipotle Tabasco. Love that stuff... hmmm, may have to try that next time!)

Buffalo Chicken Salad Serves 6

Each serving is approximately 101 calories

1 T Frank's Red Hot Original Sauce

3 T Light Miracle Whip

3 T Light Ranch dressing

2 T grated Parmesan cheese

1 12oz can chicken breast in water, drained

1 large carrot, diced

1 large stalk of celery, diced

Directions

Mix hot sauce, miracle whip, ranch dressing, and Parmesan together in a medium bowl. Add chicken, carrot, and celery. Stir to combine. Enjoy!

Spinach Quiche

My friend and I are working together, both at a store and on our weight loss. So we are taking turns bringing breakfast and lunch. Tomorrow is my day to bring breakfast, so this is what I made. I even took a picture this time!

Spinach Quiche Makes 8 Servings

Each serving has 176 calories

1/2 C chopped spring onions

1/2 C chopped onions

16 oz frozen spinach, thawed

1 T Garlic powder

4 eggs

4 egg whites

1/2 C fat-free cottage cheese

1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 C shredded pepper jack cheese

salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick spray.

Sautee onions in a nonstick pan. Add thawed spinach and garlic. Cook until most of the moisture is gone.

In a large bowl, beat eggs and egg whites. Add cheeses and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in spinach mixture.

Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Enjoy hot, cold, or room temperature.

Roasted Vegetables

Roasted Vegetable Medley

serves 8, about 45 calories a serving

Non-stick spray (Pam)

2 T Mrs. Dash Original Blend

1 eggplant, cut into rounds

2 zucchini, cut into coins

4 small squash cut into coins

1 medium onion, chunked

1 bundle of asparagus (about 1lb)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray the inside of a gallon zip-top bag with the non-stick spray. Put seasoning into the bag, seal, and shake. Add the vegetables, seal, and shake again.

Pour onto a baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

**This method can also be used with potatoes. If you do that, parboil them for about 20 minutes, then bake.

Doyle's Foil Mushrooms

Doyle is my uncle. One summer he made these mushrooms and it's the ONLY way my little brother will eat them. It's super simple and so yummy!

Doyle's Foil Mushrooms

makes 4 servings, about 15 calories each.

8oz mushrooms (I used a combination of button and baby bellas), cut in large chunks

4 T of Kraft Free Italian Dressing

Directions

Toss mushrooms and dressing together in a bowl. Fold into a large piece of aluminum foil. Place foil packet in a 350 oven or on preheated grill. Cook for about 10 minutes. Enjoy!