WIAW: Sweet 'n Spicy Asian Glazed Grilled Drumsticks

Hello again!!! Well, we made it halfway through the week!  Time for What I Ate Wednesday fun :)

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Breakfast: Egg on Toast & Smoothie

For breakfast you know I had to have an EGG!!  I had an over easy egg on wheat toast with a super thick fruit smoothie.  The smoothie contained 1 frozen banana, about 3/4 cup of frozen fruit mixture (that had strawberries and mandarin oranges), a little honey for sweetness and 1 cup (approx.) of almond milk.  I also had coffee on the drive to work.

Snack: Nectarine

For morning snack, I enjoyed a super ripe nectarine.  It's hard for me to transport this type of fruit in my bag because it always gets torn up, so I cut it at home and brought it in a tupperware.  Loving peaches and nectarines lately!

Lunch: Salmon & Asparagus Salad

My boyfriend and I walked the dogs at lunch (it was very hot and humid outside) and then I made us some refreshing salads with leftovers.  I used leftover salmon (made from this Bobby Flay recipe), spring mix, goat cheese crumbles, radish sticks and leftover sauteed asparagus and peas.  Such a good salad!

Because lunch was so healthy and all...we could justify a vanilla cone from McDs!  I never eat at McDonalds--I think it's gross, but the 59 cent vanilla cones are ON POINT!  And I think they are in the 150 calorie range--SCORE!!!

After lunch, my guy and Bizzy came up to the office (nobody was there, so no big deal) and we booked some stuff for our vacation coming up in August!

I loooove having these two visit me at work! :)

Snack: Cream of Wheat

Around 4 p.m., I made an instant cream of wheat packet (maple & brown sugar flavor) and topped it with a few strawberry slices.  It was a pretty satisfying snack!

Dinner: Sweet 'n Spicy Asian Glazed Grilled Drumstick, Rice & Veg

For dinner, I grilled some chicken.
More specifically, I made Skinnytaste's Sweet 'n Spicy Asian Glazed Grilled Drumsticks(<--click for recipe).
These drumsticks were really tasty.  I love grilling!!
While the chicken was on the grill, I threw some rice in the rice cooker and sauteed some veggies.

Soy and Garlic Veggie Saute
serves 4-6

1/2 head of cabbage, chopped
2 heads of broccoli, chopped
1 cup frozen peas
2-4 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
2 cloves garlic
olive oil, for the pan

Coat a large skillet with olive oil and heat to medium.  Once the pan is hot, put the cabbage in to sear for 3 minutes or so, then slide the broccoli in.  Add soy sauce and garlic and saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Throw in the peas and cover for about 5-7 minutes or until all veggies are tender.

I could seriously just eat these veggies for a meal--so yum!

After dinner, I had a glass of homemade sangria (<--click for recipe--it's a winner, although I used amaretto instead of elderflower liqueur because I'm not rich lol) and watched Sons of Anarchy.  I just started watching it on Netflix and it's really good so far!

Have a great week!!

Bonus Bizzy Picture!!  I love her face!

WIAW: Happy 4th of July..and Sausage & Quinoa Stuffed Portabella Mushroom

Hello there!
I usually like to start my What I Ate Wednesday posts with my favorite picture I've taken this week...and this one is one of my favorites EVER!  These are flourless chocolate brownie cookies with beautiful, crackled tops and a sprinkling of sea salt--I mean, come on!  Recipe will be at the bottom of the post.

So, it is July and Bizzy just wanted to say "Happy Birthday, America!"

She really loves pictures..can you tell?  She obviously is not a huge fan of the headband I got her, but that's okay ;)

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Breakfast: Cereal & Berries

For breakfast I had a cup of the new Honey Nut Cheerios Medley Crunch.  It was pretty good, kind of like mixing Cheerios with Honey Bunches of Oats.  I had some strawberries on top..and I added almond milk after the picture.  I had some coffee on the way to work, too.

I woke up with indigestion (which is strange--does not happen often to me) that continued throughout the day, so I did not eat a snack..unless you count Tums!

Lunch: Lettuce Wraps

For lunch I prepared some leftover ground lamb (the possible culprit of the indigestion? maybe) with black olives, cheese and sour cream in a lettuce wrap.  Carrots and a few flatcrisp crackers on the side.

After lunch we went to Starbucks to get a tea.

This is their new blackberry mojito tea lemonade.  I did NOT like this the second time around.  I tried it last week and asked the barista to make it unsweetened and it turned out perfectly herbal with just a hint of sweetness from the blackberry and a pop of tartness from the lemonade.

So, the deal with this drink is there's tea and lemonade--both which can be unsweetened, leaving the only sweetness to be the blackberry syrup.

The lady who made it for me yesterday insisted that unsweetened was not an option.  I should have argued with her but I was in a hurry to get back to work.

Long story long, this was waaaaay too sweet and speak up for yourselves..even if you're late..or you will spend $4 on an undrinkable tea!

Aaaand...rant over!

Snack: Cherries & Granola Bar

My afternoon snack included beautiful fresh cherries.  I heart cherry season.

And a granola bar.

Dinner: Sausage & Quinoa Stuffed Portabella Mushroom

Oh, my stars, these are some simple and delicious stuffed mushrooms!

 Sausage & Quinoa Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms
serves 4

4 portabella mushroom caps
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
1 lb turkey breakfast sausage (I got the lean kind in a tube)--you could use any ground meat, really
3 wedges Laughing Cow-Swiss Lite
1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup liquid egg whites (or two egg whites)
1-1 1/2 cups Italian blend shredded cheese
salt & pepper to taste

Cook your quinoa in the chicken broth.  I put mine in my cheap-o, little rice cooker I bought at Aldi a million years ago, and it cooks it perfectly.  Or you could cook it per the package instructions on the quinoa.  Cooking it in chicken broth adds alot of flavor!

Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel.  Remove the stem and carefully scrape a spoon along the gills (underside) to remove those, as well.  Salt and pepper your mushrooms on both sides and set in a casserole dish.
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
Cook your breakfast sausage, breaking it with a spatula as it cooks.  Sprinkle salt and pepper on the meat.
Combine cooked quinoa, cooked sausage, cheese wedges, breadcrumbs, grated Parmesan and egg whites in a big bowl and mix until combined.
Scoop a heaping cup of mixture into each upside down mushroom cap--if you have extra mixture, distribute it evenly among the shrooms or save it for your morning omelet the next day.  Top with shredded cheese.
Cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

YUM!  I had a little spinach salad on the side.

*if you wanted to make this a meatless meal, add a can of beans or some crumbled veggie burgers in place of the sausage (and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth for cooking quinoa)

For dessert, I had a big ole flourless cookie (as seen above).  They are so rich and sweet that you really only need one.  I'm kind of obsessed with the flourless cookies at Starbucks, but they are usually pretty crusty and dry from being out in the display case all I day (or just being old..I don't know for sure--I don't really mean to be dogging SB today, but whatever).  So instead of spending $2 for a dry, crusty cookie I made these fresh, chewy and choco-licious treats!

Also, they are a decently healthy cookie with NO flour and NO butter!  What what?!

Without further ado, here is where I got the cookie recipe--it's so easy!!  Barefeet in the Kitchen Blog

Thanks for reading and have a great Independence Day!

WIAW: Baked Tilapia and Zucchini & Corn Fritters

Hello & Happy Wednesday!!!  Time to have a peek into my daily eats!

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Breakfast: Egg Sandwich

For breakfast over the last few months, there are few days when I don't want eggs for breakfast.  Today I had a whole wheat English muffin with a wedge of Laughing Cow Swiss cheese (35 calories for cheese is okay with meeee!), some avocado and an over easy egg.  Such a perfect sandwich!

Snack: Pear & Animal Crackers

For snack I had brought a pear, but then saw these (100 calorie) animal crackers in the kitchenette..so I had both.

Lunch: Tuna Melt & Veggies

It was raining at lunch (meaning we did not walk the dogs like we usually do), so I took my time preparing some tuna melts.  I used those pre-made pouches of tuna from Starkist (there like 80-100 calories, depending on the flavor you get).  I made us (my boyfriend and I) one of each flavor I had: one lemon pepper and one classic tuna salad.  Just smeared the tuna on a little piece of toast, topped with mozzarella and tomato and broiled until melty.  On the side we had veggie chips and actual veggies with hummus.

For dessert we had homemade iced coffee and a teensy baby cookie.

On the way to/from lunch everyday we pass this one yard that normally is just green, but it's lily season so they were poppin!  Since it stopped raining, I had to stop and take a picture--so pretty!!! (I'm pretty sure people who passed me taking pictures of a stranger's yard thought I was insane...but whatever.)

Dinner: Baked Tilapia, Healthy Zucchini & Corn Fritters, Sweet Potato

For afternoon snack I had a Fresca and a 90 calorie granola bar, but I sure forgot to take a picture!  Oh well.

Dinner was a winner, though!  I saw these little zucchini fritters over at PaleOMG and thought it would be a fun way to serve veggies with dinner.  I halved the recipe and added corn and goat cheese..

Baked Zucchini & Corn Fritters
makes 6 muffins

1 medium zucchini, shredded
1/4 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup flour
1 egg, whisked
1 ear of corn, cooked and kernels cut off (or 1/2 cup of frozen corn)
1/4 cup cheese (I used goat cheese)
1/2-1 garlic clove, minced (I used half a clove because our cloves were huge)
salt & pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven ot 400F degrees.
Mix all ingredients in a bowl and either grease a muffin tin or line with parchment cupcake liners (they are non-stick--I love them), then scoop the batter into the pan.  Mine made 6 not quite full muffin cups.
Bake for 30 minutes.

These are like little frittatas!  They would be great to serve to people who aren't crazy about veggies or just to change it up with your veggies on a weeknight.

I seasoned my fish with a tbsp of butter with a squeeze of lemon juice and some Old Bay seasoning (along with some torn, fresh basil) and threw it in the oven to bake for the remaining 10 minutes for the fritters.  Also, I microwaved a sweet potato for about 7 minutes (it was a big potato) and split that between my boyfriend and myself.
Such a lovely dinner!

After dinner, the weather was sunny and beautiful, so Bizzy and I headed out on a walk.

She's a happy girl!

Later that night I had a scoop of ice cream--yum!

Thanks for reading!  See ya on the flip side!

WIAW: I'm Back...with a Turkey Burger

Guess who's back?
Back again?
WIAW's back!
Tell a friend ;)

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Sorry, I had that Eminem song stuck in my head..and what is a more appropriate place to type rap songs than my very own food blog?!

Well, it's been a while since I posted on the ole blog, huh?  I wish I had a good reason for ya, but lack of motivation is really what is to blame.  In fact, almost every Tuesday since my last post, I will take pictures of my eats with the intention of posting them on WIAW, but then it comes time to do it and I'm like "meh."  I think it's because I haven't been making too many dishes that I feel are spectacular, ya know?  Just the same old same old.  Maybe that's not entirely true, but whatever.  I'm back and happy to share my eats with you once again!

Breakfast: Waffles

I've been loving frozen waffles lately!  These are multigrain waffles from Aldi topped with a smear of natural peanut butter, some banana slices and a smattering of sugar free syrup (<--seems like an oxymoron, no?).

Snack: Pineapple

Now, I rarely buy precut fruit at the store, but I just HAD to this week.  I needed to force myself to eat some fruit.  I've been buying the usual apples and oranges, but just had to throw away a few that were withering away in the fruit bowl.  I figure if it's already cut for me, I just might eat it.  I ate about half of this pineapple, then stashed it back in the work fridge for later.

Another Snack: Fiber One Bar

A little while later, my tummy was still hungry, so I noshed on a snack bar.

Lunch: Salad

After a very hottt walk with the dogs (heat index of about 97!) I put together some salads with chopped romaine lettuce, leftover grilled chicken, broccoli/cauliflower mixture and lite poppy seed dressing.  My guy and I noshed on some pita crackers with hummus, also.

Snack: Yogurt

Later in the afternoon, the hungry monster started stirring once again, so I enjoyed this yogurt.  I like the strawberry one better, but this one was alright.

Dinner: Turkey Burger with Veg

Dinner tonight was quick and easy, thanks to my lovely indoor grill (this one from Cuisinart, if you are interested).  I grilled up some zucchini while I partially cooked a big sweet potato in the microwave, then I sliced the sweet potato in wedges and grilled them, too.
For the turkey burgers I mixed together the following..

3 Cheese Turkey Burgers
serves 4

1 lb 93% lean ground turkey
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp grilling rub
salt, pepper & garlic powder once pattied

So, yeah, mixed it all together and grilled until done.  Can't get simpler than that ;)

I topped mine with avocado and went bunless!
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For dessert, I could not decide between these two ice creams...so I had a scoop of each in a cake cone.

Bizzy will never give up begging for ice cream!

Speaking of Bizzy, here's a few pics after our walk yesterday for your viewing pleasure.

Do you know that Shakira She-wolf song?  I was making the howly noise from that when she made the above face-lol (Ah-woooo!)

She is my little love!

Ok, hope you have a fantastic rest of the week!  Thanks for reading! :)

WIAW: Veggie Enchilada Stuffed Shells

Hiya!

Well, it's that time again.

I did not feel like my breakfast or lunch were that interesting for What I Ate Wednesday, but dinner was soooo good!  We'll get to that in a moment.

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Breakfast: Fruit Shake & Egg Muffin

I've been having trouble wanting to eat my fruits lately, so I've been drinking them.  Whatever works, right?
I made a fruit shake containing: 1/2 of a frozen banana, a few frozen mango chunks, fresh strawberries and almond milk.  I also had a fried egg on half of an English muffin, because I can't stop...and I won't stop.

I love eggs!

Lunch: Pizza-dilla, Broccoli & Veggie Straws

I had brought grapes for my snack today, but totally did not want them (see above for weird fruit aversion).  By the time lunch rolled around, I was pretty hungry.  I made us some pizza quesadillas!  Or as I like to call them, pizza-dillas!  In a 100 calorie wrap I put marinara, Italian blend cheese, a few pepperonis, black olives and mushrooms.  Yum!! On the side, some leftover broccoli and veggie straws.

P.M. Snack: Bar

For snack I had this tasty, yet tiny snack bar.  It did the trick.

Dinner: Veggie Enchilada Stuffed Shells

Agghh!!!  Cheesy goodness!
My favorite things to stuff in enchiladas is sweet potatoes, spinach and black beans (sounds weird, tastes fantastic!), so since I had some jumbo pasta shells, I thought I'd make some different enchiladas...

They turned out great!  If you are looking for a satisfying meatless meal, this recipe is for you!

Veggie Enchilada Stuffed Shells

Serves 6 

18-20 jumbo pasta shells

2 small-medium sweet potatoes, cooked until fork tender

1 medium zucchini

1 cup frozen spinach, thawed

1 cup diced mushrooms

1 cup diced onion

1 can green chilies

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can enchilada sauce

1 cup shredded cheese

Boil water and cook shells until al dente. Cook onion and zucchini in a skillet until tender (5 minutes). Add mushrooms and cook for 2 more minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 425 F degrees. 

Add all ingredients (except cheese and enchilada sauce) in a large bowl and mix. Season with salt and pepper and/or taco seasoning to taste. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray. Pour a little enchilada sauce on the bottom of the pan and move it around to coat the bottom. Stuff filling in each shell, until it's gone and lay them in the pan (filling side up). Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake for 20 minutes. 

Top with sour cream and cilantro, if desired. 

After dinner, I walked Bizzy around the neighborhood..and had some unpictured frozen yogurt.  Use your imagination on that one ;)

Have a great Wednesday and beyond!