Wednesday, April 9, 2014

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.

Peas and Crayons

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!



Wednesday, April 2, 2014

WIAW: {Healthy} Grilled Turkey Meatball Subs


Hey, hey, hey!
It's time for What I Ate Wednesday again!  Yay :)
My eats aren't too exciting today, though.  They are almost a version of last week's post.

Peas and Crayons

Breakfast: Egg White with Cheese on English Muffin

Seriously with the eggs.  I cannot stop!  This week I bought the egg whites in the carton, because I was feeling bad about wasting yolks.  So I had 1/3 cup of liquid egg whites with some shredded cheese mixed in on a whole grain English muffin with some cilantro on top.  Yum yum!

Once again, I had no time for a morning snack.

Lunch: Fish Taco Salad

I made extra fish taco fixins on Monday night and turned it into a salad today.  In the mix was spring mix lettuce, cauliflower rice, smashed black beans, sauteed zucchini and onions, seasoned pan seared fish (tilapia) topped with sour cream and cilantro.  It was a really good salad!

After lunch, we played with the dogs in the backyard.  I had an iced coffee and some of these candies! I ate half of the 200 calorie bag and then saved the rest for later.


My sweet Bizzy girl loves spring weather!

Afternoon Snack: Grapes

I ate these grapes while driving home.

Dinner: Grilled Turkey Meatball Subs & Roasted Veggies

Sometimes you just need a meatball sub, am I right?
Well, I tried my hand at a healthier version, and it turned out pretty good!

Grilled Turkey Meatball Subs
serves 4

1 12" loaf of bread (I used some sourdough I got on markdown)
premade pesto (optional)
marinara or spaghetti sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
4 slices provolone cheese

for the meatballs:
1 lb lean ground turkey (I used 93% lean) 
2 slices of 35-45 calorie wheat bread, toasted & ground in a processor (or just use 1/2 cup of premade breadcrumbs)
1/8 cup liquid egg whites 
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup cheese (grated parmesan would be best, but I used mozzarella)
generous sprinkle of the following spices: salt, pepper, paprika, onion powder

Mix all of the meatball ingredients together and form into golf ball sized balls.  Mine made 15 meatballs.
Cook in a grill pan for about 4-5 minutes on each side or until done.  Assemble!


1-Split the bread into four slices, hollow out the middle of the bread and discard extra bread.  
2-Smear on pesto and top with a sprinkle of mozzarella.
3-Place 3-4 meatballs on the bread.
4-Spoon on a little (or alot--whatever you like) marinara sauce
5-Top with a slice of provolone and melt in the oven (or in the microwave-whatever)

This might not be too pretty, but it sure was tasty!
I served mine with roasted brussels and broccoli for a perfectly balanced meal.


For dessert I had a 160 calorie toffee ice cream bar.


Thanks for reading!  Hope your day is filled with sunshine and happiness!