Showing posts with label veggies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label veggies. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

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 :)

Peas and Crayons


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!



Wednesday, June 18, 2014

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


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

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!
~~~~~~~~~~

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! :)

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!

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

WIAW: Healthy Eggplant Falafel "Burgers"


Hello, hello!
It's time again for another What I Ate Wednesday!  Yay!

Peas and Crayons

Breakfast: Egg White Sandwich

For breakfast I cooked up 2 egg whites and topped them with colby jack cheese.  A whole wheat English muffin makes it a yummy sandwich!  I put the berries on my plate, but totally did not feel like eating them, so I saved them for later.

No time for a morning snack today!  The office where I work is very busy this time of year.  Sometimes I lose track of time when buried in paperwork.

Lunch: Salmon on Salad

For lunch I brought out some leftover Pesto Baked Salmon (<--click for recipe by GZ on The Kitchen!  Love that show!) and a little leftover spinach brown rice and broccoli.  I put it on a bed of romaine lettuce and baby spinach with a little lite caesar dressing.  Very fresh and delish.
Oh--I totally forgot to take a picture of my dessert, which was a chai latte powder mix.  It was a nice, sweet finish to the meal.

After lunch, I started snacking on candy--dangerous!


Lemonheads are my absolute favorite candy (and have been for years).  Although I could go nuts on them and eat a million, I portioned out exactly 20 pieces for 100 calories.  #treatyoself

Afternoon Snack: Yogurt & Berries

Around 4 p.m., my tummy told me I needed a snack.  Out came the berries from breakfast and a yogurt I had stashed in the work fridge.


Looks gross, but it did the trick.

Dinner: Eggplant Falafel Burger, Sweet Potato & Roasted Veggies

Sometimes I want something a bit different for dinner.  We had some wheat buns that we didn't end up using last week, so I was trying to think of an easy veggie burger to make.  So, I made this delicious greek inspired "burger" along with a microwaved sweet potato and roasted cauliflower & broccoli.  Winner winner, veggie dinner!!

Healthy Eggplant Falafel "Burgers" 
makes 4 patties

1 medium-large eggplant, peeled & sliced into circles
1 can chickpeas, drained
1/4 cup diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
handful of fresh herbs (I used parsley and cilantro)
1/2 tsp greek seasoning
salt & pepper to taste
1 egg
1/3 cup Italian breadcrumbs
olive oil, for cooking

Brush the eggplant circles with olive oil on both sides and salt and pepper lightly.  Cook the eggplant until done.  You can roast it in the oven if you want.  I used my stove top grill pan and just grilled it on both sides until it was done (maybe 5 minutes on each side).
Throw cooked eggplant and all other ingredients in food processor and blend until combined.  Split the mixture into 4 and patty it out.  It would be ideal to chill this for a little while in the fridge..but ain't nobody got time for that.
Cook your patties on an oiled griddle and be very careful when flipping them.  Cook for about 8 minutes on each side.
Serve with lettuce, tomato and tzatziki sauce on a wheat bun!

tzatziki sauce
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1/4 cup cucumber innards (split the cucumber longways and scoop out the middle with a spoon)
pinch greek seasoning
salt & pepper

Mix it all up with a spoon and you're done!

These veggie burgers were super simple, yet full of flavor and very satisfying.  Try them!!! :)


After dinner, I enjoyed one of these tasty beverages.


So good!
Then I had one of these ice cream sandwiches.
I love ice cream sandwiches, because they are preportioned treats.  Sometimes I might go overboard portioning out my own desserts ;)
So for 180 calories, these babies are worth it!


Well, have a great rest of the week!  Here's a Bizzy picture...just because.


Wednesday, March 19, 2014

WIAW: Curry Chicken with Coconut Rice & Spinach Artichoke Quinoa Bake {2 Recipes!}

Peas and Crayons

I'm back!  I haven't fallen off the face of the planet or anything.  I just sometimes need a little bloggy break (said the girl who blogs once a week--ha ha!).

Back with daily eats.  This day has 2 really good recipes I will share with you!


Breakfast: Egg Toast & Berries

This is basically how my breakfasts have looked for a week now.  Over easy egg, wheat toast, strawberries & coffee.  It's a no brainer!

Snack: Cereal

Back to my cereal snack after a hiatus of about 2 weeks.  I love, love, love chocolate toast crunch!
Everybody keeps their froyo spoons for cereal, right?
Nope, just me?  Okay...

Lunch: Curry Chicken w/ Coconut Rice & Veggie Medley

Today we had the BEST lunch leftovers ever!!!  Got this recipe from Bev Cooks and totally didn't even look at the recipe while cooking.  Typical of me, really.  Here's how I made my version:

Curry Chicken w/ Coconut Rice & Veggie Medley
serves 4

3 big, frozen chicken breasts, thawed and diced.
curry powder, paprika, salt & pepper
1 cup jasmine rice
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup chopped cilantro (plus more for garnish)
1 zucchini, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 ear of corn, cooked, then cut off the cob
1 cup baby kale, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp coconut oil (maybe more)
salt & pepper, to taste
1/2 lime

Get your jasmine rice, cilantro and coconut milk in a rice cooker.  For some reason, mine did not cook it completely in the 20 minute run time, so I turned the cooker back on and added 1/2 cup of chicken broth (so it would not run out of liquid).  Season the rice, once it's cooked, with some salt (to taste).
Heat a large skillet on medium heat, add oil to coat, throw in the zucchini, squash, onion and peppers to cook for about 7 minutes, then throw in the kale and corn.  Remove from the pan and set aside.
In the same skillet, add more oil if needed and throw your chicken in to cook.  Season liberally with curry powder, paprika, salt & pepper.
Serve it up, squeeze some lime over the top and garnish with cilantro.
Soooo goooooodd!!!!


Snack: Orange Veggie Puffs

I brought an orange to work, but was too lazy to peel it.  I snacked on some of these when I got home.  Because...veggies, am I right?


Dinner: Spinach Artichoke Quinoa Bake 

This was a really good meal!  It is pretty healthy and meatless.
Plus it made a ton, which I promptly packed up for lunches for the week!
I served it up alongside some roasted brussels sprouts.

Spinach Artichoke Quinoa Bake 
serves 6-8


1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
2 cups water
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb frozen spinach, cooked per package directions
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
2 tbsp lite butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup reduced fat milk
1/2 cup plain, fat free Greek yogurt
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup reduced fat feta cheese
Salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Parmesan Panko Topping:
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
canola oil spray

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Cook quinoa in rice cooker. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Set aside.
In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add spinach and artichoke hearts. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove from the pan.
In the same skillet, add 2 tablespoons of lite butter and flour and heat over medium heat. Whisk continuously until a paste forms. Whisk in milk. Increase heat to medium/high and bring to a boil whisking the whole time. 
In a large bowl, combine quinoa, spinach and artichoke mixture, flour/milk mixture and greek yogurt. Stir well. Stir in the shredded mozzarella and feta cheese. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.To make the topping, combine Panko bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the quinoa bake and spray with canola oil.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. 

Recipe adapted from two peas & their pod


We had this for lunch today and it's really good as leftovers!

After dinner, I made a quick little mug cake by combining 2 tbsp dry sugar free devils food cake mix with 2 tbsp almond milk and microwaved for 45 seconds.

Topped with a scoop of cinnamon ice cream, it was not a bad end to the day.


Have a great rest of the week!!!