Egg Salad Pita

Spring is definitely in the air and on my plate. This sandwich is so light but so flavorful. I tossed some yummy dried fruit on the side by Peeled Snacks. These Apple-2-the-Core slices were a great accompaniment to a nutritious lunch

Ingredients:
1 hard-boiled egg
1/2 whole-wheat pita loaf
3 grape tomatoes
1 tsp. Walden Farms Miracle Mayo
2 tbsp. alfalfa sprouts
1/4 cup baby spinach
salt & pepper (to taste)

Directions:
Mash the hard boiled egg with a fork. Add the mayo, and season with salt and pepper. Dice the tomatoes and combine with the egg.

Toast the pita loaf, if desired. Open the pocket and stuff half the sprouts and spinach inside. Put the egg and tomato mixture on top of the greens. Top with remaining sprouts and spinach.

To view nutritional information, click here.

Italian Sausage Pita & Zucchini Ribbons

I really wish I would have had the forethought to photograph this delicious meal before I devoured it, but for some reason, I didn't even think about this awesome blog I've started until just now. Next time I make this meal (and there will be a next time), I'll definitely get a picture.

Italian Sausage Pita
Ingredients:
1/2 whole wheat pita pocket
5 Hillshire Farm chicken smokie (cocktail wienies)
1/4 red onion
1/4 green pepper
1/8 cup of Walden Farms tomato basil pasta sauce
1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 clove garlic (minced)
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
red pepper flake (to taste)

Directions:

Slice chicken smokies into thin discs. Add olive oil to a pan and heat over medium heat. Add the garlic, dried basil, dried oregano and red pepper flakes (to taste). Stir until oil is infused with the spices. Add chicken smokies to the pan, and saute until brown.

Thinly slice onion and green pepper. Add to browned chicken smokies and saute until tender.

Add pasta sauce to pan and stir until combined. Remove from heat. Place cheese slice on top and let melt.

Toast pita bread if desired. Stuff cheesy, saucy sausage mixture into the bread.

To view nutritional information, click here.


Zucchini Ribbons
Ingredients:
1 small zucchini
1/2 tbsp of low fat margarine
1 tsp of grated Parmesan
1/2 clove garlic
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano

Directions:

Peel the zucchini. Using the vegetable peeler, make long ribbons up and down the vegetable until you reach the seed core. 

 

Melt the spread over medium heat. Add garlic, dried basil and dried oregano to melted butter. Once the butter is infused, add the zucchini ribbons. Stir to coat the ribbons with the seasoned spread. Saute until lightly browned.  

Serve with freshly shredded Parmesan on top.

 

To view nutritional information, click here.

Huevos Rancheros

Ok, I know it looks like a hot mess, but this is something I've been craving for a while. Honestly, I don't think I've had better huevos rancheros. The little blob of brown yellow at the bottom left of the picture is actually a cheese crisp. Currently, my diet calls for 2 oz. of cheese with 1 egg, so I used my second ounce of cheese to make a little cheese crisp.

Ingredients:
1 medium egg
1 corn tortilla (I used LaFactory as each tortilla is only 45 calories)
1 oz. hard cheese, shredded
4 oz. tomatoes
4 oz. mushrooms (if you don't like mushrooms, you can always use green peppers and green onions instead)
1 tbsp. Frank's buffalo sauce
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
cooking spray

Directions:
Coat a pan with cooking spray. Over medium high heat, cook tortilla until crispy. Top tortilla with half the shredded cheese. Add more cooking spray to the pan, and crack your egg, cooking over medium high-heat. Season egg to your liking and cook over-easy. After flipping the egg, top with remaining cheese, and cook until the cheese is melted. Place cooked egg over the cheesy tortilla.

As tortilla and egg cooks, prepare the veggies. Wash the tomatoes and mushrooms. Chop into small pieces (if you like it really finely chopped, you can use a food processor). Add salt and pepper to chopped vegetables, and mix thoroughly. Add buffalo sauce, and stir to combine. Top the egg and tortilla with vegetables (if may be too much to put on the egg; I ate the remaining bit as a side dish - delicious!).

1 Serving
Lunch for Meta Slim Plus Level 1

Greek Smoothie

Well, it's been a while since I've posted any recipes. Partially because I've been too busy/tired to try to come up with some cool new recipes. Partially because any cool recipes I had wasn't picture worthy. But mainly my laziness is showing.

I had this one for lunch today as I had loads of stuff to do, but I didn't want to find myself scrambling for food at a drive-thru. I've always loved green smoothies, and this one is definitely flavorful. I call it a Greek smoothie because of its Greek yogurt base with overtones of cucumber. I'll definitely be having this again (particularly since I now have a personal-sized blender at work).

Ingredients:
6 oz. plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
8 oz. raw cucumber, washed and sliced
1/4 small cantaloupe, cubed
2 packets of Stevia

Directions:
Add yogurt, cucumber, and melon to a blender being sure the yogurt is on the bottom. This will help with the blending process. Sprinkle on 2 packets of Stevia. Blend to desired consistency (I liked having a few chunks of the fruit and vegetable throughout the smoothie. Enjoy!

 Lunch for Meta Slim Level 1
1 Serving

Fish & Chips

Sometimes, I just need something that reminds me of some of my childhood favorites. I always loved those frozen fish sticks when I was young. This is a grown-up version of that. Light cod and a flavorful breading creates a savory dish, complemented with delicious zucchini chips.

Ingredients:
6 oz. cod filet, cut into pieces
3 melba toast rounds (I used the sesame flavor)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. red pepper flake
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. dried basil
butter flavored cooking spray

1 zucchini, thinly sliced
butter flavored cooking spray
garlic powder, to coat
sea salt, to lightly coat
black pepper, to lightly coat


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly coat the cod pieces with butter cooking spray. Grind the melba toast into a breadcrumb consistency using a food processor. Spread on a paper plate and combine with garlic power, red pepper flake, dried oregano, and dried basil. Dredge the cod pieces on all sides in the crumb mixture. Place on the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes.

For zucchini chips, lightly coat a baking pan with butter cooking spray. Be sure to pat the zucchini slices with a paper towel until dry. Spread the slices onto the baking sheet in a single layer. Lightly spray with cooking spray. Add garlic powder, sea salt, and black pepper. Bake in a 450 F oven until browned (I used a toaster oven), approximately 25 minutes. You can flip halfway through baking to cook the other side, but I just left it go on one side. Not as crispy as regular chips, but still very delicious and healthy.

Serves 1
Dinner for Meta Slim Plus Level 2

Oatmeal Pancakes

Made with oatmeal, these pancakes are sure to cure any craving for an old-fashioned flapjack. Using one of the protein concentrates adds just the right syrup to complete this healthy breakfast.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup oatmeal
2 medium eggs
1 tsp of sugar substitute
1 tsp of cinnamon
1 packet of preferred protein concentrate (if not on MRC, use regular syrup)
Butter cooking spray

Directions:
Using a food processor, grind the oatmeal until it is a fine powder. Pour in a bowl and add eggs, sugar substitute and cinnamon. Mix until well combined.

Lightly coat a pan with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Add oatmeal batter to pan. Cook until edges begin to brown. Flip the pancake and brown on the other side.

Serve topped with protein concentrate (or syrup).

Serves 1
Breakfast Recipe for Meta Slim Plus Level 2

Chicken Pot Pie

Comfort food cravings are a thing of the past with this delicious dish. Creamy chicken soup makes a warm and tasty base while a few healthy vegetables and flavorful chicken round out this classic. This will definitely be a repeat on my table.

Ingredients:
6 oz. chicken breast
1/4 cauliflower head, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1 package of frozen chopped broccoli
1/2 cup cream of chicken soup (I used the cream of chicken protein packet)
1 slice of light bread
Seasonings to taste (I used garlic powder and red pepper flake)
Butter cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 F.

Lightly coat a non-stick pan with butter cooking spray. Place over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the chicken with preferred seasonings. Sear in pan for 3 minutes. Flip chicken and place in oven. Roast chicken for 18 minutes.

Meanwhile, steam vegetables until tender. Measure out 4 oz. of cooked vegetables for the pie. Take one slice of bread and remove crusts, if desired. Using a rolling pin, flatten the bread.

Once chicken has finished roasting, remove from pan and cut into bite-size pieces. Place pan used for roasting over medium-high heat. Add soup, and mix with water until desired consistency is reached. Be sure to get all the bits off the bottom of the pan. Add vegetables and chicken to soup. Mix until well combined.

Pour chicken-vegetable mixture into oven-safe bowl. Top with flattened bread and spray bread with butter spray. Place in oven until bread is toasty and brown.

Serves 1
Dinner for Meta Slim Plus Level 2