when i'm planning meals for the week i try to use the same ingredients in a few recipes, this way i save some money at the grocery store. since i was prepping dried black beans for turkey sloppy joes i decided to soak a few more and make some black bean soup. i'd never made black bean soup but i'd enjoyed it many times while in college and was thrilled to make it. i found this recipe when i was looking online for a dried bean to canned bean conversion. it was posted on epicurious.com and originally came from Bon Appetit march 2004. black bean soup is usually served with a dollop of sour cream, diced onions and sometimes shredded cheese. this recipe calls for a dollop of plain nonfat yogurt instead of sour cream and i decided to give it a try. i served this soup to joe with a dollop of nonfat yogurt, diced onion and tomatoes, and a garlic lowfat cheddar quesidilla. joe loved the soup and didn't realize he wasn't having sour cream!
i'm always trying to come up with breakfasts and snacks that are quick and easy to eat on the go. mornings are usually hectic and making a wholesome, healthy breakfast is the last thing you want to spend time on when you're trying to get out the door. another requirement i have are breakfasts that incorporate healthy protein to keep me full and complex carbs to give me energy. yesterday i made scrambled egg muffins that are easy for the mornings or to pack in a cooler for a snack later in the day.scrambled egg muffins
makes: 12 muffins; hands-on time: 10 minutes; ready in: 35 minutes
ingredients:
6 slices of canadian bacon
3 c. egg beaters - any flavor or 12 egg whites
24 spinach leaves
1/2 c. yellow onions, diced
salt and pepper, to taste
instructions:
one: preheat oven to 350*F and grease a muffin pan.
two: slice the canadian bacon in half and place one half in the bottom of each muffin tin.
three: place two spinach leaves on top of the canadian bacon. then sprinkle diced onion on top of spinach leaves.
four: pour 1/4 c. egg beaters or whites into each muffin tin. sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.
five: bake for 20 - 25 minutes
nutrition for 3 muffins:
i love quick and easy meals, especially as the days move by and i've been cooking all week. this recipe, from the sept / oct 2009 clean eating magazine, fit the bill last thursday after shopping trip to the farmers market. I hadn't realized how filling the sandwich would be and made a greek salad to go with it. needless to say, i ended up saving the greek salad for lunch the next day. the sandwich was easy, delicious and you should give it a try. clean cuban sandwiches
serves: 4; hands-on time: 15 min; total time: 40 min
ingredients:
1 1lb pork tenderloin
1 tsp cumin, ground
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp sucanat
1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced thin
1 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
4 5-inch whole wheat sandwich rolls, cut in half lengthwise (we used chibata rolls from the market)
2 slices uncured ham (2 oz.), cut in half
4 oz low-fat swiss cheese, thinly sliced
1 c loosely packed arugula (i used baby spinach)
instructions:
one: preheat oven to 375*
two: rinse tenderloin and pat dry. mix cumin and paprika in a small bowl and rub all over surface of tenderloin. put tenderloin on a baking sheet and transfer to oven to roast, turning once or twice, for about 25 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 150*F - 155*F.
three: make homemade pickles: whisk vinegar and sucanat together in a medium mixing bowl. add cucumber and toss to combine. cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
four: let pork rest for about 5 minutes before slicing into very thin rounds. cool completely before building sandwich. spread dijon on 1 side of each roll. stack about 6 slices (2 oz.) pork on each sandwich. add 1 slice of ham and 1 slice of cheese to each. divide pickled cucumbers and arugula evenly among sandwiches. discard remaining vinegar mixture from pickling or keep it to make a vinaigrette.
nutrition info per sandwich:
calories: 490; total fat: 13g; sat fat: 4g; carbs: 42g; fiber: 7g; sugars: 8g; protein: 52g; sodium: 790mg; cholesterol: 120mg
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growing up there wasn't much variety in the vegetables we ate, i'd say on average we ate 5 different ones, and eggplant was definitely not one of them! now, don't get me wrong, we did eat it, but only if it was breaded, fried and covered in oooey, gooey cheese, and was also known as eggplant parmesan. it's a dish that's usually drenched in tomato sauce, paired with white noodles, and buttery garlic bread on the side. this is not a clean eating meal by anyone's standards. i am a huge fan of clean eating magazine so i was very excited that the september / october 2009 issue had a recipe for eggplant parmesan. it had been forever since joe and i had eggplant parmesan, so we were excited to try it clean eating style.
it turned out fantastic! it had so much flavor and the bulgar was a great twist on the usual noodles. another plus to the dinner was that it makes 6 servings and freezes easily, which is good for joe and i. we love leftovers that we can eat for lunch or freeze and have for a meal at a later date.
so here's the recipe from the September / October 2009 issue of Clean Eating:
Eggplant Parmesan with Bulgur & Pine Nuts
serves 6. hands-on time: 25 min. total time: 40 minutes
ingredient:
olive oil cooking spray
3 large egg whites; lightly beaten
3/4 c. whole-wheat panko or bread crumbs
6 tbsp low-fat parmesan cheese, grated
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 globe eggplants (about 2 1/4 lbs total)
1 1/3 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1 c. bulgur
2 medium tomatoes (about 14 oz.), cut into large chunks
1 tbsp no-salt-added tomato paste
2 cloves garlic
12 large basil leaves, divided
1 c. part-skim, low-moisture mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tbsp pine nuts, toasted
instructions:
one: preheat oven to 425*F. coat 2 rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray. set aside.
two: place eggs in a shallow bowl. in another shallow bowl, combine panko, parmesan, oregano, garlic powder and salt. trim edges off eggplants and cut each eggplant crosswise into 6 3/4-inch slices. one at a time, dip eggplant slices in egg whites, then panko mixture, arranging coated slices on prepared baking sheets. bake until eggplant is tender and golden brown, about 25 minutes.
three: meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over high heat, bring chicken broth to a boil. stir in bulgur, cover, turn off heat and set aside for 30 minutes.
four: while eggplant is cooking and bulgur is softening, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic and 8 basil leaves in a food processor and pulse to make a chunky sauce. transfer to a small saucepan over medium heat. bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened slightly, 8 to 10 minutes.
five: remove eggplant from oven and preheat broiler. arrange an oven rack about 8 inches from heating element.
six: spoon tomato sauce over eggplant slices, dividing it evenly. sprinkle mozzarella over tomato sauce, dividing it evenly. use a spatula to place 6 eggplant slices on top of 6 others, making 6 stacks, of 2 slices, on 1 baking sheet. broil until mozzarella is browning on top and melted in the middle, about 3 minutes.
seven: meanwhile, chop or thinly slice the remaining 4 basil leaves. stir basil and pine nuts into bulgur. serve alongside eggplant parmesan.
nutrition: per 1 eggplant parmesan stack and 1/2c. bulgur mixture:
calories: 340; total fat: 13g.; sat. fat: 2.5g; carbs: 54g; fiber: 15g; sugars: 7g; protein: 19g; sodium: 410mg; cholesterol: 10mg
to freeze:
store the eggplant stacks apart from bulgur - in resealable bags or freezer containers - then freeze both fro 3 to 4 months. ideally, leave basil out of any bulgur you'll be freezing, but it's not critical. to reheat, defrost in fridge overnight, then wrap eggplant parmesan in foil packets, place packets on a rimmed baking sheet and rewarm in oven at 325*F to 350*F until heated through. bulgur can be rewarmed in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a little water.
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