Recipe: Whole Foods Quinoa Egg Bake

We’re planning a brunch wedding shower for my sister next month, and I needed some good food ideas (not that it’s a difficult task, brunch is my favorite meal!). Sara sent along this delicious recipe from Whole Foods that I knew I’d have to try. I did a test run recently on a rare Sunday when my husband was off work, and we both loved it.

Quinoa egg bake fresh from the oven

The dish was quick, simple, had few ingredients, and reheated well. I actually thought it was better the second day, and it was nice to have a fast and hot breakfast before work. Quinoa is a great plant source of protein, and eggs and garlic are superfoods as well.

...and on my plate!

We rounded out the brunch meal with Al Fresco apple chicken sausage (which I’d never have but highly recommend) and wheat toast with homemade apricot preserves (thanks, Eva!). Yummy way to start a Sunday, that’s for sure. I’m looking forward to serving this up at the wedding shower!

– albledsoe

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Clean and Lean

What does a Type A foodie love more than good healthy food? An article about cleaning out your kitchen and making room for more good healthy food! The experts over at Active.com have put together some great info with tips on clearing the clutter in your kitchen and restocking your shelves with with goodness. You clean out and organize your closets and junk drawers every spring, so why not add the kitchen to your list of spaces to tidy up this year?

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Fry-day

It’s Lent, and in St. Louis that means you can find a fish fry on nearly every corner. Break out the vat of grease and bring on the deep-fried fish, fries and hush puppies. What a way to start your weekend!

This becomes the meal of choice for so many families this time of year. One of my co-workers has admitted to eating this meal at least once a week during Lent. Don’t get me wrong, I am a firm believer in splurging on treats, but in moderation. One fried fish dinner every now and then is just fine, but every Friday? No thanks! Just because you are avoiding meat, doesn’t mean you have to turn to a fried food bonanza.

Grab a bowl of vegetarian chili, indulge in a fillet of fish, but bake, broil or grill it. Make some hearty vegetarian lasagna; enjoy half this weekend and freeze the rest for next week. You do have choices. They may require a little pre-planning, but it will be worth it in the end. You will feel better heading into your weekend knowing you made a smart choice. Skip fry-day this week.

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Scrumptious Salmon

Salmon with ginger-soy butter, I lovingly refer to it as, scrumptious salmon.

Okay F2BT readers, I’m sharing this recipe with you so you can add the ingredients to your grocery list and get this on your menu this weekend. If you like fish, try this recipe for salmon with ginger-soy butter; I promise you won’t be disappointed. It is the best tasting salmon I’ve ever eaten. Yes, ever. The blend of ginger and lemon is nothing short of a miracle; it has a perfectly balanced flavor that you will savor in every bite. I know it’s cliché, but this will melt in your mouth.

This dish is easy to make and it tastes and looks like you spent all day putting the meal together. The adaptation was concocted by the gang over at Men’s Health; they cut the fat, sodium and calories way down from P.F. Chang’s version of this dish. Mad props go out to them for sharing this recipe with the world. Seth made this for the first time in February, and I’ve been coming up with reasons for him to make it again and again since then. This is the kind of meal that is so good, it makes you want to swear off restaurants forever. I guarantee that our next round of house guests will be treated to this delight!

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I ate the whole thing!

[picapp align=”right” wrap=”true” link=”term=oranges+fruit&iid=238870″ src=”0235/d48a6b4d-2b53-4273-827b-7743dc6d926c.jpg?adImageId=10634529&imageId=238870″ width=”117″ height=”175″ /]What was it? A box of clementines. This sweet and healthy treat becomes a staple in my kitchen as soon as winter hits. I usually buy the bag instead of the box, (Seth doesn’t like oranges; no, I don’t understand this) but I couldn’t pass up the deal on a box the last time I made it to the grocery store.

How does one gal eat about 30 clementines in a week? They accompanied my meals morning noon and night. For breakfast I would have a clementine, a boiled egg and some cereal or yogurt. Snack time meant a handful of almonds and a clementine or two. For lunch I swapped out tomatoes on my salads for clementines. At dinner I topped my cottage cheese with them or treated myself to a few clementines for dessert.

In addition to being the perfect snack size (35 calories each), they are so easy to peel and travel very well. They fit into your purse or lunchbox easily and you don’t have to worry about bumps and bruising like you do with other fruits. Is this the perfect fruit or what?

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To Eat, Or Not To Eat

Are there any foods you refuse to eat? I don’t mean foods you don’t like the taste of, but actual foods you refuse to put in your body. This list of 7 Foods the Experts Won’t Eat posted on Yahoo Shine made me think about some of the foods I have decided to avoid.

You know how Amanda and I feel about all things containing HFCS and Hydrogenated Fats; they are not doing your body any good. So, any items containing these ingredients rocket to the top of the list. Read those labels! Just remember that the longer the shelf life processed food has, the worse it is for you.

Reaching for things that are pre-packaged and marketed as convenient can sometimes find their way right into your grocery cart. Here are a few more sneaky items I always try to avoid: pre-packaged biscuits/rolls, non-organic broth and soup, frozen dinners, breakfast bars and toaster pastries.

What is on your “I won’t eat it” list?

-Sara

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Feel Good Fettuccine

Earlier this week I was having a serious pasta craving. Not just any pasta would do, I wanted the mother of all pasta dishes. Fettuccine alfredo. But, the problem with fettuccine alfredo, is that it’s like going swimming in a vat of salt, butter and cream. It tops the list as on of the worst foods you can eat and I knew that I don’t want to put all that bad stuff in my body.

The healthy version of fettuccine alfredo.

Self.com came to the rescue with one of their oh-so-good and healthy dishes. Their Spinach Fettuccine with Yogurt-Cream Sauce was just what I needed. I was able to indulge in a pasta treat with a cream sauce and still feel great about what I ate. I heart healthy versions of unhealthy classics! This dish comes in at 249 calories per serving, 4.9 g fat (1.7 g saturated), 38.9 g carbs, 3.3 g fiber, and 13.3 g protein.

I didn’t have everything I needed to follow the self recipe exactly, so I used asparagus instead of squash and I added a cup of grilled chicken to the recipe. It was delish! Since I was only cooking for two, I had leftovers for lunch the next two days. Consider this healthy alternative the next time a pasta craving hits you!

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I’ll Have The Purple Potatoes

Roasted Purple Potatoes

I stumbled upon these little purple guys at one of my favorite grocery stores, Trader Joe’s. At first I thought they would only have a purple skin, but much to my surprise these purple potatoes were just as purple on the inside as they are on the outside. How fun is that? I think any vegetable that is purple automatically makes it more fun to eat, but it’s even better when said vegetable goes above and beyond in the good for you department.

As it turns out, these little purple guys are more than just pleasing to the eye. The Purple Majesty is a natural breed that is purple from the inside out. This violet veggie that is loaded with antioxidants debuted in 2006. In addition to being rich in Potassium and Vitamin C, the Purple Majesty variety boasts a whopping amount of antioxidants per serving (235 milligrams of anthocyanins). In case you’ve forgotten about the benefits of indulging in free radical fighting antioxidants: they can reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer, and they can also help to boost your immune system and lower cholesterol. It doesn’t get better than that!

Once you get your hands on this purple tuber, what do you do with it? They are about the size of a new potato, and they have a very thin skin so you can use it in a number of ways. This variety is a little sweeter than a regular new potato, and the mellow flavor and thin skin makes the purple potato perfect for roasting. It’s a nice break from the usual Russet or Yukon Gold variety used day in and day out. I have also used them for potato salad; this purple potato definitely stands out among the crowd and will spark some conversation, so be ready to defend your purple potluck contribution.

Have you ever tried purple potatoes? Leave a comment to share your favorite purple potato recipe.

-Sara

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Make It A Mini

With the super-sized culture showing up everywhere you look in the food industry, I was delighted when I received a gift that was the exact opposite of the, “bigger is better” philosophy. A dear friend treated me to a set of mini kitchen goodies complete with miniature utensils, baking dishes and preparation bowls.

My Miniature Kitchen Utensils

She knew that I would enjoy anything for the kitchen, but she picked these out so I could sample new recipes without committing to an entire 9×13 pan of it. What a sweetie!

My most recent mini-adventure was during my Mexican food challenge. I made miniature chile rellano casseroles. Cooking with smaller dishes and in smaller portions is great because:

• You can try out some things that you might have otherwise dismissed; small portions equal a small commitment.
• Your cooking time gets cut WAY down. A casserole that takes 60 minutes to cook when in regular casserole size may only be a 20 minutes. Who doesn’t love a 30 minute meal?

Sure this was a gift for me, but I’m ready to share the love and try any sort of miniature treat you want to have tested. I’ll give it a go and report back with all the details. (I mean, we’re called Fit To Be Tried for a reason!)

Leave a comment to submit your mini recipe today!

-Sara

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A Perfect Match

100 Calorie Pack of Cocoa Roast Almonds

Amanda and I have both reported on two of our favorite healthy snacks that we are nuts about; pistachios and almonds.

Today I tried out a new treat that is a delicious combo of sweet and salty: Emerald’s Cocoa Roast Almonds. A hint of chocolate pairs perfectly with mellow flavor of the almonds. These little gems come in 100 calorie packs which makes a perfect on-the-go snack. They satiate your late morning hunger craving and take care of the sweet-tooth you’ve had since browsing the tray of donuts in the break room.

This treat combines the good for you benefits of dark chocolate with heart healthy almonds. This is quite possibly the perfect sweet, salty and healthy snack!

Kudos to F2BT reader, Nicole, who passed me this tasty snack during a particularly long meeting at work. This new treat was the highlight of my day!

-Sara

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