Cupcakes & Coffee Breaks

Like the rest of the recipes I've posted lately, this one is an attempt to incorporate more vegetables into my diet. I used to think that eating well had to be all or nothing. You either threw away the entire day stuffing your face with bacon cheese fries, or you subsisted on veggies and broth. There was no in between! I spent a good portion of last year counting calories, and what I found out was that couldn't be farther from the truth. So during a time of year that we associate with indulgence, it's the perfect  time to try and balance things out with lots of vegetables, proteins, and good-for-you fats. That's where this crustless quiche has got you covered. It's cheesy. It has bacon. It's packed with vegetables and protein. And it's SO EASY to make. Crustless Savory Breakfast Quiche with Veggies and Bacon Ingredients 6 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 bell pepper 1/2-1 cup of s...

Chicken Cordon Bleu is a fancy-sounding recipe that involves stuffing chicken breasts with ham and cheese. That sounds pretty labor-intensive to me, so this Chicken Cordon Bleu casserole is a perfect way to get all of the flavor, with minimal fuss! It's low carb, gluten free (assuming you have gluten-free panko for topping), and most importantly, it's really, really good . You will need: Approximately 6 cups of cooked chicken. You can use less, but more makes for a bigger casserole. It needs to at least cover the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. 1/2 pound of honey ham 1/4 to 1/2 pounds of swiss cheese, depending on how thinly it is sliced. 4 tbsp of flour (I use Bob's Red Mill, for gluten free!) 6 tsp of butter 3 and 1/2 cups of milk 1 and 1/2 tsp of salt 1 tsp paprika 1 heaping tablespoon of spicy mustard Lime or lemon juice Panko bread crumbs Parsley for topping Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the chicken in a layer in the bottom of a greased baking dish. Chop up th...

I have to admit that cooking with a slow cooker/crockpot made me slightly anxious. I was, perhaps unreasonably, worried that leaving the appliance plugged in and cooking all day would leave me to come home to a flaming pile of rubble where my kitchen used to be. Luckily, this did not  happen, and using a crockpot has become one of my favorite ways to cook. I <3 Crockpot   One of my go to meals is this simple chicken chili, which uses only a few ingredients, but is so simple and tastes great! Feel free to modify to use whatever you have on hand. You will need: Approximately 6 chicken breasts (depending on the size). You can also substitute ground chicken, but the shredded chicken breast is definitely better, in my opinion. One 28 ounce can of diced (not crushed!) tomatoes One jar of salsa 1 can of corn 2 cans of the beans of your preference. I usually use cannellini, but I've also used black beans and kidney beans, or a mix! Cheese, for topping *If you're feeling spicy, try ...

I'm sort of at the point where I've cut so many things out of my diet, that things I once hated are now delicious. Example: sweet potatoes. So how did I manage the cheesy mess that is pictured directly to the left? Enter cheesy sweet potato fries. They aren't actual fries, though I suppose you could cut them into fry shapes. However, if you're like me, you won't care, and will choose to simply have your husband cut sweet potatoes into slices. The following recipe will let you treat yourself with a healthier version of cheese fries that tastes suspiciously similar to it's fattening alter ego. You will need: 2 sweet potatoes 5 tbsp of olive oil 1 tsp of salt 4 tsp garlic Cheese (cheddar, mexican blend, etc) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and cut your sweet potatoes into slices that are roughly 1/4 inch thick. Place the slices into a bowl, pour in the olive oil, salt, and garlic, and toss until the slices of sweet potato are covered. Spread the sweet potato slice...

Finding a low carb or grain free alternative to pizza is not the easiest task, but if you like (or don't mind) mushrooms, this may be the answer to your pizza cravings. There are no measurements, as this is a fairly straightforward recipe using a few simple ingredients: Portobella mushroom caps Pizza sauce of your choice Mozzarella cheese Pizza toppings, if desired You need to cook the mushrooms before adding the toppings. You could probably cook them for a few minutes in the oven, but I chose to grill them using a counter-top grill/sandwich maker. First, wash the mushrooms, removing the stems and gills, which should come out easily with a spoon. Coat with olive oil, and grill for 3-5 minutes on each side. Remove from heat. Add some sauce, your cheese, and toppings, and cook for about 5 minutes in 350 degree oven, or until cheese is melted, Then, enjoy! These little pizzas are filling, low carb meal or snack, or could even be served as an appetizer. You may also be interested in: M...

This moussaka-style casserole is made with lean meat, eggplant, and feta cheese for a tasty casserole that is even better the next day. This recipe was inspired by the one found here , though the one that I actually made, detailed below, is slightly different. In my effort to eat more veggies, the husband and I picked up two eggplant about a week ago at the grocery store. Not wanting to waste it, after I found it still sitting in the refrigerator, I scrambled to find an eggplant recipe that looked intriguing, but wouldn't take up the greater part of the day. You will need: 2 pounds of ground turkey, or other lean meat 2 tsp olive oil 2 large eggplant 2 pounds of cauliflower (I thawed and salted a bag of frozen) 2 tablespoons of garlic 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon 1 teaspoon oregano 1/2 cup of tomato sauce 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar Shredded mozzarella & feta cheese Jar of Alfredo sauce First, I recommend salting the eggplant to draw out excess ...

Peanut Butter Dip If you are looking to add a little something extra to your fresh fruit, but you don't want to pack on the calories, you should definitely try this simple and amazing peanut butter fruit dip! Why should you try it? It's delicious. It's easy to make. It's low carb. It's gluten free. You will need: 3/4 cup of plain, non fat greek yogurt 1-2 tbsp of peanut butter (room temperature works well) cinnamon, to taste 1 teaspoon of sugar or sweetener (I used Truvia ) To make the peanut butter dip, simply mix everything together. The peanut butter was a little hard to mix at first, but blended after a few stirs. Serve with sliced fruit, such as apples or bananas! You may also enjoy: Pineapple Upside Down Cupcakes Breakfast Muffins

When it comes to eating healthy, potatoes, in their many delicious forms, are my weakness. Sure, they technically count as vegetables (depending on who you ask), but they are, unfortunately, purveyors of copious amounts of sweet, sweet carbs. I had heard of using cauliflower as a substitute for mashed potatoes, and I was intrigued, but not totally convinced that mashed cauliflower didn't just look  like mashed potatoes, without tasting like them. Here is the recipe that I used: Note: I'm short on space in this apartment, and  I'm not always sure that I will be able to use fresh veggies in time, so I chose to use frozen cauliflower. You can substitute a head of fresh cauliflower as you wish. You will need: 1 lb of cauliflower (fresh or frozen) 3 tsbp of butter 2 cloves of garlic (add more to taste) 1/3 of an 8 oz block of cream cheese 1/3 cup of ground or grated parmesan cheese Chives, basil, or other seasonings for garnish A food processor To make, boil or steam the caulifl...

These breakfast muffins are super simple to make, and they really have something for everyone! They are perfect for breakfast-lovers, and those who are eating a low carb or gluten free diet. You will need: 4 eggs 1/2-3/4 cup of shredded cheese of your choice (I used cheddar) 6 strips of bacon 6 sausage patties Dash of cayenne pepper (optional) I will admit, I used pre-cooked bacon and sausage for this recipe, but raw will work as well. Just be sure to check that everything is fully cooked before eating! This recipe makes approximately 6 muffins. I ended up with a little bit of egg mixture left over, so I added a seventh muffin to the tin.  To make, lightly spray your muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix your eggs and cheese together in a large bowl, along with the dash of pepper, or other seasonings as desired. Press the sausage patties into the bottom of each muffin tin, and wrap the bacon strip around the edges (it's okay if the bac...

I've been gluten free for about a month now, and it really is not as hard as I thought it would be! For this pizza, I used the " No Dough Pizza " recipe pinned to my Pinterest board (don't forget to follow me!). For the crust, the recipe calls for garlic powder, cream cheese, parmesan, and black pepper. I didn't have any black pepper, so I didn't use it, and it turned out just fine. Also, I used 1/3 fat cream cheese, and it was still great. The original author used full fat, but I can safely say that reduced fat works very well. I also used a 9 x 13 inch baking pan instead of a dish. The crust doesn't rise enough to raise an issue, so if you have a smaller baking pan, feel free to use it! Recipe: Crust: 1 package of cream cheese (8 ounces) 2 eggs 1 tsp garlic powder 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 1/4 tsp black pepper (optional) Mix ingredients and pour into greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, or until brown at the edges. Let cool f...