Eggs in a pepper

The spring semester is always crazy at our house. Zach has baseball, softball, track, choir concerts, band concerts, awards ceremonies, banquets, prom, UIL events, and all other sorts of events to attend. So my weekly menu has to be somewhat flexible.

Earlier this week he had an event come up that caused a meal to be bumped later in the week, which left me to plan a dinner for myself on the fly (the kids got the standard breakfast burritos). I've been following a gal named Alyssia on Instagram who is doing a "100 Days of Clean Eating" challenge, and she posts some great recipes, and when I was wondering what I might have she posted a picture of an egg she baked in a pepper.

Since I have about eight peppers in my fridge from last week's co-op shop, I decided to try it out!

First I tried to cut the pepper in half down the center -- no dice. It wasn't a deep enough hole and I was sure the egg would fall out. So I threw that pepper in the broccoli/cauliflower container we keep in the fridge. I got out another pepper and just cut the top off. Perfect!

After salting and peppering the inside, I cracked the egg and slid it in the pepper. Looked good, but I thought I could fit another one in there, so I cracked another one.

I put the pepper in a pan and put a bit of water in the bottom to prevent scorching. Then I popped it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Here's what it looked like when it came out:

It was cool! I topped the pepper with salsa, feta cheese, and green onion. I cooked it just about right -- when I cut into it the pepper was tender and the egg was still a little runny, just how I like it. The taste was really good, although it was really watery from the pepper and the steam that had built up in the pepper. 

On the side I had some vegetable soup that I had whipped up to eat on for lunches this week, but this would be really good with some seasoned home fries. It's just a quick, easy meal that is nice and light! Try it!

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Workout of the Day

Les Mills Combat 60

We are in the recovery week of month one for P90X. We substitute Les Mills Combat for Kenpo because Combat is WAY cooler than Kenpo. 

Pear Oatmeal

I like to cook elaborate dinners, but breakfasts and lunches around here are pretty simple and repetitive. I generally have one of three things for breakfast: Shakeology, kale and eggs with toast, or oatmeal.

My oatmeal flavors vary depending on the season; summer sees a lot of fresh fruit and I like canned pumpkin all year long. Lately my favorite has been pear oatmeal. Do you eat many pears? I feel like I forgot about them for a few years, and then someone gave us a gift basket that included a few and I remembered how great they are.

Here is how I fix my super quick, super delicious pear oatmeal.

I start with regular rolled oats. The generic kind, as the brand with the crazy looking dude on the front is double the cost, for some reason.

Note that I use the regular old-fashioned oats, not the quick-cooking kind. The quick-cooking oats are just rolled oats that have been cut into smaller size, which in my opinion makes them have the consistency of paste. Yuck.

So, I take 1/2 cup of oats, and add 1 cup of water. Then I chop up half a pear (Zach gets the other half), and sprinkle about a tablespoon of flax on top.

Pop in the microwave for 2 minutes. When it comes out, I stir in a squeeze of honey (that's the technical term -- a squeeze), some raisins, and some skim or almond milk. At this point I have a choice to put either chopped walnuts (if available and if I feel like chopping nuts, which isn't often on both accounts) or some Grape Nuts on top. I love having something crunchy in my oatmeal, and we have been crazy for Grape Nuts ever since Rip Esselstyn endorsed them in the E2 cookbook.

Ocassionally I will also stir in 1/4 scoop of vanilla whey protein powder if I know I'm going to have a light protein day.

So yummy!

With a breakfast this quick, cheap, and delicious, there is really no excuse not to take 10 minutes for breakfast in the morning. It will keep you going all morning long!

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Workout of the Day

Asylum 2: X Trainer

Week 3. Is it possible that this workout is getting harder? Today we tried something new with our agility ladders, creating a ladder out of tape directly on our mat. Is this cheating a little bit in that you don't trip over your ladder? Yes. However, it also ensures that you don't waste precious time adjusting your ladder when you mess it up. You can go harder and faster, and I felt that this morning. Big time!

Shaun T is not messing around!

Slow Cooker Apple Oatmeal

If I had to choose one thing that makes the difference between someone who is successful in becoming a "healthy eater" and someone who is unsuccessful, it would be PLANNING.

When you are hungry, you will gravitate toward the easiest, fastest option. If, when you left the house, you threw a container of almonds and Cheerios or a protein bar in your purse, that is what you will eat. If you flew out the door without eating breakfast because you forgot to go to the grocery store, and didn't throw anything in your purse because you were late -- you will go to a McDonald's drive-through.

Planning: It's the bomb.

This Slow Cooker Apple Oatmeal takes a little planning but not much prep time at all. It's so easy that all the ingredients and instructions would fit in the little description space on the Pinterest pin that I found it on.

Slow Cooker Apple Oatmeal

Put two sliced apples, 1/3 cup brown sugar or honey, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in the bottom of a slow cooker.
Pour 2 cups of old-fashioned oats and four cups of water over the apples. Do not stir. Cook overnight for 8-9 hours on low.

In the morning you're good to go, and if you're the only one eating on this it will last you all week long.

A couple tips: after you've spooned your oatmeal into the bowl, add a tablespoon of natural peanut butter and some raisins to really take the taste over the top on this recipe. I had it "plain" and with peanut butter, and the peanut butter version won the prize, in my book.

Another thing: get yourself an apple slicer if you don't have one. It will make your life so much easier!

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Workout of the Day
Les Mills Power Kata 45

From fat to fit: a Williams Sonoma recipe makeover

Oh, how I love the Williams Sonoma catalog.

 

My mom always hooks me up with hers when she’s done, and each month I perch myself on the comfy corner of the couch to peruse the fancy cooking implements and decadent recipes.

Some people have a dream car or dream house, but I have a dream blender. And every time I open the Williams Sonoma catalog, there it is: 

The Vitamix. In all its soup-warming, peanut butter-making glory.

So pretty! Did I mention it heats soup through friction? I think that blender's powered by a car engine, or something.

One day, Vitamix. One day.

A few weeks ago a Williams Sonoma recipe caught my eye. It was the Ham, Cheese, and Fried Egg Panini, and it looks delicious.

What can't be improved by a fried egg?

While I’ve certainly seen less healthy recipes in the Williams Sonoma catalog, I thought I could create an improved version of this sandwich that kept the lean proteins intact while taking out a lot of the fat.

Here’s the original recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp. plus 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 12 oz. thinly sliced Black Forest ham
• 4 baguette pieces, each 6 inches long, halved horizontally
• 8 oz. Gruyère cheese, grated
• 2 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. minced shallot
• 1/2 tsp. honey
• 2 tsp. Champagne vinegar
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 2 cups mixed salad greens
• 4 eggs
• 2 Tbs. chopped fresh chives

Directions:

Preheat an electric panini press on the “panini” setting according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

In a large nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the 1 tsp. vegetable oil. Working in batches, brown the ham slices, turning once, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate.

Lay the baguette pieces, cut side up, on a work surface. Sprinkle about 1 oz. cheese on each bottom half and arrange the ham on top, dividing evenly. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Spread 2 tsp. mustard on the top half of each baguette, then cover each sandwich with a top half. Place 2 sandwiches on the preheated panini press, close the lid, and cook until the cheese is melted and the bread is toasted, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the shallot, honey and vinegar. Add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified. Add the salad greens and toss to coat well.

In a large fry pan over medium-low heat, warm the 1 Tbs. vegetable oil. Crack the eggs into the pan and cook until the whites turn opaque, about 1 minute. Gently turn the eggs over and cook for 1 minute more. Open the sandwiches and top each with 1 egg. Sprinkle with the chives. Arrange the dressed salad greens on top, dividing evenly. Close the sandwiches and serve immediately. Serves 4.

I really liked the idea of a sandwich with an egg on top, and thought I could streamline the recipe to make it a quick, healthy breakfast.

Here’s what I did:

Instead of  two slices of baguette, I used one slice of Ezekiel bread for an open-face sandwich. Have you heard of this stuff? 

It’s about as healthy as bread gets! It’s sprouted grain and a complete protein, and is very dense. I think it tastes fantastic dry. Isn’t that weird? Look for it in the freezer section. (Since there are no preservatives, that's where they store it.)

On the bread I spread some Dijon mustard.

Instead of ham, I fried four slices of tempeh bacon, or, "Facon," if you will. Tempeh is a soy product, and the bacon version has a nice smoky, maple taste. It substituted well for the ham.

Mixed salad greens: kept.

Gruyere cheese: kicked. 

Fried egg: kept.

Tomato: added.

Shallot: skipped.

Chives: ignored.

Salad dressing: sprinkled just a touch of homemade vinaigrette on the salad greens.

Then for a little extra kick I sprinkled some Louisiana hot sauce on top.

Served with a side of fruit, including a unique and delicious orange watermelon. Hadn't seen one before, but it was super sweet.

Such a filling, flavorful meal! Full of good carbs and lean protein, plus some fruits and veggies. All before 8am!

Don't be afraid to mess with recipes. With a little creativity you can mix and match ingredients to create a brand new dish that is both delicious and healthy.

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Workout of the Day

P90X2 Chest, Back, and Balance

Think outside the mayo

Have you ever looked...I mean really looked...at how much fat is in mayonnaise?

 

1 tablespoon contains 10 grams of fat.  

10. 

The Super Bowl is coming up this weekend, and people all over the country will throw a whole cup of mayonnaise into their spinach dip without a second thought. One cup equals 16 tablespoons. So that's 160 grams of fat in that chip dip. "But it's got spinach in it, so it's healthy, right?"

I didn't mean for this to be an anti-spinach dip post. What I really meant was for it to be a "think bigger when it comes to dips and spreads" post.

When I went to The Spiral Diner the first time a few months ago, I had the Sweet Luv'us Hummus wrap, which used both hummus and mashed sweet potato as the spread on the wrap. It was tremendous! I've been meaning to try it out on my own, so last night I fixed veggie pitas as a side to my Spicy Black Bean Soup. 

On a whole-wheat pita I spread some hummus, about 2 tablespoons of mashed sweet potato (which I cooked in the microwave for 8 minutes and mashed up with a fork), red onion, bell pepper, avocado, kale, tomato. Sucker was jam-packed! And it was great. It left mayo in the dust, on the side of the road, begging for a ride. Who needs it?

For my son I used turkey, cheese, and sweet potato. He asked what it was, and then declared it "Good." 
Love that kid!

So toss out your mayo and replace it with a good old sweet potato. It may not mix well with spinach in a chip dip, but it won't have you consuming half your day's fat intake in one tablespoon of goo.

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So I've been trying to lay off the cereal a bit around here, and instead encourage the kids to eat oatmeal or eggs for breakfast. Today Drew came out of his room and asked if I could fix him "Eggs in a Hole." I enthusiastically affirmed his request, as nothing makes me as happy as making -- or eating -- Eggs in a Hole.

This recipe comes from The Pioneer Woman's first cook book, and it is so good and so easy. 

Now this isn't the most healthy breakfast in the world, but you could certainly do worse. Eggs, whole wheat toast, and a bit of butter.

Here's what you do. Heat up the skillet and throw a pat of butter on it. Take a couple slices of bread and use a small glass to cut circles out of the middle.

Put the bread (and the holes you've cut out) onto the skillet, and then crack the eggs into the hole, like so:

Cook the eggs/bread for a bit, then flip it. I like my eggs runny, especially with Egg in a Hole. The yellow squirts out and soaks in the buttered bread and good gosh...you've gotta fix this! Do so this weekend, then report back.

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Workout of the Day

P90X2 Chest, Shoulders & Triceps

 

I don't know about you guys, but my time is valuable. I can't seem to squeeze everything I need to do into one day, so efficiency is really important to me. This workout was less than 50 minutes and it absolutely crushed us. He moves so fast and the moves are super intense.

I think half the key to these videos are the pace at which they move. To do this kind of routine in a gym would take double the time, at least. We were throwing weight and medicine balls and stability balls around at breakneck speed, and my arms are still feeling it six hours later.

I know we're not even halfway done with it, but I'm going to go out on a limb and publicly state that P90X2 is an awesome program. I'm betting I won't go back on that.