baby bean burgers

Happy summer from Minnesota!!!  It's such a beautiful day here, so you know what that makes me think of??  Cheeseburgers. (Obviously.)

So shout out to all of my cheeseburger-loving vegetarians out there!  Heeeeeyyyyyy!  But seriously, before I decided to take the veg route in life, I loved me a good cheeseburger!  And cheeseburgers off the grill in the summer?!  Divine.  That was probably one of the hardest adjustments for me to make.  At first, I thought the sound of bean burgers was nasty.  It just sounded totally unappealing to eat a mashed up pile of beans.  Gross.

Obviously my views have changed slightly, and this recipe is one of the contributing reasons for why!  By the time I warmed up to the idea of bean burgers, I was much more aware of the crazy crap that came with the premade, frozen veggie and bean burgers and it freaked me out.  So off I went on Pinterest, trying to find some kind of veggie/bean burger that was moderately appealing to me.  I found this recipe for a Spinach and Feta Double Bean Burger.  I made it and actually really liked it!  I’ve made it a few times since, but I have noticed that I had a tendency for changing the recipe.  So today when I decided to make them, I had the idea of making little baby burgers.  I know most people call them “sliders”, but “baby bean burgers” is so much more fun to say!  That alliteration, though!  I crack myself up.

Anyway!  The recipe!

Ingredients

1 can black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can white beans, drained & rinsed (I use cannellini)

½ red pepper, diced (about ¼ inch)

¼ cup chopped onion (I’ve used every color and it’s been fine, but the original recipe calls for white)

2 cups spinach or kale, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons cooking oil/ghee/coconut oil

½ cup feta cheese

1 tsp Montreal Steak Seasoning

2/3 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs (I use whole wheat ones)

2 eggs

Begin by heating about 2 tsp oil in a sauté pan on medium heat.  Sauté peppers and onions for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften.  Add spinach or kale and garlic and sauté another 3-4 minutes, until wilted.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.  In a large bowl, mash all but 1/3 cup of the beans.  Once mashed, add the remaining beans, breadcrumbs, feta cheese, cooled veggie mixture, eggs, and steak seasoning.  Mix everything together until it looks pretty uniform and shape into 10-12 patties. (Now would be a good time to preheat your oven to 375F).  Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a pan to medium.  Gently place each patty into the pan and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side, until there is a nice, golden crust on the top and bottom.  Kind of like searing for meat..except with bean burgers instead. :]. After "searing" all of your burgers, place them on a pre-sprayed baking sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes and flip if needed.  Remove from oven and serve!  Personally, I love to top them with white cheddar cheese and sliced tomatoes, but you can top them however you want!  Hummus sounds like a good idea actually....om nom nom!

I have not yet tried these on the grill, so if you try them that way, let me know how it works!

to your health!

anne

personal spaghetti squash lasagna

Hi, all!

I have been looking for creative way to use spaghetti squash and I kind of wanted to go outside of the realm of "just use it as pasta and put marinara sauce on top!"  

So I investigated on Pinterest and a few recipes for these sweet lasagna boats caught my eye.  As per the usual, I looked a few different ones to see the general preparation guidelines and then made it how I wanted to.  I know, I'm such a rebel.  ;]

Anyway, I used my limited resources and came up with my own rendition that I like to call "Personal Spaghetti Squash Lasagna":

Yum.  Is your mouth watering yet?  If not, look at that melty cheese again.  I bet it is now!

I have to admit that about halfway through one of these babies, I was questioning if I could finish it!  I did finish, but let's just say that I won't be having ANY snacks tonight!  This was SO satisfying!  It fills you up just like regular lasagna and warms you heart and soul!  I would classify this as a comfort food.  A delicious, fairly nutritious comfort food.  And the best part is that like most things I post, there is room for small changes to make it your own!  I already have a few in mind for next time!

Just a random side note, I am providing the recipe for the sauce below.  I had some in the freezer that I thawed out and used.  You can do that, or make some fresh and freeze what you don't use!  

So, without further ado, here is the recipe:

1 small spaghetti squash

1 cup easy meaty spaghetti sauce (recipe found here)

1/3 cup cottage cheese

1/3 cup Italian blend cheese (Mozzarella, Provolone, Parmesan)

1/4 cup fresh mozzarella

Fresh basil

Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut spaghetti squash in half.  Scoop out seeds and goop.  Lightly spray small oven-safe dish with nonstick spray.  Place spaghetti squash into dish and drizzle with olive oil.  Make sure to smear it around to cover the squash's inside and top surfaces.  Season with salt and pepper.  This is where I messed up.  The directions I found said to bake it face down, but I didn't do that.  I left it face up.  And you know what?  It turned out just as fabulous.

Bake in oven for about 30 minutes, or until you can just scrape the squash into strands.  Remove from the oven and turn the oven down to 350 degrees.  Then scrape those strands out!  Then you can start layering like you would with regular lasagna!  I started with a layer of sauce, followed by squash, then sauce, dollop of cottage cheese, cheese blend, then start over with the squash!  I had enough for 2 layers.  I finished with a layer of sauce, lightly sprinkled some cheese blend, but topped it off with the fresh mozzarella and a couple of leaves of fresh basil!

Bake for another 30 minutes or until hot all the way through and the cheese on top starts to brown, juuuuust a tad!  I turned on the broiler for about 3 minutes at the end to give it a little more color.

And voila:

Your very own personal lasagna!  Just add wine!  ;]

Okay, so it was my day off, so YES, I indulged in a glass of red to go with this warm, delicious, comforting meal.  I think it would also go great with something like brussel sprouts or a nice spinach salad, but like I said, for me, this was PLENTY of food.  Very filling!

I bet you are also wondering what happened to the other half of the squash!  Well, let me just tell you!  You can double the rest of the recipe if you are cooking for two.  I however, am not.  So I lubed the other half up with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper and threw it in the oven at the same time as the half that later became lasagna.  The difference?  I left the other half in the oven until the lasagna was completely done.  I took them out at the same time and waited for it to cool while I ate and then scraped out the strands afterwards!  I threw them in the fridge and am planning to use them in another recipe!

Resourcefulness, people.  Make every grocery count!  :]

So anyway, I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did!  It's such a great lower calorie, higher nutrient substitute for lasagna noodles.  And, in my humble opinion, it tastes WAY BETTER than regular spaghetti!

Share your favorite spaghetti squash recipes in the comments and stay tuned for what happens to the OTHER HALF!!!

Stay fit!

xoxo

lazy girl's breakfast muffins

Hi, all!  (Katy)

I have exciting news!  I signed up for a gym membership this week!  Yay!  I was so excited that I lifted on Wednesday and discovered that I am not NEARLY as strong as I thought I would be.  Anyway, adjustments will need to be made for that.  I can't wait to start seeing results.  Because I am already pretty thin, I really want to focus on building muscle and feeling strong and fit again.  I felt absolutely invincible at the height of my athletic career because I was in the best shape of my life.  I'm hoping to surpass that feeling, although I have a feeling it will be slightly different with the training variance.  So here is my starting point:

 January 2014, 144lb.

So this is where the whole "healthy thing" comes into play.  I'm not doing this to lose weight.  I'm not doing this to get skinny.  I want to fuel my body better, workout, and take care of myself because I love the way that I feel when I am doing those things.  Also, I want my butt back.  I used to have this perky, bubble booty when I was lifting for track.  To be completely honesty, I think I can hold it responsible for a few misses in high jump, but I don't have to high jump anymore, so that doesn't matter!!  Mwaahahaha!  So I want my butt back.  Also, my tummy & posture.  Ever since I stopped working out regularly, I have noticed that I stand differently and push my hips and belly out.  I want to be able to see my abdominal muscles and I'm hoping that the core strength that I build will help with my awful posture.

Those are my two main goals as far as aesthetics.  Smaller goals include working some definition in to my back/shoulder muscles, legs, and triceps.  :]

I haven't thought about weight goals too much, so for now I will just say that I want my maxes to be higher than what they were when I was competing.

All of that being said, has anybody ever heard of DOMS before?  It's Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.  It sucks.  I am in the middle of it right now.  It's that awful soreness that you get when you start working out again and it hits on about the 2nd or 3rd day.  Ouuuuch.  Suggestions?

Okay, now to the main point of this post:  breakfast food!  I don't know about you, but I am TERRIBLE about getting up in the morning and eating breakfast.  Since I am trying make better choices, I'm thinking processed granola bars are no longer the way to go.  So I didn't a little research on recipes and, as per usual, tweaked it to my needs.  I give you....

The Lazy Girl's Breakfast Muffins:

They are so full of protein and so filling.  Sadly, they do not incorporate much from the plant world, so adding some mixed fruit to your morning snack would be beneficial.

Ingredients:

1-1.5 cups hash browns (I grated my own potatoes to use)

6 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup grated cheese

desired toppings:  peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli, spinach, ham, bacon, turkey....whatever you love!

*keep in mind that you might need to prep some of the toppings before starting this process.  (ex. if you want the mushrooms sauteed first, spinach wilted, etc)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400.  Spray muffin tin with non-stick spray.  If using hash browns, put about 1/8 cup into each muffin tin.  Season with salt & pepper.  Pop into oven for about 30 minutes, or until they start to get browned and crispy.  In the meantime, get out a mixing bowl and start cracking your eggs.  Whisk eggs until smooth.  Add milk and keep whisking.  When hash browns are finished, pull out your muffin tin and distribute the egg mixture evenly among the cups.  Add toppings of choice.  Sprinkle cheese on top.  Bake for about 15 minutes or until eggs are cooked all the way through.

I froze half of mine and have been storing the others in the fridge until I want to eat them.  To reheat, it takes about 30-45 seconds in the microwave.  Easy, right?!

I am the ultimate anti-morning person, so I love this idea.  I made them initially with just a couple of ingredients and I used hash browns, but I think that on the next round, I am going to try to do spinach and mushrooms or broccoli or something and skip the hash browns.

What are your favorite easy, peasy breakfast foods?!  Comment!

Stay fit!

xoxo

spicy mexican burrito bowl with zucchini

OMG.  I don't like to brag or anything, but this came out WAY better than I had expected.  It was phenomenal.  I stuffed my face.  And now I am super full.  But it was so worth it.  The Spicy Mexican Burrito Bowl.

I based this recipe off of one that I found on Pinterest, but tweaked it to my tastes and to what I had in the fridge.  The original recipe is a skillet meal, but this is definitely not.  It's definitely my take on a burrito bowl (which is awesome).

Anyway, I went shopping at Woodman's today and got some GREAT deals on produce and some dried spices that I had been meaning to pick up.  When I arrived home, I was trying to figure out what I could make for dinner to incorporate some of my new food.  Then I found this recipe.  Which then turned into THIS recipe:

Spicy Mexican Burrito Bowl
2 cups cooked brown rice, prepared with chicken broth
1/4 large white onion
2 cloves garlic
1 small zucchini
1-2 chicken breasts
1 10oz can diced tomatoes with green chiles, drained
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup grated cheddar/Mexican/Monterey Jack cheese (whichever you like best)
Sour cream

Seasonings:  1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, 1/2 tsp. Lawry's, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. onion powder, 1 tsp. red chili flakes, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Prepare brown rice to package directions.  I use chicken broth instead of water to give it a little bit of a flavor boost.  Dice onion and zucchini.  Grate or mince garlic.

In skillet, use about 2 tsbp butter or vegetable oil to saute onions and chicken on medium heat.  When onions and chicken are almost cooked, add garlic and zucchini.  Season everything with salt, peper, Lawry's, garlic powder, onion powder, red chili flakes, and cayenne pepper.    Saute until zucchini is al dente.  Reduce heat to medium low and add black beans and tomatoes.

Cover and let rest until everything (namely the beans and tomatoes) are hot.

Dish up about 1/2 cup rice and 1/2-3/4 cup vegetable/chicken mixture.  Top with cheese of choice and sour cream.

Yum.  Okay, so I skipped the sour cream because I didn't have any.  You don't HAVE to use sour cream, either.  Or cheese, for that matter.  I just happen to love cheese.

Possible changes:
Substitute chickpeas for the chicken
Nix the cheese
Add corn (definitely doing this next time)
Add salsa or pico de gallo

Anyway, the point is that there is room for experimentation.  I loved this recipe, so I hope you like it, too!

Stay fit!

xoxo

mom's garden ratatouille

Good evening!

We are in the second week of the #MTLFallChallenge and I can tell already that the circuit workouts are going to pretty much kick my ass.  I have really started to enjoy running lately, so today was my favorite day so far.  Then again, the first few circuits are always the worst when you are just getting back into them.

Anyway, keep following me as I keep up with the challenge on Instagram!

Today I want to share this great recipe for ratatouille that my mom and I make!  It's so delicious and you can serve it over white or brown rice as an entree or a side!  The best part though is that we have all of the ingredients in our garden!  The photo is terrible because I just snapped it quickly with my phone, but hopefully it still conveys the goodness!

Mom's Garden Ratatouille
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 zucchini, chopped
1/2 eggplant, chopped
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper

In a large pot, saute the onion, green pepper, and garlic.  To the pan, add zucchini and eggplant and cook until tender crisp.  Add tomatoes and seasonings (to taste) and let cook for 5 minutes.  Serve over white or brown rice and sprinkle with freshly grated  Parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

This version of ratatouille is super easy to make and is so flavorful, juicy, delicious, and loaded with fresh vegetables.

Stay fit!

xoxo

meaty lasagna

Oh hi!

Remember when you made that spaghetti sauce and had a TON left over?  Well, problem solved!  I actually usually do this in reverse order (lasagna and then spaghetti with the leftover sauce), but whichever way you do it, this sauce is versatile!  If you haven't seen it yet, click here to view my Easy Meaty Spaghetti Sauce recipe!

Now for the leftovers!  I love lasagna, and I especially love it when I can take a bite and taste the wonderful zing of the tomatoes, combined with the salty goodness of the cheese and just....YUM!  Okay, so I love lasagna.  You get it.  Now try my recipe, already!  It's so hearty and delicious, unlike those slimy, store-bought brands, AND you can control which brands you buy, so you know exactly what is going into your Italian Night feast!  Now stop licking your computer screen....seriously, it's weird.  :]

Chunky, Layered Lasagna

Ingredients:
1.5 quarts Easy Meaty Spaghetti Sauce
6 Lasagna Noodles (I use Archer Farms Whole Wheat Oven Ready--so delish, but use what you love!)
1 small tub (8oz?)Ricotta cheese (again, part-skim, whole milk....whatever you prefer..I mix the two.)
8 ounces Freshly grated mozzarella cheese (yes, freshly grated....fun stuff!)
2-3 ounces Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Dried Italian herbs (basil, oregano, parsley)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spoon a thin layer of sauce into the bottom of 9" x 9" glass pan.  Place two lasagna noodles side by side on top of the sauce.  Spoon another layer of sauce into the pan.  With a teaspoon, place 8 small dollops of ricotta  evenly across the sauce.  I usually alternate rows of three dollops and two dollops, so it spreads out somewhat evenly.  Sprinkle one-third of the mozzarella and Parmesan over the ricotta.  Lay two lasagna noodles perpendicular to the first set of noodles and press down, effectively spreading out the ricotta.  Spread another layer of sauce, then spoon 7 dollops of ricotta down, in the opposite pattern as the first layer.  Sprinkle one-third of mozzarella and Parmesan.  Lay two lasagna noodles perpendicular to the previous layer.  Spread sauce.  Eight dollops of ricotta, one-third of the mozzarella and Parmesan.  (You are catching on so fast!)  Now you're done!  If you like, you can sprinkle the top with the Italian spices for extra flavor.  Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the top layer of cheese is golden.  (Yum!)  Remove from oven and let set for 10-15 minutes before eating.  Serves 5-6.

Enjoy with a fresh salad, baguette dipped in garlic-infused olive oil, and a nice glass of red wine!  Okay, you don't have to follow that last part exactly, but I would highly recommend it!  ;]

If you have leftovers, no worries!  This lasagna makes the perfect packed lunch!  Way better than a boring, old sandwich, anyway.

Stay fit!

xoxo