Greek Spinach Veggie Burgers

One of my favorite meals as a vegetarian are veggie burgers. I'm a huge fan of finding new recipes for them or finding them out at restaurants. One of my new favorite burgers is a Greek Spinach Veggie Burger. It's an amazing recipe because it has very few ingredients and it's pretty healthy. 

After gathering all my ingredients I measured out the necessary amounts of each. For the spinach I first opened the package and pressed it between paper towels. The last time I made this recipe I forgot that step and the burgers were really watery and didn't make easy patties. If you take the time to pat dry the thawed spinach it mixes much better. 

Start out by mixing together Olive Oil, Dillweed, Garlic, and Oregano in a medium bowl. 

Next stir in the stuffing mix to coat thoroughly. As I was stirring I also used my spoon to mash up the stuffing even more. This again is another step that helps to make it much easier to create patties. 

Now add 2 eggs and stir to combine. The eggs are an essential part because they help to make the recipe more sticky. In recipes like veggie burgers or desserts eggs are pretty essential. 

Now add in the thawed spinach and mix together. As you can see since I took the time to pat dry and drain the spinach of some of it's water this mixture doesn't look soaking wet. 

Finally, add in the crumbled Feta Cheese and combine everything together. I love the smell of Feta Cheese. I'm contemplating next time trying out Blue Cheese to see how those flavors meld rather than the Feta Cheese. 

Once everything was combined I molded them into round patties on a pan that had been sprayed with Pam. I cooked them at 375 degree for 10 minutes per side. This helped my patties to be nice and slightly crunchy to make the perfect veggie burger.

What's your favorite non-meat recipe? Do you have a creative veggie burger recipe that others always ask you to make?

Resolutions, Meal Planning, & Free Printables

This year I didn't exactly make a New Years Resolution since my Resolution started in October when I started P90X3 and a healthier lifestyle. One thing I am working to get better about this year compared to last year however is meal planning. I tend to be a little lazy about my meal planning, which leads to my husband and I going out for Subway or Chipotle runs for dinner. But one great way to keep me on track with my healthy choices is to meal plan for the week and get my groceries early. This week I'm ahead of schedule and have already started the process of meal planning for the upcoming week. As soon as I finished my meal planning I got all the groceries I needed as well. 

I like to use handy meal planning documents on my computer because they allow me to add links to the recipes I'm making along with the ingredients I'll input on the Shopping List side before I print it. This week I'll be making Chipotle Burrito Bowls (Vegetarian and Chicken versions), Balsamic Tofu & Avocado Tacos, Zucchini Pizzas, Sweet & Sour Spicy Tofu Stir Fry, Spinach Burgers, Avocado Quesadillas, and Crockpot Minestrone Soup. The great thing about the Soup I make on Sunday is that I'll have enough leftovers after that to last 1-2 extra days of the next week. As the week goes on I'll post my recipes for any I don't already have on the blog.

I'm pretty happy with the ingredients I bought. For the recipes I've picked I have the majority of the ingredients around my house normally. For the ingredients that I had to pick up it was mostly fresh ingredients or reduced sodium/organic ingredients. Plus for what I had to buy for recipes this week I spent less than $40 total. That makes my Shakeology breakfast shake I budget of $4.00 per day even more reasonable this week. 

Here's the free printable I've made to use. Feel free to download or print for your use as well. 

What are your favorite go to meals while meal planning? Do you use a printable document or an app on your phone to meal plan?

One Pot Vegetarian Chili

There are some nights where all you want to do is cozy up to whoever is near you in front of a fireplace and watch TV. This was one of those nights. It's very chilly outside and it's been raining all day. Therefore, I thought why not make some Chili for the hubby and myself while we relax in our warm house. I found this great recipe for Vegetarian Habanero Chili on Beachbody's site. My hubby and I aren't huge fans of super spicy food so I decided to alter it just a little bit. It still came out great! This chili is wonderful for vegetarians and even the most avid meat eaters around. And it has 31 grams of protein in it!!!! That's amazing for a vegetarian meal. Plus it's healthy too.

Total Time: 35 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 20 min.
Yield: 10 servings, about 1 cup each

Ingredients:

• 12 oz Meatless Crumbles
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4 oz Green Chiles
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• ½ tsp. paprika
• 1 dash ground black pepper
• 1 14.5 oz can black beans, do not drain
• 1 14.5 oz can kidney beans, do not drain
• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped

I used a giant pot to avoid splashing while the food was bubbling. I probably could've used a skillet.

Preparation:

1. Heat large skillet, lightly coated with spray over medium-high heat.
2. Add onion; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until translucent.
3. Add garlic, green chiles , and meatless crumbles; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until meatless crumbles are fully brown.
4. Add chili powder, paprika, and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 more minutes.
5. Add black beans, kidney beans, and tomatoes; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until mixture is heated through.

Tip: Any remaining chili can be frozen to be reheated at a later time.

Tip: If you like your Chili more spicy substitute with jalapeños or habaneros.

Pumpkin Pancakes

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Like many other people I am absolutely obsessed with anything pumpkin. I love pumpkin spice chai tea lattes, pumpkin pies, pumpkin spice candles, Pumpkin Spice Shakeology, and recently pumpkin pancakes. I always like experimenting with my pancake flavors on the weekends, so why not pumpkin? Thankfully I also found a recipe to make healthy pumpkin pancakes. It took only about 15 minutes to make these pancakes (including prep time) so they are also a super easy breakfast. Plus I already had all the ingredients sitting around in my house since I've stocked up on pumpkin puree and spice to make my Pumpkin Spice Shakeology. YUM! My husband was out this morning so I made the recipe for just myself. You can always double the recipe for two people or triple if you have a kid. I ended up with 4 pancakes when I made the recipe below.

Ingredients

• ½ cup oatmeal
• 6 egg whites
• 1/4 cup pumpkin pure 
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp pumpkin spice
• a splash of vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Grind the oatmeal first by using a coffee grinder, magic bullet or a blender (I used my ninja blender)
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend again.
3. Set a non stick pan to medium heat and spray with cooking spray.

1. Cook each side for about a minute.
2. Depending on the size of your pan it could make from 3 large pancakes to 5 smaller ones like mine.

For the 4 pancakes it was only 276 calories, 3 grams of fat, and 30 grams of protein. That to me sounds like a great breakfast to start the day....especially with this cold weather we are having right now in Fall. ENJOY!



<3 Kelly Jean

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

 

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I am here to admit that I am a pizza addict. It is literally my favorite food. Back when I used to order Dominoes, just the doorbell ringing would make my mouth water. Then my husband and I would split a medium cheese pizza with spinach, pepperonis, and banana peppers. Somehow being a foot shorter and almost 70 pounds less I was still able to eat just as much as him. I don't think that was a good thing. Especially since usually I would feel pretty stuffed afterwards. I think that was half my problem most of the time. I enjoyed the taste of the few foods I really liked so much that it was hard for me to stop eating them once I started. That eventually led to me just not being happy with what I saw in the mirror. That was not a good thing. That is why now I am making a change. And one of my changes is to find healthier ways to eat the things I love. Therefore I decided to try out a Cauliflower Crust Pizza. At first thought I was like "Uh, no..." I love vegetables, but using them to make a crust just didn't seem like it would give my favorite dish that same yummy taste. Well, I was so WRONG! Cauliflower Crust Pizza is amazeballs!! [I obviously know that's not a word, but it's the best way to describe how good it tasted]

 

First I had to decide what kind of cauliflower to buy. I did not realize there were so many colors. I'm wondering if anyone knows the difference in the colors. Is one color of cauliflower more nutritious than another? Do the different colors of cauliflower have different flavors? I'm so curious!

Now time to assemble my ingredients. For my crust all I needed was Dried Oregano (you can also use fresh oregano), minced garlic, fat free mozzarella, large eggs, and one large head of cauliflower. I started by chopping off the leaves on the bottom then roughly chopping the cauliflower into florets. I made sure the florets were small enough to fit inside my Food Network Food Processor. I then threw the pieces into the processor and pulsed until the cauliflower resembled rice.

 

I then placed a lid on top of my microwave safe bowl and microwaved the cauliflower for 10 minutes. While this was microwaving in a separate bowl I mixed the 4 eggs, garlic, oregano, and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese. Once the cauliflower was done "steaming" I carefully took it out of the oven and added the eggs, garlic, oregano, and mozzarella cheese mixture to the cauliflower. I stirred and mixed until the cheese was melted and everything was mixed nicely.

The mixture seems pretty soggy right now, but don't worry it will harden while baking. I then spread the dough onto a greased pan. I used a spoon and my hands to spread the crust to the edges or as close as I could to the edges of my pan. I was hoping for thin crust, so I spread my dough pretty thin.

Doesn't it look nice? To me it basically looks like I used regular dough, but nope I did not. I am cutting out a good portion of the carbs for this recipe option. Lowering your carbs is great for getting rid of the "wheat belly" look. After spreading out my dough I popped the crust into the oven for around ~25 minutes at 425 F. I wanted to get my crust to a light golden brown.

The crust looks so tasty. If I was following the recipe I found I would throw some more cheese on it and cook for 5 minutes. However, I wanted to make this into a pizza. So I added my toppings. I added pizza sauce, turkey pepperonis (for my husband), fat free mozzarella, banana peppers, cherry tomatoes, red peppers, and oregano. Once I got all my toppings placed I popped it back in the oven for 5 more minutes to cook.

Now it's time to enjoy the rewards of my "hard" work. YUM! It was delicious. My husband and I both loved it!!

Ingredients

• 4 cups of riced cauliflower (about 1 large head of cauliflower)
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups of mozzarella cheese
• 3 tsp oregano
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese (for topping)  
• Optional extra toppings: turkey pepperonis, cherry tomatoes, red peppers, green peppers, banana peppers, spinach, pineapple, ham, chicken, onions, etc...

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 F degrees. Prepare 2 pizza dishes or a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Make sure your cauliflower is roughly chopped in florets. Add the florets to your food processor and pulse until cauliflower resembles rice.
3. Place the cauliflower in a microwavable container and cover with lid. Microwave for 10 minutes. Place the microwaved cauliflower in a large bowl and add the 4 eggs, 2 cups of mozzarella,oregano, garlic and salt and pepper. Mix everything together.
4. Place the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and shape into either a pizza crust, or a rectangular shape for the breadsticks.
5. Bake the crust (no topping yet) for about 25 minutes or until nice and golden. Don't be afraid the crust is not soggy at all. Once golden, sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese and other pizza toppings and put back in the oven for another 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.
6. Slice and serve.

Recipe adapted from: Jo Cooks

Do you need any help figuring out how to meal plan or coming up with ideas for healthy eating? Or just need some help figuring out workouts? Ask me!

<3 Kelly Jean

A Healthier Egg Salad Sandwich

As a vegetarian [a.k.a. very picky person] I have to find different ways to get the protein that I need, especially when I'm working out 6 days a week with P90X3. One way for me is to eat hard boiled eggs or egg salad sandwiches. I am in love with egg salad sandwiches and deviled eggs. My only issue with them is how they aren't super super healthy due to the amount of mayonnaise in them. I was worried with my recent attempts to be a healthier me that maybe I had to fully cut out egg salad sandwiches from my diet. [insert sad face]. Well, thankfully Pinterest came to my rescue. I found a recipe on the Yummy Life and have adapted it to my taste. 

I started out by making the hardboiled eggs. The way I learned to hard boil eggs is to place your eggs in a medium pot with the water level just above the eggs. On high heat you let the eggs sit till they start to boil.

Once they begin to be at a rolling boil then you turn the heat off, leave the pot on the burner and set the timer at 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes has passed remove the pot from the heat and drain the water. I then shake the pot with the eggs in it. This helps to crack the shells and make the removal of the shells easier. 

I then fill the pot with cool water and start to peel the eggs. After everything I have just done the shells tend to almost fall off making it super easy to peel the eggs in one attempt. 

As you can see the shells came off without any pieces or chunks being ripped off the eggs. The site of perfectly peeled eggs makes me a very happy woman! I now need to chop all of my eggs in half.

Now that I have my nicely chopped in half eggs it's easier to place them in my food processor. I use a Food Network Pink Food Processor that I received last year for Christmas. I usually do 10-15 pulses until the eggs are finely chopped. Obviously, you can also just use your knife to chop them up, but I find it's easier to place them in my food processor.

Once they look like this you can place them to the side while you mix the rest of your ingredients. Mix in a bowl 1/3 cup low-fat Greek Yogurt, 1 tablespoon Olive Oil Mayonnaise, 1 teaspoon dried dill, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 tablespoon Spicy Mustard, 1 tablespoon yellow mustard.

Once you have them nicely mixed you can add it to the diced eggs you sat aside earlier. And mix nicely. 

You are done. You can place on a few pieces of bread with lettuce or make a salad. I chose to make a sandwhich. It was so good. I was really impressed with how creamy it tasted even though there was so much less mayonnaise. 

Ingredients

• 5 large eggs, boiled and peeled
• 1/3 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh dill (may substitute 1 teaspoon dried dill)
• 1 tablespoon spicy mustard
• 1 tablespoon regular mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Place your eggs in a medium pot with the water level just above the eggs
2. On high heat bring the eggs to a boil
3. Turn off the heat, while leaving the pot on the burner and set the timer for 10 minutes
4. After 10 minutes remove the pot from the burner and drain the water
5. Shake the pot with the lid still on over the sink
6. Remove the lid and fill the pot with cool water.
7. Peel the eggs, rinse the remaining shell pieces off, and dry the eggs
8. Cut each egg in half and place in food processor bowl. Pulse 10-12 times until eggs are broken up into small pieces, being careful not to overdo it and puree the eggs. (Or, chop the eggs with a knife.) 
9. In a separate large bowl, use a fork to whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, dill, mustards, and pepper. 
10. Add the chopped eggs and mix lightly with the fork until well combined. 

(3 Weight Watchers PointsPlus per 1/3 cup serving.)

<3 Kelly Jean