Vegetarian Wednesday: Healthy Vegetarian Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

 Here is another delicious vegetarian recipe (skip the cheese to make it vegan). This dish works as an excellent side dish with any meat.

Healthy Vegetarian Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
(makes 4 stuffed mushrooms)

4 big Portobello Mushrooms
1 bag of Spinach (10oz)
1 cup skimmed shredded Mozzarella
1/2 cup chopped Red Onion
1 egg
1/4 cup whole wheat Bread Crumbs
1 clove of Garlic
Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Rinse the mushrooms and cut of the stem, arrange them on a baking sheet, gill sides up.
3. Bake mushrooms in the preheated oven until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain any juice that has formed in the mushrooms.
4. Beat egg, garlic, salt and black pepper together in a large bowl.
5. Chop up and cook the spinach and the onion for a few minutes until soft. 
6. Mix the spinach and onion with half the Mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup)  and 1/4 cup of bread crumbs into the egg mix until evenly mixed.
7. Divide spinach mixture over mushroom caps; sprinkle mushrooms with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Return mushrooms to the oven.
8. Continue baking until topping is golden brown and cheese is melted, about 10 minutes more.

Healthy Fruity Summer Salad with Chicken and Goat Cheese

This is a very summery Salad with a whole lot of yum!

Healthy Fruity Summer Salad with Chicken and Goat Cheese

Greens of your choice (I use Organic Spring mix)
Yellow tomatoes
Red onion
Cucumber
Strawberries
Watermelon
Chicken Breast
Goat Cheese
Turkey Bacon (optional)
Salt and Pepper

Dressing of your choice (I think a Balsamic Vinaigrette goes excellent with the berries and the Goat Cheese)

1. Cut up all the vegetables and fruits.
2. Heat up a skillet to a medium heat and cook the chicken (about 4-5min on each side, liquid should be clear when done).
3. Cook the turkey bacon in a separate skillet on high heat to make them crispy.
4. Place the salad in a bowl or on a serving plate, place the chicken on top, sprinkle with goat cheese and turkey bacon.
5. Serve

Super Fast, Easy and Healthy Chili con Carne

This is a a super easy dinner that works perfectly for the lunch box for the day after.

Super Fast, Easy and Healthy Chili con Carne
(Serves 4 people)

1 lb Ground Turkey 
1 can Chick Peas
1 can Kidney Beans (or any other beans that you like)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 medium sized onion
1 cup or water
1/2 tablespoon Chili powder (add more if you want it spicy)
Salt and Pepper

1. Cook the onion on medium heat until soft, add the Ground Turkey and cook until done.
2. Drain the beans, set aside.
3. Add the diced tomatoes, Chili powder, salt and pepper, let it cook for 5min.
4. Mix in the beans, simmer until the beans are warm (about 5 minutes).

Healthy Whole Wheat Protein Apple and Cinnamon Pancakes (Sugar free)

Healthy Whole Wheat Protein Apple and Cinnamon Pancakes (Sugar free).

1 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 Egg

1 cup Unsweetened Almond milk

1/2 tablespoon Salt

1 1.5 tablespoon Sweetener

1/2 tablespoon Cinnamon

1 scoop protein powder (optional)

1. Sift together flour, cinnamon, protein powder and baking powder, set aside. Beat together the egg, milk, salt and artificial sweetener in a bowl. Stir in flour until just moistened.
2. Preheat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, and spray with cooking spray. Pour approximately 1/4 cup of the batter into the pan for each pancake. Cook until bubbly, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn, and continue cooking until golden brown.
3. Serve with Sugar free Pancake Syrup.

Healthy Friday Taco Casserole

This is a more healthy version than a normal Taco casserole. This dish is perfect for a Friday night, easy and fast to make and always loved by everyone.

Taco Casserole
(serves 4-6)

1 lb ground Turkey
1 medium sized Onion
1 can of diced tomatoes
1 packet Taco seasoning
1 clove of garlic
1 bag of Multigrain Tortilla Chips
1 big Tomato 
1 can of whole kernel corn
Shredded low fat Cheddar cheese 

*Low fat sour cream
*Salsa
*Side salad

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Lightly spray an oven pan with oil
3. In a large skillet, cook and stir ground turkey, garlic and chopped onion over medium heat until brown. Add the taco seasoning.
4. Add the diced tomatoes to the turkey.
5. For a healthier version leave out this part: Crush half the bag of the tortilla chips and spread evenly in the pan.
6. Spoon turkey mix into the oven pan (on top of the chips)
7. Slice the tomato and put on top of the turkey mix, add a can of corn evenly over the tomatoes.
8. Sprinkle some more crumbled chips and grated cheese on top.
9. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the cheese is melted. Serve with the rest of the multigrain tortilla chips, salsa, sour cream and salad.

Healthy Banana Split covered in Sugar free Homemade Nutella

YUM, YUM and YUM! Who doesn't love Nutella? Unfortunately the crazy amount of calories for ONLY 1 tablespoon (when you really want the whole jar) won't make anyone happy. However, this homemade sugar free Nutella WILL make you happy!

Healthy Banana Split covered in Sugar free Homemade Nutella
(makes about 2 cups of Homemade Nutella)

1 Banana
1 cup roasted Hazelnuts
1/4 cup Almond milk (I used unsweetened)
2 tbs Vanilla extract
2.5 tbsp unsweetened cacao powder
3 tbsp Sugar free syrup
1 tbsp coconut oil
3 packets Sweetener 

1. In a high powered blender or Magic Bullet blend the Hazelnuts until it looks like butter.
2. Add remaining ingredients and blend well until smooth.
3. Split the banana. 
4. Spread the nutmix onto the banana, top with toppings of your choice (I used flaked almonds, cranberries and unsweetened coconut flakes).
4. Serve!

Vegetarian Wednesday: Healthy Baked Veggie Platter with homemade Hummus

My husband and I try to go vegetarian at least twice a week. This platter is super filling and gorgeous with all its colors - perfect to serve as an appetizer at a party as well.

Healthy Veggie Platter with Homemade Hummus

Use whatever vegetables you have at home, I used:

Red onion (onions will done faster than the other vegetables so remove from the oven when soft)
Green beans
Carrots
Peppers
Brussels sprouts
Sweet potato
Red potatoes
Salt and Pepper
Garlic Parsley (optional) 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut up the vegetables (the smaller you cut them the faster they will get done).
3. Line a baking pan with parchment paper, put all the vegetables (except for the green beans) in the pan and spray with some olive oil.
4. Season with salt and pepper, I used garlic parsley as well.
5. Bake in the oven until soft (about 45min to an hour).
6.  Boil the green beans for a few minutes until soft (about 5 minutes), rinse and set aside.
7. Place all the vegetables on a pretty platter.
8. Serve with the hummus below!

Homemade Hummus
(4 servings)

1 can Chick Peas (Garbanzo beans)
Juice of half a Lemon
1/2 cup Water
1 Garlic clove
Salt and Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Tumeric
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Mix all the ingredients in a food processor or a Magic Bullet, mix until smooth. Serve!

Healthy Aioli (Garlic and Lemon Sauce) with Greek Yogurt

This garlic lemon sauce goes with any meat or fish, it's also a yummy dip for vegetables.

1/2 cup of light Mayo
1/2 cup of low fat Greek Yogurt
1 garlic clove (use 2 if you're a garlic lover)
Juice from half a lemon
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix the mayo and Greek yogurt together, add the lemon juice. Mince the garlic and add to the yogurt mix, add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

Delicious, Easy to make, Asian Chili Glazed Chicken Thighs

Sometimes you have to go a little crazy and have chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts but feel free to use breasts if you prefer that. This recipe is easy and so delicious.The chicken will come out best if you marinate the thighs/breasts in the refrigerator a day before. if you are in a hurry you can also marinate the thighs/breasts for an hour before cooking.

Asian Chili Glazed Chicken Thighs
(8 thighs serves 4 people)

8 thighs, skin on
1/2 cup of rice vinegar
5tbs honey
1/5 cup low sodium soy sauce
4tbs sugar free Asian chili sauce 
1 clove of garlic (use 2 if you're a garlic fan)
2 packets of sweetener (if needed)
Salt and pepper
Hot Sauce (optional)

1. Whisk the vinegar, honey, soy sauce, Asian chili sauce, garlic, pepper and salt in a bowl (add hot sauce if wanted). Pour half the marinade into a large plastic zipper bag; retain the other half of the sauce. Place the chicken thighs into the bag containing marinade, squeeze all the air out of the bag, and seal. Shake a few times to coat chicken; refrigerate for 1 hour, turning bag once or twice.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
3. Pour the other half of the marinade into a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, to thicken sauce. If sauce doesn't thicken, add 2 packets of Sweetener. Remove the chicken from the bag; discard used marinade. Place chicken thighs into a 9x13-inch baking dish, and brush with 1/3 of the thickened marinade from the saucepan.
4. Bake them for 15min, remove from the oven and add another coat of the marinade. Bake for another 25 minutes (depending on how big they are, when you make a small cut the liquid should be clear, not pink or red). Let stand for 5 or 10 minutes and brush the remaining thickened marinade onto the chicken.
5. Serve! 

Morning eggs at work, be healthy - eat breakfast!

Everyone knows how important it is to eat breakfast, as they say "the most important meal of the day" but sometimes there just isn't enough time in the morning. You can easily make these yummy eggs at work, all you need is a fridge to stow the eggs (if you don't have a fridge bring the eggs in a closed Tupperware container) and a microwave to cook them in.

1 half of a Sandwich thin
2 eggs
Salt and Pepper to taste

1. Put the eggs in a deep paper dish (if your work doesn't provide them keep a bunch at your desk)
2. Cook on high in the microwave for 45 seconds. Remove from the microwave and see if it needs a little extra time. I normally cook them for another 10 seconds. I like my yolk creamy.
3. Place the eggs on half a Sandwich thin, add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Enjoy your healthy breakfast!

Healthy Morning Avocado and Vanilla Shake to Kickstart your Day!

This is what I drink every day after my morning work out, it's so yummy it feels like it should be bad for you but it's NOT! I drink this at 8am and it lasts me until it's time for my eggs at work at 10am

1.5 cup of water
1/4 of an avocado
1/2 scoop of protein powder, I use vanilla because I think it goes best with the avocado
A splash of lemon (if wanted)

Put all the ingredients in a Magic Bullet or a food processor and mix together. Enjoy!

Tasty and Healthy Salmon with Asparagus

This is a very simple dish to which you can add any side dish or just be super healthy and eat as it is.

Tasty Salmon with Asparagus

1 big piece of fresh salmon (you can use frozen as well but it won't be as tasty)
About 20 spears of Fresh Asparagus
Magic Salmon Seasoning
Extra virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper

1. Rinse the salmon in cold water, keep the skin on.
2. Brush the salmon with a little bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Season the salmon with Magic Salmon Seasoning (both sides).
3. Rinse the asparagus and cut of the stem. Place in a pan and cook for a few minutes, season with salt and pepper.
4. Add a little bit of oil to a pan. When the oil starts that hissing sizzling noise it's ready,  lay the fish down with the presentation side down in the pan, always away from you so the oil doesn’t splash. Cook for 3-4 min on each side.
5. Place the asparagus on a plate with the salmon on top, garnish with lemon.
6. Serve!

Healthy Teriyaki Chicken Wok

This dish is super easy to make and you can use whatever vegetables you have at home. Remember - make a lot so that you can bring it to work the next day :)

Teriyaki Chicken Wok 
Makes 4 servings


 Use whatever vegetables you have at home, I used:

1 zucchini
15 baby bell peppers
1 head of broccoli
1/2 medium sized red onion
10 spears of asparagus
2 chicken breasts
Teriyaki sauce (try to find a low sodium sauce)
Soy sauce (optional)
Hot sauce (optional)

For best result: marinate the chicken in Teriyaki sauce for about an hour before cooking but if you don't have the time you can just add the sauce to the chicken while it cooks.

1. Cut the chicken in 1 inch cubes and cook on a medium heat, when done remove from the pan.
2. Cut the vegetables in pieces, make sure to remove the seeds from the bell peppers.
2. Add onion and asparagus to the pan and cook on a medium heat for a few minutes (note that wok vegetables should be a bit crispy so you don't want to overcook them).
3. Add the rest of the vegetables to the pan with the onions and the asparagus and cook on a medium/high heat for a few more minutes until crisp. make sure to stir constantly.
4. Add the chicken to the vegetables and mix together Now you can add more Teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and hot sauce (if desired) directly in the pan while cooking.
5. Serve! If you feel like there are carbs missing in this dish serve it with some brown rice.

No Sugar Cranberry Almond Cookies

You have to make these amazing butter free, sugar free and flour free cookies, so easy and so good. I made them yesterday and the whole family loved them.

Cranberry Almond Cookies 
Makes 12 medium sized cookies

9oz raw natural almonds
1/2 cup cranberries (or any other dried fruit you have at home)
1/2 cup sweetener
3 eggs
1/2 table spoon ground flax seed (optional)

1. Put the oven on 350 degrees.
2. Place parchment paper on an oven plate.
3. Use a magic bullet or a food processor to grind the almonds and the cranberries into a flour consistency.
4. Whisk the eggs together with the sweetener and add the almond mix and flax seed (if wanted). Mix together until it forms a dough.
5. Make small cookies and place on the parchment paper, top with a cranberry or a raw almond.
6. Bake in the oven for 15minutes
7. Serve!

Prep your food - Easy lunchbox with sweet potatoes, Bolognese and broccoli

This is a very easy lunchbox that you can prepare the night before or the same morning. I used left over Bolognese, remember to make some extra food when you're cooking, you'll thank me when you have yummy healthy lunch at work. If you're not a picky eater that requires a different lunch every day this dish could be prepared for several days and be kept in the fridge.

Bolognese
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup onion
2 cans of diced tomatoes 14.5oz (I used Hunt's Basil, Garlic and Oregano)
1 clove of garlic (2 if you're a garlic lover)
Salt
Pepper
Hot sauce

1. Chop the onion into small pieces, mince the garlic clove and cook together in a pan.
2. When the onion is golden brown add the ground turkey and cook in the pan until done, add salt and pepper to taste.
3. Add 2 cans of diced tomatoes to the ground turkey, stir and cook on a low heat. Stir occasionally. Add hot sauce to taste. 

Grilled sweet potato
1 big sweet potato (for 2 meals)
A little bit of extra virgin olive oil (PAM spray bottle is easy to use)
Pepper

1. Set the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut the potato in 1/4 of an inch pieces, separate the slices on a baking sheet, spray with a little bit of olive oil (don't go too crazy, olive oil is high in calories), add pepper and grill in the middle of the oven for 30min or until potatoes are soft. Quick tip: put the potatoes on a plate and cover with a wet paper towel, cook on high in the microwave for 5 minutes. You won't get that nice "grilled taste" to the potato but you'll get the job done.

Steamed broccoli - cook in the microwave as above for the Quick tip on the sweet potato, broccoli only needs about 2 minutes though.

Enjoy!

Super Easy Spaghetti Bolognese

This is a yummy healthy pasta dish, save some of the sauce for the day after to put on whole wheat pita in the oven to make a healthy pizza (recipe will come soon).

Spaghetti Bolognese for 3-4 people

Any whole wheat pasta (I used Angel hair), cook according to the instructions on the box
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup onion
2 cans of diced tomatoes 14.5oz (I used Hunt's Basil, Garlic and Oregano)
1 clove of garlic (2 if you're a garlic lover)
Salt
Pepper
Hot sauce
Fresh basil (optional)
Parmesan cheese (optional)
2 tbs sugar free ketchup (optional for the ones who wants a sweeter taste to it).

1.  Prepare water for the pasta according to the instuctions on the box.
2. Chop the onion into small pieces, mince the garlic clove and cook together in a pan.
3. When the onion is golden brown add the ground turkey and cook in the pan until done, add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Add the pasta to the water and boil.
5. Add 2 cans of diced tomatoes to the ground turkey, stir and cook on a low heat until the pasta is done. Stir occasionally. Add hot sauce to taste.
6. Serve!

Healthy Salad and Swedish meatballs (by a Swede)

This is how we make meatballs in Sweden :)

Salad and Swedish meatballs

Makes 10 medium size meatballs (make double if you want them in your lunchbox the day after).

Meatballs
1 lb ground turkey or chicken (chicken is less in fat)
1/2 cup chopped onions (1/4 cup if you're not a big onion fan)
1 egg (yolk only)
1/4 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste

Salad
Fresh greens of your choice
Yellow grape tomatoes
Baby bell peppers
Red onion
1/4 cup of Feta cheese

1. Chop the onion finely and place in a bowl, mix together with the ground meat, add salt and pepper.
2. Mix in the yolk and last the bread crumbs. Roll meatballs and cook in the pan until done (around 15min depending on how big you made them; bigger meatballs more cook time).
3. While the meatballs are cooking in the pan chop up all the veggies and dress the salad with your favorite dressing.
4. Place the meatballs on top of the salad for a nice presentation.
4. Serve!

Healthy Gluten Free "Fake" pizza - no bread

How about a pizza without bread and with a whole bunch of protein?

For 2 Fake pizzas

2 chicken fillets
2 ripe tomatoes
1 pepper (color of your choice)
2 cups spinach
1/2 cup low fat feta cheese
1/2 cup banana peppers
1/4 cup onion
fresh basil (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Working one at a time, place a chicken cutlet between two layers of wax paper (or plastic wrap). With a meat pounder, pound the chicken pieces to flatten them to an even thickness - between 1/4 - 1/2 inch. (If you don't have a meat pounder, you can use a rubber mallet, an empty wine bottle, or a heavy rolling pin.) Salt and pepper the chicken pieces well.
2. Cook the chicken fillets in a pan until almost don.
3. Salsa: Chop tomatoes, peppers and onion finely and mix together (add Basil if wanted)
4. Place the chicken fillets in a baking dish, cover them with a layer of fresh spinach, add the salsa and add feta cheese on the top. Bake in the oven for 10minutes.

Simple fruit salad with Greek yogurt

Do you have that late night sweet tooth? Serve this after dinner and you won't give in to that chocolate that is screaming your name. Btw, don't keep chocolate at the house, if you don't have it you can't eat it :)

Simple fruit salad with Greek Vanilla Yogurt.

1 cup strawberries
1 cup oranges
1/2 cup bananas
1/2 cup peeled apple
1 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1tsp vanilla extract
2-4 packets of sweetener such as Truvia
2tbs honey(optional)
*** sliced lime or lemon

Chop up all the fruit in small pieces and mix together in a big bowl, mix together with the honey (honey is optional). In a separate bowl mix the Greek yogurt, vanilla extract and sweetener. Serve the fruit in a pretty plate and add a table spoon of the Greek yoghurt mix, decorate with a slice of lime or lemon.