Healthy Appetizers

I enjoy cooking healthy… which is kind of funny, since for the most part I do not enjoy cooking.  😯  I think the difference is that it is fun and challenging to take a recipe that most feel is “high calorie and fat”, and make it not only healthy… but tasty.

I think it is the challenge of it that I enjoy…  After all don’t ever tell me I can not have pizza or pasta or quesadilla’s because they are unhealthy…. we just need to shake it up.

Yesterday, my Wellness Initiative group met up and we were asked to bring along healthy appetizers.  I made two…. hard boiled eggs filled with hummus, and a tasty grilled chicken and vegie wrap.  For Weekend Cooking, I am posting both.

Hard Boiled Eggs Filled With Hummus

This idea came off the Daniel Plan website.  It’s so easy.  Boil your eggs and peel them as you normally would.  Cut eggs in half lengthwise and scoop out the yolks.  Fill eggs with a good for you hummus.  I find mine in the health food section of my local grocery store.  Sprinkle on a little paprika and “wallah!”

Note: Not all hummus is created equal. While super tasty, store bought hummus is high in fat and oils. If you do not have time to make your own (like I didn’t) Wild Garden Brand is not only delicious, but a much healthier version.

Chicken Vegie Wrap

Recently while shopping at my local grocery store, I seen a woman buying egg plant.  I approached her (not in a creepy way) and asked if she would tell me what you do with egg plant.  She shared with me a delicious wrap that she had at a restaurant that was filled with mushrooms, onion, and egg plant.  From that conversation… this recipe was born.

grilled chicken breast but up in bite size pieces

sliced mushrooms

eggplant – peeled and sliced into strips, the cut in half

onion chopped small

extra virgin olive oil

can of black beans

healthy wraps

seasoning to taste

*Note – I don’t give measurements because I just toss it all in a pan, depending on how many I am making.  Use the quantity of vegies and chicken that you like.

Heat up the olive oil in a fry pan over fairly high heat (just enough to coat the bottom of pan you are using).  When oil is hot toss in your vegies – mushrooms, onion, and eggplant and stir fry for about 4 minutes.  Keep moving the pan and/or tossing the vegies with a wooden spoon.  Add your chicken and continue occasionally now stirring up the mixture.  Season as you like, I used sea salt, fresh minced garlic, and pepper.

While this is happening heat up the black beans either on the stove or in the microwave. 

When stir fry is done, spread a layer of black beans on the wrap and then add a generous scoop or two of the vegie chicken mix.  Roll wrap up.

For the appetizers, I cut the wraps into 4 sections, about 3 inches each.  If I were to guess on calories per small section, I would say about 60.  The wrap I used (pictured below) is healthy, large, and tasty and 100 calories per wrap. 

I make these for dinner as well.

Check your health food section of your grocer for a healthier wrap. Not only are these better for you by far – I prefer them to a flour of corn tortilla any day. They have an excellent flavor and also come in flavors like garlic or vegie. Delicious and soft.

Check out other recipes at Beth Fish reads for Weekend Cooking.

Weekend Cooking: Egg White LOADED Omelets

We are less than a week out from the 2013 12K Challenge (hosted right here!) and part of that challenge was changing up our eating habits. 

For the past few weeks at my house we have been working on the “out with the not so good and in with the healthier choices.  One of the steps I am taking is going through a cupboard one at a time and switching it out to good foods for good cooking.  Here is my first cupboard achievement:

 

Today for Weekend Cooking I thought I would offer up a healthy breakfast/lunch item that I like to make.  I am a big fan of eggs and we are lucky enough to have friends who raise chickens so I am always in full stock of good fresh eggs. 

I like to make egg white omelets (egg whites are 17 calories per egg) and load them with any  vegies I have on hand.  Recently I made this one I am about to share with leftover shrimp we had from a get together and it was DELICIOUS.  Shrimp are extremely low in calories (6 calories each), practically no fat and a nice pinch of protein.  While I have no exact recipe here as it changes every time I make it, here is the basic idea:

 

3 or 4 egg whites (either use an egg white substitute or I separate the egg whites from fresh eggs)

any vegies you have on hand – for this one I used onion, squash, mushroom and spinach

olive oil

season to taste

shrimp ( I have also used left over turkey, ham, and turkey bacon)

Cut up all the vegies you plan on using. If using spinach, this will be added later so set aside. Heat up your fry pan with a little but of olive oil.  Once the oil is hot pour in your vegies and the shrimp  (not the spinach)and stir fry them for a few minutes until vegies are tender and shrimp are a nice cooked pink.  Have your egg whites ready to go (I usually add about 1/4 cup of water to my eggs), stir it all up and pour on top of your vegies.  Usually I have too many vegies to turn it into a nice looking omelet so I scramble up the eggs with the vegies and shrimp. 

Step 1: stir frying in olive oil

Once the eggs are no longer wet while cooking, I add in a healthy handful of fresh spinach and let that cook with the eggs about an additional three minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste or other seasonings you enjoy.

Step 2: Adding the spinach in (I know its hard to see the egg because I really over do it on the vegies)

When everything is cooked, pour out onto serving dishes and enjoy.  This is super filling and delicious, a highly tasty dish with few calories and practically no fat.

Step 3: Serve and eat!

This recipe is posted for the Weekend Cooking meme, go to the link to find other recipes!  Who knows what you might find for dinner.