Stuffed Cabbage Casserole (the healthy version)

 

      Mike LOVES cabbage. I had never had cabbage until I met him. (I guess my parents didn't like it??) The first time I had cabbage his mom had fried it. It was delicious. Then, we tried stuffed cabbage that, once again, his mom had made. Again, very good. We don't have it very often, but when I came across this recipe on Skinnytaste I immediately thought it was something that I would do for him. While also, ultimately, keeping it healthy for me. ;)

     The recipe didn't seem that difficult, however, it definitely took some time. In fact, after rereading the recipe, Mike ended up having to make this one. We wouldn't have eaten until 8 o'clock if I did it.

My schedule is awful these days. Mike works nights, I work days,

and I have an hour drive home from work every day. So, on the days Mike

goes into work, I hit up the gym when he heads into work. On the days Mike doesn't

work, I hit up the gym on my way home from school. This leaves little time

for meal preparation. Luckily, I have an awesome man who doesn't mind cooking

and is actually really good at it. Is that how you wanted me to say 

that, babe?

     The casserole turned out really good. I even made the comment to Mike that it was one of the first things that we made that actually looked like the picture!! What an accomplishment!! It tasted good, too. I have to admit it isn't my favorite cabbage recipe (or maybe that's just because someone else didn't make it) but it was definitely good. And it makes a ton!! Plenty of leftovers, for sure. 

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole (the healthy version)

INGREDIENTS:

     1 lb. 95% lean ground beef

     2 tsp. olive oil, divided

     1 large onion, diced

     1 tbsp minced garlic

     1/2 tsp. dried thyme

     1 tsp. paprika

     salt and pepper, to taste

     1 head green cabbage, coarsely chopped

     1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes, undrained

     1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce

     1/4 cup water

     2 cups brown rice, cooked

     2 cups low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS:

     Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a large baking pan with nonstick spray. 

     Brown ground beef in a skillet, remove and set aside. In the same pan, add 1tsp olive oil and diced onion and cook until onion is translucent. Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and paprika. Cook an additional 2 minutes. Then, add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and ground beef. Pour in water. Simmer about 15-20 minutes or until slightly thickened.

     Cut cabbage in half and cut out the core. Roughly chop into 1 inch pieces. Heat remaining olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the cabbage. Cook over medium heat until cabbage is wilted and half cooked turning frequently. Add salt and pepper to taste.

When meat mixture has cooked and thickened, stir in brown rice. Add half the meat mixture to the casserole dish, then top with half the cabbage. Then layer again. 

     Cover tightly with foil and bake 40 minutes or until casserole is starting to bubble. Remove foil and sprinkle on cheese. Bake another 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

     

Skinny Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

   

     I know what you're thinking....not possible...but it really is!

     Mike and I had a VERY long weekend. Not sure if I've mentioned before but Mike races cars. He has been into racing long before we even met and has had a variety of cars that he loves to take to the track and race. During the spring, summer, and fall months we often take his weekends off to go to the local race track and watch the races since he hasn't had a car of his own. Last summer, however, he bought another race car so he could participate. He's not one to hold on to things long and eventually he came across an even faster race car. So, on Saturday we made the long trip to CT in order to trade his '86 Mustang (runs in the 9's) for an '88 Mustang that he can race Ultra Street this year. We left our house at 5am and were on the road. 6 hours later we arrived at the guy's house for the trade. Then, after about an hour of comparing cars, we were back on the road headed home.

(For those interested...here is the pic of "The Changing of the Guards". Mike's Our old car is the one with the black stripe and the "Proline" sticker. The darker one is the new one.)

     After all of our "excitement" on Saturday we wanted to lay low on Sunday. We called Mike's parents and convinced them to come out to breakfast with us. Then, we somehow convinced them to make us dinner as well!! I agreed to make some sort of dessert, which was hard for me considering the whole "healthy eating" thing we are trying to do. But then remembered the amazing Skinnytaste website!!

     We looked and looked and finally agreed upon the Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake. I, of course, added my own twist to it, but mostly because raspberries were so expensive!!!

Here it is!!

Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Nutritional Facts: Servings (9) Amount per Serving - Calories: 181, Total Fat: 7.1g, Cholesterol: 14.9 mg, Sodium: 145.9 mg, Potassium: 99.5 mg, Total Carbs: 24.6g - Dietary Fiber: 1.2 g, Sugars: 16.8g, Protein: 5.5g

INGREDIENTS:
     4 low fat graham crackers, crumbled
     1 tbsp light butter
     1/4 cup, sugar
     8 oz low fat cream cheese, softened
     1 tsp vanilla extract
     6 oz fat free vanilla yogurt
     1 tbsp flour
     2 egg whites
     1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate (for drizzling)
     9 strawberries

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a square baking pan with nonstick spray.

Mix together the graham cracker crumbs and the butter and press into the bottom of the dish.

Slowly beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Then, gradually add in egg whites, flour, and yogurt. Do not overbeat!!

Pour over graham cracker crust (I needed to spread mine out a little with the spatula to make it even).

Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until center feels almost set. Cool to room temp and then put in fridge for a few hours.

Cut pie into 9 equal bars (I made mine a little bigger and couldn't finish the whole thing). Melt the chocolate and then drizzle on top of the bars. Add a few strawberries and confectioner's sugar for garnish.

   

Cajun Chicken Pasta

     Mike and I have been struggling with trying to find more ideas for healthy meals that aren't so boring. We have had the quiche a few different ways lately and we have also made the pot pies a few times as well. It also seems like most of the ideas that I find from Pinterest don't always seem all that "healthy". So I went on a search...

     I came across a website that I have now fallen in love with. Skinnytaste.com is AMAZING!! They have so many wonderful ideas that are definitely family-friendly and easy to make. On each recipe it provides you with nutritional facts. It also gives Weight Watchers point information in case you are keeping track of that. Now, I don't have to worry so much about trying to figure out all that information myself. It's right there for me.

     Tonight I decided I was going to try one of the dishes that has been catching my eye. It's called Cajun Chicken Pasta on the Lighter Side. Now, normally I'm very cautious of pasta recipes, however, this one really did seem like it would be healthy. I was able to find some whole wheat linguini noodles so it might even be a little healthier than what they say. It also looked quite easy, and with the week this has been that was exactly what I was looking for. (Too bad I have to hit the gym tonight because a bottle of wine would be AMAZING with this dish....and this day.)

Cajun Chicken Pasta
INGREDIENTS:
     8 ounces whole wheat uncooked linguini
     1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, diced
     1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning. (I just used a little bit of homemade stuff I had)
     garlic powder to taste
     1 tbsp. olive oil
     2 medium bell peppers, your choice in colors, sliced thin
     1/2 red onion
     1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
     1 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth
     1/3 cup skim milk
     1 tbsp flour
     3 tbsp light cream cheese
     fresh cracked pepper
     salt to taste
     2 scallions, chopped

DIRECTIONS:
     In a small blender, make a mixture of the cream cheese, milk and flour. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

     Season chicken generously with cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. Cook pasta in salted water according to directions on the package.

     Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, spray with cooking spray. Sauté chicken until done and set aside. Add olive oil to the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Add in bell peppers, onions, and garlic. Sauté for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Season with salt, garlic powder, and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

     Reduce heat to low-medium and add chicken broth. Pour in the cream cheese mixture and stir for about 2 minutes. Return chicken to skillet and season accordingly. Cook until hot, then add linguini and toss well to coat. Top with chopped scallions.

     Enjoy!!

Heart-y Beef Stew

     

     Someone came into work last week with a bowl of beef stew for lunch. Now, I'm not normally a beef soup kind of person. But it smelled delicious!! So, knowing that Mike loves any kind of beef stew I set out to look at a few recipes.

     My mom's birthday was last Monday so we had her over for dinner on Wednesday along with my sister and the kids. I had suggested that we make the stew then, but Mike had another dish in mind. Plus, he said he only gets beef stew every once in a while so he wants leftovers. lol. Needless to say, we never made it, but it's been on my mind. 

     

     This weekend, Mike's friend Ryan had his bachelor party. Instead of the typical club/bar scene with half naked ladies, Ryan kept it classy. The boys went to WISP for the weekend and had a blast skiing. This was perfect because Mike has been begging me to ski for the past 5 years. You see, I AM NOT a skier. I've been a few times but hurt myself pretty badly the last time and I have been scarred ever since. I've tried explaining that I'm perfectly fine sitting in our cabin with a bottle (or two) of wine and making at hot dinner for everyone when they're done, but that's not good enough. At least with this boys weekend Mike got to ski a little and get his fix. 

     Thinking about Mike being out in this cold all weekend reminded me of this beef stew. Fortunately for me, I didn't have too much of a boring weekend. My friend Taylor and I went to sushi on Friday and mom and Lynn and I went on a shopping spree all day yesterday. So today was my only down day and I figured what better way to keep me busy than some beef stew!!

P.S. These ingredients look like a lot, but it's all stuff you would have on hand.

P.P.S. You'll also notice that I used this Pinterest idea to make my carrots into hearts in honor of Valentine's Day this Thursday!! Hence the name "Heart-y"

Heart-y Beef Stew

INGREDIENTS:

     1-2 pounds cubed beef for stew

     1 tablespoon oil

     3 or so cups beef broth

     2 cups water

     1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

     1 tsp garlic, minced

     2 bay leaves

     1 medium onion, chopped or sliced

     1 tsp salt

     1 tsp sugar

     1/2 tsp paprika

     1/2 tsp pepper

     dash garlic powder

     few dashes of celery seed (I don't like actual celery in my soups so this was my alternative.)

     3 large carrots, sliced

     3 large red potatoes, quartered

     1 cup frozen whole kernel corn

     1 can green beans, drained

     

DIRECTIONS:

     Brown beef in hot oil. Add water, Worcestershire, garlic, bay leaves, onion, salt, sugar, paprika, pepper, garlic powder, and celery seed. Cover and simmer 1- 1/2 hours. Add carrots, potatoes, corn, and green beans. Simmer another 30-40 minutes. DONE!! 

     If you want to thicken the broth about 1/4 cup of the broth and 1/4 cup of milk with flour until it makes a pancake consistency. That's why my broth looks a little greenish. :)

Spinach and Sausage Quiche

     As I mentioned before, Mike and I are really trying to eat a lot healthier. It seems like we had gotten into a rut with our food and it was mostly whatever we had around the house. Unfortunately, what we had around the house wasn't all that great for you. 

     Mike is very body-conscious and works out all the time. Working out doesn't easily fit into my schedule but I've been back at it for about a month now. I'm starting to feel really great about myself, especially because this is the first time we have worked out AND eaten right while doing it. We always seem to kind of mix up the two. Either we eat right, or work out. As hard as it is to say, I have gained about 20 pounds since we got married. No it's not the typical marriage weight, it's being lazy (mixed A LOT with a new medication to prevent another O'Neil from coming into the world too soon. lol.) so I'm determined this time to get myself right once and for all.

     I have been mentioning making quiche forever, but for some reason Mike always kind of blows it off. I guess I made a good argument last night when I started talking about how it would be a nice change for our healthy meals. Such a good argument Mike suggested we make it tonight!! :)

     I can't take the credit fort his meal, however. I came up with what we would put into the quiche, but Mike actually made it. It's hard work driving an hour to and from work, working all day, then hitting up the gym after school for about 90 minutes. Our dishes have been put off for about 4 days now, so that was my job. I didn't hear too much complaining out of Mike. 

     Anyway, this was AMAZING!!!! Mike and I both admitted being a little skeptical seeing as how we have never made quiche before, but Oh My Goodness!!! I've already started thinking about what can go into our next one!!

Spinach and Sausage Quiche

INGREDIENTS:

     3 links of Sweet Italian turkey sausage, removed from casing and cooked (use whatever kind of sausage you want but the turkey sausage is healthier!!!)

     1 premade pie crust, the roll out kind

     5 eggs

     1 1/4 cups milk

     1/4 cup red pepper, diced

     1/4 cup onion, diced

     1/3 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

     small handful of spinach leaves

     few dashes of garlic powder, salt, pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray your pie pan with non-stick spray. Prepare your crust in your pan.

2. In a small mixing bowl, blend the eggs and milk. Then stir in onions, peppers, sausage, half the cheese, spinach, and seasonings. (You can also wait and sprinkle these in after adding about half of the egg mixture to your pie, then cover them up with the rest of your egg. Your choice.)

3. Pour egg mixture into pie. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top.

4. Bake for about an hour or until pie browns on top. When you take it out give it a little jiggle and make sure nothing is moving. You want to be sure the egg is cooked all the way through.

Then, enjoy!!

*A suggestion...The pie crust was still a little underdone on the bottom. Mike and I thought it might work better if you bake the pie crust for a few minutes before adding the ingredients. Quiche is typically softer on the bottom, but if you like yours a little crispier, this might be a good idea. *

...I also read where you can partially bake these and then freeze them!!

     

Skinny Mini Chicken Pot Pies

     Mike and I have been eating healthy for about 2 weeks now. There isn't much variety in our meals. Salad, cheeseburger wraps, chicken and rice, salad with chicken, salad with tuna, etc. Boring...so I made it a point today to find something that would be completely different yet still healthy.

     I have been keeping a board on my Pinterest page for healthy ideas. It's just any exercises, food, inspiration, etc that I come across to keep this healthy living up. A few days ago I came across this recipe for these mini chicken pot pies. They seemed pretty east and looked delicious so...I went for it!!

These were AWESOME!! You would never even guess they are skinny!! Supposedly only 185 calories!!!

Skinny Mini Chicken Pot Pies
INGREDIENTS:
     1 can Pillsbury Grands Jr. (10 count)
     1lb chicken, cooked and diced
     1 10.75 oz can reduced fat cream of chicken soup
     1 cup frozen mixed veggies, thawed
     3/4 cup shredded cheese
     1 tsp dried italian seasoning
     1 tsp onion powder
     1/4 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using a 12 cup muffin pan, spray 10 of the cups with cooking oil. Pour a little water in the other two when baking.

2. Separate the biscuits and flatten out each so when they are placed in the muffin tins they create a cup.  The dough should come up the sides of the muffin cups.

3. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the chicken, soup, mixed vegetables, cheese, and seasonings. Spoon the mixture into the "biscuit cups" evenly.

4. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Remove from oven and let stand for 2-3 minutes. Serve right away. Use a knife to help you pull each "pie" from the tin.
   

Slow Cooker Cheesy Rice and BBQ Chicken Burritos

     I know what you're thinking....what a stretch!! Well, it's that kind of night here in the O'Neil household. We really didn't know what we were going to do until my ride home from school. When Mike got off work this morning (that's right, he works night shift I work day shift. What a marriage!!) he said he was going to put some chicken in the crock pot with BBQ sauce. Truthfully, I was exhausted and on my hour long drive to work so I could care less what we were having for dinner.

     On the way home I started thinking about what Mike thought we were going to do with the BBQ chicken. We usually do BBQ Chicken sandwiches but we have been trying to eat a little healthier. (Don't mind the peanut butter cookies in the last post. Those were from Christmas.) Plus, we don't have any rolls and I hate stopping on the way home. Something popped in my head about wraps, but I had one for lunch. Then...ding, ding, ding!!! I called Mike to make sure we had everything I needed, which is only 2 additional ingredients, and then planned my attack!

     This was so easy, especially because when you get home the chicken is already done. All you have to do is shred it!! And you can really use whatever rice you want, but all we had was Rice-A-Roni. Yes, we're aware that isn't really the healthiest choice but...that's what happens when it's what you have in your pantry and you're broke because they have now decided to take even more taxes out of our paychecks. :)

Ok, so here it is. Sooo easy!!

Slow Cooker Cheesy Rice and BBQ Chicken Burritos (whew that was a long title)
INGREDIENTS:
     1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
     1 thing (brainfart) of your favorite BBQ sauce (We used some kind of Heinz something? Sale!!)
     1 pkg Four Cheese Rice-A-Roni
     flour tortillas (use whole wheat and make it even healthier)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Put chicken and BBQ sauce in slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours. Shred in slow cooker and leave cooking until rice is done.
2. Prepare Rice-A-Roni as directed on the package.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Put a healthy spoonful of rice onto tortilla. Then, put an even healthier few spoonfuls of BBQ chicken on top of the rice. Fold/roll the tortilla into a burrito.
5. Place in a baking dish and bake for 15ish minutes until burrito is a little crispy. (Can you tell when I make up my own recipes??)
6. Enjoy!!

So many things you could do to this, too. Add cheese. Do some kind of white beans instead of rice. Add french fries. Don't judge me. Whatever you usually do with BBQ chicken, put it in the wrap!