Doug's Burrito Filling

I know it isn't the most appealing picture, but hear me out on this recipe. I am a very lucky girl in that my boyfriend can cook, and attempts to make healthy dishes for me. One of his staples is something he likes to throw together for himself and has since lightened up the recipe so I can enjoy it too! It is simple and filling (and I had it for brekkie this morning!).

He sautes a pound of 93% ground beef in a nonstick pan with a packet of burrito seasoning and then adds a can of fat-free refried beans. That's it! It is so simple but so good. I like to add a generous serving of hot sauce to spice my serving up, but he enjoys it with a little less spice. I enjoy this filling because the flavors come together better then when served seperately as the beans soak up what little fat cooks out of the meat. The beans also stretch out the meat to make more servings for diners on a budget.

He also makes a burrito filling that is vegetarian friendly. Saute up a can of low sodium corn (drained) with a can of black beans (rinsed) and half a packet of the burrito seasoning.

You can pump your burritos up with lettuce, grilled veggies, low fat cheese, salsa and whatever else you can dream up. Both fillings also work great on top of salads.

I was surprised at how simple both of these were and yet so filling and tasty. Sometime the simplest recipes are the ones we forget about but are so satisfying to the taste buds, the stomach, and the pocketbook.

The nutritional information will vary based on the brands you use so check them out. You would be surprised at the difference in calories on two cans of fat free beans! Doug's recipe makes about 10 servings and for our products that meant 129 calories/6.8 grams of fat/10.5 grams of protein/2.1 grams of fiber per serving.

May Mystery Box Results & June's Ingredients!

This month must have been crazy for everyone! When my students picked out cheese, chocolate and chilies as the three ingredients, I had dozens of ideas flash through my mind. When it came down to crunch time, I ended up making a delicious (and super easy) popcorn snack! I will get to it in one moment, but first to announce the only entry (I know she scared everyone off with her fabulousness!).

Lauren over at Healthy Delicious made Mexican Cannolis with Homemade Ricotta! Her recipe included some tequila to boot! I am dying to try them :-)

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Spicy, Sweet, and Salty Popcorn

Make some air popped popcorn (or your favorite method), and drizzle unfiltered olive oil. Grate your favorite chocolate and hard cheese. Sprinkle chili powder and sea salt. Enjoy! (I told you it was easy!)

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For June, I hit up my friends! For those of you who had random g-chat messages asking for your favorite fruit in season, the first protein you could think of, or a specific carb... if you didn't respond fast enough, sorry!

The ingredients this month (courtesy of Pam, Erica and Emily): Strawberries, Filet Mignon, Egg Noodles

Yes they are an unusual combination. But for those of you who follow Chopped, what did you expect? For those who want to participate but do not eat filet mignon, tempeh will be the accepted substitute.

I invite you all to join me on this monthly adventure. Each month I will post the mystery box of ingredients. Your job is to create a dish that utilizes all of these ingredients and document the preparation and final product as well as a review of how it turned out. Post a link to your documentation in the comment section of the mystery box post. At the end of the month, all eligible entries will be entered to win a fabulous prize! The contest closes the last day of the month at midnight. While you can use other ingredients from your pantry, the dish must include the mystery ingredients.

The random winner for June will receive a travel snack pack with healthy nutrition bars, homemade blended teas, and an on-the-go beverage container.

Reminders:

1. All of the mystery ingredients must be used in one dish.

2. You may use other ingredients to complete the dish.

3. Post the link to your blog in the comments section of THIS post in order to be counted for the contest by June 30th at midnight.

4. Your entry should have the Mystery Box logo and a link back to this post in order to be eligible.

Good luck and get cooking!!!!

Mystery Box Challenge: Baked Stuffed Peppers

When Doug challenged me several weeks ago to come up with a recipe that included his choice of random ingredients (ala the Food Network show "Chopped"), I readily agreed. When he told me the ingredients were Bell Peppers, Sharp Cheddar Cheese and Oatmeal.. I gagged slightly. This would be a challenge. At first I thought about doing a quiche with an oatmeal crust. However after hanging out with my Hungarian dad, I settled on something more familiar. Stuffed bell peppers!

This recipe makes two halves, which I am counting as two servings. You can lower the calories by using reduced fat cheese or a leaner ground meat. These freeze and reheat well. Enjoy and I look forward to seeing who wins the $10 Starbucks gift card! The March challenge closes at midnight on the 31st!

Baked Stuffed Peppers

1/4 lb 90% lean ground sirloin
1/4 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 green bell pepper, halved and cleaned
1/4 cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 small white onion, diced
1 small tomato, diced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 small can of tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Set aside a pinch or two of cheese. Mix remaining ingredients, except bell pepper and tomato sauce, together until blended. Stuff into two halves of the pepper and bake for 20 minutes.

Open the can of sauce and pour over peppers. Bake for 20 more minutes.

Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for 5 more minutes.

This should be enough time to cook through while not leaving the bell pepper soggy. You can check the internal temperature of the meat with a thermometer.

Nutritional Information: 250 calories/10.5 grams of fat/4.5 grams of fiber/17 grams of protein

Junior Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

It didn't make the Quaker Top Chef semifinals, so I promised I would share it with all of you. Since I am on the road this week, it seemed like the best time to post. This recipe comes from a variety of inspirations including my father who taught me how to make my first meatloaf when I was a young 4-H member. I won a blue ribbon at Food Fiesta!

You can reduce the calories and fat in this by using light cheese, but I just love the flavor of the extra sharp cheddar I used, and there isn't much on each piece!

1 lb 93% lean ground beef
8 slices of center cut bacon
1/2 large red onion
1 cup Quaker oatmeal
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1 egg
2 tsp seasoning salt
1 tsp chili powder
2 oz of extra sharp cheddar cheese, slices into 8 thin slices

1. Cook six slices of bacon until crispy. You want these slices on the crispy side for easy dicing later. Use cooked bacon to grease inside of muffin tins. Then let bacon cool.

2. Toast oatmeal. Heat oven to 350 degrees and lay oats out in a single layer on baking sheet. Toast in oven for ten minutes, stirring halfway through. Place toasted oats in mixing bowl. Oven should then be turned up to 450 degrees to preheat.

3. Dice red onions and cooked bacon finely. Add to mixing bowl.

4. Add seasoning salt and chili powder to bowl. Stir to blend.

5. In a separate bowl, whisk egg until frothy.

6. Add beef, egg and barbecue sauce to mixing bowl with dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. This is a great time to get dirty by using your hands to ensure the ingredients are well mixed? Don't like to get messy? Use a large wooden spoon to aid the process.

7. Evenly distribute meatloaf into 8 bacon-greased muffin tins. Bake for 15 minutes.

8. While meatloaf is baking, slice remaining two slices of bacon into quarters.

9. Remove meatloaf from over. Place one slice of cheese on top and finish off with a slice of bacon. Place back in oven for an additional 5 minutes or until bacon reaches a desired doneness. I sometimes use the broiler for one or two minutes after the five additional minutes of cook time. This allows the bacon to crisp up. If you prefer your bacon on the chewy side, skip this part.

These meatloaf muffins are a perfect serving size and are full of healthy ingredients!

Nutritional Information: 202 calories/10.5 grams of fat/1 gram of fiber/19 grams of protein

Carol's Crockpot Chili

Carol's Crockpot Chili ... Add a lil spice in your life!

1 pound 75% lean/25% fat raw ground beef
2 small onion(s)
2 small jalapeño pepper(s)
1 item bell pepper(s)
1 medium zucchini
30 oz Red Kidney Beans
15 oz fat-free chicken broth

Brown onions and peppers. Add beef and brown.
Toss chopped zucchini and beans into crock pot. Add your favorite seasonings (I used Mrs. Dash Southwest). Pour pepper/onion/beef mixture over the top. Add broth and cook on low for 8 hours.

Makes 12 1/2 cup servings. You can clearly lower the points by using a lighter ground meat, I just happen to be trying to use things in my freezer.