Hard-Boiled Quail Eggs with Grilled Asparagus and a Grilled Peach Salad

While doing a Whole Foods run with my mom the other day, we came across some quail eggs. These little guys are actually the most adorable thing I've ever seen! Out of curiosity, we decided to buy them and see what we could do with them. We came up with the idea to hard-boil the eggs and serve them with asparagus. This makes the perfect side dish to any meal, like fish or poultry. Try your local Whole Foods Market, or equivalent, to find the eggs.

           

Preheat your grill to high. Cut off the tough ends of your asparagus and grill for about 5-10 minutes, until they have a nice char. If you can't grill the asparagus, roasting them works just as well. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. Gently place your quail eggs in the pot and boil for 4 minutes. Once boiled, place the quail eggs in a bowl of cold water. Simply wait a few minutes and then peel. Slice your hard-boiled quail eggs in half, place over the asparagus, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and ground cayenne pepper.

Serving suggestion: Serve next to a large salad with grilled peaches (recipe below) for a refreshing and nutritious meal. Cut peaches in half to grill and quarter to serve.

                              

Makes 4 Servings

Recipe:

1 Pound of Trimmed Fresh Asparagus Spears

1 Container of Quail Eggs

Season to taste with salt, pepper, and ground cayenne

Grilled Peach Salad:

4 Cups Greens (Spinach or Mesclun Greens)

2 Peaches, Diced

1/4 Cup Chopped Purple Onion

2 Tbsp Pomegranate Seeds

2 Tbsp Light Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette

*Grill asparagus and peach halves on high heat for 5-10 minutes
* Boil eggs for 4 minutes

Roasted Veggie "Chips" and "Fries"

Roasted vegetables became my new favorite snack once I gave up my potato chip addiction. Veggies are great because you can make them as salty and as crispy as you'd like to replicate things like chips and fries. Plus, they're full of nutrients and completely guilt free! Well, I was definitely having a salt craving today and saw that I had some cucumber and baby carrots in the fridge. Obviously I decided to roast them. Now, it might sound weird to hear "roasted cucumber", but trust me... it's amazing. They come out moist yet crispy, and are really satisfying. The baby carrots taste really sweet when roasted, almost like sweet potato fries, but with much fewer calories.

                               

Start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees. Cut your cucumber of choice into thin slices (try to keep them uniform so they all cook at the same time). You can substitute the cucumber for summer squash, like yellow squash or zucchini. For the carrots, just cut some baby carrots in half length-wise. You can substitute the carrots for butternut squash as well. Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with Pam Olive Oil Spray or Coconut Oil Spray and add your veggies. Season with sea salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper- or any other seasonings of your choosing. Spray veggies with Pam and place in the oven for about 10-12 minutes, turning once halfway through. Serve with salsa, homemade queso, or ketchup and enjoy!

                              

Serving Size: Make as much as you'd like!

Recipe:

Pam Spray (Olive or Coconut Oil)

1 Cucumber, Sliced (Or summer squash)

1 Bag of Baby Carrots, Cut Lengthwise (Or butternut squash)

Season to taste

*Roast in oven at 450 degrees for 10-12 minutes, turning once

Bunless Portobello Mushroom Burger

Summer is a great time for BBQ's, which means a lot of hot dogs and hamburgers. This can really start to take its toll on your healthy eating choices. You can easily make your own leaner and healthier burger by substituting the meat for a Portobello Mushroom Cap. They are thick and juicy, and not to mention taste great. You can add all of the toppings you want to a mushroom cap and it will feel like you are really eating a burger, without the guilt.

                                       

Start by cleaning your mushroom cap and removing the stem. Then marinate it in the flavor of your choosing, like sugar-free BBQ sauce, less sodium teriyaki or soy sauce, or balsamic vinegar. Marinate in a bag for about 30 minutes to an hour. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place your mushroom cap in the oven (or on the grill) for 10 minutes cap side down, then flip and cook for another 10 minutes- if you're grilling, cooking time will be a few minutes shorter on each side. While it cooks through, sautee some scallions as a garnish. Once your mushroom cap is done, put some romaine lettuce, tomato, scallions and crushed red pepper on top and you have a bunless burger!

You can use a Whole Wheat English Muffin if you're looking for a more traditional style "burger". Other great toppings are low fat cheese and avocado. If you still want the meat but none of the bread, cook two portobello mushroom caps and use them as the bun for your burger.

Makes 1 Serving

Recipe:

1 Portobello Mushroom Cap

1 Slice Tomato

1/2 Cup Romaine Lettuce

1/4 Cup Scallions

1 Tbsp Less Sodium Soy Sauce (Or marinade of your choosing)

1/4 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper (Optional)

Season to Taste

 *Cook at 400 degrees for 10 minutes on each side (20 min total)

Summer Watermelon Salad

Salads don't always have to be made with lettuce and tons of dressing. There are so many different varieties of salad, like potato, tuna, pasta, and fruit. On hot summer days, I love to eat watermelon. It has about 92% water by weight, so it's extremely hydrating- perfect for summer! It's also high in Vitamins A and C and helps strengthen immunity. Though watermelon is usually used as a snack or for dessert, I made it into an extremely satisfying summer lunch.

                                 

This might be the most simple salad I've ever made, but definitely one of my favorites. Start with your watermelon- buying a fresh half or whole watermelon is much cheaper than buying precut or prepackaged watermelon (it also tastes much better). Cut your watermelon into bite size pieces and place in a bowl. Next, take your cucumber and slice into very thin pieces. If they come out too thick, just cut them in half. Mix in some balsamic vinegar and throw a few pumpkin seeds on top for protein. Now you have an extremely quick and refreshing summer salad! Feel free to toss in some fat-free feta cheese, which tastes great with watermelon.

Makes 1 Serving

Recipe:

1 Cup Watermelon

1/2 Cup Cucumber

1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 Tbsp Pumpkin Seeds

Light Chicken Cacciatore

Making the same grilled chicken for dinner can start to get pretty boring. Chicken Cacciatore is a great and healthy way to keep this protein in your diet, with much more flavor and excitement. While most Chicken Cacciatore recipes call for flour and olive oil, I left them out to make a lighter and much healthier version (you can still use oil, it's a healthy fat!)

                  

Start by cutting up your chicken breasts into small, bite size pieces (you can always leave them whole, just make sure they cook through). Heat up a skillet and sautee your garlic, onion, and bell pepper with Pam Spray. Add in your diced chicken breast and cook through. Next, add in your dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio, and bring to a simmer (dry red wines work too). Add in a full can of petite diced tomatoes with juice, capers (you can substitute for olives), oregano, and basil. Season to taste and stir to cover all of the pieces of chicken. Bring back to a simmer and cover for about 20 minutes. You can serve your Chicken Cacciatore on its own, on a whole wheat tortilla, whole grain bread, or with whole grain pasta. Always add a side of veggies and serve hot!

                   

Makes 4-6 Servings

Recipe:

Pam Spray

2 4 Oz Chicken Breasts

1 28 Oz Can Petite Diced Tomatoes With Juice (I used Hunt's)

1/3 Cup Dry White Wine (I used Pinot Grigio)

1 Medium Onion Diced

3 Cloves Chopped Garlic

1/2 Cup Chopped Bell Pepper
1 Tbsp Capers (You can substitute for 1/2 Cup of whole or halved olives)
2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Basil
1 Tsp Dried Oregano
Season to Taste

Chopped Lean Ground Turkey

One of my absolute favorite meals growing up has to be my mom's homemade Sloppy Joe. It was the perfect combination of chopped ground beef, tomato sauce, and a bun to soak it all up. I wasn't quite ready to give up my favorite comfort food, so I switched up the recipe a bit... okay a lot (sorry mom!). I swapped out the ground beef for lean ground turkey breast. Turkey itself is already leaner than beef, but the white meat (aka the breast) is leaner than the dark meat so try to avoid using mixed ground turkey if possible.

                           

Start by sauteeing garlic, onion, and chopped bell pepper with Pam Spray in a large size pot. Add in your ground turkey- as it starts to brown, constantly break it up with a fork. Once all of the pink turns to a light brown, add in a can of fire roasted diced tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. I always add a sprinkle of crushed red pepper for a metabolism booster. Mix everything together and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the meat is a medium brown. Make sure to stir constantly so nothing burns! A few suggestions to serve your chopped ground turkey are on its own, on a whole grain bun, or on a whole wheat tortilla (see recipe), all with a side of veggies.

                             

-You can use ground turkey to make your own meatballs, turkey burgers, stuffed peppers, or even chili. The possibilities are endless!

Makes 4-6 Servings

Recipe:

Pam Spray

1 20 Oz Package of Lean or Extra Lean Ground Turkey Breast

1 14.5 Oz Can of Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes (I used Hunt's)

1/4 Cup Chopped Red Onion

1/4 Cup Chopped Bell Pepper

2 Tsp Minced Garlic

1 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper (Optional)

Season to Taste

Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas

Since going on a low carb diet, I've cut out a lot of bread but I came across a problem... I love sandwiches. I started to buy whole wheat tortillas at the store, which can be used for literally anything. They are great for healthier homemade quesadillas or for on the go veggie and turkey wraps. Instead of constantly running out to the store and spending a lot of money, I decided to try and make my own. They came out great! Making these tortillas is extremely quick and easy.

This recipe has 3 simple ingredients, Spelt Whole Wheat Flour, Water and Salt. Did you notice that there's no olive oil? That's because it's really not necessary. You can also use regular whole wheat flour or almond flour if you don't like the taste of spelt. Mix the ingredients together in a bowl. Though using an electric handmixer for 5 minutes will create better results, using your hand and a fork will work just as well. After all of the ingredients are mixed together, cover and set aside for 10 minutes. Start to preheat your skillet or nonstick pan. After 10 minutes, roll your dough up into 6-8 balls. Then roll out each ball into a flat circle using the bottom of your hand or a rolling pin. Put some flour on your hands and dough to avoid sticking.

                           

Make each tortilla individually. Try to spread each as thin as possible without breaking or tearing. Place the first one in the preheated skillet for about 45-60 on one side. Then flip it over to the other side for an additional 45-60 seconds. They should look golden brown. If they are not finished, raise the heat of your stove-top. If the first one comes out a little bit burnt, turn down your heat. Place each one on a plate and you're done! Healthy Homemade Whole Wheat Tortillas at your fingertips.

                  

Makes 6-8 Tortillas

Recipe:

1 Cup Spelt Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 Cup Water

1/2 Tsp Salt

*Cook each tortilla in a skillet for 45-60 seconds on both sides

Cold Tofu Salad

I'm definitely not a vegetarian, but I just happen to really like tofu. I started getting bored of the typical stir fry and decided to change it up a bit. I absolutely love eating salads during the summer. There's something about the hot weather and a cold crunchy salad that just go well together. That's how I came up with the idea for a cold tofu salad!

                                

First, I bought myself a package of Firm Tofu. Silken Tofu is best used in smoothies and protein shakes. Make sure to pat down your firm tofu with a paper towel to absorb as much moisture as possible. Cut your tofu up into small bit size pieces and sprinkle with some soy sauce, salt, ground black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Set aside and let the flavor absorb. Now you can start getting your salad together while the flavor intensifies. Chop up some romaine lettuce, or whichever lettuce you like (kale and a spring mix are always great options). Cut up some cherry tomatoes and bell pepper- which has added benefits when eaten raw because cooking or roasting it breaks down its Vitamin C. Add in some snow peas for some more Vitamin C and top with roasted pumpkin seeds for added protein. Finally throw in the tofu and toss with some Balsamic Vinegar as your dressing. This is a great post workout meal and will keep you full for a while. You can substitute the tofu for some grilled chicken or mahi mahi.

Recipe:

3 Oz Firm Tofu

1 Tbsp Less Sodium Soy Sauce

1/4 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper

1 Cup Lettuce

2 Cherry Tomatoes

1/4 Cup Snow Peas

1/4 Cup Bell Pepper

1 Tbsp Pumpkin Seeds

1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Spaghetti Squash Pizza

I absolutely love pizza, but don't love the calories. I decided to make a much healthier and filling version that's completely guilt free. I had leftover spaghetti squash and decided to put it to use. You can use cooked cauliflower for this instead.

                        

To make spaghetti squash pizza, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Start by drying the already cooked squash with a paper towel to get the moisture out. Season the squash with spices like salt, pepper, garlic powder, crushed red pepper and oregano. After the seasoning is mixed in, take your squash and shape it like a slice of pizza. Spray a nonstick pan with Pam and place your "slice" on it. Cook it in the oven for 15 minutes, flip it over and cook for another 10 minutes. Make sure to check it so it doesn't burn. While the slice is in the oven, cook some diced tomatoes and veggies of your choosing in a nonstick pan. Once the slice is done, spoon the tomato mixture on top and sprinkle it with some reduced fat grated parmesan cheese. Now you have a guilt free slice of pizza!

Some healthy topping ideas are pineapple, olives, broccoli, mushrooms and spinach.

Recipe:

Pam Spray

1 Cup of Cooked Spaghetti Squash

1/2 Cup Canned Fire Roasted Tomatoes (I used Hunt's)

1/3 Cup Veggies

1 Tsp Reduced Fat Grated Parmesan Cheese

Season to Taste

*Cook at 400 degrees for 25 minutes total

Stuffed Baby Bellas

Baby Bella Mushrooms are just small portabello mushrooms, except much cuter. You can do a lot with portobello mushrooms, like using it as a burger or steak substitute. Baby bellas are a great size for snacks, appetizers, or small meals. I personally don't like mushrooms, but portabellos are meatier and have a different consistency than most mushrooms.

                           

To cook the baby bellas, preheat your oven to 500 degrees. While you wait, start to prepare the mushrooms. Remove the stems and wipe off the mushroom caps to remove any dirt (if you wash them, wait for them to fully dry before cooking). Once the inside of the mushrooms are cleaned out, place them on a Pam sprayed piece of tinfoil, cap side down, and roast for about 6 minutes. Use this time to make the filling. Spray a non-stick pan with Pam and saute tri-colored peppers with some kale, baby corn, onion and garlic- Chop your garlic 10 minutes before cooking it to enhance its cancer fighting health benefits. After all of the ingredients are cooked through, add the soy sauce and any spices of your choosing. Instead of soy sauce, you can use sugar free BBQ sauce, less sodium Teriyaki sauce, Balsamic vinegar, or even taco seasoning. Make some steamed green beans or other vegetable as a side dish. If your baby bellas are really small, you can use the leftover stir fry as a side dish as well. 

Other ideas for healthy fillings can be chopped lean beef or turkey, cooked broccoli slaw, or tofu stir fry. You can also marinate your mushrooms in advance for a juicier flavor.

Recipe:

Pam Spray

3-5 Baby Bella Mushrooms (Or 1 Portabello Mushroom)

1/2 Cup Tri-Colored Peppers

1/3 Cup Kale

2 Tbsp Chopped Baby Corn

1 Tbsp Chopped Onion

1/2 Tbsp Chopped Garlic

1 Tbsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce (Or other sauce)

1/4 Tsp Chopped Red Pepper

1 Cup Green Beans (Or other vegetable)

Season to Taste

*Roast mushrooms at 500 degrees for 6 minutes. If you use a portobello mushroom, roast at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Spaghetti Squash with Asparagus

Spaghetti squash is a great healthy alternative for pasta lovers. The consistency is a little finer but you can do just about anything with spaghetti squash, with much fewer calories. Some great ideas to use with spaghetti squash are tomato sauce and meatballs, cinnamon and a sugar substitute, and low fat cheese for a mac and cheese style.    

                 

To cook spaghetti squash, start by cutting it in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. To roast it, place it in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for about 40 minutes. This is a great food to cook while you exercise or do some work. For a quicker result, microwave your squash for about 8 minutes, or until soft.

                                       

                                            

The dish I made for lunch was really simple, but ridiculously good. After my squash was ready, I took it out to cool. While I was waiting, I steamed some asparagus to top it with (you can use frozen). After the squash cools down, take a fork and scoop out the "spaghetti." Take however much you want, and save the rest in the fridge for a quick meal later. Put the squash on a plate, season with crushed red pepper, salt and pepper, and top with asparagus.

Makes about 4 servings

Recipe:

1 Medium Spaghetti Squash (I used one cup)

1/3 Cup of Asparagus

1/4 Tsp Crushed Red Pepper

Season to Taste

*Roast at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until soft

Easy Butternut Squash Soup

Soups are such a healthy and filling meal option, but the heartiest soups are usually filled with cream or pasta. This recipe takes out the carbs and just leaves in the amazing and healthy flavor.

                             

To make this recipe as quick and easy as possible, I used canned butternut squash. You can use canned pumpkin puree instead. Start off by heating up your water (low sodium vegetable or chicken broth are good too). Add in your squash puree, baby carrots and chopped baby corn. Feel free to add any of your favorite veggies to this dish. Once all combined, add salt, pepper, garlic powder, crushed red pepper and a dash of cinnamon.

Use less water for a more creamy consistency.

Recipe:

1/2 Cup Butternut Squash

1/3 Cup Water or Broth

1/4 Cup Chopped Baby Corn

6 Baby Carrots

1/4 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

Season to Taste