Chicken broccoli and cheese on a biscuit

Morning snack - Stonefield berry yogurt and spinach, egg and cheese bake

Lunch - Chicken broccoli and cheese on a biscuit, almonds, datelets, pomegranate

Afternoon snack - Cortland apples

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I've been terrible about posting lately.  I just started a master's program in nutrition at American University and have just been exhausted trying to keep up with everything.  I hope today's post makes up for it a little.  I made the following two recipes in less than 25 minutes.  What's great is that I now have multiple meals done!

Spinach, egg and cheese bake

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

1/3 c chopped fresh baby spinach

3 Tbs shredded Mexican mix cheese

4 medium eggs

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Set oven to 375 degrees.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  In a muffin tin, add 2 tablespoons of the mixture to each slot.  (I used silicone molds, but you can use cupcake liners for an easy traveling meal!)  Bake for 12 minutes.  Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chicken broccoli and cheese on a biscuit

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup baked chicken cut in cubes

1/3 cup quinoa

3/4 cup chopped steamed broccoli

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 can of biscuits (I used homestyle, Wegman's brand)

salt and pepper to taste  

Method

Set oven to 375 degrees.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Use 1/2 a biscuit in each muffin slot to make the base of the bake.  Add a little less than 1/4 cup of the mixture to each muffin slot.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As many of you know, I'm a vegetarian so I made myself a vegetarian version.

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup chopped steamed broccoli

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/3 cup quinoa 

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Set oven to 375 degrees.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Use 1/2 a biscuit in each muffin slot to make the base of the bake.  Add a little less than 1/3 cup of the mixture to each muffin slot.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Enjoy!

Overnight oatmeal

Morning snack: Overnight oatmeal

Lunch: Ground "beef", vegetable and cheese stuffed won ton wrapper and steamed broccoli

Afternoon snack: grapes and multicolor Goldfish

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Stuffed won-ton wrappers

Ingredients

vegetarian ground crumble

corn and peas (steamed)

won-ton wrappers

olive oil

onion

garlic

Method

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent.  Add "beef" crumble and vegetables.  Wet won ton wrappers and stuff them.  Fold over like a taco and pinch the edge.  Rub a tad of olive oil on the outside and bake at 350 for 10 minutes on each side or until you see a golden brown color.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Overnight oatmeal

Ingredients

1/4 cup old fashion oats

2/3 cup vanilla almond milk

1/2 tsp chia seeds

sprinkle of cinnamon

Method

Put everything in a container, stir and refrigerate overnight.  Great cold or warm.

It doesn't look too appetizing yet, but it will!  Now you can't make an excuse about not having time to make breakfast.  Enjoy!!

Pumpkin pancakes

Morning snack: pumpkin pancakes, blueberries and a bit of syrup
Lunch: Cheese pizza (to be provided by the school) and broccoli
Afternoon snack: Apples and peanut butter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Last night when I asked LQ what she wanted for dinner she definitively said pumpkin pancakes.  Then she mentioned that she wanted to help.  So she did all the mixing and I did the cooking.  It's exciting to think of the things she and I will create as she gets older.  Right now she's only 3 and it's messy but I wouldn't trade it for the world.  Plus she made some delicious pancakes!

We cheated a bit on the mix by using Hungry Jack fluffy and light.  I keep a box of it in the pantry for times she wants to make pancakes.  I tried making my version of pancakes with her one time and it was kind of DISASTROUS.

I didn't measure the ingredients but it was super easy to make.  Using HJ you just add water, easy enough right? So all I did was put pumpkin puree in a bowl and added pancake mix.  Then I added cinnamon and water until the mixture easily poured off of my whisk, then I added raisins.  The consistency won't be the same as that of regular pancake mix, it will be thicker.  I then cooked them on a griddle over mid-high heat.

Quinoa porridge

Morning snack: quinoa porridge sweetened with dates

Lunch: steamed carrots, pretzel Goldfish, grapes and Quorn meatless "chicken"

Afternoon snack: clementines and almonds

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anybody who knows me knows that I just LOVE quinoa!  It's a very versatile grain, highly nutritious, high in protein, a good source of magnesium, dietary fiber, folate, zinc, and even contains Omega-3 fatty acids. So every Sunday I make a stock of quinoa.  Yep, you read that right...a stock of quinoa.  I basically cook an unseasoned batch of quinoa that I pull from for the week.  

Quinoa stock

Add 2 cups of water for each cup of dried quinoa to a pot.  Turn the heat on to high.  Once it starts to boil turn off the heat source and cover.  Once the water is all soaked in your quinoa is done.  (Makes 4 cups)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another thing I like to keep in my refrigerator is date paste.  I often use it to sweeten foods or baked goods to avoid using sugar.  

Date paste

Using a food processor process pitted dates and add a little water at a time until a paste if formed.  Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.  

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bare with me here, as I try to describe how to make quinoa porridge because, like oatmeal, it really is a matter of preference.  In my house we all have a different preference, I like my oatmeal a bit runny, my husband likes it dry and LQ likes it a bit in between.  So I've provided the ingredients and I hope you can find your own perfect mixture.

Ingredients

Date paste

Chopped pecans (or walnuts would also work nicely)

Cooked quinoa

Almond milk

Cinnamon

Method

Combine the ingredients to your desired sweetness (dates), moisture (almond milk) and texture (pecans).  If you don't like the texture you end up with you can always throw it in the blender, it comes out very creamy. This can be eaten cold or hot, either way it's delicious!

Pancake cupcakes

 

Morning snack: Ella's coconut milk nutritional shake, Triscuits with almond butter and raisins and sliced apples

Lunch: Vegetarian pasta with veggie crumble, sliced apples and miniature "cupcakes"

Afternoon snack: pistachios and carrots

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Pasta dishes are always my go to when I have vegetables that are on the verge of going bad, when I need a quick meal or when I want to load my kiddos up with veggies.  Here's a one pot pasta dish you can make in under 20 minutes.  Here we go...

Ingredients:
2 TBS olive oil
1/2 Spanish onion (finely chopped)
3 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
2 carrots
2 zucchinis
chopped baby spinach - I load it up!
1/2 - 28 oz can crushed tomato
1 carton low sodium vegetable broth
1/2 box whole wheat pasta - I used fusilli to make it more fun

Method:
In a pot saute onion and garlic in olive oil until the onion is transparent.  Add the remaining ingredients and 1 cup of water.  Lower heat.  It's ready as soon as the pasta is cooked.

Ta-da!  Easy peasy!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've convinced my daughter that putting pancake mix in cupcake baking liner is a cupcake!!  As an added bonus I have her help me make them and I teach her about measurements.

Ingredients:
1 ripe banana
1 1/4 cup soy milk/almond milk
1 TBS agave or maple syrup (more if you'd like it a little sweeter)
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp sodium-free baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup pecans (crush after measuring)
sprinkle of cinnamon

Method:

Mash up the banana in a large bowl and add the milk and syrup.  In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and fold in pecans.  Pour mixture into pre-oiled cupcake liners.  Bake at 350.  The timing will depend on what size liners you use.  Just make sure your toothpick comes out clean when you insert it into the center.

These keep pretty well in the fridge for about 4-5 days.