Flank Steak Wraps

These are perfect appetizers for a summer barbecue.  If you’re having a Pure Protein day, just leave the tomatoes out of the recipe.  They will still be delicious!  If you can’t find fat free goat or feta cheese, use any fat free cheese that you can find!  Or substitute cream cheese!  Add chives, onions…anything you love, to the cheese.  And using cute skewers always makes barbecues more fun!!

FLANK STEAK WRAPS

1 lb flank steak
2 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 t olive oil
1 t paprika
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1/2 t red pepper flakes
salt and pepper

Filling:
4 oz fat free goat or feta cheese (or fat free cream cheese)
1/4 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (the kind that is NOT in oil)
1/2 t red pepper flakes
2 T fresh parsley, chopped

In a large resealable place all of the first set of ingredients and marinate in the refrigerator for an hour, or up to 3.  Combine the filling ingredients in a small bowl and refrigerate until you are ready to use it.  Prepare your grill or grill pan and cook your steak ALMOST to the point where you want it.  Leave it a little uncooked so when you place back on the grill, you don’t overcook your steak.  Remove the steak and cut into 4-inch squares, or equal sizes depending on how large your steak is.  Spread 1/4-1/6 of the cheese, depending on how many pieces you end up with, onto the steak and seal with a couple of toothpicks.  Place back on the grill for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until the center of the roll has had time to heat and melt a bit.  Enjoy!!

Makes 4-6 wraps

Red Velvet Cupcakes

Aren’t these adorable?  Doesn’t it make you feel better when you eat your oat bran and it’s cute?  Well, so it doesn’t taste exactly like a red velvet cupcake but it’s as close as you’re going to get and visually you can’t even tell the difference!  So I say, trick your mind into it!!  I got some rhubarb delivered to my house today, so they’re next…

RED VELVET CUPCAKES

8 tablespoons of oat bran
2 egg whites or 1/2 cup egg white substitute
4 T canned pumpkin
2 T fat free sugar free vanilla yogurt
1 t baking powder
2 t unsweetened cocoa powder
2 t Splenda (I use 2 T zero calorie brown sugar)
1-2 T sugarfree chocolate pudding mix
1 t vanilla
a few drops of red food coloring

Frosting:
3 T fat free cream cheese
1 T fat free sour cream
splenda, to your liking
1/2 t vanilla

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add the pumpkin and eggs and whisk until smooth.  Add vanilla.  Divide the mixture equally between 12 mini muffins in a tin sprayed with olive oil spray

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Mix all the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and keep refrigerated until ready to use.  Only pipe the frosting onto the muffins once they are completely cooled.

4 servings of oat bran

Chicken and Broccoli Pasta

I really wanted pasta the other night and thought I’d better find a good, healthy one to make.  Hodgson Mill makes the BEST whole wheat egg noodles.  They don’t taste all grainy like other brands and I love egg noodles.  I find mine at the regular grocery store and I found them on Amazon.com too!  They’re delicious!!  If you’re not in Consolidation yet, just use Shirataki Noodles or use the Spiralizer and make noodles from zucchini like we did in this past post!!

Hodgson Mill Egg Noodles

CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI PASTA

Whole Wheat Egg Noodles-Nutritional Facts

1/2 cup whole wheat egg noodles (Consolidation and Stabilization) otherwise substitute Shirataki noodles
1 cup broccoli florets
1 boneless, skinless chicken thigh
smoked paprika
salt and pepper
onion powder

Boil your noodles while you prepare your chicken.  Sprinkle plenty of smoked paprika, onion powder and salt and pepper on your chicken.  Saute the chicken in a skillet over medium heat for 7-9 minutes per side, or until fully cooked.  Add the broccoli to the noodles in the last few minutes of the cooking time.  Drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid.  Remove chicken from the skillet and rough chop it.  Add the noodles, broccoli and chicken back in the warm skillet and toss.  You made need to use some of the noodle cooking liquid to add moisture to the dish.  I used about a half a cup.

Serves 2

Mother's Day Quiche

So…this is why I haven’t been posting enough lately!!  I bought a place in Rancho Mirage, California and we’ve been driving out to Palm Springs for the last 2 weekends trying to get the place set up for my parents!  They’re going to live there this summer and travel back to Yuma, AZ for the winter.  Anyway, Palm Springs for Mother’s Day was great!  I made quiche and whole wheat crepes that turned out wonderful.  We had a great day with Mom!!  And can you believe this is the view from the kitchen window!  How lucky am I??

MOTHER’S DAY QUICHE

Mother's Day Quiche

1/2 small onion, chopped
12 eggs, or 2 1/2 cups egg whites or a mixture of both
1/2 cup skim milk
1 t salt
1/2 t ground pepper
1/4 t garlic powder
6 oz fat free mozzarella, cubed
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
6-7 leaves fresh basil, thinly sliced

Saute the onion in a bit of cooking spray for about 8 minutes and set aside.  Whisk together the eggs, milk and seasonings and pour into a glass 2-quart or pie dish, sprayed with cooking spray.  Add onions, and mozzarella, spreading evening.  Add the tomatoes on top and half the basil.  Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle the rest of the basil over the quiche and serve hot or at room temperature.

Cinnamon Oat Bran Breadcrumbs

I was answering a comment on the site and thought about these.  Thanks for the inspiration Lisa!  I thought these sounded so good sprinkled over my yogurt I went in and made them right away.  And they were!  A very simple solution to changing up my daily yogurt and a fresh new way to get my oat bran!!  I can’t wait to see what else I can do with these!  They take a little effort but they are well worth it!!

CINNAMON OAT BRAN BREADCRUMBS

6 T Oat Bran
3 T nonfat cream cheese
3 eggs or 3/4 cup egg whites
1 t Splenda, I use 2 T zero calorie brown sugar
1 T cinnamon
1 t vanilla
pinch of salt
3-4 T water

Whisk the first three ingredients together and add  a tablespoon of water at a time until you get it to crepe batter consistency.  Pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into a large non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray.

Tilt the pan until the batter has made a large thin circle and brown the first side, flipping after small air bubbles appear on the surface.

Brown the other side.  After I made all the crepes I toasted them to get them nice and brown.

Then I put them in a food processor after they cooled and processed to breadcrumb consistency.

Then I toasted the breadcrumbs at 350 for 25-35 minutes, until nice and brown and crispy. They almost resembled granola.  Keep unused breadcrumbs in the fridge.

3 servings of oat bran