120-Cal Banana Puff Muffins

These. Are. Awesome.

This morning was a little crazy, but these muffins warm out of the oven really helped me have a fantastic start to my day! SO easy and so delicious. I think it took me 15 minutes total to put them together in my sleepy state--so maybe 10 minutes of prep if I'd been fully awake!

What you'll need:

• 2 1/2 cup oats (old fashioned kind, not quick cooking)
• 1 cup of low fat greek yogurt (I used plain, but vanilla or another fruit flavor (without added sugar...) would be great! Experiment.)
• 2 eggs or 2/3 cup egg whites
• 2 TBSP (8 packets) of stevia (I used packets of truvia and it was perfect) Update: since writing this post, I have stopped using stevia after learning more about its processing. I've made the muffins without and they are still delicious! A drizzle of honey on the top is great if you need a little sweetener when you eat them.
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed 

Optional add-ins (not included in the nutritional facts below): walnuts, pecans, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, craisins...the options are endless!

The how-to:  

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and spray a 12-cup muffin tin 
2. (you cannot use paper liners with this type of recipe unless you're interested in eating them along with your muffin. Just don't go there.) 
3. Place the oats in a blender or food processor until smooth. 
4. Pour the oats into a large mixing bowl and gradually add the rest of the ingredients except the optional mix-ins.
5. Once your batter is smooth, add any additional mix-ins and gently mix them in using a spoon or spatula (or my latest favorite tool, the spoontula from Rachel Ray!)
6. Pour batter evenly into your 12 prepare muffin cups and bake for 20-25 minutes.

7. Yum.
   
   PS--here are the nutrition facts per muffin, as taken from the myfitnesspal recipe tracker. Enjoy!

Calories: 120
Carbs: 21
Fat: 2
Protein: 6
Sugar: 4
Fiber: 3

Adapted from Keeping Up with the Joneses

Pizza Peppers!

I just love myfitnesspal. If you're trying to lose or maintain weight or just track your nutrition, their app ROCKS. Anyway, I plugged all of the ingredients for this recipe into their recipe builder, and the results were great--these peppers are only about 175 calories per half, with 20 grams of protein. Awesome!

These were a HUGE hit at our house tonight--definitely a recipe that (now that it exists) I'm going to be making on a regular basis.

What you'll need:

• 4 bell peppers, cut in half with seeds removed (I used red, my personal favorite, but you could use any color!)
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 pound ground turkey breast
• 1 TBSP basil
• 1 TBSP oregano
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella
• 15 oz can pizza sauce (we love Muir Glen)
• Quinoa (optional)

The how-to:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray
2. In a heated skillet, toss minced garlic and onions for 1-2 minutes
3. Place all of the pepper halves on the baking sheet, along the edges to help hold them up, and put them in the oven to bake while you prepare the filling.
   
4. Add ground turkey breast to the sauteed onions and garlic and brown fully, adding seasonings and mixing as you go
   
5. In a separate bowl, mix the pizza sauce, parmesan, and optional quinoa. I used leftover Quinoa and Cheese from a couple of nights before and it was awesome!
6. Pull the peppers from the oven and fill them first with the meat mixture and second with the sauce
   
7. Bake for 20 minutes
8. Top with mozzarella and bake for another 10 minutes
9. Voila! SO yummy and healthy!

Baked Mac, no, QUINOA and Cheese!

After finding this recipe on pinterest, I decided I had to give it a shot. Here's the photo from the blog I pulled the original recipe from - doesn't it look yummy?

Source:  http://aroundthetableri.blogspot.com/

Mine tasted yummy, but it didn't look quite this good, so I'll leave her picture for your viewing pleasure! :) It got a big thumbs-up from Hubby J as well as from my lovely but oh-so-picky 8-year-old.

You've got to try this one!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup quinoa (dry, pre-rinsed and drained if needed)
• Veggies or meat of your choice (I'm definitely doing cubed chicken, roasted red peppers, onions, and spinach next time!)
• Salt to preference
• Chili powder to preference
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup plain almond milk (or whatever kind you prefer)
• 2 cups grated cheese (original blog called for cheddar, I had italian so it's what I used...I'd recommend a mixture)
• Feta for topping

The how-to:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook your quinoa as instructed (10-15 minutes)
3. Lightly saute any veggies or prepare any meat you're using
4. Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray
5. Whisk together eggs, milk, and seasonings together in a large bowl
6. Add in grated cheese, and then quinoa, folding all together
7. Transfer evenly to prepared baking pan and add feta or panko for topping
8. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is browned

You can serve immediately, with the caution that it's pretty hot! Let me know what you think, and how your experimenting goes!

Turkey-Tequila-Lime Tacos

Disclaimer: I fully believe that all recipes are better if you tweak them to your own liking.

Ingredients:
Garlic olive oil (mine is from Trader Joe's - but you could use plain if you'd like)
1 medium onion, chopped to your size preference
1 pound ground turkey breast
Taco seasoning to taste (mine is different every time...salt, pepper, cilantro, garlic, cumin, chili powder...)
Lime juice
Tequila
Diced tomatoes (today's were no-salt-added canned diced tomatoes)
Taco shells
Toppings: sour cream, salsa, lettuce, etc.

If cooking hardshells, preheat your oven. I always forget to do this at the right time!

Then, in a large pan, heat your garlic oil sightly and add the chopped onion. If you used plain olive oil, you'll want to add 2-3 cloves of minced garlic here, too.

Saute the onions for a minute or so, and add your turkey breast, breaking it up (I love my bamboo spoons for this) and then add the taco seasoning and begin to brown the turkey. I usually toss in a little extra black or white pepper and cilantro (fresh if possible!).

As it browns, add a splash of lime juice and tequila. Have fun with this!

Once fully cooked, add your diced tomatoes, cover the pan, turn the burner to low, and let simmer as you cook your shells. Sometimes I add a bit of water here, too, if there doesn't appear to be enough moisture.

I realize that it doesn't look so pretty in the pan - but wowzer did this make awesome tacos! I had stand-and-stuff corn shells that I baked, and then we layered in mozzarella, fresh wholly salsa (love that stuff!) along with the meat mixture. Topped with sour cream and lettuce and there weren't many leftovers :)

Post-Honeymoon Cooking Revival

Ocean view from our post-cruise stay at the Hilton Ft Lauderdale Beach Resort 

After a fabulous 8-day cruise through the Caribbean, we're finally home and ready for some real food. Both Husband J and I gained quite a few pounds on our honeymoon and are VERY okay with giving up the desserts at every meal, no matter how good they were! Thanks to Carnival, J had a fully gluten-free meal at every dinner AND enjoyed all kinds of custom GF desserts - hence the extra weight gain :)

Thus, the Creations and Concoctions blog lives again--with a new fervor for newlywed cooking. Here's a few things that are on the radar for this week (recipes to follow):

Ground Turkey Breast Tacos
Pan-Fried Shrimp
Red Quinoa Cakes (maybe with leftover feta?)
...and who knows what else :) Suggestions?

Gluten-Free Black Bean Soup (Quick and Easy!)

It's been awhile..and a lot of ruined dinners later, I have new recipes to share with you! This one I'm quite excited about...quick, easy, healthy, and a great warm-up for this chilly spring that seems to be dragging on and on!

I don't personally eat beans, but they are a staple for many of my vegetarian friends, and they can be a healthy option when eaten in moderation. A coworker made a version of this recipe this week and I thought it was phenomenal (and quick and easy!) so with a few tweaks to reduce calories and sodium, I'm excited to share it with you!

Ingredients:

• 1 Onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 tomatoes, chopped (peeled if you're adventurous, but I don't think it's necessary. Just make sure they're fresh)
• 1/4 cup lime juice or fresh orange juice (or both? I'd be curious to try it that way)
• 4 15-oz cans of no-salt-added black beans (try Eden Organic if you can't find these - it will save you LOTS of sodium intake by choosing NSA.)
• 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
• Salt (I use salt light)
• Optional for garnish: sour cream, diced avodaco, chopped white onion, lime wedges, or tortilla strips

Directions:

1. Saute the onion over medium heat until it's translucent (I spray my pan with Smart Balance spray first)
2. Add the garlic and saute another half minute, until the pot is fragrant, then add the tomatoes and lime juice. Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture has reached a thick, non-chunky texture.
3. Add the beans and broth, along with a dash of salt (to taste) and bring to a boil. 
4. Turn your heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes
5. Use a potato masher or hand blender to puree some of the soup, then taste for salt and add more broth or water if it's too thick. You may also consider adding a bit of plain almond or soy milk for a creamier texture - if you prefer!
6. Serve with garnishes! I also added some mexican rice (will have to share that recipe soon too!)

Enjoy...

"Healthy" Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti Pie
High in protein, low in fat, and gluten-free: mom's traditional dinner without all the calories!

8 oz. rice spaghetti 
4 egg whites
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 lb. ground turkey breast
Pepper, oregano, parsley and garlic to taste
1 16-oz. container of low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese
4 oz (1 cup) shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

1 jar of Newman's pasta sauce (or pasta sauce of your choice - Newman's just happens to be my personal favorite) 

Optional: spinach, tofu

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9"x13" glass pan.  

Brown the chopped onion and green pepper and then the ground turkey breast, adding pepper, oregano, parsley and garlic to taste.  While browning, cook the rice spaghetti al dente, drain and rinse well.  

In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites and mix in Parmesan cheese.  Next, add the cooked spaghetti and toss until evenly covered.  Spread the spaghetti mixture into the bottom of the glass pan as your "crust".  Spoon the entire container of cottage cheese over the spaghetti crust and add spinach, green peppers and/or tofu chunks on top if you choose.

Spread the ground turkey breast on top of the cottage cheese mixture, cover with the spaghetti sauce and then sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top.  

Cover with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes. Voila!