Bacon and Egg Muffins

In preparation for starting another Whole30 Paleo Challenge today, I have been doing a lot of food prep the past few days.

If you you know anything about eating Paleo, you know that it takes planning and preparation… so that you have suitable things on hand to eat, especially for days that you are running short on time.

Yes, you can always throw together a salad and open a can of tuna to plop on the top of it… but you likely don’t want to live on salad… as much as I love salad, I don’t want to eat it 3 times a day either... no matter what the variations might be.

So, a couple of days ago, I made some Curried Coconut Sweet Potato Soup..

and a large batch of Beanless Beef Chili…

This morning, I made some Bacon and Egg Muffins…

and I have a couple of pork roasts with some apples and onions cooking in the crock pot right now, which will become Pulled Pork when done…

It is smelling pretty good around here right now!

I want to share these Bacon and Egg Muffins with you… over the years I have been privvy to some ideas shared by my Weight Watchers friends for easy and quick breakfasts.  Several of them make what they call ‘Breakfast Quiches’.  They mix eggs or egg whites with a variety of chopped veggies and then bake them in muffin cups.

These little quiches are very handy as they can be kept in the fridge for several days. They make quick breakfasts or easy snacks and they are portable and quite tasty.  They are easily reheated in the microwave oven.

But today I wanted something just a bit different, so I added some cooked bacon to the mixture…. they are delicious.  Now, I am sure that in a pinch, you could use pre-cooked bacon bits in these muffins and they would be fine… but I had some bacon in the fridge so I used that… they are truly delicious!

Change the proportions if you like to make more .. or add different veggies too, such as chopped peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, or spinach.

I used silicone muffin cups, set inside a muffin tin, so no other preparation was needed, but if you use a regular muffin pan, you may want to coat it with a non-stick spray.  I haven’t tried paper liners so cannot vouch for them.

And please don't be afraid of these recipes we label 'Paleo'... all it means is that the recipe will be grain free, dairy free and sugar free.  What's scary about that?

Bacon and Egg Muffins
Makes 9 muffins

• 6 slices bacon, cooked till crispy, then cut into small pieces
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 1/8 cup diced white onion
• 1/2 cup kale, cut into small pieces 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare your muffin tins.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl.
3. Spoon the mixture into 9 muffin cups, trying to make sure the proportions of bacon, eggs, and veggies are approximately the same in each.
4. Bake for 20 minutes.
5. Allow to cool a bit before removing the muffins from the pan.

Per serving of 1 muffin.
Weight Watchers P+ = 2.
Calories 72; Protein 5g; Carbohydrate 1g; Fibre 0g; Fat 5g.

Printable Recipe

I took the opportunity to bake an egg in each of the 3 empty muffin cups in my 12-cup tin.  I love Baked Eggs… give them a try too!

Massage Your Kale for Quickie Salads

I had never heard of massaged kale until I read a blog post by Tamara at fitknitchick about making it up and keeping it in the refrigerator, in order to have a quick base for salads when you need it.

I thought it was an interesting idea, and then quite promptly forgot about it.

Now, I am a big fan of kale… I like it baked into Kale Chips, and I love using it in soup, or in my White Bean and Kale pasta sauce, and I also like to use it in place of, or with, spinach when I make Coconut Chicken.

I had really never thought to use raw as a salad green.  I just assumed the kale leaves would be too tough for that.  Oh, boy, was I wrong!

Whenever I find what we call curly kale at my local market for a really great price, I stock up.  Then I wonder what I am going to do with it all!  (Do you ever do that?)

Well, Tamara’s method for massaged kale is such a good idea.  All you do is mix the washed and torn kale leaves with a nice dressing, and then store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 or 5 days… taking enough to make your salads as you need, and leaving the rest behind. 

The dressing makes the leaves a bit softer after a couple of days, and it really does make a nice base for lots of different salads.

I made a batch of massaged kale this past week using the following method and I got 3 good sized salads out of it. Now when I have salad for dinner, I have a plate full, so if you don’t eat as much as I do, you might get more servings out of it.  Of course you might want to use the whole thing for one big salad to serve many… up to you, but the method is the same.

Massaged Kale
Enough for 3 dinner salads

• 1 bunch kale, large stems removed and leaves torn… washed and dried in salad spinner

Dressing

• 1Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 3 Tbs lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and minced

1. Mix well and then pour over the kale in the bowl.
2. Massage the dressing into the kale with your hands for a few minutes. Kale leaves should be completely covered with dressing mixture.
3. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator for up to 5 days
4. Use as needed for salads.  Give the remainder a stir, cover and refrigerate till needed.

If you are a Weight Watcher, and counting Points Plus, then the only thing to be concerned about is the olive oil which has a P+ value of 1 for each tsp of oil. So, for the whole recipe, the P+ value is 3.  You can divide that by the number of servings you make and eat.

The possibilities for salads are only limited by your imagination and your tastebuds. 

When I made my first salad with the massaged kale, I added a bit of torn red lettuce leaves to it… then some slices of grape tomato, mushroom, onion, and cucumber, and then topped it with some roast chicken breast, oregano, and dark balsamic vinegar.




I was so good that the next day, I used some more.  This time my salad was made of slices of red pepper, onion, mushroom, and cucumber, and topped with pieces of a navel orange, some roast pork loin and drizzled with blueberry balsamic vinegar.  I also blanched some green beans to eat alongside.

I think you could probably massage your kale with any oil and vinegar combination you like too, or even a nooch and vinegar combo instead of the olive oil and lemon juice that I used… and I am sure you could leave out the garlic too, but why would you?

Have you tried massaged kale yet?

What is your favorite salad green?

Carrot, Kale and Red Pepper Soup with Shredded Chicken

Sometimes I end end up with little bits of all kinds of different vegetables in the refrigerator… usually on days before I plan a big shop.  It’s fun to see what I can come up with to use these goodies…. something tasty and filling of course… but often a bit unusual.

Quite often it is a salad.  But that normally wouldn’t be The Captain’s choice for lunch and I wanted to make something that we both would really enjoy… soup it would be!

My newest soup comes compliments of the fridge crisper!  And it was delicious and full of healthful vitamins and antioxidants, too.  I added some leftover cooked chicken to round out a complete meal.  You could also shred up a can of cooked chicken breast chunks to add to this soup, too.  Turkey would also be very good.
This was our whole lunch so I divided into 2 large servings.  If you planned a soup-and-salad lunch or even soup with a roll, you could easily get 4 satisfying bowls from these ingredients.

And though I did use my immersion blender to mix the veggies and the broth together, I left lots of large chunks.  It makes a nice meal I think when there is something to CHEW!

Carrot, Kale and Red Pepper Soup with Shredded Chicken
Makes 2 large servings

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1/2 medium white onion, sliced vertically
• 4 large carrots, cut into 1 inch chunks (approx. 1 lb.)
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
• 1/2 bunch kale, washed and large stems removed (approx. 2 oz.)
• 1 tsp curry powder
• Dash of red pepper flakes
• 2 cups turkey, chicken or veggie broth
• 8 ounces cooked chicken, shredded
• Salt to taste 

1. Put the coconut oil into a large soup pot over MEDIUM heat.
2. Saute the onion and garlic till translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the carrots, red pepper, and kale to the pot. Stir occasionally and allow to cook another 5 minutes.
4. Add the curry powder, and stir to coat the veggies.
5. Add the broth, cover the pot, and bring to boil.
6. Reduce the heat and allow soup to simmer for about 15 minutes till carrots are soft.
7. Remove the pot from the heat. 
8. Use your immersion blender to break up veggies and mix them into the broth.  Don’t over-process. You want it to be chunky.
9. Add chicken to the pot and stir.
10. Place soup in serving bowls and salt to taste.

Per serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 6.
Calories ; Protein 30g; Carbohydrate 27g; Fat 4g; Fibre 7g.

Sauteeing the veggies before adding the curry powder.

Leaving this soup chunky shows off the colors of the carrots, and you can see a bit of green from the kale and red from the peppers.

Printable Recipe

What do you like to do with little bits of veggies in your fridge?

Guilt-Free Chips

Do you ever crave a salty, crunchy snack?

Do you love potato chips but feel guilty about eating them?

Here are some ways you can still get that crunchy, crispy chip texture, and salty flavor, without the guilt!

I have been asked several times over the past few weeks about the different veggie chips that I make and talk about so I decided to share them with you.  I cannot take credit for all of these ideas though so I am going to post links to the original recipes and instructions…. I just really want to share the ideas with you here.

The very easiest are these Eggplant Chips. I like to slice them just under 1/4 inch thick and then bake them.  Spritz them with a bit of olive oil and salt before baking.  They are really easy and very good!  The dark spots on the baked chips are where I sliced them a bit thin but they are still tasty, they just don’t LOOK as good.  I know there is a pesto dip recipe there too, which I plan to try after my cilantro grows a bit more!

I make Sweet Potato Chips the same way.  I don’t have a mandolin slicer, so I get The Captain to use his more-developed-than-mine patience muscle to slice through the thick sweet potatoes.  The key is get thin and uniform-in-thickness slices. 

If you can manage to leave them alone till they cool somewhat, they are even tastier.  Sometimes I have them with ketchup…Mmmmmm.

Gabby’s Carrot Chips are honestly somewhat fiddly, and they don’t yield a lot, but they are really tasty so if you have some time and patience, give them a try.  The addition of the cinnamon works!

Oh, and I almost forgot…. Kale Chips are so easy and so tasty, too.  Just wash and sry the kale leaves, spritz with a bit of EVOO and salt  or nooch, and bake them for 15 minutes. I like them with a bit of homemade ketchup too!

About a year and half ago, I picked up a little microwave crisper for veggies, and did a post about it.   It makes truly awesome veggie chips so if you have access to one of these inexpensive little devices, you can make your chips in a couple of minutes in the mike and completely fat free, if that appeals to you.  It is especially great for potatoes and sweet potatoes but I also made zuke chips with it and they turned out really well.

I know that Kierston, who writes CaNdyFiT, also has a microwave crisper… a different one than I have and every time I walk by the display in the store, I think I should have one!  As a matter of fact, last year she did a review/giveaway about the time I first started reading her blog. 

There are a couple of other good looking chip recipes out there that I want to try… Gina’s Butternut Squash Chips look wonderful… and I have heard that beet chips are lovely too.

These veggie chips make good snacks and side dishes… and they are gluten-free, paleo, vegan, Whole30 friendly… use healthy oils, have tons of vitamins and antioxidants and are truly delicious.

What more could you want?

Oh, and for those of you who do eat white potatoes, of course we know those make splendid chips, too!

Do you make your own chips?  What veggie is your favorite?

Curried Butternut Squash and Chicken Soup

This thick, hearty and flavorful soup is much like one I have been making since it was first introduced to me a few months ago by Tamara at fitknitchick.  And I intended to make that same Curried Sweet Potato and Chicken Soup again this week, but the butternut squash was such a good price at my local produce market, and the sweet potatoes were not, so I changed course and ended up with this lovely soup instead.  

It is a pretty big batch so you may want to adjust the amounts... I like to have soup stored in individual servings in the freezer ready to pull out and reheat when I am in a hurry or need a quick snack.

This lovely soup works very nicely into my current Whole30 Paleo Challenge and it is also gluten-free.

I used coconut oil instead of olive oil to saute the veggies. I have come to really love the smell of coconut oil cocoking away in my kitchen and have started using it wherever I can!  And you won't be surprised to learn that I used a can of Kirkland chunk chicken breasts.  If you have chicken already cooked, great... or turkey would be very good, too.

I should tell you that I added a dash of ground coriander along with the cumin, but didn't include it on the ingredient list because I don't really think it is necessary.  Use about 3/4 to 1 tsp of it if you like it.

Don't be put off by the color! The green comes from the kale.  It truly is delicious.  And I have to admit, that being a Weight Watcher, I appreciate that the butternut squash has a much lower calorie count than a sweet potato has, too.



Curried Butternut Squash and Chicken Soup
Makes 14 servings, 1 cup each.

• 1 Tbs coconut oil
• 3/4 cup chopped white onion
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed (about 30 ounces)
• 1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 bunch kale, large stems removed, washed and torn into pieces
• 1-1/2 Tbs ground cumin
• 6 cups water
• 7.5 ounces cooked chicken breast, shredded
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Warm the coconut oil in a stock pot or very large saucepan over MEDIUM heat.
2. Add the garlic and onions and saute about 5 minutes
3. Add the squash and kale and saute till the kale starts to get shiny, about 5 more minutes. Stir occasionally. 
4. Add the cumin and stir to coat the vegetables.
5. Cover the vegetables with the water.
6. Cover the saucepan, bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer and let cook for 45 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about half an hour.
8. Puree with immersion blender or food processor. (Leave a bit chunky.)
9. Add chicken to mixture and heat through.
10. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Per 1 cup serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 2.
Calories 66; Protein 5g; Carbohydrate 10g; Fat 1g; Fibre 2g.

Saute the veggies in the coconut oil.

 



Reheat on the stove to serve.
 
Printable Recipe

Are you a kale fan?  Does the color ever put you off?

Fall Just Tastes so Good...

One of my favorite things about Fall is all of the great foods now coming into season. 

In our area there are wild blackberries ripening everywhere!  In the parks, along roadways and oceanside walkways.  Normally these vines are a real nuisance, but once the flowers turn to berries and those berries ripen, everyone suddenly loves them!

Yesterday we picked 10 cups in just over 15 minutes... and today I decided to try freezing a few of them. I washed them and then left them drain to dry a bit and then spread them out on a cookie sheet and placed it in the freeze while I went out for my morning run.

When I got back and checked on them, the berries were frozen solid and so we put them in containers and then popped them back into the freezer. I hope we won't have to purchase frozen berries at all this winter if I can get out picking a couple more times.

2-cup containers for freezing



And some of my other favorite Fall foods? 

Well, all of the squashes, of course, but also sweet potatoes... you know those dark orange Beauregard Sweet Potatoes that we like to call yams to distinguish them from the drier yellow-fleshed variety.  I wonder if they were not available when I was a child because my Mother only ever bought the yellow ones, and I never cared for those at all.

spaghetti squash and butternut are 2 of my favorites



One of my fellow Canadian FitFluential Abassadors, Tamara Grand, who blogs at fitknitchick, shared a recipe on her Facebook page recently called Curried Sweet Potato Soup.  I have no idea where it originated; perhaps it is her own.  But I knew when I read the ingredient list I would have to try it.

I used about half the oil that Tamara called for in her ingredient list so I will share it with you as I made it up...  It is delicious!  And very filling, too.  The Captain and I each had a bowl for lunch and it kept us satisfied till dinner.  It is thick and chunky and it smelled wonderful while it was cooking.

Instead of baking a chicken breast to use, I opened and drained a can of Kirkland seasoned chicken breast... you all know I am a big fan of this handy and tasty canned chicken.  I measured out 3/4 cup and then put the rest in the fridge for another day.

 



Curried Sweet Potato and Chicken Soup
Makes 2 hearty servings

• 1/2 Tbs olive oil
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (about 8 oz. in weight)
• 1/4 cup chopped white onion
• 1/2 medium red pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 bunch kale, stems removed and leaved coarsely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed and minced
• 1/2 Tbs ground cumin
• salt and black pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup cooked and diced chicken breast

1. Warm the oil in a large saucepan.
2. Add the vegetables and saute about 5 minutes till the kale starts to go limp.
3. Add the cumin and stir to coat the vegetables.
4. Cover the vegetables with water to about 1/2-inch depth. (This was 1-1/2 cups of water for me.)
5. Cover the saucepan, bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer and let cook for 30 minutes.
6. Remove from heat.
7. Puree with immersion blender or food processor. (Leave a bit chunky.)
8. Add chicken to mixture and heat through.  Season with salt and pepper.
9. Divide between 2 bowls and garnish with a dollop of yogurt before serving.

Per serving, not including yogurt.
Weight Watchers P+ = 7.
Calories 274; Protein 19g; Carbohydrate 42g; Fat 5g; Fibre 6g.

You could easily make 3 or 4 servings out of this amount if you wanted to have a salad or perhaps a sandwich, or some yogurt and fruit for lunch as well.  And you can certainly double or triple the amounts too, to make a large batch. I am sure it would freeze nicely... don't forget to use a larger saucepan though!

Saute the veggies till the kale gets limp before adding cumin and then water.

 

Printable Recipe



White Bean and Kale Veggie Sauce

My simple pasta sauce, which is really more of a stew, took on a life of its own!

I started out wanting just to chop some veggies and then stir in some canned tomatoes, to make a quick and simple pasta sauce for our dinner.  It turned out to be so much more and so much better!

When I got out my large skillet and began cleaning and chopping vegetables, I decided to make enough sauce to have a few portions to freeze for future meals. It's always good to have something on hand to thaw for quick dinners or lunches, don't you think?

Then, when I decided to add some torn pieces of kale to the mix, I recalled a really nice kale and white bean soup that one of my Weight Watchers buddies told me about a few months back.  So I got out a can of white kidney beans, rinsed them,  and added them to my sauce pot.  By the time it was all cooked and ready to eat, I realized it was as thick as a stew.... and it was delicious.

I served it over pasta for The Captain, and cooked spaghetti squash for me, but I can easily envision it over cooked quinoa, or rice or even by itself with some cooked chicken or beef strips added to i,or on top of scrambled eggs or omelets.  It would probably even be good cold with cooked and cooled quinoa.

 



Kale and White Bean Veggie Sauce
Makes 13 half-cup servings

• 5 cloves garlic, peedled, smashed and minced
• 1/4 cup chopped white onion
• 1 medium green pepper, cut into small pieces
• 1 medium red pepper, cut into small pieces
• 2 mushrooms, sliced
• 3/4 cup diced zucchini
• 3/4 cup torn kale leaves
• 1 - 15 oz. can of white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 - 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1-1/2 Tbs Italian herbs
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Coat a large skillet with non-stick spray and place over MEDIUM-HIGH heat.
2. Add garlic, onions, peppers and cook still translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the mushrooms, zucchini and cook another 8 or 10 minutes till all veggies are cooked through.  You may need to turn heat to MEDIUM during this time so veggies do not burn. Add a bit of water to pan if things are sticking.
4. Add the kale leaves and beans, and cook a few minutes more till the kale leaves are limp.
5. Stir in the tomatoes and the Italian herbs,  Bring to a light boil then turn down to simmer and cover.  Meanwhile cook the pasta and the spaghetti squash - this will take about 10 minutes.
6. Plate the pasta and the spaghetti squash and then top with 2 or 3 ladles of the sauce.  If you like, garnish with a tablespoon of shredded parmesan cheese.

Per 1 cup serving, sauce only.
Weight Watchers P+ - 3.  *
Calories 122;  Protein 7g;  Carbohydrate 23g;  Fat 0g; Fibre 6g.

*The amount of beans in a 1 cup serving of this sauce works out to Calories 68, Protein 5g; Carbohydrate 11g; Fat 0g; Fibre 3g and is equal to only 1 P+ value in the N,.I. calculation.  It is up to you as to how you want to count this in your program.

This is such a filling and delicious sauce! 

Cooking the vegetables.

 

 

Adding the beans and tomatoes.

 

Served over spaghettini and topped with freshly grated parmesan.

 

And over spaghettti squash.  Enjoy!

 

 

Printable Recipe

Kale Chips, My Way

I used to be a little afraid of kale.  I never ate it at my Mother's table as a child, or an adult for that matter.

I did see some pretty purple and white kale in my sister's flower garden once, many years ago.  It was not until about 2 years ago, after reading about how healthy kale is that I first bought a bunch and tried it.  I used it in a bean and tomato soup and really liked it. I found I could substitute it for spinach in many of the recipes I liked. 

And then I read about making kale chips on a blog I used to read from time to time called Kath Eats Real Food. I quite enjoyed the salty crunch that these chips offer and I have made them many times since... but kale is usually quite expensive here and I don't splurge on it very often.

I was thrilled to find organic kale at my favorite local produce market this week, on sale!  I have had a craving for kale chips for a while now and seeing kale priced at 3 bunches for $5 made the decision to make some very easy.

I like to make up a whole bunch at a time, so I normally have these chips when I am going to make a meal of them.  The Captain doesn't care for them so I make a bunch and enjoy them all to myself.  There is oil and cheese in the recipe so it is fairly filling and quite satisfying.

If you like, you can omit the cheese and just use a bit of oil and salt.  The cheese makes them much saltier, so if you are not going to use it, you may need to add another sprinkle of salt after they come out of the oven.  The nutrition information will depend on how much you use, of course, but here is how I made them.

Kale Chips, Easy Cheesy

• 1 bunch kale
• 1-1/2 tsp olive oil
• 2 Tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Dash of sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Untie the kale bundle and separate the leaves.
3. Tear the curly leaves away from the thick middle stem, into bite size pieces.  Wash them and spin dry with a salad spinner.
4. Cover a cookie sheet with foil and coat with non-stick spray.
5. Put the kale pieces on the cookie sheet.
6. Spritz with the oil and then sprinkle with salt and Parmesan Cheese.
7. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes until the edges are brown and cripsy.
8. Remove and serve.

Per the whole serving.
Weight Watchers P+ = 5.
Calories 162; Protein 8g; Carbohydrate 12g; Fat 11g; Fibre 2g.

Originally I was going to make 2 bunches of chips but decided I couldn't eat them all!  Good decision.

The thick tough stem in the centre of the leaf is inedible. 

Tear the curly leaves away from the centre stem in bite size pieces.

Then wash and spin dry the pieces as well as you can, and then discard the stems.

Put them on a foil-lined cookie sheet that has been coated with non-stick spray, for easy cleanup.

The drier the pieces are, the better, as you don't want to steam them you want to bake them and make them crisp.  If you see some water spots at this point, dab them dry with a paper towel.

Sprtiz them with oil and then sprinkle with salt and Parmesan Cheese.  The oil will make the salt and cheese stick to the kale pieces, and also helps your body absorb all the great vitamins it contains!

Place the tray in the preheated oven for 15 minutes...

until they are crispy and the edges are brown.

The cheese gets crispy too!  And I like mine with ketchup.

Printable Recipe