Inspire Me Thin

Eggplant Parmesan

This turned out pretty good IMO! But you’ll need to tweak the recipe to fit your own tastes. Calories may vary depending on the quantity of veggies you use since I didn’t use any specific amounts. I personally think that the sauce gives it enough salty-ness, but you’re welcome to add more as needed. Store leftovers in an airtight container.

What you need:

• Small eggplant (~7oz)
• 3-4 Baby portabella mushrooms (~2.7oz)
• 1/4c onion (~20g)
• 2 garlic cloves (or to taste)
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tbspn corn oil
• 1.5c Classico Spicy Red Pepper pasta sauce
  *You could make your own “healthier” version from scratch, but tbh it’s a huge hassle. You can also exchange Spicy Red Pepper flavour for your favourite pasta sauce. I personally love the extra kick it gives.
• 1/4c shredded whole-milk mozzarella (or skim for fewer calories)
• 1/4c grated parmesan cheese
• Cilantro (for garnish)
• Ground pepper, basil, garlic & onion powder (a few sprinkles to taste)
• 8x8 glass casserole dish (use large dish if planning to make a larger portion)
• Medium skillet

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees on Roast. Use 1/2 tbspn to coat the bottom and sides of your glass casserole dish. Use 1 tbspn if you’re making a larger portion (with a larger dish). Set aside.

2. Heat 1/2 tbspn corn oil on the skillet until hot. Mince 1 garlic clove and sautee for a few seconds in the oil to really get the flavour mixed in. When the oil is hot, add chopped onion and mushrooms. Sautee for a minute or two until onions are almost translucent, then turn heat down to Low and let simmer for a few more minutes.

3. Slice your eggplant into 1/4 inch pieces. Pour remaining 1 tbspn of corn oil into a separate bowl. Add ground pepper, dry basil flakes, garlic & onion seasoning, and salt (optional). Coat each eggplant slice evenly in this mixture.

4. Arrange eggplant slices at the bottom of your casserole dish. Pour garlic/onion/mushroom mixture over top.

5. Crack two eggs, and beat them together until smooth. Evenly poor the eggs over top of the casserole dish. Mince the second garlic clove and sprinkle over top if desired. You may also crack some more ground pepper.

6. Pour 1.5c of pasta sauce on top and distribute evenly. Then sprinkle the cheese evenly on top.

7. Place on topmost rack of the oven and roast for ~45 minutes, or until cheese is starting to brown and the eggplant is a soft consistency (if you don’t wait long enough, the eggplant will be slightly crunchy.. but hey if you like that then feel free to take it out at ~35min).

8. After done baking, let cool for about 10minutes. Garnish with cilantro for a complimentary taste.

Servings:4
Calories:183

fit-dontquit:

Vegan Banana Oatmeal Pancakes!

These were absolutely delicious and so easy to make :)

1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup organic whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 1/2 cups soymilk

2 ripe bananas

Blend all but the bananas together and then chop up the banana and add that in.  You can either blend it with the banana or not.  I personally wanted chunks of banana so I blended one in and left the other one chopped up.

Nutritional Info (per pancake): Cals: 64, Fat: 1g, Sodium: 102mg, Carbs: 12g, Fibre: 1g, Sugar: 2.5g, Protein: 2g

Veggie Dip #1

So I bought a few singles of Chobani Non-Fat Plain yogurt because they were on sale for $1.00. I don’t like plain greek yogurt so I decided to make a veggie dip. Turned out pretty tasty and packs a good amount of protein into each serving! Definitely tweak the recipe to your own liking. I recommend using about half less onion and less lime juice than this recipe calls for. But if you like the boldness and zest then go for it. Add salt at your discretion. :)

What You Need

• 6oz Chobani Non-fat plain greek yogurt (single container)
• 60g LIGHT Mayo (~2 tbspns)
• 40g red onion, minced (~1/3rd medium onion)
• 2 medium scallion stalks, finely chopped
• 5 springs fresh Dill, finely chopped
• 5 grams cilantro, finely chopped
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• Lime juice from 1/2 lime (or to taste)
• Dash of chili powder
• Dash of paprika
• Fresh ground pepper (to taste)
• Salt (optional, to taste)

Combine all ingredients in a plastic container. Mix well so that everything is blended evenly. Cover container. Chill in refrigerator for 2+ hours to fuse flavours. Serve with your favourite veggies!

Servings: 8
Calories: 37

Turkey Patties!

So the other week I made turkey meatballs. I tweaked the recipe a little this week to make it more palette-friendly. They turned out great! And less than 100 calories per patty (a lot less if you blot the oil out). You can essentially add/omit any herbs and spices you want. Just don’t go too crazy.

What You Need

• 1.25lbs (20oz) 99% fat free ground turkey (I used Jennie-O)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (to taste)
• 1 medium onion, finely grated (you can fine chop the remaining bit so you don’t cut off your fingers)
• 2 tbspn corn oil (for frying purposes, you can use less)
• 2 slices whole wheat bread (I used soft rye bread)
• 1 tsp dry oregano
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dry basil flakes
• 1 tsp dry rosemary
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 tbspn Worcestershire Sauce

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mince the garlic, grate the onion, add all the herbs and spices, etc. Mix so that all ingredients are evenly distributed.

2. Add ground turkey to the bowl and fold the ingredients into the turkey with your hands. Make sure everything is mixed well and the ingredients are evenly incorporated into the turkey. You don’t want a blob of spices in one section, and nothing in another. Use your hands and kneed, squish, have fun! 

3. Divide your mix into small 2.5oz patties (a little bigger than the size of a golf ball). Roll the meat into a ball in your hands and flatten to desired thickness. (Mine were about a quarter or third of an inch).

4. Pour corn oil into a skillet and heat on medium until oil is hot. Throw in a piece of onion into it, when it sizzles then the skillet is ready. 

5. Cook each side for a few minutes, or until golden brown. The meat cooks fairly quickly so don’t overcook them otherwise you’ll end up with really dry patties. 

6. Place patties onto a plate covered with paper towels to blot out excess oil. Serve, and enjoy! 

Servings: 12
Calories: 94 

I got a few questions asking about my crepes. So I made up a recipe. The crepes themselves don’t really taste like anything, they’re super bland. If you want to eat them with a meaty/veggie/egg dish then I suggest adding a pinch of salt. If you’re going to eat them for breakfast with fruit or yogurt, then I suggest adding sugar (to taste) to make them slightly sweet. Double the recipe to make more crepes. Add other things to make the crepes more flavourful (such as lemon juice/zest, ricotta cheese, herbs and spices, cocoa powder, flax seeds, etc). Experiment and find what you like.

What You Need

• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup King Arthur 100% Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 cup 1% milk
• 1/2 tspn baking powder
• 1 tspn vanilla extract
• 1 tspn corn oil
• 1 tspn lemon juice, tiny bit of lemon zest (optional)
• Small pat of butter (~6grams)

1. I use a large glass measuring cup to mix everything in. Less dishes to wash, and it’s easy to pour the batter out. But you can use a bowl if you’d like it doesn’t matter. Anyway, start by beating the egg, then mix in the vanilla extract and oil. 

2. Throw in the flour and baking soda and mix slightly. Pour in half the milk, mix. Pour the rest of the milk to create a thinner consistency. You want the batter smooth and liquidy with a slight thickness (add more milk/flour accordingly). Don’t overmix. 

3. Divide butter into four portions (one for each crepe). Heat small skillet on medium heat until one of the pieces of butter sizzles. Pour about 1/4th cup of batter and coat the skillet (less for thinner crepes). Wait a couple of seconds until it sets. 

4. When edges start to brown, flip the crepe over and cook on the other side for a few seconds. Both sides should be slightly golden brown. 

Servings: 4
Calories 82

yummgasm:

Dulce De Leche Crepes

Click picture for recipe

This is what real food looks like.

You don’t need to starve yourself in order to lose weight. And you don’t need to feed yourself crappy “300-calorie” frozen dinner packages. All you need are wholesome foods and balanced meals.

Rethink what goes into your mouth and how you fuel your body. Rethink how you’re taking care of yourself.

(Source: inspiremethin)

clottedcreamscone:

Raspberry Oatmeal Protein Pancakes-3 by The Healthy Foodie on Flickr.

This looks sooo good. I need to try it one day. Raspberries<3