Sausage, Peppers and Onions Calzone

I decided to venture into territory that is completely new to me - working with pizza dough. My husband was really wanting a sausage and peppers calzone but without all the grease, fat and heaviness. The calzone he usually orders at one of our local italian restaurants is very fattening. I would assume, eating the entire calzone, would clock in at about 1,500-2,000 calories. It is way too rich for just being a meal! With a bit of inspiration and eagerness to tackle a new project - I made these awesome figure-friendly calzones! I was so pleased with how great these came out. The dough wasn't soft or soggy - just crisp and delicious! I purchased a pound of pizza dough from the grocery - which saved me a lot of time. All I really had to do was make the filling and assemble the calzones. It took a bit of time trying to figure out how to assemble these, but once I got the first one down, the others came together very quickly. I can't wait to try it different ingredients and flavors.

I used my go-to jarred pasta sauce - Newman's Own Organic Tomato and Basil as my sauce. You could use whatever sauce you enjoy - but I highly recommend this one. I made my calzone without cheese, and it was perfect. So it can be made dairy-free if you choose. My husband enjoys cheese - so his was nice and cheesy. The nutritional info is calculated with cheese. I only had sharp cheddar cheese on hand, so that's what I used. It worked very well with the filling. I'm sure any kind of good melting cheese will work. 

Sausage, Peppers and Onions Calzone

Cook Time: < 35 minutes
Prep Time: < 15 minutes
Serves: 4 

Ingredients:

• olive oil spray
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 medium onions, sliced
• 2 medium bell peppers, sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 16oz lean turkey sausage, thinly sliced
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1lb fresh pizza dough
• 3 tbsp flour (for working with the dough)
• 2/3 cup 2% cheddar cheese, shredded 
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/3 cup of pasta or marinara sauce, warmed

Allow the dough to come to room temp while you are preparing the filling. 

Preheat the oven to 400F and prep a large cookie sheet with a little olive oil spray. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and peppers. Saute for about 10 minutes, stirring often. 

Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Add the sausage, salt, pepper, and dried basil - cook for another 5-10 minutes (until the turkey sausage is cooked throughout). Once it is cooked, set aside and begin working on the dough.

On a floured surface, place the dough and cut into 4 pieces. Beginning working on the first piece. Punch the dough down, to release the gases inside and gradually begin stretching it out (I just gradually pulled at each side evenly, until I got my desired thickness). Make sure your hands have some flour on them to prevent sticking. 

Once you have man-handled the dough, place on the cookie sheet and sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese into the middle. Then top with 1/4 of the sausage mixture. Make sure to spread it out evenly. 

Grab one corner and fold to the other side and do this to all sides until the calzone is completely wrapped. Flip the calzone so that the edges are tucked underneath. 

Repeat the steps needed to make the other calzones. Once they are all ready, lightly brush the tops with a little egg and transfer the sheet to the oven. 

Allow the calzones to bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and the dough is cooked through. 

Top the calzones with 1/3 cup of the pasta sauce and serve hot. 

Nutritional Info per Calzone and 1/3 cup of the sauce:
Calories: 565 ; Fat: 18g ; Carbohydrate: 70g ; Fiber: 5g ; Sugar: 10g ; Protein: 32.5g

Nutritional Info per Calzone (no sauce):
Calories: 500 ; Fat: 15.5g ; Carbohydrate: 60.5g; Fiber: 5g ; Sugar: 2g ; Protein: 31.5

Skinny Vegetarian Black Bean Tostada

Tostadas are usually very high fat and not exactly something you want to be eating if you are trying to lose the extra baby weight (Me!). I love the open-faced factor - It's like a mini Mexican pizza. Instead of frying the tortilla, I just warm it through. I used corn tortilla because they are much thicker and hold up better. I didn't want the liquid from the beans and eggs to break it down. I made these as a quick week night meal, but these would be perfect for breakfast as well. Since these are basically a just assemble-and-serve meal, you can customize it to fit your family's likes and dislikes. Topping ideas: shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream, hot sauce, lime juice, tortilla chips, fresh diced red onion, etc. Customize it how ever you'd like. I really like the avocado and tomato only. The heat from the egg softens the avocado, making it buttery and delicious. My husband added cheese, salsa and tortilla chips to his. With the yolk being slightly runny, I punctured the egg and let the yolk run all over the top of the tostada. OOOHH it's so good. 

The corn tortilla I got were green chile flavored - which was awesome. They were really tasty and 90 calories each. I purchased them at the Fresh Market, I'm not sure if they are available in other stores. It was the first time I had seen them. If you prefer to scramble the eggs, that would be good too. I've made these same tostada a million times, in a million different ways, and scrambled eggs are awesome. 


Sorry for the foggy/poor lighting photos, these were taken while tropical storm Isaac was hitting South Florida.

Skinny Vegetarian Black Bean Tostada

Cook Time: < 25 minutes
Prep Time: < 10 minutes
Serves: 8 tostadas

Ingredients:

Black Beans:

• 1 tsp oil
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper, to taste
• jalapeno flavored hot sauce, to taste (optional)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups cooked black beans (or canned beans, drained and rinsed)

Tostada:

• 1 medium tomato, diced
• 1 haas avocado, diced
• 8 corn tortillas, warmed
• oil spray
• 8 cage-free eggs, fried 
• fresh cilantro, minced

Heat the oil in a medium pot, over medium heat. Saute the onions, peppers and garlic for about 5 minutes.

Add the vinegar, oregano, salt, pepper, hot sauce, tomato paste and black beans to the pot. Stir well, reduce heat and cover. Allow the beans to simmer for about 10 minutes or longer. 

While the beans are simmering, prep the tostada ingredients. Begin frying the eggs (in the oil spray) and cooking to your desired done-ness. (I did mine medium, I like to poke the yolk and let it run into the beans and veg). Salt and pepper the egg if you'd like. 

Warm the tortilla in microwave or on the stove top. If you are using the microwave, about 10 seconds per tortilla. On the stove, just heat the tortilla on a dry skillet until they are warm and loose.

To assemble the tostadas - Place the corn tortilla on a plate, top with 1/3 cup of black bean mixture, 1/8 of the diced tomatos and avocado (add a bit of salt and pepper if you'd like) and top with the fried egg. Sprinkle with a little cilantro. 

Serve piping hot and have a few toppings on hand for customizing.

Nutritional Info per Tostada:
Calories: 270 ; Fat: 9.5g ; Carbohydrate: 29g ; Fiber: 7g ; Sugar: 1g ; Protein: 16g

Tex-Mex Meatloaf

Meatloaf - one of my husband's favorite dishes to eat. He doesn't care how I flavor it, as long as it is meaty, tasty and sliced thick. I don't blame him. I enjoy a good piece of meatloaf, I just don't like how greasy some of them can be. I try to make mine as lean as possible and bring some moisture to the loaf by having plenty of veggies. I also have a special loaf pan that has small holes in the bottom, to allow the excess fat to drip into another loaf pan. It's perfect for reducing the saturated fat in the meat. This version of meatloaf is very flavorful and slightly spicy. No need for gravy or anything extra - it's perfect as is. 

The jalapeno is optional, if you aren't fond of spicy foods. The spices that are in the meatloaf help keep the flavors on par, so the jalapeno isn't missed if you choose to omit it. I served this dish with some mashed potatoes (skinny) and simple steamed green beans. Very filled and diet-friendly. 

Tex-Mex Meatloaf

Cook Time: 50 minutes @ 350F
Prep Time: < 5 minutes
Serves: 6 (cut into 6 slices)

Ingredients:

• oil spray
• 1 lb grass-fed lean ground beef
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1/2 medium bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno, diced (seeds and ribs removed, if you like)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1.5 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground chili powder
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, minced
• salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 350F. Prep a loaf pan with some olive oil spray and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients by hand. Make sure to not over mix.

Place the meatloaf mixture into the loaf pan and spread evenly.

Transfer the loaf pan to the oven and bake for about 50 minutes or until the meatloaf is completely cooked through. 

Allow the meatloaf to set for about 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving. 

Nutritional Info per serving:
Calories: 250 ; Fat: 15g ; Carbohydrate: 9g ; Fiber: 1.5g ; Sugar: 0 ; Protein: 15.5g

Vegan Chocolate and Banana Oat Bars

I like to make my own snacks, since buying pre-wrapped snacks can really be pricey and contain too many unnecessary ingredients. These Oat Bars are dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, vegan-friendly and are nut-free. Wow! So practically anyone can eat these! Made from very basic ingredients, these bars are easy to make and tasty to eat. You can customize them to your liking by adding toasted nuts, a tsp of flavoring, dried fruit (instead of chocolate) and spices. By making your own snack bars, you are saving not only money but you are getting exactly what you are craving in your bar. I'm a huge chocoholic - which is why these have plenty of mini chips, so I can get some in every bite. I didn't have to add any sugar to these because the bananas and chocolate chips have enough sweetness to make these perfect. 

The mini semi-sweet chocolate chips I used are by Enjoy Life. They are dairy-free chips that melt wonderfully. If you are concerned about gluten, make sure you purchase oat that are for sure not processed in a facility that may contain gluten. Although oats are gluten-free, they can sometimes be contaminated.  These can be stored in the fridge, wrapped tightly for about a week. You could freeze them as well - just make sure to wrap each one individually. 

Vegan Chocolate and Banana Oat Bars

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: < 5 minutes
Serves: 9 squares

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp coconut oil
• 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
• 3oz mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 1/2 cup organic rolled oats 
• 2 tbsp organic ground flaxseed

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9 x 9 baking pan with a little coconut oil. Set aside

In a medium sized bowl, mash the bananas until practically a puree. 

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. 

Pour the mixture into the greased baking pan and bake at 350F for about 30-35 minutes, or until the oat bars are set. 

Allow the oat bars to cool before cutting into 9 pieces. 

Serve them at room temp or warmed.

Nutritional Info per bar:
Calories: 140 ; Fat: 5.5g ; Carbohydrate: 31g ; Fiber: 5g ; Sugar: 8g ; Protein: 2.5g 

Whole Wheat Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles

Ahhh.. the smell of fresh lemony waffles in the morning is sure to get everyone out of bed. Hands down, this is a simple recipe everyone can enjoy and feel good about eating them. Healthy waffles - that's my thing. Whole grain, Dairy-free and contains Omega-3's, what an excellent way to start your day. These also have a fair amount of protein in them (about 6g per waffles), high in fiber and low in sugar. I love the combo of lemon and poppy seeds - such a fresh taste. I personally eat these waffles plain, no maple syrup. But my husband who likes things extra sweet enjoys some maple on his. You can customize your waffle any way you like! With fresh whipped cream, honey, pure maple syrup, fresh berries, etc.

The lemon juice gives the waffles a slight tartness, if you aren't fond of tart, then just omit the juice but keep the zest. The zest is where all the lemon flavor is, without the tarty zing. This recipe can be doubled or tripled, and keeps well in the freezer. Just follow the directions below and allow the waffles to cool. Put them in a freezer safe container and separate with parchment paper. Reheat by thawing slightly and placing in the toaster until golden and crispy. Makes for a quick breakfast anytime.

Wheat Wheat Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles

Cook Time: < 20 minutes
Prep Time: < 5 minutes
Serves: 4 (1/3 cup) waffles

Ingredients:
Dry:

• 2/3 cup whole wheat flour, sifted
• 2 tbsp organic ground flaxseed
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp organic poppy seeds

Wet:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• zest of one small lemon
• 1/4 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp honey

Oil Spray

Preheat waffle iron to medium heat (if yours has temp. settings).

In a side bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients. Then gradually incorporate the dry mixture to the wet mixture, do not over mix. 

Spray the waffle iron with a oil spray, and pour in the center 1/3 cup of the waffle mix. Spread out slightly. Close the lid and allow to cook for 4-5 minutes (or how ever long your waffle maker requires).

The waffle should be slightly golden and crisp. Serve warm with pure maple syrup, honey or plain. 

Nutritional Info per Waffle:
Calories: 150 ; Fat: 3.5g ; Carbohydrate: 25.5g ; Fiber: 3.5g ; Sugar: 8.5g ; Protein: 5g