Easy Non-Beef Burgers - “Revved Up” Italian Sausage Burgers

For my occasional ‘meat meal today, I had planned to make Andouille sausage meatloaf.  Well, there was no Andouille in the freezer!

So today, I am following my motto of “making do with what you’ve got”.

Well, I did have about 1 3/4 pound of Sweet Italian Sausage with the natural casing, AKA intestine.  So I removed it from the casing and gathered peppers, onions and spices with still the intent to make a meatloaf.  I am not particularly fond of meatloaf unless it is made with Andouille sausage!  So I decided to make ‘burgers’ instead.

Once this is mixed, it can be shaped into meatballs, patties or meatloaf.  Not fond of meatballs either!  So I made patties or ‘burgers’.  The peppers and onions keeps the burgers moist and juicy.

---

“Revved Up” Italian Sausage Burgers

 

 

 

Ingredients

 

28 oz. sweet Italian bulk uncooked sausage ( or the kind in natural casings)

1 large red pepper, diced

1 large green pepper, diced

1/2 cup celery finely chopped

1/2 large white onion, diced

1/2 cup bread crumbs, optional (used focaccia bread crumbs)

2 tbsp various spices

1 tbsp dried herbs, salt-free

1 tbsp dried basil

2 tsp mixture of turmeric, cumin, Cajun spice

 

Procedure

 

Prepare all ingredients. Place all ingredients into a large plastic bag. For best results, double the bag, just in case the bag gets a hole in the inner one.

 

Using fingers or palm of hands, mix the contents until completely combined. 

 

 

 

Divide into number of servings as desired.  A scale was used to weigh the final mix and divided into 8 (6-ounce) patties.

 

 

 

The 'burgers' can be grilled or baked in the oven.  My preference was a pan with drainage so that any extra fat dripped off.

 

 

 

 

Bake at 350F or grill until internal temp reaches 160 F.  Remove to serving dish to stop cooking.

 

 

 

Enjoy plain or on a bun

 

 

Servings: 8   Makes 6 to 8 'burgers', depending on size.

 

Nutrition (per burger): 293 calories, 19.2g total fat, <1g monounsaturated fat, <1g polyunsaturated fat, 0g trans fatty acids, 7.1g saturated fat, 76mg cholesterol, 805.5mg sodium, 13.9mg calcium, 112.2mg potassium, 16.3mcg folate, 15.7mg phosphorus, 4.1mg phytosterols, <1mcg lycopene, <1mcg selenium, <1mg thiamin, 0mcg vitamin b12, <1mg vitamin b6, 38.8mg vitamin c, 0IU vitamin d, <1mg zinc, 7.1g carbohydrates, 1.2g fiber, 5.9g net carbohydrates, 4.2g sugar, <1g fructose, <1g galactose, <1g glucose, <1g lactose, <1g maltose, <1g sucrose, 22.9g protein.

---

© 2013 http://retiredwithnoregrets.blogspot.com/

Quick & Easy Meals - Dirty Potatoes Breakfast Skillet

Dirty rice is supposed to be good, but I have never eaten it!  I think it was about the little bits of stuff in it that I did not know where it came from…  I am a picky eater from way back!

I really love the ‘Golden’ or ‘Gold’ potatoes because they seem to not get mushy as quick as the other yellow or white fleshed potatoes.  Since I shouldn’t eat potatoes every day, I look for ways to ‘season’ without lots of sodium.   Although this dish has more sodium than normally added, it is a side dish, rather than the main.

Everyone tend to have little bits of this and that in the fridge.  Some just dump everything the night before ‘trash’ day! 

My little bits tend to be things like chopped peppers, chopped bacon, mushrooms, spinach, chili peppers…    I will add all of those to an omelet, except the chili peppers.

Last night was the time to prepare for ‘trash’ day, so I quickly went thru the fridge to see if I would be throwing anything.  Nada.  But I had placed four small ‘golden’ potatoes on the counter by the sink and realized that I now had a potato dish recipe!  In “Minnesotan”, that’s ‘hot dish’!

This is probably not the dish to have ‘man-sized’ servings, because it is loaded with carbs and sodium in larger quantities.  It is meant to be a side dish with another food item to complement it such as egg or small steak.

The chili peppers gives this dish that little ‘kick’ that some of us love!  It’s not hot, just a little ‘kick’.

---

Dirty Potatoes Breakfast Skillet

 

 

Ingredients

 

4 small golden potatoes, sliced, as if for French fries, cut to 2-inch lengths

1/4 cup   sweet peppers, finely chopped

1 thick slice bacon, cooked, chopped (used baked)

1 link sausage, cooked, diced (used Bistro Sensations - GF)

1 tbsp dehydrated onions or 2 tbsp raw, diced

1/2 can (4-oz) chili peppers

1 tsp Southwest savory seasoning, sodium free

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp dried herbs seasoning, sodium free

2 tbsp olive oil for cooking

 

Procedure

 

Heat the olive oil in the skillet to medium high, place the potatoes in the skillet and stir to coat the potatoes.  Add remaining ingredients except the chili peppers. Sauté and stir, scraping the bits from the skillet for about 5 minutes. 

 

 

Stir in the chili peppers to mix.

 

 

Reduce the heat to low, cover and allow to steam about 5 minutes. Scrape the skillet as you stir to mix everything.

 

Remove from the heat. The potatoes should be crisp with a soft center, not mushy.

 

 

 

Serve, scraping bits from the skillet so each serving has some of the 'dirty' mix.

 

 

served with spinach omelet..

 

No additional salt is needed as the sausage and bacon has sufficient amounts

 

 

Servings: 4 (4 to 6)

 

Nutrition (per serving): 221 calories, 9g total fat, 5.3g monounsaturated fat, <1g polyunsaturated fat, 0g trans fatty acids, <1g linoleic acid, 1.7g saturated fat, 15.9mg cholesterol, 219mg sodium, 54.8mg calcium, 738.6mg potassium, 14.1mcg folate, 18.2mg phosphorus, 15mg phytosterols, <1mcg lycopene, 1.3mcg selenium, <1mg thiamin, <1mcg vitamin b12, <1mg vitamin b6, 46.2mg vitamin c, <1mg zinc, 28.9g carbohydrates, 2.8g fiber, 26g net carbohydrates, 1.9g sugar, <1g fructose, 0g galactose, <1g glucose, 0g lactose, 0g maltose, 0g sucrose, 8.3g protein.

 

---

© 2012 retiredwithnoregrets.blogspot.com

Easy Meals - Creamy Chicken Green Bean Casserole - Gluten-Free Option

Having to be careful when preparing gluten free meals, makes it difficult to make easy or quick meals.  Finally, I am confortable in doing both.  I can always check the fridge, freezer or pantry and put together a meal!

The issue that arises most for me is the calories and carbs! The metabolism takes a nap once one is over 50, so I plan when even buying food! It was so easy to lose as quickly as I gained in my 30s, but no more!

At one time, I hated canned or frozen vegetables, now I love those unseasoned microwavable frozen mixed vegetables, green beans, and peas.  I prefer some vegetables fresh, but I will blanch and freeze them. I even like plain canned beans now.

There are so many things to do with canned beans other than just heating and eating. I have even experimented with dips & spreads and desserts!

This day, I had a half-bag julienne cut carrots in the vegetable bin and no left-overs.   First thought was grab chips, then I realized that I would save those calories for a cookie instead!
This meal came together so fast, even I was surprised!

Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Green Bean Casserole



Ingredients

1 12-ounce bag  frozen cut green beans
4 oz. carrots, julienne cut
1 large  orange pepper
16 oz. chicken breast, baked, seasoned, cubed
1 tbsp olive oil, to sauté pepper
1 cup Alfredo Sauce(used Bertolli - 4 Cheese)
1/2 cup water
1 tsp poultry seasoning
2 tbsp basil, fresh, chopped (about 3 leaves)
1 tbsp parsley
1 tsp salt-free herb seasoning
1 tsp ginger, (squeeze tube) or fresh grated

Topping (optional):
1/2 cup croutons¹, seasoned, crushed

Procedures

Microwave green beans 5 minutes.
Microwave carrots 4 minutes
Pace oil in skillet, heat and sauté pepper about 2 minutes, stir in seasonings.
Add green beans and carrots, stir and cook about 5 minutes. 





Add chicken breast, stir.
Stir in Alfredo sauce and water.
Preheat  oven to 375F.
Transfer to an oiled casserole dish.  Sprinkle crushed croutons over top



Cover with Aluminum foil.
Bake 30 minutes, covered and 10 minutes uncovered. Serve immediately



Servings: 6
Nutrition (per serving): 286 calories, 13.3g total fat, 3.1g monounsaturated fat, 1.1g polyunsaturated fat, 0g trans fatty acids, <1g linoleic acid, 5.1g saturated fat, 92mg cholesterol, 386mg sodium, 107.8mg calcium, 461mg potassium, 27.8mcg folate, 233mg phosphorus, 5.5mg phytosterols, <1mcg lycopene, 21.4mcg selenium, <1mg thiamin, <1mcg vitamin b12, <1mg vitamin b6, 66.5mg vitamin c, 0IU vitamin d, 1.1mg zinc, 15.6g carbohydrates, 3.1g fiber, 12.5g net carbohydrates, 2.1g sugar, <1g fructose, <1g galactose, <1g glucose, 0g lactose, <1g maltose, <1g sucrose, 0mg stigmasterol, 27.1g protein.

Tips

• If more creaminess is preferred, use more sauce, of course the calories will increase. Store any unused sauce in refrigerator.
• Rotisserie chicken can be substituted for chicken breast
• Bread crumbs can be substituted for croutons, but the flavor will not be the same.  Toast them first.

¹Actually, used three biscuits to make croutons.   King Arthur Flour had a recipe for Easy Self-Rising Biscuits, which tempted me to make biscuits….  Of course, I used a whole grain mix, adding Hi-maize fiber.

Well, I didn’t want to eat a biscuit for the next five days, so decided to just make croutons, instead of buying them.  The croutons came out perfect!

Biscuits



Croutons - from Biscuits




© 2012 retiredwithnoregrets.blogspot.com

Easy Meals - No Crust Eggplant Portabella "Pizza"

Easy, quick, reduced carbs/sodium/sugar and gluten-free are the requirements I work with when planning meals. Not saying I want it to taste like cardboard either!

I like to cook, but I don’t really like to cook. How I like to cook is have somewhat of a plan of making a meal with ingredients I have decided to eat.

I am always craving pizza, but just can’t see myself eating lots of carb loaded pizza crust now.  Maybe I could do that when I was a twenty-something, but not now. My metabolism has changed over the past two years quite a bit. So to keep enjoying ‘treats’, I have to re-formulate them.  I have a little fun sometimes just pulling out the mixer, cocoa or chocolate and saying “I’m making brownies or a cake”.

For some reason, whenever I am in the grocery store, I look at the eggplant and portabellas. If I see a good looking eggplant, I will buy one. Then It goes in the vegetable bin. Then I have to decide what to do with it.  Most of the time, it’s grilled or sautéed and served on the side.  I am sort of worn out adding it to baked pasta, so I was planning on just making Eggplant Parmigianino.  As I began to think about it, and how complicated it would be…., so thought why not just add pizza ingredients and layer it so it would hold together like pizza?

Well it works and it is delicious! 

No Crust Eggplant Portabella  "Pizza"


Ingredients

• 2 large unpeeled eggplant, sliced 1-inch rounds
• 4 large Portabella caps, grilled or sautéed, julienne cut
• 3 large basil leaves, broken into 2 inch pieces (or 2 tbsp dried)
• 1/2 cup onions, thinly sliced in rings
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp sodium-free Herb and Onion mix (Mrs. Dash)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated
• 2 oz Swiss cheese, sliced, julienne cut
• 2 oz Colby Jack cheese, sliced julienne cut
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded (real refrigerated cheese)
• 6 to 8 large cherry tomatoes, halves

Procedures

• Spread the olive oil over a 13-inch casserole baking dish or deep rimmed baking pan.
• Spread eggplant to cover the bottom. there will be little spaces in between… that’s ok
• Spread the grated Parmesan cheese over the eggplant.
• Scatter half of portabella strips over the eggplant. Spread remaining eggplant on dish. Place remaining portabella strips. Separate onion rings and scatter over top.
• Place julienned cheese strips over dish.
• Space the halved tomatoes over the dish.
• Sprinkle spices over dish. Scatter the basil over the dish
• Carefully pour the water along the sides of the dish. Gently tilt the dish side to side to spread water over bottom of dish. It will evaporate thru cooking and reduce the amount of oil needed to cook eggplant.

• Cover with foil and bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Remove cover, bake about additional 20 minutes until cheese begins to brown.
• Sprinkle the shredded Parmesan cheese evenly over the dish.
• Return to oven for about 5 minutes or until cheese has melted.
• Remove from oven; allow to sit for 5 minutes.  Using a hard rubber spatula, go around the dish freeing any sides that may be sticking to the dish. 
•  Carefully cut into 6 pieces.
• Serve hot or at room temperature.

Servings: 6

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 194 calories, 13.1g total fat, 5.6g monounsaturated fat, <1g polyunsaturated fat, 5.7g saturated fat, 25mg cholesterol, 211.9mg sodium, 247mg calcium, 512.3mg potassium, 35.2mcg folate, 242.4mg phosphorus, 16.7mg phytosterols, 0mcg lycopene, 12.2mcg selenium, <1mg thiamin, <1mcg vitamin b12, <1mg vitamin b6, 9.2mg vitamin c, 4.2IU vitamin d, 1.5mg zinc, 10.2g carbohydrates, 4.1g fiber, 6.2g net carbohydrates, 2.6g sugar, <1g fructose, <1g galactose, <1g glucose, <1g lactose, <1g maltose, <1g sucrose, 11g protein.

Tips
Add any other toppings like red or green peppers or pepperoni

© 2012 retiredwithnoregrets.blogspot.com

Easy Meals - Ginger Szechuan Spiced Cabbage Stir-fry

Fresh Veggies are everywhere now, yet I bought a bag of pre-shredded slaw.  The convenience bag is so easy to use and just the right size needed.

Today there wasn’t anything in the fridge for left-overs, so I had to think of something to cook besides an omelet or make a smoothie.

There are usually frozen vegetables in the freezer and canned beans and tomatoes in the pantry.  But sometimes, food gets boring.

So…… I served this up with some baked salmon.

Since there is no meat in this dish, it is great for potluck or picnics.   It tastes just fine at room temperature.
Spicy suits my palate just fine as you may notice the ginger and the Szechuan sauce add quite a bit of ginger! 

I was a bit concerned about the garlic and cabbage stinking up the house, but the ginger tempered it quite a bit! Even with a vented stove, some scents manage to escape.

Normally, I would have used red peppers, but Ii only had green ones, so used what I had..

Ginger Szechuan Spiced Cabbage Stir-fry




Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp Garlic, finely minced
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 16-oz bag Multicolored Cabbage Slaw
1 inch piece Ginger-root; fresh; minced
1 large green pepper, julienne cut
2  tsp of your favorite sweetener (non-calorie or sugar)
1/2 tsp cumin
1  tsp Perfect Pinch Salt-free Savory Southwest Seasoning
1 tsp Trappey's cayenne pepper sauce
2 tsp Szechuan Sauce (Gluten-Free)
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Procedures
Spray a 10 inch iron skillet with oil spray

Heat olive oil in skillet, add garlic and sesame seeds, stirring to cook until garlic is translucent.

Add cabbage, ginger, pepper, sweetener and spices.

Stir and cook for about 5 minutes on high, stirring to prevent burning.

Stir cabbage, bringing bottom up to top. Add cauliflower and stir. Sprinkle sauces over the skillet and stir.

Place cover on skillet and allow cooking about 5 minutes, Stir to mix so that all portions cook on the bottom of the skillet at least some of the time. Add about 2 tablespoons water to skillet. Cover and cook on low until cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle salt over the top.

Remove from heat and stir.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Servings: 4(to 6)

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per serving): 164 calories, 10.3g total fat, 6.1g monounsaturated fat, 2.2g polyunsaturated fat, 1.4g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 391.7mg sodium, 113.2mg calcium, 367.4mg potassium, 71.7mcg folate, 89mg phosphorus, 60.8mg phytosterols, <1mcg lycopene, 1.8mcg selenium, <1mg thiamin, <1mcg vitamin b12, <1mg vitamin b6, 91.8mg vitamin c, <1mg zinc, 16.7g carbohydrates, 4.5g fiber, 12.2g net carbohydrates, 6.9g sugar, 3.5g protein.

Enjoy!

© 2012 retiredwithnoregrets.blogspot.com

Broccoli - Loaded with fiber and so many ways to enjoy it!

After being gluten-free a few years, I discovered that so many gluten-free packaged items are quite lacking in fiber. This is not to say that the ‘regular’ ones are any better, it is that since the gluten-free ones require a bit more time to make, more attention to nutrition should also be made.

My method of mixing my own flour blends comes from two influences; my history of loving cooking from scratch and  a person who I really appreciated having her skills when I first started trying to bake gluten-free: Michelle over at Allergen Free Cooking. I attended her classes when she was at Tailor Made Nutrition.  She made it seem so easy and even provided substitutions in each recipe.  So, I owe a big thank you to Michelle,The Allergen Free Cook !

I am always checking how much fiber or how less sugar or fat is in a recipe I make.  That brings me to why this post is mostly about broccoli.  Broccoli is loaded with fiber!
A week or so ago, I saw this big bag of cut-up broccoli and grabbed it, because I had just bought the new Shark Food processor.  I planned to try making food purees and of course; smoothies!



First, I made  Just Another Green Smoothie,   then I modified it several times depending what other ingredients I had on hand.

The second one is below:
Another Green Smoothie II

Ingredients
1 cup broccoli florets (chopped broccoli)
1 cup 0% Greek Yogurt
1 cup frozen pineapple cubes
1/4 cup natural almonds
1/2 scoop vegetarian protein powder
Procedure
1. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pulse and push down as necessary until blended.
Servings: 2
Yield: 2 very filling servings
Nutrition FactsNutrition (per serving): 241 calories, 9.4g total fat, 5.5g monounsaturated fat, 2.2g polyunsaturated fat, 0g trans fatty acids, <1g trans-monoenoic fatty acids, <1g trans-polyenoic fatty acids, 2.2g linoleic acid, <1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 125.5mg sodium, 78.6mg calcium, 361.4mg potassium, 51.5mcg folate, 122.2mg phosphorus, 5mg phytosterols, 0mcg lycopene, 1.6mcg selenium, <1mg thiamin, 0mcg vitamin b12, <1mg vitamin b6, 78.7mg vitamin c, <1mg zinc, 22.9g carbohydrates, 4.7g fiber, 18.2g net carbohydrates, 14.8g sugar, 19.4g protein.

Modified again and even renamed it!
Frozen Fruit n Veggie Protein Smoothie




Ingredients
1/4 cup fresh pineapple chunks(or frozen)
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/3 cup frozen sliced strawberries
1/2 medium frozen banana, sliced
1/4 cup almond milk, unsweetened
1/4 cup natural almonds
1/3 cup broccoli, cut into small pieces
1/2 scoop vegetarian protein powder

Procedures
1. Place all ingredients in a blender capable of crushing ice (or a frozen concoction maker). Replace the top on the blender jar.
2. Pulse two or three times.  A stick blender works well too, you may have to stir it a couple of times
3. Stir the mixture so that it will blend easier.
4. After the mixture is completed blended (no large blueberry skins showing, serve in parfait glasses. Eat with a spoon.
Servings: 1
Yield: 1 very large serving or 2 medium
Nutrition (per serving): 383 calories, 19.1g total fat, 10.6g monounsaturated fat, 4.4g polyunsaturated fat, <1g trans fatty acids, <1g trans-monoenoic fatty acids, <1g trans-polyenoic fatty acids, 4.1g linoleic acid, 1.4g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 236.9mg sodium, 123mg calcium, 751.4mg potassium, 69.6mcg folate, 216.6mg phosphorus, 18mg phytosterols, 0mcg lycopene, 2.5mcg selenium, <1mg thiamin, 0mcg vitamin b12, <1mg vitamin b6, 81.7mg vitamin c, 1.4mg zinc, 39.3g carbohydrates, 9.8g fiber, 29.5g net carbohydrates, 20.9g sugar, 20.2g protein.

again…. 
Frozen Fruit n Veggie Protein Smoothie II




Ingredients
1/2 cup broccoli, cut up
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup frozen sliced strawberries
1/4 cup pineapple, fresh
1/4 cup whole natural almonds 
1 tbsp old fashioned oatmeal, uncooked
1 tbsp flax seed meal (ground flax seeds)
1/3 cup almond milk, unsweetened
chopped almonds for topping (optional)
1/2 scoop vegetarian protein powder

Procedures
1. Place all ingredients in a blender capable of crushing ice (or a frozen concoction maker). Replace the top on the blender jar.
2. Pulse two or three times. A stick blender works well too, you may have to stir it a couple of times
3. Stir the mixture so that it will blend easier.
4. After the mixture is completed blended (no large blueberry skins showing, serve in parfait glasses. Eat with a spoon.
Servings: 1

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 439 calories, 25.5g total fat, 12.1g monounsaturated fat, 8.1g polyunsaturated fat, <1g trans fatty acids, <1g trans-monoenoic fatty acids, <1g trans-polyenoic fatty acids, 4.3g linoleic acid, 1.9g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 260mg sodium, 166mg calcium, 750.2mg potassium, 84.4mcg folate, 304.3mg phosphorus, 11.6mg phytosterols, 0mcg lycopene, 5.4mcg selenium, <1mg thiamin, 0mcg vitamin b12, <1mg vitamin b6, 104.7mg vitamin c, 2mg zinc, 36.1g carbohydrates, 13.2g fiber, 22.9g net carbohydrates, 15.5g sugar, 23.4g protein.

I have eaten more broccoli in the past two weeks than in the past year!

I even served some over Millet with a a small amount of chopped bacon.



Another dish - served over rice (ingredients from the fridge)





Just Broccoli - with “horsey” sauce


Even in Omelets




Another omelet (ingredients from the fridge) make it a dish or an omelet




Enjoy broccoli, do not over-cook it!  I like it best, dropped in boiling water and drained immediately.  It’s called blanching vegetables. Broccoli will keep in the fridge for up to a week once this has been done, store loosely covered.

© 2012 retiredwithnoregrets.blogspot.com

Quick Meals - Sausage-Mixed Vegetables-Carrots-Sweet Peppers and Rice

Another quick meal and a bit healthy too! There is enough fiber to satisfy your hunger without feeling stuffed. 
This wasn’t really a recipe, but since it appeared on the Facebook Fan page, just thought I would give the ingredients.


This makes a very pretty dish with all of the yellow, red and green color!


I just can not get enough sweet peppers, carrots and those microwave mixed vegetables packets!  The more vegetables you add, the healthier it is!  Watch out for very high sodium sausages too.


Enjoy!

Sausage, Mixed Vegetables, Carrots, Sweet Peppers and Rice

 

Ingredients

Skillet

6 oz. Bistro Sensations Spinach with Mozzarella Cooked Chicken Sausage (or any other cooked sausage)

1 12-ounce pkg. mixed vegetables (corn, carrots, peas, green beans)

2 cups sweet peppers, julienne cut

1 cup baby carrots, julienne cut

1/4 tsp Cumin, Ground

1/2 tsp dried herb mix (thyme, marjoram, basil, pepper, etc.) - used Mrs. Dash

Rice

1 cup Wild and Basmati Rice blend, uncooked - used Trader Joe's ¹

1 tbsp Canola Harvest Margarine

2 cups water (for rice)

Procedure

• Slice sausage into thin slices.
• Julienne cut baby carrots and peppers.
• Add rice to a medium sized pot as the skillet is cooking.  Add water according to package, plus the margarine. Cook at a simmer according to package. This rice takes about 15 minutes, the amount of time to cook the remainder of the meal.
• According to package, let rice rest 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork when done.
• Microwave the frozen vegetables according to package, as you begin to heat skillet.
• Place about a teaspoon olive oil in an iron skillet, heat to medium heat.
• Add carrots and peppers to skillet.  Sauté about 2 minutes on high, reduce heat.
• Add vegetable packet to skillet. Stir to mix.
• Add sausage to skillet, stir to mix and cook until sausage is heated.

• Serve Vegetable/sausage over rice or mix together and serve

Servings: 4 to 6

Nutrition info based on nutrition taken from back of packages entered into Living Cookbook Software.

  

Nutrition (per serving for 4): 296 calories, 7g total fat, 1.5g monounsaturated fat, <1g polyunsaturated fat, 1.4g saturated fat, 27.5mg cholesterol, 44.9g carbohydrates, 5.8g fiber, 39.1g net carbohydrates, 7.3g sugar, 0g starch, 1.2g fructose, 0g galactose, 1g glucose, <1g sucrose, 0g maltose, 307.7mg sodium, 234.2mg potassium, 12.1g protein, 72.6mg calcium, 4455.8IU vitamin a, <1mg vitamin b6, 0mcg vitamin b12, 65mg vitamin c, 0IU vitamin d, <1mg vitamin e, 3.6mcg vitamin k, 1.5mg iron, <1g lysine, 0mcg lycopene, <1mg phytosterols, <1mcg selenium, <1mg thiamin, <1mg zinc, 0mg caffeine.

Nutrition (per serving  for 6): 198 calories, 4.7g total fat, 1g monounsaturated fat, <1g polyunsaturated fat, <1g saturated fat, 18.3mg cholesterol, 29.9g carbohydrates, 3.8g fiber, 26.1g net carbohydrates, 4.9g sugar, 0g starch, <1g fructose, 0g galactose, <1g glucose, <1g sucrose, 0g maltose, 205.1mg sodium, 156.1mg potassium, 8.1g protein, 48.4mg calcium, 2970.6IU vitamin a, <1mg vitamin b6, 0mcg vitamin b12, 43.3mg vitamin c, 0IU vitamin d, <1mg vitamin e, 2.4mcg vitamin k, 1mg iron, <1g lysine, 0mcg lycopene, <1mg phytosterols, <1mcg selenium, <1mg thiamin, <1mg zinc, 0mg caffeine.

¹Ingredients
Trader Joe's  Basmati Medley (back of package) - Indian Basmati rice, wild rice, dehydrated carrots, onions, celery, red bell pepper. mushrooms, parsley, garlic, lemon peel. 
Made in a facility that processes tree nuts and soy

Quick Meals - No Time or Energy for Making a Full Meal..

The past few days have been rather strenuous for me to just go into the kitchen. So I thought about what to grab and quickly fix. Of course, all food in my home is gluten-free.

Last night, I made a  quick potato dish with julienne cut potatoes, roasted red peppers and baby bellas.  I sprinkled a bit of coriander, cumin, red pepper and salt-free Perfect Pinch spice over the potatoes.  I also sprayed a splash of garlic infused olive oil over the potatoes before cooking.

Quick Savory Potatoes


Ingredients

1 tsp olive oil (EVOO)
1 medium white potato. about 6 to 8 ounces
2 tbsp chopped roasted red peppers in oil
1/4 cup baby portabellas, sliced
1 splash garlic infused olive oil (I use a Misto sprayer)
1 pinch cumin
1 pinch coriander
1 pinch Red pepper flakes
1 pinch salt-free Savory Perfect Pinch spice

Procedure

 Cut the potatoes into thin strips like a julienne cut.
 Place all ingredients into a non-stick frying pan.
 Sauté, stirring until potatoes begin to get translucent.



 Cook only until potatoes are soft, yet still has texture. (I heard on Dr. Oz, that the longer you cook potatoes, the higher the starch content)


Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Servings: 1
Yield: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 376 calories, 9.8g total fat, 6.8g monounsaturated fat, 1.2g polyunsaturated fat, 1.3g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 67.2g carbohydrates, 8g fiber, 59.1g net carbohydrates, 4.1g sugar, 29.9mg sodium, 2708.5mg potassium, 11.6g protein, 33.9mg calcium, 715.5IU vitamin a, <1mg vitamin b6, <1mcg vitamin b12, 83.4mg vitamin c, 1.4mg vitamin e, 5.4mcg vitamin k, 2.2mg iron, <1g lysine, 25.3mcg selenium, <1mg thiamin, 2.6mg zinc, 0mg caffeine.

---

I avoid soy where possible, but the tuna I bought is packed in water and broth  which contains soy.  For a late breakfast(brunch) today, I made tuna salad.

Tuna Salad for Breakfast(Brunch)




Ingredients

1 6-oz can  Solid White Albacore Tuna, water packed, drained
1 pinch cumin
1 pinch coriander
1 pinch turmeric
1 tsp horseradish sauce
3 tbsp canola mayonnaise (used Hellmann's Canola)
1/3 cup broccoli florets, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup finely diced celery
1 cup raw green peas

Procedure

Scald the peas or cook in microwave just to get hot.

Spray the broccoli florets with olive oil, cover.  cover celery with cellophane. Microwave both together 45 seconds.

 Place broccoli, peas and celery in a larger bowl.


I prefer to just drop the frozen peas in boiling water and drain.  Today I microwaved 3 minutes - a little bit too much for my taste.


 Drain and press water from Tuna. Place Tuna in a smaller bowl. This drainer is for the 9-ounce can, so I had to press the tuna  with a spoon to remove the liquid.


 



 Add spices to tuna and use fork to break it up. I find I use less seasonings, if spices are added to the main ingredient.




Mix in the horseradish sauce and mayonnaise. The horseradish sauce kicks it up a bit!




Mix the tuna into the vegetable bowl.



Serve as a side or as a meal. 



The ingredients - sometimes I also add small (cooked) pasta shells





Servings: 2 (or 1, if really hungry!)

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 237 calories, 9.1g total fat, 3.8g monounsaturated fat, 3.4g polyunsaturated fat, <1g saturated fat, 35.7mg cholesterol, 12.6g carbohydrates, 4.3g fiber, 8.3g net carbohydrates, 4.6g sugar, 0g starch, <1g fructose, <1g galactose, <1g glucose, 3.6g sucrose, <1g maltose, 520.3mg sodium, 476.3mg potassium, 24.6g protein, 49.3mg calcium, 995.3IU vitamin a, <1mg vitamin b6, 1mcg vitamin b12, 41.3mg vitamin c, <1mg vitamin e, 24.6mcg vitamin k, 2.3mg iron, 2.1g lysine, 57.9mcg selenium, <1mg thiamin, 1.4mg zinc, 0mg caffeine.

© 2012 http://retiredwithnoregrets.blogspot.com/