A FRIDGE FULL OF FOOD...

Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms and Green Onions

I could have made this fancier, sound fancier, by making it a Mushroom and Onion Omelet but the truth is rather than cooking the eggs and mushrooms/onions separately and then combining, I actually prefer the taste of the mushrooms and onions sautéed and then cooked along with the eggs. I think the taste melds with the eggs better so, really, it's scrambled eggs with mushrooms and onions.  If you like eggs, like we do (and we eat a lot of them) this is a quick, easy, and versatile way to get in your protein and a vegetable.  Perfect for breakfast, of course, but Gene and I also love them for a light lunch or, along with hash browns, as dinner.

 

 

Pork and Snow Pea Stir Fry over Grits

Besides healthy, my key themes these days seem to be "quick", "easy", and "adaptable", as in, what's already in my fridge/pantry?  But don't forget tasty. Of course the ultimate is, always is: does it taste yummy?  This meets all of those requirements.  On the table in the time it takes to cook grits, stir fry is always adaptable.  Don't have pork chops? Try chicken, beef, or shrimp.  Don't have snow peas? Try sugar snap peas, fresh green beans, or asparagus.  Mushrooms? Onions? Carrots, Celery? Any and all of the above if you have them (and if you're in the mood to chop them all).

The grits is a little different. Normally, you would serve stir fry over noodles or rice, but I was simply in the mood for something different and this worked to a "T".  The creamy grits were the perfect counterpoint to the savory pork, crisp snow peas, and earthy mushrooms.  We will definitely be eating this again--and soon!

 

Magic Cheesecake

 

 

Magic Cheesecake, like all the other "magic" cheesecakes is one that forms its own crust. For those of us who can skip (meaning it's not our favorite part) the graham cracker crust, it's perfect.  It forms a slight crust but not so much that it feels like a thick pie or graham cracker or cookie crust.  The texture of the cheesecake itself is a little more substantial that regular New York style cheesecake but I love it.

I'm going to simply direct link to The English Kitchen blog since it's her recipe but I will tell you a couple of quick things I do differently. Nothing big.  I just added the zest and juice of a lemon the second time I baked it for a little more zip and I skipped the sour cream topping but only because I didn't happen to have any sour cream either time I made it.  The only other thing I monkied with is the sugar. Since I'm trying to cut back and cheesecake is not something I like super sweet, I only used half (1/2 cup total) the sugar. Still delish!

Thanks to Marie from The English Kitchen--I've tried several of her recipes and they're always keepers!

Magic Cheesecake Recipe from The English Kitchen

 Nutrition per 1/8th of cake (without caramel sauce, sorry!);  Calories:  302;  Protein:  9;  Carbs:  26;  Fat:  17;  Fiber: 1.

 

 

Tuna Patties with Homemade Tartar Sauce

 

 

 Hmmm....need a fast meal that's also healthy?  Tuna patties to the rescue. We're all trying to eat more fish (especially now at the new year, right?) and this is a quick, easy, budget-friendly, and family-friendly way to go.

All you need are a few items from the fridge and pantry: tuna, eggs, breadcrumbs, onion of some kind, and a couple of spices.

They are fried but I rarely use more than a tablespoon or two of olive oil and we're supposed to have a serving of olive oil a day as well, so it's still a win-win.  On the other hand, 29 grams of protein for a little over 200 calories is a definite WIN.

Plus, the end game is this: they're delicious!

 

Creamy Chicken and Cauliflower Soup

I love soup.  All kinds of soups, stews, chowders. Soups with veggies only, soups with beans, and soup with everything but the kitchen sink.  Let's face it: it's usually easy to make, you can usually use your crockpot, there is endless variety, it's customizable, it heats up easily in small portions, it's portable (think lunch)....what's not to love?  So when I was craving potato soup the other day, and even though I'm no a low-carber I still blanched at the thought of all the starch, I decided that potato soup made with cauliflower (love cauliflower!) and the chicken breasts that just happened to be thawed out in the fridge would be the ticket--and it was! I'm not going to tell you one of those cauliflower lies--"TASTES EXACTLY LIKE POTATOES!"-- it doesn't, it tastes like cauliflower, but it does taste delicious.