Filling protein fajita quiche – 104 calories a slice!

Busy week nights require easy dinners that are made in literally a few minutes. Just like my mother, I’m a fan of a good ol’ one pot meal. They’re sandbox easy to put together, take a few seconds to conceptualize but yet they still manage to serve a lot of flavor. On the other hand, let’s face it; they might all of sudden turn into a challenge, especially if you’re an overachiever like myself, you have to vary them a bit because eating stews or pastas every night might get a little bit boring.

3 eggs

1/2 cup or 1,1 dl low fat cottage cheese (150 g)

3 egg whites (100 g)

3 garlic cloves

2 handfulls of spinach (100 g)

1 big chicken breast filet (200 g)

2 smaller red and yellow bell peppers (250 g)

1 medium sized onion (120 g)

30 g fat reduced cheese

A splash of white wine vinegar

• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1tsp salt
• 1tsp paprika
• 1tsp sweetener of choice
• 1 crushed chicken bouillon cube
• 1⁄4 tsp cumin

Start with dicing in the chicken in 2×2 inch or 4×4 cm cubes and giving it a really quick sear on a very hot skillet. The chicken should still be rawish when you take it off the heat. Slice and dice the other ingredients (excepts for the onion and garlic) in preferred shapes and sizes but try to keep everything about the same size as the chicken. Mix everything in a large bowl and transfer it to a slighty greased quiche pan. Cook in the oven for about 30 minutes or until the eggs set at 350 C or 180 F. Let it cool for five minutes before serving!

Macros for 1/8 of the recipe:

Calories: 104

Fats: 3 g

Protein: 13 g

Carbs: 6 g

Cheese stuffed cheesy chicken with cauliflower croquettes and a creamy tomato sauce – 319 calories

The trick to get a nice low calorie breading on your meat is to crush some flavored rice cakes and omit the egg for the coating. It should stick by itself and add a lot of flavor to your ordinary piece of chicken breast. The flavor variations are endless too! Think something like this!

I ate this for dinner a couple of days ago and it rocked. It was a great double cheese experience since I though that cheesy flavors where of the table since I’m on a diet. If you try this with other flavors than cheddar, please let me know!

Cheesy chicken (makes 2 bigger portions):
2 large chicken breasts (350 g)
4 T low fat creme cheese (I used Philadelphia lightest 3 %)
1 handfull spinach
2 cheddar flavored brown rice cakes
Dried herbs
Garlic powder
Salt and pepper
+ tooth picks, ziplock and plastic wrapper

In a zip lock bag, crush the rice cakes along with some seasoning until you have rice flour. Pound the breasts thin on a piece of plastic wrapper and sauté the spinach quickly. Mix the creme cheese, spices and spinach and spread the mixture over the pounded breasts. Roll up your chicken and secure it with some tooth picks. Coat the chicken with the “breading” and place it in the oven at 400 F or 200 C for about 15-20 minutes or until done.

Calories: 189
Fats: 4 g
Protein: 30 g
Carbs: 9 g

Cauliflower croquettes:
1/2 head of a large cauliflower (400 g)
1 egg
1 tsp onion powder
A little pinch of sweetener of choice
Salt and pepper
3 T coconut flour (21 g)
1 T psyllium husks (5 g)

Rice the cauliflower (process it in a flood blender or simply grate it until it looks like rice) and cook it in a microwave or on a stove top on medium heat until tender. Set aside and let cool down. Meanwhile heat up the oven to 400 F or 200 C. Once the cauliflower is cool add the remaining ingredients and stir until it forms a dough. You should be able to shape about 30 tiny croquettes (balls) out of it. Feel free to add more husks if the dough is to wet. Transfer the rolled balls onto a baking sheet and bake in the over for about 20-25 minutes.

The recipe makes 3 smaller portions (10 balls each) and macros for one portion are:
Calories: 87
Fats: 3 g
Protein: 7 g
Carbs: 5 g

Creamy tomato sauce:
1/2 package strained tomatoes (200 g)
1/2 small onion (30 g)
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 garlic clove
1/4 cup or 0,6 dl quark or greek yogurt (60 g)
Some sweetener to taste

Chop the onion and the garlic and sauté them in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil then simmer for a minute or so. Transfer it to a blender and puree until smooth (or leave it as it is if you prefer a chunky sauce)

Calories: 45
Fats: 0,3
Protein: 3,5 g
Carbs: 6 g

Have an entire pizza for 195 calories (or 314 with a generous bunch of toppings)

If you think dieting means eating cod and salad every day then you sure are wrong my friend. I just had a whole pizza for dinner. Yes, this is a pizza that is actually good for you and no, you’re not cheating. 😀 It’s low calorie and high protein so you can have the whole pizza without any guilt feels at all. crispy and filling that leaves you satisfied for only 195 calories and can easily be done for a vegan too (it’s 140 calories if you sub the egg for the flax eggs). Doesn’t it sound like every dieters dream?

For this crust I used my own gluten free blend which contains
30 % tapioca starch – 300 g
35 % sorghum flour – 350 g
35 % corn starch – 350 g

1/4 tsp instant yeast
1 heaping T gluten free flour blend (7 g)
1,5 T bake protein (7 g)
1 egg (or two flax eggs for vegan version)
1/2 tsp guar gum
Spices like oregano, garlic powder, salt and basil
1/3 cup or 0,8 dl cooked, riced cauliflower (50 g)
3 T coconut flour (21 g)
A splash of warm water (110-115 F or 37-40 C)
A splash of unsweetened almond milk
1 tsp whole psylium seeds

Blend the yeast with the water and set aside. Blend the psylium seeds with a splash of almond milk and set aside. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and add the cauliflower and the egg. Stir in the seeds and the yeast. Feel free to add more gluten free flour if the dough is to dry! Cover the bowl with a towel. Let rest for at least half an hour in a warm and dark place. I use my dryer for this and I’m not even kidding you.

Meanwhile, heat up your oven to 400 F or 200 C and prep all your toppings. Once the dough is done resting, press it in a rounded baking pan (about 10 inch or 27 cm) and bake in the oven until crispy and golden brown (10-20 min). Lastly, add all your toppings and bake it in the oven until all the toppings are done!

Macros for the ENTIRE crust:
Calories: 195
Fats: 4 g
Protein: 16 g
Carbs: 20 g

Macros for the vegan version:
Calories: 140
Fats: 2 g
Protein: 10 g
Carbs: 20 g

I topped mine off with red onions, yellow bell pepper, two light laughing cow wedges, 50 g deli turkey, mushrooms and a quick marinara sauce (50 g strained tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder, sweetener and oregano).

Macros for the crust plus toppings:
Calories: 314
Fats: 8 g
Protein: 31 g
Carbs: 33 g

Quick, sweet and spicy beef stew for 205 calories

Monday! New week and I just love the smell of opportunity. I’ve done my placement test for a language course in Singapore I’m going on in 12 days. Don’t worry, I got you covered with recipes even if I’ll be gone in 3 weeks. I was really (oddly?) pleased to hear that we’ll have to cook our own food. Great opportunity to learn to cook with local ingredients and experiment.

Oh well. Busy weeknights huh? Well today wasn’t different so just the bare thought of quick dinner pleases me deeply. Since my trips destination is Singapore, I felt like asian stir fry (or stew fry?) was fairly suitable today. So, I’ve decided upon making a healthy low calorie stew that can be enjoyed just as it is or with rice, soba- or shiratake noodles.

300 g lean beef
1 big yellow bell pepper (200 g)
2 handfulls haricots verts (200 g)
1 big head of broccoli (350 g)
3 medium sized mushrooms (100 g)
A bunch of scallions (230 g)
1/2 cup or 1 dl unsweetened pistachio milk
1/3 cup or 0,7 dl low fat coconut milk
3 T Japanese low sodium soy sauce
2 tsp arrow root starch (5 g)
2,5 T sugar free ketchup (40 g) (Mine was sweetened with stevia but if you can’t find that, don’t worry, just by a low calorie version and add some sweetener of choice)
2 cubes of chicken stock
1/2 or 1 dl cup water
1 T rice vinegar
A splash of lime juice
1 T sesame seeds (10 g)
A piece of ginger, about as big as a coin (25 g)
1 garlic clove
Coconut oil or nonstick cooking spray for greasing the pan

Start with chopping all the veggies and the beef. Since you’ll be working with high heat, timing is essence. Heat a large wok pan to medium heat. Chop the scallions, diagonally, both white and green parts and mince both the garlic and the ginger. Put those three, along with the sesame seeds in the pan and cook until the scallions are tender. Add the stock and the water and bring to a boil. Add the veggies, heat up to high heat and stir until veggies are half done.

Stir in the coconut milk, pistachio milk, vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, ketchup and the arrow root until everything is well combined and you have a sauce that you’re happy with. Season with spices like sweet or hot paprika, garlic powder, salt and pepper and turn of the heat. Add the beef immediately and stir until the beef is done. This technique will hopefully keep your meat from overcooking because since you’re working with lean meat – it’s reaaaally easy to do so.

The recipe makes 4 portions and here are the macros for one portion:
Calories: 205
Fats: 5 g
Carbs: 16 g
Protein: 22 g

Filling and creamy yet skinny green pea and edamame soup – 78 calories

It’s quite no big deal that a soup turns out pretty low on calories since it’s often only based on veggies, broth and water. However, I happen to find most diet soups really unpleasant. Yeah, they’re fairly easy to make and they can be bold on flavors but seriously – some soups are just a mushy disaster that fills you up temporary and then leaves you like craving for more.

Well, a meal like that won’t do in my kitchen. Although, yesterday I was really stressed and wanted a meal that doesn’t require much prep work nor time. I put together some ingredients I found in my fridge (that’s best way to cook a soup in my opinon) and the outcome was a healthy and filling soup that was pretty low on calories but yet hearty. I really enjoyed it and I’m sure it will appear on my kitchen table again soon!

1 1/3 cup or 2,6 dl (200 g) green peas
1/3 cup or 0,8 dl (50 g) edamame beans
A handful baby spinach
1 small onion
1 1/2 cup or 3,5 dl water
2 medium sized garlic cloves
1/2 cup or 1 dl (100 g) quark or greek yoghurt (plus additional for garnish) (for vegan version: sub the quark with soy yogurt)
1 head of broccoli (240 g)
2 cubes sugar free organic vegetable stock
1 packet silken tofu (300 g)
1 T white wine vinegar
3 T (15 g) nutritional yeast
Some sweetener of choice to taste
Some fresh dill

Chop the garlic and onion and cook them in a large greased pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally. As soon as they start to brown; add the stock cubes and the water. Stir until combined and chop the broccoli and tofu into fairly small pieces. Put the the peas, beans, tofu, broccoli, yeast, vinegar and lastly the spinach in your pot, cover and cook over medium heat until the broccoli’s tender or about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender, add the quark and process until smooth. Season with fresh chives and salt and pepper and serve with fresh dill and quark.

The recipe makes 7 servings and macros for one serving are:
Calories: 78
Fats: 2 g
Protein: 10 g
Carbs: 9 g

Healthy salmon with caramelized apples, scallions plus a lemony cauliflower risotto – 280 calories

Busy week nights sure aren’t an excuse to go for unhealthy fast food. Even tho, it might be tempting since you’re already tired and don’t have much time in the kitchen. This is where this dish comes in. While it needs a little prep it can be done the day before. I store loads of the riced cauliflower in my fridge for example, because it variety of uses is never ending. It’s basically one of the most important components of my morning oatmeal. Later, I’ll also post some cauliflower baked goods.

Well, you can use whatever veggies you feel like for the risotto. I prefer to use my leftovers or whatever I find at the bottom shelf of my fridge. Some healthy and fun combos are legumes, fruits such as apricots, soy beans.. Uh, just grab the delicious goods you have at home and experiment!

However, I strongly recommend using the pairing of lemon and apple. They go really well together and melt beautifully with the salmon. If you don’t have lemons, just use another acidic fruit such as kiwi, cranberries or lime and a sub acid fruit instead o the apple. It could be cherries, peaches, pears or maybe plums? You may experiment a bit and it will still stay quite low in calories since the risotto is very diet friendly (and packed with flavor at the same time!)

The recipe serves 3 persons

3 pieces of salmon filet (360 g)
1 medium sized apple
2 small scallions (20 g)
Spices to taste
1 small sized head of cauliflower (about 500 g)
About ten to twelve mushrooms (120 g)
3-4 inch (7-10 cm) piece leek
1/2 cup or 1 dl dry white wine
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Fresh parsley to taste
1 garlic clove
Sweetener of choice
Vegetable broth

Preheat the oven to 400 F or 200 C. Cut the apples in to wedges, dice the scallions and caramelized them both with whatever sweetener you’re using in a sauté pan over medium heat. Take them off the heat as soon as they start to seem a bit under. Dip the salmon filets in half of the lemon juice and season. Place the sautéd apples and scallions on top and cook in the oven for about 13-15 minutes.

Meanwhile, start making the risotto by ricing the cauliflower. Now this can be done using a food processor or simply grating by hand – the point is to make your cauliflower look like rice. Be careful not to make a mush tho!

Once you’re done with that, cut the mushrooms, garlic, leeks and the parsley. Sauté the leeks and garlic with some herbs or other seasoning. Add the riced cauliflower, parsley, remaining lemon juice, mushrooms, white wine and the broth once your leeks start to brown. Season with salt and pepper, a little sweetener and cook on medium-low heat until all the liquid is gone.

Calories: 280
Fat: 18 g
Carbs: 17 g
Protein: 21 g

Oh, if your macros call for a bit more protein (which mine did), just put together a sauce made on quark, dill and horseradish for an additional 5-10 g protein.

Chickpea, avocado and chicken salad – 265 cal

Well, I’m a huge fan of chicken combined with pomegranate seed! You should try it now if you haven’t yet! It’s sure a delish combo! Here’s a recipe for a quick and light summer salad that can be made with whatever you have at hand – the really important ingredients is the chick peas, chicken and pomegranate.

1/2 cup or 1 dl chopped red bell pepper
1 cup or 2 dl (150 g) chick peas
1 huge skin- and boneless cooked chicken breast á 200 g (mine was already marinated)
1/4 cup or 1/2 dl (40 g) pomegranate seeds
1 cup or 2 dl (250 g) chopped cucumber
1/2 (50 g) chopped small red onion
1 medium-sized (100 g) avocado
2/3 cup or 1,5 dl (170 g) halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup or 2 dl (200 g) chopped green lettuce
1,5 T (20 g) green basil pesto
Herbal salt, pepper, parmesan spice, apple cider vinegar and other spices to taste

Finely dice everything and just blend in a huge bowl. Put in the fridge and let the flavors sink in while you do a sauce. I strongly recommend aioli made with quark (greek yoghurt or whatever you have at hand works), honey, one garlic clove and spices.

The recipe makes 3 servings and one serving is:
Cal: 265
Fat: 11
Protein: 19
Carbs: 22