Breakfast: It was the Farmer's Market this morning. Today's haul: Zucchini (I've got yummy plans for dinner tomorrow), Apples, Strawberries, Onions, Garlic, Feta Cheese, and Olive Oil. Went for a walk after the market and when I came home I cut up all the strawberries for breakfasts, protein shakes and maybe a batch of protein ice cream this week (it's supposed to be in the 80's by Tuesday.)
Ate a few for breakfast with a dollop of sweetened ricotta and toasted almonds...
Shelly's Strawberries with Vanilla Bean Sweetened Ricotta
1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese
1 Tablespoon Sugar Free Torani Syrup (any flavor, I used SF Vanilla)
scrapings of 1/2 a Vanilla Bean
Strawberries, chopped
sprinkle of Toasted Almonds
Mix ricotta, syrup and vanilla bean seeds till well combined. Spoon over strawberries. Top with nuts.
Lunch: Yesterday was filled with workmen and writing checks ugghh so everything on yesterday's to do list moved to today (or fell off the list, hence no Friday Five post.) The work... last month (not sure if I blogged it) we had a roof leak in the garage that destroyed the water heater causing it to leak and flood part of the garage. Fun times. So yesterday the new water heater was being moved from the temporary position to the permanent position now that the roof repair has been tested by substantial rain.
I finished about half my to-do list, gave up and made lunch. Mmmm. Turkey Avocado and Cheese Roll-up (browned in the pan till all warm and gooey) and a simple Salad of Romaine, Tomato, and a store bought Vinaigrette. These melted cold-cut rollups are a go-to lunch for me. If you are jonesing for a grilled cheese try them...
Just take a slice of turkey, a slice of cheese, a slice or 2 of avocado. Roll it up. Spray a non-stick pan with Pam. Set the roll-up in seam side down, cook till golden flip till done.
When the garage flooded tubs of "stuff" were moved to the safety of my dining room. For the past few weeks my dining room could have been featured in one of those hoarders shows on the Discovery Channel. OK maybe it wasn't THAT bad but I will be so glad to not have to apologize for the mess and explain to everyone that comes over. I made a start at getting things back to normal this afternoon. It's going to take a few days.
Dinner: For dinner I made Cauliflower Pie. For my fellow non-pasta eating, low carb pals you'll love this. You really get the feel of eating an Italian pasta dish.
Shelly's Cauliflower Pie
1 head of Cauliflower, cooked and mashed
1 Yellow Onion, chopped
3 Eggs, beaten
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated (divided use)
1 Tablespoon Oregano
1 Tablespoon Fresh Basil, chopped
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
a few twists of Black Pepper
Topping
Marinara Sauce (I use jarred - Rao's is my fav)
Sliced Provolone
Break up cauliflower florets (my cauliflower was medium to large but the recipe is forgiving and slight size variations won't matter) and cook in salted water till fork tender. Drain. Mash. Saute onion till golden. Mix remaining ingredients together (hold back 1 Tablespoon of the Parmesan.) Pour into a 8 x 11.5 x 2 (2 qt) Pyrex casserole dish that has been sprayed with Pam non-stick cooking spray. Top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes and place under the broiler for 5 more minutes to brown.
When done I cut the pie into squares (I get 8-10 squares from the pie.) You can eat it as is but I top each square with a Tablespoon of Marinara Sauce and a slice of Provolone and it goes back under the broiler for a few minutes until the cheese is golden and bubbly. Mmmm.
Snacks: Too much coffee and while I was trapped in the garage working I nibbled on a bag of Kay's Naturals Cookie Bites. Nom.
Now I'm having a cup of tea (my current fav), surfing the net (BTW I'm on Pinterest be my pal) and thinking about this week's menus. I swear by menu planning since weight loss surgery. It really helps me balance my day (protein, carbs, fats) and make the best use of pantry ingredients and leftovers with little waste. Hope everyone is having a nice weekend.
More day in my pouch posts.
