The Incredible Edible Egg

I opened the fridge Sunday to realize I had about three dozen eggs waiting to be used. Because I tend to think of eggs as a breakfast food or for baking, I often forget I have so many.

With little motivation to make a big dinner Sunday night, I pulled out my “enough to feed an army” supply of eggs and whipped together a delicious scramble. Breakfast for dinner is always a good idea in my book!  Everything came together in a jiffy which lead me to realize that eggs are much more versatile than I give them credit for.  Get ready for a week full of egg recipes – and salad recipes! I need to remind myself that just because organic spinach is on sale, doesn’t mean you should buy every bag 🙂

Unless you struggle with high cholesterol, eggs are an excellent source of high quality protein. One egg contains 6 grams of protein and provides 70 calories. Eggs are also packed with vitamins and minerals making them an excellent alternative for meat.

{Breakfast for Dinner Egg Scramble}

[Ingredients]

• 7 eggs
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1/4 of a large white onion
• 3-4 large handfuls of spinach
• 1/2 cup salsa
• 2 TBSP Fat free Ranch Dressing
• 1 avocado

[Directions]

1. Finely dice onion and bell pepper.
2. Heat greased skillet over medium and saute vegetables until tender.
3. Roughly chop spinach and add to skillet.
4. In a bowl, whisk together eggs. Mix in salsa then add to skillet.
5. Cook until eggs are done, stirring often.
6. Plate eggs then top with salt, pepper, and diced avocado.

This makes a BIG batch! Plenty to feed 3-4 or two with leftovers for breakfast in the morning…

Cheers,

Danielle

Super Salads

The first section of the grocery store I push my cart to is the Produce section. I figure a cart FULL of bright reds, yellows, purples, and greens leaves less room and desire for all the other stuff perched on the shelves. As a budget minded shopper, knowing I’m paying a pretty penny for the fresh produce also deters me from tossing unnecessary items into my cart.

Since becoming a member at Costco and discovering their rain forest of fresh, and often organic, produce, this habit has reached a whole new level. Last weekend, my sister, hubby, and I went grocery shopping and by the time we left fruits and veggies, the cart was half full. #sorrynotsorry

The creativity it took to fit all those colors into my fridge was quite impressive.

As a vegetarian, I eat a lot of salads. To keep from getting boring, I like to add a variety of textures and flavors. Below I’ve listed my favorite mix ins and if you keep scrolling, you’ll find a recipe for a deliciously crunchy salad.

{Salad Success Mix-ins}

• Red, Yellow, or Orange Bell peppers
• Celery
• Black beans
• Chickpeas
• Quinoa
• Slivered almonds or walnuts
• Cranberries
• Apples
• Blueberries
• Mushrooms
• Avocado
• Butternut squash

{Super Salad with Asian Chicken}

[Ingredients]

• 1 1/2 cup mixed greens
• 1 1/2 cup spinach
• 1 yellow pepper
• 1 orange pepper
• 1 avocado
• 1 can of black beans
• 1 zucchini
• 1 summer squash
• 2 chicken breasts or 1/2 block tofu
• 1/2 large onion
• 1 clove garlic
• Sweet Red Chili Sauce

[Directions]

1. Cut chicken into bite size pieces. Set aside.
2. On a separate cutting board, with a clean knife, dice onion and 1/2 of an orange pepper. Dice garlic & set aside.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, spray with PAM then add onion and bell pepper to pan. Cook for a few minutes, stirring often, then add chicken.
4. Saute until chicken is cooked, reduce heat to low then stir in 2-3 TBSP of sweet red chili sauce.
5. While the chicken is cooking, rinse greens, peppers, zucchini/squash, and beans.
6. Using a clean cutting board and knife, chop peppers, zucchini, squash, and avocado.
7. In a large bowl, layer greens with chopped toppings. Top with chicken & serve with dressing of choice.

Cheers,

Danielle