Left Over Rotisserie Chicken?

Make some healthy wraps! In a tortilla, place twenty chicken shreds, a half cup of kidney beans, 2 tablespoons Tzatziki, sliced onions, and spinach. Close with a toothpick and bake for 10 mins a 350. For about 270 calories, you can't go wrong.

Make sure to leave the skin off your chicken though! Also, I added some hot sauce but it's flavorful without the extra condiment as well.

Baked Applesauce Stuffed Eggplant with Turkey Bacon, Tomatoes, and Black Eyed Peas

As I sit here writing this blog entry, I am also eating my new creation and smiling to myself. I have never cooked with eggplant before and therefore had no idea the little idea in my head would pan out so well. But it's super yummy!

Also, I did not follow the under 200 calorie rule as I promised last night, but we still did ok. This one is definitely an impress your guests recipe, but it's great for a light weekend brunch as well. And despite the turkey bacon, it's packed with nutrients.

Here's the lowdown on what you'll need.

• 1 eggplant
• 1 cup black eyed peas (canned is fine, unless you want to soak beans the night before)
• 3 slices Wellness Farms turkey bacon (sold at Whole Foods. It's the healthiest brand out there.) 
• 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce 
• 1 teaspoon spicy olive oil (as always, I use Plato's)
• 1 medium tomato
• Tony Chachere's Creole More Spice Seasoning, to your taste.



Hollow out.



Don't worry about the seeds. 

• 2 slivers goat cheese (this is optional. I like to buy it fresh from Whole Foods, but if you're only going to be using it for this recipe, getting a block is a pain in the ars.) 

Start cooking:

Preheat your oven to 425. 

Then, slice your eggplant vertically. Lie each side on its back and make knife slits in the middle. Spoon out all of the inside in smaller portions, so it looks like picture. Boil the inside on high while you prepare the rest. 

Spicy and sweet combo = yum

Drizzle a half teaspoon olive oil onto each eggplant half. Add 1/4 cup of apple sauce to each half. Pop in the oven for 15 minutes. 

Dice your tomatoes and cut your bacon into small pieces. 

While the eggplant cooks, add the 3 slices of turkey bacon to a pan and cook for 5 minutes on medium/high. If the stove is turn up too hot, the bacon will burn; careful! 

Add the the boiled eggplant and the tomatoes. Add 1/4 cup water so the mixture doesn't dry out, then top with the Tony's seasoning. Cook this all together for 5 minutes.

Add the black eyed peas and let it all simmer for another 5 minutes. Add more Tony's!

By this time, your eggplant halves should be ready. Get those out of the oven, and reduce the oven temp to 350. Scoop the turkey bacon and veggie medley into the eggplant shells. Top each with a sliver of goat cheese and pop those babies back into the oven for another 10 minutes.

The final product! Other eggplants are jealous.

Sit and wait anxiously as your final product bakes. It's best to enjoy it while hot. If you're brining it to a party, however,  cover it with foil, and put it in the oven at 350 for 3 minutes when you get to your destination.


The calorie roundup:
1 cup black eyed peas - 180 calories
1 eggplant small - 120 calories
3 slices Wellness Farms turkey bacon - 120 calories
1/2 cup apple sauce - 60 calories
1 teaspoon Plato's oil - 40 calories
1 medium tomato - 22 calories
2 slivers goat cheese - 20
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281 calories per serving (1 stuffed eggplant half)

Questions? Comments? Tried it and liked it? Didn't come out quite right? As always, holler!

Happy eating and happy reading, yall

Garden Burger Bliss!

This is not technically homemade.
I put it all together though, and it includes a Garden burger patty, 2 slices of wheat bread, cheese, Tzatziki sauce, eggplant, and spinach. All for 394 calories.

If you want the portions, comment below and I will post.

370.5 Calorie Meal: Chicken Fajita Wrap with Tostones (Plantains)

When I first started my wellness my wellness journey, I was wary of both bread and cheese. I've come to realize that these foods are perfectly OK, in moderation, and as long as you do it right. If your breads have syrups or sugars, they're a no-go. As for cheese, make a little bit go along way, like I did for this recipe.

To make this for a family of 4, follow my lead:

The tortillas in this picture rule.

You will need:

For Fajita Wrap:

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (4 ounces for each for you) 
• Goya's Adobo seasoning (now sold in many grocery stores)
• Ole Mexican Foods XTreme Wellness Tortillas in Spinach & Herbs Flavor ( no cholesterol, no lard, 12g Fiber, 7g Protein, and only 74 calories each!
• 4 ounce can fire roasted diced green chiles
• 2 peppers (yellow, green or red)
• 1/4 red onion, diced
• Handful of spinach
• 2 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb (35 calories a square; a little goes a long way)
• Lime juice to taste
• Optional: salsa, hot sauce

Kitchen scissors = bff.

Start by seasoning the chicken with Adobo and lime juice for 15 minutes (use your discretion for how much to use. I usually cover a whole breast with Adobo as the picture shows).

When it comes to cooking quick and healthy, kitchen scissors are my best friend. I used these to cut up the chicken into smaller square pieces. 

Turn your stove to medium high then add chicken to a skillet. Add the can of chiles immediately. 

No oil is needed because the juices from the chiles compensate. If you feel like the chicken needs more moisture, add some squirts of lime juice and water (I use a squirt bottle for the H2O). Allow this to cook for 5 minutes. 

A colorful meal!

Next, you'll be adding the peppers. Make sure they are cut into thin strips, as they will cook easier. All this to cook for another 5 minutes. 

Next, add the red onion. 

If your mixture looks dry, then squirt with water. Allow this to cook for another 5, then turn the burner on simmer while you make the tostones. The chicken will be more than cooked, your mixture will stay hot, and the veggie combo will taste delicious. 

Spinach is waxy and saves bread from sogg.

When you're ready to serve, spread 1/2 wedge of cheese onto each tortilla. Then, add the raw spinach on top. The spinach is healthy, compliments the dish, and will make sure your tortilla doesn't get soggy once you add the chicken mixture (I despise soggy bread). Top with chicken mixture, and secure with a toothpick! 

The final product will be unveiled after the to stones recipe. 

For Tostones:

• 2 plantain bananas
• 2 teaspoons olive oil (I use Plato's Habanero-Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
• Salt to taste

Start by heating the oil on high, in either a pot or pan

Then, cut each plantain into 8 pieces

Before smashing.

Add pieces to the olive oil. Let them cook on medium for 10 minutes, rotating from side to side. The rotation is essential, otherwise you'll end up with charred plantains. 

Remove with a fork. Keep pan on.

After smash time! 

Use a tostone/plantain smasher to flatten each piece. Most of you won't have this device. Instead, use a paper bag to flatten. Fold it in half like a card and place each piece, one by one, on one side. Gently smash. 

Put them back into the pan, and cook for another 5 minutes. After that, they're ready! Sprinkle with a bit of salt if you feel like it. Salsa and hot sauce are great additions too. 

Final Dinner Plate:

Ta Da!

The Calorie Count (per serving):

• Chicken breast -160
• Chiles - 5
• Peppers - 30 (approx.)
• Spinach - 5
• Onion - 2 (approx.)
• Lime Juice - 2 (approx.)
• Adobo - 0 (full of sodium, which is why it should be used only as a marinade)
• Tortilla - 74
• Plantain - 60
• Olive oil (Plato's, 2 teaspoons divided by 4 people) - 20 
• Cheese - 17.5

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370.5 calories. Woo! Seconds or dessert, anyone?

Thank you for reading my first recipe post! If you have questions about anything in this recipe, please comment, or email me by pressing the email icon.

Happy eating! Looking forward to the next time already.