Day 111 - Hash, Revisited

Potato and ham hash, baked egg, orange section.

Remember when I made hash a few days ago?  Remember how delicious it was?  Well, I made it again, and I made a lunch container picture for you!.  I replaced the sausage with chopped deli ham, and added a baked egg and some oranges on the side.

All the pertinent recipes are linked.  Not much else to say except it was so good.  Pin It Now!

Day 110 - Ham and Asparagus Quiche

Ham and Asparagus quiche, tomato wedges, orange wedges, triscuits.

Ok, friends, it's mini quiche time!  I said I would keep making them, but it's been way too long.  These are so good...they're good cold, they're good hot...just perfect.  Not exactly low fat, though, so I made sure to amp it up with lots healthy stuff.  Tomato wedges, orange sections, and triscuits rounded it out.  Nice lunch.

These were so easy - I just popped these in the oven while I made dinner, let them cool while I ate, and them boxed them up for the next day.  The recipe makes two mini quiches, which is great for a single serve.  Feel free to multiply!

Ham and Asparagus Mini Quiche

1/4 cup heavy cream
1 egg
2 T ham, finely chopped (I used once slice of deli ham)
2 T goat chevre, crumbled
2 stalks fresh asparagus
pinch each of salt and pepper

In a very well greased muffin tin, divide the ham and goat cheese into two muffin cups (you may use a silicone liner if you prefer).  In a separate small bowl, whisk together cream, egg, salt, and pepper.  Gently pour over ham and chevre; the mixture should reach almost the top of the muffin cup.  Trim asparagus and chop into 1 inch pieces.  Place on top of your uncooked quiches - some asparagus should sink just a little, and that is fine.  Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes, or until quiches are golden and puffy.  Let cool for 10 minutes before gently removing with a spoon; expect the quiches to fall quite a bit during this time.  Serve immediately, or refrigerate overnight for lunch. Pin It Now!

Day 109 - Ham Sandwich

Ham sandwich with mustard, sugar snap peas, orange sections, wheat thins with low fat cheese.

Today is just a plain ham and dijon sandwich with traditional and healthy sides - orange sections, wheat thins and little low fat cheeses, and sugar snap peas.  Nothing overly exciting, but sometimes you just have to throw together a sandwich in the morning and get to work.

Watch this week for common ingredients - I bought deli ham, oranges, and asparagus this week.  Of course, I bought other things also, but these came in bulk and will stretch through the week.  I'll even incorporate them at night, too.  This is fairly impractical if you're cooking for a large family all week, but if you're just feeding yourself (or only concentrating on lunches), it can be good to plan a menu with lots of common ingredients.  I usually buy what's on sale to increase my savings and streamlining even more! Pin It Now!

Day 108 - Restaurant Leftovers

Roasted Chicken, Couscous Salad, Oranges, Sugar Snap Peas

My mom came to town, which means one very important thing:  shopping and eating out!

Ok, that's two important things, and my mom visiting is obviously more important than just that.  Like bonding, and Kodak moments, and fond memories...but we mostly establish those through shopping and eating out.  We were on a serious mission for shoes, which succeeded, and a serious mission for tasty/healthy food, which also succeeded...except when we found french fries.

But anyway, other than the french fries, we did ok in health terms.  We went to Houston's, which is on of my favorite restaurants from when I was little.  We went twice, actually...one time with the aforementioned french fries, and then a second time when I got roasted chicken and a delicious couscous salad!  It had tomatoes, spinach, almonds...and I'm not sure what all else, but it was good.

And so, the leftovers became my lunch today!  I added some orange segments and sugar snap peas  to round it out, and ate the whole thing cold. It was delicious.  Thanks, mom! Pin It Now!

Day 107 - Refrigerator Oatmeal

Refrigerator Oatmeal with Strawberries, Almonds, and Honey

I've been reading a lot on other blogs and websites about oatmeal "cooked" in the refrigerator and served cold.  I love oatmeal, and since it's been unseasonably warm this week (like, in the 70s, which is ridiculous), I decided to try it.

It. Was.  Delicious. 

It was so creamy and fluffy and filling, I just didn't know what to do with myself.  And it is so healthy!  It uses a variety of whole grains and fruit, including chia seeds which are all the rage right now for health reasons.  I jut like the way they plump up with the milk, to be honest.

This is a must try.  I will say, the recipe below made what looked like one serving, but I couldn't get all the way through it in one sitting.  I'd recommend splitting it in half.  I kept mine in the fridge for well over 48 hours and it never got overly mushy, so this would be a great thing to make for a few days worth of breakfasts or healthy snacking!

Feel free to replace the honey and berries with whatever you like.  The almonds, too.  The milk to oatmeal/granola ratio is what's really important here, but feel free to experiement with the toppings and let me know how you feel!

Refrigerator Oatmeal

1 cup 1% milk
1/2 cup steel cut instant (5 minute) oats (or, you may also use non-instant rolled oats)
1/4 cup low fat granola, without raisins (or with, if you really like them!)
2 T chopped almonds
1 T chia seeds
1 t honey
strawberries, however many you like, for topping

Combine all ingredients, except strawberries, in a 16 oz container with a tight fitting lid.  Shake until well combined.  Place in refrigerator over night, at least 8 hours.  When ready to eat, remove lid and top with strawberries and extra honey as needed.  Serve cold and enjoy!

Look, it even has a top!

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Day 106 - Lighter Bean Chimichangas

Bean Chimichangas, Guacamole, Blue Corn Chips, Mandarin Oranges

I guess I'm still on my Southwestern kick from last week.

Today's lunch included mini chimichangas, a Wholly Guacamole 100 calorie pack, blue corn chips, and a cup of mandarin oranges.  Yes, I got one of my chimichangas a little too crispy, but I like it that way!  To make the chimichangas, which are really just deep fried burritos, I used up rice from last week, leftover refried beans, and the last of the pinto beans from yesterday's lunch.  You may fill yours with whatever you want - chicken, beef, pork, black beans, peppers, even scrambled eggs - as long as the filling is something that heats well.  I'd save the guacamole and lettuce for toppings.

These are easy, hot, and will fill you up quickly!  I call them "lighter" because they are sauteed in a pan rather than deep fried, as is traditional.  I also didn't cover them in cheese, which is my favorite way to eat them when I'm at a restaurant.  You can make them as healthy or as indulgent as you wish, depending on what you fill and top them with.  I pictured one of them upside down so you could see how I folded it, in case you're curious!  The recipe makes two, but feel free to expand to as many as you want.

Lighter Bean Chimichangas

2 fajita sized flour tortillas
3/4 cup southwestern or Mexican food leftovers (I used 1/4 cup refried beans, 1/4 cup pinto beans, and 1/4 cup rice)
1 T shredded monterray jack cheese
1 t corn oil

Heat oil in a small cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Mix your leftovers and cheese well in a small bowl; divide evenly between tortillas, and roll up like a burrito, with no filling exposed.  Holding your bundle of goodness together carefully, gently place seam side down in your skillet.  Be quick with pulling away your hands, the oil might sputter at you!  Cook until brown and crispy, about 2-5 minutes.  Flip and cook until other side is just as brown and crispy.  Allow to cool for a few minutes or completely before serving! Pin It Now!

Day 105 - Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

Corn, stewed onions and ham, slow cooker pinto beans, green beans, and corn bread.

I told you last post that I would have all vegetables and fruit for this lunch, and I got...close?

Growing up, my mom would go to the farmer's market in the summers and just get whatever was fresh.  Beans, squash, tomatoes, whatever.  She'd cook them as simply as possible, and we'd just have a vegetable plate, with maybe some ham or sausage on the side.  I do that in the summers now, but every once in a while I want it in the winter, too.  It's not as good, but I find that even frozen vegetables taste great when I'm just ready for some veggies and vitamins.

So, for today we have last night's leftovers - frozen corn, stewed pearl onions and ham, slow cooker pinto beans, green beans that I had made in the summer and frozen, and some corn bread.  I'm going to tell you all about the pinto beans, because they are ridiculously easy, ridiculously cheap, and pretty tasty too!  Great source of protein, and if you have leftovers you can make refried beans!

Just for your general reference, I buy a whole ham or ham cubes whenever they come on sale and keep them in the fridge for bean and soup cooking - I highly recommend this practice!  A ham bone is even better, but when you're doing small batches like the one below, just a little ham or bacon will be fine.

Slow Cooker Pinto Beans

1/2 cup dried pinto beans (no need to soak)
1/2 cup frozen pearl onions
1/2 cup ham, chopped
1/2 poblano pepper, seeded
2 T chicken bouillion
1 T salt (or less...if you're sensitive to salt, start with one teaspoon and work your way up)

Place all ingredients, in order, in a 2 quart crock pot.  Fill the crock with water until about an inch from the top (if you're using a bigger crock pot, then add at least four cups of water).  Cook on low for 8-10 hours.  Drain and serve hot.

If you're making refried beans later, be sure to save the liquid! Pin It Now!