Skinny Strawberry & Blueberry Muffins

Breakfast is one of my favorite meals of the day.  I would eat breakfast for lunch and dinner (which I've done many times)!  So when I came across this recipe from Kitchen Meets Girl, it really caught my eye.  The best thing about this recipe is that it's skinny, but still has tons of flavor!  I hope you enjoy these delicious muffins!

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Skinny Strawberry & Blueberry Muffins

Total Time: 40 min

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 25 min

Yield: 6 large muffins/12 small muffins

Ingredients

2 ½ cup old-fashioned oats

1 cup strawberry Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)

2 large eggs

½ cup baking stevia (you can also use sugar; start with 1/2 cup and add a litte extra, depending on your taste)

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 cup strawberries, diced, and divided

½ cup blueberries

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Line 12 muffin tins with foil liners, or spray really well with cooking spray so the oats don’t stick.

2. Place all of your ingredients (except the strawberries & blueberries) in a blender or food processor, and blend until the oats are smooth. You might need to stop and use a spoon to mix up the ingredients by hand and then blend again.

3. Pour the batter into a medium sized bowl, and fold in 1 cup of strawberries and the blueberries.

4. Divide the batter equally into each the muffin pan. Add the remaining ½ cup diced strawberries over the top of each muffin. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes & enjoy!

Roasted Spring Vegetables with Arugula Pesto

This side dish is perfect for a holiday party.  My hubby just made these for our Easter family lunch.  Yum!  Not only does it look beautiful; it tastes beautiful as well.  And it's healthy too!  Only 157 calories per serving!  Let me know what you think!

Roasted Spring Vegetable with Arugula Pesto

Total Time: 40 min

Prep: 15 min

Cook:  25 min

Yield:  8 servings

Ingredients

4 cup(s) baby or new potatoes, 1 to 2 inches in diameter, halved or quartered depending on size

5 teaspoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil

4 cup(s) peeled baby carrots

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into thirds

½ teaspoon(s) salt

1 clove garlic, peeled

5 cup(s) baby arugula

½ cup finely shredded Asiago cheese

¼ cup toasted pine nuts*

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. To prepare the vegetables: Position rack in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 425°F.

2. Toss the potatoes with 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large bowl and spread on a large baking sheet. Roast in the lower third of the oven for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, toss the carrots with 2 teaspoons of olive oil in the bowl and spread on another large baking sheet. After the potatoes have roasted for 5 minutes, place the carrots in the upper third of the oven and roast potatoes and carrots for 15 minutes.

4. Continue roasting until all the vegetables are tender and starting to brown, 8 to 10 minutes more.

5. To prepare the pesto: Drop the garlic through the feed tube of food processor with the motor running; process until minced. Stop the machine and add the arugula, cheese, pine nuts, 1/4 cup oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pulse and then process, scraping down the sides as necessary, until the mixture is a smooth paste.

6. Toss the roasted vegetables with 1/3 cup pesto and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the large bowl (reserve the remaining pesto for another use: refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze). Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with arugula, if desired.

*Tip: To toast the pine nuts, place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Don't forget to enter to win the my memories giveaway as well as joining the Show Your Style link party!  Happy Fool's Day everyboday!  Let me know if there were any really good pranks today!

Southwest Burgers & Low Fat Cornbread

 I have to be honest.  When I found this recipe online, I wasn't sure how good it was going to be.  And once I had it cooked and in front of me, it looked like it might be too dry or bland.  BOY WAS I WRONG!

Southwest Burgers & Low Fat Cornbread

Total Time: 50 min

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 35 min

Yield: 8

Ingredients

1 1b package Marie Callender’s Low Fat Southwestern Corn Bread Mix

1 pound lean ground beef*

1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped

½ cup crushed baked tortilla chips (1 ounce chips)

¼ cup orange bell pepper, finely chopped

1 egg white

2 teaspoons Spice of Life’s “Southwestern Mesquite” spice**

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

8 tomato slices from 2 large tomatoes

Tostitos Chunky Salsa, Medium

½ cup fat free sour cream

½ cup green onions, chopped

Sharp cheddar cheese, Topping

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat bottom and sides of a cast iron skillet with cooking spray.  Whisk together the cornbread ingredients and water until the lumps disappear.  Pour the batter into the cast iron skillet.  Bake for about 25 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

2. While the cornbread is baking, add the beef, onions, tortilla chips, red peppers, egg white and all the spices including fresh ground pepper to a large mixing bowl. Shape the beef mixture into 8 patties. Tip: Break up the beef before adding the other ingredients so everything combines better; otherwise, the onion and pepper won’t adhere to the beef.

3.Place all 8 burgers on a grill and continue to cook each for around 10-12 minutes.  Flip the burgers and cook the opposite side for another 10-12 minutes.  Before removing them from the grill, slightly cut open each burger to make sure there is little to no pink remaining. ***

4. Cut the cornbread into 8 slices (one for each burger patty).

5. Place one slice of cornbread on each plate. Place a burger patty on top of each cornbread slice. Top each with cheese, sour cream, salsa and scallions.  Enjoy!

*I used ground beef because that’s how I prefer my burgers.  For an even healthier option, substitute ground turkey or chicken for the beef.

**Make your own southwestern mesquite spice blend using: ½ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder and ½ teaspoon cumin

***This burger can also be made using a panini grill, George Forman grill or nonstick pan.  Just coat the grill with cooking spray. It only takes 4-5 minutes total with this type of grill because both sides of the burger are cooked at once. To cook in a nonstick pan, coat the pan first with cooking spray and cook burgers on each side about 4-5 minutes.

This was such a fantastic meal, and my husband couldn't stop raving about it either!  If you like southwestern flavors, you will love this recipe!  And believe it or not, even though these look small and simplistic, I was full  after eating just 2 of these delicious burgers and cornbread.

I'm curious to know what you all think about this recipe.  What do you like?  What would you change?  Have a great day everyone!