Protein Packed Cheesy Mexican Quinoa Bites

Ingredients
1 cup leftover Mexican Tricolor Quinoa (see recipe)
1/2 cup Sharp Shredded Cheese
2 Large Eggs

Preheat oven (this is the one I use) to 400°

Lightly beat the eggs in a bowl and then add the remaining ingredients.  Spray a 12 cup mini muffin pan and divide mixture evenly.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until tops are lightly golden.

Garnish some green onion, a little pico de gallo and some plain greek yogurt.

These are super tasty and packed with protein!

Sugar-Free French Silk Pie

 

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/2 cups Almond Flour

1/4 cup Wheat Bran

1/2 cup Soy Protein Powder (not soy flour)

1 stick Cold Butter (cubed)

3 tbsp. Splenda Granular

2 tbsp. Cold Water

Add all ingredients (except water) to the bowl of your food processor.  Pulse until the flour and butter look like peas.  Slowly add the water and pulse until the dough just starts to come together. Pour out onto a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap and form into a disk.  Place it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.  Once dough has chilled, roll it out onto a lightly floured surface.  You want to roll it out to about 1/4" thick.  Now press it into a 9 inch pie plate and bake at 425° for 15 to 20 minutes or until a light golden brown.  Remove and let cool.  Meanwhile we'll prepare the filling.

Filling

3 oz. Unsweetened Chocolate

3 Large Eggs

1 1/2 cups Heavy Whipping Cream (divided)

1/2 cup Butter (softened)

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp. Splenda Granular

1 tsp. Vanilla extract

First lets bring some water to boil in a double boiler.  In the bowl of our double boiler beat together the eggs, 1/4 cup of the whipping cream and 1/2 cup of the Splenda.  Set the bowl over the boiling water and continue to beat carefully until the mixture reaches a temperature of 130° or it begins to thicken.  Set aside to cool.  Now heat 1/2 cup of the whipping cream and pour over the chocolate and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth.  Set chocolate aside to cool as well.  Meanwhile cream the butter with 1/4 cup of the Splenda until the butter is pale yellow and fluffy.  In another bowl we will beat the remaining whipping cream to soft peaks then add the remaining Splenda and vanilla.  Continue to beat until you have nice stiff peaks.  Now lets combine the chocolate, egg mixture and butter together.  Beat on medium speed for five minutes until mixture is nice and fluffy.  Finally fold in the whipped cream until thoroughly combined.  Pour into the cooled pie crust and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until filling is nice and firm.  Before serving top with the whipped topping (recipe below) and garnish with some chocolate shavings.

Whipped Topping

1 1/4 cups Whipping Cream

1/4 cup Splenda Granular

1 oz. Semi-sweet Chocolate (shaved) *optional

Mini Beef & Mushroom Quiche

Ingredients

4 Large Eggs (beaten with 1/2 tsp. Sea Salt)

1/2 cup leftover Creamy Beef Stroganoff (see recipe)

2 Large Baby Portobellos (chopped)

1/4 cup Diced Onion

1 tbsp. Sour Cream (I use full fat)

2 slices Provolone Cheese (diced)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Nonstick Canola spray

Preheat toaster oven to 375°

Heat a small skillet sprayed with the nonstick spray.  Add mushrooms and onions and saute for 3 to 5 minutes until softened. (You want onions to still have a little bite to them.) Add the leftover stroganoff and sour cream.  Stir until everything is combined and season to taste.  Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.  Meanwhile beat your eggs with the salt.  Prepare a 12 cup mini muffin pan with nonstick spray.  Once the stroganoff mixture has cooled add it to the eggs, along with the provolone cheese.  Stir everything together and ladle into the muffin pan.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until completely set.

Enjoy by itself or with a little tomato salad!

Makes 12 to 14 mini muffins

Steam-Baked Shrimp and Tofu Dumplings

Ingredients
12 Nasoya Wonton Wrappers
Crisco Original Nonstick Spray

Filling

12 Large Shrimp (cleaned, coarsely chopped)
3 oz. Nasoya Firm Tofu Cubes (chopped)
1 egg (separated, lightly beaten)
2 tbsp. Sushi Soy Sauce
1/2" Fresh Ginger (grated)
1 Garlic Clove (grated)
2 cups Coleslaw Blend (shredded red & green cabbage with carrots)
2 tbsp. Green Onion (chopped)
1/8 tsp. Sesame Oil
Pepper to taste


Dipping Sauce
2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 tbsp. Rice Vinegar
1/4 tsp. Splenda
1 Garlic Clove (grated)
1/4 tsp. All Natural Hoisin Sauce
1 tbsp. Green Onion (chopped)
1/4 tsp. Sesame seeds
Sesame Oil

Preheat toaster oven to 375°

Add coleslaw blend and green onions to your food processor bowl and pulse 3 to 4 times to chop.  Heat a saute pan with nonstick spray.  Add coleslaw, tofu, garlic, ginger and 1/2 of the soy sauce.  Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat or until cabbage has wilted.  Turn off the heat and let it cool.  Meanwhile prepare the dipping sauce by combining all the ingredients with a few drops of sesame oil.
Add shrimp to a food processor along with the egg white.  Pulse a few times to form a paste.  Combine the shrimp mixture with the cabbage mixture, sesame oil and the remaining soy sauce.  Spray a 12 cup mini muffin pan and place 1 wonton wrapper in each well.  Add a heaping teaspoon to the center of each wonton.  Lift the opposite ends of the wrapper so they meet in the center.  Seal them with the beaten egg yolk.  Brush a little water over each dumpling and cover tightly with aluminum foil that has been sprayed.  Bake in the toaster oven for 20 minutes.

Makes 12 dumplings

Garlicy Soy Biscuits

Ingredients

1 cup Soy Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Garlic Salt  (or 1/2 tsp. Garlic powder + 1/2 tsp. Salt)

1/4 tsp. Ground Bay
1/2 tbsp. Parsley Flakes
1 egg
1 tbsp. Greek Yogurt
1/4 cup Milk
1 tbsp. Fleishmann Light Butter Spread

Baste
1 tbsp. Fleishmann Light Butter Spread
1/8 tsp. Garlic Powder

Preheat oven to 375°

Sift all dry ingredients together except for the parsley flakes.  In a separate bowl whisk egg, milk, yogurt and butter together.  Add to the dry ingredients and stir until combined.  Drop biscuits on a baking sheet that has been sprayed.  Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until they're a nice golden brown.

Meanwhile combine butter and garlic powder with a fork.  Half way through baking, baste biscuits with half of this mixture using a silicone brush.  When biscuits are just about ready to come out, baste them with the remaining mixture and return to oven until ready.

I really wanted to make these with cheddar cheese, but I didn't have any on hand.  These tasted really good, but I'm sure they would be tons better with the cheese.  They kind of remind me of Red Lobster's Cheddar Biscuits.

Makes 8 biscuits

Crab, Spinach & Artichoke Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients

12 oz. Imitation Crab
2 Tbsp. Miracle Whip Light
2 Tbsp. Reduced Fat Sour Cream
4 oz. Reduced Fat Cream Cheese (softened)
1 pkg. Baby Spinach
1 can Artichoke Hearts (rinsed)
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Italian Blend Shredded Cheese
1/2 cup Italian seasoned Panko Bread Crumbs
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
24 Big Baby Portobello Mushrooms (Crimini)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375°

First stem and clean your mushrooms with a damp cloth (DO NOT RINSE THEM UNDER WATER). Chop stems finely and saute them in 1 Tbsp. of olive, once they have softened season to taste with salt and pepper. Chop your baby spinach and add to mushrooms, add the additional Tbsp. of olive oil if needed. Add garlic when spinach is wilted, cook for an additional 2 minutes. Take off the heat and let it cool.
Now in a big bowl add Miracle Whip, Sour Cream, Cream Cheese and Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine. Chop up the imitation crab meat and add to cheese mixture. Gently stir to combine, add the cooled mushroom and spinach mixture. Chop the artichoke hearts pretty finely and add to the crab mixture. Add the shredded cheese and bread crumbs and mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray.
Stuff your mushrooms with a heaping tablespoonful of crab mixture. Bake at 375° for 30 to 35 minutes.

If you have left over stuffing (like I did) just make it into a pattie and sauté it in a little olive oil, like a crab cake. Super yummy!