Dinner is served! Falafel Scotch Eggs with Radicchio

Here in Houston, TX it's been a lovely What's for Dinner? Wednesday!  This week's meal, Falafel Scotch Eggs with Radicchio, was inspired by a recipe I found while visiting my sister down under and it was delectable!  

I hadn't heard of scotch eggs until finding the recipe that inspired this meal in MiNDFOOD magazine. If you read the magazine or have eaten this dish before you know that a true Scotch egg is fried.  The version I shared HERE>> cut out that step and still resulted in nicely browned and tasty eggs.  Instead of using meat as the egg's coating, this version uses a homemade falafel mix so the entire dish is vegetarian friendly!

If you haven't tried this dish, I highly recommend it. Plus, it's a great way to hide your eggs from the Easter bunny when he comes hopping through next month!

Would you try this meal? Have you ever heard of Scotch eggs? Share your thoughts with a comment below: 

What's for Dinner? Wednesday: Falafel Scotch Eggs and Radicchio

Happy What's for Dinner? Wednesday! As you may know I was in Australia last week for my little sister's wedding.  She was the most beautiful bride I've ever seen and we had a wonderful time! I have a few "snaps" (that's Australian for pics) over on Facebook if you want to check them out head here>>

While I was gone, I didn't have any time to cook! However, I did get to read some new health magazines and am excited to share with you a recipe I discovered while down under! It's not made with kangaroo (although I must say kangaroo meat is really delicious and healthy)!  Rather, it's the vegetarian dish, Falafel Scotch Eggs and Radicchio. The version I'm sharing has been modified from a recipe found in the March copy of MiNDFOOD magazine to make it even more healthy and easy.

If you've head of scotch eggs, you know they aren't normally vegetarian and aren't really Fit Armadillo approved! In fact, this dish that's from the UK is traditionally made by wrapping an egg in meat and frying it, but as you know I'm really not into frying things so I've cut out that step.

If you're a newsletter subscriber, you already got your list of ingredients for this meal on Monday.  When I made the recipe today, I found myself with a LOT of leftover ingredients even with the modifications I originally made so I've adjusted these in the list that follows. If you already bought all the ingredients listed in the newsletter, you'll have enough leftovers to double the recipe if you buy a second head of radicchio and four extra eggs.

If you are sad that you missed out on this week's newsletter, turn that frown upside down and become a part of the club by signing up HERE>>


Ready to try out this shiny new recipe with me?
Here are the ingredients you'll need to serve Falafel Scotch Eggs and Radicchio to yourself and three lucky guests:

5 eggs
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp flour
1/2 can chickpeas (200g)
1/2 can cannelli beans (200g)
1 tbsp water
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp allspice
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
cooking spray
1 radicchio
1 cup +1/2 cup fresh parsley
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
Greek yogurt (topping)
Optional:
Oregano, thyme, and sesame seeds for seasoning

How to make your healthy, vegetarian version of scotch eggs:

Step One: Boil four of your five eggs for six minutes.  In case you haven't boiled eggs in a while and want to avoid embarrassment, you want to make sure the water is boiling before you add your eggs and start your timer.  Not that you'd make this mistake, but I recently did when I was really hungry and impatient and it wasn't pretty!

Step Two:  While your eggs are boiling, it's time to whip up your falafel coating.  You'll need 1/2 a can of chickpeas and 1/2 a can of cannelli beans.  Rinse each can before dumping the necessary amount into your food processor.  Add 1 tbsp each of water, flour, and cumin, 1 tsp of allspice, and 1/2 a cup of fresh parsley and processes the ingredients until they are smooth.  If your mixture gets stuck, add a little extra water.

Step Three: By now your eggs should be just about done. Take them out of the pot and rinse them off in cool water before removing their shells.

Step Four: Re-shell your eggs! Set up the following four small bowls to "re-shell" your eggs in tasty goodness: In bowl one add your recently processed falafel mix, in bowl two add 1/4 cup of flour, in bowl three whisk a raw egg, and in bowl four add 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs.  Take each egg one by one and coat it with the ingredients in each bowl.  When you're done you should have four eggs coated in falafel mix (use your hands to form the falafel around the egg so it sticks), flour, egg, and lastly, breadcrumbs.

Step Five: Cook up your covered eggs!  Spray a medium sized pan with cooking spray and heat it up over medium high heat. Add your eggs and continue to cook and turn them so that the outside is lightly browned (about 4 mins).

Step Six:  Add your finishing touches.  Make your radicchio salad by combining the radicchio with 1 cup of fresh parsley and 1/2 a cup of fresh mint before topping it with 1 tbsp of balsamic and 1 tbsp of olive oil.  Divide the salad among 4 plates and add 1 falafel scotch egg to each plate. Cut each egg in half and admire the interesting pattern that you've made.  Finish each plate off with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of sesame seeds, oregano, and thyme if desired.

And there you have 'em: Falafel scotch eggs! Did you try this recipe? Don't forget to stop by later tonight to see the final product and share your thoughts below:

What's for Dinner? Wednesday: Lemon Chicken with Red Beans and Quinoa

This week’s What’s for Dinner? Wednesday meal is Lemon Chicken with Read Beans and Quinoa.  This tangy, protein-filled number was adapted from one in the March 2013 copy of Shape magazine. The most time intensive part of this meal is cooking the quinoa because it takes about 25 mins to make, however, it's a pretty easy dish overall.  Ready to get cooking? Here's what you'll need to feed four:


Ingredients:
1/2 cup dry quinoa
4 4-oz  boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp salt
1.5 tsp ground cumin
Olive oil cooking spray
1/2 small red onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 - 15 oz cans red beans, rinsed and drained
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 

Step One: Make your quinoa come to life by combining it with 1 cup of water in a saucepan.  Set your stove to medium heat to bring this protein-filed grain and the water it is swimming in to a boil.  Then, reduce the stovetop’s temperature to bring the pan’s contents to a simmer before covering it for 25 minutes.  

Step Two: While your quinoa continues to cook, prep your chicken.  Coat the chicken with the lemon juice and then sprinkle it with a pinch of salt before rubbing it with your cumin. Don’t let one part of the chicken get jealous-make sure to coat it evenly with the spice.

Step Three: Use a medium heat setting to warm a skillet sprayed with cooking spray before adding your cumin covered chicken.  Cook your chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side before removing it from your skillet to cool.

Step Four: Now that your chicken is out of the way, spray your skillet again and add the onion.  Sauté your onion for 4 minutes before adding your garlic and cooking for another minute.   Finally, add the rest of your salt, pepper, pinto beans, and vinegar and bring the skillet to a simmer.  Your quinoa should be done by now. Check on your quinoa and then stir it into this mix.  Remove the mix from the stove and mix in your last ingredient, parsley. 

Divide the chicken and quinoa evenly among four plates so you and your guests don’t fight.  Add a carbohydrate as a side and you'll have a complete meal.  

Do you plan on making this dinner? Share your thoughts with a comment below:

Dinner is served! Gnocchi with Pesto

Hello, friends! This week for What's for Dinner? Wednesday I shared a recipe for Gnocchi with Pesto.  Wondering what gnocchi looks like?  I say it looks like a bunch of cute little pasta kisses that taste as yummy as they look.  See what you think by checking out the bowl of gnocchi pictured above.  This recipe is a great way to start with a healthy 2014 goal because you can have this meal on the table in 10 minutes or less.  Want to learn how to cook it yourself? Check out the full recipe HERE>>

Missed out this week? Make sure you get on the A-List, The Fit Armadillo E-mail List that is! Enjoy receiving the ingredients for each recipe in your inbox on Mondays so you can get cooking with us on Wednesdays each week.  Sign up HERE>>

Did you cook some pasta kisses of your own tonight? What do you think of this recipe idea? Share your thoughts with a comment below: 

What's for Dinner? Wednesday: Gnocchi with Pesto

We're one week into 2014!  If you've been thinking about working on your eating habits this year, you've come to the right place.  Every Wednesday at Fit Armadillo is What's for Dinner? Wednesday where I share one of my favorite recipes. This Wednesday, I'm also joining in on the Workout Wednesday Linkup.  I learned about the linkup from Diatta Harris, one of the awesome ladies from the Twelve Days of Fitness Blog Challenge that I hosted.  Visit her page HERE>> to learn more about the WOW Linkup.

For those of you new to my page, I'm going to be totally transparent, I'm not a chef! I'm just a personal trainer who likes cooking healthy.  All of my recipes are modified from ones made by real chefs. They are recipes that I enjoy, that are healthy, and that are easy to make. Because remember, I'm not a chef! Like, seriously not a chef. Like, I've almost cut the index finger on my left hand off three times not a chef. So you're in good hands, er...you know what I mean! I'm not going to have you slaving away in the kitchen. 

Speaking of not slaving away in the kitchen, this week's recipe will take ten minutes or less to complete.  That's because tonight's meal is Gnocchi with Pesto!  Haven't had gnocchi before? Neither had I until the Christmas holidays. It's a delicious pasta that reminds me of a dumpling without any filling.  Super delicious! Ready to try it out? Here are the ingredients you'll need:

Ingredients for Gnocchi with Pesto for 4:

1 (17.5 oz) package fresh gnocchi
3/4 cup chopped parsley
3/4 cup chopped basil
3 tbsp Parmesan
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp capers
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

How to put it all together:

Step One:  Open up your package of gnocchi and admire those cute little pasta pillows.  Check the box for your cooking directions and set up up a pot to boil with the correct amount of water for your batch.  

Step Two: While your gnocchi are enjoying a lovely soapless bubble bath (Please don't put soap in your pot! Unless, of course one of your kids was being bad. Then just add the soap in for a small batch at the end. Kidding! Kidding!), make your pesto.  All you have to do is combine the remaining ingredients and mix them together in your food processor until they form a sauce (about 2 mins).

Step Three: By the time your pesto is done, your pasta should be ready! Drain out the water and introduce the two.  Divide up your final product among four bowls and enjoy a delicious dinner for less than 300 calories. Serve with your choice of veggies or a great big salad for a complete meal. 

And that's it! Told you it would be easy.  This recipe was adapted from one in the Weight Watchers book, In No Time Delicious Dishes in 20 Minutes or Less.  

Are you going to cook with us tonight? Wanted to join in, but didn't have time to go to the store? Make sure to sign up for my newsletter so you'll always get the list of ingredients at the beginning of the week by clicking HERE>> Have you ever tried gnocchi? Share your thoughts with a comment below and share this recipe if you enjoyed it!: 

Dinner is served! Argentinian Flatbread Pizza

This Wednesday's dinner at Fit Armadillo was Argentinian Flatbread Pizza.  It takes a little time to wait around for the dough to rise, but the result is nothing less than scrumptious.  As is this flatbread is vegetarian, however, you can add your favorite meat to make it a more substantial dish.  Chock full of veggies and fresh herbs, one sixteenth of this flatbread is less than 150 calories.  To see the full recipe click HERE>>

Did you try this pizza? What do you think? Share your thoughts with a comment below:

What's for Dinner? Wednesday: Argentinian Flatbread Pizza for a Healthy Day One of 2014!

Last month seemed to be a month of pizza. At the beginning of the month, I hosted a giveaway contest for a Seasons 52 gift card good for one flatbread pizza. Last week, I was enjoying my favorite pizza of all time at Pizzeria Regina’s in Boston, Massachusetts.  Somehow, I still can’t get enough of this tasty meal so to start the New Year, I’m sharing with you one of my favorite flatbread pizza recipes of all time.  

The recipe is for Argentinian Flatbread Pizza and was originally published by Cooking Light.  I’ve saved this recipe for New Year’s Day because you’ll be making your own dough and that can be a little too time-intensive for a normal weeknight. However, if you have today off today the dough making process shouldn’t interfere with your schedule. Use the hour it takes for the dough to rise to enjoy a little cat nap to feel ready to go back to work tomorrow because you're well rested and well fed.  

The ingredients listed below allow you to make the flatbread base, a black bean spread topping, and roasted red peppers in your own kitchen. If you are short on time, you’re more than welcome to buy your own dough and/or roasted peppers.  I won’t judge!  

Read on to find out what you’ll need to make this delicious flatbread and the black bean spread:

Black Bean Spread Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 - 15  oz can black beans, rinsed and drained 
1 - 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained

Flatbread Base and Topping Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper
1 tbsp cornmeal
Cooking spray
1 tbsp yeast
1/8 tsp sugar
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp garlic, minced

How to make your delicious flatbread pizza:

*If making your own Roasted Red Peppers, preheat the broiler now

Step One: To save time, make your flatbread dough first.  You’ll need your yeast, sugar, half a cup of warm water, and a bowl.  Pour the water in the bowl and use it to dissolve the yeast and sugar.  Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes so the yeast wakes up, gets something to eat, and gets ready to make the CO2 that will allow your dough to rise (did I mention I used to teach Biology? we had  a whole lab about yeast. It was a lot of fun except for when it came time to grade lab reports….).  

Step Two: While you’re waiting on your yeast, get your flour ready.  If you live someplace humid, like, oh, I don’t know, Houston, TX, try to measure the flour with a kitchen scale.  It will come out a LOT more scrumptious.  Once you have your three cups ready, add them, another half cup of warm water, and salt to your yeast mixture.  Stir it up until you’ve made flatbread dough.  Plop that bad boy in your bread machine if you have one (if you don't have one, you need to get on that-best kitchen gadget eva!).  If you don’t have a bread machine yet, get ready to get a little sticky.  Add some flour to a clean surface where you can knead your dough.  You’ll want to work on it for about 10 minutes so that it is smooth and flexible.  

Step Three: Set your dough up to do it’s thing! Find a bowl that could fit two balls of your flatbread dough and coat it with cooking spray.  Place your smooth ball of dough in the bowl, cover it, and place it in a warm place for about 1 hr or until it grows to double it’s original size. 

Before you take your nap, take the time to prepare the Black Bean Spread and Roasted Red Peppers by moving on to Step Four. Or don't-it takes about 1 minute to make the spread and 12 mins of cooking time to make the peppers...

Step Four: Make your Roasted Red Peppers. If you have the time, this will save you some good $$ since it's a lot cheaper to make your own that to buy pre-made peppers.  All you need to do is make sure your broiler is heated up and find a pepper.  Cut the pepper in half lengthwise and remove any seeds and white sections.  Then line a baking sheet with tin foil and place the pepper halves on top skin side up.  Press on the peppers with your hand to flatten them and then pop them in the broiler for 12 minutes.  When they’re done they’ll be slightly blackened.  Put your freshly roasted red peppers in a zip-lock bag and seal them for 10 minutes before cutting them into smaller strips.  

Step Four point Five: Make your Black Bean Spread while your peppers are cooking or hanging out.  All you need to do is put your beans, onion, and tomatoes in a blender and whip them up until the original parts can’t be distinguished from one another.  You’ll only need 1.5 cups for the pizza so measure that out and then save the rest for a healthy dip!

Step Five: Back to business and flatbread time.  Check on your dough and if it has risen enough, preheat your oven to 450 degrees to get it ready.  Then, find a baking sheet and sprinkle your cornmeal on top.  Take your dough and roll it out to a 14 x 11 inch size before placing it on your baking sheet.  Then, get your 1.5 cups of designated Flatbread Black Bean Spread and spread it over dough. Sprinkle the top of the flatbread with your Parmesan cheese before putting it in the oven to bake at 450° for 13 minutes.

Step Six: While your flatbread is cooking, make your chimichurri drizzle. To do this, place your parsley and the remaining ingredients in bowl and mix to combine them.

Step Seven:  When your flatbread is done cooking in the oven, drizzle your freshly made chimichurri mixture on top. Cut up a slice and top it with your freshly (or store fresh) roasted red peppers.

Have you ever made your own flatbread pizza? Is planning on cooking this recipe a New Year’s Resolution you’d keep? Share your thoughts below and enjoy your first day of 2014!

Dinner is served! Greens, Eggs, and Spaghetti

 

Dinner is served! Tonight I made Greens, Eggs, and Spaghetti.  I didn't have to persuade my hubby to try it them, but I almost wish I did because I would have loved the excuse to go on a train, boat, and more while trying to encourage him Sam I Am style!

This meal features three greens: Swiss chard, parsley, and spinach.  The second two greens are used to make a pesto sauce with some walnuts.  The egg is a fun way to incorporate some protein with your spaghetti.  The entire meal is chock full of nutrients!  To see the full recipe click HERE.

Did you try this dinner? We'd love to see your photos or hear your thoughts! Post a comment below to let us know what you're thinking:

What's for Dinner? Wednesday

Happy What's for Dinner? Wednesday! This week I'm cooking up a recipe Dr. Seuss would have loved: Greens, Eggs, and Spaghetti.  This recipe was inspired from one I found at Health Magazine when looking for a way to use up the extra Swiss chard in our garden.  Grab your greens, eggs, and spaghetti and get ready to cook!

Here's what you'll need to serve six people:
  
1 16 oz box of whole-wheat spaghetti
1 bunch Swiss chard 
1 cup packed parsley 
1/2 cup packed spinach 
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted 
1 garlic clove
2 teaspoons olive oil
Olive oil cooking spray  
1 teaspoon lemon zest 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
6 large eggs

Prep Step: Toast your walnuts while you read over the recipe!

Step One:  Boil up a pot of water and cook your spaghetti.  For the exact amount of water and time you'll need to get the job done, check the package directions.

Step One point Five: While your pasta is cooking, grab your greens.  Chop up the parsley, spinach, and Swiss chard.  Set aside the Swiss chard. This will be added directly to the pasta.  The other greens will be used to make a pesto sauce.  By now your walnuts should be toasted.  Throw  them, the parsley, spinach, garlic, olive oil, lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of water, and a pinch of salt  and pepper into your food processor.  Process until you have achieved a chunky consistency. Proceed to step two to check on your pasta.

Step Two: Once your noodles have successfully achieved your preferred firmness, drain out all but 1/4 of the water in your pot and set them aside.  Add your chopped Swiss chard to the warm water and boil it for about 5 minutes.  When it's done, pour out the excess water and add the Swiss chard back and your pasta to a serving bowl. Mix in the pesto sauce you made.  Add extra water if the sauce is too thick.

Step Three: Egg time! Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and coat with olive oil cooking spray.  Cook your eggs so that the whites are firm, but the yolks are only partly cooked (or to your liking).  As you cook each egg, season it with salt and pepper.  

Step Four: It's dinner time! While each egg is cooking, dish out a serving of pasta and then top it with your cooked egg.  Enjoy your Greens, Eggs, and Spaghetti!  

If anyone says they don't like greens and eggs in their pasta, pull a few phrases out of your old Dr. Seuss book and challenge them to try them in a tree, in a car, anywhere or you won't let them be!

Are you planning on cooking with us tonight? Share your thoughts with us by posting a comment below: