I’d like to say that I didn’t do too bad without a meal plan in place for yesterday! My inspiration for breakfast yesterday was 4 small new potatoes left over from the night before. I diced up 4 ounces of potatoes, 2 ounces of leftover Easter ham and scrambled it with 1 egg and 1/4 cup diced red pepper. My idea was to make a breakfast burrito, but I was so full from the potatoes, I never ended up eating the low carb tortilla! I had some fruit on the side.
I know it doesn’t look pretty, but it was very good! And the last of the fruit salad from Easter.
Breakfast put together – check! Then I was like – now what’s for lunch??? I literally stood in front of my pantry for about 5 minutes – then I spotted a can of vegetarian refried beans and thought – turkey tacos!!
I used 2 low carb wraps (each one 110 calories and 11 fiber!), 3 ounces of leftover Easter turkey that I mixed with 2 teaspoons taco sauce, 1.5 cups baby spinach, sauteed red pepper, 1 ounce mozzarella cheese and two tablespoons plain Greek yogurt for the “sour cream.”
Lunch comes in at 491 calories, 59 carbs, 37 protein, 12 fat and 28 grams of fiber! 😀
One of the first dishes I made our German exchange student Maxi was spaetzle – I thought it would give her a piece of home. My last attempt worked, but just barely. My dough was too tough and didn’t go through a colander and Tony ended up using my potato ricer – the flavor was there, but the process was tough. The next day I went on Amazon.com and bought a spaetzle maker! The verdict? I seriously might make spaetzle once a week, it is that good. Maxi also said that they have spinach spaetzle – that is my next project! 😀
Spaetzle Recipe (printer friendly version here)
Makes 4 servings (Per serving: 183 calories, 6 fat, 24 carbs, .9 fiber and 6.9 protein)
Ingredients
1 | cup flour |
1 | teaspoon salt |
1/2 | teaspoon ground pepper |
2 | large eggs |
1/4 | cup milk |
1 | tablespoon butter |
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, mix eggs and milk together.
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and combine the wet ingredients – the dough should be smooth and thick. Let the dough rest 10 minutes.
- Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil – using a colander or spaetzle maker, push the dough into the boiling water. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the spaetzle plumps up and comes to the surface. Put the spaetzle into a colander and give it a quick rince with cool water.
- When all batches are done, melt one tablespoon of butter and heat the spaetzle, tossing to coat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to give the noodles some color.
I put my spaetzle maker on top of the water – then you place the dough in the square thing (not sure what it is called!)
You’ll know they are ready when the fluff up and rise to the surface.
Tony manned the grill while I made the spaetzle – we had boneless pork chops and grilled zucchini on the side.
Is anyone wondering – WTF is on top of Biz’s pork chop?? My new favorite Buffalo Wild Wing Sauce!
Holy yum I love this sauce – first two ingredients?? Cayenne pepper and vinegar!! And it’s only 25 calories a tablespoon! Dinner comes in at 423 calories, 33 carbs, 43 protein, 13 fat and 1.4 fiber.
Two snacks not pictured: 8 peanut m&m’s when my blood sugar was 51 last night and 1 ounce of Cabot’s reduced fat cheddar cheese while I was making my lunch last night for today. 😀
It’s was part of my BSI entry this week, but I’ll post the recipe tomorrow – Cauliflower Mac n Cheese! My inspiration was Alison – but I didn’t see her recipe until after I made mine – pretty similar except I used 75% reduced fat cheese, reduced the olive oil to 1/2 teaspoon, reduced the amount of elbow macaroni and added more cauliflower, and used fat free half and half in place of the milk. And of course used the BSI ingredient sour cream! – and for my topping? Toasted Arnold Thins that I put in the food processor with fresh cilantro and 1/2 teaspoon olive oil for the topping. You’ll just have to come back tomorrow!
Here is a sneak peak though!
Stats for Tuesday:
- Level 1 AND Level 3 of Jillian’s 30 day shred (55 minutes in total!)
- Blood Sugar Average: 104
- 1,433 calories, 142 carbs, 111 protein, 48 fat and 34 fiber 😀
Did anyone watch Biggest Loser last night? I won’t spoil anything, but I was just crying when Sunshine and her Dad were talking and about how proud he was of her because now she can stand on her own! And Sam kicked ass this week! He’s my pick for winning the whole thing!
Alright, I need to jump in the shower and get this day rolling – have a great day!
yes! I was bawling over Sunshine and O’Neal. And I totally agree, I want Sam to win this entire thing!
YES!! I was jumping for joy when Sunshine won the challenge and went back to help her dad. There’s so much love and loyalty between them…it’s what fmaily is all about. I lvoe that the show brings out the best in so many people, even when you occasionally see the ugly too.
WOW, so THAT is what a spaetzle is!!!! I saw it on the menu at Green zebra and was tempted to get it…i think i’d rather eat yours! hahaha
What a cool spaetzle making contraption!
You even make spaetzle, and on a week night to boot…you are too much woman to even try to imitate! I hope your family (and I have a felling they do) appreciates you! I wanna move in with you guys!
Biz I think you are my food idol! I seriously adore everything you make. It’s like visiting a restaurant’s menu when I come to your site!
Spaetzle is awesome and I bet the buffalo sauce is delicious on the chop! I’m such a hot sauce lover!!
Hehe, I stand in front of my pantry and just STARE, too. Decisions decisions!
I’m never had spaetzle, but it looks so good!
Mmm… Homemade spaetzle sounds fantastic! I will be giving this a try very soon!
Figured you love spaetzle when you buy a machine for it! 🙂
I just caught the last half of BL and only caught onto this season around 6-8 weeks ago. So it was very enlightening when I found out Melissa is a lawyer. Explained a lot for me!
Is spaetzle essentially a pasta? It looks interesting 🙂
I went to a Buffalo Wild Wings or whatever in JFK airport and it was so gross, but the BBQ sauce was good!
Errign, it tastes just like fresh pasta, only fluffier!
spaetlze! what a cool maker. i’ve never even tried the stuff, it looks like a lot of fun!
GREAT mac and cheese recipe!
I have never made spaetzle but it looks awesome! I totally want to give it a go. Great use of your Easter leftovers. I always wish I had a giant bowl of fruit salad in the fridge 🙂 Great job on the BSI recipe. I make Ellie Kriegers Mac n Cheese (squash macaroni and cheese) and I always add cauli- it is SO good
I made spaetzle for the first time in culinary school last week! So simple and so delish. I am very jealous that you have your own maker!
– Beth @ http://www.DiningAndDishing.com
I didn’t even know there was such a thing to make spaetzle! Who’d of thought?
LOVE BL last night, I too needed a tissue!!
So glad Melissa is gone, she totally deserved it!
I am so impressed with your ability to make so much delciiousness without planning – seriously. I’d still come over and eat 😀 LOL.
I LOVE the Spaetzle maker….it makes me “almost” want to try it. I LOVE Buffalo Wild Wings and am SO freakin’ excited they are building one in our town. Before now, we always had to go to Las Vegas….not that it’s a bad thing other that when we are in Vegas we eat there like every day 🙂 LOL
Can’t wait to see the Cauliflower Mac.
BIGGEST LOSER is my favorite show and last night was AWESOME! I LOVE that nobody played into Melissa’s game playing – LOVE the team effort, Sam (who is dating purple girl – can’t remember her name right now) and of course sunshine/her dad. I think that sums up my favs
you’re such a hero in the kitchen : ) I’m always impressed!
I don’t think that first picture is ugly! I think it looks grrrrreat haha
Thanks for visiting my blog. I love Spaetzle but have never made it. I will have to try. I am also a huge fan of the biggest looser and Jillian. Thanks for a great post.
I liked how Jillian said a bad weigh-in will crush your soul – man, I’ve felt like that more times than I care to remember! Good show last night, and not just because they got rid of Melissa (again, haha!). I think either Sam or Sunshine is going to win.
Biz–there’s an article in the NYT today that made me think of you! http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/dining/07camera.html?th&emc=th
Thanks B! I’ll check it out! 😀
Your food always look delicious. Pretty sure I’ve said that before but it’s true!
Have a great day! 🙂
i never heard of spaetzle. is there another name for it?
Not that I know of! It’s a popular German side dish – I did some research on German food before our exchange student arrived! 😀
Oh man! I MUST get a spaetzle maker. A colander just doesn’t do the trick…
Can’t wait for the cauliflower recipe!!!
Have a little dinner with BBQ sauce? 😛 As usual the food looks great.
I think Sam probably doesn’t have enough left to lose there are as many weeks left as they have been there (including their time at home) but I’d like to see him, I don’t want Koli to win after what he did to Stephanie last week and I really don’t want that scum ball Michael after the pancake teams he created (ie stacked). Look at me I’m so cool I’ve lost more weight than anyone in this time before, yea cuz you weight 200 more than most contestants did until last year, ugh sorry rant off I’ll go rant on my blog 😛 Rooting for Sam.
I love that used leftover potatoes in eggs! Great idea. That scramble would have been good without the tortilla. Also, your turkey tacos looked delish. I might do that for dinner tonight!
We love spaetzle but have only had the noodle-like version that’s prepackaged at specialty grocery stores. My boyfriend yells at me when I buy unitaskers for the kitchen (thanks to Alton Brown) but he might be ok with the spaetzle maker if it means he gets homemade spaetzle!
Do you think the recipe would work with whole wheat flour?
Absolutely! I don’t see why not – the dough is slightly sticky and “loose” so it spreads over the maker pretty easily – and that gadget only cost about $10!
I have never had spaetzle!
I would say Sam is the guy to beat… But who wouldn’t like to see the old guy in the running!
I watched Biggest Loser and I loved what Bob and Jillian said to Drea after she lost “only” 2 pounds. It was true and perfect and something everyone who is losing weight needs to get through their head!
Your unplanned menu looks pretty great to me.
OMG Biz that spaetzl looks sooooo good! I might need to get me one of those! Remember it for Friday Firsts!!
I think you did a terrific job w/ no meal plan! I guess the trick is a full pantry to draw inspiration from? Hehe
I’m excited to see a BSI entry! 🙂
Can I please come over for some Spaetzle?? It looks really delicious!! 🙂
And your BSI entry looks wonderful!! I love the way you healthified it. Great idea to top it with sandwich thin breadcrumbs!!