Miyoko's Vegan Mozz - Life-Changing Vegan Cheese!!

I have been on a bit of a hiatus from posting recipes while I have been focusing on my Skinnee B's products - but I just could not resist writing a post about Miyoko's Vegan Mozz. It is absolutely life-changing and I want to shout it from the rooftop!

This cheese melts, bubbles, stretches - and it's even good cold! This is just insane to me - when I first tried it I was so excited that I would not stop telling my boyfriend about it (even though I know that he couldn't care less about cheese, vegan or otherwise..)

So, you can see my dilemma - I had to share this with SOMEBODY. Thus, my return to the blog life.

Also it is cashew-based so it is also Paleo and Soy Free :)

Sadly, I do not have any photos of the first recipe I made with the Vegan Mozz, because I literally inhaled it. The next time I make it I will take pictures and post the exact recipe - but the gist of it is as follows:

Canyon Bakehouse GF Rosemary Focaccia  - cut in half
Fry up some Chicken Italian Sausage and add Red Sauce (I used Gravy's Arrabbiatta Sauce )
Spread Sauce/Sausage on Focaccia pieces, top with Miyoko's Vegan Mozz
Broil until Mozz is melted, bubbly and delicious :)


I have since used the Vegan Mozz in 3 other dishes(I have pictures of 2 of them)

Baked chicken with Arrabbiata Sauce, Broccoli and Vegan Mozz

& Baked Rigatoni with Arrabbiata Sauce and Vegan Mozz :)

And the third(not pictured) was a Caprese Salad with Avocado and Balsamic :)

Enjoy!

150 Calorie Bacon Mushroom Salad

I made this Bacon Mushroom Salad for dinner tonight and it was awesome - only 3 ingredients and under 20 minutes to make! 

The bacon and mushrooms would also be good as a steak or chicken topping, or on their own as a side dish - they are very versatile and there is no added oil because the mushrooms cook with the bacon - you can also add some extra spices like garlic or plain old salt and pepper.

This dish is gluten free, dairy free, and paleo :)

Ingredients: 

1 large slice of bacon - 80 calories

8 oz sliced mushrooms - 50 calories

2 cups mixed greens - 20 calories                       

= 150 calories total

1. Wash and slice up mushrooms, and cut bacon into 1 inch or smaller pieces

2. Add mushrooms and bacon to skillet or wok - cook on high heat

3. Stir occasionally, continue cooking until liquid from mushrooms cooks off and mushrooms are browned and bacon is cooked through

4. Remove from heat and serve over mixed greens - add salt and pepper, or garlic if desired

210 Calorie Garlic Pepper Shrimp and Broccoli

This is a really easy dinner recipe, and I (almost) always have these ingredients on hand so it's a good go-to dinner :)

All you need it broccoli, shrimp and some spices to whip this up 

- and it is gluten free, dairy free, and paleo :)

 Recipe:
4 cups Broccoli - 120 calories
6 oz. Shrimp(about 10) - 90 calories
Garlic Salt & Pepper to taste               
= 210 calories

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. Spread broccoli florets on a foil lined baking sheet, spray lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle pepper and garlic salt on top

3. Bake broccoli for 25 minutes

4. While the broccoli is cooking thaw out the shrimp

5. Add the shrimp to a skillet and heat through - top with pepper and garlic salt

6. Take the broccoli out of the oven, top with shrimp :)

90 Calorie Spicy Shrimp Cocktail

Frozen cooked shrimp is a great healthy snack to have on hand - I like to buy a big resealable bag (40-50 count) and keep it in my freezer so I can thaw and use them as needed in lots of different recipes

This spicy shrimp cocktail makes a great appetizer, snack or light entree - 

and it is gluten free, dairy free, and paleo :)

Recipe:

For the sauce:
1/2 tablespoon Barbecue Sauce - 15 calories
2 tablespoons Sriracha - 30 calories

3 oz. Frozen Cooked Shrimp - 45 calories
                                                                        
= 90 calories

1. Mix together the barbecue sauce and Sriracha
2. Thaw the frozen shrimp by running under cold water
3. Dry off the shrimp - serve with the sauce :)

100 Calorie Pumpkin Pancakes

I really like the pancakes you make with just a banana and an egg  - I tried them last year after I saw the recipe all over Pinterest, they are so easy to make! - But since it's fall I thought I would try making them with Pumpkin!

Pumpkin also has less sugar and calories than bananas so these are an even healthier version of pancakes :) If you are feeling extra festive you could mix some pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon into the batter or sprinkle some on top of the pancakes - 

These are also Gluten Free and Dairy Free and Paleo :)

Recipe:

1/4 cup Pumpkin Puree - 20 calories

1 egg - 70 calories

2 tablespoons Sugar Free Maple Syrup - 10 calories       

= 100 calories total

1. Mix together the pumpkin and egg in a bowl

2. Pour about 1/3 of the batter into a heated and greased skillet (medium to high heat)

3. Flip when bubbles start to pop on the top of the pancake and the edge is solid - cook until both sides are browned

4. Repeat with the rest of the batter - top with syrup :)

Shrimp Scampi (Under 200 Calories!)

This is another variation of my 100 Calorie Zucchini Spaghetti -  this time I sauteed the Zucchini Spaghetti with garlic salt, butter, and shrimp, to make a healthy Shrimp Scampi

This recipe is gluten free, dairy free and paleo!

Recipe:

1 medium/large Zucchini - 46 calories

10 medium shrimp - 64 calories

1 tablespoon Earth Balance Whipped Buttery Spread(or other Butter replacement) - 80 calories

1-2 teaspoons Garlic Salt or Garlic Powder                                                                                  

= 190 calories

1. Thaw your shrimp if you are using pre-cooked frozen shrimp

2. Wash and slice your zucchini into spaghetti strips

3. Heat up a medium frying pan on the stovetop, add the shrimp

4. Add the zucchini to the pan, add the butter(you may not need a full tablespoon, you just want to add enough to keep the zucchini from drying out)

5. Sautee for about 6 minutes, top with garlic salt and enjoy :)

200 Calorie Apple and Chicken Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

In honor of the first night of fall I decided to make a fall-inspired dinner for myself, since it was also my first night back in my apartment for school

I have half a peck of honeycrisp apples that I picked myself so I knew I wanted to include those, and I also wanted to try making acorn squash for the first time. To add some protein I decided to also add a link of Chicken Apple Sausage - you could add more but I had italian beef and sausage for lunch, and I usually don't eat very much meat so I didn't want to go into a meat overload

For this recipe you only need 3 ingredients: an acorn squash, an apple, and sausage

This recipe is Gluten free, Dairy free, and Paleo :)

Recipe:(makes 2 servings)

1 small Acorn Squash - 230 calories

1 small Honeycrisp Apple - 80 calories

2 links Applegate Farms Chicken Apple Breakfast Sausage - 80 calories    

= 390 calories total, makes 2 servings, 195 calories per serving

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Slice open the acorn squash, cutting down the middle from the stem to the pointed end

3. Scoop out the strands and seeds from the middle of the acorn squash
4. Chop up apple and sausage and fill both halves of the squash

5. Place filled squash cut side up in a baking dish(fill the baking dish with about 1/2 inch of water) and cover the dish with aluminum foil
6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the squash is tender
7. Let cool for 5 minutes before eating, top with cinnamon if desired

Dining Out: Buona Beef

Italian Beef is a popular Chicago Staple - but it usually isn't very gluten-free friendly because it comes on a roll - but some restaurants, including Buona Beef, are accommodating

I order the Naked Combo at Buona Beef - this is a bowl of Italian Beef with the juice, a sliced italian sausage and sliced peppers - I order it without the cheese (about 500 cal) which makes this Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Paleo :)

This is a pretty high calorie lunch for me, but it is really filling - I usually eat this when I won't be eating snacks throughout the afternoon.

For comparison, my boyfriend ordered the Barbecue Chicken Pizza (1015 cal) and Parmesan Potato Chips (280 cal) - Over 1200 calories in one meal!

Some other good choices at Buona Beef are the salads which can be modified to be Gluten and/or Dairy Free, and many of their sandwiches, pizzas, and hot dogs can be made using gluten free crust/bread/buns

For those who can tolerate gluten some good choices are: the Piccolo Sized Beef(370 cal) Chicago Style Hot Dog (406 cal), Minestrone Soup (144 for a cup, 220 for a bowl), Chicken Penne Soup(88 for a cup, 138 for a bowl) or Chili (232 for a cup, 369 for a bowl)