That’s right, I said it.  90 seconds to breakfast.  How? It’s actually super simple.

Eggs + microwave = breakfast.  

I’ve explained the steps below to several clients this week so I’m thinking a blog post is in order, don’t you?  It’s funny, whenever I’m describing it, I always get the same response…I see the ewwww look come across their face like I’m asking them to eat their own toenails!  I quickly have to say “Oh, I know it sounds gross, but it’s just eggs…really!” Why doesn’t anyone  ever believe me?

So, this post is in part resource and in part just to prove I’m not crazy.  :)

Here’s how to get ‘er done:

Step 1:  Take eggs, milk, and add-ins out of fridge (plus a bowl or coffee mug). My fav add-in is salsa!

Step 2: Spray the bowl/mug with Pam, then add beaten eggs + some milk (I used 1 egg + 2 whites); microwave for ~90 seconds

Step 3:  After 90 seconds, stir the eggs.  At this point, you could add some shredded cheese, then cook another 30 seconds.

Step 4: Mix and eat!

That’s it, folks!  Scrambled eggs in 90 seconds with no clean up!   Of course you could make so many variations of my salsa scramble.  Below are some ideas:

• Shredded cheese
• Chopped spinach (microwave this in the bowl first for ~30 seconds, then add egg)
• Chopped cooked turkey, veggie or pork sausage
• Crumbled cooked bacon
• Chopped ham and shredded cheddar cheese
• Leftover veggies from dinner
• Chopped tomatoes and chives
• Black beans and salsa (my fav!)

What’s your favorite scrambled egg-add in?  

For more awesome breakfast options, check out my these great ideas from Recipe Reduxers:

Happy Meatless Monday!  Enchiladas have become a regular thing at my house for a quick, weeknight meal.  They’re so easy to throw together with whatever you have on hand, and you really can’t screw them up!  Although my version is meatless, you could totally add cooked salmon, shrimp, grilled chicken or ground beef to it…I’ve tried it all!

Because my husband is not a fan, I rarely use corn tortillas.  I’ve tried many brands of flour tortillas and find that La Tortilla Factory high fiber wraps work best…and they’re less than 100 calories each.   Tip: look for the lowest calorie wrap with lots of fiber.

When using jarred tomatillo sauce I like to doctor it up in the blender with some fresh cilantro and a can of green chilis.   Below is my finished product!

The perfect weeknight meal served with a side salad

Here’s the recipe:

Sweet Potato, Leek & Black Bean Enchiladas

• 1 large sweet potato
• 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp marjoram
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 6 flour tortillas (or corn)
• 1 – 2 cups grated Dubliner Irish cheddar cheese (or any cheddar cheese)
• 1 jar Tomatilla salsa

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375.   Bake or microwave the sweet potato until tender, peel and slice into cubes.  In a large pan over medium heat, sauté the garlic and leeks in olive oil until leeks are tender.  Add the black beans, cumin, marjoram, salt and pepper and stir until well combined.  Spread a thin layer of tomatilla salsa into the bottom of your baking dish.  Lay tortillas on a plate and layer one end with the sweet potato cubes, leek and black bean mixture, and a sprinkle of cheese.  Roll up tortilla and place seam side down in row into glass baking dish.  Cover tortillas with more tomatillo sauce, a light sprinkle of cheese, and any leftover beans.  Bake ~20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and enchiladas start to brown.

Enjoy! 

I’ve been eating this carrot soup for the last week for lunch.  It’s so cold here in DC, I have been craving hot food!

Carrot soup is fun because it feels kinda creamy and decadent, but it’s totally healthy and super easy.  It’s also warm and cozy.  What more can you ask for?

The ironic thing about this soup is…I don’t really like carrots. They are my least favorite veg and I usually only eat them with hummus. Especially the baby carrots in the bag…which are often tasteless. So don’t make this soup with them!

I’m on a five-ingredient kick these days and this recipe fits the bill there, too.  Perfect for a quick week day lunch with a salad or sandwich…it really doesn’t get much easier than this.

What’s your go-to lunch on a chilly day?

Easy Carrot Soup

• 1 lb carrots, chopped
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 box vegetable broth
• 1 Tbsp uncooked rice
• 1 tsp thyme
• salt and pepper to taste

Bring the broth, thyme, salt, carrots, onion and rice to a boil, simmer until soft, about 2o minutes.   Using a blender, puree in batches until smooth (or use an immersion blender). Garnish with pepper, sour cream or plain yogurt.

Can three words really make a difference? 

I think they can.  Last December around this time, instead of making a New Year’s resolution, I created three words.  The idea is Chris Brogan’s.  The three words were to summarize my focus and efforts in the coming year, and encompass my personal and professional goals.  I wrote my words on a post-it and stuck them to my computer monitor.  By doing so, I faced them almost everyday.

And now it’s time to reflect.  How did I do?

My three words in  2011 were:  Unite ♦ Invest ♦ Refine

Remember, the words aren’t goals or resolutions, but more like guiding principles in your decision-making and intentions for the year.  With “unite,”  I wanted to connect all my loves — food, family, nutrition, and healthy living, as well as my clients. With “invest,” I wanted to invest in myself and in my business. My “refine” goal was about refining my systems and nutrition messages as well as my daily practices around exercise.

As I look back, I think I did pretty well.  I still have some work to do but the process really helped me to focus throughout the year on specific goals.  The words are a great reminder to link your intention to your actions.

So for 2012, my three words are:  Expand ♦ Collaborate ♦ Create

I plan to pursue practices that “expand” my mind.  I also want to “expand” my focus to help people in different ways. I plan to “collaborate” with other health and wellness professionals who will be able to help my clients in ways that I can’t.  This has been a mission of mine for years and this year I am excited to take it on.  And finally, I plan to “create” new products and services to help more people and to “create” daily practices in my life that keep me focused, inspired, and centered.

So, that’s it.  My plan for 2012 in a nutshell.  Wish me luck.  :)

And what about you?  Would three words work for you in 2012?   If so, please share with the world your three words…we would love to read them.

And hey, thanks for playing.  :)

This month’s recipe redux is devoted to holiday party food — using beans or legumes! How fun is that? Since I always write about lentils and beans, I thought I’d give peas a star role for once.  Most of us grew up in eating peas and to some they may even be comfort food (ha, wishful thinking on my part, I think).

Peas actually get a bad rap. They’re often overlooked as a starchy carb and not worth the effort (kinda like iceberg lettuce – another silly myth).  Peas are not even vegetables, they’re legumes — which means they bear fruit in the form of pods, enclosing the fleshy seeds we know as…beans.

Green peas are actually an excellent source of nutrients.  Name one other food that contains flavanols (catechin and epicatechin), phenolic acids (caffeic and ferulic acid), carotenoids (alpha- and beta-carotene) and the polyphenol coumestrol.  Not impressed?  Well, they’re also a very good source of Vitamins K and C; manganese, fiber, folate, iron, phosphorus, niacin, and riboflavin, Vitamin B6, potassium, copper, magnesium, and zinc.

For real. Peas rock.

If you’re trying to impress your friends, I think you may just succeed with this very festive holiday dip.  For one, it’s red and green.  For two, it’s totally healthy.  For three, it’s really tasty. Oh, and for four, it’s super easy to make.

Start with a bag of frozen peas and one jar of sun-dried tomatoes.

 Throw the peas,  garlic, and some salt and pepper into the food processor.   Process this first.

Then add the sun dried tomatoes with some olive oil.  Process just until combined.  Any longer and the mixture will turn brown.

Your mixture will look something like this.  Don’t you love the red and green holiday colors?

Serve it with Belgian endive spears or pita chips!  Delish!

Below is the recipe.  Adapted only a little  from Giada.  And don’t forget to check out my fellow reduxer’s bean and legume dishes below!

Sun-dried Tomato and Peas on Endive Spears

Ingredients

• 1 pound frozen peas, thawed
• 8 ounces sun-dried tomatoes, drained (about 3/4 cup)
• 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped (if you don’t love garlic, go with 1)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 heads endive, ends trimmed and leaves separated

Directions

Combine the peas, garlic  in a food processor. Pulse the machine until the peas are finely chopped.  Add the olive oil and tomatoes and pulse until the olive oil is incorporated and the mixture is minced but not yet pureed. Transfer to a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve as a dip with the endive spears alongside.

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy holiday season!  :-)

I had a spaghetti squash sitting on my counter for the last week or so.   It was one of those “need to make it or it’s going to go bad” situations.  Ever have those?  If so, you can imagine how psyched I was to find this blog post this morning.  The non pizza, pizza. Squash Style by the lovely and pretty darn creative Jennifer Vagios (aka @HerCarrotRD).

Spaghetti squash pizza.  Doesn’t her photo make you want to go make this right now?   

It did me.  The best part is that I can make it.  Why?  Because I have a well-stocked pantry.  I have all the recipe ingredients on hand and I’m ready to rock this squash pizza out!  If you can’t do the same, why not? What’s stopping you?  What’s getting in the way of you keeping your pantry and fridge stocked with simple basics that allow you the freedom to make just about anything?  That’s the question you need to answer.  Once you find out the answer, let me know, because I’m sure you’re not alone.  And because I’d love to help you more with this in 2012.

My advice?  Fake it til you make it.  Automate your grocery shopping as much as possible until it becomes a habit.  It’s really that simple. Keep a magnetic grocery list on your fridge and add to it as you use your staples.  You’ll know you’re there when you get nervous at finding only one can of black beans left in your pantry.

The first step to freedom in the kitchen is to commit.  Commit to the process.  Choose one day each week that you’ll hit the grocery stores (with your list).  Don’t get too caught up in meal planning just yet, just stock your pantry with the basics.  Since most good cooking starts with basic staples,  a stocked pantry will provide much of what you need for stress free cooking, every night — or whenever you choose.  A perfect example of this is the recipe above.  In addition to my squash, all I needed on hand was pasta sauce or canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and eggs. Imagine what you can make with just those staples alone?  Click here to find out.

I promise, do this for 6 weeks, and you’ll be hooked.  If you’re not, let’s talk.

Here’s to less stress in the kitchen!  And don’t miss my next post…where we peak into my pantry!

Danielle

Alright, everybody!   We have 2 winners for the Maramor Chocolate Truffle giveaway.  I used random.org to generate the lucky numbers and will announce the winners below. If you are a winner, please send an email to Danielle@foodconfidence.com and I will get your chocolate shipped out right away.

Upset you didn’t win?  Well, the lovely peeps at Maramor offered to give my readers and Facebook fans 10% off your entire order until December 16th plus FREE SHIPPING until the end of the month.  Just type in the discount code “2eatwell” at checkout.

How cool is that?

Lucky Winners:

 Patti Singer December 6, 2011 at 2:59 pm:  I love dark chocolate. I love After Eight chocolate mints. I also love a good hot chocolate!!!

Yes, you can get your daily calcium needs from kale and collard greens, milk, yogurt and other dairy, even herbs like basil and thyme.  I’ve blogged about that before.  But, what about those days when you just don’t get around to it?  Wouldn’t it be great to indulge in a super decadent, antioxidant rich, premium dark chocolate truffle — and get at least part of a nutrient that you need?

Hell yeah!       

I was introduced to these amazing chocolate lovelies by a friend, and shortly thereafter began buying them in bulk.  I love them because although I do eat my fair share of greens and dairy…I know I don’t meet my calcium and vitamin D needs…every day.

These little chocolate loves are my insurance…..and my after dinner treat.  And now, they can be yours, too!   

Two lucky winners will receive a one month supply of Maramor Premium Dark Chocolate Truffles.  If you’d like a chance to win, please do the following things:

1. Become an email subscriber to my blog.  Note that only verified subscribers count (you will receive a verification email).

2.  Leave a comment after this blog post telling me what your favorite chocolate treat is.

3. “Like” the Food Confidence Facebook page, then come back and tell me you did it. If you are already “like” me, then leave a comment telling me you are already a fan.

On Friday, December 9th, two winners will be selected via Random.org.

Good luck!

Danielle

I made this slow-cooked creamy bean and mushroom stew last night and thought it would be a perfect dinner for Meatless Monday.  It’s very hearty and pretty easy to make.  You can substitute any type of mushrooms that you like, I used oyster mushrooms. My husband had two servings, but he may have just been really hungry.  

White Bean, Asparagus and Mushroom Cassoulet

(adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients

• 3 cups asparagus, sliced into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 cups chopped chanterelle or oyster mushrooms (or your favorite!)
• 1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 1½ cups vegetable broth
• ½ teaspoon dried marjoram or dried oregano
• 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Salt
• ½ cup Panko bread crumbs
• ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preparation

Steam or boil asparagus and set aside.  Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat.  Add chopped mushrooms, shallots, and garlic; sauté until mushrooms are tender.  Add wine and cook until liquid evaporates.  Stir in broth, marjoram, and beans; bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and cook until soup is thick and beans are tender.  Stir asparagus into bean mixture and add salt and pepper, to taste.

Mix breadcrumbs with Parmesan cheese in small bowl.  In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Add bread crumbs and cheese mixture to skillet, stirring until well combined and golden brown. Plate soup and sprinkle with breadcrumbs before serving.

November’s Recipe Redux topic is whole grains and this post is dedicated to my Mom. Today we celebrated her 71st birthday with a delicious brunch, and one of the highlights of the feast was my Quinoa and Kale Crustless Quiche (another was the chocolate and vanilla frozen custard cake…yum!).

My mom makes an awesome spinach quiche-type dish (we call it spinach pie) that’s super tasty, if not a little “decadent” — the cheese, butter, eggs and spinach are housed in a pastry pie crust.  I thought it would be fun to reinvent her classic dish with a few healthy alterations.

To keep with the whole grain theme, I used quinoa, which is a gluten-free whole grain that’s high in fiber and protein, and what really gives this dish staying power.  I used kale, which is a nutrition powerhouse and also kind of trendy right now…don’t you see it everywhere?  I also used a few egg whites and Cabot reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese and reduced fat Feta cheese.  And of course, there is no crust.  But we didn’t miss it.  In fact, when I asked my mom how she liked the quiche, she said “the crust was great.”  

Below is the recipe.  It’s adapted from a Food 52 “Best Greens Dish” contest winner. Enjoy! And don’t forget to visit my fellow reduxers at the end of this post.

Quinoa & Kale Crustless Quiche

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 bunch Kale, chopped (stems removed)
• 1 Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ cup reduced fat white cheddar cheese
• ½ cup reduced fat feta cheese
• 4 whole eggs, 3 egg whites
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare a 9″ pie dish (with butter or baking spray).  Cook quinoa according to package directions. Set aside.
2. Slice onion thinly (I used my food processor). Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan on medium heat.  Add the sliced onions and slowly cook until they’re soft and browned.   This will take about 35 minutes.  Once golden brown, remove onions from pan, and place in a large mixing bowl.
3. Clean and chop kale and add it  hot onion pan; cook until kale is wilted and bright green, 2-5 minutes.
4. Add the cooked kale, cooked quinoa, garlic, and cheeses to the mixing bowl.  Stir the ingredients so that they are evenly distributed.
5. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and whites so they are well combined. Pour eggs over the quinoa/kale mixture.  Stir until the egg clings to the greens. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Pour mixture in the prepared pie dish. Bake for about 45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the pie has started to pull away from the edge of the baking dish. Serve hot or at room temp.

As I mentioned, another highlight of our meal was dessert…this Milwaukee’s Frozen Custard Cake!  :-)