Spinach & Feta Cups & Southwestern Chick Pea Salad.

I've had an awful craving for the Spinach Pies from the pizza shop down the street lately but as I'm sure you know they are far from low calorie. These tasty little cups are only 66 calories each, and so creamy and crunchy you can't eat just one.

Spinach and Feta Cups

12 Wonton Wrappers
2 Cups Fresh Spinach, washed, dried, and chopped small
1/4 Cup Reduced Fat Feta
1/2 Medium Onion, diced small
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 egg white
Non-Stick spray, such as PAM

Preheat your oven to 375. Spray your 6 cup, cupcake pan well to keep your wrappers from sticking.


Brown your onions in a non-stick pan, and add your minced garlic when your onions are almost done. This keeps your garlic from burning and getting bitter.

While your onions are browning, chop your spinach and place in a bowl. Add your feta and mix with your hands. Add your egg whites and mix well with a spoon, coating all of your spinach leaves. When your onions and garlic are done, add them to your spinach and feta and mix well.

Place a wonton wrapper at the bottom of each of your cups. Place a well rounded tablespoon of your spinach mix in each cup. Cover with another wrapper and repeat with your mix. You should have nice full cups.

Place on the middle rack of your oven and bake for 12 minutes. Your wrappers should be nicely browned when they're done and crunchy when you eat them.

Each Spinach Feta cup is 66 calories.




 One of my favorite side dishes is your typical Chick Pea Salad, made with a vinaigrette dressing and green peppers and onions. Today I saw the Chick Peas sitting along side the Rotel Tomatoes and had an idea that ended up being a stroke of genius. The Rotel adds a nice "bite" to the chick peas and the onions add the crunch to counter act the soft from the chickpeas. Next time I'm going to try adding black beans and yellow corn to it to give it a true southwestern flavor.

Southwestern Chick Pea Salad

1 Can Chick Peas, drained and washed
1/2 Can Chunky Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chillies, drained well
1/4 Cup Cillantro, chopped small.
1/4 Cup chopped onion
3 stalks green onion, diced
Salt Pepper Garlic to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mix well, and to sit in the refrigerator for 30 min or so if you can. This allows your flavors to blend and your salad to cool some which makes it taste that much better.

Each 1/2 cup serving is only 98 calories.  I love to put this on top of my salads, or just on the side of whatever I'm eating at that point.

February 10, 2013

I found this recipe recently on Pinterest for Two Ingredient Cookies made with just banana and quick oats and then whatever you want to add to them. I've been dying to try them, but haven't had the time until tonight. So there I am, in the kitchen, looking at my pantry and not finding any quickoats, so I thought I'd try it with instant oatmeal. Thankfully it worked, and with the addition of some chocolate chips, they were a HUGE hit. Very soft, and smooth and the banana and chocolate worked very well together.
If you like this recipe, you should try the One Ingredient Banana Ice Cream.

Two Ingredient Cookies

2 Medium, slightly brown bananas
1 Cup quick oats

Preheat your oven to 350.
Mash your bananas, add in your quick oats and whatever else you want to add, and drop by the heaping teaspoon full onto a well sprayed cookie sheet. Don't add too much of your extras or the cookies won't stay together.
It is very important to spray your pan, because there is no fat in these cookies to keep them from sticking to the sheet.

The above recipe (with 2 Tbsp milk chocolate chips added) makes 14 cookies at 44 calories each! You can have more then one and not feel guilty... if you can keep them away from the kids that is.
Bake these cookies for 15 minutes and once cool enjoy!!