Crustless Zucchini and Bacon Quiche

I love quiche, and if you haven't noticed I've been on quite a zucchini kick. This is perfect for all of us because it is crust less. And your non WLS family members will love it! My DH loved it! It actually reminds me of a Spanish tortilla (omelet). So good.

• 1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped fine



• 8 slices turkey bacon



• 1/2 Tablespoon butter (it needs a little bit of fat because I cut out the half and half and subbed it for skim milk)



• 3 cups shredded zucchini (drained well)



• 2 cups low fat cheddar cheese, grated



• 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated



• 4 eggs, beaten



• 1/2 cup skim milk



• 2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese



• 1 tablespoon flour



• 1/4 teaspoon salt



• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg



• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder



• black pepper



• cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 350. In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the diced onion and bacon, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are clear and turkey bacon is browned. Add to bowl. Add zucchini, cheddar and mozzarella and mix well. In a separate bowl beat eggs. Then whisk in milk, parm cheese, flour, salt, nutmeg, garlic powder and pepper. Add to zucchini mixture. Pour into a well greased pie pan. Bake for about an hour or until center is set. This is phenomenal.

Wheat Zucchini Bread

Who says we cannot have a healthy bread? My Dr. encourages me to eat whole wheat, low cal breads, and that's what I've made. And it is awesome. Seriously.

• 3 eggs



• 3/4 cup apple sauce made with splenda
• 1/4 cup vegatable oil
  
  
• 3 cups raw zucchini, Shredded (about 3 small-med zucchini)



• 1 cup splenda for baking



• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder



• 2 teaspoons baking soda



• 2 teaspoons cinnamon



• 1 teaspoon salt



• 2 teaspoons vanilla



• 1 cup nuts, Chopped (optional, I did not use these)



• 2 cups whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 350. Shred zucchini and strain in a strainer until most of the liquid is out. Beat eggs, sugar, applesauce and oil together. Mix. In a separate bowl add wheat flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, and nuts if you're using them. Add dry mixture to wet mixture. Mix. Add zucchini. Mix well. Pour into 2 medium sized, well greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. This is a great way to get your veggies in when you need a little bread!

Red, White and Blue angel food cake

Couldn't think of an original name for this dessert. I used to make this pre-op but full sugar, and full fat. This is the former fatty version LOL.

• 1 sugar free angel food cake (I got mine at path mark for three dollars, but you can find it at most bakeries)



• 1 tub sugar free cool whip



• 1 container strawberries, washed and sliced



• 1 large container blueberries, or two small containers



• 2 tablespoons splenda or another artificial sweetener



• 1 teaspoon dried or fresh mint



• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix chopped strawberries and blueberries in a bowl with splenda and mint. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Mix cool whip with cinnamon. Cut angel food cake horizontally. Add 1/2 of the cool whip to the bottom portion of the cake, then add half the fruit. Place top on the cake, then add rest of the cool whip and fruit. I made this for my in laws and they didn't even know it was sugar free cake.

Lemon Pepper Zucchini

I love zucchini. It's an all time fave! I love it cooked on the grill, but I live in an apartment with a small balcony, so I must compromise lol.

• 2 lbs zucchini, chopped thick


• 1 lemon


• 2 tablespoons lemon pepper (I used Mrs. Dash lemon pepper)


• salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place thick chopped zucchini on a foil lined baking sheet. Cut lemon in half and squirt the whole lemon over zucchini. Sprinkle with salt and lots of lemon pepper. Bake for 25 minutes. These are so good

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

Tonight is my and my husbands 6 year anniversary (of when we started dating, not marriage anniversary.) I wanted to do something special, so I decided to make a delicious dinner, with an appetizer, which I never make. We love mushrooms. So here it is:

• 2 large portabello mushroom caps, stems removed



• 5-6 smaller portabello mushrooms, diced fine



• 4oz (half a package) imitation crab or lobster meat, diced fine (I used lobster)



• 2 strips pre cooked turkey bacon



• 1 teaspoon minced garlic



• 4 oz low fat cream cheese



• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley (or a teaspoon dried)



• parm or cheddar cheese



• paprika



• salt and pepper



• cooking spray

Place caps stem side up on a baking dish, but make sure stems are removed. In a large, sprayed skillet add mushrooms and lobster meat and sautee for about 2 minutes at medium heat, add in salt and pepper. Then add in chopped bacon and garlic and sautee for 2 more minutes. Turn down heat to low then add in parsley and cream cheese. Cook til cream cheese is soft and everything is mixed together well. Place mixture in caps and top with parm or cheddar cheese (I used parm) and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes. So good.

Crock Pot Green Chicken Chili

This is soo awesome. I LOVE this dish, and so does my whole family. I invented this one night when I had some odd ingredients in my house. The inspiration was from chicken chimichungas I used to eat pre-op that were amazing.

• 1lb thin sliced, boneless, skinless chicken breast, or tender pieces



• 1-2 jars salsa Verde (green tomaillo salsa) (depends on how liquidy you want it)



• 1 can canellini beans, drained



• 1 box frozen corn



• 1 teaspoon chili powder



• 1 teaspoon garlic powder



• a few sprigs fresh cilantro (optional)



• cheddar and sour cream for garnish



• salt and pepper

In a large skillet brown salted and peppered chicken until cooked through. Cut into bite sized pieces and add to crock pot set on low. Add in the salsa, beans, corn chili and garlic powder and cilantro. Cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3. This is amazing. A good fresh summer dish that requires little cooking.

Chocolate Silk Pie

This looks and tastes sinful... but it's not. No one will EVER believe this is a low fat, low sugar, healthy dessert. I made this for a funeral lunch a week ago. No one even believed it was made with tofu!!!

• 1 block silken tofu



• 1 bag sugar free chocolate chips (I used Hershey, although I sometimes use regular semi sweet choco chips)



• 1 teaspoon cinnamon



• 1 teaspoon honey



• 1 teaspoon vanilla



• 1 prepared graham cracker crust



• cocoa powder for garnish

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time until they are all melted. Drain tofu for a few minutes in the sink on a paper towel. Add tofu block, melted chocolate, cinnamon, honey and vanilla in a blender and blend until smooth. Add to crust. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, then sprinkle some cocoa powder on top before serving. This is amazing and I had about 10 people asking for the recipe.

Garlic Pork Loin with Garlic Asparagus

The easiest things in the supermarket to cook are those pre seasoned pork roasts. I buy mine at Aldi food store for 3.99 a lb. Cooked properly they are sooo moist and good for us.

• 1lb pork loin, preseasoned (I used peppercorn flavored)





• 10 cloves peeled garlic

Remove pork from package and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Peel the garlic, and make 8-10 cuts in the pork, and add a clove in each cut. Bake on 350 for 20-25 minutes a lb. Just a hint, it is OK now to cook pork a little pink. I eat mine a tiny bit pink, it's so much moister that way. Just make sure the internal temp is 160.

I made this with roasted garlic asparagus. Get a whole bundle of asparagus. Wash. Trim the ends, and place on a foil lined baking dish. drizzle with olive oil, salt and cracked black pepper. Cut up 3 cloves of garlic and place on top of asparagus. Mix until all the asparagus is well coated. Bake on 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Crock Pot Taco Soup

Even though summer is coming, this soup is good for all seasons! It's so easy, especially in the summer when you don't feel like cooking in a hot kitchen. I didn' t invent this recipe, I have seen several different recipes for this soup, but I like this one the best. It is full of protein.

• 1 lb ground beef, turkey or chicken. (I used chicken today but usually use turkey)



• 1 envelope of your favorite taco seasoning



• 1 envelope of dry ranch seasoning (I used McCormick)



• 1 teaspoon chili powder



• 1 teaspoon ground cumin



• 2 cans corn, undrained



• 2 can diced tomatoes, undrained



• 1 can rotel, undrained



• 1 can kidney beans, drained



• 1 can pinto beans, drained



• 1/2 cup water (optional, if the soup is not liquidy enough for you)



• sour cream and cheddar cheese for garnish (optional)

Brown meat in a large skillet. Drain fat. Add to crock pot. Add taco seasoning, ranch reasoning, chili powder and cumin to meat and stir. Add the rest of the ingredients (except cheese and sour cream) to the pot. Make sure you ONLY drain the beans, all the other cans go in with the liquid. Stir well. Cook on low for 8-9 hours, on high for about 4-5.