Butternut Squash with Almond Honey Glaze

Butternut Squash with Almond Honey Glaze

My roommate recently, very recently, convinced me to try vegetarianism for a week to see how I liked it. So I went out and bought a bunch of veggies and whatnot. One of my purchases was a 2lb container of cubed butternut squash. This is my first attempt at preparing cubed squash and I must say it is fantastic!

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 35-40 minutes

Ingredients:

3/4 pound Cubed Butternut Squash (pre-cubed or you can cube yourself)

Butter (apprx. 2 tbsp)

Honey (I used raw honey)

Nutmeg

Cinnamon

Finely Chopped Almonds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place butternut squash in an oven-safe dish. Drizzle a little water into the dish and bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally until the squash is almost cooked through.

While the squash is baking; combine the remaining ingredients (to taste) in a microwave safe bowl and microwave until butter is melted. Stir.

Once squash is almost cooked through, remove from oven and drain any excess water. Pour butter mixture over squash. Stir to distribute evenly. Return dish to oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy.

Pizza Pasta

Pizza Pasta

I was CRAVING pizza but didn't feel like making my own from scratch or paying way too much for way too little pizza. So I decided to get all the flavor of pizza without the effort or cost. Pizza pasta is quick and easy; plus you can adjust it for one person or twelve.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:

Pasta (I used GF corn elbow pasta)

Mozzarella Cheese

Pizza Sauce

Pepperoni (I used turkey pepperoni)

Sliced Black Olives

Roasted Green Peppers (minced)

Garlic Powder

Onion Powder

Fresh Parsley or Parsley Flakes

Any other pizza toppings that you enjoy

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the pasta according to the directions. Just as it starts to become soft, turn off the heat and drain well.

Place the drained pasta into an oven safe dish. Spread evenly on the bottom.

Top the pasta with the pizza sauce, pepperoni, peppers, olives and cheese. I used lots of cheese because I'm addicted. Add any additional toppings of your choosing. If adding pineapple or other fruit, I suggest adding this after the cheese so it cooks better.

Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder and parsley. Do NOT stir.

Place in oven and bake until all ingredients are hot or cheese is melted. Enjoy the pizza-esque yumminess! 

Cheesy Spiced Asparagus Al Dente "Pasta"

Cheesy Spiced Asparagus al dente "pasta"

The joy of pasta without the carbs or gluten!

The idea for this pasta free "pasta" came from a desire to eat the remaining half of the asparagus I purchased (see other recipe for first use) and because I was craving flavorful cheesiness. The fact that it is low carb is just a bonus.

The asparagus in this recipe acts like pasta that has been cooked al dente. The cheese and spice overpower the flavor of the asparagus so much so that you really could believe you are eating carb-laden pasta.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 1 (but I was very full afterward)

You will need aluminum foil and an oven/toaster oven.

Ingredients:

1/2 bunch asparagus, rinsed and cut

big handful of shredded cheddar cheese

garlic powder

onion powder

black pepper

Cajun spice

hot sauce (optional)

cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut asparagus into pieces that are 1-2 inches long. Loosely pile asparagus on greased aluminum foil covered baking sheet. Pieces of asparagus can overlap but you want to be able to expose all pieces to cheese and spice.

Spray asparagus with cooking spray. Sprinkle desired spices (garlic, onion, pepper, Cajun) over asparagus. Place in oven for 20-25 minutes. In final 5 minutes of cooking, remove from oven and quickly sprinkle with hot sauce (optional) and cover with shredded cheese. Place back in oven and continue baking until cheese is melted. Be sure you don't allow cheese to start browning. You need it to be "melty" for the meal to seem like pasta.

Remove from oven and enjoy your low-carb, gluten free "pasta" dish. 

Oven Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce

Oven Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Butter Sauce

You will be licking your plate!

I never buy fresh asparagus. I love eating asparagus, but preparing it from scratch always seemed scary. In a bout of "must eat healthy" shopping, I picked up a bunch, put it in my fridge and put off figuring out how to prepare it. Feeling inspired one afternoon, I grabbed the asparagus and started to throw together a meal. 

I scoured my shelves for things that could go with the asparagus and found a forgotten bottle of balsamic vinegar. This sparked the idea for the sauce and suddenly I was looking forward to making the once-scary asparagus.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Serves: 1 

You will need aluminum foil, a microwave and an oven. As always, I used my toaster oven instead.

Ingredients:

1/2 bunch of fresh asparagus, rinsed 

garlic powder

onion powder

ground black pepper

Cajun seasoning (optional)

cooking spray

2 tbsp butter (give or take)

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar (give or take)

Directions:

Set oven to 400 degrees.

I cut about an inch off the blunt ends off of the asparagus because it just doesn't look appetizing. 

Lay aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Line asparagus on foil. All pieces should be equally exposed. Spray asparagus with cooking spray. Sprinkle with garlic, onion, pepper and Cajun seasoning. Sprinkle as much, or as little, as you like to suit your tastes. I used a good portion of garlic powder and only a little Cajun so the asparagus would "brown" on top.

Bake asparagus for 25-30 minutes. When the asparagus is almost finished, place butter in a microwave safe dish and heat until just melted. Mix in balsamic vinegar and adjust to taste.

When asparagus is tender remove from oven. Place on a plate or in a bowl. You may either pick up the asparagus like fries and dip in the butter sauce or drizzle the sauce over the asparagus. Either way, if you are like me, you will be licking the plate when all asparagus is gone.

Spinach, Strawberry and Muenster Toast

Spinach, Strawberry and Muenster Toast

The healthier alternative to my Triple Grilled Cheese

I was craving another strawberry infused grilled cheese sandwich but wanted a healthier version since it was only going to be a snack since dinner is 2 hours away. So I ditched the butter and cream cheese, only used one slice of Muenster on each piece of bread and doubled the strawberries.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

2 strawberries

2 slices of bread (I used Udi's GF white bread)

handful of baby spinach

2 slices Muenster cheese (can use any cheese really)

Directions:

Pre-toast the bread until hot but not crunchy at all. Place a slice of Muenster on each pre-toasted slice of bread. Top with sliced strawberries and pile on the spinach. Toast [open-face] until cheese is melted and spinach is wilted. Remove from toaster oven and make into a sandwich. For easier munching, cut sandwich in half.

Pizza Toasties

A makeshift pizza without any real pizza ingredients.

The trick to making this delicious little pizza-esque meal is to forget every rule about making pizza. I didn't want to go shopping but I was craving pizza. I grabbed what I could find in the pantry and fridge to make these "makeshift pizzas". Kind of like those "pizza-quickies" your mom used to make with English muffins.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients: 

Sliced Bread (I used two slices of Udi's GF bread)

Spaghetti Sauce

Shredded Cheese (any flavor works really)

Baby Spinach

Hot Sauce (optional)

You could use any toppings you wanted really. The main goal is to NOT go shopping for ingredients. Peppers, sliced meats, olives, etc. would all be good.

A toaster oven is the preferred method of baking these, but a regular oven would work.

Directions:

Pre-toast the bread to the point where it just about to become toast.

Top pre-toasted bread with spaghetti sauce, cheese and whichever toppings you chose/found.

Toast in toaster oven for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and toppings are hot.

Top with hot sauce or ranch dressing or whatever else you enjoy on your pizza.

Enjoy the simplicity of pizza with the convenience of your current kitchen.

Strawberry Spinach Triple Grilled Cheese

Fresh Strawberries and Spinach make this gooey treat a little healthier.

A simple American grilled cheese sandwich gets an upgrade with spinach, strawberries and three kinds of cheesy goodness. I decided to forgo my usual healthy version of grilled cheese (using the toaster oven) and opted for the greasier, gooey version pictured above.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

You will need a small food processor or personal blender for this recipe.

Ingredients:

2 slices bread (I used Udi's Gluten Free white bread)

1 slice Swiss cheese

1 slice American cheese

2 tablespoons cream cheese

1 cup fresh baby spinach

1-2 strawberries, sliced

garlic powder

butter or margarine

Directions:

Lightly butter each side of the bread. Place in heated skillet. Pan fry the bread on one side while preparing the cream cheese and spinach mixture. 

For the spinach/cream cheese mixture combine cream cheese, spinach and garlic powder in food processor until all spinach is mixed in.

Once the underside of the bread is browned, flip the bread over. Spread cream cheese mixture on each slice of bread. Top one slice of bread with American and Swiss cheeses and finally with sliced strawberries. Place second slice of bread (which should only have cream cheese mixture on it) on top of first slice of bread, cream cheese side down. Continue pan frying sandwich until both sides are golden brown and cheese is melted. 

Note: Cooking this is a little messier than a regular grilled cheese sandwich but the result is well worth it.

Toasted Spice Brussel Sprouts with Pear and Grated Almond

An Easy Way to Spice Up Sprouts

I used a few cheats in this recipe that made it a breeze to prepare. For starters I used steam-in-the-bag microwavable brussel sprouts and a snack pack of diced pears in juice.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 4 minutes in the microwave, 25 minutes in the toaster oven

For this recipe you do need a toaster oven and a grater.

Ingredients:

1 bag steam-in-the-bag brussel sprouts

1 snack pack size container of diced pears in natural juice

crushed red pepper (I used two of those packets you get at pizza places)

minced garlic (I used the kind that comes pre-minced)

raw almonds

black pepper

Directions:

Steam the brussel sprouts until they are thawed and warm. Approximately 3.5-4.5 minutes.

Pour half the brussel sprouts into a mixing bowl. Put the rest in the fridge for another recipe or whatever.

Open the diced pears. Drain. I suggest draining into a personal blender so you can make a yummy pear infused smoothie later.

Add pears, crushed red pepper, a dash of black pepper and a spoonful of minced garlic to the brussel sprouts. Stir well.

Grate 5-6 almonds over the mixture. Stir again. Don't worry if you can't get the whole almond grated. Just grate until you feel you have enough.

Pour mixture onto a baking sheet, lightly spray top of mixture with cooking spray and place in toaster oven. Toast for 25 minutes, stirring at the halfway point. Enjoy!

*Note: The sprouts will char slightly and the pears will brown/carmelize slightly. This is desirable. Great with a drizzle of GF blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Substitution Suggestion: If you don't like spicy foods I suggest using grated parmesan cheese in place of the crushed red pepper.



Spicy Green Meat Loaf

Looks Kinda Weird, Tastes Amazing

The loaf before it goes in the oven 

I was craving meatloaf today but I can't eat typical meatloaf so I have to make my own and even though leftover meatloaf is yummy, it isn't the healthiest meal to eat 5 days in a row. So I wanted to make a small portion just for me. Of course, like always, I snuck in some extra veggies and made it healthier.

Like all my recipes, I don't measure. I just don't see the point. I eyeball and hope for the best. Sorry if this makes the recipe hard to follow. Just use your instinct and adjust to taste. You really can't go wrong.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 1 with leftovers or 2

You will need aluminum foil (heavy duty is best) for this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 XL egg white

1/2 pound ground beef

2 slices bread (I used Glutino gluten free), toasted

generous shake of store bought bread crumbs (I used Glutino GF bread crumbs)

3 big squirts of All-Natural Ketchup

2 round spoonfuls of brown sugar

2 dashes red wine vinegar (may use any vinegar)

handful fresh spinach

small handful fresh cilantro

1 big slice red onion, chopped

2 baby carrots

6 hot peperoncini pepper rings

7 raw almonds (any almonds okay)

black pepper

garlic powder

cooking spray

Directions:

Put your toast in the toaster now and preheat your oven to 325 degrees. If you are using a toaster oven, these steps are combined :D

Make Your Pan

I know you can purchase small loaf pans, but I didn't have one so I created one using aluminum foil. Just fold a rectangular piece of foil on all sides (see picture above) and cinch the corners to create a pan. It doesn't have to look perfect, it just has to hold the meatloaf.

Sauce

In your personal blender (I use The Rocket), combine the almonds, carrots, spinach, cilantro, pepper rings, 1 spoonful of brown sugar, 1 squirt ketchup, and vinegar. Blend until smooth. The almonds are difficult to blend so you may want to chop them ahead of time to save your blender. Set aside.

Meatloaf

Combine ground beef, egg white, 1 spoonful brown sugar, 2 squirts ketchup and black pepper. Mix well. I used a wisk to smash and stir.

In a skillet, spray a generous amount of cooking spray. Toss in the chopped onion and sprinkle with garlic powder. Stir the onions and garlic powder until the heat starts to make the onions limp. You can even carmelize them if you prefer.

Add the onion/garlic mixture to the ground beef mixture. Combine. Now crumble the toast into the mixture. Combine well. Finally, add the store bought breadcrumbs until the mixture becomes thick enough that you are able to form it into a loaf.

Making the Loaf

This part is a little messy. Yay!

Take handfuls of the meat mixture and add it to your homemade pan. Press down into pan lightly. Fit as much of the meat mixture into the pan as possible, leaving just enough space on top for the sauce. If you have some meat mixture left over, that is okay. Just create another homemade pan or throw it into the skillet you sauteed the onions in for a mini hamburger while you wait. Top the formed loaf with the green sauce. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the meatloaf onto the baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes until cooked through.

I use a toaster oven for everything so if you don't have a full size oven, you can still make this!

Upon removing the loaf from the oven, drain the excess juice/grease from the pan and transfer the loaf to a plate. Now you may slice and enjoy with a side of steamed spinach or perhaps some cauliflower mashed potatoes.

*Note: The green sauce will turn into a brownish green color once cooked. If you like the pretty green color of the sauce, leave a little extra for after cooking to "decorate" the top.

All Natural Healthy Banana "Pudding" with Brownie Bite Topping

                                                         Delicious, Healthy and Indulgent

I had been seeing recipes for healthy ice cream made using bananas instead of cream. The recipes required the use of a food processor and lots of bananas. I live alone, in a studio apartment with a smaller than average freezer. I can't store that much fake ice cream. So I decided to try making a small batch using my smoothie blender (The Rocket by Bella Kitchen). It didn't work.

Instead I ended up with a creamy concoction that has the consistency of rich pudding and the fresh flavor of a healthy snack. After eating a few bites, I looked over and noticed a box of GF brownie bites so I sprinkled a little brownie on top. Not as healthy, but whatevs.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: none

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

1 well ripened banana (no green allowed, some brown spots are good)

1 full spoonful almond butter (I prefer all natural brands, sometimes salted and sometimes Raw unsalted)

splash of almond milk

premade brownie bites (optional: I used less than a quarter of an Enjoy Life GF brownie bite)

Directions:

Slice banana into a bowl. Place in freezer for 25-30 minutes until frozen through. The bananas will likely stick to the bowl but should scrape off easily with a spoon.

Place frozen banana slices into your personal blender, add almond milk. Do not add too much milk or you will end up with runny pudding. Blend until smooth, scraping down sides as needed.

Add almond butter to blender. Blend until, well, blended.

Scrape into a small martini glass (I always use martini glasses) and garnish with crumbles of the brownie bite if desired.

Enjoy this creamy concoction while still cold or if you like, put it in the fridge to save for later.

You may substitute hazelnut butter for the almond butter and cow's milk or soy milk for the almond milk. If you want to use peanut butter, use the kind that separates and needs stirred. Conventional peanut butter with all of its added sugars may result in a pudding that is too thick.

Boosted Layer Guacamole

Easy, extra healthy and naturally gluten free!

This delicious guacamole was actually an accident. I had recently purchased a bunch of fruits and veggies to make myself an indulgent GF veggie sub using new GF loaf bread I discovered. So most of those ingredients ended up in this dish.

This guacamole sneaks in a lot of healthy veggies that don't normally make it into the popular party dip.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: none
Serves: 1

Ingredients:

Guacamole
1/2 Hass avocado
juice of 1/2 lemon (may use lime instead)
handful of fresh cilantro
handful of fresh spinach
a few slices of cucumber
a few rings of red onion
2 baby carrots, chopped
dash black pepper
dash garlic powder
three dashes hot sauce (optional: I prefer Lousiana Hot Sauce)

Layers
Spoonful of Organic Sour Cream (may sub fat free sour cream)
1/2 cup medium chunky salsa (I used La Victora Salsa Suprema)

Dippers
baby carrots
Reduced-Guilt Corn Tortilla Chips

In a personal blender (I use one called The Rocket by Bella Kitchen), combine all guacamole ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Pour guacamole into a martini glass. Top guacamole with salsa and dollop of sour cream. Enjoy.

Lots of healthy ingredients but easy to make. You could add garnish if you want but you live alone... do you really need garnish?

*Note - The watery nature of the cucumber makes the guacamole a little thinner than typical guacamole. If you prefer thick guacamole, I suggest skipping the cucumber.

Including the layered portions (not the dippers), these are the veggies/fruits that are present in this fantastic dip:

avocado
tomato
garlic
red onion
santa fe chiles
carrot
cucumber
spinach
cilantro
lemon

That's 10 fruits/veggies people!

Welcome to Quickie Meals 4 One!

Welcome to my new blog all about quickie meals and treats that you can make for just one person without sacrificing time. I'm guessing if you live alone you don't want to spend hours making a meal that only you will enjoy. I started this blog when I lived alone. Even though I now have a roommate, we don't really share many meals because she is vegetarian and her boyfriend is vegan so my meat, cheese and butter loving ways are of no interest to them. So the journey of Meals for One continues.

A little about my recipes:

My meals are all gluten free because I have to be gluten free. If I say "hamburger buns" or "all purpose flour" you can use gluten free or regular wheat versions if you choose. It's up to you. 

Many of my meals are naturally gluten free because I love fresh veggies, fruits and dairy products.

I have started leaning towards RAW and ORGANIC foods because they tend to be fresher, taste better and last longer than their alternates.

I will likely not share a step-by-step recipe with pictures for most things. I usually don't even know the exact measurements and I rarely know what I'm going to do before I do it. These recipes are 100% ME. I have stacks and stacks of recipe books that I never open because I find that experimentation is the best method.

The idea behind my meals is that they are simple and pretty self explanatory. Really, they are just to inspire you to eat healthier and eat better even though you are only cooking for yourself. No need to rely on your microwave for meals anymore! I will share a picture of the final product and maybe one or two of any "complicated" steps.

I will try to include nutrition information but keep in mind that I am not an expert. The information I provide is likely to be an estimate based on information I find online. i.e. - half an avocado could mean half a giant avocado or half a smaller avocado. Use your best judgement. I don't dwell on nutrition facts when I eat, I just eat stuff that I feel good about.

Enjoy these recipes designed for those of you (like me) who really don't like following recipes.