Bacon-Cheese Potato skin Crispers, the ultimate splurge for a low calorie snack.

This is the ultimate splurge and it only contains an estimated 160 calories per serving. It is absolutely delicious and though it takes time it will seem like a breeze once you've tasted the results.

-What you'll need:

-Mexican style shredded cheese or vegan alternative

-Kath's Potato Crisper spice blend (Brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, everyday seasoning, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes)

-Olive oil spray

-Turkey bacon or Tofurky bacon

-1 potato for two servings, and 2 potatoes for 4, and so on depending on amount of people.

Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Take potato and scrub off any impurities while washing it under the tap, then place on cutting board and stab it various times (carefully-you can cut yourself easily while doing this), then spray a baking pan with olive oil, spray the potato with olive oil-rub it into the potato paying attention to the places you stabbed, and place on baking pan. When oven is heated, place in oven and set timer to 40-45 minutes. Times will vary oven to oven.

While the potato is baking, spray a skillet with olive oil, heat it on med-high heat and fry up two pieces of turkey bacon or alternative to desired crispiness. Once done with that, mix up Kath's potato Crisper blend by taking about 3 or 4 pinches of brown sugar in a bowl, adding a couple dashes of garlic powder and onion powder, a grind of everyday spice, a dash of smoked paprika and a dash of red pepper flakes. Mix it up with a spoon.

Once baked, take out the potato, set the oven to 450 degrees, and let the potato cool just enough so that you can cut it in half lengthwise, once separated, scoop out the middle of the potato halves leaving enough potato around the skin so that it will hold up, set aside the insides of the potato for another use. Spray olive oil on the inside of the skins, sprinkle the spice blend on it, then sprinkle on desired amount of cheese. Get the bacon strips, break them up into little pieces-or just tear them in half like I did and put them over the cheese layer, add one last sprinkle of cheese and when the oven is heated stick them in for another 5-7 minutes.

Kath's Kale Quiche

 

This delicious, healthy Kale quiche will not disappoint, not only is it pretty to look at, but the combination of ingredients are so scrumptious you and your family will finish it in no time. It has no crust, and trust me-you won't miss it!

Kath's Kale Quiche

Ingredients:

-8 eggwhites

-2/3 of a 10 oz package of Kale

-1 Tbsp of a diced, even part shallot, garlic, and onion mixture

-12 Sugar plum tomatoes

-Oyster sauce

-Trader joe's 21 seasoning salute (optional, can be replaced with everyday seasoning)

-Dried parsley

-Red pepper flakes

-Smoked paprika

-1/2 tbsp of brown sugar

-Shredded Mexican blend cheese

-Olive oil spray

-White sesame seeds (Optional)

Directions:

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Then, add a dab of olive oil to your skillet heat on med-high and add the 1 Tbsp of diced shallot, garlic and onion (I use Trader Joe's Fresh, Cut and Ready blend to save time), saute the little mixture and then add the Kale and take turns covering and mixing it until it has wilted down enough to add on more. Do this until you have at least 2/3 of the package wilted down into about a cup and a half of kale. Once cooled, transfer to a large mixing bowl, add the 8 eggwhites, and get out a round, 9in baking pan preferably deep because the quiche will puff out before it sets. Spray it with olive oil and then slice around 5 plum tomatoes into thin rounds, toss the ends into the mixing bowl with the kale and eggwhites and spread the tomato slices onto the bottom of the oiled baking pan like so:

Sprinkle some parsely on top of the tomato layer and keep the 7 other plum tomatoes on the side, and chop and throw any excess of the 5 you sliced into the mixing bowl, and start to sift the tomato slices, eggwhites, and kale together, make sure the kale is wet and well mixed into the eggwhites. Then drizzle over some oyster sauce (I use Maekrua brand (Thai) because it has less sodium than the other brands I've looked over), and add a couple dashes smoked paprika, ½ Tbsp of brown sugar (best if sprinkled over to avoid clumping), add about 3 or 4 shakes of Trader Joe's 21 seasoning salute (can be substituted with everyday seasoning), a small dash of red pepper flakes, and sprinkle on a bit of parsley. Mix everything up very well, it should feel as though is is mostly kale, but when it's baked you'll see the great results. Pour this kale-eggwhite mixture in the pan onto the layer of tomatoes gently, trying your best not to disturb the tomatoes on the bottom because having them layered like this will ensure even distribution of the tomatoes instead of mixing it all together and then taking the risk of having them clump because of the bulky kale (it's okay for the odds and ends though they're no big deal). Then sprinkle over a layer of cheese and lightly sprinkle on some white sesame seeds, get the other 7 plum tomatoes, slice them up into rounds, toss the ends out this time and layer the top the same as you layered the bottom. Sprinkle a very light bit of cheese over this (just to slightly cover the tomatoes), and another very light layer of sesame seeds. It now should look like this:

Put it in the oven on the middle rack and let it bake for 15 minutes. Then transfer it to the top rack and let it bake 10 more minutes (oven temperatures vary, so check it after about 7 minutes). When you think it's done, take it out, use a sharp knife to stick though the middle and use it to determine whether it's firm and the temperature is hot. Let it set for about 4 minutes, then it should be ready to serve and should resemble the first picture. Enjoy!

How to make a Porcupine (Hedgehog) Tofurky:

Whether you want something that will really impress and stand out for your family dinner and festive occasions or need help getting your kids excited about being a veggie eater, this Hedgehog-shaped Tofurky will delight anyone of any age, and is just as delicious and healthy as it is cute (eat Sonic the hedgehog right in your own home!). You can call this a Porcupine or Hedgehog tofurky, whatever strikes your fancy, I just go back and forth between the two, though Hedgehogs are cuter.

Hedgehog Tofurky

Ingredients:

-One Tofurky Italian Sausage

-About 1/3 cup of Tofurky Ground Beef Style

-Raw Blanched Almond Slivers (I got mine from Trader Joes)

-One package Extra Firm Tofu

-Two heads of Broccoli (washed, drained)

-Six long carrots (baby carrots can be substituted, though regular is preferred), skinned, ends chopped off

-Teriaki sauce (for me, only Yoshida's Teriaki sauce will give the perfect flavor, any other soy sauce can be used but there will be a big difference in taste)

-7 Baby Portabella Mushrooms (any kind of mushroom will do as long as the portion stays the same), washed, bottom of stems chopped

-Rosemary

-A tsp of Crushed Ginger (can be substituted with a tsp ginger powder)

-A few dashes of Trader Joes 21 seasoning salute (recommended, but not needed)

-Garlic powder

-Onion powder

-About ½ Tbsp of minced garlic (I get mine pre-minced in a jar-it just saves time)

-4 stalks of green onions, sliced thin.

-Walnut pieces

-Small pinch of red pepper flakes

-Dark brown sugar (can be substituted with Truvia baking blend, but flavor will differ)

-Two eggwhites (can be substituted with bread crumbs)

-Olive oil (Spray-on)

Cooks in about 20-25 min on 375 degrees covered, then 2-5 minutes uncovered after knife testing.

How to:

First: It's important to get the moisture out of the tofu or else your tofurky will fall flat when it bakes and won't hold up, so the night before you make it cut the tofu package open and drain it thoroughly, pressing on the tofu to get the excess moisture that's sponged into it out, then get a colander (put a large plate under it so that it doesn't leak out) and put the tofu into a bowl, mash it up, then transfer the mashed bits to the colander pressing them into the bottom and sides to drain. Leave the whole thing with tofu still pressed to it in the fridge overnight.

For the filling:

The Chopping: You can either do this fresh and get it done along with draining the tofu and have it ready for the morning (though in the morning you'll likely have some extra fluid that you will have to drain out a bit). I usually do it fresh in the morning after the tofu's been drying overnight. You will either need a cleaver or a food processor (I use a cleaver). Get one head of broccoli and trim off the large bottom, leaving only the florets and a length the stems attached to them (see below pic to be sure), then roughly chop them with the cleaver, leaving them on your cutting board for more chopping later. Get 4 of the mushrooms, slice normally and then chop roughly (keeps them from sticking to the cleaver as much), combine with roughly chopped broccoli. Get your four stalks of green onions and slice them thin, toss in with the roughly chopped mixture. Only take 3 of the long carrot sticks (make sure the ends are cut off and they are skinned), and chop them into small rounds-*save two of these rounds for the eyes and set aside*, toss in mixture. Then get out one Tofurky Italian sausage and cut in half, then quarter the halves lengthwise with a regular knife (easier with regular), then put the quartered pieces back together and slice those as you normally would slice a sausage into rounds, leaving you with little triangular pieces which will fit in with the filling fine. Put this into the filling mixture-mix it all up, and then get your cleaver and chop it all into fine bits and pieces. (Around now is the time to be pre-setting your oven to 375 degrees).

The sugar and spices blend is a blend I recommend, but remember it's up to you if you want to add some other spices that you like or if you want to change the portion of them or not even add the pepper flakes, everyone has their own taster's preference, however it is NOT recommended that you add any extra salt as the Teriaki/soy sauce will definitely make up for it.

The Mixing: When it is fine enough, spread a light layer of brown sugar onto the mixture and work it in with your hands, then put it all into a mixing bowl.

Time to get out the Tofurky Ground beef style, and measure out about a third of a cup of that and mix it into the filling. Then add about ½ Tbsp of minced garlic, 2-3 Tbsp Yoshida's Teriaki sauce lightly poured over the mix evenly, a dash or two of red pepper flakes, crush about 3 pinches of rosemary and sprinkle them in, a few dashes of Trader Joes 21 Seasoning salute, and a tsp of crushed ginger. Mash everything together I do it with my hands, but it's fine to mix thoroughly with a spoon. Then crack 2 eggs and drain only the whites of them into the mix, and re-mix.

Putting it all together:

The chopping and mixing takes time, but this is probably the most important step to getting it shaped out and filled. First off, you have to find the right bowl in your kitchen that's deep enough and round enough-and you don't want it to be too big (the amount of filling may seem larger than the bowl itself but because we will be pressing it into the tofu it just works out). Keep in mind the forming of it will be mostly done in the baking pan. Find a medium-large sized mixing bowl that is deep enough for the filling, and generously spray on the olive oil (Crisco Cooking spray: Extra virgin olive oil works the best) to the inside of the bowl. Take out the Tofu from the colander and bit by bit, press to the bottom of the bowl, mushing it together as you work your way up to the sides as far as it will go, leave a small handful of tofu left for the top when finished stuffing. Once it has been mushed up as far as it will go, then you start pressing in the filling, filling it up and pressing it into the sides (the idea is to get the layer of tofu the thinnest possible). When it is filled (may have leftover stuffing), then use the tofu around the edges to fold them in a bit, rounding the edge out, and add the handful of tofu to the top, sealing the filling inside. Now, spray a baking pan with olive oil and, stabilizing it, quickly flip it upside down onto the pan. It should come off cleanly, but should there be any pieces that are stuck to the bowl, just grab them off and piece them back on.

The Decoration: Shape it into a rounded out almond shape with a fat middle, best resembling the picture below. Then get the Walnuts and lightly press them into the smaller end (which will be the head/snout), end it about a third of the way on the tofurky and then get out the two carrot rounds that were saved for later and place them on for the eyes. Cut open the almond slivers and start poking them with the sharp ends upwards like a porcupine's frills all along the 'back' of the Hedgehog Tofurky. Find a rounded out sliver and use this as the nose. Then crush some more rosemary and sprinkle it along it's back for a finishing touch.

Extra Veggies: For the extra veggies around the Hedgehog Tofurky, all you have to do it use the remaining 3 sticks of carrots, 3 mushrooms, and the head of broccoli. Cut the broccoli into florets with stems like you did before and slice the mushrooms, but this time for the carrots, cut them into thirds and the chop the thirds lengthwise to get long slices. Lay out these veggies on a plate and sprinkle a light layer of brown sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, and drizzle on some Yoshida's Teriaki sauce/soy sauce. Hand mix it all together until evenly coated and spread in the baking pan around the Hedgehog Tofurky to absorb the juices. If there is any leftover almond slivers or walnuts pieces, sprinkle them lightly over the veggies.

Now just cover with tinfoil, taking care not to let it touch the almond slivers and mess up the decoration, and set it in the oven at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes (oven times varies with different ovens), but the point being that when you check it, by using a butter knife and sticking it in the thickest part (let it stay there a few seconds so you can really tell), that it comes out hot. Then uncover it, stick it back in, and let it brown the tops of the almond slivers. This will take about 3-5 minutes. And then, wa-la! You are done! Enjoy your one-of-a-kind Hedgehog Tofurky.

Hedgehog Tofurky with it's head cut off to show the filling.

Chickpea Crunchers, a healthy snack

These Chickpea Crunchers work great on their own as a snack, or as a salad topping to replace croutons. It's a very simple recipe, it just takes a long time to bake. Feel free to use whatever spices you want, but the combination I found tastes really good, and is a great place to start.

What you'll need:
-1 can chickpeas
-Smoked paprika
-Powdered garlic
-Powdered onion
-Pinch of curry powder

To do:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain and rinse the chickpeas, put them in a bowl, spray them with olive oil and to coat evenly mix with hands and then sprinkle desired amount of each of the spices over them. Mix again with hands to ensure an even coat. Spray a flat pan with olive oil, sprinkle the chickpeas evenly in one layer onto it and bake on 350 degrees for 40min-1hour.

First Post! An Introduction.

Hello, my name is Katherine, but my friends just call me Kath-feel free to do so! I made this blog because everyone is always asking me about my crazy cooking recipes and how they can make something both healthy and delicious without the excess sodium we always find as a substitute for taking off calories. I lost around 70 lbs using my recipes and now that the temptations of Summer are gone, I am still looking to lose another 40,-maybe you're here for the same reason and in that case we can do it together.
My recipes pile on the veggies and give you flavor you wouldn't believe possible to accompany them, this blog will include easy, cheap ways to make 100% fruit (no ice-unless preferred) smoothies, where to buy for the lowest cost, what to use, and I will detail all the crazy cookins I've done so far such as Cauldron Quiche, Bacon-pineapple pizza, the BAT (Bacon-Arugula-Tomato) halfwich, and many others.

This first week, I think I'll start with the BAT, it's an easy to make recipe and is a staple in my diet:

BAT Halfwich

What you'll need:
-2 slices Turky bacon-can be substituted with Smart Bacon, or Tofurky Smokey Maple Bacon (about 60 cal)
-A handful of Arugula (I don't count calories from veggies)
-Ketchup (pref organic) (about 25 cal)
-Hot-sweet mustard ( about 15 cal)
-1 piece rye bread (usually 80 cal)
-4 or 5 cherry tomatoes (N/A)

Directions:
-Get a plate ready and pop the rye bread in the toaster, warm up your skillet with some olive oil (pref spray-on) and on med-high heat cook up the two pieces of Turkey bacon to desired crispyness. Place toasted rye on plate, coat bottom with a layer of mustard, add the handful of Arugula on top of that, slice the 4-5 cherry tomatoes in half and spread those on the Arugula, then squirt on some ketchup and top with the two pieces of Turkey bacon. Wa-la! It comes to around 180 cal, not counting the veggies (which shouldn't be counted in my opinion). Have a great week!

Next week, I will, in detail, describe how I made the Porcupine Tofurky: