Spinach Potato Frittata

This frittata can be made with eggs, egg whites, tofu or a mixture of the three. Adding veggies to your breakfast meal can go a long way toward promoting healthy food choices and ample nutrient intake all day long. For added benefits, make your frittata in advance to enjoy throughout the week. It's a great way to breakup that cereal/milk breakfast routine!

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 small red potatoes, sliced

1 cup torn fresh spinach

1/2 small onion, diced

2 teaspoons diced garlic

sea salt and pepper to taste

6 eggs (or tofu mixture*)

1/3 cup low-fat or soy milk

1/2 cup shredded cheese (opt.)

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Place potatoes in the skillet, cover, and cook about 10 minutes, until tender but firm. Mix in spinach, green onions, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes, until spinach is wilted. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Pour into the skillet over the vegetables. Sprinkle with cheese. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until eggs are firm.

*Blend 1 package firm tofu, 1/4 cup soy sauce & 4 tbsp nutritional yeast

Carmageddon Cupcakes

While I don't normally advocate eating in your car, desperate circumstances call for desperate measures! Don't allow yourself to get stuck in a traffic standstill without a healthy, portable snack.

2/3 cup honey

1/4 cup almond or peanut butter

3/4 cup old-fashioned oats

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 cup oat bran

1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries (opt.)

1/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips (opt.)

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (opt.)

1/4 cup sunflower or pumpkin seeds (opt.)

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Combine the honey, vanilla, salt and nut butter in a medium-sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about three minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in remaining ingredients, adding the chocolate chips last. Fill paper muffin cups about half full with the mixture than refrigerate for an hour or longer. If you’re in a hurry, freeze them for fifteen minutes.

Makes 4 large or 8 mini cupcakes.

Empowering Pizza

I often get funny looks when I suggest pizza as a health food. Although pizzas vary significantly in ingredients and nutrient content, most provide a reasonable balance of carbohydrates, protein, vegetables and fat. I get additional surprised looks when I suggest making homemade dough. It’s not as difficult as you may suspect; it simply takes time.

2 ¼ teaspoons dry active yeast

1 cup hot water

½ teaspoon salt

Olive oil

3 to 4 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1 tablespoon ground oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons dried minced garlic

1 teaspoon ground paprika

Dissolve yeast in 1 cup of hot water in the bowl of a mixer. Add salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add 2 ½ cups of flour and mix on medium-low speed in a mixer, with a dough hook if possible, for 1 to 2 minutes. (If you don’t have a mixer, kneed the dough by hand on a flour-coated counter top for 8 to 10 minutes.) Add remaining flour gradually, until it reaches a doughy consistency. If it’s sticky, add a touch more flour.

Remove dough and place it in a large bowl, coated lightly with olive oil. Flip the dough to coat all sides with oil. Let it rise in a warm place, covered, for 60 to 75 minutes, or until it has nearly doubled in size.

Heat your oven to 450 degrees. While it’s preheating, combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir until blended. Remove dough from the bowl and press into a baking pan of your choice. (Use a large pan for thin, crispy crust or a smaller pan for thicker crust.) Sprinkle it with Italian seasoning then place in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove crust and add tomato sauce, cheese and other toppings of your choice. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese appears bubbly and golden.

Serves 8

No-Boil Whole Wheat Lasagna

Lasagna is a perfect dish to prepare before a busy week. Set aside a few hours over the weekend, or whenever you have time, to grocery shop and cook your lasagna. The flavors intensify over time, so it'll taste even better a couple of days later. To make your own healthy frozen meals, freeze single-size portions in appropriate containers.

1 medium onion, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 pound ground turkey

Salt and pepper

1 (48 oz.) spaghetti sauce (or prepare your own)

1 cup diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)

1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles

24 oz. lowfat ricotta cheese

1 egg + 2 egg whites, scrambled

2 cups mozzarella or Italian blend cheese, shredded

In a skillet, brown the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add turkey. Once it's browned, drain the oil. Add spaghetti sauce and tomatoes and bring to boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 10 or more minutes. Mix ricotta cheese, eggs, a dash each of salt and pepper and 1 cup shredded cheese. Pour one cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9x13x2-inch baking dish. Arrange half the noodles on top. Spread noodles with half your meat sauce. Add half of the cheese mixture. Repeat layers then sprinkle the top with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cool an additional 15 minutes, or until the top is golden and bubbly. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Healthy Additions: When I'm serving others, I make half of my lasagna "regular" and load the other half with chopped spinach and black beans. If you're a health-food nut, or would like to be, mix veggies and beans into the cheese mixture. And be creative! The more colorful your dish is, the more nutrients and flavor it likely has.

Whole Grain Blueberry Brownies

These chocolatey treats are so healthy, I gave a batch to my dentist!

3/4 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2/3 cup fresh blueberries

Dark chocolate chips (optional)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients, except the blueberries and chocolate chips, in a medium-size bowl. Stir until well-combined. Add the berries and chocolate chips. Spread batter into a greased 8-inch pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes.