I know, nay-sayers, “it’s too early for pumpkin.” “SUMMER ISN’T OVER YET!” “I’m not ready for pumpkin recipes.” Guess what? I don’t care I love pumpkin. I eat pumpkin year round, not just during the fall when it’s in season and trendy. Pumpkin is my jam. Muffins are my peanut butter. Add the two together and you have one awesome sandwich. Please forgive me, I know not what I say.

I’m always a little hesitant about using gluten-free flour. Mainly because one of my good friends is allergic to gluten and tells me most of them taste that crap. She gets her flour DELIVERED to her house from some fancy bakery in NYC b/c the local kinds she finds don’t hold together. But, given I received a bag of gluten-free all-purpose flour from the amazing people at Bob’s Red Mill, I thought I had to give it an honest college try.

As you can tell by the extremely moist, mout-watering, fluffy and delicious muffin staring back at you, my experiment was a RAVING success. And not just to myself or my husband who have little to no idea about gluten-free foods. To my good friend who came over and gobbled them up! A-freakin’-WIN.

“I’d like to first thank God, you know, for bringing me here. Then, of course, to the academy for giving me the chance to make such an awesome muffin. And to my mom and dad, who like totally always inspired me.”

I’m going to stick my face under the coffee spout now. kthanksbye.

Gluten-free Pumpkin Muffins

Yields about 12 muffins. Recipe adapted from Bob’s Red Mill.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: About 20 – 22 minutes

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix)
• 7/8 cup gluten-free flour (or 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
• Dash of salt

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 12 cavity muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. Mix flour, salt, pumpkin pie spice and baking soda together in a medium bowl. In another bowl, beat or whisk the sugars, oil, applesauce and eggs together. Add in pumpkin puree and whip until fully combined. Stir in vanilla. Carefully pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well. Add additional spice or sugar to taste.
3. Fill muffin cavities about 3/4 the wall full. Then bake for 20 – 22 minutes, or until golden brown. Let cool slightly and enjoy!

Nutritional information per muffin:

Calories: 110.75
Fat: 5.75 grams
Carbohydrates: 13.5 grams
Fiber: 2.5 grams
Protein: 2.2 grams
Weight Watchers Points:  3

The post Gluten-free Pumpkin Muffins Recipe appeared first on The Realistic Nutritionist.

And by WE, I mean E because as good as I am in any other part of the kitchen, the grill is a scary, scary place for me. Once we get a fancy grill (we have an old school tailgating Weber) I am going to tackle it. For now, I think E loves being the master of the grill so I let him

Now, these burgers, they aren’t your ordinary burger. Nope. As you so coyly deducted from the title, they are made from BUFFALO! Which is a new meat for me. I’ve never had it. While at the farmers market on Saturday, we saw a vendor selling buffalo patties. E loves them so he bought 4 of them. I always get a little apprehensive about new meats. I’m not a huge fan of gamey meats (like duck, rabbit, elk) so I was super nervous it would taste really gamey.

Friends, it’s not gamey AT ALL. It tastes exactly like beef, just a little leaner. And by a little leaner, I mean it has between 70 – 90% less fat than ground beef and contains about 50% less cholesterol. A burger with half the fat but all the flavor? Touchè, buffalo!

Now, you’re probably wondering what that guacamole looking stuff right above the lettuce is. Fair question. And no, it’s not guacamole. It’s something far more wonderful.

It’s a creamy avocado spread made WITH GOAT CHEESE! What a surprise ending there folks, who would have predicted I make anything with goat cheese. As good as the burger is, this stuff gave it such immense flavor. Creamy, tangy, cheesy. This is what burger legends are made of.

My husband grills a fabulous burger, but I know how to top it.

Garden fresh tomatoes, thinly sliced onions and baby arugula. Plus a heaping spoonful of avocado goat cheese spread. That’s really all. No need for fancy sauces or bacon (I know!) Just fresh stuff piled high in between a toasted bun. Not a bad end of summer dinner, not bad at all.

Buffalo burgers with avocado goat cheese spread 

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!!

Serves 4.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: About 14 minutes

Ingredients:

For the burgers:

• 4 buffalo patties (about 16 ounces total)
• 4 light white sesame seed buns
• 1/2 tomato, thinly sliced
• 1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup of baby arugula

For the spread: 

• 1 medium ripe avocado, seeded and pitted
• 4 ounces of soft goat cheese
• 2 – 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Liberal dashes of salt and pepper

Directions: 

1. Preheat your grill.
2. Once grill is hot, place patties down. Grill about 5 – 7 minutes on each side, or until the insides reach 140 degrees F (for a medium rare burger).
3. While burgers are grilling, prepare spread. Place avocado, goat cheese, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper in a food processor. Pulse on low until creamy. Add additional lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Apply spread on the bun and top with the burger, lettuce, tomato and arugula. Enjoy!

Nutritional information per burger (with about 2 tablespoons spread):

Calories: 413.25
Fat:  17.5 grams
Carbohydrates: 29.25 grams
Fiber: 2.8 grams
Protein: 35 grams
Weight Watchers Points:  10

The post Grilled Buffalo Burger Recipe appeared first on The Realistic Nutritionist.

I’ll try though. These donuts? They are what legends are made of. I’m pretty sure if I made these for my ill-fated audition I would have made it through. Not being cocky friends, these chocolate circles of just pure HAPPINESS are so good. You take a bite and your mouth immediately erupts in joy from the rich, chocolate flavor. BUT THEN! You’re welcomed with gooey, melted chocolate from the chocolate chips which melt in your mouth. THEN! You’re welcomed with the amazing taste of Red Velvet wine and well. guys. shit just gets REAL.

I mean, red wine. donuts. chocolate chips. Is there anything else in this world we need? No. I could sit in a box somewhere with these and be the happiest, most malnourished person ever. I’d marry these. I’d take them home to meet the parents, introduce them as the “love of my life” at social functions. I’d vacation with them. They are THAT MIND-BLOWINGLY delicious.

Oh, and if that’s just NOT ALL. There’s only 1 WEE tablespoon of canola oil. No butter. Just oil and 3 heaping tablespoons of Chobani’s 2% vanilla chocolate chunk yogurt that was included in the amazing box of goodies they sent me!

So one of these rich, sexy, damn right mouth-watering donuts has 6 grams of fat. Yes. You heard that right. And a mere 153 calories. (Which is 100 less than a normal donut!) I know. You want to do a dance and kiss the sky.

And wine. I used the Red Velvet wine from Cupcake. I wanted a wine with a little more distinct flavor than a regular red wine, and I think this definitely held up. You don’t taste a lot of wine, since the rich chocolate overpowers it. But you know when you have a bite of chocolate and a sip of wine, and get that luscious, red wine + chocolate aftertaste? That’s what these donuts taste like.

This means it’s 100% acceptable to have a glass of wine for breakfast when you eat this. I mean, you have to pair it. Duh.

Low-fat Red Wine Chocolate Donuts

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!

Yields about 12 donuts. Recipe slightly adapted from Prevention RD.
Prep time: About 10 minutes
Cook time: About 9 minutes

Ingredients:

For the donuts:

• 1 cup all-purpose pastry flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• Dash of salt
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1/3 tablespoon Red Velvet wine (or any other kind)
• 3 tablespoons 2% chocolate vanilla chunk Chobani
• 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

For the chocolate icing:

• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Gold decorative sprinkles

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Liberally grease a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cocoa powder until combined. Add in egg, skim milk, red wine, canola oil and vanilla. Stir until ingredients are fully combined. Add in chocolate chips.
3. Fill donut cavities about 1/2 – 2/3 the way full with batter. Bake for 7 – 9 minutes, or until they bounce back after you touch them. Let cool completely and remove from the pan.
4. To prepare the glaze, place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Set power to 50 and melt for 1 minute. Stir slightly and melt another 30 seconds. Repeat (stirring every 30 seconds) until chips are completely melted. Using a knife, frost each donut. Sprinkle with sprinkles and enjoy!

Nutritional information per donut with glaze:

Calories: 153
Fat: 6 grams
Carbohydrates: 22 grams
Fiber: 1 gram
Protein: 2.83 grams
Weight Watchers Points:  4

The post Low-fat Red Wine Chocolate Donut Recipe appeared first on The Realistic Nutritionist.

A few weeks ago, I was contacted by the fabulous people at Weight Watchers Sweet Baked Goods with a proposition; to whip up my own version of a recipe they had created using some of Weight Watchers brownies. Not only this, they also sent me the most amazing swag bag, filled with fabulous kitchen gadgets and fun food props! Aren’t they just the coolest? Included were also about 8 boxes of the delicious Weight Watchers brownies.Only 2 boxes remained as of this morning, one of which is hiding in these trail mix bars!

I’m in love with these brownie bars for two primary reasons. 1. Sweet and salty wins the race. EVERY TIME. It’s such an addictive, insanely delicious combination. 2. Each mouth-watering, irresistible bar has JUST 4 WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS. Not bad for a delectable dessert.

Other reasons why I love this recipe include the awesome fudgey, crunchy texture and the amazing flavors coming from all the different ingredients. Only good things can come of mixing peanut butter, rice cereal, cranberries AND chocolate together, am I right?

Plus, because they are filled with healty breakfast things, like cranberries and oats, you can pass them off for breakfast.

Just tell your friends, coworkers and the like they are “breakfast rice krispie squares.” Coming from someone who just ate 2, er, 3 of them with her coffee, that’s a very legit statement. Thank you AGAIN to the amazing folks at Weight Watchers Sweet Baked Goods and Crossroads PR. I just love you.

Trail Mix Brownie Bars

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!

Serves about 12. Recipe adapted from Weight Watchers Sweet Baked Goods.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup oats (not instant)
• 1 1/2 cup rice cereal
• 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 3 Weight Watchers Brownies, diced
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼ cup chunky peanut butter
• Dash of salt
• 2 large egg whites, beaten
• ¼ cup honey

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325F.Spray a 9 x 9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, rice cereal, graham cracker crumbs, brownie chunks, cranberries and cinnamon. Stir until all ingredients are evenly combined.
3. In a medium pan over low heat melt butter. Remove from heat and whisk in peanut butter and salt, whisking until thoroughly combined. Pour over dry ingredients in mixing bowl.
4. Add egg whites and honey to mixing bowl with dry ingredients and peanut mixture. Toss well until combined. Pour into prepared pan. Press mixture firmly with the back of a large wooden spoon until it is tightly packed into the baking pan. Sprinkle with additional salt.
5. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Chill for at least 2 hours. Once bars have chilled, remove from pan and cut into bite size bars.

Nutritional information per bar: 

Calories: 172
Fat: 6 grams
Carbohydrates: 26 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Protein: 4 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 4

The post Weight Watchers Trail Mix Brownie Bars Recipe appeared first on The Realistic Nutritionist.

This is another first for me. And with the incredible smells wafting through my kitchen this morning, it’s certainly not going to be the last. Whenever I hear the word paella, I can’t help but laugh and think of George Constanza’s mother on Seinfeld. “What are we going to do with all this paella, GEOORGGE?” hahaha. It’s really the little things in life.

This stuff is really as spicy as it looks, too. The soyrizo (aka, vegetarian chorizo) is spicy as heck on its own, then you add in crushed red pepper and chili powder and well…then you’re just kinda stupid. But not stupid in your mouth will burn off and you’ll need an icepack to the tongue, stupid in you might sweat a little while you eat it. The spice is perfectly offset by the rice and quinoa mixture I decided to throw in.

I’ll be honest, the soyrizo freaked me out a bit. It was jiggly and squishy like tofu but smelled like spicy sausage. Which I totally get is the point. You can very visibly tell it’s not real chorizo, but it tastes just like it. If you love chorizo because you love the hearty texture of sausage (which she does, ha!), you’re not going to love this. However, if you just love the flavor of the sausage and couldn’t care less about texture, you’ll love it.

I actually just ate some of this for breakfast since I made it at 7:30 am. At least it’s not hot soup, I’m making some progress.

Spicy vegetarian paella

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!

Serves about 6.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: About 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces of soyrizo
• 1 cup quinoa
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 1/2 large bell pepper
• 3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• Liberal dashes of salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• Cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large pan (or wok) over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and pepper, cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Crumble in soyrizo and heat about 2 minutes.
2. Add in broth, quinoa, rice, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and chili powder. Bring mixture to a boil. Stir it up a bit then cover. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice and quinoa is soft, stirring every 3 – 5 minutes.
3. Serve warm with cilantro  and a dash of salt and pepper.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories: 238.5
Fat: 7.3 grams
Carbohydrates: 34 grams
Fiber: 6.5 grams
Protein: 10.5 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 6

The post Spicy Vegetarian Paella Recipe appeared first on The Realistic Nutritionist.

Want to hear something absurd? I made this in late MAY. When it was 106 degrees outside. And I slurped it all up with a big, weird, demented smile on my face while I sat in pools of sweat. I completely think I have just gone stark mad and you should send me off to the loony bin.

The reason behind hot soup in hot-as-balls weather was simple. I had to make a batch of homemade vegetable broth/stock for work. And it just so happened that on that day (also in the high 90′s) I had an insane craving for Pho. Since E, who is SANE, refused to go sit and eat hot soup in the dead of summer, I decided to make my own with the fresh batch o’ broth I just made.

Vegetable broth should really just be called “compost liquid” since it’s made with vegetable scraps. Blech. But, it tastes good and makes this pho flippin’ awesome. Awesome enough that I may have eaten 3 LARGE bowls of it that night.

Just thinking about this subtle, yet spicy, warm bowl of soup is making my mouth water. I think it would be absurd of me NOT to make it today, right? Yes. I think you’re right. Oh and without realizing it, I’ve dubbed this week vegetarian week. So if you’re a meat lovin’ carnivore, come back next week. (Or just dream of meat while you read this).

For the AMAZING vegetarian pho recipe, CLICK HERE!

Nutritional information per 1 cup soup: 

Calories:165.5
Fat: 3.5 grams
Fiber: 2.5 grams
Carbohydrates: 27.8
Protein: 2.5 grams
Weight Watchers:  4

The post Vegetarian Pho Recipe appeared first on The Realistic Nutritionist.

I could eat this stuff everyday for the rest of my life with absolutely no shame. The beautiful bowl of chunky sauce and soft, delicate noodles may look like the stuff your mamma made you, but, unless she was vegetarian of course, it probably isn’t. Remember how I gushed about this amazing vegetarian sausage I found at the store? Well, it makes yet another appearance on this blog. Except this time it is not wrapped in lettuce, it’s covered in homemade chunky marinara (minus the meat, of course).

This dish just makes me feel good. I’m not worrying about calories or fat grams when I’m eating it. And I’m certainly not racking my brain for ways to make this trendy enough to be on a food blog. No no. When I make this? I just eat it. With a simple glass of wine. No TV. No phone. It sort of transports me back to those days not so long ago when I was just a kid sitting at her family’s dinner table.

Sometimes, a girl just needs that. A simple, healthy and filling dish that reminds her of times when shit wasn’t so complicated, so ridiculous, so exhausting. When the only concern was just how many scoops of ice cream she could have for dessert and whether or not she should bike around the block twice or just once. If you need a break from the computer, your phone and life, make this. Sit at your table in silence and savor every spicy, thick and incredibly flavorful forkful and enjoy that moment. Because really, you never know when you’ll have that again.

Want the recipe? Of course you do, it’s Monday. CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE! Just add your favorite pasta!

Nutritional information per serving (4 ounces pasta & 1/2 cup sauce):

Calories: 224
Fat: 6.5 grams
Carbohydrates: 28.5 grams
Fiber: 3.4 grams
Protein: 11.6 grams
Weight Watchers Points:  6

The post Spaghetti with Vegetarian Meat Sauce Recipe appeared first on The Realistic Nutritionist.

I’ll be honest, the original recipe left much to be desired. It was kinda boring. Potatoes, cheese, onions. Blah. You can get that anywhere. So I decided to completely re-do the entire recipe and just make what I wanted.

This incredible breakfast scramble is out of this world delicious. It was inspired by this roasted butternut squash pasta, which is one of my fall staples. Guys, it’s hard to find a better pairing than bacon, goat cheese and butternut squash.

I love this dish because it’s simple. No fancy junk, just real simple and healthy food. I’ve been gorging on carbs lately so this lower carb bake is perfect for a girl trying to watch her figure. Or, you know, just finally lose this last WRETCHED 15 pounds. Dear pounds, JUST GO AWAY.

I know, I probably won’t lose it eating bacon and goat cheese, but despite my grilled cheese last week, I’ve been really limiting the amount of cheese I eat. Plus, I used low-sodium pork bacon. You can certainly omit the pork for turkey. I just used what I had on hand. Whatever bacon or meat you use, this breakfast scramble is the perfect way to start your day since it’s filled with protein and fiber.

Oh and it’s effing amazing. You could probably double the recipe and eat it for lunch too. Trust me, once you take a bite, you’ll probably do that anyway.

Light breakfast scramble recipe

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!

Serves 2.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: About 6-9 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 yellow or red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 pieces of low-sodium bacon
• 1 1/2 cups cooked diced butternut squash (I roasted mine using THIS RECIPE)
• Liberal dashes of salt and peppre
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 1/2 ounces soft goat cheese

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crispy. Remove from heat and place on a paper towel to absorb grease.
2. In another medium pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and cook until fragrant and soft, about 2 minutes. Add pepper and cook another 3 -4 minutes. Add salt, pepper and oregano. Add in cooked squash and heat about 2 minutes longer, stirring well so the squash absorbs the seasoning and butter. Remove from heat. Season with additional salt or pepper to taste.
3. Pour vegetable mixture into 2 bowls. Sprinkle each with 1 slice of bacon and 3/4 ounce of goat cheese. Garnish with additional oregano and enjoy!

Nutritional information per serving (about 3/4 – 5/8 a cup)

Calories: 191
Fat: 9 grams
Carbohydrates: 22 grams
Fiber: 3 grams
Protein: 9.5 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 5

Check out these other Skinny Bitches!

Stephanie: Eat, Drink, Love
Jennifer: PB & Peppers
Michelle: The Healthy Bites

The post Skinny Bitch Tuesdays: Light Breakfast Scramble Recipe appeared first on The Realistic Nutritionist.

I’m such a sucker for sweet and spicy, as you can tell by today’s d’jour, a light peach & jalapeño ice cream recipe.

I don’t have a clue why I’m so into this flavor combo either. When in doubt, I’m always adding a kick of spice to my sweets and and a little sweet to my spice. To me, there just isn’t a better flavor combination than the two combined.

It sounds so weird, trust me, I know. Jalapeños, with peaches, in a frozen dessert? However, if you think about it, these two ingredients have paired and tangoed once before on this blog. Remember this spicy peach jam? Remember how I ate it with a spoon? Oh. I didn’t admit that before. *holds head in shame.

Peaches are the quintessential fruit of summer. As a down home Georgia girl (I lived there for 3 years, that counts) peaches will always have a special place in my heart. And you can’t have summertime without ice cream, am I right?

Each creamy and rich spoonful is PACKED TO THE BRIM with incredible flavor. You get the creaminess from the light cream, the sweetness from the peaches and then the high kick to the mouth from the jalapeño. With each delicious bite (or slurp?) you are getting a whole new depth of taste and texture. Plus, for added sweetness, a drizzle of honey is a REALLY good idea.

Golly gee guys, I just FREAKING LOVE this ice cream. And you know who else would love it? Alton Brown, aka my hero, aka whose team I will be on the next go around of Food Network Star. Hey, a girl can dream . Oh and this stuff melts LIGHTNING fast. Esp. when you have the door open to take photos because that’s your only source of lighting in a 1955 home with crappy windows.

Light Peach Jalapeño Ice Cream

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE.

Yields about 4 cups. (8 1/2 one-half cup servings)
Prep time: 10 minutes
Chill time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 pound peaches
• 1/3 – 1/2 large jalapeño, sliced
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 1/3 cup light cream
• 2/3 cup 1% milk
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• Dash of salt

Directions: 

1. Slice peaches into thin slices. Put about 2/3 of them into a food processor with the jalepeños, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1/3 cup sugar. Puree until smooth. Add additional jalepeño if not spicy enough. Mix puree with light cream and milk, stir with a whisk to combine. Cover with saran wrap and let chill at least an hour.
2. In another bowl, mash the remaining peaches and sugar with a pastry cutter or fork. Add in lemon juice and a dash of salt to taste. Add additional sugar for sweetness. Cover with saran wrap and chill for about 15- 30 minutes.
3. Once cream mixture and peach mixture have chilled, mix together and stir well with a whisk. Pour entire mixture into the frozen canister of an ice-cream maker and turn on, letting it churn for at least 20 minutes, or until thick and creamy. Serve immediately or freeze for later consumption.

Nutritional information per 1/2 cup: 

Calories: 146
Fat:  6 grams
Carbohydrates: 18.5 grams
Fiber: 0.2 grams
Protein: 1.1 grams
Weight Watchers Points:  4 

The post Light Peach & Jalapeño Ice Cream Recipe appeared first on The Realistic Nutritionist.

This dish is almost perfect. The only negative thing? I grabbed the wrong lettuce, doi. Instead of Romaine hearts, which i’d prefer, I accidentally grabbed…gasp…iceberg! Even though the lettuce wasn’t my choice, the crisp crunch of it was the perfect complement to the softer texture of the filling.

So, you’re probably wondering what that meat looking stuff inside the lettuce is. Fair question. The meat impersonator is actually an amazing vegetable based sausage I picked up!

Made with 100% vegetable protein, this stuff is legit. I’m always a little skeptical with these items because they are sometimes a big flop (and taste like dirt and/or weird flower stems). This? Tasted just like sausage. You know you aren’t eating sausage, but the hearty, spicy flavor you get from the meat sausage is there.

Paired with some onions, garlic and peppers and you have a very hearty vegetarian dinner. I’m seriously obsessed with this recipe. This is one I’m going to make probably once a week for the rest of my life.

The delicious looking drizzle adorning the wraps is a bourbon marinade I had in my fridge.Nothin’ fancy. You could top these with anything and they’d still be amazing. You could eat them by themselves too! Or in a car, by a  bar, or with a cat, wearing a hat!

I need more coffee.

Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps Recipe

CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!

Serves about 3 (2 lettuce wraps each).
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 7 ounces veggie sausage
• I medium red pepper, chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup chopped mushrooms
• 3 tablespoons crushed red pepper
• Liberal dashes of salt and pepper
• Lettuce leaves
• Your favorite sauce for garnish

Directions: 

1. Heat olive oil in a 3 quart pan over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until just softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, another 2 minutes. Add pepper and mushrooms and cook about 2 minutes, or until just beginning to soften.
2. Add veggie sausage and break up using a spatula until crumbly. Cook about 3 – 4 more minutes, or until sausage is hot and vegetables are soft. Mix in red pepper. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
3. Scoop about 2 heaping spoonfuls of the filling into your lettuce leaf. Drizzle with your favorite sauce and wrap the leaf around the filling like an egg-roll. Then enjoy!

Nutritional information per serving (2 lettuce leaves w/ filling): 

Calories: 157 
Fat: 4.6 grams
Carbohydrates: 17.2 grams
Fiber: 3.4 grams
Protein: 9.6 grams
Weight Watchers Points:  4

The post Vegetarian Lettuce Wraps Recipe appeared first on The Realistic Nutritionist.