2 ingredient dinner: Chicken sausage Roll ups

Okay, so I titled these chicken sausage rollups but let's be honest.  These are pigs in a blanket. Or pigs in a bag if you're my four year old.  I'm taking the most simplistic childhood lunch and turning it into a mature version that's suitable for dinner.  Yet still suitable to eat with your hands!

This TWO ingredient meal is an irresistible combination of flaky golden brown biscuit around a sizzling, juicy chicken sausage. With little prep you can feed a crowd in less than 20 minutes!

And use this meal as a reminder--heathier choices are not complicated.  The easiest swaps can offer a more nutritious and flavorful meal.

Chicken sausages are a frequent in my fridge. Whether they are cooked by microwave, grill, pan fry or chop into casseroles, they always hit the spot. And don't forget, they are already cooked.  So all you have to do is warm them and you've got a quick protein.  Each link typically has about 14 grams of protein.  A single hot dog usually only has about 5 grams.

Mix and match varieties of chicken sausage

And while we're comparing the two, the chicken sausage is less fat and less saturated fat than a hot dog. Plus, they're a often larger quantity of meat which is more filling. I have used smaller sausages (great for kids or breakfast) as pictured above. Just know that the size and amount of protein is less than the traditional chicken sausage. 

You can find chicken sausage at any store under so many brands.  I buy them at Trader Joes, Aldi or next to the hot dogs at the grocery store under brands like Johnsonville, al fresco, aidells, etc. My favorite flavors to roll up are the Chipotle Monterey Jack (Johnsonville) or a basic sweet apple flavored (available in most brands). But get creative. Imagine an Italian variety rolled up and dipped into a little marinara!  Yum!

So it's that simple. Serve with a side salad and you've got a brief and balanced meal.

Enjoy!

Brit

Chicken Sausage Roll Ups

Ingredients:

8 count roll of crescent rolls

2- 4 pack of chicken sausage 

Olive oil spray 

Favorite seasoning, optional 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line pan with foil and lightly spray to prevent sticking.  

2. Open crescent rolls and unroll them onto baking pan

3. Roll each sausage up in the crescent starting at the wide end. Repeat.

4. Lightly spray top of roll up with olive oil and sprinkle with favorite seasoning. Bake for approximately 15 minutes

Notes

• These reheat well-- zap in microwave for 15-30 seconds or reheat in oven 

Read More

Nothing Bundt Pancakes

Hello!  It seems like forever since I sat down to type at my computer. I took a break last week from devices and it was so needed. As with all aspects of our life, it's important to take breaks. Change the pace.  I feel like these times offer moments of clarity and narrow down priorities. But even more, breaks allow space to daydream, reset and come back refreshed. So here I am, grateful for the time away but also grateful to come back to this "me" time. It feels great to sit down and invest in something I enjoy doing. 

And I've got a great recipe today!!  Breakfast Bundt Pancakes!   These mini cakes are mixed up with your favorite pancake mix and topped with your favorite toppings. Quick, healthful, and beyond delicious. Perfect portions for grab and go breakfast, little hands or... 

Perfect for anyone whose kid won't eat anything but pancakes for breakfast. 

Sound familiar to anyone else? My son has been a pancake fanatic since around 2 years of age. "Pay pays" he says when I give him the choice between cereal, oatmeal, or toast. So I've always been on the hunt for a healthier way to enjoy pancakes.  And yet he knows when I add oatmeal, color them green with spinach, or swap in bananas. Smart kid, right?

Last spring I was decluttering my kitchen cabinets and came across a mini bundt cupcake pan.  I've had it forever with hardly any use. I started brainstorming about how I could use it. The potential for this pan seemed much greater than just a pretty way to serve cake. 

Well, the pan made it's debut on Easter when my son and I made mini lemon cake "nests" with colorful jelly beans "eggs." 

Mini bundt cake as nest with candy eggs, Easter 2020

And that's when it hit me. Mini bundt cakes are meant to hold things...like a nest!  So thinking back to my morning pancake problem, I knew I could knock out two birds with one stone: make a more healthful pancake and create morning variety. 

The whole family now gobbles up these breakfast bundt cakes. I mix up at batch at the beginning of the week using our favorite pancake mix (my son hasn't caught on to the extra protein). The center makes an ideal resting spot for sausage, egg, fruit or yogurt. 

Talk about easy mornings. I reach in the fridge, reheat for about 15 seconds and customize upon serving. These cakes have even replaced those store bought frozen pancakes. I feel confident we've added way more nutrition and variety to each day. And yes, I still offer syrup as a topping on occasion.

You can use any pancake mix.  Typically we buy this protein variety from Aldi. Another great option is Krusteaz protein pancake mix.  If you're looking for extra whole grains and don't mind spending a bit more, I highly recommend Kodiak Cakes. Such fun flavors too!

Protein pancake mix available at Aldi USA grocery

I double the box recipe for 12 mini bundt cakes.  I  also mix in half water and half milk.  I've found this makes the batter a bit creamier. Also adds a few more grams of protein.  Sprinkle in cinnamon for some hints of warm, subtle sweetness.  

Simply pour the batter into the pan, filling each cake cup about 3/4 full.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Store leftovers in airtight container for easy breakfasts all week long. 

Be sure to spray pan well around center and sides of cake cup

I don't track numbers but keep a general knowledge of my nutrition. Especially sugar to protein ratio. So for the way I mix this recipe, each mini bundt cake has approximately 78 cal, 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of sugar.  Obviously, that varies slightly with what mix you use, how you mix it and what you serve as toppings.   

But I call this a win. And this makes a great snack option too. 

Make a batch and you'll see why we eat nothing bundt pancakes around here!

Let me know if you try this recipe. Enjoy!

Xo,

Brit

Nothing Bundt Pancakes

Ingredients:

Preferred pancake mix, prepared

Cinnamon

Sausage links, fresh berries, or yogurt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray mini bundt pan with non-stick spray

2. Sprinkle in cinnamon into your prepared pancake batter 

3. Evenly distribute the batter into the mini bundt pan, filling 3/4 way full, and bake for 15 minutes.

4. Run a butter knife around the outside edge of bundt pan and turn over to remove pancakes.

5. Serve warm with desired toppings and/or syrup. 

Notes

• you could also mix toppings into batter. Small mixins like nuts, sprinkles, choc chips work best for this. 

Read More

Pork KaBOBBYs

Kabobs on the grill are fantastic. I do the prep and the husband cooks. Little does he know, he actually has the more time consuming part of this meal! Named after my little sous chef, I'm here to show you the quickest way to a flavorful, healthy, colorful dinner--KaBobbys.

We've been buying this Smithfield Fresh Pork Loin for awhile. It's one of those staple items I've found from Walmart Grocery and it's our favorite. It's a wonderful fresh, thick cut that is high quality and so, so flavorful. And this cut is just under two pounds but I get a couple meals out of it, making it extremely budget friendly.  In fact for this recipe, I cut the pork loin in half and froze the other section so that we can have dinner later on.  

The great thing about this pork loin is it's already marinated. So once I cut up my veggies, all I have to do is assemble the kabobs.  You can buy the pork unflavored and do your own marinade. But ya know, I love making easy EASIER! 

So here I used the Roasted Garlic and Herb Smithfield Fresh Boneless Pork Loin with yellow and red bell pepper, red onion and canned pineapple.  Such a desirable combination of juicy pork, crispy vegetables and sweet pineapple.  Obviously, you could use fresh pineapple for elevated flavor.  But since I don't necessarily have one sitting around on a given day, canned it is. You could also use any vegetables you have on hand-- tomatoes, squash, mushrooms, etc. 

Assembling these kabobs could not be more fun for my son and I to do together. I typically prep the ingredients during nap time. I cut the meat and veggies up in about 1 1/2 inch pieces. I open and drain the pineapple.  Then, once my son wakes, we stick it all on our metal skewers. I do most of the sticking, of course.  But he tells me what order for the colors and hands me the pieces. He also "taste tests" the peppers and pineapple to make sure I'm using only the finest ingredients.  

Dad then fires up the grill, cooks for about 15-20 minutes and a colorful, delicious meal is ready.  We love to dip in a bbq sauce (homemade or store bought).  I typically serve with brown rice (instant or Trader Joe's frozen and microwave ready in three minutes ).  

What I love most about this dinner is how it appeals to us adults but also easily serves the kids. I'll slide everything off the stick and slice/chop into smaller pieces as needed. The pork is easy to "shred" with a fork and knife for my toddler. 

Side note--these double skewers are a must have. They're stainless steel so no prep needed (wooden kabob skewers typically need to be soaked for 15 minutes prior to using) and they are dishwasher safe.  Love the double feature because you can assemble how you like.  They're from Crate and Barrel years ago (wedding registry item) but I'm sure they have a similar item. 

We always have some leftovers which I combine in a container or two for lunches. A scoop of rice, meat and colorful veggies, and sweet pineapple. What a fun way to meal prep too!

I'll keep you posted about how I prepare that other half of pork that I froze. Typically, I'll crock pot that portion and shred into sandwiches or tacos. But it's also wonderful to top with Pineapple Salsa.  

Pick up a pre-marinated pork loin on your next grocery haul. Snap a picture and tag me, @briefandbalanced. I'd love to see how you cook up your KaBobbys! 

xo, Brit

Pork KaBobbys

Ingredients:

2 large bell peppers

1/2 red onion

1 cup of pineapple chunks

1 pound of Smithfield seasoned Pork Loin 

Instructions:

1. Cut up pork, peppers and onion into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Drain canned pineapple 

2. Thread pork, bell pepper, onion and pineapple onto skewers

3. Place assembled kabobs onto heated grill at roughly 400 degrees

4. Cook kabobs for about 15 minutes, rotating every few minutes. 

Notes:

• Spray grill with nonstick spray to ease cooking
• This recipe uses half of pork loin (comes as 2 lb) but you can use more or less depending on preference

Read More

Chocolate Muffins

Wow, you guys!! Can we talk about the weather this week?! Waking up to those crisp, cool mornings was intoxicating. I was so motivated to be productive-- as long as it meant windows open, sweatshirt on and coffee brewing. And nothing pairs better with that coffee than a warm chocolate muffin. This recipe is the easiest, yummiest way to get your chocolate fix. Tastes like a cake but offers far more nutrition. Regardless the weather, these always hit the spot!

I'm thrilled to feature this popular chocolate + pumpkin recipe on my blog because to me, it's the epitome of brief and balanced. Two ingredients (fast) and where healthy meets chocolate (balanced). This recipe reinforced my passion for ingredient swaps and simple baking in 2011. It certainly deserves a spot on this blog. 

And while chocolate is my love, the star here is the pumpkin. Do you know how amazing this fruit is?  It's considered a nutrient dense food meaning in each serving, you get the biggest bang for your buck. Low calorie, jam packed with vitamins, nutrients and disease reducing benefits. You can also call it an immunity booster thanks to the Vitamin A, C and iron and folate.

PSA: Stop making this superfood seasonal--Eat it often!!

And making this my own, I have added just one more punch of nutrition. Oatmeal!  Like our friend pumpkin, it blends in easily and offers so much beneficial nutrition.

The cool thing about adding the oatmeal (and water) into the mix is that the recipe yields more than the typical 12 regular sized muffins. Per directions, this makes 18 muffins. Why is this important?  Well, you're now eating less cake mix per serving.  Each muffin has approximately half the sugar of the serving suggestion on the label.  And don't forget we added protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, etc. Kinda cool, huh?  This dessert is starting to sound more like a well balanced snack!

I know I say all my recipes are easy but this one is SUPER easy. Simply stir dry cake mix with canned pumpkin until well combined.  Pour in the water and dry oats.  Once mixed, spoon into the muffin tin and bake.  When cool to touch, you'll need to hide the muffins-- they will disappear! My husband will DEVOUR these gone. 

And here's a tip-- when combining the cake mix and pumpkin, I like to do in a specific order. First, add pumpkin (wet ingredient). Then add cake mix (dry ingredient) but in small amounts, stirring as you go. Otherwise, this combination is thick and can take some real muscle to get blended. Then add water and oats. I suppose if you're using a mixer, you can dump everything in and have a go.  But I still prefer to do this by hand. 

Such a simple recipe.  So many memories.  Chocolate + pumpkin, you have my heart! And now a space on this blog.  Enjoy!

xo, Brit

Chocolate Muffins

Ingredients

1 box chocolate cake mix

1 can (15 oz) canned pumpkin (NOT pumpkin pie mix)

1 cup of oatmeal

2/3 cup of water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease muffin tin or line with cupcake liners

2. Mix pumpkin, cake mix, water and oatmeal. Stir until well blended

3. Fill each muffin cup halfway full

4. Bake for 15-20 minutes

Notes

• If you love oatmeal, you can definitely add more. Or sprinkle some on top.
• Any flavor of cake mix can be used
• Looking for even less sugar? Make into mini muffins for a bite size chocolate fix

Read More