Tortilla Soup

I took about 5 different recipes and made this tortilla soup that turned into quite a winner!



Tortilla Soup



Ingredients:

I red bell pepper, spilt and seeded

1 cup of frozen corn

2 large chicken breasts, diced (about a pound)

1 tsp poultry seasoning

1 tsp cumin

salt and pepper

1 small zuchinni, diced
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced or grated
1 chipotle in adobo (2 if you like it REALLY hot), chopped with 1T of sauce
2 (14 oz) cans of stewed tomatoes
1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce
3 cups of low sodium chicken stock

Garnish options:
Tortilla chips, broken into large pieces
1/2 cup cheddar or pepper jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup low fat sour cream (or better yet- plain yogurt)
Chopped red onion
Chopped cilantro
Diced Avocado

Directions:
Place red pepper cut side down on cookie sheet, with frozen corn. Broil until corn is lightly charred and red pepper skin is black (8 minutes or so). Place red pepper in glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap for 5 minutes. Remove charred skin and dice red pepper.

While veggies are cooking, heat 1T oil in large soup pot over hight heat. Add chicken, poultry season, cumin, salt and pepper. When chicken starts to brown, add zuchinni, onion,s garlic and chipotle peppers. Cook vegetables until onion is soft. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce and stock. Bring to a bubble and reduce heat to medium low.

Stir in corn and red pepper, and heat until warmed through.

Ladle into bowls and top with desired garnishes.

Apple-Cheddar-Squash Soup

I saw this recipe on the Food Network facebook page one day, and thought it sounded SO good. But, when I saw there were 34g of fat per serving, I freaked! That's a whole days' worth of fat in one little bowl of soup!  I will post the recipe as published by the Food Network with notes as to what I did differently.

Ingredients:
5 Tbls unsalted butter (I used 1T of butter and 1T grapeseed oil)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 medium apples, thinkly sliced
1 large white potato, diced
1 1/2 cup chopped peeled butternut squash, fresh or frozen (I used frozen pureed squash, it was fine)
Kosher salt & Freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp dried sage
2T all purpose flour
1/3 cup apple cider
4 cups low sodium chicken broth (I use Stock)
1cup milk (I used skim)
2 oz thinly sliced prosciutto torn into pieces (I used 1 oz)
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese (I used one cup, and a little for garnish)
Chopped chives, for garnish
Crusty Bread

Directions:
Melt 4 Tablespoons (I used the butter/oil combo) of butter in large pot over medium-low heat and add the onion, apples, potato and squash. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onion is soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the sage and flour. Add the cider and cook over high heat, stirring, until thickened. Add the broth and milk, cover and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the potatoe is soft, 8 to 10 minutes.  (If you are using the box of frozen pureed squash, I suggest adding it after the onions are soft, and before the sage and flour)

Meanwhile, heat the remaing 1T butter in aa large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the proscuitto and cook until crisp, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes, drain on paper towels. [ok, while there isn't a ton of fat in prosciutto, I always cook bacon like meats on a broiler pan in my toaster oven. No need to add extra fat]

Add cheese to the soup and stir over medium -low heat until melted (DO NOT BOIL). Puree in a blender in batches until smooth; season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the prosciutto, more cheese and chives. Serve with bread.

Apple-Cheddar-Squash soup, with Sixx, my feline "helper".

Here's my healthy tips! You don't need 4 tablespoons of butter to saute a few veggies. Be smart! There are a lot of veggies here, but halving the butter/oil cuts out 20+ grams of fat! (about 11 per tablespoon).  Cheese is another kicker! Lots of fat there! I wasn't sure it would be good with half of the cheese, but it was! And those were the two big changes I made that dropped the fat from 34g to about 12!! Without losing taste!

Winter Salad

 This salad has been around for a while. I've changed up the dressing to be slightly healthier. It is a crowd pleaser, and the perfect dish to lighten up those heavy holiday meals!!


Winter Salad



Ingredients:

2 heads of Romaine lettuce, torn

1 cup of shredded swiss cheese

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup cashews



1 apple, cubed

1 pear, cubed

Toss together in a large bowl, adding cashews just before serving.

Dressing:

1/4 c sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp dijon mustard
1 Tbls grated onion (or 1/2 tbls of onion flakes)- optional
1 Tbls poppy seed
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about one lemon)
Mix well then add
1/2 cup canola or Grapeseed oil

Add dressing just before serving.

Tip:To make ahead, chop up the pear and apple, and toss them in the dressing to keep from turning brown. Then toss all together just before serving.

Cinnamon Sugar Bread

While this bread isn't super healthy, it takes like a cinnamon roll without all the extra butter and sugar on top! I brought it today for my potluck at work, and it disappeared before I thought to take a photo, but rest assured- it looks like any loaf of bread from your bread maker!


Cinnamon Sugar Bread



Ingredients:

1 cup of milk (I used almond milk)

1 egg

1/4 cup of butter or margarine, softened

3 cups of bread flour (sub up to half with whole wheat flour)

1/2 c sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp yeast

1. Place ingredients in bread maker per manufactures instructions

2. Use sweet bread setting (or white bread setting)

3. When bread cycle is complete, let sit for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.

Serve with honey butter (mix butter, honey and a dash of cinnamon to taste).

Family Favorites: 2 for $50!

Looking for a unique Holiday gift? Offer this package deal to your friends and family, or order it for yourself to ease your Holiday stress! For just $50 you can choose 2 of the following entrees (baked in 8x8 pans, feeds 4-6), one prepared fresh and hot to your table, including a green garden salad with my  homemade signature dressing, and another entree prepared to freeze for another day (baking instructions included).

These family favorites are made healthier with lean meats, lots of vegetables, and low-fat sauces. Entrees may be customized to fit your family’s needs.

Shepherd’s Pie:                Ground beef * with mixed vegetables, topped with mashed potatoes.

Veggie Mac-n-cheese:
                Roasted Broccoli and Squash, mixed with whole grain shells, in a creamy cheese sauce.

Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole:
                Baked Chicken, wild rice, kale and squash in a creamy mushroom sauce.

Taco Bake:
                Ground Beef*, onion, tomatoes and  our own taco seasoning baked into corn bread, topped with cheese! Make it vegetarian by choosing black beans instead of meat.

Chicken Parmesan:
                Whole wheat pasta smothered in red sauce and topped with panko crusted chicken breasts and Parmesan cheese.

Tater Tot Hotdish:
                A pan full of veggies and ground beef* in a homemade cream sauce, topped with tater tots.

Spaghetti Primavera:
                Whole wheat spaghetti, mixed with red pepper, carrots, onions, and spinach, topped with either a garlic cream sauce or a hearty red sauce.

*Ground Turkey can be substituted, or the dish can be made meatless.

**All meals will be prepared in your kitchen.

Contact me to reserve your meals today!

1 pan- 5 ingredient Turkey Dinner

Are you looking for a substitute to the Traditional turkey dinner?! Or maybe a fun way to use up some leftover turkey? This recipe gives you nice Fall/Thanksgiving flavors without the hassle. Plus it's a small portion- about 2 servings.

What you need!
2 turkey tenderloins (raw) OR about 2 cups of chunked leftover turkey (cooked)
1 granny smith or other green apple cut into bite size pieces
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/4 yellow onion, finely sliced.
3/4 cup white wine, cider, or stock
salt/pepper/poultry seasoning
Flour

If you are starting with raw meat. Season the Turkey with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning, and dredge in flour.  Heat oil in large skillet. Brown turkey on both sides and remove from the pan.

(If you are using leftover meat, start here). Heat oil in skillet. Add apples and onion and cook until apples are slightly browned and onions are tender. Add cranberries, and liquid (wine, stock,cider) and bring to a simmer, scrapping any browned bits from the bottom. Slide the turkey back in and simmer until liquid reduces by half and meat is cooked/heated through.

Serve with traditional Thanksgiving favorites like mashed potatoes and green beans. Or, try serving over arugula for a great salad like twist!

Spaghetti Squash Cakes

My new favorite TV show is The Chew, on ABC. It's a lot of work keeping up with a daily TV show, but I enjoy a good food- related challenge! :)  This is a tweaked (read: healthier) version of  Michael Symon's Spaghetti Squash Fritters, I just can't deep fry! I followed his recipe, except I made "cakes" and pan fried them instead of dropping them in oil. Probably not as much fun to eat, but equally tasty.  I also cut back the blue cheese, it was a little too over-powering for me.

Ingredients:
1 Medium Spaghetti Squash (cooked and shredded)
1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh sage plus whole leaves for garnish
2 garlic cloves minces or grated
2 oz blue cheese crumbles
3T all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp Nutmeg
1 scallion (greens and whites) thinly sliced on the bias
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
zest of one orange, reserving 1 tsp (optional- I skipped this),
1 large egg
Canola oil

To prepare the squash, cut it in half and remove the seeds. Roast cut side up in a large glass pan or baking sheet for 45 minutes at 400 degrees. Let cool before shredding with a fork. Then, place squash in a dish towel and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.

Mix all the ingredients (except the oil,whole sage leaves and reserved orange zest) in a medium bowl.

Using scant 1/4c portions, form squash mix into patties.

Heat small amounts of oil (1T or less) in a large pan and cook patties until outside is crispy and brown (about 5 minutes per side). Cook in batches. Fry sage leaves, carefully, as they will pop!

Place cooked patties on a plate and garnish with salt, fried Sage leaves and reserved zest!


Spaghetti Squash Cakes




Old Fashioned Chicken and Dumplings



Chicken & Dumplings

As Fall starts moving in, I'm craving comfort food. This dish was the perfect healthy way to solve the problem! I borrowed a recipe from Eating Well, and turned it into my own.

1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces

2T all-purpose flour

1T canola oil

1/2 c chopped carrots

1/2 c chopped celery

1/2 c sliced mushrooms

1/2 large onion, finely diced

1/2T poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup water
1 cup frozen peas (green beans also work, or any veggie mix you like)

Dumplings
1/2 c whole-wheat bread flour
1/4 c all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp baking soda
dash of salt
1/2 c milk

1. Toss chicken with flour in a medium bowl until coated. Heat oil in a large pot over med-high heat. Reserving the leftover flour, add the chicken to the pot, stirring occassionally, until chicken in lightly browned. About 5 minutes.  Transfer chicken to clean plate.

2. Reduce heat to medium, add a little more oil if neccessary. Stir in carrots, celery, mushrooms,onion, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper.  Cook about 8-10 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Sprinkle reserved flour over the veggies, and stir-in. Add broth, water, peas, and reserved chicken. Brin

g to a simmer, stirring often.

3. While veggies are cooking, prepare the dumplings, by mixing all of the ingredients in a small bowl.

4. Drop the dough in Tablespoon sizes into the simmering broth. DO NOT STIR THE BROTH.  Let simmer about 15 minutes until the dumplings are puffed. When dumplings are cooked it is safe to stir the stew!

Serve in bowls, with spoons, and enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Latte

I've been so busy lately, that I haven't been posting much ( I've been cooking, teaching, and coaching a ton!)... but this pumpkin spice latte inspired me! What a great start to my first down day in quite some time. You may see many posts with todays date! While this isn't crazy healthy, I can guarantee it's lower cal than anything at your coffee shop!

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Ingredients:

2 cups milk
1 cup strong brewed coffee (I doubled the normal amount of grounds)

1/4c Pumpkin Pie filling*

1T vanilla

1T sugar

Cinnamon sticks for fun!

Over a medium-low heat, warm the milk (I added a cinnamon stick). When milk is warm (NOT BOILING), whisk in the Pie filling, vanilla, sugar and coffee. Let it melt together for about 5 minutes, and serve!

This makes  2-3 cups. I'm excited to see what it tastes like reheated tomorrow.

* I used pumpkin pie filling because it was leftover from another recipe. You could use plain pumpkin, and 2 teaspoons of pumpkin spice, and an extra tablespoon of sugar and vanilla. Play around with it, but I think that would be about right.

October Dinner Special: Apple Stuffed Chicken.

Dandy Life's new In-Home Cooking Service is called Healthy Plates (of course, named after this blog). Each month I will offer a home-cooked meal in your kitchen for a special low price. These monthly specials will feature seasonal favorites, and be served family style, or packaged for reheating later.

Currently these recipes are only available, when you order the dinner!

This months special features Apple stuffed chicken with apricot sauce, roasted sweet potatoes and green beans. A dinner for 4 is $30.  See the Dandy Life website for details!

October Special

Roasted Broccoli Salad

I love roasting vegetables, and I think it might be my favorite part of the Fall-- when you can finally turn the oven back on without heating up the whole house. Broccoli gets a great nutty flavor when you roast it, and paired with the walnuts- fantastic!



Broccoli Walnut Salad



Ingredients:

1 cup fresh chopped broccoli

2 Tablespoons chopped Walnuts

1 grated garlic clove

1 Tablespoon Olive oil- plus more to drizzle

1/2 cup dry whole grain pasta shells

1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 425. On a baking sheet combine broccoli, walnuts, and garlic. Pour 1T olive oil over the broccoli and mix well with your hands, spreading evenly on the tray. Roast veggie and nuts until the broccoli is brown on the edges, careful not to burn the nuts. About 20 minutes, stirring once along the way.

While broccoli is roasting, cook pasta per package instructions, drain and return to pot.

Add roasted veggie mix to pasta drizzle with olive oil, and mix together. Season with salt and pepper, and top with grated parmesan. Serve.

Makes one large side, or a small portion for lunch!

*eliminate the pasta, and go carb free!

Certified Personal Fitness Chef

Last week I passed my test to become a Certified Personal Fitness Chef! I cannot wait to officially add cooking to my nutrition coaching business!!

If you have ANY kind of food allergy or intolerance, I can help you come up with some great menu plans. If you need help in the kitchen, that's what a CPFC is for!

Want to impress your guests at your next dinner party? Hire me to come in and prepare a fabulous and healthy meal!

I'm still working on getting the Dandy Life website updated with the "cooking" aspect. But you can contact me there (or through this blog) if you need any information!

Creating healthier lives, one meal at a time!

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry

I took this straight from Rocco Dispirito's "Now Eat This". I love stirfry, and since I will never ever be able to make it taste as good as my dad's, I rely on recipes from the experts. It's nice to see this low-sodium version!


Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-fry


Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 medium Vidalia onion, thinly sliced
1 large bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal, 1 in pieces
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2/3 cup Rockin' Asian Stir Fry Sauce

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil.

1. Heat a large nonstick saute pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the sesame oil. Add the onion and asparagus, and stir-fry until the vegetables are almost tender, about 6 minutes.

2.Season the shrimp with salt and pepper to taste, and add them to the pan. Cook for a

about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the stirfry sauce. When the shrimp are cooked through and he sauce is hot (about 2 minutes), stir in the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if desired, and serve.

Personal note: I added a cup of chopped broccoli and served it over rice! Yum! Can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Rockin' Asian Stir Fry Sauce

I am a chinese food junkie. At some point in my life, I ate it so often that I decided to give it up for Lent! Since then, I have recovered from the addiction, and now just really love it. I am always looking for good recipes, but they all are high in fat or sodium. I recently bought "Now Eat This" by Rocco Dispirito and found this sauce recipe. I just made it, and it's so fantastic I had to share! It's about half the fat, calories and sodium of anything in my fridge! The only things I had to change in this recipe was using "low salt" instead of low sugar ketchup... it's what I had in the house! I also used low sodium chicken stock (not broth), since again, it's what I normally cook with.

Makes 1 3/4 cups (28~ 1 Tablepoon servings)

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 bunch scallions (whites and greens) chopped fine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 c low fat, low sodium chicken broth
3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 cup reduced-sugar ketchup
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat a large nonstick saute pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the seame oil. Add the ginger, garlic, and scallions, and sautee, stirring often, until very fragrant, about 2 minutes

2. Meanwhile, place the cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add the soy sauce, chicken broth, rice vinegar, and ketchup, and whisk to blend [side note: I personally recommend doing this step first-in order to keep an eye on the onions so they don't burn]

3. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the saute pan and bring the sauce to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if desired. [I added about 1/4 tsp of pepper, no salt]

4. Store the sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. [or package up 1/4c servings and pass them to your neighbors like I intend to do!]

 Personal note: If you are confused about the serving size, remember this sauce is made to FLAVOR your stirfry, not cook in it. Add it once your meat the veggies are cooked!

Vegetable Beef Soup

A good healthy vegetable beef soup can be made with your pantry staples (if you consider hamburger a pantry staple!). It's an easy, go to soup for me.

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 can of petite diced tomatoes

1 can of cannelini beans (drained and rinsed)*

1 box of low sodium beef stock

2 cups of chopped fresh or frozen veggies**

1 cup chopped fresh Spinach

Heat 1 Tbls of Olive Oil in a large stock pot over medium heat. Add ground beef and onion and cook until meat is browned. If you are using very lean ground beef, the extra fat will just be absorbed into the meat and onions. Add remaining ingredients (except Spinach) and bring to a simmer. Simmer until veggies are tender. Add Spinach, stirring into soup until it wilts. Serve!

* Draining and Rinsing canned beans eliminates nearly 40% of the sodium content. This can be done with any canned veggies you may use in your cooking as well.

**Use any combination of veggies you like; carrots, corn, peas, mushrooms, green beans, zucchini. Even small potato or sweet potato could be used.

The Coke Roast

I love using my crockpot, but it's a cool weather treat for me. So when the weather finally turned cooler a couple weeks ago, I couldn't wait to make the infamous Coke Roast. It's not the healthiest thing on the planet, but everything in moderation right? And, if you pair it with some healthy vegetables on the side- it's not too bad! Typically I serve it with mashed potatoes and a green veggie (pictured here with green beans).

Coke Roast with Garlic Mashed Reds and Green Beans

Ingredients:
1 3lb beef roast trimmed of fat
1 12oz can of Coke (I've never used Pepsi, but I suppose any cola would do)
1 packed of dry Lipton Onion Soup mix (or French Onion)
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup (if you want gravy, if not- leave this out)

Place all ingredients in the crockpot (no need to pre mix anything) and cook on low for 8 hours. Here's the thing with beef, as it cooks, it gets tender, then solid, then falls apart. That's when it's done. If it doesn't shred easily when you pick it up, it needs a little longer.

If you used the Mushroom soup, stir the liquids to made a sauce/gravy. Remember, a serving of protein is about the size of a deck of cards.

Freeze leftovers in the juices, reheats nicely in sauce pan.  Leftover roast makes great pulled beef sandwiches!

Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes

I love potatoes! I've learned to master the art of mashed potatoes through the years. So here's the skinny on creating a healthier mashed potato.  Remember this recipe makes 2 servings. Potatoes (like pasta) are meant to be a side dish, one serving is about 1/2 cup.

Garlic Mashed Red Potatoes

Scrub and quarter 5 medium size red potatoes (no need to peel if you clean them good- the skins have lots of nutrients), placing in a medium size kettle. Fill kettle with cold water, until water level is about an inch above the potatoes. Salt (or garlic salt) the water with up to 1/2 tsp. Add one peeled clove of garlic. Bring to a boil, and cook until the potatoes are fork tender. Drain the potatoes and garlic and return to the hot pot. Mash with fork or potato masher.

This is where you get to be creative. Mix,match and add from the following choices:

1 Tablespoon of fresh chopped Herbs (these are top choices)
Chives
Rosemary
Thyme

Choose 2 Tablespoons of liquid
Chicken Stock
Skim Milk
Buttermilk (made from skim milk)

Choose 1 Tablespoon of fat
Butter
Low fat Sour cream


Mix in with the mashed potatoes, season with a little salt and pepper, and serve!

Green Beans

Lately, I feel like I've been answering a lot of questions about green beans! Strange, I know! But it inspired me to create a little post on how to cook them!

Put simply, the less you cook a vegetable, the more nutrients it retains. Picking a green bean straight from your garden and immediately eating it, is the most nutritious way to go, while straight from the can is probably the least. 

Most likely- you've picked your green beans straight from the bulk bin at the grocery store. A small handful is one serving.

Start by rinsing them, then trim the ends. Easy enough?

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, salt the water (this helps the green beans turn bright green!)- no need to go crazy, you are not doing this for flavor- just for color, a couple of pinches will do. Then, blanche the beans.

2 minutes gives you a crisp raw flavor (most nutrients left intact!)
3 minutes gives you a little bite, while still tasting "cooked" (this is my preference)
4 minutes brings you soft tender beans (least nutritious)

Drain and serve.

(Subtract one minute if you are cooking in the microwave. Place beans in microwave safe dish, with a tablespoon of water, drain and serve)

Green Beans

Savor the flavor of the beans, by dressing them with just a few drops of fresh lemon juice. No salt or butter needed... give it a try!

Quinoa with Peas and Spinach

Quinoa is a power packed whole grain! With 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per serving, it's a meal in itself! However, it's pretty boring when it's plain, definitely cook it in stock (as opposed to water), and go crazy from there! I find I typically make it the same way I would make risotto, packed with veggies.

This is what I'm bringing in my brown bag lunch tomorrow (and what I had for lunch today!)

Ingredients:
1 cup Quinoa (rinsed and drained)
2 cups low/no sodium chicken stock (veggie stock would work here too)
1 large shallot, chopped (or 2 Tbls chopped onion)
1 garlic clove, minced or grated
1 tsp fresh Thyme (or 1/2 tsp if using dried)
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup frozen peas
2 cups fresh chopped Spinach (one large handful)
2 Tbls Romano or Parmesan cheese *optional*
1 tsp Parsley, dried (or 1 Tbls fresh)

Heat 1 Tbls Olive Oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add shallot, garlic and pepper, sautee for 2 minutes, then add Quinoa and cook until slightly toasted (5 minutes- watch it so it doesn't burn!).

Add stock and bring to a boil. Turn down heat, adding thyme and simmer until liquid is almost gone (about 20 minutes)

Add peas and spinach (and parsley if using dried) and bring back to a simmer (I turn up the heat again). Simmer until liquid is gone, quinoa is cooked, and peas are heated through (about another 10 minutes).

Remove pan from heat and stir in cheese (and parsley, if using fresh).

Makes 4 servings as a side (3 as a lunch- in my opinion).

** I think adding a cup of leftover fully cooked chicken or shrimp, would make a fabulous addition!!

Quinoa with Peas and Spinach

Potato Chips & Avacado Dip

I can see the questioning look in your eyes... is she really going to say we can eat potato chips? Well, these potato chips you certainly can!


Potato Chips and Avacado Dip

 Ingredients:
4 red potatoes (scrubbed clean)
Paprika
Olive Oil Cooking spray
Salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice red potatoes thinly with mandoline (preferred) or a sharp knife (patience and safety, please!). Spray cookie sheet lightly with cooking spray. Place sliced potatoes on sheet, as evenly as possible with little overlapping. Sprinkle potato slices with a little paprika. Bake for 10-12 minutes until desired crispness, turning once with spatula (some slices will stick- it's bound to happen). Immediately sprinkle with 2 small pinches of salt.

Serve with this amazingly easy avacado dip.

Guacamole is not for me. I dislike raw onions and tomatoes, and well, don't even get me started on cilantro! But I love avacados! Here's an easy low fat recipe!

Ingredients:

1 avacado (pitted with meat scooped out)

2 tsp fresh lemon or lime juice

2 Tbls low-fat sour cream or plain greek yogurt (optional)

2 shakes of Red Hot Sauce

Bison Burger with a side of chips and dip

Mash ingredients together with a fork in a small bowl. Season with Garlic Salt and Pepper to taste.

Both recipes make 2-3 servings, more if you use it as a side dish! Pictured here with a bison burger!

Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Spread

We are headed in to week two of the brown bag challenge. Sometimes it isn't that you need to come up with something new for lunch, as much as, you need to figure out a way to kick your favorite sandwich up a notch. This roasted tomato and goat cheese spread is the answer.



I admit, I stole this general concept from my friend Jess, after she served a slightly different version of this as an appetizer at a dinner party (served with crusty bread). Amazing. Check out fun recipes on Jess' blog IcaJell Eats!



Tomatoes and Goat Cheese



  This spread couldn't be simpler with just 3 ingredients.

  1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes (or any small tomato) sliced in half.

  2 oz of garlic and herb goat cheese

  1 tsp of Olive Oil.



Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Spread


  Here's how you do it: Spray a small oven safe pan with cooking spray, and place tomatoes cut side up. Roast in 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes (some of the tomatoes will start to char). Remove tomatoes. Place Goat cheese in another small oven safe casserole dish, add roasted tomatoes and olive oil. Return mix to oven and heat for 5 minutes (just so the cheese gets soft). Mix well.

That's it! This makes 4 healthy portions of spread. Seems to spread well warm or cold. It goes great with hamburgers, or on a veggie sammie!



Turkey Roll Up



My favorite way; Spread the roasted tomato mixture on a whole wheat tortilla or flatbread. Top with a few slices of turkey, and a small handful of mixed greens.



Healthy Trail Mix

Trail mix is a great snack! It can also be a great way to curb your sweet tooth, or salt craving. However, store bought Trail mix always leaves me feeling a little guilty. A friend of mine actually shared her trail mix with me last summer, and I've been making it ever since. We took your standard GORP (Good Ole Raisins and Peanuts) and made a healthier (although more expensive) version.  Enjoy!

1 Med bag of Dark M&M's

1 bag of Goldfish Pretzels

6 oz Roasted Almonds (salted or not- your choice)

6 oz Roasted Cashews (salted or not- your choice)

1 pkg of Craisins

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer to air tight container. Enjoy!

Pesto Penne Primavera

It's September, and everyone's gardens are in full bloom! This pasta salad recipe is one of my favorites this time of year. It makes a great side dish, or light meal. It works great hot, cold or room temperature, and it is the recipe I'm choosing for my first Brown Bag Lunch Challenge.

Ingredients

Ingredients:

1/2 lb of Whole Wheat or Whole Grain Penne (1/2 a standard box)

1 bunch Asparagus, trimmed and cut to similar size as pasta

1/2 lb fresh Green Beans (about one large handful), cut to similar size as pasta

1 med Zucchini, cut into matchsticks, similar size as pasta

1/4 cup prepared Basil Pesto

Salt & Pepper

 

1. In a large pot, bring 6 cups of water to a boil
2. Add Penne
3. After 1 minute, add Green Beans to pasta
4. After another 2 minutes, add Asparagus to pasta
5. Cook til pasta and veggies are almost to desired tenderness, then add Zucchini and blanche.

While pasta is cooking, scoop pesto into a large mixing bowl, and pull out 1 tablespoon of starchy water from the pasta. Loosen the pesto with the starchy water.

Drain the pasta and veggies and immediately add to pesto. Mix well. Salt & Pepper to taste.

* Low carb this recipe by skipping the pasta, just cook veggies anyway you choose and mix with loosened pesto.

** Veg out this recipe by adding in, halved cherry tomatoes, a handful of chopped spinach, or sliced red pepper when mixing with pesto.

Penne Pesto Primavera

This recipe is simply the method I use, I prefer well cooked green beans, and barely cooked zucchini. You can cook the veggies to whatever tenderness you choose!

Eating Out: Mexican

The more conversations I have with people, the more ideas I come up with for this blog. Last night I had a conversation with my neighbor Jen, about eating out. It occured to be that this would be another good blog topic.

It's hard to come up with a healthy choice when you are eating Mexican. The meat is not very lean, typically fried, and served with fatty sauces, sour cream and cheese.

The healthiest choice at a Mexican Restaurant is fajitas. While the meat may still not be the leanest cut, you are building your own meal, so you can make it a little healthier. Choose to load up on the grilled peppers and onions, and limit the cheese and sour cream.  Guacamole, if made mostly from avacado and tomato is full of healthy fats... but beware of Guac that is extra creamy and may contain sour cream or cream cheese.

If all else fails; do what EVERY eating out expert will tell you: Ask to a to go box when you get your meal and immediately pack half away. Whether you toss it, or eat it the next day, you've saved some calories.

Remember: Chips and tortillas are full of bad fat, so while salsa is a great way to get veggies in...watch the chip intake!

Veg- Out Pasta Sauce

I love spaghetti sauce. There, I said it... I love it! And guess what? Tomato based pasta sauces are super easy to make even healthier.

Start with a good jarred sauce (avoid sauce in aluminum cans). I like Newman's Own, Healthy Choice, or Emeril's... but find one you like, because everyone likes different things. Avoid ones with meat in them, it's so easy to add your leaner ground beef or chicken!

Tonight I made a pasta in honor of all my friends who begin walking the Minneapolis Breast Cancer 3 Day tomorrow... I know they are all home carb-loading!

Here's just one of the many ways to veg out your spaghetti sauce . This makes 2 good sauce servings, but the more veggies you add the bigger it will go! Careful not to go too overboard... stick to 2-3 of your favorite veggies.


Veg-out your spaghetti sauce



2 cups (dry) short cut pasta. (whole wheat preffered)

1/4 lb lean ground beef (optional)

1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 med zucchini diced (or 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms)
1 handful of fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup jarred spaghetti sauce

Bring water to a boil and cook pasta per manufacturer's directions.

While pasta is cooking
1. If using, begin to  brown hamburger in Medium skillet, adding onions and zucchini while meat it still pink but partially cooked. (if not using hamburger, simply sautee veggies in 1 tsp olive oil until tender)
2. When hamburger is browned and veggies are tender, add  jarred sauce, and bring to a bubble.
3. Turn off heat, and fold in spinach until it wilts. If sauce is too thick add 2 Tbls of water.
4. Serve over cooked pasta.

Makes 2-3 portions.

Ground Beef Tips and Hints

Let me preface this article by telling you I REALLY wanted to title this "hamburger helper"...but I thought it might disappoint a few people by not including the a healthy version of the sinfully delicious dish. I promise, I'll work on that one...

A few days ago, a friend asked me about buying hamburger, and as I explained what to buy, and how to store it, it occured to me that this is exactly the kind of information I would like to blog about, and she agreed. So, this one is for Heather!

When purchasing ground beef. Look for the lowest fat content you can buy. It's very clear on the label, and expressed in percentages. Lean ground beef has fat content that can rival chicken! This doesn't mean that you should eat red meat everyday, but I think we've have been scared away from it.  The leanest hamburger I can find is typically % 96/4.  Meaning it has 4% fat. This version is so lean, I typically add a little oil to the pan when I'm browning it.



Lean ground beef, Press 'n' Seal and Zipper storage bags



When storing ground beef, I've found this simple trick to go a long way. Make Glad Press 'n' Seal and zipper freezer bags your best friends. Typically I cut my ground beef into 1/4 lb chunks, wrap each portion in Press 'n' Seal, throw them in a zipper bag and freeze.

Portion Ground beef into 1/4 lb patties for the freezer

These convient 1/4lb patties thaw quickly and are the perfect portion control. Stay tuned for recipes like Hobos, spaghetti sauce, and hamburgers that include this exact amount of lean ground beef.

Bacon Sprouts!

Yeah, that's right, I said BACON! Here's why... if the two slices of bacon in this recipe get you to try brussel sprouts... I win. Brussel Sprouts are a veggie I've rediscovered in recent years. I've found that I need them fully cooked.. but I'm eating them! This recipe takes a little juggling, but close counts.



Brussel Sprouts with Bacon Vinaigrette



Ingredients:
12-14 Brussel sprouts, rinsed, trimmed and halved

2 slices of bacon, chopped

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, grated

1 Tbls Dijon Mustard

1 Tbls Red Wine Vinegar (Balsamic could be used here too)

Salt and Pepper

EVOO

Brussel Sprouts:

1. Place sprouts in small glass bowl, add 1 tbls of water and microwave for 3 minutes.

At this point the sprouts are good to go, but I threw the halves on the grill with the rest of my dinner for 5 minutes until they carmelized at the edges.

Vinaigrette:



1. In a medium skillet, crisp the bacon (use a couple drops of EVOO if neccesary to get started), then remove the bacon pieces, placing on papertowel to absorb extra oil

2. Add onions and garlic to the pan, sauteeing until onions are soft (5 minutes). Remove from heat

3. Whisk in Mustard and vinegar until it forms a "dressing" consistency.

Add cooked sprouts and bacon to the sauce pan and coat. Salt (very little) and pepper (lots) to taste.

Note: the viniagrette also makes a great dressing for a Spinach Salad!

Zucchini Fries

These make a great appetizer! Sometimes you want the crunch of a french fry without all the guilt!

Zucchini Fries with Marinara


Zucchini Fries and Marinara



Ingredients:

2 Small zuchinni cut into matchsticks

1 egg

1 cup Panko (or whole wheat bread crumbs)

1 tsp dried basil

Salt and pepper to taste.

1/2 cup Marinara Sauce ( use your favorite jarred spaghetti sauce)

1. Preheat oven to 425

2. In small bowl, crack egg and whip with a fork. Set aside

3. In another small bowl mix Panko, Basil, Salt and Pepper

4. Dip cut zuchinni fries first into egg, then coat with Panko mix

5. Place on cookie sheet and bake 20 minutes, flipping once.

 Serve on platter with cup of warmed marinara.

Cauliflower- Carrot Soup

Last week I was on vacation. Where I read, in full, 3 "diet" books~ while sitting on the dock, listen to the waters of Lake Vermillion splash against the shores. Mostly I read them for the nutritional information, and occasionally for a fun recipe. Inspired by my friend Jess' recent kitchen experiment (she's having facebook friends randomly and unknowingly choose recipes from her 119 cookbooks and making them--- check it out at http://icajelleats.blogspot.com/), I decided to start making a few of the fun recipes that I find in all of these diet books.  So here goes the first one; and and just let me tell you how hard it was for me to stick to the recipe exactly, I knew this would be weak, but I did it anyway...

Cauliflower-Carrot Soup from The Body Ecology Diet by Donna Gates


Cauliflower-Carrot Soup



Ingredients:

1 Tbls. butter

1 head of cauliflower, chopped

4 cups of chopped carrots

1 large onion

1 Tlbs of dried Tarragon

Water to cover



Sea salt to taste

1. In a soup pot, warm butter, and add tarragon

2. Add onion, sauteing until translucent

3. Add carrots, cauliflower, and water

4. Simmer until tender (approx. 25 minutes)

5. In a blender, puree (I used a stick blender)

6. Return soup to pot adding sea salt.

7. Simmer for another 10 minutes

Results:

While I am not a big fan of either carrots or cauliflower, this soup was pretty good. And better the next day for lunch!  Would I make it again? Yes? The same way? No. Here's what I would try.

* Use Vegetable or Chicken stock instead of water for more flavor (but yes, more calories)

* Add a Sweet Potato (or regular potato) to the mix to give it a thicker texture

* Add a few shakes of red pepper flakes (I did this to my pot afterwards)

I think any one of those options would be great... I'll keep you posted if I try it!

The Hard Boiled Egg

Eggs get a bad rap, but really they make a great high protein snack or supplement to your diet. A hard boiled egg along with a slice of toast or some fruit makes a great breakfast. You can also chop it up and throw it on a salad. It seems that most people typically undercook (dark yellow yolk) or over cook (gray tint around outside of yolk) the eggs... so here's the simple technique that works like a charm.


Hard Boiled Eggs



Place up to 6 eggs in 2 quart sauce pan*

Cover with cold water

Bring to a boil

Turn off heat, cover and let stand for 15 minutes

Run cold water over cooked eggs for 30 seconds

Cover eggs with cold water, add a handful of ice cubes

Let sit until eggs have completely cooled. (about an hour)

Remove eggs, dry and store in refridgerator.

* More than 6 eggs at a time can crowd the pot and cause uneven cooking.