Zucchini Noodles!

This week, I'm doing the Whole Living Detox Cleanse, and I'm in week one. This week we are surviving on Vegetables, Fruits, Nuts, seeds and lentils. It's pretty strict. At first I limited myself to just the foods listed in the plan. But after one too many servings of cabbage, I was really feeling like I wanted something more similar to my regular diet. I subscribe to a lot of healthy food magazines, that I enjoy reading at the gym! :) One featured some raw food recipes, and it inspired me to come up with this dish.

Makes 1 serving.
1 raw zucchini
1 Tbls Coconut or Olive Oil
1 portobello mushroom cap, diced
2 Tbls minced onion
1/4 prepared marinara sauce
Nutritional Yeast, optional

To prepare zuchinni. Slice thinly- using mandoline or sharp knife, then cut into strips to form "noodles". These could be blanched or used raw. I chose raw- but I would have liked them warm- and the sauce didn't heat them enough for me. In the Summer though- this might be fun!

Heat Oil in skillet. Add mushroom and onion. Cook until desired tenderness, then add the sauce and heat through.

To serve, top "noodles" with sauce mix, and sprinkle with a pinch of nutritional yeast to add "cheese". This recipe is Vegan, but you certainly could add a protein to the mix!

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.

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!

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.

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.