Waist Not, Want Not... Recipes, Tips and Tricks for the Health Conscious

Clean Eating Tacos

2014-07-20T16:46:00.002-07:00

I am on day three of Advocare's 24 day challenge. A huge part of this plan is clean eating, and I mean uber clean eating. No dairy, no sugar, no refined flour and only low glycemic carbs. This morning, I weighed in at the 48 hr mark and found I'd lost 2.5lbs already. Some could be water weight, but I've actually been drinking more water than I ever have before. I've been drinking 120+ ounces a day. So far, I'm pretty impressed. I've had the challenge adjusted, so that I am only using Advocare products that are safe for breastfeeding and as mentioned previously, I'm downing water like never before, which helps with flushing out any toxins. I feel really good. I have energy, and seeing immediate results is always motivating. Any who, I'll post about my 24 day journey as I go along. If you are interested in checking out any Advocare products or the 24 day challenge, you can do so here. Tonight, I'm making tacos. I'll be going tortilla-less, by using butter leaf lettuce as my taco vessel, and I'll subbing black beans for my carb, but the rest of the family will be having wheat and black bean tortillas.

Ingredients:

2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 green chile, diced (I used a mild Anaheim, since my 2 year old will be eating this)
1 small white onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups spinach or kale, chopped
1 lb lean ground turkey (I'm using 99% fat free)
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground black pepper
salt to taste

Over medium heat, saute tomatoes, green chile and onion together until onions are translucent. Add garlic and spinach, saute another minute. Add turkey, breaking up in to little pieces and cook until meat is fully cooked (meat is completely white and firm- no pink). Add all spices and stir together.

Serve in lettuce cups or on whole grain tortillas. Top with avocado or other favorite toppings (keep it clean!)

Serves 4

Clean Eating Turkey Meatloaf

2014-07-17T18:39:00.001-07:00

These days, I am trying to eat clean. I fall of the wagon here and there, and I'm not always super strict with dairy, but for the most part we eat pretty clean around here. At the grocery store, I try to stick to the peripherals, unless I am buying whole grains and nuts, because for the most part, the aisles at the grocery store are junk. Processed, sugary, junk. Recently, I've become much more aware of just how much sugar our processed foods contain. So stinking much. Did you know that women should try and stick to about 25 grams of sugar per day? Kids anywhere from 12-16 grams, and males around 35 grams. Did you know the typical cup of flavored yogurt contains around 26 grams of sugar. Insane! There's my sugar consumption for the day! Any who, I'm on a journey to keep junk and sugar out of my body and since I'm the cook around here, I guess my family is on the same journey. Except, if you know my husband, you know he eats ice cream or some sort of treat every night. Without fail. He is a sugar addict, but at least I control breakfast lunch and dinner, for the most part.

Clean Eating Turkey Meatloaf
(serves 4)

Ingredients:

1 tbsp cooking oil (avocado, grape seed, coconut)
1 medium white onion, diced
5 stalks of celery, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
3 eggs whites
1 cup oats
1 lb lean ground turkey
small can of tomato sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saute pan, add cooking oil, onion, and celery. Saute on medium-high heat for 7 minutes. Add minced garlic and saute for another 3 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, add ground turkey, 3 egg whites, 1 cup of oats, sauteed onions, celery, garlic and all spices. Mix together using your hand until all ingredients are incorporated. Place turkey mixture in a loaf pan and top with tomato sauce (optional). Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes. Cooking times can vary depending on your oven, altitude, etc, so I would recommend using a meat thermometer. The meat should reach 165 degrees before you take it out.

Chevre and Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast, served over Sautéed Kale with Lemon

2013-11-18T18:18:00.003-08:00

I love stuffed chicken, especially when it is filled with tangy and creamy goat cheese. Chevre stuffed chicken has to be one of my all time favorite dishes. Recently, I have been on a kale kick. Mostly, because I have been using it for juicing and bought a giant bag, that I have also been using for sauteed kale. This is like the never ending bag of kale! Kale is such a super food and is packed with loads of vitamins and minerals, so I feel really good about giving this to my family. This dish requires a bit of cooking time, but has pretty minimal prep. Enjoy

Ingredients

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp olive oil

4 cups spinach, chopped

1/3 cup green onions, diced

5 ounces chevre (goat cheese)

1 tsp basil, plus a pinch

1 tsp rosemary, plus a pinch

Salt and pepper to taste

4 chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add olive oil, garlic and spinach to a large sauce pan. Sauté until spinach is wilted. Pour spinach in to a bowl and let cool for 5 minutes. Next add the green onions, chevre, herbs and salt and pepper to bowl. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated.

Slice a lengthwise slit in to the chicken, to make a pocket. Stuff the chicken with the goat cheese mixture. Sprinkle a pinch of basil and rosemary over the top of the chicken. Salt and pepper to taste.

Place chicken in to a large pyrex dish, or on a large baking tray. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Sauted Kale with Lemon

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

½ cup chicken or vegetable stock

8 cups of kale, chopped

2 tablespoons lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot sauté garlic and olive for two minutes over medium heat. Add chicken stock and kale. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and cook on low for 15 minutes, or until all the liquid has evaporated. Add lemon and salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4

Healthy Chicken Fried Rice

2013-11-11T18:37:00.003-08:00

Most of you already know, but for those of you who don't, I am pregnant with my second child. This pregnancy is crazy different than my last one. Last pregnancy, I was a pretty healthy eater and didn't have too many out of control cravings. I am really trying to maintain the same type of eating throughout this pregnancy, but I get the weirdest, most unhealthy cravings. I'm talking, hot dogs, chili dogs, chili cheese fries, tater tots nachos, cinnamon rolls, etc. I'm just going to say it. If I didn't know the importance of maintaining a healthy diet and always gave in to these cravings, I would have gained 25lbs by now and I am only 16 weeks. Every once in a while, I give in to a craving. I won't lie and say this has been a hot dog-free pregnancy or even a chili cheese fry-free pregnancy, since that is far from the truth. Last week, my mother-in-law was kind enough to make me cinnamon rolls, when I was craving them. I'm a little embarrassed to say that I ate three in one sitting, but once I got my fill, I didn't crave them anymore. On a side note, my hubby has polished off the remainder of the batch. Who is the pregnant one here, again?

One of my healthy vices has been juicing. I cannot go a day without some fresh fruit and veggie juice. If my morning is tight and I run out the door without juicing, it is the first thing I do when I get home. Veggies have not been my favorite, this go around. But, I really enjoy a nice tall glass of fresh juice.

One of my more recent cravings has been Chinese food. Instead of going down to Armani Chef (which I fully admit to doing in the past 16 weeks) and ordering a delicious, but not so healthy meal, I decided to make some healthy, Chicken Fried Rice. I loaded it up with veggies, and used brown rice and olive oil to keep it on the healthy/clean side.

Side note: I shred and chop my veggies very finely, as you may notice in the picture. This is not necessary, I just do this in hopes that my 19 month old, will accidentally eat them. If they are big, she picks right around them. If you have a toddler who refuses veggies, this technique may help a bit. Shredding and dicing them small, will also help them cook faster. On weeknights, I am a huge fan of meals that are on the table quickly

Ingredients:

1 lb of chicken breast, diced
3 tbsp. olive oil (divided)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp ginger, minced
4 egg whites, plus two full eggs, whisked together
1 cup carrots, shredded
1/2 cup celery, finely diced
2/3 cup broccoli, chopped
2/3 cup peas
2 1/2 cups of brown rice, cooked
1.2 cup green onions, diced
3 tbsp. of light soy sauce or tamari if you cannot have gluten

Directions:

First, cook your rice as per the cooking instructions and set aside (1 cup dry, should yield close to 2 1/2 cups, cooked). Next, fire up your wok, or a large sauté pan. Make sure the pan is hot, before you start. Cook the diced chicken in 1 tbsp. of olive oil for 6-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked through. Cooking time may depend on how big your diced chicken bites are. Next add the garlic and ginger. Sauté for 1 minute. Create an empty pool in the middle of your pan, and pour in your eggs. Scramble them in the center, before mixing in with the chicken. Add the two remaining tbps of olive oil. Stir in the carrots, celery, broccoli and peas. Let cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Lastly, stir in the rice, green onions and soy sauce. Serve.

Yields 4 servings

Enchilada Inspired Stuffed Poblano's- Low Carb Friendly

2013-07-08T19:11:00.002-07:00

First off, I must apologize for neglecting my blog lately. Life gets busy with work and family. I've also been displaced since we sold our home at the end of December. So, I haven't really had a great kitchen, and a lot of our stuff is in storage. Who knew we'd be waiting for almost 9 months for a Short Sale. Hopefully, we'll be able to move in soon. :/ A functional kitchen = a happy and willing cook.

In the next two weeks, I have two beach vacations, so I've been trying to watch my calories, carbs and all of that fun stuff. Tonight I was craving enchiladas, but I wanted to do something lower calorie, as well as to use up some poblano peppers before they went bad. I must say, these were absolutely delicious. They were filling and they satisfied my enchilada craving. If you don't eat red meat, turkey or chicken would be a great substitute. Enjoy!

Ingredients

· 4 poblano peppers, cut lengthwise and seeded.

· 1 tablespoon olive oil

· 1 small onion, diced

· 3 cloves of garlic, minced

· 1 lb lean ground beef

· 1 6 ounce can diced green chiles

· 1 6 ounce can black diced olives

· Salt and pepper to taste

· 2-3 low carb tortillas, cut in to small strips

· 1 cup of red enchilada sauce

· ½ cheddar (or blend of cheese)

· A few dollops of sour cream (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Heat a large skillet. Add olive oil and diced onion. Sauté for 3 minutes. Add minced garlic and ground beef. Cook beef until browned. Add green chile’s, olives, salt, pepper and tortillas. Mix together. Place the peppers in a greased baking dish. Stuff the halved poblano’s with the mixture. Evenly distribute the enchilada sauce over the peppers. Top each pepper with cheese and bake covered for 45 minutes. Top with sour cream (optional).

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

2013-05-15T19:58:00.004-07:00

Every now and again a big giant bowl of pasta sounds delicious. I typically try to stay away from carbs after 2pm, but sometimes you just have to give in. Giving in every now and again allows us to be sensible. Have you heard of those people who do fitness competitions and the month before the competition they go on a ridiculously strict diet, then once the competition is over they go eat the most unhealthy thing and tons of it. I had a friend consume and entire cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory after a competition once. On a side note, I'm sure I would do the same thing if I competed. The point is, if you give in every now and again and you are less likely to binge eat. On that note of being sensible, as much as I want to go with the delicious refined white pasta, I try not to give in to that temptation too often and typically go with a whole wheat, whole grain or a quinoa pasta. Though, sometimes I have a full on splurge and go for the deliciously processed white pasta. Tonight, I was not only good by going with a whole grain pasta, I went and extra step and did 1/2 pasta with 1/2 Shirataki noodles, which are tofu based and super low cal with no carbs. I'll post the recipe below calling for spaghetti noodles, but know you can make this lower calorie and lower carb by substituting 1/2 or all Shirataki noodles.

2 tbsp. of olive oil

1 pound medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 red onion, chopped

5 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tsp red pepper flakes, more or less depending on spice level desired

1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 cup dry white wine

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 12 ounce package of spaghetti noodles

1/4 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Adding salt to the boiling water will ensure your pasta has flavor

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium to high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, for about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a plate. The shrimp will not be 100% percent cooked at this point, so no taste tests!!!

Add your noodles to the pot of boiling water and cook per the directions on the package.

Next, add the other tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, then add the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook for about 1 minute. Next add the tomatoes, tomato paste, wine, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, stir occasionally for about 20 minutes. Add the shrimp back to the pan and cook for one minute on medium to low heat.

Strain the noodles or better yet, use tongs to transfer the noodles directly in to the sauce. NEVER, EVER, EVER rinse your pasta noodles. That is seriously just sinful.

Finally toss the noodles and the sauce with the shrimp together. Add the parsley and basil and toss again.

This should make 4-6 servings. Enjoy!

Agave Chile Glazed Salmon

2013-03-24T18:30:00.001-07:00

I recently had a delicious piece of salmon at an Italian restaurant down the street. It was grilled and had perfect charred marks. It had a slight glaze on top that made the salmon have a crispness to it. It was so delicious. I just had try and replicate something similar. The fish counter at my grocery store had some amazing salmon today. It was fate. I didn't feel like going with an Italian flair, although a good caponata on top never hurts. Tonight I went super simple and served the salmon with a veggie quinoa and mashed cauliflower. Enjoy!

For the glaze

1 tbsp. coconut oil
1 tbsp. agave nectar
1/2 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

4 Salmon fillets

Directions

Preheat grill to 300 degrees

Heat the coconut oil so it melts and is not in the normal wax like state. Combine coconut oil, agave, chile powder, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Brush the top of the salmon with the glaze.

Spray the grill with non stick grill spray. Grill the salmon glaze side down for 4 minutes. Gently flip and grill the other side for another 4 minutes

Egg Flower Soup... the best sick day soup ever

2013-02-24T11:48:00.001-08:00

Sophie recently got a cold that ended up turning into a pneumonia. Don't worry, she is ok now. :) However, she did pass her little germs along to myself, Michael, my mother in law and my brother in law. It's crazy how sick that little bundle of love can make you. She's given me the stomach flu and several colds. I've been battling a cold for a 2 1/2 weeks now. When I am sick, I love soup. There is something about being sick and slurping down warm goodness that makes you feel a little bit better. I love egg flower soup when I am sick, because it is so quick and easy to make. It can literally be made in the time it takes to boil water. It's that quick. In the spirit of cold and flu season, I thought it would be nice to share my recipe.

6 cups of chicken stock (homemade or store bought)
6 eggs, two full eggs and four egg whites whisked together
1/2 cup green onions, sliced
1/8 tsp sesame oil (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

In a large sauce pan bring 6 cups of chicken stock to a boil. Next slowly pour in eggs in little drops. Add sesame oil and green onions. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sweet Potato, Carrot and Blueberry Pancakes

2013-02-24T09:39:00.002-08:00

If you have children and are anything like me you are constantly trying to provide the best foods possible for them. I've always made my own baby food and love providing Sophie with variety and new flavors. I may have created a monster though. Sophie has quite the sophisticated palate. It's nearly impossible for me to get her to eat bland foods. If I cube up veggies and present them to her, she literally turns her nose up to them. However, if I puree some veggies like squash and sweet potatoes with lentils and curry powder, she scarfs them down and begs for more. I can't complain, I like having a little baby gourmet, it's one of those times where I see a lot of myself in Sophie. The other day, she seriously ate clam chowder. And the day after that, Asian style noodles. She eats a lot of what Mike and I eat, which is nice. This morning I woke up and decided to make some pancakes. My goal was to sneak in some vegetables and wholesome goodness. Total success, by the way. I ended up making Sweet Potato, Carrot and Blueberry pancakes with whole wheat flour and bran flakes. They were seriously delicious and Sophie enjoyed them. I made a good sized batch and decided to freeze some for Sophie to eat throughout the week.

1 half sweet potato, peeled and grated

1 carrot, peeled and grated

1/2 cup blueberries

1 tsp butter

1 cup of whole wheat flour

1/2 cup bran

2 tsp baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 egg

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

In a small sauce pan melt butter and slowly sauté sweet potato, carrots and blueberries. Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes. In a large mixing bowl combine all remaining ingredients and whisk together. Add in the sweet potatoes, carrots and blueberries. Stir with a spoon. Cook pancakes on a griddle or pan until golden on each side.

Yogurt Cheese: A creamy and healthy substitute

2013-02-18T16:43:00.001-08:00

I love low fat and fat free plain yogurt. It is versatile, healthy, inexpensive and many many other things. Yogurt is such a great addition or accompaniment to several dishes. Yogurt with a little dill is a great veggie dip or topper to things like stuffed peppers, salmon, or gyros. Yogurt can be used in place of mayonaise, it can be used in smoothies, seriously the possibilites are pretty much endless. Yogurt is rich in protein, live cultures, calcium other nutrients. After a run with antibiotics you should eat a ton of yogurt to replace the good bacteria and get the digestive track healthy again. One of my new favorite ways to use yogurt is by making "yogurt cheese". Yogurt is already good at thickening and adding a degree of creaminess to dishes, but taking the step to drain some of the liquid can make your dishes even creamier. Yogurt cheese is a bit of a misnomer, because it isn't really cheese at all, it is just yogurt thickened to the consistency of cream cheese

Place yogurt in a fine mesh sieve or colander lined with four layers of cheesecloth. Place the sieve over a large bowl to catch the liquid that drips out of the yogurt. Place this set-up in the refrigerator and let stand 2-24 hrs. If you have all night, let it sit. The thicker the better. If you need the yogurt cheese soon, a few hours of sitting should give you a thicker consistency.
Discard the liquid in the bowl below and you are left with rich, creamy yogurt cheese in the cheesecloth.
Use to add creaminess to soups, sauces, dips... really anywhere you see fit. This is a great substitute for heavy cream, cream cheese and sour cream.

Butternut Squash Soup

2013-02-17T15:48:00.000-08:00

I recently read that soup eaters tend to be thinner. The idea behind that is those who eat soup before a meal, typically will consume smaller portion of the main course. Now, of course that probably wouldn't be true if we always ate fat filled soups like broccoli cheddar and other cream based soups. In order for this approach to be effective, you'd want to stick to lower calorie, healthy soups. Below is a recipe for Butternut Squash soup. This warm, velvety soup is sure to impress. I've been making this soup for years, it is great before a meal, with a grilled cheese sandwich, or topped with some mascarpone or cream cheese.

1 large butternut squash

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 carrot, peeled and diced

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 cinnamon stick

salt, preferably kosher, to taste

freshly ground black pepper

4 cups chicken stock or broth (can easily sub vegetable stock to make this vegetarian)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional

1/2 cup non fat or low fat milk, optional

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the butternut squash lengthwise and place face down on baking sheet. Roast for about 40 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven and set aside. Preheat a large pot. Add olive oil, onions, celery and carrot to pot. Sauté on medium for 7-8 minutes until carrots are tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Next add 4 cups of chicken stock, all spices/herbs and milk. Let come to a boil. Next scoop out the squash from the rind and add to the soup. Use and immersion blender to blend the soup together until it is thick and creamy. If you do not have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender. Make sure not to fill to the top when blending and ensure to hold the lid tightly when blending. Blending hot ingredients in blender cause the ingredients to overflow and leak out of the blender if you don't follow the steps above. Hot soup flying everywhere is messy and dangerous.

Makes approximately 8 cups.

Thai Quinoa Salad with Shrimp

2013-02-08T12:58:00.003-08:00

Thai Quinoa Salad with Shrimp

· 1 1/2 cups quinoa

· 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock

· 3 tbsp smooth peanut butter

· 2 tbsp low fat coconut milk

· 3 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

· 2 tbsp or soy sauce

· 1 tsp of Sriracha (add more or less depending on spice level)

· 1 tsp oil (coconut oil is great, but any will work)

· 2 cloves garlic, minced

· 1 tbsp ginger, minced

· 2 medium carrots, cut into julienne strips

· 1 cup chopped cabbage (napa, red/purple, bok choy, any will work)

· 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

· ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (mint or basil will work if you don’t have cilantro on hand)

1. Bring 3 cups of stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add quinoa and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine peanut butter, coconut milk, vinegar, soy sauce and Sriracha. Whisk together. Add a tbsp. of hot water to thin if necessary

3. In a sauté pan, sauté garlic and ginger in oil on medium-low for 2 minutes. Add carrots and cabbage. Cook for 3 minutes. Add shrimp and cook for about 2-3 minutes per side, until fully cooked.

4. When quinoa is ready, transfer it to the bowl with peanut sauce, along with the veggies and shrimp. Add cilantro and toss to combine.

Serves 4

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

2012-08-21T19:35:00.002-07:00

These peppers are delicious. I was at a friends house this past week and she made red and green stuffed peppers for lunch.They were so good. I had not made stuffed peppers in quite some time and having them at my friends inspired me to whip up a batch of my own. While I was at her house, I snagged a tasty tip for the peppers. Plain yogurt and dill as the topping. I eat dill and yogurt often, but I would have never thought to top my stuffed peppers with it. It is delish and really completes the meal.

Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey
1 diced medium onion
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup roughly chopped mushrooms
20 grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup brown rice
1/2 cup quinoa
3 cups chicken broth or stock
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp oregano
1 tbsp olive oil
8 poblano peppers
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp dried dill

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Saute ground beef, onions, garlic, mushrooms and tomatoes together. Add salt and pepper to taste. Make sure to break up the ground beef. Set aside when browned.

Cook rice and quinoa in chicken stock. Cover and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes, rice should be slightly al dente.

In a large bowl mix ground beef mixture with cooked rice/quinoa mixture. Stir in onion powder and oregano. Set mixture aside.

Cut off the tops of the poblano peppers, remove seeds and white membrane from peppers. Next stuff peppers with rice/quinoa mixture. Set in oven safe dish and drizzle 1 tbsp of olive oil over peppers. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with foil or lid and bake additional 30 minutes. Let cool, top with yogurt and dill.

Serves 4. Serving size is two stuffed peppers. Approximately 530 calories and 14 grams of fat.

If you only eat one pepper you are looking at 256 calories and 7 grams of fat.

Simple Sweet and Spicy Chicken

2012-08-19T18:29:00.001-07:00

I really enjoy asian flavors. Sweet and spicy is one of my favorite combinations. I also value a meal that can be on the table in less than 30 minutes. I love this dish because it is easy to make, it doesn't take long and it is quite delicious. The chicken is so tender. If you don't like spice, consider lowering the amount of spice or omitting it and adding 2 tbsp of lemon juice to make a tangy and sweet sauce.

1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp chopped fresh ginger root

3 minced cloves garlic

2 tbsp asian hot sauce (sambal or sriracha)

4 skinless, boneless chicken reasts- cut into 1/2 inch chunks

1 tbsp wok oil (or vegetable oil if you don't have wok oil)

salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp corn starch

1/4 cup sliced green onion for garnish

Preheat Wok or large skillet on medium/ high. In a small bowl whisk together brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, vingegar, ginger, garlic and hot sauce. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken breasts and toss in corn starch. Add oil to wok and then add chicken. Brown the chicken on both sides. Roughly one minute per side. Pour sauce over chicken, turn heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Garnish with green onions

Serve over rice with your favorite veggies. For a lower carb option serve with 2 servings of veggies. I like snowpeas and mushrooms.

Serves 4. Approx 250 calories and 7 grams of fat

Angel Hair with Arugula, Tomato, and Fresh Mozzerella

2012-08-13T16:32:00.000-07:00

A lot of the times I prep dinner when Sophia is taking her afternoon nap. That way, when the hubby gets home, dinner is ready and we get to maximize our family time. If it isn't a meal that heats up well, like chicken or most meats, I get all the prep work done and do the actual cooking when he is on his way home. Pasta is something you can typically prep a little ahead of time, because you can reheat it fairly easily and that is just what I did tonight. This pasta is vegetarian and so simple. It is similar to Capellini Pomodoro, but has lemon, arugula and little mozzarella balls in addition to tomato, basil and garlic. It tastes so fresh because of the lemon and you get a bit of that nutty delicious taste from the arugula. I whipped this meal up in less than 20 minutes and I am a bit ashamed to say, I already ate a small bowl of it. :/

16 ounces angel hair pasta
3 tbsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves minced
8 plum tomatoes seeded and diced in to 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups Arugula
1/2 cup fresh basil (chiffonade)
1/4 cup of fresh mozzerella, roughly chopped into small bits (I use the little ciliegine or bocconcini mozzerella balls)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup pasta water reserved
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. In a saute pan add olive oil, tomatoes, and garlic. Saute together on medium- low for 6 minutes.

3. While your sauce is cooking, prepare pasta according to package. Strain noodles and reserve 1/4 cup pasta water. (DO NOT RINSE NOODLES) To your sauce add cooked pasta, reserved pasta water, arugula, lemon juice, basil and mozzarella. Toss together and simmer on low for 1 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

***Make sure to salt your pasta water and for better flavor season your sauce as you cook. Seasoning with salt and pepper throughout the cooking process helps build the flavor.

Serves 6. Approx 426 calories and 11 grams of fat

Easy Entertaining: Grilled Caponata Bruschetta (Vegetarian)

2012-08-08T13:24:00.000-07:00

I learned this recipe last month at our very dear friends’ Rick and Megan’s rehearsal dinner. She had such a fun dinner at a wonderful place in Reno, called Nothing to It. It is a small little restaurant that also hosts cooking classes. When we arrived at Nothing to It, we were told that we'd be breaking up in to groups and preparing appetizers. Naturally, I was thrilled and could hardly wait to start cooking! The appetizer my table prepared was Grilled Caponata Bruschetta. While, I didn't take the recipe home with me, I remember the ingredients pretty well and made this the other night when the newlyweds came over for dinner. Rick, the groom, actually hadn't gotten to try the bruschetta that night, so it was the perfect item to make. These bruschetta are to die for. They are seriously amazing and the perfect appetizer to entertain guests with. There were only four of us for dinner that night, but I still made a larger quantity of the bruschetta topping. We didn't use it all that night, but the next morning my hubby and I baked some crostini and made the bruschetta for breakfast. We could hardly wait to get out of bed to eat it that morning.

1 eggplant, peeled and sliced in to ¼ inch rounds

1 white onion, peeled and sliced in to ¼ inch rounds
¼ cup olive oil
1 baguette, cut at an angle in ¼ inch to ½ inch slices
¼ cup kalamata olives, chopped
2 tbsp capers, chopped
3 roma tomatoes seeded and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup basil, chiffonade
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp salt (some to sprinkle on eggplant and onions, the remainder goes in the mixture)
1/2 tsp pepper
6 ounces goat cheese

Preheat your grill. Salt the eggplant and onion rounds. Next brush the eggplant and onions with olive oil, reserving the leftover oil. Grill on medium low on the middle rack, turning every 4 minutes for about 16 minutes, until eggplant is soft and somewhat transluscent. While the onions and the eggplant are cooking, slice the baguette. Brush the baguette with the remaing olive oil on one side. Place the baguette slices on the grill, oil side down. Let the bread crisp for a minute or two, just until there is a little crunch on the side with the oil.

Remove eggplant, onions and bread from grill. Let cool for a few minutes. Dice the eggplant and onions into 1/4 inch pieces. In a large bowl combine eggplant, onions, kalamata olives, tomatoes, capers, garlic, basil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Stir together until fully incorporated.

Next smear goat cheese on to baguette slices and top with bruschetta mixture.

Serves about 6 people. Serving size is 6 pieces per person. 250 calories and 10 grams of fat.

Single Dish, 6 Ingredients: Rosemary Garlic Chicken with White Beans and Mushrooms

2012-07-26T11:06:00.001-07:00

Do you ever have those nights where you really don't have time to cook? I do! My daughter sometimes has what I like to call the 5:00pm blues. There are nights where she gets extremely fussy around this time and I have to devote 99% of my attention to her. That is where meals like this come in to play. I can throw all of my ingredients in to one dish and toss that sucker in the oven. This meal is quick, easy and delicious.

Tip: Do you feel like buying herbs can be expensive? I do! Mostly, because I rarely use all of what I buy. I'll just need a little rosemary, or a little thyme for a recipe and the rest usually goes to waste. The fix, plant a small herb garden. Herbs are easy to care for. Plant your herbs where they will get plenty of sun and clip them as you need them. You can start them from seedlings in April or May, depending on where you live or you can buy the small potted kind for less than $5.00. It is the gift that keeps on giving and personally saves me money and waste. In the winter, bring them inside and keep them near a sunny window.

Ingredients

3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 10 ounce package of baby bella mushrooms, quartered
2 cans of navy beans or great northern beans, rinsed and drained
3 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste

In a large baking dish toss together garlic, mushrooms, white beans, rosemary (reserve two pinches) and olive oil. Place chicken in dish, sprinkle with rosemary and try to coat in a little mixture, salt and pepper to your liking. Bake covered at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, remove cover and bake addition 20 minutes or until chicken is fully cooked.

Serves 4. Approx 350 calories and 9 grams of fat

Fusion Tacos: Asian Style Beef Tacos

2012-07-25T09:49:00.002-07:00

I love fusion cuisine. Today I am combining two of my favorite style foods: Asian and Mexican. These tacos are absolutely delicious. They are very easy to make, however you need at least 4 hours of marinate time, so plan ahead. The beef in these tacos feature bold Asian flavors like garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil. I always use fresh garlic and fresh ginger. The flavor cannot be matched by powders or minced garlic in a jar. If sesame oil and soy sauce are not staples in your pantry, they should be! They keep well, and are essential in Asian cuisine. They both give that authentic Asian flavor and are great in stir fry’s, Asian dipping sauces, ramen, etc.

Here is a fantastic tip for grating ginger: after you buy the ginger, peel off the skin, place in a Ziploc bag and put in the freezer until you are ready to use. When you are ready to use it, grate it on a micro plane and place the unused portion back in the freezer. This will keep the ginger fresh and accessible. Also, frozen ginger is extremely easy to grate.

For the Marinade

1 lb flank steak

3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup minced green onions
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp ginger
2 tbsp honey
3 tbsp lite soy sauce

Marinade flank steak in vinegar, sesame oil, green onions, garlic, ginger, honey and soy sauce for 4 hours.

When ready to cook, grill on high heat for 6 minutes per side. Remove from grill. Allow meat to rest for 5- 10 minutes. Slice meat in strips about ¼ inch thickness.

Sriracha Sauce

1/4 cup low fat mayonaise (the kind with a green lid and one gram of fat)
1 tbsp sriracha
1 tbsp water

Mix together.

Slaw and Tortillas

1 1/2 cups sliced red cabbage
1/2 cup green onions
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
8 corn tortillas

In a medium sized bowl combine cabbage, green onions, vinegar and sesame oil. Toss together and set aside.

When you are ready to assemble your tacos, place your tortillas in the microwave for 45 seconds.

To compile taco add beef to tortilla, top with slaw and sriracha sauce.Serves 4. Approx 510 calories and 17 grams of fat for two tacos.

Baked Panko Macadamia Nut Chicken Fingers with Mango Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

2012-07-22T15:53:00.000-07:00

For those of you who follow my blog, you've probably noticed I have been using macadamia nuts in my recipes lately. I've also been using a lot of mangoes. About a week ago my husband and I decided we really needed to work on our baking. We didn't want Sophie's friends to tell her our cookies sucked. We've made a few batches of chocolate chip cookies (sucessfully, might I add!), but we also bought ingredients to make White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cookies. My husband banned me from making cookies until we get back from our beach vacation in Cabo, so I decided to use the nuts in my cooking. As for the mangoes, the store I shop at has had them for $1.00 each. I a huge sucker for tropical fruit, like pineapples and mangoes so I have been loading upon them when they go on sale.

Baked Panko Macadamia Nut Chicken Fingers

4 chicken breasts
2 eggs
1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs
½ cup flour
¼ cup crushed macadamia nuts
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
A few sprays of non stick cooking spray.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pound chicken breast to ¼ inch thickness. Cut each chicken breast in to four strips. Whisk two eggs together in a bowl. In a separate bowl mix together panko, flour, macadamia nuts, salt and cayenne pepper.

Dip chicken in egg batter, then coat chicken in panko mixture and place on a lightly greased baking sheet and spray each strip with a little cooking spray.

Bake chicken at 425 for 12- 15minutes, until cooked through with light golden exterior.

Mango Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

½ cup diced mango
¼ cup course ground mustard
3 tbsp honey
1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil

Process all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Serves 4. Approx 316 calories and 8.5 grams of fat.

Teriyaki Chicken Sandwiches with Grilled Pineapple

2012-07-22T14:42:00.002-07:00

4 chicken breasts (4-6 ounces each)
½ cup Yoshida’s teriyaki sauce
4 slices of fresh pineapple ¼ inch slices
¾ cup sliced red cabbage
¼ cup sliced green onion
1 tbsp macadamia nuts
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce (divided)

4 whole wheat sandwich thins

In a large Ziploc bag add chicken, teriyaki sauce and 1 tbsp of soy sauce. Marinade in refrigerator for 1 hr. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine sliced cabbage, green onions, macadamia nuts, rice wine vinegar and 1 tbsp soy sauce. Set aside.

On preheated grill cook chicken on each side for about 7 minutes each side, until cooked through. Grill pineapple on each side for 3-4minutes.

Compile sandwiches. Place chicken on a bun, top with grilled pineapple and cabbage mix.

Approx 340 calories and 4 grams of fat

A Family Recipe: Corn Chowder, but it's really not chowder

2012-07-18T15:00:00.005-07:00

When I first started dating my husband he told me about Corn Chowder. It's one of his childhood favorites and to this day, he asks his mom to make it for his birthday. I remember the first time I had it, I was expecting Corn Chowder. You know, the soupy stuff that tastes good. This isn't chowder, or anything like soup. In fact, it's made with noodles, ground beef and corn, so I'm really not sure where the name came from. My mother in law learned this recipe when she was in girl scouts as a child. The original recipe was made using potatoes instead of noodles, but at some point my mother in law decided noodles were better. I haven't tried the potato version of Corn Chowder yet, I guess I am just such a fan of the dish as is. It's a very simple dish and requires just a few ingredients. I love this dish, because they are ingredients I always have on hand.

1 medium red onion diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 lb lean ground beef
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 cups of water
8 ounces whole wheat or multigrain shell pasta
1 14 ounce can of corn drained

In a large pot sauté diced onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, ground beef, salt and pepper. Cook until beef is browned, about 5 minutes Add can of tomato sauce, worcestershire sauce, two cups of water and pasta shells. Cover with lid and cook on medium until noodles are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in corn and serve.

***Serves 4. Approx 454 calories and 9.5 grams of fat.

Island Tacos with Avocado, Mango, Macadamia Nut Slaw

2012-07-18T13:21:00.003-07:00

These tacos are super delicious and really easy to make. If you need to have dinner on the table in 20 minutes, this is a great meal. I made my tacos with shrimp, but you could easily substitute a white fish like Mahi-Mahi, chicken or tofu to make these vegetarian. I found some really great tortillas by Mission called ancient grains. They are made with quinoa and other healthy grains and are only 100 calories each.

Slaw

1 cup sliced red cabbage
1/4 sliced green onion
1 diced avocado
1 diced mango
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp chopped macadamia nuts
1/4 tsp salt
Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.

Shrimp

1 lb shrimp (25 to 30)- peeled and deveined (or white fish, chicken, tofu)
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Caribbean Jerk seasoning
Juice of one lime

Marinade shrimp in olive oil, jerk seasoning and lime for 5 minutes. Cook on preheated skillet until opaque, about two minutes each side. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Tortillas

8 tortillas (whole grain is best)

In the same pan you used for the shrimp, warm your tortillas. Cook tortillas on each side for about a minute.

Add 3-4 shrimp per taco and top with the slaw.

***Serves 4. Approx 440 calories and 12 grams of fat for 2 tacos

Thin Crust Barbecue Chicken and Pineapple Pizza

2012-07-05T14:04:00.000-07:00

I love pizza. Quite frankly, I don't know anyone who doesn't. I don't know what it is, but it's all I want to eat lately. I have to fight off cravings left and right and I have to keep reminding myself that I am not pregnant anymore! However, every once and a while it's okay to give in to those cravings. For me, that doesn't mean calling up the local pizza shop though. Cooking at home is always going to be a healthier option. Why, you ask? The answer is simple. When you make it yourself you are fully aware of what you are putting in to your food. The pizza place down the street probably uses full fat cheese and a lot of it. Cooking at home gives you the freedom to lighten things up a little.

The Dough

2 cups of flour
1/4 ounce packet of quick rise yeast
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup of warm water (110 to 125 degrees)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tbsp corn meal

Start by dissolving the yeasts in 3/4 cup of warm water. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes. In large mixing bowl add 2 cups of flour, tsp of salt and tbsp of olive oil. Add in the water with the dissolved yeast. Knead using a dough hook attachment or knead by hand for 5 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 525 degrees. Spray cooking spray on pizza pan and dust pan with 1 tbsp of corn meal.

Flour surface and rolling pin and roll dough to desired thickness, flouring as needed to prevent sticking. Transfer dough to a pizza pan. Once dough is on pizza pan let rise for another 15 minutes and begin topping.

Topping

1/3 cup barbecue sauce
1 1/4 cup part skim mozzarella cheese
1 chicken breast, cooked and chopped
1/2 cup diced pineapple
Thinly sliced red onion (if desired)

Spread barbecue sauce evenly on dough. Top with 1 cup of cheese. Add chicken, pineapple and onions. Top with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.

Bake at 525 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Cut in to 8 slices.
**Approx 202 calories and 4.6 grams of fat per slice

Healthy Morning Smoothie: Blueberry, Green Apple, Spinach and chia

2012-07-03T14:55:00.001-07:00

Smoothies are a great way to start the day. I love blueberries in my smoothies. They are packed full of antioxidants, they help neutralize free radicals, which help fight off disease and aging, some studies show they help fight off belly fat and let's all just be real here, blueberries are delicious. They also really help mask the taste of the raw spinach in this smoothie. Yes, raw spinach. It is so good for you and to be honest doesn't affect the taste of this smoothie whatsoever. This drink also has coconut water in it. Coconut water is extremely hydrating and has tons of electrolytes, if you don't have coconut water, sub purified water, the point of this smoothie is to start your day with antioxidants and hydration.

In a blender combine the following

2/3 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup raw spinach
1 cored green apple
1 tbsp chia seeds
8 ounces of coconut water
Juice of 1/2 lemon
small handful of ice

Blend together until smooth and icy.

*Approx 165 calories and 4.5 grams of fat

Try adding vanilla protein powder to make this a complete breakfast

The World's Healthiest Tamales

2012-07-03T14:13:00.002-07:00

I bought some corn husks a while back and they have been sitting in my pantry for months. To be honest, I thought making Tamales would be a lot more labor intensive than it actually was. Another reason I haven't made them is because most Tamales are made with lard and lots of it. The thought of feeding my family lard really grosses me out and just isn't my style. My blog features delicious healthy food, not waist busting, coronary disaster recipes! So, of course I made a recipe omitting the lard and as a bonus added one of the healthiest super foods out there. Chia seeds. For those of you who don't know what Chia Seeds are, they are a seed native to Mexico with amazing health benefits. These seeds are packed full of fiber, Omega 3's and protein. You can buy them in bulk at your local health food store. I bought mine at Whole Foods. If you live in a small town and don't have access to a place like this, consider buying them online. Every panry in America should have Chia Seeds in them. You can add them to your hot cereal, burgers, meatloaf's, smoothies, juice, water.. the possibilities are endless and the health benefits are amazing.

Making Tamales is about the prep work. You need to make sure your corn husks are soaked, your filling is made and your masa dough is ready. From there it is as easy as rolling them and steaming them. The thing I like about making Tamales is with this recipe you should get about 10-12 tamales. After you steam them you can wrap them up in foil or plastic wrap (husks on) and freeze them for later. When I was a kid, my mom always had Tamales in the freezer, they were the kind from Costco, but my brother and I would just heat them in the microwave for a few minutes and they were good to go. I was the type of kid that thought ketchup belonged on everything, so I would eat them with ketchup... a habit I have found hard to break. :/. The point being, these are great for reheating and really not too diffucult to make.

The Husks

10- 12 corn husks (soaked in warm water for 30 minutes... I soak mine in the sink)

Soak your corn husks in warm water for atleast 30 minutes.

The Masa Dough

2 1/2 cups of Masa de Harina (also known as Harina de Maiz)
1 1/4 cup water
1 15 ounce can of corn (drained, food processed until completely broken up)
1 4 ounce can of green chiles
2 tbsp reconstituted chia seeds (soaked in water for 10 minutes)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3 tbsp corn oil

Reconstitute the Chia Seeds in warm water for 10 minutes. Strain through a mesh strainer and add to. In a blender or food processor blend corn and green chiles until fully broken up. In a large bowl, combine masa, water, corn, green chiles, chia seeds, baking powder, salt and oil. Mix with your hands until ingredients are fully incorporated.

The Filling (I made a chicken filling. You could do pork, beef, or black beans to make it vegetarian)

1/2 pound of chicken breast
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup of reduced fat Mexican blend cheese
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper

Start a pot of boiling water. Add your chicken when the water comes to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Once chicken is fully cooked shred using two forks. In a mixing bowl add shredded chicken, salsa, cheese, cumin, salt and pepper.

The Assembly

Pat corn husk dry and add 3 tbsp of masa. Spread out thinly using your hands and getting close to the edge.

Add 2-3 tbsp of the filling

Roll tamale. Start by folding in the left side, then the right side making sure the masa dough meets in the middle and then fold under the bottom.

Steam for 25-30 over a pot of boiling water (adding water as needed throughout the cooking). Ensure the water does not touch the tamales. You will know the tamales are finished when the husk easily pulls away from the tamale.

Yields 10. Approx 235 calories and 8 grams of fat each.