Skinnytaste

Buffalo Turkey Burgers with Blue Cheese Broccoli Slaw

2012-05-16T10:58:00.000-04:00

Turkey burgers with a cayenne pepper kick! Here's a fun way to turn boring turkey burgers into something with a little more exciting. If you're a buffalo wing fan, you'll love the flavors in this turkey burger topped with a broccoli slaw tossed with my very own homemade blue cheese dressing.

Someone recently emailed me and gave me this idea, she took my zucchini turkey burger recipe and dipped it in hot sauce after. I decided to add it to the turkey meat instead, and figured you can always serve more on the side if you wish!

And by the way, there's carrots in these burgers but I promise, you can't even tell. It's a great way to add more fiber and vegetables into your diet whether it's for yourself or your family.

I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to spicy food, so Frank's hot sauce is perfect for my taste, but if you really like it hot you could use Tabasco or your favorite cayenne hot sauce.

To make these burgers gluten free, you can sub the breadcrumbs for gluten-free oats.

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Grilled Flank Steak with Black Beans Corn and Tomatoes

2012-05-15T11:18:00.000-04:00

This steak dish has a fiesta of flavors, the flank steak is seasoned with cumin and garlic and grilled to perfection, then topped with a fresh black bean, corn and tomato salad for a quick and tasty family friendly weeknight meal.

I love topping grilled meats with fresh salad, a few successful examples of this: Grilled Flank with Tomatoes Red Onion and Balsamic, and Grilled Chicken Bruschetta.

In this Tex Mex version, the flavors can be easily tweaked to suit your family's taste, make it spicy with some chopped jalapenõs, or swap out an ingredient for those picky kids. Enjoy!

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Asparagus Prosciutto Panini with Garlic Mayonnaise

2012-05-14T11:20:00.001-04:00

Melted Swiss cheese, asparagus, proscuitto, arugula and garlic mayonnaise pressed in a ciabatta. Did that just make your stomach growl?

Panini's are the perfect weeknight meal, they come together quickly and you can literally clean out your refrigerator coming up with new variations. If you can make a grilled cheese, you can make a panini, that's how easy it is and you don't need a fancy panini press to make it. Prior to owning a panini press, I used my George Forman grill or you could even use a grill pan on the stove and place an iron skillet on top to press it down.

I grilled the asparagus right on the panini press, so there's no dirtying extra pans. You can make this a meatless Monday by leaving the ham out for 8 pts plus, it will still taste great!

If you are new here, check out my tip on how to make a bigger sandwich for less calories.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

2012-05-12T15:53:00.001-04:00

The perfect ending to a meal is a homemade warm fruit crisp topped with a dollop of whipped cream. Spring rhubarb and strawberries are the perfect combination of sweet and tart and work so well together for this comforting dessert.

So many of you are asking me for rhubarb recipes, so I picked this from the archives and brought it to the top for your convenience. It's a favorite of mine and perfect for this time of year!

Since making Strawberry Rhubarb Compote a few weeks back I've been craving some type of Strawberry Rhubarb cobbler or crisp and the latter won. I can't pass up rhubarb whenever I see it in the farmer's market and lately it's been showing up more frequently in my local supermarket.

I've yet to figure out how to make the perfect low fat whipped cream from scratch, but I found this all natural whipped topping at my organic market called truwhip, with no high fructose corn syrup, no hydrogenated oil, and it's delicious! Their website has a store finder to locate it at a store near you.

If whipped cream is not your thing, I also LOVE eating this with a scoop of frozen yogurt, yum!!

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Iced Green Tea Mojito

2012-05-11T13:31:00.000-04:00

The perfect summer cocktail, a cross between a tall glass of fresh brewed iced green tea and a mojito!! I think this is going to be my signature drink all summer, it's icy cool, and has the added bonus of antioxidant rich green tea.

So simple using ingredients you probably have on hand such as green tea, fresh limes, fresh mint leaves (growing wild in my garden at the moment), baby arugula, and raw sugar (you could use agave or stevia to keep it sugar-free).

Multiply the recipe and make a pitcher for a party, or make them by the glass for a more intimate gathering. I originally saw this on the Kitchn, and tweaked it a bit by adding arugula, an idea I got from a cocktail I had at the Dole Summit.

And for those of you who don't drink alcohol, leave out the rum for a refreshing mocktail.

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Very Berry Banana Fro Yo Shake

2012-05-10T16:17:00.000-04:00

This is a cross between a smoothie and a milk shake using frozen yogurt and fresh fruit. Perfect for a quick dessert, but even good enough for breakfast and takes less than 5 minutes to make.

I recently fell in love with Stonyfield's Organic Vanilla Frozen Yogurt. I can't believe how good it tastes and it's hard to believe it's fat free! If you haven't tried it and are looking for a healthier vanilla ice cream alternative, you'll love it and it has the same live cultures as it's yogurt.

For best results, make sure the bananas are really ripe, the riper the sweeter your shake will be. I like to use frozen bananas, you can even use frozen berries!

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Arugula Salmon Salad with Capers and Shaved Parmesan

2012-05-09T22:32:00.001-04:00

Lots of healthy fats and omegas in this salad! I just returned from the Dole Salads Blogger Summit and of course, all I can think about this week is salad!

So now that I'm back I'm having fun making salads and getting ideas that were inspired from the Salad party!! This was today's dinner, yes I used Dole Arugula of course. I'm on a salmon kick lately and whenever I make salmon for dinner, I usually cook an extra piece for lunch.

I used to bring this salad to lunch when I had a full-time job, the capers compliment the salmon so well and a touch of shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano on top sends my taste buds into a very happy place! An interesting fact I learned from one of the Dole folks, most of their arugula is shipped to NY. That made me laugh because I LOVE the peppery mustard taste of arugula and use it in so many of my salads. If arugula isn't available where you live, you can use mizuna or baby mixed greens.

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Linguini and Shrimp Fra Diavolo

2012-05-08T11:24:00.000-04:00

A quick Italian-American pasta dish with shrimp, tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, basil and capers. The name of this dish says it all, Fra Diavolo, Italian for "Brother Devil" because of the heat from the crushed red pepper flakes. It's easy to make and comes together in about 30 minutes total so it's perfect for a busy week night, you can easily halve it to make less. My husband is a basil lover, but fresh parsley works great in it's place and of course, you can adjust the heat to your taste.

If you are watching your carbs, this is great over spaghetti squash or even a bowl of lightly steamed vegetables. If you are on a gluten-free diet, I love Tinkyada brown rice pasta, it's the closest thing to wheat pasta in my opinion, I even buy it and I have no issues with gluten. I actually prefer the taste to whole wheat pasta.

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Skinny Hummingbird Cupcakes

2012-05-07T08:53:00.001-04:00

These scrumptious hummingbird cupcakes are super moist and light, full of pineapple, chopped bananas, pecans, cinnamon and spices topped off with a sweet cream cheese frosting.

Hummingbird cake first appeared in Southern Living Magazine back in 1978, originally submitted by Mrs. L.H. Wiggins of Greensboro, North Carolina and is known to have won numerous blue ribbons at county fairs. This skinny version does not disappoint! The flavors are reminiscent of a carrot cake, without the carrots and make the perfect Mother's Day dessert!

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Skinnytaste Citrus Margarita Spritzer

2012-05-03T10:27:00.001-04:00

A lighter fresh take on a margarita! Fresh squeezed citrus juice and a splash of seltzer makes this fresh and lighter, with no added sugars! So go ahead, enjoy your margarita (or two) this Cinco de Mayo!!

To make a simple lime salt for the rim of the glass, grate a little lime zest and combine it with a coarse salt. Then use a lime wedge to wet the rim of the glass, then dip it in the salt. This is completely optional!

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How To Make Your Favorite Meals Freezer Ready

2012-05-01T12:14:00.000-04:00

Hi everyone, I'm going on a trip to California this week for the DOLE Salad’tude Summit! Please welcome my guest, Once A Month Mom!

Once A Month Mom is a website that helps you fill your freezer by creating monthly menus using seasonal recipes. And what greater help to someone trying to stay on track in the health and weight department than to have homemade, ready-made meals awaiting them in their freezer? It is the next best thing to fresh! Once a Month mom will show you how to take a few popular Skinnytaste classics and get them freezer ready!

One walk down your grocer’s freezer case and you will find a multitude of items awaiting you. Low-calorie options are available, but even those can be full of preservatives and ingredients that can be unhealthy and add unnecessary calories. Making the food yourself, especially tasty food like you find here on Skinnytaste, ensures that you know the ingredients going into your food and control those ingredients.

And don't worry! Just because you freeze it, doesn't mean you zap all the flavor out of it. Freezing your food also doesn't mean that you have to stick to just casseroles and pastas. There are a world of things that you can prepare easily and freeze just fine. And the food keeps for 1-3 months, so if life gets busy, you don't waste your efforts.

Day in and day out I hear from my readers that one of the most challenging aspects of staying on track with a healthy diet is having healthy meals at the ready when the hunger pangs hit. Isn't this the greatest moment of weakness? When you pull open the drawer, the refrigerator or your purse and find that there is nothing healthy that is going to satisfy your hunger. What happens next? Usually it’s a trip to the vending machine, the "snack cupboard," the drive-thru or your favorite local restaurant. This solves the immediate problem but does nothing for your waistline.

Let’s take a few recipes for example...

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Cheesy Jalapeño Popper Baked Stuffed Chicken

2012-04-30T11:30:00.001-04:00

What happens when you combine Skinny Baked Jalapeño Poppers with chicken??

Oh yeah baby!! Cheesy stuffed chicken breast stuffed with diced jalapeño, cream cheese, cheddar jack cheese, scallions and bacon!

I basically deconstructed my jalapeño poppers and stuffed them into chicken and the results where mouth watering!! I used bread crumbs because I was out of panko, but I think seasoned panko would give these a wonderful crunch like I used on my Skinny Baked Jalapeño Poppers.

I made the serving size a generous two pieces, so a simple vegetable, fiesta lime rice, or a salad on the side would make this a complete meal. Trust me, you won't want to stop at just one!

And those of you on Pinterest, if you want some Skinny Cinco De Mayo inspiration, check out my Cinco De Mayo board!

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Smoky Spice Rubbed Grilled Salmon with Black Beans and Corn

2012-04-26T15:14:00.000-04:00

Grilled salmon steaks rubbed with a spicy blend of smoked paprika, chipotle chili powder, brown sugar, cumin and cocoa powder served with a quick side dish of black beans, grilled corn, cilantro and splash of lime juice.

You will love the spicy smoked flavors of the salmon paired with the sweet corn side with fresh lime and cilantro flavors. This is a complete meal ready in less than 30 minutes.

Salmon is an excellent source of high-quality protein, containing all the essential amino acids and a good source of Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant. When buying salmon, I look for fresh or frozen sustainable wild options such as Alaskan salmon which is raised in pristine waters - it costs a little more but it's leaner than farm raised because the fish are raised in the wild and get more exercise, the meat has a natural red color whereas farmed salmon is artificially colored. Coho, Chum and pink salmon have less fat than King and Sockeye varieties.

To make this quick side dish, I bought frozen grilled corn from Trader Joe's. I know many of you don't have a Trader Joe's near you so fresh grilled corn cut off the cob or regular frozen kernels would work fine too.

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Skinny Buffalo Burger Quesadilla

2012-04-25T11:28:00.000-04:00

100% grass-fed buffalo burgers with melted cheddar jack cheese and pico de gallo wedged in between two whole wheat tortillas. No pink slime in these burgers!!

This was inspired by a lunch I had at Applebee's, although this sandwich is far leaner! Sure, you can make this with lean beef, turkey or even use veggie burgers, but I wanted a fun way to introduce my first buffalo recipe on Skinnytaste.

Did you know that 100% grass-fed meat is leaner than grain-fed meat? The benefits of eating wild buffalo are that it's hormone-free and antibiotic-free, it tastes just like beef only sweeter and it's much leaner. Because the meat is so lean, you have to cook it for less time than you would a fattier ground beef burger or it will become dry and overcooked.

If you would like to try wild buffalo, I am hosting a giveaway on Skinny Bits, which ends this Friday; two lucky winners will get a Wild Idea Buffalo starter kit, go to Skinny Bits for a chance to win! And for those of you who would like to order right away, Wild Idea Buffalo, is giving Skinnytaste fans 20% off their first purchase using this code "WildIdea20" until May 31st.

You can make the pico de gallo yourself, but I cheated and used a pre-made organic brand for convenience. Look for small fajita sized whole wheat tortillas, I used La Banderita which were 2 points plus for two tortillas and I actually took a scissor and trimmed it a bit smaller to fit my burger better, but that's totally optional!

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Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2012-04-23T12:08:00.001-04:00

All the flavors you love from buffalo wings without all the added fat.

Making shredded buffalo chicken in the slow cooker is super easy, anyone can do this and you can use the chicken for everything from wraps and salads, to pizza toppings, sandwiches and more! A great low-carb, gf way I like to eat this is in a lettuce wrap topped with shredded carrots, celery and blue cheese dressing. I used my skinny blue cheese dressing (not included in n.i.) or if you're not a fan of blue cheese, you can use my skinny ranch.

If you're a buffalo chicken fan, you may also like Skinny Buffalo Chicken Dip or Skinny Baked Buffalo Wings.

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Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

2012-04-19T13:00:00.003-04:00

Warning: this smells incredible while it slow cooks all day!

Pulled pork is one of those dishes you can serve all year round. It's perfect for pot lucks or large gatherings because you can feed a crowd without slaving in the kitchen. I came up with this leaner version using boneless pork tenderloin and homemade BBQ sauce which gave me complete control of what was added.

I'm not a fan of pulled pork that is swimming in sauce, so I use just enough to flavor the pork along with the reserved juices of the pork and serve the extra sauce on the side. I found these delicious whole wheat potato rolls, only 100 calories/2 points plus by Martin's. and made a simple slaw with a little vinegar, salt and a touch of olive oil and it was a perfect meal.

I used the smallest loin I could find since I was making this for my family. Depending on the size of your pork loin, you will have to alter how much BBQ sauce to add. Keep in mind the pork shrinks after it is cooked, so you will want to weigh it cooked. I basically added 2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce for every 3 ounces of cooked pork along with some of the reserved juices from the pork. (If your kids don't like BBQ sauce, set some of the pork on the side for them before adding it back to the crock pot)

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Homemade Kansas City Style BBQ Sauce

2012-04-18T14:49:00.001-04:00

Sweet and spicy Kansas City style BBQ sauce made with tomato sauce, honey, molasses, vinegar and spices.

It's so easy to make, simply combine all the ingredients and simmer on the stove for less than 30 minutes and what you end up with is a thick, tangy sauce with the perfect balance of sweet and spice; perfect on chicken, pork or beef.

What I like about making my own sauce is that I can control what goes into it whether it's the amount of heat or sugar. You'd be surprised to learn that most BBQ sauces sold in the supermarket contain high fructose corn syrup. Did you know most brands of ketchup also contain HFCS too? Don't worry, I'm working on a ketchup recipe soon!

Here's a sneak peek at tomorrow's pulled pork recipe using this sauce...

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Asian Cabbage Mango Slaw

2012-04-17T11:33:00.000-04:00

Light, fresh and crisp slaw made with shredded cabbage, carrots, lime juice, rice vinegar and a slightly under-ripe mango topped with sesame seeds. A perfect side to fish, pork and even burgers.

Feels like summer here in New York, I bet a lot of you are firing up your grill, and what's more popular than cole slaw with those burgers and grilled meats! When I make a slaw, I never make the creamy mayonnaise slaw like they sell in the deli with all the sugar in it, I actually despise the stuff! I prefer to keep it light and fresh.

Slightly under-ripe mango's are used in this recipe. In South America, a typical street food snack is under-ripe mango with lime juice and salt. The mango isn't quite sweet yet and the texture is firm which is perfect for cutting the mango into strips for this recipe. You can use red cabbage or white or a combo of both. Sometimes I buy it pre-shredded to save time, it's even great with broccoli slaw! This lasts a few days refrigerated.

Gluten-free, low-carb, dairy-free, vegan and egg-free.
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Zesty Avocado Cilantro Buttermilk Dressing

2012-04-16T11:32:00.001-04:00

This is good stuff! Creamy avocado dressing with a little zing from the jalapeño pepper.

Make a boring grilled chicken salad exciting, use it over greens, on a sandwich, and it even makes a great dip if you use a little less buttermilk. This keeps refrigerated a few days without turning brown.

Low-carb, gluten-free, egg-free, vegetarian and delicious!

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Celery Cilantro Cocktail

2012-04-14T15:20:00.000-04:00

Fresh squeezed lime juice, celery, cilantro and vodka are muddled together with a simple syrup. (I cheated and combined one tablespoon of agave syrup with one tablespoon of water in place of simple syrup)

Lots of you are requesting more cockails so I will be adding a few each month. You my be thinking I lost my mind with this concotion, but I must say, I loved the combination of fresh ingredients in this drink, perfect now that the weather is getting warmer!

I took a food styling/photography class a few weeks ago at the Sweet Paul workshop, what a gift Paul has for making food styling look effortless! Since taking his class I've been following his blog and came accros this cocktail which intrigued me. Today I finally got around to trying it and I loved it! I made some slight adaptions from Paul's original recipe. Enjoy your weekend!

p.s – to make this a mocktail, leave out the vodka and add more seltzer for a total of 2 points plus.

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Skinny Shrimp Salsa

2012-04-12T11:48:00.000-04:00

Shrimp, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion and lime are combined to create a zesty protein rich salsa. Bring this to a party and watch it disappear!

I love making salsa, and often combine whatever I have on hand to make an appetizer no one can resist. This shrimp salsa is low-fat, gluten-free and perfect for low-carb diets, but you can switch it up and add black beans to boost the fiber, or roasted corn to add a touch of sweetness, and even avocado to add some healthy fats. Add more jalapeño to make it spicier and adjust the lime, cilantro and salt to suit your taste. You see where I'm going with this.... the possibilities are endless!

I found these great black bean chips called Beanitos that are high in fiber which makes you feel full longer, low-glycemic, gluten-free and are high in protein, 10 chips are 3 points plus. My husband and daughter love them with guacamole or salsa.

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Grilled Chicken and Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

2012-04-11T10:19:00.000-04:00

Chicken marinaded with lemon, garlic and oregano, then grilled to perfection. Served over a colorful salad with a white balsamic vinaigrette, does it get better than that?

And trust me, you'll never make grilled chicken any other way. This is my favorite marinade for grilled chicken, the longer it marinates the better. You can even freeze the chicken in the marinade when you first buy it, then let it thaw in the refrigerator the day before you are ready to use it.

This recipe was first posted in 2008, I'm slowly re-photographing my older recipes with slight adjustments if needed to bring light to recipes otherwise hidden in the archives. Hope you enjoy!

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Avocado Egg Salad

2012-04-10T11:30:00.001-04:00

Whether you serve this as a wrap, on whole-grain toast or in a lettuce cup, you will love this egg salad that uses half the yolks and lots of healthy fats from the avocado.

I tried a Flat-Out for the first time after hearing your positive reviews about it and loved how easy it was to create a wrap. It tasted great too! If you're on a gluten free diet or looking to use less calories this is also wonderful in a lettuce wrap or why not a hollowed out tomato!

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Asian Edamame Fried Rice

2012-04-09T15:28:00.000-04:00

Make a healthier version of your favorite take-out! I'm a sucker for Chinese fried rice, but who knows how much oil is added when you order it out. Making it yourself is healthier and easy to do.

For this healthy version of fried rice I used brown rice, edamame, carrots, scallions and onions. The beauty about making it yourself is you can add anything you want. If you want to make this a main dish you can add a protein such as chicken, shrimp or even tofu to keep it vegetarian. Or serve this as a side dish with some favorites like Asian Turkey Meatballs, Asian Drumsticks, Asian Grilled Chicken.

Edamame, in case you're not familiar with them are green soybean sold shelled or in the pod in most supermarkets both frozen or ready-to-eat – my two year is crazy about them! I like to buy the shelled ready-to-eat for convenience.

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Eggs and Soldiers with Asparagus

2012-04-05T11:11:00.000-04:00

Strips of whole wheat toast "soldiers" and crisp tender asparagus dipped into a soft boiled egg, if that's not the perfect Spring breakfast, I don't know what is!

Not only is this a quick, affordable, healthy way to start the morning (takes less than 10 minutes), it's also fun dunking your toast strips and asparagus into the yolk.

Eggs yolks used to get a bad rap, but according to the USDA, egg yolks are considered a healthy option because they are high in protein, vitamins and minerals. The nutrients in eggs can play a positive role in muscle strength, brain function, eye health and more.

As a child, I remember having soft boiled eggs for breakfast. My mom would serve it in a cute little egg holders and a mini spoons which is probably what started my obsession with egg holders. Don't you just love them!

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