Posts Tagged ‘Recipe’
Perfect Portions
Posted on: August 20, 2010
- In: Health | Recipes
- 2 Comments
So I wasn’t really into the Jillian Michaels brownies I made 😦 . Quite sad, I was hoping for a good healthy brownie! Other people who have tried this have liked it, though. Both blogger, Pretend Cook, and one of the teenage foster girls I work with really liked them so maybe my taste buds are just on strike.
Sad, they look so good. What a tease!
For dinner I made Garlic-Chile Flank Steak, originally from Eating Well Magazine. It was REALLY good and I didn’t over cook it (this is a big deal for me with steak)!
Steak and veggies
Tender + Juicy = Eat Me!
Did you notice the lack of potatoes to go with my steak and the massive amounts of green on my plate? I hope so! I’m working on eating the right portions so I’ve decided to do two things for every plate of dinner I eat:
- At least half of it will be filled with veggies
- The other half will be home to the animal protein and grain.
- Each serving of meat I eat will be no larger than a deck of cards (which is the recommended portion size)
These rules are pretty easy to follow and they really do help me get the amount of each type of nutrient I’m supposed to have. Some grains and protein and lots and lots of veggies! I’m lucky I’ve always been a vegetable lover!
Questions for You:
Do you like veggies? If so, what’s your favorite veggie dish and how do you make it? If you don’t like veggies, how do you find ways to sneak them into your diet?
You May be Interested in:
Making Sense of Portion Sizes – MealsMatter.org
How to Avoid Portion Size Pitfalls to Help Manage Your Weight – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
10 Ways to Control Portions – About.com
Hummus Stuffed Chicken Breast
Posted on: August 14, 2010
- In: Health | Recipes
- 3 Comments
Hummus adds creamy garlic flavor (and protein!) to breaded chicken cutlets.
I tried this recipe from Sabra.com last night. It was such a quick and easy recipe that turned out to be awesome! It’s even boyfriend approved 😉 He was wondering what my “special sauce” was. Who knew hummus could disguise itself so deliciously well! Try this out on a day you’re not feeling too up to a complicated meal–you can whip this one up quickly and easily. Even better, stuff them the night before work so all you have to do is throw them in the pan when you get back. Almost a pre-made meal!
What you need:
- ½ cup Sabra hummus (choose your favorite variety)
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5-6 ounces each, tenderloins removed)
- 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 4 large eggs, egg whites only
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1½ cups bread crumbs, Panko are the best
- Salt and pepper to taste
- â…“ cup olive oil
What you do:
- Place trimmed chicken breast in a large, Ziploc, plastic bag. Pound with a meat pounder or a rolling pin until ¼ inch thick. Repeat with all chicken breasts, each breast should be about 8 inches long and 6 inches wide.
- Lay the chicken breasts smooth side down on work surface and season with salt and pepper. Spread evenly about 2 tablespoons hummus on the chicken breasts leaving about ½ inch border all around. Roll each chicken breast and wrap each rolled breast in a sheet of aluminum foil (or plastic wrap works also). Twist the ends like a candy wrapper and chill in the refrigerator about 45 minutes.
- Heat oven to 400° degrees. Using 3 pie plates (or shallow dishes) pour the flour in one, lightly whisk the egg whites and water in the other and place the breadcrumbs in the other. Unwrap the chicken breasts and using tongs, roll in the flour (shake off excess), then submerge in the egg whites (let the excess drip off) and then finally place in the breadcrumbs, use your fingers to press the breadcrumbs so that they stick.
- Heat 1/4-cup olive oil in a large non-stick skillet until shimmering, about 4 minutes. Place the rolled chicken breasts in the oil, seam side down. Cook until golden, about 2 minutes on all sides. Put the chicken breasts (seam side down) in a baking dish and cook about 15 minutes or until thermometer registers 160 degrees. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Using a sharp knife, slice on a bias into 4 or 5 pieces. I like to serve this dish with a side of vegetables, such as sautéed Spinach-see below, or a side of rice for a more filling meal.
- In: Clean Eating | Health | Recipes | South Beach
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Made a really good dessert last night that took literally 30 seconds to make.
All you need is store-bought chocolate peanut butter (or make your own) and strawberries. Scoop some peanut butter into a bowl, zap it in the microwave for 30 seconds, dip your strawb, place in mouth, melt.
Skinny indulgence in a jar
Good nutrition, check! Wholesome ingredients, check! (Double Click to check it out for yourself!)
Easy peasy dipping "sauce"
So good, how could this have protein and antioxidants in it?
*Suitable for Phase 2 of South Beach Diet
Question:
What’s your go-to quick dessert?
Thai Chicken Stir Fry
Posted on: August 12, 2010
- In: Clean Eating | Health | Recipes
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I made this tonight (with my new All-Clad saute pan!!! I looove it) and it’s definitely one of my favorite dishes. Very filling, flavorful, and full of protein and veggies! Those of you who don’t like it hot might want to omit the red pepper flakes and chili sauce but beware, it probably won’t taste as good!
Stir crazy: in progress
Tasty Thai: Success!
What You Need:
| 1 cup | Quinoa |
| 2 cups | Chicken stock |
| ¼ cup | Low sodium soy or tamari sauce |
| 2 tablespoons | Oyster sauce |
| 1 tablespoon | Fish sauce |
| 3 tablespoons | Sweetener (I used sucanat) |
| 3 tablespoons | Peanut Oil |
| 1 | Vidalia Onion, halved and sliced into strips |
| 1-1 ½ lbs | Chicken, cubed |
| 5 cloves | Garlic, minced |
| ¼ cup | Chili sauce |
| 2 | Bell Peppers |
| 1 cup | Baby bella mushrooms, sliced |
| 1 cup | Sprouts (Any kind but soy sprouts have tons of protein) |
| 3 | Plum tomatoes, cut into eighths |
| 1 ½ cups | Fresh basil leaves (Thai is best but I used Genovese) |
| Ground pepper | |
| Red pepper flakes | |
| 1 | Lime (or lemon) |
What You Do:
- Prepare quinoa (Rinse quinoa to remove bitter coating, boil the chicken stock, pour in quinoa, simmer until moisture is absorbed)
- In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sweetener. Set aside.
- Heat peanut oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add onions and chicken.
- When onions are fragrant, add garlic and chili sauce and stir for 1 minute.
- Add bell peppers, mushrooms, sprouts, tomatoes, and basil and stir-fry until soft.
- Turn heat down to medium and add ground pepper and red pepper flakes. Squeeze lime directly over ingredients in pan.
- Serve stir fry over a bed of quinoa and a few spoonfuls of sauce from the pan. Enjoy!
Question for the Foodies:
What’s your favorite grain?
Mine is quinoa. I love the texture and the fact that it’s protein packed. Mix it with veggies and you have an easy, well-rounded dinner! I just bought hard red wheat berries today so I’ll be trying those in a recipe for the first time soon. Stay tuned!
May Be of Interest:
Dan’s Mexican Breakfast Sandwich
Posted on: August 9, 2010
- In: Health | Recipes
- 2 Comments
Dan is really good at throwing together a meal off the top of his head. He isn’t really into recipes and what he makes is usually so amazing it boggles my mind that he could have winged it! What he makes is usually pretty simple to create and fast too. Wish I could cook like him!
When I came back from my walk down to Lake Champlain this morning, he was making something that looked so yummy and delicious, I had to let you all know about it.
The Egg and Cheese Pack on the Protein
Our kitchen is so small, poor Dan had to deal with me watching his every move. I wanted to know exactly how to make it!
And I did!
What You Need (for each sandwich):
- 1 Whole grain Arnold’s sandwich thin
- 1 egg
- Salsa
- Reduced fat sour cream
- Reduced fat cheese of your choice
- Salt
- Pepper
What You Do:
- Sprinkle some cheese on one half of the sandwich thin and place on a griddle (or pan) on medium heat/350 degrees until the cheese melts. Place the sandwich thin on a serving plate.
- Make an egg sunny side up.
- Spread a spoonful of sour cream on the other half of the sandwich thin and place the egg on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Spread a spoonful of salsa on top of the cheese.
- Unite the two halves and enjoy!
Shrimp and Zucchini Barley Risotto
Posted on: August 8, 2010
- In: Clean Eating | Health | Recipes
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I’ve always liked risotto, except for the rice. Which I know doesn’t really make sense since rice is pretty much the main ingredient. So you can guess how excited I was when I came upon this recipe for Shrimp and Zucchini Barley Risotto on pbfingers.com which she borrowed from health.com. Just like Julie (from Peanut Butter Fingers), I served it over a bed of steamed broccoli.
It smelled and tasted so good and was surprisingly creamy given that there was only a small amount of butter and some parmesan cheese in it. Dan and I had just one serving and we were full.
Mmmmmmm
(Makes four 1-cup servings)
What You Need:
- 3 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups chopped zucchini
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 cup lightly pearled barley
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
What You Do:
1. Bring broth to a simmer in a medium saucepan; keep warm.
2. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add barley; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3. Stir in 1 cup broth; cook 5 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring frequently. Stir in 1/2 cup broth and salt. Add remaining broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes). Add shrimp; cook 4 minutes. Stir in cheese, butter, and pepper.
Nutritional Information: Calories 387, Fat 9g, Protein 26g, Carbs 52g, Fiber 10g, Cholesterol 97mg, Iron 3mg, Sodium 653mg, Calcium 200mg
World’s Healthiest Foods: Barley – WHFoods.org
7 Healthy Risotto Recipes – Health.com
“Pumpkin Pie” Steel Cut Oats
Posted on: August 5, 2010
- In: Clean Eating | Health | Recipes | South Beach
- Leave a Comment
Feel Like You're Cheating, but You're Not!
I just threw together the yummiest breakfast food; It tastes like pumpkin pie but you’re really being quite healthy! Steel cut oats have so much fiber in them and they are whole grains. The spices and pumpkin add antioxidants into the mix and the Splenda is calorie free. And it’s filling too. PERFECT, right?
Here’s What You Need:
- Canned Pumpkin (Which is already cooked. I didn’t know that before researching it!)
- Splenda or whatever sweetener you want
- Pumpkin pie spices (I used just cinnamon and nutmeg but you could use anything you want)
- Vanilla Extract
- Steel Cut Oats
Here’s What You Do:
- Cook steel cut oats according to the directions. My box said to boil 3 cups of water, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt, add 1 cup of oats, simmer and cover. Then stir occasionally for 10 (al dente) to 20 (creamy) minutes. Let sit for 2 minutes. It didn’t say to strain it but I did since there was some water left.
- Scoop 1 cup of oats into a bowl and save the rest for later (cold oats are yummy).
- Add 1/2 cup pumpkin, 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract, a packet of splenda (or two packets of regular sugar), and several shakes of spices.
- ENJOY!!
Let me know what you think.
Of Possible Interest:
Health Benefits of Pumpkin – Suite101.com
Spices and Herbs, Unexpected Sources of Antioxidants – HealthCastle.com
Top Fresh and Dried Herbs and Spices for Antioxidants – Eating Well Magazine
Desserts for a Healthy Lifestyle!
Posted on: July 26, 2010
Two clean cookie recipes and a raw (that means no bake!) blueberry tartlet. I can’t eat these yet (starting phase 2 of South Beach tomorrow) but man am I looking forward to it!
Speedy Chili
Posted on: July 25, 2010
- In: Health | Recipes | South Beach
- 2 Comments
Simple and easy recipe for a simple chili! Takes about 20 minutes tops to make this and it’s chock full of veggies too. Fills you up!
Serves 6
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound ground turkey
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 green pepper, chopped
- 2 8 ounce cans of tomato sauce (2 cups)
- 1 16 ounce can of kidney beans (2 cups)
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 tsp of chili powder (I like a bit more)
Preparation:
- In a medium saucepan, cook together onion, green pepper, and meat until it is lightly browned. Spoon off excess fat and throw away.
- Stir in tomato sauce ; cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
- Stir in kidney beans and salt. Cook until heated through.
- Stir in chili powder.
- Enjoy!
A Healthier Twist on Shrimp Scampi
Posted on: July 25, 2010
- In: Health | Recipes | South Beach
- 1 Comment
This dinner is so quick and easy to make but it tastes like you slaved away for hours!
Since cream is swapped out for olive oil, this garlic shrimp, broccoli, and fettuccine dish won’t leave you feeling sick like the usual heavy creaminess of scampi does. And I think it tastes better!
4 Servings (dinner for two people)
Ingredients
| Half package | Fettucine, preferably whole grain! *You can also use a quinoa-corn blend. See my comment below for the link* |
| 1 pound | Shrimp, peeled, deveined, de-tailed, and cut in half |
| ½ cup | Extra Virgin Olive Oil |
| ¼ cup | White Cooking Wine |
| 4 cloves | Garlic, minced |
| 1 | Lemon (juice of) |
| 2-3 | Garlic cloves |
| 2 | Broccoli crowns, chopped |
Preparation
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, and transfer to a large serving bowl.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the olive oil and white wine in 9×13 inch glass baking dish with broccoli and place in oven.
3. Stir the shrimp, garlic, and lemon juice into the baking dish. Return dish to oven. Bake for 3 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven, and season with salt, pepper, and Romano cheese; continue baking until shrimp are opaque, about 2 minutes longer.
5. Spoon the shrimp and sauce over the linguini, and toss to coat the pasta. Serve immediately.
Ingredients
|
Half package |
Fettucine |
|
1 pound |
Shrimp, peeled, deveined, de-tailed, and cut in half |
|
½ cup |
Extra Virgin Olive Oil |
|
¼ cup |
White Cooking Wine |
|
4 cloves |
Garlic, minced |
|
1 |
Lemon (juice of) |
|
2-3 |
Garlic cloves |
|
2 |
Broccoli crowns, chopped |
Healthy Balance, Healthy Life 