Spiralized Raw Zucchini Salad with Avocado and Edamame

Fresh, quick and delicious – this salad takes less than 5 minutes to make, start to finish and there's no cooking involved, so it's perfect for the summer because you won't heat up your kitchen!

This salad was inspired by an amazing vegan appetizer I had in Seaside Florida prepared for me by the staff at Raw and Juicy. It was so fresh and simple, I knew I was going to recreate it at home. Rather than dicing the zucchini into perfect little squares, I used my Paderno Spiral Vegetable Slicer  (my all time FAVORITE cooking gadget) and spiralized it instead plus I added some cooked shelled edamame sold in the salad section of my supermarket for protein. The results were fresh and fantastic – a MUST try!

And speaking of summer, as shorter hemlines and bathing suit weather approaches, I want to introduce you to my friend Erin Stutland – a life and fitness coach and the creator of Shrink Session: Tone Your Body, Expand Your Mind. She has been featured in Glamour Magazine, Shape, Daily Candy and more and people all over the world are currently experiencing her work.

Erin and I got together last week in her little NYC kitchen to shoot a quick, fun cooking video to demonstrate just how easy this recipe is. Can you believe this is my FIRST cooking video on Skinnytaste? It's not perfect, but I don't think it's terrible for my first time. I plan on doing some more in the future to get more practice, you check it out here...



Erin is a seasoned pro at making videos, and she has also created a workout that is unlike ANYTHING I have ever experienced before. I say that, because frankly, it doesn’t feel like a workout at all. What makes Shrink Session so DIFFERENT from your average workout is that it will definitely tone your bod, amp up your metabolism and burn fat. But it also helps you step into a more a confident, powerful, rock star part of yourself that you may not be in touch with on a daily basis.

Erin is running a FREE 5 day Say it, Sweat it, Get it Challenge that starts June 2nd. You can sign up HERE. Don't miss it. I have no doubt that you are going to fall in love with the workouts and your body!

Hope you enjoy the recipe – it's vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, clean, and delicious!


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Naked Turkey Bruschetta Burger

Lean, delicious, juicy turkey burgers made with zucchini and topped with a summer garden tomato bruschetta topping over a bed of baby arugula – no bun required!

I thought I would share this fabulous turkey burger recipe from the archives for those of you who may not have tried this.

This dish was inspired by a meal my girlfriend ordered during a girl's night out. I always get inspired when I go out to eat, and created this lighter version which turned out delicious. For the turkey burger, I went with my skinny turkey burger recipe I posted a few years back, it's made with shredded zucchini which gives it lots of moisture and great flavor. They are delicate, so I prefer to make them on a skillet instead of the grill.

This is the perfect summer meal for under 300 calories, especially if you have lots of tomatoes in your garden. You can easily make these vegetarian by using a boca burger or veggie burger of your choice. By the way the lovely fork is by For Such A Time Designs. Hope you enjoy!

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Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps

This is my go-to turkey taco recipe. It's delicious and light – On nights I want to go low-carb, I forgo the taco shells and use lettuce wraps instead!

This is an oldie from the archives, but since I make this so often I thought I would update the photos just in time for taco Tuesday! It's naturally gluten-free, low-carb, and paleo & dairy-free without the cheese and sour cream. I find the outer leaves of Iceberg lettuce makes the best wraps, it's crisp and pliable and the leaves are large enough to make decent size wraps.

Add your favorite taco fixins such as shredded cheddar, light sour cream, chives, black olives, jalapeno, tomatoes or whatever you like on your tacos. The portions are generous, and if you're kids want shells, you can easily bake a few for them and use the same filling.

Making your own taco seasoning is a healthier alternative to buying packaged taco seasoning, and uses less sodium, no sugar, no preservatives and no msg. It also saves you money if you are on a budget. If you prefer to use the package seasoning, simply replace it with the spices listed here.

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Sea Scallops Arugula and Beet Salad

Sweet yellow beets, arugula, goat cheese and sauteed scallops tossed with a honey vinaigrette – this salad is delicious!

A day trip out East inspired this wonderful salad. We spent the day out in Riverhead, Long Island and stopped to eat at a quaint little restaurant overlooking the river called Farm Country Kitchen.  I ordered the scallop and beet salad that was sooo good, I knew I had to recreate it. Sea scallops are really easy to make and take only minutes to prepare. You can use precooked beets to make this quicker, but I just boiled them ahead until they softened. If you prefer roasting the beets, that of coarse would work out fine as well. Once the beets are cooked and cooled, the rest of the salad comes together in less than 15 minutes. You can easily halve the recipe if you are cooking for two!

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Easy Crock Pot Chicken and Black Bean Taco Salad

This simple slow cooker chicken taco salad is high in fiber and protein which means it's very satisfying – all for under 300 calories. Trust me, you won't miss the tortillas!

I'm on a salad kick now that Spring has sprung. Last week I whipped this salad up for dinner, and it was so good and simple I knew I had to make it again to share. I basically added chicken breasts and black beans to the slow cooker, seasoning it with taco seasonings and topped it with salsa. Doesn't get easier than that! A few hours later I shredded the chicken and combined everything for this wonderful topping to this salad.

I also whipped up some of my favorite zesty avocado cilantro buttermilk dressing for the perfect salad that's so satisfying and super easy to make.  Try this for taco Tuesday!

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Skinny Chicken Scarpariello

A lighter take on Chicken Scarpariello that's delicious,and also happens to be gluten-free, low-carb and paleo-friendly. I'm thrilled to share this recipe from my friend Jackie Ourman of CAFE (Celiac and Allergy Friendly Epicurean). I met her last summer at the Big Summer Potluck after tasting her gluten-free coconut cake that was unforgettable! After she shared this chicken recipe with me, I tested it myself and thought it was great – I think you will too!

 

My name is Jackie Ourman, I'm so thrilled to be here on Skinnytaste today. The recipes are amazing and you are some of the best and most engaged readers on any food blog out there. I met Gina last summer and was very inspired by her hard work and genuine nature.  I really appreciate the opportunity she is giving me to connect with all of you here.

I recently graduated from culinary school at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City and completed an internship in the test kitchen at Bon Appétit Magazine. So now, I suppose I can officially say I am a trained chef. Pretty exciting!

However, my most important job is being a mom of 3 incredible young boys. Two of my sons have life-threatening food allergies to peanuts, most tree nuts and sesame. One also has celiac disease and I was recently diagnosed with the same. These issues were overwhelming at first, especially when it came to thinking about what I could feed our family.  You see, I had always been a big food lover but, I began to fear food and mostly the potential it had to harm my children.

I decided to go to culinary school, regain my passion for food and help my children learn to love it despite all of our dietary restrictions.  Once I replaced fear of food with enjoyment again, I decided to share it with others.

Gluten-Free is not a fad for the many people out there who need it for celiac disease or other medical issues. The biggest misconception is it helps you lose weight. As in, “that gluten-free chocolate chip cookie must be healthy, right”? No way! It’s a treat and loaded with sugar, butter and carbs just like any other dessert.

I really appreciate the effort Gina makes to share naturally gluten-free and healthy recipes here on her site. It’s important for all of us to be mindful of the little decisions we make when preparing a meal that can lead to unnecessary calories.

Chicken Scarpariello is one of my favorite Italian dishes. It’s spicy, rich and truly a comfort food. The skinny version is absolutely delicious. I kept the chicken breast on the bone and just pulled off the skin in order to reduce the fat but keep the meat nice and tender. Traditional potatoes were replaced with cauliflower florets. They are strong enough in texture to stand up to the braising process and really enhanced by the seasonings in the dish.

I like things really spicy and this version packs a lot of heat. However, the spice level can easily be modified by reducing the number of cherry peppers, leaving out the extra liquid or even just subbing in red bell peppers and using the light heat from the sausage. Either way, it will still be a very flavorful and rustic dish, which also just happens to be healthy, gluten-free and very allergy friendly. Enjoy!

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Asian Turkey Meatballs With Lime Sesame Dipping Sauce

These Asian inspired meatballs are out of this world! Made with ground turkey, ginger, scallions, cilantro and sesame oil with a wonderful tangy sesame-lime dipping sauce. You can make them for dinner or serve them as an appetizer by making them half their size and setting out toothpicks for dipping into that delicious sauce.

I first posted these meatballs back in 2010 and the quickly became a fan favorite! Often I served them with brown rice or Asian "fried" brown rice, but lately I've been on a zoodle (zucchini noodle) kick and made them for dinner this week served over these zucchini noodles for a low-carb meal and they were fantastic!

To make the zucchini noodles, you'll need a spiralizer (I love my Paderno Spiral Vegetable Slicer) or a mandolin fitted with a julienne blade. You can see my Italian Zoodles and Meatball recipe here for more detailed instructions if you wish to make this as a side, the only difference was here I used sesame oil to cook the zucchini.

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Turkey Meatball Spinach Tortellini Soup

This easy, kid-friendly soup is a great way to warm up on a cold winter night. One large bowl is under 300 calories and is very satisfying.

I love turkey meatballs in my soup. Spaghetti and meatball soup is a regular in my home because my kids love it! I also love making tortellini soup – Spinach Tortellini en Brodo is a winter favorite of mine. This recipe combines the best of both soups and my family loved it. I hope yours does too!

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Perfect Filet Mignon for Two

As a steak lover, I can't think of a better meal to enjoy for Valentine's Day.
Since it can be pricey, I only make it on special ocassions – and Valentine's Day is the perfect occasion! Get sizzling in the kitchen for an easy, Romantic dinner for two.

Filet mignon is the most tender cut of steak you can buy, and doesn't require fancy seasonings – coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper is all you need for a delicious steak that's pan seared then finished in the oven and cooked to perfection! I like mine medium rare, but you can cook it to your taste.

It's practically foolproof if you have a meat thermometer, but you can also use the finger test just in case you don't. This starts on the stove and finishes in the oven, so you'll need a heavy oven-safe non-stick skillet, or cast iron skillet to make this. One thing you should keep in mind is you'll want to bring the meat up to room temperature, so let it sit on the counter at least 30 minutes before you're ready to cook. It's perfect with sauteed or roasted vegetables on the side, here I made a quick sauteed garlic broccolini, but you can also serve it with skinny mashed potatoes.


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Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions

If the thought of a hot sandwich filled with beef,  melted cheese, caramelized onions and peppers served with beef broth for dipping sound appealing, you NEED to make these!

These sandwiches make the perfect game day meal, start this early in the morning because you'll need 9 to 12 hours, depending on the size of your roast. You can even serve them as sliders by serving them on dinner rolls.

Ever since I got my hands on the The Recipe Girl Cookbook: Dishing Out the Best Recipes for Entertaining and Every Day, I've had my eye on this recipe because I love a good French Dip! To be honest, I've never made roast beef in the slow cooker, because I love my roast beef in the oven, cooked to medium rare. But I took a chance because I was curious and made this yesterday. Smelled so good simmering all day and when it was ready I made myself a sandwich… it was awesome!

My husband came home from work hungry and I made him a sandwich, and he LOVED it! I didn't have to do much to her recipe to make it light, I just used whole grain bread (tried with both whole wheat baguette and whole wheat 100 calorie potato rolls) and I used portion control and they were perfectly satisfying. I highly recommend making the onions and peppers, in my opinion they make the sandwich!

I've known Lori (aka Recipe Girl) for quite a few years, we first met on Twitter, then in person a few times and recently spent a weekend away at the Better Blog Retreat in Park City, Utah along with a few other lovely ladies. Lori is pictured on my left.

The recipes in her book are perfect for entertaining and she includes menu ideas from everything from football parties, romantic dinners for two, holiday parties, tailgating parties and more, or you can just serve them up any night of the week.

Because this can make several servings depending on the size of the roast you purchase, and the appetites of your guests I am leaving out the serving size and calculating the nutrition based on one sandwich using a whole wheat baguette.

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Turkey Santa Fe Lettuce Wraps

These Santa Fe turkey lettuce wraps are SO good, you'll WANT to save some leftover turkey just to make them (or leftover chicken breast would work too)!

Have you ever had the Spinach Santa Fe Egg Rolls with the Cilantro Ranch Dipping Sauce from Chili's? They're dangerously good – I don't even want to know how many calories they are. That's where the inspiration for these lighter lettuce wraps came from. The lighting in these photos don't even do them justice.

I actually made my turkey breast in the crock pot last week just so I could have leftovers to create this recipe. I had one for lunch (only 4 WW pp) but since they are so light I think two would be perfect for dinner. If you want to make them Paleo, leave out the beans and add more spinach. I used my Avocado Cilantro Ranch Dressing as my sauce and it was perfect. If you're lazy, you can mash 1/4 avocado into 1/2 cup light ranch dressing instead.

This time of the year is so challenging to eat good. Holiday parties, staying over at relatives, Christmas cookies – I really need will power. So I wanted to create a leftover recipe for turkey that's not just delicious, but also light after a day of indulging on mashed potatoes, gravy, and pumpkin pie.

Some of you were asking me on Instagram how I stay motivated and I thought I would share what I am doing this year to avoid the Holiday weight gain.

1) I just started tracking everything I eat on my Weight Watchers app to help keep me accountable for everything I eat, plus it reminds me to exercise more (such a great app). Some of you may be using My Fitness Pal, that would work too!

2) Yesterday while at the gym, I paid for 10 sessions of personal training. This was my Christmas present to myself, and it was not cheap. I know it will give me that extra push to make the most out of my workouts, especially since I am paying for them.

3) On days I'm too busy to head out to the gym, I started doing the Shrink Session Workout at home. I love Erin Stutland, I met her a few years ago at Fit Bloggin and instantly felt connected to her. She's a coach, fitness expert, former dancer and feels like your BEST friend all wrapped into one. It's different from your average workout (yes you'll tone your body and burn fat) but what it really does, is help you step into a more a confident, powerful, rock star part of yourself that you may not be in touch with on a daily basis. She's doing a free week long challenge called the Say it, Sweat it, Get it FREE Challenge. If it looks like something you could use, sign up and join me (it's free!)

If you have any tips to share on how you stay motivated, I would love to hear it!
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Cheesy Baked Pumpkin Pasta

Whole wheat pasta baked in the oven with a quick pumpkin sauce made with bacon, shallots, pecorino cheese and a touch of rosemary then topped with mozzarella cheese. This is such a great Fall dish and my husband loved how it turned out!

I'm really excited to share this pasta dish, because I finally found a brand of whole wheat pasta that me and my family actually likes. Even my husband couldn't believe it was whole wheat and thought they had to be lying. The brand is Delallo, and I honestly can't say enough good things about them.

It's definitely more of a high end pasta in price, but for me good pasta is worth paying more for. Not only is their pasta 100% whole grain, it's also organic and cut with bronze plates which is always my favorite kind of pasta. But what really gets me excited is they sell their whole wheat pasta in every pasta shape you can think of, from standard spaghetti, linguini and penne, to the more exotic shapes like orecchiette, gemelli and fusilli bucati just to name a few. I found a few of those shapes in my local supermarket, but you can also buy them on their website.

Back to this pasta dish, I wanted to make this quick so I opted for canned pumpkin. But you can make your own homemade pumpkin puree which in my opinion always tastes best! You could also use butternut squash in place of pumpkin if you wish and if you're eating gluten free you can certainly use brown rice pasta.

Canned pumpkin really has no taste, so I added flavor my sauteeing some bacon and shallots, then I added a little fresh rosemary and Pecorino Romano to mimick a pumpkin pasta gnocchi dish I love ordering out, then thinned it out with some chicken broth. My husband just happened to walk in the door when it was ready, and I love getting his opinion because he's brutally honest – and he loved it and even went back for seconds.

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Skinny Tuna Noodle Casserole

Tuna casserole, the quintessential American dish. Perfect for potlucks and under $10 to make. Made with canned tuna, mushrooms, peas and noodles in a creamy sauce (and no canned soup) finished with toasted breadcrumbs – so good!

The first time I tried tuna casserole was back in 2011. Yes, you heard me right! In fact, when I told my daughter what we were having, she warned me she may be eating something else tonight. The good news is we all LOVED it, and I've made it for my family many times since then. Today I decided to give my photos a facelift since this was on the menu.

For those of you who haven't tried this yet, I originally posted this back in 2011 after getting many requests for a lighter version. Now it's become quite popular on my site. You can easily adapt this with different vegetables, swap the tuna for chicken, use whole wheat noodles – no rules to cooking, just have fun with it.

Can't wait to hear what you all think!

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Crock Pot Kid-Friendly Turkey Chili

This one's just for the kiddos (or picky family members)! A mild, kid-friendly chili is made with ground turkey, corn, bell pepper, tomatoes and spices. Top it with your favorite toppings, and serve it with some chips on the side for the perfect, back to school lunch.

My youngest daughter is heading to school next week (Pre-K) and this year she'll be bringing lunch to class for the first time. She doesn't eat sandwiches (neither did my oldest), so I'm going to have to get pretty creative to make sure she's still eating healthy balanced meals. I just ordered this Foogo Stainless steal leak-proof thermos from Amazon, which I also did with my oldest daughter and I'll be filling it with some of her favorite warm meals.

Now I love me some chili, and I'm super excited for the colder weather to make some of my faves like Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili, Turkey White Bean Pumpkin Chili, and Turkey Chili Taco Soup, but for my little one who doesn't like beans... or spicy food, this recipe is perfect (it's also gluten-free). It's super easy to make, I did it in the crock pot, but you can also simmer it on the stove. It makes 5 adult size servings, and you can easily double the recipes and freeze it for future freezer-friendly meals.

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Taco Stuffed Zucchini Boats

For a summer spin on taco night, try these zucchini stuffed with ground turkey, seasoned with cumin and spiced and topped with a blend of Mexican cheese – cheesy goodness!!

I actually got the inspiration for this dish from a comment I read on my sausage stuffed zucchini boats, I love when you guys give me new ideas! They turned out so good, and will be a part of my summer rotation.

As part of the Target Inner Circle, I got this very large casserole dish from Target's FEED USA collection. Target partnered up with FEED USA, and with every purchase you make from them, you help provide meals to children and families across America – such a great cause! By purchasing this dish you will provide approximately 20 meals for children and families across America. I always try to do my part and donate to the food pantry at my local church and to other organizations, but this another great way to help. They have everything from bags, to lunch bags, t-shirts, jewelery and lot of great kitchen items I want to go back and purchase. Back to the recipe – these are low-carb and gluten free, and made with nothing but clean ingredients so you can enjoy two pieces without the guilt!

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Chipotle Lobster and Avocado Wrap

Chipotle lobster salad with avocado, scallions, cilantro and lettuce on a whole wheat wrap – fabulous!!

A few weeks ago I grabbed a bite at Lenny's clam bar with my husband and daughter and we ordered the special – the chipotle lobster avocado burrito. It was SOOO good I HAD to recreate a lighter version of it myself.

I don't eat lobster often because it's not cheap, but I love it and like to treat myself once in a while, especially in the summer. I went to my local fish market and bought a 2 pound lobster and had them steam it for me (I personally don't love cooking live lobsters). All the fish markets near me steam them for you for the same price as buying it live. This yielded enough lobster meat for 4 servings.

Then I tossed the lobster with lemon juice, a little light mayo and yogurt to make it creamy and added some chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to give it a little kick. Tossed in some chopped scallion and fresh cilantro and the lobster salad was delicious.

I wrapped it on a whole wheat tortilla with avocado and lettuce (you can lower the carbs and make it gluten free by turning this into a lettuce wrap) and had myself a fabulous lunch over a bed of greens.

If you want to make a lunch to impress or even a light dinner, this is the perfect wrap!

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The Best Grilled Portobello Mushroom Burgers

I set out to make a great tasting grilled portobello mushroom burger that even a meat lover would love. The mushrooms are marinated then grilled and topped with melted Swiss Cheese, grilled red onion,  tomatoes, spinach, and avocado – yum!!

The only thing my husband said would make these burgers better is adding bacon... maybe next time.
I wanted to give the mushrooms a meaty flavor, so I marinated them with balsamic, soy sauce and Montreal steak seasoning. These were so good, perfect for meatless Mondays or any night of the week.

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Grilled Salmon Kebabs

These lovely grilled salmon and lemon kabobs are delicious and easy to make – with mega omegas in every bite! Seasoned with fresh herbs, lemon, and spices and grilled to perfection.

This was last night's supper, it was a beautiful night and we ate outdoors, oh how I love summer! I served this with a great big garden salad and everyone loved them – including my 3 year old which was a happy surprise for me.

I have so much oregano growing in my garden and I'm always looking for ways to use it. I came across this recipe on Bon Appetit and was intrigued because I would never think to combine cumin and oregano with sesame seeds. I also loved how the lemon sliced looked between each cube of salmon. This was fantastic and I plan on making lots of variations of this all summer long.


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Grilled Thai Sweet and Spicy Shrimp Pizza

Move over hot dogs, this sweet and spicy shrimp grilled pizza made with my Bangin' Good Shrimp recipe is so good!

I've had my eye on Archer Farms thin crust pizza crust for a while and thought it would be perfect to make on the grill, so when Target's A Bullseye View asked me to create a guest post for their blog, I knew exactly what I wanted to make.

Being part of the Target Inner Circle I get to attend some really fun events. A few weeks ago Target set up a life sized dollhouse in the middle of Grand Central Station decorated with their Threshold home collection, how COOL is that??!

It was incredible to see this giant dollhouse in the middle of one of the busiest places in NYC!

My favorite part was their outdoor area, especially their ottomans and tables. When I went to Target to pick up all the ingredients for this pizza, I found this adorable bistro table on sale for $199 and picked up some Threshold lanterns, pillows and ottomans... LOVE!!

These ottomans make the backyard feel like an extended part of my home. But more about the pizza, for 8 servings it's just under 300, or 8 weight watchers points plus each. If you want to try this yummy pizza recipe, head on over to A Bullseye View for the full recipe.

Servings: 8 • Size: 1/4 pizza • Old Points: 6 pts • Weight Watcher Points+: 8 pt
Calories: 293 • Fat: 9 g • Carb: 30 g • Fiber: 1 g • Protein: 21 g • Sugar: 2 g
Sodium: 388 mg • Cholest: 96 mg