Healthy Baked Fish Sticks with Lemon Caper Sauce

 
Making fish sticks from scratch is quick and easy. Once you try them, you'll never go back to prepackaged frozen sticks again!

Firm meaty cod fish holds it's shape perfectly during baking, and to get a crisp golden flavorful crust I combined panko crumbs with a little Old Bay and spices to get a faux-fried coating without the need to deep fry. I'm a dipper, I love dipping my food in condiments, and was really happy with how this lemon caper sauce turned out – you can really taste the fresh chives and lemon, which is the perfect compliment to the fish.

Although there's nothing like catching your own fish, that's not always possible. So when purchasing seafood, I always look for sustainable options, whether it's fresh or frozen. The first time I heard the term "sustainable seafood" was a few years back in San Francisco at an Alaska Seafood cooking demonstration where I learned that unlike many of the world’s other fish populations, Alaska’s are managed for protection against overfishing ensuring a healthy, wild and sustainable harvest for our future generations. So when I see the Alaskan Seafood label, I know I'm making a sustainable choice. I also have the (free) Seafood Watch App on my phone which I LOVE and always refer to before purchasing fish. It's simple to follow – you simply type the name of the fish and it gives you a green, yellow or red dot, plus suggestions for good alternatives. It's also a great idea to talk to your fish monger!

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Cauliflower Fritters

This is a delicious way to prepare cauliflower. It's similar to the taste of a potato pancake and makes a fabulous side dish – your kids will love them!

My Sicilian friend Julia is a wonderful cook. I remember the first meal I ate in her NYC apartment; lamb chops and fried cauliflower which she calls broccoli a pasteta. She joked that day you can fry a sponge and it would taste good – she's probably right. These are a lightened version of her recipe, made with Pecorino Romano, parsley, egg, garlic, white whole wheat flour and just enough oil to saute them in a pan.

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Crock Pot Carne Guisada (Latin Beef Stew)

Slow cooked Latin beef stew with baby red potatoes and Latin seasonings. Serve this topped with fresh aji picante – it's is a must and really brightens the flavors and rounds out the dish!

Last week I was on a cruise to the Bahamas from New York having fun in the sun. I was hoping to return to Spring weather but so far March is starting off really cold in New York. This Latin beef stew is the perfect way to warm up and it's a favorite in my home. A bit different than traditional beef stew because the meat and potatoes simmer with light beer, scallions, garlic, tomatoes, cumin, achiote (also known as annato) and spices. If you can't find achiote which is traditionally used in Latin cuisine and can be purchased at any Latin market or on Amazon, no worries, you can use Badia Sazon or even sweet paprika instead. If you prefer to make this without beer, you can replace it with water, it will still taste great.

I usually make it on the stove, but with some minor adjustments I was able to make this in the slow cooker. If you don't have a slow cooker you can see the stove top recipe here. Pictured here I served this over brown rice with some avocado on the side. 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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PB & J Healthy Oatmeal Cookies

Made with just just 4 ingredients – bananas, oats, peanut butter and jelly, these cookies are meant to eat warm right out of the oven for a fun spin on my 3-ingredient healthy cookie recipe.

I'm so addicted to making these cookies. Whenever my bananas are over-ripe, I whip up a batch which takes only minutes. These are best when the bananas are super ripe as their natural sweetness is what's used to sweeten the cookies. Keep in mind they aren't crisp like a dessert cookie. Instead these are moist and chewy and best eaten warm, right out of the oven. They are great as an afternoon snack or healthy enough to have for breakfast if you wish. You can easily make half the portion with just 1 banana if you want to make less.

I've made them with walnuts which tasted like banana bread, I've tried them with chocolate chips which so yummy! This time I decided to switch things up and see what happens if I add some chunky peanut butter to the batter and top them with reduced sugar jelly – yum!
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Crock Pot Balsamic Pork Roast

I love making pork in the slow cooker, it's so easy and literally falls apart once cooked. Here it's cooked with balsamic and honey which gives it a slight tang that I thought was lovely.

Whenever I happen to see a small pork roast in the supermarket, I always pick one up because I know it's an easy dinner. I usually find myself gravitating to the Slow Cooker Kalua Pork each and every time because it's so good and easy to make, but I wanted to switch things up and came across a slow cooker recipe for this balsamic pork recipe on Add A Pinch.

I met Robin just a few months ago while I was in Oregon so I was happy to try one of her recipes. This was so easy to make, and although my husband generally isn't much of a balsamic fan, my toddler and I thought it was great! This recipe is slightly modified from her original but for the most part I followed it pretty close.

I served this with Broccoli and Cheese Twice Baked Potatoes but this would also be great with Roasted Parmesan Green Beans.

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Easy Macaroni Casserole

This easy baked pasta dish is made with whole wheat elbows, ground turkey, veggies, marinara sauce and cheese. I can't say enough good things about this casserole! It's comforting, kid-friendly and so easy to make because there's no need to pre-cook the pasta!

I come from the school of having to cook your pasta in plenty of water, so when someone kindly shared this recipe with me, I won't lie, I was skeptical! But I loved the outcome, and since then I've made it a few times over tweaking it to my taste and we love it!

And the whole wheat elbows from DeLallo - I'm so impressed with their taste! In fact, I like their pasta so much that I am partnering up with them this year as a brand sponsor. If you've been following me for a while you'll know that my family and I don't like the taste of whole wheat pasta. But that completely changed when I tried DeLallo, and my kids and husband liked it too!

I used whole milk mozzarella on top because the points didn't change by using reduced fat, and I love my cheese melted and gooey, but you can use whichever you prefer.

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Three Cheese Tortellini and Mushroom Soup

I'm working on my manuscript edits this week for my upcoming cookbook, so I thought I would share this delicious soup from the archives!

This is one delicious bowl of soup! Warm and satisfying, with tortellini in every bite. Top this with some fresh shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and you'll experience a wonderful unami taste sensation.

Soup is the perfect one pot meal. Vegetarians can swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth (also perfect for Meatless Mondays). Using the rind from the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese is optional, but if you have it I recommend using it, it adds so much depth and flavor.

And a little nutritional tidbit about mushrooms, courtesy of registered dietician, Heather K Jones. This veggie has achieved superfood status and with good reason. It’s loaded with important vitamins and minerals, including heart-protecting copper, B vitamins and antioxidants. These fabulous fungus come in a lot of different varieties and are very versatile. 

Heather has generously offered to provide nutritional tidbits on lots of the fruits and vegetables I use in my future recipes. Call me a geek, but I love knowing what I'm eating is not only delicious, but is benefiting my health as well.

I'm sure most of you know I am currently working on my first cookbook, but I'm not sure if you all know that Heather K Jones is working with me on this book. Heather is a great asset to Skinnytaste and has written and contributed to many books for Self, Prevention, Good Housekeeping, and more. She is my go-to person when I have a nutritional question and has posted some great articles on Skinny Bits including The Skinny On Sweeteners. 

For those of you who don't like mushrooms, you can certainly swap them for a vegetable you like, or try this Spinach Tortellini en Brodo recipe. Enjoy!


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Chicken Pot Pie Soup

The taste of chicken pot pie, in a soup!

It's a blizzard here today and I'm snowed in! No worries, I have all the ingredients to make this soup and I thought I would share this popular recipe from the archives for those of you who are new followers. Hopefully you'll be inspired to make it this week for your family, trust me you'll be glad you did!

Chicken pot pie is ultimate comfort food and this creamy, chunky soup is loaded with chicken, potatoes, mushrooms, peas, carrots, corn, celery, onions and green beans in every bite. You can modify this with the vegetables you like to suit your taste. If you want to get fancy, you can serve this in hollowed out bread bowls or serve it with cut-out baked pie crust (extra points), but I often make them with these Easy Garlic Cheddar Biscuits.

This recipe requires cooked chicken breast. If you have raw chicken, poach 3 breasts in water for 15 minutes, then remove and dice into bite-sized pieces. This soup is super filling! One cup fills me up, but if you want a larger serving, I posted nutritional info for a larger bowl as well.

Leftovers make a great lunch!!

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Dad's Creamy Cauliflower Soup

We're getting some cold weather here in New York for Autumn, temperatures are in the thirties – a perfect day for soup. This recipe is an oldie but goodie, one I make quite often and grew up eating as a kid and since I was making it today, I thought I would highlight it for those of you who haven't tried it.

Both my parents loved to cook and no doubt that has rubbed off on my brother and I. My Dad's style of cooking was very different from my Mom's since he was born in Prague, Czech and she was born in Colombia. As you can imagine, the meals we group up with were pretty eclectic, but one of the simplest recipes my Dad made was this soup.

As a kid, we had a cup of homemade soup almost every night before dinner. I wasn't always happy about this, because believe it or not, I was pretty picky. But on the night's we had this soup, I never complained. 

My father lost his vision a few years ago, so sadly he no longer cooks. But thankfully he is still with us, and I've been trying to learn some of the dishes he once cooked. This one is EASY, only 5 ingredients and you have yourself a warm, delicious bowl of soup that is so light you can serve this as a first course for dinner or with a half sandwich for lunch.

There is no cream added, the silky texture is simply from pureeing it.  Dad used water and chicken bouillon which I often do (I use Better Than Bouillon) but here I used chicken broth instead; use whatever works for you. Sometimes I add some diced carrots, or even celery – there are no rules here.

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Cauliflower Tots

If you need a way to get your family to eat more vegetables, give these a try. These kid-friendly cauliflower tots are so good, they won't realize they are eating cauliflower. They are great as a side dish and are easy to make. 

Last year I fell in love with zucchini tots, and since adapted the recipe using cauliflower instead during the colder months when zucchini isn't in season. I also had issues with them sticking to my mini muffin pan, and found making them on a non-stick baking sheet the perfect solution. My older daughter loves these, but my toddler still prefers to eat her vegetables raw (go figure!). I plan in trying these with broccoli next, will let you know how they turn out!
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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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Candy Corn Fruit Parfaits

A delicious Halloween treat that's light and easy to make. If you need an idea for a healthier Halloween dessert at your next party – look no further!

Confession: I strongly dislike candy corns. As a kid I was always disappointed to find them in my trick or treat bag. But candy corns are such great inspiration for Halloween treats and decorations, I just had to share this.

You basically layer orange and yellow fruit in clear cups and top with whipped cream. I used mandarin oranges and pineapple because I love the combination, but you can also use mangos, melon, oranges – whatever. These cute little jars I found in Homegoods are perfect to use as cups, but you can use clear disposable plastic cups if you are having a party.

For a whipped topping that is lighter than the average whipped cream yet not full of "fake" ingredients I've been making this light whipped topping by whipping my cream and folding in Greek yogurt. Cuts the fat down and tastes delicious!

If you prefer to use whipped topping, go for it or if you want to have this for breakfast I say just top it with vanilla yogurt. But for dessert – I wouldn't change a thing! Hope you try this, you will LOVE it!!


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Stuffed Pepper Soup

Bell peppers, chopped tomatoes and lean ground beef are simmered in broth with onions and garlic, then topped with brown rice – everything you love about stuffed peppers, in a soup!

I love soup weather – and the convenience of a making a big pot of soup that can serve as several meals. I first posted this recipe back in 2011 and it's been a huge hit with everyone, including both of my kids –  they just loved it! I decided to make a pot this weekend and gave this a photo makeover.

This is a hearty bowl of soup that will fill you up and warm you on a chillynight. I guess you can call this a lazy stuffed pepper because it tastes just like a stuffed pepper without all the extra work. Topped with brown rice it's a satisfying meal. Heck, if you wanted you could even make this with ground turkey, and top it with shredded cheese. Have fun with this one!

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Embarrassingly Easy Crock Pot Salsa Chicken Thighs

This is the EASIEST slow cooker recipe EVER! Just TWO ingredients: salsa and chicken plus some spices makes a delicious juicy chicken that can be used in tacos, over rice, over salad and more!

After coming back from a long weekend away in Park City, Utah and no real plans for dinner, I was desperate for something quick and easy. Scouring my fridge and pantry I had some boneless skinless chicken thighs and some chunky salsa, so I threw them in my crock pot along with some spices and crossed my fingers.

What emerged was a delicious, juicy chicken which shredded wonderfully after a few hours of slow simmering – and bonus my husband and daughter enjoyed it!

Last night we had them as tacos with all the fixins, and for my youngest, I served hers over rice. Today I was in the mood for a salad bowl like I often get at Chipotles and simply added some tomatoes, corn, shredded cheese and avocado and it was wonderful. This filling can be used so many ways, and it's too easy not to try. If you make it with chicken breast, you can reduce the cook time to about 2 to 3 hours on low. Use it however you like, tacos, salad, enchilada filling, anything I haven't thought of please share!


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Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Breakfast Cookie

Oats, ripe bananas and chocolate chips – these healthy, "breakfast" cookies are chewy and delicious, and made with just three ingredients.

I was craving chocolate this morning, and decided to whip up a batch of these yummy cookies for breakfast (I ate 4 cookies, for 4 points). Some of you may recognize them, in the past I made them with walnuts in place of chocolate chips.

I would never eat cookies for breakfast, but these are made with healthy ingredients – oats, bananas, and a handful of chocolate chips (antioxidants, right?) with no added sugar or flour. If you wanted, you could replace the chocolate chips for cocoa nibs, raisins, craisins, whatever! Perfect for breakfast, snack or any time you crave a sweet healthy treat. And these are nut-free, gluten-free and egg free so they are perfect for different diet restrictions.

The riper your banana the better, so make these when your bananas are almost black and freckled with dark spots.

I personally think these are best eaten warm, right out of the oven. They taste almost like mini banana bread muffins, the texture is soft and chewy, not crisp like a dessert cookie. If you're expecting a crispy cookie you would keep in your cookie jar – you WILL be disappointed. But if you have a very ripe banana hanging around your counter, and you are craving chocolate... make these! You will be happy you did.

If you want more of a "traditional" oatmeal cookie recipe, then try my Low Fat Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies instead... but I wouldn't eat them for breakfast.

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Skinny Mini Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

These mini pumpkin spiced muffins are made light with pumpkin puree and egg whites and loaded with chocolate chips in every bite!

I don't know about you, but I'm so ready for Fall... cozy sweaters, boots and jeans, changing leaves, apple picking and of course pumpkin! Even if it's still warm out, these mini pumpkin muffins will get you in the Fall spirit and they are perfect for breakfast with a Skinny Pumpkin Latte or to put into your kid's lunch box for a healthy, homemade snack.

You can make them in a regular sized muffin tin if you prefer, you should get around 14 larger muffins and the nutritional info should remain the same. And if you want more pumpkin recipes, I have TONS, check out my Skinny Pumpkin Recipes in the Index or follow my Skinny Pumpkin Madness Pinterest Board.

Enjoy!!

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Loaded Turkey Chili Baked Potato

This loaded baked potato is stuffed with lean turkey chili, reduced fat shredded cheese and topped with some fresh chives – a quick, easy weeknight meal.

I love a dish that can be served many ways. Last night I asked my husband Tommy how he wanted his chili (yesterday's crock pot kid-friendly turkey chili) and he told me on a baked potato. Of coarse he would. So I popped a few russet potatoes in the microwave (sure, you can do this in the oven too) topped it with shredded cheese, turkey chili and some chopped chives from my garden and dinner was ready in less than 10 minutes – and my husband was a very happy man.

Can you do this with sweet potato? Sure you can! But just to clear up the confusion, white potatoes aren't all that bad for you. Potatoes are have gotten a bad rap as a white starchy food, but when they're not drowning in butter or deep fried as french fries, they are actually a healthy, low calorie, high fiber food and a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C, copper, potassium and manganese. They also contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity so if you want to stick with a traditional baked potato, go ahead... enjoy!

Tip: If you buy bag of russet potatoes, the potatoes are much smaller than the ones they sell individually, they average about 5 to 6 oz each.

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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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