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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Dirty Brown Rice with Shrimp

A healthier twist on a Cajun classic, the addition of shrimp turns this into a fabulous main dish. I'd like to think of this as a Cajun shrimp fried rice. With Mardi Gras ends tomorrow, I thought this would be the perfect timing to share this recipe from the archives because I LOVE this dish!

Dirty rice is a classic Cajun dish made "dirty" by cooking the rice with minced livers or gizzards. I created a healthier version using brown rice and lean ground beef in place of the chicken livers that normally make dirty rice "dirty".

But don't worry, this healthier version does not skimp on flavor! It has plenty of spices and a bit of kick, you can adjust the heat to your taste but don't be shy with the cayenne if you can handle it!

Normally a rice dish like this if made with white rice would be cooked all in one pot, but after several attempts to perfect this I found that cooking the brown rice all together created an unpleasant mushy texture. By cooking the brown rice separate, the texture of the rice was perfect when mixed with the beef and shrimp and made a delicious main dish even my "non-brown rice eating" husband enjoyed. 

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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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Cilantro Lime Shrimp

Cilantro and lime make this simple shrimp dish outstanding – and it takes just minutes to make! 

This is an oldie but goodie, a regular in my home. I was making it for dinner the other night and felt the need to re-shoot it. We serve it over rice or with a big avocado and lettuce salad. Enjoy!

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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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Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Chicken cutlets stuffed with spinach, feta and ricotta, then breaded and baked to perfection!

I love making stuffed chicken breast as many as you probably figured out by now. You can stuff chicken with just about anything, and leftovers can be frozen and reheated for your very own homemade frozen meals which are so much better than store bought.

I first experimented with this spinach-feta version back in 2010, and we loved it. My photos were pretty awful back then, so today I decided to make them over! I also changed the recipe slightly to make them easier. Anyone can make these, there are no toothpicks required and the prep time is fairly quick. I served this with a great big salad on the side, but you can also serve it with couscous, rice or quinoa.

You may also like some of my other stuffed chicken breast recipes, Buffalo Stuffed Chicken Breasts, Roasted Red Pepper and Prosciutto, Zucchini and Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken, Chicken Cordon Bleu, Prosciutto and Cheese, and my husband's favorite, Chicken Rollatini with Spinach alla Parmigiana.

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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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Chicken and Lentil Soup

This delicious, hearty lentil soup made with chicken, cilantro, cumin and spices is perfect for warming your belly on those cold winter nights. What's more, it's easy to make, economical and very satisfying.

I was in the mood for this last night so I thought it would be a great time to update the photos. I've slightly modified the original recipe which I posted back in 2009, but the results are just as good.

I've been making this soup for years, my family loves it – including my four year old (to my surprise)! It makes a big pot which means plenty of leftovers for lunch. It freezes well and can be reheated with a little water if it gets too thick.

Lentils were actually the first legumes I liked as a kid. My mom would me a similar soup with carrots and celery and since I was picky – she usually pureed mine. I love preparing them because they cook so much quicker than dried beans, and a small amount goes a long way. They are high in protein, Vitamin B, folate and soluble fiber and have twice as much iron as other legumes. You can easily cut this recipe in half or freeze left-overs for lunch which is what I like to do. Chicken breast would work in place of thighs if you prefer white meat. Ground annato (also known as achiote) is commonly used in Latin cuisine, it's used mostly to add color and adds a subtle flavor, but if you can't find it paprika would work instead.

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Spaghetti Squash with Meat Ragu

 

Roasted Spaghetti squash topped with a simple-yet-delicious meat sauce simmered with tomatoes, onions, carrots and celery.

I originally posted this recipe way back in 2009, before I owned a decent camera and I just had to give this a photo makeover (the photo was so bad I'm surprised anyone made it at all). It's so darn good you won't miss the pasta, and think of all the calories you're saving by making the swap! It's also low-carb, clean, gluten-free and perfect for my paleo followers out there too!

The beauty of this dish is you can totally make this family friendly. I know my kids prefer to have their meat sauce with pasta (plus they need their carbs too) so I cook some pasta for them and serve this with spaghetti squash for my husband and I. It's a very generous amount and extremely satisfying.


Of course, you can swap the beef for turkey if you wish, and you can certainly make the spaghetti squash in the microwave which is so much quicker. The sauce can be frozen for a later date and reheated when for a busier night. I've never tried freezing spaghetti squash, anyone out there know if I can? So there you go, a meal that can make the whole family happy – gotta love that!

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Chicken Shiitake and Wild Rice Soup

Chicken, wild rice and mushrooms are combined in this rich and hearty soup – the perfect Fall comfort food.

We love this soup in my house, I originally posted this a few years ago and it's become a staple in my home on chilly nights. I've tinkered with the original recipe so if you have an older printout, you may need to reprint this one. The photo also needed a serious make-over because I was still working when I first posted this in 2011, and I probably took the photo the next day.

It was originally a make-over requested from a reader who asked me to lighten up her original recipe, which was loaded with butter and heavy cream. The beauty of this soup is you really don't need all the cream, because rice is a natural thickener for soups and it actually gets thicker the longer it sits (you may even need to add more water the next day before reheating to adjust the correct thickness to your taste.) I add a little sour cream at the very end to give it a touch of cream, and it's just delicious (my husband loves it!)

For the wild rice combo, I use a Carolina Long Grain and Wild Rice packet. If you can't find that brand, you could use Rice a Roni Long Grain and Wild Rice.

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Baked Spaghetti Squash and Cheese

Cheesy baked spaghetti squash and baby spinach – a comforting, cheesy dish, without the guilt. Perfect for Meatless Mondays or any day of the week!

I am down to the last few days of finishing up the cookbook, so forgive me for not posting more recipes. But since it's Monday, I thought this delicious meatless dish from the archives would be perfect for this beautiful Fall day.

I'm really excited to share this recipe with you, I think you are all going to love this dish. I was craving something cheesy, without all the carbs from macaroni and came up with this.

I basically swapped the pasta from my Skinny Macaroni and Cheese recipe with spaghetti squash and was really impressed with the results.

No, spaghetti squash does not taste like pasta, it's slightly sweeter and of course a vegetable rather than a grain, but we all loved this dish. Even my husband gave it a thumbs up – I think we all found our favorite way to east this squash.

It can be prepared ahead, then baked just before ready to serve. I reheated leftovers in the microwave for lunch the next day and it was just as good as when I first made it.

If you are looking for a dish that is gluten-free, low-carb, vegetarian and comforting, give this a try. Serve this as a main dish, or as a side dish. I think this would even freeze and reheat well, if anyone tries this let me know!

By the way, serving spoon is from Such A Time Designs.

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Sausage Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Hope you all had a happy July 4th!! With zucchini season in full bloom, I thought I would revive this from the archives - one of my absolute favorites!! Enjoy!!

Summer zucchini hollowed out and stuffed with lean Italian sausage, then topped with marinara and cheese.

OMG! You guys are going to love these!

I've had this concept in my head for a while, but now that zucchini is in full season and my friend gave me some fresh from her garden, I put my idea to the test. The results were simply amazing, thumbs up all around, especially from my picky teen!

One boat fills me up, but you can enjoy two and still be in good shape. I love Polly-O part-skim mozzarella because it melts beautifully as you can see in the photo. I'm pretty picky about my Italian sausage, but I love al fresco's sweet Italian chicken sausage, you forget it's chicken while you eat it and it's 75% less fat that pork sausage, and it's gluten-free. Hope you enjoy.

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Garlic Lover's Roast Beef

Vampires beware, there's garlic in every bite! And if that's not enough garlic, I like to serve this with roasted broccoli with smashed garlic and skinny mashed potatoes... in my house, there's never too much garlic.

With Father's Day right around the corner, I thought it was time to re-shoot this recipe which means this is what's for dinner tonight. I make roast beef quite often in my house because it's pretty simple to make and we all love it. Roast beef is really hard to mess up as long as you have a meat thermometer and you let it rest before slicing.

For lunch today I made a delicious carved roast beef sandwich with melted cheese and sweet caramelized onions that I will be sharing tomorrow here, it was sooo good!

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Skinny Chicken Fajitas

Lean strips of chicken breast, bell peppers and onions served sizzling hot with warm tortillas and shredded cheese. If this is your idea of delicious, you are not alone!

My husband Tommy is a creature of habit; anytime we go out for Mexican he always orders chicken fajitas. In fact when we went to Mexico a few years ago, he may have ordered them almost every night! I find that amusing because I get really bored of eating the same thing twice, and tend to always take a chance and try something completely new to me.

But chicken fajitas are a regular in my home, we make them at least once a month and the whole family enjoys them. My younger daughter Madison likes her bell peppers raw, so I chop some up and just set them aside for her and cut up the chicken. You can make the whole thing outside on the grill using a cast iron skillet to cook the peppers and onions as we usually do in the summer, or you can cook this indoors in a skillet. Enjoy!

This recipe was from the archives, but I made some minor changes to the original, and found those cute fajita cast iron skillets and tortilla warmers at Target by Imusa (a brand I love for Latin cookware), which was the perfect excuse for a new photo. They really make you feel like you're having a fiesta!!! I may need to buy this tortilla press next!

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Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese

Cheesy macaroni and broccoli are topped with bread crumbs and baked to perfection. Kid friendly, vegetarian and comfort food at it's finest.

I first made this back in 2011, and it has since been very popular. Last week I made it again and updated the photos, I forgot just how good this is! This time I used rotini pasta, you can really use whatever shape you like. My step by step photos are still the original, so keep that in mind when you make this.

It's perfect if you're craving macaroni and cheese but don't want to waste a days worth of calories in one meal. You still get that same comforting taste, with a little less guilt.

When I first made this, I used a Mexican blend of cheese, because it was all I had on hand, but since I've been making it with a sharp reduced-fat Cheddar such as 50% less-fat Cabot, in my opinion this is better with a sharp cheddar to really let the cheesy flavors stand out.

To speed things up, I used pre-cut fresh broccoli. This recipe was loved by all in my home, even my not-so-crazy-about-broccoli husband loved it and leftovers are perfect for lunch. You can bake this in one large baking dish, or individual oven safe dishes for perfect portion control, or you can make half and use a 9 x 9-inch baking dish.

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Chicken Francese - Lightened Up

Skinless chicken cutlets, lightly coated in flour and egg, cooked in a white wine lemon sauce. Move over Olive Garden, this one's lighter and easy to make!

Confession, I've never been to the Olive Garden, heck I live in New York, we have tons of great Italian restaurants here so there's really no need. This is my husband Tommy's specialty, on those random nights that he gives me a break from the kitchen, he usually makes his Chicken Francese.

My husband's version let's just say is a little bit heavier, so I learned how to make it myself, with a lot less butter. My family loves it, kids and all and I usually serve this with a simple salad on the side.

This is also great over pasta with garlic since it makes a lemon sauce, I like to make it over whole wheat angel hair or orzo when I'm craving carbs. This is not a new recipe, I first posted this back in 2009, but I make this often and my husband thought it was time for a re-shoot. I also made a few modifications to it since I last posted, so if you have an old recipe printed out, you may want to print out a new one.

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Buffalo Turkey Burgers with Blue Cheese Broccoli Slaw

It's 80° today, perfect day for grilling so I thought I would highlight this recipe from the archives. 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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Linguini with Sautéed Scallops and Peas

Scallops are great for a quick meal any night of the week and are a real treat. They can be quickly sautéed, then added to salads like this Scallop and Baby Green Citrus Mojo Salad, and this delicious Scallop and Grapefruit Salad, but once in a while when I want something more substantial, I love it with pasta. Here I tossed it with some pasta and peas, for a dinner that took less than 15 minutes to make.

I love sea scallops and it takes very little effort to get delicious results. For best flavor seek out the freshest scallops. Before cooking remove the small, tough muscle attached to the side. You can easily double this recipe for four servings.

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Spring Asparagus Risotto

Creamy risotto, cooked with Spring asparagus, fresh herbs, Parmigiano-Reggiano and a touch of lemon. Perfect as a meatless main dish if you use vegetable broth, or wonderful as a side with grilled shrimp.

This Italian rice dish is a labor of love, not the kind of dish you turn on and walk away from, but instead slowly cooked with ladlefuls of broth, adding more each time it's absorbed. Just before the last ladle, I added fresh asparagus to the last five minutes of cooking time and finished it with a touch of lemon juice and lemon zest.

Because risotto is so simple, I like to use the freshest ingredients when I make it such as seasonal vegetables, fresh herbs and good cheese.


Asparagus is perfect addition to risotto, and now in season. This spear-shaped veggie is an awesome weapon for your health. It’s packed with disease-fighting nutrients including fiber, folate, vitamins A, C, E and K and glutathione, a detoxifying compound that may protect against certain types of cancer. And it’s loaded with age-defying antioxidants that work to neutralize cell-damaging free radicals in your body. Look for spears with tight buds and firm stalks without wrinkles.


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Garlic Shrimp in Coconut Milk, Tomatoes and Cilantro

A quick shrimp stew cooked in a tomato coconut broth with a hint of lime and cilantro. Simple enough to make for a weekday dinner yet sophisticated enough to serve to company. Serve with a little brown basmati rice to soak up the broth.

I've been busy working on my cookbook, so I thought it would be a good idea to highlight this recipe from the archives. This is one of my favorite shrimp dishes, and perfect if you're observing Lent.

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