Monday, January 31, 2011

Creamy Cilantro Tomatillo Dressing



This seriously addicting light dressing is the perfect topping on any salad or even great as a dip. Not a fan of cilantro? No worries, this dressing has so much flavor without, leave it out and add some fresh parsley instead.

The base of this recipe is a homemade ranch, with light buttermilk, Greek yogurt, low fat mayonnaise. Cilantro, lime, jalapeños, tomatillos scallions and spices give this dressing a Mexican flair, perfect served over cilantro lime rice, black beans and sweet slow cooked pork barbacoa to create your very own homemade Cafe Rio salad! Also fabulous over shrimp or chicken!

Use your leftover buttermilk to make buttermilk pancakes, strawberry scones, Irish soda bread muffins, skinny ranch dip and more!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Guest Post: Melanie from Nutritious Eats! Healthy, Fresh Ideas for Your Child's School Lunch.

Please welcome Melanie from Nutritious Eats for some really fun and new lunch box/bento ideas for your kiddos. I love how she is thinking outside the box here and making healthy, well balanced meals that are totally kid friendly. Even kids who love sandwiches probably get tired of them day after day. Not to mention, variety is a good thing! I know I have a picky eater who is in Kindergarten and doesn't like sandwiches at all. These lunches are so wonderful. Thanks for sharing Melanie!

 I strongly urge you all to head over to Nutritious Eats to check out the rest of Melanie's great ideas and recipes! Don't forget to say hi! Happy Sharing!


Welcome Melanie Flinn from Nutritious Eats!

I am a Registered Dietitian, fitness enthusiast, mother of 2 and wife to a Marine. I am here to share my love of food, tasty recipes and expert advice with you!

This seemed to be a popular topic for everyone. If you missed the first post, you can find it here. New ideas are always welcomed for me as well so if you have some favorites please share!
The main lesson for today: don’t assume your kids won’t like something. Every child is different and will have different tastes, but you won’t know until you offer something (usually more than once!). Please do not give up on them. If you offer eggs three times and your child won’t eat them, wait a few weeks and give it a go once again.


Here are three more lunch ideas from my kitchen to yours!


Lunch #1: Bagel Bites, cutie orange, crunchy bell pepper strips



I loved bagel bites as a kid. No need to buy those frozen- they take a minute to make. I use the mini bagels (usually in whole wheat but I can’t find them here). Then just top the bagels with tomato sauce, cheese and/or whatever toppings you like. I kept this one simple with some turkey pepperoni that I cut into fourths. Broil for a few minutes until the edges start to brown and the cheese is meted. The cutie oranges are a big hit with my kids. When packing to go, I just peel it and separate the wedges for them.



Lunch #2 Whole Wheat Pasta with beans and cheese



Whole wheat pasta, dressed in a little olive oil, garlic powder, a pinch of salt and Parmesan cheese. Tossed with edamame (soy beans) and cheese cubes. Always a side of fruit and/or veggies.

It’s important to offer a few different food groups at each meal. This meal actually includes something from each group: 1) fruits (the fruit salad) 2) vegetables (the carrots) 3) milk (cheese cubes and glass of milk not pictured) 4) grains (the pasta) 5) meats and beans (edamame) 6) oil (um, that’s obvious- olive oil!). Obviously the few soybeans they will eat won’t count as a full serving of protein, but it still contributes to that food group and is a very well-balanced meal!



By the way, we have a “try one bite” rule. Period. No exceptions. They are allowed to not like whatever it is they’re eating and I won’t force them to clean their plate, but they must at least try one bite of each item. This rule works really well for us because the kids don’t feel pressured and they’re more open to trying the food knowing there isn’t going to be a fight at the dinner table.



Lunch #3: Egg and Cheese Sandwich, Tortilla chips with avocado chunks, blueberries


Our bento box was missing so I had to sub our Toy Story plate. This is a spin off the Egg McMuffin. You might think an egg sandwich sounds strange for a kid, but I remember getting egg sandwiches in my lunch back in elementary school and loved them! We’ve been using a lot of these whole grain “thin” sandwich rounds for lunches. My kids seemed to be getting tired of regular sliced bread and I noticed once I switched to these, they both started eating more of their sandwich. Plus, they’re great for anyone looking to cut back on some carbs. Note: if you are brand new to the kitchen I will explain how to make this at the end of the post.


Don’t forget, these meals can be for you too! In fact I ate the same egg sandwich with spinach and avocado on mine. These hold up well so can be made the night before if you are packing your lunch for work.


So to sum up, expose your kiddos to different foods early on. If the first time you pack an egg sandwich for example is when they’re 10, yes, they might think it’s a little strange. If they’re exposed to new foods at a young age, they will likely eat a more balanced, healthy diet in the future. Also keep in mind, they might not like your creations or want to try a new food, but just seeing and hearing about those foods at the dinner table will help them in the long run.



How to make the egg sandwich:


1) Start by turning on a skillet to medium heat. Spread the bread very lightly with butter or butter “spread” and place face down in pan until it warms up and gets a little brown. After a minute or two, remove bread and top with cheese slice (no need to melt it, the hot egg will take care of that!).

2) Wipe the crumbs out of the skillet. Beat an egg in a bowl with a tiny splash of milk, pour it into the skillet coated with cooking spray ( still on medium heat). I let the egg spread out into the skillet, then use my spatula to work the sides up, give it a flip and fold it in half. Optional: season with salt and pepper (I usually omit the s&p for the kids).

3) Place egg patty on top of cheese and it will melt that cheese. You can be creative here and add in what ever else you want- ham, sausage, spinach, tomato, veggie patty, etc.


I want to know!
Question: What are your kid’s favorite lunches?

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Top 20 Skinny Superbowl Roundup

Superbowl is right around the corner, so you know what that means...

Superbowl Party!

No fear, I've put together a list of football-fan pleasing party food everyone will love. Click here to see all my Superbowl friendly recipes.

And here is my Top 20 Superbowl Roundup

Crock Pot Three Bean Turkey Chili

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Friday, January 28, 2011

Skinny Baked Jalapeño Poppers



With Superbowl around the corner, these lightened up Jalapeño Poppers will make the perfect party appetizer. Jalapeño peppers stuffed with cheese, coated with seasoned panko, then baked not fried. You won't miss the full fat version!

This was another recipe request from one of my wonderful readers! You guys rock. I will never run out of ideas thanks to all your requests, just hope I can keep up with all of them. And speaking of awesome readers, thank you for nominating me for the Kitchn's Top 10 Food Blog for 2011. Because of you, I made the Top 10. Wow, what an honor! I've been chosen among some really great food bloggers. If you like my blog and would like to vote, click here.

Back to making these jalapeños, one important note when making these, wear gloves while handling the peppers. There is nothing worse than touching your eye or lip with jalapeño fingers, trust me, I've done it! Also if you have little kids, be careful to discard all the seeds if any fall on the floor. My one year old has a gift for finding every speck on the floor and putting it in her mouth.

These can be made ahead of time, then baked when ready to serve. One points plus each, Enjoy!



Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Arroz Con Pollo, Lightened Up



Arroz con pollo, or chicken and rice is the ultimate one dish meal for my family. So many people ask me about my favorite dishes I make at home for my family, well this is certainly one of them! We like to serve this with hot sauce or Colombian aji picante and a simple green salad on the side.

I make many versions of this dish depending on my mood or what's in my refrigerator, in fact you may have tried my Mom's recipe, if so, I know you're going to love my version!

For some variations, you can add olives, use a few threads of saffron instead of the sazon, or use boneless chicken breast. So there you have it, go get some hot sauce and dig in!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Baked Golden Delicious Apples with Raisin Crisp Filling

This is one of those recipes that you kick yourself for not discovering sooner. These stuffed apples were absolutely wonderful. Simple. Healthy. Deliciousness! We were eating them hot, right out of the oven with the cool, winter Arizona air blowing through our open windows. We had a light picnic lunch of grilled salmon over crisp lettuce with orange bell peppers and home made garlic-Dijon dressing. These apples were the perfect light and savory dessert for our backyard picnic. We had one leftover and I packed it for Jack as a nice surprise for his school lunch the following day, he was so happy.



Eat them hot, right out of the oven. Just pick them up and take a big bite.
Let the warm apple juices drip down your chin
and savour the crisp, sweet filling.



Golden Delicious apples work best, but any variety will do.
Wash apples thoroughly under cool, running water.



Cut 1 inch off the tops of the apple, rubbing a halved lemon over the exposed apple as you go.
Using a pairing knife or apple corer, core the apple. Make sure to not go to close to the bottom.


In the bowl of a food processor, combine a handful of chopped walnuts, a handful of golden raisins, a pinch of brown sugar and smaller pinch of cinnamon.
Pulse just 2 or 3 times till chopped. Don't emulsify. You could just use a knife too.
Using your fingers, stuff the filling into the cored apples.

Place filled apples into a baking dish with 1/2 inch of water on the bottom.
Bake at 350F degrees for 25-30 minutes until apples are soft when pierced with a fork.



Pack up for a warm picnic treat on a cold day. Or a special dessert any time!




Saturday, January 22, 2011

Strawberry Kiwi Pavlovas



With Valentine's day around the corner, these sweet desserts are perfect to enjoy with that special someone in your life, or any time of the year. Pavlovas are elegant yet light, made with whipped egg whites and sugar, then topped with cream and fresh fruit. The perfect light dessert!

Use any combination of fresh fruit on top, mixed berries are a great choice. You can make the shells ahead of time and store them in an air tight container, or even freeze them.

Meringues can be tricky to make, the key to success when making meringues is to start with clean, metal mixing bowls and whisks. They should be free of all traces of grease. Egg whites should be room temperature and they say it's best to avoid making these on a rainy day. I played around with a few different meringue recipes to get the perfect shell. So many, in fact that I forgot where I found this recipe to give the proper credit. These meringues have a tint of brown due to the dark vanilla extract I used, but if you use white vanilla extract, yours should come out looking like a soft billowy cloud.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Almond Butter and Banana Pancakes: Simple and Decadent in every way

First off, I have a funny, albeit slightly embarrassing story to tell you about my first experience with Almond butter.

I've always loved cooking and all it entails. For me it is a creative outlet. Chopping, sauteing, deglazing ect. are all de-stressors for me. I love that it is an expression of art in a lot of ways and that you can really change and experiment with the ingredients to create a flavor that is just right for your mood or tastes. Baking however, IMHO is another story. Yes, you can change the ingredients a little for the most part, exchanging one flour for another or a bit of applesauce for some of the butter, but really you usually need to be pretty exact to get a result that was worth your efforts ie. 'A Big Fat Mess' at my house.

Anyway, waaay back when I was just a novice little baker (errhegmmm, a few short years ago), I had some recipe that called for Almond Butter. In my mind, I was thinking it was just regular butter flavored with almonds and so I thought, I can just make my own and save a trip to the store...........
And so, I proceeded to take a cup of butter from the fridge and poured a few teaspoons of almond extract into it and creamed it up into my cookies. I told you, embarrassing.

It wasn't long before 2 and 2 clicked together and I realized that I had created the butteriest, greasiest, most disgusting cookies ever. Pooor cookies. Poor me. So while this was at the time very frustrating and humbling, I did end up discovering what in fact Almond Butter actually was. Goober, I know.

Speaking of what a goober I am, I am probably one of the only people in America who does not like peanut butter. *gasp! 
Never liked PBandJ's or apples with peanut butter as a kid. As a health conscience adult I've tried to like peanut butter, at least with apples or in recipes but it's just not my fav. I do however L.O.V.E. Almond Butter. Go figure.  Almond Butter has a very mild and less 'toasty' taste compared to peanut butter and is very decadent and naturally sweet.

I've listed a Nutritional Comparison Chart below, based on a 2,000 calorie a day diet in case your interested. Both peanut and almond butter are good for you and pretty similar except that Almond Butter has slightly less carbs and saturated fat and quite a bit more Calcium, Iron and Vitamin E.





2 tbsp. Peanut Butter      2 tbsp. Almond Butter


                            Calories                     190                               190

                           Total Fat (g)                 16                                 16

                          Saturated Fat (g)            2                                  1.5

                           Carbs (g)                      7                                    6

                            Fiber (g)                      3                                    4

                           Protein (g)                    8                                    7

                           Calcium                       1%                                  8%

                            Iron                             3%                                 6%

                           Vitamin E                    14%                                40%

                           Folate                           6%                                  6%






Choose baking powder that is aluminum free!


Almond Butter and Banana Pancakes

SERVES 4-6    TIME  15 MINUTES
Ingredients


1 cup Whole Wheat flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder  (*without the aluminum additive!)
1/2 teaspoon salt  (*preferably iodized)
1/2 cup creamy Almond Butter  (preferably Organic)
2 tablespoons sugar  (preferably Organic/Raw)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large egg   (preferably free range)
1 cup milk + 2 tablespoons milk   (*preferably Organic or w/out rHsbt hormone)
2-3 ripe bananas  (don't need to be Organic ;)
tablespoon of butter for griddle.



Directions

In large bowl mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sugar and oil until smooth. Beat in egg, then milk. Add 1 chopped banana.

Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture, stirring just until blended.

Lightly coat griddle or skillet with butter and heat it over medium heat.
Drop batter onto the griddle and cook until tiny bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake, then flip and cook a few minutes more. 
*Careful, these burn easily. I suggest making small pancakes so they won't be undercooked in the middle before they burn.
 
Serve with pure maple syrup and top with sliced bananas and a glass of ice cold chocolate milk!  My 16 year old likes these with jam on top.
 

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Colombian Aji Picante



Aji picante is a spicy Colombian hot sauce served with soups, sancocho, stews, rice, beans, empanadas and more. Every Latin country has there own version of a spicy hot sauce, each unique and delicious. This is my mom's recipe, she never measures when she cooks so it was a bit tricky getting her measurements right. A little goes a long way, you only need to add a few teaspoons to whatever you put this on. To save time, I used my mini food processor.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Beef, Potato and Quinoa Soup



For the meat and potato lover, this soup is for you. Hearty soups like this are exactly what I love about South American cuisine. A nourishing one pot meal, typically served with aji and avocado on the side.

This soup uses cooked quinoa, which is a South American seed which has become very popular in North America lately. Quinoa is very high in protein, and contains all 9 essential amino acids, lysine, phosphorous, copper, iron and magnesium. It's gluten-free and you can find it at any healthy food store, Amazon, Trader Joe's and even at your local supermarket. Click here for the recipe to cook basic quinoa.

By now I don't think I have to tell you just how much I love Latin American cuisine. It's the ultimate comfort food to me, so I am happy to share some wonderful South American dishes with you. This dish was adapted from Laylita's Recipes, her blog features many wonderful Ecuadorean dishes.

The key to making a good beef soup is letting the beef simmer until it gets soft, the longer the better so the meat is tender. If you have a pressure cooker, this will cook in half the time and the meat will be incredibly soft. I love my pressure cooker, probably more than my crock pot but I wrote the directions assuming you don't own one. I recommend buying one, it's great for making stews and beans in half the time, and the flavors really get into the food. I own a 6-quart Presto which is perfect for making a pot of beans. Lot's of you are asking me which I own, click here to see.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Quick and Delicioso Cuban Style Black Beans



Get your Latin groove on with these Cuban inspired black beans, loaded with mucho sabor (lots of flavor)! Easy to make and ready in twenty minutes, but don't let that fool you, there is plenty of flavor in these beans. Low fat, super high in fiber, vegan, gluten free, inexpensive and delicioso!

I love to mix and match Latin dishes from different Central and South American countries to create dishes with Latin fusion. Try this with some of my Latin favorites such as Cilantro Lime RiceBarbacoa Beef, Sweet Barbacoa Pork, Mexican Slow Cooked Pork Carnitas, Slow Cooked Pernil, and Chicken Ropa Vieja, to name a few.

So pump up the salsa music and get cooking!!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Old-Fashioned Fig Bars: A Gift for Your Favorite Teacher!



It's pretty easy to eat healthy and feed your children healthy foods while in your own home, but what about when they walk out the door to school? While I realize that I can not control everything my children do and eat while I'm not watching (don't tell them that, I told them mom's see everything! ;) I can at least arm them with the knowledge and life skills to make better choices for themselves.  *crossing fingers, deep breath in.....
Also, it is not only within my power, but my responsibility as a mother to make sure I do my part in keeping their little bodies healthy and strong. I believe that a very big part of that means making home made foods and snacks as often as possible.

Fruit and veggies make up a big part of our snacks around here. Luckily my kids are used to this and so they are not tossing them out and holding out for crackers, goldfish, bagged cookies, gummy yummies or whatever. I make simple (key word being simple here guys, I promise), healthy snacks to send with my little ones to school and for my toddler and preschooler at home. I love that they think of these healthy snacks as special treats, in part because helping mommy in the kitchen is just plain old fun to a 4 and 5 year old. Also, home made just tastes better!


 My Kindergartners friends try to trade their packaged cheese sandwich crackers for his healthy, home made snacks that he brings. In fact, I took my two little ones to have lunch with Jack at the school cafeteria yesterday (what a treat that was ;) and I thought I would surprise Jack and let him go through the line with us, it was hamburger and hot dog day after all. Jack was very excited to show us around and get his little brother and sister a juice but he was actually disappointed that he couldn't eat the lunch I sent with him that morning (it was a last minute surprise to go have lunch at the school.). 

Not only that, but the other Kindergartner's remembered me from a field trip a couple of months ago when I shared some home made pumpkin-oat bars with them and asked what I had today! Sorry guys, we only brought enough for the teacher. It is my hope still, that these kids will tell their parents about these healthy snacks and that they prefer them over the 'snack packs'.  A girl can hope can't she? Maybe I'll sneak one of my cards into their backpacks. ;)

So, like I mentioned, I wrapped up a few of these delicious Old-Fashioned Fig Bars and brought them with me so Jack could give them to his teacher whom he adores. She loved them of course and shared with another teacher standing by who couldn't believe they were sugar-free, gluten-free and vegan!
(It's all the rage right now :)




Did You Know?

The Fig Newton was named after the city of Newton, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. Kennedy Biscuit Company, which merged into the National Biscuit Company (now shortened to Nabisco) in 1898, was based in Massachusetts, and named several of its cookies after surrounding towns. The Newton, first produced in 1891, was the most successful, and is the only one that survives today.


This is What's In the Packaged (Fig Newtons) Variety:

Ingredients: ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE {VITAMIN B1}, RIBOFLAVIN {VITAMIN B2}, FOLIC ACID), FIGS PRESERVED WITH SULFUR DIOXIDE, CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, SOYBEAN OIL, WHEY (FROM MILK), PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL, SALT, BAKING SODA, CALCIUM LACTATE, MALIC ACID, SOY LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), POTASSIUM SORBATE ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR.







INGREDIENTS:  Organic Figs. PERIOD, End of Story.



















**Did you know that dried apricots get their pretty orange color from
Sulfar Dioxide and Potassium Sorbate?
Organic, Natural dried apricots will look more like these dried figs in colour.
They still taste sweet and delicious without the additives.
*I made two different batches. One with figs + apricots and orange juice and the second with figs + cherries and lemon juice. All other ingredients were the same




This next part isn't for the weak of heart.....
My Cuisinart food processor died a painful death a few months ago so........
I had to make a choice, chop up itty bitty by hand which wouldn't give me the texture I wanted or.....
put a bunch of dried fruit into my new Ninja Blender and close my eyes and hope for the best.
I warned you, scary right?! I've heard horror stories that will keep you up at night about people who have tried to blend dried fruit in their blenders and they broke insantaly. A crime I tell you.

So did my Ninja hold up?

YESSSSS! I only had a few tablespoons of liquid to add along with the dried fruit and nuts so I started getting nervous, cold sweats even after I pushed my luck and added the apricots to the pureed figs. Alas, there were tiny bits of apricots in my perfectly pureed fig mixture. I've got to get me another food processor!

Good Boy!
This is what your filling should look like. Pretty thick.


My Recipe:
TIME  15 MINUTES PREP, 30 MINUTES BAKE     YIELDS  12-15 BARS
Old-Fashioned Fig Bars

Filling:


8 ounces dried Figs (preferably Organic)

4 ounces dried Apricots OR dried Cherries (preferably Organic)

2 tbsp. chopped almonds

2 drops anise extract (optional)

1 tbsp. agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener such as pure maple syrup or honey)

2 tbsp. water

2 tbsp. orange juice OR lemon juice

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ginger


Snip off the figs' stems, and put them, the apricots, and the almonds into the food processor. Grind to a coarse paste. Stir in the remaining filling ingredients and process until mixed. Set aside.


Crust:

*1 cup regular or quick oats, ground in blender until fine

*1 cup regular or quick oats, uncooked (not instant oatmeal)

1 tablespoon flax meal

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 ounces unsweetened apple sauce

3 tbsp. agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener)

1/4 cup water

* I use Coaches Oats Brand which is a Whole Grain and tastes toasted and yummy!


Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 F. Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Stir in the wet ingredients, mixing well to a thick consistency. Press half the crust mixture into the bottom of an oiled, eight-inch square cake pan (use a wooden spoon or your hands). Spread the fig mixture evenly over the crust. Smooth the remaining crust mixture over the filling. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.



Makes 16 bars. Each bar (with almonds) contains: 117 Calories (kcal); 1 g Total Fat; (10% calories from fat); 2 g Protein; 26 g Carbohydrate; 0 mg Cholesterol; 67 mg Sodium; 4 g Fiber


PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Slow Cooked Sweet Barbacoa Pork

Sweet Barbacoa Pork over Cilantro Lime Rice and Black Beans

Sweet and spicy slow cooked pork sweetened with brown sugar, cola, chipotle chilies, green chilies, cumin and spices. Delicious over cilantro lime rice and black beans.

This was a recipe request to make over Cafe Rio's sweet pork recipe, only problem is I've never eaten at Cafe Rio. After reading dozens of copycat recipes, I came up with my own lightened up version, which was a huge hit in my home. We had enough for several meals, and made a burrito bowl out of the leftovers with cilantro lime rice, black beans (recipe coming soon), pico de gallo, lettuce, avocado and a little low fat cheese. But this was also great served over rice.

Sweet Pork Burrito Bowl
The crock pot is parked on my counter lately, it's so helpful on the days I have to go in to work. What can beat coming home from work and smelling dinner just about ready!

Since the marinade gets tossed after it cooks, I wasn't sure how to calculate, so I counted half the sugar and cola from the marinade just to be sure. Adjust the heat to your liking, this is medium heat, if you like it hot, add more chilies, if you prefer it mild, use less. Enjoy!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Monday, January 10, 2011

Chocolate Ricotta Mousse



Rich, creamy, chocolaty, delicious.

I love January magazine issues because they all get light after the holidays. This chocolate ricotta mousse recipe from Everyday Food caught my attention as I was looking for something to satisfy my chocolate craving. All I can say is wow! I topped mine with some fat free whipped cream and literally licked the bowl clean! 

Be sure to make this ahead of time, as it requires some time to chill in the refrigerator before you can eat it. Delicious Martha!

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Brussels Stew



This is in all respects a 'peasant stew'.  Peasant stew can be defined by using just a few simple ingredients that are already in your cupboard or ice box. That's what happened here. I had purchased a big stock of Brussels and needed to use up the last bit. Poooor Brussels.

I always have onion and garlic a plenty and of course threw them into the pot. Is there any other way?
I happened to have ground turkey in the fridge which is a rarity these days as we are limiting meat. I thought it would taste wonderful in this stew and I was right.... obviously. ;)
Canelini beans went in because they too just felt right. Go with it. Some home made chicken broth, a can of stewed tomatoes, a few herbs tossed in and Voila!

Brussels Stew in your pot.






I am sending this over to Deb in Hawaii for her fabulous Souper Sundays! and Mom's Crazy Cooking.
If you like soup, salads and the like head over for recipes from all over the world!




TIME   30 MINUTES     SERVES  6-8

Ingredients:

2 cups of fresh brussel sprouts, trimmed and quartered
1, 15 oz can of canalini beans, drained and rinsed
1, 15 oz can of stewed tomatoes
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
5 cups chicken broth
ground turkey
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon basil
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:

In a large stock pot, over medium-high heat swirl a tablespoon of oil and brown onion 4-5 minutes. Add ground turkey, cook till browned. Push turkey to side of pot and add Brussels. Let sit untouched 3-4 minutes. Pour in broth while scraping bottom of pot with wooden spatula or broad spoon to release browned bits (deglaze).

Add garlic herbs, beans and tomatoes. Lower heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes till warmed through.
Remove from heat. Add lemon juice and salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve with crusty bread.

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Take a Hike!

Yesterday we went on a nice hike in the White Tank Mts. in the far west valley.  I love Arizona, especially in the winter months when the weather is just perfect. Some times I wish for snow and boots and pretty fur coats but then I remember how lucky we are to be able to go on a beautiful hike and have a picnic in January!

These are some pics I snapped on the short "Water Fall Trail"
Not much of a waterfall, more like a trickle, but we Zonies will gather round and stare at a trickle of water in the dry desert when we get the chance. ;)

This is the desert through my 'eyes'.



Did you know that the Sonoran Desert is the only place Saguaros grow naturally?




Cholla cacti also are native to the Arizona desert and a small part of California. There are over 20 species and are sometimes called ' Jumping Cactus' since the needles will jump off the plant if you get to close!




Crazy Zonies standing around staring at the "Water Fall"  Don't strain your eyes, it's only a trickle.


No, it's not really snowing... Photoshop. It was very cold out, much colder than usual and there is snow on the mountains in the background, can you see it?









Aren't those snow capped mountains a beautiful site in the desert? I Love it!






We needed a nice hot bowl of flavourful soup to warm us up!
This soup is part of the detox diet from Whole Living.
Not sauteing the veggies and using lots of in season, lightly cooked veggies make this soup
healthy and hearty.
Free Range Chicken adds healthy protein and flavor, feel free to skip it if you'd like, the almond
butter is a good source of protein.
Almond butter makes this soup so very decadent and is an excellent source of
 healthy monounsaturated fat, essential for heart health and controlling blood sugar.
.
Photo and recipe from Whole Living

Please excuse me, I try to always do my own pics but time and light quality were against me in a
big way last night! The recipe calls for collards of which I used along with Bok Choy I need to use up.



I'm sending this over to Fresh Friday's at La Bella Vita for her wonderful healthy life style blog hop.


Cuban Sandwich Quesadilla


The flavors you love about a Cuban sandwich... made skinnier! Perfect for lunch.

There was no way I was making Pernil without making Cuban sandwiches. For those of you who never heard of a Cuban sandwich, you might think this is a strange combo. A classic Cuban sandwich is made with roast pork (pernil), ham, Swiss, pickles, and mustard, butter and garlic on Cuban bread, heated and melted on a panini press. It's probably a day's worth of points. My reduced fat version has all the flavors of a Cuban without the added fat.

If you are not a pork eater, you might enjoy my Turkey Cuban sandwich.

Click Here To See The Full Recipe...

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Detox Day 2: Breakfast In a Glass, Start Your Day Off on a Good Note!

Smoothies are one of my favorite healthy breakfasts. They are delicious obviously but also because if you put a few healthy ingredients in them they are also the perfect breakfast IMO. Pick up a bag of toasted flaxmeal which is pretty easy to find these days at most well-stocked markets. Flax adds fiber and essential Omega fatty acids and it has a wonderful mild nutty flavour perfect in smoothies as well as oatmeal, muffins etc.
Flax is very high in lignans, which have anti-tumor properties—lignans act as antioxidants that could mirror the results of Tamoxifen, the anti-cancer drug for breast cancer.

Check out these 25 Healthy Smoothies from Whole Living.
Also, don't forget to click my smoothie link on my right side bar for easy, healthy and quick ideas!


Apple Carrot Ginger Smoothie


Carrot-Mango-Herb Smoothie
Kiwi Smoothie

Banana-Oat Smoothie






Mona Claire loving her Berry-Tofu Smoothie with Flax



Mix it up a bit! We have a breakfast Gazpacho 3-4 times a week too. Yup, my kids love them!



Keeping a daily journal holds you accountable and keeps you on track!
I carry a small note book to jot down what I eat and my thoughts.
I also just downloaded the 'LivingStrong' App for my IPad which is an excellent calorie counter, nutritional data base, excersise tracker and more!
Also, it will be nice ( I hope ) to look back and see my progress!




BTW, this is what we had for dinner. 3-Bean Vegetarian Chili, slightly adapted from
Whole Living. I added kidney beans and more veggie juice.