Festival of Frying, I mean lights…

Hanukkah is the Jewish festival of lights where we basically fry anything we can in recognition of the oil that burned for 8 days as opposed to the anticipated 1 day. While I know this is a very bad explanation of the holiday, I none the less use it as a reason to part with my healthy cooking was and indulge in one of the holiday highlights: potato latkes.

I have no idea of the calorie count or points on these things, but I am guessing it is bad, bad, bad. Nonetheless, sit back, relax, light your menorah and enjoy with a big scoop of sour cream or applesauce.

Happy Hanukkah!

Latkes
Makes 14 large latkes

Ingredients
4 large potatoes, peeled and shredded
1/2 onion, finely grated
1/4 cup flour or matzo meal (for gluten free you could use Rice Chex that you run through a food processor until it is a fine powder)
1 tbs fresh parsley, shopped
1 egg plus 1 egg white
salt/pepper
oil

Directions
-In a large bowl mix together egg, egg white, parsley, flour, salt and pepper.
-Stir in grated onion.
-Shred potatoes and squeeze out all of the liquid.
-Add to flour mixture. Mix until well combined.
-Heat up oil over medium heat.
-Drop large spoonfuls of the mixture in to the oil. Wait until browning on the edges and then flip.
-Drain on paper towel.
-Serve with applesauce or sour cream.

Unhealthy meals to nourish your mind.

The Perfect Pesto

I love pesto, but rarely use it since the store bought brands tends to be high in both fat and calories. Since we have a fresh herb garden on our porch, I decided I would take the plunge and see if I could create a pesto sauce that was both delicious and not too "bad" for you. This recipe seemed to do the trick. The fresh basil has such a strong taste that you really only need 1-2 tablespoons to create a flavorful dish.


Pesto Perfect
Makes 16 Tablespoons
45 calories, 5 grams of fat, 0 grams fiber
1 Weight Watchers point per tablespoon

Ingredients
1 cup fresh basil leaves, washed and dried
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (I used the bottle type, but fresh would be great too)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Directions
-In a food processor, pulse basil and cheese until they are totally combined.
-Add nuts, garlic, salt and pepper. Pulse until nuts are well combined with the basil mixture and you have a smooth paste.
-Add olive oil. Process until you have a smooth, thick pesto sauce.
-Serve over your favorite pasta, to make a pizza, or spread on your sandwich.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Sweet Fall Tzimmis--Nannie Anne's Tzimmis reborn

I tend to get lazy with side dishes. My go-to sides usually consist of russet potatoes in any form--baked, roasted, or mashed. This weekend we had friends over for dinner and in addition to the roasted potatoes I was making, I wanted to serve some type of side that had the rich flavors of fall--cinnamon, nutmeg, and just a little bit of sweetness. My Nannie Anne's tzimmis came to mind, and I created the recipe below based on her concept but modified to create a more intensely spiced dish.

This side dish would work great for Thanksgiving, and although it does take a lot of time, it is an easy dish to make.

Sweet Fall Tzimmis
Serves 10
178 calories, .5g fat, 11 grams of fiber
3 Weight Watchers points per serving

Ingredients
-3 large sweet potatoes, baked
-4 tbs margarine
-1 8-oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
-4 carrots, peeled and diced and steamed in the microwave for 4 minutes until semi-soft
-6 prunes, pitted and chopped
-1/4 cup brown sugar
-1 tbs cinnamon
-1/4 tsp nutmeg
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp pepper

Directions
-Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
-In a large bowl combine steamed carrots, prunes, crushed pineapple and brown sugar.
-Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with foil. Pour in the carrot mixture, cover, and bake for 1 hour.
-While the carrot mixture is baking, remove skin from the baked sweet potatoes and puree the in a food processor with margarine until smooth.
-Remove carrot mixture from oven, uncover, and allow to cool for 30 minutes. Add carrot mixture to food processor and pulse until carrot mixture is well combined. I like a very smooth tzimmis so I puree until it is the same consistency of mashed potatoes, but if you prefer a chunkier side, simply pulse less.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Holy Guacamole!

So want to know one of the weirdest things that happened to me after I had a baby? I went from HATING guacamole to not being able to get enough. I can remember the moment so clearly--I was at my friend Elexia's house and she served the most delicious looking guacamole I had ever seen, I just had to have a bite. That turned into about 20 bites, and my whirlwind relationship with this delicious dip was born.

I can't promise you my guacamole tastes as good as Elexia's, but it is as close as I can get. It is healthy in the sense that it uses all natural ingredients, but being that avocados are high in both fat and calories, be sure to eat it in moderation.

Now to make my rendition of guacamole, first you must make your own pico de gallo. This is easy and fast, but tastes best if you let it sit overnight:

Pico de Gallo
75 calories in entire dish
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup diced green pepper
Juice from 1/2 lime
1 tbs cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix it all together, and you are done! Best part, it is super low in calories, and has 0 Weight Watchers points.

Guacamole
14 points in entire recipe
600 calories, 56 grams of fat (YIKES), 8 grams of fiber
2 Hass avocados
1 large clove garlic, minced (don't use a garlic press, the garlic becomes overpowering)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Juice from 1/2 lime
1/4 cup Pico de Gallo

-Cut avocado in half and remove seed, setting it to the side for storage (putting the seed back into the finished product prevents browning).
-Scoop out avocado from peel and set in large mixing bowl.
-Add minced garlic, salt, pepper and lime juice.
-Using a potato masher (or a large fork) mush up the avocado until it becomes mostly smooth, with some small chunks still remaining.
-Mix in the Pico de Gallo.
-Add extra salt, pepper and lime juice to taste (I find if my Pico de Gallo is made just right I do not need additional seasoning).

If not serving right away, return seed to finished product and store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Turkey and Orzo stuffed Peppers

I think I have a love/hate relationship with stuffed peppers. I feel like I can never get the right combo to fill them with, and the consistency of my peppers always ends up being too hard, too mushy, or just blaaaa.

Tonight I tried out a new filling by combining orzo with ground turkey and a little spice. Since they are cooking as I type I can't speak much to the flavor, but I am pretty excited at the thought of tomorrow night's dinner.

Turkey and Orzo Stuffed Peppers
Serves 4
4 points per pepper
200 calories, 4 grams fat, 1 gram fiber

Ingredients
2 green pepper, sliced in half so each pepper gives you 2 cups
8 oz 93% lean ground turkey
1/3 cup orzo, slightly undercooked and drained
2 tbs breadcrumbs
1 small onion, diced and sauteed until clear and soft
1 egg white
2 tbs water
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (more for added spice)
1 cup marinara sauce (look for ones that range from 50-70 calories per half cup), divided

Directions
-Pre-heat oven 400 degrees.
-Steam your peppers until they are slightly soft (about 2-3 minutes in the microwave). Cool and set aside.
-In a medium sized bowl, mix breadcrumbs, spices, egg white and water.
-Add sauteed onion and orzo. Mix well.
-Mix in ground turkey until all ingredients are well combined.
-Dived mixture into 4 and equally distribute between each pepper
-Spray an 8x8 glass dish with PAM. Cover the bottom with 1/2 cup marinara sauce.
-Place stuffed peppers in dish.
-Top peppers with the remaining 1/2 cup sauce.
-Bake for 30-40 minutes, until tops look bubbly and slightly brown.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

A menu review--meals from the year

I came to post this morning and I realized that everything I made this week had already been featured in my blog! What to do...

I figured I would just post my weekly menu with links to all of the recipes so that everyone could see what a week of eating was like in our house. Now that I am a SAHM, I have been choosing meals that I can prep during the morning nap, so that dinner time isn't so hectic. All of these were prepared in about 30 minutes or less, and all were equally delicious!

Sunday--Zucchini and Feta Quesadillas
Monday--Tex-Mex Pie
Tuesday--Spinach and Turkey Meatloaf
Wednesday--Chicken Special Sandwiches
Thursday--Penne Vodka
Friday--Chicken with Fruit and Olives

After posting for a year I have come to realize that most of my recipes are already on this blog, so my goal is to make 1 new recipe a week so that I don't let any of you down!

Tried any of my recipes? Ideas for things you would like to see me make (sorry folks, no seafood or pork going on in this house)? Let me know! I am up for any challenge!

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Farmer's Market Finds--Pasta Primavera with 2 types of squash

I love summer vegetables, and going to the Farmer’s Market always gives me the opportunity to buy beautiful produce and turn them into a delicious dinner. I adapted this recipe from a Cooking Light Pasta Primavera dish that I came across a few years back. I don’t make it that often, but when I do I am always amazed by how rich and creamy the cream and the parmesan make it.

Pasta Primavera with yellow and green squash
4 servings
9 points per serving
400 calories, 10 grams fat, 5 grams of fiber

Ingredients

6 baby carrots, cut into spears
8 ounces of uncooked penne
1 green squash, cut into ½ inch thick half-moons
1 yellow squash, cut into 1/3 inch thick half-moons
1 small carton of Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup canned green peas
1 teasppon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1/3 cup light cream
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions
-Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot.
-Add carrots; cook 3 minutes.
-Remove with a slotted spoon.
-Add pasta to boiling water; cook according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain.**
-Spray large nonstick skillet with PAM and heat over medium-high heat. Add both types of squash and the mushrooms; sauté 3 minutes.
-Add carrots, peas, salt, pepper, and garlic; sauté 2 minutes.
-Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Allow to reduce for 5 minutes.**
-Stir in cream and juice; cook 1 minute.
-Add pasta and cheese; stir well to coat. Remove from heat; stir in basil and parsley.

** Note: You can make this sauce ahead of time, but I would recommend the following two modifications:
1) Do not cook the pasta until right before you are serving the dish. Otherwise the pasta will suck up all of the sauce and you will have a very dry pasta dish.
2) Prepare the recipe and STOP once you have added the wine and reduced the sauce. Store the sautéed veggies and the wine sauce in a sealed container in the fridge. On the night you are serving, heat the veggies and wine sauce up in a large pan, and then add the cream, parmesan, lemon juice, basil and parsley. You will end up with a much more creamy meal.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Mushroom Maddness--Marsala Wine Sauce

After grilling this weekend we had a bunch of left-over mushrooms that I knew were going to go bad if I didn’t use them up. I decided to throw together some Marsala sauce so I could freeze it and use it at a later date. I usually serve it over chicken breast, but veal would work as well. Just pound the chicken or veal thin, dredge it in a mixture of flour, salt, pepper and paprika and brown it in a tablespoon of oil (you can use PAM too, but you will get a better brown on the protein with oil).

Marsala Sauce
8 PointsPlus values in whole recipe
400 calories, 0g fat, 0g fiber
Serves 2-4, depending on how saucy you like things

Ingredients
-1.5 cups Marsala cooking wine
-1 cup beef broth
-1 cup sliced mushrooms
-1/2 onion, finely diced
-1 clove garlic, crushed
-1 tbs balsamic vinegar
-1 tsp soy sauce
-1 tsp dried oregano
-1/2 tsp ground black pepper
-2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp cold water (do this right at the end)

Directions
-Spray a large pan with PAM. Over medium-high heat, saute mushrooms and onions until they are soft and all liquid has evaporated.
-Add crushed garlic and saute 30 seconds.
-Remove from heat and add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT for the cornstarch.
-Simmer for 5 minutes over medium-high heat.
-Reduce heat to low, add cornstarch/water mixture and stir until it looks well incorporated. This will thicken your sauce.
-Simmer for 10 more minutes over low heat.
-Serve over chicken or veal. You can also cool and freeze.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Falling for Falafel Take Two

I have been craving falafel, but since I am a new girl in a new city I have no idea where to get it. I have not been able to find my favorite frozen variety, featured in my November 5th blog so I have had to come up with my own recipe. I created this tonight so that I could have falafel tomorrow for lunch. It smells delicious, and the final verdict will be in tomorrow, but I think it is safe to say that it is going to be yummy!

Baked Falafel
Makes 9 falafel balls
2 points per ball
75 calories, 1 gram of fat, 1 gram of fiber

Ingredients
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp cumin
1/2 cup breadcrumbs, divided
1 egg
1 tsp dried parsley or 1 tbs fresh
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ red onion, chopped

Directions
-Preheat oven 350 degrees
-In a large bowl, mix garlic, parsley, ¼ cup breadcrumbs, and egg. Let sit 5 minutes until thick.
-Mix in red onion.
-Add chickpeas.
-Mash entire mixture with a potato masher or a large fork until you get a smooth consistency.
-Form into golf-ball sized balls.
-Roll each ball lightly in breadcrumbs.
-Spray with each ball with PAM and bake 10 minutes. Turn each ball over, spray again with PAM, and cook 5 more minutes.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

A berry yummy breakfast--low-fat blueberry mini-muffins

Since we have moved I am amazed by all of the wonderful berries we have available to us! We went a little overboard at The Fresh Market with blueberries, and I wanted to use some of them up before they went bad. I also wanted to make a healthy option to give my 17 month old for breakfast. I came across many blueberry muffin recipes on line, and I mixed a few of them together to come up with these yummy treats. I added 1 tbs of Benefiber to the flour mixture to increase the fiber content, but you can omit and the points will stay the same.

Low-Fat Blueberry Mini-Muffins
Makes 32 mini-muffins
1 point per muffin
60 calories, 3 grams fat, 1 gram fiber


Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tbs Benefiber
2 tablespoons baking powder
½ cup sugar
4 tbs unsalted butter, melted
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg, slightly beaten
¾ cup skim milk
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spray a 24-cup mini-muffin tin with PAM.
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and sugar.
In another bowl, combine melted butter, unsweetened applesauce, egg, and milk and mix well.
Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and with a spatula, stir until just combined.
Gently fold the blueberries into the batter.
Spoon the batter into the muffin tray, filling each cup about 2/3 full.
Bake for 10-15 minutes until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes in the pan before removing the muffins from the tin.
Bake remaining 8 muffins, for a total of 32 mini-muffins.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Midsummer Memories--Swedish potato salad with cucumber and red onion

As many of you know, we recently relocated to the South. Our move happened to fall on Midsummer, which is better known as the summer solstice. While not a huge deal here in the USA, in Sweden (which is where my mom is from) people go all out celebrating. While massive amounts of liquor are usually consumed, standard summer fare is served consisting of boiled potatoes and pickled herring. The potato salad below offers a nice twist on traditional Midsummer dishes. I make this potato salad year round, and it is especially great for those of you who do not like the typical mayo-based potato salad.


Swedish potato salad with cucumber and red onion
Serves 10
141 calories/6 grams of fat/3 grams of fiber per serving
3 Weight Watchers Points per serving

Ingredients
6 medium sized red potatoes, skins on, well-scrubbed, cubed into large chunks
1 cup English cucumber, skin on, diced
¼ cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup red-wine vinegar
¼ cup canola oil
1 tsp salt,
1 tsp pepper
1 tbs fresh parsley, chopped

Directions
-Boil cubed potatoes until fork tender (about 10 minutes once they start to boil).
-Drain and return to pot.
-In a small bowl, mix remaining ingredients.
-Pour mixture over hot potatoes. Lightly toss until well mixed.
-Allow salad to cool, and then refrigerate overnight.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Father's Day Flashback--Balsamic green beans with baby mozzarella and tomatoes

2 years ago on Father's Day, I found out I was pregnant with our little man! Being excited, we went out for dinner to celebrate at a local Italian place (this was pre-morning sickness!). I ordered this salad and fell in love. I have modified it to be lower in fat and calories. It is the perfect dish to serve prior to a meal, or just as a plain old side. It also works great for a picnic take-along! It has become a summer time favorite of mine.

Balsamic green beans with baby mozzarella and tomatoes
Serves 8
141 calories/8 grams fat/3 grams fiber
4 Weight Watchers points per serving

Ingredients
2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in half
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
½ a red onion, quartered and sliced thin
½ cup fresh mini-mozzarella balls, packed in water (not oil marinade)
½ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup canola oil
¼ cup honey
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Directions
-Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
-Drop in green beans and cook for 2 minutes until color turns bright green.
-Quickly strain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
-Pour cooled green beans into a large mixing bowl.
-Mix green beans with tomato halves, sliced onion and mozzarella balls.
-In a separate bowl, mix balsamic vinegar, oil, honey, salt and pepper. For best results, use an immersion blender for a rich and creamy dressing. If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a whisk and beat ingredients until dressing begins to thicken.
-Pour dressing over green bean salad, and combine well.
-Refrigerate overnight.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

A taste of the islands--coconut and red bean rice

Summertime always makes me want to experiment with new dishes, and recently, the Caribbean seems to be my inspiration. Something about the smell of jerk seasoning makes we want to sit back with a margarita and indulge in foods from the islands. This side-dish incorporates some traditional flavors with a twist to make it a healthy alternative. Serve with jerk chicken for a complete meal.


Coconut rice
Makes 2 cups of rice
4 servings (1/2 cup of rice)
Per serving
Calories 185
Fat 2
Fiber 3
POINTS 3

Ingredients
2/3 cup low-fat coconut milk
1/3 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup canned kidney beans or red beans
1/2 cup white rice
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 red pepper, diced
1/8 tsp tumeric
1/8 tsp thyme
salt/pepper

Directions
-Saute onion and pepper in PAM
-Add coconut milk and chicken stock, bring to a boil.
-Add beans, spices, salt and pepper.
-Add rice. Return to boil. Cover and reduce heat to low.
-Simmer cook 15 minutes.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Eating ourselves out of house and home: 20 days, 1 full freezer, 2 hungry adults

The count-down has begun. We have decided to take the plunge and move South. While many challenges lie ahead, the biggest one right now is eating all of the food we have in the house! My goal over the next few weeks is to eat my way through all of the frozen ingredients I have stocked up on. From a meat/poultry perspective the freezer isn't too full: 1 flank steak, 2 packs of ground turkey, and 12 chicken breasts. There are also the random veggies: corn, broccoli, artichoke hearts, brussel sprouts and spinach. The goal is to use up as much as I can in the next 19 days so I have as little left as possible by the end of the month.

Turkey-Spinach Meatloaf will knock one pack of turkey and 1 box of spinach off the list, while supplying us with 2 dinners (one loaf to eat this week, one to freeze for next week). 1 loaf easily serves two adults, with enough left over for a small sandwich the next day. Serve with mashed potatoes for a real comfort-food dinner.

Turkey-Spinach Meatloaf
Makes 2 loaves
16 points per loaf (800 calories)
Each loaf makes 8 pieces, 2 points per piece (100 calories)

Ingredients
-PAM
-1/2 onion, chopped
-1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
-1 egg, beaten
-1 teaspoon salt
-1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
-1.25 pounds ground turkey breast
-1 (10-ounce) packages frozen leaf spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
-1 cup chili sauce, divided

Directions
-Pre-heat oven 350 degrees.
-In a large saucepan, saute onion until soft and translucent.
-Add spinach and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.
-In a medium bowl, mix breadcrumbs, egg, ½ cup chili sauce, salt and pepper.
-Combine breadcrumb mixture with spinach and onion mixture.
-Add ground turkey to mixture and work until well blended but do not over mix.
-Line a large cookie sheet with foil and spray with PAM.
-Form turkey mixture into 2 loaves. Top each loaf with 1/4 cup chili sauce.
-Bake 30-45 minutes, until juice from loaves run clear.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Swedish meatballs better than Ikea's

I went to Ikea last weekend to get some stuff for my upcoming move. As I passed the cafeteria, I realized that I have not made my Swedish meatballs in AGES. They are a little time consuming, but very yummy and surprisingly low in point. In Sweden they are usually served with a sweet cream-based sauce, but I have lightened it up by eliminating the cream and focusing on the sweetness by adding honey. Serve with boiled red potatoes and lingonberry jam (similar to a cross between red currant and cranberry) for a complete meal!

As we say in Sweden "smaklig måltid"

Swedish Meatballs
28 points in all of meatballs
Makes 20-30 meatballs
Comes out to about 200 calories in 5 meatballs

-1.25 pounds 85% lean beef
-1/4 cup bread crumbs
-1/2 cup milk
-1 egg
-1 small cooked potato
-1/2 half onion, finely grated
-salt, pepper, parsley

-Mix bread crumbs and milk, Season with salt pepper and parsley. Let stand until thick.
-Mash up cooked potato and mix into bread crumb mixture. Add egg and grated onion. Mix until smooth.
-Mix in ground meat until just blended.
-Spray large pan with PAM and heat to medium-high.
-With wet hands, roll meat mixture into 3/4 inch balls.
-Brown meatballs on each side until they no longer look pink, then simmer on low until cooked through.


SAUCE
5 points in sauce

-1 can beef broth
-1/4 cup honey
-Soy sauce
-Pepper & salt


-Remove meatballs from pan. Over low heat, add broth and mix rapidly with a wisk to loosen any bits.
-Mix in honey and soy. Reduce by half. Slowly add corn starch and mix well. Add pepper and parsley.

Manicotti that is good for you!

I love baked pasta. However, most baked pasta dishes are so high in carbs and fat that I tend to avoid them. That was until I started making my own versions of some of my favorite classic dishes. This stuffed manicotti is packed with spinach and tomatoes, reducing the calories significantly, while giving you an extra serving of veggies. Serve with a simple salad and some steamed cauliflower and you have a very healthy dinner providing you with at least 2 of your recommended 5 daily servings of vegetables.

Spinach-tomato Manicotti
4 points per manicotti shell (about 200 calories)
12 servings

12 manicotti shells
1 small container part-skim ricotta
20 oz frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
1 can diced tomatoes
1 jar Rinaldi tomato-basil sauce
1 tbs Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Directions
-Pre-heat oven 350 degrees.
-Cook manicotti according to package directions.
-Drain diced tomatoes, reserving liquid in a medium sized mixing bowl.
-In a separate bowl, mix drained diced tomato chunks with spinach, ricotta, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper.
-Mix Rinaldi sauce into liquid from the diced tomatoes.
-Divide spinach-ricotta mixture equally between 12 cooked manicotti shells.
-Spray a 9X12 baking dish with PAM. Coat bottom of baking dish with a thin layer of tomato sauce mixture.
-Lay the stuffed manicotti into the baking dish. Top with remaining tomato sauce.
-Bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

A lunch truck favorite re-born--Chicken special sandwiches

A few years back when I started working for my current company, I spent many days in Newark, NJ working at one of our local hospitals. Though the environment was stressful, the thought of a delicious, greasy, cheesy, chicken special sandwich that awaited me at the lunch truck (aka, the grease truck), kept me going through the morning, and my full stomach after lunch kept me going long enough to finish up my day. In order to prevent a heart attack, I had to modify my favorite sandwich to be not so unhealthy, yet still super delicious. This recipe is really easy, and satisfies any cravings you may have for a lunch truck special.

Chicken Special Sandwiches
Makes 4 sandwiches
8 points per sandwich (about 400 calories)

-4 Calandras Sandwich rolls (or any other Italian-style roll that has about 100 calories in it)
-20 oz of boneless chicken breast, sliced into thin short strips
-1 tbs Italian seasoning
-1 tsp garlic powder
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp pepper
-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
-1 onion, sliced (slice onion in half, then each half into thin slices)
-1 green pepper, sliced into thin slices
-1/2 cup shredded cheese
-4 tbs ketchup
-PAM

Directions
-Mix together all of spices, toss with chicken slices and let sit for 10 minutes.
-Heat a large skillet, sprayed with PAM, over medium high heat.
-Saute onions and peppers until soft. Transfer to a bowl.
-Saute chicken until cooked all the way through (about 5-10 minutes).
-Add onions and peppers, and saute an additional 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
-Cut sub rolls in half. Top each half with 2 tbs shredded cheese.
-Toast each sub roll until cheese is melted.
-Top with 1/4 of chicken/veggie mixture and 1 tbs ketchup.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Mediterranean Get-away: Orzo salad with spinach, artichoke hearts and feta

I am always looking for new side dishes to serve with grilled chicken. I feel like week after week I try to find a new twist to put on potatoes, so this week I decided to try combining some of my favorite Mediterranean ingredients into this tasty side dish. Once I completed the salad I realized you can really serve it as a main dish, but it did compliment the balsamic chicken quiet well. As always, it makes a lot, so be prepared to have it for a few days.

Orzo salad with spinach, artichoke hearts and feta
36 points in entire dish
Makes 9 half-cup servings
About 4 points per half-cup (200 calories)

8 oz orzo
1 bag fresh baby spinach, pre-washed
24 kalamata olives, sliced
1 can artichoke hearts packed in water, drained and chopped
1 small container reduced fat feta
1 small jar roasted peppers packed in water, drained and chopped
2 Tbs olive oil
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

-In a large pot, boil water and cook orzo according to package directions.
-Drain orzo and immediately pour over the fresh spinach, so that the steam from the hot orzo wilts the spinach.
-In a large bowl, combine oil, vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper with a whisk.
-Add chopped artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, and sliced olives.
-Let sit 5 minutes so that dressing soaks in.
-Combine the artichoke mixture with the orzo and spinach mixture.
-Add feta cheese.
-Refrigerate 1 hour prior to serving.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Grill season is here!

I am so happy that the weather is finally warming up! We took the grill out last week for the sweet whiskey flank steak and jerk-style chicken, and I will be using it again for one of my favorite go-to dishes--balsamic chicken.

Here is this week's line-up

Balsamic chicken with orzo salad

Cowboy burgers with steak fries

Meatball parm subs with cauliflower

The balsamic chicken is great because you put all of the ingredients into a zip-lock bag the night before and then throw it on the grill 20 minutes before you want to eat. If you don't have an outdoor grill, I suggest investing in a grill pan--they are great for year round BBQ. We have the All Clad Non Stick Double Grill and Griddle, and we use it all of the time.

Balsamic Chicken
Serves 4
5 points per serving (about 250 calories)
20 oz chicken, cut into fillets (or just buy chicken cutlets)
2 tsp oil
2 tbs mustard
2 tbs lemon juice
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tsp minced garlic, or two whole garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp ground pepper
1 tbs Italian seasoning

Place chicken in a large zip-lock bag.
In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients.
Pour marinade into zip-lock bag.
Squeeze out the air and seal.
Place the bag in a shallow dish and refrigerate.
Let chicken marinate for at least 2 hours, or if possible over night.
Pre-heat grill to high. If using grill pan, coat with cooking sprat.
Grill each piece 4-5 minutes per side, depending on thickness**.
Remove chicken from grill and let rest 5 minutes before serving.

**If you are not sure if chicken is done, cut into one piece. You should not see any pink and the juices should run clear.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

A tribute to Jack Daniels--Sweet whiskey flank steak

I love Trader Joe's. It is just a great store with lots of healthy products that inspire you to cook nutritious meals. This week they had the most beautiful eggplant I have ever seen, and the best part was they were uniform in size, which makes food-prep so much easier. In honor of the eggplant, I knew I had to add eggplant rollatini to my weekly line up. Here is what I came up with:

Eggplant Rollatini and broccoli

Sweet whiskey flank steak with sweet potato wedges

Jerk-style Chicken with coconut rice

The Sweet whiskey flank steak pays tribute to Jack Daniels. The recipe was adapted from one that I saw in Cooking Light. They use bourbon, I use whiskey, either way I am sure it is delicious. This recipe makes A LOT, so be prepared to invite friends over, make steak sandwiches, or simply cut the recipe in half. TIP: Half of 1/4 cup is 2 tbs, however it is probably easier to make the same amount of marinade and just cut down on the size of the steak you use.

Ingredients
2 points per ounce of steak
1 point per 2 tbs of sauce

2-pound flank steak
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 scallions, minced
1/4 cup whiskey
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tbs Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag to marinade. Let sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or even better, over night.
Remove steak from bag, reserving marinade.
Spray cool grill with cooking spray and heat to HIGH. You can also use a grill pan if a standard grill isn't available.
Grill 6 minutes on each side for medium rare, add a minute for medium. The ends will be more well-done since they are thinner.
Remove from grill and let stand 10 minutes.
Cut diagonally across grain into thin slices.
Combine reserved marinade with ½ tsp cornstarch in a saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 1-2 minutes, stirring with a whisk constantly until sauce thickens.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Some like it sweet--simple ingredients for a quick dinner

Back from a great 5-day vacation and I am feeling energized again! This week's menu features a few of my favorites, one of which is so simple you can throw it together in 10 minutes, as long as you have a few simple ingredients on hand!

Sweet and sour meatballs with brown rice

Spaghetti and meat sauce with cauliflower

Tex-Mex pie with black bean and corn salsa

Sweet and Sour Meat Balls
Makes 21 meatballs
2 points per piece, including sauce

Ingredients
1 pound 85% lean ground meat
1 jar chili sauce
1 can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 onion, diced

Directions
-Divide meat into 21 equal sized balls.
-In a large sauce pan that has a cover, saute diced onion over medium-high heat.
-Add meat, and saute until meatballs look brown.
-Add chili sauce and cranberry sauce (you will need to break apart the cranberry sauce--it will be really chunky when you add it to the pan).
-Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
-Serve over brown rice (brown rice = 2 points per 1/2 cup).

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Tex-Mex anytime--Chicken Enchiladas

If it isn’t evident, I love Tex-Mex. I could eat it every night and be happy. I swear that this recipe is based on a recipe I saw in SELF magazine when I was 12 years old, but honestly I don’t remember. What I do know is that it is very yummy, and goes great with a side of black beans. If you are making this the night before, do everything but wait to pour the sauce over until right before you bake.


Chicken Enchiladas
Makes 6 enchiladas
4 points per enchilada (about 200 calories)

8 oz chicken breast
1/2 cup cheese
2 scallions
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
6 small whole wheat tortillas
2 tbs + 1/2 cup salsa
1 can La Victoria enchilada sauce

Directions
-Pre-heat over 350 degrees.
-Poach chicken in enough water to cover and 2 tbs salsa. Once cooled, shred chicken and add to mixing bowl.
-Saute onions and peppers until soft.
-Add diced scallions, cheese, salsa and sauteed veggies to the shredded chicken. Season mixture with salt and pepper.
-Fill each tortilla with 1/6th of mixture. Roll up into a tube shape.
-Place each enchilada seam-side down in a sprayed baking dish. Try to find a dish that is the same width as the enchilada (if you can’t that is fine too).
-Before baking, top with enchilada sauce
-Bake 20 minutes or until sauce is bubbly.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Red Onion Chicken—a new take on an old favorite

Most people like fried chicken, however most fried chicken is really high in fat and calories, so it isn’t a go-to food for those who are watching what they eat.

I came across this recipe when I was 16–I was in Sweden with my family and we were reading food magazines (like usual) and I saw a recipe for pan-fried chicken with a red onion breading. I thought it looked yummy so I tried it, and after 15 years of tweaking (yes, now you all know how old I am), I came up with this recipe for red onion chicken.

Red Onion Chicken
Makes 4 cutlets
6 points per cutlet (about 300 calories)

Ingredients
2 chicken breast, filleted into 4 cutlets (about 16 oz of chicken)
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1/2 tbs Italian seasoning
1/4 red onion, finely diced
1 egg white
salt/pepper
PAM

Directions
-In a shallow bowl, mix egg white with 2 tbs water.
-In another shallow bowl, mix breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, salt/pepper and red onion together.
-Dip each cutlet in the egg white and then coat in the breadcrumb mixture. Place each coated cutlet on a large cutting board.
-Once all cutlets are coated, spray them generously on one side with PAM.
-Pre-heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spray pan generously with PAM.
-Place chicken, PAM side down in the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes until golden brown.
-Spray tops with PAM and flip chicken, cooking 2-3 minutes on the other side or until chicken is cooked through.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind

Let my people go (and eat something yummy)--my ode to Passover

Passover is a holiday where Jewish people basically give up bread and all other yummy carbs (think beans, rice, corn, etc.) to thank G-d for his help freeing us from slavery in Egypt. It is a time of year that I struggle with cooking wise, but I have managed to compile a short list of recipes to get me through the seven days of sacrifice. For non-observers you can use phyllo dough--3 sheets on top and 3 sheets on the bottom, just make sure to spray each sheet individually with PAM. Points/calories stay the same!

Matzo-kopita

18 points in entire dish (about 850 calories)
Makes about 9 small hors devours sized pieces at 2-points a piece (100 calories)
or 4 dinner sized portions at 4.5 points a piece (225 calories)

10 oz fresh spinach
2 scallions
1 tbs fresh dill
4 eggs
2 tbs lemon juice
1 cup reduced fat feta (1 small container)
2 sheets Matzo
salt
pepper

-Pre-heat oven 350 degrees.
-Thaw and drain spinach. Place in bowl.
-Dice scallions and dill, mix in with spinach.
-Add lemon juice, salt and pepper.
-Wisk together eggs and mix into spinach mixture.
-Add feta cheese and mix until well blended.
-Spray 8x8 pan. Layer 1 piece of Matzo down.
-Spread spinach mix over evenly.
-Top with last sheet of Matzo.
-Bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Home made pizza & baked ziti

Last night we really wanted to order pizza and baked ziti, but since we are trying to eat in during the week we opted to have what we had already made. As a surprise to my husband for dinner tonight I made home made pizza and baked ziti--he was thrilled. I was able to make both in about 1.5 hours, which I thought wasn't bad! The pizza dough is great because 1 batch makes enough dough for two pizzas, so you can use half one night and then freeze the rest for another night. The ziti made enough to serve 9 people, so you can either freeze it in portions or have a dinner party--your choice (I chose freeze since our house is a mess and I can't find the dining room table under all of the crap I have on it).

Pizza dough
Makes two 12-inch pizzas
18 points per crust (about 900 calories)

1 1/2 cups warm water (not HOT)
1 package active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tbs olive oil
4 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt

-In a small bowl mix yeast, warm water and sugar. Let sit 5 minutes until it gets frothy looking.
-Add oil to yeast mixture and put aside.
-In a separate bowl mix flour and salt.
-Slowly mix yeast mixture into flour mixture. Dough should form a smooth ball (add extra flour if it is too sticky--you may need to use your hand)
-Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and place in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
-Punch down dough and kneed for 3 minutes.
-Divide dough in half. Toss one crust into a zip lock bag and freeze.


Cheese Pizza
30 points in prepared cheese pie / 6 slices at 5 points per slice (about 250 calories)

1 portion of pizza dough recipe
1 cup marinara sauce
1 1/4 cups reduced fat shredded Italian cheese

-Pre heat oven to 500 degrees. Place baking rack on lowest setting.
-Roll out dough on a pizza stone.
-Top with 1 cup sauce and 1 1/4 cups shredded cheese.
-Bake for 15 minutes or until desired crispiness.

Baked Ziti
Serves 9
72 points in entire dish/8 points per piece (about 400 calories)

1 box ziti, cooked and drained
1/2 pound lean ground meat
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tbs oregano
1 tbs dried basil
1 tsp salt/pepper
1 jar marinara sauce (sorry folks, no time for home made during the week)
1 cup part skim ricotta
1 cup shredded mozzarella

-Pre-heat oven 350 degrees.
-In a large pan over medium high heat saute onion until soft.
-Add meat and cook until all of the pink is gone.
-Push all of the meat to one side and tilt the pan so the fat runs down to the other side. Drain or blot away with a paper towel.
-Add oregano, basil, salt and pepper.
-Reduce heat to low and pour in marinara sauce. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
-Stir ricotta directly into hot sauce.
-Mix pasta and sauce together in a large bowl.
-Spray a large baking dish with PAM. Pour mixture into dish. Top with cheese. Bake 30 minutes or until bubbly.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

You can pick your friends, and you can picadillo your turkey

I have been a little red-meat phobic lately, so most of my meals have been turkey or chicken based. You could totally make this one with ground meat, and it would probably by just as good. While I am not so into meat lately, I understand that those I cook for probably still are, so I have included it in the weekly line-up. Amazingly, I have been blogging for so long now that all but my turkey picadillo recipe are already posted.

This week's menu:
Rosemary-merlot flank steak with steamed broccoli
Chicken with olives and fruit with roasted potatoes
Turkey Picadillo on whole-wheat rolls with tortilla chips

This recipe is based on one that I saw in FOOD magazine a few months back—I just changed it up to make it lower in calories and fat.

Turkey Picadillo
Serves 6
5 points per serving (250 calories) + 3 points for a whole wheat roll (150 calories)

Ingredients
1 medium onion, diced
2 tbs minced garlic (about 4 cloves, or if you can used pre-minced garlic)
3 whole bay leaves
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 1/4 pounds ground 93% lean turkey
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1/3 cup raisins
1/2 cup green olives (use the jarred kind, not the can)
2 tablespoons green olive juice (use the liquid from the olive jar)

Directions
Spray a large pan with PAM and heat over medium-high heat
Add the onion and garlic and cook until slightly soft and clear
Add the bay leaves, cumin, chili powder and allspice mix so that onions and garlic are well coated
Add the turkey, salt and pepper
Cook about 5-10 minutes, until turkey begins to brown
Add the tomato paste and stir until all of the turkey mixture is coated
Add 2 cups water, the raisins, olives and olive juice
Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over medium heat until thickened, about 15 minutes
Uncover and cook, stirring, 10 more minutes
Pull out bay leaves and discard (don’t eat them—yuck)
Serve on a whole-wheat roll

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Friday night family dinner--Chicken with Olives and Fruit

Growing up we never had a specific night that was designated to “family dinners”—we ate together every night by candlelight, discussing our day, our plans for the week, or anything else that came to mind (my mom was a no-joke homemaker who still prides herself on the fact that she can fold a perfect peacock napkin with her eyes closed).

As a full-time working mom of a 13-month-old, with a husband who gets home as late as 8pm, we usually eat in front of the TV before passing out and starting the routine all over the next day. The exception is Friday nights, when we really do try to sit down together and have a nice relaxing dinner together. I try to prepare hardier meals for Fridays, and if I am really good I pick up a challah to go with it (rarely happens, but I do try). Chicken with Fruit and Olives has become one of my favorites, especially since you do most of the work the night before, and just throw it in the oven to cook the day-of.

Chicken with Olives and Fruit
Serves 4
6 points per person (300 calories)

-1/4 cup red wine vinegar
-1 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup pitted prunes, chopped
1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup pitted green olives, chopped
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, filleted into 4 cutlets
1/2 cup white wine (if you don’t have wine just increase chicken broth to 1 cup)
1/2 cup chicken broth

Combine first 8 ingredients in a zip-lock bag. Mush together until well blended.
Add chicken and let marinate overnight.
Preheat oven to 450
Spray a large baking dish with PAM. Pour entire content of zip-lock bag into the dish, and top with wine and chicken broth.
Bake at 450° for 35 minutes or until chicken is done.
Let stand 15 minutes to cool.
Slice each cutlet into 4 pieces, and mix well with the warm fruit mixture.

I like to serve this meal with roasted potatoes—they soak up the sauce and really complete the dish. I actually stir them directly into the chicken/sauce mixture before serving.

Roasted potatoes
Serves 4
3 points per person (150 calories)

2 dice russet potatoes, skins on and scrubbed clean
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Pre-heat oven 425
Place aluminum foil n a cookie sheet and spray with PAM
Bake for 15 minutes
After 15 minutes, toss the potatoes using a spatula, and cook for 15 more minutes.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Comfort food when the weather is Chili (Chicken and white bean chili that is)

One of the great things about cooking for another family is that it challenges me to not cook the same thing every week. I often spend my free time flipping through cooking magazines, and now rather than just admiring the recipes, I think about how I can tailor them to meet my desire for healthy meals that please the palate.

This week's line up:

Chicken and white bean chili served with corn bread

Spanikopita (Greek spinach pie) served with salad

Stuffed Shells served with brussels sprouts

After looking at the weather forecast for the weekend (rain, rain and more rain), I knew that some comfort food would be in order. By combining a few recipes that I had come across, I was able to create this delicious Chicken and White Bean Chili. Perfect for these dreary NJ days!

Chicken and White Bean Chili

5 points per cup (about 250 calories)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 yellow onions, chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3 (15.8-ounce) cans Cannallini beans, rinsed and drained

2 cans (4 cups) fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

3 chicken breasts (about 30oz of chicken) poached and shredded*

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes with jalapenos

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, or two cubes of frozen cilantro**

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

-Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.

-Add onion; sauté until it looks translucent

-Add chili powder, garlic, cumin and oregano. Stir until onions are coated with spices.

-Add beans, diced tomatoes and broth; bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

-Using an immersion blender, puree some of the chili so it thickens. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a food processor or blender, just be careful not to put the lid all the way on the blender, or the hot mixture will explode. You can probably also use a potato masher or big fork and just mash around the pot until some of the beans look broken up.

-Add the pulled chicken and let simmer on low for an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

*To poach chicken, fill up a pot with water and add ½ cup of salsa. Place chicken in the pot and simmer for 30 minutes over medium heat. Pour out water and allow chicken to cool on a cutting board, then pull apart with your hands or using two forks. If you don't have time to do this, buy a whole rotisserie chicken and shred the meat from it for this recipe.

** I buy most of my herbs frozen or dried because otherwise I find they go to waste. Trader Joes sells frozen cilantro (check out the freezer aisle). I love this product and add it to all sorts of things like marinades, pico de gallo and chili. You just pop out the number of cilantro “cubes” you want to use (1 cube is equal to one tablespoon on cilantro) and then stick the rest back in the freezer for next time!

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Hey there Cowboy

I love burgers--it is actually what brought me and my husband together. On our first date, I made sure he was a fan of cheeseburgers, because I knew that if he wasn't, our relationship was doomed. He introduced me to Pal's Cabin, where you can get the most delicious burger in NJ, topped with melted cheddar cheese and crisp steak fires (my mouth is watering as I type).

Realistically, I am trying to limit the amount of red meat I consume, so I go for the next best thing--turkey burgers seasoned with BBQ sauce, or as I like to call them, Cowboy Burgers.

Cowboy Burgers
6 points per burger patty
Makes 5 burgers

20 oz 93% lean ground turkey
1 egg
3 tbs seasoned bread crumbs
2 tbs BBQ sauce
1/4 red onion, diced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

-Mix together bread crumbs, egg and BBQ sauce.
-Add onions, salt and pepper
-Mix in ground turkey until just blended
-Shape into 5 patties
-Refrigerate patties for 30 minutes
-Preheat grill pan, sprayed with PAM, over medium high heat.
-Grill 5-10 minutes per side, until cooked all the way through.
-Serve on whole wheat roll.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Back in the game and I choked (artichoked, that is)

Wow! It has been almost a month since I have done food prep--between vacation and work, time has just been flying by! Little man celebrated his first birthday with not 1, but 2 birthday parties (one in Florida and one in NJ), so needless to say we have had our hands full. It is great to be back in the game, making a few of my favorite dishes.


Here is the line up:
Artichoke and Spinach Mac and Cheese
Red Onion and Tomato Salad

Veggie Chili
Tortilla Chips

Cornflake Chicken
Sweet Potato Fries

The mac and cheese was a special request, so in honor of that I am sharing the recipe here. I have to admit that this dish was inspired by a co-worker of mine who saw the recipe on Rachel Ray, but I altered it to fit my goal of healthy meals low in points and high in taste.

Spinach and Artichoke Mac and Cheese

1 box shells, cooked at dente and drained
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup dry vermouth
3 cups skim milk
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 8-oz box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 8-oz can artichoke hearts, chopped and squeezed dry
salt/pepper to taste
1 1/4 cups sharp Cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cups pizza blend cheese
1/4 cup bread crumbs
PAM

Pre-heat oven 350.

Spray large pot with PAM. Saute onion and garlic over medium-high heat until onions turn clear.
Add flour and cook 1 minute so that onions and garlic are coated. While stirring rapidly with a whisk, add vermouth and allow alcohol to cook off.
Continue to whisk and add milk, allowing the milk to come to a slow simmer. Stir in spinach, artichokes, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Mix well. Slowly stir in cheeses, until entire mixture is melted together.
Toss cooked pasta and cheese mixture. Spread into a 9x13 inch glass pan sprayed with PAM. Sprinkle top with breadcrumbs, give a quick spray over with PAM, and bake for 25 minutes.

The entire dish has 55 points and makes between 8-10 servings, depending on how much you can eat. That about 400-500 calories per serving.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Fondue date-night

In general, I try to eat healthy during the week and on the weekends I let myself indulge a little. This past weekend hubby and I decided to break out the fondue set and enjoy a nice relaxing night by the fire place. Our fondue of choice? A home-made rendition of the Melting Pot's Mexican Fiesta Cheese Fondue. Health? No. Delicious? Yes. We ate this pot of bubbling cheesy goodness with fresh baked tortilla chips, cubed ciabatta bread, and red and green pepper slices.

Mexican Fiesta Cheese Fondue
6oz beer
8 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3oz shredded Swiss cheese
2 tbs flour
1/4 cup fresh pico de gallo (recipe to follow)

This recipe calls for use of a double boiler. For those who are not familiar with this cooking method, you basically use hot water to gently melt your ingredients together. This is easily done by putting about 2 cups of water into one of your smaller pots and placing a glass or Pyrex bowl directly on top, as if it was a lid. The ingredients cook in the bowl as it is heated by the steaming water in the pot.

So, to start, heat your double boiler on the stove over medium-high heat.
Add the beer and pico de gallo and let simmer for a good 5-7 minutes so that the beer absorbs the flavor.
Mix your cheese together with the flour. This will prevent clumping.
When you feel your beer is hot enough, slowly add your cheese in (I did it in three parts).
Stir constantly, making sure the cheese and the beer become one.
You should end up with a chocolate syrup like texture.
Transfer fondue to a fondue pot and serve.

Pico de gallo
1 tomato, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
juice from 1/2 lime
1 tbs cilantro
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
Pico actually IS healthy--there are no point in it. You can serve it with quesadillas, grilled chicken, baked tortilla chips or anything else you can think up.

Therefore I can end with...

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Mama give me more meatballs

After watching my 11 month old son and his best friend devour two tennis-ball sizes meatballs last night at dinner, I decided that I should make some meatballs to have in the house for a quick-fix dinner. I love making meatballs because you can make so many in one batch and freeze them individually for an easy dinner.

In discussion with my friends, I know their are three schools of thought when it comes to meatballs: those who fry, those who bake and those who cook in sauce. I am from the "cook in sauce" school, possibly because I am a half-Swedish Jewish girl from Massachusetts with no ties to Italy and no official culinary training. However, cooking in sauce is easy, and it leaves you with an amazing tomato sauce that you can use for a variety of other dishes.

Sauce
2 28oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 14oz can Italian style stewed tomatoes (crush the tomato pieces in your hand as you pour them into the pot)
1 tbs tomato paste
1 tbs Italian seasoning
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
salt/pepper

Dump all ingredients in a very large pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low. Remember you are going to cook your meatballs in this sauce, so make sure your pot is very big!

Meatballs
2.5 pounds 85% lean ground beef
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 whole egg plus 2 egg whites
1/4 cup water
1 tsp garlic powder
salt/pepper

Mix the bread crumbs with the Parmesan cheese. Stir in eggs and water. You should have a really mushy mixture. If it clumps together, add a little more water.
Add garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Add in the ground beef. Mix until just blended (you should not have any clumps of bread mixture, but you do not want to over-mix). This is best done with your hands.
Wet your hands and roll small balls of the meat into golf-ball sized meatballs. You should get between 30-35 meatballs, depending on how big you made them.
Drop meatballs into simmering sauce. DO NOT COVER. Make sure the heat is on low.
Stir every 10-15 minutes, scooping up from the bottom to make sure that the meatballs are not sticking.
Let meatballs cook for 1 hour.

To freeze meatballs, scoop them out of the sauce with a spoon and drain them on the side of the pot so they are pretty much sauce-free.
Lay them out on a cookie sheet sprayed with PAM.
Place entire cookie sheet in the freezer for 2 hours. Remove and transfer meatballs into a ziplock back. Return to freezer and use meatballs as needed for subs, spaghetti or, in my case, dinner for your hungry 11 month old :-) You can also freeze the sauce in ziplock freezer bags for delicious pasta sauce. Lay them flat in the freezer to save space.

Each meatball has 2 points.

Health meals to nourish your mind.

A quick fix for the uninspired--meatsauce

Meatsauce is one of those go-to meals that I always make when I feel uninspired. It is quick, easy and delicious. I adapted this recipe from my mom's, which features ground beef rather than turkey. It is good with either one, and tastes great served over pasta or in dishes such as lasagna or baked ziti. The recipe below makes about 7 cups, at 2 points per 1/2 cup serving.

Ingredients
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
2 14oz cans Italian-style stewed tomatoes, pureed smooth (you can either use an immersion blender or throw them into a food processor. For those who like a chunkier sauce, just run your knife through the whole tomato pieces)
2 tbs tomato paste
1 onion, chopped
20 oz 93% lean ground turkey
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs dried basil
salt/pepper to taste

Spray the bottom of a big pot with PAM. Over medium-high heat, saute onion until they begin to appear translucent.
Add turkey and saute until all the pink is gone. Drain any excess fat from the pan (I usually push all of the turkey to one side and then tip the pot the opposite way so all the fat pools to the side. With a paper towel, I soak up the excess liquid).
Stir in tomato paste and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add remaining ingredients. Simmer over low heat for up to 1 hour, stiring occasionally.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

This is how we rollatini

Eggplant is another one of those foods that I was truly petrified of. Those big purple odd-shaped vegetables would stare me down as I walked through the produce aisle, taunting me as if to say "Hey lady, you can't handle me!" OK, maybe that is a little extreme, but that was how I felt! I finally gave in and decided to tackle the beast, and I was surprised by how with a little effort, eggplant can be transformed in a variety of delicious and healthy dishes. Below is my recent creation of healthy Eggplant Rollatini, filled with a delicious ricotta/spinach mixture that leaves you very satisfied. This recipe takes a little longer than my other ones to prep, since you need to sweat the eggplant prior to starting. But believe me, it is well worth the effort.


Eggplant Rollatini
28 points in whole dish

1 20oz package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 egg plant, peeled and sliced vertically into long flat strips (between 12-14 strips)
¾ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
2 egg whites
2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
1 tbs Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
2 cups Francesco Rinaldi Marinara sauce

Sweat the eggplant for 1 hr with salt. Pat dry and wipe off excess salt.
Dip eggplant in egg white and then in breadcrumbs.
Spray large skillet pan with PAM.
Over medium-high heat, brown each side of the eggplant, spraying each piece with PAM before you begin to cook.
Mix together spinach, ricotta and spices. Divide filling evenly between your breaded eggplant and roll up.
Place 1 cup sauce at the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish that has been sprayed with PAM. Place eggplant, seam side down into dish and top with remaining tomato sauce.
Bake for 25 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.

Wine and steak--what could be bad?

I wasn't introduced to flank steak until a few years ago, but now it is one of my favorites! You can get two 2-pound steaks at Costco for about $12. 1 steak is enough to feed both hubby and I and have plenty of leftovers for cold steak sandwiches or Swedish Steak Hash (YUM)! I came across this recipe last year while combing through some old issues of Cooking Light.

Rosemary Merlot Flank Steak

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

1 cup finely chopped onion

3/4 cup low-salt beef broth

3/4 cup Merlot or other dry red wine

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

1 tsp minced garlic

1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed

Cooking spray

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add steak; seal bag. Marinate in refrigerator 1 day, turning once.

Remove steak from bag, reserving marinade.

Spray grill-pan with cooking spray and pre-heat over high heat.

Place steak on hot grill pan. Cook 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices.

While steak cooks, strain the reserved marinade and combine with tomato paste and mustard in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring well with a whisk.

Bring sauce to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes.

Serve the sauce with steak.

Steak is 2 points per ounce. Sauce has 3 points in entire recipe, so I don't even bother counting it since I use so little.

Healthy meals to nourish your mind.