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.