Salmon Sizzler with Late-Summer Vegetables

We tried this new recipe last week for our challenge and it was Delish!!!

This only serves 2 so you will have to double if you have more people in your fam, but even my kiddos loved it!

Salmon Sizzler with Late-Summer Vegetables
1 Large Tomato
6-8 Leaves of Fresh Basil(optional, but so yummy)
2 Salmon Fillets or steaks(5 oz per)
1 tsp Olive or canola oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)
2 small Yellow squash or zucchini, thinly sliced
2 Green onions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 450
Core the tomato and cut it in half crosswise; gently squeeze the seeds from each half and cube the halves.
Stack the basil leaves (if using), roll them into a cylinder and slice across to make thin strips.
Brush the salmon with the oil; arrange each fillet on a 12" square of heavy foil. Top with the squash or zucchini, tomatoes, green onions, and basil. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Fold the foil diagonally over the fish to form a triangle and seal it tightly by folding and crimping the edges.
Set a heavy, 10" cast-iron skillet in the oven to heat for 5 minutes.
Lay the foil packets in the skillet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the salmon is opaque at the thickest part and the vegetables are crisp-tender. Transfer the packets to dinner plates and serve.

Per serving: 265 calories, 11.8g total fat (but most is the good kind), 1.8 g saturated fat, 78 mg cholestrol, 76 mg sodium(depends on how much salt you put on), 30.6 g protein, 9.3 g carbohydrates, 3.5 g dietary fiber

Breakfast time

My favorite meal of the day!!

Omelet

1 egg
2 egg whites
1/4 c diced red peppers
1/4c green peppers
1 slice canadian bacon
1/4c diced onions
1/3 c mozzerela cheese
1/4c salsa

mix eggs together in a cup and cook like an omelet. Add your fav. seasons to it.
Cook all other ingredients in a pan until done. Take omelet out on plate. Put veggies on top. Top with Cheese. Fold over and top with salsa.


Breakfast Burrito

1 corn tortia
1 egg
1/4 c. diced red peppers
1/4 c. green peppers
1/3 c. onions
1 slice canadian bacon
salsa and cheese

scramble egg and veggies together until done. Put on top of tortia. Roll up together add cheese and salsa.

Beef and Tomatoes

~This was a quick throw together meal and little did I know how good it would be!

4 oz lean ground beef
1/2 c. diced onions
1/2 c. diced tomatoes
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp worchtershire sauce

Cook ground beef , worchtershire sauce and onions together. When they are done add tomatoes, chili powder, and garlic powder. Let simmer for a few mins. Then serve with salad or whole wheat roll. It is not spicey its actually very sweet! ENJOY!

CrockPot Salsa Chicken

Ingredients:

4-6 chicken breasts (I use frozen chicken breast tenders)

1 can rinsed black beans

1 1/2 cups chunky salsa

1 cup frozen white corn

Directions:

Put your chicken in the crockpot (still frozen is fine). Top with the rinsed black beans, salsa, and corn. Cover and cook on low for 6-9 hours, or on high for 4-5. Cooking time will vary depending on whether or not your chicken is frozen, and how big the pieces are.

Serve over brown rice, or on a whole wheat tortilla with some shredded lettuce and cheese. This recipe couldn't be easier and was a huge hit in my house! Hope you enjoy! :)

Mustard-Rosemary Pork & Apple Kabobs

My husband, Flynt and I love grilling, and we just tried this recipe the other day. It was easy, delicious and each serving is only 160 calories with 18 g. of protein!

Marinade

2 T. brown sugar

2 T. mustard (we used Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard)

2 T. water

1 tsp. dried rosemary leaves, crushed

Kabobs

6 oz. pork tenderloin, cut into 12 (1 inch) pieces

1 small red apple, cut into 12 pieces

1/2 medium onion, cut into 4 wedges, layers separated

1. In small bowl, combine all marinade ingredients; mix well. Add pork; toss generously to coat. Cover; let stand at room temp. for at least 10 min. to marinate. (We marinated ours for longer, about 1 1/2 hours.)

2. Heat grill. Drain pork, reserving marinade. Alternately thread apple, pork and onion onto skewers.

3. Grill on medium heat. Brush kabobs with reserved marinade; discard any remaining marinade. Cook 8-11 min. or until pork is no longer pink and onion is crisp-tender, turning once.

Serve and enjoy!

(We served them with "Grilled Asparagus with Extra-virgin Olive Oil, Feta cheese and black pepper" from Bobby Flay's Grill It! book)

Nutritional Info per serving: (A serving is one 14 in. skewer, or two 7 or 8 in. skewers)

Calories 160 Calories from fat 35

Total fat 4g.

Cholesterol 50 mg.

Sodium 80 mg.

Total Carbohydrates 14 g.

Dietary Fiber 2 g.

Sugars 12 g.

Protein 18 g.

Garlic Tilapia

Have you guys seen the Ziploc Zip 'n Steam Bags'?  They're great!  SO much easier than pulling out the steamer (not to mention washing it!).  Anyway, last time I bought a package, there were some recipes included.  I've tried most of them and they've all been pretty good, but this is one of my favorites.  What's more?  It's EASY and QUICK and HEALTHY and YUMMY (and I don't like fish!)!  Can't beat that!  I've altered the original just a bit.  Here's my version:

1. In a small bowl, prepare rub:
     1 tsp. olive oil
     3/4 tsp. garlic powder
     1/4 tsp seasoned salt
2.  Using 3-4 boneless, skinless tilapia fillets (original recipe called for cod), spoon rub on top,   
     spreading evenly.
3.Put prepared tilapia in Medium or Large Ziploc Zip 'n Steam bag, placing thicker portions toward outer
   edge of bag.  If needed, tuck any thin parts of fillet underneath for even cooking.  Seal bag and plac in
    microwave.
4.  Cook on full power.  Cook 3-4 minutes until cooked through.  If needed, continue to cook at 30 
     second  intervals until done.
5.  Allow bag to stand for 1 minute before handling.  Carefully open bag and use spatula to remove.
6.  If desired, squeeze fresh lemon juice over fillets.  (I've never used the lemon juice.)

(I don't know the exact nutritional content when you add the olive oil and seasonings, but here's what the tilapia fillet package says:  98 calories, 21 g protein)

Slow Cooker Chicken & Vegetable Chowder

Here is a soup recipe we love at our house! This recipe comes from a friend of mine, Kim, and when I saw it on her website I knew that I had to try it. She has some amazing healthy recipes ... make sure you check them out on her Average Pantry Gourmet!

-1.5lbs chicken breast meat cut in 1/2" pieces
-1/2 onion, chopped
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-4 celery ribs, cut fine
-3 carrots, sliced
-2 c frozen corn kernels
-2 cans cream of potato soup
-1 can low sodium chicken broth
-1 tsp dried dill
-1 tsp curry powder (optional, this isn't enough to make it taste like curry, but does add a richness and depth to the chowder - I recommend it!)
-pepper to your liking
-1/2 c fat free half-and-half

Using a little cooking spray, brown the chicken breast pieces with onion and garlic in a skillet over med-high heat. Put in slow cooker. Next add celery and carrots to pan and sauté with a little water for a few minutes until just tender, then add to slow cooker. Next add corn, soup, broth, curry, pepper and dill to slow cooker. Cook on low for 5-6 hours, stirring ingredients together after half the time. During the last ten minutes, stir in the half-and-half.

I usually double this recipe (it takes a bit longer to make with all the chopping) and freeze the second half. It changes the consistency a little, but I haven't had any complaints!

Taken from Kim at justamomha.com

Cheesy Potato Soup

Makes 8 servings
Great cheese soup, full of veggies, that even my kids love.

Ingredients

1	Qt water
2	chicken bouillon cubes
1	c diced Celery
1/2	c diced onion
1	c diced carrot
2 1/2	c diced potatoes
8	oz broccoli
8	oz cauliflower
2	cans cream of chicken soup
1	lb processed American cheese (Velveeta)

Directions

1. Boil water
   
   
2. Add bouillon, celery, onion, carrots, potatoes, frozen broccoli and cauliflower.
   
   
3. Reduce heat and simmer covered until veggies are tender (20 mins).
   
   
4. Stir in soup and cheese, cook until heated and cheese is melted.
   
   
5. Freezes well in a Ziplock!
   
   

Categories

Soup

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 273.4g Some items from this recipe could not be found or sized. This estimate is incomplete.

Amount Per Serving

Calories 318 Calories from Fat 171

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 19.0g 29%

Saturated Fat 9.8g 49%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 52mg 17%

Sodium 1412mg 59%

Total Carbohydrates 23.3g 8%

Dietary Fiber 3.3g 13%

Sugars 7.7g

Protein 14.8g

Vitamin A 62% • Vitamin C 83% Calcium 37% • Iron 10%

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet Nutritional details are an estimate and should only be used as a guide for approximation.

Legend

Fat
Protein
Carbs
Alcohol
Other

Calorie Breakdown (?)

Daily Values (?)

Read more: http://caloriecount.about.com/cheesy-potato-soup-recipe-r319656#ixzz0dlqDHAHc

Mushroom Soup

I made this recipe last week and it was SO yummy!! (Who knew healthy food could be so delicious? I sure didn't! ...Nor did I know what a 'wok' was, but I do now! ;) I opted not to blend the veggies at the end but I'm sure it'd be good either way. Let's keep sharing! I love this idea Tiff!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
Carrots, chopped
5 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup uncooked rice
3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
salt and pepper (optional)

Directions

1.) Heat oil in a wok over medium heat, and saute mushrooms, onion, celery and carrots in the oil for 10 minutes.
2.) Add chicken or vegetable stock, rice and soy sauce. Bring to a boil, and simmer for at least an hour.
3.) Take mushrooms, onion, celery and carrots out of the soup. Using a blender or food processor, blend until smooth. Stir back into wok. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and serve hot.

Nutritional Information
Amount per Serving: Calories 89 Total Fat 4.9g Cholesterol 0mg

Southwestern Chicken

Today's challenge to try a new healthy recipe led me to this. I love Mexican food, and am all about beans & rice, so it is right up my alley! The recipe was given to me by a friend, and I would highly recommend it to anyone. You get all the bold flavors of your favorite meal from a Mexican restaurant, but this meal is loaded with lean protein, fiber, and vegetables. And to make it even better, it is very easy (and economical) to make. The recipe could easily feed 8 people.

Southwestern Chicken

• 3 boneless chicken breasts (diced) (could probably use tofu, if you wanted)
• 2 cans Mild Rotel
• 1-2 Tbls. Chili Powder (start with 1, work your way up)
• 2 cans Black Beans (drained & rinsed)
• 2 cans Corn (drained)
• 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
• Brown Rice
• Limes

Brown chicken. Combine chicken, Rotel, and chili powder in pan. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes, or until chicken is done and sauce is slightly thickened. Add remaining ingredients, and simmer 5-7 minutes.

Serve over brown rice. Squeeze lime over the top before serving. Delicious!

Dinner Tonight

We had a very yummy dinner tonight, so I thought I would share....

Biggest Loser Pecan Crusted Chicken

Ingredients:

2 large egg whites

4 tablespoons minced toasted* pecans

2 teaspoons chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of visible fat.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly mist baking sheet with olive oil spray.

In small shallow bowl, beat the egg white with a fork. In a small bowl, combine pecans, parsley, and salt. Dip chicken breast into the egg white to coat. Place the smooth side of the breast on the nut mixture. Press to adhere. Place the breast, nut side up, on the prepared cookie sheet. Repeat with each chicken breast. Do not let the breasts touch.

Bake for 20 minutes or until no longer pink. Let stand 5 minutes.

Makes 4 servings: Per serving - 183 calories, 28 g protein, 1 g fiber.

*To toast pecans, sread in a single layer on baking sheet. Bake on top rack in preheated 350 degree oven for 2-4 minutes. Watch closely and remove when lightly browned.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

2 medium sweet potatoes cut into fries (I leave the skin on)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt to taste

Cut potatoes and put in large tupperware. Add olive oil and shake to coat. Spread in single layer on cookie sheet. Bake for about 30-40 minutes at 425-450 degrees. Flip once during cooking. The time depends on the size of your fries. Continue cooking until brown and crispy on both sides!

Makes 4 servings: Per serving 120 calories, 3 grams of fiber.

See, healthy food can taste good - YUM!!

Pinapple Coconut Angel food cake

Tonight we had this YUMMY treat plus its just about 140 Cals

1 box angel food cake mix(dont add water)
1 can crushed pinapple(do not drain)
mix together

Pour into 9x13 dish(do not grease)

Bake 350 for 20 minutes. We had to bake it for like 35-40 minutes.

Let cool and add cool whip and toasted coconut on top.

Raspberry Glaze Chicken

I just tried this recipe tonight, and it was so easy and quite yummy!

1 lb of boneless, skinless chicken; cut into 4 pieces
2 T. butter or margarine
1/2 c. Diet Mountain Dew, divided
1/4 c. sugarless raspberry preserve

Melt the butter in large skillet. Brown the chicken on both sides. Turn down heat.

Reserve 1 T. of Diet Mountain Dew and pour the rest of the soda over the chicken. Simmer on low for 15 minutes.

Stir in the 1 T. of soda with the raspberry preserve and pour over the chicken and simmer until warmed.

I served it with brown rice, steamed carrots, corn on the cob and a side dish of fresh raspberries. YUM!

Sweet Potato, Carrot & Apple Gratin

4 Cups water
1 Cup thinly sliced carrot
3 Cups cubed peeled sweet potato
1-1/2 Cups diced peeled apple
1/4 Cup dried cranberries
1/3 Cup orange juice
1 1/2 Tbls brown sugar
1/4 teas. pepper
1/4 teas. salt
3/4 Cup cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Combine sweet potato and carrot in sauce pan with water. Boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer and cook 4 miutes or until tender. Drain well. Combine sweet potato mixture with apples and cranberries. Mix orange juice, brown sugar, pepper and salt together in a small bowl. Add to sweet potato, apple and cranberries -mix well. Spoon into greased baking dish and bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake an additional 10 minutes or until cheese melts.

BLACT's

BLACT's
(Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado, Cucumber, & Tomato Sandwich)

Turkey Bacon*
*Cook longer than package says to get it crispy
(Jennie-O "Extra Lean" Per Slice: 20 cals, 0.5g fat, 3g protein)

Lettuce
(I like Green Leaf or Spinach)
Avocado Slices
Cucumber Slices
Tomato Slices

(2) Slices of Bread
= 8g Fiber, 10g Protein just in the bread!
(Pepperidge Farm Whole Grains "15 Grain" Per Slice: 100 cals, 2g fat, 4g fiber, 5g protein -or- "100% Whole Wheat" Per Slice: 100 cals, 1.5g fat, 4 fiber, 5g protein)

Spread a bit of Mayo on the bread, pile on the toppings, and sprinkle with a dash of pepper to top it off.
ENJOY!

Red Pepper and Basil Chicken

Mozzarella Cheese

salt

pepper

Basil

Red Pepper chopped

Red Onion chopped

Garlic

Tomato chopped

Chicken

Cook the chicken in a frying pan with salt and pepper, basil, and garlic. When it is almost done add the red pepper, onion, tomato and mozzarella cheese on top. Cover with tin foil and let cook for a couple more minutes until vegetables are done and cheese is melted. About 255 calories per serving

Taco Soup

A friend made this for me and it doesn't taste like it came out of a can. I package this up in several plastic containers and freeze for work. If you have some extra calories to spare, it's great with sour cream, shredded cheese, and tortilla chips (but what isn't!).
Taco Soup
1 can Turkey Chili
1 can Corn, including liquid
1 can Black Beans, including liquid
1 can Diced Tomatoes
1 can Tomato Sauce, 8 oz
1 pkg Taco Seaoning Mix
Pour all ingredients in a large pot and mix well. Cook over low heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. You can also cook this in a crock pot on low for several hours.
Makes 9) 1 cup servings.
Nutritional Facts (per 1 cup serving)
150 Calories, 2 g Fat, 6 g Fiber, 8 g Protein, 2 WW points

Substitution Obsession

I have to admit, I have become and little crazy and over excited about trying lots of fun substitutions to make recipes more healthy!

I started with substituting egg whites for whole eggs (did you know the egg white has 90% of the protein of the egg and only like 15 calories...at least that's what I read!)

I have completely switched to replacing oil in recipes with unsweetened applesauce. I just use an equal amount (ie replace 1 cup oil with 1 cup applesauce) and have never even noticed a difference!

My newest favorite is ground flaxseed (sometimes called Flaxseed Meal) to replace eggs! Flaxseed is full of fiber and heart healthy Omega-3s (I even read an article that said preliminary studies show getting more Omega-3 fatty acids may help with depression and anxiety...you never know! :)! For one egg, simply mix 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal with 3 Tbsp water in a small bowl and let sit for one to two minutes. Add to recipe as you would an egg! Again, I have never noticed a difference!

Here are my two favorite recipes - full of substitutions! The Zucchini bread I just tried for the first time this morning before preschool - YUMMY!! I was especially excited to find that even cutting the sugar more than in half really didn't change how delicious it was! Even Adam and the kids gave it 2 thumbs up!

Mom’s Zucchini Bread

Original recipe from allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour - Substituted 3 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

3 eggs - Substituted Ground Flaxseed for all 3 eggs!

1 cup vegetable oil - Substituted 1 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 1/4 cups white sugar - Reduced to 1/2 cup brown and 1/2 cup white sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini - Increased to 4 cups

1 cup chopped walnuts/chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.

3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.

4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

NUTRITION: If I figured right, my substitutions took this from 230 calories per serving, to about 112 calories per serving (24 servings)! Plus, 3 grams of fiber per serving! :)

Betsie’s Blender Wheat Pancakes

(The wondeful Betsie Sayers shared this recipe with me! It is a favorite at our house!)

Blend on High 4-5 min (I like mine a little crunchy so I only blend for 1-2 min)

1 cup milk

1 cup uncooked whole wheat

Add and blend on low

2 eggs (I substitute Flaxseed Meal for both)

1/4 cup oil (I substitute unsweetened applesauce)

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp baking powder

2 Tbsp Honey

Pour onto well greased griddle. Small sizes are easier to turn. I cook mine slowly on a low heat

*These are fantastic frozen and reheated in the toaster! I make 4-5 batches on the weekend and then just pull out a few when we want them for breakfast!

Thanks again Betsie! Hope you don't mind that I shared this recipe for you! :)

NUTRITION: Again, this is just my calculations, but I figured the size I make my pancakes (about 20 per batch) to be around 40-45 calories a piece. Haven't tried figuring the fiber.

HOPE YOU TRY AND ENJOY AS MUCH AS WE DO!!

Chicken Sausage

I am excited about a great healthy find....
Costco
Han's Gourmet Chicken Sausage
Sun Dried Tomato and Provolone

Each sausage has 130 calories, 2 grams of carbs., 13 grams of protein.

I had it on the side of scrambled eggs and a slice of tomato. It kept me feeling full for most of the day. I need food like that. Healthy and keeps me from feeling Hungary.