A couple of Green Smoothies I love

Strawberry Cilantro

3 cups spinach (or other mild dark leafy green)
3/4 cup almond milk
10 strawberries
1/2 bunch cilantro.
1 stalk celery

Blend until Smooth, add some ice to cool it down if it gets hot in the blender

Greena-Colada

1 head Romaine
1 cup pineapple
1 cup coconut milk (I used coconut dream)
1 medium banana
1 stalk celery

blend until creamy and delicious. I used fresh frozen pineapple this time.

Again With the Quinoa... I just can't help it!

I found this recipe on the web here. I of course, took a few small liberties with it, though it's pretty close to the original.

Sweet and Savory Summer Quinoa Salad

Yeilds: 6 servings
302 calories each

• 2 teaspoons chicken base
• 2 cups water
• 1 1/4 cups quinoa
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 8 oz boneless, raw, without skin chicken breast
• Real Salt Seasoning salt to flavor the chicken
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup peas
• 2 roma tomatoes cut into 16 chunks 
• 1/4 cup raisins
• Real Salt (to taste)
• garlic powder ( to taste)

Start by soaking the quinoa for 5 minutes then rinsing well.* Next, disolve the chicken base in the water (or just use 2 cups of broth if you have it, could also use vegetable broth/base). Add the quinoa, and the olive oil and cook until all liquid is dissolved. In the meantime grill the chicken breast seasoned with the seasoning salt. (I used my George Forman Grill) Place the mushrooms, bell pepper, and peas in a non stick pan with a light spraying of olive oil (you really need a Misto!)  and saute until the mushrooms begin to wilt. add the tomato and raisins with a little bit of water, and cook until warmed through. Dice up the chicken breast and add all ingredients together, Mix well. Garnish as you'd like. I used parsley and cucumbers to complete the dish.

*I typically don't rinse or soak my quinoa, but this recipe called for it, so I dutifully did. :)

Raw? Yes, RAW.

Tomato Soup seemed like a nice leap. I've been doing green smoothies in the mornings, or whenever, really. I started thinking it would be nice to branch out into some other arenas, and since we're getting closer to gardening time, I am celebrating with this raw tomato soup... getting ready for when I'm able to harvest my very own. Of course I'm eating this soup at room temperature, to preserve the "raw" nature. But you could easily heat/cook it if you chose. I think it would alter the flavor.

Raw Tomato Soup
1 serving
83 calories, 8 calories from fat


1 lb tomatoes quartered
1 oz green bell pepper
4 basil leaves
1 sprig oregano
1 clove garlic
onion salt to taste

blend until smooth. it takes on a creamy look.  I also think it would be lovely with maybe a teaspoon of olive oil added... I may try that next time. totally delicious!

If you're lucky enough to have a Vitamix or Blentec blender I'm jealous, you'll be able to get this to a nice smooth consistency.
black pepper to taste

Now I've done it, I started eating tofu... and I liked it!

This is a quick and easy breakfast scramble, you can use any veggies you want, this is just what I had on hand. The texture of the firm tofu is very very similar to scrambled eggs.

Tofu Scramble
2 servings
138 calories 24 from fat
8.5 grams protein

• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1/2 small onion chopped
• 1 stalk celery chopped
• 1 small zucchini, cut in small cubes
• 1 oz yellow pepper, cut in small cubes
• 1 small (about 4 oz) sweet potato, small cubes
• 6 oz firm silken tofu crumbled
• 1 medium whole tomato wedged

In a cast iron skillet sprayed with your favorite non stick spray ( I use olive oil in a Misto spray can, no nasty propellants, just oil and air) saute the garlic onions celery and pepper. add the sweet potato and zucchini, cook until potatoes are tender. add the crumbled tofu and cook until heated through and just starting to brown. garnish with 1/2 tomato cut into wedges.

a note on protein. tofu is an excellent source of protein, so are eggs. one whole egg contains 6.25 grams of protein. so if I'd used 2 eggs and 2 egg whites in this recipe there would have been 10 grams of protein per serving, and the calories would have increased to 178 per serving. So either way you go, it's still a healthy nutritious breakfast, it just depends on if you are eating animal protein or not.

Enjoy!

xoxoxo

Alisha

Dessert Please

I got the original recipe for this out of this months Rachael Ray Magazine. You can find it here I only made a couple of modifications. Also When I made it my intention was to use honey instead of the brown sugar in the batter, but I completely left it out. The result was a NOT sweet batter, but it still worked. I'll list the recipe as though I'd added the honey, and you can decide from there. :)

Pineapple Upside Down Corn Cake
16 servings
105 calories 21 from fat

• 2 tbsps butter
• 1/2 pineapple, quartered, cored, and cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 3 Tbs. packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsps baking powder
• 3/4 cup stone ground whole grain cornmeal
• 3/4 cup flour

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a 9-inch cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 3 tablespoons brown sugar over medium heat, stirring, until melted. Add the pineapple and cook until tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Arrange the pineapple decoratively in the pan.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, combine the applesauce, remaining tablespoon of butter, and the honey. Beat in the eggs. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the applesauce mixture and stir just until incorporated. Spread the batter gently and evenly on top of the pineapple in the skillet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly, loosen the cake from the pan and invert onto a platter.

Strange Bedfellows

I would never in a million years have thought to combine lentils with simmered fruit, onions and garlic. Even typing it here it doesn't sound good. Trust me, it's delicious. I have a whole room full of co-workers who will say the same thing.
I got the recipe idea from my great big book of everything vegetarian (again) and then switched out some ingredients to make it my own. (again)

Fruity Lentils

4 servings 256 calories 38 from fat.

these are about 1.5 cup servings, so if you wanted to downsize the portions to 1 cup, and get 6 servings, you'd have 171 calorie servings.

• 2/3 cup lentils
• 4 cups water
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium apple, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 pineapple, coarsely chopped
• 3 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1 medium (almost ripe) banana, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt

Place the lentils (you can use green lentils, or pinto beans too) and water in a pan, bring to a boil reduce heat and simmer about 40 minutes, don't let the lentils get mushy. Drain lentils, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil (recipe called for double the amount of vegetable oil, but I didn't see the need, and coconut oil tastes so much better) add the onion and garlic and cook until just starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the apple and cook until golden.  add the pineapple and cook until warmed through, Stir in the lentils, add some of the cooking liquid if it seems too thick. Add the tomatoes and banana, stirring to combine the flavors. Season to taste with the cayenne and salt. The measurements I used were approximate. Garnish it with some fresh cilantro, and serve warm.

Go ahead, try it...

Alisha xoxoxo

PASTA!

I found myself CRAVING bread and cheese today. I almost broke down and bought a pizza. I made this instead. I found it in my great big book of everything vegetarian, and then tweaked it my way of course. The basil makes it really fragrant, and utterly irresistible!

Green Pesto with Whole Wheat Penne
4 servings
174 calories 16 calories from fat

• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 3 1/2 cups pieces or slices mushrooms
• 1 bunch asparagus cut in 2 inch strips
• 10 oz green beans cut in 2 inch pieces
• 1 cup whole wheat penne
• 1/4 cup nonfat greek yogurt
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbs shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh basil
• 2 Tbs. water
• salt and pepper

Place the chicken stock and mushrooms in a small saucepan, bring to a boil and cook for about 3 minutes, drain off the liquid and set aside. You can keep the liquid for a soup or something later if you wanted.

In a separate pot, bring the green beans and asparagus to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes, until crisp tender, drain and set aside.

To make the pesto combine the basil, garlic, yogurt and parmesan in a blender or food processor and pulse to desired consistency. Add the water a little at a time to get the consistency you want. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the penne to desired consistency, drain and combine all ingredients tossing with the pesto. Garnish with more basil and parmesan.

I also cooked a chicken breast to go with this, because I have to have my protein. Some other good additions would be fresh chopped tomatoes, or some shrimp would be nice too!

Enjoy

Alisha xoxoxo

Napa Cabbage and Beef Stir Fry

It's not a plethora of color, but it tastes good.

Cabbage and Beef Stir Fry

4 servings
283 calories per serving 100 calories from fat

• 1Tbs less sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tbs rice wine vinegar
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp corn starch
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 tsps ginger
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 lb lean beef steak
• 1 lb cabbage

Stir together soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce, and cornstarch.

Cut steaks in half lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

Heat wok or heavy skillet (I used a cast iron pan) over high heat until a drop of water evaporates immediately. Add sesame oil and stir-fry garlic and ginger until golden and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beef, quickly spreading pieces in 1 layer on bottom and sides of wok. Cook, undisturbed, 2 minutes, then stir-fry until meat is just browned but still pink in center, about 1 minute. Add cabbage to beef beef  and stir fry for about 2 - 3 minutes. Stir soy mixture and add. Stir-fry until sauce is simmering and slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Orange Ginger Glazed Asparagus

Finding myself with a few oranges left from a case that I purchased a couple of weeks back, I decided I needed to find a way to use some of them up, and this was born. I think it's really yummy. I hope you do too.


Orange Ginger Glazed Asparagus

2 Servings

134 calories, 4 calories from fat



1 Bunch asparagus, trimmed
Juice of 4 or 5 oranges
1 T. Honey
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 t. freshly grated ginger
1 clove garlic grated.

Mix all ingredients except asparagus in a small sauce pan. bring to a boil and simmer until it's reduced around 10 to 15 minutes.
Place the asparagus in a warmed saute pan and heat through (spray the pan with some non stick spray if you'd like. I had a friend give me a Misto and now I can use my own olive oil instead of an aerosol propelled canola oil. I love it!)
pour the sauce over the asparagus and boil for a couple of minutes longer.

I topped this with some pre-cooked shrimp that I just warmed up, but it could just as easily be served alone or with chicken. The shrimp added 72 calories.

Much love,
Alisha xoxoxo

Dessert Anyone?

Several years ago I ran across this recipe from Emeril Lagasse for Spring Fruit Pudding. It's layered in a bowl kind of like a trifle, so I named my version accordingly. One note: While small amounts of Stevia have no aftertaste, I noticed in this recipe that there was a bit of an artificial sweetener aftertaste. If any of you have suggestions on how to limit this, please comment. I considered using liquid Stevia, as it's more concentrated and would use less product, but I'm not sure how the volume of Coulis would turn out.
After getting an abundance of mangos and strawberries in recent bountiful baskets I decided to make this for the family in celebration of my daugher, AND my brother's birthdays. They enjoyed it, promise!
Strawberry Mango Trifle

12 generous servings
153 calories per serving 25 calories from fat

Strawberry Coulis:

• 2 cups strawberries, quartered
• 1/2 cup Stevia In The Raw
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a small pot, bring to a boil, and simmer for 12 minutes. Puree until smooth.

Mango Coulis:

• 2 cups cubed mango
• 1/2 cup Stevia In The Raw
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Combine ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth

Spring Pudding:

• 6 cups cubed angel food cake, torn into 2-inch chunks (one regular sized angel food cake)
• 2 cups each cubed mango and quartered strawberries
• 2 cups Stevia sweetened whipped cream

Directions

In a small (2 quart) trifle dish or pretty glass bowl layer 11/2 cups of cake pieces. Top with 1 cup of mango pieces and 1 cup of mango coulis. Layer 11/2 cups of cake pieces and top with 1 cup of strawberries and 1 cup of strawberry coulis. Layer 11/2 cups of cake pieces and top with remaining mango and mango coulis. Layer remaining cake pieces and top with remaining strawberries and strawberry coulis. Spread whipped cream over entire surface and chill until ready to serve.

A note on Whipping cream, whip it until it's the consistency, or near the consistency you want before adding the Stevia.

Also, if you compare, you'll see I basically copied the recipe, with the exception of switching out Stevia for the Sugar. If you're curious, Sugar would have added an additional appx 900 calories to the overall dessert, making each serving around 230 calories.

Cabbage Lasagna???

I have to admit when my mother told me she'd read somewhere a suggestion to substitute cabbage for lasagna I was skeptical, but now that I've tried it, I quite like it. Interesting indeed! A note on bottled marinara sauce. I used it in this recipe, but I watched the calorie count. It was totally eye opening to compare. The calories ranged anywhere from 60 calories per serving to 140 calories per serving. The 140 calorie stuff had a lot of added unnecessary fat and fillers. A goal ought to be to keep food as close to natural as possible!

Cabbage Lasagna

10 servings
324 calories per serving, 132 calories from fat

• 1 medium onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 5 medium carrots shredded
• 7 (3.5 oz) servings boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 jar Newman's own marinara
• 2 cups low fat ricotta
• 2 1/2 cups part skim shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 c shredded Parmesan
• 2 large egg
• 1/2 head large cabbage cut in 1/4 or 1/2 inch slices

A quick and easy way to make your own ground chicken is to pulse it in your food processor. That's what I did here, I placed a few breasts in the food processor at a time, and pulsed until it looked the consistency I wanted. You could just as easily used ground turkey, or, if you are lucky enough to find it, pre-ground chicken breasts.

As always, spray your pan with your favorite non stick spray, add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion is translucent, add the chicken and carrots. Cook until chicken is done, and liquid released from the carrots has cooked off. Add the jar of marinara stir to combine and remove from heat.

combine the cheeses all but 1/2 cup of the mozzarella with the eggs, stir to combine well.

Layer together like you would lasagna, only using the cabbage in place of the noodles. I used a 9"x13" pan and start with the meat mixture, then cabbage, then cheese. I repeat this one more time and end with a good layer of meat on top. Cover with foil and bake in 375 degree oven for 35 minutes. Remove the foil and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella. bake until cheese is melted.

I did some searching on lasagna calories the average according to calorie king is 408. Just as a reference. Olive Garden lasagna 850 calories per serving, Old Spaghetti Factory 800 calories, Pizza Hut 600 calories, Stouffer's 350 calories.

Chicken Florentine with Quinoa mock Risotto

My kids, my parents, my brother and my sister-in-law all loved this the other night. It comes together quickly and easily too, which I love.

6 Servings
208 calories per serving 82 calories from fat

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 medium spring onions chopped
• 3 oz mushrooms chopped
• 1 t.  mushroom base
• 1/4 cup water (adjust to your likeness for thicker/thinner sauce
• 1/2 Tbs. corn starch
• 18 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts (6 3 oz. servings)
• 1 bunch spinach

Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the onions and mushrooms, cook until mushrooms soft, add the mushroom base and water, heat through and add the cornstarch stirring constantly so it doesn't form lumps, bring to a boil to thicken the sauce. Remove this mixture from the pan and add the chicken breasts, seasoned with salt and pepper, cook through, set aside under foil to keep warm. Add spinach to the pan and cook until it starts to wilt.

Divide the spinach into six portions, set a chicken breast on top, and cover with the mushroom sauce. Top with a tiny bit of grated parmesan cheese if desired.

Quinoa Mock Risotto

8 servings

122 calories 37 calories from fat

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 medium spring onions chopped
• 3 oz mushrooms sliced
• 1 t. mushroom base
• 1/2 Tbs corn starch
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 t. mushroom base
• 1 cup quinoa
• 3 c water
• 1/4 c. low fat ricotta
• 1/4 c. grated parmesan

You'll probably notice that the first 5 ingredients are the same as in the sauce for the chicken... it's cooked in the same manner too, so if you'd like to combine them and cook it together, then split it in half, that works and is easy to boot!

The rest of the recipe works like this: place the quinoa, water, and mushroom base in a pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover, cook until all the liquid is absorbed in the quinoa. Add the ricotta and parmesan, then the mushroom sauce. Stir to combine all ingredients. Spoon onto plate with the chicken florentine and top with a little more parmesan.

I served this all with a green side salad. Totally delicious!

Dress up your eggs

I must be on an egg kick, because I've sure been posting a bunch of breakfast type recipes so far this month. This one is a kind of scrambled egg hash, with a little bit of greek flair...

1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1/4 purple onion, chopped
1/2 yellow squash chopped
1/2 orange pepper chopped
4 kalamata olives, chopped
1 oz feta cheese
1 sprig chopped parsley

coat your favorite egg pan with the olive oil, place the veggies, except the parsley in the pan and cook until onion is translucent and the squash is crisp tender. Wisk the eggs together and pour over the veggies, cook until the eggs are set. stir in the olives, crumble the feta over the entire thing. and sprinkle with parsley. Plate and serve. If you have a taste for greek-ness I think you might like this.

1 serving 270 calories.

Rainbow Chicken Salad

They say that we ought to include all the colors of the rainbow in our diets, I think I did a pretty good job in this salad.

Rainbow Chicken Salad

1 serving 239 calories

1 stalk celery, chopped
1/8 cup chopped purple onion
1/8 cup chopped yellow pepper
3 small strawberries, chopped
3 oz chopped grilled chicken breast
1 Tbs light mayo
2 large lettuce leaves, preferrable green leaf or romaine

combine the top 6 ingredients, place in the lettuce leaves. Wrap up and enjoy!

I *heart* Soup

This week I have an abundance of carrots, and a curiosity for something original to do with them. I have a GIGANTIC vegetarian cookbook that I get inspiration from. The basis for this recipe comes from the book, of course I tweeked it to make it my own. It got 3 thumbs up at dinner tonight. (Mine, my Moms, and my Sister-in-Law's)

I added yellow lentils to this recipe (yellow split peas) the addition gives the recipe some texture, a little added protein too. If you don't have them, never fear you can leave them out. Better yet, get thee to the market and get some! It's well worth the effort, I promise!


Carrot Cumin Soup

(8) 1 cup servings
164 calories, 33 calories from fat

• 2 tbsps butter (yes, I used butter again!)
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 2 cloves garlic crushed or chopped
• 1 lb carrots sliced (about 10 - 12 medium carrots)
• 4 stalks celery chopped
• 1 potato peeled and diced
• Juice from 1/2 lemon (about 1 tsp)
• 8 cups chicken stock - use vegetable stock if you'd rather, or what I actually used was 8 cups of water and 4 tbs better than boulion chicken flavor)
• 1 1/2 inch piece ginger chopped fine
• 3/4 tsp ground cumin
• 2  bay leaves
• 3/4 cup yellow lentils
• 1 1/4 cups skim milk

Directions

Melt butter in large soup pot, add the onion and garlic, cook for a few minutes until translucent. Add the rest of the vegetables and cook again for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock, lemon juice, seasonings, and lentils. Cover and let simmer until the vegetables and lentils are tender.

Remove from heat, fish out the bay leaves and discard (I actually forgot to take out the bay leaves, so they ended up pureed into the final product. OOPS, it still tasted fantastic).Let cool for a few minutes.

Puree the soup in a food processor, blender, or with a stick blender. Oh how I love my stick blender! Once there are no longer any chunks in the soup add the skim milk and stir to blend.

Enjoy!

Much love,

Alisha xoxoxo

Breakfast Wrap

Broccoli Egg Breakfast Wrap
1 serving
233 calories

1 egg

1 egg white

1/2 cup chopped broccoli

1 plum or italian tomato cut in half (I used one I had roasted earlier)

1/8 cup shredded fat free cheddar cheese

1 small flour tortilla

Spray small omlet type pan w/non stick cooking spray, add the broccoli to the warmed pan and cook until warmed through, place to side. Beat egg and egg white together, season w/salt and pepper if desired. scramble the eggs in the pan. warm the tortilla either in the microwave or on a flat pan on the stove. I used a 6 inch tortilla that I got one of the weeks offered by Bountiful Baskets. Place 1/2 the cooked egg on the tortilla, topped with 1/2 the cheese, then all the broccoli, and the tomato, then the rest of the egg and cheese) rolle it all up burrito style. (Mine was so thick I had to hold it together with a toothpick... this did not hurt my feelings) ;)

Serve with some fresh salsa, and a piece of fruit. Lovely breakfast

Turkey Meatballs and Spinach Salad

I've had a couple of much needed days off, and neglected to post, so here's something to make up for it. :)

385 calories on the plate, nummy too!

Turkey Meatballs

 6 servings (5 meatballs each)
176 calories per serving 50 calories from fat

• 1 lb. 99 % fat free turkey breast
• 1/4 c kraft parmesan
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 oatmeal
• 1Tbs chopped oregano
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 small onion grated
• 3 tbsps ketchup
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup chicken stock

Combine all ingredients except olive oild and chicken stock, mashe together with hands until well blended, form into 30 equal sized balls.
Heat oil in non stick skillet, add meatballs in batches browning on all sides. Once all meatballs are browned, add them all back into the skillet, do not clean out the pan, add the chicken stock and simmer until all the liquid is absorbed.

I served these "bare" with a spinach salad (recipe to follow) but you could just as easily add marinara (even use the marinara instead of the chicken stock to simmer if you wanted) and serve over whole grain pasta. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination!

Spinach Cauliflower Salad w/Strawberry Viniagrette

4 servings
46 calories each

1 bunch spinached, washed and torn into bite sized pieces
1 small head cauliflower cut into bite sized flowerettes
10 strawberries, sliced

Mix all these together and top with Strawberry Balsamic Viniagrette

Strawberry Balsamic Viniagrette

4 GENEROUS servings
73 calories each 46 calories from fat

10 strawberries
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

blend all ingredients together until smooth, add some water if you'd like it thinnner.

911... What are the ingredients in your recipe?

I was running short on time this evening when it came time to make something for dinner at work. I have all of these amazing ingredients at my finger tips, but no way to make them work before getting to work. SO... I packed them up and brought them with me. I did combine the tuna and the mayo at home, but the rest of what you see was totally assembled at work. I suppose that is one of the blessings of being on graveyard shift.

911 Tuna Salad
1 serving 312 calories

• 1 can chunk light tuna in water
• 1 Tbsp light mayo
• 1/4 avocado chopped
• 1/4 avocado sliced*
• 1/2 stalk celery chopped
• 1/2 stalk celery sticks*
• 1/2 medium tomato chopped
• 1/2 medium tomato wedged*
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine the tuna and mayo, add the chopped veggies and mix gently to combine, fold in the chopped avocado. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange the sliced veggies on the plate and top with the salad. Admire, then eat. :)

* you could just as easily chop the entire 1/2 avocado, celery stalk and tomato. I think half the fun of eating, and especially eating healthy is how it looks. If I'm just spooning out some glop I made from a plastic container, I'm not typically going to enjoy my meal as much as if it's visually appealing. So, my bit of advise is this: Take the time to plate your meal, enjoy the beauty in the food you create. Ultimately, you'll enjoy it all the more.


Much love,
Alisha xoxoxo

Low Cal Alfredo... Oh yeah...

I'm so counting this as a success. Of course it's not going to coat your tongue with fatty goodness the way "real" alfredo does. But it's packed full of flavor, and I'm impressed. The recipe that inspired this version can be found here, and I'm sure that left alone it would be good too. I'm just partial to my own creation. :)





Entire meal is 372 calories



• 1 tbsp butter *
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 cup low fat ricotta
• 1/4 cup fat free sour cream
• 1/4 cup frigo parmesan cheese **
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• dash nutmeg
• 1 dash pepper
• 1 dash salt
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 8 oz whole grain penne pasta

Heat butter in sauce pan, add garlic and cook for 2 - 3 minutes, remaining ingredients except pasta, heat over low heat until warmed through and cheese is melty. Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta to desired doneness. Drain the pasta, add the sauce and enjoy like it is... 281 calories 60 calories from fat.

or add some goodness to it like I did:

2 oz broccoli per serving 20 calories
10 medium shrimp per serving 72 calories.

* omitting this reduces the calories per serving by 25, but also compromizes flavor. Remember real butter is better for you than that icky margarine stuff.
** up this to 1/2 cup if you like the flavor of parm, it adds 25 calories per serving

Herbed Asparagus Omelet

1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
10 spears chopped asparagus
1 egg
2 egg whites
1/4 cup fat free shsredded cheddar cheese
fresh rosemary

heat the oil in a small saute pan, add the veggies, and cook until the onions and mushrooms are soft, and asparagus is cooked through. Remove from heat, removed veggies from pan and wipe out the pan. Wisk together the egg and egg whites, add to the heated pan, sprinkle fresh rosemary into the egg mixture, season with salt and pepper. Flip the egg once in the pan. add some of the veggies as filling, top with the cheese. fold the egg over to create the omelet.

Serve with remaining veggie filling on the side. 250 calories of good morning protein and veggie bliss.

Much love,
Alisha xoxoxo

Balsamic Glaze... Good with Everything!

Last night I didn't feel like cooking, but wanted something tasty. What I came up with was not only a hit for my tastebuds, but my VERY picky 8 year old daughter too. I love it when she tries something new!

Balsamic Glaze

It's simple. Balsamic vinegar + heat. Reduce the balsamic vinegar until it's thick, almost syrupy. Then you can drizzle it over just about anything. (One recipe I found even suggested ice cream...) I don't think I'm that extreme. Yet.

Pictured here is grilled chicken breast, ala George Foreman grill, cooked spinach, and roasted tomatoes. I drizzled the balsamic glaze over the whole thing. 300 calories of  'num!

To roast the tomatoes, cut roma tomatoes in half, place on parchment lined baking sheet, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil and sprinkle with rosemary. place some unpeeled garlic cloves on the baking sheet as well, the aroma is intoxicating. :) If you don't like rosemary, leave it off. As with just about anything, if you don't like it, leave it off, substitute it with something you do like. Have FUN with it!

Eggplant Satay Lettuce Wraps

I was really surprised at how tasty this turned out to be! Completely vegetarian, hearty and healthy to boot. Hooray for nummy eggplant. My 2 1/2 year old liked it too!

• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1" piece ginger grated
• Juice of one orange
• 1 unpeeled eggplant, cut into 1 inch dice
• 1 container fresh mushrooms cut in 1/2
• salt and pepper to taste

Combine the first 7 ingredients, (you can reduce the sodium by using lower sodium soy sauce w/out compromising flavor, if desired). Place eggplant and mushrooms in container suitable for marinading. pour the marinade over the veggies and let marinate for at least an hour, and up to 24 hours in the fridge. Turn the oven on to broil and line a baking sheet with foil. Turn the marinated veggies out onto the sheet and spread into a thin layer. place under broiler for 15 to 20 minutes, until the eggplant is done and the mushrooms just begin to caramelize.

Peanut Sauce

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• Juice of 1 lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 cup water

Combine all ingredients except water, place in small sauce pan, heat over medium heat, whisking in the water, cook until slightly thickened.

To serve place equal portions in lettuce leaves, drizzle with the peanut sauce.

If you are putting 2 T of the peanut sauce on each lettuce wrap you're looking at around 288 calories each. Though I had 2 servings of the marinated eggplant, and only used 2 T of the sauce total. My entire meal (2 stuffed lettuce leaves) was 473 calories.

Looking back on it now, I suppose the oil could be replaced with more juice, or even water in the marinade, but remember this, some fat is good for your body. I tend to be fanatical about the oil/fat in my diet, and I forget to remember to use good for me oils. Do as I say, not as I do!

:)
Much love,
Alisha xoxoxo

Cold Days Deserve Hot Soup

Minestrone was just the ticket yesterday. This version is 160 calories for a cup. Feel free to mix and match your favorite veggies in your own soup, adjust the seasonings too! Make it your own, and have some fun.

Minestrone Soup

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 carrots diced
• 2 stalks celery diced
• 1 medium zucchini diced
• 1small sweet potato diced
• 1 small red potato diced
• 1 Qt. tomatoes
• 1 can great northern beans
• 1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary
• 6 cups water
• 4 t. chicken base
• 3/4 cup small pasta
• 1 cup spinach chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

In a large soup pot saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil. add the carrot, celery, potato, sweet potatom and zucchini, cook for about 5 minutes. Add the totmatoes, water chicken base, rosemary, beans and pasta.
Cook until the potatoes and pasta are done. Add the spinach and remove from heat.

Serve this with some freshly grated parmesan cheese on top. Add some crusty italian bread to round out the meal. (I got some really good italian olive oil bread from Bountiful Baskets last time we ordered.)

Please feel free to post comments, suggestions, what were you thinkings!? on any and all posts. I look forward to your feedback.

Much Love,
Alisha xoxoxoxo

Breakfast of ... well ME!

I get asked pretty frequently why I haven't posted about breakfast, or posted some breakfast recipes. Never fear, there will be some to come. In the meantime, feast your eyes on this.

Most mornings my breakfast consists of  Brown Cow brand greek yogurt, combined with some sort of fresh fruit, and a packet of Stevia. Sprinkle on some form of Grape Nuts type breakfast cereal and breakfast is complete. I choose to actually have something to chew on for breakfast (as opposed to blending all this into a smoothy or shake.) I find the act of actually eating much more satisfying than drinking my meal.

This meal, which is actually VERY filling is only 186 calories! On top of the low calorie count it also packs a whopping 24 g of protein. The greek yogurt has TWO TIMES the amount of protein of regular yogurt.

Why do I choose to make my own morning yogurt? Have you read the ingredient list on the "flavored yogurts out there? It's scary! I don't want fruit flavor, I want FRUIT, and I want it fresh. :)

Why Brown Cow Brand? Again look at the label. The only ingredients in this type of yogurt are non fat milk and 5 live active cultures. No pectin, no preservatives. The texture is smooth and creamy and there's no funky aftertaste. I probably ought to be paid to endorse this product I love it so much!

Happy Breakfast Friends!

Much love,
Alisha xoxoxo

Butternut Squash Turkey Chili

This is one of my very favorite meals.

1 lb. 99% fat free ground turkey breast

1 medium onion coursely chopped
3 stalks celery coursely chopped
1 anaheim chile chopped
1 medium greep pepper coursely chopped
1 medium red pepper coursely chopped
1 medium green pepper coursely chopped
1 jalepeno chopped (leave the seeds and veins in if you want the added heat)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 lb. butternut squash cut into 1" cubes
2 Qts tomatoes
2 cans dark red kidney beans
2 cans black beans
1 Tbls Chile powder
1/2 Tbls cumin
Salt and Pepper

Spray the bottom of the pan w/non stick spray and add the onion, celery, and peppers, cook until just beginning to get soft, add the Turkey, and cook until done. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat, let simmer until the squash is tender, but not mushy.

Adjust the spices to your taste, use less or more of something to adjust the heat level. Don't have an ingredient? (like butternut squash) leave it out. It's good without it too.

This makes between 14 and 16 1 cup servings.
1 cup = 179 calories
                 8 calories from fat
                 30.2 grams carbohydrates
                 16.33 grams protein

Taking on fried chicken and mashed potatoes

A while ago I asked my facebook friends to give me ideas on things they make that they'd like to make healthier. I think I have a hit here. Tonight I made a classic chicken dinner. I took on fried chicken (typically anywhere from 340 to 510 calories per breast(, and mashed potatoes (weighing in at 174 to 365 calories in a cup)

This chicken is coated in crushed cashews and baked to perfection (just ask my picky-eating daughter, she loved it!) That alone was worth the entire experience, finding a healthy food that she likes is always a plus. I know you're wondering how many calories... well, it's 264 calories for a 4 ounce breast. wahoo!

Cashew Crusted Chicken Breast

• 3/4 cup roasted unsalted cashews
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• (4) 4 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place cashews in food processor and pulse until fine crumbs/powder is formed. Add the seasonings and mix well. Rinse the chicken breasts but don't dry them, dredge them in the cashew "flour" and place on aluminum foil lined baking sheet. You may also want to spray the foil with non stick cooking spray, just to make sure your coating doesn't stick.
Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes, turning once, until chicken is done and coating is golden brown. I turned on the broiler for the last 5 minutes or so, just to make sure I got a good crispy coating.

A low calorie, waiste conscious potato? Nah, throw out the potato and replace it with cauliflower! Yes, cauliflower. This version is only 60 calories per serving! You can add milk and butter to yours if you choose to, and that would make each serving appx. 116 calories, and 80 of those calories will be from fat.

Mashed Cauliflower

1 large head cauliflower
2 cups water
2 tsp chicken base
salt and pepper to taste

Cut cauliflower into cook-able (is that a word?) sized pieces. place in pot with water and chicken base and boil until done. Drain off the liquid, but reserve it so you can use some of it to get the consistency you want for your mashed cauliflower. Using an immersion blender, puree the cauliflower until it's the consistency of mashed potatoes. Season to taste.

I finished off this meal with a tossed salad, use whatever veggies you have on hand. I used romaine, salad savoy, zuchinni, cucumber, and tomato. I topped it off with this yummy dressing

Honey Balsamic Dressing

1/2 T. balsamic vinegar
1/2 T. honey
salt and pepper

combine all ingredients, warm in the microwave appx. 10 seconds in the microwave, mix together well.

Enjoy your dinner!

Healthy-fied Chicken Enchiladas

I'm not sure why it is I didn't share this recipe on the blog a week ago, but it slipped by... So here it is today. I know of at least one friend who tried it and her hubby loved it, so give it a try tonight!

Ingredients

• 2 lbs boneless chicken breast
• juice of 3 limes
• 7 anaheim chiles roasted and skins removed
• 1 jalapeno roasted and skin removed
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 package fat free cream cheese
• 1 large can green enchilada sauce
• 1 package shredded fat free cheese
• 16 small corn tortillas *

Directions:
1. place chicken breasts and lime juice in crock pot, cook on high until done (about 3 hours) (or you could cook it how ever you wanted really, just don't use oil! ) remove chicken from crock pot, and shred. (this can also be done a day or two in advance, so it's a great way to have good protien on hand) place in a large bowl, you'll be adding other ingredients to this.
2. Roast the peppers until skin is blackened, place in a plastic bag and allow to sweat, once they are cool enough to handle, remove the skins, seed and chop. (I suppose you could use canned green chiles but where's the fun in that?)
3. Saute the onion and garlic in some non stick cooking spray, add onion, garlic, green chiles and cream cheese to the chicken and combine well.
4. Warm the green enchilada sauce on the stove, microwave the tortilla shells until soft (I usually wet a paper towel and wrap them in it to microwave.
5. spoon a couple of table spoons of mixture into each tortilla and roll. Place in a baking dish kinda close together.
6. once all shells are filled put a thin layer of the enchilada sauce on top. Then top with any remaining filing. Cover the filling with the remaining sauce.
7. Top the whole thing with the fat free cheddar cheese and bake at 350 until warmed through and the cheese is melted.

* Watch labels on corn tortillas, buy the smaller size, and don't go over about 40 calories per tortilla. The Mission brand stone ground ones are great.

8 Servings
320 calories - 58 from fat

Lemon Oregano Chicken With Greek Quinoa Salad

First, a huge thank you to my friend Darin for sharing the quinoa recipe with me. I'm going to post the recipe as he he did with my notations to the side. I REALLY enjoyed this salad, and think it will be even better after a night in the refrigerator. My 2 year old loved it too, I'm so excited that he likes kalamata olives!

Greek Quinoa SaladIngredients:

3 cups vegetable stock or water  (I used water, and only 2 cups)
1 ½ cups quinoa, uncooked (reduced amount to 1 cup)
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
Juice from one lemon
3 T olive oil (only used 1 1/2 tbsp)
½ cup kalamata olives (chopped)
1/3 cup fresh itilian parsley, chopped
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 red onion, diced (optional) - (I used 1/2 of a large one)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
½ cup chopped artichoke hearts (optional) (do add these, the NOT marinated kind, they are delicious!)
½ cucumber diced, (optional)
½ cup yellow bell pepper (optional) (I didn't use the yellow pepper, this had more to do with $ than with taste)
½ cup red bell pepper (optional)
½ cup feta cheese (use the reduced fat kind, it still tastes just as good, and I like feta so I used a whole 6 oz container)
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:
In a medium-large saucepan, cook the quinoa in vegetable stock for 15-20 minutes, until tender, stirring occasionally. Set aside and cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil.
Gently toss the cooled quinoa together with the remaining ingredients, except feta. Pour the olive oil mixture over the salad and gently fold in. Salt and pepper to taste. Add Feta cheese. Eat!
Prepared as I did this made (8) 1 cup servings, 205 calories, 75 calories from fat

Lemon Oregano Chicken

(4) 4 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts
Juice of 3 lemons
2 T chopped fresh oregano
1 T honey
1/2 Tbsp olive oil

Place chicken in plastic zip lock bag, or other marinating container. Mix lemon juice oregano honey and oil and pour over chicken. It may help to heat the honey somewhat so that it mixes in more easily. Let the chicken marinade in this solution for at least 20 minutes, or up to overnight in the refrigerator. Place chicken breasts in heated non stick skillet and cook until juices run clear. This would also be excellent on the grill!

4 servings, 161 calories, 58 from fat

Rosemary Grilled Tuna Steaks with Eggplant and Zucchini

So, I love Rachael Ray. Ok, in all honesty, I love most of the chefs from food network. Tonights dinner was a slight modification of this recipe: http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=492

What modifications? I left out most of the olive oil of course. Only 1 Tbsp. when I was cooking the onions. I used dried Thyme instead of fresh (I just didn't have it on hand) and that was it. I grilled the tuna on my George Foreman Grill. I love that thing! I just wish the plates would come off for easier washing.

Initially I was going to wage war on my local grocery store. I went to the seafood counter, only to find absolutely no tuna. Nothing in the frozen section either. I may as well just mention here too, that I found it amusing? irritating? disheartening? to see that almost all of the frozen fish selections are battered/breaded and deep fried. We REALLY need to rethink the way we nourish our bodies!

Anyway, here's a pic of dinner: I liked it, thought it was tasty, and  it turned out pretty good. And, what I know you all want to know 4 servings per recipe, done my way 281 calories. 49 calories from Fat.

Banana Cookies

yield: 24 cookies
350 degreesn 15 minutes

1/2 cup butter
1 cup splenda
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mashed bananas
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and splenda, add the egg and vanilla. Add the baking soda to the banana and let it fizz a bit, then add it to the butter mixture. Combine the dry ingredients and mix into the wet stuff just until it's combined then fold in the chips. BTW, you can eliminate 25 calories per cookie by taking out the chips, but who wants to do that? Drop them by spoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheet, bake, and enjoy!
I'm going to try this recipe again, but I'm going to use Xylitol. It's got so many more health benefits etc... I'll let you know how it goes.

Mmmm... Garlic

and ginger and shrimp! oh my! Make this for dinner! I served it over quinoa, delicious! I even splurged and added some fat.

Garlic Ginger Shrimp and Veggies

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp butter
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp ginger finely chopped or grated
1 small onion chopped
6 oz broccoli cut into small florettes
9 oz asparagus cut in 1 inch dice
35 medium shrimp
salt and pepper
Heat the pan over medium heat, add olive oil and butter. When warm add the garlic, and ginger, cook about 20 seconds, just until the aromatics are released, then add the onion, broccoli and asparagus. *note* I weighed the asparagus and broccoli just because I could. The asparagus was just some I had left over. The broccoli was the tops from one head. Cook the vegetables until crisp tender, add the shrimp and cook until done. Salt and pepper to taste.

3 servings
170 calories
45 calories from fat

Served over 1/2 cup cooked quinoa adds another 100 calories. 270 calories for a delicious meal, now that's what I'm talking about!

Fresh Orange Chicken

3 tbsps soy sauce
Juice of 4 oranges
32 oz boneless, cooked, skinless chicken breast
1 tsp ginger
1/2 tbsp wok oil
2 cloves garlic minced

Directions

1. cut chicken breasts into bite size pieces, mix other ingredients except oil and pour over the chicken. let marinade for at least 20 minutes
2. put oil in hot pan, heat, add chicken and marinade, cook til all liquid is gone and chicken begins to brown.

4 oz. = 216 calories

Serve with stir fried or steamed vegetables brown rice or even better, quinoa!

Bacon and Butternut Squash Goodness

Start with the side:

Bacon Spinach Saute

4 thick slices bacon
1 bunch spinach
1 large whole tomato cut in large chunks
2 wedges yield lemon juice
 seasoned salt to taste

cook the bacon until very crispy, remove from pan, let cool and crumble. pour off all of the bacon fat, but do not wipe out the pan.

In the meantime, wash and trim the spinach, and coursely chop if desired. Add to the hot pan and saute until it just starts to wilt. Add the tomatoes and cook until warmed through. Season with seasoned salt. Serve with the lemon wedge.

The lemon really brings out the great flavors in this easy side dish! SO delicious!

(2) 187 calorie servings

Move on to the Soup/Main course: ( I had 1.5 servings tonight it was sooo good.)

Butternut squash soup

2 lbs butternut squash (two squash, cubed)
1/2 large onion coursely chopped
1 clove garlic
2 cups chicken broth

boil these together, drain off 1/2 the liquid once veggies are soft (reserve to be added back in to thin out the soup as needed) puree these ingredients with a stick blender.

Then add:

1/4 t. cayenne

1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup buttermilk
salt to taste

Mix well to combine and serve.

(6) 96 calorie servings

Quinoa Love

Quinoa Spinach Frittata

■3 cups cooked red quinoa (can use the regular quinoa, i just happened to use the red)
■1/2 cup parmesan (i used the finely grated topping stuff)
■1/2 cup grated mozzarella
■3 large eggs
■3 large egg white
■1/4 tsp leaves oregano
■1/2 tsp pepper
■1/2 tsp salt
■1 clove garlic
■5 large spring onions
■1 bunch spinach

seasonings are approximate, use to your taste

Directions

Cook 1 cup quinoa in 2 cups water (this makes 3 cups cooked quinoa)saute the onions in pan w/non stick spray. add garlic and spinach, cook until wilted, add seasoned salt and oregano remove from heat, add quinoa and parmesan. beat the eggs together then add to the quinoa mixture. pour everything into 2 qt casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray. top with mozzarella cheese. bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes and cheese is melted.



(6) 215 calorie servings
81 calories from fat

Healthier Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

2 lbs boneless chicken breast
juice of 3 limes
7 anaheim chiles roasted and skins removed
1 jalapeno roasted and skin removed
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 package fat free cream cheese
1 large can green enchilada sauce
1 package shredded fat free cheese
16 small corn tortillas *

Directions:
1. place chicken breasts and lime juice in crock pot, cook on high until done (about 3 hours) (or you could cook it how ever you wanted really, just don't use oil! ) remove chicken from crock pot, and shred. (this can also be done a day or two in advance, so it's a great way to have good protien on hand) place in a large bowl, you'll be adding other ingredients to this.
2. Roast the peppers until skin is blackened, place in a plastic bag and allow to sweat, once they are cool enough to handle, remove the skins, seed and chop. (I suppose you could use canned green chiles but where's the fun in that?)
3. Saute the onion and garlic in some non stick cooking spray, add onion, garlic, green chiles and cream cheese to the chicken and combine well.
4. Warm the green enchilada sauce on the stove, microwave the tortilla shells until soft (I usually wet a paper towel and wrap them in it to microwave.
5. spoon a couple of table spoons of mixture into each tortilla and roll. Place in a baking dish kinda close together.
6. once all shells are filled put a thin layer of the enchilada sauce on top. Then top with any remaining filing. Cover the filling with the remaining sauce.
7. Top the whole thing with the fat free cheddar cheese and bake at 350 until warmed through and the cheese is melted.

* Watch labels on corn tortillas, buy the smaller size, and don't go over about 40 calories per tortilla. The Mission brand stone ground ones are great.

8 Servings

320 calories - 58 from fat

Moving In.

Hey folks, thanks for dropping in. I'm going to be moving all of my food related posts from allthingslish.blogspot.com to this new food focuzed blog. I hope you enjoy it. Of course, feedback is always welcome!

Lemon Basil Quinoa

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion chopped
• 8 medium mushrooms sliced
• 3 cups cooked quinoa
• 4 tbsps basil chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 lemon yields lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp lemon zest

Saute the onion and mushrooms in the olive oil, add the quinoa, basil, salt, lemon juice and zest (for less lemon flavor omit the zest) heat through.

6 servings
117 calories 35 from fat.

I served this tonight with 3.5 oz grilled chicken breast and 10 grilled asparagus spears.  The entire meal was 334 calories.