Oven French Fries

We love potatoes in our family! Especially when they are salted and fried! So I tried making them healthier by baking them. It worked out really well. I cut the potatoes in wedges about 1/4 -- 1/2 inch thick. Layed them on their back (potato skin down) on the pan, sprayed pam on them, salted them with sea salt. Then I put the oven rack as close to the burner as I could. Put the oven on to bake (not broil) @ 500 degrees. Let them bake for 25-30 minutes. They are so yummy! We loved them! I hope you enjoy them too.

Easy Zucchini Side (or appetizer)

I absolutely LOVE zucchini! This wasn't always the case however. It wasn't until I tried these that I became a true believer and now I make them as often as I can!
1 large zucchini
olive oil
Italian seasonings
Cooking Directions:
Cut the zucchini into long, flat, thin strips (about as thin as a slice of cheese). Lay them out on a paper towel for at least four hours to dry out a bit.
Arrange the strips on a baking sheet. LIGHTLY sprinkle olive oil on each side of the strip. With your fingers gently spread the olive oil to make sure it is evenly coated. Generously shake the Italian seasoning over the zucchini. Turn your oven on to broil and place the sheet on a top rack. Carefully watch the zucchini. You want them to get browned on top...not black! :)
*Take them out of the oven and eat them warm, or cool them, and eat them at room temp. Either way they are great!

Fish Soft Tacos with Pico De Gallo-Black Bean Sauce

I have decided to try this out because it is easy, quick, and I probably have the stuff at home to make it. I however, thought of a couple ways to make it healthier or easier.



Ingredients

6 ounces cooked fish, such as baked cod, tilapia, samon, tuna
4 flour tortillas (I would use whole wheat tortillas)
1/2 cup pico de gallo (I am going to use a little salsa instead (I don't like pico))
1 can black beans, drained
1/4 cup sour cream (use lowfat)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Directions
Mixed stir fried vegetables, recipe below
Lime wedges (I usually have lime juice on hand)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat fish and all 4 tortillas in a stack and wrapped in foil on a baking sheet for 8 to 10 minutes.

In a bowl, combine pico de gallo, beans, sour cream and cumin.

Arrange fish on tortillas and top with pico de gallo-black bean sauce and mixed stir fried vegetables. Serve with a lime wedge on the side.

Mixed Stir-Fried Vegetables:(My thoughts are this, you can buy a bag of frozen stir fry style veggies and just steam them in a microwave to make this easier)

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup sliced red onion
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and spears cut into 2-inch pieces

Carrot, Green Apple and Mint Salad

I found this recipe and thought it sounded so interestingly good! My little one may even like it. I am going to try it out!

Ingredients
1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
1 pound carrots, peeled and trimmed
1 Granny Smith apple, cored
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
Salt
Directions
Fold a full sheet of paper towel into quarters and place it in a small bowl. Spoon the yogurt on top of the paper towel. Place it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes so the yogurt can drain and thicken.

In a small bowl whisk together the thickened yogurt and the mayonnaise, until smooth. Whisk in the lemon juice, vinegar, and honey.

Grate first the carrots and then the apples in a food processor. Transfer them to a large bowl and stir to combine. Pour the dressing over the carrot mixture and toss. Add the mint and season with salt.

Serve chilled.

PIZZA!!!

LAYER THE INGREDIENTS:

-Whole Wheat Pizza Crust (or) make your own out of Whole Wheat Dough
(brush crust with little olive oil)
-Your favorite Organic Marinara Sauce (look for low sugar and sodium)
-Add tons of VEGGIES (my favorite are mushrooms, onions, and spinach)
-Then add Grilled Chicken or low-sodium Turkey Pepperoni
-Top with Mozzarella or low-fat Cheese

Super Fast and Easy!

EASY (AND HEALTHY!) RATATOUILLE

1-2 Squash
1 Med. Onion
1 Red Bell Pepper
1-2 Zucchini
1/4 Cup Kraft Special Collection Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing/Marinade
1 Can (16 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
2 TBL Parm Cheese, Shredded
1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350 F. Slice veggies into chunks. Saute veggies in Dressing until tender. Add tomatoes and cook approx. 15 min. allowing some liquid to evaporate. Top with parm and Mozz cheese and bake for 15 min at 350. I serve this with baked/grilled chicken and cous cous, pasta, or potatoes. It's good plain too!


90 calories per serving!

Loaded Baked Potato Soup - Via Hungry Girl

PER SERVING (1/5th of recipe, about 1 cup with toppings): 130 calories, 1g fat, 564mg sodium, 22g carbs, 2g fiber, 2.5g sugars, 7.5g protein

Ingredients:For Soup

3 cups fat-free chicken broth
1 cup plain light soymilk
1 large potato (about 14.5 oz.)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. chopped onion
2 tbsp. shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. fat-free sour cream
1 tbsp. real bacon bits
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper

For Topping:
5 tsp. shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
5 tsp. fat-free sour cream
5 tsp. diced scallions
2 1/2 tsp. real bacon bits

Directions: Pierce potato with a fork in multiple places, and then place it on a paper towel or microwave-safe plate. Microwave for 8 - 10 minutes, until potato is soft. Once cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin (either by peeling skin off or cutting potato open and scooping out the insides). Mash the potato pulp with a fork and set aside.

Bring a medium pot sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and minced garlic and cook for 1 - 2 minutes, until onio n has softened. Add broth and soymilk. Slowly add the flour, continuously stirring until it has completely dissolved.

Add mashed potato and stir until fully blended. Add all other ingredients for soup, but not for topping (cheese, sour cream, bacon, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper). Mix well, reduce heat, and simmer for 2 minutes.

Top each bowl with 1 tsp. each of cheese, sour cream, and scallions. Sprinkle each bowl with 1/2 tsp. bacon bits. Enjoy!

MAKES 5 SERVINGS

Green Smoothies Recipe

Sorry it has taken me so long to post this...but here is just one of many different combinations that you could do to make a smoothie with vegetables.

VEGGIE SMOOTHIE

1 1/2 TBSP flax seed (ground)
8 frozen strawberries
1 frozen banana
4 ice cubes
1/2 beet
1/2 avacado
7 sprigs cilantro
***20-30 fresh spinach leaves

Blend it up! So yummy!
Try it for breakfast!

I Need It Easy

Okay so I am in a slump...I was doing good for a while but now I am feeling the need for something easy. One thing I have going against me is that I actually don't like cooking so I look for uncomplicated quick easy recipes and that is largely where I struggle with eating healthier. I decided to internet search again for some recipes and I may post a couple of them but I wanted to start with this one which I am totally making tomorrow with a steamed veggie! YUM

LEMON CHICKEN RECIPES:

1Citrus Grilled ChickenGrilled chicken makes a swift and easy mid-week supper, and is one of the simplest of lemon chicken recipes. Marinading the meat in lemon juice tenderises the chicken, and gives it masses of extra flavour. You can leave the chicken in the marinade overnight if you get organised enough, but if not even 10-15 mins steeping in the lemony mixture will be enough to add that unmistakeable citrus aroma.
Serves 4:
8 chicken pieces,
2 lemons,
2 cloves garlic, crushed,
4 tbsp olive oil.

Put the chicken in a dish. Squeeze the lemons, mix juice with the garlic and oil to make a marinade. Toss chicken in the marinade, cover and refrigerate until needed. Preheat the grill to medium. Put the chicken into the grill pan and spoon over some marinade. Grill the chicken, placing it about 10-15cm (4-6 inches) beneath the heat, and turning once until the skin is crisp and juices run clear when the meat is tested with a knife point. As a variation, you can use chicken breasts, skinned and cut into cubes before marinading. To cook, thread the cubes on skewers, alternating with cherry tomatoes, baby onions and bay leaves, and grill until the chicken is cooked right through, basting with marinade.

Grilled Salmon with Mustard & Herbs

This sounds so yummy...I may change a couple things so it is more condusive to what I have here at home. Good for summer or now I think.



ACTIVE TIME: 15 minutes
TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes
EASE OF PREPARATION: Easy


2 lemons, thinly sliced, plus 1 lemon cut into wedges for garnish

20-30 sprigs mixed fresh herbs plus 2 tablespoons chopped, divided

1 clove garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 pound center-cut salmon, skinned (see Tip)


1. Preheat grill to medium-high.

2. Lay two 9-inch pieces of heavy-duty foil on top of each other and place on a rimless baking sheet. Arrange lemon slices in two layers in the center of the foil. Spread herb sprigs over the lemons. With the side of a chef’s knife, mash garlic with salt to form a paste. Transfer to a small dish and stir in mustard and the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped herbs. Spread the mixture over both sides of the salmon. Place the salmon on the herb sprigs.

3. Slide the foil and salmon off the baking sheet onto the grill without disturbing the salmon-lemon stack.



Cover the grill; cook until the salmon is opaque in the center, 18 to 24 minutes. Wearing oven mitts, carefully transfer foil and salmon back onto the baking sheet. Cut the salmon into 4 portions and serve with lemon wedges (discard herb sprigs and lemon slices).

Fruit Parfait

Yummy Snack! (Place all ingredients in a cup layered)

-Frozen Berries
-Vanilla Kefir (or) Fat-Free or Light Vanilla Yogurt
-7-Grain Kashi Nuggets (they look like grape-nuts)
-Ready Whip or Cool Whip (try to find it without high fructose corn syrup)
-Top with chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Whole Wheat Bread

Hello ladies! I am thrilled about this blog and am planning on trying out some of your recipes this week! Thanks for such great ideas.

My husband's parents offered to get us either 1. a grand supply of wheat or 2. a wheat grinder for our Christmas present this year. Since we are running out of room in our designated food storage spot, if you will, we opted for this. This is an amazing mill. The mill grinds the wheat so fine that I tried out my favorite bread recipe today without adding any white flour (by the way, the bread is already gone). It turned out delicious! I usually half the recipe and use my Kitchen Aid dough hook. If you want to go old school with a wooden spoon, bowl and do the entire recipe, go for it! Let me know what you think.

Clea's Wheat Bread

Yield: 4 loaves

Time: 3 to 3-1/2 hours

Equipment: very large bowl, sturdy spoon, measuring cups and spoons, wheat grinder, 4 loaf pans

2 T. yeast

2/3 Cup sugar

5-1/2 C. warm water

Mix above and let sit for a minute or so.

Then add:4 Cups white flour

Mix and let sit about 5 minutes til it's all bubbly and "working."

Now add the following:

2/3 C. shortening

2 T. salt

7 C. wheat flour

You should get a nice soft dough. Dump the dough onto a floured board and let it sit a couple of minutes. I use the time to wash the bowl and then spray it with PAM so you can use it for letting the dough rise. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Knead it until there are no rough edges, and it's forming a ball and it's no longer sticky – about 5 minutes for me. Keep the board well floured. Put it in a greased bowl and let it rise on top of your oven for 45 minutes. Cover it with a thin towel. Punch the dough down and dump it on the cupboard and cut it into 4 pieces. Form into loaves and put the dough in greased bread pans. Let it rise again for 45 minutes – covered with towel, on the top of your oven. It should be nicely rounded just over the top of the pan. Put the oven temp up to 350 degrees and preheat. Put the four pans in the oven and bake for 45 minutes. When I take it out, I rub the tops with a little butter. The loaves should fit nicely into gallon zip-lock bags. Enjoy!

Nutty Whole Wheat Pancakes

I made these this morning, Yummy!


PREP TIME 10 Min
Original recipe yield 12 pancakes

INGREDIENTS
• 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
• 1 1/2 cups 100% whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk or 1 1/2 cups skim milk (add 1 Tbsp. white vinegar to milk)
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 omega-3 egg
• 1/3 cup organic raw sugar (you can even get away with 1/4 cup)
• 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts (optional)
• 1/4 cup of wheat germ (optional)
• A few sprinkles of ground flax seed (optional)

DIRECTIONS
1. Grind the oats in a blender or food processor until fine. In a large bowl, combine ground oats, whole wheat flour, wheat germ, flax seed, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
2. In another bowl, combine buttermilk, milk, oil, egg, and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Mix wet ingredients into dry with a few swift strokes. Stir in nuts, if desired.
3. Spray the skillet or griddle with Pam, and preheat it to medium heat. Ladle 1/3 cup of the batter onto the hot skillet; cook the pancakes for 2 to 4 minutes per side, or until brown.
4. I used 100% fruit jam for spread (I know target & whole foods carry 100% fruit jam).

Healthy Mexican

I LOVE Mexican food - it's kind of a must living in CA. My favorites are tostadas and taco salads. Not wanting to waste all of my day's calories on a hard taco shell or tostada shell this has become a new favorite:

Healthy Taco Salad Wrap

3-4 ounces ground turkey
Onion
Whole Wheat Tortilla or Low-Fat/Low-Carb Tortilla
Low Fat Sour Cream
Salsa
Low Sodium Taco Seasoning

Brown the ground turkey, add the onion and cook until soft. Just before removing from heat add the taco seasoning. When your certain this is mixed in well remove from heat (I don't use the whole packet - it's always easier to add more later than to take away!)

On your tortilla place a dab of your low fat sour cream and salsa. On top of this place a handful of your lettuce greens (I let this be the majority of my wrap - filling and less calories). Add ground taco turkey meat. Wrap or fold as a soft taco if prefered.

Healthier Pesto

Okay so I am a total SUCKER for a good pesto sauce... I seriously could eat it with everything! I was sad though because most store bought pesto sauce contain about 20grams of fat per serving. I was enjoying a lunch at my friend Sarah's yesterday and she made a yummy "Healthy" Pesto sauce and pasta for us so I told her I was going to share the recipe with everyone. Thanks Sarah!

Winter Spinach Pesto:
2 cups firmly packed spinach
3/4 cup lowfat grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup olive oil (or can use just a generous 1/2cup for less fat, pesto will be thicker)
3-4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
Puree together and serve with whole grain pasta or use as spread on sandwhiches. YUMMY!
It will store for a month or so in fridge with a sealable container.

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread

Okay so since it is the coldest day of the year and I am stuck inside I am finding myself constantly going to the kitchen out of boredem...I want to bake something but what can I bake that is healthy? I decided to look online and I liked the sound of this recipe so I am going to give it a shot! Hope it is good!!!!

Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (or can use applesauce for even healthier bread but dryer)
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup mashed bananas
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup hot water
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
In a large bowl, beat oil and honey together. Add eggs, and mix well. Stir in bananas and vanilla. Stir in flour and salt. Add baking soda to hot water, stir to mix, and then add to batter. Blend in chopped nuts. Spread batter into a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1/2 hour before slicing

chicken bake

This recipe is far better for you than other casserole style dishes, but it's still not perfect. Try it out and improve it and let me know how you did it.
ingredients 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can healthy request cream of soup (I like cream of broccoli best)
frozen chopped broccoli or other veggies if desired
1 can skim milk (soup can)
1 box of your favorite stuffing mix

Preheat oven to 350
add 1 cup water to the stuffing mix and set aside
mix soup with 1 coup can full of milk add veggies if using
place chicken in 9x13 pan.
pour milk/soup mixture over top
sprinkle stuffing over chicken and bake for 45 minutes or until stuffing is crunchy

Sneaky pasta with sauce

Here's a favorite recipe of mine, I make this once a week. The pasta I use is Ronzoni smart taste. It has 3 times the fiber, is high protien and has calcium as well and it tastes just like regular white pasta. Even my husband can't tell the difference.

Sauce: 2 jars of your favorite 28 oz sauce. I do hy-vee garden combo b/c it's a high fiber sauce that's lower (no low) in the sodium, but you choose any sauce you want
1-2 cups shredded zuchini and/or carrots. (I buy organics on sale and then shred, mix and freeze)
2 4 oz cups/containers stage 2 baby food-either carrots, sweet potatoes or 1 of each. Do NOT use squash (I use gerber organics. This is one of the cheapest ways I've found to buy organics out of season) Also, the carrots and sweet potatoes slightly sweetens the sauce, no one can tell it's there, but the sauce tastes so good

spices to taste I use garlic powder, a little crushed red pepper, a little ground peppercorns, and Italian seasonings

Mix everything in your crock pot and cook on low 6-8 hours if you are using shredded carrots/zuchini, about 3 if you are not. Serve over the Ronzoni with a little parmesean cheese. With all the veggies in here, you've got a whole meal, but I usually serve it with rolls or garlic bread and a salad.

**** Note, after your dinner, freeze the remaining sauce, you'll have plenty and then add it and 1 jar pasta sauce back to the crockpot and heat for an even quicker dinner the next time around. Nothing else is needed

This dinner is full of vitamins A and C, fiber, lycopene, and w/ the ronzoni, plenty of protient and even some calcium. It's a great quick fix

Easy, and TASTY, Vegetarian Meal!

When I decided to go vegetarian, the beginning was brutal! Now,it is a breeze! I have learned to leave out the meat entirely and either substitute additional vegetables, or add a small side that compliments the main course. The first recipe that I came up with was inspired from the Food Network. I love it, and so does my husband...a self-proclaimed carnivore!
*Italian Quesadillas
4 Flour Tortillas
3 lrg. Red Bell Peppers
1 lrg. Yellow Onion
1 Tbsp. dried Parsley
1/2 c. shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2 cloves of Garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil (for the pan)
Cooking Instructions:
-Cut the bell pepper, and yellow onion into thin strips. Place the onion in a saute pan on medium heat with a bit of olive oil (1-2 tbsp.). Cook until onion is carmelized, or golden brown. Remove from pan and place in a large mixing bowl. Next, saute the bell pepper in the pan until it softens. Add the bell pepper to the onions in the bowl. Mince, or press, 2 cloves of garlic, and add the dried parsley into the bell pepper/onion bowl. Add a dash of salt and pepper if you wish! Mix well.
-In a separate bowl, combine the cheeses.
-Lay out the tortillas and sprinkle a SMALL amount of cheese on half and then add the onion/pepper mixture on top. Sprinkle a bit more cheese on top of the mixture so that when you fold it over, the tortilla will 'stick'. Fold the tortilla over, and now your ready to cook it!
-There are two ways to cook these. Quick and easy = microwave it. But, if you want my opinion it is sooooo much better tasting to put a small bit of olive oil in a pan and warm the quesadilla on the stove. It makes the insides warm, and the outsides crunchy!
*Serve with a fresh green salad, and you are good to go!

My Favorite Treat!

Great treat to curve the cravings for carbs and sugars!

-Frozen Fruit (my favorite is blueberries and mangoes)
-Kefir: pour over the top of frozen fruit(organic liquid yogurt)

Kefir is kind of hard to find, I get it from Whole Foods. I stalk up when I go because it lasts awhile. Tastes great in smoothies also, and gives you some extra protein. Delicious!!!