Eating foods such as; whole grains, legumes, beans, fresh fruits, vegetables, lean protein, lean dairy, fresh herbs with reduced salt intake, fresh clean water and limiting sugar and artificial sweeteners will give you a high nutritive value. You might also consider lowering your portion control, as it seems many of us tend of use larger portions than are necessary.
Breakfast Benedict
8 cups spinach
10 button mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 zucchini, sliced
4 whole grain English muffins
8 eggs
Salsa
5 ruby red plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 avocados, peeled, seeded and diced (sprinkle with fresh lime juice)
2 garlic cloves, minced (or to your taste)
2 jalapenos, minced (or to your taste)
1 medium sweet white onion, diced small
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp. olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For salsa; In a bowl add salsa ingredients, stir, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
In a saute pan, add a little canola oil the bell pepper, mushrooms and zucchini sauteing until tender. Add spinach and saute until wilted, season with salt and pepper, set aside. Toast English muffins and lightly butter. In a large saute pan, add water and about 1 Tbl. white vinegar, bring to simmer and gently slip in eggs one at a time. As eggs cook take a spoon and ladle some water over top of eggs. You want the whites cooked and the yolks still soft, lift the eggs from water with a slotted spoon with a paper towel placed under to catch water and place on a plate. To assemble; place English muffins on plate or platter, add some of the spinach mixture on each muffin, top with a poached egg and finally spoonfuls of salsa. Note: you can change up the vegetables to suit your taste, such as; asparagus, artichokes, black beans, etc.
My Spicy Hot Carrots - if you've ever lived in S. CA or traveled to Baja Mexico you most likely will have eaten hot carrots. All the little taco joints serve them, as well as some of the nicer Mexican restaurants. When I first moved to San Diego and tried these I was hooked! These are perfect to munch on when trying to watch your weight, so enjoy.
15 large carrots, peeled, washed and sliced about 1/4-inch thick on diagonal
2 large white onions, sliced thickly julienne cut
3 cups white vinegar
1 Tbl. salt
3 bay leaves
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 Tbl. vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled, rinsed and sliced thinly
1 or 2 jalapenos, washed, seeded and sliced (I like a few seeds in mine)
1 can jalapenos in juice (drain the juice and keep for recipe)
In a pot of salted boiling water, add sliced carrots and cook al dente (just a few minutes you want them crisp/tender.) Drain carrots and refresh in cold water to stop cooking process. Place cooled carrots in a large bowl. Gently bring to a boil other ingredients, turn off heat and let rest for about 10 minutes. Pour mixture over carrots and gently stir. Cool for a few minutes, then place in glass covered container or tupperware type containers and refrigerate for 24 hours before serving. These will keep for about a week, but believe me you will eat them before that. Keep refrigerated.
Mediterranean Breakfast Burrito
1/2 white onion, diced
1 cup white mushrooms, sliced
1 small box frozen artichokes, thawed and diced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
Kalamata olives, seeded and sliced
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
8-inch whole wheat tortillas
3 scallions, sliced thinly including green part
1/2 cup fresh basil, rolled and sliced thinly
6 eggs
4 egg whites
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tabasco
Low fat sour cream (optional)
Salsa from above recipe. Wrap tortillas in foil and place in 350 degree oven until just warmed through. In a large saute pan, add some olive oil and add onions, mushrooms and pepper and cook until crisp/tender then add in artichokes and cook until heated through. Place eggs and whites in a bowl, season with salt, pepper and Tabasco whisking well. Pour into pan with vegetables and stir until scrambled soft and fluffy. Sprinkle on feta cheese, stirring into eggs, stir in basil, olives and scallions. Remove from heat, set aside. Place tortillas on work surface add some egg mixture and roll up burrito style, top with fresh salsa.
Potato Hash - see low cal cooking doesn't have to be boring, after all you get potatoes!
6 Yukon gold potatoes, washed and diced into 1/2-inch dice
6 link turkey sausages, casing removed and crumbled
olive oil
1 sweet white onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 jalapeno seeded and minced (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. chili powder
Tabasco, to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a large pot of boiling salted water add potatoes and cook about 6 minutes or until soft, but not too soft. Drain well and let sit for about 15 minutes to dry out. In the meantime, heat a saute pan add a little olive oil adding crumbled sausage cooking until nicely browned. Remove, add more oil if needed and toss in onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and garlic, cooking until softened, add back turkey and season with chili powder, salt and pepper. Place all of this mixture into a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. In the same saute pan, add a little olive oil and potatoes, cooking for about 15 to 20 minutes until nicely browned, add turkey mixture back to potatoes and saute for a few minutes, taste and adjust seasonings.
Lamb Chops with Garlic
1 1/2 lbs. (or about 2 racks) baby lamb chops
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tsp. dried thyme
1 lemon, zested
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly oil the rack on roasting pan. Rinse and pat dry chops and place on cutting board. Trim some of the fat off. Using a sharp knife cut deep pockets into the meat and stuff the pockets with the garlic. In a small bowl add olive oil, thyme and zest and mix well. Rub this all over the chops and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place chops on roasting rack in pan and roast until meat thermometer reads 145 degrees. Remove lamb from oven and cover loosely with foil, allowing to rest for about 15 minutes.
Barb's Red Lentil Roast - my friend Barb in Ft. Worth created this recipe when she lived in Alaska years ago
1 1/2 cups red lentils
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and shredded
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbl. olive oil
1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated (or pepper jack cheese)
1 egg or egg substitute, beaten
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp. thyme
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (optional)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
dash of nutmeg
Rinse lentils and simmer in stock (covered) until soft about 25 minutes. DO NOT DRAIN. In a skillet, add oil and saute onions, peppers, carrots and garlic until lightly browned. Mix all ingredients together and turn into a well oiled oven dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes. Delicious hot or cold. Barb said she eats it cold the next day and one of her friends Patty slices a piece and frys in skillet with a little butter until nicely browned and crispy. Patty says coconut curry sauce is good drizzle over it.
Chicken Curry
1 onion, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbl. green curry paste (Asian grocers have many different varieties or make you own, see below)
1 3/4 cups coconut milk
2/3 cup chicken stock (good quality)
4 kaffir lime leaves
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into medium to large cubes
1 Tbl. fish sauce
2 Tbl. soy sauce
juice of 1/2 lime and zested
1 tsp. brown sugar
4 Tbl. fresh cilantro
1/2 cup cashews
Heat some peanut oil in a large wok or skillet and saute onion, until soft, add garlic and saute another minute. Add the curry paste and saute about 3 minutes. Add the coconut milk, stock, lime leaves and bring to boil and add chicken. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar. lime zest and juice. Cook for 3 minutes until sugar has dissolved. Serve over rice garnished with cilantro and cashews.
Green Curry
1 Tbl. coriander seeds
1 Tbl. cumin seeds
1 tsp. shrimp paste
15 fresh green Thai chile's, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 lemon grass stalks (white part only) chopped
6 kaffir lime leaves, chopped
2 Tbl. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, zested
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black peppercorns
Dry fry the coriander and cumin seeds in heavy bottom skillet stirring constantly for about 3 minutes until browned. Remove from heat and grind to a powder with spice grinder. Wrap the shrimp paste in a piece of foil and broil for 3 minutes, turning once or twice. Put the ground spices, shrimp paste and chile's into food processor and process until finely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients and process again to a smooth paste, scraping down the sides. Store excess in frig covered tightly.
Black Bean Soup
1 medium onion, chopped
olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, small dice
1 bay leaf
1/2 lb. black beans, rinsed and picked over
1 qt. chicken stock, good quality
1 jalapeno, seeded
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup sherry (not cooking sherry) the good stuff
low fat sour cream (optional)
In a large dutch oven, add some oil,onions and carrot cooking until softened, add garlic, and jalapeno cooking for a couple of minutes. Add the washed beans, stock, bay and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover the pot partially. When beans are tender which should take about 1 1/2 to 2 hours remove bay leaf and part of the beans and puree. Place beans back into pot and add sherry, taste and adjust seasonings. Note: if at any time you need more chicken stock add it. I like my soup a little on the thick side. Serve in bowls and add a dollop of sour cream if desired.
Seafood Stew
1 3/4 lbs. whole Dungeness crab
1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
16 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
2 lbs. halibut or firm white fish (cut into large chunks)
1 (2 oz) can anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbl. chili garlic sauce
2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups fish stock or bottled clam juice
2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in puree
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 onion, finely chopped
1/3 cup olive oil
1 Tbl. fresh marjoram chopped
1 crusty loaf of french bread
Remove crab legs and cut at joints. Cub crab body into quarters; scrape out gills and intestines and discard. Heat olive oil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add onion, marjoram and bay, saute 2 minutes. Add anchovies, parsley, garlic and chili sauce, saute 2 minutes. Add crab legs, body pieces and white wine. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes. Add stock and tomatoes, increase heat and boil 5 minutes. Add mussels; cook until mussels open, about 7 minutes (discard any mussels that do not open.) Add remaining seafood; simmer until halibut and shrimp are opaque in center, stirring often and gently to not break up fish about 4 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve with crisp green salad and bread to sop up delicious liquid.
Veggie Loaf
1 cup brown rice, cooked
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, minced
1/4 cup button mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup cauliflower, minced
1/4 cup carrot, peeled and minced
1/2 cup white onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced finely
4 tsp. sun dried tomatoes, minced
1 cup firm tofu, crumbled
1/3 cup egg whites
2 tsp. onion powder
2 tsp. soy sauce (light)
Tabasco, to taste
dash of Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbl. ketchup
3 tsp. Mrs. Dash (or a low sodium seasoning you like)
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, add cooked rice, and all other ingredients, mixing together. Place mixture into a 9-inch loaf pan which has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for about 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool slightly, slice into pieces.
Salmon Salad
1 salmon fillet
1 small package grape tomatoes, halved
4 cups micro greens, washed and dried
1 large carrot, shredded
1 red pepper, sliced thinly
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
1 cup blackberries
1/2 cup pine nuts
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
Brush salmon with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper. You can either place in oven and bake until cooked through about 10 minutes or place on grill and cook. Next, remove salmon and flake into large pieces. On a platter, add greens and other ingredients. Pour over blackberry dressing and place salmon pieces on top.
Dressing
2 cups fresh blackberries
3 Tbl. honey
2 Tbl. balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
salt and freshly round black pepper
Place berries into blender and pulse to puree. Place berries into a sieve and press through to bowl. Add other ingredients and whisk in oil. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Pasta - Greek Style
1/2 lb. whole wheat penne pasta
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup pear tomatoes, halved
1 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 red bell pepper, chopped rough
1 green bell pepper, chopped rough
1 small red onion, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 lemon juiced
1 English cucumber, cut in half and sliced (wash and leave peel on)
2 tsp. oregano
In a pot of boiling salted water, add pasta and cook al dente. Drain well. In a large saute pan, add olive oil and garlic, cooking until garlic is softened. Pour drain pasta into a large bowl, pour on olive oil, lemon juice season with salt and pepper. Let cool for about 15 minutes, then mix in all vegetables and oregano. Taste, adjust seasonings. Pour onto a serving platter and sprinkle with feta cheese.
Healthy Quesadilla
2 cups zucchini, chopped
1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tsp. cumin
4 whole wheat tortillas
1 cup low fat sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup fresh salsa
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
4 scallions, thinly sliced
low fat sour cream (optional)
In a saute pan, add a little olive oil, toss in zucchini, black beans, and cumin. Saute until zucchini is lightly browned. Remove vegetables from pan, divide up mixture onto the tortillas, sprinkle with cheese, add some salsa, fold over place back into pan to lightly brown on each side and melt cheese. Remove to cutting board, slice and add extra salsa on top with a sprinkling of cilantro, scallions and sour cream.
Asian Pork Salad
1 pork tenderloin, trimmed
4 Tbl. fresh orange juice
2 Tbl. soy sauce
2 Tbl. honey
1 Tbl. fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
freshly ground black pepper
6 cups mixed greens
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1/2 Daikon radish, sliced (or red radishes)
Dressing
4 tsp.orange zest
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbl. orange marmalade
4 Tbl. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. Dijon
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
In a zip lock bag add pork. In a bowl whisk orange juice, soy, honey, ginger, garlic and black pepper. Pour over pork and turn to coat. Place zip lock on a plate and place in frig for 1 hour, turning occasionally. Remove from pork and place on baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until thermometer reads 160 degrees. Remove from oven, place on cutting board and set stand 10 minutes. Note: At this point you can also use the pork, sliced and served with cooked brown rice. Next step for salad is to cut pork into thin slices.
In a bowl, whisk dressing ingredients together. Slice red pepper, onion and radish. Place salad green on platter, add red pepper, onion, radish and pork slices, drizzle with salad dressing and serve.
Ratatouille - this can be eaten warm, cold, mixed with pasta, used on a toasted baguette
1 eggplant (1 lb) peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 zucchini, sliced
2 green bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
1 large onion, julienned
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 ruby red tomatoes, chopped
2 cups Kalamata olives, pitted
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 Tbl. fresh oregano, chopped
2 Tbl. fresh basil, rolled and thinly sliced
2 Tbl. olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Place eggplant and zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let drain for 1/2 hour. Rinse and dry the vegetables, pour lemon juice over and set aside. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil, add onion, pepper and garlic and stir until tender, stirring often. Add the eggplant and zucchini, cook for about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook about 6 minutes, add salt, pepper, stir in olives and cook 1 minute. Taste and adjust seasonings. Place on a platter and sprinkle with fresh basil. I love it served cold on a piece of crusty bread.
Grilled Chicken or Fish with Papaya Mango Salsa
4 (6 oz) chicken breasts OR 4 (6 oz) portions of tuna, halibut, swordfish or salmon
olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Papaya Mango Salsa
1 mango, peeled and diced 1/2-inch
1 medium papaya, peeled, seeded and diced 1/2-inch
1 cup pineapple, peeled, diced 1/2-inch
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 serrano chili, seeded and minced
1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (depending on your taste)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 lime
Rub chicken breasts or fish with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until cooked through. For salsa; in a bowl, add ingredients and mix gently. Place chicken or fish on platter and serve salsa on the side.
Desserts - Angel food cake is a good choice for low cal, it's best to make your own too. You can serve angel food cake with fresh berries and yogurt for a wonderful light dessert. As with anything watch your portion control.
Grilled Peaches or Nectarines
4 Peaches or nectarines, pitted and sliced in half
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
Place peaches or nectarines on a hot grill (indirect heat) and grill for about 4 minutes. Mix yogurt, honey and cinnamon together. Remove fruit from grill, place on platter and add dollop of yogurt mixture in center of each peach. You can also grill fresh pineapple which is also delicious.
Watermelon Granita - from my friend Lynda in WA.
4 cups summer watermelon, seeds removed and cubed
1/2 cup water
6 limes, juiced
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Juice the limes and place into a bowl. Combine water and sugar into a small saucepan and bring to a boil to make a simple syrup. Set aside and cool. Puree the watermelon in a blender, stain through fine mesh strainer into a bowl with fresh lime juice. Stir in vanilla and simple syrup. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze. When ready to serve, place frozen place cubes into food processor and pulse until texture is of crushed ice.
Fruit Smoothie - you can use any combination of fruit that you enjoy
1/2 cup low fat milk
1 cup fresh strawberries
1 banana
1 cup non fat yogurt
2 Tbl. honey
ice
Place all into a blender and puree, pour into glasses.
Pear Sorbet
6 pears
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
Peel and quarter the pears, sprinkling with lemon juice. Place on baking sheet and freeze in freezer for 20 minutes. Make a simple syrup by combining water and sugar bringing to a boil, remove and let cool. Place pears in a blender with the simple syrup, puree and strain through a fine mesh strainer being sure to press spatula on mixture to release the juices. Freeze the strained mixture in an ice cream machine per instructions. Store in freezer until ready to serve.
Fresh Strawberries with Balsamic
1 lb. fresh strawberries, sliced
1 Tbl. honey
1 Tbl. balsamic vinegar
Add berries to a beautiful crystal bowl. In another small bowl, whisk honey and balsamic together. Pour over berries and let macerate. These need to be eaten right away, as they do not hold.
Bon Appetit
"May God's Love Be With You Always"
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