Goat Cheese Stuffed Salmon

Salmon is one of the few types of fish I will cook and eat. I cannot stand to eat meat, and eating fish proves to be a chore for me most of the time. When I had plans to invite friends over for dinner, I decided to make something we could all enjoy.  I also wanted to make something that required minimal effort on my part, as I hate being the hostess who is stuck in the kitchen during her own dinner party.

This dish ended up being a sure fire hit. Fish topped with yogurt and mustard tends to retain a lot of moisture. What you end up having is a very moist fish that goes down easily.  This recipe also ended up being quite healthy.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Salmon

Ingredients:

4 thick salmon pieces, thawed (buy frozen, as fresh is too thin to stuff)
1/3 cup low fat yogurt
1/4 cup dijon mustard
A few sprigs of fresh dill
Salt, pepper and olive oil to taste
4 ounces herbed goat cheese

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray baking sheet with cooking spray
Step 2: Create slits or incisions in salmon, and stuff with goat cheese
Step 3: Season salmon with salt and pepper
Step 4: Mix yogurt and dijon and spread over the top of the salmon fillets, evenly
Step 5: Top with fresh dill and bake for 15 minutes

Whole Wheat Pasta With Pesto and Roasted Squash

My husband is really hung up on whole wheat pastas. He loves pasta in general, but tries to make it healthier. As it's still squash season, I decided to try yet another squash pasta recipe.

As an aside, my husband has spent months trying to grow basil in an herb box on the window sill without any luck. We recently noticed the same basil growing in the courtyard in front of our window. We can only assume the seeds flew outdoors somehow. I suppose herbs really do need fresh air, sun and some good soil. I used the basil in this mixed herb pesto. It was quite delicious.

Whole Wheat Pasta With Pesto and Roasted Squash

Ingredients:

8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta
10 ounces cubed butternut squash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Nutmeg
1/2 cup packed mixed herbs, such as basil, cilantro and parsley
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 handful toasted pine nuts
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded
2 cloves garlic
1/2 juiced lime
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 450 and place squash on baking sheet. Sprinkle with oil, salt, pepper and nutmeg and bake for 18 minutes
Step 2: Meanwhile, boil water and cook pasta to al dente
Step 3: Meanwhile, stick herbs, parmesan, peppers, nuts, garlic, lime, salt, pepper and oil in food processor. Slowly add oil until it is a smooth consistency
Step 4: Drain pasta, and mix with pesto and squash and eat (salt and pepper more if necessary)!

Zucchini Fritters

As much as I love autumn foods, I can't help but crave light summery dishes every so often. I looked around the internet for some inspiration, and hit on a recipe for courgette fritters on BBC Good Food's website. FYI: courgette is a fancy French word for zucchini. It's just like what aubergine is to eggplant.

I completely changed the original recipe to suit my tastes. My husband was rather impressed with this recipe, and it paired well with a spinach and tomato salad. Yet another great meatless weeknight meal. I don't think you need any sauce with this, but sour cream is always an option.

I will definitely be making this again when I have an extra zucchini lying around. This serves two and makes 6 fritters.

Zucchini Fritters

Ingredients:

1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1/8 cup egg beater or 1/2 egg beaten
1/3 cup low fat milk
1 ounce sharp shredded cheddar
1 small bunch of chopped chives
1 zucchini, grated
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon olive oil

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Step 2: Mix flour, spices, salt, eggs and milk until the batter is smooth
Step 3: Stir in cheese and chives and set aside
Step 4: Place non-stick pan on high heat and cook zucchini for 4 minutes, then drain with paper towels
Step 5: Stir zucchini into batter
Step 6: Oil non-stick pan, reducing heat to medium high. Drop spoon fulls of batter onto pan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until 6 fritters have been made. Place each fritter on a baking sheet
Step 7: Bake fritters for 8 minutes in oven

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

I once posted a quickie version of Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese a while back, but I did have issues with ingredient dispersement. I decided to try a slower recipe and use my food processor to puree the squash so it could mix in and taste less like chunks of squash and pasta mixed together.

This recipe is as healthy as a cheesy pasta dish can get. It uses a protein packed whole wheat penne that most grocery stores stock at the moment. If you like a chunkier pasta, then don't puree the squash mix, only mash it.

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 ounces butternut squash pieces/chunks
8 ounces whole wheat pasta
3/4 cups skim milk
1/2 cup vegetable broth
Pinch of nutmeg
1/4 tsp. or more of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
Black pepper to taste
1/2 cup shredded low fat extra sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees and spray an 8x8 pan with cooking spray
Step 2: Cook pasta until al dente and drain and place in big mixing bowl
Step 3: Place squash, milk and broth in pan on medium high heat, once it boils, lower temperature and cook squash until fork tender
Step 4: Once squash mix is cooked, place in food processor and add nutmeg, cayenne, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano and black pepper. Then puree until blended
Step 5: Add squash mix to bowl with pasta and mix with 3/4 of the cheddar cheese
Step 6: Place pasta and squash mix in baking pan and top with remaining cheeses and cover pan in foil
Step 7: Cook for 20 minutes covered in foil, then take off foil and cook for 20 more minutes

Caramelized Onion and White Bean Flatbread

I will eat almost anything that looks like a pizza. Even if it's called a flatbread. Today I hit a near home run with yet another Eating Well recipe tweaked to my tastes. The pictured version is slightly different from my recipe, as I did not have plum tomatoes or green olives, but it was almost as tasty.

This recipe is rather easy to put together. Pair it with a salad, and you have a great meatless weeknight dinner.

Caramelized Onion and White Bean Flatbread

Ingredients:

20 ounces of whole wheat prepared pizza dough
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, sliced lengthwise
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 15 ounce can of white beans, rinsed and drained
4 plum tomatoes, sliced thin
1 cup light shredded sharp cheddar
1 handful of sliced green olives

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 450 degrees and grease a large baking sheet
Step 2: Combine oil, onion and and salt in a pan. Cover and stir often while on a medium high heat stove. Let cook for 7 minutes.
Step 3: Reduce heat to low and uncover pan and cook for 8 more minutes while stirring occasionally
Step 4: Roll out dough on floured surface and place on sheet pan, then bake for 8-10 minutes in oven
Step 5: Stir in oregano and black and red peppers into onion
Step 6: Transfer half of the onion mixture into another bowl.
Step 7: Add beans to remaining onion mixture in pan and cook for 3 minutes over medium heat, stirring often
Step 8: Put bean and onion mixture, garlic powder, vinegar and water in food processor and pulse until it forms a coarse paste
Step 9: Spread bean paste onto flatbread, then top with cheese, olives, tomatoes and remaining onions.
Step 10: Bake in oven for 12 minutes

No Sugar Added Chocolate Loaf

I love chocolate, which should be obvious at this point. Since I had so much Splenda and unsweetened applesauce left over, I decided to figure out another quick bread recipe to try.  This time, I decided to try a chocolate bread. As nice as the almond poppy seed loaf turned out, it did have a strong Splenda/battery taste to it.  I figured cocoa would mask that taste.

As I live near a high end specialty shop, I opted to buy the best dutch process cocoa I could afford. This may have made the loaf taste a bit better.  The key to making this recipe is not overmixing.  This comes out to about 12 servings and 150 calories per serving.

If you don't mind the taste of Splenda, this is a great recipe to try. However, for those who do not like artificial sweeteners much, the lemon recipes I posted --chiffon pie and lemon blueberry loaf, hardly tasted of Splenda. Try those instead.

No Sugar Added Chocolate Loaf

Ingredients:

1/4 cup softened margarine
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup splenda
1 large egg
2 egg whites
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa
3/4 cup fat-free yogurt

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 x 5 loaf pan
Step 2: Cream margarine and brown sugar, then beat in splenda and eggs
Step 3: On low speed blend in applesauce and vanilla
Step 4: In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder and baking powder
Step 5: Add half of yogurt and flour mix to wet mixture, and stir with a large spoon, repeat again until both flour mix and wet mix are JUST blended together.
Step 6: Pour batter in pan and bake for 55 minutes

Spinach, Tofu, and Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Pizza

I love pizza. In fact, I'm one of those freaks who loves vegetables on my pizza. Cheese, bread, and vegetables are a delightful combination to me!  I decided to experiment and combined a few recipes I found online for a healthy stuffed pizza.

My husband and I really enjoyed this pizza, but I highly recommend dipping it in marinara sauce. The tofu is not noticeable and quite filling.

Spinach, Tofu and Sun-Dried Tomato Stuffed Pizza

Ingredients:

1 14 ounce package of firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1 10 ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon onion powder
1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pinch dried red pepper flakes
1 pound prepared pizza dough

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 425 degrees and coat pan with cooking spray
Step 2: Mix tofu, spinach, tomatoes, cheeses, and spices in a bowl with hands
Step 3: Roll dough out on lightly floured surface
Step 4: Place dough on baking sheet and place mixture in middle of dough, leaving 1 inch border all around
Step 5: Take dough edges and close pizza. Crimp top with fork and lightly spray with cooking spray, then use knife to make slits all over the top.
Step 6: Bake in oven for 30 minutes

Sour Cream and Almond Poppy Seed Loaf

One of the easier things to bake is a quick bread. I blogged a recipe for banana bread before, but this time I decided to go back to Marlene Koch's class Splenda baking book.  Since my husband has suddenly developed an intolerance to chocolate, I decided to bake an almond loaf.

I liked this recipe, but it seems my husband liked it more. To its credit, it did have the magic ingredient--sour cream, which always moistens quick breads. I suppose I like my almond loaf to have a a bit of almond paste and slivered almonds on top.  I suggest adding a bit more Splenda if you like things a bit sweeter. The original recipe did not include enough to make it a sweet enough bread.

Sour Cream Almond Poppy Seed Loaf

Ingredients:

1/4 cup margarine, softened
1 cup Splenda
1 large egg and 2 egg whites
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup light sour cream
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp. almond extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda

Method:

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and coat a loaf pan with cooking spray
Step 2: Cream margarine and Spenda, then add in egg and egg whites
Step 3: Slowing mixer down to a lower speed, add in applesauce, sour cream, poppy seeds, lemon zest, and extracts.
Step 4: Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda, then mix into wet mixture until just incorporated.
Step 5: Add mix to pan and bake for 45 minutes

Chickpea Mediterranean Style Burgers

I'm still on a healthy dinner kick. Thanks to finally having a tiny food processor, I feel I can cook a lot more now. I really recommend purchasing a small food processor if you're only cooking dinners for two on a regular basis.

I recently decided to veer into Mediterranean territory and made a vegetarian burger using chickpeas. Instead of using a hamburger bun, which adds too many calories, I used half of a whole wheat pita pocket. For the sauce, I used non-fat greek yogurt. This ended up being a tasty and easy recipe. Seriously, how did vegetarians get by without non-fat greek yogurt?

Chickpea Mediterranean Style Burgers

Ingredients:

Burgers:
1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
4 scallions, trimmed and sliced
1 egg
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/2 tbsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 1/2 whole wheat pita pockets
1/2 cup lettuce or greens, chopped
1 tomato, cut into slices

Sauce:
1/2 cup fat free greek yogurt
2 tbsp. tahini
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika

Method:

Step 1: Blend chickpeas, scallions, egg, flour, and burger spices in food processor until just smooth
Step 2: Form mixture into 3 round patties with wet hands and place in refrigerator for a few hours to make easier to handle.
Step 3: Blend all sauce ingredients together
Step 4: Heat pan on stove on medium high heat and add olive oil
Step 5: Add patties to pan and cook 4 minutes on each side
Step 6: Place one patty, tomatoes and lettuce in a pita, then add sauce and enjoy!

Shrimp Tamale Casserole

I'm a huge fan of Mexican food, but eating it outside can be quite fattening. I've taken to the internet to find the best healthy versions of my favorite dishes.  Fortunately, Eating Well has done a good job of posting great light alternatives, which I of course change to my preferences.

This time I decided to take a chance on tamales. I was worried my husband wouldn't eat them however, as he often finds them too dry. Luckily, he LOVED this particular dish, and was even impressed with the store bought mole sauce I bought at Target. Personally, I would skip the mole sauce and use a salsa verde instead.

Shrimp Tamale Casserole

Ingredients:
2 cups masa
3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups vegetable broth with a mix of garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and cayenne added to it
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 pound raw shrimp chopped and seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin powder, cayenne and paprika
Salsa or mole for topping

Method:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 375 degrees and boil water in a kettle
Step 2: Coat 8 inch square pan with cooking spray
Step 3: Whisk masa, oregano, thyme, baking powder, salt and black pepper in a bowl.
Step 4: Add 2 cups of broth and mix until just mixed together.
Step 5: Add oil and butter and mix on medium high for 4 minutes
Step 6: Spread half of batter in pan and top with shrimp evenly, then add remaining batter
Step 7: Add pan to a larger pan and place in oven, then add hot water from kettle to bigger pan until it comes up half way to the casserole pan
Step 8: Cover both pans in one large piece of foil
Step 9: Bake for 45 minutes and take out of oven. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Top with sauce of choice.

Lightened Up Spinach and Almond Pesto

I often forget how easy it is to make a pesto sauce at home. I often find myself spending a ridiculous sum on a tiny jar of oil laden pesto, only to feel guilty I consumed so many calories on a basil and oil goo. As I was looking up a general basil pesto recipe, I thought, why not make a pesto with spinach and almonds, and somehow omit the oil?

Fortunately, my risk was successful, and I can now eat pesto every evening and somehow get my daily nutritonal needs met.

Spinach/Almond Pesto Sauce

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves
3/4 cup basil leaves
1/2 cup toasted almonds (toast in a 450 degree oven for 5 minutes)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 cloves peeled garlic, roughly chopped
1/4 cup vegetable broth/stock
Juice of half of a lemon
1/2 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
olive oil (optional)

Method:

Step 1: Puree spinach, basil, almonds, parmesan, garlic, broth and lemon juice in a food processor processor until it forms a paste
Step 2: Add salt and pepper to taste
Step 3: Add olive oil or more broth until desired consistency is reached

Sherried Squash Soup

I love a good fall vegetable--like butternut squash soup.  As a starter for my fall dinner party, I decided to make a squash soup, with a kick--sherry.

Sherried Squash Soup


Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion chopped in chunks
4 tbsp. dry sherry
3 packages of pre-cubed butternut squash
2.5 cups of vegetable broth
1/2 of a fresh grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
sour cream or croutons for garnish

Method:

Step 1: Fry onions in oiled pan for 5 minutes, then add sherry and squash, and cook for 2 minutes
Step 2: Add vegetable stock and cover and simmer for 20 minutes
Step 3: Use an immersion blender to blend the squash mix, or mix in food processor
Step 4: Add salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste and garnish as you like

Stuffed Shells with Pumpkin Cream Sauce

After making low calorie muffins using pumpkin puree, I had quite a bit of puree left over.  I saw a recipe for stuffed shells with pumpkin sauce in Rachael Ray's latest magazine issue, and got some inspiration.  I decided to make two versions of these shells--one vegetarian and one with meat.  I obviously ate the vegetarian version, but I think this is quite healthy both ways.

Pumpkin Shells 2 ways


Ingredients:
8 ounces pumpkin puree
salt and pepper
olive oil
20 jumbo pasta shells
1 lb. frozen chopped spinach
1 small yellow onion
2 tbsp. butter
8 ounces very lean ground beef
8 ounces low fat cottage cheese
1 cup low fat cheddar cheese
2 cups low fat milk
1/4 cup flour
3 tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
1 tsp. garlic powder
4 sprigs fresh thyme
5 leaves of fresh basil, chopped
1/8 tsp. fresh nutmeg
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Method:
Step 1: Boil water in large pot with salt and some olive oil, and cook shells according to directions on box
Step 2: In the meantime, defrost spinach in the microwave and then drain water out with paper towels and preheat oven to 400 degrees
Step 3: Chop onion and add to skillet with olive oil. Cook for 7 minutes with salt, pepper, and thyme sprigs
Step 4: Drain pasta and cover with damp paper towels
Step 5: Take out thyme sprigs and add ground beef to onion mixture and cook for 3 minutes until the pink is gone, then take off heat
Step 6: Add half of the spinach, 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes and 1/6 cup of cheese to the beef mix and let cool
Step 7: Mix cottage cheese, remaining red pepper, 1/6 cup cheddar, 1 tbsp. Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a bowl
Step 8: Heat milk in microwave for 2 minutes while heating butter in saucepan
Step 9: Add flour to butter and whisk for a minute
Step 10: Add milk to flour mix and whisk until it boils and thickens a bit, then take off heat
Step 11: Add more salt, pepper,basil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, remaining cheese, nutmeg and pumpkin to milk mixture and mix in
Step 12: Add 1/2 cup of the pumpkin and milk mix to 2 8x8 greased baking dishes
Step 13: Fill half the shells with beef mix and half with cottage cheese mix and lay open side down into sauce
Step 14: Top shells with remaining sauce, cover pans with foil and cook pans for 20-25 minutes

Feel free to adjust the seasonings to suit your tastes. This turned out well and is very adaptable. It's a great fall pasta dish!

Lower Calorie Red Velvet Muffins

I have a major sweet tooth. I consider myself lucky if I can make it through the day without eating at least one sweet thing.  I often think, "I would be so thin if I didn't love sugar so much." But alas, it's not meant to be.  I will never stop eating sugar unless my teeth fall out.

I don't know if you know the famous Hungry Girl, but she cleverly takes pre-packaged foods and makes them into a lower calorie comfort food. Now I'm not a big fan of using pre-packaged junk to make more junk, but this recipe is great for that chocolate fix. Since my favorite time to eat sweets is in the morning, I took her chocolate muffin recipe and altered it using red velvet cake mix.  It turned into a delicious 200 calorie breakfast muffin that is great if you need a daily treat.

Lower Calorie Red Velvet Muffins


Ingredients:

1 box red velvet cake mix
1 15 ounce can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie puree)
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Step 2: Place 12 muffin liners in regular sized muffin pan
Step 3: Mix cake mix, puree and cocoa until it becomes a moist batter (this takes a bit of mixing)
Step 4: Stir in chocolate chips, and add mix to muffin liners
Step 5: Bake 20 minutes. This tastes best the next day

No Sugar Added Lemon Chiffon Pie

I'm not really sure what makes a dessert a "chiffon."  Like a chiffon cake or chiffon pie.  Isn't it just a regular cake or pie? Until I figure that out, I'll continue making and eating chiffon anything, since it tastes great. I dug up another recipe from my Splenda recipe book, and made a lovely lemon chiffon pie. This was so light, and eaten in seconds. The recipe serves 8, and is about 150 calories per serving.

No Sugar Added Lemon Chiffon Pie


Ingredients:

1 pre-made 9 inch low fat graham cracker crust
1/3 cup water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1 large egg and 2 large egg yolks beaten
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup splenda granular plus 3 tbsp.
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup light whipped topping, thawed

Method:

Step 1: Place water in a saucepan and sprinkle gelatin on top, letting it set for 3 minutes
Step 2: Whisk in eggs (not the two whites), 3/4 cup splenda, lemon juice, and lemon rind into saucepan
Step 3: Cook mixture over medium heat, and mix constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture gets thick and coats the spoon
Step 4: Put saucepan in refrigerator for an hour
Step 5: Beat egg whites and cream of tarter until foamy, then add splenda and beat until stiff
Step 6: Fold in egg whites into lemon mixture, then fold in whipped topping
Step 7: Spoon this mixture into a graham cracker crust and refrigerate for three hours.

Healthy Shrimp Enchilada Bake

I love enchiladas, but they're probably the most fattening thing you can eat.  No worries, though! I created a recipe adapted from multiple recipes that made a good sized serving that's only about 300 calories.  Everyone who has tried this enchilada bake has been impressed, since it doesn't taste remotely healthy at all.

Shrimp Enchilada Bake


Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 pound defrosted shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails off
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 4 ounce cans of green chiles, not drained
2 cups green enchilada sauce (the canned stuff)
12 corn tortillas
1 15 ounce can non-fat refried beans
1 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese blend, or maybe just jack and cheddar mixed
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 lime, quartered
1/8 tsp. cayenne powder
1/4 tsp. cumin powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 425 degrees
Step 2:  Season shrimp with various powders and salt and pepper and cook until just slightly done (just curled up and properly colored)
Step 3: Spread 1/4 of the enchilada sauce on a 9 x 13 pan greased with cooking spray
Step 4: Mix 1/2 enchilada sauce, shrimp and green chiles together, and heat beans separately on stove, over low heat until just warmed
Step 5: Place 6 tortillas, overlapping onto the green sauced pan
Step 6: Spread beans over tortillas, and spread shrimp on the beans, then remaining tortillas on top
Step 7: Cover the tortillas with the remaining green sauce, and top with cheese and foil the pan
Step 8: Bake in oven for 25 minutes
Step 9: Top enchiladas with lime, cilantro and some fat free sour cream and salsa if desired

Fresh Start

Don't let the title fool you. I haven't drastically changed anything in my life. Well...except for the fact that I got engaged--as of October 30, 2010. But that doesn't mean I've stopped eating/baking/cooking.  So I thought I would start new, and share some recipes or great eats.

I've been trying to eat healthier in an effort to look great in my wedding photos, as the wedding is set for January. As a part of healthy eating, I'm trying to eat more raw veggies.  But everyone knows vegetables can be boring without a nice dip.  Since I love hummus so much, I thought I would try to tackle making a healthier hummus, and I think I succeeded. You can obviously alter to taste.

Lightened Up Hummus


Ingredients:

1/2 can garbanzo beans (15.5 oz can)
1 6 ounce container of fat free greek yogurt
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 tsp. onion powder
4 minced cloves of garlic
1 tsp. tahini (sesame paste. If you don't have this, you can leave it out, or add some peanut butter)
1/4 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper to taste
A few leaves of cilantro or parsley

Method:
Dump everything into a blender, and blend. Alter to taste.

Recipes Review: Keeping It Healthy

Time for me to review a couple more Rachael Ray recipes.  People hate her, but she has great quick recipes that are relatively healthy.  So I'm reviewing her spinach salad and one of her salmon recipes.  The salmon was a hit, but the spinach salad needed nuts (which I added), and twice the amount of dressing.  Otherwise it was a good salad.

Baby Spinach Salad with Mandarin Orange and Red Onions


Ingredients:
8 ounces baby spinach
1 cup mandarin oranges
1/2 cup red onion slices
1 tablespoon orange marmalade
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup evoo
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Step 1:  Arrange spinach in a large serving bowl
Step 2: Top with mandarin oranges and red onion (and nuts)
Step 3: Whisk marmalade and vinegar together, then add olive oil
Step 4: Pour dressing, salt, and pepper over salad

Well-Dressed Salmon


Ingredients:
1/2 seedless cucumber peeled and chopped up in 1/4 inch pieces
2 small plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped up in 1/4 inch pieces
1/4 red onion finely chopped
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/4 cup white wine vinegar (I recommend using a bit less)
1/2 cup evoo
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped dill
salt and pepper
4 salmon fillets
Old Bay seasoning

Method:
Step 1: Combine cucumber, tomatoes, and half of the red onion, then set aside
Step 2: In another bowl, whisk together mustard, sugar, vinegar and remaining onions
Step 3: Slowly add in oil while whisking, then dill and salt and pepper
Step 4: Season salmon with black pepper and old bay
Step 5: Heat pan to medium high heat and add some evoo
Step 6: Place salmon rounded side down onto pan and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side
Step 7: Plate salmon and add tomato/cucumber relish and dill sauce on top

Another Healthy Bite: Lemon Blueberry Bread

A few weeks ago, I got a great cook book. I did what I always do when I get a new cook book.  I tagged all of my favorite recipes, and set it aside for it never to be seen again.  This time, I decided to pull it out, and finally followed a recipe, with much success!  Thank you Marlene Koch for making the best Splenda recipe book ever!  This bread is healthy, light, and very low in sugar

Lemon Blueberry Bread


Ingredients:
2/3 cup 1 % milk
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla
4 tbsp. margarine, melted
6 ounces low-fat lemon yogurt (I used 99% fat free yoplait lemon burst)
Zest of one very large lemon
1 cup and 2 tbsp. splenda granulated
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 tsp. sugar

Method:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan
Step 2: Whisk together milk, egg, vanilla, margarine, yogurt, zest and splenda in one bowl, then set aside
Step 3: Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and blueberries in a larger bowl and make a well in the center
Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the well of the dry ingredients' bowl and mix gently until just blended
Step 5: Spoon batter into loaf pan and sprinkle top with sugar
Step 6: Bake for 45 minutes or more until toothpick in center is clean

Healthy Bite: Mango Bread

As I've mentioned a few times, my parents really shouldn't be eating sugar.  In fact, neither should I, but I indulge often!  After tinkering around with ripe mangoes (they are in season after all), I came up with a super healthy mango bread that tastes really good.

Healthy Mango Bread


Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking soda (tip: make sure it's fresh!)
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground ginger powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup fat free yogurt
1/4 cup vegetable oil (to make it healthier, substitute 1/4 cup pureed pineapple chunks, but this does make the texture less bread-like)
3/4 cup splenda
1 egg
1/8 cup egg beater
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cup pureed ripe mango (blend the fresh stuff!)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup walnuts

Method:
Step 1: Preheat oven to 325 degrees, and grease a bread loaf pan with cooking spray
Step 2: Blend oil or pineapple, yogurt and splenda with hand blender
Step 3: Add eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and beat until just mixed in
Step 4: Add flours, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix until just blended
Step 5: Mix in mango, raisins, and walnuts with a spoon until just incorporated
Step 6: Pour batter into loaf pan, and bake for an hour or so (if the top browns quickly, cover in foil)