Archive for the ‘Recipes’ category

3 Delicious Medifast Shake Recipes

January 23rd, 2010

The Medifast weight loss program revolves around pre-packaged shakes. Fortunately, Medifast shakes are available in a variety of flavors and actually taste pretty delicious. For most people, the first few weeks on the program are pretty great, but slowly boredom creeps in and your thoughts begin to turn back to fast food.

If you find yourself in this situation, try one of the many Medifast shake recipes that are available online. Some of these recipes are absolutely delicious and all of them will jazz up your Medifast experience. To make your shakes even more amazing, consider purchasing a Bella Cucina Rocket Blender which will allow you to make rich, creamy, delicious shakes just by adding a little ice.

One of my favorite Medifast shakes is the Dreamsicle. It tastes just like the ice cream treat. The only trick to this one is finding the diet Cream Soda which is not as widely available as you might think.

Dreamsicle

  • 1 Orange Cream Medifast Shake
  • 8 oz. diet cream soda
  • ice

In your Rocket Blender, add the diet cream soda, shake mix and ice (however much you prefer). Push down the blender tumbler and let it blend. This is truly delicious.

Black Cherry Bomb

  • 1 Vanilla Medifast Shake
  • 1/4 tsp Black Cherry Kool-Aid mix
  • Ice

Add all the ingredients to the Rocket Blender and blend.

Chocolate Mocha Shake

  • 1 Chocolate Medifast Shake
  • 8 oz. cold coffee

Blend these together and put in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes to an hour. This will give the shake a nice, creamy texture.

These recipes are just the tip of the iceberg. It’s super-simple to come up with your own unique flavors. Just experiment until you find something you like. One word of warning: be careful when using carbonated beverages in the shaker jar. It will explode and you will have a wet, sticky kitchen.

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A Low Fat Take on Beef Stew

November 25th, 2009

Beef stew is one of the oldest recipes in the world.  Ever since people have figured out how to make a pot and put it over a fire they have been throwing in whatever else they could find to make food.  Beef stew can be very nutritious and healthy dependent on what you put in the stew.  Making stew is a slow and patient process that rewards you for investing the time in letting it cook for hours.
Stew is usually dependant what you put in it and where you live.  The reason it is called beef stew is because the main protein of the stew is beef, sounds simple I know.  The other ingredients are anything you feel like adding.  Below is a wonderful slow cooker beef stew recipe that will taste great while being only a couple hundred calories per serving.  Different styles of stew are made in different regions of the world.
Traditional American stew is made with tougher cuts of meat like spare rib or a shoulder cut of meat.  The reason tougher meat is used is so that the juices can soak in longer and create a more succulent and tenderized meat at the end.  In Texas, you will find some tomato based stews, though they are usually called beef chili and make use of beefsteak as the protein.  In Kentucky, they created an easy beef stew that was called Burgoo.  Burgoo was born out of necessity, cooking up pretty much anything they can find, but now it usually uses ground beef as the primary protein.
When making your beef stew recipe, the most important ingredient is patience.  The tougher meat cuts require the slow heat over hours so that the meat remains succulent and juicy.  The texture and flavor will only be enhanced the longer you let the stew cook, especially if you pick a slow cooker beef stew recipe.  Some people like to think of stews as a peasant food and that it will always have a boring and simple taste, but a well made stew can rival the flavors of any regal meal.
A beef stew crock pot recipe, like the one below, are healthy and filling meal that will warm the heart and soul on a cold evening.  Take your time though when preparing it, try making it in the morning or afternoon and letting it simmer for until dinner time.  A lot of patience is needed and don’t be in a rush to get the stew done.  Beef stew is a tradition that will always have the warm welcome of home and bring a smile to everyone’s face.

Crock Pot Beef Stew

  • 1 lb. top round steak, cut in 2 inch cubes trim well
  • 1 tbsp. canola oil
  • 1 sm. onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp. thyme
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. marjoram
  • 1/2 c. dry red wine
  • 1/2 c. low sodium V8 juice

Brown beef cubes until well brown, sauté onions until soft, put all the ingredients together, bring it to a boil, then lower to a simmer, cover and let it cook.

Bon Apetite!

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Healthy Potato Soup

November 22nd, 2009
Finnish potatos.
Image via Wikipedia

Potatoes are one of the most versatile vegetables that you can use. They can be cooked whole, baked, roasted, mashed, as potato chips, French fries, potato gratin, and of course potato soup. There are many different potatoes soup recipes, and they are as versatile as the tuber itself. Potatoes can be added to a soup or a stew in order to give it some bulk and substance, or like the recipe below it can consist of mainly potatoes. If you are on a calorie controlled diet you should be trying to eat as many vegetables as possible.

The potato is very low in sodium, cholesterol, and saturated fat. It also is a great source of vitamins B6, vitamins C, manganese, and potassium. The average large potato has about 270 cal, this calorie calculation is with the skin on. Most potatoe soup is made after peeling the potatoes first. Below is a simple potato soup recipe which is nutritious and very filling, both essentials in any weight-loss program.  I recommend leaving the skins on for a more rustic flavor.  The skins will add essential minerals your body needs from the earth.

Ingredients for creamy potato soup:

• Six medium-sized potatoes
• two medium-sized onions
• 3 pints of stock (the stock can be vegetable or a meat-based, and you can add milk to make it more creamy
• one tablespoon of butter
• Parsley
• Pepper and salt to taste
• This recipe serves six people

The basis of any good soup is the ingredients, and most importantly the stock from which the soup is made. The best stock for this cream of potato soup is known as white stock. White stock is made by boiling ham, bacon, or chicken in water, adding some root vegetables and herbs that are in season will also add flavor. The resulting liquid is the ideal stock.

First of all, dice your potatoes once they have been peeled and chop up your onions. Melt your butter in a covered saucepan and add your onions and potatoes. Cook over a very gentle heat until they have become soft and have not taken on any color. Next, you must add your stock. This is the time to season to taste. Once the potato soup has been thoroughly cooked there are several different ways to serve it. You can strain the soup through a sieve in order to serve it without any lumps. You can put the soup through a blender and serve it as a thick creamy soup, or you can serve it as it comes out of the pot, the latter is the best way. Garnish with your chopped parsley and eat with some good Irish brown soda bread.

Bon Apetite!

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Muffin Recipes

November 21st, 2009
Cranberry Walnut Bran Muffins
Image by Queen Roly via Flickr

I know everybody thinks of the muffin as being something which does not really go with weight loss or dieting. The muffin is generally seen as a high-fat treat that is eaten as a comfort food or as a desert. But, there are plenty of muffin recipes that you can make for yourself that bring the calorie count down low enough to be considered as part of a calorie controlled diet. You can also reduce the amount of saturated fat that you put into your own muffins. A muffin recipe can be made with a wide variety of ingredients. For instance you can add blueberries to make a blueberry muffin recipe, or you can add chocolate chips to make a chocolate muffin recipe, the choice is yours. This is the beauty of the muffin; you add either what you want to add at the time or what you have available in your kitchen. Below is a healthy recipe for muffins using wheat bran. Wheat bran is low in cholesterol, sodium, and saturated fat. It is a great source of iron, protein, riboflavin, and potassium, as well as being rich in nutrients and vitamins.


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The ingredients for your bran muffin recipe are:

1/2 cups of wheat bran
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
one egg
1 cup of buttermilk
half teaspoon of vanilla extract
2/3 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
one cup of all purpose flour
half a teaspoon of salt
half a teaspoon of raisins

First, make sure that your oven is preheated to 190°C. Paper your greased muffin tray with muffin liners. Now you can get on to the mixing. Mix together your buttermilk and wheat bran. You have to let this stand for about 10 minutes. Now, mix together the sugar, egg, oil, and vanilla. At this stage you can add this to your buttermilk and wheat bran mix. Put the baking soda, baking powder, salt, and flour through a sieve and add this to your wheat bran mixture. Blend the whole lot well until it is nice and creamy. Now you can mix in your raisins, and place small dollops into each muffin case. These should go into the oven for between 15 and 20 minutes. You will know if they had done by pushing a thin knitting needle into the middle of the muffin, if the needle comes out dry then your muffins are done. Don’t eat them all at once.

Bon Apetite!


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Grilled Chicken with Lentils

November 21st, 2009

Chicken breast is probably the most popular part of the whole chicken. The chicken breast is for you if you like white meat with no bones. One cautionary note here is not to overcook the chicken breasts because it has a tendency to go dry. Grilled chicken, especially if you are using chicken breast, is one of the healthiest low-fat cuts of meat available. Chicken is low in saturated fat, and is high in vitamins A and calcium. There are many grilled chicken recipes with salad available, below is a healthy grilled chicken salad with pancetta, red onions, lentils and radicchio.

This grilled chicken recipe offers fabulous flavors, ingredients, and makes a great dish for your evening meal or supper. First you need to rinse 100 g of puy lentils, place them in to a saucepan of cold water covering to twice the depth of the lentils. Next, take a stick of celery cut into three, tie the three pieces together and add to the water with two cloves of garlic. Boil and simmer for about 40 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Remove the celery and garlic, then strain. To this add the juice of one whole lemon, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and add salt and pepper to taste. Set the dish aside and keep warm.

Now heat a pan over a medium heat, brushing lightly with olive oil. Cook one medium red onion, which has been sliced into onion rings, until soft. Transfer these into a small dish and toss with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Take a quarter head of radicchio and cut into thin wedges, fry these gently until softened and lightly browned. Place these into the bowl with the onion.

Now we are going to cook the grilled chicken. Take your chicken breast pieces and season them with little thyme, pepper, and salt. Place them under a medium grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on either side. Remove from the grill and drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Now it’s time to plate the food up. Take a couple of handfuls of mint leaves and watercress, throw them into a bowl and mix again with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Once you have plated up the ingredients, add a couple of slices of pancetta underneath each grilled chicken breast. For that touch of class, drizzle a deep ring of balsamic vinegar around the edge of the plate along with a small trickle of olive oil.

Bon Apetite!

 

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Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

November 21st, 2009
Finnish potatos.
Image via Wikipedia

The health benefits of garlic are well known; indeed garlic has often been given the label wonder drug. It’s been used extensively for medicinal purposes by herbalists and naturalists. Some of the reputed benefits of eating garlic include lowering of dangerous cholesterol levels, the treatment of acne, an aide to weight loss, and as a general insect repellent. Potatoes are one of the most versatile foodstuffs that are available and have a similar long history. How better to consume these two wonderful foods than to combine them together as garlic mashed potatoes. This article is going to give you a garlic mashed potatoes recipe and some simple tips on making the best mashed potatoes. Although mashed potatoes are considered a comfort food if there is plenty of butter and cream added, you can also use this recipe as part of a calorie controlled diet by altering the ingredients slightly.

First of all, the ingredients for your garlic mashed potato recipe:
• about three pounds of good potatoes for mashing
• two tablespoons of butter
• three or four garlic cloves to taste (more if you need)
• have a teaspoon of salt
• one tablespoon of milk
• four tablespoons of thick cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Getting the right potatoes for your mashed potatoes is one of the tricks to the heavenly creamy mashed potato taste. It is said that starchy potatoes such as russets are good potatoes for mashing. But, they tend to disintegrate when they are cooked in water for too long. Yukon golds are medium starch potatoes that make a fantastic mashed potato, so if you can purchase them … use them!

Now we can get back to the easy garlic mashed potatoes. First, you need to peel your mashed potatoes and chop them into manageable pieces. Place them in a saucepan which is full of boiling water and add the half teaspoon salt with your garlic cloves. Once the water has boiled, reduce the heat until the water is just simmering, keep covered and cook for between 15 and 20 minutes. You will know when you’re potatoes are done because you will be able to pass a fork through them easily. The trick to making the best garlic mashed potatoes is to warm the milk, cream, and butter before you add them to your hot potatoes. Use the potato masher until the potatoes are well mashed, use a wooden spoon and gradually add your milky mixture until you have achieved the consistency that you require, don’t mash too much or your garlic mashed potatoes will become very gluey. Add salt-and-pepper to taste.

Bon Appetite!

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Easy French Onion Soup

November 21st, 2009

French Onion Soup (use your own cup)
Image by rick via Flickr

Another one of those great recipes that is fantastic to eat during the summer months or the winter months is French onion soup. There are plenty of French onion soup recipes that you can find either through the cookbooks that are available in your local library, through Amazon, or there are plenty of recipes on numerous sites spread out through the Internet. Onions are low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium, as well as being high in dietary fiber, vitamins B6, vitamins C, manganese, and folate. Onion soup is a classic French dish which can be made as a vegetarian French onion soup, or as a meal with added beef or ham. French onion soup can be eaten as a main meal, as an appetizer or as a quick lunch. I’m going to show you a recipe for easy French onion soup in which you will slow cook the onions in order to make a fantastic foundation for this traditional French recipe.

First of all, the list of ingredients:
• 10 chopped onions
• 50 g of plain flour
• one tablespoon of tomato purée
• six tablespoons of butter
• a small amount of white wine
• 1 L of chicken stock
• four slices of toasted French bread
• 100 g of grated Gruyere cheese
• six tablespoons of butter

The first thing that you have to do with this recipe is to soften up the onions very slowly. This is achieved by melting the butter in a large saucepan over a low to medium heat. You need to stir the onions for about 30 minutes until they are very soft. Next, you need to add the flour, the wine, the chicken stock, and the tomato purée. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Then season to taste with freshly ground black pepper and salt. Now, this easy French onion soup recipe requires you to toast the French bread slices, and scatter the grated Gruyere cheese over the top. Place underneath a hot grill and cook until the cheese is bubbling and golden in color. You can serve this soup in one of the special French onion soup bowls that you can find in most good supermarkets. Place a small slice of cheese topped French bread into each bowl.

French onion soup is a great way of starting out a meal if you have guests coming over. The cheese top version above is a traditional French style although you can top it with a variety of different sweet or savory toppings for the perfect light snack.

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How to Make Carrot Cake

November 21st, 2009

 

Carrots are packed with nutrients; they are rich in calcium, magnesium, potassium, trace minerals, whilst the excellent sources of many different vitamins. Carrot cake is one of the most versatile cakes that you can make. At a total preparation and cooking time of about an hour, it’s fairly easy to make, but it does take a bit of preparation. There are so many different recipes for carrot cake. Your granny is bound to have a couple of old-time carrot cake recipes; the local baker is going to have a couple of secret ingredients that he adds to give his version the perfect bite. But the best carrot cake recipe is just a simple low-fat version as laid out below.

Ingredients for easy carrot cake recipe:

• Two couples of grated carrots
• 1 cup of whole meal flour
• three-quarter cup of brown sugar
• three medium eggs
• 1 1/4 cup of plain white flour
• 1/2 cup
• vegetable oil
• 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/2 cup of each raisins and walnuts
• 2 teaspoons of each cinnamon and baking powder
• 1 teaspoon of each baking soda and vanilla extract
• quarter teaspoon nutmeg
• one and one half cup of icing sugar and 5 ounces cream cheese for the filling

Now you have the ingredients for your healthy carrot cake, you have to mix it all together. Take your all-purpose flour and whole meal flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, raisins, walnuts, and nutmeg and combine them all together in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the apple sauce, vegetable oil, sugar, carrots, and the three medium eggs. Once this is done, you can gently stir this second mixture into the flour mixture.

Take a 9 inch baking pan and oil it well. Add the ingredients and smooth out. Your oven should be preheated at one 175°C. Bake at this temperature for about 60 minutes. While this is happening you can start to prepare your topping. Take your cream cheese and mix the icing sugar to taste. Add this to the top of your carrot cake once it has been removed from the oven and has been allowed to cool down sufficiently.

This carrot cake is a sort of naughty addition to any diet. It is not as calorie packed as a chocolate fudge cake for instance. But, you still have to use some control when you are consuming it. In other words, don’t eat the whole lot. One slice every so often as a treat will keep your spirits up while you are on your diet.

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Hearty Beef Stew

November 21st, 2009

Now that we’re heading into the winter months, this is an ideal time to be thinking about beef stew. Depending on the cut of meat chosen the fat content is variable, and beef is high in protein and has no real carbohydrate value. If you cook any good stewing beef this makes a fantastic comfort food. The flavors of both the beef and the beef sauce will become much more intense if you leave this easy beef stew to cook on a very low heat for several hours. Some of the best accompaniments for this dish include potatoes, swede, turnips, carrots, or some dark iron rich cabbage.

There are numerous different ways to cook a homemade beef stew. For instance, if you have a slow cooker, you can make slow cooker beef stew, you can make your beef stew on top of the stove in a large pot which is simmering away for a couple of hours to give the most tender morsels of beef imaginable. There are also plenty of beef stew recipes which involve different cuts of meat, or stew recipes from different parts of the world, search the Internet for many of these. The Beef stew recipe I’m going to concentrate on in this article will be cooked in the oven and uses free range organic low-fat beef.

The first thing you need to do is to preheat your oven at 180°. Take an ovenproof dish, pour in a splash of olive oil and heat on a medium heat. Next, fry two red onions, three carrots, three sticks of celery, and four cloves of garlic which have been peeled and roughly chopped. At this stage you can also add a few sprigs of fresh rosemary, two bay leaves, a small handful of dried porcini mushrooms, and a stick of cinnamon. Fry this lot until it is all slightly softened, about five minutes will do.

Meanwhile, take your pieces of beef and roll them in a little bit of seasoned flour. Put the floured beef into a pan and stir everything together. Next add two tins of plum tomatoes, two thirds of a bottle of decent red wine, and some salt and pepper. Now, place the whole lot into a preheated oven for three hours, covering with a double thickness of aluminum foil. You can tell when the beef stew is ready as the beef will break very easily to the touch. Remove the cinnamon stick and Rosemary sprigs. You can follow this recipe for your Crockpot beef stew, adjusting the cooking times according to your machine. This beef stew is excellent served with a good French red wine.

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Baked Potato Ideas

November 21st, 2009

The baked potato is one of the all-time versatile foods that can be either eaten as a snack on its own, or as an accompaniment to a main meal. They are a fantastic food for people who are trying to eat a low-fat diet, especially if the fillings are kept as low-calorie as possible. Baked potatoes are also known as jacket potatoes when they have been filled with ham, cheese, chicken, sauce, butter, etc. They can be cooked in several different ways including in a conventional oven, underneath a hot grill, or in a microwave. For some tastes, the most delicious way of cooking a baked potato is wrapped in aluminum foil and baked inside a fire. Some restaurants that specialize in baking potatoes have specially designed ovens which will cook, and keep warm, large amounts of baked potatoes.

There are a few things that you should do prior to baking your potatoes to make them as scrumptious as possible. For a start, the baked potato needs to be cleaned with a small scrubbing brush, with any blemishes, eyes, or small growths being removed. Some people baste their baked potatoes in butter or olive oil. The next thing you need to do is to ensure that the steam which is going to collect inside the potato does not burst out of the baked potato in one big explosion, you do this by pricking the surface with a fork or knife.

Many people find that their baked potatoes tend to be very dry if they are not soaked in butter or mayonnaise or some other high-fat product. There are many different toppings for your microwave baked potato which will be a far better option if you are trying to lose a few pounds and make them not so dry. One baked potato recipe includes making your own salsa, using diced tomatoes, and diced onion, based at garlic cloves, a bit of cilantro, and some salt and pepper to taste. Another option is to use Greek yoghurt.

Many people actually scooped the content out of the baked potato and mash the date with different ingredients such as Greek yoghurt, ordinary yoghurt, salsa, cottage cheese, a dash of garlic powder, onion powder, or red pepper. This makes a fantastic snack or addition to any main meal. The amount of calories in one large baked potato (in its naked state) is around 270. This is great for your weight loss.

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The Best Filling Low Cal Soup

November 19th, 2009

This is a delicious filling low cal soup to make for these chilly days. It’s heart and simple and tastes great with a slice of warm crusty bread or Indian naan.

Lentils are so rich in fiber and have excellent nutritional value which make it one of the healthiest filling foods.  They have a high protein content and also contain folate, vitamin B1 and iron.  For a complete protein meal, add a side dish of rice or whole grain bread.

Spinach is also rich in iron, calcium and fiber, vitamins a and c and many minerals.

Tomatoes are rich in vitamin c and lycopene.  Together, this soup packs quite a nutritional punch!

Lentil Spinach Soup

5 cups warm water
1 cup brown or green lentils
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 large onion – thinly sliced
5 medium cloves of garlic, minced
1 large diced tomato or 1 small can
2 minced cayenne or serrano chiles
1 teaspoon salt
1 10 ounce bag of washed spinach chopped coarsely

1.  Bring 4 cups of water with the lentils to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Lower heat and simmer until lentils are tender.  About 20-25 minutes.

2.  Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the cumin seeds and sizzle until fragant- about 10-15 seconds.  Immediately add the garlic and onion and cook until golden.

3.  Stir in tomatoes, salt, chiles and the remaining cup of water; bring to a boil.  Pour the onion-tomato mixture in with the lentils.  Simmer covered stirring occasionally about 15 minutes.

4.  Stir in the fresh spinach just before serving.

1 cup equals 165 calories, 3 grams fat, 10 grams fiber

Bon Apetite!

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Crock Pot Chili for Easy Dinners!

November 15th, 2009
Bowl of chili with sour cream and cheese
Image via Wikipedia

When it comes to busy weeknights, help is always welcome in the kitchen.  A crock pot is like having a second set of hands in your kitchen.  Prepare it in the morning before work and it’s ready for you when you come home. 

Now that Fall is here, there is no better way to warm your insides than to prepare a crock pot chili recipe.  Now there are so many chili crock pot recipes you can use.  Some add alcohol, some use cocoa and others use black beans instead of kidney beans.

My favorite recipe is for easy crock pot chili and very healthy too!  Tomatoes are extremely rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, potassium and iron.  They are also high in lycopene-an antioxidant that neutralizes harmful free radicals.  Locopene has twice the antioxidants of beta carotene and helps prevent against prostate cancer.  Black beans are rich in dietary fiber which helps lower cholesterol.  Black beans are also high in antioxidants which protect us against cancer and aging.  Onions are rich in fiber, sulfur compounds, vitamin C and chromium.  Low-fat beef or turkey is a great way to get your protein and keep you full for a long time acting as an appetite supressant.  Bite for bite, this chili packs a powerful nutritional punch!

 

 Black Bean Crock Pot Chili

1 pound low fat ground beef or turkey

1 medium sweet onion

1 -32 ounce cans diced tomatoes

1-2 cans black beans (depends on how many you like)

1 packet chili powder or 2 tablespoons

*cayenne pepper to taste

First thing is to saute the ground beef until cooked.  Near the end throw in the onions to soften a little.

Put the gound beef and onions in the crock pot.  Add diced tomatoes and black beans.  Stir in chili powder.

Let cook all day on low.

 

Top with shredded cheddar cheese and/or sour cream.

Bon Apetite!


 

 

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A Chicken Soup Recipe to Warm Your Soul!

November 15th, 2009

Chicken soup

Image via Wikipedia


Chicken Soup is my favorite soup to cook.  When Fall arrives and the temperatures drop, I instantly start craving soups.  I want to share my chicken soup recipe that is always an all family favorite!  This recipe for chicken soup is fast, easy and the best way to use up all old vegetables that you would otherwise throw out.

The first thing to do is gather up all our old vegetables.  I always have celery, carrots and onions on hand.  I believe the basics of almost any soup is onions, carrots and celery.   Chop them up small and start sauteing them in 1-2 tablespoons of  coconut oil or olive oil and garlic.  The more garlic the better as far as I am concerned. 

When the onions start to look translucent, add about 8 cups of water.  I then add chicken boullion according to the package. 

Add your chicken.  If I have a leftover roast I will add every last bit of meat I can get off of it, or I will add a package of chopped chicken breast.  Costco is now selling bits of chicken breast vacuum packed at a great price.  I keep a package in my freezer at all times. 

Now I add the rest of my vegetables.  I love to use broccoli, zucchini, pea pods, potato (use the skins)-whatever I have and need to use.

This is also a good time to add whatever starch you want-noodles, wild rice, pasta.  I like to use extra wide egg noodles.  I also use a russet potato or two to give an earthy flavor.  Let it simmer for a while, but keep on eye on it.  You may need to use extra water or add some more bouillon.  This is where you can make the soup a chicken noodle soup recipe, a chicken and rice soup recipe, or even a chicken corn soup recipe!  You choose.  I find the best chicken soup recipe is always the one you make with love and your imagination!


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Healthy Apple Pie Recipes

November 10th, 2009
Apple Crumb Pie
Image by kpwerker via Flickr

Apple Pie can arguably be one of the best and healthiest desserts if you make it that way!  Apples are sooo good for you and cinnamon lowers blood sugar.  The combination makes for a healthy, low fat dessert that is super delicious!  The best apple pie recipe also happens to be an easy  apple pie recipe too!

 

Apple Crumb Pie

This  recipe for apple pie has a special crumb crust and topping that go great with the filling.  Almost any kind of apples will do, but tart work the best.  

Most apple pie recipes are laden in fat.  We use honey and less butter for the curst which reduces the fat.

It taste great a la mode with nonfat frozen yogurt.

Crust

2.5 cups whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter

2 tablespoons honey

Filling

8-9 tart apples sliced thinly

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

2 tablespoons vanilla

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat oven to 425*.  Oil a 9 or 10 inch spring form  pan.

Crust:  Mix sugar, flour and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Cut in  butter and honey with a food processor to form fine crumbs.  Pat two-thirds of the mixture on the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

Filling:  Place the cut apples in a large bowl.  Add sugar, flour, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Toss to coat the apples.  Spoon the filling into the crust and bake for 25 minutes.  Remove the pie from the oven and top with the remaining crust crumbs.  Pat the crust down gently and sprinkle with more cinnamon.  Bake for another 20 minutes until golden.  Cool 45-60 minutes before removing the sides of the pan.

268 calories per serving, 5 grams fat, 5.6 g. dietary fiber

 

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Apple Crisp

Apples, cinnamon and raisins are surrounded by a delicious granola like crust.

Filling

8 tart sliced apples

juice of 1 lemon

3/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons whole-wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1  teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Crust

2 cups rolled oats

3/4 cup oat bran or bran

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup wholw wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly coat 13×9 baking pan with no stick spray. 

Filling:  Mix the apples, lemon juice, raisins, sugar, flour,cinnamon, nutmeg,vanilla,cloves and allspice.   Set aside.

Crust:  Mix the oats, bran, butter, flour, sugar, honey and cinnamon.  Pat half of the crust mixture on the bottom of the prepared baking pan.  Pour filling evenly over crust.  Pat remainng crust on top.  Cover the pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake another 15 minutes or until golden.  Cool.

190 Calories per serving, 3.9 gram fat, 39.6g. carbohydrate, 2.7 g. fiber.

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Low Carb Pasta

September 20th, 2009

The hardest part of a high protein diet like the South Beach or the Atkins diets, is giving up pasta.  Being Italian, I love pasta!  So when I discovered Dreamfields low carb pasta, I was thrilled!  Its healthy,  it tastes great and has the al dente texture of real italian pasta.  7 ounces of this pasta is 170 calories, 30 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber and 7 grams of carbs.  I admit is is a bit pricey, but if I only eat it once a week or so, I don’t mind the cost.  Besides being low carb, it also is free of the white sugar and white flour that raises your glycemic index. So even if your not on the South Beach Diet, it is a good choice, especially if you are a diabetic.  This low carb pasta is also rich in a natural prebiotic fiber that is typically found in raisins, asparagus, artichokes and garlic.  It  improves calcium aborption which improves your immune system and helps reduce cholesterol.

Dreamfields also has a great website where  you can buy low carb pasta and low carb pasta sauce online.  You can search their data base of low carb pasta recipes and plan your dinners.  It takes alot of the hassle and work out of planning recipes.

Supermarkets  have payed attention to this low carb craze and now stock up on great low carb replacements for beer, pasta and candy.  Always read the labels to be sure what your eating.  Some of these products can fix your sweet tooth or carb craving without sacrificing your waistline!

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Healthy Smoothie Recipes

August 31st, 2009

Smoothies are a great way to get  nutrients into your body.  They are delicious too.  Even kids love them!   In fact, smoothies are a great way to sneak in extra protein, vitamins and minerals into your kids.   Here are some tried and true, tasty smoothie recipes to have fun  with .  Children love to help make them too!

Nutritional supplements can be added to any smoothie as needed.  Good ones are:

2 tbsp. whey protein powder.  Growing children needs lots of protein.  Many attention deficit disorders can be greatly helped with added protein.   Amino acids are necessary for healthy brain development.  Adults rarely get enough protein.  Protein helps curb hunger  longer and aids in weight-loss.  It is like a natural appetite suppressant.

2 tbsp. brewer’s yeast. Brewer’s yeast is a natural  food source of Vitamin B complex.  It also is high in protein and loaded with other important minerals and vitamins. Cellular development is enhanced by the high nucleic acid count found in brewer’s yeast.  I wouldn’t add it in addition to protein powder.  Do one or the other.  Brewer’s yeast helps to reduce stress, lower cholesterol, and enhance metabolism and energy.

2 tsp. flax seeds. Flax seed is high in fiber and fun to chew on.  Flax seed  are rich in omega 3 fatty acids,  lignans and phytoestrogens which lower triglycerides and blood pressure.    Omega 3′s are great for you skin, brain, heart…just about everything.

flax oil. Some people don’t care for the taste of flax seed, so flax seed oil is a good option.  The oil contains less fiber than the seeds, but the benefits are still there.

lecithin. Add 2 tsp.  to your smoothie to help  promote weightloss.  Lecithin is an emulsifier.  Ithelps the liver breakdown and disperse fat in the body.  It’s also said to be beneficial for the reproductive system in both men and women and also good for the gallbladder.

aloe vera juice. Aloe vera is a very healing plant rich in calcium, iron, potassium, chromium, manganese, copper and zinc.  It’s great for the skin, the digestive track and the immune system. Pour 2 ounces into your smoothie for added benefits.

The basics of almost any smoothie is yogurt, ice, a fruit  and a liquid.  If you desire a more low-fat smoothie recipe, you can use low-fat or nonfat yogurt.  Then build from there, adding your favorite fruit and the nutritional supplements you desire. Here are some yummy recipes:

Strawberry Banana Smoothie Recipe
1/2 cup vanilla almond milk
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 frozen banana
1/2 frozen strawberries
1 teaspoon honey
2 tbsp vanilla whey protein powder

Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie Recipe
1/2 cup chocolate almond milk
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 frozen banana
3 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoon chocolate whey protein powder (or vanilla)

Creamy Orange Smoothie Recipe
½ cup vanilla yogurt
½ cup orange juice
1 peeled and seeded orange
1 cup ice
2 tablespoons brewer’s yeast

Tips for Great Smoothies

-    Add ingredients to blender and pulse until desired thickness.  If too thick, add more liquid.

-    Crushed ice blends better than ice cubes.

-    Buy frozen fruit for any fruit smoothie recipes.     Then you don’t need to add ice and it blends better.

Read reviews for the best places to get discount supplements.

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Low Calorie Foods for Yummy Snacks!

June 17th, 2009

It’s important to eat 5 times a day to keep your metabolism burning.  I believe the food pyramid should be an inverted triangle with breakfast being the largest meal, and then eating less and less throughout the day.  In between meals, low calorie food snacks will keep your engine running, but be sure to  eat nutritious low calorie foods, not junk food.   The healthiest low calorie foods seem like they would be boring,  but I’ve  put together a list of diet low calorie foods that are anything but boring.  Snacks should ideally be around the 100 calorie mark if your intending to lose weight.  Protein low calorie food choices are always  good because they willact as an appetite suppressant to definitely keep you full longer.  Here is my low calorie food list of healthy, great snacks to aid in weight loss.  Combine these with daily exercise for the fastest way to lose weight.   Enjoy!

 Air popped popcorn,  3 cups ( the lowest calorie foods)

 String cheese

grapefruit

banana

Hummus and veges (2 tablespoons)

1 cup yogurt with fresh blueberries or strawberries

6 high-fiber, fat free crackers

1 hard boiled egg

10 almonds Frozen blueberries (blueberries have the highest antioxidant capacity)

 Apple – The high fiber content of apples help curb cravings and shrink your waist!

Whey High protein smoothie

Protein Bar Recipe

 turkey meat rolled with mustard and a pickle inside

Celery with 2 tablespoons peanut or almond butter

1/2 cup non-fat cottage cheese with pineapple

 2 Clementines

Fruit Salad

Hermit Cookies. This cookie is shock full of nutients and is great for a snack or for breakfast on the go.

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

 1/2 protein powder

2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground mace

1/8 tsp ground cardamom

 1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup olive oil

 1/2 cup agave nectar

4 egg whites

1/2 cup unsulphered black strap molasses

1/2 apple sauce

1 tbsp vanilla

 2 tbsp plain low fat yogurt

 1 cup sultana raisins

1/2 cup dried unsweetened cranberries

1 cup unsalted, raw, slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Sift all dry ingredients and spices together in a large mixing bowl.  Cream olive oil and agave nector together until smooth.  In a seperate bowl, beat egg whites together and add olive oil mixture.  Mix well.  Add molases, applesauce, vanilla and yogurt.  Mix well.  Add raisins, cranberries and almonds.  The dough should form a ball.  It’s okay to use hands.  Wrap ball of dough with plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.  Use a spoon to make small balls and line the cookie sheet.  You can use a fork to press down gently.  Bake 10 minutes until lightly browned. Each cookie has 90 calories and 5 grams of fat.

 Bon Apetite!

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