Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Firecracker Grilled Salmon

Recipe Taken From:
Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Magazine
February/March 2011

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 salmon fillets (6 ounces each)

Preparation:

In a small bowl, combine the first ten ingredients. Pour 1/4 cup marinade into a large resealable plastic bag. Add the salmon; seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for up to 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade. Drain and discard marinade.
Using long-handled tongs, moisten a paper towel with cooking oil and lightly coat the grill rack. Place salmon skin side down on grill rack. Grill, covered, over high heat or broil 3-4 in. from the heat for 5-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork, basting occasionally with remaining marinade. Yield: 4 servings.

Notes & Tips:

I served this with a salad and Naan Bread (which is my favorite). The marinade definitely has some kick to it, if you wanted to limit that spice you can cut back on the red pepper flakes.

Nutrition Facts:

1 fillet equals 306 calories, 18 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 85 mg cholesterol, 367 mg sodium, 4 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 29 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 5 lean meat, 1 fat.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Turkey Chili Pot Pie

Recipe Taken From:
Good Housekeeping Magazine
January 2011

Ingredients:

1 package (8 1/2-ounce) cornbread or corn muffin mix
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large (1-pound) onion, finely chopped
1 pound lean ground turkey
Salt
Pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped pickled jalapeƱos
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cans no-salt-added fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained
1 can no-salt-added rinsed black beans, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In medium bowl, prepare cornbread mix as label directs, but use only half of liquid specified. Fold corn into batter; set batter aside.
Place sweet potatoes and water in microwave-safe medium bowl. Cover with vented plastic wrap and microwave on High 5 minutes or until tender.
In deep 12-inch enamel-coated or well-seasoned plain cast-iron skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add onion and cook 5 to 7 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Add turkey, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Cook 3 minutes or until lightly browned, breaking up meat into small pieces. Add garlic, jalapeƱos, chili powder, cumin, and sweet potatoes with their liquid. Cook 1 minute, stirring.
Add tomatoes, beans, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Heat until bubbling, stirring occa­sionally. Dollop cornbread mixture over top, leaving 1-inch rim around edge. With spatula, spread mixture to cover most of surface.
Place skillet on foil-lined jelly-roll pan to catch any drips. Bake 22 minutes or until golden brown on top and bubbling. Garnish with cilantro.

Notes & Tips:

If your skillet isn't large enough to hold the chili and topping, transfer chili to a 3-quart shallow baking dish before topping with cornbread batter. Instead of ground turkey, I used ground venison, it is also very lean, but has a heartier taste. I liked this recipe, but I def. fell into the category of having a "too small skillet". Also, I omited the cilantro, because I didn't have any.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 465
Total Fat 13g
Saturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 82mg
Sodium 765mg
Total Carbohydrate 66g
Dietary Fiber 8g
Protein 25g

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Black Bean Taco Pizza

Recipe Taken From:
Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Cookbook 2010

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 package (6-1/2 ounces) pizza crust mix
1 bottle (8 ounces) taco sauce
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3/4 cup canned black beans
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies
2 green onions, chopped
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
Reduced-fat sour cream, optional

Preparation:

Coat a 12-in. pizza pan with cooking spray; sprinkle with cornmeal. Prepare pizza dough according to package directions. With floured hands, press dough onto prepared pan. Bake at 450° for 7-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Spread taco sauce over crust to within 1 in. of edges. Top with tomatoes, beans, corn, chilies, onions and cheese.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Serve with sour cream if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

Notes & Tips:
Instead of making a pizza crust I just used a pre-made one. It really sped up the time. One recommendation I might suggest would be to use the food processor to blend up the beans. This was a very messy pizza. All of the toppings slid right off the pizza.

Nutrition Facts:
1 slice (calculated without sour cream) equals 264 calories, 6 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 15 mg cholesterol, 783 mg sodium, 38 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 14 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2-1/2 starch, 1 medium-fat meat.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Sesame Chicken Salad

Recipe Taken From:
Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Cookbook 2010

Ingredients:

1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1-1/3 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup chopped fresh snow peas
1 small sweet red pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
4 lettuce leaves
1 tablespoon chopped cashews

Preparation:

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, soy sauce and ginger. Stir in the chicken, peas, pepper and sesame seeds. Serve over lettuce leaves; sprinkle with cashews. Yield: 2 servings.

Notes & Tips:

Oh man the "dressing" for this salad was amazing! I don't know what else I'd like to put it on, other than everything. Super easy recipe, very fresh and light. I served this lettuce wrap style instead of salad style. This recipe serves 2 so you can always double for more.

Nutrition Facts:

1 cup salad with 1-1/2 teaspoons cashews equals 254 calories, 8 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 76 mg cholesterol, 736 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 31 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 4 very lean meat, 1 vegetable, 1 fat, 1/2 starch.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Easy Chicken and Veggies

Recipe taken from:
Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Cookbook 2010

Ingredients:
2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 ounces each)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
3 teaspoons Crisco® Olive Oil, divided
3 cups fresh baby spinach
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation:
Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness; sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese and Italian seasoning. Coat chicken in bread crumb mixture.
In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken in 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until no longer pink. Remove and keep warm.
Saute spinach in remaining oil just until wilted. Stir in tomatoes and garlic; cook 3 minutes longer. Serve with chicken. Yield: 2 servings.

Notes & Tips:
I liked that this recipe was for 2, a nice change from the usual larger meals. I thought the spinach mixture was really bland. I would make sure to put some seasoning in with them next time, the little bit of garlic was not enough, it needs seasoning. Overall a good meal. Super quick, since you pound the chicken flat it cooks in less than 15 mins. I served this with a baked potato.

Nutrition Facts:
1 chicken breast half with 1 cup vegetables equals 302 calories, 12 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 95 mg cholesterol, 484 mg sodium, 10 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 38 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 5 lean meat, 2 fat, 1 vegetable.

Monday, August 1, 2011

Mediterranean Shrimp Couscous

Recipe adapted from:
Taste of Home Healthy Cooking Cookbook 2010

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup white wine or reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
2 tablespoons capers, drained
3 cups fresh baby spinach
1-1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1-1/2 cups uncooked couscous
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preparation:
In a large skillet, saute the shrimp, shallot and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil until shrimp turn pink. Remove and keep warm.
In the same skillet, cook and stir the zucchini, wine, tomatoes and capers until zucchini is tender. Add spinach; cook just until wilted. Add broth and bring to a boil. Stir in couscous. Cover and remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.
Whisk the lemon juice, vinegar and remaining oil; add to the pan. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese, the seasonings and reserved shrimp mixture; cook and stir over low heat until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Yield: 6 servings.

Notes & Tips:
This was really great. I didn't have any zucchini, so I used large chunks of mushrooms instead. I left out the sundried tomatoes, b/c for some reason I don't think they ever taste right when I use them at home. And lastly I didn't realize I didn't have enough couscous, so I just used less. I def. think it's important to have enough couscous, but oh well, it still got the thumbs up from Mat.


Nutrition Facts:
1 cup equals 385 calories, 11 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 143 mg cholesterol, 619 mg sodium, 41 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 28 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 3 lean meat, 2-1/2 starch, 2 fat.

Tortellini Salad

Recipe adapted from:
www.food.com

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package frozen cheese tortellini
1/2 white onions or 1/2 red onion
1/2 green bell pepper
1 (4 1/4 ounce) can black olives
1 -2 cup crumbled feta or 1 -2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt & pepper

Preparation:
1. Start by defrosting/cooking the cheese tortellini in a pot of boiling water. The tortellini are ready when they float in the water and are heated through. Move them to a colander to drain, and set aside.
2. Drain and coarsely chop the black olives (you can use pre-chopped olives to save time). Peel the onion, de-seed the pepper, and coarsely chop them as well.
3. Place chopped vegetables and cheese tortellini in a large bowl. Sprinkle desired amount of cheese (feta or mozzarella) and the olive oil and red wine vinegar over the vegetables and tortellini, and then toss it all together. If you are using mozzarella cheese, it will probably melt a bit, which is fine.
4. Give the salad a taste, and add salt and pepper as desired.

Notes & Tips:
You may also want to add more olive oil or vinegar, depending on your preference. You can eat the salad right away, warm, or save it for later and eat it cold. The flavors will meld and (in my opinion) get better with time, so make sure you make enough for leftovers! I doubled the tortellini for a pot luck but didn't double the "dressing" part, it really didn't need it. Also, I chose to use a yellow bell pepper and an orange one instead of the green.

Nutrition Facts:
Calories 230g
Total Fat 18g
Total Carbohydrate 25g
Dietary Fiber 1.2g
Sugars 2g
Protein 11g