Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

When was the last time I posted a healthy recipe?… Yeah I’m not sure either, sorry.

Let me make it up to you! Here’s a recipe for low fat meat loaf that actually tastes good.

1/4 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 teaspoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup each finely diced carrots, red pepper, celery, and onion
Salt and black pepper
1 pound 90 percent lean ground beef
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 large egg
1 cup cooked brown lentils
2 cups packed spinach leaves, steamed, drained, and chopped
Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and all vegetables except spinach and saute for 4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, break up beef well with your hands. Stir in cooked vegetables, Parmesan, broth, and egg. Add lentils and mix. Add spinach and mix again. Season with salt and pepper.
Coat a 3- by 8-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. Place meat mixture in pan and push down. Bake 35 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 140°F.
Let meat loaf rest in the pan for 15 minutes before slicing.

5 servings
345 calories/serving

Honestly, recipes don’t get much more simple than this. If you can’t make this quick and easy, you need to re-evaluate things.

Guys, cooking is a great way to show off to the ladies!

Lemon Herb Chicken
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• Salt and lemon pepper to taste
• 1 pinch dried oregano
• 1 tsp. parsley
• Non-stick cooking spray

Heat skillet sprayed with cooking oil over medium-low heat. Pour 1 Tbsp. lemon juice over chicken and season with salt to taste. Let sit while skillet heats.

When skillet is hot, add chicken to skillet. As you sauté chicken, add the remaining juice, oregano, lemon pepper and salt to taste. Sauté for 5 to 10 minutes each side, or until juices run clear. Serve with parsley for garnish.

Makes 2 servings.
140 calories/serving.

Ok, the holidays are coming, and with them comes food. Typically all of it bad for you and worse for your waist line. So why fight it? Being the only one at the Christmas party chewing on carrot sticks can suck.

If you’re going to cheat, try cheating with something semi-healthy. Try the low0fat brownies! Bring a batch of these and give yourself a healthy alternative.

Low-fat Brownies

Parchment paper
Nonfat cooking spray
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder
2 whole eggs
4 egg whites
1 1/4 cups prunes, puréed in a blender or food processor with 1/2 cup warm water
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

Preheat oven to 325° F. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray. Set aside. Combine sugars, cocoa powder, eggs and egg whites in an electric-mixer bowl and beat until light and creamy; about 5 minutes. Slowly add puréed prunes and beat on low until completely mixed in; about 1 minute. Add vanilla and salt and mix 30 seconds more. Sift baking soda and flours together and stir lightly into the batter by hand until just absorbed. (Do not overmix.) Pour into prepared pan and bake 35-40 minutes, until brownies are still soft in the center. Cool thoroughly and cut into 3-by-3-inch squares.

15 brownies
148 calories/brownie

I cuss, you cuss, we all cuss… for Asparagus!

Ok, so it’s not ym favorite food, and probably not you favorite either. But like all dark green vegetables its backed with vitamins and minerals!

Here’s a recipe that might actually bump these food a few notches up on you like list:

Lemony Asparagus

• 2 Tbsps. lemon juice

• 7 tsps. extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 2 pounds thin asparagus

In a bowl, combine lemon juice with salt and pepper to taste.  Whisk in oil and set aside.

Trim and wash asparagus.  In a large saucepan of boiling salted water cook asparagus until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain asparagus in a colander and pat dry.

Gently toss asparagus with oil and lemon mixture and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

6 servings

47 calories/serving.