Spinach Salad, Roasted Vegetable Lasagna, Low Fat Apple Bread Pudding

With all the extras from the garden, it's easy to incorporate fresh veggies into your daily diet. Sometimes, you have to figure out ways to get creative with the abundance that comes with a well growing garden.

This is a healthier way to enjoy a family favorite while cutting out the red meat that usually goes into this dish.

Enjoy it!
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Healthy Spinach Salad

Salad ingredients:

• 4 cups baby spinach
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts
• 1/2 cup red seedless grapes, sliced in half lengthwise
• 2 chopped scallions (include ~4 inches of the green part)
• medium coarse black pepper
• ~3-oz mild goat cheese, crumbled

Dressing ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  
• black pepper

Whisk olive oil into the cider vinegar. Add pepper, and perhaps a tad of kosher salt, to taste.

Put all salad ingredients except cheese into a large bowl. Add dressing and toss to coat. Add goat cheese.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna
serves 6

Sauce:

1/2 large onion, chopped
1/2 Tablespoon olive oil
3 minced garlic cloves
1 can 14 oz tomato puree, low sodium
1 4 oz can tomato sauce, low sodium
1 tablespoons minced fresh basil
1 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 tspn crushed red pepper flakes

Vegetables
2 cups sliced zucchini
1 1/2 cups fresh sliced mushrooms
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 small onion, diced
1/4 teaspoon pepper
lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions and drained
2 cups shredded, mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

In large pan, cook onion (for sauce) in oil until tender; add garlic and saute 1 minute longer. Stir in puree, sauce and seasonings. Bring to boil then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes until thickened.

In large mixing bowl, combine vegetables and pepper. Put in a baking pan and cook at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Spread 1/4 cup of sauce in a baking dish. Layer with noodles, top with half the sauce, and half the roasted vegetables, and half the cheese. Repeat another layer.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, covered. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes until bubbly. Let cool slightly before serving.


Apple Bread Pudding
9 servings

• 1/4 C. granulated sugar
• 1 t. ground cinnamon
• 2 C. 1% milk
• 1 C. egg substitute
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 1 1/2 t. vanilla extract
• 8 slices 100% whole-wheat bread, toasted and cut in triangles
• 2 large apples, cored and diced
• 1 1/2 Pint lowfat vanilla frozen yogurt (optional)
  

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Coat a 9" square baking dish with nonstick spray. Mix sugar & cinnamon. In a bowl, whisk milk, egg substitute, brown sugar & vanilla extract. Arrange half the toast in baking dish; sprinkle with half the cinnamon-sugar and apples. Repeat layers. Pour milk mixture over top. Bake uncovered 40-50 minutes until a knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cut in squares; serve with scoops of frozen yogurt.

Vegetable Night! Garbanzo Bean Tomato Salad, Pattypan Saute, Roasted Corn with Chive Butter

It's summer and garden vegetables are all around us!

We haven't really had a vegetable night in quite awhile and I would like to get back into the habit of having a veggie night at least once a week, and possibly work ourselves up to twice a week. This is really, really easy to make. And with summer here, corn is in abundance! It's a classic summer staple. High in fiber, and in B vitamins, as well as folic acid and a number of other things our bodies need, it is used to help with kidney function and protect the heart. It also supports lung health, memory and energy. Vegetables are good for you!!

D is such a willing participant in my experimental cooking. I have to admit that many of the recipes I have found have turned out to be quite good. If we didn't think so, the recipes would not be on here!!

However, it is important to reiterate that we have cut out a lot of sodium in our diet and we do not use table salt at all. This renders our tastes to be a tad different than some who have not done so; we have become acclimated to the natural taste of the foods we eat without salting them. It has amazed me to realize how much of our food we never really tasted before cutting salt out. It was all salt! It's hard to tell when you still use it.

An example is my 17 yr old son. A few weeks ago, I made the tomato soup recipe from this blog because I love it. It was the first time my 17 yr old had tried it. He says, "This is bland, Mom." and he proceeds to add a bit of salt to his, taste it then say, "Much better."

Well, funny thing is, he didn't finish his bowl so I started to eat what was left in his bowl. BLEGH!!! All I tasted was the overwhelming salt flavoring!! And he really did not add that much. However, it made me realize just how much salt really does mask what the food we eat really tastes like.

Please don't dismiss a recipe if you try it as is and it seems bland to you. If sodium levels are not an issue with you, feel free to add salt to taste to your dishes. When I use canned goods, I use "no salt added", but you do not need to do this if you are not watching your sodium intake.

As for our meal.....I don't really eat a lot of garbanzo beans, or beans in general. Did you know that garbanzo beans are a high source of both soluble and insoluble dietary fibers? The soluble fibers form a gel-like substance in the digestive tract, whose main function is to capture the cholesterol containing bile and remove it from the body. The insoluble fiber, on the other hand, prevents constipation, by increasing the stool bulk (yes I know, not exactly appealing, but your body needs to do it!!!). They also help prevent certain digestive disorders, like irritable bowel syndrome and diverticulitis. Most people do not have enough fiber in their diet, and beans are a great source of this! They help lower cholesterol and improve blood sugar levels. This is a good-news food for diabetics!

It is estimated that a single cup of garbanzo beans supplies around 84.5% of the body’s daily manganese requirement. Manganese is involved in the production of energy and antioxidant defenses! This means that garbanzo beans aid your immune system as well. Good things, these beans.

And we've all heard the benefits of tomatoes! Personally, I do not like the taste of tomatoes but I can (and do) eat them in certain dishes. (I love fried green ones!) An interesting trivia fact about tomatoes is that they were not eaten in the US until the 1800's because they were believed to be toxic and cause certain cancers and illnesses such as appendicitis.

Of course, we now know that tomatoes actually have the exact opposite effect on our bodies. One tomato can provide 45% of the RDA for Vitamin C (which is required for growth and repair of tissues as well as immunity support), 15% of Vitamin A (promotes eyesight, offers immunity support), 8% of potassium RDA (aids in heart health and function and muscle repair), and is also high in iron (required for red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body and supplying us with energy).

New research is beginning to indicate that tomatoes may be used to help prevent lung cancer too. Two powerful compounds found in tomatoes-coumaric acid and chlorogenic acid-are thought to block the effects of nitrosamines. These are compounds that not only are formed naturally in the body, but also are the strongest carcinogen in tobacco smoke. By blocking the effects of these nitrosamines, the chances of lung cancer are reduced significantly.

For more information on the benefits of tomatoes, go here 10 Health Benefits of Tomatoes

Now, on to the recipes. Bet you thought I'd never get to it, eh? ;)
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Garbanzo Tomato Salad

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans or chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 3 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

In a bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Add beans; toss to coat. Place tomatoes in a serving bowl. Top with onion. Sprinkle with basil and remaining salt and pepper. Top with bean mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Toss just before serving.




Pattypan Saute

• 2 cups halved pattypan squash
• 1 medium onion, halved and sliced
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small sweet red pepper cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan Cheese

Coat large skillet with cooking spray. Saute squash and onion in oil for 2 minutes; add garlic, and cook one minute. Add red pepper and mushrooms; saute for 6-7 minutes.

Stir in tomato, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Heat thoroughly. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.


Roasted Fresh Corn with Chive Butter
(4 servings)

• 4 ears of fresh corn, unhusked
• 1/4 cup buttery spread or butter
• 2 tablespoons chopped, fresh chives

Preheat oven to 350. Place unhusked corn on a foil lined baking sheet. Bake 30-45 minutes depending on size of corn. Remove from oven and let cool. Remove corn husks and silks and discard. Melt butter in microwave and stir in chives. Serve with corn.

Dijon Crusted Chicken, Southwest Corn and Tomatoes, and Green Beans in Creamy Dill Sauce

It's been awhile since I updated, I know! In the meantime, there have been several recipes I have tried with good results for everyone! This one in particular was a hit with the kids. I was also quite surprised at how well it turned out. If you are trying to eat light, yet get a hankering for Fried Chicken, this chicken recipe will hit the spot without the guilt.

So, okay, yes yes it involved frying a bit. That's not always a bad thing. Deep frying is bad, yes. But some oils have good fat in them. I have a hard time believing it, you know. That certain kinds of fat actually help your body stay thin. But it is true. Our body needs fat to be healthy and then trick is picking the right kinds ---- and not eating fat overall in excess.

The original recipe calls for olive oil but it has a high temperature tolerance. So I use canola. It's almost as good as olive oil health wise, and some say it's better.

As for the green beans: I am not a fan of dill. But, my husband liked it a lot and I didn't think it was half bad, despite my aversion to dill.

Dinner Tonight is:

Dijon Crusted Chicken
Southwest Corn and Tomatoes
Green Beans in Creamy Dill Sauce

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Dijon Crusted Chicken
serves 4
(1 chicken breast half = 169 calories, 5 grams fat, 380 mg sodium)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 tspns Italian Seasoning
• 1/2 tspn dried thyme
• 1/4 tspn pepper
• 4 boneless chicken breast halves (4 oz each) (I use tenders)
• 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tspns olive oil (or canola)
• 1 tspn margarine

Place first 5 ingredients in shallow bowl and mix together. Brush chicken with mustard; roll in crumb mixture.

In large skillet, cook chicken in oil and margarine over medium heat 5-6 minutes each side.


Southwest Corn and Tomatoes
(6 servings)

This dish is gluten free!!

(2/3 cup = 130 calories, 5 grams fat, 205 mg sodium)




Ingredients

• 1 pkg (16 oz) frozen sweet corn, thawed
• 5 plum tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup minced cilantro
• 1/2 tspn kosher salt

In large bowl, combine the corn, tomatoes, onion, jalapenos, and garlic. Drizzle with oil; toss to coat. Transfer to a baking pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring twice. Spoon into a bowl. Stir in cilantro and salt. Serve warm.


Green Beans in Creamy Dill Sauce
(5 servings)
2/3 cup with 5 teaspoons sauce = 59 calories, 2 grams fat, 283 mg sodium


Ingredients

• 1 pkg (15 oz) frozen cut green beans
• 2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons butter
• 1 1/2 teaspooons flour
• 1/3 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon dill weed
• dash pepper
• 1/4 cup reduced fat sour cream

Cook beans according to package directions.

Meanwhile in skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour until blended; gradually add broth.

Stir in vinegar, salt, dill, and pepper. Bring to boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Reduce heat. Stir in sour cream; heat thoroughly but do not boil. Drain beans and serve with sauce.

Simple Salad, Fettuccine with Asparagus and Peas, Glazed Carrots, Chocolate PB Parfaits

Fettuccine. When I think of it, I think “Fat! Fat! Fat!!” That’s because of the cheese sauce. Cheese is good, but let’s face it – it’s TOO good! Too much cheese will give you too much fat in your diet, but cheese is a very nutritious addition to a healthy diet. An ounce of cheese can supply you with almost a third of your daily requirement for calcium. It is also a very good source of protein, Vitamin B12 and riboflavin.

The downside is, cheese can actually be quite high in sodium for such a small portion. And who actually only eats an ounce of cheese, which is most often the serving size recommended. It’s also quite high in fat and cholesterol.

This recipe will call for Parmesan, which is one of the lower fat/calorie cheeses. The ricotta called for is part skim, which also helps to shave off some fat and calories. The main dish overall has a bit more fat than I like in a meal, but by standards, it’s actually a low fat meal. Especially if you consider this: the fettuccine alfredo lunch entrée (meaning, their small portion) at Olive Garden is 18 grams of fat and almost 800 calories. Just for the entrée, and without meat!!! Throw in some chicken, or Italian sausage and you’ve just upped the calories and fat quite a bit more. The sodium is sky high too, as expected. Then consider their salad is 201 calories, and their dressing 90 calories…..and of course, a breadstick would be 150 calories for just one.

Not to mention calories added when you drink that Italian Margarita that just calls your name every time you go…..

Oh wait, maybe that is only me!

But as you can see, one meal out can easily add up to well over 1,000 calories, 25+ grams of fat, and sodium that would send someone with borderline blood pressure into stroke-ville!

Our main entrée will be 250 calories for 1 1/3 cup serving and only 7 grams of fat. So, not entirely fat free but within range of decency, as well as much better than eating out!

Cooking at home can be a hassle, for sure, but the payoff is much healthier eating. That means, in the long run, you will be a healthier person. And, hopefully, teaching your kiddos that Mc Donald’s isn’t what family dinner is all about!

Dinner Tonight is:

Simple Salad

Fettuccine with Asparagus and Peas

Glazed Carrots

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Simple Salad

(6 servings)

This dish is gluten free!!

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 8 cups mixed lettuces
• 3/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• Pepper

Fettuccine with Asparagus and Peas

(6 servings)

250 calories, 7 grams of fat, 363 mg sodium

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces of whole wheat fettuccine noodles
• 2 medium leeks (white portion only), sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 lbs fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 1 cup frozen peas
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ½ cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• ¼ cup Parmesan Cheese
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Cook fettuccine according to package directions.

In large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, sauté leeks in oil for 1 minute. Add asparagus and garlic; sauté until asparagus is tender crisp. Stir in peas, and pepper.

Drain fettuccine, reserving ½ cup of cooking liquid. Whisk in ¼ cup Parmesan, and lemon juice. Add to skillet; heat thoroughly.

Add fettuccine; toss to coat. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

Glazed Carrots

6 servings

This dish is gluten free!!

64 calories, 1 gram of fat

Ingredients

• 6 tspns water
• 6 tspns apple juice
• 1 Tablspn packed light brown sugar
• 1 tspn butter
• 1/2 tspn nutmeg
• 148 tspn kosher salt
• 24 ounces baby carrots

In medium saucepan, mix water, apple juice, brown sugar, butter, nutmeg and salt. Stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a simmer.

Add carrots; cover and simmer for 15 minutes, or until carrots are tender-crisp.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Parfaits

6 servings

146 calories, 6 grams of fat, 300 mg sodium, 16 grams carbs

(hint: you can cut the fat even more by using fat free whipped topping and omitting, or reducing, the peanuts)

Ingredients

• 2 Tblspns reduced-fat chunky peanut butter
• 2 Tablspns fat free milk, COLD
• 2 cups cold fat free milk
• 1 cup reduced fat whipped topping
• 1 pkg (1.4 oz) sugar free instant chocolate pudding mix
• 3 Tblspn finely chopped peanuts

In a small bowl, combine peanut butter and 2 tablespoons of milk. Fold in 1 cup of whipped topping; set aside. In another small bowl, whisk remaining milk with pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes, or until soft set.

Spoon half pudding mixture into 6 parfait glasses. Layer with reserved Peanut Butter mixture and remaining pudding. Refrigerate at least an hour.

Just before serving, garnish with whipped topping and peanuts.

Gluten Free: Spinach Salad, Potato Soup, Healthy Chicken Salad, Honey Lime Fruit Toss

It's been cold here. Very cold, like in the single digits. I've often commented on how we eat a lot of soups in the winter time. It seems to just go to the core and help give us some warmth.

This meal is pretty healthy. The potato soup is very good. Most of the healthy things we eat are flavorful, and also much, much better than eating out. I always use fresh ingredients, occasionally frozen, so as to keep the sodium level controllable. Have you ever looked at the sodium content in canned goods??? Yikes! Hubby needs to watch his sodium, so I do not use salt in my cooking. I also use mostly no or low sodium ingredients. If this is not an issue for you, adjust as necessary!

The chicken salad is healthy because it does not use mayo for a base, which is good. It can be eaten on bread or alone. And spinach salad......I can't say enough about spinach and salads. Spinach makes wonderful salad, and the health benefits of spinach are out of this world!!

By the way, this meal is gluten free!

Dinner Tonight is:

Spinach Salad
Potato Soup
Healthy Chicken Salad
Honey Lime Fruit Toss
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Spinach Salad

• 8 ounces fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 cup feta or goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 8 cherry tomatoes, halved
  
• 1 tablespoon toasted sliced almonds (optional)

• Dressing:
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest (optional)

1. Wash and clean spinach. Tear into bite size pieces and place in a serving bowl. Add half of the feta or goat cheese and onion; toss to combine.
2. Combine dressing ingredients in a small mixing bowl. Pour over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Top with dried tomatoes and almonds. Serve immediately.

Potato Soup

• 1 3/4 cups diced peeled potatoes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
  
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth (Swanson's Natural Goodness is gluten free)
  
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated fat-free milk, divided (use Carnation)
  
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon real bacon bits (like Hormel)

1. In a large saucepan, combine the potatoes, onion, celery, broth and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-18 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Combine cornstarch and 1/4 cup milk until smooth; stir into potato mixture. Add the remaining milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Stir in cheese until melted. Serves 5

One serving equals 178 calories, 2 g fat (0 saturated fat), 9 mg cholesterol, 274 mg sodium, 26 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, 14 g protein


Healthy Chicken Salad

• 4 chicken breasts, baked or boiled, and shredded
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1/4 cup celery, diced
• 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Serve on wheat bread, or alone.




Honey Lime Fruit Toss

• 2 1/2 cups freshly cut pineapple
• 1 1/2 cups orange segments, cut in half
  
• 2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
• 2 medium firm bananas, sliced
• 2 kiwifruit, peeled, halved, and sliced
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon grated lime peel

1. In a bowl, combine the pineapple, mandarin oranges, strawberries, bananas and kiwi. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, honey, lime peel. Pour over fruit; gently toss to coat.

One serving (3/4 cup) equals 133 calories, 1 g fat (trace saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 7 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 1 g protein.

Gluten Free! : Cream of Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

I will be including some gluten free recipes, since I have a new cookbook and am experimenting with some recipes. Also, D has a daughter with Celiac disease and she can not tolerate gluten. Since she has lived her whole life following a gluten free diet, I thought it would be wise to get to learn some recipes as well. After all, a gluten free diet is actually a quite healthy one.

Now, we don't plan to go fully gluten free. But, we do have a child with Autism (with whom we tried gluten free out with briefly a few years ago with no real difference) and also, D has some digestive issues and I wonder sometimes if he may have an intolerance to gluten as well. After all, we already know that for his daughter to have the disease that both parents must be carriers for the gene. So, somewhere in his body is the propensity for it. :)

Keep in mind as well, that other recipes that I have posted are gluten free yet not labeled as such. However, if I label a recipe gluten free, it's because it has come from the gluten free cookbook or from my step daughter or because I checked it out first! I have actually been quite surprised at the number of things we eat that are already naturally gluten free, or can be gluten free with a slight substitution.

Tomato soup and grilled cheese is comfort food for just about everyone. It's kid friendly, and easy to make.

For the soup, you will be using a grain called Quinoa, and you should be able to find it in the health section of your store if it's a decent sized store. If you do not use Bob's Red Mill Quinoa, you will need to rinse the Quinoa grains at least three times in water or they will give a bitter taste due to the grain's natural coating that acts as a repellent. The tomato soup is amazingly flavorful.

Dinner Tonight is

Spinach Salad with Homemade gluten free french dressing
Gluten free Cream of Tomato Soup Soup
Grilled Cheese on Tapioca Bread
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Spinach Salad

* 1 pound fresh, washed and dried spinach leaves
* 4 slices cooked, chopped gluten-free bacon
* 3 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
* 1 cup thinly sliced red onions
* 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
* 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)


Gluten free French Dressing
* 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/2 cup sugar (use less if you like a less sweet dressing)
* 1/3 cup gluten-free ketchup
* 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
* 1 teaspoon gluten free Worcestershire sauce (French's)

Place all ingredients into a medium bowl and whisk until sugar dissolves and dressing is smooth and glossy. Store in a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate.

Yield- About 1 pint



Cream of Tomato Soup

* 2 cups of water
* 1 cup of whole grain Quinoa, such as Bob's Red Mill
* 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 large sweet onion, diced
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 cup of diced carrots
* 2 stalks celery, diced (I use a food processer)
* 4 cups of gluten free low sodium vegetable broth (such as Imagine)
* 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, with juice
* 2 teaspoons dried basil
* 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 2 cups green onions, chopped
* 1/2 cup milk


In 2 quart saucepan, bring water to boil. Add quinoa and 1/4 tspn of salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes (until liquid is absorbed). This will yield 4 cups of cooked quinoa. Set aside.

In heavy pot with tight fitting lid, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Stir in carrots and celery. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 10 minutes.

Stir in broth, tomatoes, basil, and vinegar and bring to boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.

Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt (omit for those with sodium restricted diets), pepper, green onions and milk and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Add the cooked quinoa and cook for 10 minutes more, or until soup reaches desired thickness.

Grilled Cheese, Gluten Free

* Butter, softened
* Cooking spray
* 2 slices of Ener-G Tapicoa Loaf
* 2 slices of American Cheese (use Kraft, it's gluten free) or cheddar


Coat skillet with cooking spray and heat over low-medium heat. Spread softened butter on one side of each slice of bread. When skillet is heated, add one slice of bread (butter side down). While it is browning, add slices of cheese and top with 2nd slice of bread, butter side up.

After about 2 minutes, turn sandwich and grill the other side. YUM!

Lime Marinated Steak and Baked Potato

Another low sodium recipe! We've had this one before, so I am not certain how come I never posted it. Of course, there have been several stints between posts, so time was probably an issue.

The recipe calls for a sirloin steak, but I used a top round because it had less fat (only 4 grams per 3 oz serving). It needs to be marinated for 6- 8 hours, so requires some forethought. Personally, I start marinating the night before I cook it, almost a full 24 hours.

D's blood pressure has dropped significantly in the last few days since we have been focusing more on virtually no sodium again, even for his lunches and snacks. It's down about 50 points. It's still a bit high, but in the not-so-bad high range. I always notice a huge difference in his BP readings when we follow a low sodium diet, as does my own mother who also struggles with high blood pressure.

So, dinner tonight is:
Garden Salad
Lime Marinated Steak
Baked Potato
Skillet Green Beans
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Garden Salad

Garden Salad

This salad when using iceburg and without dressing or cheese, contains:

59 calories
0 fat
virtually no sodium

• 2 cups of lettuce of choice
  
• 1/4 yellow squash, sliced
• 1/4 cucumber, sliced
• 1 small portobella mushroom, sliced
• 5 cherry tomatoes
• 3 baby carrots, sliced lengthwise
• Parmesan Cheese (optional)
• low cal, low fat dressing of choice
• Add more raw ingredients of choice
  

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Serve.


Lime Marinated Steak

Ingredients:
(note: because this marinade contains lime juice, it's best to marinade in a plastic bag, ceramic bowl or glass. The high acidity can react with metal bowls and cause your meat to have a metallic taste)

• 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of red hot pepper sauce (optional)
• 16-oz boneless sirloin steak, all visible fat removed
• 1/2 teaspoon of pepper

1. For marinade, combine all ingredients except steak in an airtight bag.
2. Add steak and turn to coat. Seal and refrigerate 6-8 hours.
3. Preheat grill to medium heat, or preheat broiler
4. Remove steak from bag and sprinkle with pepper. Discard marinade.
5. Grill steak for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until desired doneness

Makes 4 servings at 3 oz per serving 164 calories 6 grams of fat 59 mg of sodium

Baked Potato

• 4 medium baking potatoes
• An acceptable oil
• light unsalted butter, such as smart balance (optional)

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice into the top of the potatoes with a knife, making a large X across the top
3. Rub with oil and wrap in aluminum foil
4. Bake for 60-90 minutes

A medium baked potato contains 161 calories but zero fat and is exceptionally low in sodium with only 17 mg.

Skillet Green Beans

• 16 ounces fresh green beans
  
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced in strips
• 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, sliced in strips
• 1 small onion, halved and sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ( we use smart balance)
  
• pepper

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
2. Add green beans, peppers, onion, and garlic.
3. Cook slowly, stirring, until peppers are crisp tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Add pepper to taste.

Serves 6 to 8.

Contains approximately 88 calories per 3/4 cup serving, and less than 5 grams of fat per serving. Very little sodium.

Vegetable Night!

We're back to starting to follow a more stringent healthy diet again. This summer we have been lax -- well, really, since the spring. When we cook at home, we're using the same healthful ingredients but the warm weather and kids out of school has brought along with it being away from home. When away from home, it becomes easier and easier to make bad food choices since restaurants are usually involved.

Well, this has finally caught up with us. I've gained about 3-5 lbs and D has gained some as well. Also, his blood pressure shot up sky high this past weekend after we had spent the whole week with the grandkids taking them out to various places. There was healthy food involved, but there was also a lot of bad food involved as well.

So, it's back to cooking at home for dinner and I am also packing D's lunches again. Right now, he is getting mostly raw stuff in his lunch to help bring his blood pressure down, because raw foods have very little sodium. It seems to have worked after the first day. It's not down low, but it's out of the big red danger zone that it was in the other night.

This also means that I am back to buying and using fresh veggies and herbs in the dinners we cook. `tis not bad, just more work. When using fresh food, preparation and chopping is usually involved and it can be time consuming for those who don't have an 30 minutes just to chop the needed ingredient for dinner. The way I look at it is, it's worth it! To be healthy, to get rid of the massive amounts of sodium, fat and calories that is in pre-prepared food or canned goods, it's worth it.

In the meantime, I am hoping that the kids pick up on what they see and grow to think that's the way it should be. I know that my father never allowed sugar in the house unless he was baking, which was usually Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. Other than that, we always had artificial sweetner and very seldom used actual sugar. This is something I have carried over from my childhood, as I can actually feel the granules of sugar when it's used in drinks and such and I don't like it! Just as well......we get enough processed sugar in breads and starches and cereals.

Last night we had a couple of things that I have made before, so I am just gonna copy and paste the recipes for those, but I also made a new dish --- Creamed Spinach. I got this recipe out of a low fat cookbook, so it's rather healthy.

This whole meal, with the serving sizes suggested and without dressing or cheese on the salad, is only 271 calories, 5 grams of fat, and virtually no sodium. How's that for a healthy meal??I also included the individual nutritional information with each dish, in case you want to make them separately to add to other dished you may make.

Add non fat yogurt and fresh blueberries/strawberries for dessert!

So Dinner Tonight is:

Garden Salad
Spaghetti Squash
Creamed Spinach
Broiled Tomatoes
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Garden Salad

This salad when using iceburg and without dressing or cheese, contains:

59 calories
0 fat
virtually no sodium

• 2 cups of lettuce of choice
  
• 1/4 yellow squash, sliced
• 1/4 cucumber, sliced
• 1 small portobella mushroom, sliced
• 5 cherry tomatoes
• 3 baby carrots, sliced lengthwise
• Parmesan Cheese (optional)
• low cal, low fat dressing of choice
• Add more raw ingredients of choice
  

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Serve.



Spaghetti Squash

1 cup has:
42 calories
0 fat
10 grams of carbs
4 grams of sugar
28 grams of sodium (very, very low)


1. Pre-heat Oven to 400 degrees.

2. After cutting and cleaning the seeds out of the spaghetti squash, place 1/2 cup of water in a casserole dish. Place the squash open side down in the water. Bake for an hour.

3. When you take it out, the outside of the squash will be very very soft, as well as hot. I use an oven mitt to pick up one half of the squash, and take a fork and clean out the inside into a large bowl. It will come out in strands, like spaghetti. Do this with both halves.

4. Use about 1/2 stick of Smart Balance butter (a 50/50 butter blend with omega fats) and toss with the squash.

5. Serve, adding pepper if desired.


Creamed Spinach
Makes 4 servings at 137 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving

• 2 lbs of fresh spinach
• 2 cups of 1% milk
• 1 small shallot clove, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon oil
• i teaspoon unsalted butter (we use Smart Balance, a butter blend that's healthier)
• 1 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch (you can use flour, but cornstarch has no sodium)

1. Trim the spinach and rinse in cold water. Shake and squeeze the excess water from the leaves. Put spinach in a large pot, cover and cook on medium high heat until wilted (about 3 minutes).

2. Pour into colander and rinse with cold water to cool it. Squeeze out excess water and coarsely chop.

3. In a small saucepan, mix milk, shallow, garlic and thyme. Bring to boil, then immediately reduce heat. Simmer for 20 minutes.

4. When milk mixture is close to finishing, place oil and butter in a medium saucepan and set over medium heat to melt butter. When melted, add the cornstarch and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk.

5. Strain the milk mixture into the flour mixture, stirring constantly with whisk. (Discard the milk solids left behind from the garlic and shallots). Cook, stirring constantly with whisk for about 5, 10 minutes or until thickened.

6. Add the chopped spinach. If sodium is not an issue, season with salt and pepper. Cook one minute to heat thoroughly.



Broiled Tomatoes

One large tomato has about 33 calories, less than 1 gram of fat, virtually no sodium, and comes packs with a good 1/3 of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin C and Vitamin A. Of course, they're also a wonderful source of lycopene an antioxidant known for its disease prevention properties. Sinply factor in the sprinkle of parmesan into your calorie intake.

• 4 large tomatoes
• basil
• parmesan cheese

1. Halve the tomatoes
2. sprinkle with basil and Parmesan
3. Broil for 2-3 minutes

Makes 4 servings.

Tex Mex Beef and Bean Dip

Tonight we're having taco salad, and you can find the healthy recipe here.

But I am also making Beef and Bean Dip. This dip has only 99 calories per 1/4 cup serving (plus 5 baked tortilla chips!) and 2.5 grams of fat. Lots of flavor for little guilt.



To make this dip you will need

1/2 lb ground sirloin (buy the 96/4 if you can)
2 tablespoons no salt added tomato paste
1 to 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) canned pinto beans (no salt added), rinsed and drained
1 (14 ounce) can of diced tomatoes (no salt added), undrained
3/4 cup of crumbled queso fresco
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
3 ounces of bite sized baked tortilla chips (about 60, like Tostitos Scoops)

Cook beef in large skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well; return beef to pan. Add tomato paste and next 4 ingredients and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes, or until thick, stirring occasionally.

Spoon meat mixture into a serving bowl; top with crumbled cheese and green onions. Serve with tortilla chips.

12 servings of serving size of 1/4 cup of dip and 5 chips

99 calories 2.5 grams of fat 7.3 grams of protein 11.7 grams carbs 216 (or less) mg of sodium

Meatless Night! Spaghetti Squash, Grilled Portobellos , and Zucchini Bake

This became an acquired taste for me, but D loves it. I'd never heard of spaghetti squash before until I started hunting down more healthy recipes that had variety.

And it is so simple to cook!

To prepare the squash for baking, you need to cut it in half. Once cut in half, you'll need to clean out the seeds like you would a pumpkin. You want to leave the pulp, as this is what will become "spaghetti-like" after it's cooked.

Once you do this, you're ready.

Nutritional Information is as follows:
For 1 cup of spaghetti squash there is 42 calories 28 mg of sodium (wow!! virtually nothing!) 10 grams of carbs, of which 2 grams are dietary fiber & only 4 grams sugar 1 gram of protein
(when/if you add something else, butter for instance, read the nutritional and serving size information on the packaging to add to this if you keep a food journal)

For 1 cup of portobello mushrooms alone there is: 42 calories 12 mg sodium (wow again - very low) 6 grams of carbs, 3 grams of which are dietary fiber 5 grams of protein

This is also a good source of iron. The actual recipe I will give below for the portobellos mixed with ingredients has a total of 76 calories and 4 grams of fat per serving, but I do not have the other information for the recipe as is. The recipe will be for 4 servings. Not sure of the serving size amount, but once you cook it, divide it equally into 4 parts and you'll have your serving size.

The Zuccini Bake Recipe Nutritional Information is as follows per serving. Again, the recipe will make 4 servings, so divide it equally when cooked into 4 parts and you will have your serving size.

114 calories 7.4 grams of fat 8 grams of carbs 2.2 of which are dietary fiber 6.2 grams of protein

Dinner Tonight is: Spaghetti Squash Grilled Portobello Mushrooms Zucchini Bake Fresh Strawberries and blueberries with fat free/sugar free vanilla yogurt

Spaghetti Squash
Pre-heat Oven to 400 degrees.

After cutting and cleaning the seeds out of the spaghetti squash, place 1/2 cup of water in a casserole dish. Place the squash open side down in the water. Bake for an hour.

When you take it out, the outside of the squash will be very very soft, as well as hot. I use an oven mitt to pick up one half of the squash, and take a fork and clean out the inside into a large bowl. It will come out in strands, like spaghetti. Do this with both halves.

Use about 1/2 stick of Smart Balance butter (a 50/50 butter blend with omega fats) and toss with the squash.

Serve, adding pepper if desired.

Grilled Portobellos

• 2 tablespoons low or no sodium, fat free chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 4 large potobello mushrooms, stems removed

1. In large shallow dish, mix broth, oil, vinegar, and thyme. Arrange mushroom caps in single layer in the dish, turning once to coat. Let stand at room temperature, turning occasionally, for one hour.
2. Cover broiler pan with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. Bake mushrooms at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. (Can also grill them directly on the grill for 10 minutes on medium-high heat)

Zucchini Bake

Ingredients:
4 medium zucchini
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded cheese, low fat
1 tablespoon butter (smart balance)
1/2 teaspoon crushed garlic
ground black pepper to taste


1. Slice the zucchini lengthwise and score diagonally across the top of zucchinis.
2. Place in a baking dish.
3. Baste with melted butter and garlic, sprinkle with cheese and season with pepper to taste.
4. Bake in a moderately hot oven for about 15-20 minutes (or until tender and crisp).


For dessert, mix 1/2 cup of strawberries and 1/2 cup of blueberries with 3/4 cup of fat free/sugar free vanilla yougurt (sweeten with sweet and low if desired) and enjoy! Strawberries and blueberries are chock full of fiber and antioxidants

EASY Black Bean Soup (and delicious too)

There's something earthy and comforting with a bowl of hot soup on a cold night. Black beans in particular have a nice, meaty texture different than any other bean that I use to make bean soup.

And it's very versatile too. It goes well alone, or with a meal like a mexican dish. My picky eaters usually whine when I make bean soup with the great northern beans and bacon or ham hock. But they ate the black bean soup, which surprised me!

I actually followed a particular recipe a few months ago that I am unable to find now. When I made this the other night, however, I had found another recipe that I was able to follow and tweak just slightly to get the desired result. It was good! Many recipes call for sour cream but that is optional. I don't believe we used sour cream, but I can see how it would go well with this soup.

This can also be adapted to low sodium diets. I use dry beans, soaking them overnight, for bean soup whenever possible because they have no sodium whatsoever in them unlike many canned beans. I have been able to find an organic canned brand that has very little sodium in each can (like 4% vs the 20+% of most cans) But if you have time, use the dry beans to cut out even more sodium and make this even healthier.

And of course, if you don't do low sodium, just substitute the low-sodium ingredients with the regular ingredients.

I also use a food processor to blend my beans beforehand, but you can use a blender after everything is cooked (be careful and keep lid partially off to allow steam to escape) or opt not to blend the beans at all.
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Black Bean Soup

32-oz no salt added black beans (if dry, follow package directions to prepare them)
1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion (finely diced)
2 cloves garlic (finely diced)
20 oz low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cumin
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon cilantro


In saucepan, heat oil. Add onion and garlic. Cook until tender.

Add in the beans, broth, cumin and lime juice and bring to boil.

Lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally.

Simmer 20 minutes (if using dry beans, cooking time will be longer.)

Stir in cilantro, and top with sour cream when serving.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

Honestly, nothing says "fall/winter" like a nice pot of hot soup. It doesn't matter what kind of soup. Perhaps bean soup, chili, or chicken noodle soup. There's nothing more comforting than a bowl of hot soup on a chilly day.

I've already made a few soup dishes this season but have just not had time to post the dinners on the blog. I will in time, not to worry. I will be making some of the recipes again, I am certain. This is my prime soup-making season.

Tonight we are having chicken noodle soup from the crock pot. Chunks of carrots and celery, seasoned with garlic and onion and large egg noodles.....mmmmm.....even the kids eat this!!

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Ingredients

• 3-4 chicken breasts, cut up in small pieces
• 1 lb bag of baby carrots, diced
• 6-7 stalks of celery, cut up
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 32 oz of low sodium chicken broth
• 8 oz bag of whole wheat egg noodles
• water as needed

Place all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on high for 4-5 hours. Add the egg noodles during the last hour of cooking. Add spices as needed. (I sprinkle in a bit of thyme, garlic powder and parsley).

Serve with crackers and sandwiches.

Easy, no fuss dinner!

Parmesan Chicken and Rice Casserole

Ooooh, this was a fantastic meal!

This past weekend, D and I had some house guests. I wanted to make a nice dinner for them, and set out browsing some of my Cooking Light magazines for a dish that was suitable for their dietary needs due to dieting, cultural and religious reasons.

I found this recipe in the March 2008 issue and decided to give it a go. The recipe called for chicken thighs, but I used skinless, boneless chicken breasts. The magazine offered up nutritional information for the entree itself, but I am not sure how using chicken breasts vs chicken thighs might have altered that content.

In any case, here is the nutritional information for the casserole entree itself:

498 calories
19 grams of fat
38 grams of protein
43 grams of carbs
3 mg of iron
765 mg of sodium (mine had less because I omitted the salt)

With this entree, we had broiled tomatoes and Green Beans with warm bacon dressing.

The recipe called for regular pork bacon, but I used turkey bacon to accommodate our guests restrictions. It was pretty good and I didn't miss the additional fat the pork bacon would have added to the meal.

The dinner was wonderful.

Dinner Tonight was:
Parmesan Chicken and Rice Casserole
Green Beans with warm Bacon dressing
Broiled Tomatoes
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Ingredients for Parmesan Chicken and Rice Casserole

• 1 cup of chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 (3.5 ounces) boil-in-a-bag brown rice (I actually cooked brown rice instead of using this)
• 2 lbs chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of thyme
• 2 cups of fat free, lower sodium chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons of whipping cream
• 1/3 cup shredded Parmesan

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; saute 2 minutes. Add garlic; saute 30 seconds. Add cooked rice to pan; saute 30 seconds. Spoon rice mixture from skillet into a large casserole dish coated with cooking spray in an even layer.
3. Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer over rice mixture. Combine broth and cream in bowl; whisk. Pour over chicken and rice mixture. Sprinkle thyme over chicken evenly.
4. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until chicken is done.

Makes 4 servings

Green Beans in Warm Bacon Dressing Ingredients

• 1 lb fresh, trimmed green beans
• 4 strips of bacon
• 1/4 cup shallots
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1. Cook green beans in boiling water for 3 minutes.
2. Drain.
3. Cook 4 strips of bacon in skillet over medium heat until crisp.
4. Remove bacon from pan and crumble
5. Add shallots to pan drippings; cook for 3 minutes
6. Add 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar; cook 1 minute (I didn't do this)
7. Add green beans. Toss to coat
8. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon.

Broiled Tomatoes

• 4 tomatoes
• basil
• parmesan cheese

1. Halve the tomatoes
2. sprinkle with basil and Parmesan
3. Broil for 2-3 minutes

Chicken, Potato and Lemon Green Beans

Another meal as a family! I absolutely love sitting down to the dinner table as a family with the kids, and I love even more that we are eating more and more healthy foods and teaching the kids that not only is eating as a family important, but eating healthy is too.

We've also started a new "family" activity, and that is taking a walk (1 mile) directly after dinner down our country road. The kids love this, and during times when they may not be here it becomes a nice, quiet and undistracted time for D and I to catch up with one another. The walk is beautiful, and being taken at dusk only enhances the beauty.

However, this is about healthy meals and what we had for dinner tonight was healthy. I am on a new low glycemic index diet, I believe I have mentioned in previous posts. So our dinners here lately will reflect that.

Tonight we had:

Salad with Vegetables and oil/vinegar dressing
Grilled Chicken with herbs
Baked Potato
Lemon Green Beans
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Grilled/Broiled Chicken Ingredients
(servings: 1)

• 1/3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 oz boneless chicken breast

Pre-heat broiler or grill. Rinse and pat chicken dry. Whisk olive oil and spices together in a pie plate; add chicken and coat. If possible, cover and marinate in fridge for 30 minutes. Grill or broil chicken for 5-7 minutes, then turn and cook an additional 5-6 minutes or until inside is no longer pink. Serve.
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Baked Potato

• 1 small potato

Scrub potato and prick with fork. Bake in 375 degrees for 50 minutes.

Serve.


Lemon Green Beans

• 1 cup frozen green beans
• 1/3 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/3 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Microwave or steam green beans according to package directions.

Drain thoroughly.

Toss with lemon juice and oil; sprinkle with oregano.

Serve.

Steak Dinner

Mmmmm.....last night we had steak. It was a small portion, and the loin cut and broiled so it was a nice treat. We don't cook steak all that often.

This was indeed a night where I cooked something different for the kids. Easy and likable kid food, like corn dogs. Steak, broccoli and rice just wasn't something they would eat.

So, on the menu last night was:

Broiled Steak
Brown Rice
Steamed Broccoli
Fresh Strawberries

All ingredient measurements are for 1 serving, so multiply that as you need for however many you are feeding.
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Steak Ingredients

4 oz beef steak, loin cut

Grill or broil steak for about 4-6 minutes on each side for medium or cook to desired doneness.

(Boy that was easy!)

Brown Rice

2/3 cup of brown rice
1 1/3 cup of water

Cook rice according to package directions. Usually, this means you place the rice and water in a saucepan, bring it to a boil, lower the heat, then cover and simmer for about 45 minutes.

Steamed Broccoli
(I used fresh broccoli and steamed it in my steamer)

1 cup of frozen broccoli
1 teaspoon Parmesan Cheese

Place broccoli in microwave safe bowl, cover and microwave for about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

Bon appetit!

Chicken, Sweet Potato and Spinach Salad

You got it! Another family dinner around the table for four of us here at my house. And Mom is following a Low Glycemic Index Diet, which means that for the most part, that affects everyone at dinner!

We were already trying to eat healthier, so that's not a big issue. It's just that with this diet, I have only select options for dinner, so trying to find one that we ALL will eat is a challenge.

Nonetheless, we're doing it. It is also introducing the kiddos to some foods that I don't normally cook, like tonight with the sweet potatoes. The kids didn't eat them although they were included on their plate. Both did try it. So, that's all I ask is that they attempt it. I don't push my kids to eat something if they don't want it. I won't, except in certain circumstances (usually planned), fix them something else, though. So - they eat what they have or don't. I do try to make sure, as I have said before, that I include something on the menu that they will eat and tonight I did a bit extra for them so they'd eat the chicken. While D and I had the recipe as I will share it, I brushed BBQ sauce on the kids' pieces to make it more appealing to them. Small compromise to get them to eat it.

Dinner Tonight was low fat and low sodium. The serving size that I will be listing in the recipe is for one, so if you are cooking for multiple people, multiply it by whatever you need to.

Baked Chicken Baked Sweet Potato Spinach-Strawberry Salad
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Chicken Ingredients

• 3 oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse and pat dry the chicken; rub with garlic and black pepper and any other spices of your choice. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Baked Sweet Potato Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet potato
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Scrub potato and pierce with a fork. Put in oven before the Chicken and bake for 45-60 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes. Split, sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.

Spinach Strawberry Salad Ingredients

• 2 cups of fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup fresh sliced strawberries
• 3 tsp. balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Rinse and dry spinach. Toss spinach with strawberries and balsamic vinegar in a bowl. Top with walnuts and serve.



See. A Super Easy and Healthy dinner.

Chicken with Ginger and Snow Peas

This is a low-salt recipe that is amazingly delicious. It calls for soy sauce, which is pretty high in sodium. Alas, this recipe came from my low salt cook book and boasts only 185 mg of sodium per 1 cup serving! Not bad for such a tasty meal. It is full of protein (28 grams per serving) and low fat as well as low in calories. (166 calories per serving and only 3 grams of fat.) I also absolutely abhor peas in any other form. But snow peas are subtle in their flavor, therefore not overpowering the dish and complementing the other gentle flavors.

It makes for a wonderfully nutritious, yet satisfying meal - especially when combined with brown rice, which is what I use with this dish. It also goes very well with steamed broccoli.

So, Dinner Tonight was:

Salad greens with a sprinkle of cheddar, cherry tomatoes, chopped cucumber and fat free dressing

Chicken with Ginger and Snow Peas

Brown Rice

Steamed Broccoli

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Chicken with Ginger and Snow Peas

• 6 ounces of fresh snow peas
• 1/2 cup of low sodium or no sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of pepper
• 2 teaspoons of sesame oil
• 1 1/4 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders
• 2 medium cloves of garlic. minced
• 1/2 teaspoon of minced ginger root

1. Trim ends off of snow peas
2. In small bowl, whisk together the broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, and pepper.
3. Heat a large, heavy skillet over high heat, add oil, and swirl to coat bottom. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
4. Add the snow peas, garlic, and ginger root. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Add the chicken broth mixture and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and the chicken is no longer pink in the center, stirring constantly. If mixture begins to burn, remove skillet from heat momentarily and add a teaspoon or two of chicken broth - or water.

Nutritional Information per 1 cup serving:

166 calories
5 grams if carbohydrates
26 grams of protein
66 mg of cholesterol
3 grams of fat
1 gram of fiber
185 mg of sodium
380 mg of potassium
31 mg of calcium

Brown Rice

Cook according to package directions. Remember, brown rice is much more nutritious for you than enriched white rice. Read package for serving size and nutritional information.

Steamed Broccoli

You can use fresh broccoli and steam it of you have a steamer. Or, buying fresh, pre-cut broccoli in a bag and microwaving it according to package directions to steam it will work just fine. Read package for serving size and nutritional information.