Veggies Noodles

We finally got a noodle shredding device and have been making lots of veggie noodles. My favorite are zucchini. You can use any shreddable vegetables. I saute them in a little oil and spices, depoending on what I am going to serve over them.

Here is the shredder we got:

http://www.amazon.com/GEFU-13460-Spirelli-Spiral-Cutter/dp/B0026RMEK4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1380644377&sr=8-2&keywords=vegetable+noodle+maker

Here is a fancier version:

http://www.amazon.com/Paderno-World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade/dp/B0007Y9WHQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380644490&sr=8-1&keywords=vegetable+noodle+maker


Here are some massive amounts of raw noodles:

 

 And In the process of being sauteed:

 

So far I have had chicken and Thai peanut sauce over them and red curry pork over them. Any type of saucy food you might serve over noodles can be served over veggie noodles, if you are looking for a no-grain, low carb choice. We like lots of vegetables for their nutrient content, as well as for their bulk. I can cut weight and still have a large volume of food with lots of vegetables.

Spinach Gratin - warning! No nutrient info, just super yummy and you may have to use as a cheat :)

Spinach and Parmesan Gratin...just the word Gratin brings up thoughts of creamy, buttery dishes. I don't do a lot of dairy or wheat, so this is a treat dish. If I really wanted to take the time, I coulod figure out substitutes for the flour. It is only 2 tbsp. oh well. I did health-it-up a little by using half broccoli and half spinach. I pre-blanched the broccoli in boiling water after finely chopping it.

The recipe says you could also use this as a filling for crepes. That does sound amazing. We had it as a side dish with beef patties.

Serves 4-6

2 lbs fresh spinach, washed and drained (or 1 lb spinach, 1 lb broccoli)
1 1/2c milk  or chicken broth (I used milk)
2 tbsp unsalted butter, more to grease baking dish
1/2 medium yellow onion, finely diced (about 2/3c)
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 tsp kosher salt (I used sea salt)
pinch fresh ground black pepper
pinch ground cayenne pepper
1 1/4 c (3oz) freshly grated parmigiano reggiana, I used parmesan and asiago mixed

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a medium (1 1/2 qt) shallow baking dish.

Fill a large pot halfway with lightlkuy salted boiling water and bring to a boil over high heat. add the spinach  by large handfuls and when it is all in the pot, blanch 1 minute. drain in colander (repeat with minced broccoli, if using). Run cold water over spinach (so you can handle it) and squeeze as much water out as possible, then chop it coarsely.

Heat the milk or broth in a small saucepan or in the microwave so it is hot. set a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the butter, once butter is melted, add the onion and cook until translucent and softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, salt and peppers, stirring constantly and cook 2 minutes (this gets rid of the foury taste). Slowly add the hot milk, stirring frequently, until sauce bubbles and thickens.

When the sauce is ready, add 1 cup of the cheese and stir until the cheese is melted. take the pan off the heat and stir in the chopped spinach, mixing well.
Scrape into the buttered dish, sprinkle remaining 1/4c cheese on top and bake until bubbly and golden on top, about 35-40 minutes.
 Let it cool a few minutes before serving.

2 Veggie Pancakes - Both yummy! Carrot-Ginger and Potato-Zucchini!

These recipes are both from Cooking Light Magazine,  we put them in containers with 4 oz cooked chicken breast for fast and healthy lunch options, served with a green salad on the side it makes a really filling and satisyfying meal.

Potato-Zucchini Skillet Pancakes
3 cups shredded Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 lb)
2 cups shredded zucchini (about 8 oz)
1 cup shredded onion (about 1 small)
1/2 cup egg substitute (I used 2 whole eggs)
1/4 cup matzo meal (I used bread crumbs)
1/4 tsp salt
dash fresh ground pepper
4 tsp canola oil, divided (I used coconut)

Place potatoes, zucchini and onion in a strainer in the sink and press out excess liquid (the original recipe has you wrap them in a clean towel and squeeze, I find this gross, so I strain them while I prep the other stuff). Combine potato mixture, eggs, crumbs, salt and pepper in a large bowl and stir gently to blend.

Heat 1 tsp oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Spoon about 1 cup mixture onto hot pan; spreading to a 6-inch diameter. cook 3 minutes a side, or until lightly browned, then transfer to a plate to keep warm (if serving as a meal, we let them cool for meal packing). repeat with remaining mixture.

The nutritional info includes a cherry tomato salad that we didn't make, so it is a little less than this:

Calories (Approximate) 242
Fat 8g
Protein 8g
Carbs 34g
Fiber 3g
Iron 2.7mg
Sodium 504mg
calcium 35 mg

Carrot-Ginger Pancakes with Asian Dipping Sauce

Let me just say... these smell amazing, taste amazing and are my new favorite cold lunch as well as warm meal. I had a hard time packing them up for the week because I wanted to eat them all right away. paul agreed they will be made again!

I recommend doubling this recipe, so you have lots :)

Pancakes:
2 1/2 cups coarsely shredded carrots (about 1lb)
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
1/2c egg sub (I used 2 whole eggs)
3 tbsp cracker meal (again, I used bread crumbs, you can get gluten free ones)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp canola oil, divided (I used coconut oil)
cooking spray
green onion strips for garnish (optional, fou-fou)

Sauce:
2 tbsp low-sodium soy (or regular)
1 1/2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp minced/grated ginger
1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar

Combine first 4 pancake ingredients in a large bowl. Combine eggs, crumbs and salt in a small bowl. Add egg mixture to carrot mixture and stir to blend.

Heat 1 1/2 tsp oil in a large non-stick skillet over med-low heat. Using about 1/4 cup mixture per pancake, spoon 4 pancakes into pan and spread to 4" diameter (we had two pans going at once for speed of prep). Cook 4 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate to keep wearm, if serving, or just let cool for packing meals. Repeat with remaining oil/pancake mixture.

To prepare dipping sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk.

For meal prep we put chicken in a container, topped it with two pancakes and about a tablespoon sauce over both.

Per 2 pancake serving and 1 tbsp sauce:
Calories 129
Fat 4g
Protein 5g
Carbs 18.1g
Fiber 3.9g
Cholesterol 0
Iron 1.3mg
Sodium 562mg
Calcium 60mg

Orange Ginger Soup

It has been a long time since I posted! It isn't that I haven't been cooking or eating, though!

I have been busy lifting, working and going to school..whew.

Here is a recipe we made recently, it is from "Gourmet Nutrition: The Cookbook for the Fit Food Lover" by John Berardi, Micheal Williams and Kristina Andrew This cookbook is full of amazing recipes! I haven't made anything pout of it that wasn't good.

You can purchase a copy of it here :
http://www.gourmetnutrition.com/ it is well worth the money :)

Carrot, Orange and Ginger Soup
makes 4 large servings or 8 small servings

Soup base:

2 tsbp coconut oil (or butter)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated or chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp chili powder
6 cups baby carrots
3/4c fresh orange juice
1/2 can coconut milk
3 cups lowfat milk (I used the entire can of cocnut milk, 14oz, and 2 cups milk)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

I added 3 stalks of celery, chopped, to the soup base.

Garnish (to make it a complete meal):

cooked chicken breast, cubed. Add what yopu need to make it a meal per servong (I added 5oz per serving)

Preheat  a large pot on med-high heat. Add 1 tbsp cocnut oil, then the onions and celery, saute until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add the remaining oil, ginger, cinnamon and chili powder and saute 1 minute more. Add the carrots, OJ, cocnut milk and milk. Bring to a boil. reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer until carrots are soft (10-15 minutes). let mixture cool for a few m inutes (go walk the dog). Add salt & Pepper and then puree with food processor or blender until smooth.

Divide into 4 large serving or 8 small, add chicken and enjoy :)

A large serving has approximately (approximate because I added celery and changed the amount of coconut milk/milk)
Calories 513
Fat 20g (mostly good coconut fat)
Carbohydrates 38g
Fiber 6g
Protein 44g (this must be with the chicken added)

Awesome reheated and even tasty cold...

Saag (Indian Spinach)

This is one of my favorites at the Indian Restaurant. I change the ingredients a little, depending on what I have on hand, but its is a tasty way to get more vegetables. I will write the original recipe and put my changes in parenthesis next to it. This recipe if from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian. The original rceipe includes homemade Indian Cheese, I don't use that. This recipe is great over brown rice with chicken.

1 3/4 lbs fresh spinach, trimmed, washed and coarsely chopped
2 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves (I just used a little ground fenugreek, it has a very strong flavor, maybe 1/2 tsp)
1 fresh hot green chile, coarsely chopped (or half a small can of chopped green chilies)
1 tsp cornmeal
3 tbsp peanut or canola oil (I use coconut oil and just 1/2 tbsp)
1/4c finely chopped onion
1-inch piece of ginger root, peeled and finely grated to a pulp (I buy pre-mashed ginger in a jar, use 1 tbsp)
1c finely chopped tomatoes (I use canned most of the time)
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 to 2 tsp roasted cumin seeds (I use ground cumin, 1 1/2 tsp)
1/4 tsp cayenne powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Indian cheese (look up a recipe, lol)

bring 1c water to a boil in a large pan, ad the spinach, fenugreek and green chile. Cover the pan and cook gently 25 minutes. Now mash the spinach with a wooden masher or potato masher until you have a coarse puree. Blend in the cornmeal and cook gently for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In a separate frying pan, heat the oil over med-high heat. When hot, add the onion and stir and fry until it begins to brown. add the ginger and stir once or twice, then ad the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes over low-med heat until the color of tomatoes intensifies. Stir the tomato mixture into the spinach mixture, then add the salt, roasted cumin, cayenne and cinnamon and stir to mix. Cook gently for five minutes. Serve hot.

Simple ways to sneak more vegetables into your day

Sometimes getting all the vegetables recommended daily is a struggle. Turning to V8 or other juice blends is just a source of empty calories without the benefit of the fiber and work your body has to do working on whole foods. Here are some ways I incorporate veggies into my meals to get all the nutrients and fiber and immune boosting benefits they offer:

Spinach - you get a giant bag from Costco and then it goes bad before you use it up, right? Take a little time to saute it all up -

Heat a little olive oil in a pan and add some garlic, chop the spinach and add it to the warm pan, cooking and stirring until wilted - now you can bag it and freeze it or add it into other meals you are prepping.

Ways I use cooked spinach include:

• add to eggs when scrambling, or as an omelette filling
• mix into spicy black beans http://harddogfitness.blogspot.com/2011/11/black-beans-and-spinach.html
  
• puree and add to meat before making turkey burgers, it keeps them moist and yummy
• add to brown rice or quinoa when reheating
• make a batch of Saag http://harddogfitness.blogspot.com/2011/11/saag-indian-spinach.html
• have a salad and include spinach in the greens

Use Salsas and Pico de Gallo as a topper on things like burgers, salads, rice, baked potatoes

Store bought ones are good, just watch the ingredients, make sure you get fresh salsa with little or no added sugar and real ingredients.

Here are some recipes I have made, this Pico de Gallo was my go-to topper for everything for a long time!

http://harddogfitness.blogspot.com/2011/01/pico-de-gallo.html

http://harddogfitness.blogspot.com/2011/07/2-summery-salsas.html

Chop up your favorite vegetables and keep them in containers in the fridge for fast and easy additions to meals - I keep chopped zucchini, chopped onions, chopped broccoli in containers ready to throw into stir fries or saute up with grains and meat anytime.

Stir Fry is a great way to get a bunch of veggies in - you can buy pre-cut bags of mixed stirfry veggies, or buy all your favorites and pre-chop them to have on hand!

One of my favorite go=to snacks is baggies of chopped cucumber and celery and carrot chunks. crunchy and re-hydrating and cool, easy finger food.

Pre-bake sweet potatoes or yams for a quick addition to any meal. I cook them in batches and store them in the fridge in a big baggie, so all I have to do is weigh out the amount i need for a meal and reheat for a minute in the microwave. Yummy with just a little pepper ;)

Bags of pre-cut vegetables are a little more expensive, but you can't beat the convenience. Anytime you want a crunchy, flavorful snack, instead of chips grab your bag of mixed broccoli, carrots, cauliflower (whatever your favorites are) Walden farms makes some great no-calorie dressing that taste great as dips.

Well, I hope this helps! Eat your veggies - the metabolism and immune boosting benefits can't be beat!

Chicken, Squash and Sweet Potato Tagine

This is a really yummy, healthy Moroccan recipe. I haven't done the nutritional data on it yet. Its a great fall dish.

2 tbsp olive oil
3lbs chicken in pieces
2 lg onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 lb butternut squash or pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed
small handful parsley & small handful mint (fresh chopped)
1 1/4c stock
salt & pepper

Heat oil in a dutch oven, brown chicken; remove & keep warm. Add onion to dutch oven, cook until soft, add garlic and cinnamon and stir 2 minutes til fragrant.
Add sweet potato, squash, chicken, parsley, mint and stock, cover tightly and simmer gently until tender (45 minutes).

Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Garnish with sliced almonds.

Cajun Roasted Sweet Potatoes or Yams

weird formatting is because I entered the recipe on a calculator site to get nutritional data...sorry.

30oz Sweet Potato

2tsp Paprika

0.5tsp, leaves Thyme, Dried

0.5tsp Garlic Powder

0.5tsp Onion Powder

0.25tsp Pepper, Red Or Cayenne

0.5tsp Rosemary, Dried

1tsp Olive Oil

1tsp Soy Sauce

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 375.

2.cut sweet potatoes into 1" cubes. place in large bowl and toss to coat with olive oil and soy sauce.

3mix all spices together , then add to sweet potato cubes and toss well to coat.

4place in single layer and bake 40-45 minutes, until tender.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 serving (171.6 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 206 Calories from Fat 10

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 1.1g 2%

Saturated Fat 0.2g 1%

Sodium 60mg 3%

Total Carbohydrates 46.5g 15%

Dietary Fiber 5.5g 22%

Sugars 0.3g

Protein 2.0g

Vitamin A 10% • Vitamin C 2% Calcium 1% • Iron 2%

* Based on a 2000 calorie die

2 Summery Salsas

Finally back to trying new recipes! I love salsas - they spice up eggs, fish, chicken, beef, everything! They are also a great source of nutrient rich veggies and herbs, so eat up! healthy and tasty - double bonus!

These are from the cookbook "The Great Salsa Book" by Mark Miller I am considering cooking my way through the entire book, but a few of the recipes look iffy, so we will see!

The salsas are rated on a heat scale of 0-10, 0 being no heat at all, 10 being very hot.

Tomatillo Salsa Verde - Heat 5 Yield: 2 cups

This is a bright, citrusey medium hot salsa. he says it is good with chips, most seafood and eggs. I made it in the food processor, very quick and easy, so a good party food if you are making double batches.

1 lb tomatillos (about 15), husked, rinsed and roughly chopped
3 Serrano chiles, with seeds
3/4c fresh cilantro leaves, chopped (1 bunch)
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

throw it all in the blender or food processor and puree.

Salsa Romana - Heat 0 Yield about 3 cups

This tastes like bruschetta topping, or caprese salad without mozzarella (I think cubes of fresh mozzarella would be perfect mixed into it..). The fresh basil flavor is fabulous. it is great over burgers, in an omelet, on fish or would be good as a fresh pasta topping, or on grilled bruschetta. mmm. make sure you use a good quality olive oil - the flavor is awesome.

8 Roma tomatoes (about 1 lb), diced
3 tbsp finely diced red onion
3/4c loosely packed julienned basil leaves
1 tsp finely minced garlic (or more if you love garlic like I do)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt (I think real sea salt tastes better)

Thoroughly combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Allow to sit at room temp for 1 hour before serving.

variation: add 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar for a tarter flavor. Mark Miller notes that "true Italians would double the salt" I found the amount in the recipe perfect.

These both got the Adam stamp of approval ;) and I could eat both with every meal and not get tired of them.

Baba ghanouj (garlicky eggplant dip)

Pierce the skin of and Roast two eggplants on a the grill, or bake in the oven at 350, until they are soft through and collapsed (on the grill they get a nice smoky flavor)

In a food processor combine:

1/4c tahini (sesame seed butter)
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
4-6 cloves garlic, minced

Process to a smooth puree.

Scoop the flesh out of the eggplant skins (when they have cooled enough to handle) and ad to food processor. Puree til smooth and blended.

Feed 1/4c good quality olive oil through the processor tube as processor is going, puree til smooth.

Serve with cut up veggies, pita bread, whole grain crackers. Yummy

Roasted Yukon Gold Potatoes

Yukon Gold Potatoes have a wonderful, buttery flavor of their own, so you don't have to add much.

Allow a 3oz potato for most women, a 5oz potato for most men. I like to make these in batches so i have leftovers to add to meal packets for lunch during the week.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Scrub yukon gold potatoes and cut into 1/2" thick strips or cubes, place in a large bowl and toss with enough olive oil to coat lightly and seasoning of choice - I like sea salt, garlic and fresh ground pepper.

spread potatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet.

bake 15-30 minutes, checking every 15 minutes. Once the potatoes are browned and soft through, they are done. Cooking time varies depending on thickness of cut.

Unfried Breaded Vegetables

We made these with zucchini because its what we had in the vegetable drawer.. mushrooms would be good, and I think low fat string cheese cut into quarters would make a decent "mozzarella stick" - I will follow up on that one soon and post if its good!

3 tbsp flour (wheat pastry flour , white flour or chickpea flour)
1 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 egg whites (used egg product because its what I had on hand)
1 Tbsp milk
1 1/2c whole-wheat bread crumbs (we used Italian seasoned)
nonstick cooking spray

3-4 medium green and yellow zucchini - or vegetables of choice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Generously coat a medium baking sheet with cooking spray. Cut the vegetables into 1/2" thick slices.

Place oven rack on top position. (recipe didn't say to do this, but mine was in that position and I thought it may have helped crisp the veggie coating up a little).

Place the flour and spices in a shallow dish, the egg whites and milk in a small bowl (beat slightly), and the bread crumbs in a third shallow dish.

Dredge the vegetables, one at a time, in the flour, then dip in the egg, then roll in the bread crumbs. Place on prepared baking sheets.

Place sheet in oven on top rack and bake 8-10 minutes (we did ten for the zucchini, you might want less with mushrooms) on one side, then loosen with a spatula to be sure the coating doesn't stick and turn them over and bake another 8-10 minutes.

Serve hot with reduced fat ranch dipping sauce (or we had it on the side with pork that had an herb gravy and they went well).

The Nutrition Data is for 24 breaded mushrooms, 6 per person
per serving:
97 calories
6g protein
17g carbohydrate
1g fat
2g fiber

Soup Du JOur - a whole week of tasty, easy soups

Soup Du Jour (Muscle and Fitness, 1995)

This is one of my favorite recipes - so fast and easy. You can boost the protein content by adding cooked chicken, turkey or beef.

The recipe is laid out for a different kind of soup each day for a week-

Day Frozen Vegetable Seasoning Garnish
Monday Broccoli Basil or Tarragon Popcorn
Tues. Cauliflower Nutmeg or clove Sliced scallions
Wed. Hubbard Squash Ginger or curry Toasted almonds
Thurs. Lima beans Thyme or Mustard Goldfish crackers
Friday Green peas Dill, parsley or mint Chinese noodles
Saturday Spinach Tarragon or Marjoram Crushed corn chips
Sunday Mixed vegetables Basil or Tarragon Oyster crackers


Ingredients:
1/2c frozen chopped onions
1c frozen cubed potatoes (southern-style hash browns)
13 3/4 ounce can low-salt chicken broth
1 bag (20-24 ounce) or two 10 ounce boxes frozen vegetables (see chart above)
1/2 - 1 tsp complementary seasoning (see chart)
12 ounce evaporated skim milk
Salt and white pepper to taste
Complimentary garnish (see chart)

In a 3-quart sauce pan, combine the onion, potatoes and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for five minutes. Add the frozen vegetables and seasoning. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Uncover, remove pan from heat and let it cool slightly.
Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon or small strainer and place in a food processor or blender. Cover and blend 15-30 seconds until vegetables are smooth. return pureed vegetables to the saucepan and gently stir to combine with the broth. Add evaporated milk and cook over medium heat, stirring often. Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper, if desired. serve hot with choice of garnish.
Makes 5-6 cups

Per serving:

Broccoli soup 144 calories, 11g protein, 1g fat, 26g CHO, 371mg sodium, 3 mg cholesterol
Cauliflower soup: 142 calories, 10g pro, 1g fat, 26g CHO, 371 mg sodium, 3 mg cholesterol
Hubbard squash soup: 183 calories, 9g pro, 1g fat, 38g CHO, 343mg sodium, 3 mg cholesterol
Lima Bean soup: 244 calories, 15g pro, 1g fat, 44g CHO, 413 mg sodium, 3 mg cholesterol
Green pea soup: 207 calories, 14g pro, 1g fat, 37g CHO, 481mg sodium, 3 mg cholesterol
Spinach soup: 141 calories, 11g pro, 1g fat, 25g CHO, 433 mg sodium, 3 mg cholesterol
Mixed vegetable soup: 191 calories, 11g pro, 1g fat, 36g CHO, 399 mg sodium, 3 mg cholesterol

Pico de Gallo

Here is a great way to liven up your low fat burgers and chicken breasts, fish or even shrimp - It is fresh and tasty!

2 medium tomatoes, mine weighed 4.5 oz each, about two cups
½ a large onion, 4oz, about ¾ c
1 jalapeno pepper, 1 oz, seeds removed
1 medium lime, mine was about 4.5oz
½ bunch of cilantro (1 cup when chopped)

Dice the tomatoes, onion and jalapeno into small cubes. Chop the cilantro. Place in a medium bowl. Roll the lime around while pressing down on it, then cut in half and squeeze the juice into the bowl with the other ingredients.

This made about 3 cups.
Total 170 calories
6g protein
41.4g carbohydrates
<1.6g fat
8.4g fiber

Per ½ cup serving:
28.3 calories
1g protein
6.9g carbohydrates
.26g fat
1.4g fiber

It is even better if you cover it and let it meld together in the fridge overnight!

You can top just about anything with it, try it on burgers!

Catalan Potato Lima Soup

My family liked this, it was from one of the Moosewood cookbooks by Mollie Katzen, a great source for tasty recipes!

2c chopped onions
2 tsp olive oil
4c sliced or cubed potatoes
2c cooked fresh or frozen green lima beans
4c water or vegetable stock (I used 1/2 chicken and 1/2 vegetable broth)
1/4c chopped cilantro
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1c skim milk or buttermilk (or I have used plain soy milk)

Garnish - roasted red pepper strips or pimento strips
I garnished it with crumbled turkey bacon and croutons for my family.

Saute the onions in the oil for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the potatoes, lima beans, and water or stock and bring to a boil. Add the cilantro and salt and pepper to taste, lower the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes. Puree in batches in a blender or food processor, return to the soup pot, and gently reheat. if you prefer a creamy soup, stir in the milk or soy milk into the soup and gently reheat. garnish and serve.

Per 9-oz serving
217 cal
6.7g pro
2.1g fat,
44.7g cho 4.2g fiber
0 cholesterol

Easy Thai-style Cucumber Salad

Slice one large cucumber into very thin slices
slice one small red onion into very thin slices

Mix together:
1/4c rice vinegar
tbsp splenda (or more to taste)
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt

toss dressing with cukes. When ready to serve add fresh chopped cilantro.

Especially yummy with Lean sirloin sliced over the top.

Cheesy Baked Artichokes (South Beach Diet)

Cheesy baked artichokes South Beach Diet

2 packages (9oz each) frozen artichoke hearts

1 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp ground pecans (I whirled mine in a coffee grinder)

2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp italian seasoning, crushed

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9" glass pie plate with cooking spray.

Place the artichokes in a colander and rinse well with cold water to seperate (break them apart with your hands). Drain well, then pat dry with paper towels. place in the pie plate and sprinkle with the lemon juice.

In a small bowl, combine the pecans, cheese, italian seasoning, garlic and oil. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the artichokes.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the topping is golden.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving:

110 cal

6g fat, 1g sat

5g pro

12g cho, 8g fiber

0 cholesterol

170mg sodium

I really liked this, daughter not-so-much. It reheats well in the microwave - so if you like artichokes, make it and divide into 4 containers and freeze.

"Skinny" Garlic Oven "Fries"

These are from The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger.

Yummy! Our kids love these! especially with a healthy burger :)

3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tbsp)

2 tbsp canola oil

3 large baking potatoes (Yukon gold are my favorite)

1/2 tsp salt (I use seasoned salt)

cooking spray

1 tbsp finley chopped flat leaf parsley (skipped this)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

heat the garlic and oil in a small pan over medium heat for 2 minutes.

Strain the garlic from the oil with a small mesh strainer, set aside both the garlic and oil.

Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch thick matchsticks. in a large bowl, toss together the oil, potatoes, and salt. Coat a baking sheet with the cooking spray and spread the potatoes on it in a single layer. bake until golden and crisp, about 35 minutes.

remove the potatoes fom the baking sheet with a metal spatula. In a serving bowl, toss them with the parsley, reserved garlic and salt to taste. serve immediately.

Serves 4

per serving:

270 calories

7g fat

6g protein

47g carbohydrates

3.5g fiber

excellent source of

manganese

potassium

vitamin b6

vitamin c

vitamin k

Pumpkin or Butternut Squash Curry

(shwephayonethee hin)

from Under the Golden Pagoda; The Best of Burmese Cooking by Aung Aung Taik

THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE RECIPES!!!!!

one 3 lb pumpkin (or butternut or similar orange fleshed squash)

1/2c vegetable oil (I reduced it to less than a tbsp and used a large non-stick saute pan)

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp finely minced garlic

1 tsp turmeric

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp paprika

3 cups water

1 1/12 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

Cut the pumpkin in half and scrape out and discard the seeds and fibers, Peel the skin with a very sharp knife. Cut the pulp into 2-inch squares about 1-inch thick; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion, garlic and turmeric and saute until they just begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

Add the pumpkin, salt, paprika and water. Cover and simmer over medium heat until water is reduced to 1/2 cup and the pumpkin is tender, about 30 minutes. transfer to a serving dish and garnis with parsley.

Serves 4.