Cowboy Caviar

Ingredients
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 bag frozen corn
2 c. cherry tomatoes, chopped
2 large avocados
1/2 small red onion
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. lime juice
salt & pepper, to taste

*Combine all ingredients and chill in fridge a couple hours before serving.
*Great with tortilla chips, nachos, or on grilled chicken.

Grilled Marinated Chicken & Pineapple

This marinade is my Mom's for her Flank Steak, but she also uses it for this delicious meal. 

We've also added chunks of red or green peppers and it's delicious!

Marinade:

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 Tbs. minced onion (I use 2 Tbs. dried)
3 shakes Lawry's seasoned salt

Chicken breasts or tenders

1-2 fresh pineapples, skinned and cut into spears

Mix marinade in a mixing bowl. Marinate chicken and pineapple (and peppers, if desired) in separate Ziplock bags and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Discard marinade and grill.

No-Cream Pasta Primavera

If you're looking for a healthy dinner that's full of fresh vegetables and bursting with the flavors of lemon, balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs, this is your dish! My kids loved it and it would be elegant enough to serve to company. Serves 6. Recipe very slightly adapted from allrecipes.com.

1 (12 ounce) package penne pasta ( I use Dreamfield's low-carb pasta)
1 yellow summer squash, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 carrot, julienned
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned (I used the whole pepper)
1/2 pint grape tomatoes
1 cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
5 spears asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 Tablespoon butter
1/4 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil*
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley*
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook for 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente; drain.

In a bowl, toss squash, zucchini, carrot, red bell pepper, tomatoes, green beans, and asparagus with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning. Arrange vegetables on the baking sheet, and roast 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender.

Heat remaining olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until tender. 

Mix in cooked pasta, lemon zest, basil, parsley, and balsamic vinegar. Gently toss and cook until heated through. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl. Toss with roasted vegetables and sprinkle with Romano cheese to serve.

*I LOVE fresh herbs, but if you want to substitute dried basil and parsley, use 1 1/2 Tablespoons of each.

Bacon-Topped Petite Turkey Meatloaf

This meal thrilled my whole family for 2 reasons: First, this meatloaf is flavorful and not dry and second, it's topped with BACON! Winner! I've made this 4 times and it literally gets cheers from my kids & the hubby when I serve it. Recipe slightly adapted from skinnytaste.com

3/4 cup grated zucchini, all moisture squeezed dry with a paper towel

2 Tablespoons onion, minced

2 Tablespoons red pepper, diced 

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

1/4 cup barbecue sauce

1 large egg

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1.3 pounds 93% lean ground turkey

5 slices center-cut bacon, cut in half

2 1/2 Tablespoons barbecue sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a petite loaf pan with oil (If you don't have one, a muffin tin would work) and set aside.

In a large bowl (I use my stand mixer with the paddle attachment), mix the zucchini, onion, red pepper, breadcrumbs, BBQ sauce, egg, paprika and salt. Add the turkey and combine just until mixed through. 

Divide meatloaf mixture evenly between 5 loaves and smooth tops with a spoon. Place 2 bacon halves over each loaf and top each with 1/2 Tablespoon additional BBQ sauce.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until cooked through. Serves 5. 

Nutritional information per loaf: *Calories: 259 *Fat: 10 g *Carbs: 17 g *Fiber: 1.2 g. *Protein: 25 g *Sodium: 940 mg.

Skinny Baked Zucchini Sticks

This is a yummy snack or appetizer that we can't get enough of! These zucchini sticks are baked instead of fried and they are a fun way to eat your vegetables. Recipe from skinnytaste.com

3 medium zucchini sliced into 3" x 1/2" sticks
1 large egg white
1/3 cup seasoned whole wheat bread crumbs
2 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano cheese
cooking spray
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt
fresh pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In a small bowl, beat egg whites and season with salt and pepper. In a ziplock bag, place breadcrumbs, garlic powder and cheese and shake well. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.

Dip zucchini sticks into eggs then into bread crumb and cheese mixture, a few at a time and shake to coat. Place the breaded zucchini in a single layer and spray more cooking spray on top. Bake at 425° for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with 1/2 cup marinara sauce for dipping.

Servings: 3 • Size: 1 zucchini (sauce extra) • Points+: 3 pts • Calories: 121.9 • Fat: 2.4 • Carbs: 21.0 g • Fiber: 6.0 • Protein: 6.7 g

Stuffed Cabbage Casserole

This is a delicious, filling casserole that's low in carbs and high in fiber. My whole family really liked it! I found this recipe at skinnytaste.com (originally adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen). Makes 10 servings.

2 cups cooked brown rice 

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 pound 95% lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 Tablespoon finely minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian Paprika
salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 heads green cabbage, coarsely chopped
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite dice tomatoes with juice
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
2 cups low-fat mozzarella cheese (such as Sargento)

Cook brown rice and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Heat a large frying pan on medium heat; add ground beef and cook until it's browned and cooked through, breaking it apart as it cooks. Remove ground beef and set aside.

In the same pan, add 1 tsp. olive oil, chopped onion and cook over medium heat until the onion is translucent and starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic, dried thyme, and paprika and cook about 2 minutes more. Then add the diced tomatoes with juice, tomato sauce, and ground beef. Add water to the pan. Simmer until it's hot and slightly thickened, about 15-20 minutes.

While it simmers, cut cabbage in half, cut out the core, and remove any wilted outer leaves; chop the cabbage coarsely into 1 inch pieces.

Heat remaining olive oil in a large frying pan or dutch oven; add the cabbage and cook over medium-high heat until the cabbage is wilted and about half cooked, turning it over several times so it all wilts and cooks. Season with salt and fresh-ground black pepper.

When the meat and tomato sauce mixture has cooked and thickened a bit, stir in the 2 cups of cooked rice and gently combine.

Spray a 10 x 13" glass casserole dish with non-stick spray and the layer half the cabbage, half the meat mixture, remaining cabbage, and remaining meat mixture. Cover tightly with foil and bake 40 minutes, or until the mixture is just starting to bubble on the edges.

Remove foil and sprinkle on cheese. Bake uncovered an additional 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and starting to slightly brown. Serve hot.

Freezer friendly if you have leftovers. To reheat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then either microwave until hot or heat in the oven in a glass dish covered with foil.

Servings: 10 • Serving Size: 1/10th  • Weight Watchers Points+: 7 pts Calories: 250.9 • Fat: 11.3 g • Protein: 16.9 g • Carb: 23.8 g • Fiber: 5.5 g • Sugar: 2 g  • Sodium: 459 mg (without salt)  

30-Day Bran Muffins

My Mom made these for us over the holidays and I've been craving them ever since! These high-fiber muffins make a great breakfast or snack, the muffins freeze well and the batter stores in the fridge for up to 30 days! My Mom often makes a few at a time so they are fresh and hot out of the oven. What's not to love about that? I love them with raisins, but I have one child who prefers them without. We love them with butter and honey. Either way, they are delish! 

There are SO many very similar recipes online.  My Mom uses one from the Favorites cookbook. 

This recipe (below) makes about 8 dozen muffins (use the biggest bowl you have to mix!), so if you'd like to make a half batch, here's the recipe for 4 dozen: Spark People

4 cups Kellogg's All-Bran cereal (looks like little sticks)
2 cup boiling water
1 cup margarine
2 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, beaten
5 cups flour
5 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoons salt
4 cups (1 quart) buttermilk
2 cups Bran Flakes cereal (such as Post Bran Flakes)

1 (15 oz. box) seedless raisins, optional (or dried cranberries. Fresh blueberries would be great too!)

Combine All-Bran and boiling water in a large bowl. Cream margarine and sugar, and add to bran. Add eggs. Mix dry ingredients, and add alternately with buttermilk, then add Bran Flakes. Stir in raisins (or dried cranberries or fresh blueberries) if desired just before baking.

Keeps up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator. I use a large cookie scoop to get just the right amount of batter.

Bake in muffin cups at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Nutritional information per muffin (without raisins): 134 calories, 2.5 grams fat, 3.5 grams protein, 27 grams carbohydrate, 2.8 grams dietary fiber, 18.5 mg. cholesterol, 251 mg. sodium

Coconut Banana Bread with Lime Glaze

My family loves banana bread, so when I found this recipe for yummy banana bread, with a twist, I was really happy. This recipe comes from Cooking Light and the only change I made is suggesting some substitutions for the rum. I hope you'll love this banana bread with a hint of lime & coconut as much as we do!

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt
3 Tablespoons dark rum (or substitute rum extract or milk)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1 tablespoon flaked sweetened coconut
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Place granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, rum (or rum extract or milk), and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in 1/2 cup coconut. 

Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon coconut. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Check at about 35 to 40 minutes and cover with a tin foil tent to prevent over-browning, if necessary. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. 

Combine powdered sugar and juice, stirring with a whisk; drizzle over warm bread. Cool completely on wire rack.1 loaf makes 16 slices.

Nutritional Info: Each slice provides: 193 calories, 4.6 grams fat, 2.9 grams protein, 35 grams carbohydrate, 1.1 grams fiber, 35 mg. cholesterol and 179 mg. sodium.

Hearty Spaghetti Sauce

We moved this summer and the second night in our new home, our neighbor brought this Turkey Spaghetti sauce for dinner and a fabulous dessert (Marshmallow Krispie Brownies) to introduce herself. Now THAT's the way to make friends, people! We still had boxes to the ceiling and I hadn't made a home-cooked meal in days. Needless to say, I called her to ask for the recipes because we all loved them. This can be made with ground turkey or beef. 

Also, she brought me Dreamfields Pasta, which is my new favorite pasta. It has a low glycemic index, which for those non-diabetics, it means that it doesn't cause such a speedy rise in your blood sugar when you eat it. In fact, out of the 41 grams of carbohydrate in each serving, only 5 grams "count." As a Diabetic, I am always looking for ways to cut carbs, so I am a big fan! I can find it at 2 of my local grocery stores and I seriously can't taste any difference between Dreamfields and regular pasta.  The Turkey Spaghetti Sauce itself is low-carb, but with this new pasta, it's a legitimate "low-carb pasta meal." Hooray for that!

Anyway, I digress... Here's the recipe, from my neighbor Sharon:)  Serves about 8.

1 pound lean ground turkey or beef

1 green pepper, diced

1 onion, diced

1 (28 ounce) can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes

1 (15 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon (or less) cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon sage

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

Brown meat with onion and green pepper and set aside.

Mix tomatoes, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and spices in a large pot. Add browned meat and vegetables and stir well. Cover and let simmer over low heat for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Serve sauce over cooked pasta. 

Pumpkin Dip

I made this yummy Pumpkin Dip on Halloween night, but I think it would be perfect all Fall and Winter... or any time for that matter! I cut the recipe in half, since I was only serving 10 and the original recipe serves 32! Recipe adapted from Carolina Charm and allrecipes.

This adaption serves about 12-16.

1 small pumpkin (I used a pie pumpkin and it was perfect!)

1/2 of a (15 ounce) can of pumpkin
1/2 of a 5 ounce box of instant vanilla pudding mix {just the powder, don't make the pudding}
1 (8 ounce) container of low-fat whipped topping, such as Cool Whip, thawed

1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
Cinnamon to sprinkle on top, if desired

Make sure your Cool Whip is thawed in the refrigerator a few hours before you begin.

Mix pumpkin, pudding mix, Cool Whip, and pumpkin pie spice together in a large bowl. Chill for at least an hour before serving. 

Meanwhile, carve your pumpkin! Hollow out the inside and the lid and spoon the pumpkin mix inside. Sprinkle with cinnamon, and serve with fresh apples slices, vanilla wafers, ginger snaps or graham crackers. 

Green Beans with Lime

I'm glad to say that my kids actually love vegetables and green beans are one of their favorite. I came across this simple way to make green beans a little more fun in the I Can't Believe It's Not Fattening cookbook by Devin Alexander. You can adjust the amount of lime flavor to your taste. Green beans are what we diabetics call a "free choice," because there aren't even enough calories or carbohydrates to count! This recipe says it makes two 1-cup servings, so you can adjust to suit your family.

1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed

2 teaspoons to 1 Tablespoon lime juice, or more, to taste

Sea salt, to taste

Steam green beans for 3-5 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Drain them well. Transfer beans to a serving bowl and toss with lime juice and season with salt. Serve immediately.

Each (1-cup) serving has: 29 calories, 1 g. protein, 7 g. carbohydrates, 1 g. fat, 0 mg. cholesterol, 4 g. fiber, trace sodium.

Slow-Cooker Sour Cream Salsa Chicken

I was trying to use up a huge jar of salsa that I had opened when making Cafe Rio Sweet Pork and I came across this recipe on Spark People. It's a FREE nutrition tracker/ diet plan/ healthy lifestyle website. I'd heard of Spark People, but I didn't realize the website has over 200,000 healthy recipes! Pretty cool, right? Well, besides spending over an hour adding healthy recipes to my Pinterest boards (SO addicting!), I found this super easy recipe that I've made 3 times now. I don't often make a recipe that often because there are so many new recipes I haven't tried, but this is perfect for Sundays. I can throw 3 ingredients in a slow-cooker before we go to church and when we come home, this meal is hot and on the table within 10 minutes! I never even thaw the frozen chicken first. My family all loves it too, which makes me happy:) Recipe adapted from spark people.com

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 package 40% reduced sodium taco seasoning mix (or about 3-4 Tablespoons)
1 cup salsa
2 Tbs. cornstarch

2 Tbs. water
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

Spray crock pot with cooking spray (or line with a Reynolds' Slow Cooker Liner) and add chicken breast. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and top with salsa. Cook on low for 6 hours. Remove chicken from pot and shred. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 Tbs. water and stir into sauce remaining in crock pot. Stir in sour cream and shredded chicken and warm through. Serve on top of rice, noodles or quinoa and sprinkle with a little cheese. Can also be served in a tortilla as a burrito.  Serves 6.

Nutritional info (without rice): Calories: 231.8, Total fat: 3.2 g., Cholesterol: 95.2 mg., Sodium: 689.7 mg., Total carbs: 12.2 gm., Dietary fiber: 1.3 gm., Protein: 36.6 gms. 

Curried Chicken and Wild Rice Chowder

This hearty soup will warm you and fill you up (and you don't even have to tell your family that it's lower in calories and fat!) The curry powder and nutmeg give this soup a unique flavor that we love! Recipe adapted from Eating Well...Living Thin(ner).

2 cups cooked & shredded chicken breast
1/2 cup wild rice
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons butter
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, shredded
1 stalk celery, diced
1 small zucchini, diced
1/4 cup flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups 2% milk (Skim would work…will be less rich, but will taste fine, if you’d rather)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried chives
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon yellow curry powder
2 teaspoon fresh, minced parsley

Cook & shred chicken breast and set aside.

Bring wild rice and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes or until tender. Drain if necessary. Set aside.

Add olive oil, butter, onion, and garlic to a large pot over medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes or until golden and soft, stirring occasionally. Add carrots, celery, and zucchini. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir in flour very well and cook for an additional minute. Add the cooked wild rice, chicken broth, milk, salt, black pepper, bay leaf, chives, thyme, sage, nutmeg, and curry powder.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and soup is thickened. Remove bay leaf. Stir in chicken and fresh parsley. Heat through. Makes approx eight 1-cup servings.

Per Serving: 173 Cal; 16.3 g Protein; 7 g Fat; 11.5 g Carb; 1.1 g Fiber; 4 g Sugar; 387 mg Sodium

Skinny pork burritos

We love barbacoa-style pork burritos and make them often around here. Recently, I tried this recipe and  loved it! The chipotle chiles give this pork such a good flavor. Recipe from skinnytaste.com (I just added a bit more cumin:)

Step #1- MARINADE:

2.5 lbs. pork loin roast, all fat trimmed

Salt & pepper

Garlic powder

6 oz. Coke Zero (could sub Diet Coke or Diet Dr. Pepper)

1/4 cup brown sugar

Season pork with salt, pepper and garlic powder and place in crock pot. Add Coke and brown sugar. Marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight, turning meat at least once while marinating.

Step #2- COOK:

1/4 cup water

8 oz. Coke Zero

8 oz. tomato sauce

1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeds discarded and finely chopped*

7 oz. can diced green chilies, drained

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/8 tsp. chipotle chile powder (to taste)

salt and pepper, to taste

1/3 cup brown sugar

Remove crock from refrigerator, add water and cook on high for 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily). Remove pork from crock and discard any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork with 2 forks and place it back into the crock pot. 

Mix the remaining ingredients (Coke Zero, tomato sauce, diced chipotle chile and adobo sauce, green chiles, garlic powder, cumin, chipotle chile powder, salt and pepper and brown sugar) and pour on top of the shredded pork in the crock pot. Cover and cook on high for another hour. Makes about 10 servings.

*NOTE: I'm loving chipotle chiles lately, but most recipes only call for 1 or 2. There's a great little tutorial on these chile peppers over at Ourbestbites.com, if you're interested!

Grilled mushrooms

My Grammy says that when I was just a few years old, we came over for dinner and I stepped in the door and exclaimed, "Mmmmmm..... I smell mushrooms!" This is an easy and delicious side dish, just the way my Grammy and my Mom prepare them...

Mushrooms
Olive oil
Beef bouillon granules

Wash and slice mushrooms. Add about 1 Tbs. olive oil to a sauté pan and heat over medium heat. Add some beef bouillon granules (1 tsp.- 1 Tbs.) and the sliced mushrooms.  Cook a few minutes, stirring often, until mushrooms are tender. Also great on top of grilled burgers or steak!

Lemony Chicken and Orzo

I was digging through my recipe box and looking for some dinner time inspiration when I discovered this recipe. I originally cut it out of a Family Circle magazine but made some significant changes and remembered that we really liked it. We had it for dinner last night and it was a hit. The best part is that I had everything to make it in my kitchen already, and you cook the whole meal in the same pot. Love that!

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

salt and pepper

1 can (14.5 oz.) chicken broth

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 tsp. honey

3 Tbs. sour cream

2 cups water

1 1/2 cups orzo

Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine chicken broth and lemon juice in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add chicken and then cover and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken from the pot and set aside.

Return the pot to the stove and cook over high heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and wisk in the honey and sour cream and then add the water. Bring to a boil and then add orzo pasta. Cook for 10 minutes or until pasta is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir chicken back into the pot and serve immediately.

**For a healthy splash of color, buy some fresh green beans and cut into 1 inch pieces. Add to the pot for the last 4 minutes that the pasta is cooking. Yum!

Three-Bean Christmas Chili (low-fat)

*Betty Crocker c/o Sydney Pryor

Ingredients

1 lb. ground beef, cooked & drained (can make without for vegetarian option)

1 can (28 oz.) whole tomatoes, undrained

1 can (15 oz.) dark red kidney beans, drained

1 can (15 oz. garbanzo beans, drained

1 can (15 oz.) butter beans, drained

1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce

3 small red, orange or yellow bell peppers, cut in 1/2 inch pieces (I use all three colors of pepper)

1 Anaheim or jalapeno chili, seeded & chopped

1-2 Tbsp. chili powder

2 tsp. ground cumin

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/2 c. sour cream

3 Tbsp. salsa

Instructions

Pour can of tomatoes into  large pot; break up tomatoes with a spoon.  Stir in remaining ingredients except sour cream & salsa.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer 30 to 35 minutes or until bell peppers are tender.

Sour Cream Topping

In a small bowl, hand mix sour cream and salsa.

Serve chili with sour cream mixture.