This is soooooooo good!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Quinoa Salad

(A warm whole-grain salad with sweet roasted red peppers, salty feta and a balsamic vinaigrette)

Prep time: 5 Minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 Clove garlic, chopped
2 roasted red peppers, chopped
1 Cup quinoa (red and/or white), rinsed
2 Cup vegetable broth (or chicken broth or water)
1 Teaspoon oregano, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 Cup chickpeas
1/4 Cup feta, crumbled
1/4 Cup balsamic vinaigrette

Preparation
1. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the onion and sauté until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about a minute.
2. Add the roasted red peppers, quinoa, vegetable broth and oregano, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and mix in the chickpeas, feta and balsamic vinaigrette.

Chicken and Greens
 

I had this for dinner tonight. It's spring and I love greens! You can add some brown rice to this, but I'm very carb sensitive so I don't.

Makes 2 servings

1 tsp olive oil
1 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut up into strips
1 white onion, halved and sliced thinly
1 bunch Swiss chard, washed and trimmed, cut into 1" pieces
1 bunch beet tops, washed and trimmed, cut into 1" pieces
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
salt and pepper to taste

In a pot, on medium high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the chicken and saute until all sides are browned. Add the onions and cook them down until soft.

Add the greens on top of the chicken, then pour the chicken stock over the top. Place the lid on top of the pot and turn the heat down to medium. Allow the greens to be steamed by the chicken stock until tender, about 10 minutes. Lift the lid and stir the greens down into the remaining stock and the chicken.

Serve in a bowl over whole grain, such as brown rice or quinoa. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten the greens.

Low Sugar, Flaxseed & Olive Oil Banana Nut Muffins

I've been experimenting with healthier baking. I made these as mini-muffins and SparkPeople's recipe analyzer put them at 59 calories apiece.

2 medium bananas
2 eggs
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 c. Splenda
1 c. white flour
1 c. flaxseed meal
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. powdered ginger
1 c. vanilla yogurt (use plain for lower sugar)
1 c. walnuts

Mash bananas. Beat in eggs and olive oil. Stir in Splenda.

In a separate boil, sift together (or just mix well) flour, flaxseed meal, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and ginger.

Add about half the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until moist. Stir in half the yogurt, then repeat with the rest of the dry ingredients and the rest of the yogurt. Don't overmix! Stir in the walnuts.

Fill lined muffin tins just about level and bake at 400 degrees.

For mini-muffins, these needed about 9 minutes; regular muffins would likely be 14-16. Made 48 yummy mini muffins.

Angela

PS: I'll try these again some time without the egg yolks and will update if that seems to work.

My two favorite meals
 

Italian Chicken

16 oz raw chicken breast
20 oz stewed tomatoes
3 large zucchini
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup sliced onion

Directions

Preheat Oven To 350: Cut Chicken into chunks and coat with ITALIAN HERBS, brown for about 5-10 minutes in a non stick pan either in Pam or Olive Oil.
Pour Entire Large can of Stewed Tomatoes into dutch oven. Add sliced zucchini and onion and all of chicken and drippings from pan. Stir lightly cover and bake for about 30 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Serve over pasta or alone.
You can add garlic to the pan and any other seasoning, I make it bland for my two small kiddos.

Serving Size 1 serving
Calories 228
Total Fat 8.72g
Cholesterol 50mg
Sodium 554mg
Potassium 1095mg
Total Carbohydrate 18.34g
Dietary Fiber 4.3g
Sugars 12.2g
Protein 22.08g

Spinach Pasta Salad

6 servings greek vinaigrette salad dressing
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup sliced black olives
12 oz, Rotini Pasta.
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
3 cups chopped or sliced plum tomatoes

Directions

Cook Pasta according to direction. Chop fresh spinach and tomatoes.
Once pasta is rinsed and cooled. Add all but dressing to large bowl and mix well. You can either add dressing now or wait and individually add dressing. Chill for at least 2 hours then serve. Super Super YUMMY!!

The pasta and dressing hold all of the calories for this dish, so you can adjust that to your needs.

Calories 478
Total Fat 20.95g
Saturated Fat 7.46g
Total Carbohydrate 56.31g
Dietary Fiber 4.8g
Sugars 5.64g
Protein 15.6g

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6240/...88a9750fec.jpg

made this for supper....with turkey...delish!!

Winter Panzanella
1/2 medium butternut squash, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
20 small Brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
2 carrots, cut into chunks
Dash thyme
3 pcs nutty grain bread or any artisan bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
MISTO sprays of EVOO
1/4 small red onion, sliced thinly in rings, I used my mandolin
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp olive oil
handful of chopped fresh parsley
1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed and dried
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp paprika
¼ cup chopped walnuts
salt
black pepper

In a very large bowl, Combine onions with sherry vinegar, some salt and pepper, and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Let dressing sit while preparing the rest.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Toss squash, brussels sprouts and carrots with 1/2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper and thyme. Spread out on a large baking sheet, (I covered with foil first for easy cleanup) Roast for 20 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and browned. Do not overcook. Cook until fork tender not mush!

While vegetables are roasting, toast breadcrumbs in a large pan over medium-low heat, tossing occasionally….with a few sprays of EVOO from the MISTO sprayer. After toasted, spread out on cooling rack so they stay dry and no moisture.

In the same large pan, add a drizzle of olive oil over heat medium heat. Add garbanzo beans, minced garlic, paprika, salt, and pepper and walnuts. Toss to coat the beans with the seasonings, and cook a few minutes, just until heated through.

Add vegetables, bread, and garbanzo beans to the large mixing bowl with the dressing and toss until all ingredients are evenly coated. Enjoy!!!

Rainbowsmiles YUMMY! That looks good.

Originally Posted by mahtha-Sue -- Rosebud, this is from pinterest, but I think the origin is skinnytaste.com. They were really a nice treat!


Creamy Lemon Cheesecake Yogurt Cupcakes
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 12 • Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 2 pts • Points+: 3 pts
Calories: 108.6 • Fat: 4.7 g • Carb: 12.6 g • Fiber: 1.1 g • Protein: 3.6 g • Sugar: 7.1
Sodium: 107.9

Ingredients:
12 reduced fat vanilla wafers
8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
6 oz fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
2 large egg whites
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
1 tbsp all purpose flour
24 blackberries

Directions:

Heat oven to 350°.

Line cupcake tin with liners. Place a vanilla wafer at the bottom of each liner.

Gently beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth using an electric mixer. Gradually beat in fat free yogurt, egg whites, lemon juice, lemon zest and flour. Do not over beat. Pour into cupcake liners filling half way.

Bake 25 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool to room temperature. Chill a few hours in the refrigerator.* Top with berries upon serving. Note: I think raspberries might be nice on these too.

EZ VEGGIE PITA PIZZA ...

Pizza is one of my most favorite dishes, so pizza isn't a taboo food for me. One of our Canadian dieticians (Rosemary Shwartz?) once said that "pizza can be eaten in a balanced plan on occasion" becuz it has food from all food groups, and you can make it as healthy and low-cal as you want.

I have found ways to fit pizza into my plan. I make veggie pita pizzas about 1-2 times a week for lunch (380 cals). About once a month, we pick up one slice take-out for DH & I for lunch; and once a month, we have home-baked pizza that has less calories. Sometimes, I have salad first to fill me up; and I like to add veggies to my home-made ones to keep the calories lower too.

Let me share my VEGGIE PITA PIZZA with you all --

1 X 7-8" whole grain Pita/140
1 tbl tomato paste/20
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano leaves
1/4 cup diced onions/10
4+ chopped mushrooms/20
1.5 oz mozzarella chz/145
1/4 cup olives (sliced or chopped)/20
1 tbl parmesan chz/25

Put on pita in order given; use shredded or just slice your mozzarella chz. Put in microwave on paper towels for 2-3 minutes. I use lower calorie cheese when I can find it (90 cals oz). You can use less chz and/or more veggies; whatever you like. If you have a salad first, you will be even fuller. :D

GARLIC & TOMATO PENNE

8 oz lean ground chuck/500
half medium onion, chopped/25
8 oz button mushrooms, chopped/40 (about 1 cup)
1 cup zucchini, chopped small/20
1/4 cup each red & green sweet peppers, diced/40
1 can or jar Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce*/200 (2 cups)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp basil leaves
3 cups dry penne pasta (makes 5-6 cups cooked)/900
* Occasionally, I make this sauce with my own tomatoes and garlic; but mostly I just use the prepared ones for convenience.

Prepare pasta while making sauce. Brown meat and drain fat. Add in prepared veggies and saute for about 5-10 minutes. Add sauce & simmer until hot & bubbly, and pasta is done. I got 6 servings out of this for 300 calories each serving (or 5 servings for 350 cals). This meal only takes about 30 minutes to prepare, so it's quick for families. Enjoy ... :D

EDIT2ADD: this could easily be made without meat for vegetarians; just add more veggies, if desired (for even lower calories too).

EZ APPLE BAKE

3 medium/large semi-sweet apples of choice/240
3 tbl NSA maple syrup/30
1 tbl brown sugar, opt/20
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup water
1 tbl flour/25 (at end)

Wash apples and cut into chunks (removing cores). Put into glass casserole dish (I use 1.5 quart one). Add remaining ingredients except flour and mix well with fork. Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes (until tender). Remove and stir in flour, and put back in for 10 more minutes. Cool to warm and eat. Makes 3 servings at about 105 calories each; or 4 servings for 80 cals.

NOTE: sometimes, I like to add 3 tbl raisins/75 cals to this as well -- that will make this dessert/snack about 130 per serving; or 4 servings @ 98 cals each.

VARIATION: sub one apple for 1 cup rhubarb and it will bring it down to 85 calories per serving.

TIP: I often make this when I have the oven on and am roasting a dinner at the same time.

* MY HAMBURGER STEW *

1 lb lean hamburger
1 medium onion chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup kniblet frozen corn
1 cup shredded cabbage, opt
1-28 oz can tomatoes, chopped
1 tbl onion soup mix
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Brown meat; and drain fat. Add onions, seasonings, veggies and stew for 30+ minutes until veggies are tender. Enjoy! NOTE: you can eat this alone; or over rice or pasta, if desired.

Rosebud, This sounds delicious and coming at the right time too!! will try this one for sure!! Thanks for sharing!

UBERGIRL ~ TOMATO PATTIES are a family recipe (from both sides) from our grammas and we love them. Basically, they are savory meatballs stewed in tomatoes. I love to serve it with green beans and coleslaw. My family always had it with mashed potatoes but I often have baby new potatoes and/or corn instead. Here's the recipe (my version) --

PATTIES: combine and form into 12 meatballs
1 lb LEAN hamburger
3/4 cup oatmeal (1-minute kind)
1/2 tsp each Sage & black pepper
1 tbl onion soup mix

SAUCE: stew patties in/with ...
1 medium onion, chopped
28 oz can tomatoes, chopped
1 cup kernel corn, frozen
1 tbl onion soup mix
1/2 tsp each garlic powder + black pepper

METHOD: Brown meatballs on each side in a large skillet with onions, then add the tomatoes with juice and corn. Add seasonings, and simmer-boil (covered) for about 30 minutes while you make the other stuff -- i.e. potatoes (I start these first). I cook green beans for a side dish; and we find Coleslaw is particularly nice with this meal. It IS yummy; and I get to have leftovers for other meals too (i.e. lunches).

My calculations are that one serving of this meal is about 400 calories or less, actually. :D

CREAMY MUSHROOM MEATBALLS ~ Last week, we had this for dinner: another family recipe ...

MEATBALLS:
1 lb lean hamburger
3/4 cup 1-minute oatmeal
1 tbl onion soup mix/base
1/2 tsp black pepper, opt

SAUCE:
1 medium onion, chopped or sliced
1/2 tsp each garlic powder & black pepper
1 TBL onion soup mix/base
1 can cream of mushroom soup
few extra chopped mushrooms, if desired
1/2 cup water or more, as needed

METHOD: combine meatballs and brown on both sides in large skillet with onions & extra mushrooms, if using. Add soup, water, and seasoings and simmer-boil on low for about 30 minutes while making side dishes.

We serve these with either potatoes or pasta. I also like to have green beans & carrots with them as well. Enjoy!

Just made this and LOVED it!

Secret Ingredient Meatloaf


1lb Ground Sirloin 93/7
46g Egg Beaters - Southwestern Style Egg Beaters
6oz Pepperidge Farm - Herb Seasoning Stuffing
onion (optional)
celery (optional)
peppers (optional)
3/4 cup water

I mixed all together, devided into 7 4oz servings. Placed them in oven using a muffin tin. (use muffin wrappers for easy clean up) Baked 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

(these calculations were bassed on Fitness Pal and I used onion, pepper, &celery)
Calories~146
Carbs~10
Fat~5
Protein~15

My Topping I used:
Del Monte - Ketchup , 6 table spoon
Domino - Light Brown Sugar , 3 Teaspoon

Mix and dived over all 7 meatoafs, put back in over for 10 more minutes.

If used add 22 calories to the meatloaf.