Our Favorite Recipes

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  • Chili-Beef Skewers
    Made this one last night -- we had it at our cooking club a few years ago and I remembered it being really good, so when I bought some sirloin I decided to make it. Who knew it was so healthy too?

    I didn't bother with the dipping sauce -- I think they're good enough without it and it just adds calories. I also cooked under my broiler instead of on a grill -- ended up doing 3 minutes one side, then flipping and doing 2 minutes on the other side. Yum!

    Chili-Beef Skewers
    From Self magazine

    Ingredients:
    8 wooden skewers
    1/2 cup fresh cilantro
    4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
    3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
    1 tsp grated orange zest
    1 tsp sriracha
    1 tsp fish sauce
    1 tsp brown sugar
    1 lb lean beef sirloin, cut into 1/8-inch strips
    1 each red, green and yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces (optional)
    Vegetable oil cooking spray


    Dipping sauce
    1/2 cup lowfat mayonnaise
    2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
    1 tbsp fresh lime juice
    1 tsp fish sauce

    Soak skewers for 30 minutes. Puree cilantro, garlic, soy sauce, orange zest, sriracha, fish sauce and sugar in a food processor. Transfer marinade to a resealable plastic bag; add beef. Seal bag, toss and set aside up to 30 minutes. Combine dipping sauce ingredients in a bowl. Thread 4 pieces of pepper and 2 beef strips on each skewer, alternating beef and peppers. Coat grill rack with cooking spray; heat grill to high; cook until meat is no longer pink, about 3 minutes.

    Nutritional analysis per serving: 122 calories (with bell peppers), 3.7 g fat (0.6 g saturated), 14 g carbs, 1.9 g fiber, 9.7 g protein

    The nutritional info comes from the magazine. I calculated it in a calorie counter though and came out with different numbers, so who knows?
  • Pumpkin Recipes!
    I love pumpkin and have "mined" these healthy recipes as I've found them - will try to give credit to the original chefs!

    This custard tastes like pumpkin pie filling, I swear! Very high protein, too.
    Baked Pumpkin Custard (Meg’s recipe)

    1 large can pure pumpkin (29 oz)
    1 1/2 cups low or nonfat cottage cheese
    1 1/2 cups Splenda
    1 1/2 cups Eggbeaters
    2 teaspoons cinnamon
    1 teaspoon ginger
    1/2 teaspoon cloves
    1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
    1/2 teaspoon salt

    Process all in the food processor until well-mixed and smooth. Spray six custard cups with PAM. Divide mixture equally in cups. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes or until top is lightly browned. (Megan's note - you want to leave about 1/2" space at the top of your ramekins, because the custard will rise a bit.)

    Nutrition Info per serving

    110 calories
    1 g fat
    12 g carbs
    13 g protein

    Pumpkin Raisin Muffins - Low Fat Recipe
    From our friend joyfulloser
    Makes 16 servings

    Ingredients
    1/4 c flax seed, milled/ground
    3/4 c all purpose flour
    1 c whole wheat flour
    1 tsp baking powder
    1/4 tsp baking soda
    1/2 tsp salt
    2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
    1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
    1/3 cup splenda
    3/4 cup applesauce
    14 oz canned pumpkin
    1/3 cup whole milk
    1 tsp white vinegar
    2 eggs
    1/2 cup raisins
    1/2 tsp vanilla

    Nutrition Facts
    Serving Size 77.2g

    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 139
    Calories from Fat 18
    % Daily Value*
    Total Fat 2.0g 3%
    Saturated Fat 0.4g 2%
    Trans Fat 0.0g
    Cholesterol 24mg 8%
    Sodium 107mg 4%
    Total Carbohydrates 27.1g 9%
    Dietary Fiber 2.1g 8%
    Sugars 13.5g
    Protein 3.2g

    Vitamin A 78% • Vitamin C 2%
    Calcium 4% • Iron 8%

    Directions
    1. Mix milk and vinegar in separate container. Let set for 5 mins. (This mixture replaces buttermilk)
    2. Whisk together all dry ingredients. Then combine brown sugar, applesauce, pumpkin, milk, vanilla and eggs. Mix well. Stir/fold in raisins. Spray muffin pan or spray paper muffin cups. Spoon into greased muffin pan or sprayed paper muffin cups. Fill to approx 1/4 inch from top of pan/cup.
    3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, Grease muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes, or until tops spring back or insert toothpick until it comes back clean.

    My friend has found a recipe for pumpkin sage sausage pasta, and another for pumpkin mac 'n cheese. I'm not sure how diet friendly they are, but I might come back to post these too (or work on lightening them up!).
  • Thanks Megan! Hey how big are the custard cups you use for your pumpkin custard? I have ramekins but they only hold 1/2 C, is that the right size?
  • My ramekins are 3" diameter and 2" tall. I think they hold around 1 cup if filled to the brim. I'm sure you could use any size ramekin, or a larger baking dish. If you're using smaller dishes take a few minutes from baking time, larger maybe add a few minutes. Just divide the nutrition info accordingly to how many servings you come out with if you're counting calories etc.

    I'm editing my recipe to add that you should leave about 1/2" space at the top of your ramekins, because the custard will rise a bit.
  • I made this recipe the other day and it was pretty good and low-cal for a large portion. The only thing is that depending how big you cut your cauliflower, it might take a whole lot longer than 4 mins to steam so beware, or you'll have raw cauliflower!

    Baked Italian-Style Cauliflower
    from Cooking Light

    1 tablespoon olive oil
    1 cup chopped onion
    4 garlic cloves, minced
    6 ounces lean ground sirloin
    1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
    1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
    1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    1 1/2 cups lower-sodium marinara sauce (such as McCutcheon's)
    2 ounces pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
    1 1/2 pounds cauliflower, cut into florets
    Cooking spray
    1 ounce French bread baguette, torn into 1-inch pieces
    1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese

    Preparation

    1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in beef. Sprinkle with salt and peppers, and sauté 3 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in sauce and olives.
    2. Preheat broiler.
    3. Steam cauliflower 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Place cauliflower in an 11 x 7-inch broiler-safe baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with sauce mixture.
    4. Place bread in a mini chopper; pulse until coarse crumbs form. Combine crumbs and cheese; sprinkle over cauliflower mixture. Broil 4 minutes or until browned.
    Wine Match: When in Rome, drink like the Romans: A light, easy-drinking Italian red with good acidity pairs well with the tomato-based sauce and beef in this Italian-style recipe. Try Castello Banfi's Col di Sasso 2008 ($8), a soft and fruity blend of cabernet sauvignon and sangiovese, which has a hint of earthiness that enhances the olives and cauliflower. --Gretchen Roberts

    Julianna Grimes, Cooking Light
    NOVEMBER 2011
  • Thanks, Jessica! I've been looking forward to this recipe!
  • I am looking for a recipe for roasted vegetables, I have seen it someplace on the forums but couldn't locate it. Anybody remember it ?
  • Quote: I am looking for a recipe for roasted vegetables, I have seen it someplace on the forums but couldn't locate it. Anybody remember it ?
    Basically, take your veggies, cleaned and cut and put in a ziplock bag. Pour in a tablespoon of olive oil. Shake until all the veggies are coated. Then pour into a foil-lined pan and season (I just use salt and pepper but other seasonings like garlic powder, onion powder, etc. can be used). I roast at either 450 or 500 and stir a couple times until they're done--about 20-30 minutes. Some veggies take longer--carrots, potatoes and others less time--beans. I've done all sorts of combinations.
  • I do my roasted veggies almost the same, except instead of tossing in a bag with olive oil I spray my pan with cooking spray, put in the veggies, then spray again.
  • Allison, Jessica, thank you. I went to the Farmer's Market Saturday and I bought vegies I want to roast. I will be trying it out,
  • Breakfast Casserole
    Spray a 9x13 baking dish. Preheat oven to 365F, or 350F convection.

    Base Layer:
    3 large potatoes, shredded, diced or sliced (we like Yukons)
    or
    1 bag "Simply Potatoes" prepared - shredded or diced.
    Distribute potatoes on bottom of dish. If using shredded, pat them down lightly. Bake for approx 35 minutes, til edges are browning. This improves the finished texture, but you can get away without the pre-baking step if you're really in a hurry.

    Meat Layer, 1 pound. We love Canadian bacon, turkey ham, spicy pork sausage, leftover kielbasa ... be creative! The only rule is that it needs to be cooked ahead of time. Layer over potatoes.

    Veggie Layer (optional) - 2 cups of what you like, diced small. I'm a mushroom maniac. Onions are excellent too, as is a medley of different color sweet peppers

    In a large bowl, combine:
    8-9 large eggs (or equivalent)
    1 pound container of lowfat cottage cheese
    About 1/2c milk, cream or half-half
    1 cup of shredded cheese
    Season to taste: (chiles, pepper, dry mustard, etc)
    Whisk together to incorporate some air - the more you mix, the more your casserole will puff. Pour over the other stuff.

    Top with more shredded cheese.

    Bake for 45-50 minutes. Needs at least 15 minutes of "setting" time before serving, if you want to eat it that day. Really good with salsa and/or hot sauce!

    Makes 15 servings. Calories will vary hugely depending on your chosen ingredients.
  • From Cooking Light!

    Beef Tenderloin Steaks with Port Reduction and Blue Cheese

    Ingredients

    4 (4-ounce) filet mignon steaks, trimmed (or increase as needed--I did 5 and didn't have to change anything else)
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/4 teaspoon black pepper
    Cooking spray
    3/4 cup port or other sweet red wine (I used Cabernet and it was superb--I don't like sweet wine)
    2 tablespoons jellied cranberry sauce
    2 tablespoons fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
    1/8 teaspoon salt
    1/8 teaspoon black pepper
    1 garlic clove, minced
    2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese

    Preparation

    1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle steaks with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; coat steaks with cooking spray. Add steaks to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steaks from pan; keep warm. (Be SURE to do 4 minutes per side, then place on a pan and keep warm in the oven at like 400. They won't cook any more, but will stay very hot. Unless you do 4 minutes, you risk having VERY rare meat.)
    2. Add port, cranberry sauce, broth, 1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and garlic to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat, and cook until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup (about 4 minutes). Serve steaks with sauce; top with cheese.
  • From WE ARE NOT MARTHA WEBSITE!

    Avocado Spinach Egg Salad (makes 5-6 sandwiches), I cut it in 1/2 for myself & several friends!

    7 eggs, hardboiled
    4 oz plain greek yogurt
    2 avocados
    1 stalk celery, chopped
    1 cup baby spinach
    hot pepper flakes to taste

    You can eat this on whole wheat bread or on a fiber wrap or I liked this as a good filling for celery stalks & we also scooped it up & ate it with trader joe veggie flax tortilla chips & some wasa crackers, basically at is as an eggy guacamole!

    Hardboil your eggs, peel them pop them in the fridge for the day. Then mash them up with Chobani greek yogurt. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Then peel and pit your avocados. Then mash those up too, just like guacamole. Combine the egg with the guac & mix in the cup of celery & spinach. A few hot pepper flake shakes to kick it up a bit. Mix it all up & FYI I put the avocado pit back in the bowl so it didn't turn a funky gray color!

    I liked the new spin on egg salad, Oh my green goodness!
  • From guest blogger Carrie via Nourished Kitchen:
    grain-free carrot cupcakes with honey cream cheese frosting

    YIELD: 24 large or 48 mini cupcakes (24 - 48 Servings)
    These cupcakes make for great muffins in the morning sans the frosting. You can also substitute the cream cheese with mascarpone cheese. Also, if you are on the GAPS diet, omit the baking powder - the cupcakes won’t rise quite as high, but they will still be moist and delicious.
    INGREDIENTS

    2 cups blanched almond flour
    1/2 cup coconut flour
    1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
    1 tsp baking soda
    1/2 teaspoon unrefined sea salt
    1 pound carrots (scraped and grated)
    4 large eggs (at room temperature)
    1 cup honey (divided)
    1 cup coconut oil
    1/2 cup full-fat yogurt (room temperature)
    3/4 pound mascarapone or cream cheese
    2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    1 cup heavy cream (whipped until soft peaks form)
    INSTRUCTIONS

    Preheat oven to 375ºF and adjust rack to middle position. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with muffin liners.
    Place almond and coconut flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer. Using the beater attachment, combine the ingredients on low for about 20 seconds. Add grated carrots and beat on low for about 30 seconds until incorporated.
    Pour eggs and 3/4 cup honey in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process for 20 seconds. Add melted coconut oil and yogurt and process for an additional 20 seconds until smooth. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and beat on low until combined. Spoon batter into muffin cups making each about 3/4 full. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until edges are just golden brown. Cool completely.
    Whisk mascarapone or cream cheese, remaining 1/4 cup honey and vanilla in the bowl of a standing mixer until smooth. Using a spatula, fold in whipped cream. Frost cooled cupcakes with frosting. These are best served the day they are made.
    CUISINE: AmericanCOURSE: DessertSKILL LEVEL: Easy
  • Snack ideas
    It has been a while since I've posted in this thread. Some of these are recipes, some are more sort of snack ideas. I have been really "munchy" lately and am trying to think of delicious, healthful snacks that are not too calorie dense, and am looking for new ideas to keep myself from getting bored. Sometimes I tell myself I can eat whatever healthy snacks I want, just try to stay away from junk food, and not necessarily worry about the calories.

    Salty/savory snacks:
    -Hummus, which I make at home a lot. There are tons of recipes on the web. This Ellie Krieger recipe for roasted red pepper hummus is pretty foolproof. I add extra garlic.
    - Pita chips to go with it. Veggies are good with hummus, but honestly, don't satisfy my "snacky" cravings. I either toast up a whole wheat pita pocket to spread/dip or if I'm really in a fancy mood make whole wheat pita chips. I like this recipe. I think you could reduce the oil to further reduce calories, just use a bit to help the herbs stick. The herb combo is delicious.
    -Salt and vinegar roasted chickpeas. I swoon. I use dried chickpeas and reconstitute them in a vinegar/water mix to give them an extra vinegary kick.
    -Popcorn. I've been experimenting with cooking plain popcorn in a paper bag in the microwave. Google it and you'll find it - much easier than you'd think! I have an herb mixture topping that I like, and find myself oddly obsessed with nutritional yeast. I find I must add oil or butter to get the toppings to stick, so I want to get a misto so I can use less olive oil to stretch further. Any good ideas out there to get toppings to stick?

    Sweet snacks:
    - Whole fruits. I love fruit. 'nuf said.
    - Fruit salad. It's amazing how mixing a few fruits together makes it much more "special" than just a pear etc. alone.
    - Sugar free jello/pudding, No Pudge brownie mix. The chemicals... I know. I go through phases here. I haven't found a good substitute that is more "whole foods" or "clean" foods. It is really low cal but I don't know about less junky.
    - Yogurt - regular, Greek, I eat yogurt almost every day. I love it as an afternoon snack but doesn't necessarily satisfy my "dessert" cravings when I get them.
    - Homemade larabar type bars. Google it - tons of recipes out there. I like them but have made them a lot lately, and am getting sort of bored of these. They are rather calorie dense, too.

    Please share your favorite healthy snack recipes and ideas!