Southwestern Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean ground turkey breast (you could also use beef or shredded chicken)
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 heaping Tablespoons taco seasoning
• 2 cups of cooked rice (any type you like – I like brown)
• 4-5 bell peppers, halved and seeds removed
• 1 can of black beans, drained & rinsed
• ½ cup of frozen corn
• 1 (15 -16 ounce) jar of salsa 
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Optional Toppings

• Avocado
• Cilantro
• Sour cream/plain yogurt

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) On the stove, brown turkey, add in onion and taco seasoning. Cook through so turkey is done and onions are translucent. 

2) In a bowl add the turkey mixture, black beans, corn and rice. Add in the jar of salsa and mix well.

3) Carefully spoon the turkey mixture into each half of the bell peppers and place into the baking dish. Cook the peppers for 15-20 minutes or until the peppers are cooked all the way thru. Before removing from the oven sprinkle the tops of each pepper with shredded cheddar cheese. Place back into the oven just until the cheese has melted.

4) Add toppings and serve.  I served it with homemade tortilla chips (cut tortillas and lay out on cookie sheet.  Mist with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.  Cook for 13-15 minutes at 350 degrees)

Italian Pulled Chicken and Kale Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 batch store bought or homemade tomato sauce (I made Tim's Famous Spaghetti Sauce)
• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 c chopped kale
• whole wheat buns
• shredded or sliced mozzarella cheese

Directions

• Boil chicken breasts. When they are done, shred them with 2 forks or in your Kitchen Aid mixer.
• While you are boiling the breasts, bring the tomato sauce to a simmer.
• Add in kale and cook over med-high heat until it boils. Lower to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.
• Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Layout buns and top with chicken mixture and mozzarella. Place under broiler until the cheese melts, about 3-4 min.

Recipe from http://greenlitebites.com/

I served this meal with homemade kale chips. Simply pull kale leaves apart, being sure not to include the spine. Mix with olive oil, being sure all pieces are well bathed in it. Season with sea salt to taste. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, flip all pieces, and bake for another 10 minutes. Let cool. I actually really liked these chips, but be aware that a full head of kale only yields about 1 sandwich-sized bag of chips!

Pumpkin Oat n' Honey Muffins (No flour, no sugar!)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 c oats (regular or quick is fine)
• 1 c plain nonfat greek yogurt
• 1/2 c honey
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1 t pumpkin pie spice
• 1 c canned pumpkin
• 1/2 c chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray tin with non-stick cooking spray.  My most favorite is called Baker's Joy (it has flour added in). You could also use a silicone muffin pan.  (I don't recommend using paper liners for these.
2. Place all of the liquid ingredients in the blender (including pumpkin), and then blend adding oats in 1/2 c at a time until smooth.  You may need to stop the blender a few times to stir.  Stir in chopped walnuts after blending is complete.
3. Divide batter among 12 muffin cups and bake for 20 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.

You could go crazy with the flavor combinations and possibilities here.  You could add blueberries, chocolate chips, and play around with different sweeteners and flavors of yogurt. I'm not going to lie and say that these are the prettiest muffins you've ever seen.  They look good coming out of the oven and then "sunk" a bit as they cooled, but they were moist, tasty, and something I feel good about feeding my family.  I made them sans walnuts for my toddler, but for me, I would add them in for sure.  Will definitely be a repeated recipe.  Be sure to check out the banana version too!

Banana Oat n' Honey Muffins (No flour, no sugar!)

Ingredients:

• 3 c oats (regular or quick is fine)
• 1 c plain nonfat greek yogurt
• 1/2 c honey
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/2 c walnuts (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray tin with non-stick cooking spray.  My most favorite is called Baker's Joy (it has flour added in). You could also use a silicone muffin pan.  (I don't recommend using paper liners for these.
2. Place all of the liquid ingredients in the blender (including bananas), and then blend adding oats in 1/2 c at a time until smooth.  You may need to stop the blender a few times to stir.  Stir in chopped walnuts after blending is complete.
3. Divide batter among 12 muffin cups and bake for 20 min. or until toothpick comes out clean.

You could go crazy with the flavor combinations and possibilities here.  You could add blueberries, chocolate chips, and play around with different sweeteners and flavors of yogurt. I'm not going to lie and say that these are the prettiest muffins you've ever seen.  They look good coming out of the oven and then "sunk" a bit as they cooled, but they were moist, tasty, and something I feel good about feeding my family.  I made them sans walnuts for my toddler, but for me, I would add them in for sure.  Will definitely be a repeated recipe.  Be sure to check out the pumpkin version too!

Fresh Rolls

Ingredients:

• Rice paper (found in the dry section for oriental foods) - 2 per roll
• Rice sticks/noodles (I used the thinnest available)
• Lettuce
• Carrots (julienned or shredded)
• Veggies of your choice (cucumber, sprouts, peppers, etc.)
• Thai basil (cilantro would be good too)
• Shrimp or thin slices of pork or chicken (I bought pre-cooked, deveined, no tails shrimp)

      Peanut Sauce:

• 1/2 c hoisin sauce (oriental section of grocery store)
• 1/2 c chunky peanut butter
• 1 T ground ginger (you can buy this pre-ground which is easy!)
• 1 t garlic chili paste (oriental section of grocery store)
• 1/3 c hot water

Directions:

I am not even going to attempt to type the fresh roll sequence out.  But I will say that it's easy... just a little time intensive.  Better to just watch this quick youtube video and see it yourself.  Start paying attention at about 2 minutes in to see how to assemble and handle the rice paper.  I cooked the rice sticks (thin noodles), drained them and added a bit to the inside of my fresh rolls along with the veggies and shrimp.

One tip I will give you is that you need to wrap each roll twice (the video shows this) and also be sure when serving them, NOT to stack them.  Single layer only.  The rice paper is sticky and can tear when you are trying to separate them.

For the peanut sauce, just mix all ingredients together with a whisk.  I also served them with store bought sweet chili sauce too.

Very fresh and delicious!

Zucchini Lasagna

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups sliced mushrooms 
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 medium zucchini (1-1/4 pounds)
• 1 cup (8 ounces) low-fat cream-style cottage cheese
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

• In large skillet, saute onion, garlic, and mushrooms in some olive oil. Add beef and cook  over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomato sauce and seasonings. Bring to boil; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut zucchini into 1/4-in. slices the long way. In small bowl, combine cottage cheese and egg. Dust the tops of the zucchini slices with flour (this will keep the dish from becoming too watery). In a greased 3-qt. baking dish, place half of the zucchini. Top with cottage cheese mixture and the meat mixture. Repeat layer of floured zucchini. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.
• Bake at 375° for 40 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with additional cheese if desired. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Yield: 6-8 servings

Fruit and Oat Bars

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
3 cups low-fat oat bran muffin mix (1 box, I used FiberOne)
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup walnuts (or other favorite nuts) chopped
3 cups fresh berries of your choice
1/2-3/4 cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Microwave berries and sugar for two minutes, set aside to let cool.  Place butter, muffin mix, oats and nuts into a bowl and mix thoroughly.  Press half of the crumb mixture into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan firmly.  Spread the berries mixture over the top evenly.  Top with remaining crumb mixture and press until firm.  Bake 20-25 minutes or until top is lightly brown, making sure not to over bake.  Cool completely and cut into bars.  Delish!

Note:  This is a super quick and easy way to make fruit and oat bars, but I am sure there is a healthier, more complicated recipe if you're interested.

Spiced Chicken, Green Apple, Goat Cheese Avocado Wrap

 source

Ingredients:

2 Spinach or whole wheat wraps

1 Chicken breast, skinless/boneless  (butterfly chicken breast if you like)
¼ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon smoked paprika (preferred) regular will do

¼ teaspoon cumin powder

4 ounces Goat Cheese, room temperature

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2 tablespoons honey

1 Fuji apple (skinned and core removed, cut into slices
)½ Avocado (skin and pit removed, cut into slices)

½ Lemon cut in half and juiced (seeds removed)

Kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste
Fresh spinach or romaine

Directions:

Combine cinnamon, paprika, cumin powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place chicken breast on a flat surface, and coat one side of breast with spice mixture.

Heat your bar be que to grill.  Grill chicken breast for 5-7 minutes on one side. Turn chicken over and cook for another 5-7 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°.  Transfer the chicken breast on a plate to cool and slice into strips.

In a bowl, mix together goat cheese, cream cheese and honey. In a separate bowl add apples, avocado and a couple squirts of lemon juice.

Place wraps on a flat surface. Add an even amount of the cheese mixture in a straight line to the front of the wrap. Add apple and avocado slices, then chicken strips.  Take one of the wraps sides and fold it in to the middle. Roll wrap starting with the side that has the chicken mixture, top with fresh greens. Roll as tightly as you can without breaking the wrap. Serve.

Easy Thai Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

8 pieces of naan or pita flat bread

2 medium chicken breasts, cooked (season with salt and pepper) or use a rotisserie chicken

2 c shredded mozzerella

1 medium bell pepper, sliced thin (red, orange or yellow)

1/4-1/2 small red onion, sliced thin

fresh cilantro

Peanut sauce:

1/2 c hoisin sauce (found in the asian cooking section of the grocery store)

1/2 c peanut butter

1-2 T fresh ginger, grated

1 T Sriracha hot sauce (adjust to your liking or use another spice/hot sauce you have)

1/3 c hot water

Directions:

1) Prepare the peanut sauce. Combine the hoisin sauce, peanut butter, and 1/2 tsp of sriracha sauce in a bowl. Peel the ginger and grate it straight into the bowl. Add about 1/3 cup of hot water and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

2) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Chop the chicken into small pieces and transfer to a bowl. Thinly slice the red onion and red bell pepper.


3) Spread about 2 Tbsp of the peanut sauce over each piece of naan or pita bread. Top with about 1/4 cup of shredded cheese, a handful of the chicken, some red bell pepper, and red onion.


4) Place the pizzas on a perforated pizza pan, cookie sheet or directly on the oven rack and cook until the cheese is melted and bubbly (about 10-15 minutes depending on which method you use). When the pizzas come out of the oven, top with fresh cilantro leaves and enjoy!




This recipe is slightly modified from one found on Budget Bytes.

Lime and Coconut Chicken

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 3 tbsp oil
• zest of 1 lime
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• pinch cayenne
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• Fresh limes, cut into wedges

1. Mix all ingredients except fresh cilantro and limes.
2. Add chicken and marinade to a large bowl or ziploc bag and chill in the refrigerator for up to two hours.
3. Once you are ready to cook the chicken, remove each breast from the marinade.
4. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a rolling boil.  Boil continuously for at least 2 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn.
5. Grill chicken breasts.
6. Sprinkle with fresh lime juice and cilantro. Serve rice with sauce on the side.

The coconut milk in this recipe made it sweet and delicious! We loved it!

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces uncooked linguine
• 1 pound chicken breast strips
• 1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning (I made my own - see below)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 1 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp light cream cheese
• fresh cracked pepper
• 2 scallions, chopped
• salt to taste

Directions:

1. Prep all your vegetables. In a small blender make a slurry by combining milk, flour and cream cheese. Set aside. Season chicken generously with Cajun seasoning.

2. Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions.

3. Heat a large heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; spray with cooking spray and add half of the chicken. Sauté 5 to 6 minutes or until done, set aside on a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. Set aside. OR Grill it (much better in my opinion)!

4. Add olive oil to the skillet and reduce to medium; add bell peppers, onions, and garlic to skillet, sauté 3-4 minutes. 

5. Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté 3-4 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

6. Reduce heat to medium-low; add chicken broth and pour in slurry stirring about 2 minutes.

7. Return chicken to skillet; adjust salt and Cajun seasoning to taste, cook another minute or two until hot, then add linguine; toss well to coat. Top with chopped scallions and enjoy!

Recipe from Skinnytaste.com 

Cajun Seasoning Recipe:

• 2 1/2 Tbsp salt
• 1 Tbsp dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp ground black pepper

Chocolate Zucchini Bread/Muffins

Ingredients

• 3 cups shredded zucchini
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 c unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet, although dark would be good too!)

Directions

1. In a mixer, combine your oil, applesauce, sugars and vanilla. Mix in your eggs and shredded zucchini. In a separate bowl, sift together your flours, cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder. Slowly add this dry mixture into your wet mixture. Beat until combined. Mix in your chocolate chips.
2. Scrape your batter into 2 greased 9x5x3 loaf pans, and bake at 350 degrees for 50-65 minutes, or until done. For muffins, fill muffin papers to the top and bake 15-20 minutes. Makes 18 muffins. Eat and moan.  For extra moaning, try topping with peanut butter.  Oh my...

Mediterranean Roasted Salmon with Lemon-Feta Angel Hair Pasta

Mediterranean Roasted Salmon

Ingredients

• 4 salmon fillets (6 ounces each)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped pitted green olives
• 2 tablespoons chopped ripe olives

Directions

• Place salmon in a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, honey, mustard and remaining salt. Spoon 1 tablespoon over each fillet.
• In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, green pepper, olives and remaining oil mixture. Spoon over fillets.
• Bake at 425° for 12-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Yield: 4 servings.

Lemon-Feta Angel Hair Pasta

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 package (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

• Cook pasta according to package directions.
• In a large skillet, saute garlic in oil for 1 minute. Drain pasta; stir into skillet. Add the remaining ingredients; toss to coat. Yield: 4 servings.

This was a HUGE hit at my house! It's a definite keeper!

Recipes and photo from Taste of Home