STUFFED BELL PEPPER WITH GROUND TURKEY

I like this low cal, high protein dish.   You can do any colored bell pepper, but I prefer red because it’s high in vitamin C and vitamin A (and it’s pretty).

Ingredients:

– 1 red bell pepper (stem and seeds removed)

– 1/4 lb of lean ground turkey

– 1/2 cup of diced tomatoes with green chilies

– 1/4 cup of diced mushrooms

– 1/2 tbsp of cayenne pepper

– low fat mozzarella cheese

– black pepper

In a medium skillet, brown ground turkey with a little olive oil and add in tomatoes and mushrooms with spices.  After the turkey is cooked through, scoop into bell pepper.  Place the bell pepper in a deep baking dish with about 3 inches of water depth.  Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.  I like a little low fat mozarella cheese sprinkled on top before putting it into the oven.

(serves 1)

SALMON FRITTATA

I like this dish because it’s inexpensive to make, easy, and FULL of good protein, omega-3’s, and other nutrients.  it’s really great for almost any meal.  I like a little hot sauce or salsa on the side.  Also, I didn’t have any on hand but a handful of spinach would probably be good in this too.

Ingredients:

– 1 can of drained, wild-caught pink salmon (skinless and boneless)

– 2 whole eggs and 3 egg white

– dill weed (2 tbsp)

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients well.  In a medium-heated skillet, spray with olive oil and pour mix in.  Turn down heat to low and cover for about 5 minutes.  Uncover and cook on low heat until done.  You might have to flip the frittata over to cook the top side well.

(serves 2)

OVEN-ROASTED VEGETABLES

Okay, so I’ve recently discovered that I LOVE oven-roasted vegetables! One, it’s much simpler than sauteeing them on the stovetop with oil and sauces, and two…. much healthier, plus you get to appreciate any natural flavors. My favorite vegetables to roast have to be (the following are sliced if possible):

– large carrots
– brussel sprouts
– asparagus
– tomatoes
– sweet potatoes

Just simply lightly spray a baking tray with olive oil and heat the oven at 400-415 degrees. I like to spray a little oil on the vegetables itself and crack some fresh peppercorn over them. Herbs like rosemary and thyme are also great over many of these. Oven-roast for 20-30 minutes (keep an eye on them and it depends what kind of vegetable you’re cooking!)

I soon want to try oven-roasting butternut squash, parsnips, fennel,  and radishes (currently in season!) Or, a great way to decide is just to buy whatever produce is in season/on sale. A hodgepodge of mixed vegetables with sliced onion would be delicious too. You could also mix a little balsamic vinegar after taking them out of the oven for more flavor.

You can even oven-roast kale and make them into kale chips! (refer to http://www.foodista.com/recipe/S7MV2NFR/kale-chips) apparently, very addicting 🙂 plus MUCH more nutritious than your average potato chip.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN STEW

Using spices in simple dishes can really make a difference.

Ingredients:

– 1/2 tbsp olive oil

– 1 lb chicken thighs (skinless or skins removed)

– 2 large zucchini (or summer squash) diced

– 1 medium onion, chopped

– minced garlic

– 1 cup chicken or vegetable (low sodium) broth, or water

– 1 can of diced tomatoes (low sodium)

– 1 can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas)

– 1 tsp cumin

– 1/2 tsp cayenne

– 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Heat oil in saute pan, then brown chicken on each side (2-3 minutes). Toss in zucchini/squash, onions, and garlic. Once zucchini is lightly browned, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes.  You can serve this over brown rice or couscous, or plain.

EGGPLANT MARINARA WITH PROTEIN

eggplant is one of my favorite vegetables. i could easily eat it cross-sectioned and baked with a little extra virgin olive oil. but if i want a really satisfying eggplant meal, i LOVE eggplant parmesan (but not all the calories that come with it). instead of using the traditional eggplant parmasan ingredients, this recipe is modified to accommodate my daily eating habits with some added protein.

Ingredients:

– 1 large eggplant

– 1/2 cup egg whites

– 1 cup of almond meal (you can find this at Trader Joe’s or most health food stores)

– 1 cup of canned tomato sauce (no sodium added) OR marinara sauce

– added to sauces: crushed black pepper and other Italian seasonings of choice (eg. basil, oregano)

– 1/4 cup of low-calorie mozzarella cheese (shredded or cut up; *this can be optional)

Cross-section slice the eggplant into 1/4″ thick slices and salt them to remove bitterness (refer to this link). Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dip each side of eggplant slices into eggwhites and dip into almond meal to cover both sides. Place slices on baking tray and bake until sides are brown (about 10 minutes). Now, you could easily eat it like this and put some warm tomato or marinara sauce on top without any cheese, OR you could do layers in this order using an 8×8 baking dish: 1/4 cup sauce, some mozzarella, eggplant slices, 1/4 cup sauce, eggplant slices, 1/4 sauce, remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes or until heated.

(serves 4)

HOMEMADE LARABARS

Larabars are by far my favorite energy/snack bar. they are the purest in ingredients in comparison to other energy bars.

for example, their banana bread bar’s ingredients only consists of: almonds, dates, and unsweetened bananas

this is in comparison to the ingredients found in a Zone bar: Soy Protein Nuggets (isolated soy, protein, tapioca starch,), Chocolate Flavored Coating (see product information), Peanut Butter Fudge (see product information), Sorbitan Monostearate, Soy Lecithin, Natural Flavor), Corn Syrup, Chocolate Drops (see product information), Marshmallow Pieces (see product information), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Whey Protein Concentrate, Gum Arabic, Less than 2% of the Following:, Peanut Butter Chips (see product information), Peanut Flour, Peanut Oil, Peanuts, Glycerine, Salt, Vitamins And Minerals:, Calcium Phosphate, Ascorbic Acid, D Alpha Tocopherol Acetate, Magnesium Oxide, Niacinamde, Zinc Oxide, Calcium Pantothenate, Ferrous Fumarate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Palmitate, Riboflavin, Thiamin Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Chromium Chloride, Biotin, Sodium Selenate, Sodium Molybdate, Cyanocobalamin

obviously, there is a huge difference in numbers and quality of the ingredients. most of the stuff in the Zone bar can be found in a chemistry lab… not to mention that it has corn syrup which has been proven to leave you even hungrier due to blocking leptin receptors, ultimately leading to weight gain (refer to: http://ajpregu.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/00195.2008v1).

anyways, larabars comes in a variety of flavors, but can get kind of expensive with its healthy addiction. the good news is, its simple ingredients = simple homemaking!!!

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here is a basic recipe for a larabar:

Ingredients:

– 1 1/2- 2 cup pitted dates

– 1/4 cup of dry almonds

– 1/4 cup (or variation) of add-ins

Your “add-ins” can be whatever additional flavoring you want. Coconut flakes, chopped pecans, chopped walnuts, dark chocolate bits, unsweetened cocoa, dried fruit, or baked fresh fruit (ie. banana slices) can be any of your options. The options are endless 🙂 Simply combine all the ingredients into a food processor until mixed. Take the “mush” and place between two sheets of wax paper and flatten it with a cutting board. You can refrigerate this for about 15-20 minutes to make it easier to cut into bar sizes. This should make about 6 bars. Wrap up each bar individually with saran wrap and refrigerate for storage.

GARLIC KALE WITH CHICKPEAS & TOASTED SESAME

yum! i had NO idea that kale was edible (you know that garnish vegetable you normally get?) not only that, but it is a very nutrient-dense vegetable with over 1300% of your daily vitamin k requirement, 190% of vitamin A requirement, 88.8% of vitamin C, 25% of manganese, and so much more. in addition, it’s a very low-cal way to get all your nutrients.

here is a good 101 on kale video if you’re new to this vegetable:

http://www.danispies.com/archives/101_video/kale_101_video.php

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Ingredients:

– 1 bunch of kale (chopped, with stems removed — refer to video for preparation)

– 1 can of chickpeas (rinsed)

– 1 tbsp of olive oil

– 3-4 tbsp sesame seed

– minced garlic

With a little olive oil, let the minced or chopped garlic heat up in a pan over medium heat and then add sesame seeds and rinsed chickpeas to brown a little for about 5 minutes. Simply add in kale with water, cover pan for at least 7 minutes or more to fully cook. Stir occasionally… kale takes longer to cook than other greens. Not only is this side dish packed from nutrients from the kale, but the chickpeas give it a good source of protein. This is a pretty simple-tasting dish, or more flavor I would suggest about 2-3 tbsp of rice vinegar with some soy sauce.

(serves 4-6)

GROUND TURKEY ZUCCHINI SKILLET

this is adopted from a danispies recipe.  it’s also one of my favorites….it’s great either alone or on spaghetti squash.

Ingredients:

– 1/2 lb of lean ground turkey

– 2 zucchini squash (chopped in small pieces)

– 1-2 summer squash (chopped in small pieces)

– 1/2 medium-large white onion (chopped)

– 1 can of diced tomatoes (i like the ones with green chilies added in)

– sriracha chili sauce for flavor (or 1 tbsp of chili powder)

– crushed black peppercorns

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With 1 tbsp of olive oil, brown the chopped onions and ground turkey for about 5 minutes on medium-high heat in a medium skillet. Add in cut zucchini and squash with the diced tomatoes/green chilies. Cover the skillet for about 5-7 minutes. The water from the tomatoes will moisten the dish and help cook the ingredients through. Simmer for another 5-7 minutes. Add in chili powder and black pepper. Let it simmer for a few more minutes.

(serves 4)

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Refer to here for spaghetti squash directions to serve with turkey/zucchini skillet over:

http://www.danispies.com/archives/101_video/spaghetti_squash_101_video.php

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SMOKED SALMON TORTILLA PIZZA

i’ll start off with what i made tonight:

Ingredients:

– 2 oz of wild smoked salmon

– 2-3 cups of baby spinach

– 1/4 cup diced olives (canned)

– mozzarella cheese

– 1 whole wheat tortilla (i personally like trader joe’s flaxseed and fiber tortilla wrap, rich with omega-3’s and fiber!)

– fresh dill (optional)

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This is a really simple pizza recipe that is much healthier due to its thin, tortilla crust. Simply lightly spray a baking pan with olive oil and lay the tortilla wrap down. Spread spinach on bottom, and on top the smoked-salmon, diced olives, fresh dill, and mozzarella (i use this very sparingly, normally 1/2 cheesestick, cut up) on top. Simply rinse the olives beforehand to remove most of its sodium content. I personally like to purchase wild-caught salmon when possible (more omega-3 content and less pesticide and toxin traces in comparison to farm-raised). Place in the oven at 415 degrees for about 12 minutes.

(serves 1)