Category Archives: Light and Healthy

Foil-Baked Tilapia with Black Beans & Corn

Posted on January 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

Being on a diet is something that produces change for the whole family. Sometimes they’re happy with the change, sometimes not so much. For example, I’ve become more conscious of the fact that I do not eat a lot of fruit. I love vegetables, just not fruit. And as a parent, I cannot expect my child to eat the fruit I’m pushing at her if I do not eat it myself. So I’m trying to eat more, and teach her by my example. Also, my cooking diet meals means that my husband also eats diet meals. He is really a rock star husband, he never complains and even compliments the diet food.

Sundays have always been our day of indulgence. It is his only day off during the week and he likes to make the most of it. When he woke up this past Sunday, he said that he wanted to grill, he went look in our deep freeze and said how about either pork chops or ribs. Both sounded GREAT, but I knew they would not end up remotely healthy. I found this recipe online and figured we could always grill it instead of bake it.

This was pretty easy to make, quick to cook (we did end up baking it, not grilling it) and packed a major punch of flavor. The compound butter cooks on the fish and melts down to the corn and black beans, infusing them with that amazing chipotle flavor. As a low-cal high-taste dinner, it will be on our menu more often!

Foil Baked Tilapia with Black Beans & Corn

Foil-Baked Tilapia with Black Beans & Corn
Recipe from: Pink Parsley, originally from America’s Test Kitchen

Ingredients:
4 tilapia fillets
salt and pepper
Cajun seasoning, if desired
4 tbsp softened butter
1 tsp orange zest
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tsp minced chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
2 cloves minced garlic
1 can low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can low-sodium corn, drained
1/2 red onion, minced
2 green onions, minced
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
In a small bowl, combine the softened butter with 1 tsp of the chipotle chili in adobo sauce, the orange zest, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Set aside.
Pat the fish dry with paper towels and season with desired seasonings (salt and pepper, or I used the Cajun seasoning). Spread the butter mixture over the fish.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the beans, corn, red onion, green onion, 2 tbsp cilantro, orange juice, 1 tsp minced chipotle pepper in adobo, 1 clove garlic, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, mix until well incorporated.
Lay four sheets of foil on the counter and evenly divide the corn and bean mixture between them. Lay a piece of fish on top of each and fold the foil, sealing the edges.
Arrange in a single layer in a baking dish and bake until cooked through, 20-30 minutes. Fish is done when it flakes when a fork is stuck in it. Open the packets and serve, sprinkled with extra cilantro if desired.

327 calories per serving

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Posted in Beans, Grilling, Light and Healthy, Seafood

Cinnamon-Raisin Granola

Posted on January 23, 2012 | Leave a comment

In my new quest for weight loss, I’m trying to eat healthier. No brainer, right? Well some things I just never have had before, including granola. I mean I’ve had the granola bars before but never had regular straight up granola and it seems to be the “it” thing to make these days.

Lucky for me when we had our Biggest Loser brunch, my friend Jennifer brought some granola and yogurt. I gave it a try and loved it. I loved it so much that I found myself wishing I had some more that same afternoon. And that evening, I went to the store and got the ingredients and made it. I think my husband thought I had lost my mind, such an immediate love for GRANOLA?? Then he ate some. And he loves it too. So try it, might be your new favorite thing! Thanks for sharing, Jen!

Cinnamon-Raisin Granola

Cinnamon-Raisin Granola
Recipe from Jennifer D., originally from All Recipes

Ingredients:
4 cups old-fashioned oats (don’t use instant or quick, they won’t get as crisp)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup raisins

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour oats into a large bowl, set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, oil, honey and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling and the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Pour over the oats and stir in, folding untill well incorporated and no clumps are forming.
Spread in a large shallow low-rimmed baking pan and bake 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. When it’s golden brown, remove and stir in the raisins.
Store up to 3 weeks in an airtight container.

Cinnamon-Raisin Granola

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Posted in Breakfast, Fruit, Heart Healthy, Light and Healthy, Money Savers

Baked Praline French Toast

Posted on January 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

I know, you’re thinking “Christen has fallen off of the diet wagon for sure!” But you would be wrong. This, believe it or not, is a diet dish!!

The moms club I’m in is doing a Biggest Loser, so we decided to have a Biggest Loser brunch and all made a relatively healthy/low-cal brunch dish. We brought copies of our recipe to share with each other, so you’ll be seeing some of those other dishes coming soon, there were some good ones. I got mine from the Holly Clegg Trim & Terrific cookbook, Home Entertaining the Easy Way (given to me by my soon-to-be sister-in-law, Michelle!). I just love Holly Clegg, she seems so personable and being a Southern girl like myself, I like her recipes! The orange flavor gave it a different taste from the norm, but a good different. This one was a definite win, it did not taste “diet” at all, everyone loved it.

Baked Praline French Toast

Baked Praline French Toast
Recipe from: Home Entertaining the Easy Way

Ingredients:
6 tbsp margarine
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 eggs
3 egg whites
1 cup orange juice (I used the Trop 50 kind)
1/4 cup white granulated sugar
1/3 cup skim milk
1 tsp orange zest
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 loaf (1 lb) French Bread, cut into one inch slices

Instructions:
In a small bowl, combine the margarine, corn syrup and brown sugar, microwaving until the brown sugar has dissolved, stirring occasionally. Pour into a casserole, then sprinkle with the chopped pecans before arranging the bread slices over the pecans.

In a larger bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and whisk to combine. Pour evenly over the bread and cover, refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake 30 minutes, serve immediately.

Calories: 288

Baked Praline French Toast

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Posted in Breads, Breakfast, Casserole, Light and Healthy, Overnight

Enchilada Casserole with Spicy Black Beans

Posted on January 13, 2012 | Leave a comment

Well it’s that time of year again. Everyone is health conscious, everywhere you look are ads for weight loss items and the gym parking lot is full. New Years Resolutions. Every year my goal is to lose weight, and as I’m getting older the desire is much stronger. And it’s much harder.

It’s extra hard since I love to cook and I love food. Luckily these days there are many tasty recipes that are on the lower-cal side of the spectrum. One of my favorite sources for tasty healthier recipes is Cooking Light. Almost everything I’ve ever cooked from that magazine has been delicious and this recipe is no different. It really doesn’t even TASTE like it’s lighter. The portions were large also, so it didn’t leave you hungry. If you’re a fan of Mexican food you’re sure to love this.

Enchilada Casserole with Spicy Black Beans
Recipe from Cooking Light magazine, January/February 2012
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef (ground turkey would work fine too)
1 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp minced garlic
1.5 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup lower- sodium beef broth
1 tbsp taco seasoning (it called for less-sodium but I used spicy)
1 (8 oz) can salt-free tomato sauce
4 (8-inch) whole-grain flour tortillas
1/3 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, brown beef and crumble with your spoon. Add onion and cook until tender.
In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the garlic, saute for a minute then sprinkle with flour and cook an additional thirty seconds, stirring constantly. Add in the broth, taco seasoning and tomato sauce and stir in well. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally for two minutes. Add 1.5 cups of this mixture to the browned beef, reserving 1/2 cup of the tomato mixture for later use.
Spray a pie plate with nonstick spray and place one tortilla in the bottom. Top with one cup of beef mixture, then repeat the layers, ending with a tortilla. Spread the reserved tomato mixture over the top, then sprinkle on the cheese.
Bake uncovered for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Cool slightly and cut into four wedges.

Spicy Black Beans

Ingredients:
2 tsp canola oil
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 minced jalapeno pepper
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

Instructions:

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the oil and swirl to coat the pan.
Add the red bell pepper and jalapeno pepper and saute for four minutes. Add the lime juice, salt and beans and cook until heated through, about three minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Calories:
Enchilada Casserole – 377
Spicy Black Beans – 83

Enchilada Casserole with Spicy Black Beans

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Posted in Beans, Beef, Cinco de Mayo, Light and Healthy, Mexican

Autumn Penne Pasta with Sauteed Brussels Sprouts in a Light Ragu

Posted on November 22, 2011 | Leave a comment

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I’m sure: I hate that brussels sprouts get the bad reputation that they do. They are our favorite vegetable, we almost always have some in the house! So needless to say, instead of being skeptical when I saw a recipe for this tasty veggie in the most unusual of places – pasta with red sauce, I was SO excited!

I feel so fortunate that my husband is willing to try new (and sometimes weird) foods. He never says “that sounds weird” or anything, he’s the best sport! We both loved this dish and it made enough for us to eat several meals. The best part is that I only used half the packages of meat I purchased, so now I have the most costly part of the makings of another! If you’re a fan of the sprouts, you definitely need to give this a try!

Autumn Penne Pasta with Sautéed Brussels Sprouts in a Light Ragu
Recipe from Skinnytaste

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground Italian sausage (no casings), we used mild
1/2 lb. lean ground turkey
4 tsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz brussels sprouts (I used frozen), thawed if using frozen
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (or use some Tony’s)
1 lb. whole grain penne pasta

Instructions:

In a nonstick skillet, cook sausage and turkey over medium heat, breaking up into small pieces as it cooks. Once fully cooked, set aside in a bowl.

Cut the brussels sprouts in half and then into slices/shreds. Add 2 tsp oil to the skillet and add the garlic, cooking for a minute until golden, then add the brussels sprouts, salt and pepper and cook until tender and slightly crisp, about five minutes. Set aside in another bowl.

In the same skillet, add the remaining 2 tsp oil and then add onion and carrot, stirring well to coat with oil. Cook until the vegetables are golden brown and soft, about ten minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, sausage and turkey, bay leaf, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer about 30 minutes until the sauce thickens.

While the sauce is cooking, cook your pasta and drain.

Toss the pasta in the sauce, then add the brussels sprouts. Toss well to combine and serve topped with ricotta and parmesan cheeses.

Autumn Penne Pasta with sautéed Brussels Sprouts in a Light Ragu

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Posted in Light and Healthy, Pasta, Pork, Turkey

Crockpot Chicken White Bean Pumpkin Chili

Posted on November 17, 2011 | 4 Comments

Long name, huh? I’ve been *trying* to be good with the diet lately, and one of my favorite winter foods is my white chicken chili. Unfortunately it’s not the healthiest thing in the world. Needless to say, I was thrilled when in the current recipe swap, I received a recipe for a white bean chili – that’s “skinny.” Thanks Ellie!

The original recipe called for using ground turkey, but to make it more like the one I like I opted to use chicken, I just used some shredded meat from a roast chicken. I’m sure that didn’t alter the calorie count too significantly. The chili was really great, it wasn’t exactly like my regular recipe since you’re not adding the gobs of cream, but it tasted great all the same. The only thing I would caution you on is to watch the cumin. I’m going to cut down the amounts in this recipe because what it called for was really way too much cumin. Serve this on a cold winter night – it’ll be great to come home to and your soul will be happy

P.S. Don’t worry about the pumpkin flavor – it adds nutrients and you honestly don’t even taste it – ask my husband!!

Crock Pot Chicken White Bean Pumpkin Chili
Recipe adapted from Ellie’s blog, The Wanna Be Cook

Ingredients:
1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1/2 tsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder
2 bay leaves
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
15 oz can pure pumpkin puree’
4.5 oz. can chopped green chilis
1 can low-sodium chicken broth
optional toppings: fat-free sour cream or greek yogurt, chopped cilantro, lower fat cheese.

Instructions:

Add all ingredients to a slow cooker sprayed with nonstick spray. Stir well to incorporate and cook either on LOW for 8 hours or HIGH for 4 hours. Serve and enjoy.

Crock Pot Chicken White Bean Pumpkin Chili

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Posted in Chicken, Crockpot, Light and Healthy, Pumpkin, Quick Fix, Soups, Stews, Chili and Gumbo

Roasted Portobello and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

Posted on November 9, 2011 | Leave a comment

Well the diet is still on. I’m pretty proud of myself actually, I’m sticking with it (knock on wood!) and seeing results. It helps that there are so many tasty healthier options out there these days. Options like this roasted portobello and goat cheese sandwich.

Let me tell you something, this sandwich was awesome. It was so good that I cooked them again the next night. I just bought regular goat cheese so I added just a very small amount of 1% milk and mixed it well to make it creamier and more spreadable. I also served it on sandwich thins. Excellent!

Roasted Portobello and Goat Cheese Sandwiches
Recipe from Clean Eating, November/December 2011 issue

Ingredients:
1 lb. portobello mushrooms, stemmed and cut into 1/4 inch strips
1.5 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup goat cheese, spreadable if you can find it
1/2 green onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
4 sandwich thins
4 cups spring mix or arugula

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, toss the mushrooms and oil then spread out in a large casserole and roast 20 minutes, tossing halfway through.
While that’s cooking, mix the goat cheese, green onion, lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper (and milk if needed to make it spreadable) in a medium bowl.
Layer sandwich thins with spread, mushrooms and arugula. *You can toast the buns if you want to, but we did not.

Per Sandwich…
Calories: 259
Total Fat: 11 g
Sat. Fat: 6 g
Monounsaturated Fat: 3.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g
Fiber: 5 g
Sugars: 6 g
Protein: 13 g
Sodium: 456 mg
Cholesterol: 16 mg

Roasted Portobello and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

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Posted in Breads, Clean Eating, Goat Cheese, Light and Healthy, Money Savers, Sandwiches

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Posted on November 2, 2011 | Leave a comment

So I’m back on the diet bandwagon, you will probably be seeing a lot more healthy posts for a while. At least you better, because I really need to stick with it! Keep me in check! I do have a few remaining “unhealthy” recipes to post, so don’t fuss at me too much. Here’s one of the healthy ones…

So not only was this a low-cal recipe, it tasted really great. It was super easy to make and got me wondering about other meal possibilities that I could put in a lettuce wrap. So yummy!

Asian Lettuce Wraps
Recipe from Gourmet Day to Day

For the sauce:
4 tsp hoisin sauce
4 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
3 tsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp cornstarch
freshly ground black pepper

For the filling:
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large shallot, minced
1 tsp ginger, freshly grated
1 lb. lean ground turkey
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 cup frozen peas and carrot blend
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup green apple, finely diced (sounds weird but just go with it!)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp Sriracha (I actually forgot this and am SO bummed because I love it!)
Lettuce, for wrapping

Instructions:

In a small bowl, mix together the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Add oil to a medium skillet and let it heat up over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger and shallot and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the ground turkey and cook until no longer pink, breaking up with your spoon. Once done, create a well in the middle of the pan and add the peas and carrot mixture, onion and bell pepper. Cook until tender, about three minutes.
Add the sauce, apples, sriracha and green onion and cook for another minute or so, stirring to mix, until the sauce is heated through and has slightly thickened.
Serve on fresh lettuce as a wrap.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

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Posted in Light and Healthy, Turkey

Tilapia with Bacon Tomato Butter

Posted on October 21, 2011 | 1 Comment

I’ve been really bad about updating my blog lately. The reason? I finally got an iPhone. I’m completely addicted and hate getting on my laptop now! I’m sure the new-ness will wear off and I’ll be back to my regular blogging schedule. This dish is actually one I made a few weeks ago and it was delicious, it was hard to believe it was from Cooking Light!

The bacon tomato butter was really good. It’s not really a butter, just a butter sauce. And I think it would be great on chicken, really on just about anything!

Tilapia with Bacon Tomato Butter
Recipe from Adventures in Marriage, originally from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp sugar
4 tilapia filets
1/8 tsp kosher salt
4 slices bacon, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
Other seasonings to taste – I used Tony’s
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
2 tbsp butter

Method:

Combine the water, 1 tbsp salt and 2 tsp sugar in a baking dish and let the tilapia soak for 20 minutes (don’t worry, it doesn’t make the tilapia sweet).Drain off the liquid and pat the filets dry.
Heat a cast iron skillet with a little oil on the bottom to prevent sticking. Season fish with the 1/8 tsp kosher salt and any other desired seasonings. Cook until done, flipping once.
While that’s cooking, heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until almost crisp, then add the garlic and cook another minute or so before stirring in the paprika. Add the tomatoes and cook until softened, about three minutes, then stir in the butter.
Serve the tilapia topped with the bacon tomato mixture.

Tilapia with Bacon Tomato Butter

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Posted in Light and Healthy, Seafood

Baked Blueberry Doughnuts with Lemon Glaze

Posted on August 4, 2011 | 1 Comment

There are a few people in my life that are major fans of doughnuts. I have been curious for a while about the doughnut pans that you use to bake them. I mean let’s face it, the deep-fried doughnuts with chocolate icing and sprinkles that my daughter would consume for every meal if she were allowed – are not healthy.

When PreventionRD posted a recipe for blueberry doughnuts, which are MY favorite, I decided to go buy one of the pans. It was really easy to make, it was just like baking a cake. And speaking of cake, I need to say this. If you are going to eat this and expect it to taste exactly like a deep-fried doughnut, you’ll be disappointed, because it doesn’t. But it does taste very good, my husband said he likes them better actually. It’s more of a light cake texture, in the shape of a doughnut. They’re great (made even better by the fact that they are less than 100 calories each!). I guess I’ll have to figure out how to make the chocolate and sprinkle ones for my daughter now!

Baked Blueberry Doughnuts with Lemon Glaze
Recipe Adapted from Prevention RD

Ingredients:
2 cups cake flour (or 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour + 1/4 cup cornstarch)
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp lemon zest
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
2 eggs, lightly beaten, at room temperature
2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup blueberries, halved

Lemon Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp low-fat milk, plus more to thin out, if desired
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix well, then mix in the lemon zest.

To the flour mixture, add the buttermilk, eggs, applesauce and vanilla, stir until well incorporated but do not over-mix. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Spray doughnut pan with nonstick spray. Pour batter into each of the doughnut molds, filling halfway. Bake 8-10 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden (the tops will still be pale).

While the doughnuts are baking, make the icing:
Mix the powdered sugar with the vanilla, milk and lemon juice. Stir well. It should be thin enough to coat the doughnuts, but still fairly thick so it stays and doesn’t just drip off.

When the doughnuts are done baking, allow them to sit in the pan for four minutes, then remove. Dip one side in the icing and set on a cooling rack placed over parchment paper. Allow the icing to harden.