Healthy Recipes...What's Your Fave?

[TangoWedding]

Since we're all watching what we're eating (and hopefully not eating out too much!), I thought it'd be fun to share our favorite healthy recipes.

Here are a couple of mine:

Weight Watchers Meatloaf

2 lbs extra lean ground beef
1 large size jar chunky salsa
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1 cup oatmeal

Mix together beef, salsa, oatmeal, salt, and pepper. Place in casserole dish.

Cook on 350°F for one hour. Ten minutes before removing from oven, sprinkle top with cheese and bake until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.




Salsa Pasta


1 lb extra lean beef (I use ground turkey for this one)
8 oz wheat pasta
1 medium-sized jar picante sauce
1/2 cup cheese
1/4 cup light sour cream

Brown the beef/turkey in large pan. Drain and put back in the pan. Add the pasta and the whole jar of picante. Stir.

Pour water over the pasta/beef mix until it's completely covered. Cook, stirring often, until mixture is thick and water is gone.

Stir in cheese and sour cream and serve.

[SerendipityCrafts]

I am not a health food nut by any means but when my kids were young, I made a point of cooking healthy meals. With little ones ... being creative is a must.

This recipe is for "healthy popsicles" but I enjoy them too. My children and their friends asked for these popsicles morning, noon and night. I never turned them down. Who was I to tell them that they are good for them!

Yield 8 popsicles
not even 10 min prep

6 ounces frozen juice concentrate (do not add water)
3/4 cup milk (use the frozen juice can to measure)
1 cup plain yogurt

For variety, I substitute different flavours of frozen juice - grape, fruit punch, tropical etc.

Mix all the ingredients using a fork, a blender or a mixer. Pour into popsicle molds. Freeze and enjoy! What could be easier? LOL

[WebLady]

See now, just a day after the ebook is done :p

[SerendipityCrafts]

Oh another fav of mine (& my kids because they used to make their own pizzas)

BBQ Pizza

Tortillas
Tomato Paste
Mozerella (low fat if you must :))
and anything that you would normally top a pizza with

Spread some tomato paste over a tortilla
Add cheese (not too too much)
Top with whatever veggies or meat you would like
Yes, the toppings go on top (the cheese will melt better)

Put your tortilla pizza on the barbeque (medium heat)
1. Close the lid, wait a minute or two (you will soon get to know how long to wait with regards to your own grill)
2. Open the lid and move/rotate the pizza with two spatulas
Repeat steps 1 & 2 until the tortilla gets crispy - careful not to scortch the bottom.
Once the tortilla is crispy move to the upper rack, close the lid and wait until the cheese is fully melted.
Transfer to a cutting board, slice and serve.

These can be served as appetizers or as a meal. The trick is not to load the pizzas overly much & also to keep an eye on the pizzas while they cook so they won't burn.

[SerendipityCrafts]

See now, just a day after the ebook is done :p

I worked in publishing. It's almost never too late to stop the presses LOL

I submitted my recipes didn't I? I know I sent my BBQ beef recipe.

[WebLady]

I worked in publishing. It's almost never too late to stop the presses LOL

I submitted my recipes didn't I? I know I sent my BBQ beef recipe.
LOL - I turned it in to Levi to look over today. I know you sent in a few, I don't remember all of them, but this popsicle one was there ;)

[august8bride]

I don't eat because it's healthy I eat it because it taste great.

Chicken stir-fry

basic recipe:

Chicken (chopped)
Lots of veggies (celery, carrots, peas, anything you like)
clove of garlic
a little bit of ginger root (1/2 tsp finely chopped)
peanut oil or olive oil or water (to keep the food from sticking to the pan)
rice as a side
soy sauce
oyster sauce

First you add the oil into the pan and saute the garlic and ginger until you start to smell it. Then add the chicken and cook until done. Well the chicken is cooking add a little bit of soy sauce and oyster sauce for flavor, but be careful and don't add to much just enough to flavor the chicken.

When the chicken is done take it out of the wok and set it aside then add the chopped veggies and cook until tender. While they are cooking add a little more of the soy and oyster sauce. Once they are done put the chicken back into the pan and mix it up well.

Serve and enjoy. It's a real basic simple recipe, but you can add your own spice. Like once in awhile I will put in some dried chili peppers with the garlic and ginger. To add some spice. The great thing is you can get creative.

[TangoWedding]

I LOVE stir fry!! I just made some tonight, actually, and thought about adding the recipe to this thread. :bblol:

Mine is pretty similar. And SO good!

[Parhelion]

Belly Buster Chili

Hardware:

1 large stock pot or Dutch oven
Stirring spoon
Sharp knife for dicing

Software:

1 lb. ground buffalo (ground turkey breast and ostrich work well too)
1 large green pepper, diced
1/2 large yellow onion, diced (Walla Walla or Vidalia are best)
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can Garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
1 large can diced tomatoes
1 small can diced chilis
1 small can diced jalapenos (optional)
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt (more or less to taste)
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Brown buffalo meat in large pot (or Dutch oven) with onion and green pepper. Add salt and cook until onions are translucent. Add beans, tomatoes, and chilis (all with their liquids) plus spices and stir. Bring to a boil (safety precaution) then back it down to a simmer. Allow flavors to meld for at least half an hour, stirring occasionally.

This chili packs a punch, both in flavor and in nutrition. Buffalo is naturally low fat and high in flavor. The beans add a lot of extra protein and fiber (take your Beano!), tomatoes add lycopene and plenty of vitamin C, and the chili peppers pack a punch that helps reduce the risk of heart disease, some cancers, as well as reducing the appetite!

[Jacklynn]

Since we're all watching what we're eating (and hopefully not eating out too much!), I thought it'd be fun to share our favorite healthy recipes.

Here are a couple of mine:

Weight Watchers Meatloaf

2 lbs extra lean ground beef
1 large size jar chunky salsa
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
1 cup oatmeal

Mix together beef, salsa, oatmeal, salt, and pepper. Place in casserole dish.

Cook on 350°F for one hour. Ten minutes before removing from oven, sprinkle top with cheese and bake until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.


I actually make meatloaf WW style... but we use 99% fat free ground turkey that Kroger sells - the brand is called "Just Perfect" I just mix it with breadcrumbs and then with ketchup on top and its only like 9-10 points for whole 1lb. So even if Matt and I each eat 1/2lb of meat loaf for dinner its only 5 points max. --- Good thinking on the salsa since it doesn't count towards points! (at least ours doesn't)

[TangoWedding]

I actually make meatloaf WW style... but we use 99% fat free ground turkey that Kroger sells - the brand is called "Just Perfect" I just mix it with breadcrumbs and then with ketchup on top and its only like 9-10 points for whole 1lb. So even if Matt and I each eat 1/2lb of meat loaf for dinner its only 5 points max. --- Good thinking on the salsa since it doesn't count towards points! (at least ours doesn't)


I was going to substitute turkey for the beef, too, but was afraid it wouldn't hold together as well. Does yours hold pretty well?

[Jacklynn]

I was going to substitute turkey for the beef, too, but was afraid it wouldn't hold together as well. Does yours hold pretty well?

Yep no problems at all, and last time I even left out the breadcrumbs so we didn't have those extra calories and it still stayed together. I did add in a little meatloaf seasoning though.

[woohoo2me]

I am not a health food nut by any means but when my kids were young, I made a point of cooking healthy meals. With little ones ... being creative is a must.

This recipe is for "healthy popsicles" but I enjoy them too. My children and their friends asked for these popsicles morning, noon and night. I never turned them down. Who was I to tell them that they are good for them!

Yield 8 popsicles
not even 10 min prep

6 ounces frozen juice concentrate (do not add water)
3/4 cup milk (use the frozen juice can to measure)
1 cup plain yogurt

For variety, I substitute different flavours of frozen juice - grape, fruit punch, tropical etc.

Mix all the ingredients using a fork, a blender or a mixer. Pour into popsicle molds. Freeze and enjoy! What could be easier? LOL


my daughter is the pickiest eater ever!! so i make these just so i know she gets her milk and fruit in. i get the juices that dont have added sugars but added vitamins like D and C.... now if they could make vegtables taste less like vegtables lol

[firespirit]

Here's a no-pasta lasagna recipe from hungrygirl.com that has been altered a bit:

Needed:
1 Eggplant
4 small zucchini (3 if large)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
15 oz Ricotta (Fat free has less calories and tastes about the same.)
8 oz Cottage cheese (I use the lowest fat available, you could use the whole 16 oz container if you want or none if you dont' want any)
Baby spinach
About 20 oz of pasta sauce
4 or 5 oz Shredded mozzarella (I use the lowest calorie I can find.)
Ground beef or tofu crumbles (If desired)


At some point preheat the oven to 425.

Slice the eggplant and zucchini into thin slices (about 1/4 of an inch).
Heat a frying pan over medium heat spray lightly with oil. Fry the eggplant and zucchini in the frying pan for a few minutes on each side. Let dry on paper towels. This will take a few batches, spray the pan in between each batch.

If using ground beef this should be thoroughly cooked in a frying pan.

In a 13X9 baking pan but a very thin layer of sauce on the bottom (just enough to keep things from sticking).

Put a layer of about half the veggies (eggplant, zucchini and mushroom). Mix the ricotta and cottage cheese and layer that evenly on top of the veggies.

If you decided to add ground beef you should layer it in here.

Put baby spinach leaves on top of that (I pull off the really long stems).

Then put the remaining veggies on top and cover with sauce (use the sauce sparingly since there aren't any noodles to soak it up).

Finally top with the shredded mozzarella and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

[FFC]

One of my favorites is Smoked Chicken.

I use boneless skinless chicken tenders, or you could use breasts - defrosted.

Sprinkle some mesquite flavor or hickory smoked salt on the chicken and sautee it on the stovetop with about 1 Tbs of olive oil. Brown on both sides. FanTASTIC - and somewhat healthy!

[SerendipityCrafts]

now if they could make vegtables taste less like vegtables lol

Hide veggies in the stuff that she likes. I used to hide stuff in spaghetti sauce all the time. My kids never knew that there were pureed carrots, green/red peppers, peas and zucchini in there LOL

Heck you can even find low sugar zucchini bread or carrot cake recipes. My kids love babaghanoush but hate to eat eggplant (duh - babaghanoush is egg plant pureed). My kids love hummus but hate chick peas (duh - again).

You have to be one step ahead and smarter than them. Sometimes, all it takes is changing the name of something. My kids wouldn't eat stew but when we starting calling it "Ernie and Bert Surprise" LOL ... all of a sudden they loved the stuff.

[KMS]

I posted this in my diet journal a while back. It's one kick butt sandwich if you're a sandwich lover like me. We just got all of the ingredients for this so I'll probably be making them for the next few days. YUM! :flower:

Veggie Sandwich w/ Blue Cheese Spread

Spread:
4 oz organic silken tofu, drained
3 Tbsp crumbled blue cheese
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp aged balsamic vinegar
1 small clove garlic

Fixins:
8 slices whole wheat bread, toasted
1 large roasted red bell pepper, jarred or freshly roasted
1 cup baby arugala or other bitter greens
1 large heirloom tomato, thinly sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced
salt & pepper, to taste

1. In a blender or food processor, combine tofu, cheese, basil, nutritional yeast, vinegar, and garlic; puree until smooth. (I had to add a little water to get the right consistency.)

2. Lay out all 8 pieces toasted bread. Spread 1 T "mayo" on each slice. Layer 4 bread slices with bell pepper, arugala, tomato, and avocado. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Top sandwiches with the remaining toasted bread, mayo side down. Slice each in half diagonally with a bread knife.

Calories - 220
Fat - 5 g
Carbs - 32 g
Protein - 9 g
Fiber - 5 g
Sodium - 490

Of coarse, the nutritional info will change slightly depending on type of bread, tofu, etc.