Category Archives: health

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Pumpkin Pasta

Hubby wasn’t a fan of this even though I added sausage to his.

pumpkinpasta

Penne-Wise Pumpkin Pasta

6 oz penne pasta

14 oz can fat free chicken broth

15 oz pumpkin puree

1/3 c. diced onion

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp hot pepper sauce

1 dash cinnamon

1 dash nutmeg

Smoked salt

Pepper

7 leaves of fresh sage, thinly sliced

Grated Parmesan, for the table

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain.
While the pasta is working, in a medium skillet sprayed with cooking spray, over medium heat, cook the onion with garlic. Stir in the chicken broth and pumpkin. Add the hot sauce, cinnamon and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sage.
Toss the pasta with the sauce and pass the parmigiano-reggiano around the table.

Yield: 3 servings.

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Greek Chicken Salad

greeksalad

Greek Chicken Salad

3 c. diced cooked chicken breasts

1 1 /2 c. chopped tomatoes

14 oz can water-packed artichoke hearts, drained & quartered

½ c. crumbled feta cheese

½ c. pitted Greek olives, chopped

1/3 c. dried currants

¼ c. chopped red onion

¼ c. white balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar

1 ½ tsp lemon juice

1 ½ tsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper, to taste

 

In large bowl, combine chicken, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, feta, olives, currants and onion. In small bowl, combine vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper; pour over salad mixture and toss to combine.

Yield: 6 servings.

 

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Spicy Black Bean Patties

The original recipe called for sweet potato but I opted to use butternut squash as it is currently zero WW points. I encourage you to play with the spices to flavor as you like.

blackbeanpatties

Spicy Black Bean Patties
1/3 c. diced onion
dash garlic powder
1/4 c. diced tamed jalapeno (or use the real deal, to taste)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper, to taste
2 c. diced butternut squash, cooked and softened
48 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 egg
1/2 c. panko

Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl; mix well.  Place large spoonfuls in to large skillet sprayed with cooking spray. Smash balls into patties and lightly brown on each side.

Yield: 8-9 patties.

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Raspberry Chipotle Shrimp

I actually made this with shrimp AND swai fish.  It was delicious! That sauce is great!  Spicy with a little sweet. I really think this sauce would be great on pork too.

At my house, this is 2-3 servings.

Raspberry Chipotle Shrimp

1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 tsp BBQ seasoning

½ c. barbecue sauce

¼ c. sugar free raspberry preserves

1 chipotle pepper with adobo sauce, finely diced

 

Combine the seasoning, barbecue sauce, preserves and chipotle pepper. Prepare grill or skillet. In skillet, place shrimp and top with most of sauce, reserving a little to serve with cooked shrimp. Cook until shrimp are done (could also use fish). If grilling, put shrimp on skewers (water soaked if they are wooden skewers), brush with sauce and grill until done. Serve with remaining sauce.

 

 

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Fish with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Hubby said I can make this again.  As he ate the third serving.

Fish in Roasted Pepper Sauce

1 lb swai, tilapia or cod

Salt and pepper, to taste

½ c. diced onion

12 oz jar roasted red peppers

1 tsp roasted garlic powder

¾ c. fat free half and half

¼ c. grated Parmesan cheese

Spray large skillet with cooking spray and cook fish over medium heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. While that cooks, dice onion and place half jar of red peppers in a small food processor; dice the rest. After fish is cooked, remove from skillet and respray skillet with cooking spray. Or you can use olive oil if you like. Add onion, chopped and processed red pepper and sprinkle with garlic powder. Cook until onion is done (about 5 minutes) then add half and half and Parmesan cheese. Stir well to combine and add fish back to the pan.
Yield: 3 servings.

roastedredpeppersauce

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Shrimp Pepper Pasta

tasty!

Shrimp Pepper Pasta

6 oz spaghetti

Cooking spray

4 small sweet peppers, thinly sliced

½ jar sliced banana peppers

1 jar cherry peppers, sliced

½ c. diced onion

Garlic, to taste

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper

¼ c. chicken broth or water

4-5 diced Roma tomatoes

15 oz tomato sauce

1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

4 basil leaves, torn

1/3 c. parmesan cheese (or asiago)

 

Bring medium pot of water to a boil and add spaghetti.  Meanwhile, spray large skillet with cooking spray and heat on med hi. Add peppers, onion, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Cook about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, tomato sauce, and shrimp. Add basil leaves and cheese; fold in cooked spaghetti. Serve in bowls and top with additional basil leaves and cheese.

Yield: 3 servings.

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Blueberry Chia Jam

I used a 12 oz package of frozen blueberries and it turned out great!

blueberrychiajam

Blueberry Chia Jam
3 cups fresh Blueberries
1/4 cup Honey
1/4 cup Chia Seeds
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Combine berries and honey in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until berries begin to soften and burst, about 5 minutes. Add chia seeds and cook until very thick, about 15 minutes. Stir often. Remove from heat and let cool then add vanilla extract. Store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Makes 16 servings. Per serving (1/8 cup)= 50 Calories; 1g Fat (21.6% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 3mg Sodium.

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Pizza Quiche

Delicious!

pizzaquiche

Pizza Quiche
2 c. shredded potatoes
1 cup reduced fat shredded mozzarella cheese
1 oz turkey pepperoni
¼ c. diced green peppers
2 TB diced onion
1 c. unsweetened almond milk
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese (I used reduced)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place frozen potatoes in pie plate sprayed with cooking spray. Microwave 1 minute. In medium bowl, combine cheese, pepperoni, green peppers, onion, milk, eggs, egg whites, Italian seasoning and Parmesan. (could also add mushrooms) Pour over potatoes. Bake pie at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted near center of pie comes out clean. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.
Yield:4 servings. Per serving= 240 Calories; 9g Fat (34.5% calories from fat); 18g Protein; 21g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 120mg Cholesterol; 494mg Sodium.

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Cilantro Black Bean Dip

blackbeandip
Cilantro Black Bean Dip
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained, or 2 cups cooked dried beans
1/8 cup cilantro
Dash garlic powder
1 TB lime juice
salt and pepper, to taste
dash of cumin

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until desired consistency. If you would like it a little thinner, add a little water and blend some more.
Yield: 6 servings. Per serving= 63 Calories; 1g Fat (8.7% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 219mg Sodium

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How do you lose weight?

How do you lose weight? Or maybe the question is how to keep it off? I’ve been enjoying the South Beach Diet the past few weeks. It’s forced me to eat more vegetables and protein which I know I need to do. But what works for me may not work for you. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different plans to find what works for you. Find something that isn’t a short term fix, but a way to eat and exercise that you can maintain for years to come.
Some of you may be struggling right now. If that’s you I am praying that you will find what works for you and that you will be healthy and able to live your life to the fullest as God intended.