Southwest Stuffed Peppers

You'll Need - 

1 package of ground turkey (or beef if you prefer)

2 – 4 bell peppers

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained

1.5 cups of salsa

1 cup of frozen corn

1 tablespoon of cumin (can vary depending how smoky you want it)

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper

hot sauce (to taste)

salt & pepper (to taste)

light shredded cheese

Start by washing the peppers and then cutting off the top with the stem. Spoon out the insides and set them aside.

 

Next, brown the ground turkey in a sauté pan and season with garlic powder, cumin, pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Add in the beans, salsa and corn and warm through. 

Season with hot sauce and sprinkle with a little bit of cheese to bind everything together. 

Stuff each pepper full of the turkey mix and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. 

Top each pepper with cheese and pop back in the oven until cheese is melted.

I made two peppers packed FULL and still and had a lot of the filling left over. You could definitely  stretch it to 4 peppers! If you’re running a little short just add in a little extra corn and salsa! 

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Cauliflower Pizza Crust

A delicious pizza crust made from cauliflower and cheese! 

Great if you're watching carbs or are gluten free! 

You'll Need- 

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower (instructions below!)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (I used weight watchers)

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon crushed garlic

½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper

salt and pepper

To "rice" the cauliflower take 1 large head of fresh cauliflower, remove stems and leaves, and chop the florets into chunks. (One large head should produce approximately 3 cups of riced cauliflower. The remainder can be used to make additional pizza crusts immediately, or can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.)

If you have a food processor, add the florets into it and pulse until it looks like grain. Do not over pulse or you will accidently puree it! (If you don't have a food processor, you can grate the whole head with a cheese grater or chop very finely with a large chopping knife). Place the riced cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. (no need to add water).

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lay parchment paper down on cookie sheet … the first time I tired this recipe, spraying the pan with oil wasn’t enough and my whole crust got really stuck to the pan :(

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. Add oregano, crushed garlic and other seasonings. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. 

(Use parchment paper - this ended up getting stuck!)

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes...flip and bake for another 5-10. I like my crust crispy so I left mine in a little longer even! Remove from oven and add your favorite pre cooked topping! Place back into the oven until toppings are warmed through and the cheese is melty! (approximately 5 minutes).

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Cauliflower "Mashed Potatoes"

You'll Need - 


1 medium head cauliflower

• 1 tablespoon cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup grated cheese (parm, mozz, cheddar)
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• freshly ground black pepper and salt
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 
  

Clean and cut cauliflower into small pieces. Cook in boiling water for about 6 minutes, or until well done. Drain and pat the hot cooked cauliflower very dry between several layers of paper towels.

With a hand mixer or in a food processor, puree the hot cauliflower with the cream cheese, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper until almost smooth.

Serve hot with pats of butter.

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Portobello Mushroom Pizzas

I love making these crust-less pizzas.

They are super healthy and really easy to make.

 The best part is that they'll totally satisfy a pizza craving! 

You'll Need -


Large Portabella Mushroom Caps
Marinara Sauce
Turkey Pepperoni
Black Olives
Low-fat Mozzarella Cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush the mushrooms clean with a pastry or bbq brush and scoop out the gills with a spoon...do not wash them...they'll get really soggy!  

Place the mushrooms on a lightly greased baking pan and bake for about 10 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the oven and blot them with a paper towel to remove the excess moisture. Next, turn your oven's broiler to high. Top the mushrooms with the sauce, cheese, olives, and pepperoni slices. 

Pop them back in the oven and broil for about 5 more minutes...The pepperoni will brown and the cheese will be melted and bubbly....sooooo good....enjoy!

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Thanks for the idea CJ -- Follow this link her her blog!

Cheesy Baked Broccoli and Cauliflower

You'll Need- 
1 Head of Cauliflower (cut into bite-size florets)
1 Head Broccoli (cut into bite-size florets)
1 Cup Non-Fat or 1% Milk
3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Flour
3/4 - 1 Cup of Light Shredded Cheese
Freshly Ground Black Pepper and Salt (to taste)




Preheat the oven to 375. Boil the cauliflower and broccoli and cook until it's al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the vegetable cooking water. Place the cooked veggies in a large bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Once it's cool place it in a baking dish. 


In a small pot combine the milk, cooking water and cheese and heat until the cheese is melted into the liquids. I recommend using a bold cheese like extra sharp cheddar! I made mine with Gouda and wished I'd picked a cheese that had a little more flavor to it!!


In another small pot, add the olive oil and flour, and stir over low heat for a few minutes to make a roux. Add the hot liquid to the roux stir and simmer until it's nice that thick. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.


Add the cheese sauce to the baking dish with the broccoli and cauliflower and sprinkle a little extra cheese on top! Bake 20-25 minutes, until bubbling.





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Garlic Mashed Potatoes

This recipe is meant for a crowd so you may want to 
downside it if you’re not feeding an army! 
I made these at my sister house for a 
New Years Eve dinner party and they were a hit!

You'll Need- 

5 Pound Bag of Potatoes

½ Quart of Light Cream

1 Stick of Butter

Fresh Garlic Cloves

Start by peeling the potatoes and dicing them into evenly sized chucks…the smaller you make the the quicker they cook! 

Add them to a boiling pot of water and simmer until you can poke right through them with a fork! 

Strain the potatoes and add them back to the warm pot and mash them! (I like to use a hand mixer and really whip them up!) While you’re mashing slowly add in the cream and butter while tasting along the way!  Once you are happy with the flavor and consistency grate in some fresh garlic and season with salt and pepper! 

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Roasted Patty Pan & Tomatoes



You'll Need -

Patty Pan
Grape Tomatoes
Minced Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil
Lemon

Preheat oven to 350. Half the patty pan and tomatoes and season them with a little bit of of olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  

Place on a baking sheet and roast for about 15 minutes. Garnish veggies with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.




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Baked Onion

You'll Need -


Large Sweet Onion (Vidalias are my favorite)
2 Tsp of Light Butter
1 Beef Boullion Cube
1 Tsp of Minced Garlic


Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Remove the ends and skin from your onion. Use a spoon to dig a hole into the center the onion...dig about halfway down.  Next, cut the onion into quarters from the top down, stopping within an inch of the bottom. Place the bouillon cube, butter and garlic into the hole. Wrap the onion tigltly in tin foil.

Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour...until your onion is nice and tender all the way through. Enjoy!!

Approximate Nutrition Information Per Onion

Calories - 93

Total Fat - 3.5 (1.4 Sat)

Carbs - 14

Fiber - 2.5

Protein - 1.6

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Broccoli Slaw

My friend Dana made this slaw as a snack for a day at the beach! Don't let the Ramen Noodles freak you out! This dish is very light, refreshing and so yummy!

You'll Need -

2 Packages of Chicken Ramen Noodles (crushed)
2 Bags of Broccoli Slaw
1 Cup Almonds (whole or sliced)
1 Cup Sunflower Seeds
½ Tsp Chopped White Onion

Dressing -

½ Cup Sugar
2/3 Cup Veg Oil
1/3 Cup White Vinegar
Seasoning From Noodles

Layer in order of ingredients (Don't mix)! Pour dressing over salad and chill for 12 hours. Mix right before serving.

This slaw is great alone, as a side dish, or top with some roasted chicken or grilled shrimp and make a meal out of it!

Makes 12 Servings -

Calories  - 251
Fat -  19 (Sat 1.7)
Carbs - 17
Fiber - 2.8
Protein - 4

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Zucchini Fries

You'll need -

Olive oil, for frying

1 3/4 Cups of Grated Parmesan

1 1/2 Cups of Breadcrumbs

2 tsp Salt

2 tsp Pepper

1 tsp Chili Powder

2 Large Eggs

3 Medium Zucchini (cut into fries)

Directions -

Stir the parmesan, breadcrumbs, chili powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl and blend.  Wisk the eggs in another medium bowl. Working in batches, dip the zucchini in the eggs to coat completely and allow the excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Then, coat the zucchini in the bredding mixture. Place the breaded zucchini aside.

When the oil is hot, working in batches, fry the zucchini fries until they are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fried zucchini to paper towels and drain.

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Oven Roasted Veggies

A simple side dish that goes well with just about everything...

Mix it up and use whatever veggies you like best!

You'll Need -

1 10 oz Container of Grape Tomatoes
1 Large Summer Squash
1 Bundle of Asparagus
EVOO
Salt & Pepper
Crushed Red Pepper

Directions -

First wash all the veggies! Chop the summer squash and asparagus into bite sized pieces. Arrange all of the veggies on a baking dish and coat with a little olive oil (I use my "misto"...a wonderful gift I received for Christmas last year! It's a refillable spray bottle for oil which helps reduce the amount you'll use.) Lastly, season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Bake in a 350 degree over for about 20 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

Makes 4 servings

Approximate Nutritional Information Per Serving -

(I accounted for 1tsp of EVOO but probably didn’t use that much with the misto)

Calories - 71

Fat - 1.7 (.3 Sat)

Carbs - 12

Fiber - 5

Protein - 3.5

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Noodle-Free Lasagna

You'll need -

2 Large Zucchini

1 Package of Frozen Chopped Spinach (thawed and drained)
1-2 Cups of Mushrooms, Sliced (depending on your love for mushrooms)
1 Bag of Low Fat Mozzarella Cheese

1 16 oz Container of Fat Free Cottage Cheese
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese
3 Cups of Meat Sauce (I use my Sirloin and Pepperoni Bolognese - see separate post below)

Directions -

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and grease a deep 9x13 inch baking pan.

Slice the zucchini lengthwise into very thin slices. Sprinkle slices lightly with salt and bake for 12 minutes, let cook and blot dry...Try to get as much of the moisture out of the zucchini as you can. With all the veggies going into this recipe it WILL get very watery if you're not careful! (no matter what it'll have a little more water than lasagna with noodles!)

To assemble the lasagna, spread 1/2 of the meat sauce into the bottom of prepared pan. Then layer 1/2 of the zucchini slices, 1/2 the cottage cheese,1/2 the mozzarella cheese...

then add all of the spinach (make sure the spinach free of any water) and all of the mushrooms...

Repeat by layering the remaining meat sauce, zucchini slices and cheeses. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over the top...

Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil; raise oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let the lasagna stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Mmmmm...Final Product

** side note -- I think most lasagnas taste better the next day, after they've had time to sit and the ingredients have had time to mingle! It's still delicious right out of the oven...But if you can make it ahead and let it sit overnight, I think it's better!! **

Makes 8 servings

Approximate Nutrition Facts Per Serving -

Calories - 348
Fat - 16.5  (9.1 Sat)
Carbs - 15
Fiber - 3
Protein - 35

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