Korean Beef Wrapped Asparagus

Korean Beef Wrapped Asparagus

SERVES: 6-8
INGREDIENTS:

1 pound Flank Steak, thawed
⅛ cup coconut aminos
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon ginger, peeled and grated
½ tablespoon honey
⅛ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon unsweetened pineapple juice
25-30 asparagus stalks, trimmed
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon sea salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place the steak in the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make it easier to slice very thinly.
Meanwhile, make the marinade. Mix the coconut aminos, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, honey, red pepper flakes, and pineapple juice, in a bowl and set aside.
Remove the steak from the freezer, then cut across the grain into very thin strips, about ⅛ inch thick.
Pour the marinade over the sliced steak, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours.
Preheat your grill to medium heat.
Rub the olive oil over the asparagus, then wrap each stalk with a strip of beef.
Sprinkle with salt, & pepper.
Grill the beef wrapped asparagus over medium heat for about 6 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure the beef cooks evenly.

Adapted from Danielle Walker's cookbook.

Optavia Italian Meaty Casserole

ITALIAN MEATY CASSEROLE

Ingredients:

4 oz Cheese, Ricotta, Part-Skim 

2 tbsp Egg Substitute, Egg Beaters 

6 oz Cheese, mozzarella, reduced fat 

1 1/2 cup Raw Tomatoes, crushed, canned 

10 oz Beef, ground, 95-97% lean 

3 tbsp Paremesan Cheese 

1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper 

1/2 tsp Garlic Salt 

1/2 tsp Italian Seasonings 

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2. Cook ground beef. 

3. Add tomatoes, ¼ tsp. garlic salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and set aside.

4. Mix ricotta cheese, 3/4 cup (3 oz) of mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, egg substitute, Italian seasoning, and remaining garlic salt and pepper in a separate bowl.

5. Fill the bottom of a medium-sized baking dish with the meat mixture and top with the cheese filling. 

6. Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese on top.

7. Bake for 35 minutes and let cool 10 minutes before slicing. 

One Serving Provides: ~1 Lean, 3/4 green, 1-3/4 condiments. 

Caprese Salad

This salad is my new favorite...I love the mozzarella cheese!!

CAPRESE SALAD 

Ingredients:
4 oz fresh mozzarella between 3 to 6 g fat per oz, cubed (1 Lean)
1 cup baby spinach (1 Green)
1 cup or 180 g Roma or heirloom tomatoes, sliced (2 Greens)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (1/4 Condiment)
1/8 tsp salt (1/2 Condiment)
1/8 tsp pepper (1/4 Condiment)
2 tbsp Walden Farms Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (1 Condiment)

Directions:
Place a bed of greens on a plate. Season tomatoes with pepper and salt then layer them over spinach. Add mozzarella on top of tomatoes. Drizzle dressing over tomatoes and cheese. Top with fresh chopped basil. Enjoy!

1 Lean and Green with 2 Condiments - No Healthy Fat required.

Cabbage Chicken Enchiladas

Cabbage Chicken Enchiladas

Your recipe makes 3 servings

Each serving provides:

1 Leaner

3 Green

1 Condiment

2.5 cups of cabbage

14 ounces shredded chicken (I used part of a rotisserie chicken)

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup low-fat plain greek yogurt

2 (7 ounce) cans of chopped green chilies

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

1/8 teaspoon Salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 cup green onions, chopped

For the Sauce:

Add the chicken broth to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and mix in the sour cream and green chiles. Heat thoroughly but do not boil and make sure to stir often. Let simmer for just a bit and the sauce should thicken. Season with salt and pepper. My sauce wasn’t as thick as we like it so I ended up whisking in about 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch to thicken (keep this in mind to adjust to your preference).

For the Enchiladas:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Peel the cabbage leaves – make sure to peel them gently, as you don’t want them to tear. I ran the cabbage under warm water as I was peeling and this helped quite a bit. Throw the cabbage leaves into the pot of boiling water for a couple of minutes. Remove and set on a paper towel to dry.

Mix the shredded chicken with chopped fresh cilantro, green onion, and shredded cheese (optional). I also seasoned well with salt & pepper, and cumin.

Take your cabbage leaves and place the chicken mixture inside of them and roll up. I also put a tablespoon or so of the sauce in with the chicken mixture. Place each cabbage roll in the baking dish and top with the rest of the enchilada sauce and shredded cheese.

Bake at 350° for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Healthy Super Bowl Recipes

Healthy Jalapeno Poppers Ingredients Cooking spray 4 oz 95-97% lean ground beef 6 whole jalapeno peppers (or mini sweet peppers) 4 oz (½ cup) low-fat plain Greek yogurt 4 oz (1 cup) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar 3 medium scallions, sliced thin 1 large red bell pepper, diced fine ¼ tsp garlic powder ¼ tsp cumin ¼ tsp chili powder & 1/8 tsp paprika 1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside. 2. Cook ground beef in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat until done. 3. Cut jalapeno peppers in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and membrane. 4. Combine beef, yogurt, cheese, scallions, red pepper, and spices in a medium bowl. 5. With a spoon, fill jalapeno pepper halves with cheese mixture. 6. Place the peppers, cut-side up, on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 20-25 minutes 7. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Buffalo Chicken Dip 6 oz of cooked chicken breast 2 wedges of Laughing Cow Light 1 TB Frank's Hot Sauce Celery/Cucumbers/Peppers for dipping Dice or shred cooked chicken and mix in laughing cow cheese and Frank's Hot Sauce. Mix until blended. Heat for 2 minutes in microwave. Cauliflower Bread Sticks 1 cup raw grated cauliflower 1/4 cup egg substitute 1 cup shredded or 4 oz 2% light mozzarella, Garlic salt and Italian seasonings, to taste Marinara Sauce 1/2 cup Italian diced tomatoes (Puree Italian diced tomatoes in a small chopper) Preheat oven to 350. Mix cauliflower, 1/4 cup egg substitute, and 3 oz or 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella together in a bowl until combined. Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchment and lightly spray with Pam. Pour mixture into pan about 1 -1/2 inch deep. (It is okay if the mixture does not cover the entire pan). Bake at 350 for 30 min or until set. Lift the edges of the parchment and place bread with parchment on to cookie sheet. Carefully use a spatula to lift the edges of the dough off the parchment and flip the dough. Bake for an additional 15 minutes at 450 degrees. Take out of oven and with a pizza cutter, slice strips through set dough. Separate slightly. Sprinkle with garlic salt, Italian seasonings and 1 oz or 1/4 cup 2% reduced fat mozzarella or three cheese blend. Continue baking at 450 degrees for about 10 more minutes until cheese is melted. Serve with marinara sauce. Crispy Zucchini Chips Ingredients: 3 medium sized zucchini, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon olive oil dash of sea salt Directions: Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a large baking sheet or two small baking sheets with parchment paper. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Place zucchini slices in a single layer on parchment paper. Bake for 3 1/2 to 4 hours until desired crispness, turning zucchini slices occasionally. Mini Cauliflower Pizza Bites 2 cups Cauliflower (about 1/2 head of cauliflower) 1/4 cup Egg whites (or 1 large egg white) 1/8 cup Low fat cottage cheese 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 1/2 tsp Dried oregano 1/2 tsp Dried basil 1/4 tsp Garlic powder 1/4 cup Mini turkey pepperoni’s Optional Topping: Additional pepperoni’s to place on top just before cooking Preheat oven to 425. Line 14 mini muffin cups with silicone liners, or foil muffin liners with paper liners removed. Spray liners with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. Wash cauliflower, and cut in half, (save the rest for later). Break cauliflower into segments, and place in food processor. Pulse until it reaches a rice-like texture. Place cauliflower in microwave safe bowl and microwave for 8 minutes. (Do NOT add water or cover). Remove cauliflower from microwave and add the rest of the ingredients. Stir to combine. Place back in microwave for 2 minutes. Mix again. Scoop cauliflower mixture into muffin liners, dividing evenly between the 14 mini liners. Fill to the top, and press filling down so it’s compact in liner. Place muffin tin in the oven and bake muffins for 30-35 minutes, or when top starts to become golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool completely before popping the muffins out of the liners. Serve warm with pizza sauce for dipping!

Happy Fall

Creamy Cauliflower Soup ~ Lean and Green Recipe

Creamy Cauliflower Soup 

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Vegetarian Dish

Ingredients

3 cups cauliflower florets

2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth

¼ tsp salt

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp onion powder

8 oz (2 cups) reduced-fat, shredded cheddar cheese

Chives for garnish (optional)

Directions

1.     In a medium pot, steam cauliflower florets in about one-quarter to one-half cup of water on medium-high heat until tender.

2.     Mash cauliflower.  Add broth, salt, garlic powder, and onion powder to pot, and bring to a boil.

3.     Remove from heat.  Stir in cheese/

4.     Transfer mixture to a blender (or use an immersion blender) and puree soup until smooth.  Serve immediately.

TSFL Medifast Vegetarian Option- Per serving: 1 Lean, 3 Green, 3 condiments

Lean & Green Meal: 370 calories, 13g carbohydrates, 42g protein

Cauliflower Pizza Crust: Lean and Green!

Crust

1 c grated raw cauliflower

¼ cup egg substitute

½ cup or 2 oz 2% reduced fat 3 cheese Mexican Blend

⅛ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp basil

Toppings

¼ cup + 2 tbsp reduced fat mozzarella cheese

½ c Italian diced tomatoes, canned- less than 5g of carbs per serving

Anything else you want!

Directions

Measure out ½ c diced tomatoes and puree, set aside.

Preheat oven to 425.

Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and spray lightly with cooking spray.

Combine cauliflower, egg beaters, cheese, garland and basil until mixed completely.

Spoon mixture on prepared pan. Use the back of a spoon to thin out and form a circle about the size of a dinner plate. The thinner the better.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Carefully flip crust over and back an additional 10-15 minutes until edges are brown and crisp.

Let cool. Add tomato sauce and toppings. Broil until cheese is melted- about 5-10 minutes.

If making multiple crusts you can wrap and freeze. When ready to serve bake 15 minutes at 425 until cheese is melted.

My Journey to Healthier Living...

As I inched my way into my upper 30's, I started gaining weight.  Eeek!  I had heard that happens, but was shocked to realize that it was apparently part of my natural aging process too!  I started to watch what I ate.  I also watched my skinny pants move to the back of the closet.  I watched the clock at the gym as I monitered how many calories I expended during my workouts.  I wasn’t slimming down, and it was frustrating!

I took a careful look at my food intake, and I knew that there was room for improvement.  I had an inspiring conversation with my sister-in-law who is a Health Coach, and decided it was time to make healthy changes.

I embraced a wonderful Healthy Living program, lost those extra pounds, and am now sharing the knowledge (and my favorite recipes) that I gained with others!  I am so excited to share healthy news, and amazing recipes that are vegetable based!  Join with me on my journey as I share in the joy of good health!

Back to School 'Wild About Teachers' Brunch {Gourmet French Toast}

This year we bought the teachers 5K worth of supplies.  The budget cuts have been terrible, and they have to beg for the basics, like paper, and just hope the parents are generous.

Thank you to Starbucks for donating the drinks, and to Rosy's for a great deal on the flowers.

Melinda came up with the 'Wild About Teachers' theme.  She used a roll of wrapping paper among other things to pull off the look.  We thought it would have been cute if we all dressed in animal print tops.

This was my favorite dish:

Bananas Faster French Toast (Cinnamon Campbell)

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

4 large eggs

1 cup of heavy cream

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of shaved nutmeg

1 teaspoon of vanilla

8 croissants, halved

Butter for cooking

Bananas foster sauce:

8 tablespoons of butter, divided

1 cup of light brown sugar, packed

1 /2 cup of dark rum, room temperature (cold liquor does not ignite)

6 ripe bananas, cut into 1/2 inch chunks

 In a bowl or stand mixer, whisk together the eggs. Add cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla and whisk ingredients for about 30 seconds.

Melt butter (about 2 teaspoons) in a 12" non stick fry pan, around medium heat. Dip halved croissant in egg/cream mixture and put in frying pan. You can repeat with three more halved croissants. Four halved croissants fit in a 12" non stick frying pan. Cook until the underside is light brown and looking toasty. When the underside is toasty looking, flip croissants over and press down on them with a spatula so that they become flat. Turn heat down to medium low and let cook for about 2-3 minutes. You can leave the croissants in the pan on low heat to keep them warm while you prepare the bananas foster sauce.

In a 12 inch non stick frying pan, melt the 8 tablespoons of butter, divided on medium heat. Add brown sugar and stir until a paste forms. Add the bananas. Remove pan from heat and add the dark rum. Put pan back on burner. Using a gas burner, tip the pan to ignite the rum. If you don't have a gas burner, a lighter will do. You are burning the alcohol off, but leaving the taste of the rum. Let the flames keep burning, tilting the pan back and forth or shake the pan slightly, to reach all the alcohol. When the flames have subsided, your sauce is done.

 

My friends Courtney Dana, Trisha Combe & Melinda Bertrand did an amazing job putting the brunch together!  The teachers LOVED it!  So much better than having it catered.

Fruit Bites & Mini-Raspberry Cupcakes

This is my favorite Mini-Raspberry Cupcake recipe:

Mini-Raspberry Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes

         1 stick(s) (1⁄2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

         3/4 cup(s) sugar

         1 1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder

         1/4 teaspoon(s) salt

         2 large eggs

         1 teaspoon(s) raspberry or vanilla extract

         1/2 cup(s) milk, & 5-6 fresh raspberries

         1 1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour

Raspberry Buttercream

         1 stick(s) (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

         4 cup(s) confectioners’ sugar

         4 tablespoon(s) milk, and 2-3 fresh raspberries

         1 teaspoon(s) raspberry or vanilla extract

         1/2 teaspoon(s) salt

         Red or pink gel or liquid food color (optional)

directions

1.            Heat oven to 350ºF. Line mini-- muffin pans with paper liners. (Don't worry if you only have one pan. After baking a batch, remove baked cupcakes to rack. Then place the pan in your freezer to cool quickly before lining and baking the next batch.)

2.            Beat butter, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl with electric mixer on high speed 1 minute. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Stir extract into milk. Beat in flour in three parts, alternating with milk, just until blended. Spoon 1 Tbsp into each muffin cup.

3.            Bake 15 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan on wire rack 5 minutes before removing from pan to rack. Cool completely.

4.            Beat all ingredients in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until blended. Then increase speed to high; beat until light and fluffy. Tint pink if desired. Frost cupcakes.  I love to use silicone, recyclable cake cups.  I let my kids top the mini-cakes with fresh raspberries for the final touch.  Enjoy!

These are pictures from a gathering my cooking club friend, Rupali hosted.  The theme was fruit desserts.

Beach Shrimp Bake {Moonlight Beach}

The chef's in our church congregation put on the most amazing seaside feast!  These men really know how to host a clam bake!  They had propane run burners boiling multiple pots of water, then threw in the ocean treasures.  It was AMAZING!

Cranberry Chicken Salad

My mom buys a chicken salad from a store called Great Harvest up in Utah.  I always look forward to eating that stuff.  It is simple and delicious.  If you're like me, you don't like crunchy celery or onions in your chicken salad - and the Great Harvest chicken salad is free from any unwanted crunch.  Well...we don't have a Great Harvest here in California and occasionally I get a craving for that yummy salad.  So - I decided to take a stab at re-creating it, and I think it's pretty darn close!

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1 cup mayo

1 1/2 TBSP cider vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

pinch of sugar

Toss all ingredients in a bowl until combined.  You can serve immediately of let it chill in the fridge so all of the flavors mingle.  Serve on a bed of lettuce, a roll, crackers, sliced bread, or on its own!