White Bean & Sweet Potato Risotto

I wanted to share with you a delicious recipe I recently made.  Risotto is typically a heavier dish made with butter and lots of cheese.  However, it’s possible to make this delicious creamy rice dish without all the fat.  Risotto is such a comforting winter dish to me.

This recipe is sweet from the sweet onions and sweet potatoes and incredibly creamy from the risotto method, white beans and parmesan cheese.  Let me know what you think!

White Bean & Sweet Potato Risotto

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, finely diced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 medium cooked sweet potato, diced, skin removed
• 1 can white beans, drained
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Heat dutch oven over medium heat, add oil.  Once hot add in onions and saute until transluscent, then add garlic cloves and stir until fragrant (do not let them burn).
2. Add risotto, and mix so that each piece of rice is covered in oil and becomes slightly transluscent around the edges.
3. Add white wine to pan and let all the liquid evaporate (if you don’t have wine on hand you can use all broth).
4. Once liquid is evaporated, add 1/2 cup of broth mixing until evaporated.  Continue adding broth until rice reaches desired consistency.
5. Add in cooked diced sweet potato (skinless), white beans, thyme and parmesan cheese to heat through.  Season with salt & pepper.

Nutrition Information (Serves 4): Each serving – 387 calories, 6 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 69 grams carbohydrate, 11 grams fiber, 14 grams protein

Sorry for the delay in posting this week…it’s been insane around here!

Warm up with Hot Cocoa

It’s cold outside!  Most of the country is experiencing abnormally cold weather.  As a result, you’re probably turning to hot drinks and foods to warm you up.

One of my favorite winter treats is hot cocoa.  It brings me right back to childhood.  After long days sledding outside, my mom always made me a nice cup of hot cocoa (and always from scratch).  I don’t remember the last time I went sledding, but I do have hot cocoa every now and then.  I think it is the perfect comforting warm drink.

Here’s how I make my own hot cocoa, so it’s full of flavor but not fat and calories.

Simple Hot Cocoa

• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 TB unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp sugar

Combine cocoa powder and sugar in a mug, stir to combine.  Add 1-2 TB of milk and mix, to create a paste.  Microwave paste for 15 seconds, then mix again to get mixture smooth.  This will prevent big clumps from forming at the bottom of your mug.  Add the rest of your milk and microwave for 1 minute, continue microwaving for 15 second intervals to desired temperature.  Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts: 150 calories, 0.5 grams fat, 23 grams carbohydrate, 9 grams protein

Nutrition Tidbit: Hot Cocoa

• When making hot cocoa make sure to buy unsweetened cocoa powder, this allows you to control how much sugar to add.
• Avoid the packaged hot chocolate mixes, the traditional ones have a lot of sugar and fat added to them.  The diet ones are loaded with artificial sweeteners and chemicals.
• Make hot cocoa with milk for a protein and calcium boost, it also makes the drink so much creamier and filling!
• I used Nestle unsweetened cocoa powder.  On the side of the container, their recipe for hot cocoa amounted to 220 calories instead of my 150 calories, and that’s using skim milk.
• At Starbucks, be careful when ordering hot chocolate!  Choose a tall nonfat no whip hot chocolate which will clock in at 190 calories and 2 grams fat (still more sugar than my recipe, but the healthiest option there).  If you opt for a grande whole milk with whip hot chocolate you will be sipping down 400 calories and 20 grams of fat!

What is your favorite warm drink?

Chicken Stuffed with Goat Cheese & Sun Dried Tomatoes

Try this recipe tonight and I promise you will not be disappointed!  It has 5 ingredients and is quick to make.  My husband yummed throughout the meal and said “I would pay for this at a restaurant” – he’s a very tough critic so that meant a lot!

Chicken Stuffed with Goat Cheese & Sun Dried Tomatoes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4- 4 ounce chicken breasts, thinly sliced (I buy the Murray’s thinly sliced one to minimize the work).
• 4 sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained (you can use the dry ones but make sure to rehydrate with boiling water first)
• 2 ounces herbed goat cheese
• 1 egg white
• 1/4 cup whole wheat panko breadcrumbs
• salt & pepper to tast

Method

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Prepare 2 ounces of goat cheese in one small bowl, set aside.
3. Finely chop the sun dried tomatoes, combine with goat cheese, set aside.
4. Crack egg, and place egg white in a small bowl, set aside.
5. Place breadcrumbs in a small dish, set aside.
6. Place the chicken breasts on your working surface, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. Add 1/4 of the tomato cheese mixture in the middle of each breast, then roll and secure with a toothpick (I didn’t have tooth picks so mine opened a bit).
8. Dip each rolled chicken breast in egg whites and then breadcrumbs.
9. Place on dish prepared with cooking spray.  Do not crowd the breasts, otherwise they will take longer to cook.
10. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, check for doneness (oven temperatures and cooking times may vary).

Nutrition Information: (per breast, 4 servings)

• 204 calories, 8 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat, 5 grams carbohydrate, 29 grams protein

I served mine with a side of roasted sweet potatoes and roasted cauliflower – yum!

Penne a la Vodka

Do you ever a get a craving for the rich and creamy Penne a la Vodka from your favorite Italian restaurant?  Ever thought of how much damage this dish could be doing to your waistline and arteries?  Well, the next time you want it, I suggest you make it in the comfort of your own kitchen and in less than 20 minutes! That’s less time than it would take for you to order it in from a local restaurant.

This is not a recipe, but rather a meal idea.  All you need are these 2 ingredients:

Newman’s Own Vodka Sauce: this stuff is incredible!!!  It is very creamy and has a strong cheese flavor.  The nutrition stats were much better than the other bottles in the supermarket.

One 1/2 cup serving: 110 calories, 5 grams fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 440 mg sodium, 11 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 5 grams protein, 20% calcium.

Ingredients: diced tomatoes, tomato puree, nonfat dried milk, onions, olive oil, cream, romano cheese, vodka, garlic, salt, sugar, basil, spices (all real foods – no preservatives).

Most of the other Vodka sauces on the supermarket shelf had 4-5 grams of artery clogging saturated fat!  That was the main thing I wanted to keep down in my choice.  I also liked how this one contained 20% of your calcium needs and 5 grams of protein.  This comes from the 3rd ingredient which is nonfat milk.

Barilla Plus Pasta: I think the taste of this pasta is great, and if you don’t love whole wheat pasta I suggest you try this brand.  It’s a little less nutty than the traditional whole wheat pasta.  I also like how it has more fiber and protein than its white counterpart.

Penne a la Vodka:

I kept this dinner super simple, so it was just the pasta with sauce and a side of roasted broccoli.  Therefore I used 3 ounces of uncooked pasta with 1/2 cup of vodka sauce.  It appeared to be a very large serving!

This was incredibly satisfying and filling!  This 3 ingredient dinner (sauce, pasta & broccoli) contained lots of fiber, protein, and fat so it was rather well balanced.

If you wanted to add protein, I would suggest cutting the pasta serving back to 2 ounces and adding in a little chopped chicken breast, chicken sausage or shrimp.

Nutrition Information (3 ounces uncooked pasta with 1/2 cup sauce): 425 calories, 8 grams fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 68 grams carbohydrate, 8 grams fiber, 20 grams protein, 23% calcium.

Nutrition Tidbit: Penne a la Vodka

• Sbarro’s Penne a la Vodka contains 640 calories and 28 grams fat.
• Nutrition Information is not available for Penne a la Vodka at other restaurants.  If I were to guess, I would say 600-1200 calories depending on portion size.
• Heavy cream combined with very large portions of pasta can really do you in.
• Next time you have the craving try it at home!

Vegetable Fried Rice

Whenever I order Asian takeout I’m usually left with some extra brown rice.  Too many times the rice goes bad before I have a chance to use it.  This time I decided to make a healthy version of fried rice.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped carrot
• 1 minced clove garlic
• 1 cup broccoli
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

Method:

1. Head saute pan over medium heat and coat with cooking spray.  Add onion & carrots to pan and cook until softened.  Add broccoli and continue to cook vegetables.  Once all vegetables are cooked add garlic and ground ginger and cook for one minute.
2. Heat brown rice in microwave.
3. Whisk egg and egg white in bowl.
4. Stir brown rice in with vegetables until combined.  Make a whole in the middle of the pan and add the egg.  Scramble the egg and then toss with the rice and vegetables.
5. Season rice with soy sauce and sesame oil.

Nutrition Information: 367 calories, 11 grams fat (2 grams saturated fat), 52 grams carbohydrate, 7 grams fiber, 17 grams protein

Blackened Tilapia

Easy weekday night meals are always on my mind for me and my clients!  Clients often complain to me that their fish is always bland, and they don’t know how to make it flavorful.  All I can tell you is that blackened fish is so tasty!  This meal is incredibly simple and takes less than 15 minutes – gotta love that.

I present to you: Blacked Tilapia with Coleslaw & Brown Rice

Blackened Tilapia

I used this recipe from All Recipes for Blackened Tilapia, however, I cut back on the salt (1/4 tsp for 4 servings is plenty), and I left out on the white bread.

You simply make the blackening mixture (paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, cayenne, oregano, thyme, celery seed and salt).  Rub the seasoning on the fish and sauté each fish fillet in 1 tsp vegetable oil for approximately 2-3 minutes per side.

Sweet & Sour Coleslaw

I used a recipe from cooking light for the coleslaw, that was really amazing!  I added in green pepper and tomatoes to pump up the vegetable content.

Brown Rice

Since brown rice can take a long time to cook, it’s nice to have some ready made ones for the evenings you want dinner in a snap.  This packet of pre-cooked Seeds of Change brown rice was the perfect solution.  Kashi and Seeds of Change make lots of great ready made rice that you reheat in your microwave; they are full of fiber and make a perfect side dish to a quick dinner.

Nutrition Tidbit:  Easy Dinners

• When making a complete dinner at home – strive for 3 components:  lean protein, high-fiber carbohydrate, and vegetables.  This will ensure you have a balanced meal.
• For the protein you can try chicken breast, fish, lean beef or even tofu.
• For the carbohydrate try a sweet potato, brown rice or quinoa.
• Don’t forget the vegetables!  Fresh or frozen are both great options.

Buffalo “Chicken” Pizza

Pizza – we all love it, but know it’s not always the healthiest food choice.  I’ve mentioned before that it’s one of my favorite foods and I love coming up with healthy options at home to satisfy my cravings.

I present to you Buffalo “Chicken” Pizza

Ingredients:

• Whole wheat pita
• Barbeque Sauce, 1 TB
• Morningstar Farms Buffalo “Chicken” Wings, 5 (1 serving)
• Babybel light cheese
• Tomatoes, 1/2 cup chopped
• Cilantro, for garnish

Method

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Microwave “chicken” wings according to package.
• Chop tomatoes.  Wash & chop cilantro.
• Place pita on baking dish lined with foil.
• Add barbeque sauce to pita.
• Top pita with sliced “chicken” wings.
• Add shredded babybel cheese, tomatoes and cilantro.
• Bake in oven for approximately 10-15 minutes or until cheese begins to bubble.

Nutrition Information

• 429 calories, 11 grams fat, 2.5 grams saturated fat, 58 grams carbohydrate, 6 grams fiber, 24 grams protein.

This pizza was so delicious!!!  The flavors went together really well, the chicken wings are slightly spicy and the cheese cools it down.  The cilantro adds a nice bite at the end.  I highly recommend you try it!

Eggplant & Beef Ragu

When coming up with meal ideas, I look to my fridge for inspiration.  Last week I saw 2 eggplants that were desperate to be used (from our CSA) and 1/2 pound of 96% lean ground beef (leftover from my beef tacos).  Since I always keep canned tomatoes and pasta in our pantry, I immediate thought eggplant and beef ragu would be perfect.  The flavor combination was fantastic!

Eggplant & Beef Ragu: Serves 4

• 8 oz extra lean (95-96%) ground beef
• 2 medium eggplants, ~5 cups cubed
• 1 vidalia onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28-oz can tomatoes (I recommend San Marzano)
• 8 oz whole wheat pasta
• 2 TB olive oil
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• Fresh Basil & Fresh Parmesan – for topping at end

Method

• Peel and cube eggplant.  Place in colander, and sprinkle with salt.  Let sit for approximately 20-30 minutes, then rinse very well, drain, and pat dry.   This removes any bitterness.

• Place dutch oven over medium heat, add 2 TB olive oil.
• Add in cubed eggplant and onion to dutch oven.  Cook approximately 20 minutes or until the onions are translucent and the eggplant is very soft.
• Add in minced garlic, stir for 1 minute.
• Add in ground beef to vegetables, allow meat to brown completely.
• Add in can of tomatoes to to vegetable and beef mixture.
• Add in dried herbs.
• Cook on simmer for at least 30 minutes.  If you want to serve it at this time you can, however, it tastes better if you allow it to cook for at least 1 hour – the eggplant ‘melts’ into the sauce and the flavors in the tomato sauce develop with time.
• Remove bay leaves.  Add in salt & pepper to taste.

• Boil a pot of water, add pasta.
• Place 1/4 of the pasta on each plate and top with 1 cup of sauce.
• Garnish with fresh basil and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Cooks Note: If you have an open bottle of red wine, add ~1/2 cup to the tomatoes.  This adds a richness to the sauce.

Nutrition Breakdown: 2 ounces pasta (dry) with 1 cup sauce

• 422 calories, 11 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 63 grams carbohydrate, 12 grams fiber, 24 grams protein.

Nutrition Tidbit: Dry Pasta

• 1 box of dry pasta has 16 ounces (1 pound), this is 8 servings of approximately 200 calories each.
• It’s very easy to eat 6-8 ounces of pasta without realizing, and gulping down 600-800 calories without sauce.
• Next time, measure out your pasta before cooking.
• Depending on your calorie needs you may need more than 1 serving.
• For one person, who is watching his/her calories – weigh out an individual portion of 2 ounces.
• If you bulk up the meal with vegetables and lean meat you will feel satisfied.
• You will need a food scale, to weigh your pasta.  Put an empty container on the scale and zero it out.  Then add the pasta.  As you can see 2 ounces of this whole wheat rotini is about 1 cup.

Chicken Salad with Grapes & Cranberries

The same salad or sandwich can get quite boring for lunch.  Therefore, I’m always trying to think of new ideas for myself and my clients to keep things interesting while remaining healthy.  This chicken salad pita is great because you get in whole grains, fruit, vegetables and lean protein all at once.

You can make this with leftover rotisserie chicken, which is a great staple to keep in the fridge, since it can be used in so many different ways!

Chicken Salad with Grapes & Cranberries:  Serves 1

Ingredients

• 3 oz chopped chicken breast (no skin)
• 1 celery rib, chopped
• 8 grapes, quartered
• 1 Tablespoon dried cranberries
• 1 Tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
• 1 Tablespoon low fat mayonnaise
• 1 cup fresh spinach
• 1 whole wheat pita

Method

• Combine chicken, celery, grapes, cranberries, chives with low fay mayonnaise.
• Add to whole wheat pita and stuff with fresh spinach leaves.
• If you are packing lunch in the morning you may want to keep the chicken separate from the pita, to prevent the pita from getting soggy.

Nutritional Information (including a 160 calorie whole wheat pita)

• 400 calories, 6 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 51 grams carbohydrate, 4 grams fiber and 33 grams protein

For those that need more than 400 calories at lunch time add another component to the lunch.  Some examples include:

• low fat cheese stick
• carrots with hummus
• yogurt with granola
• small handful of nuts

Nutrition Tidbit: Chicken Salad

• If you enjoy chicken salad, I recommend you make your own to prevent consuming much more calories and fat than you might expect.
• 1 cup regular chicken salad provides: 416 calories, 28 grams fat, 7 grams saturated fat, 15 grams carbohydrate and 24 grams protein.

Beef Tacos

Tacos are a quick & simple dinner that will likely please the whole family.  You want to buy the leanest ground meat that your supermarket carries.   For the taco shells, make sure to buy hard or soft corn tortillas that are made without trans fat (partially hydrogenated oil).  I like this kit:

The ingredients for the shells are: organic stone ground yellow corn masa flour, expeller pressed canola oil and/or safflower oil and/or sunflower oil.

Such a short ingredient list!  That’s what you want to look for when choosing products. The kit also contains taco seasoning and taco sauce.  The caloric breakdown including 3 TB of the sauce and seasoning plus 2 shells clocks in at 150 calories, 6 grams fat (0.5 g sat fat), 600 mg sodium, 20 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, and 2 grams protein.

Since the sodium is high, I usually use less of the seasoning packet than they recommend.   Since fiber is missing, I like to add something full of fiber to the meal (side of brown rice, black beans and/or vegetables)

For each person: use 3-4 ounces ground beef and 2-3 taco shells.  Prepare toppings for the tacos, such as: lettuce, tomato, salsa, guacamole, low fat shredded cheese and/or low fat sour cream.   Be aware of adding too much fat – it’s easy if you have a heavy hand with the guac, cheese & sour cream.

All you have to do is brown the beef in a skillet, add water and seasoning packet (box tells you how much).  Simultaneously, heat shells in oven or toaster oven.  Serve and add toppings — voila dinner is served!

You may also want to beef up the meal with a side of rice and black beans.

Here’s a photo of my dinner plate:

I stuffed 2 tortilla shells with about 4 ounces of ground beef and had home-made guacamole & tomatoes for toppings (we were out of cheese!).   On the side I had some steamed broccoli.  A side of black beans would have been a nice addition.

Nutrition Tidbit: Ground Beef

• Ground Beef ranges in calories and fat drastically; always choose the leanest one you can find.
• Here’s the nutritional breakdown for 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of each type of ground beef
• 95% Lean: 137 calories, 21 grams protein, 5 grams fat, 2 grams saturated fat
• 90% Lean: 176 calories, 20 grams protein, 10 grams fat, 4 grams saturated fat
• 85% Lean: 215 calories, 19 grams protein, 15 grams fat, 6 grams saturated fat
• 80% Lean: 254 calories, 17 grams protein, 20 grams fat, 8 gram saturated fat
• 70% Lean: 332 calories, 14 grams protein, 30 grams fat, 11 grams saturated fat

• Sometimes supermarkets label it by the cut — to help you make sense of that here are the general rules:
• Ground Sirloin: 90-92%
• Ground Round: 85-90%
• Ground Chuck: 80-85%
• Ground Hamburger Meat: 70%

Trader Joe’s sells 96% Lean Ground Beef!  That’s what I used to make this, here’s a photo of the package: