Roasted Turnips

Roast your vegetables with a homemade mustard vinaigrette! 

INGREDIENTS:

Yield: 8 servings  (1/2 cup per serving)

Ingredients:

·       4 medium turnips, peeled, cubed (yields approx. 4 cups)

·       Mustard Vinaigrette

o   1 Tbsp of white wine vinegar

o   2 tsp of whole grain mustard

o   1 Tbsp of fresh parsley, finely minced

o   ¼ cup of olive oil

o   ½ tsp of cracked black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 ºF. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil. In a small bowl, whisk together the Mustard Vinaigrette ingredients. In a large bowl, mix the turnips with the mustard vinaigrette until the turnips are evenly covered with the vinaigrette. Spread out the turnips on the baking sheet. Roast the turnips for 20-25 minutes until the turnips are lightly browned. Serve turnips hot or cold. Optional: garnish with parsley.

Nutrition Per Serving:

Food weight: 1.0. Calories: 93 kcal, Fat: 7 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg Carbohydrate: 7g, Dietary Fiber: 2g, Protein: 1g, Sodium: 96 mg

Winter Citrus Salad

Fresh fennel bulb is similar to the crunchy texture of celery, but it has a distinct licorice flavor that will make your winter salad unique!

Yield: 4 servings (1 cup per serving) 

INGREDIENTS:

Ingredients:

·       2 beets, sliced

·       1 navel orange, sliced

·       1 cara cara, sliced

·       1 grapefruit, sliced

·       ½ cup fennel bulb, sliced into strips

·       ¼ of red onion, sliced

·       1/2 Tablespoons of olive oil

·       2 Tablespoons of 100% orange juice

·       ½ tsp of cracked black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 ºF and line baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the sliced beets on the baking sheet and brush with olive oil. Roast the beets for 30 minutes. In a medium size bowl, add all the prepped vegetables and fruit (add the beets last). Drizzle your salad with olive oil, orange juice, and black pepper.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:

Food weight: 1.0. Calories: 97 kcal, Fat: 2 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Carbohydrate: 20 g, Dietary Fiber: 4 g, Protein: 2g Sodium: 43 mg

Recipe! Football Finger Food: Buffalo Cauliflower Wings

Vegetable appetizers with Greek yogurt-based dips are great low calorie finger foods to keep around during the football season.

InGREDIENTS:

Yield: 6 cups of cauliflower  (1 serving= 1 cup), ¾ cup of yogurt dip (1 serving =1/8 cup)

Ingredients:

·        1 head of cauliflower

Batter:

·        ¾ cup of whole wheat flour

·        ¼ cup of nutritional yeast

·        1 Tablespoon of garlic powder

·        1 cup of original almond milk (you can substitute with soy milk, fat free milk, or any other milk substitute)

Buffalo Hot Sauce:

·        ¼ cup of hot sauce

·        ¼ cup of tomato sauce (no salt added)

·        1 Tablespoon of red wine vinegar

·        1 tsp of paprika

·        1 Tablespoon of olive oil

·        1 tsp of red pepper flakes

Blue Cheese Yogurt Dip:

·        ½ cup of nonfat plain greek yogurt

·        1 Tablespoon of red wine vinegar

·        1 Tablespoon of nutritional yeast

·        Juice squeezed from ½ lemon

·        ½ tsp of garlic powder

·        ½ tsp of black pepper

·        ¼ cup of blue cheese (you can substitute with goat cheese or gorgonzola)

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat oven to 450 ºF. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Wash and chop the cauliflower into pieces similar to the size of small chicken wings. In a large size bowl, whisk together the batter ingredients until there are no clumps. Add the cauliflower to the batter and toss until all the pieces of cauliflower are evenly covered with the batter. Place the cauliflower on the baking sheet and place in the oven to cook for 30 minutes. While the cauliflower is baking, mix all the buffalo hot sauce ingredients together. In a large bowl, toss the baked battered cauliflower and buffalo hot sauce together until the cauliflower is evenly covered with the buffalo hot sauce. Place the cauliflower bake on a new sheet of wax paper and bake for 20 minutes until the cauliflower are crispy. While the cauliflower is baking, mix the Blue Cheese Yogurt Dip ingredients together in a small bowl (keep your dip clumpy or mash up the pieces of cheese to make a smooth dip). Serve the cauliflower immediately with the yogurt dip, and the carrots and celery sticks!

Nutrition Information Per Serving:

Buffalo Cauliflower Wings:

Food weight: 1.5, Calories: 169 kcal, Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Carbohydrate: 27 g, Dietary Fiber: 7 g, Protein: 8 g, Sodium: 101 mg

Blue Cheese Yogurt Dip:

Food weight: 0.5, Calories: 40 kcal, Fat: 2g, Cholesterol: 7 mg, Carbohydrate: 7g, Dietary Fiber: 0g, Protein: 4g, Sodium: 96 mg

Beautiful Soup!

“Beautiful soup, so rich and green

Waiting in a hot tureen!

Who for such dainties would not stoop?

Soup of the evening, beautiful soup!

Beautiful soup! Who cares for fish

Game, or any other dish?

Who would not give all else for two

Pennyworth of beautiful soup?

---Lewis Carroll, ‘Alice in Wonderland’

‘Tis the peak of winter season and the need of a warm bowl of “beautiful soup” is high!

How can you make a protein rich, super nutritious, vegetarian soup?

Easy! Add tons of veggies and some quinoa. Quinoa is a whole grain with a high protein content (and a complete protein at that!). In fact, 1 cup of cooked quinoa contains approximately 8 grams of protein, which is more protein than 1 oz of meat or 1 whole egg, and furthermore, quinoa is cholesterol-free unlike animal proteins. To boost your soup’s taste and protein content, be sure to substitute the pasta and rice in grain-based soups with quinoa for a healthier nutrient dense soup, as featured in this week’s recipe, Quinoa Minestrone Soup. 

Recipe: Quinoa Minestrone Soup

A gluten-free, dairy-free vegetarian soup

Yield: 12 cups (1 cup= 1 serving)

INGREDIENTS:

Ingredients:

·         1 Tablespoons of olive oil

·         4 cloves of garlic, minced

·         1 medium yellow onion, chopped

·         1 medium yellow squash, chopped

·         1 medium zucchini, chopped

·         2 stalks of celery, chopped

·         20 baby carrots, chopped

·         2 cups of yellow corn kernels (fresh, frozen, or canned)

·         2 cups of tomatoes, diced

·         2 Tablespoons of dried oregano

·         2 Tablespoons of dried basil

·         ½ Tablespoon of black pepper

·         1-15 oz can of kidney beans

·         1-15 oz can of navy beans

·         1-28 oz can of chopped tomatoes with no added salt

·         2 cup of fresh spinach

·         4 cups of low sodium vegetable broth

·         1 cup of quinoa, uncooked.

·         2 cups of water

·         Optional: shredded parmesan and asiago cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Directions:

In a large pot, add the olive oil, garlic, and onion and cook on medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add the yellow squash, zucchini, celery, carrots, tomatoes, oregano, basil, and black pepper and cook for 10 minutes. Add the kidney beans, navy beans, chopped tomatoes, spinach, and broth and continue to cook soup on medium heat. In a small pot, add the quinoa and water. Cook the quinoa until a boil then reduce heat to a simmer until the quinoa absorbs all the water. Add the quinoa to the soup. Cook soup for another 10 minutes or until ready to serve. Optional: Sprinkle individual servings with parmesan and Asia go cheese.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:

Food weight: 1.5, Calorie: 155 kcal, Fat 2 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Carbohydrate: 28 g, Dietary Fiber: 5g, Protein: 8 g, Sodium: 385 mg

Celebrate the New Year with a lighter champagne cocktail

This New Years Eve remember that drinks count—they are virtually empty liquid calories that add up quickly.Kick off 2014 with a special cocktail! Don’t have your typical alcoholic beverage that you would have on any other day of the year. Make a drink with a New Year’s twist by mixing champagne with fruity liquors to make your cocktail unique, as featured in this week’s cocktail recipe, Double G Champagne. Cheers!

Recipe: New Year's Double G Champagne Cocktail

Bring in the New Year on a lighter note with this lower calorie champagne cocktail.    

INGREDIENTS:

Yield: 1 Serving (5 fl oz)

Ingredients

·       0.5 fl oz Saint Germain

·       0.5 fl oz Gin

·       3 fl oz Champagne

·       1 fl oz of soda water

·       Optional: sliced strawberries, fresh squeezed lime, or a cherry.

DIRECTIONS:

Directions:

In a champagne flute, add the saint germain and gin and then add the champagne. Top off your cocktail with soda water for extra fizz. Add optional fruit for a pop of color.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:

Food weight: 1.5, Calories: 141 kcal, Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Carbohydrate: 6 g, Dietary Fiber: 0 g, Protein 0 g: Sodium: 0 mg

Celebrate the Holidays with a Delicious and Healthy Holiday Breakfast!

Basil, walnuts, extra virgin olive oil, whole wheat flour…now this is a breakfast of champions. For a light and fantastic way to spend Christmas Day, try this week’s super-healthy, super-easy and irresistibly delicious breakfast of holiday pesto crepes.

Recipe: Savory Holiday Crepes with Pesto

Serves: 4-6 (Yield: 13 crepes)

INGREDIENTS:

For the Pesto:

  2 oz fresh basil leaves (about 1 cup)

  1 cup walnut halves

  ½ cup olive oil

  3 large garlic cloves

For the Savory Crepe Batter:

·        1 cup egg substitute

·        1 cup fat-free milk

·        Pinch of salt

·        1/2 cup all-purpose flour

·        1/2 cup whole wheat flour

·        1/4 cup buckwheat flour

DIRECTIONS:

For the Pesto: Place all pesto ingredients into a food processor and blend pesto until a spreadable consistency. Set aside.

To make the crepes: Add all crepe batter ingredients into a blender and process until combined. Refrigerate at least a few hours, or refrigerate overnight.

For each crepe, lightly spray a crepe pan with non-stick Pam butter spray and heat pan until hot. Pour ¼ cup of batter into pan. Rotate pan so that the crepe is thin and even and flip once the crepe is golden brown in color. When the other side is golden brown, the crepe is done. Cook crepes and keep warm. Add filling to the center of a savory crepe and roll. Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

Nutrition:

Food weight: 4.0, Calories: 390, Fat: 30 g, Protein: 11 g, Sodium: 180 mg, Carbohydrates: 23 g, Fiber: 4 g, Sugars: 3 g

Holiday comfort food that's healthy for you!

The holiday season is in full swing, and baby its cold out there. The perfect time to snuggle up with a warm beverage and winter scone to kick off your holiday morning! Why not make your own healthy scone by using heart healthy canola oil (or olive oil) instead of butter, raw honey and fresh squeezed orange juice instead of sugar, and egg whites instead of whole eggs. Fill your home with a cozy aroma by trying this week’s featured recipe, Whole Wheat Orange Cranberry Scone with the substitutions stated above.

Recipe: Whole Wheat Orange Cranberry Scones

The pairing of orange zest and dried cranberries create a colorful and flavorful baked good for the winter season. 

Food weight: 1.0

INGREDIENTS:

Yield: 16 servings (1 serving = ¼ cup of scone batter)

Ingredients:

·       2 cups whole wheat flour

·       1Tablespoon of baking powder

·       1 tsp of salt

·       2 Tablespoons orange zest

·       2 Tablespoons of honey

·       ½ cup reduced fat buttermilk

·       ¼ cup canola oil

·       4 egg whites

·       ¼ cup orange juice (squeeze from orange used to for orange zest)

·       ½ cup dried cranberries, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 ºF. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and grease lightly with canola oil. In a large bowl, add and mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and orange zest. In another bowl, crack the eggs and remove the egg yolks. Beat the egg whites and mix in the other wet ingredients to the eggs (buttermilk, canola oil, orange juice, and honey). Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix together. Stir in the dried cranberries. Make ¼ cup sized scones and place on the baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes until scones are golden brown.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:

Food weight: 1.0, Calories: 111 kcal, Fat: 4 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Carbohydrate: 18 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Protein: 3 g, Sodium: 169 mg

Recipe: HOLIDAY COCOA TRUFFLES

A gluten free and dairy free chocolate dessert made with raw ingredients.

Yield: 24 balls (1 Tablespoon per ball)

INGREDIENTS: 

·       1 cup of cashews (can substitute with walnuts and/or almonds)

·       12 pitted dates

·       ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

·       4 Tablespoons canola oil

·       ¼ cup of pure maple syrup

·       1 tsp of vanilla

·       1 pinch of salt

·       Optional coatings: shredded unsweetened coconut, unsweetened cocoa powder, chopped pistachios, chopped dried cherries

DIRECTIONS:

Place the cashews in a small bowl and add enough water to the bowl to just cover the cashews. Let the cashew soak for at least 2 hours. Once the cashews have soaked, microwave the dates for 1 minute. Add all the ingredients into a food processor/blender and mix until a smooth consistency. Form 1 Tablespoon size balls and cover each ball in a coating of your choice. Put the coated balls onto a baking sheet and place into the freezer. Remove balls 30 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
Food weight: 1.0, Calories: 78 kcals, Fat: 5 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Carbohydrate: 8 g, Dietary Fiber: 1 g, Protein: 1 g, Sodium: 13 mg

Cheers to the holidays and a healthy heart

The most anticipated holiday month is finally here, bringing social gatherings with delicious treats and cocktails that are hard to resist. You deserve to relax and enjoy the company of your coworkers, friends, and family… just don’t forget to eat and drink in moderation! The general recommendation from health authorities is to indulge in a maximum of 1 alcoholic beverage per day (women) and up to 2 alcoholic beverages for men. If you do choose to imbibe, why not skip the sugary, calorie-laden holiday drinks and celebrate your health with a festive fruit-laden red wine? Red wine is packed with heart-healthy antioxidants and has been proven to boost your “good” cholesterol (HDL-cholesterol) and lower your blood pressure--which will improve your cardiovascular health. Now that’s a holiday celebration!

Recipe: Holiday Sangria

Liven up your typical red table wine into a holiday sangria with seasonal ingredients such as cranberries, pears, apples, oranges, and cinnamon sticks!

INGREDIENTS:

Yield: 8 servings (5 fl oz per serving) – not including the optional seltzer water—which adds 0 calories

Ingredients:

·       1 bottle of red wine

·       1 cup of 100% orange juice

·       1 pear, chopped

·       1 apple, chopped

·       1 orange sliced

·       1 cup of fresh cranberries

·       2 cinnamon sticks

·       Optional: flavored seltzer water (cranberry, grapefruit, pear, etc.)

DIRECTIONS:

Directions:

In a pitcher, mix all the ingredients together (except the optional flavored seltzer water). Let sangria sit in the fridge at least 4 hours or overnight. The longer the mixture sits, the more the wine will absorb the flavors from the fruit! Pour sangria into glasses and top each glass with an optional ¼ cup of seltzer water.

Nutrition Per Serving:

Food weight: 2.0, Calories: 167 kcal, Fat: 0 g, Cholesterol: 0 mg, Carbohydrate: 18 g, Dietary Fiber: 2 g, Protein: 1 g, Sodium: 5 mg 

Recipe: Holiday Redux: Skinny Sweet Potato Casserole

Garnish your sweet potato casserole or other Thanksgiving dishes with pomegranate seeds for a pop of color, a dose of antioxidants and a juicy crunch.

INGREDIENTS:

Yield: 12 servings (1/2 cup per serving)

Ingredients:

·         6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cubed

·         ½ cup of almond milk

·         3 egg whites

·         ½ Tablespoon of cinnamon

·         ¼ cup of pure maple syrup

·         1 pomegranate, seeded

·         Optional: chopped walnuts (or nut of your choice)

DIRECTIONS:

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 ºF. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread out the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes. Place baked sweet potatoes, almond milk, egg whites, cinnamon, and maple syrup into a blender. Blend sweet potato mixture until a smooth consistency. Pour the sweet potatoes mixture into a 9”x9” pan and spread out to the pan’s edges. Sprinkle the sweet potatoes with pomegranate seeds and optional chopped nuts. Bake sweet potato casserole for 50 minutes. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:

Food weight: 1.0, Calories: 101 kcal, Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Carbohydrate: 23 g, Dietary Fiber: 3 g, Protein: 2g, Sodium 42 mg

Q: What is one of the most popular Thanksgiving dinner side dishes?

Answer: Green Bean Casserole!

Green bean casserole has become a staple at most everyone’s traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Unfortunately, the traditional version tends to be loaded with bad fat, salt and calories and is often far from a light and healthy dish. Why not lighten up this Thanksgiving classic and save your calories for the yummier desserts or sweet potato casserole? Substituting reduced fat and light versions of sour cream, heavy cream, and cream cheese or 0% Greek yogurt will still give you a great taste but for a fraction of the calories.

HOLIDAY RECIPE REDUX: Green Bean Casserole

There is no need to buy breadcrumbs! Make your own high fiber breadcrumbs by blending Fiber One Original Cereal or a piece of whole grain bread\ in a food processor/blender until a breadcrumb consistency.

Yield: 8 servings (1 cup per serving) 

INGREDIENTS:

Ingredients

·         2 lb green beans, steamed

·         1 onion, sliced

·         1 tsp of olive oil

·         1 cup of light sour cream

·         1 tsp of garlic powder

·         ¼ cup of asiago shredded cheese.  

·         ½ cup Fiber One Original cereal 

DIRECTIONS:

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 º F. Grease a 13’’ x 9’’ glass or aluminum pan with olive oil. Spread out the steamed green beans in the pan. In a small saucepan, heat 1 tsp of olive oil and sauté the sliced onions until they are slightly brown. Spread out the onions on top of the green beans. In a small pot, heat the light sour cream, asiago cheese, and garlic powder for 3-5 minutes until the mixture gets thin. Pour the sour cream mixture over the green beans and onions. In a food processor or blender, mix the fiber one cereal until a breadcrumb consistency. Sprinkle the casserole with the breadcrumbs. Place pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:

Food weight: 1.0, Calories: 89 kcal, Fat 3g, Cholesterol: 9 mg, Carbohydrate: 15g, Dietary Fiber: 6g, Protein: 4g, Sodium: 41 mg