Healthy Tips for using up leftovers
Healthy ideas for leftovers
Top ten ways to use leftover turkey
Happy Eating!
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Holiday Leftovers
If your family is anything like mine, after the holidays you have officially stuffed yourself with copious amounts of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, corn pudding, greens, rolls, pies, cakes, cobblers, cookies and loads of other comforting dishes. Every bit of it was delicious, but the massive quantity in which the food was prepared is now occupying every inch of your fridge. With all the time and effort that went into preparing the over-sized meal you don't want to waste the leftovers, but let's be honest, you can only eat the food so many times before your taste buds (and your waist line) need a break! Here are a few cool ideas for how to enjoy all the leftovers in a healthier way.
Healthy Tips for using up leftovers
Healthy ideas for leftovers
Top ten ways to use leftover turkey
Happy Eating!
Healthy Tips for using up leftovers
Healthy ideas for leftovers
Top ten ways to use leftover turkey
Happy Eating!
Monday, December 20, 2010
Better Holiday Treats!
It's the time of year when all the wonderful sweet desserts come out! It seems like everywhere you go there are cookies, cakes, brownies and candies asking you to eat them. There is always the tray of cookies someone left in the break room at work. The brownies and candy at the holiday party. And of course any family holiday dinner is not complete with out at least 3 different cakes. It is so fun making and eating all these goodies, but if you are not careful the calories can add up quickly! I have listed some recipes below that are lower in calories, easy to make and so tasty!
Peanut butter and pretzel truffles
- Jar of crunchy peanut butter
- 1-2 cups chopped pretzels (note: I always put the pretzels in a zip lock bag and crush them a bit with a glass)
- dark chocolate (melted)
This recipe is so inexpensive and so easy it's ridiculous! Simply mix the peanut butter and pretzels together and set the mixture in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and roll the mixture into small balls. Freeze the mixture for 45 min to 1 hour. Dip the balls in the melted chocolate and place back in the freezer until they are set!
These little balls are only about 60 calories each. The peanut butter offers nutritious protein and the dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants.
Just try not to eat them all in one sitting!
* One of my good friends makes Oreo truffles similar to this method, but with crushed Oreos, cream cheese and white chocolate. They are also amazing!
Here are some tips I found on making healthier cookies. Using a few healthier ingredients will have little impact on taste but make a huge difference in fat and calories.
Another fun, easy thing you can do with cookies, is stuffing them! Simply buy a roll or two of pre-made sugar cookie dough and slice into thins rounds. Lay a round on the cookie sheet and top with a thin mint cookie, a Reese's cup, a piece of caramel or anything else you want.Then top with another round of cookie dough, seal the two slices together and bake according to package instructions. Couldn't be easier! (Keep in mind whatever you stuff your cookies with can add on a lot of calories if you are not careful!)
Frozen Pumpkin Mousse Pie
Here is another great holiday dessert recipe I recently came across. It is easy, indulgent and at just over 200 calories a better choice than that double chocolate fudge pie calling your name. Another great bonus of this recipe? 80% of your daily vitamin A needs. Who would've thought you could get nutrients in your desserts?!
Frozen Pumpkin Mousse Pie
Whatever fun and delicious treats you find yourself making this season, remember you can always find something tasty, low calorie or nutrient dense out there!
Happy Holidays and Happy Eating!
Peanut butter and pretzel truffles
- Jar of crunchy peanut butter
- 1-2 cups chopped pretzels (note: I always put the pretzels in a zip lock bag and crush them a bit with a glass)
- dark chocolate (melted)
This recipe is so inexpensive and so easy it's ridiculous! Simply mix the peanut butter and pretzels together and set the mixture in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and roll the mixture into small balls. Freeze the mixture for 45 min to 1 hour. Dip the balls in the melted chocolate and place back in the freezer until they are set!
These little balls are only about 60 calories each. The peanut butter offers nutritious protein and the dark chocolate is packed with antioxidants.
Just try not to eat them all in one sitting!
* One of my good friends makes Oreo truffles similar to this method, but with crushed Oreos, cream cheese and white chocolate. They are also amazing!
Here are some tips I found on making healthier cookies. Using a few healthier ingredients will have little impact on taste but make a huge difference in fat and calories.
Another fun, easy thing you can do with cookies, is stuffing them! Simply buy a roll or two of pre-made sugar cookie dough and slice into thins rounds. Lay a round on the cookie sheet and top with a thin mint cookie, a Reese's cup, a piece of caramel or anything else you want.Then top with another round of cookie dough, seal the two slices together and bake according to package instructions. Couldn't be easier! (Keep in mind whatever you stuff your cookies with can add on a lot of calories if you are not careful!)
Frozen Pumpkin Mousse Pie
Here is another great holiday dessert recipe I recently came across. It is easy, indulgent and at just over 200 calories a better choice than that double chocolate fudge pie calling your name. Another great bonus of this recipe? 80% of your daily vitamin A needs. Who would've thought you could get nutrients in your desserts?!
Frozen Pumpkin Mousse Pie
Whatever fun and delicious treats you find yourself making this season, remember you can always find something tasty, low calorie or nutrient dense out there!
Happy Holidays and Happy Eating!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Amazing Meals from the Sea!
I don't know about you, but I LOVE fresh seafood. Fish, crab, lobster, shellfish, all of it is just so delicious. It is also very versatile and often nutritious. In the past when we wanted a seafood dinner we would usually just go out to eat. And then we discovered the Yellow Umbrella. The Yellow Umbrella is a small store right up the street from us that sells an amazing variety of seafood, most of which comes out of the ocean the day you buy it. The staff is very knowledgeable and everything we have ever bought from there is wonderful. I would suggest you find a place like this near you to make these AMAZING recipes:
Spanish Mussels
- fresh mussels (enough to feed everyone you are cooking for)
- Chorizo sausage (1-2 links - casing removed)
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 1 bottle Spanish wine (a tempranillo would be a great choice!)
- fresh chopped parsley
Start by cooking the sausage in a large pot (crumbling as you cook). Once cooked all the way through, remove from pot and set on a plate. Cook the onion in the fat from the sausage. Once the onions are cooked, add the sausage and mussels and enough wine to cover the mussels (you might want to add about a cup of water as well). Put a lid on your pot and bring to a soft boil. Steam for about 10 minutes or until the mussels are slightly opened. Put mixture on plates and sprinkle with parsley.
Mussels are a great source of Selenium, vitamin B12 and Zinc. This recipe is so easy and so flavorful!
Scallops with gnocchi and asparagus in a parmesan cream sauce
- scallops
- box of gnocchi
- fresh asparagus
- 1 garlic clove
- a pinch of red pepper flakes
- about a tablespoon butter
- about a tablespoon flower
- about 3/4 cup light cream
- fresh parmesan or asiago (about a 1/4 cup grated)
Chop the ends of the asparagus and then chop them in half. Broil them in a roasting pan with a little olive oil for about 10-15 minutes (or until they start to get crispy on the tops). Cook the gnocchi in boiling water until they float, about 3-4 minutes. Sear the scallops in a hot pan with a very small about of olive oil. About 2-3 minutes per side. To make the Parmesan sauce, melt the butter in the pan with the garlic. Once melted and slightly browned, whisk in the flower and light cream.Once heated through, add shredded cheese, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until cheese is melted.
Assemble your plate by laying roasted asparagus and gnocchi on the plate. Top with the scallops and drizzle the whole plate with the cheese sauce and fresh ground pepper.
I love this meal because it feels so indulgent, but there are still many healthy benefits. Scallops are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids as well as potassium and magnesium. Asparagus has an incredible amount of nutrients (including folate, vitamins A & C and fiber). The Parmesan sauce tastes so rich, but by using light cream and drizzling a smaller amount over your plate you are saving a lot of unnecessary fat and calories.
Take some time to enjoy some delicious homemade seafood meals this holiday season. You won't be disappointed!
Happy Eating!
Spanish Mussels
- fresh mussels (enough to feed everyone you are cooking for)
- Chorizo sausage (1-2 links - casing removed)
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 1 bottle Spanish wine (a tempranillo would be a great choice!)
- fresh chopped parsley
Start by cooking the sausage in a large pot (crumbling as you cook). Once cooked all the way through, remove from pot and set on a plate. Cook the onion in the fat from the sausage. Once the onions are cooked, add the sausage and mussels and enough wine to cover the mussels (you might want to add about a cup of water as well). Put a lid on your pot and bring to a soft boil. Steam for about 10 minutes or until the mussels are slightly opened. Put mixture on plates and sprinkle with parsley.
Mussels are a great source of Selenium, vitamin B12 and Zinc. This recipe is so easy and so flavorful!
Scallops with gnocchi and asparagus in a parmesan cream sauce
- scallops
- box of gnocchi
- fresh asparagus
- 1 garlic clove
- a pinch of red pepper flakes
- about a tablespoon butter
- about a tablespoon flower
- about 3/4 cup light cream
- fresh parmesan or asiago (about a 1/4 cup grated)
Chop the ends of the asparagus and then chop them in half. Broil them in a roasting pan with a little olive oil for about 10-15 minutes (or until they start to get crispy on the tops). Cook the gnocchi in boiling water until they float, about 3-4 minutes. Sear the scallops in a hot pan with a very small about of olive oil. About 2-3 minutes per side. To make the Parmesan sauce, melt the butter in the pan with the garlic. Once melted and slightly browned, whisk in the flower and light cream.Once heated through, add shredded cheese, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Stir until cheese is melted.
Assemble your plate by laying roasted asparagus and gnocchi on the plate. Top with the scallops and drizzle the whole plate with the cheese sauce and fresh ground pepper.
I love this meal because it feels so indulgent, but there are still many healthy benefits. Scallops are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids as well as potassium and magnesium. Asparagus has an incredible amount of nutrients (including folate, vitamins A & C and fiber). The Parmesan sauce tastes so rich, but by using light cream and drizzling a smaller amount over your plate you are saving a lot of unnecessary fat and calories.
Take some time to enjoy some delicious homemade seafood meals this holiday season. You won't be disappointed!
Happy Eating!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Spicy Medicine!
When most of us add spices and herbs to our food we do it because they taste good! What most people don't realize is that these wonderful green, brown, red & yellow powders we add to our dishes have amazing health benefits. I have listed below some of the most healing spices and herbs you can cook with. You might be surprised to find you already use many of them!
Happy Eating!
- Cayenne- has been proven to be a natural pain reliever. The spicy flavor also shrinks blood vessels making it excellent for providing relief from a cold or the flu. It also speeds metabolism and has antioxidant properties! Here is a good recipe for sweet potato fries made with cayenne.
- Cinnamon - one of the most healing spices. It is really good for controlling sugar levels in the blood and can improve insulin function in people with diabetes. It is also good for reducing bad cholesterol, preventing blood clots and had anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.We sprinkle this warm spice on our coffee every morning!
- Garlic - oh how I love garlic! If you eat fresh garlic daily you could reduce your risk of heart disease by 76%!!! There are also studies claiming it can prevent certain cancers. It is also anti fungal and anti-bacterial.There are literally a million ways to use garlic, but here are a few good recipes to try.
- Ginger - most people know of ginger as being a good digestive aid. There is also the belief that it combats migraines by blocking inflammatory substances.Fresh ginger is good in many dishes, but I usually enjoy it when we go out for sushi.You can also add it to soups, stir fry's, cookies and drinks!
- Turmeric - this magic curry spice is good for stimulating appetite and aiding in digestion. It is also believed to contain strong cancer fighting properties. One study claims it can actually prevent Alzheimer when consumed regularly. Here is a recipe for Lentil curry that might be worth trying.
Happy Eating!
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