Skinny Cajun Chicken Pasta

Posted on August 16, 2012 by alex

This is a whole wheat pasta with cajun seasoned chicken, fresh bell pepper, red onion, and mushrooms, and topped with a light, low calorie cream sauce. This dish is great if yo . u are a carb lover like me. By adding in extra protein and tons of fresh veggies you get the satisfaction of a loaded pasta dish without all of the added carbohydrates. It also has a good kick to it which I love! However, if you aren’t a fan of spicy food lighten up on the cajun seasoning and use another one of your favorite spices.

Ingredients

(Makes about 6 servings)

  • 8 oz. whole wheat pasta
  • 1 tbsp. canola oil
  • 1 lb. chicken breast tenders
  • 2-3 tsp. cajun seasoning
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 1 yellow bell pepper
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 6 oz. mushrooms
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 roma tomatoes
  • 1 cup fat-free chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup skim milk
  • 2 tbsp. reduced fat cream cheese
  • 1 tbsp. nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp. flour
  • 2 scallions
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

  • Prepare pasta according to package directions
  • Wash and prepare bell peppers, onion, mushrooms, and tomatoes
  • Generously season chicken with cajun seasoning, salt, and pepper
  • Prepare cream sauce by blending together milk, cream cheese, Greek yogurt, and flour, set aside
  • On medium-high heat, sauté chicken in 1 tbsp. canola oil for about 5 minutes or until cooked through and set aside
  • Reduce pan to medium heat and add red and yellow bell peppers and onion (add more canola oil if needed)
  • Sauté for 3 minutes and then add in mushrooms, garlic and tomatoes seasoning with pepper to taste
  • Sauté for an additional 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender
  • Reduce heat to medium-low and slowly pour in chicken broth and cream sauce, stirring for 2 minutes
  • Return chicken to pan and season with additional pepper and cajun seasoning if desired
  • Add in cooked pasta and toss well to coat
  • Top with chopped green scallions to add extra color and flavor

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups, Calories: 269, Total Fat: 5g, Total Carbohydrates: 37g, Fiber: 5g, Sugars: 3g, Protein: 22g

Posted in Dinner, Pasta | 2 Comments

Quinoa and Edamame Salad

Posted on August 15, 2012 by alex

This nutritious dish makes a great lunch or snack on a hot summer day.  It’s packed with fiber and protein so will not go hungry.  Quinoa is an amazing superfood.  For more information on quinoa check out my Quinoa Fruit Salad recipe!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 medium cucumber
  • 1/4 red onion
  • 1 cup prepared edamame
  • 1/3 cup reduced fat feta cheese
  • 2 tbsp. chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • Pepper to taste

Directions

  • In a medium saucepan, bring quinoa and water to a boil over medium heat
  • Let boil for 5 minutes stirring occasionally and reduce heat and let cook for an additional 10 minutes or until water has evaporated
  • Chop red onion and cucumber into bite size pieces and add to cooled quinoa
  • Mix in edamame, feta, and chopped parsley
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, vinegar, and pepper and drizzle over quinoa salad
  • Serve chilled

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: about 1 cup (149g), Calories: 277, Calories from Fat: 94, Total Fat: 11g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 114mg, Total Carbohydrate: 44g, Dietary Fiber: 5g, Sugars: 2g, Protein: 12g, Vitamin A: 2%, Vitamin C: 7%, Calcium: 11%, Iron:  17%

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Chocolate Oatmeal Banana Bread

Posted on August 14, 2012 by alex

Warning: This banana bread is DANGEROUS.  When eaten in moderation this bread is healthy and low in calories but be careful, once you’ve had one bite you’ll be tempted to eat the entire loaf so make sure you have someone share it with.  My favorite part about this bread is that it’s a great excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast. Yum!

Ingredients

(Makes 4 mini loaves or 1 regular loaf)

  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup unbleached white flour
  • 1 cup quick cooking oats
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 3/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp. salt
  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 1/2 cup almond milk (or your preference)
  • 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1 packet stevia or splenda
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips (use carob chips if you want to make it vegan)

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Combine all of the dry ingredients, mix thoroughly and set aside
  • In a separate bowl, mash bananas and add in the rest of the wet ingredients
  • Slowly start to incorporate dry mixture into wet, be careful not to over-mix!
  • Fold in chocolate chips
  • Use cooking spray to grease bread pan and bake for 45-50 minutes

I recently got a mini loaf bread pan from Home Goods and had to try it out.  If you are baking mini loaves, bake for 30 minutes.  I love this idea because these make great gifts to give to your friends, co-workers, or neighbors. And they are just so cute!

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 1/16 of recipe (1/4 of mini loaf), Calories: 144, Calories from Fat: 21, Total Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 226 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 29g, Dietary Fiber: 3g, Sugars: 12g, Protein: 3g, Vitamin A: 1%, Vitamin C: 3%, Calcium: 6%, Iron: 7%

Posted in Breakfast, Vegan | Leave a comment

Pumpkin and Black Bean Enchiladas

Posted on July 27, 2012 by alex

This is a spin off of a weight watchers recipe and so so yummy and filling! It only takes about 20 minutes to prepare from start to finish and makes great leftovers for lunch the next day.  Pumpkin is filled with Vitamin A which helps to improve eyesight and prevent vision loss due to aging so eat up!

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings

  • 1 cup onion, chopped
  • 2 cups canned pumpkin
  • 3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 3 tbsp. taco sauce
  • 3 tsp. taco seasoning mix
  • 2 tbsp. hot sauce
  • 1 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided
  • 6 whole wheat tortillas
  • 3 cups enchilada sauce

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Bring a skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray to medium-high heat and cook chopped onion until they begin to sweat and start to brown
  • Transfer to a large bowl and combine pumpkin, black beans, taco sauce, taco seasoning, and hot sauce
  • Spray glass baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside
  • Set 1/4 cup cheddar cheese aside and sprinkle the remaining 3/4 evenly among 6 tortillas
  • Top each tortilla with pumpkin mixture, wrap up, and place in the baking dish with the seam side facing down
  • Cover wrapped tortillas with enchilada sauce making sure to coat all edges
  • Bake for 10 minutes, until enchiladas are warm all the way through
  • Top with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese and cook for an additional 2 minutes until cheese is melted
  • Serve with extra hot sauce, green onion, or nonfat Greek yogurt

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 1 enchilada (317g), Calories: 210, Calories from Fat: 22, Total Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 5mg, Sodium: 1543mg, Total Carbohydrate: 37g, Dietary Fiver: 9g, Sugars 13g, Protein: 12g, Vitamin A: 274%, Vitamin C: 20%, Calcium: 15%, Iron: 16%

 

Posted in Dinner, Vegetarian | Leave a comment

Garden Frittata

Posted on July 24, 2012 by alex

So what is a frittata?  It looks like an omelet, right?  Well, essentially it is but with one big difference, no flipping required!  Unlike an omelet, the eggs in a frittata only cook on one side.  Using a medium-low temperature and a lid, the steam is trapped in the pan, cooking the egg entirely through.  Just remember to take extra precaution to ensure you check for any “runnies” on top of the frittata before enjoying :)

Ingredients

Makes 1 serving

  • 1 /2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. yellow onion
  • 1/4 cup bell pepper
  • 2 asparagus spears
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 tbsp. goat cheese

Directions

  • In a small frying pan, heat oil to medium heat
  • Chop onion, bell pepper, and asparagus into bit size pieces and add to pan
  • In a small bowl, vigorously whisk eggs until yolk and white are combined and add pressed garlic
  • Once cooked vegetables become tender, gently pour egg mixture into pan and top with a lid
  • Let frittata cook for about 5 minutes, until egg no longer looks runny on top
  • Sprinkle goat cheese on top and remove from heat

Nutritional Information

Serving Size: 1 frittata (215g), Calories: 273, Total Fat: 20g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0g, Cholesterol: 432mg, Sodium: 173mg, Total Carbohydrate: 8g, Dietary Fiber: 2g, Sugars: 4g, Protein: 17g, Vitamin A: 42%, Vitamin C: 87%, Calcium: 15%, Iron: 17%

Posted in Breakfast, Vegetarian | 1 Comment