Corn & Red Pepper Salad

This salad is very refreshing is the perfect side dish for a Tex-Mex meal! It is also delicious with additional veggies added! This gets thumbs up from both little critics, as well as the picky husband! Yay for corn salad!

Ingredients
2 small cans of sweet corn, drained and rinsed ( 285 gr drained each can)
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 large red pepper, chopped
1/4 cup green onion (scallion), chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (whichever you prefer)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
- Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let flavors blend together.
Nutritional Data
1 cup serving
2 WW points
131.6 cal
1.6 g fat
30.6 g carbs
3.9 g fiber
4.3 g protein

Quick & Easy Chicken Quesadillas

Quesadillas are a favorite in our household. Basically, if you like grilled-cheese sandwhiches, then you'll love the Mexican (or Tex-Mex) variety as well. We enjoy all kinds, even sweet breakfast ones filled with bananas and Nutella! Tonight's quesadillas were whipped up quickly and scarfed down just as fast.

Sorry for the horrible shot.. I wanted to eat it while it was still hot! ;)

Ingredients
4 medium corn tortillas (6 inch)
1 chicken breast (250 gr)
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup low-fat mozzarella, Cheddar, or Colby cheese

Directions
- Cut chicken breast in 2 pieces (so that it cooks faster).
- In a small saucepan, bring water to a boil and add the chicken pieces.
- Boil until cooked (about 10 minutes)
- Remove chicken from water and shred with 2 forks. In a small bowl, mix shredded chicken with the salsa. Split chicken mix into 4 portions.
- Split cheese into 4 portions (1/4 cup).
- Put 1/2 of a portion on 1/2 a tortilla, add chicken mix on the cheese, top with the rest of the cheese portion and fold the tortilla over. Repeat steps for the remaining 3 tortillas.
- Cook in a ungreased heated pan for 1 minute on each side, or until cheese is melted. Be careful not to burn the torilla, keep heat to medium-low.

Serve with salsa and fat-free sour-cream (if desired)... it is very good as is ;)

Tastes delicious with a fresh corn salad!

Nutritional Data
4 WW points
183 cal
3.3 g fat
42.2 g cholesterol
14.2 g carbs
12.2 g fiber
23.2 g protein

Bowtie pasta with Eggplant Sauce

I love eggplant! I don't like calling it eggplant though, it's sounds so much nicer in French (or British English)... aubergine... music to my ears! I love the texture and the taste. I can fit eggplant into practically any dish; I like it that much! A couple of years back, my picky husband who never tries anything, agreed to taste eggplant after lots of nagging and had a "Green Eggs and Ham" moment... "why... I DO like eggplant!" (surprise!).
I have converted 5 people so far... they all swore they hated eggplant, tasted it, and "gasp" they liked it. I think alot of people have never even tried eggplant and simply dislike the name or look of the vegetable. If that person is you: suck it up and try it!!!
My 2 all time favorite eggplant recipes are Eggplant Parmesan and Baingan Ka Bhurta (Indian mashed eggplant). Seeing as I just made some Chicken Parmesan last week, I decided it would be to similar to eat this week. As for making Indian eggplant for the little critics, that would be a no go, as my daughter likes to scream out "it's spicy! It's spicy!" to anything with the tiniest bite (even mild salsa... wuss! She gets that from me.. I'm not so tough!). Once she starts her chanting, then the other little critic decides he also can't eat it. That means we will wait a couple of years before re-introducing Indian food to the critics!

Enough rambling.... I had eggplant in the fridge, and wanted to eat it! This is what I concocted; kids ate it, it passed the test.
Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced onion (1 medium onion)
1/2 green pepper, diced
1 garlic clove
300 gr eggplant, peeled and diced (3 cups)*
100 gr zucchini, peeled and diced (1/2 cup)
1 jar (400gr) of tomato-basil sauce
1 can chopped tomatoes (400 gr)
1 cup water
1/2 tsp marjoram
1 tbsp fresh basil, or 1 tsp dried
1/4 tsp sweet hungarian paprika**
salt and pepper to taste
Pam cooking spray

Directions
- Heat oil in medium saucepan.
- Add onion and green pepper and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic, eggplant and mix, cover and cook stirring occasionally for 5 minutes. (Eggplant absorbs oil and liquids! If you find that the eggplant is starting to stick and burn, spary with Pam and mix... I needed to do this twice).
- Add zucchini and cook another 2 minutes.
- Add remaining ingredients and cover and let simmer for another 10 minutes until eggplant is soft. (Eggplant is sometimes bitter if not fully cooked!) If sauce is too liquidy, remove cover and simmer until thickened, or if it is too thick add some water until desired consistency.

Serve over whole wheat pasta and top with fresh parmesan cheese.

* I peeled and diced because of the kids ;) Go ahead and chop the eggplant into larger pieces if you wish. As for the zucchini, I would have left the skin on if not for the kids (easier to hide them when they are skinned!). The peel is packed with nutrients! Also, I would prefer larger chunks of zucchini, and for them to be crunchier. If I was making this for zucchini loving people, I would have added the zucchini at the same time as the sauce and cut them in larger chunks so that they still would have a nice crunch... I probably would have doubled the amount as well ;)

** If you do not have sweet paprika, you can use regular paprika, it might just have more of a bite then the sweet paprika.

Nutritional Data
Sauce only (split into 4 servings)
3 WW points
159 cal
6 g fat
19 g carbs
6 g fiber
4 g protein

Sauce only (split into 5 servings)
2 WW points
128 cal
4.7 g fat
15 g carbs
5 g fiber
3 g protein

Greek Bulgur Salad

Bulgur is a grain I discovered a couple of years ago. It resembles short grain rice, but has a chewier texture. It is fantastic warm or cold. I like to use it in place of rice for hot meals, or cold to make delicious salads. It is packed with fiber and very nutritious. I made this for myself, and I enjoyed it. I used canned shrimp since that was all I had, but I think it would be better the next time with frozen shrimp or with no shrimp at all, but as a side dish for a nice grilled shrimp dinner! Mmm, now I am salivating for fresh BBQ's shrimp...

I will test this out on the little critics when they get home from school... I have a fishy feeling they will be picking out several things and just eating the bulgur... they LOVE bulgur!
Ingredients
1/2 lb uncooked bulgur
2 cups low fatchicken broth
20 gr sun-dried tomato, diced (4 halves, not oil-packed!)
1/2 lemon, juiced
can of cocktail shrimp, drained and rinsed (100gr without liquid)
1/2 cup diced cucumber
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/c cup crumbled low-fat feta *
4 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Greek seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

*the low fat feta I used was 12% fat (nutrional data is based on that value).

Directions
- In a medium saucepan, add bulgur to chicken broth and bring to a boil
- Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes and boil for another 5 minutes, covered, or until all liquid has been absorbed. The bulgur should have a chewy texture like that of rice when still al dente. (No matter how long you cook it, it will never reach the softness of rice!)
- Remove from heat, squeeze juice of half a lemon into bulgur, mix and let cool.
-In a large salad bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients and toss.
- Once bulgur has completely cooled, mix it into the salad mix and refrigerate at least 30 minutes until nice and cool.

Nutritional Data
You might think the portion is small, but bulgur is incredibly filling ;)
1 1/2 cup main dish serving (makes 4 servings)
6 WW points
339 cal
5.7 g fat
39 g cholesterol
52 g carbs
11 g fiber
24 g protein

1 cup side dish servings without shrimp (makes 6 servings)
4 WW points
208 cal
3.5 g fat
7.5 g fiber
0.8 g cholesterol
34.5 g carbs
12.7 g protein

Carrot Spice Mini Muffins

I recently bought a silicone mini muffin tray and was anxious to try it. I came up with this recipe, with what I had on hand. The muffin tray was so awesome! I highly recommend buying one, the muffins just popped out of the tray with ease, nothing stuck, and I didn' even grease or spray the tray. They aren't as light as regular muffins, they almost have a bread like texture, but they taste really nice. The little critics were full of praise and stuffed their little faces. These make the perfect on the go snack for both mama, papa and little ones!

Ingredients
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup corn flour *
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 banana mashed (1/4 cup) **
1 cup fat-free milk
2 egg whites, beaten
3/4 grated carrot (1 small carrot)
1/4 cup raisins

Directions
- Preheat oven to 200 C
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients; flours, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
- In a small bowl, combine banana, milk, egg whites, carrot, and raisins.
- Make a hole in the center of the dry mix.
- Fill hole with wet mix.
- Mix with a spoon or fork briefly just to moisten.... do not whisk or over mix.
- Fill muffin tin.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes for mini muffins, or 20-25 minutes for regular sized muffins or until toothpick comes out clean after peircing center of muffin.
- Recipe will make 2 dozen mini muffins or 1 dozen regular muffins.

* I used 1/2 all-purpose flour and half corn flour because I started the recipe and then realized out was out of flour ... duh! Go ahead and make it with just regular flour if you wish, that was my original plan ;)

** I used mashed banana instead of oil to cut down on fat and calories as well as sugar... since the banana adds moisture and sweetness! If you're not watching your calorie or fat intake go ahead and substitute the banana for 1/4 cup vegetable oil and up the sugar to 3/4 cups.

Nutritional Data
makes 24 mini muffins or 12 regular muffins
1 mini muffin
1 WW points
68 cal
0.2 g fat
0.2 cholesterol
14.9 carbs
0.5 g fiber
1.9 g protein

1 regular muffin
3 WW points
135 cal
0.3 g fat
0.4 g cholesterol
29.8 g carbs
1.1 g fiber
3.7 g protein

Turkey Muffinloafs

I made some miniature meatloaves today and they were a huge hit with one little critic. The other critic only ate half, which is usual for her. These were fun for the critics since they could eat them with their hands once they had cooled a little. We devoured ours with some BBQ sauce.... mmmmm.
I did put fresh veggies in it, and assumed they would have time to be fully cooked, but I was wrong. I enjoyed the crunch they gave, but I'm guessing that is why one little critic didn't finish her plate... Therefore, next time I will saute the onions and peppers and let them cool before adding them to the mix.
I am going to freeze the leftovers for a quick and healthy lunch later on. We had this with some sweet & sour coleslaw; the flavors mixed perfectly!
Ingredients

1/2 onion, finely diced (1/2 cup)*
1 small red pepper, finely diced (1 cup)*
1/2 cup shredded carrot (1 small carrot)
3/4 cup shredded zucchini (1 small zucchini)
1 egg
1 tbsp Dijon a l'ancienne (old-fashioned)
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
100 ml uncooked whole wheat couscous
1 lb lean ground turkey (white meat)
Pam

Directions
- Preheat oven to 200 C
- *If you do not want crunchy onions and peppers, saute them in a little olive oil for 5 minutes. If you don't mind, skip this step.
- Mix all ingredients well with your hands.
- Spray 8 wholes of a muffin tin.
- Pack with meat mixture.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 75 C.

Note
Seeing as all muffin tins vary in size keep in mind that the nutritional values are based on my muffin tin (12 holes, only 8 used).

Nutritional Data
1 muffin was perfect for the little critics and 2 muffins were good for mama ;)
1 muffinloaf =
3 WW points
154 cal
4.8 g fat
66 g cholesterol
13.6 g carbs
1.6 g fiber
13.8 g protein

Roast it! Rosemary-Thyme Pork Tenderloin with Root Vegetables

I loast pork roasts, especially lean tenderloin! I'm salivating again thinking about it. I had some fresh herbs and decide I should do something with them before they dried out or died on me... My herb plants never seem to survive... I must be doing something wrong!
I bought a 2.5 lb pork tenderloin and cut it half for the recipe, so my cooking time was way different then it should have been with a 1 piece 1 lb tenderloin. This lenghtened cooking time was not welcomed by my youngest little critic who came shouting "I'm hungreeeeeee mooooooooommmmm!!!!"
So I had to take the roast out, slice it up and panfry it to finish it. Still tasted great, but not as juicy as it would have tasted if it would have been finished in the oven.

Rosemary-Thyme Roasted Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients
(serves 4)

1 lb pork tenderloin
1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, 2 sliced and 1 minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper


Directions
Preheat oven to 200 C
With a morter and pestle, mash up the thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Stab meat with knife to make pockets about 1/2 inch deep and wide.
Place roast in a small roasting pan.
Stuff the pockets with small amounts of herb mix, keeping about half for later.
Slide a garlic slice in each pocket.
Cover the rest of the roast with remaining herb mix and minced garlic.
Put in oven with the roast vegetables recipe (see below) if you chose to have that side dish.
Bake for 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of roast is 165 F.
Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes and slice into 4 servings (either 4 thick slices or 8 thinner slices).

** I covered my roast with aluminum foil half way through to save the herbs from burning. My oven is out of whack, so yours might survive without the foil

Nutritional Data
5 WW points
199 cal
6.9 g fat
1 g carbs
0.2 g fiber
31.5 g protein


Roasted Root Vegetables

Ingredients
(4 side servings)

1/2 a sweet potato (about 1/2 lb), cut into big cubes
1 medium carrot (150 gr), cut into 1.5 inch peices
1 small parsnip (100gr), cut into small pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small white beet 100 gr, cut into small pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Herbes de Provence
salt & pepper to taste

Directions
- Preheat oven to 200C
- Mix all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and toss to evenly coat all veggies.
- Spread veggies in a medium roasting pan.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Take out and mix and return to oven for another 20 minutes (or until fork tender).

** Make sure the parsnips and beets are much smaller then the carrots and sweet potatoes since they take longer to cook. Sweet potato cooks the fastest out of the bunch, so make that your largest peices.

Nutritional Data
2 WW points
131 cal
7.1 g fat
16.6 g carbs
3.7 g fiber
1.7 g protein

Asian-Style Mushroom Soup

You might find a lot of soup recipes on this site during the winter months as I always make some to warm up. We have soup mostly every day, especially since our little guy is so fond of all types of soup.

This soup was not a winner with the kids, nor was it with the mushroom-hatin' man... but it didn't stop me from cooking up a batch. I personally love mushrooms, and now I have some delicious soup to last me the week for lunch! Hope you enjoy it... and if you don't like mushrooms, you could always omit them and switch them with broccoli or double up the other vegetables in the soup (especially the Napa)!

Ingredients
(6 servings)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, cut in half and sliced
1 small carrot, julienned (about 3/4 cup)
1 garlic clove, chopped or minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced or grated
1 small red bell pepper
5 cups beef broth
1 tbsp Soya sauce
2 cups Napa cabbage, chopped
8 large mushrooms, sliced (approx 200 gr)

Directions
- In a large pot, heat oil. Add onions and carrots and cook for 5-10 minutes until softened.
-Add red pepper, garlic, ginger and cook another minute.
-Add beef broth, soya sauce, mushrooms and napa and bring to a boil while covered.
- Once boiling, and mushrooms and Napa are softened but still have a little crunch, remove from heat and serve.

Nutritional Data
1 serving = 1 cup
1 WW point
61.2 cal
2.9 g fat
5.5 g carbs
1.3 g fiber
4.3 g protein

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken Parmesan is one of my favorite meals. Being on a new health kick, I tried to make it as healthy as I could without taking any yumminess away ;) I know anything is healthier if its not battered, but this is one recipe I just won't change! I served this salad with a rucola (arugula) Balsamic salad. The strong rucola flavor blended really well with the tomato sauce! I'm crazy for rucola, I can put that green stuff on anything... so I might be a little biased!

Ingredients
(serves 6)

3 skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 large egg
1/2 cup breadcrumbs*
1/2 tsp oregano*
1/2 tsp basil*
30 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
PAM cooking spray (about 3 x 3 second sprays)
2 jars (500g) of tomato-basil type prepared pasta sauce
1 can (400g) crushed tomatoes**
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
- Remove filets from under the breast and set aside.
- Pound chicken breast so it is even thickness all over, not too thin, about the same as the filet.
- Cut chicken breast into 3 equal strips (like the filets) and set aside.
- In a small bowl, beat the egg.
- In another bowl, mix bread crumbs, oregano, and basil.
- Dip chicken pieces in egg, then in crumbs and set aside.
- Heat a large deep pan and spray once with PAM.
- Add chicken pieces and spray top with PAM (this is to get it crispy once you flip the chicken). (You might need to cook chicken in 2 batches depending the size of you pan).
- Once chicken is cooked on both sides, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer on low for 15-20 minutes. If the sauce gets too thick, add a little water to desired consistency.

Serve over spaghetti, or you choice of pasta.
Top with fresh parmesan cheese (1 tsbp = 1/2 WW point)

*Can replace the breadcrumbs, oregano and basil with Italian Seasoned breadcrumbs.
**I'm not a fan of tomato chunks, so I puree a can of tomatoes. If you like the chunks, go ahead and add a can of diced tomatoes instead of crushed tomatoes ;)

Nutritional Data
1 serving = 2 strips of chicken + sauce
(does not include pasta)
6 WW points
320 cal
7.5g fat
107 mg cholesterol
24 g carbs
4.2 g fiber
36 g protein

Celeriac Soup

I kept seeing this strange looking root vegetable at the supermarket and decided to buy one. Turns out this strange looking vegetable is Celeriac. They call it celery in Hungary, and call what we know as celery English Celery. Basically, celeriac is celery root. After reading up on it, I found out that it is very popular in Europe, and uncommon and usually hard to find and expensive in North America. It's strange to think of a root vegetable as expensive, especially since 1/2 a Celeriac in Budapest cost me 0.60$. I decided to make soup with it. I love creamy soups more then chunky soups, so I tend to puree all my soups. This way I can often sneak in some good vegetables and pass them to the kids without them knowing... and my little critics think they are so clever... who's clever now?!
I wasn't sure what to expect, but this came out wonderfully. This soup tastes exactly like a cream of celery soup, just 10 times better then the stuff that comes out of a can ;) Hope you enjoy it!


Ingredients
(4 servings)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
300 g celeriac, peeled and cubed(aprox 2 cups cubed)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 medium potato
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
4 celery tops with leaves, whole, not chopped
fresh parsley, 2 tbsp

Directions
- Heat oil in a medium pot. Add onions and cook 3-4 minutes.
- Add celeriac cover and cook 5 minutes to soften
- Add potatoes, broth, bay leaf, parsley, and celery tops
- Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on medium heat for 15 minutes or until celeriac and potatoes are soft.
- Remove celery tops and bay leaf and discard.
- Let soup cool and puree it with a hand mixer.

Nutritional Data
1 Serving
2 WW Points
115 cal
3.5 g fat
18.4 carbs
2.8 g fat
1.9 g protein

Couscous Salad for Two!

I am horrible at measuring the proper amount of pasta, rice or couscous.... or any other grain that swells up when cooking! Today's leftover: couscous!

I love couscous salad, and always whip up a different one depending what I have on hand. I usually omit oil when making salad, since I am trying to lose weight, but go ahead and add 1-2 tbsp of olive oil to the mix if you aren't worried about the fat! I recently purchased a bottle of Apricot Balsamic Vinegar that is devine! I have never tasted flavored Balsamic vinegars before, but now that I have, I am hooked. I will be trying all the other flavors I saw at the supermarket! The bottle I purchased is from Olitalia, an Italian brand available here in Europe... I'm not sure if it's sold in North-America though. HoweverI did find a place that sells it online.


Ingredients

2 cups cold cooked couscous
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tomato
1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp Herbes de Provence*
2 tbsp minced or diced red onion
2 tbsp Apricot Balsamic Vinegar**
salt and pepper to taste

Simple Directions :)
- Mix all ingredients, except the couscous.
-Add couscous and mix to coat.

*Herbes de Provence is a blend of herbes. You can find it in most supermarkets. If yours doesn't carry any, here is a recipe to make your own.
**If you can't find Apricot Balsamic, substitute it with any other fruit infused Balsamic vinegar, or a sweet Balsamic Vinegar.

Nutrional Data
1 serving
4 WW Points
212 cal
0.6 g fat
3.9 g fiber
7 g protein
0 g cholesterol

Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine

After a trip to Morocco several years ago, I became hooked on the food... it is so aromatic and delicious. My favorite Moroccan dish is called a Tagine which is a stew named after the dish it is cooked in. Basically, a Tagine is a clay plate with a clay tent shaped cover. It is usually set on coals which allows for the slow cooking of the meat and vegetables. I decided I would attempt to make a Moroccan Chicken Tagine in my crock-pot, which seems like the perfect tool to use since I don't own a Tagine!

Interested in purchasing a Tagine, go to Tagines by BTC.

The most popular spice blend used in Moroccan cuisine is Ras El Hanout. You can find this in most Specialty Stores or even in some Supermarkets (mainly in big cities). You can also order it online from several places including The Savory Spice Shop or make your own following the directions on The Food Thesaurus or on Recipe Zaar.

After browsing different Moroccan recipes here is what I came up with. It's not authentic (i.e. cream) but it is sweet and spicy and does the trick ;)
Ingredients
6 small skinless, chicken thighs (if deboned approx 40g a thigh)
1 large carrot
1 large parsley root (or small parsnip)
1 large onion
1 can (400 gr) chopped tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
2 garlic cloves
2 tsp Ras El Hanout
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp honey

salt & pepper to taste
10 dried apricots (approx. 60 gr)
1 can (400g) chickpeas, drained and rinced
1/4 cup 15% cooking cream (optional, but part of nutritional info, doesn't affect points value)

Directions
- Place chicken in a crock pot.
- Top with carrots, parsley root, and onions.
- In a bowl, mix tomatoes, Ras El Hanout, cinnamon, garlic and honey.
- Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 7 hours.
- Carefully remove chicken, as it might fall apart when you do, especially if cooked on low.
- Add apricots, chickpeas and cream and mix well.
- Return chicken to crock pot and cook uncovered on high for another 15 minutes.
- Serve over whole wheat couscous.

Tip
For a spicier Tagine, add an extra tsp of Ras El Hanout, after taste-testing, when you add the chickpeas and apricots.

Nutrional Data
sauce split into 4 portions
1.5 thighs/serving
6 WW points
318 cal
8.5 g fat
6.8 g fiber
11.8 cholesterol
8.4 g protein

Recipes

All recipes will be listed on this post in alphabetical order;

Asian Meatballs
Asian Meatball Stir-Fry
Asian Slow Cooker Pork
Asian-Style Mushroom Soup
Azorean Beef Stew

Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup
Breakfast Burritos

Carrot Spice Mini Muffins
Celeriac Soup
Chicken Cannelloni
Chicken Curry Risotto
Chicken Parmesan
Corn and Red Pepper Salad
Couscous Salad for Two

Dijon Scallopped Potatoes

Ginger-Peanut Salad Dressing
Greek Bulgur Salad

Kid-Proof Asian Turkey Noodles

Mango & Sun-dried Tomato Chutney
Mediterranean 3 Grain Risotto

Napa on the Side

Onion & Carrot Foil Pack

Quick & Easy Chicken Quesadillas

Roasted Root Vegetables
Roasted Rosemary-Thyme Pork Tenderloin

Shepherd's Pie a la Moussaka
Slow Cooker Chicken Tagine

Turkey Bolognese Sauce
Turkey Muffinloafs

Mediterranean 3 Grain Risotto

Like most pre-schoolers, our little critics love pasta and rice, and almost any other grain we put in front of them. Their second favorite, right behind Mac-n-Cheese, is Risotto. Sure, it's tedious to cook, but the results are always creamy and delicious.

Here is a little twist on regular Arborio rice based risotto.

Ingredients
(makes 5 servings)

1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 small onion, diced
1/2 celery stalk, diced
2 chicken breast (approx. 1 lb), cubed
1 1/2 cup 3 Grain Riso Gallo Rice (also marketed as Riso Bello Rice)*
4 cups hot chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup tomato puree (crushed tomatoes)
1/2 tsp marjoram, dried
1/2 tsp oregano, dried
1/4 tsp thyme, dried
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 cup chopped red pepper
1 cup quartered mushrooms
40 g freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Directions

-Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet; add onion and celery and sauté until softened.
-Add chicken and cook until white on all sides.
- Add rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add 1 cup of hot broth, tomato puree, marjoram, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir frequently.
- As broth evaporates, add more broth, 1 cup at a time.
- When rice is almost al dente, and there is 1 cup of broth leftover, add red pepper and mushrooms. Keep stirring until all broth as evaporated. Add more broth if needed. (red pepper and Mushrooms will be cooked but a little firm, if you want them more cooked, then add them earlier on, but they will be less flavorful).
- Stir in parmesan and stir 1 minute and serve.

* To make your own 3 grain risotto mix: 1/2 cup Arborio or Carnoli rice, 1/2 cup pearl Barley, 1/2 cup Spelt (Epautre in french).

Tips
- You can substitute Mushrooms and/or peppers for some of your favorite veggies. Nutritional Data shouldn't be much different.

Nutritional Data
1 serving
8 WW points
408 cal
8.7 g fat
4.4 g fiber
43.5 g carbs
37.7 g protein

Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

I made this soup tonight, and it was delicious. It was approved by the little critics, which is always good. One little critic even attempted to lick the bowl, which made a nice mess on the table and his shirt... but back to the recipe.


Ingredients
(makes 9 cups)

1.5 lbs butternut squash, peeled, cubed*
1 lb fresh baby carrots (or garden carrots, peeled, sliced)
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1.5 tsp thyme
8 cups chicken broth
fresh ground pepper to taste
salt to taste

Directions

- Place all ingredients in a large pot.
- Bring to a boil and boil until veggies are soft.
- Let cool until warm (not hot).
- Puree with a hand mixer.

* To make it easier to peal, place squash in a steamer for approx. 5 mins.

Tips
-For a thicker soup, use 7 cups broth, or vice versa, for a thinner soup, use 9 cups.
-For a creamier soup, add 1/4 cup of fat-free cream cheese before using the hand mixer.(will affect nutritional data).

Nutritional Data
1 cup serving:
2 WW points
125 Cal
2.7 g fat
15.4 g carbs
1.2 g fiber
11.2 g protein

Welcome

I have recently decided that I needed to start eating healthier. Since I am the cook around here, looks like the whole family will be eating some nutritious meals. Living abroad, in Hungary, often makes it much more challenging to find low-fat or low-calorie ingredients. Often times, you will be able to substitute one of the ingredients in my recipes for a lighter version of the same ingredient (it's simply not available to us here). I am a stay at home mother of 2 overly energetic pre-schoolers and as you may already know they are the toughest food critics ;) Hopefully, this blog will give me the motivation to cook healthy meals daily!

Hope you enjoy this blog and the recipes!

All comments and meal ideas welcome.