High Protein Berry Goodness Parfaits

What makes these parfaits such an amazing breakfast is that they are very low in fat, high in protein, full of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, delicious, and kept us full for over five hours!

What you need per parfait:

1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt (23 grams protein!)

1/3 cup blueberries

1/3 cup chopped strawberries

1/3 cup lowfat granola of choice

honey to sweeten to taste (I didn't use it)

What you do:

Layer to your preference!

Thank you Chef Chloe!

Chef Chloe Coscarelli is my new idol since winning an episode of The Cupcake Wars on the Food Network.  All of her recipes are vegan and remarkable.  Here is the link to these marvelous, wondrous, light, fluffy cupcakes & frosting:
http://chefchloe.com/sweets/chocolate-beer-cupcakes-with-irish-whiskey-buttercream.html

My modifications: In the batter, I used 3/4 cup brown sugar instead of 1 cup.  I halved the buttercream recipe and instead of whiskey, used 1 tsp of instant decaf coffee diluted in 2 tbsp of hot water.

Confetti Black Beans

This black bean combo was fantastic in soft corn tortilla tacos. Delicious served simply with rice as well.

Ingredients:
2 cans organic black beans
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 jalepeno, seeded & finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 slim carrot, finely chopped
1 clove minced or crushed garlic
1/2 tbp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1.  Heat oil in a medium pot/saucepan on medium heat.  Add all the veggies and saute for 3-4 minutes.
2.  Add the vegetable broth, stir, and let simmer 2-3 minutes.
3.  Add in all the spices and stir well.
4.  Add in the black beans, stir, and heat covered for 10-15 minutes.

Multi-legume Soup

(rinse before soaking/cooking)

(Reynolds slow cooker liners)

Ingredients
1 bag Trader Joe's 17 bean and barley mix, cooked in crockpot until tender (or prepare however you normally do dry lentils/beans)
1 tbsp olive oil or canola oil
1/2 tbsp butter (salted or unsalted)
1 organic vine ripened tomato
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1/2 red/orange/yellow bell pepper, diced
1 large clove garlic, grated
5-7 sprigs fresh thyme
1 dried bay leaf
1 tsp curry powder
2-3 tsp sea salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
1 32oz container low sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup any marinara/spaghetti sauce

Steps:
1.  Heat oil in stock pot.  Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Stir. Add butter and cook 2-3 min. on medium low heat.  Season with some of the salt and pepper.
2.  Strain beans from soaking/cooking water.  Add to pot.  Stir.  Season again.
3.  Add broth, bay leaf, marinara sauce, tomatoes, and peppers.  When simmering, add thyme and remainder of salt & pepper.
4.  Simmer 15 min. uncovered and then on very low heat, covered, for 15 min. You can really cook it as long or short as you'd like.
5.  Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs.  Serve with couscous or your rice of choice &/or alongside crusty bread.

Antipasto: Fried Ravioli

This is a treat and one that your guests will think you got from carry-out.  It is so easy to make and the outcome is gourmet!

Buy 1 package any type of ravioli.  I like Buitoni. Line up 3 bowls on your kitchen counter.  Fill the 1st halfway with all purpose flour, the 2nd halfway any kind of milk (including buttermilk or soy milk), and the 3rd almost full with seasoned bread crumbs or season plain ones yourself with salt, pepper, and dried oregano.  Dip each ravioli pillow in flour, then milk, then breadcrumbs.  Refill bowls with ingredients as needed.  Fill a frying pan about 1 inch deep with canola oil.  Heat.  You will know when your oil is ready if you dip the end of a wooden spoon handle in and it bubbles around it.  Fry each batch on both sides till golden brown. Serve with your favorite marinara sauce or even salsa.

Antipasto: Roasted Vegetables w/Fresh Mozarella

Wash and slice up the vegetables of your choice.  Toss in olive or canola oil and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Spread evenly on a cookie sheet in a single layer as much as possible.  Bake in a preheated 425 degrees oven for 20-25 minutes, flip, and repeat or until caramelized to taste.  Once cooled, top with fresh mozarella.  Serve as is or with a side of balsalmic dressing or reduction.

Soothing Stuffed Shells

 This is the epitome of comfort food for my family.  And I can feel better about it nutrition-wise than I can about mac-n-cheese.  It is full of flavor, protein, & greens.  This baked pasta dish will melt in your mouth and make your tastebuds dance while the rest of you feels relaxed and euphoric.  You can mostly use or vary the ingredients but I urge you to only use the Trader Joe's fresh ricotta - this sets the dish aside from all other stuffed shells recipes!

Ingredients:

casserole dish

about 1/2-3/4 of a box large pasta shells (or manocoti), boiled

1 jar or homemade tomato sauce

1 container Trader Joe's fresh ricotta cheese (this is the absolute best I've ever had)

1/4 cup part skim shredded mozarella

1 cup part skim shredded mozarella

2 tbsp olive oil

 1/4 cup finely sliced fresh basil

1 regular size bag of baby spinach, roughly or finely chopped

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees or 350 if convection.

2.  Mix ricotta, 1/4 cup mozarella, dried herbs, fresh basil, baby spinach, salt, & pepper in a mixing bowl until well incorporated.

3.  Spread a thin layer of sauce inside the bottom of the casserole dish.

4.  Stuff each shell with about 1-2 tbsp of filling and arrange in a single layer into casserole dish.

5.  Sprinkle evenly the 1 cup of shredded mozarella.

6.  Drizzle with the 2 tsbp olive oil.

7.  Bake for 20-25 min.

8.  Broil on high for 5 minutes til top is brown and bubbly.  This will give it the appearance of an Italian restaurant entree.

Get Thyme for this Savory French Potato Pea Puff Pastry Pie

 This meal was inspired by the Food Network's Melissa D'Arabian's Potato-Bacon Torte.  I will post my recipe soon!

Roasted Cauliflower

Given all the veggies I have roasted over the years, I don't know why I never used cauliflower until today.  In all honesty, I thought chopping it up looked daunting.  But it is so much easer to cut up and clean than broccoli.  The stems are much easier to chew too.  This is a delicious side dish so make plenty because everyone will want to eat it in entree quanity!

Simple steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400-425 degrees. 
2. Chop up one head of cauliflower. 
3. Rinse florets in a colander. 
4. Lay evenly on a cookie sheet. 
5. Toss in 2 tbsp extra virgin cold pressed olive oil, 1 tsp fine sea salt, and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. 
6. Bake 20-25 minutes until desired crisp. 
7. Dust with parmesan cheese.

My new favorite leafy green: Bok Choy

I used bok choy (Trader Joe's baby bok choy) for the first time ever today in a tofu vegetable stir fry.  It was so good and added the deluxe to the dish.  It is much more simple to deal with than its cousin, cabbage.  The internet has oodles of uses and recipes for bok choy.  The following is a quick, easy, and zesty side dish I made.

Ingredients:
1 tsp sesame, canola, or olive oil
3-4 baby bok choy
3 garlic cloves smashed or sliced in half lengthwise
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 twist of freshly ground pepper
optional: 1/4 tsp ground ginger

Directions:
1.  Do the following for each bunch of bok choy - cut off about a half inch at the base of each head so that you get rid of the tough notch.
2.  Then lay the bok choy horizontally across your cutting board.  Chop from stem end to leaf end.
3.  Separate stems from leafy parts and rinse each group in a colander or place in a bowl of cold water and agitate.  (The dirt will sink to the bottom like it does with leaks.)
4. Smash/halve garlic cloves.
5.  Heat sesame oil in a pan at medium low for 2-3 minutes.
6.  Add bok choy stems.  Saute 2-3 minutes.
7.  Add leaves then salt, pepper, & ground ginger if you have it but it's perfectly tasty without.  Preferably while tossing with tongs, cook for 3-5 minutes to retain some crisp.

Serve as your favorite side dish, add into a stir fry, serve on rice, or toss into whole wheat noodles that have been marinated in soy sauce.

(photo from: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lC-4IrBVFkMcI8TvMyGCLiZ1iIkbSOBA0yQa4vNDMcc56EY3I57PX-CRzqiQY3gK385aQ3Nnd8Z1h5fBbRFvtdaMbCROG_J4fOoCsJl9yPlpxKybFK7NBfN3a6Er1MBvcQFdMVmCzOc/s320/bokchoy1.jpg)

Lentil Soup makeover

I like lentil soup but I love good lentil soup.  The kind that not only warms you up and fills you with tons of vitamins, fiber, & protein but that which is so savory that it keeps you ladling for more.  I found a recipe in Martha Stewart's Everyday Food which really is a great magazine full of lots of suprisingly simple, quite light, wholesome & delicious recipes. But I found wanting more from their Caramelized Onion and Lentil Soup so below is my makeover and as Goldilocks would say:  It was jusssst right!  But feel free to give my makeover a makeover :)

Inspired by: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/caramelized-onion-and-lentil-soup - my opinion is that it didn't have enough veggies to make it more of a meal, not enough flavor, & not enough stock.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2 15 oz. cans of lentils rinsed & drained OR 2 cups of lentils cooked/soaked (dry lentils soften much quicker when cooked than dry beans so you can soak them a few hours or overnight)
1 medium-large yellow onion - thinly sliced or chopped
2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
1/2 a carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, cut lengthwise then diced
3-4 tbsp fresh thyme, minced
1 tsp curry powder ($1.99 a bottle at Trader Joe's or about as cheap at an Indian store - other grocery stores tend to overcharge for this)
Salt & pepper at hand


Directions:
1.  Heat olive oil in your soup pot.
2.  Add onions.  Cook on low to medium-low for 10-15 min. until they are as soft or caramelized as you like them.  Do NOT season yet.
3.  Add butter and garlic.  I found that this little bit of butter kept the garlic from burning.
4.  Turn up heat to medium and add celery and carrots.
5.  Now season with 1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/8 tsp black pepper or 2-3 turns freshly ground black pepper.
6.  Saute it all together 2-3 minutes.
7.  Add lentils and vegetable stock. Turn heat to medium-high.
8.  Add 1 tsp sea salt and black pepper to taste.
9.  Bring to a boil, add curry powder, reduce to a simmer, add thyme, and simmer 10 more minutes.


For extra decadence, ladle some into a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, & top with parmesan or your favorite cheese.

It's Greek to us :)

Top with fat free feta cheese from Trader Joe's (not shown).  

Very impressive - I usually don't go for fat free cheeses.

Book club bean dip

I'm sure most of you have made and tasted a layered bean dip.  I served this one at my last ladies' get together at my house.  So easy, so yummy, so neverending.

Heat up 1 can of refried beans with 1/2 packet of low sodium taco seasoning in the microwave as to make spreading easier.  Let cool.

Spread about a 1 inch thick layer at the bottom of a square glass casserole dish.  A 9x11 pan will need 2 cans.

Layer guacamole and sour cream.

Pour over a bottle of your favorite salsa.

Sprinkle lowfat Mexican blend shredded cheese.

Top with diced scallions and olives if preferred.

Can also garnish with cilantro.

A Blueberry Sconed

RECIPE COMING SOON . . .

Tofu stir-fry with julienned carrots & celery and chopped red bell peppers over long grained white rice

RECIPE COMING SOON. . .

Vegetable fajitas & Baked Chili Tofu

I have loved Mexican food so much my whole life and it was always the family favorite growing up.  Although tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and enchiladas have been the primary fare, I have been experimenting more with fajitas.  This particular time was a huge success. We had some good friends over for dinner and belive me when I say we were all so fulfilled. The below recipe easily served 4 adults and 4 young children. Use any vegetables you want or have including mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, corn, zucchini, carrots, scallions, onions, tomatoes, summer squash, etc.

Ingredients:

2 blocks of extra firm tofu

1-2 tsp chili powder

sea salt on hand

1-2 tbsp canola oil

2 medium zucchini cut into strips

2 bell peppers (any colors) cut into strips

4 carrots, cut into thin sticks

1-2 crowns of broccoli, chopped

6 stems of scallions, halved then cut lenthwise

1/4 cup chopped shallots/onions (for the beans)

1/8 cup (or 2 tbsp) fresh lime or orange juice

nonstick cooking spray

1 jar of your favorite salsa or pico de gallo

2 ripe avocados, sliced (or you can make or buy guacamole)

2-3 cobs of corn, roasted, then shave off the kernels

1 head iceberg lettuce, finely sliced into shreds

2 cans organic black or pinto beans

1-2 cups of shredded cheese (I like Mexican blends but mozarella will be fine in a pinch)

tortillas of choice but I highly recommend Trader Joe's Reduced Carb Whole Wheat Tortillas - you cannot beat the softness or nutritonal profile!

Directions:

For the tofu-

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Take the 2 blocks of extra firm tofu, wrap in paper or cloth towels until most of the excess water is squeezed out. Slice however you'd like.  

Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray, spread tofu in a single layer, and sprinkle with sea salt and chili powder.

Bake for 20 min., turn/toss, and bake for another 20 min.

For the beans-

Heat oil in a sauce pan and add scallions or onion.

Add beans and season with salt, pepper and lime/orange juice.

For the veggies-

Heat oil in a large pan and cook veggies until al dente as you would stir fry.

Add in roasted corn.

Season with salt, pepper, and cumin.  Feel free to squeeze some lime juice on here too.

Time to eat!

Assemble your fajitas by filling a tortilla with the veggies & avocado and top with lettuce and salsa.

(before)

(after)

Low carb, high fiber, vegetarian enchiladas

RECIPE COMING SOON. . .

Panko crusted eggplant patties on whole wheat spaghetti

Eggplant parmesan is a family favorite recipe both growing up and after I started my own family.  This is a very simple and nearly fat-free version that anyone can make.

Peel a large eggplant and slice into 1/2 inch thick rounds.

Lay on a paper towel covered cookie sheet.

Sprinkle with sea salt and let sit for 30-60 min. depending on how much time you have.

The salt will draw out some of the moisture.  Dab slices dry with a paper towel.

Preheat oven to 350-375 degrees.

Prepare 3 bowl/plates: 1st one with all purpose flour, 2nd with milk(anykind), 3rd with panko crumbs (I seasoned mine with black pepper, oregano, and garlic powder).

Dip each slice first in flour, shake off excess, dip in milk completely, then cover thoroughly with panko crumbs and set aside.

Once you've done this to all the patties, spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray and arrange patties in a single layer.

Bake 10-12 min., flip over, and bake another 10 min.  They should look toasty and golden brown.

Place next to or on your favorite pasta with marinara sauce, sprinkle shredded mozarella and parmesan cheeses, microwave 30 seconds just to melt cheese, and enjoy!

Soy wrapper Asian spring rolls

See my 7/3/10 recipe for Asian Spring Rolls.  

These are the same thing but made with soy paper instead of rice paper.  

Only 1g of carbohydrates each!  

I found these soy wrappers at Harris Teeter.

Avocado treasure

I was watching Good Eats with Alton Brown on the Food Network some time back, and he gave some great advice on how to pick a good avocado.  Most of us know that if you plan on eating an avocado in a few days, pick a green, firm but not rock hard one.  And if you want to eat it in the next 24 hours, go for a soft but not totally mushy one that is more brownish green.  But, if you want to be even more sure of your choice and lessen your chance of cutting into a bruised one, pop off the little stem nub.  If it's white to light green, go for it.  If it's brown or darker, leave it behind.  Below is the most perfect avocado I've ever bought.  And for a foodie like me, it was like hitting gold!

Whole wheat spinach & black bean quesadillas

Quesadillas are my go to meal so often.  They are a fantastic way to use up leftovers and veggies.  Sneak in some beans and/or tofu, and you have a very nutritious vegetarian meal.  I usually use a light Mexican shredded cheese blend and then a little bit of shredded mozarella too as it melts very well.  Sharp cheddar or monterey jack would be great too.  

The following are my favorite two whole wheat tortillas:

• Trader Joe's Low Carb Whole Wheat Tortillas (smaller and good for kids' quesadillas, soft tacos, or enchiladas)
• La Mariposa Organic Whole Wheat Tortillas found at Earth Fare and Whole Foods

For the above photographed quesadilla:

Lightly brush a bit of Earth Balance spread on 1 side of the tortilla, put it buttered side down on a plate/cutting board, and depending on whether you are going to fold it and make half or make a whole one, spread on the shredded cheese, rinsed and drained black/pinto beans or refried beans, and loose baby spinach leaves. Fold tortilla or place another lightly buttery one on top. Cook on a preheated pan/skillet for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned and crispy. Alternatively, you could skip the Earth Balance and use oil or nothing at all.  I just find it is tastier and crispier this way.  You can also bake quesadillas on a cookie sheet in your oven at 350 degrees for 5-7 minutes.  This is my preferred method of cooking them if I am making them as an appetizer for a get together as I can make several at a time.

It's easy eating green!

(before)

Normally, when I make roasted vegetables, I use bell peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, eggplant, and zucchini.  This time I tried it with asparagus and broccoli.  The broccoli tops got crispy and the asparagus too.  I prepared these like I do any veggies to roast.

1.  Wash and cut veggies as preferred.

2.  Toss in 2-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil depending on amount of vegetables but you want most of them at least lightly coated/oiled.

3.  Toss in 1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt and 1/8-1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

4.  Spread onto a cookie sheet.  I usually cover mine with aluminum foil to quicken the clean up afterwards.

5.  Bake at 400 degrees in a preheated oven for 35-45 minutes.

(after)

Nestle's Dark Chocolate & Mint chips cookies

I made these from the recipe on the back of the bag of chocolate chips:

http://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/143925/Mint-Chocolate-Delights/detail.aspx

Instead of eggs, I use Ener-G Egg replacer which you can find at your grocery store, health food stores, and Asian stores.  (http://www.ener-g.com/gluten-free/egg-substitute.html)

Made for Maura croutons

The reason I got through nursing school from day 1 is my dear friend Maura.  She loves my croutons and I have even mailed them to her before!  I need to do that way more often but here's the "famous" recipe:

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.

Cut up a fresh or stale baguette into cubes.

  

Toss in 1/8 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, couple of twists freshly ground black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.  You really could season these however you like. 

Other ideas, are mixed italian seasoning, chili powder, or Cajun seasoning.  

Spread onto cookie sheet.  

Bake 30-40 minutes depending on how crunchy you like them. 

Lasagna margherita

This recipe was inspired by my children.  That's the nice way of putting it.  I won't go into all of the red sauce battles. But really, I'm glad for their obstinacy at times because it forces me to be creative which in turn allows me to make something I would have never otherwise considered.

Ingredients:

3-4 Roma tomatoes, choppoed

Fresh basil leaves, about a loose 1/2 half cup torn

2 cloves garlic finely minced

Olive oil

Lowfat shredded mozarella cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup ricotta cheese

3 sheets lasagna noodles, boiled

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1. Cut the 3 cooked lasagna noodles in half.

2. Lightly oil a square baking dish.

3. Lay 2 lasagna noodle halves side by side and spread on some ricotta then sprinkle parmesan cheese.  Repeat for next layer.

4. Top with mozarella and any remaining parmesan as well as tomatoes and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil.

5. Sprinkle salt and pepper.

6. Bake 25 minutes and top with basil and another drizzle of olive oil.

Chole

Chole masala is one of my favorite foods from the Punjab region of India although it is popular throughout India as well as in Pakistan and I've noticed at Indian restaurants here in the USA too.  It is one of the most savory dishes you will ever experience and as far as curries go, it is one of the healthier ones being high in fiber and especially protein-wise for a vegetarian.  It also can take as little as 15 minutes to make and talk about comfort food; it will warm you up and make your taste buds dance.  This is great since I'm mostly an Indian who doesn't cook Indian!  The most convenient way to make this dish is to use canned chick peas/garbanzo beans and a packet of pre-mixed spices called chana masala or chole masala from an Indian grocery store.  However, I find some of the them to be either too high in sodium or too spicy.  I am lucky because my mother keeps my kitchen well stocked with the individual spices in preparation for her visits during which she does all the cooking!  Thank goodness for her giving my children culture and even better, through there tummies!

(I usually just throw this recipe together and it may come out a little different each time but it's always good.  So below are my guesstimations for all the measurements.  As a general rule of thumb, I find that every 1 can of chick peas serves 2 people.)

Ingredients

1-2 tbsp canola oil

2 cans of garbanzo beans/chick peas (same thing), drained and rinsed

1 can no salt added tomato sauce

1 small yellow onion, diced.

1 small-medium tomato, diced. (does not matter what kind and this is a great recipe to use up a pale tomato in)

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp cumin (thana jeeru)

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

In lieu of turmeric, cumin, & cayenne pepper, you could do 2-3 tsp curry powder which is easy to find at most grocery stores including Trader Joe's for only $1.99

1/2 tsp sea salt, more to taste.

If you have it, but not necessary, 1/2 tsp garam masala (it is a basic combination of spices but varies by region).

If you have them, 1/8 tsp cumin seeds.

If you have it and want the dish more tangy, a little bit of lemon juice.

Steps

1.  Heat oil in at least a 2 quart saucepan.  Add cumin seeds if you have them.  They will start popping.

2.  Add in onions and all spices.  Saute until onions are softened.  The aroma will be awesome.

3.  Add in tomatoes and stir in for a minute or two.

4.  Add in chick peas and tomato sauce.

5.  Simmer for 10-15 minutes and you're done!

This is best served alongside whole wheat Indian bread called paratha (frozen section of Indian store) or naan (Trader Joe's garlic naan is my favorite), on a bed of basmati rice, and/or topped with yogurt or raita.  It is also very tasty topped with raw onion and cilantro.

Tortilla Soup

This is a soup we cannot stop eating because it is so incredibly delicious.  We eat it for days!

See recipe:

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/vegetarian-tortilla-soup/Detail.aspx

Salads

Simple salad: iceberg lettuce, roma tomatoes, Persian cucumbers, & chopped baby carrots tossed in Garlic Expressions

Similar salad but also add red onions and orange bell peppers and topped with Copper Modern Indian Cuisine's mango ranch dressing.  I love love love this stuff.  They only off it on their lunch time house salad but after I raved on and on about it to them, they gave me a cup to take home!

(http://www.copperrestaurant.com/)

All dressed up veggie burgers

Although not the highest in protein, my new favorite veggie burgers are Dr. Praeger's Tex Mex Veggie Burgers.  I love this line of products because they are all natural, ingredients are very simple and salt is one of the last ingredients.  My favorite veggie burger to eat breadless and for more protein is the Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burger (it's not hot, just flavorful).  

Above, is one of the best veggie burger sandwiches I have every made.  Basically I just topped it with a slice of cheddar cheese, and home roasted red bell pepper, green bell pepper, sweet onion, and freshly sliced avocado along with iceberg lettuce (wish I had had romaine).  All on a lightly toasted Nature's Pride 100% Whole Wheat Bakery Bun.