Starts tomorrow?!?!

So I woke up this morning to realize that tonight is New Years Eve! Yes-I thought it was tomorrow, which means that I thought my sugar free diet started Sunday...but it starts tomorrow! I have to say I'm excited! So I'm changing the rules of the game a little bit, initially I said the sugar free challenge would be 5 weeks, well I'm changing it for 4 weeks. I just figured it might be easier for some people to think of going off for the month of January. Now you just have to go off sugar 4 weeks to get the prizes at the end, but you can go off for longer. So far it's just Melissa and I doing it, so guess I'm just talking to myself and Melissa! haha, but Melissa I'm excited to have your support!!! Happy New Year!!! I'm going to go have some ice cream right now...one last chance...:)

Sugar High

Looking forward to January 1st! Been eating way too much sugar and feeling not so great...I'm doing no sugar, no white carbs, and no red meat for 6 weeks! (Just thought I'd share)

An Idea...

Hey everyone! Hope all is well :) I just had an idea I wanted to throw out there. I have been wanting to go off sugar for a while, I was going to start this month but decided it's just impossible for me during the holidays with all the goodies. I also heard that it takes 5 weeks of going off sugar to rid any addiction you have to it. I have been eating way too much lately, I'm beginning to feel like a candy monster! So I've decided to go off sugar for 5 weeks starting January 1st. So this is where my idea comes in...

I know January 1st is the popular day to start making changes, so I was thinking there may be some of you who would want to do the same. I know my mom has been wanting to go off sugar, so this is what I was thinking. If anyone else wants to join the ride and go off sugar for 5 weeks starting January 1st, we could be each others support system and we could even blog our journey on here. We could document yummy recipes that are helping us get through our cravings or just post about how stinkin hard it is but how good we feel! I don't want anyone to think that I am forcing this on anyone, I was just going to do it and thought I would throw out the idea to anyone who would want to join me:) If you have been wanting to go off sugar, this would be a good time to do it cause you would have a support system!

Ok, so support systems are great, but there will be also another incentive. Whoever does it and completes the whole five weeks will get some 4life health products. I haven't decided what they would be yet, maybe I will even let you choose what you want. But whatever I do it will be worth it! :)

Also, how fun would it be to do a get together mid January or something and have a sugar free pot luck where we bring yummy, healthy food! If there's enough interest I will put that together.

Ok, so there's the idea. I'm excited to go from feeling like this...

...to this!!!

Anywho, Happy Holidays! Enjoy the yummy treat's the holidays have to offer-especially if you are going to join me for the 5 week challenge starting January 1st!!! :) :)

Vita-Mix (or Blend Tech :) Tortilla Soup

Let me just say-I love this soup. This easy, peasy, super healthy soup. How healthy is it you ask?? Well-it's all raw veggies! It's so simple to throw together, well, that is if you have a vita-mix or a blend tech. I have a blend tech, and I love it. One of my best purchases ever! It's really made it easier for me to eat healthy. I can make yummy healthy soups like this one, or I can whip up a green smoothie, and it does so, so much more! If you don't have one of these high powered blenders, you could try pureeing everything in a food processor, and then heating in on the stove.

Look at all of those healthy vegis you will be putting into your body!

I like serving this soup with lots of mix ins. My favorites are brown rice, black beans, corn, avocado, cheese, and tortilla chips. I am thinking of making a few batches of this soup and keeping it in my freezer, so I always have a healthy dinner or lunch option kickin around :)

Ingredients:

Servings:

4 4

4

Servings Size

• 2 cups hot water
• 1 green onion
• 1/4 green pepper
• 1/3 yellow squash
• 1/3 zucchini
• 1 inch cheddar cheese
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk celery
• 2 roma tomatoes
• 1/3 serrano chili
• 1 dash cumin
• 1 garlic clove
• salt and pepper, for seasoning (I also add some taco seasoning, 1-3 T. , I season to taste)
• 1 -3 ounce cooked white chicken meat
• 1 -3 ounce cooked brown rice
• 4 -6 sliced black olives
• 3 ounces mexicorn (1/4 can)
• 5 ounces black beans (1/3 can)

Directions:

Prep Time: 5 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

1. 1 First 14 ingredients blend at high speed in Vita-Mix for 4-5 minutes.
2. 2 No need to peel any of the vegies, you can even leave the skin of the garlic on.
3. 3 Then the last 6 ingredients blend 5-10 seconds on #1 variable speed.

Sausage Cauliflower Spaghetti

This is my favorite "good for you" thing I have posted...really, I LOVED this! My kids loved it as well so that might have something to do with it. It's pretty much a complete meal alone and not too time consuming, so a definite repeat for me.

Kosher salt

12 ounces whole wheat spaghetti

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

12 ounces sweet Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

6 cloves garlic, sliced

1 small head cauliflower, broken into small florets

1 bunch scallions, chopped

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook as the label directs. Reserve 2 cups cooking water, then drain.

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble the sausage into the skillet and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until lightly browned and no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Clear a space in the pan, add the garlic and cook until just golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cauliflower and cook until the edges are browned, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the reserved cooking water, cover and reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 8 more minutes. Uncover and boil over high heat until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 2 more minutes.

Add the spaghetti to the skillet along with the scallions. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Toss for a minute or two to wilt the scallions and coat the pasta with the sauce, adding up to 1 cup cooking water, if needed, to loosen. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with the cheese and toss. Divide among shallow bowls and drizzle with more olive oil, if desired.

And the Winner is...

Thanks to those who posted this month!!! Kori, Melissa, and Dana- you gals were all entered into the drawing for the giveaway. Melissa, you were entered twice, one for each post you made. I wrote all of your names on a separate piece of paper, threw them into the mad hatter hat, stuck my hand in and picked one! Wanna know who won??? K, here ya go....drum roll please....And the Winner is....MELISSA!!!

Melissa- your 2 pack of Rio Vida, Rite Start or Women, and Bountiful Harvest Plus will be on there way! Could you just email me your address? As soon as you do I will have them shipped to ya : carly@fromheadtoheel.com Thanks and Congrats !!! :)

I would love to do a giveaway again if people are interested. If you thought that was a fun idea and you liked it, let me know and I will do another one. If you thought it was lame-sauce, then that will be the last one we do :) Please leave your comments and let me know what you think!

My eating habits have been...well...less than stellar shall we say. I've received most of my protein intake the past couple days from recesses peanut butter cups and my calcium from frozen yogurt, a change is definitely in order :) I am going to try out some vegetarian dishes this week, mostly bean and rice dishes. With Micah and I most likely moving in the next few months we are trying to be more frugal, and beans are definitely cheap so I want to experiment with a few recipes. I will be posting them as soon as I give them a try :) Hope you all had a wonderful Halloween and I love the recipes you gals post, it's so fun to be able to come to this blog when I want to cook something specifically healthy because I know that whatever is on here will be "good for me too" :) Happy Healthy Cooking!

xoxo Carly

Coq Au Vin (Easy Version)

Coq Au Vin is one of my favorite french dinners! A friend introduced me to it in Paris at an old restaurant called Pracop. It's really more of a stewed chicken in red wine but I am a wimp and when I saw this quick recipe I knew it was meant for me! And it was, I have made a friend for life with this recipe! I will make it again and again!!4 bacon slices, coarsely chopped

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

3 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided

8 oz. large crimini mushroom, halved

8 lrg. shallots, peeled, havved through root end

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1 1/2 cups dry red wine

1 1/2 low sodium chicken broth, divided

4 tsp all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Saute bacon in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to bowl.

Sprinkile chicken with salt, papper and 1 T. parsley. Add to drippings in skillet. Saute until cooked through, about 6 munutes per side; transfer to pie dish (reserve skillet). Place in oven to keep warm.

Add mushrooms and shallots to skillet; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Saute until brown, about 4 minutes. Add garlic; toss 10 seconds. Add wine, 1 1/4 cup broth, stirring until smooth.

Add flour mixture to sauce. Cook until sauce thickens, 3 to 4 munutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

Arrange chicken on platter; stir juices from pie dish into sauce and sppon over chicken. Sprinkle with 1 T. parsley.

Serves 4

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I have been dying for some soup ever since the weather turned chilly. Once I decided on soup, I started craving Chicken Tortilla Soup. I researched a bunch of them and decided on Martha Stewart's version. It took me a little while because you make the base from scratch but it turned out INCREDIBLE! Honestly, I don't know if I have ever been so proud of something. I know this sounds super braggy (just know that I am bragging about the recipe, and not my cooking)....but I would totally expect to find this in a restaurant or something. I loved it! It is also really healthy too, it is basically all vegetables. Yum!

1 1/4 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast halves (I bought a rotissere chicken from Costco and shredded half of it)
2 cups cilantro plus 2 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
2 14.5 oz cans chicken broth
3 cups water
4 plum tomatoes
2 small onions, halved lengthwise, unpeeled
4 garlic cloves (unpeeled)
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1 1/4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
3/4 cups rinsed, drained canned chickpeas (I didn't include these)
1/2 small avocado
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp minced jalapeno (didn't include this)
sour cream
shredded cheese
tortilla chips

1. In a large saucepan, combine chicken, 2 cups cilantro, broth and water. Bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently until chicken is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate; let cool. Cut into 1/2 inch dice. Strain broth through a fine strainer; reserve. Wipe pot out. ***I didn't do this whole step because I already had my chicken cooked. I just shredded 1/2 of my costco rotisserie chicken***
2. Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a cast-iron skillet on medium-high until hot. Add 3 tomatoes, onions, and garlic; cover and cook, turning vegetables occasional, until skins are nicely charred, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. When veggies are cool enough to handle, remove skins, stems, and cores; discard. Place tomatoes, onions, and garlic in a blender with 1/2 cup of broth; blend until smooth. S crape mixture into saucepan; cook, stirring, over medium heat until thickened and darker; about 6 inutes. Stir in remaining both, 1/4 tsp salt, corn, chickpeas and chicken. Remove from heat.
3. Finely dice avocado. Place in a bowl. Finely dice remaining tomato, and add to avocado with lime juice, jalapeno, chopped cilantro and remaining 1/8 tsp salt. Re-warm soup; ladle into bowls. Garnish with avocado mixture, sour cream, cheese and tortilla chips.

Carrot Zucchini Muffins

1/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup applesauce

1 cup grated carrots

1 cup grated zucchini

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

• Preheat oven to 400F
• In a large bowl, whisk together oil and sugar. Beat in egg, then applesauce. Stir in carrots and zucchini. In another large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Fold dry ingredients into wet, until just mixed. Spoon batter to the very top of sprayed, paper-lined muffin cups and bake 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in a muffin.
• 
• 1 muffin: 162 calories, 2 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein.
• Perfect for breakfast, before a workout, or anytime you need a healthy, filling snack.

Chicken Pesto Pizza

Photo by Taste of Home

I love, love, love, pizza, but needed to find one that is actually somewhat good for you and not loaded with fat and calories. I found this delicious pizza from Taste of Home, but of coarse had to make a few changes. I always use my mom's pizza dough recipe which is delicious, but lately I have been substituting whole wheat flour and also halving the recipe; which makes a super thin but yummy crust.

Lisa's Pizza Dough - Healthified :)

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 tablespoon quick-rise yeast

1 cup warm water

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

In a bowl, combine the first four ingredients. Combine water and oil; add to flour mixture. Add additional flour if needed to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface; knead for 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. Punch the dough down; place on a greased 12 inch pizza pan (I use a pizza stone sprinkled with cornmeal) and pat into a 12 inch circle.

Chicken Pesto Pizza

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1/2 small onion, thinly sliced

1/2 each small green, sweet red and yellow peppers, julienned

1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

3 tablespoons pesto - I usually use homemade but this time I tried Kirkland brand

1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the chicken, onion, peppers and mushrooms in 1 tablespoon olive oil, until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat; set aside.

Spread pesto on dough and top with chicken mixture and cheese. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until crust and cheese are lightly browned.

A Wrap with a twist

I often get tired of eating salads to get my vegis in. So, I was very excited to see this idea of a pure vegi wrap on the Sun Drenchers site. It's a great way to get lots of vegis in at one sitting. So what you do is use cabbage leaves for the "wrap" and load it up with whatever vegis you like. I used pretty much all the ingredients I used for my Asian salad : one carrot, green onion, 1/4 red pepper, handful of sprouts, cashews, sesame seeds, and I added over half an avacado. I julienned all of my vegis so they would fit nicely in the wrap. I used both a green leaf and red leaf of cabbage, then I topped it off my the Asian Sun Drencher. It's very fun to eat, but can be a bit messy so make sure you get a big enough leaf of cabbage to hold all of your filling nicely. I'm excited to try this out with different flavor combination's. Enjoy!

Asian Salad and Sun Drenchers:)

Ok, so I've had a break through. A Healthy breakthrough :) I've been sick of the same old salads I've been having, I always do a dressing consisting of olive oil and lemon, because that's healthier than the alternative store bought dressing loaded with bad oils, mayonnaise, and preservatives. However, I have to admit that I have been longing for a change! Well yesterday I was looking on green smoothie girls site, and she had an interview with one of the creators of Sun Drenchers, I wont go into detail because I will give you the links if you want to find out more about it, but basically Sun Drenchers is a dressing that's actually good for you. It's created by a raw foodist so they are 100% raw, organic, and gluten free. The ingredients in these dressings are amazing, nothing bad for you, if you have a chance you should definitely read more about them here.

Of course after reading about Sun Drenchers I ran right out to my local Good Earth and bought some. I got the Italian and Asian Sun Drencher. I was a little hesitant to pay the almost $10 each, but decided to go for it. I made an Asian salad today to try out my Asian Sun Drencher. Now, this is hardly an exact recipe, but here's what I put in my salad:

-red cabbage
-green cabbage
-shredded/grated carrot
-sesame seeds
-cashews
-red peppers
-sprouts
-a little bit of romaine
and of course, topped off with the Asian Sun Drencher

Let me tell you, I was not excited about this salad, but was desperate for something new so decided to try it. Boy I am so glad I did! It was delicious, and what made it was the Asian Sun Drencher. It was amazing!!!!!! One of my favorite dressings ever. And one of the best dressings out there for you, it has 90 calories per 1 1/2 T., compared to the 120 calories per 1 T. olive oil has. And, those 90 calories are good calories! I haven't tried the Italian Drenching yet but will tomorrow and let you know how it is.

So if you have still stuck with me throughout this very long post, and are still reading now, and haven't checked out Sun Drenchers yet, do it now! :) it's very inspiring and you can read all about their "drenchings" and hopefully you can have a chance to try then out!!

Lentil Sausage Soup

Wow...it's been a while since I have posted here!! But I am really excited that I am finally posting, mainly because it means I actually cooked something healthy!! I'm not gonna lie, I haven't been the best the past couple months, but I'm really motivated to get back into the swing of things and to start cooking healthier, and of course start posting on this blog a lot more:)

This morning I was trying to figure out what I was going to make for dinner, I wanted something healthy, but different, something that I haven't made before. I thought of a lentil soup, now that fall is upon us I am so excited to start making soups! So I googled and the first hit that came up was Ina Garten's Lentil Sausage Soup. Good ol' Ina came through for me in the healthy category! I was so excited to make this because I want to start cooking with lentils. Want to know how good they are for you?? Well for one they are very high in protein, they are a good source of cholesterol lowering fiber, and they are low in calories!! To read all of the amazing healthy benefits of lentils go here, it will make you feel good you are feeding them to your family:)

I left the sausage out of this recipe, I want to start doing most of my meals vegetarian, but this recipe will still be good for you if you add the sausage, I will probably put it in next time. I also left out the red wine vinegar because I didn't have it, it was still delicious so if you don't have it and don't usually carry it in your house, don't just buy a big bottle for this recipe because it was still delish with out it. Hope you have a chance to try this one out!

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 pound French green lentils (recommended: du Puy)
• 1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for serving
• 4 cups diced yellow onions (3 large)
• 4 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts only (2 leeks)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 large cloves)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt black pepper
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 cups medium diced celery (8 stalks)
• 3 cups medium diced carrots (4 to 6 carrots)
• 3 quarts Homemade Chicken Stock or canned broth
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 pound kielbasa, cut in 1/2 lengthwise and sliced 1/3-inch thick
• 2 tablespoons dry red wine or red wine vinegar
• Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

In a large bowl, cover the lentils with boiling water and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Drain.

In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat the olive oil and saute the onions, leeks, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, and cumin for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are translucent and tender. Add the celery and carrots and saute for another 10 minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato paste, and drained lentils, cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour, or until the lentils are cooked through and tender. Check the seasonings. Add the kielbasa and red wine and simmer until the kielbasa is hot. Serve drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with grated Parmesan

Quinoa Tabbouleh salad

So i found this recipe in a magazine a little while ago and i've been meaning to try it, and i finally got around to it. This is also my first time posting...but i figured no one else has been posting lately, so maybe i should! Everyone needs to start posting again, i need some new recipes! :) anyways here is the recipe...

1 cup cooked quinoa (follow cooking instructions on package)
3 tomatoes, chopped and diced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced
1/4 cup fresh mint, minced
1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small red onion, diced
3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil (i used 4)
salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in a small to medium size bowl and toss gently. Refrigerate for at least one hour, tossing occasionally (2 to 3 times) to recombine ingredients. Serve chilled.

I do have a few tips... mine tasted really strongly of garlic, so i would recommend using 3 medium to SMALL garlic cloves, mine were kind of large. And my quinoa didn't have cooking instructions so if you're not sure, i did 1 cup quinoa with 2 cups water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15 min. I think you could add other things to this recipe also, like some avocado, spinich, or even broccoli and it would be really yummy, especially if you use stuff from your garden, and super good for you. Enjoy.

Agave and Applesauce Granola

Who wouldn't want this for breakfast...YUM!

I was getting a little tired of my usual breakfast smoothie and started looking for a healthy granola recipe. I finally found one I liked and made a few changes, here is what I came up with.

It turned out delicious!

3 cups rolled oats

2 cups raw almonds and or walnuts

2 tablespoons ground flax seed

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

21/2 tablespoons agave sweetener

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine wet ingredients and seasonings. Pour wet mixture over the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour mixture onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and gentle stir to break up any large clusters. Return to oven, and turn temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 5 more minutes.

Combine with dried fruit for a yummy snack or layer with yogurt and berries for a delicious parfait.

Tabbouleh

Who ever said that Ina Garten can't cook without using a stick of butter must have missed this delicious recipe. There are so many health benefits in this dish and it is so delicious. My husband loves this! I honestly think he is part rabbit because he can sit down and chomp on a red pepper like it's an apple, but it's kinda nice because I am able to serve him yummy healthy meals like this and he really appreciates it. You can serve this as a side dish or eat up a bigger portion for the main dish. I made this full recipe and Micah and I ate it for a few days. If you make it for dinner any extra left over will make a great lunch the next day. You will love the texture and flavor the bulghur wheat gives this dish. I have been using bulghur wheat a lot-talk about good for you! I will work on a post examining the benefits of eating this wheat because it will make this dish that much more appealing:)

Tip: To make this a heartier meal I added some chunks of feta. Also, I have seen Ina serve this in pita bread with big chunks of feta.

Tabbouleh
Ina Garten
serves 8

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 cup bulghur wheat
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 3 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (1 bunch)
• 1 cup chopped fresh mint leaves (1 bunch)
• 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (1 bunch)
• 1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and medium-diced
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half (I used red pepper instead, just because I don't like tomatoes....I know I really gotta work on that one)
  
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Place the bulghur in a large bowl, pour in the boiling water, and add the lemon juice, olive oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Stir, then allow to stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Add the scallions, mint, parsley, cucumber, tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper; mix well. Season, to taste, and serve or cover and refrigerate. The flavor will improve if the tabbouleh sits for a few hours.

Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach

This is the first Ellie Krieger recipe I have tried, and it was definitely a keeper. Yum! I am getting hungry right now thinking about it. It if a very simple yet flavorful meal. It has a serving of protein, a whole grain, and a green vegetable...perfect!

Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach

by Ellie Krieger

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast

8 ounces baby spinach

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup low sodium chicken stock

1 cup canned low-sodium diced tomatoes in juice

2 cups whole-wheat couscous, cooked

Heat a large saute pan over med-high heat. Add the oil and heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook about 4 minutes per side, until cooked through and juices run clear. Remove the chicken and set aside. To the same pan, add the spinach and cook just until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and add the balsamic vinegar and chicken broth to the pan and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any browned bits. Add the tomatoes, bring to a simmer and cook 3 to 5 minutes. Place couscous in a serving bowl. Top with the spinach, chicken and balsamic-tomato sauce.

Turkey Meatballs

Wow, I'm so glad I'm getting to this BEFORE the end of the month!!! This is an oldie but goodie at my house and actually, a light bulb went off when I read about Carly's chili. I was reminded of a couple of pounds of ground turkey in the freezer and Wa-La! Turkey Meatballs! Unfortunately, there is no pic so you'll just have to trust me that it looks pretty too!!!

1 lb. ground turkey

3/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper

2-3 TBSP chopped, fresh basil

1/2 c. tomato juice

1 egg

1/4 c. chopped onion

1 cup breadcrumbs or cooked millet or quinoa

Mix and knead altogether and make into 18 or so small meatballs. Put in heavy pan and pour the following over the top:

2 c. tomato juice

1/4 tsp. dried basil or italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

Simmer on stove or bake in casserole dish in oven, basting a couple of times while cooking.

Serve on whole wheat spaghetti noodles.

*Tip: Add whatever vegetables you have chopped up in the fridge!

Greek Chicken Kabobs with Lemon Rice

I am excited to say that I have found a yummy, easy, and healthy recipe! I have felt like I have done the same dinners the past month-stir fry, pasta, breaded chicken breasts. I needed something new, and something amazing. These chicken kabobs definitely fit the description. They are so flavorful while tasting so light. I paired these kabobs with a Greek salad and Greek lemon rice. Rarely do I ever make a meal, sit down to eat it, and rave about my own work-but last night I couldn't stop saying how delicious the whole meal was! The rice was wonderful, the salad fresh, the kabobs so flavorful. I am so excited to make this meal again. It's definitely going to become a staple meal in our home. The rice recipe calls for white rice, but you can substitute brown if you want. I rarely ever cook with white rice, in fact, before last night I couldn't remember the last time I had used it. I was lucky we even had it. Since it's such a rare occasion when I use white rice I didn't feel the least bit guilty using it for the rice dish. I will probably try the recipe out next time with brown, but the white rice was so good in it! A quick tip, if you don't have a grill or don't want to take the time to fire it up, I grilled my kabobs on my panini maker and they turned out great.

Marinated Greek Chicken Kabobs

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) container fat-free plain yogurt
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese with basil and sun-dried tomatoes (I used plain feta)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed dried rosemary
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 large red onion, cut into wedges
• 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

Directions

1. In a large shallow baking dish, mix the yogurt, feta cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Place the chicken in the dish, and turn to coat. Cover, and marinate 3 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
3. Thread the chicken, onion wedges, and green bell pepper pieces alternately onto skewers. Discard remaining yogurt mixture.
4. Grill skewers on the prepared grill until the chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Pilafi (Greek lemon rice)

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Serves 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 1/4 onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups chicken broth
• juice and zest of one lemon

Directions

1. heat olive oil and butter in saucepan over medium heat.

2. cook onion, garlic and rice for 3-5 minutes until onion is soft and rice is completely coated in butter/oil.

3. stir in black pepper, lemon zest and chicken broth.

4. bring to a boil.

5. turn down heat and let simmer for 15 minutes covered.

6. when rice is fully cooked take off heat and add lemon juice.

7. serve as is or add a touch more butter and pepper.

Lisa's Bean Soup

I went to visit Lisa one night and she had made this wonderful soup. I loved it! I had just bought a huge bucket of 15 bean mix for my food storage and was happy to find a good recipe for it. I used to put the ground beef in, but I don't anymore. We all prefer it with just the ham. I bought three spiral hams from Costco for Sam's farewell, and froze the meaty bones to use later for this soup. I'm afraid I just used my last one. Everyone loves it. I always feel good when I feed my family legumes.

2 cups of 15 bean soup mix, washed

3 qt. water

1 lb. browned ground beef

1 meaty ham bone

1 lg. pinch basil

1 lt. pinch thyme

1 t. salt

Cook all except ground beef. Boil. Simmer for 3 hours

Add:

1 lg. onion, chopped

2-3 stalks celery, chopped

3 lg. carrots, diced

1 16 oz. can tomatoes (I always puree my tomatoes)

1 6 oz. can tomato paste

1 T. parsley flakes

2 T. beef broth powder

Cook until vegetables are tender

Chicken Salad Sandwich Thins

I love sandwiches and the last time I went to Costco they were serving samples of chicken salad served on these deliciously thin whole wheat rolls. I was so excited about the100 calorie whole wheat buns that actually tasted good. I bought a pack and came up with this recipe that night.

Other than the buns, I didn't need to buy anything to make these yummy and healthy sandwiches. To be honest, the kids didn't really go for this one - which means I've been able to have the leftovers for lunch for the past few days! Recipe makes 8 sandwiches, with only 180 calories each.

8 Oroweat Sandwich Thins

2 12.5 ounce cans premium chunk chicken breast (from Costco)
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup carrots, diced (matchstick carrots are perfect)
1/2 cup spinach, julienned (stack 6-8 spinach leaves at a time, roll, and slice into thin strips)
1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 cup light mayo
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon cumin

Mix mayo, lemon juice, and cumin in a large bowl. Add drained chicken and mix well with a fork. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drizzle whole wheat rolls with olive oil and toast on a grill pan. Spread a thick layer of chicken salad in between two toasted buns and thindulge!

Vegetable Curry Stir Fry

Ok, so I know I am posting another stir fry recipe right in a row, and this picture pretty much looks like the last one I posted, but I made this one the other night and loved it. I am a huge fan of curry and this sauce will now be my go to stir fry sauce. I will give you the full recipe to this stir fry, but I just used the sauce and did my own thing for the rest. I got the recipe from here, and it has all the nutritional information for this whole meal if you want to try it out.

Ingredients:

1/2cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth

2teaspoons cornstarch

2teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

1-1/2teaspoons curry powder

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I left this out because I didn't have it)

Nonstick olive oil cooking spray

3 green onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups broccoli florets

2/3 cup sliced carrot

1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil

6 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

2/3 cup hot cooked rice, prepared without salt

Preparation:

1.

Stir together broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, curry powder and red pepper flakes. Set aside.

2.

Spray nonstick wok or large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Add green onions and garlic; stir-fry 1 minute. Remove from wok.

3.

Add broccoli and carrot to wok; stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender. Remove from wok.

4.

Add oil to hot wok. Add chicken and stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes or until cooked through. Stir broth mixture; add to wok. Cook and stir until broth mixture comes to a boil and thickens slightly. Return all vegetables to wok. Heat through. Serve over rice.

Quick and Easy Stir Fry

Lately I have been making a lot of stir fry. It's a great meal for when you have no idea what to make, it's inexpensive, and it can be very healthy. Now, I say it can be healthy, because a lot of stir fry recipes call for cooking the vegetables in oil or butter for a while. I used to do that, but lately I have been steaming my vegetables and find that the stir fry's turn out just as good. This stir fry is hardly an exact recipe. Whatever vegetables I have I use. I usually have brocoli and carrots on hand, so sometimes I just do a brocoli and carrot stir fry. But if I plan ahead I will grab zucchini, green onions, and peppers. Bok choy would be a great addition as well. I used to serve my vegis over brown rice, but lately I have been serving them over quinoa which I like better because it takes less time to cook and it's better for you. So like I said, this isn't an exact recipe but I will give you the jist as to what I do for my quick and easy stir fry meal:)

For the Sauce:
3 T. soy sauce (low sodium if you have it)
1 T. corn starch
1/4 c. water
1 T. honey (this is optional, but I like to add it to give it a little sweetness)

mix and set aside.

Steam assortment of vegies. I usually steam over a cup of vegies per person. You could do more or less if you like. I steam my vegies for about 10 minutes, I like them to remain a little crunchy. After vegies are steamed transfer them to a pan with just a tsp of olive oil, and sautee for just a minute (this step is optional, I like to do it because it sears the vegis a little which I like). Toss in the sauce and green onions if you have them (I like alot of green onions, about half a cup) Cook until sauce thickens. Serve over rice or quinoa.

Note: The sauce makes a lot, you could probably get 4 servings out of it. You could also toss in some chicken if you wanted, but quinoa is a good source of protein so this really is a nicely balanced meal.

Chicken Chili

I have never been a big fan of traditional chili, I think it is great that we have two alternative chili recipes in a row. I don't really like to call this chili because it doesn't taste anything like a typical bowl of chili...it's so much better and good for you too! I love this chili! Oh, and one serving, about 1 1/2 cups, has around 170 calories (not including toppings).

Chicken Chili

by Ina Garten

Ingredients

• 4 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
• 1/8 cup good olive oil, plus extra for chicken
• 1/8 cup minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
• 2 yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded, and large-diced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for chicken
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled plum tomatoes in puree, undrained
• 1/4 cup minced fresh basil leaves
• 4 split chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
• Freshly ground black pepper
• I added 1 cup of cooked quinoa - thanks for the idea Dana

For serving:

• Chopped onions, corn chips, grated cheddar, sour cream
• I top with avocado slices and corn tortilla strips

• Cook the onions in the oil over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the bell peppers, chili powder, cumin, red pepper flakes, cayenne, and salt. Cook for 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes by hand or in batches in a food processor fitted with a steel blade (pulse 6 to 8 times). Add to the pot with the basil. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked. Let cool slightly. Separate the meat from the bones and skin and cut it into 3/4-inch chunks. Add to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for another 20 minutes. Serve with the toppings, or refrigerate and reheat gently before serving.

Tortilla Strips

Stack 2 or 3 small corn tortillas and cut into thin strips with a pizza slicer. Heat some olive oil in a saute pan over med-high and then add the tortilla strips, cook until lightly browned and crunchy.