Tangy Wheatberry Salad with Salmon

This salad has been my favorite for a while at the Wholefoods salad bar.... a tangy wheatberry salad. This is my reinvention of it, a perfect and healthy side to fish and chicken. In this meal, a Trader Joe's salmon patty (80kcal) and some summer squash and cherry tomatoes.

1 TB tamari
1/2 ts sesame oil
1 TB balsamic vinegar
2 TB fruity olive oil
4 scallions, sliced
1/4 cp dried cranberries
1/4 cp pecans, toasted
1/2 red onion, diced

Cook in vegetable broth until al dente:
1/4 cp japonica rice
1/4 cp wild rice mix
1/2 cp wheat berries

Mix all ingredients, add some lemon juice, chill and serve as a side as 1/4 cup (ca. 100kcal).

Skinny Charred Chili Relleno

This is a dish inspired by Rachel Ray, charred chili relenos, but without the green rice. The charred poblano pepper gives this dish a unique flavor, lovely!

• 1 large poblano pepper
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
  
• oilve oil spray
  
• 1/3 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, microplaned
• 1/3 cup fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained well or 1 charred red bell pepper, diced
  
• 1 teaspoons ground cumin
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• juice of 1/2 lime
  
• 1 TB shredded ff monterey jack cheese

Preheat broiler or grill pan to high, and char the poblano pepper. It should not deflate, but only soften and the skin slightly charred.

In a hot skillet, saute the onion and diced jalapeno for 3-5 min, then add the corn and the tomatoes or charred, diced red bell pepper (or both), and sautee. Add salt, pepper, cumin and grate in the garlic. Sautee until veggies are tender, but still slightly crunchy, another 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the lime juice over the sauteed corn mixture.

Split the charred peppers open but not in half with small sharp knife, and scoop out the seeds. Place pepper in a shallow baking dish and stuff the pepper with the corn mix, top the pepper with the shredded cheese and place back under broiler to melt and char the cheese.

Serve pepper as dinner with a side of grilled lime chicken or shrimp. Enjoy!

1 dinner entree + 2 veggie serving (needs 2 servings of protein, since the entree is mostly carbs).

Healthy Cookies

For a christmas tea, I was looking for something that is not necessarily low-cal, but at least very healthy, and very tasty, of course. These cookies are flour-less, egg-less, butter-less and almost sugar-less, thus, vegan and low-glycemic, but they taste like out of this world.

3 large, ripe bananas, well mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil, barely warm - so it isn't solid
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup slivered almonds
1/3 cup coconut, finely shredded & unsweetened
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
6 - 7 ounces chocolate chips or dark chocolate bar chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees, racks in the top third.

In a food processor, ground the almonds to a fine, sand-like consistency. In a little sauce pan, melt the coconut oil to a liquid consistency (don't really heat, just melt). Add to the food processor. Also, peel the bananas, break into pieces and add to the food processor. Add vanilla, shredded coconut, cinnamon, and salt. First pulse, then mix the ingredients to a mousse-like consistency.

In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, and baking powder. Add the wet ingredients from the food processor and stir until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks/chips.The dough is a bit looser than a standard cookie dough, that's ok. Drop dollops of the dough, each about 1 tablespoon in size, an inch apart, onto a parchment (or silicon mat) lined baking sheet. Bake for 14 - 16 minutes. I baked them until I could see some light brown coloring on the oats.

makes about 60 cookies a 50 kcal.

Bucatini with Spicy Turkey Bolognese

Pasta:
2 oz bucatini, cooked al dente

Bolognese sauce:
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 oz ground turkey meat
1/2 ts anchovy paste
salt, pepper, rosemary
1 TB balsamic vinegar
1/2 cp chopped tomatoes
1/2 cp spicy ajvar (roasted red pepper spread) or Trader Joe's red pepper spread


Heat a large enough skillet with some olive oil spray, add the onion, garlic and the anchovy paste. The anchovy paste will dissolve. Once onions are slightly browned, add the ground turkey and brown. Then, add salt, pepper, and rosemary (dried or fresh) and the chopped tomatoes. Stir well, and sautee for 5 min. Add the balsamic vinegar and the ajvar, heat another 3 minutes. Serve with the bucatini.

1 dinner entree + 2 veggie servings

Chocolate Amaretto Cake

This is one of my favorite cakes in the real-world, and this is a single-serving, skinny version of it. It required a bit more effort, but is well worth it, a luxurious amaretto chocolate coffee cake.

2 Tbsp Heart Smart Bisquick
7 baby amaretti cookies (0.5 oz) , ground
1 TB unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp any whey
2 Tbsp Splenda
1/2 Tbsp slivered or sliced almonds
2 Tbsp FF milk
¼ Tbsp Parkey FF butter spread
¼ cup egg beaters
1/2 ts almond extract
1 ts fresh orange zest

Preheat toaster over to 400F.

This cake is best prepared in a small food processor. First, add the amaretti cookies and ground them to a fine powder, then add heartsmart bisquick, splenda and mix in the blender. Then work in the wet ingredients including the almond extract and the orange peel. Mix to a liquid like consistency (it's very liquidy, don't worry). Fill into a small sprayed spring form, and bake for 15-20 min.

Remove from oven, and cool for 5 min, and serve!

Makes 1 breakfast + 1 protein (215 kcal).

Peach Oatmeal Cookies

1 NS maple sugar oatmeal
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 c Fiber One bran (pulsed in food processor)
1 ts brown splenda
2 dried peach halves, diced
2 TB egg beaters
1 ts Parkay spreadable butter
1 TB (real) maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400 F. Mix all dry ingredients in small bowl, then add in wet ingredients and combine well. Scoop cookies on to sprayed baking sheet; it made six reasonably sized cookies for me. Bake cookies until lightly browned and slightly crispy (ca 12 min).

1 breakfast entree + 1 fruit



Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

1 NS maple sugar oatmeal
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 c Fiber One bran (pulsed in food processor)
1 ts brown splenda
1 TB dried cranberries
2 TB egg beaters
1 ts Parkay spreadable butter

Preheat oven to 400 F. Mix all dry ingredients in small bowl, then add in wet ingredients and combine well. Scoop cookies on to sprayed baking sheet; it made six reasonably sized cookies for me. Bake cookies until lightly browned and slightly crispy (ca 12 min).

1 breakfast entree + 1 fruit

Seafood Risotto

Love seafood. Love risotto. Here is the marriage of it.

2 oz arborio rice
1/2 white onion, finely diced or alternatively 1 shallot, finely diced
1 garlic clove, grate
1 ts clarified butter (or 1 ts olive oil and 1/2 ts butter)
1/8 cp white wine
1 cp fish bouillion (and some extra)
1/2 cp mixed seafood
1 TB grated parmesan cheese

In a large enough skillet, heat the clarified butter and sweat the onion, and once see-through add the grated garlic and the arborio rice. Toast the rice for 1-2 min in the hot butter, and thenadd the white wine. Once the white wine reduced, start adding laddle fulls of hot (!) fish bouillon. Add about 2-3 TB at a time, and wait until it is absorbed by the risotto, then add more. The process of stirring and adding bouillion takes about 20 min. At this point, add the fresh seafood and just heat in the risottoe for 1-2 min. Take off the stove, and add the freshly grated parmesan cheese, mix, and serve!

1 dinner + protein (300kcal)

Orecchiette with Cherry Tomatos and Tapende

One of my all-time favorites.

1.5 oz orecchiette
1 cp fire-roasted tomatoes
1/3 red onion, diced
1 ts olive oil
1 ts fresh thyme
1 TB lkalamata tapenade

Tapenade:
1 cp marinated, pitted kalamata olives
2 TB cured kalamata olives
2 TB capers
1/4 cp fruity olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1 TB dried oregano
fresh ground pepper
optionally: 1 ts anchovy paste

Mix all tapenade ingredients in a food processor.

Cook pasta in a pot of boiling water. In a saute pan, heat olive oil and saute onions slightly. After 3 min, add the diced fire roasted tomatoes and fresh thyme. Saute for 3 min. Add 1/2 cp of hot pasta water, and simmer the sauce. Once the orecchiette is al dente, add it to the pasta sause. Mix in the tapenade, and serve!

1 serving 250 kcal

Lobster Saffron Pasta

Some days, you just need to be spoiled....... this is a dish for it. Quick, flavorful, luxurious and even skinny.....

1 oz spaghetti
4 oz cooked lobster meat
2 TB light cream
1 TB cognac
a few strands of saffron
salt, pepper

Cook pasta according to instructions. Meanwhile, heat lobster in mixture of light cream and cognac and a bit of vegetable stock. Add saffron, mix, and just heat up. Take off heat. Once pasta is al dente, add pasta to pan with lobster sauce, mix and heat again. Serve !

1 dinner entree (250kcal)

Skinny Chili's Chicken Enchilada Soup

God, I love this soup! Chicken Enchilada soup at Chilis! I had to find out how to make a home-made skinny version, and this one comes very, very close to the original. Minus the calories.

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 chicken breast fillet
1/2 diced onion
1 garlic clove, grated
1 jalapeno, diced
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup masa harina
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup enchilada sauce
handful frozen veggies (corn, beans, etc.)
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
5 slices ff Kraft cheddar cheese, shredded
salt, to taste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
2 bay leaves

Garnish (optional)

shredded cheddar cheese
crumbled corn tortilla chips
marinated jalapeno peppers
pico de gallo or salsa

Add oil to a large pot over medium heat, and add (thawed or fresh chicken breast to pot and brown for 4-5 minutes per side. Set chicken aside. Add onions, jalapeno pepper and garlic to pot and sauté over medium heat for about 2 minutes, or until onions begin to become translucent, then add chicken broth.

Combine masa harina with water in a medium bowl and whisk until blended. Add masa mixture to pot with onions, garlic and broth. Add remaining water, enchilada sauce, cheese and spices to pot and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 min until thickened. Shred the chicken into small, bite-size pieces and add it to the pot.

Serve soup in cups, and garnish with shredded cheddar cheese, crumbled corn tortilla chips, and pico de gallo. Enjoy!

This makes 4 servings a 150 kcal.

the in-restaurant version.....

Simple Thai Shrimp

1 cp College Inn Thai Ginger Chicken Broth
1 cp frozen mixed veggies
1/2 jalapeno, diced
1 TB spicy thai chili sauce
2 TB light coconut milk
4 oz shrimp

Heat chicken stock, add veggies and spices and coconut milk. Heat and sautee for 5 min. Add shrimp and heat through for a few minutes. Serve with rice.

Asian Beef with Spicy Sauteed Cabbage

• a 4 oz thin cut beef steak, cut in thin strips
• 1 ts spicy olive oil
• 1 ts red pepper flakes
• 1 ts ginger-garlic, minced (from a jar)
• 1 TB teriyaki sauce
  
• 1/4 small napa cabbage chopped into 1 1/2-inch dice
• 3 scallions, sliced
  
• 1/4 seedless cucumber, peeled, cut into slices
  
• 1 TS Asian hot chili sauce or hot sauce, to your taste, mixed with beef broth
• salt, pepper
  

Heat a large skillet with spicy olive oil over high heat. Add steak strips and red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, teriyaki sauce and cook 4 minutes. Add the cabbage, cucumber, scallions and hot sauce mixed with 3 TB of beef broth to the pan and stir fry 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Savory Breakfast: Baked Cherry Tomatoes with Cheese and Button Mushrooms

A new breakfast idea discovered while on the road: baked halved cherry tomatoes with cheese (parmesan!) sprinkles, sauteed button mushroom and scrambled eggs.

Roasted Pumpkin with Blue Cheese Crumbles and Candied Pecans

Today, I had a wonderful lunch. The carved pumpkin had its night to shine and lure the tricker treaters, and this morning it returned to its original purpose. I cut some large slices, and baked them in the oven at 400F with salt, pepper and herbs des provence and some olive oil.

Once they were tender, I serve them with 1 tablespoon of crumbled blue cheese, 1 ts of candied pecans and 1/4 cup of farro, which I had simmered for 20 min in College Inn Thai Flavored Chicken stock (yum!). Very healthy, very seasonal and still within the NS guidelines.

Vegetarian Chilli

1 large onion, chopped
1 ts olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 cup of Morning Star breakfast starters or 1/2 package Gimme Lean (beef style)
2/3 large can whole cherry tomatoes (or stewed chopped fire-roasted tomatoes)
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
2 cloves of garlic, microplaned (grated)
2 tablespoons of chilli powder
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 ts smoked paprika
1 TB chilli flakes
salt, pepper to taste
1/2 cube of vegetarian stock cube (I prefer Rapunzel Vegetable Broth with Sea Salt), dissolved in 1 1/2 cps of hot water
1 ts sugar-free honey

Optional: add pink beans, garbanzo beans, and frozen corn.

Heat oil, and brown the onion. Add jalapeno pepper and veggie meat. Brown slightly. Add red bell pepper, cherry tomatoes, veggie broth and stir the chilli. Add garlic and spices. Simmer for 20 min.

Serve with ff sour cream and ff cheddar cheese.

Makes 6 lunch portions (125 kcal w/o sour cream and ff cheese).

Pumpkin Pancake and Pumpkin Vanilla Pudding Triffle

A decadent complete breakfast!

• 1 NS pancake mix
  
• 1/2 TB of any whey
  
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 TB brown Splenda
• 1/3 cp ff milk
  
• 1 ts cinnamon extract
• 1/4 ts pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 ts ground ginger

• 1 sf ff Jell-O vanilla pudding (in a cup or instant mix -- if mix, add 1/2 ff milk and whisk)
• 1 TB any whey
  
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 ts brown splenda

• 1 TB ff sour cream
• 1 TB ff redi whip
  
• 1 ts sugar-free honey

• Optional: 1/2 TB candied chopped pecans (dinner fat)
  

Mix the pancake ingredients, and bake in a small sprayed ramekin at 375F for 15-20 min in a toaster oven. For a much moister consistency of the cake layer, pour the dough into a small , microwave-safe silicon pan, and microwave for 2min. Remove from ramekin, and let cool. Cut pancake 'cake' into cubes.

In a small bowl whisk together the pudding mix, cold ff milk, any whey, pumpkin puree, splenda and spices. Whisk for 2 minutes until the pudding thickens, set aside.

In a small bowl combined sour cream, redi-whip and honey. Mix until well blended.

In a trifle dish, layer half of the pumpkin pancake cubes, then half of the pudding, then remaining pancake cubes and remaining pudding so that you have 2 layers of each. Top with a dollop of the sour cream mixture and sprinkle with candied pecans.

Complete breakfast with fruit and protein.

Note: for the NS purists, this is actually only a half fruit serving (1 cp pumpkin is a fruit), but since the pudding adds calories, and the ratio 1 serving vanilla pudding and 1/2 cp pumpkin tastes better, I count it as a complete breakfast, at least calorie-wise.

Semi-Homemade Swedish Rye Bread

I picked up a package of the swedish rye bread mix at IKEA. Wholegrain rye bread is one of my favorite breads, and here was a chance to make it at home. It's simple, just add warm water, shake vigorously, let rise and bake for 60 min. Instead of one big loaf, I made 3 small ones, which make perfect little slices. The taste is wonderful!



The rye bread mix can also be purchased online at Marina market (similar price to IKEA).

Moroccan Wholewheat Pasta with Fire-roasted Tomatoes

I felt like Moroccan flavors tonight, but the chicken was frozen and I was too hungry to thaw it. So, here is a wonderfully tasty vegetarian version.

1/4 TB olive oil
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, grated
1/8 cp white wine like chardonnay or pinot grigio
4 dried apricots, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, small dice
1 cp chopped fire-roasted tomatoes
1 TB roasted red pepper spread (I used a roasted red pepper and eggplant spread from Trader Joes, but other avjars also work -- it adds great flavor and sweetness)
5 kalamata olives, sliced
1/2 ts chicken bouillon concentrate
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch ground cinnamon
1 cp chicken broth (I used sodium-reduced, fatfree swanson)
1 fresh bay leaf
1/2 ts splenda brown sugar
1 oz wholewheat spaghetti


Sautee onion and garlic in the olive oil in a medium sized skillet. Sautee until garlic is fragrant and onions are slightly browned. Add pepper, sautee for 2 more mins. Add white wine, bay leaf, apricots, and spices. Stir, then break up the spaghetti and add to the sauce. Sautee at low heat until spaghetti are soft and liquid is reduced.

Very flavorful, light and tasty!

This is a bit light on protein for dinner. You can add some cubed tofu to stay vegetarian, or add it as a side to a protein like grilled chicken.

Pumpkin Pie

It's dark and rainy outside, time for pumpkin pie.....

I wanted a pie with a crust, so I tried the crust that I use for cheese cake. I think a graham crust might also work well for the pumpkin pie purists, and there are cute little single serving pie crusts at Walmart that can just be filled with the filling.

Crust layer:
1/4 cup Krusteaz pancake mix
1/4 cp butter milk
1 Tbsp egg beaters
¼ ts vanilla
¼ ts baking soda

Pumpkin filling:
2/3 cup solid packed pumpkin
2 TB evaporated skim milk
2 TB eggbeaters
1 1/2 TB brown splenda
1/4 ts cinnamon extract (liquid!)
1/4 ts vanilla extract
1/8 ts ground ginger
1/8 ts pumpkin pie spice
1 TB Krusteaz mix

Heat oven to 400F degrees. Lightly grease or spray single-serve spring form.

Make the crust batter and the filling in separate bowls. Mix batter ingredients, and fill batter in a small, sprayed spring form, and bake at 400F for 5 min.

For the pumpkin filling, mix (potentially in food processor) pumpkin and other ingredients until it is a really smooth, creamy texture. Fill on top of pre-baked cake layer. Bake for another 20 at 400F, and another 25 min at 350F. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

1 breakfast entree + 1 fruit (240 kcal)

Butternut Squash Soup

1/2 2 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 large carrot, peeled, and cubed
1/2 white onion, diced
2 cps of low-sodium chicken (or vegetable) stock
salt, pepper to taste
1/2 ts orange peel (dried)
1 ts curry powder
1/2 ts olive oil

Sautee onion in olive oil. Add butternut squash, carrot, and chicken stock. Bring to boil, and then simmer at very low for 20 min or until tender. Take off stove, and blend the soup in either a blender (caution! Place towel on top and leave knob out) or mush up otherwise. Add salt, pepper, orange peel and curry powder. Stir, and serve with sour cream or a ts of goat cheese. Enjoy!

Makes 2 portions a 140 kcal; one is 1 lunch entree.

Beet Apple Cider

2 beet root, raw, peeled and sliced into thick slices
5 tart apples

Add all ingredients to a juicer, juice, and filter out foam from apples. Makes 2 large glasses. Drink immediately, or chill and serve over the next few days.

Fresh Fettucini with Lemon Zest, Basil, and Feta

3 oz fresh fettucini
zest of 1/3 lemon
1.5 TB crumbled ff feta
10 small basil leaves, torn
1 ts fresh grated parmesan cheese
1 ts olive oil
1 ts pine nuts
salt, pepper

Cook (fresh) pasta for 2-3 min in hot salted water (dry pasta cook according to instructions). Meanwhile, toast pine nuts in a skillet. Set pine nuts aside. Drain pasta, and reserve some of the starchy pasta water in the pot. Add the olive oil, the lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper and toss. Add feta cheese, parmesan cheese, basil leaves and toss again. Serve with toasted pine nuts on top!

lunch entree or half of dinner entree (add shrimp or chicken)
150 kcal

Tomato Marinara with an English Twist

Today, I was trying out onion chutney. It is really sweet, and tastes like caramelized, sweet onions. A great twist on a marinara pasta sauce.

1 can chopped, stewed plain tomatoes
1 ts dried rosemary
1 ts fresh crushed pepper
1-2 garlic cloves, grated
1 ts creme fraiche
1 spring fresh rosemary, chopped
few fresh basil leaves, chopped
splash of balsamic vinegar
1 TB onion chutney (the English twist)

Heat the tomates in a pan. Add all the ingredients one after another, stir and heat for 5 min. Serve with fresh pasta.

Rhubarb Crumble

It is not really the season for rhubarb, but I planted rhubarb this summer, and now cleared out the plants for the fall. In season, this is really good with fresh strawberries.

3 stalk of fresh rhubarb
(optionally) 1/3 cup sliced strawberries
2 Tbsp Heart Smart Bisquick
1 Tbsp any whey
1 Tbsp Splenda
1 Tbsp brown splenda
2 Tbsp FF milk
¼ Tbsp Promise FF butter spread
¼ cup egg beaters
1/4 bag of Quaker sugar-controlled peaches & cream oatmeal

Streusel Topping:
2 Tbsp Heart Smart Bisquick
1 Tbsp Splenda
½ Tbsp Promise FF butter spread
1/4 bag of Quaker sugar-controlled peaches & cream oatmeal

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray baking form. Cut up rhubarb (optionally: add strawberries) and place on bottom of spring form. Stir together Bisquick, any whey, and Splendas. Add milk, butter spread, and egg beaters to dry mix and stir until smooth. Pour over rhubarb. Sprinkle with peaches & cream oatmeal. Mix together streusel topping with a fork until crumbly. Top pie with streusel and bake 25 min, or until golden and ”set".

1/2 recipe counts as a breakfast entree, and fruit at approx 150 cal, 1 g fat, and 7 g protein.

Peach Tart

1 fresh peach (sliced)
1.5 Tbsp Heart Smart Bisquick
1.5 Tbsp any whey
1 Tbsp Splenda brown sugar
1 Tbsp FF milk
¼ Tbsp Parkay spreadable butter
1/4 cp egg beaters

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray tart form. Place peach slices in a star pattern in tart pan. Stir together Bisquick, any whey, and Splenda brown sugar. Add milk, butter spread, and egg beaters to dry mix and beat until smooth. Pour over peach. Bake 20 min in preheated toaster oven, or until golden and ”set".

1 breakfast entree + 1 fruit + 1 protein
182 kcal

Cherry Danish with Vanilla Pudding

I tried something new for a cream cheese danish. I used a little container of the Jell-o sf/ff vanilla pudding instead of cream cheese, and sf cherry pie filling. Since the pudding is too low on protein to count for protein, I added 1 Tbsp any whey powder (half to the pancake mix, and have to the cream mix). It's quick to make and it tastes great! Hope, you enjoy it!

1 package NS Pancake (preserve 1 TB mix)
1 Tbsp Splenda
1/2 TB Any whey (1/2 protein)
1/3 cp soy slender vanilla
1/4 ts baking powder

1/2 cp sf fat-free vanilla pudding Jello cup (30 kcal)
1 Tbs. egg substitute (free food)
1/2 TB any whey (1/2 protein)
2 TB sugar-free cherry pie filling (15 kcal)


Mix pancake mix with 1/3 cup soy slender. Add 1 TB splenda, 1/4 ts baking powder, and 1/2 TB any whey. Spray a small baking dish with butter spray. Pour or mixture into baking dish.

Mix pudding with 1 TB pancake mix, 1 TB egg substitute and 1/2 TS any whey in a small bowl
until really smooth. Distribute pudding mixture onto top of pancake mixture in the middle
of the bowl. Add cherries op top. Bake in a 400-degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until pancake mixture is set.

Counts as breakfast
entrée + 1 protein serving + 1/3 fruit serving + free foods

Tequila Lime Jalapeno Shrimp

5 oz fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 ts garlic olive oil
1/2 ts red pepper flakes
1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced
small garlic clove, minced
juice of 1 lime
1 TB tequila
salt, pepper
1 ts brown splenda

Heat oil, and sauteed jalapeno, red pepper flakes, and garlic for 1 min. Add lime juice, tequila and brown splenda, and stir to mix. Add fresh shrimp and sauteed 1-2 min on each side. Remove from heat as soon as they turn pink on both sides. Serve!

Adobo Haddock with Black Eyed Pea Salsa

This is a great summer dish -- fresh haddock, spiced with Adobo seasoning and black eyed pea salsa with cherry tomatoes.

Black Eyed Pea Salsa:
a few cherry tomatoes, halved
1 scallion, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
1/3 cup black eyed peas, from a can or cooked, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 jalapeno, finely chopped (seeded and ribbed for less heat)
1/2 lime, juice
Salt

Adobo Haddock:
5 oz fresh haddock
Adobo seasoning,
salt, pepper

Mix all the salsa ingredients, and let sit for 10 min.

Heat a PAM-sprayed grill pan, heat really high, and sharply sauteed the seasoned haddock for 3 min each side. Serve with the salsa. Enjoy!

Grilled Halibut with Fresh Mango in Caribbean Sauce

This was truly wonderful: fresh halibut from the Farmer's Market grilled with fresh mango slices and sweet and sour Caribbean mango grill sauce.

6 oz halibut
1/2 mango, peeled and sliced
PAM spray
salt, pepper, juice of half lemon
2 TB spicy Caribbean mango marinade (w. ginger and chili)

Heat a grill pan on really high heat, spray with pam, and grill the halibut from both sides, 3 min each. During the second 3 min, add the mango slices and the caribbean mango sauce, and sautee the mango slightly. Serve immediately.

Stats: 6oz halibut raw, 187kcal, 1/2 medium sized mango: 70kcal

Blueberry German Cheese Cake

This is a cheese cake based on typical German cheese cakes, which are made with Quark (instead of ricotta or cream cheese). So, the cheese cake has a 'fluffier' texture than American cheese cakes and is lighter, both in taste and calories.

Quark is a soft cheese, with a texture of sour cream or Greek yoghurt, a very mild taste and very low calories and high in protein. It gives this recipe a distinct taste. I make my own quark from buttermilk and organic milk, but it is also available in stores like Whole Foods Market.

Cake base layer:
1/4 cup Krusteaz pancake mix
1/4 cp ff milk
1 Tbsp egg beaters
¼ ts vanilla
¼ ts baking powder

Cheese filling:
4 TB lf quark (I make my own, but you can get some at Whole Foods Market)
1/2 ts vanilla
1 TB eggbeaters
1 TB splenda
1/2 TB Krusteaz pancake mix
zest of 1/2 lemon (microplaned)

Blueberry filling:
1/2 cp fresh wild blueberries
2 TB white rum (Bacardi)
1 ts sugar

Make the batter and the fillings in 3 separate bowls.

For base cake batter, just mix all the ingredients. Fill batter in a small, sprayed springform pan, and bake at 400F for 5 min.

For the cheese filling layer, mix quark and other ingredients until it is a really smooth, creamy texture.

For the blueberries, heat the rum and sugar in a small stainless steel pot on the stove, and mix until sugar is dissolved (1-2 min). Heat slowly (careful so that the rum does not ignite! Of course, if you want to burn off the alcohol, you can flambee the blueberries.). Add the blueberries, and heat mixture on medium-high for 1-2 min, turn off heat (if electric), and let simmer on still hot plate.

Now, spoon blueberry mix over the solid surface of the cake base, still in the springform pan. Carefully spoon cheese filling on top of blueberries. Bake for another 20-25 min at 400F. Let cool to room temperature before serving.

This a entire breakfast or 2 desserts. (250kcal for breakfast)

Salad Nicoise

This is one of my favorite salads, but a lighter summer lunch version.

Handful yellow beans, from the farmers market
roughly a cup cherry tomatoes, yellow and red, halved
5 inch cucumber, diced
1/2 white or red onion, finely diced
1 TB capers
a few green olives, sliced
2 springs of fresh rosemary, chopped
salt, pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tb cabernet sauvignon vinegar
1 sm can bumblebee albacore tuna

Mix all in a bowl, and serve at room temperature. Enjoy!

Blueberry Cake with Maple Syrup

1/2 cp wild fresh blueberries
1 NS maple brown sugar oatmeal
1 TB egg beaters
1/2 ts baking powder
1 ts brown splenda
4 TB sugar free applesauce
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

Mix all ingredients, pour into a butter-PAM sprayed springform pan, and bake at 425 degrees for 20 min. Let cool, and serve with fresh blueberries.

Counts as 1 breakfast entree, 1/2 protein, 1 fruit.

Note: recipe was posted by a NS member Leenies(Helene). Kudos!

Walnut Kalamata Foccaccia

2 TB whole-grain Instabake mix
1 TB wheat bran (made from Fiber one wheat bran)
1/4 ts baking powder
1 TB chopped, toasted walnuts
4-5 kalamata olives, sliced
2 TB ff milk

Mix all ingredients, and pour into a spray small metal baking pan, and bake at 400F for 20min.

Taste test: Yummy!!! --- Pict with goat cheese from the farmer's market.

Mini Foccaccia

2 TB whole-grain Instabake mix
1 TB wheat bran (made from Fiber one wheat bran)
1/4 ts baking powder
1 ts herbs de provence
1/2 ts garlic power (not garlic salt!)
2 TB ff buttermilk

Mix all ingredients, and pour into a spray small metal baking pan. Spray top with olive oil spray, and add a dash more herbs de provence. Bake at 400F for 20-25min.


Multiseed Bun



This is a different version of the mini foccaccia. This one used the Trader Joe's whole-grain baking and pancake mix. It is a bit higher in fat content, so I use less of the baking mix and add any whey. It came out really crunchy and a bit sweet.

1.5 TB Trader Joe's whole grain baking mix
1 TB wheat bran (made from ground Fiber One bran cereal)
1/2 TB any whey
1/4 ts baking powder
1.5 TB ff milk
1/4 ts of white sesame seeds, black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and cumin seeds.


Mix all ingredients beside seeds in a small bowl. PAM-spray a small metal baking pan, fill with dough, and sprinkle with the seeds. Bake at 400F for 20 min.

Snickers Chocolate Cake

1 pkg chocolate chip or regular pancake mix
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp valhrona dark cocoa powder
1.5 TB splenda
1/3 c chocolate soy slender milk or chocolate calorie countdown milk
1 tbsp PB2 (peanut butter powder)
1/2-1 tbsp water (or just enough to make it the consistancy of peanut butter)

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees. Spray a small spring form with cooking spray. In a bowl mix together the dry ingredients (besides peanut butter powder), then add the chocolate milk. In a small bowl mix together the PB2 and the water until well combined. Pour the chocolate batter into the spring form. Drop the PB2 mixture on top and gently push it into the chocolate batter. Bake for about 20 minutes or until done. Spray with butter spray or sf/ff chocolate syrup if desired.

Serves 1 as your breakfast entree or dessert.

another great recipe by CG!

Maine Blueberries

Instead of new recipes, an impression of a blueberry field in Maine...

Penne Puttanesca (using NS Cacciatore Chicken)

1 NS Cacciatore Chicken and Pasta
1/2 ts olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 small onion, diced
1/2 ts red pepper flakes
1 anchovy (optional)
1 spring fresh thyme
1/2 spring fresh rosemary
a few leaves basil
1 TB capers
splash of white wine.


This is a great idea to make (spicy!) penne puttanesca out of NS cacciatore chicken. Cacciatore is great, but sometimes a spicy version is just the right thing.

Sautee garlic, onion and red pepper flakes in hot olive oil (optional: anchovy). Add NS cacciatore, a half cup of water measured in the original NS cup, a splash of white wine, stir and heat up. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Herbs are chopped before added. Serve with fresh grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

CG's Lemon Blueberry Scone

1/3 c Insta bake (or baking mix of choice)
1 tbsp Any Whey protein powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp Splenda
2 tbsp dried blueberries or fresh wild blueberries
zest and juice of half a lemon
2 tbsp ff ricotta cheese
1 tbsp ff half and half

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400 degrees. Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet ones in another, then add together. It will be a very dry, crumbly mix. Put on a small baking sheet (toaster oven!), and spray it well. Bake it for about 20 minutes or so (until done) and spray with butter spray if desired.

This counts as your entree+fruit serving and is 217 cals and 10g protein.

recipe by Christina Gray.

Garden Fresh Salad with Vinaigrette

This is the tastiest, non-bottle, no-fat vinaigrette ever! It bursts with flavors!

Vinaigrette:
1 TB dijon mustard
1/2 lemon, juice and zest
1 garlic clove, microplaned
1 TB red wine vinegar (cabernet vinegar)
salt, pepper
a few splashes of liquid sweetener

Salad:
salad, fresh from the garden or farmers market

Whisk up all vinaigrette ingredients on the bottom of the salad bowl. Then, mix in the salad, and toss with vinaigrette.

Asian Veggie Burger with Garlic Herb Bun (using NS pancake mix)

1 NS pancake mix
1 TB Fiber One wheat bran (ground, in food processor)
1 TB herbs de provence
1 ts granulated garlic
2-3 TB buttermilk

1 Morning star asian veggie burger
1 TB ff mayo
1 ts spicy Thai chilli sauce
a few leaves of lettuce

Bun: mix all the ingredients and bake in 2 metal pans in toaster oven for 22 min at 400F. Use one bun for the burger.

Burger: Slice burger and toast. Add the mayo and hot sauce on the bottom part of the bun, and mix. Add lettuce and the grilled asian burger.

1 lunch entree + protein

Curried Chicken Salad with Apple

4 oz chicken breast (baked or steamed), diced
1/2 granny smith apple, peeled and diced
1/2 white onion, diced
1 TB ff mayo
1/2 TB ff sour cream
2 ts curry powder
1/2 ts splenda brown sugar
1/2 lime, juiced
salt, pepper

Mix all the ingredients, and chill for a few hours. Serve with tortilla or salad.

My Ratatouille

1/2 TB extra-virgin olive oil
2 anchovy fillets, finely minced
salt, freshly ground black pepper
1/2 onion, diced
1/2 yellow squash, medium dice
1/2 zucchini, medium dice
1/2 yellow, orange or red bell pepper, diced
a few cherry tomatoes

other veggies: eggplant, green beans

1 tablespoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
fresh rosemary, fresh basil
a splash of white wine
1 large garlic clove, grated
1 TB freshly grated Parmesan

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat, and add the anchovy fillets. They should dissolve in the oil and just flavor it. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add yellow squash, zucchini, and soften slightly. Add bell pepper. Add basil, thyme and rosemary. Besides a splash of white wine, do not add any other liquid. Add halved cherry tomatoes. Close tightly with a lid, and let steam in its own juices for ca. 10 min. Turn off the heat completely, and add grated fresh garlic.

Serving with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Korean Spicy Miso Tofu Soup

3 cups of water
1 ts ground seafood soup mix*
1 TB of Korean miso (jung)
2 scallions, chopped
2 ts red pepper flakes or red pepper paste
2 oz firm tofu

add (optionally):
1 TB edamame
1 carrot, diced
1/2 cup string beans

Boil water with dried mix. After boiling, add vegetables and simmer until tender. Take 1/4 cup of broth and mix with the miso, until miso is dissolved. Add miso broth back to soup, and mix. Add diced tofu. Serve.

Makes 2-3 cups of soup.

* Dried seafood soup mix:
1/3 cup dried anchovies,
1/3 cup dried mushroom
1/4 cup dried seaweed
1/8 cup dried shrimp

all mixed and ground into pulverized form.