Outfit! Recipe!

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I couldn't think of a witty title, so I figured adding exclamation points to the basics might just do it for you.

Top & Cami - Old Navy.  Skirt - random find at TJ Maxx.
Belt - Anne Taylor Loft.  Shoes - Madden Girl.
Bracelet Set - Lane Bryant.  Necklace - Paisley Acoustic
Guitar from Forever 21.  

I wore this...

And I ate this.  Well, I ate this last week - but it was so good, I felt that I needed to share it.  This meal, while  healthy, was not light.  It was about 500 calories.   My suggestion?  That wrap was huge.  Share it.  

But, not today.  :)

Lawash  Sundried Tomato Flatbread

1oz Spartan  Neufchatel  Cheese

4oz Nova Lox Smoked Salmon 

Fresh Basil Leaves

1 Roma Tomato sprinkled with garlic powder, salt, and pepper

1 cup Spinach

2 cups Red Leaf Romaine

.5 cups Sliced Mushrooms

5 Sliced Strawberries

1/2 Small mango - about 1/4 cup

1/4 cup Green Pepper
1 tbs Pompeian Balsamic Vinegar

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Light Eggplant Parmesan

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I was in the mood for eggplant parmesan from one of my favorite restaurants in downtown Kalamazoo, Mangia Mangia.  SO, I took it upon myself to scour this here interweb for a light version to try out.  There were quite a few people ranting and raving about Moosewood's Eggplant Parmesan and tomato wine sauce, so I tried it out with a few minor alterations.

Um...  Awesome.

Even two servings of it is still a reasonable dinner!  It was great the first time, and even better the second time.  So here it is.  I seriously encourage you to try it.  Whether you're trying to watch your calories or not, it is absolutely delicious.

Serves 8.




Tomato Wine Sauce
2tsp olive oil
1 finely chopped onion
3 garlic cloves
2 tsp ground fennel (couldn't find any, so I substituted a cup of chopped, fresh fennel)
1tsp dried oregano
1tsp dried basil
1/2 cup red wine (I used a burgundy per the advice of a darling elderly lady in my local super market)
1 can Hunt's whole canned tomatoes (3.5 cups)
pepper to taste


Warm olive oil, onion, and garlic and saute on low heat for 5-7 minutes.  Add fennel, oregano and basil for 1 minute.  Pour in wine & bring to boil.  Blend tomatoes to desired consistency (I like it chunky) and add, simmering for about 20 minutes.



Eggplant Parmesan
1lb eggplant cut crosswise into 1/3" slices
4 egg whites
2 servings (60 chips) Special K Sea Salt Cracker Chips (instead of bread crumbs)
3tbs grated Parmesan cheese
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2tsp dried basil
1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
8oz reduced fat part skim mozzarella cheese
tomato wine sauce

Preheat oven to 375.


Slice eggplant and set aside.  Find a bowl in which the eggplant rounds can lie flat and lightly beat hte egg whites.  Crush Special K chips into bread crumb consistency.  In a large bowl, combine the crumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and basil.

Dip the eggplant slices on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Should you have any leftover bread crumb mixture, set it aside.  Bake eggplant for about 15-20 minutes on each side until tender and easily pierced with a fork.

Spread about half the sauce in the bottom of an 8x12" glass baking dish.  Layer about half the eggplant slices on top of the sauce.  Spread all the ricotta cheese evenly on the eggplant and top with about 1 1/2 cups mozzarella.  Use the rest of the eggplant slices for a second layer.  Cover the with remaing sauce and any extra bread crumb mixture.  Sprinkle the top with the final 1/2 cup mozzarella and bake, uncovered for 25-30 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

And, don't forget to drink the rest of the red.

Nutritional Info:
Calories:  230
Carbs:  19
Fat:  8
Protein:  18
Sodium:  542
Fiber:  6

Weight Watchers Points Plus Values:  5pts (free fruits and/or vegetables not included)

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Toasted Sesame Spaghetti Squash

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I was quite pleased with myself that, after being thrilled to hear that I'd hit a momentous benchmark, I made a very healthy dinner for my roommate and I!  We often take turns experimenting with healthy new recipes, and she recently bought Trader Joe's toasted sesame oil.  So, I felt it necessary to try it!  I looked up some Asian recipes online that included toasted sesame oil, and below is my pleasantly delicious concoction.  Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
1tbs Trader Joes Toasted Sesame Oil
1tbs sunflower seeds
1/2tsp ginger
1/2tsp garlic powder
1tbs white wine vinegar
1tsp franks hot sauce
2tbs chopped green onions
3tbs low sodium soy sauce
1/2cup edamame
10 spears asparagus
4oz mushrooms (chopped, sliced, however you like)
2 medium 6-7" carrots
1/3cup peanuts
1 3lb spaghetti squash
1/4 cup bean sprouts

Combine toasted sesame oil, sunflower seeds, 1/4tsp ginger, 1/4tsp garlic powder, white wine vinegar, hot sauce, green onions, 2tbs soy sauce, and edamame in bowl.  Stir, and let sit.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (176C). Chop spaghetti squash in half.  Remove seeds and place open side down on baking sheet.  Cook for one 1hr 15mins or until fully cooked through.  In my experience, it's better a little overdone so that it's not too moist and runny.

Saute asparagus, mushrooms, peanuts and carrots with 1tbs soy sauce, 1/4tsp ginger and 1/4 tsp garlic powder until asparagus is tender.  I left the carrots a bit crunchy because I wanted the texture.

In large bowl or pan, mix together the sesame oil mixture, spaghetti squash, and vegetables.  Divide into 3 servings, add about 1/4cup bean sprouts on top.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 292
Carbs:  19
Fat:  17
Protein:  13
Sodium:  515
Fiber:  10
Weight Watchers Points Plus (minus free vegetables):  5

Bangers & Mash

When I lived in England, one of my favorite comfort foods was bangers & mash, proper old-school-pub-style.  A giant mound of mashed potatoes and a big ol' sausage with gravy on top...  Yeah.  That pretty much screams winter, cozy, comfort food. It also screams 3.9 bajillion calories.

I decided to see if I could satisfy the craving without the guilt for under 350 calories.  As far as I'm concerned, it was a TOTAL SUCCESS.  It's still a little heavy on carbs and sodium, but it's a pretty great alternative!

The trick?  Smoked turkey sausage, parsnips, and cauliflower.


Serves 4.


1 Hillshire Farms Turkey Smoked Sausage
1lb parsnips
1/2 a large head of cauliflower
1 packet brown gravy mix (I used Spartan)
4oz of mushroom
1 medium whole yellow onion
1/2 tsp rosemary
2 tbs light salted butter
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp powdered garlic
1tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce



Prepare your gravy mix as directed on package.  Peel & chop parsnips, and chop cauliflower with a fair bit of the stalk cut off.  Chop sausage into 4 even sections. Slice mushrooms and onion.

Pour your prepared gravy mix into a sauce pan, then add garlic powder, rosemary, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, mushrooms, and onions.  Let cook on medium low heat while everything else is cooking.

Put your parsnips in a large pan to boil for about 10-15 minutes, until tender but not fully cooked, then add the cauliflower and boil for about 10 more minutes or until tender, but not mushy.

Put sausage in the oven after you add the cauliflower, and broil on each side for about 5-7 minutes, or until each side is a bit crispy and it is cooked through.

Drain your parsnips & cauliflower.  Combine butter, salt, cauliflower and parsnips in a mixing bowl and mash to desired consistency.

Now, for the fun part...  Place approximately 1 cup of parsnip/cauliflower "potatoes" on each plate, dole out a portion of sausage, pour your mushroom onion gravy on top, and voila.  Enjoy.

Nutritional info (per serving):
Calories - 330
Carbs - 41
Fat - 12
Protein - 18
Sodium - 1650
Fiber - 10


Weight Watchers Points Plus:  7pts (calculated without "free" vegetables)


Please forgive me if my timing isn't 100% accurate.  I have to admit, I pretty much wing it, but I will start keeping track of how long I cook things!  If you're watching your sodium intake, this may not be for you.  If you try it, let me know how it worked for you or if you have any ideas or alternatives the rest of us might enjoy!

Good eats, and only 220 calories.

Eating healthy has helped me get a lot more creative with food.  Flavors, textures, new ingredients  - great flavor doesn't have to be bad for you!  Experimentation is exciting and, so far, pretty rewarding.  Here's my latest concoction.

Without the appetizer, the entire meal is only 220 calories.  If you feel like gettin' crazy and adding the appetizer, the entire deal is still only 399 calories!  Serves four, by the way.

Le Bonne Vie tomato basil goat
cheese & "Everything" Pretzel Crisps .

Appetizer:

1oz Le Bonne Vie tomato & basil goat cheese (1/4 of a small log)

11 Everything Pretzel Crisps

Dinner Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash

1 can Red Gold petite diced tomatoes

5 cloves garlic 

1/2 a medium sized onion (about 3" diameter)

1 green pepper

1 tomato

2 Bruce Aidells artichoke & garlic sausages

1 small box (about 8oz) of mushrooms

2 tsp herbs de province

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp oregano

healthy sprinkling of pepper & dash of sea salt (to your liking)

Preparation:

Chop up your veggies.  I left mine in big chunks this time.  I love it when garlic isn't finely chopped!  You don't have to use a fresh tomato, but I really like big pieces of fresh vegetables mixed in.

Cut the squash in half, take out the seeds, and lay it flat (skin side up) on a plate. Not a bad idea to throw a bit of water into it before you flip it over and lay it down - makes it moist.  

Cut the sausages into about 1cm thick slices and cook for a couple of minutes on each side with the chopped onion in a large sauce pan.  

Now, get the squash cookin'!  Microwave it for 12 minutes.  If you can run a fork through it like a comb, scoop it out into a bowl and have a bite to see if you're happy with the texture.  I'd prefer mine to be a hair crunchy rather than mushy.  If it's mushy, it loses it's awesome spaghetti-ness.  

Stir your canned tomato, real tomato, mushrooms, garlic, green pepper, and spices into the sauce pan and cook until veggies are partly done.  Take the lid off for the rest of the time and let simmer so that some of the water evaporates the sauce gets thicker.  I'm sure there are technical terms for these things, I just know that it tastes better when it's less liquidy!

Serve it up, and enjoy!

Nutrition info:

Calories - 220

Carbs - 26

Fat - 8

Protein - 14

Fiber - 7

Sodium - 680, not including sea salt

Click here for cheese nutrition info, and here for pretzels.


Nov. 11, 2011 - NOTE!  Spaghetti squash definitely turns out better if you bake it.  Cut it in half and put it skin-side-up on a baking pan and into the oven.  It's fine in the microwave, but if you've got the time, bake it for an hour or so at 350.  You can even do it in advance & leave it in the skin, then scrape out & warm when you're ready to eat it!  The texture's better.  

No-Guilt Yum-Yum for Your Tum-Tum

This morning, while deliriously flailing my arms about trying to kill my clock that had just startlingly interrupted a comatose sleep, there was a “BANG-BANG-BANG!!!” on my door.  Then, I heard my roommate’s cheeky four-year-old voice saying, “Hey Saywuhhhhh, wanna go for a walk and get Starrrrbuuuucks?”  I didn’t know what the heck was going on, but some conscious part of me knew that it sounded like a great idea. 

So, today's been a great day thus far; a walk in the rain, Starbucks, and then lunch, all for less than 380 total calories. 

What’d I get at Starbucks? 
Venti Iced Americano with Splenda and 3-4 tablespoons of skim milk.  Total:  45 calories.

Don't fear me!

What’d I eat for lunch? 
Avocado Tuna Salad sandwich and a cup of watermelon.  Total:  333 calories.

Avocado Tuna Salad Ingredients (serves 2):  

1 whole avocado, delightfully squished with a potato masher
2 tablespoons of Kraft Light Miracle Whip (tastes equally good with Light Mayo)
1 can of tuna in water
2 Earthgrains 100% Multi-Grain Thin Bun
10 cucumber slices

Can I make a lunch for fewer calories?  
Yes.  But, I know that I need to incorporate things like avocados that are full of healthy fats, essential vitamins and even more potassium than bananas.  I'm trying to be healthy, not just lose weight.  I love it because it’s a filling, wholesome, balanced lunch.   And it’s just plain yummy.  

Now, it’s workout time.  Hope you’re having a good day, too.