FitSugar

Healthy Lunch Idea: Chickpea, Tomato, and Feta Salad

FitSugar — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 12:00:00 PST

Last week you guys all gave some great ideas for healthy, easy lunches and since we're still on the topic (well I am, at least) I wanted to share a recipe for Chickpea, Tomato, and Feta Salad that user wren posted in the Healthy Recipes Group. Not only is this recipe healthy, but it's also super easy because it requires no cooking.

For the recipe just

This refreshing recipe is so simple to make and fills me up. I love to have it for lunch.
From Martha Stewart's Everyday Food.

1/4 cup canned chickpeas
1/2 cup quartered cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. salt
ground pepper

Rinse and drain chickpeas.
In a bowl, combine chickpeas with tomatoes, feta, lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, salt, and a pinch of pepper.

Serves 1

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Lite'n It Up Feature: Sautéed Talapia With Lemon-Herb Glaze

FitSugar — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 03:30:00 PST

I am always looking for new and healthy ways to cook fish. This is why I was thrilled to find user tshellyedwards's recipe for Sautéed Talapia with Lemon-Herb Glaze posted in the Lite'n It Up Recipe Group. It looks so yummy and would make a nice departure from all the traditional holiday meals we're all eating so much of these days.

To get the full recipe along with some great step-by-step photos of how to cook it,

Sautéed Talapia with Lemon-Herb Glaze from tshellyedwards

Sautéed Tilapia with Lemon-Herb Glaze
Serves 4
Recipe from: http://www.midwesthomemag.com

This healthy, flavorful, fast treatment makes just about any fish glorious, especially a mild-mannered one like tilapia. Serve with brown rice or whole-wheat pasta and a colorful salad or green vegetable. (And yes, you can eat the lemon slices-they’re not just a pretty garnish.)
*Note: I served the tilapia with zuccini squash and a hearty, 100% whole grain bread loaf.

Ingredients:
1 large lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tilapia fillets, about 1½ pounds
2 large garlic cloves, minced
½ cup reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 tablespoons sliced Kalamata or other flavorful olives
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves, or 2 teaspoons dried

Directions:
Cut lemon in half. Squeeze juice from one half and reserve. Thinly slice remaining half.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 fillets and cook, turning carefully, until browned on both sides and barely opaque in center, about 3 minutes. (*Note: I could fit fillets in my skillet at the same time)

Transfer to a warm plate and repeat with remaining fillets.

Return skillet to heat and add garlic. Cook, stirring, just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in lemon juice and slices, broth, olives, and oregano and cook until lemon slices are soft and sauce has thickened to a glaze, 3 to 5 minutes.

Return all the fillets to pan to coat with glaze and warm through. Serve immediately, topped with lemon slices.

And ta-da! You're done *Note: Don't mind my plastic plate - it was just the first thing I grabbed to put the dinner on!!

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Do you have your own healthy recipes? Be sure to share them in the Lite'n It Up Healthy Recipe Group.

Lite'n It up Feature: Healthier Pizza Bagels

FitSugar — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:15:00 PST

Due to the frozen pizza recall last week, we've been forced to get our pizza fixes other ways. Being that most frozen pizzas are not healthy, the silver lining was that this was a good opportunity for all of us to rid our freezers of them anyway.

User steen, not willing to tempt fate by buying any more frozen pizzas, found a fabulous recipe for Power Pizza Bagels from Parenting.com that was too good not to share with everyone!

To see the recipe, just

Good for You Pizza Bagels from steen

I found a great recipe on parenting.com for pizza bagels! I imagine it'd be something your kids could help make but it's definitely adult-friendly as well. It involves making two purees: orange, made with carrots and yams, and white, made from cannellini beans. Naturally, I'd suggest making those beforehand and sticking them in the fridge.

1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup White Puree
3 Tbs Orange Puree
4 mini-bagels, sliced in half (preferably whole wheat)
1 cup grated part-skim mozzarella

Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350 degrees. Combine tomato sauce with White and Orange purees. Mix well.

Spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of sauce on each bagel half, and then top completely with 2 tablespoons grated cheese (without covering the hole). Bake 5 to 6 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Per serving: 124 calories, 3 g fat (2 g saturated), 327 mg sodium, 8 mg cholesterol.

Not too bad when you compare it with Bagel Bites [200 calories, 6 g fat (2.5 saturated), 550mg sodium, 10 mg cholesterol], which don't have the added benefit of veggies!

Do you have your own healthy recipes? Be sure to share them in the Lite'n It Up Healthy Recipe Group.
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Lite'n it Up Feature: Warm Steak and Blue Cheese Salad

FitSugar — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 10:15:00 PDT

The thing about salads is that if you don't get creative, they can be pretty darn boring. This is why my mouth started watering when I read user tshellyedwards's post on a Warm Steak and Blue Cheese Salad in the Lite'n It Up Group. I am always looking for creative salad ideas so I'll definitely be trying this one.

To check out the recipe, just

Warm Steak and Blue Cheese Salad (from www.kraftfoods.com):
Prep Time: 20 min
Total Time: 20 min
Makes: 4 servings, about 3-1/2 cups each

Hi ladies! Here's a super easy, quick salad that is healthy and delicious. I've started taking pictures while cooking... so hopefully they'll be helpful to you if you decide to attempt the recipe yourself! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup Kraft Light Zesty Italian Reduced Fat Dressing, divided
1 lb. boneless beef sirloin steak, cut into thin slices
2 red peppers, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced, separated into rings
10 cups torn mixed salad greens
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
**Note: I just used the light Italian dressing I had in my fridge and used a small sweet yellow onion because that's what I had in the pantry.

Directions:
1. Slice the peppers, onion, and steak as directed in ingredients.

2. Heat 1 Tbsp. of the dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add meat; cook 2 min., stirring constantly.

3. Add peppers and onions; cook and stir 5 min. or until meat is cooked through and vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in remaining dressing.

4. Place 2-1/2 cups of the greens on each of four salad plates. Top evenly with the meat mixture and cheese just before serving.

And wa-la! Your tasty salad is ready to eat and enjoy!

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Just as an FYI, I went onto the Kraft site and one serving of this salad is only 240 calories, which is not too shabby. However with four grams of saturated fat per serving, it's not something I would eat daily, but a great way to switch it up every once in a while.

If you have come across a healthy recipe idea, be sure to share it in the Lite'n It Up Group and I may feature it on FitSugar!

Lite'n It Up Feature: Chicken Breasts With Mustard-Caper Sauce

FitSugar — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 07:30:00 PDT

I love browsing through the blogs in the Lite'n it Up Group when I need a new healthy recipe idea. User rlveronica recently posted this yummy recipe she found (and tried) in one my favorite magazines, Fitness.

To get the recipe yourself, and to see what she (and her parents) thought about it, just

Chicken Breasts with Mustard-Caper Sauce from rlveronica:

My parents didn't like it because:
1. I used cous cous instead of regular rice that they always eat
2. I didn't put any salt or olive oil in the cous cous so it would be that much healthier
3. It didn't make them "full" - see they think full is food coma or the -itis status

Whatever... me and my sister thought it was good!

Chicken Breasts with Mustard-Caper Sauce
Start to finish: 22 minutes
Makes: 6 servings

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves (about 2 pounds total)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
• 1/4 cup drained capers
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 4 1/2 cups cooked hot couscous

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Place over medium-high heat. Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Add to skillet; cook each side about 5 to 6 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove and keep warm.

Add broth, capers, rosemary, and thyme to skillet; cook over medium-high heat, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet, for 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; stir in the mustard and honey. Pour sauce over chicken and serve with couscous.

Nutrition facts per serving: 314 calories, 40g protein, 31g carbohydrate, 2g fat (1g saturated), 2g fiber

Source

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Yum, I can't wait to give this a try. Thanks for posting!

Do you have any healthy recipe ideas? Share them in the Lite'n it Up Group. You can also browse all the yummy recipes that other users have already shared-I'm eager to try the southwestern stuffed acorn squash that was posted recently.

Lite'n it Up Spotlight: Eggs Re-Benedict

FitSugar — Sat, 19 May 2007 03:30:00 PDT

I love when you guys take a recipe and make it healthier in the healthy recipe group. Eggs Benedict is quite yummy but that hollandaise sauce can really get you, calorie wise. User llendril has created her own, much healthier version.

Want to see her Eggs Benedict aka Eggs Re-Benedict? Then

Do you have a great and healthy recipe? Then share it in Lite'n it Up, a healthy recipe group. You can always look around for other yummy recipes.

This recipe looks yummy to me: Asian Stroganoff/Drunken Noodle Combo:

Going Halfsies: Ways to Lite'N Up Your Recipes

FitSugar — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 16:25:17 PST

We are all looking for ways to "clean up" our favorite recipes and here's an idea to try when you start experimenting. Instead of completely getting rid of the offending ingredient, why not try just getting rid of half of it? Test your results and see if you can venture further.

If you are trying to lessen the caloric and fat load of mayonnaise, try using non-fat yogurt for half of the required amount of mayo. You don't have to go cold turkey off mayo. This will also work with sour cream.

Another easy ingredient to alter is eggs. Substitute some egg whites for whole eggs. Instead of 2 eggs use one whole egg and 1 or 2 egg whites.

These "halfsies" substitutions will keep the texture and taste of your new lite recipe closer to the original. Use this technique as a starting point and keep on experimenting to see how much fat, sugar, or salt you can remove from a recipe and still keep the dish tasty.

Don't forget to share your redone recipes Lite'n it Up Group. I, for one, would love to try them.

Recipe Review: Banana PMS Muffins from Women's Health

FitSugar — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 03:30:00 PDT

Flipping through Women's Health, I saw a recipe for PMS muffins. How could I not be intrigued? If a muffin could help ease my symptoms, I could become a baking maniac instead of the usual PMS maniac I become.

I baked these Banana Walnut Yogurt muffins and can't tell about my mood yet, but I liked these muffins, as did my hubbie and 3-year-old. My kindergartner is a little picky and abstained from her muffin at breakfast. For a mainstream magazine, I was surprised by some of the ingredients and had to make a special stop to find rice flour and flax meal, because these ingredients were not available at my local grocery.

To see what other ingredients make these muffins PMS fighters,

These banana muffins provide "cramp-busting potassium" along with calcium and vitamin D, which together can decrease PMS symptoms upwards of 40 percent.

Banana Yogurt Walnut Muffins
Women's Health Magazine

Who wouldn't want to cure her PMS, or at least alleviate some of the symptoms, with a banana muffin. I had to try this recipe and see.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup plain yogurt
3 medium, ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup agave syrup
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup walnut pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a large bowl, whisk together oatmeal, flour, flaxseed, baking powder, and baking soda.
In a separate bowl, combine eggs, yogurt, bananas, syrup, and oil. Add flour mixture and fold in walnuts.
Divide batter into paper-lined muffin cups. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes 18. Per muffin: 147 cal, 7 g fat (1 g sat), 103 mg sodium, 20 g carbs, 2 g fiber, 3 g protein

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My muffins look nothing like the lovely muffins photographed in the magazine recipe. I had to seriously stretch the batter to make 17 muffins and none of the muffins rose over the edge of the muffin tray. Although they looked short and flat, they were fluffy and light on the inside. I must add that they didn't taste "healthy" but they could use a little more flavor, maybe cinnamon or some lemon zest. I will make these muffins again. Let me know if you do.

Do you have a healthy snack or recipe to share? Then share it in the Lite'n it Up - Healthy Recipe Group and I might just post it on FitSugar.

Healthy Snack: Smudgies

FitSugar — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 03:30:00 PDT

If sweet frozen treats are what you crave in the heat, then here's a snack for you. It's a cinch to make and contains only three ingredients - graham crackers, bananas, and peanut butter. This dessert is dairy and cholesterol free, contains no added sugar, and tastes like an ice cream sandwich. My girls and I all love them, and I bet you will too.

To see the recipe just

Peanut Butter and Banana Smudgies
Recipe from: My Preschool Teacher

A healthy treat that's easy to make, has only 3 ingredients and is perfect for Summer.

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas
2 heaping tablespoons of all natural crunchy peanut butter
8 graham crackers rectangles (which makes 16 squares)

Directions
Serving Size: 1 Smudgie sandwich
Yields: 8 Smudgie sandwiches

1. Peel the bananas and place them in a bowl.

2. Put two tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter in the bowl and mash the two together with a fork until creamy.

3. Place 8 graham cracker squares on a piece of foil. Use the fork to smear the banana and peanut butter mixture onto the crackers.

4. Then place a plain graham cracker on top to make 8 sandwiches.

5. Stack them so you have a row of four and then wrap them in the foil.

6. Place them in the freezer for at least six hours and enjoy.

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Do you have a healthy snack or recipe to share? Then share it in the Lite'n it Up - Healthy Recipe Group and I might just post it on FitSugar.

Healthy Holiday Recipe: Sweet Potato and Carrot Latkes

FitSugar — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 03:00:00 PST

Since many of you are celebrating Hanukkah this week, I wanted to share a twist on my favorite latke recipe. I know oil is a huge part of the tradition, but drenching potatoes in a ton of oil isn't exactly the healthiest thing for you, so check out this recipe. It doesn't involve any deep-frying, and mixes grated carrots with sweet potatoes.

To see how I make a healthier version of this Hanukkah favorite

Sweet Potato and Carrot Latkes
A variation on my Grandmother's

Ingredients

2 regular potatoes, peeled
1 sweet potato, peeled
1 carrot or 1/2 cup of carrot matchsticks
2 eggs
3 tablespoons wheat flour
Olive or canola oil
Salt and pepper
Ketchup or applesauce

Directions

Grate the potatoes and the carrot in a big bowl.
Use your hands to press the mixture flat against the bowl and pour out the extra liquid.
Place a pan on the stove on medium heat. Pour two to four tablespoons of oil in the pan.
While the pan is heating up, add the egg, flour, and a little salt and pepper to the grated veggies and mix well.
Now you're ready to cook the latkes. Using a big slotted spoon, scoop out about two tablespoons of the mixture and drop onto the pan. Use the back of the spoon to flatten them so they're about 1/4 inch thick.
Allow the latkes to cook for five to eight minutes, or until the bottom is golden brown. Check the bottoms constantly with a spatula and flip them when they're ready.
Let them cook for another five to eight minutes, or until golden brown.
Place a paper towel on a plate, and then put the cooked latkes on top so the extra oil can be absorbed.
Serve warm with ketchup or applesauce.

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Do you have a healthy snack or recipe to share? Then share it in the Lite'n it Up - Healthy Recipe Group and I might just post it on FitSugar.