Tuesday, December 6, 2011

French Lentil Soup

I have always wanted to try lentil soup since I've seen how cute and little they were:) LOL  I finally did tonight and WOW!!!!!  My only regret was not doubling or tripling the recipe so I could have seconds! The recipe only makes 2 bowls so you decide how much you want to make but I am definitely making it again and at least doubling it! Even Jackson loved it! He ate his whole bowl without any help from us! That doesn't even happen with chickie nuggets:) LOL If you have picky eaters that won't try new things then I definitely suggest making this for yourself for lunch sometime. I am still craving another bowl!

1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
2 chopped garlic cloves
2 cups of onion (LOL I totally forgot to put onion in mine! It was DELICIOUS even without it!)
1 1/4 lentils
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
14 1/2 ounce can diced tomatoes in juice
4 cups vegetable broth

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium–high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots, and garlic. I added a teaspoon of kosher salt or table salt; sauté until vegetables begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add 4 cups broth, lentils, and tomatoes with juice and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium–low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 35 minutes.

Transfer 2 cups soup (mostly solids) to blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to soup in pan; thin soup with more broth by 1/4 cupfuls, if too thick. Season with salt, pepper, and a splash of vinegar, if desired. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with celery leaves

I have never made or eaten a creamy soup like this before but I was blown away! Can't wait to eat it again! We have so many lentils left because it only calls for 1 1/4 cup so I am making a different lentil soup tommorow! I will let you know how that goes:) Maybe I will need to take it easy on the beans:) LOL

Monday, December 5, 2011

Chicken & Vegetable Lemon Stirfry

This was DELICIOUS!  I just had to share;)

Serves 4  
Only 223 calories per serving!


2 chicken breasts cut how ever you like it in your stir fry
2 bags of Great Value Deluxe Frozen Stir Fry Vegetables (also depends on how many you are feeding;)
1 cup of prepared instant brown rice


1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tbs soy sauce
4 tbs chicken broth (I use 99% fat free)
4 tsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
salt (I salt everything while I'm cooking, I don't measure it:)

Cook chicken in frying pan with a little of olive oil until no longer pink then set aside.
Meanwhile be cooking your rice and set aside also.
Then place your frozen vegetables in your large sauce pan or wok and follow directions on package.
Combine lemon juice,soy sauce, 2 tbs of the chicken broth together in a bowl.
When vegetables are done combine chicken and lemon sauce in frying pan. Cover well.
Combine cornstarch and the remaining 2 tbs of chicken broth in a bowl.
Place in frying pan and cover vegetables & chicken stiring well.
Then stir in brown rice.
Enjoy:)

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Green Berrie Smoothie

I tried my first healthy weightloss smoothie! It is so delicious that I had to share! Man, I'm on a roll today:) LOL

1 cup of frozen unsweetened blueberries
1/2 banana
1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1 cup (or big handful) of spinach leaves
1 tsp splenda (optional)
1 1/3 cup of water
1/3 cup of OJ (optional)

Place frozen fruit in first closest to the blade then the rest of the ingredients. Adding the water a little at a time until you reach the desired consistancy.

This smoothie is all healthy! I looked up every single ingredients and I am pumped at all of the health benifits! It is only 188 calories and every single one goes toward your health and energy! No empty calories here! Jackson LOVED it! I am SOOOO excited because I want a healthy family and this kid won't eat breakfast. Maybe He will now!

If you don't have or want the OJ then replace with water. Use more or less water depending on how you prefer the texture of your smoothie!

A smoothie is the perfect way to get all of the vegetables and fruits that you are supposed to be eating everyday. I know we could all do better in this area.

V8 Vegetable Ground Beef Stew

Here is a recipe that I made up. It is delicious, healthy and very low in calories. In fact the only bad calories are from the ground beef and one potato(which you can leave out). Hope you try it and love it too! So tired of feeling uncomfortable in my own body! Doing something about it! Thanks Amanda for asking me for my recipe! I forgot I had it. I made it up and have it on my account at MyFitnessPal.com. This is a cool website, check it out if you aren't already on it. I know a lot of you already are! I love you!

1 lb lean ground beef
1 family size package mixed vegetable steamers
1 family size package cut green beans
1 medium size peeled russet potato cubed
4 cups low sodium V8 juice
garlic, salt, pepper to taste

brown ground beef and drain
add V8 juice, steamed vegetables, cubed potato, and spices
cook on med/low for 30 minutes or until potato is cooked through
can also be cooked all day in slow cooker

Only 314 calories for a 2 cup serving! It will fill you up! Makes 4 servings:)

Low Calorie Tortilla Pizza

Hi everyone! I'm sorry that it has been forever since I got on here. I'm only posting when I have tried something I love and when I feel it is worth sharing. I am about to go on a "green smoothie" diet so I will try to post the ones I like on here. I'm pumped about all of the wonderful things I've read about them. Mostly the awesome nutrition that is in them! Gonna look good:) LOL  Anyway, here is my recipe:)

1 low calorie tortilla (mine was only 90 calories)
2 tablespoons of pizza sauce (I make mine homemade but you can buy it store bought, the calories are probably going to change)
1/3 cup of Mozzerella cheese
7 pepperonis (you can cut calories here by using turkey pepperoni)

Total 255 calories! And it was DELICIOUS! Perfect for those who crave pizza all the time like me:) There are so many things you can do different with this like add bell pepper and onion or different cheeses. Enjoy! We sure did! I love you all

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Asparagus side

Hi everyone, I 'm sorry for not posting in a long time. It will probably go that way since I don't always have something delicious to share:) Dave and I are dieting so everything I post from now on should be healthy:) LOL Tonight  I made BBQ chicken in the oven, brown rice, and asparagus! We love asparagus at our house. I tried something new with it tonight and it was delicious!

1 bunch of asparagus
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs butter
1 clove minced garlic
3 tsp lime juice
salt and pepper

Cut up asparagus and place into frying pan with all ingredients. Saute on medium heat for 10 minutes or until the texture that you like your asparagus;) Cover with a lid to keep moisture in and they won't dry out while they are cooking.

  I over cooked mine because I was waiting on my chicken to be done and it still was delicious! Just really small:(   I thought to myself, Why not put a side dish on here! It really pays to dress up your vegetables! LOL Makes a healthy chicken and brown rice dinner a lot more exciting! Hope you like it. I love you all!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Easy Cheesy Chicken Chowder

I'm sorry that it's been awhile since I've put something on here. Dave has been gone and I don't cook much when he is:) lol  We tried this recipe tonight & LOVED it! It only fed us two so if you are cooking for more then definitely double it!

1 cup small broccoli florets (not cuts!)
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
2 cups of milk
1 1/2 cups chopped chicken
 1- 10 3/4 ounce can condensed cream of potato soup
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4ounces)
Dash of pepper

In a large sucepan combine broccoli, corn, water, onion, and thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minustes or until vegetables are tender. Do not drain.

Stir milk, chicken, potato soup, 3/4 cup of the cheddar cheese and the pepper into vegetable mixture. Cook and stir over medium heat until cheese is melted and mixture is heated through. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese.

I add a lot of salt to mine:) I we loved it but next time I make it I'm going to boil my chicken and then shred it. I just prefer it that way. I will also put a little more broccoli in it:) Hope you love it too!

I got this recipe out of my Better Homes and Gardens Easy Everyday Cooking book:)

Monday, September 12, 2011

Carnitas Tacos!

Hi everyone, I'm sorry I haven't given a recipe in a couple of days but I hadn't cooked anything worth sharing. LOL  I tried these tonight out of my Sandra Lee cookbook and loved them! A little spicy but coming from me that doesn't mean much;) It only takes 10 minutes to prepare so it is a great thing to make when you don't have a lot of time.

1 container (17 ounce) precooked pork roast
1/4 cup enchilada sauce
1 tsp Mexican seasoning
8 flour tortillas or corn tortillas
1/3 cup chopped onions
2 tbs chopped cilantro (optional)
1 lime, cut into wedges (very optional! lol)
shredded lettuce, tomatoes, and mexican style cheese (all optional)

1. Remove pork roast from package and fork to shred. Place in a microwave safe bowl along with the enchilada sauce and mexican seasoning. Mix together. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 4 minutes.

2. Heat tortillas according to package directions. You can also use corn torillas if you prefer them:)

3. Meanwhile add onion and cilantro to meat. Stir to combine.

4. All done now Make your tacos! LOL

I have to say that after rereading it I didn't follow the directions at all! Not sure how I missed the onions or that she used corn tortillas! Probably because the picture in the book has flour tortillas! Anyway, I love flour tortillas so it is no big deal. Plus I changed some of the directions too. She has you forking the roast after it is hot and I did it before. Plus if you do it before it can marinate better because it isn't all in one chunck. Made more sense to me. I didn't have cilantro but I added sour cream and the mexican shredded cheese to mine:) Make them the way that sounds good to you. The precooked pork roast is in with the meat at walmart. It was only $5.48 here. I couldn't find Mexican seasoning either so I bought a Mexican Fiesta marinade package! It turned out delicious! I would double it if you are feeding more then 4 people. That was the easiest meal to make and clean up! Hope you like it if you try it! I love you all! Love Andrea

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Sherried Mushrooms & Onion Penne

First off I have to say if you haven't made Doc's Chili & you plan on it I advise you to use beef. I completely forgot that if you freeze ground turkey & then thaw it out it tastes very gamey & it completely ruined my chili tonight:(  Dave even admited it to me so you know it wasn't very good. I think the extra calories are worth the taste:)

We tried this recipe the other night and it was good. It is out of Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade cookbook. I think I'm going to add some chopped up garlic & herb marinated chicken to mine next time but it was delicious without it too. Dave ate the rest of it for lunch the next day so it must have been good:) It is just another way to eat pasta. I know my family loves pasta but I get tired of just spagetti & pasta salad. I was very excited to try something new & like it.

Start to Finish: 25 min / Makes 6 servings

12 ounces penne pasta
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 packages (8 ounces each) sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 cup sherry
2 teaspoons fines herbes
1/2 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
1/3 cup light sour cream

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well; return pasta to hot pot. Cover; keep warm

2. Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir for 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked down and translucent. Add mushrooms; cook and stir for 10 minutes more. Stir in sherry and fines herbs. Cook until liquid is evaporated.

3. In a small bowl, combine beef broth and sour cream. Stir into mixture in skillet; cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until heated through. Toss mixture with hot cooked pasta. garnish with parsley (optional)

Anyone know what fines herbes are? I'm defintiely not a cooking expert & I have NO idea what they are and couldn't find them anywhere. I put some Italian seasoning & garlic powder in mine & it came out great. Would love to know what they are if anyone else knows:)

I have a lot more recipes that I'm going to be trying and will put them on here if I think they were good enough to share:) The recipes will probably slow down when Dave is gone on a mission (because I don't cook big meals for just Jackson & I) but I will try my hardest to put some tips I've learned on here and anything that anyone else wants me to post too. Thank you, Andrea

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Doc's Chili (not my Doc! lol)

This chili is delicious & doesn't taste like any other chili I have ever had. I found it in The Biggest Loser Food Journal that I bought awile back. I love to put a little sour cream in mine, try it!

3 Cups chopped yellow onions

1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey (you can use ground beef it you prefer it but it isn't near as good for you & you can't tell the difference)

3 cups diced tomatoes or 1 can (28 ounces) roasted diced tomatoes drained

1 1/2 cups cooked pinto beans or 1 can (15 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed & drained

1 1/2 cups cooked black beans or 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed & drained

1 cup fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon mustard powder

1/2 cup sliced olives (as a garnish on top if you like, not a necessity)

1/2 cup chopped scallions or chopped cilantro (again, a garnish so if you don't have them cook it anyway:)

Coat a large saucepan or Dutch oven with olive oil cooking spray.
Add the onions and cook over medium-high heat until soft.
Add the ground turkey and cook for about 6 minutes, or until no longer pink
Add the tomatoes, pinto and black beans, broth, garlic, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and mustard powder.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low.
Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Garnish with the olive and scallions or cilantro


Makes 12 (1-cup) servings
150 calories per serving!



If any of you have delicious recipes that you want to share please send them to me so I can try them & so everyone else can too! I love you all & hope you like the ones I am putting on here.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Crunchy Chicken Cheddar Broccoli Bake

This one is so delicious! Jackson ate it up because he loves broccoli. I don't know how much chicken costs where you live so I left the price of it out but all together the other ingredients cost $6.30! And that is in DE!

1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) condensed cheddar cheese soup
1/2 cup milk
Dash ground pepper
2 packages (10 ounces each) frozen broccoli cuts, cooked and drained
1 can (2.8 ounces) French fried onions (like the ones you put on green bean casserole)

Directions:

1. Stir the cooked chicken, soup, milk, pepper, broccoli and 2/3 of the onions into a 1 1/2 quart casserole. Cover

2. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes until hot. Stir mixture.

3. Sprinkle the remaining onions over the mixture.

4. Bake for 5 minutes more until the onions are golden. Makes 4-5 servings (only feeds Dave, Jackson, & I but we eat big portions;)


From my calculations the casserole has 1140 calories. Which is 285 calories per serving in my house because it makes 4 servings:)

Tip: Don't go cheap on the broccoli cuts or you will end up with all stems. I usually buy the walmart brand but I tried the better brand and I think that is why I loved this casserole SO much. I bought the kind that you have to add water and put in the microwave, not the steam bags. The broccoli tasted so much better and wasn't soggy, it was perfectly cooked and a little crisp:)

Hope you all love it as much as we do! Cheap, fast, and easy!





Saturday, September 3, 2011

Lunch!

I don't know about you but I can't stand thinking of what to eat for lunch. So usually I don't:) But I want to be healthy so I know that my body needs good food. Mom gave me the idea for this blog so bear with me until I get the hang of it! Today for lunch I had a delicious, fullfilling, Turkey/ham wrap! Best part was that it is only 213 calories and all good for you! Here is how I made it.

I used Oscar Myer Deli Fresh Oven Roasted Ham & Turkey 3 pieces of each (45 Calories total)

I put them on 1 Mission brand Life Balance Whole Wheat Tortilla (medium size 120 calories) It has 15 added vitamins & minerals!

1 piece of cheese. I only had Swiss but use what you like (48calories)

Put as much lettuce, onion, tomato... as you want!

Put as much mustard as you want! If you don't like mustard then you have to add in the calories that you use:)

That is what I had for lunch today! It tasted soooo much better then a turkey sandwich and I didn't need chips! Yay! I hope you try it & love it too! Stay healthy & happy!

Love Andrea