Potato, Kale and Sausage Soup

I've been wanting to try Kale in a soup for awhile, so I scoured for a recipe to take hints from and then, made up my own (as usual).

POTATO, KALE & SAUSAGE SOUP

1/2 lb. chopped & cleaned kale

10 oz. uncooked hot Italian sausage

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 medium red potatoes, diced, skins on

6 oz. plain Greek yogurt

3 beef bouillon cubes

1 tbsp. Seitenbacher vegetable seasoning

10 c. water

sea salt to taste

Spray Dutch oven or soup pot with olive oil cooking spray. Over medium heat add onion and garlic, cook for several minutes. Next add crumbled sausage, cook all the way through. Then add in potatoes, kale, water and seasonings. Simmer covered for 40 minutes. Remove from heat, wait 5 minutes and stir in yogurt.

Makes 11 -  1 cup servings - 100 calories each

Pinterest Finds... Kale Chips & Roasted Chickpeas

I have officially joined and am obsessed with Pinterest. Of the tons of recipes I keep coming across that look super tasty I tried two of them last night.

Kale Chips and Roasted Chickpeas - such yummy snack food.

ROASTED CHICKPEAS

The original recipe can be found over at  theKitchn.

I didn't stray too far from the original recipe except I used half the olive oil and added garlic powder as well as sea salt and garam masala. 

1 can rinsed, drained and dried chick peas

1/2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tbsp. garam masala

1/2 tbsp. garlic powder

1-2 tsp. sea salt (to taste)

Roast at 400 degrees onto sprayed baking sheet, making sure to shake them around a bit every 10 minutes or so, for 25-35 minutes or until desired crispiness. 

Yields about 3 - 1/2 cup servings - 130 calories each.

crunchy,  fiber & protein packed snacks. delish!

I also came close to sticking with the recipe for the Kale Chips but again used less oil. It's amazing how little oil you actually need versus how much oil most recipes will call for... pure silliness.

KALE CHIPS

1 bunch Kale, washed well and dried, chopped into  1 1/2" or so strips (about 4 cups)

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

sea salt to taste

Toss Kale with olive oil and vinegar mixture. Sprinkle on sea salt and spread out onto sprayed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Keep an eye on them, should take about 10-15 minutes.

One batch - about 260 calories

You can eat either (or both!) of these tasty, crunchy snacks instead of chips or popcorn and get the added bonus of vitamins, fiber AND protein!

So go ahead, give them a try! Let me know what you think!

Double Re-Do - Aztec Blend with Squash

So the first time I made this dish it was tasty, but a little too sweet for me and I felt like I could make it better. Therefore, I tried it again.

Here's what I did:

(and it's much prettier!)

DOUBLE RE-DO - AZTEC BLEND WITH SQUASH

1 package of cleaned and cut butternut squash (or about 1 lb. cut into 1 inch cubes)

3/4 c. dry of Indian Harvest (or Wegman's) Aztec blend rice

2 tsp. Seitenbacher Vegetable Broth and seasoning

1/2 oz. of toasted blanched almonds, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

5 baby bella mushrooms, chopped

2 cloves garlic, roasted and minced

1/2 bag baby spinach

salt to taste

Roast salted squash at 450 degrees on a baking sheet sprayed with olive oil cooking spray for 35 minutes, flipping halfway through. While squash is roasting cook Aztec blend as package directs, adding vegetable seasoning to boiling water. Your squash and Aztec blend will take about the same amount of time to cook. About 25 minutes in, place two cloves of garlic (in their skins) on baking sheet as well and roast with squash.  Saute in a small pan with olive oil cooking spray onion and mushrooms until done. Remove from heat and set aside. Once squash and garlic is roasted, remove from oven. Mince roasted garlic and add to butternut squash on baking sheet. Also at this time add Aztec blend, mushrooms and onions to baking sheet as well. Mix thoroughly. Place back into the 450 degree oven for another 5 minutes. Remove and add fresh baby spinach, mix again and place back into oven for about ten minutes or until spinach is wilted. 

This entire recipe is 940 calories. You can either divide into thirds making it 313 calories each. Or halves (good sized!) for 470 calories each. 

Adding in the spinach not only adds color but also a good source of vitamins. If you liked the sweetness from the first recipe add in dried cranberries or raisins. It will raise the calories some but not too much. 

Perfect for a hearty meal packed with veggies!

Meaty (or Veggie) Spaghetti Sauce!

I can't say we have had the same meal around our house in quite some time. I try my best to come up with something new (even if it's just a few little tweaks) every day. I try new ingredients, new recipes and new techniques as much as possible. Sure, I've made spaghetti sauce before. But this is a little different for me. I simmered the sauce for about 35 minutes and added thyme and a bay leaf.

MMMM. SAUCE

(yeah, maybe it doesn't look so pretty, but it's pretty damn tasty - and so much better than a jar!)

12 oz. uncooked lean ground beef, 96% lean - 4% fat (or Morningstar meat substitute crumbles)

1 cup chopped Pero red, yellow and orange mini peppers (about 8 mini peppers- LOVE these)

8 medium sized baby bella mushrooms, chopped (yield about 2 cups)

1/2 diced red onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

3 c. crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce

1 tbsp. (or to taste) of baking Splenda

1/2 c. water

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp. each dried basil, garlic powder, parsley

1/2 tbsp. each dried thyme, black pepper, sea salt

In a large sauce pan or dutch oven over medium heat add oil and onion to pan. Cook about 2 minutes. Next add in minced garlic, cook another minute. Add in peppers and cook another 2 minutes. Then add in ground beef (or Morningstar meat substitute), brown for several minutes, stirring occasionally. Once cooked, add in tomato sauce, water, mushrooms, Splenda and spices. Simmer covered on low for about 20 minutes. Stir mixture and simmer another 15 to 20 minutes. 

Makes 10 - 1/2 cup servings - 86 calories each.

Perfect to serve over cooked pasta!

Current Food Obsessions!

I have posted before photos of my fridge and items I typically eat, but with each food discovery that list varies some. Here are my current loves and all time best staples.

New Obsessions:

Blue Bunny 24 Karat Carrot Cake Ice Cream... that's right. It couldn't get any better than this. I mean seriously? Blue Bunny also has a Red Velvet and Wedding Cake flavor. Did I mention a 1/2 cup scoop of this is only 130 calories and 5g of fat? Say it ain't so!

It's also no coincidence that I love Chef Duff!

Quaker Soft Baked Bars Banana Nut Bread ... this is the perfect alternative to ordering a slice along with your morning java at your favorite Corporate Coffee chain... or (hopefully) local coffeehouse. It's only 140 calories, packs a hellacious fiber punch of 5g and 6g of protein (as much as one egg!).

Sunset Produce - Zima Grape Tomato... this little golden tomato is fantastic. It's sweet and tastes like summer. Perfect for halving on salads or popping in your mouth whole. So fresh!

Cranberry Cinnamon Goat Cheese - I bought the EdenVale brand (which is only available at Aldi - for $2.99 - yes! $2.99!) If you have an Aldi near you I seriously suggest taking a quarter (to rent a cart) and your reusable grocery bags (otherwise you will have to purchase them or use their empty boxes) and giving them a shot. They have really reasonable prices on most items and have a Fit and Active line for those of us who are watching our caloric intake. But enough about Aldi... this goat cheese is perfect for my favorite salad. 

Cinnamon Teddy Grahams - okay, so this isn't a new obsession. But a revisited one. You can bite the heads off 24 of these little bears for only 130 calories. It's a nice little slightly sweet, snacky, fun treat. Plus, it reminds you of being a kid - and if you have kids, you may already buy these for them, make them share!

Always in my Cupboards: 

Kashi Go Lean... This cereal is the bee's knees. Seriously, 1 cup equals 140 calories, 10g of fiber and 13g of protein. Ahh-maayy-ziinng. And it's pretty tasty! Kashi has a way of making good foods packed with fiber still taste great. Plus, they make them chewy, giving your jaws a good workout.

Stauffer's Animal Crackers - I've searched through many grocery aisles for a better animal cracker and this one beats them all, every time. You can eat 13 crackers for only 100 calories. The original kind taste like the cookies McDonald's used to give for free back in the 80's in your Happy Meal (before they gave a bunch of dumb toys based on gender). The chocolate kind are just as good with a little cocoa flavor. Plus, you can almost always find them in the dollar section at Target! What a bargain!

D'Anjou Pears in Red and Green - I prefer the texture of D'Anjou to Bartlett, plus they tend to be a little smaller. I don't think I even started really eating pears until this last year. Apples (Gala!) have always been my go to fruit, but one of the perks of working at a grocery is getting to try things you never have!

Low fat Cottage Cheese - a new-ish food for me. I have discovered the simplicity of cottage cheese. Which actually pairs (pears) very well with the D'Anjou, Gala apple or fresh pineapple chunks. 1/2 cup of low fat cottage cheese and a medium sized pear make a great snack - only 190 calories and 14 grams of protein (all from the cottage cheese!). You can also buy the fat free and save yourself about 10 calories but it generally has a little more sugar and sodium - gotta mask that fat free flavor somehow!

And last, but certainly not least. Almond Milk. I've tried both Almond Breeze and Silk Pure Almond and they are equally good. However, Silk Pure Almond tends to be a little cheaper and you can find coupons online. The Unsweetened Vanilla flavor is perfect for cereal, coffee creamer, smoothies or in recipes. Plus, you can have a whole cup for only 35 calories! Oh and if you have a chocolate craving, add some sugar free chocolate syrup!

Pumpkin Apple Date Bread - Vegan

I had some dates. Some canned pure pumpkin. And some apples less than appealing for regular eating with bangs and bruises. So I decided to make bread. Now, it's been a long while since I've attempted to make any sort of bread and I was curious about alternative flours.

I bought tapioca flour. Learned it has to be combined with another flour and then said ah well, I'll get some wheat flour. What I found on sale was Organic White Whole Wheat Flour so there you have it.

I found some basic pumpkin date bread recipes and then proceeded to Fit Foodie it up. And here you have it.

VEGAN PUMPKIN APPLE DATE BREAD

Bowl 1:

3 medium apples – gala – peeled and diced into 1/2” cubes (or about 7oz)

6 medium dates – or ¼ cup – chopped and pitted

½ c. unsweetened applesauce

½ c. pure pumpkin canned

¼ c. almond milk –unsweetened vanilla

2 tbsp. sugar free maple syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

Bowl 2:

1 c. unbleached white whole wheat flour

¾ c. tapioca flour

1 c. baking Splenda

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Topping:

½ oz. sliced almonds

3 tsp. granulated brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray loaf pan with baking spray. Peel 3 medium apples – I used Gala – and dice into about half inch cubes. You just want them to be bite sized, but not small enough to disintegrate. Take 6 dates, pit them and chop them – equals about ¼ cup. In a small bowl add apples, dates, unsweetened applesauce, pumpkin, almond milk, syrup and vanilla – mix well.

In a second larger bowl add flours, Splenda, baking soda, baking powder and spices – mix well. Combine slowly the wet mixture into the dry. This will create a very thick and dense batter. Mix well.

Pour batter into loaf pan, spread out evenly with spatula. Sprinkle top with sliced almonds and brown sugar.

Bake about an hour or until toothpick or butter knife comes out clean. The dough around the apple pieces won’t be as done due to their moisture, but I like it that way. Bake for longer if you desire.

Super dense. Super tasty. Super awesome.

total bread: 1200 calories. – 11 servings – 100 calories each

Mayo & Sour Cream Substitute - Go Greek!

Everyone loves a good tuna or chicken salad. Especially in the warmer months and since spring has sprung I wanted to share with you a semi-recent discovery.

Greek yogurt. Now, I don't like yogurt by itself. You won't find me sitting down and eating strawberry yogurt topped with delicious fruits and crunchy granola. The texture freaks me out a bit. I've tried it all, regular, light, Greek - none of it I can really handle - unless it's mixed in something else.

So next time you make tuna, chicken or egg salad - or any other mayonnaise based salad - substitute plain Greek yogurt instead.

TUNA SALAD

2 regular sized cans of white chunk Tuna in water (50 calories per 1/4c. serving)

1/2 6oz. container of plain Greek yogurt (100 calories or less)

1-2 tbsp. Dijon or spicy mustard

1/4 c. dill relish

1/8 c. diced onion

1/8 c. diced celery

1 hard-boiled egg, diced (optional -add 70 calories to total)

Total calories - 260

Makes 4 generous servings - 65 each!

Plus! You get the added benefit of more protein with the yogurt. If you are trying to build muscle you need protein before and especially after your workout. Give this a try on a bed of baby spinach and top with Zima grape tomatoes.  They are sweet, ripe and bursting with flavor. 

You can also use Greek yogurt to thicken sauces and make soups more creamy. Or make your own dips more protein packed by substituting Greek yogurt for sour cream.

Skinny Grandma's Vegetable Beef Soup

There are two soups that remind me of my Grandma. One is Vegetable Beef and the other is Chicken Noodle. I have tried my best to replicate those flavors over the years but adapted them to a much healthier lifestyle. Omitting the oils and the higher fat ground beef. You can find my Chicken Noodle version here. 

SKINNY GRANDMA'S VEGETABLE BEEF SOUP

10 oz. diced red potatoes (skin on if you prefer - I do!)

10 oz. lean ground beef  96/4 (like Laura's Lean beef)

10 oz. baby carrots - chopped

1/2 yellow onion, diced

1 c. frozen peas

2/3 c. frozen yellow sweet corn

1 c. frozen cut green beans

3 medium celery stalks, diced

1 1/2 c. crushed tomato

5 cloves garlic, minced

6-7 cups water**

4-5 beef bouillon cubes**

Bring water to a boil in a soup pot or Dutch oven and add in your bouillon cubes. Next add in your potatoes and carrots. Let boil for 3-5 minutes and add in onions and garlic. Crumble raw beef into simmering pot. Continue to simmer on medium adding in remaining ingredients for about 20 minutes allowing all flavors to mesh. 

Makes about 11 - 1 cup servings - 100 calories each.

**You can substitute a lean beef stock if you prefer, the bouillon has zero calories but if you are watching your sodium you may want to swap a low sodium vegetable or beef stock.

Chili 2 Ways - Meaty and Veggie!

I make chili a different way every time I make it. Sometimes vegetarian.Sometimes with turkey, or chicken, or beef, or even hot Italian sausage. Sometimes I add carrots or zucchini or any other veggie I think might be tasty. Here are two versions I've made recently. One for my meaty friends and the other for my veg heads.

LOW FAT BEEF CHILI

1 pound Laura’s Lean Beef 4% fat

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

½ medium white onion - diced

4 cloves garlic - minced

1 can pinto beans (drained & rinsed)

1 can light red kidney beans (drained & rinsed)

1 green pepper – diced

1 large (28oz) can diced tomatoes

1 large (28oz) can crushed tomatoes

2 c. water

1 tbsp. cumin

1 tbsp. chili powder

½ tbsp. cayenne pepper

salt & pepper to taste

In Dutch oven, toss oil, onions, garlic and a dash of salt. Sweat the onions until semi transparent. Add in beef, cook until about half way done. Add water, simmer for 5 minutes. Add rest of ingredients. Simmer for 30 minutes.

Makes 13 – 1 cup servings – 146 calories and 2.4 fat grams

VERY VEGGIE CHILI

1 large can of crushed tomatoes

1 can of diced tomatoes with green chiles

10 oz. chopped baby carrots

1/2 chopped yellow onion

2/3 c. frozen yellow corn

1 green pepper, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

6 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tbsp to 1 tbsp each of cumin and chili powder

1/2 tbsp black pepper

salt and chipotle chile powder to taste

(I would begin with 1/2 tsp. of chipotle chile powder - it's hotter than you think.)

Entire Crock Pot - 930 calories - Yields about 10 - 1 cup servings

I just tossed all ingredients in the crock pot on low for about 5 hours. You could also easily cook this on the stove in a soup pot. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala

I have joined the Pinterest bandwagon and I'm hooked. I came across a recipe for a Chicken Tikka Masala  you could make in the slow cooker and thought too good to be true! Now, as usual, I had to make it a fit food - omit the olive oil, heavy cream and rice.

15 oz. boneless, skinless chicken thighs (trimmed fat) or chicken breasts

2 c. crushed tomatoes

1 6oz. container of plain Greek yogurt

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

1/2 fresh jalapeno, finely chopped (use the whole thing if you like it spicy!)

5 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tbsp. lemon juice

2 tbsp. fresh grated ginger (use jarred if you prefer)

1 c. unsweetened almond milk

1 tbsp. corn starch

2 Tbsp Garam Masala

1 Tbsp cumin

1/2 Tbsp paprika

2 tsp sea salt, or to taste

3/4 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1-3 tsp cayenne pepper*

2 bay leaves ( I actually didn't have any - but it does call for them!)

fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

Her recipe calls for basmati rice, but for the same amount of calories you could have a hefty serving of roasted veggies. This recipe gives you quite a bit of sauce that you can use on the veggies too. I roasted fresh cauliflower, green bell peppers and sweet peas.

In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients except chicken, bay leaves, corn starch and almond milk. Once combined pour half of the mixture into the bottom of your slow cooker. Add diced raw chicken and pour remaining sauce mixture over chicken. Put bay leaves on top (you'll need to remove them before serving). If you want to thicken and cream the sauce you can add 1 tbsp. of corn starch and 1 cup of cold almond milk. Whisk these together and add to slow cooker for the last twenty minutes. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for about 4. Serve over roasted veggies or rice. 

This recipe makes 6 - 1 cup servings. Each cup is 140 calories.

The original recipe calorie content is approximately 2200 total or 365 each yield 6 servings.

One more variation... Carrot Pineapple Almond Raisin Bar.

I can't seem to stop making variations with the original Pumpkin Banana Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. The second type I made were Pumpkin Apple Date Bars. Most recently I made a Carrot Pineapple Almond Raisin Bar.

Here's the skinny on these:

Carrot Pineapple Almond Raisin Bar

5 oz. baby carrots (about 15 baby medium carrots) grated finely and squeezed dry

1/2 c. crushed pineapple (fresh or canned in juice - not syrup)

1 mashed over ripe banana

1/4 c. unsweetened (natural) applesauce

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tbsp. baking Splenda

2 mini boxes or about 50 raisins

1/2 oz. sliced almonds

1 c. old fashioned oats

1 c. Original Fiber cereal

only 66 calories each bar!

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grate carrots on the short side of a stand grater - for a medium grate, not the largest or the smallest. Carrots are packed with water, so you'll need to squeeze the excess out. The easiest way to do this is to place the grated carrots in the center of a paper towel (the good kind) and wad the paper towel around the carrots to form a ball, squeeze as much as you can over your sink. If you're using fresh pineapple after skinning, coring and chunking it you can take the chunks and chop them even finer. You almost want to crush them with your knife or a fork.

Add all the wet ingredients together: banana, pineapple, applesauce, carrots and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients together into a separate bowl. Once both bowls are mixed well, add the wet into the dry. Spread mixture out onto a sprayed 9"x13" cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 20-22 minutes. Makes 12 - 3"x3.5" bars.

Gadgets!

Nordicware makes some pretty fantastic kitchen goodies. My recent two favorites: the bacon microwave tray and the eggs n' muffin breakfast pan (which has a little bit of a deceiving name)

I'm a sucker for breakfast food. Plain and simple. I love it ALL. From pancakes to french toast to omlettes to breakfast sandwiches to scrambles and hashes and of course, biscuits and gravy. When I'm keeping an eye on my calories and being healthy I like to try and make something with a good protein & carb combination - especially before a busy work day. But, like most of you I don't have time to watch something cook on the stove. So I often turn to two appliances: the toaster oven (which I adore) and my microwave (which hopefully won't kill me one day).

These two gadgets make eggs and bacon manageable while I'm taking the dogs out or getting dressed for work.

In the egg pan, you can toss in an egg (scramble it with a fork - no milk needed) or two (egg beaters work too!), your favorite veggies, salt, pepper, whatever! 45 seconds to 1 minute later you have a perfectly cooked egg "patty" perfectly shaped for an English muffin. It's even a little larger than the light muffins I eat.

Most stores carry these - my bacon tray came from Wegmans and my egg pan came from Target. Both less than $5. Ahh the joys of convenience.

So don't push a warm breakfast aside! Toast yourself some bread, a bagel or a muffin. Toss some bacon and/or an egg in the microwave and there you have it. No excuses not to break the fast and opt for that donut!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

I love pizza. LOVE it. But I cannot eat it as often as I want because it "costs" way too many calories. So I have tried various ways to substitute my cravings with fit foods. Sure, you could go grab a Lean Cuisine BBQ Chicken Pizza for 340 calories (which is mostly dough and has tiny pieces of chicken) or you could make your own.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

1 Mission brand Flour Tortilla (or any other tortilla for 90 calories)

1 1/2 tbsp. BBQ sauce (choose your favorite, just keep it 30 calories or less per tbsp.)

2 oz. rotisserie chicken (you can use those precooked chicken strips too)

2 tbsp. chopped red onion

1/2 oz. shredded part skim Mozzarella cheese

310 calories

Take 1 tbsp. of BBQ sauce and spread in the center of the tortilla like you would tomato sauce. Add strips of chicken and onion, then top with cheese. Using a toaster oven or the broiler heat until cheese is melted and tortilla is desired crispness. 

This pizza is about the same size as a Lean Cuisine, but it has more protein and more toppings for less calories. Plus, you made it!

Talkin' bout Barbecue...

A friend was telling me that the best way to make pulled pork was in a Crock pot, slow cooked on low all day, using a fatty cut of pork like the Boston butt and using root beer as a cooking liquid. Being experimental and always calorie conscious I decided to try it with a leaner cut of meat.

PULLED PORK TENDERLOIN

1 lb. pork tenderloin

1 can of diet Root beer (I prefer A&W)

Slow cook for about 5 1/2 to 6 hours on low.

That's it! Super simple. Add your barbecue sauce when it's done and cook for another 10 minutes or so. If you prefer, add your barbecue sauce at the table. Serve with homemade cole slaw and turnip greens.

(I have no pictures because I gobbled it up before I remembered to take a shot!)

3 oz. cooked meat = 122 calories, 3g fat, 22g protein

TURNIP GREENS AND BEANS

1 pkg. frozen turnip greens

1 can, drained, pinto beans

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 beef, chicken, or vegetable bouillon cubes

1/2 - 1 tbsp. crushed red pepper

1 cup water

Bring water to boil in a large pot. Add in your bouillon, garlic and onion. Cook through for 2 minutes or until bouillon dissolves. Add in frozen greens and beans. Let simmer on medium 25-30 minutes. Stir every ten minutes or so and add a little additional liquid if necessary. 

Total calories: 415

Makes about 5 cups - 83 calories each

Of course, the appropriate Southern bread to serve with this meal is corn bread. However, it can be a little calorie expensive. I have made due with Thomas' Toast - R- Cakes Corn Muffins. Are they as good as a freshly baked, savory, dense piece of corn bread? No. Will they satisfy your craving? They might do the job. 

100 calories a pop.

Or, for 40 calories more you could have a 2"x2" square of Marie Callender's Corn Bread mix. I am not sure I have the self restraint to make a batch of corn bread and not devour the entire pan, so I opt for Toast R Cakes. 

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