Leggo that 'Eggo'!

 Whole Wheat and Oat Toaster Waffles

These waffles are great for a quick and healthy breakfast. 

They are low in sugar and fat, high in fiber, and ready with the push of a toaster button!  

Ingredients:

4 1/2 tsp white vinegar

~1 cup fat free milk

1/2 cup oats

2 egg whites

1 tbsp canola oil

2 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda



 1.  Pour the vinegar into a measuring cup and add the fat free milk until the liquid reaches 1 cup.  Stir and set aside for 10 minutes.  The milk will begin to thicken and curdle, creating fat free buttermilk!

2.  After letting the milk rest for 10 minutes pour into a medium sized bowl and add the oats.  Stir and let sit for 15 - 20 minutes to allow the oats to soften.  

3.  Beat the egg whites and oil into the oats and milk and mix well.  Add the sugar, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and flour.  Stir just until moistened, do not over mix!

4.  Lightly spray a waffle iron with spray and ladle on the waffle batter.  Cook until golden and crisp.  Let waffles cool completely on wire racks.  This is very important to their quality when frozen.

5.  Place waffles in a plastic freezer bag with pieces of parchment or wax paper in between and freeze.  When your ready to eat, just pop 2 waffles into the toaster until warmed through and crisp!

2 Waffles counts as 1 carbohydrate choice! Enjoy!



Homestyle Healthy

Italian Turkey Meatloaf

This Italian style meatloaf comes out moist and flavorful, and is unbelievably low in fat!

Ingredients:

1 medium onion

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in olive oil

3 garlic cloves

1/4 tsp chicken bouillon

4 tbsp hot water

2.5 lbs lean ground turkey

3/4 cup bread crumbs

3/4 cup marinara sauce

1 1/2 tbsp dried basil

1 1/2 tbsp dried parsley

4-6 tbsp marinara sauce 

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F.  Add chicken bouillon and hot water to a skillet on medium high heat.  Stir to dissolve.  Add garlic, onion and sun dried tomatoes.  Saute until onions become soft and translucent.  Remove pan from heat to cool and set aside.  

2.  In a large bowl combine turkey, bread crumbs, marinara, basil, parsley, and onion mixture.  Mix with your hands! (That's the best way to incorporate the ingredients)

3.  Divide mixture in half and form into ungreased loaf pans.  Spoon remaining marinara sauce on top of loaves.

4.  Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes until firm to the touch.  Remove loaves with a spatula to drain the fat left in the pan.  I served our meatloaf with roasted cauliflower and an Italian style salad.  Each slice of meatloaf (3oz) counts as 1 serving of protein! Enjoy!

Leftover meatloaf made awesome meatloaf sandwiches the next day for lunch!

No-Muffin-Top Muffins

Pear and Oat Muffins

Ingredients:

3/4 cup pear nectar

1/4 cup apple sauce

2 egg whites

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp grated lemon peel

1 large pear, chopped

2 cups whole wheat flour

2/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup oats

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

Topping - optional

          *We used a sprinkle of low fat granola to top each muffin before baking, because that is what we had on hand.  You can use whatever you like or nothing at all!

1.  Pre-heat oven to 350 F.  Mix together first 7 "wet" ingredients in a small bowl.  Combine next 6 "dry" ingredients in large bowl.  Mix dry ingredients well and slowly add wet ingredients, stirring until moistened.  Batter will be thick! 

2.  Line a muffin pan with paper liners and evenly divide batter among the 12 cups.  If you have a topping for the muffins this would be the time to sprinkle it on top.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until tooth pick comes out clean. Cool and Enjoy!

   

 Each muffin counts as one carb.

*Due to the very little fat used in this recipe the muffins tend to stick to the paper liners slightly more than a normal muffin, but they taste delicious and are guilt free so we can deal with that!



Go Greek!

Tangerine Honey Frozen Greek Yogurt

Craving something sweet? This tangy frozen yogurt is a healthy and satisfying alternative to traditional frozen desserts packed with sugar and fat! It also provides a healthy serving of dairy into a balanced diet.

Ingredients:

Fat Free Greek Yogurt - 17.6 oz container

1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

2 Tbsp Honey

4 small tangerines (cuties)

1.  Peel and separate tangerine sections.  Chop into small pieces, it will be very juicy! Mix tangerine pieces with juices and honey in a small bowl and set aside. 

3.  Mix yogurt and lemon juice in a small bowl until texture is smooth and creamy.  Smooth the surface of the yogurt to create a flat top  Pour tangerine honey mixture on the top of the yogurt.  

4. With a spatula, gently fold the tangerines into the yogurt.  Do not mix! You want to create swirls of the tangerine honey mixture throughout the yogurt, not stir it in.

5.  Cover yogurt with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 hours.  Scoop and Serve!



*Note: Yogurt does not freeze well after 4 hours.  It will form ice crystals and loose its creamy texture.  You can keep unfrozen yogurt mixture in the refrigerator for up to a week.  



Nutriente e' Delizioso

Italian Pasta with Sausage and Peppers

Ingredients:

1 box whole wheat pasta (made with no eggs)

5 Chicken Italian Sausages (mild or hot)

1 medium white onion

1 red bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp chicken bouillon

1 1/2 cups hot water 

1.  Heat a large skillet on medium high heat with cooking spray and add sausages.  When sausages begin to brown, add a small amount of water to the pan deglaze.  Continue turning sausages to brown on each side until cooked through, adding water as needed and scraping the skillet to create a layer of brown liquid.  Remove sausages and set aside.



2.  Add garlic to the deglazing liquid left in the pan and stir for 1 minute.  Add the peppers and onion and stir to coat.  While vegetables are cooking, cook whole wheat pasta according to box directions. Cut sausages into slices.  When vegetables begin to soften, add tomatoes, sausages, basil, thyme, and pepper. 



3.  Mix the chicken bouillon into the hot water to dissolve.  Add to the vegetable sausage mixture and stir to combine.  Let mixture simmer for 10 minutes.  

To Serve: 1 cup of pasta with 1 1/2 cup pepper and sausage mixture poured on top.  Count as 1 carb, 1 vegetable, 1 protein.  Enjoy! 

Feelin' Chili??

When winter finally came to California we wanted to be able to enjoy some hearty comfort food! With a few low fat cooking techniques and recipe modifications I made this flavorful and healthy Turkey Chili that was even kid approved!

Ingredients:

2lb lean ground turkey mean

1 green bell pepper 

1 small white onion

1 bulb new garlic (or 2 cloves of garlic)

1 can kidney beans

1 can black eyed peas

1 can of tomato sauce (low sodium)

1 can diced green chilis

1 jar of tomatoes and juice (we had some homemade but 2 cans will work) 

2 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 Tbsp Garlic Powder

1/2 Tbsp Ground Cumin

1/2 tsp All Spice

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1/2 tsp Salt

For Garnish:

Fat Free Greek Yogurt

Reduced Fat Shredded Cheese

Chopped Green Onions  

(serves 6)

1. Spray a large skillet over medium high heat with cooking spray and add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and turkey.  Cook until turkey is just browned and vegetables have softened, 5-7 mins.

  

2. Combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chilis, turkey mixture, beans, and spices in a crock pot on low heat.  

3. Stir occasionally.  I allowed the chili to cook on low for 4 hours or so.  If you had more or less time you can adjust the temperature accordingly.  Also, if you would rather not use a crock pot you could use a large pot on the stove on medium low.  Since the turkey is already cooked, you are just allowing the flavors to develop.  

4. To serve, spoon a dollop of the Greek yogurt on top with a sprinkle of cheese and green onions.   

This nearly effortless dish will cost you 2 proteins, 1 carb, 1 veggie, and 1 dairy for 2 cups of chili! Enjoy :)