Healthy Recipes to help you lose weight and keep in shape!

Serves 2

8 oz. of chicken breast (no antibiotics added)

Cajun seasoning to taste

1 bag of organic Romaine lettuce

¼ cup of Parmesan cheese

½ cup or more depending on taste of a light Caesar dressing

½ cup of croutons (optional)

Cut fat off chicken breasts and slice into bite-size pieces. Sprinkle heavily with Cajun seasoning. Spray a skillet with vegetable spray and sauté chicken until done about 10 minutes over medium-high heat. Fill a bowl with Romaine, add Parmesan cheese, and enough light Caesar dressing to coat. Add hot chicken and if you want, croutons. One of the healthy recipes for you to enjoy!

Hey seafood lovers in Portland and beyond. Let's make a Swordfish Marinade

2 TB of light in sodium soy sauce

2 TB of orange juice

½ tsp. of lemon juice

1 TB of olive oil

1 TB of ketchup

½ tsps of oregano

1 clove of garlic, minced 

1 TB of parsley

¼ tsp of pepper

Put all the ingredients in a large zip lock bag and shake to mix well. Place the fish in the bag and marinate 1-3 hours in the refrigerator turning over ½ way through. Place tinfoil on a broiler pan and broil the fish 8 mins. on each side or 10 mins. on each side on a 350 degree grill. Serve with your favorite mashed or riced veggies.  Healthy recipes for you to enjoy. Bon appétit!

Serves 6   

3 skinless chicken breasts with any fat trimmed off

2, 15 oz. cans of petite, no salt added diced tomatoes w/ green peppers and onions

2, 15 oz. cans of low sodium black beans rinsed and drained

1, 8 oz. can of no salt added tomato sauce

1 cup of salsa, whatever kind you like

Place the chicken breasts in the crock-pot and cover with the remaining ingredients. If you like spicy food, add 1 small can of green chilies. Cook for 6 hours on low. Shred the chicken and add a cup and a half to each bowl. Add a dollop of reduced fat sour cream and a pinch of reduced fat, shredded cheddar cheese to each bowl. Easy-to-make healthy recipes for you to enjoy!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

2 cups of red enchilada sauce

One 15 oz. can of pure pumpkin

One 15 oz. can of reduced-sodium black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup of frozen corn kernels

1 cup of finely chopped onion

3 cups of low sodium or no sodium chicken broth

1 lb. of raw, boneless, skinless chicken with no antibiotics added

Optional toppings: reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese, light sour cream, sliced avocado, fresh cilantro

Combine all the ingredients, except the chicken and toppings, in your crock-pot. Mix until uniform. Cut any fat off of the chicken and add to the crock-pot. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low 7-8 hours until the chicken is fully cooked. Transfer the chicken to a large bowl and shred it with two forks. Add the chicken back to the crock-pot and mix well. Fabulous! Part of my healthy recipes that are easy to make. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

6 oz. of uncooked multigrain linguine or spaghetti (I like Barilla Protein Plus) broken in half

½ lb. of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese

2-3 TB of Land ‘O Lakes Whipped butter

1 clove of garlic, minced

½ tsp. of seafood seasoning

¼ cup of finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Cook linguine according to package directions, omitting the salt and oil - about 7 mins. or until al dente. Add shrimp; cook 3-4 mins. or until shrimp are pink and opaque. Drain. Transfer to a medium size bowl.

Add cheese, whipped butter, garlic, and seafood seasoning. Toss gently to coat. Add parsley, if you like. Makes 4 one-cup servings. Fantastic!

It's summer, that means a quick and easy grill recipe is a must! 

This recipe is one of my family's favorites and it serves 4. 

Soak wooden skewers in water for about 20 minutes to prevent burning. Spray your grill with a cooking spray and preheat your grill to about 400 degrees.

Cut 1 ½ lbs. of fresh chicken into good-sized chunks and season with a tablespoon of fajita seasoning mix. This “rub” will help prevent HCAs from forming. (See my June blog post!)

Cut a red pepper, a green pepper, and a medium size onion into 1-inch strips. Thread the chicken and veggies onto 4 skewers, tightly packing the pieces together. Grill the kebabs for about 5 minutes with the grill cover closed. After 5 minutes, open the grill cover and turn the kebabs, grilling for an additional 13 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Season with a lime wedge and serve over brown rice or farro with a green salad. Delicious!

 Here’s a healthy recipe that’s fast and easy:

Preheat your broiler. In a large zip-lock plastic bag combine the following ingredients:

1/3 cup of Italian-style bread crumbs

1 TB of grated Parmesan cheese

1 TB of minced parsley

¼ tsp. of smoked paprika

¼ tsp. of black pepper

For 2 people I use 12 large scallops. If you buy frozen scallops, purchase only those that have been caught off the coast of the U.S. Thaw, if frozen, in a bowl of ice water for about 15 minutes. Dry the scallops and spritz them generously with olive oil. (I use an olive oil spritzer from Williams-Sonoma.) Add the scallops to the bag, seal well, and shake to coat. When well-coated, place the scallops on a broiling pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Broil 10 minutes or until done. Serve immediately with a lemon wedge, a baked sweet potato, and a green salad. Delicious!

This quick and easy chicken recipe is low in calories, just 223 per serving, and high in protein, 26 grams. This serves 4, but you can easily double it for 8 people.

Ingredients:

1 TB of olive oil

½ tsp. of dried thyme

¼ tsp. of black pepper

½ tsp. of Kosher salt

1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 Tb of orange juice

3 Tbs of rice wine vinegar

2 Tbs of honey

In a glass dish, mix the oil, thyme, salt, and pepper as a marinade. Place the chicken flat on a cutting board, remove any fat and slice the breasts into small pieces. Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to coat. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 15 mins.

Preheat a nonstick skillet to moderate heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray and then add the chicken once the pan is hot. Cook the chicken until it is firm and no longer pink. ( About 5 mins.)

While the chicken is cooking, place the vinegar and honey in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the mixture is reduced by half. Add the orange juice, stir, and remove from the heat. Divide the chicken onto plates and pour the sauce over the meat. Serve with quinoa, farro, or brown rice and a green salad. Delicious!

Ingredients:

1 lb. of haddock or tilapia

1 egg

2 TB of skim milk

Breading:

½ cup of Parmesan cheese, grated

1 TB of flour

½ tsp. of paprika (I like smoked paprika for more flavor)

¼ tsp. of Kosher salt 

1/8 tsp. of ground pepper

Beat the egg and the milk in a shallow bowl and set aside. In a plastic freezer bag, combine the breading ingredients and shake well. Dip the fish fillets in the egg mixture and shake off the excess. Place in the breading bag. Shake to cover both sides of the fish. Bake, uncovered, on a baking sheet lined with heavy duty tin foil for 25 mins. or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Serves 2-4 depending on how much fish you desire. Delicious with roasted veggies and a lemon wedge.  Bon Appétit !

November is the perfect time to make a Turkey Pumpkin Chili for lunch or dinner. I made this delicious recipe last weekend. Then I froze 5 more servings in glass bowls to have for lunches during this chilly month. I’m glad I did. Here are the ingredients:

1 large, yellow onion diced small, about 2 cups

1 medium bell pepper diced (I used a yellow organic pepper and washed it well)

¾ tsp. of garlic powder

1 1/3  lbs. of 93 % lean ground turkey

One 15-ounce can of low sodium cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

One 28-ounce can of petite diced tomatoes no salt added with the liquid

One 14-ounce can of pumpkin puree

¼ cup of tomato paste, no salt added

1 cup of low-sodium or no sodium chicken broth

2 TBs of chili powder

1 TB of cocoa powder

1 TB of pumpkin pie spice or 1 ½ tsps. of cinnamon (I used pumpkin pie spice)

2 ½ tsps. of ground cumin

½ tsp. of ground pepper

1 tsp. of kosher salt (see my Sept. blog on why I prefer Kosher salt)

4 cups of baby organic spinach leaves already washed (optional)

Liberally coat the bottom of a large pot (like the kind you’d use to cook spaghetti) with Pam spray and warm it over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally for about 7 minutes, or until the onion is soft.

Add the garlic powder and stir together until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add the ground turkey. Use a spatula to break up the turkey as it cooks.

Continue cooking about 6-7 minutes until fully cooked. Then add the beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, pumpkin puree, chicken broth, chili powder, cocoa powder, cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice, cumin, black pepper, salt, and an optional ½ tsp. of cayenne powder.

Stir well. Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Right before serving, add the optional spinach and mix throughout.

Top with either 0% fat Greek yogurt, low-fat sour cream, salsa, reduced fat cheddar cheese, or avocado slices. Makes six 1 ½ cup servings and freezes well.

Enjoy! Lisa