Barbie's WLS recipes

Veggie Pizza Frittata

2011-06-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

I had a bajillion eggs in my fridge. I wanted to make something simple. I had also gotten turkey pepperoni with coupons the other day. An my delicious concoction was born lol.

1 pepper, seeded and chopped
1 onions, diced
8 ounces of mushrooms, sliced
1 zucchini, diced
3-4 ounces turkey pepperoni
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 grated Parmesan cheese
10 eggs
salt, pepper and italian seasoning to taste

In a large pan sautee all the veggies with a little bit of non stick cooking spray. Season veggies with salt and pepper. Remove veggies when they are still somewhat firm. Add them to a glass 8x8 baking dish. Put pepperoni on top. In a separate bowl mix together eggs, cheeses and italian seasoning. Pour over veggies and pepperoni. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 35-40 minutes, or until set completely. This was honestly SO good. I am eating it for lunch right now.

Wish I had a better picture, we have 3 cameras in our house and all of their batteries are dead lol.

Ground Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2011-05-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know. I've been a slacker! But I have a very good reason, she's a one year old, her name is Sage, she just started walking. You get the picture!

This comes to you in my effort to liven up tacos! These are delicious, in fact I am making them tonight for the third time.

1lb ground chicken or ground turkey
2 white onions, chopped
2 bell pepper, chopped
8 ounces sliced mushrooms
1 medium zucchini
salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin powder and garlic powder- all to taste
1 jar of your favorite salsa
1 head of lettuce
cheddar cheese for topping

In a large skillet, brown ground chicken. Season to taste with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin and garlic powder. Cook until not longer pink. Remove from pan and set aside on a dish. Add all the veggies into the pan. Cook until soft. Add chicken back in. Add whole jar of salsa and mix. Keep on low heat for 10 minutes. Spoon into lettuce leaves and top with cheese. So good.

Pecan Crusted Chicken Salad

2011-03-24T17:28:00.000-07:00

This is a TGI Friday's knock off. It is my favorite salad to get there but it's 12 dollars for once salad! I easily made 4 servings for the same price.

12 ounces romaine lettuce (2 salad size bags)
1 egg
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 ounces pecans, chopped fine
dash cayenne powder, chili powder, salt, pepper and garlic powder

For the salad toppings

1/2 cup balsamic or raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing tossed into the lettuce
4 ounces chopped pecans
4 ounces crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup craisn's (dried cranberries)
4 ounces madarin oranges

Dip the chicken breasts into the beaten egg. On the other plate put chopped pecans, salt and pepper, cayenne, chili powder and garlic powder. Dip chicken in pecan mixture. In a medium hot pan brown chicken on both sides, then pop into a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes. Let cool. Cut into slices and refrigerated.

Mix all of the dressing and salad toppings into the lettuce. Add cold chicken on top. This is so good! Serves 4

Turkey Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

2011-02-28T14:49:00.000-08:00

There is some deliciousness going on in my house tonight. I adapted this recipe from a recipe I saw on Paula Deen's cooking show, and we know she is not, well... WLS friendly. So here it is!

1 lb lean ground beef OR ground turkey
6 slices low fat bacon OR turkey bacon
1 cup low fat shredded cheddar cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon of each, salt, pepper, garlic powder and chili powder
a few squirts of ketchup and mustard, plus ketchup for the top

Cook bacon completely (I did mine in the oven). Chop bacon into pieces. Add all ingredients together until fully combined. Top with ketchup. Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes. This is so good!

PS. sorry about the lack of picture on this one. My camera died this morning and I am out of batteries!!!

Cheesey Quinoa Veggie Salad

2011-02-18T14:52:00.000-08:00

I really love quinoa. If you are not familiar with it, here is a link to this "super food." I have a friend coming over and wanted to serve something different with my lentil soup.

1 and 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup quinoa, red or white rinsed first
1/2 diced white onion
1 diced green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups spinach
sharp cheddar
salt and pepper
Rinse quinoa. In a medium sauce pan that is sprayed with cooking spray, sautee onions, peppers and garlic for 5-10 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Add in chicken broth, quinoa and spinach. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until soft. Place in serving bowl, and grate about 1/4 cup of sharp cheddar into quinoa and stir. Let quinoa cool to room temp. Garnish with cheese and enjoy.

Roast pork loin with Gorgonzola cream sauce

2011-01-28T16:11:00.000-08:00

This sounds really fattening. But it's surprisingly not. The best thing about eating well is figuring out different ways to make delicious things good for you. I made this up on a whim tonight, I had a coupon for 1.75 off a pack or Gorgonzola, hence this recipe.

1 lb pork loin (or larger, just adjust cooking time)
salt and pepper
1-2 Tablespoons honey mustard

for the sauce

1 6 ounce package Gorgonzola cheese
1 Tablespoon non fat milk
2 Tablespoons chicken broth
1 Tablespoon flour
1/2 a Tablespoon butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Salt and pepper pork loin then cover with honey mustard. Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes. While the pork is roasting, in a pan on low melt butter. Add in milk, broth and flour and mix for 2-3 minutes. Add in cheese. Stir for 7-8 minutes on low, cheese will melt ans sauce will thicken. Take out pork, let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and pour sauce over the pork. Serve immediately. We loved this, definite winner!

Chicken with 40 cloves...

2011-01-28T16:02:00.000-08:00

Or 25, whatever you have on hand. I did this in the crock pot and it was easy and phenomenal! Couldn't be easier (or tastier).

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 3-4 lbs chicken drumsticks or thighs (bone in)
2 white onions, sliced
25-40 cloves peeled garlic, left whole
1 teaspoon each salt and pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
2 tablespoons chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried parsley

In the crock pot put onions on bottom of pot. Then place chicken, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle in paprika, and add garlic cloves and chicken broth. Top with parsley. Cook for 6-7 hours on low. This gets super brothy and delicious. The garlic and onion give a light nutty flavor, this was SO good. Will make again.

Italian Veggie Stew

2011-01-18T18:52:00.000-08:00

I was watching food network yesterday. Our heater was broken and I was waiting for the electrician, it was super cold in the house and I saw Rachael Ray making this stew. I was freezing and it looked awesome. This is technically my recipe, being added and subtracted ingredients to make it WLS friendly. I made this tonight, my "I'm not picky, as long as it's meat" husband ate 2 bowls. I consider it a success

about 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 onions, sliced
2 large parsnips OR carrots, peeled and chopped (the original recipe called for potatoes)
1 eggplant, chopped
1 zucchini, chopped
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
Salt and pepper
1 (28-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 cup stock, chicken or vegetable
1 teaspoon dried basil, rosemary, and parsley each

Heat a medium soup pot over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, bay, chopped garlic and onions and let them sweat out while you prepare the rest of the veggies. Drop in this order: parsnips/carrots, eggplant, zucchini, and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper after you add each ingredient, cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and add tomatoes and stock and herbs and cook 15 minutes more, to heat through. Add parm cheese on top. This is soooo good with so little calories and fill you up. Add as a side to your protein!

Teriyaki chicken lettuce wraps

2011-01-18T18:35:00.001-08:00

I went out with my girl friend for sushi (yes, without the baby and the daddy!) and we split a appetizer. We chose teriyaki lettuce wraps, and omg they were delicious! I decided to recreate them the next night and they were nearly identical, and very easy.

1 lb chicken breasts, chopped in small pieces prior to cooking
sesame oil, about a tablespoon
salt and pepper, enough to coat the chicken
1 can of water chest nuts, finely chopped
1/2 a white onion finely chopped
1-2 chopped scallions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 a teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 a cup of kikkomon teritaki glaze
1 Tablespoon peanut butter (optional gives a Thai taste to the dish)
1 head of iceburg lettuce

Heat a pan to medium/high with the sesame oil in it. Salt and pepper the chicken and add to hot pan. Stir the chicken around the pan for 3-4 minutes then add in chopped water chestnuts, onion and scallion. Sautee until the chicken is completely cooked and onions are translucent. Turn the heat down to low. Add in garlic, red pepper flakes, glaze and peanut butter. Stir around enough to coat the chicken mixture and melt the peanut butter. Pull the big leaves off the head of lettuce, place the chicken in the lettuce leaf and enjoy.

O and if you want to know what to do with the extra 1 or 2 leaves of lettuce, see below.

Goat Cheese and Pistachio Crusted Chicken

2010-12-09T16:19:00.000-08:00

Ok so I totally jacked this from the food network. I saw this on Robin Millers show and it looked friggin awesome. So I decided to make it, I just changed the nuts.

1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
Honey mustard
4 oz goat cheese
1/2 cup chopped pistachios

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Then brush the chicken with honey mustard. Spread the goat cheese on top and press the pistachios on to the goat cheese. Cover the chicken with foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or longer until center is no longer pink. This was SO good. I want to make it again tomorrow lol!

Mexican Chicken Stew

2010-11-12T15:15:00.000-08:00

I adapted this from a recipe I saw on the food network. This soup was so delicious, there is a few different elements that make this so different.

3 cups cooked chicken, I used leftovers
4 cups chicken broth or stock
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 can 28 ounce chopped tomatoes, with juice
1 small can chopped jalapenos with juice
1 Tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin powder
a few dashes Worcestershire sauce
juice of one lime
1 cup cooked quinoa (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
fresh cilantro for garnish

In a large pot add olive oil, heat on medium. Add onions and garlic, a little bit of salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add in broth, tomatoes, jalapenos, oregano, cumin, Worcestershire, lime and chicken. Bring to simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes. Traditionally Mexican stews contain rice. I added quinoa. Here is a tutorial on quinoa-http://www.howtocookquinoa.com/ how to cook it and what it is (it's a complete protein that is also a grain!).

Chicken, bacon and avocado salad

2010-11-04T14:15:00.000-07:00

I found some really good avocados yesterday. I made baby food with some. And I used the other today. This is more of a summary recipe but I would eat it in all seasons. It was delicious.

1 lb chicken breasts, salt and peppered
1 hass avocado, cubed
5 slices bacon, very crispy (I used the oven)
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1 clove chopped garlic
a dash of lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Grill chicken until fully cooked on medium in a skillet with cooking spray. Place on a plate until cool enough to chop into cubes. Cook bacon until crispy, I cooked it in the over on 400 for 20 minutes. Let cool. Chop avocado, tomato and garlic, place in a bowl. Chop chicken and bacon, add to bowl. Mix. Add in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. I served over a bed of spinach.

Crock Pot Orange Chinese Beef

2010-10-28T12:40:00.000-07:00

I am a little addicted to my crock pot. I think I need a support group. In my travels today I found an Aldi food store, and I'll admit I was a little overly excited! I've been wanting Chinese food so bad today, even though at this point with my weight loss I can eat it, it's so greasy I really don't want to. I picked up some thin sliced sirloin so I decided to make some Chinese at home. You can also totally make this as a stir fry in a pan.

1 lb thin slices sirloin cut into strips
1 Tbsp sesame oil (you can use whatever you have, I used sesame for the Chinese theme)
1 teaspoon ginger powder
2 green bell peppers, chopped
2 small white onions, chopped
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 Tablespoons chopped garlic

Heat oil up in a pan. Salt and pepper your steak and brown it up in the pan. Add your chopped onions, peppers, and garlic in the crock pot on low. Add steak in. Add in ginger powder, teriyaki sauce, OJ, and soy sauce. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. This was soooo delicious!

Crock pot fajita pork chops

2010-10-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

As a new momma I am in love with any easy and delicious crock pot recipes. I sort of invented this one. It's yummy and different

6 thin sliced pork chops
1 jar picante salsa
1 package fajita seasoning mix
1/2 cup water
2-3 small white onions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
salt, pepper and chili powder to taste
cheese and sour cream for a garnish

Brown the pork chops in a skillet with salt and pepper. Place a single layer of pork chops on the bottom of the crock. Put the chopped onions and garlic on top. Sprinkle with the fajita mix and chili powder. Pour 1/2 cup water over top. Then pour the entire jar of salsa over top. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Top with cheddar and sour cream, will be making this again.

My moms homemade chicken soup

2010-10-05T13:19:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to lie, this soup requires a little bit of effort. It is SO worth it. The smell of this soup making me think of childhood. I love making it. It makes a lot, you will have a lot of left overs.

1 whole chicken, 5-6 lbs (giblets removed)
1 lb carrots, peeled
1 lb parsnips, peeled
1 lb turnips, peeled
2-3 celery stalks
1/2 a large white onion
2-3 cloves finely chopped garlic
a handful of fresh dill (must be fresh)
2 bay leaves (remove before eating)
salt and pepper to taste, I use a lot of pepper
3 chicken bullion cubes
a large soup pot
enough water to cover chicken and veggies
Parmesan cheese for the top of the soup, this is pretty much a must

Add chicken and peeled veggies, herbs, bullion and spices to a large pot. Add water to cover all ingredients. Bring to boil, then turn down to medium simmer. Simmer for 1-2 hours or until chicken is cooked and falling apart. Take chicken and whole veggies out of the pot and let cool, but keep the liquid simmering. Take skin off chicken, then pick all the meat off of the chicken (told you this took a little effort), add chicken back to the pot. Chop of veggies, add back to the pot. Cook on low for an additional 3-4 hours. I usually make this one day, refrigerate and reheat the next day. You must must must add parm cheese on top. No excuses! Enjoy!!

Crock Pot Italian Wedding Soup

2010-10-01T14:35:00.000-07:00

I am Italian and have never had a really decent Italian wedding soup unless it was homemade. Usually it has noddles in them, but you really don't need them, and really with this recipe you wont need them.

for the little meatballs

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 Tablespoon parsley
a pinch of red pepper flakes
salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste

Mix together in a bowl. Roll into little meatballs (about a 1/2 an inch). Place on foil lined baking sheet and bake at 400 for 15 minutes.

In the crock pot add 8 cups of chicken broth. Add in--

1 chopped white onion
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1 small zucchini chopped
1 box frozen chopped spinach
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
1 Roma tomato seeded and chopped
a pinch of salt
teaspoon black pepper

When the meatballs are done add them to the crock pot. Simmer on low for 6 hours or high for 3-4 hours. About 30 minutes before eating, mix together 1 egg with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Mix together and swirl into soup. This soup is SO yummy.

Crock pot "brown sugar" chicken

2010-09-28T13:35:00.000-07:00

I got the inspiration for this recipe from the "crock pot lady." Of course she didn't have WLS and doesn't have to watch her sugar intake. This was delicious and very different.

1 lb chicken breasts or thighs
2 cups frozen peppers and onions
1 cup brown sugar Splenda
1/4 cup diet sprite
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
6 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
black pepper

Place chicken on the bottom of the crock pot. Put onions, peppers, garlic and black pepper on top of that. Add Splenda, sprite, vinegar and soy sauce. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours. This is very yummy!!

Asian crock pot pork chops

2010-09-20T13:46:00.000-07:00

These are seriously delicious. I ate 2 of these they were so good. Not to mention easy!

6 pork chops 1/2 inch thick (browned in pan with salt and pepper)
1 onion sliced thin
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup brown sugar splenda
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1 Tablespoon chinese 5 spice
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon black pepper

Brown up pork chops in a pan seasoned with salt and pepper. Place the pork chops on the bottom of the crock pot. Place onion and garlic on top of that. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Pour over top of pork and onions. Cook on low for 5 hours. These will be falling apart when they are done. They are SO good.

Veal meatballs in home made marinara

2010-09-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

I had a random pound of ground veal I needed to use up. I had made meatloaf, burgers and chili this passed week. I decided to make meatballs and I had no desire to go out and buy additional meat. So I made just veal meatballs and my goodness they were delicious!

1 lb ground veal
1 egg
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon each salt, pepper and dried oregano

Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Form one inch balls. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. These were so freakin good. And the great thing about veal is per pound contains less calories and half the fat of lean ground beef. Serve with your favorite sauce, or use my homemade simple marinara recipe.

In a sauce pan heat 2 Tablespoons chopped garlic with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add in 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes. Mix in 1 jar tomato paste, 1/4 cup fresh basil and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Simmer on low for an hour. Mix in meatballs. Eat, enjoy, repeat.

Mediterranean Chicken Stir fry

2010-08-07T16:19:00.000-07:00

My husband said this is the best thing I've ever made. I liked it too. The picture is not so good, but believe me this is delicious.

1 lb chicken breasts, sliced thin seasoned on both sides with salt, pepper and dried rosemary
1 pint grape tomatoes-halved
1 jar marinated artichoke hearts
1 lb sliced white mushrooms
2 Tbsp capers
1 Tbsp chopped garlic
2 cups fresh spinach or arugula
1/4 cup Italian dressing
1/2 cup feta cheese
salt, pepper and olive oil cooking spray

In a large pan saute chicken breasts for 5-7 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and set on a plate, re-spray with cooking spray and add tomatoes, artichokes, mushrooms, capers and garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. You want to stir fry these veggies in essence. Cook until veggies are softened.

Then take the spinach or which ever you are using and toss with Italian dressing. Place this on your dish first. Add chicken next, then put veggies on top. Top with feta cheese. I will be making this again very soon.

Bacon, mushroom and cheese stuffed chicken breasts

2010-07-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

A creation of mine with some left over chicken breasts. It is so good. A stuffed chicken breast with very little carbs.

1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, butterflied
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 container sliced mushrooms, which ever kind you like
6 slices pre-cooked bacon, chopped up
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1 cup Italian parmesean dressing, divided
salt and pepper to taste

Butterfly the chicken breasts. Mix together cheese, mushrooms, bacon, garlic, salt, pepper and half a cup dressing. Stuff chicken breasts with mixture. Pour remaining dressing over chicken. If there is any stuffing left over spread over top of chicken. Bake on 375 for 20-25 minutes.

Spicy Summer Sausage Stew

2010-07-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

I am in a soup mood. I swore off soup after my liquid diet almost 3 years ago, but it really is one of my favorite foods. I got some spicy sausage after moving into my new place yesterday. If you're kinda bored of sausage peppers and onions, this is a great recipe for you.

1lb hot Italian sausage
2 cups chicken broth
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
1/2 chopped zucchini
1/2 chopped yellow squash
1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup red onion, diced fine
2 bell peppers, chopped fine
2 Tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Brown sausage in a skillet with a little cooking spray. Add sausage to crock pot. Add the remaining ingredients to the crock pot. Cook for 6-8 hours on low. This is spicy and super delicious! You can also do this in a large soup pot and simmer for 1-2 hours.

Garden Meatloaf

2010-06-28T14:44:00.000-07:00

I love meatloaf, and I love trying to make it different each time. My inspiration came to me when a zucchini in my garden was ready for picking. So I added a ton of herbs and veggies from the garden and the result was a very fresh, yummy meatloaf.

2 lbs ground beef, turkey or chicken
1 sweet pepper, chopped
1 small zucchini, chopped
1/2 a white onion chopped
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 green onions, chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh basil, parsley, oregano and chives chopped
2 eggs
1/2-3/4 cups Italian breadcrumbs (depending on texture)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup tomato sauce or ketchup, plus some for the top

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cook for 25-30 minutes. You can be really versatile with the veggies you throw in here. This came out really moist and the veggies were perfectly cooked!

Spinach Pesto Chicken

2010-06-22T17:07:00.000-07:00

My garden is overflowing with basil. My husband picked some and we had two huge bunches wrapped up plastic wrap. I've never made pesto before, but I've eaten it on sandwiches and such. As I was blending up the basil, I remembered we had spinach in the fridge. Thus, spinach pesto was born.

2 cups packed basil
1 cup packed spinach
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (pine nuts are expensive, you can use em, but walnuts taste the same)
1 lb thin sliced chicken, salt and pepper

In a food processor or blender put basil, spinach, garlic, cheese and walnuts. Pulse and mix in olive oil while blending. Saute chicken with salt and pepper in large skillet. Remove chicken and spoon pesto over chicken. Since my whole family eats pasta, I mixed the pesto up in the pasta and put the chicken on top. You can eliminate the pasta completely. This would be awesome with shrimp too.

Citrus Cole Slaw

2010-06-04T15:48:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I am back on the weight loss band wagon! I am 5 weeks post pardum and 25lbs down from the 40 I gained! I seem to be at a stall right now, but I'm working on it day by day.

This recipe is something I've made in the passed and decided to make it for my cousins graduation party tomorrow. This is an awesome recipe for all the BBQ's and parties this summer. I have mayonnaise, always have. This is a mayo free cole slaw that is SO good.

1 bag cole slaw mix from super market
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon splenda or another sweetener
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon lime juice
The juice of one whole orange
1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

Add all the ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Refrigerate over night and serve.

Introducing...

2010-06-04T15:32:00.000-07:00

Sage Heather Kunkelman into the world!

Born April 25, 2010 (her due date!)

6lbs 6oz 20 inches long at 9:31pm

She is 5 weeks old now and is an awesome baby! Already sleeping through the night!

Crock Pot Beef and Mushroom Stew

2010-04-16T14:28:00.000-07:00

OK this baby is cooking longer than I thought she would be. I am due in 7 days, and I'm still cooking. I felt like beef stew tonight, not sure why. I just threw a bunch of things together and it's pretty darn good!!

1-2 lbs beef pieces, I used stir fry strips

2 Tablespoons chopped garlic

1/4 cup flour

1 14 ounce can beef broth

6 ounces tomato paste

1 can diced Italian style tomatoes, undrained

16 ounces assorted and chopped mushrooms

1 can whole white potatoes, drained

2 cans sliced carrots, drained

1 box frozen green beans

5-6 springs fresh thyme

1 cup water

salt and pepper to taste

Salt and pepper beef. In a skillet on medium high heat brown beef. Towards the end of the browning, add in chopped garlic and the flour. Turn off heat and mix together. Put in crock pot. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours, or low for 6-8 hours. I served this over wheat egg noodles.

Peach Salsa Chicken

2010-04-12T17:10:00.000-07:00

I think this may be my last recipe before the baby comes. I've been having LOTS of contractions today and yesterday. If the baby's born tomorrow, it will be my hubby b-day too!! I've been on a peach thing recently, I cannot wait for peach season in Jersey. Thus this recipe was born.

1-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 Tablespoon olive oil
16 ounces diced peaches, drained from can juices

2 plum tomatoes, diced

2 small jalapenos, diced and de-seeded

1 small white onion, diced

2 cloves garlic chopped

zest and juice of 1 lime

2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro and 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
salt and pepper to taste on chicken and in salsa

Preheat oven to 375. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breast and place on a baking dish. In a bowl add all the remaining ingredients for the salsa. Mix together and season with salt and pepper. Pour evenly over chicken and back for 20-30 minutes depending on how thick your chicken is. We liked this a lot! I served it with brown rice and broccoli. Enjoy!

Crunchy Roasted Chick Peas

2010-04-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

Are you down for some guilt free snacking? Here's the easiest, high protein snack around. And it's very versatile.

Canned chick peas, drained well and dried

olive oil

spices, any you prefer. I used salt, pepper, chili powder and cumin powder. Feel free to add any spices you like, and exclude ones you don't. I bet dried dressing mix would be good here too. You can also make these sweet by adding splenda and cinnamon or some honey. Be creative.

Preheat over to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet drizzle with olive oil and any spices you prefer. Mix well. Bake for 40 minutes, but mix chick peas up every 10 minutes. Be careful, some will pop like popcorn in the oven. After baking let cool for about 10 minutes to get crunchy. I do not like the taste of chick peas normally, but these are crunchy and delicious.

Bruchetta Tilapia

2010-04-08T19:57:00.000-07:00

I made this dish for my moms 42nd birthday tonight, it was a hit! My inspiration was the bruchetta I normally make for parties and my moms love of seafood. Thus the bruchetta tilapia was born

2 pints grape tomatoes

2 Tablespoons chopped garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

salt, pepper, oregano and basil

2 lbs tilapia

lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl mix together tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, and salt, pepper, oregano and basil to taste. Mix well and dump on the bottom of a baking dish. Lay the tialpia on top of the tomatoes and squirt with lemon juice, drizzle with a little more balsamic vinegar and season top of fish with more salt and pepper and spices. Bake for about 10 minutes or until fish is cooked. This dish turned out so yummy, make sure you scoop up a lot of the tomatoes with the fish, they are delicious!

Thai Curry Lentil Soup

2010-04-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

I love lentils and I've been in the mood for a summery soup. The weather is sooo nice I decided I did not want to slave over a pot for hours, so I will let my crock pot do half the work.

2 can lentils, drained well

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

2 cups chicken broth or I used College Inn culinary Thai coconut curry broth http://www.collegeinn.com/products/culinary-thai-curry.aspx

2 Tablespoons minced garlic

1 medium onion diced fine

2 small zucchini's chopped fine

1 1/2 cups shredded carrots

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 teaspoon dried parsley

salt and pepper to taste

cooking spray

Add the first 4 ingredients in the crock pot on high. Then in a large pot over medium heat sprayed with cooking spray, soften onion, carrots and zucchini. Add salt and pepper to the veggies. Cook for about 15-20 minutes. Add to crock pot. Add spices. Cook for an hour and a half on high heat. Just before eating take a cup or 2 of the mixture and blend it up and add it back to the crock pot for a thicker broth. Top with greek yogurt or sour cream! *Hint, if you do not want to cook all of the veggies you can throw all the ingredient in the crock for 8 hours on low.* Enjoy!

Pepper Steak and Veggies

2010-03-24T16:23:00.000-07:00

I'm at a loss for what to call this. It's really good. It's sort of a mix between pepper steak and stir fry. Everyone loved it. Please adjust the amount of beef for the size of your family. I used about 3 and a half pounds of beef, but you can use more or less.

2-3 lbs stir fry steak cut into strips

3 bell peppers cut into thin strips

1 large white onion cut into strips

3 cloves garlic chopped

1 large zucchini cut into pieces

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 small can tomato paste

1 can beef broth

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons corn starch

salt, pepper and cooking spray

Spray a large pan with cooking spray. Salt and pepper steak and brown the steak pieces. Remove from pan and move to a large pot or crock pot set on low. Saute garlic in pan then add into pot with steak. Add chopped onions and peppers to the skillet with some more cooking spray. Cook until softened then add into pot with steak. Quickly saute zucchini in pan with cooking spray and then add to pot. In the pot add in beef broth, soy sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and corn starch to thicken. Cover and let cook for 1-2 hours. Enjoy over quinoa or brown rice.

Buffalo Chicken Cheeseburgers

2010-03-20T20:41:00.000-07:00

Warning: These are delicious! They are so easy and a perfect recipe in time for summer! I made these for non WLS folks today and people raved about them.

1 lb ground chicken

4 slices cooked bacon, chopped

4 oz crumbled blue cheese

1 Tablespoon chili powder

For the sauce

2 Tablespoons buffalo wing sauce, I used Frank's ( add more or less for desired heat)

1/2 cup ketchup

Mix chicken, bacon, blue cheese and chili powder together. Form into 1/2 inch thick patties. I got 5 out of a pound. Cook on grill, broiler or on the stove top. We grilled ours. Make sure you cook them through because it is chicken and not beef. For the sauce mix the hot sauce and ketchup. This combo is awesome. Enjoy!!

Coconut Lemon Tilapia

2010-03-17T16:46:00.000-07:00

Woo Hoo the weather is getting so nice!! New Jersey had a record amount of snow this year with a nor eastern and 3 blizzards. It was so awesome to see it in the 70's today! This inspired me to make a delicious seafood dish. Tilapia was on sale. I walked through other random aisles and came up with this recipe.

2 lbs tilapia or any other white flakey fish

1 can coconut milk, unsweetened

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

1 Tablespoon lemon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 lb carrots, sliced and chopped

1 bag frozen sugar snap peas

1 lb chopped mushrooms

In a large baking dish add tilapia in one layer. In a separate bowl mix together coconut milk, lemon juice, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and parsley. Dump mixture over fish. Marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator, flipping once at 30 minutes. After the hour remove fish from pan. Add in all the veggies and mix them up in the marinade. Place fish on top of veggies. Sprinkle the top with additional salt, pepper and parsley. Bake in a 350 degree over for 25-30 minutes.

This is SO good. My 12 year old brother ate it. He does not eat anything not battered and fried. And he liked it!

Mexican Meat Loaf

2010-03-10T14:35:00.001-08:00

I love meatloaf and mexican food. I made this once before but I made some modifications. This meatloaf is so moist and yummy!!

2 lbs lean ground beef or ground turkey

2 eggs

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup salsa, your favorite kind (plus some for top)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar or shredded mexican cheese

1/2 a can black beans, drained

1 small can corn, drained

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 Tablespoon cumin powder

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon oregano

a few grinds of black pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Mix all ingredients in large bowl and mix well. Form loaf. Use extra salsa and spread on top after loaf is formed. Place on foil lined baking sheet and cook for an hour.

Crock Pot Broccoli and Cheese Soup

2010-02-10T16:03:00.000-08:00

It is a cold, snowy winter this season. New Jersey has never seen this much snow in one winter. In fact this is the 3rd blizzard we've had in 3 months. So while I was snowed in today I decided to make some broccoli and cheese soup. It was so easy! Next time I think I'm going to add some shredded carrots in too.

3 cans cheddar cheese condensed soup

3 cans fat free evaporated milk

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 tablespoons Mrs. dash original seasoning

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

32 oz frozen broccoli

shredded sharp cheddar for topping after soup is cooked

Add all ingredients in the crock pot, except the shredded cheddar. Mix and cook on low for about 5-6 hours. About a half an hour before you want to eat it, take half the soup, put it in the blender and blend until the broccoli is liquidy and then dump it back in crock pot, this makes it creamier. Or you can use an immersion blender in the crock pot. Top with shredded cheese. This makes about 5 servings. Enjoy!

Sausage and Cheese Balls

2010-02-07T17:02:00.000-08:00

Ok I'll admit it, it's Superbowl Sunday and I'm sitting here watching Titanic on TBS. I do not get football. But that doesn't stop us from having tons of yummy food around. I found this recipe on a Bisquick website, that I modified to make much more WLS friendly. These are absolutely delicious!

2 cups Reduced Fat All Purpose Bisquick mix

1 lb hot Italian sausage, casing removed

4 cups low fat sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons dried parsley

a few grinds black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients together. Roll into 1 inch meatballs and place on a foil lined, baking dish (spray the baking dish with cooking spray, or they will stick). Bake for 20-25 minutes. These make a lot depending on how big you make them. You can dip in mustard, chili sauce or whatever you have on hand, but I think they're great plain! I plan on making these again for appetizers for my baby shower, and no one even knows they're low fat.

Honey and Oatmeal Cookies

2010-02-01T18:29:00.001-08:00

Desserts do not have to be completely off limits when you have weight loss surgery. You should always follow your surgeons guidelines, however there are times when you want something special. I made these cookies for my mother-in-law who is diabetic and she loved them. They are pretty healthy and made with splenda and honey.

6 Tablespoons room temp butter

1/2 cup brown sugar Splenda

1/4 cup honey

2 eggs

1 cup wheat flour

2 Tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3 cups oats

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

any add in's you would like, I used 1/2 a cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips, but you can use chopped nuts, dried fruit whatever you like

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together honey, brown sugar Splenda, butter, eggs, water and vanilla. Add in flour, salt, baking soda, oats, cinnamon and what ever else you add in. Mix well, I used my hands. Put on foil or parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes. Makes a little over 2 dozen cookies. These are soft and delicious!

Orange Cumin Chicken

2010-01-21T12:50:00.001-08:00

I know I do a lot of chicken recipes. This is basically because I love chicken. I know many post ops have a hard time with it. I couldn't eat chicken for a whole year. The chicken recipes I put up are super moist and easy going down, so give the chicken another try. This one is very different and delicious! It was so moist, it broke apart like fish. This would also be a perfect glaze for fish. We just got home from Florida and brought home a ton of oranges, thus my inspiration!

1-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (depending on how many people you are serving)

1 cup Tropicana 50 (or any other low sugar OJ)

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons crushed garlic

2 Tablespoons dried parsley

1 Tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon cumin powder

a pinch of salt and pepper

1 whole orange, sliced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Layer chicken in a baking dish. Add all the additional ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour glaze over chicken and cover with plastic wrap. You can marinade over night or just for an hour, it really doesn't matter because the glaze is so good. Leave the chicken in the baking dish with the glaze. Slice up whole orange and lay a slice on top of each piece of chicken. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Enjoy!

Eggplant Chili

2010-01-19T13:22:00.000-08:00

Don't be afraid to add veggies into a traditional chili. We had a leftover eggplant from eggplant parm my mom made last night, and I didn't want it to go to waste. I used a basic chili recipe and adapted and tasted until I made a really good flavor. This looks like a lot of ingredients, but it's really not, just a bunch of spices at the end.

2lbs ground beef

1 medium onion

2 Tablespoons minced garlic

1 large eggplant peeled and cubed

1 can diced or stewed tomatoes

1 26 ounce jar pasta sauce

1/4 cup water (add to empty sauce jar and shake up then dump in)

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 Tablespoon all purpose flour

2 Tablespoons chili powder

2 Tablespoons cumin powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon splenda

1 teaspoon dried parsley and oregano

In a large pot on medium heat brown beef, onions and diced garlic. Cook until meat is fully cooked. Drain off any extra fat. Add in all of the additional ingredients. Stir. Set heat to low and cook for 2 and a half hours with the pot covered. Serve in a bowl with cheddar cheese and sour cream. I never made this before, it was really delicious and fresh tasting!

New Year, New You!

2010-01-19T13:06:00.000-08:00

Hello all my blogger/WLS friends! Time for a new year!! A lot has been happening in my life where I was not cooking as much as I wanted to be. For one, my husband and I moved from our apartment to my parents house, so for about a month I was kitchen less/food less during the transition, we were eating out way more than I wanted to. Now there is a kitchen struggle with my mom, we both cook, so we alternate cooking days. It's working well now, just had to get into the swing of things, it's just hard when I have been living and cooking on my own for 4 years.

I graduated from Georgian Court University with my Bachelors of the Arts in Psychology with a concentration in health and human resources, and a minor in Spanish. Took 4 and a half years, but feels great to achieve such an accomplishment. Not to mention, I had both my Gastric Bypass and Gall Bladder removal while I was a full time student.

My husband and I are expecting a baby GIRL in April of this year, which is the main reason we moved back home, there was room for us and the baby, and I'm going to need help! LOL. We are absolutely thrilled, this is such an exciting time!

Finally I am struggling with gaining this baby weight. I know I am pregnant, but it makes me feel terrible that I have gained about 20lbs. I am almost 7 months pregnant with no gestational diabetes and perfect blood pressure, so no none of my Dr.'s are even slightly concerned with the weight gain. It's more of a mental thing for me, my clothes not fitting is driving me crazy but I am still eating super healthy with the occasional craving here and there. I know once the baby is born I CAN and WILL lose the weight. My WLS has given me hope I can do it!

So I say it's about time for some new recipes!! Eggplant chili coming tonight!!

Happy New Year everyone!

Just an Update!

2009-11-17T09:59:00.000-08:00

I haven't forgotten about the blog, I am in the hideous process of moving, AH I hate moving!! Anyway all my pots and pans are packed and we've been eating out almost every night... eww! I will post a new recipe most likely at the end of November!

Creamy Lemon Wheat Pasta and Chicken

2009-10-28T13:38:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe I saw on Paula Deans show. I adapted it though, you know how she loves her cream and butter. My husband loved this, and even took it for lunch the next day to work.

1 lb chicken breast or tenders

lemon pepper

salt

cooking spray

2 shallots, chopped fine

2 Tablespoons chopped garlic

1/2 cup zucchini, chopped fine

1 16oz carton Low Fat sour cream

2 Tablespoons skim milk

the zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 Tablespoon dried parsley

1 lb whole wheat thin spaghetti

Cook spaghetti in a pot of salted water.

Heat large skillet on medium heat with cooking spray. Season chicken with lemon pepper and salt. Heat until cooked through. Remove chicken onto a plate. Respray pan and add shallots, zucchini and garlic. Cook until soft. Turn heat to LOW. Add in sour cream, skim milk, lemon juice and zest, parm cheese, about 2 teaspoons lemon pepper and parsley. Stir on low for about 5 minutes, or until everything is heated and Incorporated. Drain pasta and add the cooked spaghetti to the sauce and mix well. Add chicken on top and serve hot. This is so good and it make a lot.

Tofu Parmesan

2009-10-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

Do not be afraid of tofu, it's our friend! Tofu is packed with protein, and the great thing about it is, it will adopt any flavor you add to it. Even my husband ate this up, and took the leftovers for lunch!

1 lb firm tofu, I used trader joes

2 eggs

1 cup Italian style bread crumbs

marinara sauce

mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 375. Cut the block of tofu into 4 one inch thick pieces. Dip each piece in egg, then into the bread crumbs. Put on baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes. Flip the tofu over and cook for another 15 minutes. Then add the marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese on top, enough to cover it. Bake for another 15 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Enjoy. This does not taste like tofu at all, its very good!

Wheat Pasta and Spinach Bake

2009-10-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

I needed a side dish for my tofu parm, and I love wheat pasta. I just used random stuff I had at home and it turned out very good!

1 box whole wheat rotini

1 cup fresh baby spinach

1 15oz container of ricotta cheese

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup marinara sauce

2 cups mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375. Boil pasta according to the box in salted water. Drain pasta. Add the remainder of the ingredients (except mozzarella) in a baking dish, mix well. Cover the top of the noodles with mozzarella and bake for 20 minutes. This is delicious!

Golden Lentil Soup- Crock Pot Edition

2009-10-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

Soup's on! It's getting chilly here in New Jersey, actually at night it's down right cold! There is a restaurant near me called Atlanta Bread Company, and they have the most amazing Golden Lentil Soup. I've been all over every website looking for a copycat recipe. In fact, Atlanta Bread website doesn't even have the ingredients on their website. So I tried to replicate it. It is a vegetarian dish, but lentils are loaded with protein.

4 cups chicken broth (or veggie broth for the vegetarian)
2 cups hot water
1lb dry lentils
1 regular sized yellow onion chopped fine
2 cups chopped and peeled carrots, chopped fine
3 whole cloves garlic, peeled
1 cup canned, diced tomatoes
1 Tablespoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon saffron (or saffron powder)
1 teaspoon cayenne powder
salt and black pepper to taste

This really couldn't be any easier. Rinse and pick through lentils. Add lentils, chicken broth and hot water to the crock pot. Chop onion and carrots small and add. Peel garlic, keep them whole, but smash them with the flat side of a knife. Add the garlic, they will melt right into the soup. Add in diced tomatoes. Add cumin, saffron, cayenne and salt and pepper. Stir. Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4-5 hours. About an hour before you want to eat, take about 1/4 of the soup, add to a blender or magic bullet and liquify. Add back into the soup. This makes it thicker and yummier lol. You can also use an immersion blender for the last part. This is sooo delicious, and good for all stages of post op!

Juicy Roast Chicken

2009-10-10T21:45:00.000-07:00

I was always afraid to roast a whole roast chicken. There are always horror stories about super dried out chickens that are inedible. This one is NOT one of those. I know a lot of post ops have problems with chicken. I couldn't eat chicken for a year without discomfort. You will not have a problem with the moistness of this chicken. The white meat was even extremely moist.

1 whole 4-5 lb chicken

olive oil

lemon pepper

salt

dried rosemary

1 onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350. Remove insides from the chicken. Wash chicken. Cut lemon in half and squeeze lemon all over chicken. Rub the cavity and entire chicken with olive oil, salt and lemon pepper. Be generous. Stuff chicken with chopped onions, garlic cloves and the lemon. Then, under the skin where the breasts are rub olive oil and dried rosemary. Roast in oven for 2 hours or until popper comes up. I never enjoyed roast chicken as much as I did last night.

Chicken Cacciatore

2009-10-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

This recipe is great for using up your leftovers. I didn't have to buy anything for this dish, as I had everything on hand. This is so easy and delicious.

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into strips

flour

cooking spray

salt and pepper

1 large yellow onion, cut into strips

6 ounces mushrooms cut into pieces

2 Tablespoons chopped garlic

1 16 ounce can tomato sauce

1/4 cup of water

1 Tablespoon of each: fresh Basil, Oregano and Parsley, chopped into small pieces

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Heat a large skillet. Coat chicken strips with flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Spray skillet with cooking spray and brown chicken on all sides, approx 5 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate, respray, and add in onions on medium heat. Salt and pepper them. Cook for 5 minutes, lower heat to medium low and add in mushrooms and garlic. Stir for 1 minute then add in tomato sauce, 1/4 water, spices and red pepper flakes. Cover and simmer on low for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over wheat pasta, or plain. This is very good, I ate a good amount of it!

Chicken Mango Sausage, Peppers and Onions

2009-09-30T16:45:00.000-07:00

My husband has now declared this is his NEW favorite dinner. I love going to trader Joe's and getting these ingredients, but you can pretty much get them anywhere. This is a fruity twist on traditional S,P&O's.

1 package chicken mango sausages, cut into bite sized pieces (I used trader Joe's, but you can get chicken sausage pretty much anywhere)

1 large yellow onion chopped into thin strips

2 bell peppers, I used red and yellow, cut into thin strips

1/2 cup frozen mangos (or you can use one fresh mango)

1 Tablespoon chopped garlic

2 Tablespoons mango salsa (you can find this is the Mexican foods section or dressing aisle in a jar)

2 Tablespoons mango juice (I used Goya)

salt and pepper to taste

cooking spray

Spray a large skillet and set on medium high heat. Add in frozen mango and cook for about 3 minutes. Then respray and add in onions and peppers. Salt and pepper and cook for 15-20 minutes until softened, but not mushy. Add in sausage and cook for about 5-10 more minutes. Add in garlic, mango salsa and mango juice, and cook just long enough to thicken the sauce. Serve over quinoa or brown rice. This is seriously delicious!

My Momma's Meatballs- WLS modified!

2009-09-29T07:37:00.000-07:00

Some days I just want some yummy Italian meatballs! My mom makes these every Christmas with baked ziti. I love 'em plain!

1 lb lean ground beef (or meatball mix if you have it)

1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 eggs (scrambled)

2 pieces of bread soaked in milk

2 Tablespoons fresh basil

2 Tablespoons fresh oregano

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley

2 Tablespoons garlic powder

8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl add all the ingredients, except the mozzarella cheese. Make sure all the spices are chopped fine. For the bread, soak 2 pieces in a bowl of milk, before adding the bread, squeeze out excess milk and tear into little pieces (Just a side note, if you have cats, please watch this bowl at all times or else you will enter your kitchen to find your fat cat drinking out of your bread bowl.) Mix everything together, your hands work best for this. Form meatballs into about an inch round ball. Chop the mozzarella cheese and stick a piece into the middle of each ball, making sure the meat covers the cheese completely. Arrange on lightly oiled baking sheet.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Or until completely cooked through. Add to sauce and enjoy!

Carb Conscious Calzones

2009-09-10T13:37:00.000-07:00

I recently rediscovered a recipe my mom used to make us when we were little. I never knew it was "healthy" for us. These little calzones are so delicious and easy.

8 Large whole wheat tortillas

3 cups part skim milk ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 Parmesan cheese

6 slices ham lunch meat, chopped into pieces

1 medium tomato, cubed

salt and pepper

8 pieces tin foil

tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, chopped up ham and tomato, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix well. To stuff calzones take a piece of foil, then place one tortilla on top. Add in about 1/2 a cup of ricotta mixture, and wrap up tortilla like a burrito, then tightly wrap foil around the calzone and place on baking sheet. Continue to do this with all 8. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve with tomato sauce for dipping!

Apple Pork Chops

2009-09-10T13:14:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get bored of pork. I wanted to spice up some pork chops the other day. And thus, a delicious, easy recipe for pork chops.

1 lb boneless, skinless thin pork chops

cooking spray

1 medium jar cinnamon applesauce, sweetened with splenda (Note. I used real sugar applesauce because I am pregnant and artificial sweeteners are not good for pregnancy)

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon nutmeg

salt, pepper and chili powder

Preheat oven to 350. Salt, pepper and sprinkle pork chops with chili powder (this will not make it spicy, but it will make it a little smokey, it's very good.) Spray large skillet with cooking spray, heat on medium high heat and brown chops for 2-3 minutes on each side. In a casserole dish add applesauce, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix. Then add pork chops and cover each with applesauce. Bake for about 20 minutes.

Crustless Taco Pie

2009-09-08T17:28:00.000-07:00

I adapted this recipe from my mom, who used to make a similar pie, but with pie crust and a few other differences. My hubby loved this. It was excellent!

1 large whole wheat tortilla

1 lb lean ground beef or ground turkey (I used turkey)

1 pkg taco seasoning

3 cups LF cheddar cheese

1 large jar salsa

1 cup crushed whole wheat tortilla chips

LF sour cream

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare ground beef with taco seasoning as per envelope instructions. Place wheat tortilla in the bottom of a pie pan. Layer in 1/2 of the taco meat, then 1/2 of salsa, and 1 cups cheese. Then repeat with meat, salsa then on the top sprinkle chips and top with remaining cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream and cheese on top. This is very tasty and full of protein!

Ratatouille Casserole

2009-09-02T15:46:00.000-07:00

Ratatouille sounds like something we never want to make, let alone eat. I have been trying to venture out of my poultry comfort zone. This recipe is very good, and different. I got a huge eggplant and zucchini at a farmers market, and wanted to do something different, thus this recipe.

1 eggplant, peeled and chopped in cubes

1 zucchini, also peeled and chopped in cubes

boiling water and salt

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 Tablespoons chopped garlic

1 carton chopped mushrooms

4 tomatoes, chopped and skin and seeds removed

2 green peppers, chopped

1 small can tomato paste

1 block firm tofu, cubed

2 Tablespoons fresh Basil, chopped

2 Tablespoons fresh Oregeno, chopped

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 275*. Peel and chop eggplant and zucchini, and boil for 10 minutes in salted water. Remove from water and set aside. In a large skillet spray with cooking spray and add in diced onions and peppers. Cook for about 10 minutes, add in mushrooms, tomatoes and tomato paste, cook for another 5 minutes and stir together well. At the very end of the cooking add in garlic and mix well. Put mixture into a casserole dish, and add in eggplant and zucchini, basil, oregeno, tofu and some more salt and pepper and mix. On top sprinkle on panko bread crumbs and some dried parsley if desired. Bake at 275 for 1 1/2 hours. This tastes so fresh and delicious, and a good recipe to try if you want to try tofu!

Guess what's baking at barbie's house???

2009-09-02T12:16:00.000-07:00

A baby!! That's right, my husband and I are pregnant with our first baby!!!

New recipes coming tonight, sorry for the delay!!!

Vegetable Fritters

2009-08-12T17:27:00.000-07:00

These veggie fritters are soo yummy! They are a good alternative to plain vegetable sides.

2 zucchini, grated and drained

2 large carrots, peeled and grated

1/2 sweet onion, grated

3 cloves garlic, grated

2 eggs

1/2 cup bisquick

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup mozzarella cheese

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley

ground black pepper

Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grate all vegetables in magic bullet, or food processor, make sure to drain zucchini. Add all ingredients together (except cooking spray) in a bowl and mix well. Line 2 baking sheets with tin foil. Spray well with cooking spray. Spoon 6 onto each baking sheet and spread out with spoon. Bake for 25-30 minutes. These are delicious with sour cream!!

Crock Pot Honey BBQ Shredded Chicken

2009-08-12T16:08:00.000-07:00

I love using the crock pot for meals. Especially when I have lots of frozen chicken on hand. This can be made as sandwiches for all the bread eaters in your house, but I just eat it on top of veggies, or by itself.

2lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 bottle SF bbq sauce, plus 1 cup for later

2 Tablespoons water

2 Tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (divided)

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro

Add chicken, whole bottle BBQ sauce, water, honey, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic and cilantro. Mix and cook on low for about 6 hours. At 6 hours, the sauce will be liquid. Remove chicken and dump liquid. Add chicken back to the pot, turn setting on to "keep warm" and add 1 cup of BBQ sauce and 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Shred chicken. Eat! This is a new favorite of ours!

BBQ Chicken Wheat Pizza

2009-08-06T13:17:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we just want pizza. I have enjoyed tortilla pizzas many times. As I was searching in Trader Joe's one day I found 99 cent wheat pizza dough. I bought 3 and threw them in the freezer. I had extra BBQ sauce from my turkey legs, so I decided to make something different.

1 bag wheat pizza dough (let it sit at room temp for 20 minutes before using)

3/4 of a bottle of SF BBQ sauce

2 chicken breasts

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 large viadalia onion, sliced thin

2 cups LF cheddar cheese

2-3 Tablespoons of fresh cilantro

flour to dust the dough

Preheat oven to 450. Flour a baking sheet and add dough. Stretch out into a rectangle. In a pan cook chicken until no longer pink, then add to a pot, with 2-3 tablespoons of BBQ sauce and chili powder. Cook for about 5 minutes and shred with a fork and tongs. Add cooking spray to a pan and add onions until caramelized.

Add remaining BBQ sauce on top of dough and spread out like sauce. Add cheese, chicken, onions and cilantro. Cook for about 10 minutes. Holy moly this was soooo good. I am going to make it again soon!

Smokin' Turkey Legs

2009-08-06T13:06:00.000-07:00

I was trying to recreate the Disney World style turkey legs. These are awesome, but I do not have a smoker, so it did lack that intense smokey flavor, but these were full of ton of flavor.

1 (2 liter) bottle of diet ginger ale

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon lime juice

2 packets splenda

2 Tablespoons hot sauce

1 Tablespoon red pepper flakes

1 large vadalia onion, sliced thick

4 large turkey legs

2 Tablespoons SF BBQ sauce

poultry seasoning

Add first 8 ingredients to a large pot. Boil turkey for about 30-40 minutes, or until internal temp is 180. Preheat broiler to 400 degrees. Remove turkey and take out onions. Lay onions on a baking sheet, and lay turkey legs on top. Add BBQ sauce and poultry seasoning to both sides of the turkey leg. Broil for 15 minutes, then turn legs, and broil for another 15 minutes.

These ingredients sound weird together, but this is a very different and flavorful dish.

Mac and Cheese Style Green Beans

2009-08-06T12:54:00.000-07:00

I miss mac and cheese. I never eat it anymore unless I get a random urge to mac a little bit with wheat pasta. These green beans remind me of yummy, creamy mac and cheese, without the carbs. It's a great side with any meal!

3 cups frozen green beans, boiled for 10 minutes in salter water

1 cup low fat cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons skim milk

1 teaspoon butter

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

salt and pepper

Boil green beans and drain. Return the beans to the pot and mix in milk and butter, mix for a minute. Add in cheese, a dash of salt and pepper and the cayenne. Mix until the cheese is melted, and enjoy. This was so yummy! Next time I might add the finished beans to a casserole dish, top with cheese and breadcrumbs and baked like baked mac and cheese.

Risotto Style Barley

2009-07-28T16:07:00.000-07:00

I bought a huge bag of barley from an Asian food market last week. I went to make it and all the directions were in Japanese! So I searched on the Internet a little and found out how to cook the stuff. Barley is high in Vitamin B6, Thiamin, Niacin, Riboflavin and Folate. One cup cooked is about 190 calories and 10 grams of protein. I can eat about a half a cup with dinner. *Note 1 cup dry makes 3 cups cooked*

1 cup regular barley (not pearl barley) drained with cold water

3 cups low sodium chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine (you can leave this out, but it makes the flavor awesome)

1 Tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4-1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup frozen vegetable of your choice (I used frozen peas, but this would be really good with cup up mushrooms, asparagus, or peppers.

Add first 5 ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil. After you get a rolling boil, turn the heat down to medium-low heat, and cover with a lid, stirring occasionally for 30-35 minutes. The barley will be done when all the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and add in parm cheese and frozen vegetables. The heat from the barley will melt the cheese and heat up the vegetables. This is so yummy and tastes like a fancy risotto at a nice restaurant.

Italian Roasted Red Pepper Broccoli

2009-07-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

I love roasting vegetables. It brings out a nice toasty flavor. This recipe is so simple, cheesey and a little spicy.

1 head of broccoli

2-3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

3 Tablespoons parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to coat

Preheat oven to 375. Cut up the broccoli into little florets. Pour olive oil over broccoli, then sprinkle cheese, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper. Toss all together with tongs. Roast on 375 for 15 minutes. This is delicious!

Italian Meatloaf (very moist)

2009-07-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a delicious, moist, flavorful meat loaf, you have found it. It is so easy. So good for leftovers too.

1lb ground turkey or lean ground beef (I used turkey)

1/2 cup italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 egg

2 Tablespoons tomato paste (or ketchup)

2 Tablespoons garlic powder

2 Tablespoons each fresh basil, parsley and oregano. (Or 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasonings)

1 slice of wheat or whole grain bread soaked for 5 minutes in water or skim milk, broken up (I used water)

Ketchup for the top of the meatloaf

Preheat oven to 375. Mix all the ingredients together except the ketchup for the topping. Put in loaf pan or place on a baking sheet shaped into a loaf shape and brush a few tablespoons of ketchup on top. Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes. Enjoy.

Sausage, Peppers and Sweet Onions

2009-07-18T15:45:00.000-07:00

I like to experiment with the different ways to make this dish. I make a really good version with mango's, but I couldn't find good ones at the store. This is a great dish with minimal preparation.

1lb chicken sausage, cut into half inch pieces (I used al fresco garlic chicken sausage, but I usually use trader joes mango chicken sausages.)

2 peppers, one red or orange, sliced thin

1 large vadalia onion, sliced thin

1/4 cup fresh chopped basil

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

1 Tablespoon chopped garlic

1 cup tomato sauce

salt and pepper

cooking spray

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add sausage and brown. Add in peppers and onions, salt and pepper and cook until the veggies are soft, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn down heat and add in basil, parsley and garlic. Saute for about 2 minutes. Then add in tomato sauce and stir til heated through. Serve with wheat pasta or brown rice, or by itself!

Chinese "Lo Mein" with Chicken Meat Balls

2009-07-15T13:17:00.002-07:00

If you're like me, you used to eat Chinese food a lot. But it's expensive, greasy and NOT good for us. This recipe was adapted from a recipe I saw on Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals, but it looked like it could be made into a bariatric meal, no problem. Do not be intimidated by the ingredient list. This whole thing only cost me 10 dollars for all the ingredients. I had about half of them at home. This is easy to make, and very good.

1lb whole wheat spaghetti (This time I used America's Choice Plus spaghetti. It had more protein, fiber and less calories than the wheat. This is a knock off version of the barilla plus, but I'm cheap.)

1 lb ground chicken, turkey or pork (I used chicken)

1 egg

2 cups panko bread crumbs (I found these in the Chinese food aisle, 1.19 a box)

1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice, plus a pinch to put in the spaghetti (also found in the Chinese food aisle, it was 2.19 for a jar, pretty cheap)

8 green onions, 2 finely chopped for the meat balls, the rest chopped regular for stir fry. (these are in season right now, I got a bunch for 50 cents)

2 tablespoons soy sauce for meat balls, plus 1/2 a cup for stir fry

1 box frozen sugar snap peas

1 red bell pepper, seeds and membrane removed, cut in thin strips

1 teaspoon ginger powder

1-2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 large bag spinach, remove the big stems, and rip apart coarsely

2 Tablespoons teriyaki sauce

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

3 Tablespoons sesame seeds

salt and pepper

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375. Boil a pot of water and add spaghetti and a little salt to the water. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Place chicken, turkey or pork in a mixing bowl. Add the egg to the bowl. Add panko bread crumbs, a pinch of salt and pepper, five-spice powder, 2 chopped scallions and 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Mix the meat balls thoroughly. Form 1 1/2-inch balls and spray balls with cooking spray, scatter onto a baking sheet and roast 15-20 minutes.

When the meatballs are close to done and the pasta is in, heat a large skillet over high heat with enough cooking spray to coat the bottom of the skillet. Add the sugar snap peas, red pepper, remaining cut scallions, ginger powder, a pinch more 5 spice and garlic, stir-fry 2 minutes add spinach and wilt, 1 minute. Add the remaining soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, and the sesame oil. Drain pasta, add in pasta cooking water, and pasta and toss to combine so pasta can soak up sauce, about 1 minute. Garnish with sesame seeds and top with lots of meatballs.

This is really good, and it's actually simple, even though it sounds like a lot of steps! Try it out! Warning this makes a TON!

Chinese

2009-07-15T13:17:00.001-07:00

Holy Moly Unfried Chicken Thighs

2009-07-14T19:28:00.000-07:00

I was craving some crunch for dinner. Yesterday I bought 5lbs of chicken thighs for 3 dollars (whoo hoo). Usually I would do something with the crock pot, but these thighs had the bones and skins on it. And I do not feel like deboning. So I remember my mom used to make a corn flake chicken breast, she also used to make very fattening ranch chicken breasts. I decided to combine the two and lower the fat content. These thighs are crispy and awesome. For those who have problems with chicken, especially baked chicken, seriously try these. They are soo moist, I had absolutely no problems!

6 chicken thighs, with bone in, skin removed

1/2 cup flour (I used wheat, you can use what you have)

2 table spoons chili powder

3/4 cup FF or LF ranch dressing (I used low fat)

3/4 a cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup crushed corn flakes

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon garlic powder

foiled lined baking sheet

Preheat the oven to 375. Remove the skin from your chicken thighs. You will need 3 bowls or dishes. In the first bowl add and mix the flour and chili powder. Dredge the chicken in the flour and chili powder mixture. Then dip the chicken in the ranch dressing. Add together the bread crumbs, corn flakes, parm cheese and garlic powder. Dip each chicken in bread crumb mixture. Place chicken on baking sheet. Cook for 40-45 minutes. These are soo good and crispy!

The Best Shrimp Tacos You Will Ever Eat...Ever

2009-07-08T14:13:00.000-07:00

I made these tacos last week, my husband is still talking about them. They are ceviche style which means they are very acidic (limes) and are served cold. Yum!

3 limes (the zest and juice from all three)

1 cup tomato, seeded and chopped

1 cup avocado, diced and peeled

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1 jalapeno, chopped very fine (my own addition)

1 garlic clove, chopped very fine (another addition that I added)

shredded cheddar

4-6 low carb corn tortillas, or wheat (smaller tortillas work best for this)

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. In a bowl add peeled shrimp, chili and cumin powder. Mix well. Add to skillet and cook through. Then in a bowl add all the additional ingredients, except tortillas and cheese. Cover and chill in fridge. When ready to eat, preheat oven to 350, lay out tortillas on baking sheet add some cheese and bake for 4-5 minutes until cheese is melted. Assemble and enjoy.

For the topping, buy some prepackaged cole slaw, add 2-3 teaspoons lime and lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy.

Crustless Zucchini and Bacon Quiche

2009-06-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

I love quiche, and if you haven't noticed I've been on quite a zucchini kick. This is perfect for all of us because it is crust less. And your non WLS family members will love it! My DH loved it! It actually reminds me of a Spanish tortilla (omelet). So good.

1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped fine

8 slices turkey bacon

1/2 Tablespoon butter (it needs a little bit of fat because I cut out the half and half and subbed it for skim milk)

3 cups shredded zucchini (drained well)

2 cups low fat cheddar cheese, grated

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup skim milk

2 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

black pepper

cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 350. In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the diced onion and bacon, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are clear and turkey bacon is browned. Add to bowl. Add zucchini, cheddar and mozzarella and mix well. In a separate bowl beat eggs. Then whisk in milk, parm cheese, flour, salt, nutmeg, garlic powder and pepper. Add to zucchini mixture. Pour into a well greased pie pan. Bake for about an hour or until center is set. This is phenomenal.

Wheat Zucchini Bread

2009-06-25T18:25:00.000-07:00

Who says we cannot have a healthy bread? My Dr. encourages me to eat whole wheat, low cal breads, and that's what I've made. And it is awesome. Seriously.

3 eggs

3/4 cup apple sauce made with splenda
1/4 cup vegatable oil
3 cups raw zucchini, Shredded (about 3 small-med zucchini)

1 cup splenda for baking

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup nuts, Chopped (optional, I did not use these)

2 cups whole wheat flour

Preheat oven to 350. Shred zucchini and strain in a strainer until most of the liquid is out. Beat eggs, sugar, applesauce and oil together. Mix. In a separate bowl add wheat flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, salt, vanilla, and nuts if you're using them. Add dry mixture to wet mixture. Mix. Add zucchini. Mix well. Pour into 2 medium sized, well greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. This is a great way to get your veggies in when you need a little bread!

Red, White and Blue angel food cake

2009-06-19T17:18:00.000-07:00

Couldn't think of an original name for this dessert. I used to make this pre-op but full sugar, and full fat. This is the former fatty version LOL.

1 sugar free angel food cake (I got mine at path mark for three dollars, but you can find it at most bakeries)

1 tub sugar free cool whip

1 container strawberries, washed and sliced

1 large container blueberries, or two small containers

2 tablespoons splenda or another artificial sweetener

1 teaspoon dried or fresh mint

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix chopped strawberries and blueberries in a bowl with splenda and mint. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Mix cool whip with cinnamon. Cut angel food cake horizontally. Add 1/2 of the cool whip to the bottom portion of the cake, then add half the fruit. Place top on the cake, then add rest of the cool whip and fruit. I made this for my in laws and they didn't even know it was sugar free cake.

Lemon Pepper Zucchini

2009-06-19T17:12:00.000-07:00

I love zucchini. It's an all time fave! I love it cooked on the grill, but I live in an apartment with a small balcony, so I must compromise lol.

2 lbs zucchini, chopped thick

1 lemon

2 tablespoons lemon pepper (I used Mrs. Dash lemon pepper)

salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place thick chopped zucchini on a foil lined baking sheet. Cut lemon in half and squirt the whole lemon over zucchini. Sprinkle with salt and lots of lemon pepper. Bake for 25 minutes. These are so good

Stuffed Mushroom Caps

2009-06-19T16:13:00.000-07:00

Tonight is my and my husbands 6 year anniversary (of when we started dating, not marriage anniversary.) I wanted to do something special, so I decided to make a delicious dinner, with an appetizer, which I never make. We love mushrooms. So here it is:

2 large portabello mushroom caps, stems removed

5-6 smaller portabello mushrooms, diced fine

4oz (half a package) imitation crab or lobster meat, diced fine (I used lobster)

2 strips pre cooked turkey bacon

1 teaspoon minced garlic

4 oz low fat cream cheese

2 tablespoons fresh parsley (or a teaspoon dried)

parm or cheddar cheese

paprika

salt and pepper

cooking spray

Place caps stem side up on a baking dish, but make sure stems are removed. In a large, sprayed skillet add mushrooms and lobster meat and sautee for about 2 minutes at medium heat, add in salt and pepper. Then add in chopped bacon and garlic and sautee for 2 more minutes. Turn down heat to low then add in parsley and cream cheese. Cook til cream cheese is soft and everything is mixed together well. Place mixture in caps and top with parm or cheddar cheese (I used parm) and sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes. So good.

Crock Pot Green Chicken Chili

2009-06-19T16:04:00.000-07:00

This is soo awesome. I LOVE this dish, and so does my whole family. I invented this one night when I had some odd ingredients in my house. The inspiration was from chicken chimichungas I used to eat pre-op that were amazing.

1lb thin sliced, boneless, skinless chicken breast, or tender pieces

1-2 jars salsa Verde (green tomaillo salsa) (depends on how liquidy you want it)

1 can canellini beans, drained

1 box frozen corn

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

a few sprigs fresh cilantro (optional)

cheddar and sour cream for garnish

salt and pepper

In a large skillet brown salted and peppered chicken until cooked through. Cut into bite sized pieces and add to crock pot set on low. Add in the salsa, beans, corn chili and garlic powder and cilantro. Cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3. This is amazing. A good fresh summer dish that requires little cooking.

Chocolate Silk Pie

2009-06-19T15:47:00.000-07:00

This looks and tastes sinful... but it's not. No one will EVER believe this is a low fat, low sugar, healthy dessert. I made this for a funeral lunch a week ago. No one even believed it was made with tofu!!!

1 block silken tofu

1 bag sugar free chocolate chips (I used Hershey, although I sometimes use regular semi sweet choco chips)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 prepared graham cracker crust

cocoa powder for garnish

Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, 30 seconds at a time until they are all melted. Drain tofu for a few minutes in the sink on a paper towel. Add tofu block, melted chocolate, cinnamon, honey and vanilla in a blender and blend until smooth. Add to crust. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, then sprinkle some cocoa powder on top before serving. This is amazing and I had about 10 people asking for the recipe.

Garlic Pork Loin with Garlic Asparagus

2009-06-06T14:42:00.000-07:00

The easiest things in the supermarket to cook are those pre seasoned pork roasts. I buy mine at Aldi food store for 3.99 a lb. Cooked properly they are sooo moist and good for us.

1lb pork loin, preseasoned (I used peppercorn flavored)

10 cloves peeled garlic

Remove pork from package and place on a foil lined baking sheet. Peel the garlic, and make 8-10 cuts in the pork, and add a clove in each cut. Bake on 350 for 20-25 minutes a lb. Just a hint, it is OK now to cook pork a little pink. I eat mine a tiny bit pink, it's so much moister that way. Just make sure the internal temp is 160.

I made this with roasted garlic asparagus. Get a whole bundle of asparagus. Wash. Trim the ends, and place on a foil lined baking dish. drizzle with olive oil, salt and cracked black pepper. Cut up 3 cloves of garlic and place on top of asparagus. Mix until all the asparagus is well coated. Bake on 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Crock Pot Taco Soup

2009-06-06T14:30:00.000-07:00

Even though summer is coming, this soup is good for all seasons! It's so easy, especially in the summer when you don't feel like cooking in a hot kitchen. I didn' t invent this recipe, I have seen several different recipes for this soup, but I like this one the best. It is full of protein.

1 lb ground beef, turkey or chicken. (I used chicken today but usually use turkey)

1 envelope of your favorite taco seasoning

1 envelope of dry ranch seasoning (I used McCormick)

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cans corn, undrained

2 can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 can rotel, undrained

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can pinto beans, drained

1/2 cup water (optional, if the soup is not liquidy enough for you)

sour cream and cheddar cheese for garnish (optional)

Brown meat in a large skillet. Drain fat. Add to crock pot. Add taco seasoning, ranch reasoning, chili powder and cumin to meat and stir. Add the rest of the ingredients (except cheese and sour cream) to the pot. Make sure you ONLY drain the beans, all the other cans go in with the liquid. Stir well. Cook on low for 8-9 hours, on high for about 4-5.

Super Sloppy Turkey Joes

2009-05-28T20:28:00.000-07:00

So I never really liked sloppy joes all too much. My mom used to make them with the manwich sauce (ew). But suddenly I got a craving for a tangy,yummy sloppy joe, but I did not want to use the canned sauce. So I took a few ingredients from some sloppy joe recipes online, and added my own ingredients, modified some and we have some super delicious sloppy joes for the crock pot!

2 lbs ground turkey

1 medium onion (chopped)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/4 cup ketchup

1 bell pepper, any color (chopped)

5 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup Splenda brown sugar

3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 Tablespoons yellow mustard

2 teaspoons chili powder

ground black pepper

wheat buns, wheat tortillas or whole wheat bread (to put them on) Or the meat is truly good enough by itself.

Usually a crock pot recipe will tell you to brown the meat before adding so you can drain the fat, but turkey has barley any excess fat. And I am lazy. I put the turkey in raw, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Then add all the ingredients, except the buns of course, and mix up thoroughly. Cook on high for 4-5 hours, on low for 6-8 hours. I stirred mine every couple of hours, but you don't have to. These are soooo good.

And yes I am aware I was eating my sloppy joe on a regular bun. Don't tar and feather me, I barley everrrr eat bread, but occasionally I let myself.

Easy Crock Pot Veggie Soup

2009-05-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

My husband and I are both sick, in May... What gives??? So one night I threw this together, and it is very good and low in fat and calories. Not a super amount of protein, but if you want something warm and light to fill you up, this is it.

1 can Campbell's low sodium condensed tomato soup

3 cups beef broth

1/2 cup water

1 can diced tomatoes with garlic and onions (undrained)

1 box frozen veggies (with corn, peas, greenbeans and carrots)

I also added extra frozen veggies, like 1/2 a box frozen corn and 1/2 box frozen peas

Garlic powder (a dash)

1 Tablespoon of Tabasco sauce (this changes the flavor dramatically, it's very good)

1/2 cup wheat pasta

Add all the ingredients, except the pasta, in the crock pot on low. Mix Well. Cook on low for about 4 hours, then about an hour before you want to serve, add the pasta. Cook for another hour. Eat. Yummy. I suppose you can add beans into this to make it more protein friendly. I liked it like this when I was sick.

Crock Pot Summer Chicken and Veggies

2009-05-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

I'm on a chicken kick recently. I think it's because for so long I had issues with chicken, but now I know how to cook it well so it goes down just fine, and its been on sale a lot recently LOL. You can really experiment a lot with the recipe because it's so easy and versatile.

1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used breast tenders)

1 large green squash-cut in large chunks (or zucchini, which I prefer, but there were none at the market that day)

1 large white or yellow onion-cut in large pieces

1 lb carrots-cut in bite sized pieces, I used baby carrots

1 bottle of zesty Italian dressing

Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Add all the chopped veggies on the bottom of the crock pot. Pour half the dressing on top of the veggies, add some salt, pepper and parm cheese and mix. Place the raw chicken breasts on top of the veggies, pour the remaining dressing on top of the chicken, add parm cheese on top. Turn crock pot on low for 3-4 hours, or on high for about 2 hours.

Crock Pot Turkey Chili

2009-05-22T14:28:00.000-07:00

It's been a crock pot week at my house. The weather is getting nice and I just don't feel like spending a lot of time cooking. Also, I am graduating college in December and I am taking a night course this summer (from 5-9:30) to get my GPA up some more and so I have an easy last semester. So the crock pot has been my best friend this passed week. My mom has been making this recipe for years, only with beef instead. But I kicked it up a notch with more spices! You can use lean ground beef but I prefer turkey.

1lb ground turkey (or beef)

2 24oz cans Hunt's tomato sauce (or one 40oz jar of tomato sauce, the sauce amount is not an exact science just make sure there is enough to cover the meat and beans and make sure it is NOT one of those "meat flavored" or "cheese flavored" sauces, just plain tomato sauce please)

1 can pink beans (drained)

1 can kidney beans (drained--or you can use two kidney beans, I just like the pink and red combo)

1/2 a box frozen corn (or one can drained)

1 envelope McCormick chili seasoning

1 Tablespoon chili powder

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

Add all the ingredients in the crock pot except the turkey and turn on low. Brown the turkey in a large skillet with cooking spray. Drain if there is any fat, but I usually have none. Add turkey into the crock pot, stir and that's it! Wait about 6 hours then serve with cheddar cheese and sour cream on top. This is SO good, I could eat it every day and LOADED with protein. This recipe makes a good amount, but I freeze individual portions and eat for lunch.

*Note- you can cook this on high for 2-3 hours also.

Not a good week...

2009-05-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry this week has been pretty crappy for me, just getting over a cold and found out my brand new kitty has leukemia. I do have 2 new recipes to put up with in the next day or two! So hang tight, I'm getting back into the swing of things!

Karen

French Onion Soup Chicken!

2009-05-12T17:58:00.000-07:00

OK I promise to move on to another protein soon, just trying to use up the 5lbs of chicken I bought last week! The inspiration for this dish was a trip to Atlantic City this weekend. We went to the restaurant "Contential" for dinner and my girl friends ordered "french onion soup dumplings" as an appetizer. I ate one, and holy moly it was awesome! Hence the inspiration for this chicken.

1lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, thin sliced

1 envelope onion soup mix

1 8oz package fresh mushrooms chopped

1/2 white onion, diced

cheese (I used low fat feta, but next time I think I'm going to use a few slices of provolone)

salt and pepper

cooking spray

Spray a large skillet over medium heat. Add in chopped mushrooms and onions, salt and pepper them. Cook for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place chicken breasts on a foil lined baking dish. Sprinkle each breast with about a teaspoon, or less of onion soup powder. Spoon the mushroom and onion mixture on top of each chicken breast and top with cheese. The feta was good but I wanted it more gooey, so provolone next time. Bake for 13-15 minutes in the oven on 350.

As a side I made asparagus, its so easy to do. Just wash the asparagus, cut off the ends and add olive oil, salt and pepper on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake at 350 for about 15 minutes. Yum

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

2009-05-11T21:08:00.000-07:00

This recipe I came up with one weekend while the husband was away at work. I had it two days in a row, once on a salad, once with tomato sauce on top, either way it's delish!

1 or 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts-- thin sliced

1 egg

1/2-3/4 parm cheese, grated

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

ground black pepper

cooking spray

large skillet

Heat the skillet over medium heat. Beat egg and dip chicken pieces into it, fully coat. Then mix Parmesan cheese, a few grids black pepper, parsley and basil and mix together. Coat the egg dipped chicken in the parm mixture. Spray skillet and cook chicken 3-4 minutes each side.

The taste of the crispy cheese on the outside kinda reminds me of a crispy grilled cheese sandwich. You can also use this chicken as a base for baked chicken parm. Just cook the chicken as per the directions, lay in a baking sheet, add sauce and mozzarella cheese on top and bake on 350 for 10 minutes. Be creative!

Chicken Stir Fry

2009-05-06T17:38:00.000-07:00

I love stir fry, I usually get it out of the frozen food section, but I bought 5 lbs of chicken the other day because it was on sale and I am trying to think of different ways to use it.

1lb chicken tenders cut into bite sized pieces
1 large onion chopped
1 cup carrots chopped
1 8oz package fresh mushrooms sliced
2 cups greenbeans
1 cup frozen broccoli
cooking spray
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
3/4 cup teriyaki sauce marinade
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

In a large skillet or wok (I used a skillet this time, but I have used a wok before), spray with cooking spray. Add chunks of chicken and salt and pepper them in the pan. Cook until no longer pink, take out of pan and add to plate. Add more spray and add onions and soy sauce to pan. Wait until onions are almost fully cooked and add carrots, greenbeans and broccoli. Cook until everything is soft but still tender. Add mushrooms and garlic. When everything is soft add the chicken back in and add the teriyaki sauce and sesame seeds. Let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring every so often. Serve over brown rice or quinoa. This is good and filling.

Cinco de Mayo Casserole

2009-05-06T17:23:00.001-07:00

I didn't get to post this yesterday but here it is today! This is too easy to even be called a recipe LOL. Here ya go

1lb boneless skinless thin sliced chicken breasts

1 16oz jar salsa

1/2 box frozen corn

1 can catellini beans (or kidney beans, drained)

shredded cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder
cooking spray, salt, pepper

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet, spray down pan with cooking spray. Salt and pepper chicken and place on skillet. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Set on a plate. In a casserole dish, add salsa, corn, drained beans, cumin, chili powder, and garlic. Mix. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and mix into the salsa mixture. Add shredded cheddar on top, enough to cover the surface. Bake for 15 minutes. Yum. I usually make this in the crock pot, so its easily convertible. Just be sure to still cook the chicken first.

Worlds Most Perfect Pork Chops

2009-04-30T17:16:00.000-07:00

I am always a bit leary when it comes to pork. It can be so flavorless and dry. I normally eat pork baked in breading while dousing it in ketchup just to get it down. These are different. These are friggin awesome, and the secret is the marinade.

1lb center cup boneless pork chops

3/4 cup worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoon chopped garlic

2 packets artificial sweetener (I used stevia)

1 teaspoon whole mustard seed

1 large onion (chopped)

chili powder

cooking spray

salt and pepper

Marinade the pork 2-3 hours ahead of time. Place pork chops in a shallow square cake pan, or any type of container that you can place the pork in one layer. In a small bowl add 1/2 cup of the worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon chopped garlic, the 2 packs of artificial sweetener and the mustard seed. Mix together and pour over chops. Marinade for 1 hour in the fridge the flip and marinade for another hour.

When its time to cook heat large skillet on medium. Spray with cooking spray. Remove the chops and liberally salt, pepper and chili powder both sides. Cook the pork chops through, about 5 minutes on each side. When the chops are done take off and set on a plate. Respray the pan and add onions, the rest of the worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook until nice and caramelized. Turn off heat and re add the pork chops and serve. This are effin good!

Wheat Rotini Pasta with Grape Tomatoes

2009-04-29T17:03:00.000-07:00

This is a great pasta dish. Wheat pasta is used, which is pretty high in protein, so if your craving pasta this hits the spot. Serve with some salad and you have a yummy, summery dinner. This recipe makes a lot but believe me you will WANT left overs whether they're hot or cold.

1lb wheat rotini pasta

8oz fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed

1 pint grape tomatoes (or cherry), halved

3 cloves garlic, crushed or diced small

1/2 cup grated parm cheese

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon dried basil

salt and pepper

Boil pasta in salted water. While pasta is cooking, in a large skillet heat the olive oil, then add in the pint of halved grape tomatoes and dried basil then salt and pepper them. Let them cook until very soft, then with the back of a wooden spoon, or fork smoosh all the tomatoes down to a chunky tomato sauce. Lower the heat and add in garlic. Cook for a few minutes on low until everything thickens up. Drain pasta and add to pasta bowl, pour the tomato mixture onto the pasta and stir. Then add in both cheeses and stir. The heat of the pasta will make the mozzarella soft and melt the parm cheese. In the summer, when I am growing my own basil I use fresh basil, but the dried does the trick for now.

Kashi Frozen Dinner Product Review

2009-04-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

So kashi was doing some kind of promotional thing a few months ago where they sent you a coupon for a free kashi frozen meal. I got mine about a month ago, and decided to have it for lunch today. I sometimes eat the smartones santa fe rice and beans. I picked up the Kashi Southwest Style Chicken. It was really, really good. The chicken is REAL chicken, and not the fake processed chicken. The veggies are crunchy and you can see the grill marks on them. The sauce is good, and the base is wheat rice and barley. Like I said it is GOOD, here are the Nut facts

Calories- 240

Fat-5

Carbs- 32

Sugar- 3

Protein- 16

I was able to eat the whole meal. It's very filling! I give this an A++! NOTE- I added my own cheese to the picture*

Chicken and Chorizo Quinoa Paella

2009-04-27T16:30:00.000-07:00

What's Quinoa (pronounced keen-wahh) you ask? It's a grain that is good for us! Yup, that's right, it's a starch that is a complete protein. It is grown in South America and is used like rice there, and that's what I'm doing. I studied in Spain when I was a freshman in college, and I loved Paella, but now that amount of rice would put me in a carb coma and plummet my blood sugar to an all time low. I never have a problem with quinoa, it tastes like rice, but doesn't mess with your body. It's becoming very popular in regular supermarkets, I have bought quinoa in trader joes, wegmans, whole foods, shop rite, genaurdis and pathmark, so its pretty easy to find. 1 cup of dried quinoa produces 3 cups cooked quinoa so it goes far. *Note when you look up the nutrition facts for quinoa it will say one cup is 600 something calories, but it's not, it's reffering to the quinoa when it's dry, but one cup cooked is about 200 calories* So here are the ingredients for a healthier version of a Spanish favorite!

1 cup dried quinoa, rinsed first

2 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon saffron threads

1 cup chorizo (Spanish spicy sausage, taken out of skin and broken up)

2 chicken breasts

1 large onion chopped

3 cloves garlic chopped

1 bell pepper chopped

1 can rotel (mostly drained)

1/2 cup frozen peas

cooking spray

salt and pepper

cilantro if you have it (I used dried, that works fine)

Cook quinoa according to package ingredients using chicken stock instead of water. Add the teaspoon of saffron into the boiling quinoa.

While the quinoa is cooking, in a large sprayed skillet, cook the chicken until cooked through. Remove from skillet and put on a plate to sit. Cook chorizo, then place on plate with chicken. Remove the oil from the chorizo from the pan and re spray. Then add in the chopped peppers, onions and cilantro with salt and pepper and cook until soft. When the veggies are cooked add in the peas and saute for a minute. Lower the heat and add the garlic. Let cook for a minute more and then add the whole can of rotel. Bring the chicken and chorizo back into the pan, then add the quinoa into the pan also on low heat and stir for a few minutes until all the flavors are incorporated.

This is REALLY good, it has all the traditional flavors of traditional paella, without all the fat. Of course the chorizo is a little more fattening, but it really brings out all the flavors in the paella. *Note, I made this recipe doubled and it is a LOT of paella, luckily my husband agreed to eat it for lunch for the next few days LOL*

A litte about me

2009-04-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

Ever wondered what loosing 170lbs looked like in a bathing suit... here ya go!

Easy Balsamic Lamb Chops

2009-04-25T16:09:00.001-07:00

Don't be afraid of lamb! It's so good, and until tonight, I've never cooked it. And surprisingly it was easy! You're gonna need to start the marinade and hour before you cook them.

Marinade

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

2 packages artificial sweetener (I used stevia today)

a little salt

a little pepper

1lb lamb chops cut into individual chops

Heat on low for about 5 minutes until everything is blended and melted together. Lay your lamb chops out in a single layer on a shallow container and pour marinade over them, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, then turn the chops over and let them sit for another 30 minutes. Now I did this on my stove top in a skillet, but you can do it on the grill, or even in the broiler.

After the hour of marinating is up, take the chops out and sprinkle both sides with salt, pepper and dried rosemary. Make sure pan/grill is hot. Sear meat for 3-4 minutes on each side, longer if you want the meat more well done. This was enough to feed me and my husband, he has a full sized stomach. Serve with watermelon, tomato and goat cheese salad, see below and some corn on the cob.

*Note- the first picture of the lamb was a little too rare so I put it back on the heat a little longer.

Tomato, Watermelon and Goat Cheese Salad

2009-04-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

I'll be the first one to admit this sounds weird, but let me tell you it is soooo good, and no really cooking required. This would be perfect for a summer picnic or barbecue, and today feels like summer to me!

4 cups cubed watermelon

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes cut in half

4oz goat cheese crumbles

drizzle of olive oil

a few grinds of black pepper

a couple shakes of salt

1 teaspoon dried basil

Mix it all together. That's it. You're really done, promise. Refrigerate until you eat! YUM!

Buffalo Chicken Roll Ups

2009-04-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

Before my GBS I loved buffalo wings. There is a restaurant where I live in Long Beach Island called the Chicken or the Egg and their speciality item is chicken wings, battered and fried with a choice of 16 sauces. I loved going there, but now I cannot even stomach one bite! So I thought about it, if you take away the frying, oil and butter, whats left over really isn't that bad, chicken, blue cheese and hot sauce really. So this was the inspiration for my buffalo chicken roll ups

1 lb thin sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts

4oz package blue cheese crumbles (room temp)

1 tablespoon FF cream cheese (room temp)

1/4 cup of chopped fresh baby spinach

salt

pepper

paprika

garlic powder

hot wing sauce

toothpicks

Preheat oven to 350. Lay out all the chicken breasts on a foil covered baking sheet. Sprinkle salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder on the chicken. In a bowl mix together blue cheese, cream cheese and chopped spinach. Spoon about 2 tablespoons onto each chicken breast on the side that you sprinkled the spices on, and roll up. Stick in a few tooth picks in to hold it together. Pour hot sauce onto each roll up and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink. My husband and I loved these!

Not yo momma's brussel sprouts

2009-04-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

Ok so my mom never made brussel sprouts, in fact, I was a brussel sprout virgin until tonight when I got the courage to make them. I don't see why people make such a big deal out of them, I thought they were pretty good. So if you were scared as a kid because your mother boiled them down to mush and slathered them with butter, here's a good brussel sprout recipe!

1 bussell of brussel sprouts

olive oil

salt

pepper

nutmeg

parmesan cheese (grated)

Preheat oven to 400. Wash sprouts, trim stems if necessary and cut them in half length wise. Arrange them on a foil covered baking sheet, cut side up. Drizzle olive oil over sprouts (or if you have olive oil cooking spray, by all means spray it on top.) Sprinkle salt, pepper, nutmeg and parm cheese on top, I know the nutmeg is kinda weird but go with it. Bake for 15-25 minutes until golden brown on top. These are crunchy and healthy and the nutmeg and cheese gives it something a little extra.

Egg and Parmesan Soup

2009-04-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

I am almost 2 years post op, but I remember the pain of the liquid diet and soft food stages. I only wish I would have known about this recipe before, which my grandmother used to make when she was alive. I saw a similar recipe on TV one day and told my mom about it, to which she answers, "O yea grandma used to make that all the time" to which I responded "Well thanks for remembering NOW and not when I needed it 19 months ago!" I would say you could probably eat this soup at about 2 weeks out. I am not a Dr. though so always follow his/her instructions, but at two weeks out, this soup would have been no problem for me. It's easy and super fast to make and more protein than just plain broth.

2 cups low sodium chicken broth (I use chef's cupboard the Aldi food store brand and it is great)

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (or more, I love cheese lol)

1/4 cup fresh baby spinach

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried basil (or if you have fresh go for it)

a grind or two of black pepper

a dash of garlic powder

In a small saucepan add the chicken broth and heat to a boil. While waiting, add the eggs, parm cheese, spinach (chopped or ripped up), parsley, basil, pepper and garlic to a bowl and beat together thoroughly. When the broth is boiling, add the egg mixture to the pot, whisking them in slowly. Keep whisking for about a minute once all the mixture is added. Once everything is Incorporated, pour in a bowl and enjoy. When you are able to eat solids, adding sausage, shrimp or chicken to this soup adds more protein and makes it heartier. This is the easiest soup I've ever made and its so simply delicious.

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Meat

2009-04-23T17:50:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately no picture for this one, I made it last night and forgot to take a picture being that photographing my food is new to me. This recipe is awesome, so moist and delicious. I had a problem with chicken for a long time, but this is something I have no problem with.

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or really any part of the chicken, if there are bones, be prepared to pick em out)
1 cup water or chicken stock (I find the stock a lot more flavorful, but I've done it both ways)
1 package of your favorite taco seasoning
1/2 cup of your favorite salsa

Add all the ingredients to the crock pot, mix together until combined and cook on low for 6-8 hours. About an hour before you want to serve it, shred the chicken in the pot with tongs and a fork, but honestly, you wont have to do much work, mine fell apart instantly.

Serve on a low carb/whole wheat tortilla or wrap in a lettuce leaf. Add salsa, LF sour cream, light cheese, and veggies and enjoy!

Ricotta Cream Dessert

2009-04-23T15:26:00.000-07:00

This recipe I kind of invented just adding stuff together in my kitchen, but it came out really good! Perfect for something slightly sweet and healthy.

2 cups skim milk ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons lemon juice (or 1 teaspoon lemon extract)

2-3 tablespoons artificial sweetener (I used splenda, add more or less depending on how you like it)

fresh fruit

Place the first 4 ingredients in a food processor or blend it using a hand mixer (that's what I used). Whip together until you get a frothy, creamy consistency. You can serve right away but I put it in the fridge for a few hours. When you are ready to serve, spoon into bowls and add any fresh fruit you want on top, I used kiwi and bananas. Have fun with this, you can add and subtract from this recipe to make it as different as you want.

Foil Baked Italian Tilapia

2009-04-22T18:10:00.000-07:00

Ingredients--

4 three oz fresh or frozen tilapia filets

1 can diced tomatoes- not drained

2 tablespoons diced garlic (from a jar is fine)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons dried basil

2 tablespoons dried parsley

capers

salt and pepper

foil

Preheat oven to 350. Take one piece of foil big enough to fully enclose fish filet and put the tilapia on it. Take about 1/4 of the can of diced tomatoes and cover the piece of fish with it, then on top of that put on 1/2 tablespoon garlic, 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 tablespoon dried basil and parsley and about a tablespoon of capers. Add salt and pepper. Wrap the foil fully around the fish and seal at the top by crunching the foil together. Repeat with the 3 other filets. place all the fish packages on a baking sheet and bake for about 10-15 minutes. Unwrap and enjoy.

This is a very tasty fish dish, serve with 1/2 a cup of wheat rotini or with some quinoa.

First blog!

2009-04-22T17:49:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty excited to get started blogging. My purpose for this website is to provide people at any stage of their weight loss surgery journey with simple and delicious high portein recipes. Please enjoy!