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Hey guys!

Remember to post a comment on posts/recipes you like, let me know if you like them, or if there's any other recipes you want me to try to make healthier!

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Mexican Pizzas

As I've said before, I LOVE pizza. . . . and mexican food. So to combine the two, would just put me in heaven. But, both foods have their problems, health-wise. I thought for sure it would be a pain in the a. . . . *ahem* neck.

Actually, it was pretty easy.

I cut the carbs and a lot of the fat from both dishes (the crust and cheese from pizza, and the tortillas and cheese from mexican food) by replacing the crust/tortilla with rice cakes.

Here's the recipe for two "pizzas":

2 Quaker rice cakes, gluten free (35 calories each)
1/4 cup reduced fat mexican blend shredded cheese (80 calories)
1/2 cup Organic black beans (100 calories)
1 oz. 93/7 Lean ground beef (.5 oz. or 20 calories each)
2 Tbsp Salsa (calories depend on brand, mine was homemade, and about 5 calories)
Lettuce

Seasoning:
3/4 cup water
3 tbsp hot sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:
1. Brown the ground beef, and then drain the fat.
2. Mix the water, seasonings, and hot sauce and pour over the beef.
3. Simmer until all the liquid is gone.
4. Follow directions on can to cook black beans.
5. Place the rice cakes on a cookie sheet, and put 1/8 cup of cheese on each.
6. Once the beans are done, put 1/4 cup on each rice cake.
7. Put 1/2 oz. ground beef on each rice cake.
8. Top with lettuce and salsa (1 tbsp on each rice cake).
9. Broil for a few minutes if you want it crispier.
10. ENJOY!!

There's only about 295-305 calories (depending on how much lettuce you use), for BOTH! Personally, I was filled up by just the two. Even if you're not filled up, it's a great, low-calorie start to your meal.

Interrupted

Hey guys, I had planned to try out a new dinner recipe tonight, but had my life interrupted by a migraine.

So instead of a new recipe, I've got a few tips about eating healthier when dining out.

Last night my amazing boyfriend took me out for a late valentines day dinner (he had to work on valentines day, unfortunately). We decided to go out to Kobe's Japanese Steakhouse. For forever, places like that have been one of my favorites! . . . . But, it's not exactly the healthiest food you could choose.

So here's a few pointers on how to enjoy a nice, fun, delicious dinner out that won't ruin your diet or healthy eating goals:

1) Avoid extra appetizers. Most are fried and will only add extra calories. Besides, the soup and salad that come with your hibachi grill meal should be more than enough to tide you over.

2) Opt for shrimp instead of a steak, chicken, or combo entree. Shrimp has less calories than many other meats. It also tastes great without much seasoning or sauces.

3) Check to see if the restaurant you're going to has an "American Style" option. This means that your food will be cooked without any extra sauces. This is great for anyone looking for a lower sodium option.

4) Also check the menu to see if they have a low carb option. I know the rice and noodles taste great, but if you want to keep your calories and carbs to a minimum, it's really best to go with double veggies instead of rice and noodles.

When I got to dinner, I had only planned to order my dinner "american style" because i wanted to be healthier, but still wanted my noodles and rice. The waiter wrote it down wrong, so they brought out extra veggies (and no rice and noodles for me!) to make mine. I didn't want to make them go back and get more, so I just decided it was the universe's way of helping me be healthier. I was a little bummed, but even without the sauce, noodles and rice (but i took a few bites of Tyler's!!) I enjoyed an amazing dinner :)

Choc. Chip Cookies . . . Test 1

As some of my Facebook friends know, I've decided to try to make my famous (at least to my friends and family!) chocolate chip cookie recipe a little healthier. So while I was at the store I gathered some healthy alternatives I've been looking into.

And then, at about 11 pm, I decided to get out of my nice comfy bed, and bake some cookies. That's a little odd, even for me. But hey, when cookies call, you gotta answer or you'll never get any sleep!! 

So, I've got my first batch in the oven right now, and I'm anxious to see exactly how they're going to taste. The biggest changes I made to the recipe were to switch the flour to wheat flour (I wanted oat flour, but I couldn't find any this trip. Next time!!), and to substitute out the white sugar for Stevia sugar substitute. 

My verdict so far? 

Eh. Just so so. But that's only based on the dough. As any member of my family can tell you, I enjoy the dough almost more than the actual cookies! When I was younger, my dad practically had to pry the bowl away from me to get any actual cookies made! 

Oooh! The first pan just came out of the oven!  . . . They look like good cookies. And smell like good cookies. This is looking pretty promising actually. If you'll permit me to ramble on a little longer, I'll tell you how they taste once they cool down a bit. 

. . . I do have a confession to make. I added in some sugar when I tasted the batter, cause it just didn't taste like the batter I know and love. So I may have to try this whole batch over again sometime, if I want to get some truly different results. But, it wasn't that much, so it's still a good base batch, I think. 

These are actually really good! In the actual cookie, I don't taste any difference at all from the wheat flour, or the stevia (even though I cheated a bit!). My roommate just tried one, and I have an unbiased opinion that they are BETTER than my normal ones! 

I may still mess around with it, but Round 1, I'd say, has been a success! 

Low Calorie Lasagna

Low calorie pasta? No way. That's an impossibility, right? Something so gooey and cheesy cannot possibly be low calorie, or low fat for that matter.

WRONG!

Get out your forks, and put away your running shoes. This is one pasta dish guaranteed to put those guilty, "I-Need-to-Workout-Now!" thoughts and feelings out of your mind completely.

Prep time - 20 mins.
Cook time - 45 mins.
Total - 65 mins.
Servings - 18

Ingredients: 

Sauce:
1 lb extra lean ground beef (96/4 if you can find it)
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
3 cloves/tsp minced garlic
1 jar of pasta sauce (120 calories per cup or lower)
1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce

Cheese Filling:
2/3 cup low fat ricotta cheese
2/3 cup fat free cottage cheese
1 cup pureed cauliflower (about 3 cups of steamed pieces before being pureed)
4 egg whites
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano

9 whole wheat lasagna noodles

1 cup fat free shredded mozzarella

Directions: 


- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Line 2 8x8 pans with tin foil or parchment paper.
- Boil water and add 9 lasagna noodles (cook according to package directions).
- Brown ground beef (drain grease after browning), add garlic salt and Italian seasonings.
- When meat is thoroughly cooked, add in minced garlic, pasta sauce, and tomato sauce. Simmer in pan.
- Steam cauliflower and puree (you should add in a little water to make it easier to puree).
- Add ricotta and cottage cheese, garlic salt, oregano, and egg whites to food processor and mix until well blended.
- Layer lasagna meat/sauce, noodles, then cheese/cauliflower mixture in pans (cut noodles in half and put 3 halves in each layer).
- Top with shredded mozzarella.
- Bake for 45 minutes, or until brown and bubbly.
- Let cool, and Enjoy!!

The great thing about using two smaller pans, is that you can easily freeze the second pan and prolong the yumminess over several dinners.

Serving size: 2.5x2.5 inch square.

Nutritional Info: 
Servings: 18
Amount per serving:

• Calories: 120.6
• Total Fat: 1.6 g. 
• Cholesterol: 17.4 g.
• Sodium: 357.4 mg (lower this by cutting the added salt, and looking for sauces with lower sodium contents). 
• Total Carbs: 11.2 g.
• Dietary Fiber: 2.2 g.
• Protein: 16.1 g.

Coming Soon!

Coming soon I'll be posting recipes for things like:

Lasagna
Burgers
Brownies

and more!

Leave a comment for any other recipes you'd like to see added!

Stay tuned :)

Pizza . . . . Yes, It Can Be Healthy!

I don't know about you, but when I think about pizza, two things happen: my mouth waters, and my brain starts overheating trying to think of all the things I'll have to do to burn off such an unhealthy meal. Can't I just have the mouth watering? I'd really rather not have to run calorie calculations in my head while I'm enjoying my food. I bet you don't want to do that either.

Well, with this recipe, now we don't have to! This healthy take on pizza will still make your taste buds do a happy dance, but skip all the regret and guilt typically associated with this normally greasy meal.

Ingredients:

1. Whole Wheat Crust 
1. Whether you're making the dough by hand, or buying a pre-made crust, whole wheat is going to be your best bet. But make sure you look on the ingredients list. If you see "enriched" anywhere on the list, or wheat flour isn't the first ingredient, skip it and look for something different.
2. Ingredients for a great wheat crust: 
1. 1/3 cup Whole Wheat Flour
2. 1 2/3 cups White Flour
3. 1/2 packet Whole Wheat Yeast
4. 1/2 cup warm water
5. 2 cups room temperature water
6. 2 TBSP Olive Oil
7. 1/2 tsp Salt 
2. Sauce
1. As yummy and delicious as pre-made pizza sauce is, it's usually LOADED with an obscene amount of sugar and preservatives. Making your own sauce, while a little more time consuming, will be healthier (and probably taste better) in the long run. 
2. If you don't have time to make your own sauce, take a little time to read labels, and look for sauces with the lowest sodium and sugar contents. 
3. Ingredients for Sauce: 
1. 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste (or fresh tomatoes)
2. 1 1/2 cups water
3. 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
4. 2 cloves of garlic, minced
5. 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
6. 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
7. 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed. 
8. Pepper (to taste).
3. Cheese - opt for low-fat mozzarella. 
4. Toppings: 
1. VEGGIES!!! Nothing you can top your pizza would be better than fresh veggies. Personally, I love mushrooms, red and green peppers, and onions. But you can add whatever veggies strike your fancy (or even fruit, like pineapple). As long as it's fresh, you're headed for a healthy pizza! 
2. Meat - Unless you're a vegetarian, you're probably going to want meat on your pizza to give it a little extra protein and flavor. 
1. The biggest tip for choosing a meat to put on your pizza, is to read the labels. Stick to low fat/low sodium options (especially for pepperoni, which is not typically a very healthy topping, unfortunately). Chicken and lean ground beef are great options!

Directions: 

Crust: 

1. Combine the yeast & 1/2 cup 110 degree water. Allow to sit for 5 minutes (it should expand). 
2. Add rest of water & oil to this mixture. 
3. Combine with flour & salt. 
4. Knead dough 7-8 minutes. 
5. Spray a bowl with cooking spray & place dough into bowl. Cover with plastic wrap & allow to rise 75 minutes (until double in size). 
6. Once finished rising, spread out on baking pan or pizza pan (any comparable piece of kitchenware will work) into whatever shape you desire.

Sauce: 

1. Mix together the tomato paste (or tomatoes), water and olive oil. 
2. Mix until well-blended. 
3. Add garlic and seasonings (oregano, basil, rosemary, and pepper). 
4. Mix until well-blended. 
5. Let sit for several hours for flavors to blend*
6. Spread on crust. 

*This is not necessary if you don't have time, but will enhance the flavor, so if you have time, do it! 

Bake your pizza at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Check on your pizza a few times, to make sure you don't burn it, or under cook it. 

Enjoy!!