Avocado and Chicken Pizza

Ingredients

Tortillas (like La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious tortillas that are lower in carbs and calories and higher in fiber)

Avacado Spread (recipe below) (2 cups)

Chicken, cooked and cut into 1″ chunks, or pulled apart

Pizza Toppings, such as:

red onion, diced

tomatoes, diced

cilantro

reduced fat cheddar cheese

avocado, cut into 1″ pieces

Directions

Preheat oven to 400F. Place tortillas on a baking sheet and bake them for about 5-8 minutes (turning over halfway through), just enough to crisp them up a bit so you have a nice, crispy crust instead of a soggy, droopy crust. Be sure to keep an eye on them, you don’t want to burn them but if you don’t crisp them up enough, once the pizzas are loaded with toppings and baked, the crust won’t firm up as much.

Once the tortillas are crisped up a bit, pull them out of the oven and let cool for a few minutes. Spread each tortilla with about 1/2 cup of the avocado spread and sprinkle on toppings. Bake for about 6-8 minutes or until cheese is fully melted.

Nutritional Information, per pizza (makes 4 pizzas)

keep in mind, a lot of the fat in this comes from the avocado spread, which is a “good” fat

Calories: 475

Fat: 29 g

Carbs: 36 g

Sodium: 844 mg

Fiber: 20 g

Protein: 32 g

Sugars: 2 g

Avocado Spread

2 avocados

1 small onion, chopped finely

1 lime, juiced

2 tsp. garlic

1/2 tsp. salt

Cut the avocados in half, take out the pit and scoop the avocado out of the shells and into a medium sized bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mash thoroughly with a potato masher. Set aside. Makes about 2 cups.

Nutritional Information, per serving

(for 1/2 cup avocado spread, makes about 4 servings)

Calories: 156

Fat: 13 g

Protein: 2 g

Sugars: .4 g

Fiber: 6 g

Carbs: 10 g

Pumpkin Penne Pasta

I love that this dish uses pumpkin and pureed cottage cheese to make the creamy sauce that brings everything together. The sage and nutmeg are also a delicious touch that stands out well against the pumpkin. Feel free to use whatever chicken or turkey sausage you can find or have on hand. You could also opt to leave it out to make it a bit lighter or if you’re not a meat eater. Plus, this dish packs a whopping 8 grams of fiber and 36 grams of protein per serving!

Ingredients

8 oz penne pasta *see note
2 tsp olive oil (or grapeseed oil)
1 medium-large onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 1/2 Tbsp. dried sage
3 links cooked chicken sausage **see note
1 cup low fat cottage cheese (1% milk fat)
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup nonfat milk
pinch of nutmeg
10 oz torn spinach (or kale), thick stems removed
grated parmesan or pecorino romano cheese, optional

Directions

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook gently for about 10-15minutes, until softened and beginning to caramelize. Add garlic, sage, and chicken sausage; continue to saute.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.

In a blender, combine combine pumpkin, cottage cheese, and milk. Blend until no lumps are present. Add to sausage mixture in skillet and continue to cook over low heat. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg.

Drain pasta and return to pot over low heat. Add sausage mixture and baby spinach, and toss together. Cover for a few minutes to let the spinach wilt. Serve with parmesan cheese, if desired.

*Barilla PLUS is a good pasta choice as it has added protein in it. You could also use gluten-free if needed or I’ve even thought about trying it with some cooked spaghetti squash, though I haven’t done it yet.

** any type of chicken sausage that you like or can find should work sufficiently. I’ve used different kinds that I’ve bought from Trader Joe’s, CostCo and WalMart. Some brands are Al Fresco, Bistro Sensations and Johnsonville. I, personally, like to use the Sweet Apple ones but I’ve pretty much used them all and loved how they all tasted.

Nutritional Information

per serving, makes 4 servings

Calories		496.5
Total Fat		12.4 g
	Saturated Fat	3.2 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.4 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	2.3 g
Cholesterol		53.7 mg
Sodium		767.5 mg
Potassium		687.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate		61.3 g
	Dietary Fiber	8.1 g
	Sugars	14.2 g
Protein		36.3 g

Marmalade Chicken

 

 

 

 

This recipe is a nice change from your ordinary chicken with minimal seasoning that you may end up dipping in BBQ sauce (hopefully a “healthier one”) and is light and refreshing; perfect for Spring (which is hopefully right around the corner)! Try serving it with roasted veggies (asparagus, green beans, carrots, etc. check out some of the vegetable sides we have), a nice side salad loaded with veggies (fresh broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cucumber, tomato) or a side of quinoa pilaf.

Ingredients

1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar (I used apple cider vinegar since I had it on hand)
2 tablespoons orange marmalade
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 pound chicken tenders
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large onions, minced
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest

Directions

1. Whisk broth, vinegar, marmalade, mustard and cornstarch in a medium bowl.
2. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 4 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
3. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and onions to the pan and cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, about 30 seconds. Whisk the broth mixture and add it to the pan. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Reduce heat to maintain a simmer; cook until the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken; return to a simmer. Cook, turning once, until the chicken is heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in orange zest. Serve with steamed veggies or a side salad.

Nutritional Information

Per serving (makes 4 servings of chicken):

213 calories

8 g fat ( 1 g sat , 5 g mono )

68 mg cholesterol

10 g carbohydrates

27 g protein

246 mg sodium

55 mg potassium.

 

 

 

 

Teriyaki Glazed Chicken and Shrimp Stir-Fry

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. grape seed or extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

1 tsp. sesame oil

12 oz. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (raw, fresh or frozen and thawed)

1 bell pepper (any color), chopped

1 can water chestnuts (drained)

4 cups broccoli florets

1 cup baby corn, chopped *see note*

2 scallions, sliced thinly

1 hot red chile pepper, seeded and sliced thinly (optional)

Teriyaki Sauce

1/2 cup pineapple juice (unsweetened)

1/2 cup chicken broth (reduced sodium)

1/4 cup cooking wine

3 Tbsp. soy sauce (reduced sodium)

2 Tbsp. honey

2 Tbsp. tapioca starch

1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger

2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions

1. Prepare teriyaki sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk all sauce ingredients until combined and honey is dissolved.

2. Heat 1 tsp. grape seed oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add chicken and sesame oil and stir fry until browned (3-5 minutes). Transfer to a medium bowl.

3. In same skillet over high heat add 1 tsp. grape seed oil. Add shrimp and cook until pink (2-3 minutes). Transfer to bowl with chicken. Heat remaining tsp. oil and add bell peppers and broccoli, stir fry until tender-crisp (1-2 minutes).

4. Add cooked chicken and shrimp to skillet with vegetables, then add corn, water chestnuts and teriyaki sauce. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken and shrimp are cooked all the way through and vegetables are tender-crisp (about 3 minutes. sauce should thicken slightly). Sprinkle with scallions and optional chile.

Nutritional Informationper serving (1 1/4 cups)

calories: 280

total fat: 5 g

saturated fat: 1 g

monounsaturated fat: 1 g

polyunsaturated fat: 3 g

carbs: 23 g

fiber: 2 g

sugars: 9 g

protein: 33 g

sodium: 454 mg

cholesterol: 130 mg

*Note* feel free to add any other vegetables that you like. I like to add onions, pea pods, carrots and mushrooms. Most of these veggies you’ll want to add at the same time you stir fry the broccoli and bell peppers.

from clean eating

Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

Olive oil cooking spray

1 1/4 cups white whole-wheat flour plus 1 Tbsp. for kneading, divided

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt plus additional, to taste

3 tsp vegetable oil, divided

2 carrots, diced

1 white onion, chopped

2 tsp chopped garlic

8 oz. button mushrooms, stemmed and sliced

1 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4 inch chunks

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups 2% milk, divided

1 cup frozen peas

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley, divided

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

fresh ground pepper, to taste

3 Tbsp butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F and mist a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet on med-high, heat 1 tsp. oil. Add carrots and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender-crisp and onion is translucent, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Mist skillet with cooking spray and return to med-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and mushrooms are lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add to bowl.

In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 tsp oil on med-high heat. Add chicken and Italian seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink in the center. Return veggies to skillet and stir to combine. Sprinkle with 1/4 cups flour and stir until chicken and veggies are well coated and flour is no longer white, about two minutes. Add broth and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then stir in 1 cup of milk. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently, then immediately reduce heat to med-low and stir until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in peas and cook til heated through. Stir in 1/4 cup parsley and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and transfer to a baking dish.

Cut butter into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes and add to reserved flour mixture. With a pastry blender or fork, incorporate butter into flour until mixture comes together into pea sized bits. Add remaining 1/2 cup milk and stir until flour is just moist. Lightly flour the counter with remaining 1 Tbsp flour and quickly knead the dough into a ball with floured hands. Divide into 6 equal pieces and lightly pat each into a 2 1/2 inch wide, 1/2 inch thick disk. Place disks on top of chicken mixture, spaced apart evenly. Bake until liquid is bubbly and biscuits are lightly browned and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes, sprinkle with remaining parsley and serve warm.

serves 6 (1 serving = 1 biscuit and 1 cup chicken mixture)

Nutritional Information (per serving)

Calories: 380

total fat: 11 g

sat. fat: 5 g

carbs: 33 g

fiber: 5 g

sugars: 5 g

protein: 35 g

sodium: 231 mg

cholesterol: 86 mg

from Eating Well

Chicken Taco Soup

This is definitely one of my favorite fall/winter foods to make. It comes together pretty quickly and is also great to throw together in the crockpot and let go. Sometimes I’ll thrown in a can of black beans (drained), too, if I have them handy and I also like to add a “dollop of Daisy” (sour cream 😉 or greek yogurt).

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 tsp. minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 quart reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/4 pounds plum tomatoes, diced
1 4.5-ounce can green chilies
2 cups frozen corn
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded, cooked chicken
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced (optional)
Lime wedges for serving (optional)

Directions
1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chili powder, oregano, and cumin; cook 1 minute more.
2. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, chilies and salt. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the chicken; simmer 10 minutes more. Stir in the cilantro.
3. Ladle into individual bowls and serve garnished with the avocado slices and the lime wedges.

Serves 6

Nutrition facts per serving: 233 calories, 20g protein, 21g carbohydrate, 8g fat (1.4g saturated), 5g fiber

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, January 2010.

Sweet Potato Turkey Meatloaf

I love meatloaf but have never thought to add sweet potato to the mix. I’m glad I did though, this stuff tastes great and adding the sweet potato just kicks up the nutrition!

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 pound ground turkey breast
1 large egg. lightly beaten
1 medium onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup honey barbecue sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons mustard
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (or more to taste, I use my homemade Ezekiel bread crumbs)
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 2 quart baking dish.
2. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the sweet potato and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain the sweet potatoes and mash or whip until smooth.
3. Mix the ground turkey together with the egg, onion, garlic, barbecue sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard and bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl.
4. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Add the sweet potatoes, and stir until evenly combined.
6. If the mixture seems too wet, add more bread crumbs. Use your hands to form the turkey mixture into a loaf shape and place in the prepared baking dish.
7. Bake 1 hour, serve warm.

Slightly adapted from allrecipes.com

Serves 4

Nutritional Information:

Serving size: 1

Calories: 336
Fat: 2.7g
Cholesterol: 123mg
Sodium: 2478mg
Total Carbs: 43g
Dietary Fiber: 5.3g
Protein: 33.8g

Curry Turkey Salad

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups chopped cooked turkey
• 1 cup seedless red grapes, halved
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons cashew pieces
• 20 mini pita rounds (about 5 ounces)

Directions

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Add turkey, grapes, celery, onion, and cashews; stir gently to combine. Serve with pitas.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup salad and 5 pitas)

 

Nutritional Information

 

Amount per serving

• Calories: 309
• Calories from fat: 21%
• Fat: 7.3g
• Saturated fat: 2.4g
• Monounsaturated fat: 2.2g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 1.7g
• Protein: 25.5g
• Carbohydrate: 35.3g
• Fiber: 2g
• Cholesterol: 57mg
• Iron: 2.8mg
• Sodium: 419mg
• Calcium: 83mg

from myrecipes.com

Turkey and Pasta Soup

It’s definitely starting to feel like soup weather where I’m at so I thought a nice turkey soup recipe would be perfect for today’s Turkey Tuesday recipe. A delicious classic!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup minced onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 (14-ounce) cans fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup uncooked Egg Noodles (or another type of noodle)
3 cups chopped cooked turkey
3 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage

Directions

Heat oil in a large dutch oven (6-8 quart size) over medium-high heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add water, pepper, and broth and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook 8 minutes or until pasta is done. Stir in turkey and cabbage and cook  for 2 minutes or until cabbage wilts.

Makes 8 (1 1/2 cup) Servings

Nutritional Information

Amount per serving

Calories: 194
Calories from fat: 23%
Fat: 4.9g
Saturated fat: 1.3g
Monounsaturated fat: 2g
Polyunsaturated fat: 1g
Protein: 21.8g
Carbohydrate: 14.2g
Fiber: 1.2g
Cholesterol: 44mg
Iron: 1.6mg
Sodium: 483mg
Calcium: 45mg

Asian Turkey Cabbage Cups

I’ve seen different versions of these lettuce and/or cabbage wraps before and always thought they looked interesting but never tried them…well, I’m glad I finally did because they are delicious!

Ingredients

1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped  (I leave this out since I don’t like anything spicy)
12 large Napa (Chinese) cabbage leaves (about 8 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts

Directions

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add turkey and ginger to pan and cook until turkey is done, stirring frequently. Drain the turkey mixture and place in a large bowl. Add green onions and next 8 ingredients (through jalapeño) and mix well. Spoon 1/3 cup turkey mixture into each cabbage leaf. Top with peanuts.

Yields 4 servings (3 filled cabbage cups)

Amount per serving
Calories: 267
Fat: 13.6g
Saturated fat: 3.7g
Monounsaturated fat: 6.4g
Polyunsaturated fat: 2.7g
Protein: 30.3g
Carbohydrate: 7.6g
Fiber: 1.4g
Cholesterol: 89mg
Iron: 1.8mg
Sodium: 637mg
Calcium: 111mg