Turkey and White bean Tostadas

I just whipped these up from what I had around the house. The filling would also be good over rice, in a tortilla, or on chips as a dip.

6-8 corn tortillas
1 lb cooked turkey taco meat (mine is a 50/50 mix with lean ground beef)
1 can White Beans
1 can Rotel
1 white onion
3 garlic cloves
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 Tbsp Cliantro or freshly cut would be even better
1 cup low fat cheese
1 avocado diced
Shredded lettuce
low fat sour cream
Optional
1 Can Chipotle in adobo I used 1 pepper chopped and it was good hot, but probably too hot for milder tastes. Just use a little of the sauce to give it that smoky flavor.

Toast the Tortillas in the oven for about 7 mins each side until crispy and light brown.

Chop onion and garlic and put in pan with a little olive oil. Cook unitl soft. Then add rotel and spices and Chipotle if you are using it.

Open the beans and pour into a bowl. In a blender or by hand mix beans. Add to pan along with the precooked meat.

Mix all together and let simmer for 5 mins then add the cheese and turn off the stove. Let the beans set up as they cool a little so they aren't too runny.

Then spread on the Tostada and top with lettuce, avacado, and Sour Cream. Serve and enjoy!!!

Salad kick!!!

I have been on a salad kick lately!!! Here are a few wonderful treats I have been noshing on!
This saves for about a day in the fridge. I served it with a side of fresh hot wheat bread.

Asian Cabbage Salad
Recipe by Our Best Bites
1 rib celery, sliced
1/2 cucumber, sliced
1 small handful sugar snap peas (about 20 baby ones)
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 of a small red onion, thinly sliced
1 T toasted sesame seeds*
1/3 C slivered or sliced almonds, toasted*
Optional: 1 1/2 C cooked, shredded or diced chicken
2 T canola oil
2 T cider vinegar
1/4 C seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 T sugar (or equivalent of sugar substitute)
1 t kosher salt
2 t soy sauce
1/4 t garlic powder, or one small garlic clove, minced
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 t sesame oil

Place all salad ingredients in a bowl

You need to pour on the dressing and toss to coat at least 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve. When you pour the dressing on you might think it’s not quite enough, but just wait. When it sits and marinates, it combines with the veggies and draws out liquid and there will be more than plenty of dressing after it sits. After you’ve poured on the dressing, place salad in the fridge to sit for 30-60 minutes.

Right before serving mix in toasted almonds and sesame seeds.

1 14 oz bag coleslaw mix
Dressing:
* To toast almonds or sesame seeds, place them (not together, do one thing at a time!) in a dry skillet over medium heat. Turn constantly until golden brown. Let cool before using.
Begin by making dressing. Combine all ingredients in a sealed jar and shake shake shake. Store in the fridge until ready to use. You can definitely do this part a few days ahead of time.

Tortellini Pasta Salad

Tortellini Pasta Salad

Recipe by Our Best Bites

 

1 20-oz. package Mixed Cheese Tortellini

1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 medium cucumber, seeded and sliced

1 c. whole, large pitted black olives (like Lindsay Olives), halved

1 c. Ground Mustard and Garlic Vinaigrette

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, combine the onions, tomatoes, cucumber, and olives in a large salad bowl. When the pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse in cold water. When the pasta has cooled, toss it with the combined ingredients and then add the salad dressing and toss until combined. If possible, refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Serves about 8.

 

Ground Mustard and Garlic Vinaigrette

Recipe by Our Best Bites

1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 c. white wine vinegar or rice vinegar; try to avoid plain white vinegar because it’s too strong here

2 green onions, firm parts only, trimmed of the white “furry” ends

4-5 cloves of garlic

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. sugar or honey

2 Tbsp. coarse grain mustard (or Dijon, but Dijon has a very distinct, mustard-y aftertaste that some of my tasters weren’t crazy about)
1 c. canola oil

In the jar of your blender, combine all the ingredients except for the oil. Blend on high. While the blender is running, slowly add the oil in a steady stream. Serve over mixed greens, sliced cucumbers and thinly sliced red onions, or stay tuned for next Monday’s recipe! If possible, refrigerate the dressing for a few hours before serving.

If you prefer a more “rustic” vinaigrette, pulse the ingredients together in the blender and then pulse the oil in in larger quantities. Transfer to a lidded container and shake vigorously before serving.

Spinach and Bowtie Chicken Salad

Dressing:

Blend in blender until smooth:

1 c veggie oil (i used 1/2 c olive and 1/2 cup canola)

 

1/4 cup sesame oil

2/3 c White wine vinegar

2/3 c soy sauce or teryaki sauce

 

6 T Sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Cook 12oz Bowtie Pasta. Rinse and drain.

 

4-5 Cooked chicken breast

Add to dressing and refrigerate 2 hours or over night. When ready to serve add:

1 bunch chopped green onion

3-6 oz cans mandarin oranges

6oz craisins

6oz honey roasted peanuts

spinach 28-32oz

 

toasted sesame seeds on top

Toss all and serve immediately

 

I actually like to keep the spinach out and put it on everyone's plate. That way you can eat it the next day. The spinach gets incredibly smooshy otherwise.

Healthy and FUN St. Paddy's day menu!

So here is my menu for St. Patrick's day!!!
Breakfast
Rainbow Toast and Green scrambled eggs
here are the directions for rainbow toast http://jujubeepreschool.blogspot.com/2010/03/rain-and-rainbows.html

Snack
Green smoothies
1 cup water
2 handfuls fresh spinach leaves
1 ripe banana (the riper the better, as it gives more sweetness)
several ice cubes (depending on how cold they like it, we like ours really cold)
1-2 T. agave nectar (also to sweeten, find it at the health food store)

Blend until you don't see any spinach leaves visible and until the ice is well crushed into it.

Other variations:
Toss in some pineapple, fresh is best.

Use some concentrated pineapple juice.


Lunch
Leprachaun Wraps and Carrots
Make Wraps with the Green Spinach wraps.

Snack
Rainbow fruit kabobs

Dinner
Pesto Pasta made with Shamrock or Rainbow noodles
Green Salad

Dessert
Sugar Free Pistachio Pudding with Fat Free cool whip and rainbow sprinkles!!!

Clean Eating on a Budget.

We get our veggies and fruit mainly at Costco. They really have some amazing deals where I haven't seen anything fantastic at the regular grocery store lately.

We get our bread at Walmart or the Sara Lee outlet.

We get our meat on sale.

When you cut out the junk, you have more money to spend on other things.

Easy cheap meals:

Wraps-
Tortillas
Veggies
Hummus or blend your own white beans and use that

Grilled Cheese and Tomato soup
Use whole wheat bread and Reduced fat cheese and use Pam instead of Butter.
Blend up your own canned tomatoes and add seasonings and skim milk.

Chicken Salad
2 or three chicken breasts cooked, diced and coated in BBQ Sauce
Lettuce
Canned Mexi Corn
Little bit of cheese
Salsa
and Light ranch

Individual Pizzas
Wheat Tortillas or Wheat English Muffins
Hormel Natural Choice or other nitrate free deli meat (bought at Walmart it is HALF the price of the grocery store) Deli Ham diced up
Low fat mozzarella
Pizza sauce (whatever is on sale)
Pineapple Chunks
Diced olives
Peppers
Onions
Mushrooms

Tacos
I get cheap beef and drain it and rinse it THEN add the seasonings
Lettuce
Corn or whole wheat tortillas
Low fat cheese
Tomatoes
Salsa
Low fat Sour Cream
Avocado

Spaghetti
Whole wheat Noodles ( Wally's sells them for like $1 a package)
Cooked Chicken or Beef
Spaghetti sauce
Fresh Parmesean
Side salad

Tortilla Soup
1 can chicken stock
2 cans Rotel
1 can enchilada sauce (mild)
1 green pepper chopped
1 onion Chopped
3 chicken breasts diced
Put in Crock pot for 4-6 hours
garnish with diced avocado, cilantro, low fat sour cream, and a little low fat cheese.

Chicken Ceaser Pita
Reduced Calorie Ceaser salad kit (-the croutons)
Sliced grilled chicken
Whole wheat Pitas

Shrimp Tacos

I have recently FALLEN IN LOVE with Shrimp. They say as you get older your tastes change and I LOVE SHRIMP now. Today I was driving by Taco HELL and saw they have marinated Shrimp Tacos. I said to myself, Self, You can make that. I bought a bag of precooked mini shrimp at Wally's for about $5. It was a pretty big bag. Anywho, I thawed the shrimp in cold water and while I did that, I made homemade Salsa, (which I could eat with a spoon! Or just jump in and eat my way out!) Homemade guacamole and warmed up some wheat tortillas in a hot pan on the stove.  When the shrimp was defrosted, I put it in a skillet with a little EVOO and seasoned it with Old Bay Seasoning Garlic blend. It is found on the bottom shelf at Walmart in the spice section. I only cooked it a minute or two just enought to be warm and a little crispy. Then I assembled tortilla, guac, lettuce, salsa and shrimp. Fold and enjoy!!! They were so filling and tasty!!! Try it!!!

Cowboy's Delight

This is another recipe that we had growing up. 

Ingredients

• 1 (14 ounce) package macaroni and cheese Or Whole wheat elbow noodles.
• 1 pound extra-lean ground beef
• 1 (10 ounce) can canned whole kernel corn
• 4 0z low fat cream cheese
• 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
• 1 (10 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 green pepper chopped
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (220 degrees C). Prepare the macaroni and cheese according to the directions on the package. (Or boil the noodles)
2. Brown the ground beef and onion in a skillet over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink. Drain excess grease.
3. In a 2 quart casserole dish, combine the macaroni and cheese, ground beef, onion, cream cheese tomato paste, tomato sauce, and corn with its liquid. Mix well.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until heated through. Top with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired. Or Reduced fat Cheddar!

Spaghetti Pie