by Jennifer Appleton

Eating low fat in this day and age can be quite a feat, with creamy donuts, rich mud cakes and cheesy dips sometimes making it incredibly challenging to stay on the straight and narrow. Then again, websites like Low Fat Chick are here to prove healthy and delicious foods can go hand in hand. In fact, when we get used to eating seasonal, fresh, healthy dishes, we begin to wonder what we were missing in the first place, when we decided to forego greasy, sugary foods.  In this post, we introduce Gazpacho, the first of a series of raw food recipes. Once you try your hand at these easy, delicious dishes, you’ll see why, for at least one or two days a week, going raw is a great way to take advantage of the high phytochemical content of uncooked fruits and vegetables.

It is said in the summertime, the Spanish live on a diet of sun, sand and Gazpacho.  Just a sip of this deliciously, refreshing cold soup (which is ‘drunk’ directly from the bowl or a tall glass) will definitely turn you into an addict.  This is a fresh and light dish, but if you like a spicy kick, add a dash or two of hot sauce.

Ingredients

3 large tomatoes
1 medium cucumber, cubed
½ small red pepper, cubed
½ small green pepper, cubed
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice, or red wine vinegar
1 cup cold water
salt and pepper to taste
Tabasco hot sauce (optional)

Preparation

Peel tomatoes after submerging for a couple of seconds in boiling water. Slice roughly and place into a blender or large food processor. Blend for 1 minute. Add cucumber, peppers and garlic. Continue to Blend.

Slowly add water. Add oil and lemon juice (or vinegar). Blend for 1 additional minute.

Pour into a sealed container and refrigerate for 2-3 hours. Mix before serving. Add salt, pepper, and Tabasco (optional) to taste.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 4
Serving size: 1/4 of recipe (9.9 ounces).
Calories 68.83

% Daily Value
Calories From Fat  32.79  48%
Total Fat 3.72g  6%
Saturated Fat 0.51g  3%

You know, I make it a must to not go into the processed food isles in the grocery store.  I like making fresh food and finding ways to eat those flavors of old school processed favorites like Shake & Bake the healthy way. Well, I wanted some chicken and wanted it Shake & Bake style, but preservatives aside. I developed this recipe and the flavor of Pecorino Romano cheese with dried herbs makes this a simple dish to prepare. Perfect for a date night for two. All you need is a side of roasted veggies, such as asparagus or broccoli to make a full meal and add color to your plate. Your date, or hubby will love this. Another new favorite for me!

Ingredients

1/2 cup fat free buttermilk
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1/3 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp basil, dried

1/2 tsp parsley flakes, divided
1/4 tsp oregano, dried

1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 chicken thighs, skinless, boneless and fat trimmed

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Pour buttermilk into a shallow dish.

On a large piece of wax paper, mix together bread crumbs, cheese, garlic powder, basil, 1/4 tsp parsley, oregano, salt, and pepper.

Rinse chicken and pat dry.

Dip chicken in buttermilk and then dip into crumb mixture, patting the mixture on lightly so the chicken is coated evenly. Place chicken on a lightly oil rimmed baking sheet. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle.

Serve garnished lightly with remaining parsley flakes (optional).

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 2
Serving size: 1/2 of recipe (9.1 ounces).
Calories 433.88

% Daily Value
Calories From Fat  120.76  28%
Total Fat 13.57g  21%
Saturated Fat 5.52g  28%

I have always dreamed of having a waffle maker. Well, I was online and what da know? Macy’s had a sale for a flip waffle maker. I instantly ordered it because I figured, with a flip waffle maker I could do no wrong. Well, I was right! This is the first waffle recipe I developed and it received rave reviews from myself and my friend. The waffles were soft on the inside, lightly crisp on the outside, and a perfect golden brown.  Chopped almonds add a nice subtle crunch to the inside as well.  Using less oil and 2% milk, this waffle is lighter than the average waffle, and sifting the flour made them airy and light. Such a new favorite of mine.  I wonder what kind of waffle to make next? Hummm….

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup wheat flour, white, unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup sliced almonds, chopped
3 eggs
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1 tsp almond extract
1/4 cup maple syrup
powder sugar, optional
sliced fruit, optional

Preparation

Turn on waffle maker to heat up.

Sift flour and measure. Place measured flour in a large bowl. Add baking powder, salt, and sugar. Resift all dry ingredients mixture back into the bowl. Stir in almonds. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat eggs. Lightly beat in vegetable oil, milk and almond extract.

Make a well in the center of the sifted dry ingredients. Pour in the liquid ingredients and mix together. Stir until batter is lightly lumpy.

Lightly oil the waffle maker. Pour 3/4 cup of batter in the maker, and cook according to the waffle maker instructions.

Remove waffle and plate. Repeat 3 more times till all waffles are made. Serve waffles sprinkled with a touch of powdered sugar, drizzle of maple syrup and fresh fruit.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 4
Serving size: 1/4 of recipe (7.9 ounces).
Calories 459.54

% Daily Value
Calories From Fat  139.13  30%
Total Fat 15.78g  24%
Saturated Fat  3.14g  16%

Burger anyone? I love turkey burgers so much that I cannot remember the last time I actually ate a beef burger. Lean turkey meat is like a blank canvas, as it takes on so many flavors with ease.  Not only is the burger easy to flavor but so is making this burger. After a long week at work, it took me no time to make this.  Perfect for my Friday night of pure relaxation.

Ingredients

1 medium red onion, divided

1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1 lb lean ground turkey (93% lean 7% fat)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper
4 fresh burger rolls

Preparation

Cut red onion in half. Finely chop one half, set aside. Cut the other half into slices, set aside.

Finely chop 1/4 cup of basil. Set the other 1/4 cup aside for topping the burger.

In a bowl combine turkey, garlic, chopped red onion, chopped basil, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to fully blend the ingredients, but be gentle and not over work the meat.

Divide evenly into 4 portions and create patties.

Broil for 8-10 minutes on one side till firm. Gently flip and broil for 5 minutes, or until done.

Serve on buns topped with sliced red onions, basil leaves, and your favorite condiments.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 4
Serving size: 1/4 of recipe (7.3 ounces).
Calories 311.22

% Daily Value
Calories From Fat  108.68  35%
Total Fat 12.14g  19%
Saturated Fat  3.07g  15%

Today I had President’s Day off and after having a successful visit to the dentist, I decided to head to the store because I felt like cooking.  Not sure what I wanted to make, but I became excited when I saw sweet potatoes at the store. Once an easy ingredient to find, they are hard to come by now that I live in Connecticut, which is far from Georgia and the lovely south. Last year, when I still lived in Atlanta, I went to a restaurant that served sweet potato hash. It was a yummy dish, but I never thought to make it at home.  Until today, when glorious sweet potatoes were in my eye sight. Now, what do I put in my hash?  Thinking about it, I got the idea to add sweet Italian sausage after reading an article a few days earlier. So, what the heck, let’s create some hash!  The results were great, as I instantly loved this dish. Not only is it savory with a small hint of sweetness, but it is very filling.

Ingredients

2 lbs sweet potatoes
1 tsp salt, divided
1 lb fresh sweet Italian sausage
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 bunch of scallions, sliced
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp black pepper

Preparation

Scrub the sweet potatoes clean and rinse with cool water. Peel the potatoes. Cut off and discard any woody portions and ends. Cut into bite-size cubes.

Fill a large pot with just enough water to cover the potatoes.  Add 1/2 tsp salt to the water and bring to a boil.  Add potatoes. Cover the pot and cook potatoes for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the sausages. Cook for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally until cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add olive oil to the sausage fat in the pan and add potatoes. Cook over low heat for 5-8 minutes, turning occasionally.

Cut the sausages into bite size chunks and add to the pan.  Add the scallions to the pan and cook for a couple more minutes, until hot. Add brown sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, and pepper to the pan. Gently stir and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 4
Serving size: 1/4 of recipe (14.5 ounces).
Calories 461.84

% Daily Value
Calories From Fat  117.07  25%
Total Fat 13.06g  20%
Saturated Fat  4.19g  21%

COLD, COLD, COLD! It is 16 degrees here in the New York area. I moved here last year and the news says this is the coldest weather in 3 years! Lucky me!  Anyway, with this cold weather I am locked inside and feeling creative, so I developed this dish. I never made veal meatballs, but am so glad I tried it because the meatballs are tender and taste amazing. Cooking the meatballs directly in the sauce imparts wonderful flavor and tenderness. No need to cook the meatballs first and create more work for yourself.  Also, using quality dried spices, instead of fresh (which is hard to find in the winter) come to life in this sauce and are convenient. Excellent warm, filling dish, as I found it tasty and perfect to share with others.

Ingredients

Meatballs
1 lb ground veal (shoulder)
1 cup plain bread crumbs
2 egg whites
2 Tbsp granulated onion
1 Tbsp parsley, dried
1 Tbsp basil, dried
1 Tbsp garlic powder

1/4  tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Sauce
28 oz can crushed tomatoes with basil
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large zucchini, shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp parsley flakes
1 Tbsp oregano, dried
1 Tbsp marjoram, dried
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 pinches red pepper flakes
1/2 cup water

Pasta
12 oz casarecce

Preparation

In a bowl using your hands, mix together all meatball ingredients. Form meatballs into 1 to 1.5 ounces balls which makes 17 to 19 meatballs. Place meatballs on a plate, cover, and place in the fridge.

In a large saucepan, stir together tomatoes and olive oil. Heat on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add zucchini, garlic, parsley, oregano, marjoram, sugar, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium heat and place meat balls in sauce one by one. Gently stir in water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Uncover and gently stir. Cook uncovered for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.

In a large pot, boil water. Add casarecce and boil according to package instructions till al dente. Drain.

Add in casarecce to sauce. Lightly toss and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 4
Serving size: 1/4 of recipe (17.6 ounces).
Calories 687.37

% Daily Value
Calories From Fat  114.87  17%
Total Fat 12.69g  20%
Saturated Fat  3.84g  19%

As an Atlanta gal who moved up north to CT to work in NYC, I am trying to adjust to the cold weather. I actually love when it snows and like living near the harbor, which does yield quite cold winds. But, all has been great because the winter has been rather mild.  Well, on Friday I went to dinner with a friend in Greenwich Village and once we left a fabulous French restaurant, the cold weather hit us like a freight train. As a result, the next day all I craved was soup. Since I ate rich French food the night before, I of course needed and wanted to return to lighter food.  Enter this udon noodle soup, which hit the spot by warming me up and having such a flavorful broth. Going for Asian inspired flavors, this soup with all veggies and hearty udon noodles is similar to Pho. This is truly a favorite of mine!

Ingredients

4 cups chicken stock, reduced sodium
2 cups water
½ cup enoki mushrooms
½ cup carrot, shredded or finely diced
1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced
3 green onions, chopped (white included)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, minced
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce, reduced sodium
2 star anise
¼ tsp white pepper
½ tsp sesame oil
½ tsp sugar
2 cups napa cabbage
8 oz udon noodles, dry
Srirachi, optional

Preparation

In a large saucepan, add chicken stock and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low.

Add mushrooms, carrot, green onions, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and star anise. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove and discard star anise. Stir in white pepper, sesame oil, sugar, cabbage, and udon noodles. Increase heat to high and cook until noodles are tender, about 5 minutes.

Ladle into large soup bowls and serve topped with Srirachi if you like spicy soup.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 4
Serving size: 1/4 of recipe (24.4 ounces).
Calories 512.88

% Daily Value
Calories From Fat  99.52  19%
Total Fat 12.57g  19%
Saturated Fat  1.61g  8%

Stuffed portobello mushrooms are so filling and provide many options when stuffing.  I had a craving for stuffed mushrooms but I wanted something with an Asian flavor, so I created this fabulous filling of chicken and veggies.  The hoisin sauce adds a sweet flavor and along with red pepper flakes, you get a sweet filling with a hint of spice. You can skip the red pepper flakes and add a pinch of black pepper if you do not want a mild spicy kick.  Not only is this a tasty recipe, but it also looks so pretty when you present it to guests.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp peanut oil, divided
1 lb chicken breast, skinless, boneless and thinly sliced
4 portobello mushrooms
2 scallions, finely chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
½ cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
½ cup yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
¼ cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp ginger, minced
½ cup hoisin sauce
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp sugar
basil leaves, for garnish

Preparation

Heat 1 Tbsp oil over high heat in a large frying pan.

Reduce heat to low-medium heat and sauté chicken breasts for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until lightly brown and no longer pink.

Remove chicken from the pan and leave oil in the pan. Place chicken on a plate lined with paper towels to drain and cool.

Gently scoop out the gills and stems of the mushrooms, so you are left with a hollow cap. Discard the
mushroom gills and mince the stems. Set caps aside and place minced stems in a large bowl.

As chicken cools, add scallions, onion, bell peppers, garlic, and ginger to bowl that contains the minced
stems. Gently stir together.

When chicken is cool, mince it. Add chicken to vegetable mixture and gently stir.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Reheat the same pan on high heat, add remaining 1 Tbsp oil. Add mince mixture to pan and sauté for a 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat and stir in hoisin sauce, red pepper flakes, and sugar. Stir and fill the mushrooms caps evenly with mixture.

Spray a baking pan with oil. Place mushrooms on pan and bake for 20 minutes. Serve garnished with basil leaves.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 4
Serving size: 1/4 of recipe (14.9 ounces).
Calories 331.97

% Daily Value
Calories From Fat  102.66  31%
Total Fat 11.57g  20%
Saturated Fat  2.1g  11%

Happy New Year!  I have been on a break from blogging for a few months as the holidays, work deadlines, and family priorities took over.  With it being the new year, my foodie resolution is to get back to creating recipes and blogging.  While I maintained a healthy eating lifestyle during my blogging break, I did not do much as far as developing new recipes.  Well, New Years day I had an itch to make a turkey burger, but I wanted to make a new flavorful burger.  What I came up with is this recipe, which is soooo delish!  The use of quality, dried spices makes this a quick, easy recipe with top notch flavor. I topped this burger with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and ketchup and could not get enough. When I ate the last burger, I was sad it was gone.  Definitely a new favorite for me!

Ingredients

1 lb 99% Lean Ground Turkey
3 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 Tbsp soy sauce, reduced sodium
1 Tbsp ground basil, dried
3 Tbsp granulated onion
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp peanut oil, divided
1 tsp black pepper
4 wheat hamburger buns, split

Preparation

Mix together, gently, the first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Add in 1 Tbsp peanut oil and pepper, and continue to mix gently. Place bowl in the fridge for an hour.

Form meat mixture into 4 patties and set aside.

In a skillet, heat remaining peanut oil on medium heat. Place patties in skillet, reduce heat slightly and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until brown. Gently flip patties and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes, or until done. Be sure to resist the urge to cook at a high heat so you do not burn the juices on the outside of burger.

Serve each burger on buns with your favorite toppings.

Nutrition Facts

Servings: 4
Serving size: 1/4 of recipe (6.9 ounces).
Calories 371.92

% Daily Value
Calories From Fat  111.61  30%
Total Fat 12.82g  20%
Saturated Fat  3.26g  16%

Bear Mountain Oktoberfest
Bear Mountain, NY
October 20, 2012