Champagne Dream

Here is another fun drink recipe from Cosmopolitan. Check out this spin on Champagne.

Champagne Dream

Why wait for a celebration to break out the champagne? Kick off the weekend right by breaking out the bubbly and making this fun fearless fizzy drink called the Champagne Dream.

How to make it: Mix 1 ounce pomegranate liqueur, 1 ounce Cointreau, and 1 ounce fresh orange juice with ice. Then stir in 3 ounces of champagne or sparkling wine. Strain into a champagne flute and garnish with an orange slice for a decorative touch.

Individual Chili Meatloaf

Here's another meatloaf recipe. This one comes from Weight Watchers Weekly from the week of March 14, 2010 with a spicy twist.

Individual Chili Meatloaf

Our Mexican version of a comfort food classic is made in mini loaf pans for easy portion control. It's full of spices, topped with scallions and sour cream.

4 points per serving

12 servings (1 meatloaf each)

18 minutes prep

65 minutes cook

Ingredients

• 4 sprays cooking spray
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups diced onion
• 2 large poblano peppers, deveined and seeded, chopped
• 29 oz canned diced tomatoes, fire-roasted (about 3 cups)
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 Tbsp paprike, smoked variety
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp table salt
• 15 oz canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• 15 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 2 lb uncooked lean ground beef (7% fat)
• 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 1/2 cup chopped scallion

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350F
• Coat 12 mini loaf pans with cooking spray (or a muffin pan)
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat; add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds-do not allow garlic to burn
• Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes
• Add peppers and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes more
• Stir in tomatoes, lime juice, chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, kidney beans, black beans, and cilantro; reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring mixture to incorporate flavors from bottom and sides of pan, about 10 minutes. Allow mixture to cool.
• Place beef in a large bowl and add chili mixture; mix to thoroughly combine
• Place about one cup of meatloaf mixture in each prepared mini loaf pan
• Bake until juices run clear, about 35 to 45 minutes
• Let stand for 10 minutes before turning out of pans
• Top each meatloaf with 2 tsp each of sour cream and scallions

Hungry Girl's Perfect and Pretty Party Cake

One of the things I love about Hungry Girl is their creativity in putting together different foods to make delicious snacks and desserts. Check out another part of Hungry Girl's Hot Couples list with their Perfect and Pretty Party Cake

Pillsbury Funfetti Cake Mix + Diet Cream Soda = Perfect (& PRETTY!) Party Cake PER SERVING (1/12th of cake): 180 calories, 3.5 fat, 306mg sodium, 36g carbs, >PointsPlus™ value 5* Cake mix and diet soda? Awesome. Pretty colors? Also awesome. Fat-slashed cake with beautiful dots of color? SIGN US UP! Stir together a can of diet cream soda with a box of Funfetti cake mix. Don't add ANY of the other stuff the box tells you to add... Just the soda. Then simply bake according to package instructions, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Hooray for gorgeous guilt-free cake!

Slow Cooker Beans and Rice

Southern style favorites often carry more calories than most of us want to know about. Southern Living has slimmed down a whole bunch of southern dishes in their Lightened Southern Classics article. Here is one for Slow Cooker Beans and Rice.

Slow-Cooker Red Beans and Rice

Hands-on Time: 15 min.; Total Time: 7 hr., 15 min.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Other: 7 hours
Yield: Makes 10 cups (serving size: 1 cup with 1 cup rice)

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried red beans
• 3/4 pound smoked turkey sausage, thinly sliced
• 3 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 sweet onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
• Hot cooked long-grain rice
• Hot sauce (optional)
• Garnish: finely chopped green onions, finely chopped red onion

Preparation

1. Combine first 8 ingredients and 7 cups water in a 4-qt. slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH 7 hours or until beans are tender.

2. Serve red bean mixture with hot cooked rice, and, if desired, hot sauce. Garnish, if desired.

Try These Twists!

Vegetarian Red Beans and Rice: Substitute frozen meatless smoked sausage, thawed and thinly sliced, for turkey sausage.

Per cup (with 1 cup rice): Calories 422; Fat 3.5g (sat 0.4g, mono 0.2g, poly 0.2g); Protein 21.5g; Carb 76.4g; Fiber 12.2g; Chol 0mg; Iron 6.1mg; Sodium 530mg; Calc 113mg

Quick Skillet Red Beans and Rice: Substitute 2 (16-oz.) cans light kidney beans, drained and rinsed, for dried beans. Reduce Creole Seasoning to 2 tsp. Cook sausage and next 4 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring often, 5 minutes or until sausage browns. Add garlic; saute 1 minute. Stir in 2 tsp. seasoning, beans, and 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve with hot cooked rice and, if desired, hot sauce. Garnish, if desired. Makes 8 cups. Hands-on Time: 26 min., Total Time: 46 min.

Per cup (with 1 cup rice): Calories 424; Fat 3.2g (sat 1.1g, mono 0.2g, poly 0.4g); Protein 17.2g; Carb 79.5g; Fiber 7.6g; Chol 25mg; Iron 4.3mg; Sodium 804mg; Calc 76mg

Nutritional Information

Calories:

407

Fat:

2.1g (sat 0.8g,mono 0.2g,poly 0.2g)

Protein:

19g

Carbohydrate:

77.1g

Fiber:

11.7g

Cholesterol:

15mg

Iron:

5.8mg

Sodium:

492mg

Calcium:

115mg

Southern Living, DECEMBER 2009

Chicken dinners are the easiest go to when you need to make dinner quickly-check out Ladies Home Journal'scollection of Beat the Clock chicken recipes; check out this recipe for Chicken Carrot Salad Sandwiches.

Chicken Carrot Salad Sandwiches

Makes: 6 servings

Prep: 25 minutes
Start to Finish: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/4 pound haricots verts (French green beans) or fresh thin green beans, trimmed
• 10 ounces purchased precooked sliced boneless chicken breast
• 4 medium carrots, coarsely grated
• 1 tablespoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
• 3 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut, lightly toasted
• 2 tablespoons reduced-fat natural-style peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 6 Bibb or Boston lettuce leaves
• 1/4 seedless cucumber, sliced
• 12 slices whole-grain bread, toasted

Directions

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil; add salt. Add beans and cook until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water, tossing, until cool. Pat beans dry and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch pieces. Transfer to a large bowl.

Coarsely chop chicken and add to bowl with beans. Add carrots, ginger, coconut, peanut butter, yogurt, juice, and soy sauce. Stir until combined well; salt and pepper to taste.

Arrange chicken salad, lettuce, and cucumber between bread slices. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Facts

• Servings Per Recipe 6 servings
• Calories370,
• Total Fat (g)6.5,
• Saturated Fat (g)2,
• Cholesterol (mg)31,
• Sodium (mg)829,
• Carbohydrate (g)35,
• Fiber (g)6,
• Protein (g)19,
• Vitamin A (DV%)0,
• Vitamin C (DV%)0,
• Calcium (DV%)0,
• Iron (DV%)0,
• Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Chocolate and Nut Butter Bites

Everybody loves an awesome dessert...when desserts include chocolate, you know that everyone will go wild. Here is a recipe for Chocolate and Nut Butter Bites from Eating Well's collection of Instant Chocolate Desserts.

Chocolate & Nut Butter Bites

From EatingWell: February/March 2005, EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook (2008), The EatingWell Healthy in a Hurry Cookbook (2006)

4 servings

Active Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 8 1/4-ounce squares bittersweet chocolate
• 4 teaspoons almond, cashew or pistachio butter

PREPARATION

1. Top each chocolate square with 1/2 teaspoon nut butter of your choice (almond, cashew, pistachio).

NUTRITION

Per serving: 79 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat, 1 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol 9 g carbohydrates; 1 g protein; 1 g fiber; 12 mg sodium; 20 mg potassium.

1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1 fat

Nutrition Note: What you get: Magnesium, copper, chromium.

Here's an interesting spin on minestrone soup from Eating Well found in an article at Delish.

Minestrone with Endive and Pepperoni

From EatingWell.com

Considering that this minestrone soup incorporates mostly frozen vegetables, it is remarkably savory and aromatic. Look for frozen soup or stew vegetables with potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion in the mix to give the soup the best flavor. Although pepperoni isn't traditionally part of minestrone soup, you'll find it's a great shortcut to add spicy, complex flavor.

Serves: 6

Yields: 6 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

Total Time: 30 min

Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup(s) chopped fresh or frozen (thawed) bell peppers, any color
• 5 cup(s) reduced-sodium beef broth
• 1 1/2 teaspoon(s) dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon(s) dried thyme
• 2/3 cup(s) whole-wheat elbow noodles or other small pasta
• 1 pound(s) frozen mixed soup (or stew) vegetables (including potatoes, carrots, celery, onion), thawed, chopped
• 1 cup(s) frozen baby lima beans, thawed
• 1 can(s) (15-ounce) diced tomatoes with garlic and onion
• 1/2 cup(s) diced pepperoni
• 3 cup(s) lightly packed coarsely chopped curly endive or chard, tough stems removed
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

---

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bell peppers and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add broth, oregano, and thyme; bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook for 3 minutes less than the package directions.
2. Add mixed soup (or stew) vegetables and lima beans. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; boil until the vegetables are almost tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, pepperoni, and endive (or chard); return to a boil. Adjust the heat and simmer until the endive (or chard) is just tender, about 5 minutes. Season with pepper and garnish with Parmesan, if desired.

Rachael Ray's Hearty and Healthy 3 Bean Minesstrone

Dr. Oz posted another one of Rachael Ray's fabulous recipes. Check out her recipe for 3 bean minestrone soup.

RACHAEL RAY’S HEARTY AND HEALTHY 3 BEAN MINESTRONE

This minestrone is gorgeous, hearty, delicious and full of vegetables. Simple to make using Rachael Ray's Parmigiano and Herb-Fortified Stock as the base, this soup will keep you satisfied.

Ingredients

Serves 4

8 cups Parmigiano and Herb-Fortified Stock

4 Roasted Tomatoes, chopped,

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling

1 (1/8-inch thick) slice prosciutto di Parma, about 1/4 lb, optional

1 onion, chopped

2 to 3 ribs celery, finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped

4 cloves roasted garlic (from roasted tomato recipe), recipe follows

1 red chili pepper, finely chopped or thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb small potatoes, chopped or 1 cup small pasta

1 (15 oz.) can cannellini beans, drained

1 (15 to 15.5 oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained

5 oz. fresh, thin green beans, cut into thirds

1 small head escarole or small bundle chard, shredded

Lemon zest

Parmesan cheese, shredded, for topping

Hot, crusty bread for mopping

Directions

Set aside or prepare the stock and roasted tomatoes.

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat, add extra-virgin olive oil, a couple of turns of the pan. Add the prosciutto and stir a couple of minutes. Add the chopped onions, celery, carrots, garlic, and chili pepper, season with salt, and pepper. If you are using potatoes, add them here. If you are using pasta, heat a second medium pot of water to a boil for the pasta and cook according to package directions for al dente. Cool the pasta and drizzle with a touch of extra virgin olive oil. Cover and store separately from the soup.

Cover the pan and sweat the vegetables 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cannellini beans, garbanzo beans, prepared stock and prepared tomatoes. Bring the soup to a boil and add the green beans. Bring the soup back to a bubble, then turn off the heat and cool the soup. Store the soup in the refrigerator for a make-ahead meal.

To reheat the soup: Place the soup over medium-high heat. Crisp up the bread in a warm oven. When the soup comes to a boil, stir in the cooked pasta, escarole, and a little lemon zest. Turn off the heat when pasta is warmed through. Serve the soup in shallow bowls and top with cheese, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and crusty bread alongside for mopping.

Prep Time: 20 min

Inactive Prep Time: 1 hr

Cook Time: 40 min

Level: Intermediate

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray.

From Self's November 2008 feature of Eat Healthy All Week, here is a slimmed down version of General Tso's Chicken.

Skinny General Tso's Chicken

Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

• 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 6 oz), thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
• 1/2 cup low-sodium nonfat chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Vegetable oil cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
• 1 cup chopped romaine
• 1 small carrot, chopped
• 3 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tablespoon Carrot-Ginger Dressing
• 1/4 cup cooked brown rice (left over from Tuesday's dinner)

PREPARATION

1. Mix chicken, garlic, ginger, vinegar and 1 tsp cornstarch in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate about 20 minutes. Whisk broth, soy sauce, sugar, pepper flakes and remaining 1 tsp cornstarch in a bowl until smooth. Coat a small skillet with cooking spray. Add oil and heat skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion until it browns lightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken browns, 4 to 5 minutes. Add broth mixture and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Toss romaine, carrot and tomatoes for a side salad; sprinkle with dressing. Microwave rice 20 to 30 seconds. Serve chicken with salad and rice.

THE SKINNY

493 calories per serving, 10.5 g fat (1.8 g saturated), 50.5 g carbs, 5.4 g fiber, 46.3 g protein