Pike Place Market Salad

How about trying a new salad tonight? It's a little fancy, but it's easy enough and it could be fun to bring new flavors to start your meal with. Here's a recipe from Health.com and Cooking Light for Pike Place Market Salad.

Pike Place Market Salad

The salad calls for herb salad mix, which can be found prebagged in the supermarket, or use any combination of lettuces and herbs. Any fresh cherry or berry (blackberries, blueberries, etc.) will do nicely. The dressing and caramelized walnuts can be made a day ahead (store the nuts in an airtight container and the dressing in the refrigerator).

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 cups salad, 1/2 cup berries, 1 tablespoon cheese, and 2 1/4 teaspoons walnut)

Nutritional Information
Calories: 165
Calories from fat: 37%
Fat: 6.7g
( Sat. 1.8g, Mono 0.7g, Poly 3g)
Protein: 5.2g
Carbohydrates: 24.6g
Fiber: 4.5g
Cholesterol: 6mg
Iron: 1.9mg
Sodium: 199mg
Calcium: 116mg

Ingredients

Walnuts:
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts
Cooking spray

Dressing:
1/2 cup apple cider
3 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Remaining ingredients:
8 cups herb salad mix
2 cups berries and/or pitted sweet cherries
1/4 cup (1 ounce) blue cheese, crumbled

Preparation

To prepare nuts, place sugar in a small skillet over medium heat; cook 90 seconds or until sugar dissolves, stirring as needed so sugar dissolves evenly and doesn't burn. Reduce heat; stir in walnuts. Cook over low heat 30 seconds or until golden. Spread mixture onto foil coated with cooking spray. Cool completely; break into small pieces.

To prepare dressing, place cider in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons (about 5 minutes). Combine water and cornstarch in a small bowl; add to pan. Bring cider mixture to a boil, stirring constantly; cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Stir in shallots, vinegar, salt, and pepper; let cool.

To prepare salad, place salad mix in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing; toss gently to coat. Divide evenly among 4 plates; top with berries, cheese, and walnuts. Serve immediately.

Cajun Cool Cheeseburgers

If your'e looking for a fun and different burger to make and like spice and cheese, check out this Cajun Cheeseburger recipe from Health.com.

Cajun Cool Cheeseburgers

Yield: 4 servings

Nutritional Information
Calories: 463
Calories from fat: 33%
Fat: 17g
( Sat. 7g, Mono 5.6g, Poly 2.6g)
Protein: 33.1g
Carbohydrates: 43.1g
Fiber: 2.1g
Cholesterol: 82mg
Iron: 5.2mg
Sodium: 956mg
Calcium: 194mg


Ingredients

3 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning (such as Tony Chachere's)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
3/4 pound ground round
1/4 pound ground turkey breast
Cooking spray
4 (1 1/2-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
3/4 cup green onion tops, cut into 2-inch julienne strips

Preparation

Prepare grill.

Combine cheeses; set aside.

Combine breadcrumbs and next 5 ingredients (breadcrumbs through turkey). Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Place patties on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side. Sprinkle burgers evenly with cheese mixture. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until burgers are done and cheese melts. Place buns, cut sides down, on grill rack; grill 1 minute or until toasted. Place 1 patty on bottom half of each bun; top each serving with 1/4 cup lettuce, 3 tablespoons onions, and top half of bun.

Mr. Stripey Tomato, Arugula, and Pancetta Sandwiches

If you like BLT sandwiches, check out this recipe for a slight update on the BLT from Cooking Light.

Mr. Stripey Tomato, Arugula, and Pancetta Sandwiches

These sandwiches are a new interpretation of the classic BLT. Pancetta is Italian cured bacon; substitute domestic cured bacon, if necessary. You can prepare the mayonnaise mixture and cook the pancetta up to one day ahead.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced shallots
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh sage
2 ounces pancetta, cut into 8 thin slices
Cooking spray
8 (1-ounce) slices rustic sourdough bread, toasted
4 medium Mr. Stripey tomatoes, each cut into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices
1 cup arugula

Preparation

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well.
2. Preheat oven to 400°. Arrange pancetta in a single layer on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes or until crisp. Drain on paper towels.
3. Spread mayonnaise mixture evenly over bread slices. Top each of 4 bread slices with 2 pancetta slices, 4 tomato slices, and 1/4 cup arugula. Top sandwiches with remaining 4 bread slices.

Jeanne Thiel Kelley, Cooking Light
AUGUST 2008

Chai Oatmeal

Oatmeal is one of the best breakfasts to eat. It's got plenty of fiber to keep you full and energized, and you can make it sweet or savory depending on how you like it. From Health.com, here is a recipe for Chai Oatmeal that would be delicious for a fall breakfast.

Chai Oatmeal

"Rolled oats simmered in sweet, spice-infused milk make an exquisite breakfast cereal,"Katzen notes. Oat bran not only boosts the fiber, it also makes the oatmeal creamy and thick.

Yield: Makes 2 servings


Nutritional Information
Calories: 248
Fat: 6g
( Sat. 3g, Mono 2g, Poly 1g)
Protein: 12g
Fiber: 5g
Cholesterol: 14mg
Iron: 2mg
Sodium: 387mg

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups 2% or whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons honey, plus more to taste
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
3/4 cup regular (not quick-cooking) oats
2 tablespoons oat bran, optional

Preparation

Combine the milk, salt, and spices in a small saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring constantly; add the honey, vanilla (if desired), oats, and bran (if desired), and stir until combined. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the oatmeal is thick and creamy. Serve hot with additional honey to taste.

HG's Big Beef 'n Bacon Meatloaf

Here's a really interesting spin on meatloaf from Hungry Girl. In this one, you can use bacon or turkey bacon to make an updated and delicious meatloaf dish. I'll probably make mine with turkey bacon when I get around to it.

HG's Big Beef 'n Bacon Meatloaf

Ingredients:
6 slices center-cut bacon or turkey bacon
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 1/4 lbs. raw extra-lean ground beef
1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
3 tbsp. hickory-flavored BBQ sauce, divided
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 tbsp. ketchup

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

Bring a large skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat on the stove. Add bacon and cook until crispy, about 4 minutes per side. Remove bacon and, once cool enough to handle, chop or crumble. Set aside.

If needed, clean and dry skillet. Re-spray skillet and return to medium heat. Add mushrooms and onion. Stirring occasionally, cook until completely softened, 5 - 7 minutes. Remove from heat and, once cool enough to handle, blot away any excess moisture with paper towels. Transfer veggies to a large bowl. Add about three-fourths of the bacon, and set the rest aside for topping. To the bowl, add beef, tomatoes, 2 tbsp. BBQ sauce, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Mix thoroughly.

Transfer mixture to the loaf pan; if needed, smooth out the surface with the back of a spatula or spoon. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine ketchup with remaining tablespoon of BBQ sauce and mix well. Evenly top meatloaf with the BBQ-ketchup mixture and sprinkle with remaining bacon.

Bake in the oven until meatloaf is fully cooked, about 50 minutes.

Slice, serve, and enjoy!

MAKES 5 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/5th of recipe)
Calories: 224
Fat: 8g
Sodium: 707mg
Carbs: 10g
Fiber: 1g
Sugars: 7g
Protein: 26g

PointsPlus® value 5*

HG's Happy Monkey Banana Pudding Shake

Milkshakes are delicious, but for me, they're too heavy and I end up with an awful stomach ache...Hungry Girl's redone milkshake is just as thick but not as heavy. Obviously still delicious as always!

HG's Happy Monkey Banana Pudding Shake

Ingredients:
1/2 cup light vanilla soymilk
1 tbsp. Jell-O Sugar Free Fat Free Vanilla Instant pudding mix
1 tsp. fat-free nondairy powdered creamer (like the kind by Coffee-mate), dissolved in 1 tbsp. warm water
1 no-calorie sweetener packet (like Splenda or Truvia)
1/4 cup fat-free vanilla ice cream
Half a medium banana, sliced into coins, frozen
1 cup crushed ice or 5 - 8 ice cubes
2 Reduced Fat Nilla Wafers
2 tbsp. Fat Free Reddi-wip
1 maraschino cherry

Directions:
In a tall glass, combine soymilk, pudding mix, creamer mixture, and sweetener. Stir until mostly dissolved. Transfer contents of the glass to a blender.

Add ice cream, frozen banana coins, and ice to the blender. Blend at high speed until thoroughly mixed. If needed, remove blender from the base, stir mixture, and blend again.

Pour into the tall glass. Break wafers into pieces and stir into the shake. Top with Reddi-wip and a cherry, and enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Serving Size: entire recipe (1 shake)
Calories: 211
Fat: 2g
Sodium: 371mg
Carbs: 45g
Fiber: 3g
Sugars: 20g
Protein: 5.5g

PointsPlus® value 6*

HG Alternative! If you like, leave out the wafer cookies. Still awesome (and under 200 calories)!

Crispy White Pizza

I am a huuuge fan of making my own pizzas...My friend and I spent some hilarious weekends together, trying to figure out how to make the perfect healthy homemade pizza (well there were other goals, but pizza making always resulted in something funny). Here's Hungry Girl's take on the healthy homemade pizza.

Crispy White Pizza

PER SERVING (entire recipe): 200 calories, 3.25g fat, 930mg sodium, 33g carbs, 7g fiber, 7g sugars, 17g protein -- PointsPlus® value 5*

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes

1 large low-fat, high-fiber, burrito-size tortilla with about 100 calories (like this kind by La Tortilla Factory)

1/3 cup fat-free ricotta cheese
1 tbsp. shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. salt, or more to taste
Dash black pepper

4 thin slices plum tomato
4 fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.



Put tortilla on a baking sheet sprayed lightly with nonstick spray. Bake in the oven until slightly crispy, 3 - 5 minutes per side. Leave oven on.

In a small bowl, mix ricotta cheese with mozzarella cheese. Set aside.

Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat on the stove. Add onion and, stirring occasionally, cook until softened and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Immediately stir onion into cheese mixture. Add garlic powder, salt, and pepper, and mix well.

Spread cheese-onion mixture evenly on top of the tortilla. Top with tomato slices and basil leaves. If you like, sprinkle with a dash of salt.

Return pizza to the oven and bake until hot, about 5 minutes. Slice and enjoy. Pizza for one!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Big Blue Buffalo Jala' Poppers

So I have to admit, I've never been a fan of Jalapeno Popper because of the cream cheese, but when I came across this Hungry Girl recipe and saw her way of making them, I decided to give them another try.

Big Blue Buffalo Jala' Poppers
PER SERVING (1/4th of recipe, 3 poppers): 106 calories, 3.5g fat, 639mg sodium, 14g carbs, 4.5g fiber, 4.5g sugars, 6.5g protein -- PointsPlus® value 3*

Double your cheesiness, double your spiciness, double your fun, and double your YUM!

Ingredients:
4 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese
2 tbsp. Frank's RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce, divided
3 tbsp. crumbled blue cheese
6 fresh whole jalapeño peppers
1/2 cup Fiber One Original bran cereal
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
Dash cayenne pepper
1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute (like Egg Beaters Original)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine cheese wedges with 1 tbsp. hot sauce and mix well. Add blue cheese, stir, and set aside.

Halve the peppers lengthwise, and remove seeds, stems, etc. Wash halves and dry them very well. Evenly spoon and spread cheese mixture into the pepper halves and set aside.

Place cereal and spices in a blender or food processor. Grind to a breadcrumb-like consistency. Transfer crumbs to a plate and set aside.

Pour egg substitute into a shallow bowl. Add remaining 1 tbsp. hot sauce and mix well. One at a time, gently cover pepper halves with egg mixture, shake to remove excess, and then coat entirely with crumb mixture. Repeat with remaining pepper halves, evenly placing them on the baking sheet.

Bake in the oven until coating is crispy and pepper halves have softened, 25 - 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Freakishly Good Frozen Hot Chocolate

Here is a great Frozen Hot Chocolate recipe from Hungry Girl. I'm not sure about yall, but here in Dallas, it will still be pretty warm going into November, so hot Hot Chocolate can be a little too much at times. This recipes is fun and puts a great spin on Hot Chocolate anyway and is great to know how to make.

Freakishly Good Frozen Hot Chocolate
PER SERVING (entire recipe): 58 calories, 0.5g fat, 184mg sodium, 10g carbs, 1g fiber, 5g sugars, 3g protein -- PointsPlus® value 1*

Ingredients:
One 25-calorie packet diet hot cocoa mix (like Swiss Miss Diet or Nestlé Fat Free)
2 no-calorie sweetener packets (like Splenda or Truvia)
1/4 cup light vanilla soymilk
1 tbsp. sugar-free calorie-free vanilla-flavored syrup (like the kind by Torani)
1 tsp. sugar-free chocolate syrup (like the kind by Hershey's)
1 cup crushed ice or 5 to 8 ice cubes
2 tbsp. Fat Free Reddi-wip

Directions:
Place hot cocoa mix and sweetener in a tall mug or glass. Add 1/4 cup hot water and stir to dissolve.

Add soymilk, vanilla-flavored syrup, and chocolate syrup. Mix well. Place in the fridge or freezer for several minutes, until completely chilled. Pour mixture into a blender and add ice. Blend at high speed until uniform. Pour into the tall mug or glass. Finish off with whipped topping. Drink up!

MAKES 1 SERVING

A Healthier Cheese Melt

From Glamour's Vitamin G blog, here is a great way to lighten up your cheese melts, or really any sandwich...check it out here...they post tons of delicious and healthy recipes and snack tips...so awesome!

Saucy BBQ Seafood Skewers with Not-So-Secret BBQ Sauce

Another awesome recipe from Hungry Girl-seriously, I love Lisa's creative ways of keep recipes, healthy, filling, and delicious.


Saucy BBQ Seafood Skewers with Not-So-Secret BBQ Sauce

PER SERVING (2 skewers with sauce): 299 calories, 7g fat, 616mg sodium, 19g carbs, 2.5g fiber, 12g sugars, 40g protein -- PointsPlus® value 7*

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes

Sauce
1/4 cup canned tomato sauce
2 tbsp. ketchup
2 tsp. brown sugar (not packed)
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Skewers
6 oz. large raw sea scallops
4 oz. large raw shrimp, tails removed, deveined, peeled
4 oz. raw salmon fillet
1 medium-small zucchini (or half of a large zucchini)
8 - 10 cherry tomatoes

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside. Cut scallops into halves or quarters, so that they are just slightly larger than the shrimp. Cut salmon and zucchini into chunks approximately the same size as the scallops.

Place all seafood and veggies onto 4 skewers, alternating their order.

Bring a grill or grill pan sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat. Add skewers and cook until seafood begins to turn opaque on top, about 5 minutes.

Flip skewers and cook until all seafood is cooked through, 4 - 5 minutes. Drizzle or brush sauce over skewers immediately after removing them from heat, or serve sauce on the side!

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

HG Heads-Up! Before assembling, soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes to prevent burning.

Simple and Complex Carbohydrates

I've been taking a bootcamp lately, and my awesome instructor has sent me some great informative links and recipes to help understand and help facilitate our weight loss.

Here is some information about simple and complex carbohydrates that might help you better understand which they are and which we should eat more of.

For the whole article, check it out at How To Think

Here are some key parts that I found useful:

Carbohydrates are necessary to your health, because every cell in your body uses them for energy. In fact, your brain can only use carbohydrates for energy.

Complex carbohydrates are high-fiber foods, which improve your digestion. They help stabilize the blood sugar, keep your energy at an even level, and help you feel satisfied longer after your meal.

In contrast, sugar and other simple carbohydrates can alter your mood, lead to cravings and compulsive eating, cause wide swings in your blood-sugar levels, and cause weight gain in most people. In addition, a high consumption of sugar can lead to uncomfortable withdrawal symptoms when you finally decide to improve your diet and forgo the sweets.

Some examples of healthy foods containing complex carbohydrates:

• Spinach Whole Barley Grapefruit
• Turnip Greens Buckwheat Apples
• Lettuce Buckwheat bread Prunes
• Water Cress Oat bran bread Apricots, Dried
• Zucchini Oatmeal Pears
• Asparagus Oat bran cereal Plums
• Artichokes Museli Strawberries
• Okra Wild rice Oranges
• Cabbage Brown rice Yams
• Celery Multi-grain bread Carrots
• Cucumbers Pinto beans Potatoes
• Dill Pickles Yogurt, low fat Soybeans
• Radishes Skim milk Lentils
• Broccoli Navy beans Garbanzo beans
• Brussels Sprouts Cauliflower Kidney beans
• Eggplant Soy milk Lentils
• Onions Whole meal spelt bread Split peas

Simple carbohydrates are more refined, are usually found in foods with fewer nutrients, and tend to be less satisfying and more fattening.

• Table sugar
• Corn syrup
• Fruit juice
• Candy
• Cake
• Bread made with white flour
• Pasta made with white flour
• Soda pop, such as Coke®, Pepsi®, Mountain Dew®, etc.
• Candy
• All baked goods made with white flour

Most packaged cereals

Teriyaki Salmon-Mango Wrap

Hungry Girl is my favorite...here's a recipe for a yummy Teriyaki Salmon Wrap...this is great for a quick dinner, or even a lunch on the go from last night's leftovers


Teriyaki Salmon-Mango Wrap

PER SERVING (entire recipe): 256 calories, 6g fat, 819mg sodium, 40g carbs, 16g fiber, 16g sugars, 24.5g protein -- PointsPlus® value 7*

Fruit, veggies, and fish rolled up into a handheld meal? What more could you want?!


Ingredients:
One 2.6-oz. pouch boneless skinless pink salmon, roughly flaked (about 1/3 cup)
1 tsp. thick teriyaki sauce/marinade
1 La Tortilla Factory Smart & Delicious Low Carb High Fiber Large Tortilla
1/2 cup chopped romaine lettuce
1/2 cup mango cut into thin strips
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup jicama cut into thin strips

Directions:
In a small bowl, combine salmon with teriyaki sauce and mix well. Set aside.

Place tortilla on a microwave-safe plate and microwave for 10 seconds, or until just warm.

Evenly place lettuce over the bottom half of the tortilla. Evenly top lettuce with salmon mixture, mango, onion, and jicama.

Carefully and tightly roll up tortilla over the filling from bottom to top. Secure with toothpicks, if needed.

Slice in half and enjoy! (Don't eat the toothpicks.)

MAKES 1 SERVING

HG Alternative! If you can't get your hands on the 80-calorie La Tortilla Factory tortilla called for in the recipe, just seek out the lowest-calorie medium-large flour tortilla you can find and adjust the calorie count accordingly. No problem!