Crunchy Asian Salad

Countdown to Easter: 2 Days!

This is a great springtime salad to contribute to an Easter banquet

Ingredients: 

• 1 large head of Napa cabbage
• 1/2 head of cabbage
• 1 package pre-chopped purple cabbage
• 1 package pre-chopped carrots
• 5 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 c. toasted sliced almonds
• Optional: 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
• Soy Ginger dressing (Trader Joe’s) or other low-fat/low-sugar asian style dressing

Toss salad to spread dressing out thinly & evenly

Enjoy this crunchy salad & share with friends & family

You could also add chicken for some protein & make it a Chinese Chicken Salad

Lox & Bagels

Easter Countdown: 3 Days!

Lox & Bagels is a great special occasion breakfast, especially when accompanied with mimosas!  Salmon is full of omega-3’s and is one of the healthiest & nourishing foods you could eat.

Ingredients: 1 Serving

• 1 Whole wheat Bagel thin
• 1 & 1/2 Tbsp. low-fat cream cheese
• 1 tsp. capers
• 4 slices smoked salmon
• Optional: Champagne & orange juice

Cheers!

 

Greek Yogurt Fruit Salad

Green Apple, Strawberry, Blackberry

Countdown to Easter: 4 Days!

A fruit salad is the perfect colorful springtime side dish to contribute to an Easter brunch.  There are endless possibilities of fruits & nuts you can use for a colorful fruit salad

Ingredients:

• Chobani Nonfat Vanilla Greek Yogurt
• Your favorite chopped fruit: Such as green apple, pear, fuji apple, banana, berries
• Chopped Pecans (or walnuts/sliced almonds)
• Optional: Dried Cranberries

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Healthy Banana & Walnut Bran Muffins

Countdown to Easter: 5 Days!

These muffins or my Healthy Blueberry Bran Muffin recipe would be great for an Easter brunch. They are both healthy, yet also satisfy a sweet tooth (for those who gave up sweets for lent)!

Ingredients: Yields 12 muffins

• 1 & 1/4 c. 100% Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 c. wheat bran
• 1/2 c. oatmeal
• 1/4 c. all purpose white flour
• 3 Tbsp. Truvia natural sweetener (about 8 packets)
• 1/8 c. white sugar
• 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 Tbsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 & 1/4 c. 1% buttermilk
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 c. canola oil
• 1 & 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 c. banana slices
• 1/2 c. walnuts, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: Whole wheat flour, wheat bran, oatmeal, all purpose flour, Truvia, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda & salt
3. In a smaller bowl, mix together wet ingredients: Buttermilk, eggs, canola oil & vanilla extract
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, mix to combine without lumps, but don’t overmix
5. Gently fold bananas & 1/3 c. walnut pieces into the batter                      

1. To save on oil, line the muffin pan with paper liners. Spoon the batter into the pan 
2. Fill cups up with a little less than a cm. to the top. Press the rest of the walnuts into batter 
3. Place in the oven, & bake the muffins for 20 minutes or until batter is cooked 

There are endless variations for these muffins such as dark chocolate chips & dried cranberries, banana & walnut, pear & pecan, peach & brown sugar and whatever other fruit & nut combination you concoct! Let me know what ingredients you try.

Share with your family & friends!

Asparagus, Red Pepper & Turkey Sausage Quiche

Week of Easter: 6 days until Easter!

Quiches are a great idea for Easter brunch & there are endless combinations of meats, cheeses and veggies to fill your quiche will.  Typical quiches from a restaurant are full of fat because of the crust, however, this quiche is made with a whole wheat flour tortilla crust which makes it a completely healthy yet flavorful dish that anyone would love

Ingredients: Yields 8 servings

• 1/2 package of Jenny-O turkey sausage
• 3 whole wheat tortillas
• 8 eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/2 cup swiss cheese, shredded
• 3/4 c. asparagus pieces
• 1/2 red pepper
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. paprika
• Sea salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cook turkey sausage in bite-sized chunks according to package, set aside
3. Saute red pepper & asparagus, set aside
4. Coat round pyrex oven-safe plate with olive oil
5. Overlap 2 tortillas & cut the third in half to form a crust without spaces
6. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and milk
7. Add turkey sausage, swiss cheese, red pepper, asparagus, paprika, salt & pepper to egg mixture & combine
8. Pour egg mixture into tortilla-lined pyrex
9. Bake for about 50 minutes
10. To check if it’s done: Tap the edge of the pyrex plate and see if eggs are set, if it is still liquidy, bake a little longer
11. Let it sit for at least 10 minutes before slicing into portions.

Serve with fresh avocado & salsa

Asian Soba Noodle Soup with Lemongrass

Soba noodles are made out of buckwheat so they are high in fiber and are a good source of protein because they contain all eight essential amino acids.

Ingredients: 

• 5 oz. soba noodles
• 1 large boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 8 oz. (2 packages) shiitake mushrooms
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 3 large carrots, chopped into small rounds
• 2 stalks of green onions, chopped
• 5 bok choy leaves
• 3 stalks of lemongrass (bought at your local health food store), kitchen string to tie
• 3 Tbsp. ginger, peeled & minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1/4 c. basil, chopped

Directions:

1. Remove the hard outer shell of the lemongrass.  Cut into 2 inch-length pieces
2. Press down with side of knife to open up the flavor.  Tie into a bundle with kitchen string 
3. Bring 5 c. water to a boil.  Chop the chicken into small cubes & add to the boiling water
4. While the chicken is cooking bring 8 c. water to a boil in a different pot.
5. Lower heat & add soba noodles, carrot, onion, green onion, garlic, ginger & lemon grass bundle
6. Then chop the shiitake mushrooms & bok choy             
7. Add the drained chicken, mushrooms, bok choy & soy sauce into the soup mixture 
8. Cook until soba noodles are done & bok choy is translucent

 Go here for my Hot & Sour Soup recipe

Pork Spring Rolls

This simple pork spring roll recipe is full of flavor and has the protein to fill you up and carry you through the day.

Ingredients:  Yields about 4 servings

• 1 lb. pork loin cutlets
• 1 head napa cabbage (about 3 c. shredded)
• 1 small red bell pepper
• 4 large romaine lettuce leaves
• 1 Tbsp. asian fish sauce
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• Sea salt & ground pepper

Directions: 

1. In a large pan coat with olive oil and add pork cutlets.  Season with a little sea salt & pepper.
2. Cook on medium high until one side of the pork is browned.
3. Flip, turn heat down to medium-low, and cook until no longer pink, yet still juicy. Set aside
4. Whisk together fish sauce, lime juice, ginger, garlic & red pepper flakes in  a small bowl
5. Shred napa cabbage and slice red bell pepper into thin slices      
6. Slice the pork into thin slices                                                                     
7. Toss the pork with 1 tablespoon of dressing mixture                
8. Toss the cabbage and red bell pepper with the remainder of the dressing                            
9. Lay the romaine lettuce leaves on a plate and fill with cabbage mixture and pork.  Eat open-faced

For my Vietnamese Spring Roll recipe, click HERE!

 

Chicken with Ginger & Snow Peas

Ingredients: 

• 1 & 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 1 lb. snow peas
• 2 sliced green onions
• 1 & 1/2 Tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. minced ginger
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 1 & 1/2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Directions: 

1. Fill a medium bowl with ice and water
2. Bring a medium pan of water to a boil
3. Boil snow peas for 2 minutes, drain, and place in ice water to chill
4. Combine 2 tsp. of olive oil with 1 Tbsp. of soy sauce & minced ginger in a small bowl
5. Add chicken and toss to marinade
6. In a large pan, coat with remainder of olive oil and add chicken
7. Cook until chicken is slightly browned and no longer pink inside
8. Transfer to cutting board and cube the chicken
9. In a separate bowl, combine peas, scallions, sesame oil, & the remainder of soy sauce.  Toss
10. Serve chilled peas with chicken & serve

White Fish topped with Olive Tapenade

This is a quick, healthy & protein-filled meal.  It’s an easy go-to option if you don’t have much time to make a more complex meal.

Ingredients:

• Filet of white fish: Halibut, tilapia, hake, cod, etc.
• 3 Tbsp. olive tapenade of your choice: I usually get mine from Costco or Trader Joe’s
• 1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Line a cookie sheet with heavy duty foil coated with a little olive oil
3. Place the fish filet on the foil and top with sea salt & pepper and  olive tapenade
4. If frozen: Bake for about 20-25 min. or until fish is no longer translucent
5. If fresh: Bake for about 15-20 min. or until fish is no longer translucent
6. Serve with a vegetable side dish of your choosing & enjoy!

There is nothing bland about this recipe even though it only consists of mainly 3 ingredients; enjoy this flavorful way to get fish into your diet!

Healthy Panko Breadcrumb Chicken Fingers

If you are ever craving something like a crunchy snack or fried chicken these chicken fingers are the perfect healthy substitute

Ingredients: Yields 2 servings

• Panko bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 large boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Paprika
• Sea salt & pepper
• 1 Tbsp. Stubb’s all natural bbq sauce (much less sugar than any bbq sauce) 

Directions: 

1. In one shallow baking pan or tupperware container fill with beaten egg
2. In another shallow container fill with panko bread crumbs
3. Cut chicken into strips
4. Dip strips of chicken into the egg container and cover with beaten egg
5. Transfer strips and coat with panko bread crumbs 
6. Transfer the breaded strips of chicken to a large pan coated with olive oil 
7. Once one side of the chicken is brown & crispy, flip, cover pan
8. Cook until the other side is brown & crispy and chicken is cooked through
9. Serve with a small side of barbecue sauce.  Other topping ideas: Bolthouse yogurt ranch dressing, natural honey-mustard or organic ketchup

Enjoy this protein-filled healthy rendition of chicken fingers for all ages!