Turnips Anyone?

wow...who would have thought? I saw turnips when I was at the store last week and decided to try them. I've NEVER tasted them before. I've had some other roots, but not them.

Today I realized that I still hadn't managed to cook them, so I decided it was time to try an experiment. I was also hungry for a snack, and trying to keep from the chocolate that was calling my name. I still gave in and ate a couple bites of the pudding my daughter made the other night for FHE desert...sigh. But most of it went down the sink!! ;)

Anyway, I ended up thinking of various things that sounded good together and tossed them in the pan. It was surprising how yummy it turned out. I've put the recipe below...you ought to try it! Something new!

Turnip Veggie Fry
Turnips, 2 small, cleaned and sliced
baby carrots, .25 cup
green onions, 1 diced
Mushrooms, fresh, 2 small sliced
Del Monte Petite Cut Diced Tomatoes, 0.25 cup
Spinach, fresh, .5 cup
Parmesan Cheese, grated, .33 tbsp
spices to flavor -- basil, mrs. dash, etc.

I used my small saute pan and sprayed it with pan spray as well as added a bit of water. I tossed in the turnips and sprayed them, as well as sprinkled them with some spice, covered them all with a lid. Then after about five minutes, I added the carrots (much of this was tossed in according to whim and what was on hand.) and sprayed them. Then I let things simmer for a few minutes. I turned them after they'd had time to brown a touch on one side. After they were a little soft to the touch with a fork, I added the green onions and the mushrooms and the tomatoes. This was stirred in and sprayed again, as well as a bit more spices tossed in. The lid goes on again and then stir every couple of minutes. After the mushrooms are cooked, I made a space in the middle, sprayed the pan, and put the spinach in the hole. I covered the pan and turned it off. The spinach cooked quickly and as soon as it was done, I placed the whole mess on a plate and sprinkled lightly with parmesan. wow...what a filling snack! You'll love it!

Servings Per Recipe: 1
Amount Per Serving
* Calories: 75.8
* Total Fat: 0.7 g
* Cholesterol: 1.3 mg
* Sodium: 268.9 mg
* Total Carbs: 15.1 g
* Dietary Fiber: 4.3 g
* Protein: 3.6 g

cake in a mug?? ugh

Well, I tried a recipe I've been wanting to try forever yesterday. It's called a Cake in a Mug. A friend sent it to me and says it's yummy. Well, of course I had to low fat it, cause you know, I'm watching the calories and fat...
Well, it turned out AWFUL!! So, I guess it's back to the drawing board. I used the protein powder instead of baking cocoa, skim milk, and half the chocolate chips (I used minis) applesauce instead of oil, egg substitute instead of the egg. Too much?? It was still a little high in fat, so I didn't know what else I could do. Oh well. You try it and see if the real deal tastes better than cardboard. The picture is what it's supposed to look like. I didn't bother taking a photo of mine.



5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)
A small splash of vanilla extract
1 large coffee mug (MicroSafe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.
Pour in the milk and oil and mix well..
Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again.
Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.
The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed!
Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired.
EAT ! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous). I served it with fat free vanilla yogurt -- which was the best part... ;)

Yummy Chili Tostada!

Well, at least that's what I'm calling it. We eat Chili fries a lot in the winter, it's easy and the kids like them. I started making them LONG before the restaurants started selling them...lol.

Anyway, tonight was my 14 year old's night to make dinner, and he wanted chili fries. We didn't have any fries, we had tater tots, so he made do with them. Unfortunately, they have loads of fat and so does regular chili, so I had to figure something else simple to eat, cause my weekly dinners have to be around 1300 calories a day. This is what I came up with, and it was really yummy and filling with a salad. Hope you like them!

Chili Tostada's

Nalley's vegetarian chili, 1 can
Del Monte Petite Cut Diced Tomatoes, 1/2 C
sweet raw onion, .5 cup
Kraft fat free Cheddar cheese shredded, 3 serving
La Banderita Corn Tortillas, 4 serving
Kroger Fat Free Sour Cream, 4 serving

preheat oven to 400. Spray a cookie sheet with pan spray. Put the tortillas on the pan and spray them. Bake for about 10 minutes, checking to make sure not burned. Turn over about 5 minutes in. Pull out, put chili equally on top of tortillas. Put a spoon full of tomatoes on top of chili. Put cookie sheet back in oven and back for about 5 minutes. Pull out and sprinkle with cheese. Put back in and bake till cheese is all melted.
Makes 4 servings, usually about 2 each. Great served with a salad!


Nutritional Info
* Fat: 0.8g
* Carbohydrates: 36.1g
* Calories: 230.8
* Protein: 18.0g

Protein Bars???

These are actually good, you'll have to give them a try if you are into protein mixes and are doing any weight lifting. My personal trainer gave them to me as a suggestion, she wasn't sure how they were going to taste. Enjoy!

Protein Bars


Ingredients

EAS 100% Chocolate flavored Whey Protein, 10 servings
Regular Oats Cereal, 1 1/2 cup (I used quick)
Kroger reduced fat Creamy Peanut butter, 1 1/2 C
honey 4 Tb
1/4 C Water (ended up with about a cup)

Nutritional Info
Fat: 11.4g
Carbohydrates: 18.9g
Calories:262.6
Protein: 23.8g

Mix all the ingredients but the powder in a bowl and microwave for 90 seconds. Stir and then microwave again until everything blends together. Stir in the powder and mix till blended. Press into a 9x9 pan or larger (if you like them thin, probably a 9x13, sprayed). Keep in fridge until solid. Cut and serve. Can put in baggies and store.
We cut our small pyrex size (4x12?)into 15 pieces, but it's really thick. I'm thinking it could be cut much smaller, so the calories were smaller.

Number of Servings: 15

Lasagna Florentine, on the low fat side

I made lasagna for dinner yesterday, which is always an undertaking. Lasagna is not a quick dinner, so it's not something we make often. It's also not very cheap, since we have developed a taste for ricotta cheese instead of just cottage. sigh. Like I said, I have gourmet tastes...grin.

So, It turned out a little browner on top because meetings ran late and kids left it in the oven, but it still tasted great. Try it, you'll like it!! ;)

Family Favorite Lasagna Florentine

Spaghetti sauce with mushrooms, 3 tall cans
Diced Tomatoes, 1 can
85% lean hamburger, 2.5 lbs, cooked, drained
Mushrooms, fresh, 1.25 cups sliced
onion, 1 cup chopped
Garlic, 4 tsp chopped (I buy the bottled stuff, already chopped)
lasagna noodles, 3 1.2 boxes (6 serving size)
fat free cottage cheese 3 containers
low fat ricotta, 2 1/2 containers
Spinach, frozen, 1/2 package defrosted
low moisture park skim mozzarella cheese grated, 6 cups
fat free mozzarella, 1 cup grated
Parsley
fennel
Italian seasoning

In a large dutch oven, (or pasta pan) Add the garlic, onion and mushrooms to the ground beef after draining, over low heat, stirring till well mixed. Add tomatoes and spaghetti sauce, stir, add fennel and Italian seasoning. In a large bowl, mix cottage cheese, ricotta and mozzarella. Stir till well blended. Add parsley and spinach, stir till blended. Have two 9x13 pans sprayed. Ladle the sauce into each pan, just coating the bottom thinly. Put a layer of lasagna noodles. Then a layer of cheese sauce. Then a layer of noodles, and so forth, ending with the meat sauce. This might be a little thin, just make sure the noodles are all covered. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top. I made a separate end of one pan and put fat free mozzarella on my section. I had enough for dinner and lunch tomorrow.! Anyway, cover with foil and cook at 350 for an hour. Turn off the oven, remove the foil and place back in the oven to melt the cheese on top, about 10 minutes. Pull out and let sit for 5 minutes or so before cutting and serving. Cut each pan into 15 or more slices...enjoy with salad!!

Nutritional Info:
Servings Per Recipe: 32
Amount Per Serving:
* Calories: 337.9
* Total Fat: 9.7 g
* Cholesterol: 40.2 mg
* Sodium: 753.4 mg
* Total Carbs: 39.9 g
* Dietary Fiber: 3.7 g
* Protein: 25.8 g

Just look at it!!

Okay...In my other blog I stated I would be covering my food altering adventures here. In weight loss, one has to either change eating habits or fail. It has to be a life changing thing, or the weight will not stay off either. Since I have entered a phase in my life where I am paying someone to tell me how to eat and how to exercise...sigh...I am altering recipes like mad.



Yesterday was my 18 year old's day to cook. He wanted to make Chicken Enchiladas, which is a family favorite, takes a long time to make, and is generally work intensive. I figured he was starting good, but it still took him two and half hours, but most of it was simply because he's a novice at timing things so that they're more efficient. He'll learn -- he's pretty good. This is how they turned out! Don't they look terrific?? They tasted amazing! Especially considering they were low fat! Yes, you read that right. They were low fat. We used low fat and fat free sour cream, low fat and fat free cheese too. I'm posting the recipe so you can make them, and beware, it's a large recipe -- it makes 37 enchiladas. Enjoy!!

Low Fat Chicken Enchiladas

Reduced Fat Sour Cream, 2 cups
Red Pepper, 1 1/2 large, chopped
sweet onion, 1 med, chopped
Cream of Chicken soup, 2 cans
Mushrooms, 1 pkg, sliced/chopped
Diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning, 1 can, drained
Petite diced tomatoes with sweet onions, 1 can, drained
Fat Free Sour Cream, 2 cups (1 container)
Green bell pepper, 1 1/2, chopped
flour tortillas, 37 (might be able to do 38)
5 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked) chopped
Kraft fat free Cheddar cheese shredded, 1 cup
2% 4 cheese blend, 2 cups
Colby jack grated cheese, 4 cups

While the chicken is cooking, chop all the vegetables. I use a large bowl to toss everything into. I cook the chicken in a frying pan with pan spray and the lid on. It really cooks rather fast. While it's cooking, I chop the onions, peppers, mushrooms, etc. and toss them in the bowl. In a separate bowl (although I forgot this last night, and that's why it looks a little chunky on top) I combine all the soup and sour cream and half of the cheese. Reserve 4 cups of this sauce, and then pour the rest over the chopped veggies along with the chicken when it's done cooking, cooled and been chopped.
Take the tortillas, put a large spoonful of filling in it, roll it up, and place it in a sprayed 9x13 pan, seam side down. Each pan should hold 10 to 12, you have to kind of squish them to fit 12. After you've filled your pans (last night took three) you pour the remainder of the sauce on top and the rest of the cheese. Try and cover as much as possible, since what is not covered browns a little faster than the rest.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until edges start to turn golden brown and cheese is fully melted.
YUM!!!
Nutritional Info:
* Servings Per Recipe: 37
* Amount Per Serving
* Calories: 243.4
* Total Fat: 8.7 g
* Cholesterol: 39.6 mg
* Sodium: 627.3 mg
* Total Carbs: 24.9 g
* Dietary Fiber: 1.7 g
* Protein: 17.1 g