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Chiles and cheese turn mild summer squash into a zesty, satisfying
casserole. The jalapenos make this dish quite hot; if you prefer a
milder version, use a second can of diced green chilies instead.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Combine squash, onion, chiles, jalapenos, salt and 3/4
cup cheese in a large bowl. Sprinkle with flour; toss to coat. Spread
the mixture in the prepared baking dish and cover with foil.
Bake the casserole until it is bubbling and the squash
is tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Spoon salsa over the casserole and sprinkle
with the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake, uncovered, until golden and
heated through, 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions and red
onion.
Tips & Notes
Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat, covered, at 350°F for about 40 minutes. Garnish just before serving.
Nutrition
Per serving:
101 calories;
5 g fat
( 3 g sat , 0 g mono
);
15 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrates; 5 g protein; 3 g fiber; 217 mg sodium; 265 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (30% daily value). Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2
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Looking for a vegetarian
option for your next cookout? This grilled eggplant and portobello
sandwich is our answer. For extra flavor, we top it with slices of
garden-fresh
tomato and spicy arugula. Serve with a mixed green salad.
4 servings
Active Time: Total Time:
Ingredients
1 small clove garlic, chopped
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
2 large or 3 medium portobello mushroom caps, gills removed (see Tip)
Canola or olive oil cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
8 slices whole-wheat sandwich bread, lightly grilled or toasted
2 cups arugula, or spinach, stemmed and chopped if large
1 large tomato, sliced
Preparation
Preheat grill to medium-high.
Mash garlic into a paste on a cutting board with the
back of a spoon. Combine with mayonnaise and lemon juice in a small
bowl. Set aside.
Coat both sides of eggplant rounds and mushroom caps
with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Grill the
vegetables, turning once, until tender and browned on both sides: 2 to 3
minutes per side for eggplant, 3 to 4 minutes for mushrooms. When cool
enough to handle, slice the mushrooms.
Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons of the garlic mayonnaise on each
piece of bread. Layer the eggplant, mushrooms, arugula (or spinach) and
tomato slices onto 4 slices of bread and top with the remaining bread.
Tips & Notes
Tip: The dark gills found on the
underside of a portobello mushroom cap are edible, but can turn a dish
an unappealing gray/black color. Gently scrape the gills off with a
spoon.
Nutrition
Per serving:
250 calories;
7 g fat
( 1 g sat , 3 g mono
);
4 mg cholesterol; 39 g carbohydrates; 10 g protein; 9 g fiber; 688 mg sodium; 789 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Potassium (22% daily value), Folate (20% dv), Magnesium & Vitamin C (18% dv).
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This makeover of a Midwestern classic tops layers of lettuce, peas, bell pepper & tomatoes with a creamy, tangy dressing. The salad stays fresh underneath until it's served and gets even better when held overnight.
This makeover of a Midwestern classic tops layers of lettuce, peas, bell
pepper and tomatoes with a creamy, tangy dressing. The salad stays
fresh underneath until it's served and gets even better when held
overnight.
10 servings, about 1 cup each
Active Time: Total Time:
Ingredients
8 cups shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1 medium yellow bell pepper, diced
1 cup halved grape tomatoes , or quartered cherry tomatoes
1 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup sliced scallions
3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
3/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1-2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
3 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
Preparation
Place lettuce in a large bowl. Layer peas, bell pepper, tomatoes, celery and scallions on top.
Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar to taste,
garlic powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Spread the
dressing evenly over the top of the salad (an offset spatula is handy
for this, if you have one). Sprinkle with cheese, basil and bacon. Serve
room temperature or chilled.
Tips & Notes
Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Sprinkle with basil just before serving.
Nutrition
Per serving:
84 calories;
4 g fat
( 1 g sat , 0 g mono
);
7 mg cholesterol; 10 g carbohydrates; 2 g added sugars; 5 g protein; 2 g fiber; 355 mg sodium; 234 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (70% daily value), Vitamin A (60% dv).
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Our oven-baked zucchini sticks taste every bit as good as their
deep-fried brethren with only a fraction of the fat and calories. Serve
with a side of your favorite marinara sauce for dipping.
Preheat oven to 475°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Combine flours, cornmeal, salt and pepper in a large
sealable plastic bag. Dip zucchini in egg white, shake in the bag to
coat, and arrange, not touching, on the baking sheet. Coat all exposed
sides with cooking spray.
Bake on the center rack for 10 minutes. Turn the
zucchini and coat any floury spots with cooking spray. Continue to bake
until golden and just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes more. Serve hot.
Nutrition
Per serving:
127 calories;
2 g fat
( 0 g sat , 0 g mono
);
0 mg cholesterol; 23 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 4 g fiber; 427 mg sodium; 524 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Potassium (15% daily value).
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2 medium red onions, cut into 3/8-inch-thick slices
1 green bell pepper, cored and quartered lengthwise
1 small ripe avocado
1/2 cup hot tomato salsa, preferably chipotle
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup lime juice
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste
Baked tortilla chips, (optional)
Preparation
Cook rice in a large pot of boiling salted water, until
al dente, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain and rinse. Place in a large bowl, toss
with beans and set aside.
Meanwhile, preheat grill.
Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Grill corn, onions and
bell pepper, turning frequently, until tender and charred, 10 to 12
minutes.
Cut kernels from cobs (see Tip) and add to reserved rice
and beans. Dice the bell pepper and half the onions; add to the rice
mixture. Place the remaining onions in a mixing bowl. Peel and dice
avocado; add half to rice mixture and half to the bowl with sliced
onions.
Whisk salsa, orange juice, lime juice, cilantro, oil and
cumin in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Toss 3 tablespoons
of the salsa mixture with sliced onions and avocado. Toss the rest with
rice mixture.
Spoon rice mixture onto a serving dish and top with onion-avocado mixture. Serve with chips, if desired.
Tips & Notes
To oil the grill rack: Oil a folded
paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use
cooking spray on a hot grill.) When grilling delicate foods like tofu
and fish, it is helpful to spray the food with cooking spray.
To remove corn kernels from the cob:
Stand an uncooked ear of corn on its stem end in a shallow bowl and
slice the kernels off with a sharp, thin-bladed knife. This technique
produces whole kernels that are good for adding to salads and salsas. If
you want to use the corn kernels for soups, fritters or puddings, you
can add another step to the process. After cutting the kernels off,
reverse the knife and, using the dull side, press it down the length of
the ear to push out the rest of the corn and its milk.
Nutrition
Per serving:
421 calories;
11 g fat
( 1 g sat , 5 g mono
);
0 mg cholesterol; 72 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 13 g protein; 12 g fiber; 275 mg sodium; 779 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (103% daily value), Potassium (22% dv), Folate (16% dv). Carbohydrate Servings: 4
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This cheesy baked rice casserole is packed with succulent vegetables. Plus we substitute
brown rice for white, reduce the cheese by half and swap turkey sausage
for pork sausage.
Pour rice into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Bring broth
to a simmer in a small saucepan. Stir hot broth into the rice along with
zucchini (and/or squash), bell peppers, onion and salt. Cover with
foil. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until the
rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, 35 to 45 minutes
more.
Meanwhile, whisk milk and flour in a small saucepan.
Cook over medium heat until bubbling and thickened, 3 to 4 minutes.
Reduce heat to low. Add 1 1/2 cups Jack cheese and corn and cook,
stirring, until the cheese is melted. Set aside.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add
sausage. Cook, stirring and breaking the sausage into small pieces with a
spoon, until lightly browned and no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
When the rice is done, stir in the sausage and cheese
sauce. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup Jack cheese on top and dollop
cream cheese by the teaspoonful over the casserole. Top with jalapeños.
Return the casserole to the oven and bake until the
cheese is melted, about 10 minutes. Let stand for about 10 minutes
before serving.
Tips & Notes
Make Ahead Tip: Prepare through
Step 5; cool, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. To finish, bake at
375°F until the casserole is hot and the cheese is melted, about 45
minutes.
Tip: To remove corn from the cob: Stand
an uncooked ear of corn on its stem end in a shallow bowl and slice the
kernels off with a sharp, thin-bladed knife. This technique produces
whole kernels that are good for adding to salads and salsas. If you want
to use the corn kernels for soups, fritters or puddings, you can add
another step to the process. After cutting the kernels off, reverse the
knife and, using the dull side, press it down the length of the ear to
push out the rest of the corn and its milk.
Nutrition
Per serving:
248 calories;
9 g fat
( 5 g sat , 1 g mono
);
34 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 13 g protein; 2 g fiber; 491 mg sodium; 273 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (56% daily value), Vitamin A (20% dv), Calcium (16% dv). Carbohydrate Servings: 2
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A sprinkle of Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil transform tomatoes
into the perfect side dish. Or try sandwiching them between slices of
your favorite whole-wheat country bread.
4 servings
Active Time: Total Time:
Ingredients
4 tomatoes, halved horizontally
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450° F.
Place tomatoes cut-side up on a baking sheet. Top with
Parmesan, oregano, salt and pepper. Drizzle with oil and bake until the
tomatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Per serving:
91 calories;
6 g fat
( 2 g sat , 4 g mono
);
4 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrates; 3 g protein; 2 g fiber; 375 mg sodium; 363 mg potassium. Carbohydrate Servings: 1/2
Nutrition Note: What you get: Vitamins A & C, potassium, calcium.
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