Thursday, November 19, 2009

Not your grandma's EGG SALAD

This is a great way to get some lean protein in your day & it is seriously so good on a piece of whole wheat toast or over some lettuce!

2 hard-boiled eggs leave one yolk OUT , peeled and chopped

2 tablespoon finely diced celery

1 tablespoon fat free mayonnaise

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon minced green onion

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

salt to taste


Mash all together and ENJOY!!

Chicken Fajita Wraps

8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, trimmed of fat

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoon reduced-fat sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro

Sever dashes of hot sauce, to taste

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

1 small onion, thinly sliced

2 whole-wheat tortillas, heated (see Tip)

1/2 cup shredded lettuce

1 plum tomato, thinly sliced


Step 1
Preheat broiler.

Step 2
Place chicken in a shallow dish and sprinkle with lime juice, 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Step 3
Whisk sour cream, cilantro, hot sauce, cumin and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

Step 4
Place the chicken and onion on a lightly oiled baking sheet and broil for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over and stir the onion. Broil until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer to a cutting board and cut into thin slices.

Step 5
To assemble wraps: Place the tortillas on a work surface or plate. Top each with half of the chicken, onion, lettuce and tomato. Top each with half of the sour cream mixture and roll into wraps. Serve immediately.

Whole wheat pizza dough

1 1/2 c whole wheat flour

1 package quick-rising yeast, (2 1/4 teaspoons), such as Fleischmann’s RapidRise

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2-2 cup hot water, (120-130°F)

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil


Step 1
Combine whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, yeast, salt and sugar in a food processor; pulse to mix. Combine hot water and oil in a measuring cup. With the motor running, gradually pour in enough of the hot liquid until the mixture forms a sticky ball. The dough should be quite soft. If it seems dry, add 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water; if too sticky, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour. Process until the dough forms a ball, then process for 1 minute to knead.

Step 2
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Coat a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place it, sprayed-side down, over the dough. Let the dough rest for 10 to 20 minutes before rolling.

Step 3
Place a pizza stone or inverted baking sheet on the lowest oven rack; preheat oven to 500°F or highest setting. Roll and top the pizza as desired (we suggest a 13-inch circle) and bake the pizza until the bottom is crisp and golden, 10 to 14 minutes. Serve immediately.


Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Honey Whole Wheat Bread... Best ever!

2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast, or 1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 2 tablespoons water
1 1/3 cups (10 1/2 ounces) water
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) vegetable oil
1/4 cup (3 ounces) honey, molasses, or sugar free maple syrup
3 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 cup (1 ounce) nonfat dried milk
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

Mixing: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. (You may also knead this dough in an electric mixer or food processor, or in a bread machine programmed for "dough" or "manual.") Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Shaping: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8-inch log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise for about 1 hour, or until it's crowned about 1 inch above the edge of the pan. A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly.

Baking: Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for about 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes. Test it for doneness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow), or measuring its interior temperature with an instant-read thermometer (it should register 190°F at the center of the loaf). Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a wire rack before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature. Yield: 1 loaf, 16 slices.

Healthier Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

Really moist & delish! This recipe cuts more than 1/2 the calories and 1/2 the fat!

1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup splenda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 packages dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 egg
2 egg whites
5 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3/4 cup brown sugar splenda
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed

In a small saucepan, heat the milk until just below the boiling point. Don't boil. Stir in the oil, sugar and salt. Remove the milk mixture from the heat and cool until lukewarm.

In a small bowl, combine yeast and water. Stir and set aside for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat the egg and egg whites using an electric mixer. Add in the yeast and milk mixture. Using a wooden spoon or a KitchenAid-style countertop mixer, mix in the flours, 1 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a generously floured work surface and, with floured hands, knead gently until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. If using a countertop mixer, use a dough hook and follow the manufacturer's directions. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until double in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Divide the dough in half and form into 2 balls. Cover with plastic and let sit for 10 more minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon, brown sugar and raisins.

Spray an 11-by-14 baking sheet with cooking spray.

Using a rolling pin, roll each ball of dough into a 16-by-8-inch rectangle. Spray the dough with cooking spray. Sprinkle each rectangle with half of the cinnamon mixture. Starting at the long side, roll up each rectangle. Slice each roll into 16 pieces and place on the prepared baking sheet. Let rise until double in size, about 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

In a saucepan, heat the apple juice over medium heat. Cook until the juice is syrupy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Brush each roll with the apple juice. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Breakfast Burrito

Super easy. Super yummy. Super healthy. Great way to start the day!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped tomato
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1/4 cup canned corn
1/4 cup egg substitute or about 5 egg whites
1 whole wheat flour tortilla, 6 inches in diameter
2 tablespoons salsa

In a small skillet, add the chopped tomato, onion and corn. Cook over medium heat until the vegetables are soft and moisture is evaporated. Add the egg substitute and scramble with the vegetables until cooked through, about 3 minutes.

To serve, spread the egg mixture in the center of the tortilla and top with salsa. Fold in both sides of the tortilla up over the filling, then roll to close. Serve immediately.

Obesity in America

I watch the news almost every night but rarely pay full attention as I am usually reading for school or something like that. But last night, one segment really caught my attention. They were focusing on the rise in obesity in America. Here are a few alarming facts they shared with their viewers:

- Did you know that 6 states in the US (and Texas was not one of them, thank you very much!) have almost 50% adults with obesity??
-Obesity increased in adults about 9% from 2008 to 2009!!
-They predict by the year 2018, about 45% of the adults in the US will be considered obese
-The #1 cause of death among adults in the US are all obesity related problems (type 2 diabetes, cancers, and cardiovascular diseases)

This is NOT good news and quite disturbing if you ask me. What is wrong with Americans? Do we not care enough about our lives that we will just let ourselves get this way? Not to mention what this is doing to the health-care system in our country!

So I am challenging each of us to evaluate your lifestyle and see if you need to make some changes so that you are not part of these statistics! Our bodies are AMAZING things but we have to put work into keeping them that way!