Fettuccine Alfredo with Mushrooms and Spinach

oh boy i needed this yesterday, i tried out the new Extreme Shed & Shred DVD from Jillian Michaels i decided to be a badass (as Jillian put it) and do the whole 1 hour workout level 1 and 2 i love it my core strength is amazing, i wouldn't have been able to do any of the workout a few months ago! I found this recipe from Eclectic Recipes,  i loved that there was spinach and mushrooms in it of course you can add any kind of veggies or meat even seafood to this dish its lower in calories to make it yourself also. 

Calories 296,Fat 2,Protein 19,Fiber 3,Carbs 51, WW plus points 8

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 cup milk (i use 0%)

1 8 oz package cream cheese  

2 cloves garlic chopped

1/2 lb fresh spinach 

1 cup mushrooms

1 tablespoon oil olive

1 package of fettuccine 

1.preheat skillet drizzle with olive oil sauté mushrooms till soft.

2. cook pasta according to package. Drain well.

3. Add spinach and garlic to mushrooms cook till the spinach is wilted. Add milk and cream cheese. bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until cream cheese has melted in the milk and sauce is creamy.

4. Add Parmesan then add pasta simmer for 2 or 3 mins toss to incorporate sauce into pasta.  

Baked Banana Doughnuts

I found this recipe the other day on tumblr and i had to try it I've said it before i don't like doughnuts but these are more like bread and you bake them which is amazing! They remind me of pumpkin spice bread with banana in it when i eat one! i heard the recipe is from a cookbook called bake sale recipes which i cannot narrow down on Amazon so if anyone knows the cookbook let me know! 

Calories 120,Protein 2g,Fat 1g

2 ripe bananas, mashed
2 egg whites
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup packed brown sugar
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons chopped walnuts

Beat bananas, egg whites, oil and brown sugar in a large bowl.  Add flours, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice.  Mix until well blended.  Let stand for five minutes for dough to rise.  Scoop out heaping tablespoonfuls of dough onto a greased baking sheet.  

With the tip of a butter knife round out the doughnut holes in the center of the dough.  Then use the butter knife to smooth outside edges of dough into round doughnut shape.  Repeat until all dough is used.

Sprinkle with granulated sugar and walnuts.  Bake 6 to 10 minutes (mine took 8) in a 425 degree oven or until tops are golden.

Remove from pan and place on a wire rack to cool.

Salmon Packets with Tomato Basil Relish

Ive been trying to spicy up my salmon recipes lately trying to get my omega and protein in plain salmon gets boring after a while i'm one of those people that had to switch up my food a lot so i dont get bored of it. i found this recipe in Eat What You Love from Marlene Koch i love it and its super easy! 

Calories 350,Carbs 6,Sugar 6,Fat 15,Protein 35,Fiber 2,Sodium 100, WW points 8

2 large Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon sweet vermouth or white wine (can omit if desired)
2 tablespoons fresh julienned basil
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Dash red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
8 to 10 spinach leaves
2 (5-ounce) skinned salmon fillets

1.  Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the tomatoes, vermouth, basil, shallot, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and red pepper and set aside. Take 2 large pieces of foil and spray with cooking spray. Divide the spinach between the two sheets of foil.

3. Place fillets on top of the spinach. Top each fillet with the tomato mixture. Bring up the sides of the foil, fold over, and seal to create a “packet.” Place sealed packets onto a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

Cauliflower "Breadsticks"

I thought these were interesting when i saw them on tumblr last week i had to make them i love cauliflower and i love breadsticks of course they are low calorie and you get your veggies in too. I found the recipe on a tumblr called Healthier Every Day.

4 servings (two slices per serving) 95 calories; 6 g carbs; 5 g protein; 4 g fat 

1/2 head of cauliflower, grated 

1 whole egg, plus one egg white, lightly beaten

1/4 cup 2% shredded mozzarella cheese

Dried basil,oregano and parsley

1 teaspoon olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together (except oil) in a large bowl until evenly distributed.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use olive oil to grease the parchment paper.

Spread and flatten the cauliflower mixture on the parchment paper evenly - about 1 inch thick. Square off the edges so it looks like a rectangle or square.

Bake for 40 minutes until slightly dried out, browning, and firm to the touch.

Remove from oven and using a spatula carefully peel away from parchment paper. Flip over and return to oven for 10 more minutes. serve with dipping sauce i used some marinara sauce on the side.

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Zucchini Cakes

Well here is the 1st post of the daylight savings time i usually get my dinner started around 4pm to get the shots and good lighting today i did have different lighting i started around 3:30pm that's so early for me, last year i didn't have a nice fancy DSLR camera so we shall see how this works out! 

This will probably be my last zucchini recipe of the year which makes me sad i got the very last one at the store since the season is over now i decided to make little zucchini cakes they are kinda like fritters i adapted the recipe from here i did not deep fry them i just cooked them in a skillet which makes them better for you.

1 large zucchini, grated
1 large egg
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Salt/pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

 Remove excess liquid from freshly grated zucchini by placing them between paper towels and squeezing.
 In a bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix thoroughly.

 Heat a large pan on medium, and spray with cooking spray. Shape spoonfuls of the zucchini batter into patties, and drop onto the sizzling pan. Cook each side for about a minute and a half, or until the outside is golden brown.

 Finish the cakes off in the oven put them on a baking pan and broil on high bake for 1-2 minutes.

I added some sauce on top.

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Creamy Seafood Linguine

Happy November everyone its been a few days since i posted a recipe I'm just hoping this month goes by fast deployment is coming to a end finally! I made this dish tonight and as i was making it i thought it was going to a total flop the sauce didn't come out the colour i was hoping but i sat down and took a bite its amazing i haven't had scallops in forever i actually found some in the frozen food aisle, Being from FL I'm used to fresh seafood but that will have to do for now. This dish is meant to be low calorie since all of those creamy seafood dishes are crazy high in calories.

Calories 129,Carbs 17,Protein 12,Sugar 2,Fiber 1,Fat 1, WW points 2, WW points Plus 3

6 oz linguine

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup half and half 

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 teaspoons olive oil

3/4 cup chopped onion

3 garlic cloves,minced

1/2 teaspoon basil

1 can chopped clams with juice 

Raw bay scallops

Raw shrimp

green onions 

Cook the pasta according to the package set aside.

Combine the chicken broth,half and half, and cornstarch set aside.

In a large pan,heat the oil over medium heat. add the onion and cook for 2 mins. Add garlic and basil and cook for 3 more mins. stir in clams,scallops and shrimp.

Add the broth mixture and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 mins or until sauce is thick. 

serve the seafood mixture on top of the pasta and garnish with green onions.

Chipotle Honey Chicken Fingers

Time for a non Halloween recipe I'm glad everyone enjoyed them so much we have two more days till Halloween my favourite holiday and i don't want it to be over it does mean on the 1st of November they will have all the Halloween stuff on sale! I found these oven baked chicken strips on Eat This Not That i love all their twitter i have learned so much from them, they have amazing tips and recipes. 

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken tenders
Salt and black pepper to taste
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp chipotle pepper puree
1 Tbsp honey

 Preheat the oven to 450°F. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the egg whites in a shallow bowl. Place the crumbs on a plate and season those, too. Dip the chicken tenders into the egg, then toss in the crumbs, being sure to coat fully.

 
Place the breaded chicken pieces on a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the crumbs have browned and the chicken is firm.
 
Combine the mustard, chipotle, and honey in a large bowl. Toss the cooked chicken tenders in the mixture so they are all evenly coated with the spicy-sweet sauce.

I added sriracha to mine!

Southwest Red Pepper Nachos

Time for a healthy recipe post, i got this recipe from Chris Freytag's cookbook Choose This she sells a lot of her products on QVU. I love her upbeat attitude during workouts she just came out with a new workout plan called 10 pound slimdown Xtreme I've been doing it for about 2 weeks i love it! I'm really into weight lifting and she uses weights for a lot of the workouts too. There are a lot of great recipes in her cookbook this one is amazing i love red peppers i would love to do a green pepper one too soon, this would also be another great football appetizer instead of tortilla chips.

Calories 118, Carbs 18, Fat 4, Protein 6, Sugar 9, Fiber 6, WW points 2, WW Points Plus 5

6 red bell peppers

8 oz. Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded

½ (15oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

½ cup fresh salsa

4 green onions, thinly sliced

Fat-free sour cream if desired

1. Preheat broiler to high. Slice bell peppers into bite-sized pieces, discarding stems and seeds.
2. Spread the cut bell peppers across a large sheet pan and cover with ½ of the pepper-jack cheese.
3. Place sheet pan under broiler and broil until cheese is melted, about 2 min.
4. Top with the black beans, corn, and remaining cheese, and return to broiler to melt the second layer of cheese. Cook until cheese is completely melted and edges of pepper are beginning to brown. About 3 min.
5. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the sliced green onions before serving alongside salsa for dipping. You may also serve with fat-free sour cream if desired. 

Chicken Fajita Pasta

This dish was amazing and very colourful! i haven't done a fajita recipe in a long time this is a lower calorie way to enjoy chicken fajitas without all those toppings you can pile onto them and no tortillas, fajitas in restaurants can run up to 1,000 calories! 

Calories 330, Sugars 7,Protein 30,Fiber 6,Sodium 510, Fat 5. WW points 6, WW point plus 8

6 oz penne or fettuccine pasta

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 white onion, sliced into strips

1 Green bell pepper,sliced into strips

2 garlic cloves, minced

chicken breast sliced into thick strips

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tomato, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese (optional, i forgot to add it)

Cook the pasta according to the package while preparing the sauce.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over med heat. Add the onion and pepper for 3 mins, or until softened. Add garlic and chicken and sauté for 3 mins or until chicken is mostly cooked. Sprinkle the cumin,oregano,salt, and pepper over chicken.

In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth and cornstarch. Pour over the chicken and veggies and cook for 2 more mins, or until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is cooked through.

Add the cooked pasta,chopped tomato to the pan. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with the cheese.

Veggie Burrito Salad

This salad is like the pizza salad i posted a couple weeks ago,I've been expanding my lettuce and mixed greens since i hate them but I'm really trying to switch over to good greens. This salad is kind of like a deconstructed burrito i also did a burrito bowl in march, that was also amazing! Everyone knows Mexican food or Mexican inspired foods are my weakness so any healthy way for me to eat it is great!

Ingredients

2 handfuls of baby spinach

1/4 cup cooked black beans 

1/4 corn

1/4 ripe avocado, sliced

1/2 red bell pepper,sliced

1/2 Roma tomato,sliced

1 green onion,thinly sliced

1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese (sounds weird but it works)

toasted tortilla pieces ( to make cut 1 tortilla into wedges, and toast on a baking sheet at 350 degrees until golden brown about 8 mins) 

2 tbsp. light or fat free ranch

keep in mind you can add and subtract the ingredients to make it how you like.

Calories 270,Carbs 27,Fat 15,Protein 15,Sugar 1,Fiber 7 WW points 1, WW plus points 8 

See how i tucked the tortilla wedges under the salad 

Baked Mozzarella Bites

Yesterday i got a email from ecollegefinder.com telling me i'm a nominee for best foodie blog award on their site, i just had to give then some sentences on why my blog would be best for a college student. i know i have a lot of easy recipes but i thought these mozzarella bite would be amazing for a little study snack right?! They are much better than the deep fried ones you get at restrurant which i have never liked. These are easy to make takes about 5 mins to make altogether you just use those string cheese sticks! 

4 servings ( 3 bites) Caloires 90, Fat 5, Protein 7, Fiber .1,Soduim 162, Carbs 6. (WW points 2)

• 1/3 cup panko 
• 3  sticks part-skim mozzarella string cheese
• 3 tablespoons egg substitute
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup marinara sauce 

•  Preheat oven to 425°.
•  Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1/3 cup panko to pan, and cook for 2 minutes or until toasted, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and place the panko in a shallow dish.
• Cut mozzarella sticks into 1-inch pieces. Dip cheese in egg substitute; roll in panko. Place cheese on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 3 minutes or until the cheese is softened and starts bubbling.
•  Pour the marinara sauce into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for about 1 minute.Serve on the side.

Asparagus Shrimp Salad

Happy September everyone, we are getting closer to the end of deployment my husband turns 26 this month and we have our 6 year anniversary on the 15th i'm not sure what i'm going to get him yet. I had this dish for dinner tonight i wanted something light,this takes about 20 mins so its good for a fast weekday dinner or lunch. 

per serving (1 1/2 cups); 225 calories,fat 9,fiber 2,sodium 586,protein 29

1 pound of asparagus, trimmed 

2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 pound of medium shrimp, (cooked)

1 cup tomatoes sliced

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

2 hard boiled eggs, sliced

Fill a large skillet with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus and cook,covered,until crisp, about 5 mins; drain and rinse under cool water.

Then, whisk together the lemon juice,oil,salt, and pepper in a bowl; set aside.

Transfer the asparagus to a large bowl. add the shrimp,tomatoes and onions. Drizzle with the dressing and toss. top with the hard boiled eggs. 

Dat'I Do-It Chicken Lettuce Wraps

So i promised i would post a recipe for the hot sauces i bought one of them is Dat'I Do-It hot sauce i love it! i found out about it from when i used to eat at firehouse subs its their signature hot sauce they sell in little fire hydrant bottle, i bought mine off hotsauce.com. its kind of a sweet spicy hot sauce but thick and chunky. you can use any kind of lettuce you would like i'm really picky about my lettuce i only like iceberg, lettuce boston bibb lettuce would work great with this too.

1 pound boneless chicken breasts
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
½ cup Dat'l do-it hot sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon lime juice
 lettuce leaves, washed and separated (i used iceberg bc i don't like any other kind of lettuce)


For Topping:3 cups corn
1 tablespoon canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1  red onion, diced
Juice of 1 lime

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil. bake chicken breast for 25 mins till done.


Meanwhile, combine the hot sauce, soy sauce and lime juice in a small saucepan. Slowly heat.


Move the roasted corn to a bowl and add the tomatoes, red onion and lime juice and toss well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.


Shred or dice the chicken, tossing with a little hot sauce. 


Place chicken in lettuce leaves, top with corn salsa. Drizzle hot sauce glaze to taste.

Calories-180 Carbs-14 Fat-4 Protein-28 Sugar-6 Fiber-2 

Baked Zucchini Fries

I can't believe I'm so behind on making these. I've seen them all over the Internet, i have no idea who came up with this amazing snack, but i must of eaten half the plate in 2 mins after i took the photos! I know a lot of you have plentiful gardens right now, this is the prefect little snack to make anytime of day Crispy,tender,flavourful dipped in marinara sauce,fries that taste like fried zucchini, only so much better for you and low in calories. 

2 or 3 organic zucchini (depending on size)

1 Large Egg White

1/4 cup Milk (i use organic fat free)

1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs or regular breadcrumbs

Olive Oil Spray

Preheat oven to 425°. Cut 2 zucchini into 3-inch sticks. Whisk an egg white in a small bowl, and add 1⁄4 cup milk. Combine 1⁄2 cup shredded Parmesan and 1⁄2 cup Panko breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. Dip zucchini sticks into egg mixture, and then roll in breadcrumb mixture. Coat a baking sheet with olive oil spray, and place zucchini on sheet spray again with olive oil spray. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until golden brown. serve with a side of marinara sauce. 

Calories 64-Fat 2g-Protein 4g-Sugars 2g-Fiber 1g-Sodium 232mg

Crunchy Honey Chicken

Today is a huge day for me! as most of you know i have been losing weight since last year i got out of the 120s lbs today! i have been working so hard. i wish i started years ago when i noticed my weight gain after high school. i decided to make a nice fulling dinner i found this on How Sweet it is blog  its amazing! i always have honey on hand for my oatmeal which is my favourite! you can add any kind of veggies you like i just got red peppers and snap peas in mine.

1 pound thinly sliced, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 egg whites

1/3 cup cornstarch (or flour – for dredging)

1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced

a handful of sugar snap peas (about 3/4 cup)

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup honey

salt and pepper to taste

Prepare and slice all veggies. In 2 separate bowls, add the egg whites (lightly beaten) and the cornstarch or flour in the other bowl. (The cornstarch will yield a “crispier” chicken). Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add veggies with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and sauté for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add in soy sauce and garlic and stir so veggies are coated, about 60 seconds. Remove from skillet and set aside in a bowl.

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat the same skillet (or you can use a different one, I just use the same to make it easier) over medium-high heat and add remaining olive oil. Dip chicken pieces in egg whites and then lightly dredge in cornstarch. Add to the skillet and let brown for 2-3 minutes, then flip. Continue with remaining chicken pieces, and do so in batches if needed.

Once chicken is cooked, add veggies back in the skillet. Add honey and thoroughly mix to combine. Taste and season with salt, pepper, additional honey or soy sauce. Serve with rice.