This meal was so fast to throw together and it was YUMMY!  It tasted so flavorful and fresh.  You hardly even cook the veggies so they offer a fresh, crisp taste.  Plus, the green onions and the cilantro really add a fantastic punch to help finish everything off.  My cute sister-in-law tried the recipe first and then told me that I MUST try it too because it was so tasty.  She was absolutely right!

I added a few tweaks to make it a smidge healthier than the original version.  I also added some extra veggies to the mix because I like to be healthy like that.  Ha, ha!

There’s a little trick with the red pepper flakes.  This is where the (somewhat) spicy comes in.  You can really make this dish as spicy as you wish.  The original recipe calls for at-least-double what I used (and put in the recipe below).  I’m a spicy gal, so I prefer a little more spice but was VERY leery on giving that spicy factor to my one-year-old.  So, I went very easy on the red pepper flakes and think that the amount of spice I got was perfect for all (kids and adults alike).  There was a little bit of spice, but nothing crazy.  (Me myself, I would prefer more spice.)  So, make this as spicy as you desire . . . or as your guests/family desire.

Whatever you do, you should totally add this to your menu.  It’s a great meal year-round, but I think it fits particularly well in the spring/summer because it’s fast, fresh, and doesn’t require the oven.

(Somewhat) Spicy Thai Noodles With Chicken
Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

6 ounces whole wheat linguine
1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup regular sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
16 ounces chicken breast, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup shredded carrots
chopped green onions, chopped cilantro,  fresh lime juice for topping

In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the linguine according to package directions. Drain the noodles and return them to the pot or to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the sesame oil and red pepper flakes on low heat for 10-15 minutes. Pour the oil through a fine strainer into a liquid measuring cup and discard the pepper flakes. To the warm oil, whisk in the or vinegar, honey and soy sauce. Set aside.

Return skillet to the stove, turn heat up to medium and add chopped chicken.  Sauté and cook until no longer pink (5 to 8 minutes).  Add the bell pepper and carrots to the skillet.  Sauté until vegetables are barely warmed through, about 45 to 60 seconds.

Add oil dressing and chicken mixture to the noodles.  Toss to coat.

Serve the noodles warm, room temperature or cold with the desired toppings sprinkled on top.

Serves 6.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1/6 the Recipe – About 1 Cup)
Calories:  284
Protein:  19.5g
Carbs:  28.5g
Fat:  10.3g (1.3g = Sat.)
Fiber:  2.9g
Sugars:  7.5g

Okay guys!  I’m just going to do one more post related to my baby’s birthday and then I’ll get back to all the other healthy recipes.  I debated on whether I should share this, but as my little baby’s birthday approached I desperately wanted to make her something that was healthy, but still yummy.  I mean, I wanted her to dig in and go back for more (and more and more).    I figured that there might be some moms out there that are (or will be) in the same boat, so I’m sharing a baby recipe for all you moms out there.

This cake is seriously a keeper!  The great part about it, besides that it actually tastes good, is that it is made with whole wheat flour and has no sugar.  It’s sweetened with apple juice and applesauce.  The outcome tastes a lot like a healthy carrot muffin.  It’s TOTALLY edible.  Beau and I have secretly been eating the leftovers for breakfast (I guess it’s no secret anymore . . . ha, ha!).  My little baby doll has been eating the leftovers after her lunch most days.  In fact, she saw me take it out of the fridge to take a picture of it and totally cried when I put it away without giving her some.  So, her wish was granted and she got to eat her leftover cake for lunch AND dinner (and, I may have had a little bite right along with her)!

And, if that doesn’t convince you that she liked it, maybe this will!

It is baked in a 9×9 pan.  This gives you the liberty to assemble it as you wish.  I decided I wanted to make a layered cake, so I cut the finished cake in half, and then I trimmed it down to two small-ish rectangles.  I put a layer of frosting between my two rectangles/layers, frosted the entire outside, and topped it with strawberries (she LOVES strawberries and that was also the theme of her birthday party).  That all being said, you can simply cut a small piece and frost that.  Or, you can frost the entire 9×9 cake just as it is.  Or, you can get as creative as you want in any other way.

So, if you’re kind of like me and you’re trying to spare your baby from sugar as long as possible and you like to make your own baby food (I try to make my own as much as possible because I know EXACTLY what is in it . . . and it tastes way better), add this baby cake to your files.  You’ll be pleased with the tasty results as well as the pleasure your baby will get from it.

As I quick little side note:  If you haven’t introduced your baby to egg whites and wheat yet, you may want to check with your doctor to verify if it’s okay to feed this cake to your baby.  If it’s not, then you might want to save this recipe for the second birthday (or another occasion).  This is more of a precaution for allergies and such.  I will say that I didn’t get my doctor’s “official” verification, but I had tried eggs and wheat on my baby before her birthday and she didn’t show any signs of an allergic reaction.  Thus, this cake treated her just fine.

Baby’s First Birthday Cake
Adapted from “What To Expect The First Year”

1 1/4 cups shredded carrots
1 1/4 cups apple juice concentrate
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat germ (found near the hot cereal in grocer store)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 whole egg
2 egg whites
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
Baby’s Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9×9 cake pan with parchment paper and spray the paper with cooking spray.  Set aside.

Combine the carrots with 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of the juice concentrate in a medium-size saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to medium and simmer, covered, until the carrots are tender, about 15 minutes.  Transfer the carrot mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Add the dried cranberries and process until finely chopped.  Set the mixture aside to cool.

Combine the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.  Add 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons of the remaining juice concentrate, oil, whole egg, egg whites, and vanilla and beat just until well mixed.  Fold in the carrot puree and applesauce.  Pour batter into prepared cake pan, smoothing out the top with a rubber spatula.

Bake until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 25 to 40 minutes.  Place on wire rack and let cool briefly in the pan, then turn out onto the rack to cool completely.

When cool, frost as desired with the Cream Cheese Frosting (see recipe below).

Store any leftovers, loosely covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Baby’s Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted from “What To Expect The First Year”

4 tablespoons apple juice concentrate
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup dried cranberries
3/4 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

Set aside 1 tablespoon of the juice concentrate.  Process the remaining juice concentrate, cream cheese, vanilla, and dried cranberries in a blender or food processor until smooth.  Transfer to a mixing bowl.  Set aside.

Stir the gelatin into the reserved tablespoon of juice concentrate in a small saucepan; let stand to soften, 1 minute.  Then, heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the gelatin.

Beat the gelatin mixture into the cream cheese mixture until well blended.  Cover and refrigerate just until the frosting begins to set, 30 to 60 minutes.  Then frost the cake as desired.

Makes enough to frost one 9-inch-square cake.

Who would have thought I would have put a post on this blog for something like Cake Pops?  Well, here’s the thing.  My sweet, baby girl just had her first birthday.  (Where on earth does the time go!?)  So, I made these cake pops for her birthday party and they were loved by all.  I share these with you because they  are a slightly healthier version than the more popular one.  With theses, you don’t make a cake, crumble it, add that fattening, sugary cream cheese frosting and then roll them into balls.  Instead, you make a light cake batter (which has no oil or yolk in it . . . brilliant!) and actually bake the batter into balls.  This saves a ton of calories and they are still super delicious!  Keep in mind that they are still dipped in white chocolate which can add up if you eat a lot of these babies (there’s not really a great way to save calories on this step).

I snagged the recipe and idea from Gina’s Skinny Recipes.  I didn’t alter it one bit and they turned out perfectly (she has fabulous step-by-step pictures if you want to click on the link).  In order to bake these pops, you’ll need a cake pop baking pan.  I followed Gina’s advice and bought one from Target.  It turned out some beautiful, golden cake pops . . . just like she said.  She also has 48 ounces of white chocolate listed in her recipe, although you’ll never use all of that to coat your cake pops.  She mentioned this and found that she actually only used about 20 ounces of it (which is what is used to calculate the nutritional information).  That being said, I still opted to melt more than 20 ounces so that there would be room to actually dip the cake pop in the bowl/cup.

So, if you have a special occasion where you might want to make something that is sweet, trendy, and cute . . . without loading too many extra calories, I think these are a great idea.  I mean, I obviously think so because I made them for my baby’s birthday party.

I can’t believe she’s 1 year old already!  While the cake pops are delicious, I think I’ll take an extra snuggle with my darling girlie before I have one more cake pop.  She melts my heart (way more than any cake pop . . . or any treat for that matter ) ever could.

Lighter/Skinny Cake Pops
Recipe Source:  Gina’s Skinny Recipes

1 (16.5-ounce) packaged cake mix (I used white, Gina used yellow)
6 ounces plain fat-free Greek yogurt (I used Oikos)
1 cup water
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
baking spray
48 ounces Baker’s white chocolate (20 oz. calculated in n.i.)
sprinkles (optional)
48 lollipop sticks (I used paper straws)
styrofoam block

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray the cake pop pan with baking spray.

Combine all the cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl and beat until combined.Place the batter into a pastry bag or large ziplock bag with the tip cut off.

Pipe the batter into the prepared cake pop pan and bake about 18 minutes (I rotated the pan after 10 minutes to be sure they baked evenly). Let it rest 5 minutes before opening the pan.

Place cake balls on a wire rack and repeat with remaining batter. Using a scissor, cutthe seam off the balls.

Refrigerate the cake balls for about 45 minutes, this helps the chocolate stick to the cake.

Melt some of the chocolate in the microwave according to package directions, careful not to burn the chocolate. Insert the tip of the stick into the melted chocolate, then into the cake ball (this helps hold the stick in place).

In batches, melt remaining chocolate. Dip the cake pops into the chocolate, let the excess drip off then place stick on a styrofoam block about a minute, then add sprinkles on top if using.

Makes 48-50 balls.

Nutritional Information (Per Cake Pop)
Calories:  102.5
Protein:  1.4g
Carbs:  15g
Fat:  4g
Fiber:  0g
Sugars:  7g

Cucumber Sandwiches!  What an easy snack idea.  It probably goes without saying that these are a breeze to put together.  I mean, it’s hardly a recipe at all, but rather an idea.  I say that because you can be a little versatile with this.  You can use different varieties of cheese and sandwich meats.  I also think these are good dipped in mustard, as well as sprinkled with spices (cracked black pepper, Montreal Steak Seasoning, etc.).  There are a variety of options that still help to keep these babies low in calorie count, high in protein, and low in carbs.  Whoohooo!

For calorie counting purposes, I’m giving you the quantities for one serving.  However, you can easily punch out a bunch of these . . . . . say, for after-school snacks or any other purpose you may find a need to sneak these into your household.

Cucumber Sandwiches

8 slices of peeled cucumber, 1/4-inch thick
1 ounce part-skim mozzarella cheese, sliced into 4 slices
1 ounce deli roast beef (at least 96% lean)

Take one slice of cucumber and top with a slice of cheese and 1/4 ounce of roast beef.  Top with another cucumber slice.
Repeat with remaining cucumber slices, cheese, and roast beef.

Serves 1.

Nutritional Information Per Serving
Calories:  123.7
Protein:  14.7g
Carbs:  2.5g
Fat:  5.1g (3.4g = Sat.)
Fiber:  0.4g
Sugars:  0.8g

This is such a great way to cook broccoli.  I love the addition of the spices and the Parmesan cheese.  I love broccoli anyways, but this was fabulous.  It totally resembled a pizza flavor.  I imagine kids would love it too (but you may want to add less of the chile flakes).  And, just so you know, the chile flakes weren’t super spicy/hot, but they added lots of flavor!

Here’s to another twist on your regular vegetable side dishes.  Enjoy!

Roasted “Pizza” Broccoli
Adapted from Relish by Daphne Oz

1 large head of broccoli
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 – 1 teaspoon dried chile flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper, to taste

Break or cut broccoli into bite-sized florets. Steam the broccoli until you can easily insert a knife into the center of the broccoli (about 5 to 6 minutes).

Here is a fabulous breakfast option for you!  While I don’t mind a boring egg burrito, I certainly won’t turn down one that isn’t boring!  If you don’t know by now, I really L.O.V.E. sun-dried tomato.  It’s packed with so much flavor and I love how it adds a little sweetness to whatever it gets put with.  This little egg wrap is amped up with flavor thanks to those tasty sun-dried tomatoes and the spinach and feta cheese really round it out.  I love the nutritional benefits of all components.  Plus, it really only took me five minutes to make.  This is becoming a “regular” around here.

I wrote the recipe for one wrap, but this can EASILY be doubled or tripled or quadrupled (you get the idea).

Spinach, Sun-Dried Tomato and Feta Egg Wrap
Inspired by Starbucks and Shape Magazine

1/2 cup raw spinach, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon milk, 1% low fat
1 whole egg
1 egg white
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon reduced fat feta cheese
1 (100-calorie) whole wheat wrap, such as Flat-Out

Heat a small skillet over medium heat.  Spray with non-fat cooking spray (I use canola).  Add chopped spinach and sun-dried tomatoes to skillet and sauté until spinach is slightly wilted.  Remove from skillet and place on wrap.

Meanwhile whisk milk, egg and additional egg white together in a small bowl.  Once spinach and sun-dried tomatoes have been removed from the skillet, add eggs.  Cook and stir until eggs are completely set.

Place scrambled eggs on wrap (over your spinach and sun-dried tomatoes), top with feta cheese.  Fold bottom and sides of wrap over filling and roll.  Serve immediately.

Serves 1.

Nutritional Information (Per Wrap)
Calories:  231
Protein:  22.3g
Carbs:  22.7g
Fat:  8.9g (2.3g = Sat.)
Fiber:  9.2g
Sugars:  4.8g

I saw this recipe floating around Pinterest and I just knew I had to remake it in a healthier way.  So, I went right to work and I gotta say . . . I think the remake is pretty darn goooooood!  Seriously . . . a breaded chicken breast with cream cheese in it?  Yeah, it’s even better than it seems.  That cream cheese filling has onion, fresh parsley, and garlic in it . . . talk about awesome flavor!  The slight crispiness from the bread crumbs just helps to top this little chicken roll right off.

I ended up using 4 large chicken breasts (the size you get in those big bags of chicken from Costco), which allowed me to cut them all in half.  I started with about 2 1/2 pounds of chicken and that yielded me 8 fabulous chicken rolls.  There was plenty of enough filling for each and the serving size was just perfect!

Hurry!  Add these to your “MUST TRY” list.  You won’t regret it!

Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken
Adapted from the Happy Lil’ Homemaker

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 ounces light cream cheese (1/3 less fat), room temperature
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
1 tablespoon of onion, minced
2 teaspoons of lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
canola cooking spray

Pre-heat oven to 350.  Prepare a baking sheet by lining a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil (this helps make clean-up a cinch) and then placing an oven-safe cooling rack on the foil.  (You can also cook the chicken in a baking dish if you prefer.  You will just end up with a less crispy bottom on the chicken.)

Place chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet (or a rolling pin works if you don’t have a meat mallet) to flatten around 1/4 inch thick.  Cut each breast in half.  In a bowl, beat cream cheese, parsley, onion, garlic salt and pepper and lemon juice until blended. Dividing the mixture between the 8 pieces of chicken breasts, spoon the cream cheese mixture on each piece of chicken and spread it over the chicken (but no need to go right up to the edges). Roll chicken. Coat rolls with canola cooking spray then roll in bread crumbs. Place chicken rolls on prepared baking sheet. Lightly spray the coated chicken breasts with more canola cooking spray. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until chicken is fork tender and juices run clear (or, if using a thermometer, when chicken reaches 165 degrees).

Serves 8.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1 Stuffed Chicken Roll)
Calories:  189
Protein:  30.8g
Carbs:  6.2g
Fat:  4.6g (2g = Sat.)
Fiber:  0.4g
Sugars:  1.1g

We ate this as a side dish to dinner and it was sooooo tasty!  I had to throw “Spring Time” in the title because it screams spring and it screams fresh!  I love the asparagus, fresh tomatoes, tangy onion, and buttery chickpeas.  It all comes together with a blend of pesto, balsamic vinegar and freshly cut parsley.  Seriously, folks!  It’s deeeeelish!  I’m loving the fact that I have leftovers.  Speaking of leftovers, this could easily be made into a main dish by adding some chicken to it.  I think I’ll have that for lunch tomorrow!  Yum, Yum!

Hearty Spring Time Quinoa Salad
Adapted from the greatist.com

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup low sodium chicken stock (or water!)
12 thin stalks asparagus, sliced diagonally into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (plus additional to garnish, if desired)
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon pesto
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Rinse quinoa.  In a small saucepan, cook the quinoa in the chicken stock over medium-low heat, covered, for 15 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.

Immediately after removing the saucepan from the stove, add the chopped asparagus and cover. Allow the asparagus to steam lightly inside the pot with the quinoa for 5 minutes

Meanwhile, prepare all other veggies and herbs. Toss them together in a large bowl.

In a smaller bowl, combine the balsamic vinegar with pesto until smooth. Pour it into the large bowl of veggies, along with the chickpeas, quinoa, and asparagus. Stir to coat and season with sea salt and black pepper, to taste.

Serve the salad warm or cold. Enjoy it immediately, or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Serves 8.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = Approx. 1/2 Cup)
Calories:  119
Protein:  5.1g
Carbs:  20.7g
Fat:  2g (0.2g = Sat.)
Fiber:  3.5g
Sugars:  1.6g

This is hardly a recipe, but I always have people asking me for easy and quick meal ideas.  Well, this is VERY easy and VERY quick and it’s been my favorite breakfast as of late, so I thought I would share it with you all.

All I do is toast a piece of whole wheat bread, smash 1/4 of an avocado over the toast, put a little salsa over the avocado, and then top it with a fried egg.  It’s seriously so good and I love how fast and easy it is.  I also love the health benefits of getting a healthy complex carbohydrate (bread), a good amount of healthy fats (avocado and egg), a little veggie from the salsa, and then I get protein from the egg.  I simply love it and perhaps you’ll love it too for the same reasons too!

Avocado and Egg Over Toast

1 slice whole wheat bread, toasted  (100 Calories)
1/4 of an avocado
1 tablespoon salsa
1 egg, cooked any style (I prefer a fried egg cooked over-medium)

Smash and spread avocado over toast.  Top with salsa and egg.

Serves 1.

Nutritional Information:
Calories:  247.5
Protein:  11.8g
Carbs:  21.8g
Fat:  13.5g (3g = Sat.)
Fiber:  6.5g
Sugars:  4.5g

One of my good friends (and a client too) introduced these to me and boy, am I glad!  They are soooo good that it’s hard to believe that they qualify as healthy.  They are packed with an intense flavor due to the salsa verde and cilantro.  Plus, they have a nice heartiness and creaminess due to the cream cheese (yeah . . . cream cheese!!) and Mexican cheese blend.  Besides all of that, they are easy to throw together and are FAST (so long as you’ve cooked and shredded your chicken beforehand, and even if you haven’t . . . the process is still pretty quick).  We’ve eaten these twice in the last two weeks, which is saying something because the leftovers last us for a couple of days.

I totally think you should try these . . . TONIGHT!

Green Chile Verde Enchiladas
Adapted from Dinner to the Rescue

1 pound cooked chicken breast, shredded
2 green onions, chopped
3 tablespoons light cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese blend, divided
14 ounces salsa verde (green salsa)
2 tablespoons chopped green chiles (I used canned)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup nonfat half and half
12 corn tortillas (I used Mission Thin)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine the meat, green onions, cream cheese, and 1/2 cup cheese.  Set aside.

In a blender or food processor, combine salsa verde, chiles, cilantro, and half and half.  Blend until smooth.

Soften tortillas before filling them so they’ll roll nicely for you without breaking to pieces.  (I do this in the microwave in batches.  I place two damp paper towels in the microwave, put 2-3 tortillas between the towels, and heat for 30-40 seconds.)

Place a heaping 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla.  Roll tightly and place, seam side down, in a baking dish.  Pour the salsa verde sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle the reaming 1/2 cup cheese over the top.

Bake until heated through and bubbly, about 20-25 minutes.  Serve immediately.

Serves 6.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 2 Enchiladas)
Calories:  261
Protein:  24.9g
Carbs:  20.4g
Fat:  9g (4.1g = Sat.)
Fiber:  2.4g
Sugars:  3.8g