Friday Feature: Restaurant Spotlight – Taco Time

April 13, 2012April 4, 2012Leave a comment

Have you been searching for another fast food option that lends to a healthy choice and is not full of gobs of extra calories? Look no further . . . Taco Time is to the rescue. Now, just as eating out is rarely better than eating in (because we have NO control on everything they actually add to the individual components of a dish), you’ll find that the nutritional value is not perfect, but it’s close and offers an option when an option is needed.

I’ve been eating at Taco Time for years because I know exactly what I can order that will give me a balanced meal of carbohydrates and protein . . . AND, will still allow me to stay within my calorie guidelines. Here’s exactly what I order:

1 Chicken Soft Taco (which is really the size of a burrito when comparing to other taco joints)
Made on a Whole Wheat Tortilla
No Cheese

First, you must know that Taco Time offers wheat tortillas. So, almost anything you order there can be ordered with a wheat tortilla . . . all you have to do is ask.

You should also know that they have a salsa and onion bar located in the restaurant. Since veggies are virtually free . . . that means tomato-based salsas. So, I love to get a little bit of pico and mild salsa to add to my tacos.

So, when you’re out-and-about and you forgot to pack a lunch, or whatever your reason for not being able to make your own lunch for the day . . . let Taco Time be on your list of healthy fast food stops. Just remember to order correctly and not to give in to any of those calorie-laden options (which Taco Time also has plenty of).

If you need a quick reminder of how and what to order when eating out, click here for a nice guideline. You’ll quickly see why this menu option at Taco Time is a good choice.

Nutritional Information Per Chicken Soft Taco
(No Cheese, on a Whole Wheat Tortilla)
Calories: 381
Protein: 29g
Carbs: 51g
Fat: 5g (1.5g = Sat.)
Fiber: 11g

Balsamic-Glazed Chicken and Bell Pepper Gyros

March 6, 2012February 27, 2012Leave a comment

Oh my! I seriously LOVED this. Admittedly, I am a Balsamic Vinegar lover so perhaps it goes without saying, but as I write this post I’m wishing I could be eating this again today!

You cook your chicken in the balsamic vinegar, then you cook your peppers and onions in balsamic vinegar. All the while, a delicious and sticky glaze develops. You put your balsamic-glazed chicken and veggies in a wheat pita, sprinkle with cheese, and eat away. The balsamic vinegar clings to the gyro fillings and it adds a hint of sweetness as well as a touch of acidity. Oh man, it’s good!

I suppose that a Gyro would technically be made with flat bread. I had whole-wheat pitas on hand, so that’s what I used. I simply warmed them for 15-20 seconds in the microwave so that they were easy to fold and then layered the ingredients in there (just like a taco).

Since this is super delicious and super easy, I think you should make this ASAP (and make an extra one for me and then call me over).

Balsamic-Glazed Chicken & Bell Pepper Gyros
Adapted from Jillian Michael’s, “Making the Cut”

2 teaspoons olive oil, divided in half
6 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, divided in half
1 cup red bell pepper strips (about 1 medium pepper)
1 cup vertically sliced red onion
2 whole-wheat pita rounds (approximately 120 calories each)
1/4 cup reduced fat mozzarella cheese
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 1 minute or until lightly browned. Add 1/8 cup (or 2 tablespoons) vinegar; cook 2 minutes longer or until chicken is done and vinegar is syrupy (or absorbed into chicken). Remove chicken mixture from the pan; cover and keep warm. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel.

Return pan to medium-high heat; add remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Add bell pepper and onion; sauté 7 minutes or until tender. Stir in remaining 1/8 cup vinegar; cook 1 minute or until vinegar is syrupy.

Arrange chicken mixture evenly pita; top with bell pepper mixture. Arrange cheese over pepper mixture (about 2 tablespoons per Gyro), and sprinkle with black pepper.

Serves 2.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1 Gyro)
Calories: 345.6
Protein: 27.5g
Carbs: 31.7g
Fat: 9.6g (2.4g = Sat.)
Fiber: 7.1g
Sugars: 7.7g

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

March 1, 2012February 27, 2012Leave a comment

Happy first day of March! This day is good news to me because I absolutely LOVE spring and summer and we’re getting that much closer to these fabulous seasons! (Plus it is my nephew’s first birthday today and I love him so much! Happy Birthday C-Bug!)

But since the weather is still kind of cold, I have another cold-weather meal for you today. Who’s never heard of Taco Soup? It seems like it is a common soup option for many. I mean, what’s not to love about it? It’s a taco in a bowl and I love my taco coming in a soup option when we’re in the colder months of the year.

The GREAT news about Taco Soup is that it is usually well balanced with proteins, fats, and carbs. Plus it is loaded with antioxidants (thanks to those beans!). There are several variations of Taco Soup, but here is one of my go-to recipes and I like it because it’s so quick and easy. It seems like the most time-consuming part is opening each can of goods with a can opener. It could easily be called Taco-Dump Soup because mostly all you do is open a can and dump it in the slow cooker. Pretty easy, right?

If you’re REALLY counting carbs and calories, leave out the corn. That’s what I did here because I am being strict with my carbs and calories right now (I’m going on a beach vacation soon so of course I’m watching my calories a little closer . . . more on that later). You’ll see that I calculated the nutritional information for both options – corn or no corn. So, prepare it as you wish (or rather as you need to), but enjoy every bite!

Slow Cooker Taco Soup
Adapted from allrecipes.com

1.5 pounds (24 oz.) lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 (16-oz.) can chili beans, with liquid
1 (15-oz.) can black beans with liquid
1 (15-oz.) can whole kernel corn, with liquid
1 (8-oz.) can tomato sauce
1 cup water
2 (14.5-oz.) cans peeled & diced tomatoes
1 (4-oz.) can diced green chile peppers
2 tablespoons (or 1 package) taco seasoning

In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef with 1 tablespoon of taco seasoning over medium heat. Drain, and set aside.

Place the ground beef, onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, water, diced tomatoes, green chile peppers and remaining taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Mix to blend and cook on Low setting for 8 hours (or High setting for 4 hours).

Serves 8.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving, without Corn)
Calories: 266.7
Protein: 21.8g
Carbs: 26.3g
Fat: 9.5g (3.7g = Sat.)
Fiber: 7.1g
Sugars: 5.6g

Nutritional Information (Per Serving with Corn)
Calories: 291.5
Protein: 22.6g
Carbs: 32g
Fat: 9.8g (3.7g = Sat.)
Fiber: 7.7g
Sugars: 5.6g

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken & Tomatillo Stew

February 21, 2012February 20, 2012Leave a comment

What’s not to love about this Mexican stew? It’s made in the slow cooker so you really don’t have to do much, it has a smokey cumin flavor, it has sweet potatoes, and it has tomatillos! I absolutely loved the sweet potatoes in this and couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of using them before in similar recipes. They were perfect when paired with the other ingredients.

You’ll see that there are optional toppings for this delicious stew. As you can see in my picture above, I didn’t use any of them simply for the sake of counting calories. So, depending on where you’re at . . . you can decide if you need any extra toppings.

This was hearty and delicious. When I made it we didn’t eat it with anything else and we were very satisfied. When you get a chance, you should throw this in the slow cooker and enjoy it as much as I did.

Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken & Tomatillo Stew
Adapted from allrecipes.com

1 1/2 cups peeled and diced sweet potatoes
1 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped onion
3 cloves finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon cumin
5 cups lower sodium chicken broth
16 oz. shredded or chopped cooked chicken
2 cups diced tomatillos
1/2 cup chopped cilantro, optional

Put all ingredients in a slow cooker, except for the cilantro. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Serve in individual bowls and, if desired, sprinkle with chopped cilantro. (Other optional toppings might include diced avocado, cheese, and crispy tortilla strips. I left them out for calorie-counting purposes.)

Serves 4 very hearty portions.
(It can really stretch to serve 8, so if you have small people (kids) to feed who don’t need large portions, add a little extra chicken to your portion to ensure you get enough protein.)

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = Approx. 2 Cups)
Calories: 211
Protein: 22.3g
Carbs: 26.5g
Fat: 2g (1.1g = Sat.)
Fiber: 2.7g
Sugars: 4.9g

Mexican Pita Pizza

February 14, 2012February 13, 2012Leave a comment

Who says we can’t eat pizza for dinner? I love making pizza on whole wheat pita rounds because it saves on calories, fats, and lots of other stuff you probably don’t want me to ramble on about right now. I created this Mexican version and Beau & I love it! You know what is super cool about these pizzas? They have a black bean paste on them. I really love black beans, so making a paste (to use instead of pizza sauce) seemed like such an amazing idea! It’s tasty . . . especially in this Mexican version of pizza! You can pretty much top it with whatever veggies you see fit, but I went ahead and gave you the ones that I used. This version is with lean ground beef, but you can make these pizzas with ground turkey or chicken. I’ve used each of these meats and they all work fantastically!

I hope you enjoy this healthy pizza twist for dinner some time soon. I’m kind of wishing I could eat them for dinner tonight! (By the way . . . if you haven’t ever purchased Ro-Tel tomatoes, they are found in the Mexican isle at the grocery store.)

Mexican Pita Pizzas
Mimi Original

1 can (15-ounce) black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can Ro-Tel diced tomatoes with lime juice & clinatro
12 ounces lean ground beef (or ground turkey or shredded chicken)
1 1/2 tablespoons taco seasoning
4 whole wheat pita rounds (120 calories each)
1/4 cup reduced fat (low-moisture skim) mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese
1 bell pepper, diced (any color)
red onion, diced – to taste
chopped cilantro, optional

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Put black beans in skillet to warm. Meanwhile, drain tomatoes but reserve all liquid. Pour 1/2 cup of reserved liquid into skillet with black beans. Once black beans and tomato liquid are warm, mash with a potato masher until a paste is formed. Remove from skillet and set aside.

Add ground beef (or other meat of choice) and taco seasoning to the skillet. Break meat apart while cooking and cook until done or until it is no longer pink throughout. Add remaining tomato liquid to the skillet and let simmer until slightly thickened (this does not take long). Remove from heat.

Assemble each pita pizza as follows:
Take 1/4 of the black bean paste and spread it evenly over the pita (this acts kind of like pizza sauce).
Top with 1/4 of the cooked ground beef, 1 tablespoon mozzarella cheese, 1 tablespoon reduced fat cheddar cheese, bell pepper, red onion, 1/4 of tomatoes, and cilantro.

Once all pita pizzas are assembled, place in oven and cook for about 10-14 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1 Pita Pizza)
Calories: 407
Protein: 29.5g
Carbs: 39.4g
Fat: 12.4g (4.8g = Sat.)
Fiber: 10g
Sugars: 4g

Sun-Dried Tomato & Balsamic Chicken Wraps

February 7, 2012February 6, 20121 Comment

I do love sun-dried tomatoes. So, I bought a big jar (at Costco) and now I’ve been trying to get creative on how to use them up. I’ve LOVED everything I’ve made with them thus far and so I’m sharing with you.

This is a very tasty wrap! It comes together in a cinch (so long as you’ve already cooked your chicken) and the zing of flavor that comes from the combination of sun-dried tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and basil will amaze you!

I used Flatout’s Sundried Tomato Wrap here, but you can easily put this filling into another type of wrap, a pita, or even between bread. I’ve tried them in all of these ways and each was delicious! If you’re looking for a non-boring sandwich option for lunch, look no further and try this!

Sun-Dried Tomato and Balsamic Chicken Wraps
Adapted slightly from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato oil
2 tablespoons chopped & drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
12 ounces shredded cooked chicken breast (2-3 chicken breasts)
1 cup chopped tomato (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
6 Light Flat-Out, Sundried Tomato Wraps (90 calories each)
2 cups mixed baby greens

Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. (If wondering, you’ll just take the sun-dried tomato oil right from the bottle that the sun-dried tomatoes come in.) Stir in chicken, tomato, cheese, and basil.

Line each wrap with 1/4 cup greens. Divide chicken mixture evenly among wraps.

Serves 6.

Nutritional Information (Per Wrap)
Calories: 229.6
Protein: 25g
Carbs: 21.2g
Fat: 9.6g (2.8g = Sat.)
Fiber: 9.6g
Sugars: 1.9g

*Don’t forget that if you don’t have the wraps you can always turn these into pitas or sandwiches. Yum!

The Fit Lady’s Chicken Noodle Soup

January 23, 2012January 22, 2012Leave a comment

I love chicken noodle soup in the winter! There’s something about it that is so comforting. Some time ago I stumbled across this recipe created by Paula Deen, realized it had 5 stars and I couldn’t resist making it. Quite honestly, if any of you know Paula Deen then you are probably wondering how in the world this recipe can even be counted as healthy! She’s the butter and cream queen. However, I made a few modifications to the recipe and it balances out perfectly.

This is a chicken noodle soup on flavor steroids! The seasonings in it are fantastic. Plus you get to add in some Parmesan cheese that basically melts and sticks to the chicken and noodles while in the pot. Oh, it is sooooooo good! The Parmesan cheese is optional and if you’re looking to cut more calories, then cutting out the cheese is the place to start. But, if you can afford a smidge extra calories, it is SO worth it.

This recipe makes a lot! I love to make it and then share it with others. If there aren’t others to share it with, then I cut the recipe in half and Beau and I still have leftovers for a few days (which makes me SUPER happy). So, adjust it as you need/want to and then just sit in amazement at how delicious it is. I do that every time I eat it. Oh, and as a bonus, I actually tallied up the cost for this recipe (because of a class I was teaching) and found that I could make the entire recipe for only $6.59. That’s only 44 cents per serving. Just picture me sitting there eating my soup with a big smile because it tastes SO yummy and it cost less than half a buck. Now that’s satisfaction!

The Fit Lady’s Chicken Noodle Soup
Adapted from Paula Deen

3 quarts chicken stock
1-2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
2 bay leaves
2 cups sliced carrots
2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops
2 1/2 cups uncooked whole wheat wide noodles
2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
1 cup sliced mushrooms
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (or 1 T. dried)
1/3 cup cooking sherry
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 2 tsp. fresh)
1 cup grated Parmesan, optional
salt & pepper to taste

Place stock, Italian seasoning, lemon pepper seasoning, and bay leaves in a large soup pot; bring to a boil. Add carrots and cook for approximately 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, mushrooms, parsley, sherry, and rosemary. Add Parmesan if using. Cook another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding salt and pepper. (Remove bay leaves before serving.)

Serves 15.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving – 1 Overflowing Cup or 1.5 Cups)
Calories: 163
Protein: 14g
Carbs: 16.3g
Fat: 5.4 g (2.2g = Sat.)
Fiber: 0.8 g
Sugars: 3.8 g

Classic Chicken Salad Sandwich

January 19, 2012January 16, 2012Leave a comment

I have always loved eating chicken salad sandwiches! Unfortunately, they are usually full of terrible fat, calories, and come on croissants! Because I love them so much, I came up with a much healthier version that I don’t have to feel guilty about eating.

Despite the calorie and fat cut, this chicken salad is still full of flavor and has good crunch (thanks to the celery). I love putting this on some homemade wheat bread and enjoying it for lunch. I hope you can too now . . . without all the guilt!

Classic Chicken Salad

3 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
pinch of celery salt
salt and pepper
12.5 oz. can of chicken breast (I used Kirkland), drained
1-2 celery ribs, chopped fine
1 scallion, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Whisk the mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil, celery salt, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a medium bowl until smooth.

Stir in the chicken, celery, scallion, and parsley until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste and let sit until the flavors have blended, about 15 minutes, before serving.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information (Per serving = 1/4 of the recipe)
Calories: 105
Protein: 11.7g
Carbs: 2.1g
Fat: 5.8g (0.7g = Sat.)
Fiber: 0.5g
Sugars: 0.5g

Nutritional Information for Chicken Salad Sandwich
Per Serving = 1/4 of recipe plus 2 slices Sara Lee Delight Bread
Calories: 195
Protein: 17.7g
Carbs: 20.1g
Fat: 6.8g (0.7g = Sat.)
Fiber: 5.5g
Sugars: 2.5g

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup With Agave & Nutmeg

January 12, 2012January 11, 2012Leave a comment

I don’t know if you remember, but in a previous post I raved about my love for butternut squash. It’s a good thing I love it because we grew it in our garden this past summer and we’re still eating it today! There’s nothing like being able to eat your garden-grown produce during the winter months and we are still diggin’ this squash.

Butternut squash soup can be made and flavored in several ways. This is one of my favorites, perhaps because of my likeness for sweet things and the agave and nutmeg reflect such sweetness. It is such a wonderful compliment to the squash and it makes it taste so comforting too! I used freshly grated nutmeg, but if you don’t have whole nutmeg to grate . . . you can use ground nutmeg too.

I love roasting the squash when I make butternut squash soup because it really helps to maximize the flavor before adding it to the soup. The roasting method will help to caramelize their natural sugars and their flavor is intensified. Oh, it’s so delicious!

Go ahead and give this soup a try. It’s so yummy!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Agave & Nutmeg
Adjusted from America’s Test Kitchen (The Best Soups & Stews)

3 pounds butternut squash (about 1 large), peeled, seeded, and cut into ½-inch chunks
1 onion, halved and sliced ½-inch thick
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup nonfat half-and-half
1 tablespoon agave nectar
Grated nutmeg, to taste

Adjust the oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the squash and onion with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then spread out over two rimmed baking sheets. Roast, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are lightly browned and softened, 30 to 40 minutes.

Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the roasted vegetables and cook, stirring often, until the squash begins to break down, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the broth and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the broth is flavorful, about 5 minutes.

Puree the soup in a blender, in batches, until smooth. Return the soup to a clean pot, stir in the half-and-half, and agave and cook gently over medium-low heat until the soup is hot, about 3 minutes. Stir in the nutmeg and adjust the seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container for several days. Warm over low heat until hot; do not boil

Serves 9.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = Approx. 1 Cup)
Calories: 102.4
Protein: 3.5g
Carbs: 20.6g
Fat: 2.0g (0.3g = Sat.)
Fiber: 4.8g
Sugars: 2.9g

Fit Chicken Corn Chowder

January 5, 2012January 4, 20121 Comment

Are any of you soup fans? I love my food, and soup is of no exception. I feel kind of lucky that my husband will eat soup as a main course because I have several friends who claim that their husbands don’t really call soup a meal. Whatever their arguments may be, it doesn’t matter because I have a man that will eat soup so I love to make it!

With that being said, I definitely make my soups hearty. I am quick to make sure that there is enough protein which always helps to make them more dinner-worthy. This chowder is one of our favorite soups around our house. I can hardly believe that it’s even appropriate for a light meal, considering it has the word “chowder” in the title, but I’ve trimmed it up a bit to lower the calories to be just about right!

This soup is creamy, the veggies give it such great flavor, and the ham/chicken combination is fantastic in it. I’m gonna say that the cream cheese is probably what gives this soup that over-the-top, give-me-more appeal. I know the list of ingredients seems long, but don’t let that scare you. The soup comes together in a flash and it’s TOTALLY worth it!

Before my grandma passed away, Beau and I would visit her at least once a month. We would take her dinner and this soup was her #1 requested meal. Of course she also loved to eat it with my biscuits, but we’ll have to save that recipe for another time.

Fit Chicken Corn Chowder
Adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno, finely chopped, seeds and membrane removed (this is important for flavor – but doesn’t add heat because the seeds and membranes are removed and it is cooked with the other veggies)
1/2 cup (3 oz.) thinly sliced or cooked chopped ham (lean)
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup frozen corn kernels
12 oz. of chicken breasts, cooked and shredded
4 oz. softened light cream cheese
1 cup lowfat milk (1%)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese

Place olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté celery, bell pepper, onion and jalapeno until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ham; cook for another 3 minutes. Whisk the broth with the flour in a liquid measuring cup or bowl and then stir into the soup. Stir in the corn and chicken. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat. Whisk together the cream cheese and milk in a large bowl until smooth (to avoid major lumps, soften the cream cheese until almost melted in the microwave). Whisk the cream cheese/milk mixture into the soup along with the salt, pepper and cheddar cheese. Simmer on low until ready to serve.