Category: Vegetables

Perfect Corn on the Cob

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I ABSOLUTELY love corn on the cob.  I specifically remember being spotlighted in elementary school when I was in the 3rd grade and they asked me what my favorite food was.  You guessed it!  I told them corn on the cob.  The kids in my class thought that was so weird because their favorite foods were mostly pizza, lasagna, or candy.  To this day I still have an adoration for corn on the cob and I get extremely excited when the local corn stands set up and start selling the yummy stuff.  I think that is usually the signal when summer has officially arrived!

This method for cooking corn is somewhat a mystery.  I’m not exactly sure why adding sugar and vinegar to the water brings out the magic in the corn, BUT IT DOES!  I’m not kidding . . . this corn is always to-die-for and every time I serve it to guests I am showered with compliments on how good the corn tastes.  Of course, they think I just picked out really good corn, but this method enhances the flavor tenfold!  The flavor is so sweet and the kernels practically pop off the cob when you eat it.

One VERY important thing you should note is DO NOT add salt to the water.  It ruins it.  This is somewhat a mystery to me because I salt the water when I cook most veggies, but do not do it here.  It tends to dry out the corn.

And, as a nutrition lesson today, you may be surprised to hear that corn is considered more of a complex carbohydrate than a vegetable.  The structure of the corn lends itself to this category.  So, if you’re watching your carbohydrate intake, take note that corn is a carbohydrate and you should consider it as such when you plan your meals.

Perfect Corn on the Cob
Recipe/Method from My Kitchen Café

8 medium ears of corn, husked and silky threads removed
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons white vinegar

Bring a large pot of water to a boil (probably about 4-6 quarts of water). When boiling, add the sugar and vinegar and bring to a full boil again. Add the husked corn, submerging all the ears in the water the best that you can. Bring the water to a full boil again. This is important! It may take a few minutes for the water to come back to boiling temperature once the corn is added but let it come to a full boil before moving on. Once the water is at a full boil, cover the pot, remove from the heat and let the corn sit in the hot, steaming water for 10 minutes. (The corn can stay in the water for up to 20 minutes without becoming pithy and dry.)

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 1 Ear)
Calories:  77.4
Protein:  2.9g
Carbs:  17.1g
Fat:  1.1g (0.2g = Sat.)
Fiber:  2.4g
Sugars:  2.9g

Sesame & Chicken Soba Noodles

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Photo by Josie Fox Photography

If you like stir fry, you’ll love this! It is packed with flavor, veggies, and the pasta is surprisingly delicious too!  Soba noodles are made out of buckwheat and wheat flour and are native to Japan.  They are roughly as thick as spaghetti and are great hot and cold.  Soba noodles can be found in traditional supermarkets (usually on the Asian isle), but sometimes I’ve noticed that not all supermarkets stock them.  Where I live, I’ve always found them at Good Earth and the Sunflower market.  I’ll be honest, their brown color definitely doesn’t help to make them look appetizing, but everyone that has ever tried them while I’m around have been pleasantly surprised with their great taste.  I think I’ve fallen in love with this dish because it incorporates balsamic vinegar, which I LOVE.  The dish is tangy and the use of all those veggies makes it a very filling dish.

Photo by Josie Fox Photography

Sesame & Chicken Soba Noodles
Mimi’s Original (Created From a Variety of Sources)

1 tbsp. sesame seeds
2.5 oz. Japanese Soba (Buckwheat) Noodles
8 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped in 1-inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 1/2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 1/2 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup green onion, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Pour the sesame seeds onto a rimmed baking sheet.  Toast the seeds in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until they are a rich brown around the edges.  (Alternatively, you can toast these in a sauce pan over medium heat.  Stir often, watch carefully, don’t allow seeds to burn.)

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the noodles and cook them for 5 to 6 minutes, or until they are just tender.  Drain them, rinse them well with water, and drain them again.

While noodles are cooking, heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add chopped chicken to the skillet and sauté until nearly fully cooked (slightly pink).  Add bell pepper and  broccoli to the skillet.  Sauté until crisp-tender and the colors of the vegetables are bright.  Remove from heat.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil and green onions.  Add the noodles and chicken/vegetable mixture.  Toss well.  Divide amongst two plates and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.  This is good hot, or at room temperature.

Serves 2.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
Calories:  349.7
Protein:  32.9 g
Carbs:  45.6g
Fat:  6.2g (0.8 = Sat.)
Fiber:  5.4g

 

Tzatziki

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I have several beautiful sisters.  One of them is named Becca.  We share quite a few things in common.  Among them . . . eating delicious food that is healthy!  She is a great cook and is constantly passing along her delicious, healthy recipes to me.  I am EVER so thankful because I usually know that if she loved it, then I’m gonna love it!  This is one of the gems she passed my way.  This Greek sauce tastes so fresh, cool, creamy, and tangy!  It’s flavored with dill, cucumber, and garlic and is the perfect compliment to SO many things!  I’ve found it to be a great substitute for mayo on sandwiches, it’s great in pita sandwiches or wraps, it compliments grilled meats like a champ (wait until you see tomorrow’s post!), etc.  It’s also commonly served as a side dish with pita bread triangles or veggies for dipping.  As you can see, it really can be used for SO many things.  I love to make up a batch and constantly pull it out at every meal because I just KNOW I will want some.  You will want to prepare this within an hour of serving time to prevent it from becoming watery.  Greek yogurt is thicker and creamier than other yogurt (so, don’t substitute).  I have found the dip/sauce to stay at a decent consistency for up to 24 hours.

Tzatziki
Recipe courtesy of my sister, Becca

1 cup grated peeled English cucumber (about 1medium)
1 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pat cucumber dry with paper towels.  Combine cucumber and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; cover and chill 1 hour.

Serves 10.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 2 Tbsp.)
Calories:  17
Protein:  1.6g
Carbs:  2.5g
Fat:  0.1g
Fiber:  0.2g

Mashed Cauliflower

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Here is a creative way to enjoy your veggies!  These come out to be the consistency of mashed potatoes and even taste similar.  It’s strange, but I don’t care how strange it is as long as I like it. . .  and I LOVE these.  It’s a great way to sneak some veggies into the tummies of your kiddos because they won’t really even know that these aren’t mashed potatoes.  Genius!  This concept of mashed cauliflower isn’t really new to the “diet world” but it seems like I’ve seen a gazillion different ways to prepare them.  With that being said, the base concept is the same in that you cook cauliflower until it is tender, add some liquid (milk, fat free half-and-half, buttermilk), and mash them until you are left with the consistency of mashed potatoes.  I usually add half of the liquid, check the consistency, and then add more if needed.

Here’s my version of mashed cauliflower, but feel free to experiment to your liking.  Have fun being super tricky in serving these (and you must tell me if your tricks succeed)!

Mashed Cauliflower

4 cups cauliflower florets
2 garlic cloves, peeled & sliced
1/8 – 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk (low-fat milk works too)
I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray, to taste (approx. 1 ounce)
Salt & Pepper, to taste

Steam cauliflower and garlic until cauliflower is soft and tender.  Puree cauliflower and garlic in a food processor, adding buttermilk and butter spray until desired consistency is met.  Season with pepper and serve.

Serves 4.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
Calories:  33.4
Protein:  2.6g
Carbs:  6.4g
Fat:  0.4g (0.1g = Sat.)
Fiber:  2.5g
Sugars:  0.7g

Fit Ranch Dip (and Dressing Too)

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This is a staple around my house!  It is amazing the way this dip/dressing comes together and tastes so much like the REAL thing.  Have you ever blended cottage cheese?  Well, if not, you’re about to do it because I’m not sure how you can resist trying this!  By taking cottage cheese and blending it you end up with a very similar texture as sour cream.  I just add Ranch seasoning to it, and magically I have a ranch dip that is low in fat and high in protein.  This works great on a relish tray with vegetables, I put it on my baked potatoes, I often times add a little milk to it to make it more of the consistency of dressing and then use it as such on my salads (it tastes so good on taco salads), and whatever else you like to use ranch for.  I’m sure it’s easy to see why this is a staple at my house.  Perhaps it can become a staple at yours too!  Feel free to play around with the flavors or seasoning packets.  My favorite at the moment is the Spicy Ranch mix.

Fit Ranch Dip

1 cup 2% milkfat cottage cheese
1 tsp. ranch seasoning (such as Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning mixes)

Put cottage cheese in a food processor or blender.  Process/blend until smooth (texture should resemble that of sour cream).  Add ranch seasoning and process/blend until combined.  Serve.

Serves 8.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 2 Tablespoons)
Calories:  27.3
Protein:  3.9g
Carbohydrates:  1.4g
Fat:  0.5g (0.3g = Sat.)
Fiber:  0g
Sugars:  0.1g

Grilled Chicken Fajitas

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I am a fajita-lovin’ girl!  I love, Love, LOVE them!  That being said, I make them in all sorts of varieties; however, these ones are my very favorite (at least up until this point)!  The marinade that is used here is downright delicious.  I love how it all melds together in a way that was hard for me to even imagine until I tried it.  That lime, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, cilantro, jalapeno, and garlic are so tasty!  And, to boost the flavor, you put the reserved marinade on the veggies after you grill them which brilliantly brings all the flavors together in this fajita.

I have found great success in grilling these on our charcoal grill, as well as my indoor grill (George Foreman).  Why do I know this????  Well, there’s no way I’m prepping the charcoal grill in the snowy winter and there’s also NO WAY I’m living through the winter without my favorite fajita.  Thus…I found out very quickly that I can get similar results indoors!  I have also found that if I use chicken tenders, then I do not need to butterfly any chicken breasts.  This is a small time saver for me so that is usually what I tend to use most.   I served these for a dinner party recently and they were a huge hit! You’ll have to let me know if this variation of fajita makes it to the top of your list too!

Grilled Chicken Fajitas
Source: adapted from Annie’s Eats, originally from Cook’s Illustrated

Ingredients:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
4 tbsp. olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1½ tsp. brown sugar
1 jalapeño, seeded, ribbed and diced
1 1/2 tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
1 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied (or the equivalent in chicken tenders)
1 large red onion, sliced into ½-inch thick slices, rings not separated
2 large bell peppers, stemmed, quartered and seeded
16 extra thin corn tortillas (Such as Mission Yellow Corn Tortillas – Extra Thin = 40 calories each)

Directions:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive  oil, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, jalapeño, cilantro, salt and pepper.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade; set aside.  Place the chicken breast halves (or tenders, if using) in the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Lightly oil both sides of the onion rounds and peppers with olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, prep your grill . . . charcoal, gas, or indoor.  (We typically use a charcoal grill, so I’ll give step-by-step instructions on how to use it.)  Using a large chimney starter, ignite 6 quarts of charcoal briquettes and burn until the coals are fully ignited, about 20 minutes.  Empty the coals into the grill, spreading them in a single layer.  Place an additional 20 unlit coals over the lit coals on one side of the grill to create a two-level fire.  Place the grill grate over the coals and allow to heat for 5 minutes.  Scrape the grate clean with a grill brush.  (For a gas grill, light all burners to high, cover and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes.  Leave one burner on high and turn the rest down to medium.)

Remove the chicken breast from the marinade and transfer to the hotter side of the grill; discard the left over marinade.  Place the onion rounds and peppers on the cooler side of the grill.  Cook the chicken until it is well browned, 3-4 minutes.  Using tongs, flip the chicken and continue grilling until it is no longer pink inside (or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 160˚ F.)  Meanwhile, cook onions and peppers until spottily charred and crisp-tender, about 8-12 minutes, turning once or twice as needed.*  When the chicken and vegetables are done, transfer them to a large plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

In 2 or 3 batches, transfer the tortillas in a single layer to the now empty grill on the cooler side.  Cook until warm and lightly browned, about 20 seconds per side.  When the tortillas are done, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel or foil.  (Alternatively you can warm the tortillas according to package directions.)

Separate the onions into rings and place them in a medium bowl.  Slice the bell peppers lengthwise into ¼-inch strips and add them to the bowl with the onions.  Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved unused marinade and toss well to combine.  Slice the chicken into ¼-inch strips and toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons of reserved marinade in another bowl.  Arrange the chicken and vegetables on a large platter with the warmed tortillas and serve.

Serves 8.

*Optional Cooking Tip for Veggies:  I will occasionally send the chicken outside to the grill with my husband.  While he is cooking the chicken, I grill the veggies indoors.  I will heat my George Foreman grill.  While it is heating up, I cut the onions & peppers into strips.  I then lightly grease the grill with cooking spray and then throw the onions and peppers on the grill and cook until crisp-tender and slightly charred.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = 2 Fajitas)
Calories:  263.2
Protein:  25.6g
Carbs:  22g
Fat:  9.2g (4g = Sat.)
Fiber:  2.9g
Sugar:  5g

Baked Potato Casserole

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This casserole makes an awesome side dish to SO many main dishes.  The taste of this casserole reminds me of the ever popular “funeral potatoes” but it doesn’t have all the fat, no cream-of-whatever soup, and is higher in protein (thank you cottage cheese!).  I’m not kidding; this is FABULOUS!!  I have taken this to many family parties and it is devoured in no time.  Nobody really seems to notice the difference and I feel completely satisfied in knowing that I can eat a serving too without any guilt.  Of course the men in my life tell me that this dish would be awesome with bacon, so if desired . . . top half the casserole with bacon for those who could care less about fat or calorie content.

I usually make the casserole in the oven, but this last time I tried it in the Dutch Oven.  It worked out just as well and complimented our BBQ pork perfectly.  We were THRILLED to have leftovers for a few days (and I’m excited to introduce you to a spin on these leftovers tomorrow).

Baked Potato Casserole

9 medium potatoes, scrubbed but not peeled
4 large cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 cups low fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 bunch scallions (green onions), trimmed and sliced
1/2 cup reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon paprika (original or smoked)

Place potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan and cover with cold water.  Bring to a slow boil over medium heat.  Reduce the heat to low and cook until the potatoes are barely tender, about 15-20 minutes.  Drain and let sit until cool enough to handle.  Grate them into a large bowl (I use my food processor to do this step – it’s fast!); set aside.  Take garlic and place it into a food processor.  Add cottage cheese and process until completely smooth.  Add sour cream, salt and pepper, and process briefly to combine.  Add the cottage cheese mixture and scallions to the grated potatoes and mix well.  Place into a 2-quart baking dish sprayed with nonstick spray.  Top with grated cheddar cheese and paprika.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  You can also make this within 2 days before baking – storing it covered in the refrigerator.

Serves 8 fairly generously (you can create smaller portions if wanting to reduce the nutritional information below).

Nutritional Information Per Serving
Calories 177
Protein:  10g
Carbs:  27g
Fat:  3g (2g = Sat.)
Fiber:  2g

Pretty Almond Green Beans

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Pretty Almond Green Beans | Mimi's Fit Foods

It’s always helpful to have additional ways to serve the same old veggies, right?  I love plain green beans, but these green beans were even better!  Not only do they look pretty in a serving dish, the flavors kind of reminded me of that traditional green bean casserole I see around the holidays . . . minus the gooky cream-of-whatever soup.  This dish is full of antioxidants and it is a great way to get those veggies in our bodies.

Pretty Almond Green Beans
Adapted by Taste of Home, “Healthy Cooking Annual Recipes 2009”

1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed
1 medium sweet red pepper, sliced thin
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1/8 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Place beans in a large saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Cover and cook for 4-7 minutes or until crisp-tender.

Meanwhile, in a large nonstick skillet, saute the pepper, mushrooms and onion in oil until tender.  Drain beans; stir into vegetable mixture.  Sprinkle with almonds.

Serves 6.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving = Approx. 3/4 Cup)
Calories:  63.3
Protein:  2.5g
Carbs:  10g
Fat:  2.3g (0.3g = Sat)