Sauted Cauliflower & Grape Tomatoes

I have been looking for ways to incorporate more veggies into my diet and this recipe is the perfect example. This dish is very flavorful with out tasting too healthy. *Sorry about the blurry picture - the steam fogged my camera lense!*

Recipe:
tablespoons chopped pancetta (I left this out to make it healthier)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 cups chopped cauliflower florets (from 1 medium head)
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Preparation
Cook pancetta in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until it begins to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Add cauliflower, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes. Add water and vinegar, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tender and the liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes more.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, tomatoes, parsley, garlic, anchovies (if using), salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is soft, about 2 minutes more. Serve the sautéed cauliflower with the crispy pancetta on top.

Nutrition
Per serving: 124 calories; 9 g fat (2 g sat, 5 g mono); 5 mg cholesterol; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 294 mg sodium; 411 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (90% daily value), Folate (17% dv).
1/2 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 2 fat

Source: Eating Well

Brothy Chinese Noodles

Ohhh buddy this dish is so good! It was a little time consuming with all of the steps and chopping (about 35 minutes which is more time than I like to spend cooking). The prep work was well worth it.

Recipe:

2 tablespoons hot sesame oil (see Note), divided
1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey (I don't like ground turkey so I cut up chicken breast)
1 bunch scallions, sliced, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup water
3 cups thinly sliced bok choy (it's a veggie that looks like lettuce)
8 ounces dried Chinese noodles (see Note)
3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar (I just used regular vinegar)
1 small cucumber, sliced into matchsticks, for garnish

Preparation
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add ground turkey, all but 2 tablespoons of the scallions, garlic and ginger and cook, stirring and breaking up the turkey, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
Add broth, water, bok choy, noodles, soy sauce, vinegar and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Return the turkey mixture to the pan and stir to combine. Serve garnished with the reserved 2 tablespoons scallions and cucumber (if using).

Tips & Notes
Ingredient notes: Hot sesame oil can be found in the Asian-food section of most supermarkets.
Dried Chinese noodles, often used in Chinese soups and lo mein, cook up quickly and can be found in the Asian-food section of most supermarkets.

Nutrition
Per serving: 292 calories; 10 g fat (2 g sat, 2 g mono); 43 mg cholesterol; 22 g protein; 6 g fiber; 633 mg sodium; 509 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (32% daily value), Vitamin C (22% dv), Iron (20% dv).

Source: Eating Well

Mango Pudding Cups

This is officially my new favorite healthy dessert. Seriously, I have printed this recipe out to give to a few people at work who are trying to eat healthier too, it's that good! Chris and I were out to eat at North Star Cafe last weekend, our favorite vegan restaurant in C-Bus. They have a slew of magazines there, and I found this recipe in an issue of Eating Well. I found several other recipes I liked in the magazine, so I went to the grocery and bought it. I think next time I may reduce the amount of nonfat sweetened condensed milk to make it even healthier.

Recipe:

4 envelopes unflavored gelatin

1 c water

5 c diced frozen mango, thawed (2 packages)

1 14-oz can nonfat sweetened condensed milk

5 T lime juice

1. Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl; let stand until softened, about 1 minute. Microwave on high about 15-20 seconds. Stir the mixture until smooth. Do NOT let harden.

2. Blend mango in a blender or food processor. Stir in remaining ingredients including gelatin.

3. Divide into ramekins or small bowls. Refrigerate to set for about 2 hours.

Source: Eating Well

Joyful Heart Muffins (Improvised)

So I have been seriously slacking on my blogging and cooking, so I am about to overwhelm you all with some new recipes. I actually did a lot of baking over Christmas, but I forgot to post all of my yummy goodies (we scarfed them down). Since I have been back in school and working full-time, I haven't had much time (or willingness) to cook. I put myself on the stereotypical new year's healthy eating plan, so I have been experiementing with new healthy recipes. No more cookies and brownies for this gal!

I love Bethenny Frankel's book and all of the recipes I have tried out of it so far. All of the recipes are made of natural foods, so I had to do some minor improvisions based on what I had on hand at the time. These muffins are fabulous and you can't even tell they are healthy. I am wondering why I haven't made them sooner! I think they are something like 100 calories per muffin too!

Recipe:

1 c. unsweetened applesauce

1/2 c. raw sugar (or regular)

1 t vanilla

1 t almond extract (I didn't have this so I doubled the vanilla)

1 t canola oil

3/4 oat or whole wheat flour

1/3 c unsweetened cocoa powder (I left this out)

2 t baking powder

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

Dash of cinnamon

1/2 blueberries or began chocolate chips

Source: Bethenny Frankel, "Naturally Thin"