Healthy Twist on Traditional Stuffing

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healthy twist on stuffing
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nutritional facts

Want a Healthy Twist on Traditional Stuffing? Look no further. We gave traditional bread stuffing a lean makeover. Our healthier version uses whole grain bread and is loaded with colorful veggies!

Total Time: 1 hr.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 45 min.
Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 medium shallots, chopped
2 medium celery stalks, chopped
2 medium red (or green, orange, or yellow) bell peppers, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium yellow squash, sliced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
½ cup raisins
8 cups whole-grain bread cubes
3 cups low-sodium organic vegetable (or chicken) broth
2 Tbsp. white wine (optional)
Nonstick cooking spray

Preparation:
1. Heat oven at 350° F.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add onions, shallots, celery, and bell peppers; cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until onion is translucent.
4. Add garlic, zucchini, squash, and mushrooms; cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Combine onion mixture, parsley, raisins, bread, broth, and wine (if desired) in a large bowl; mix well.
6. Place stuffing in a 3-quart baking dish lightly covered in spray. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cooked through.

Healthier Homemade Macaroni and Cheese

A healthier homemade macaroni and cheese was needed in our family. Needed. I have sons that devour it and I needed a quick on-the-go meal so we found a recipe for healthier homemade macaroni and cheese that would suit all of our needs. Here’s what we modified/created and I hope it blesses you and your family:

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 (16-ounce) package of whole wheat macaroni (we can’t get that here so we used Ronzoni Smart Taste macaroni as that’s the healthiest we can get)
  • 2 Tbs butter (we use an English unsalted butter or Kerrygold Irish butter when we can find it) *I don’t recommend margarine*
  • 2-1/2 Tbs whole wheat flour (or all-purpose)
  • 2 c shredded low-fat Cheddar cheese (we opted for fat-free)
  • 1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 c low-fat milk (we use milk from Shetler Dairy Farms that comes from grass-fed cows with no chemicals added–a local farm near us and I LOVE serving it to the boys).

Shetler Cow

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOPPING:

  • 2 Tbs butter (see above)
  • 1/2 c whole wheat bread crumbs
  • 1 pinch of paprika

DIRECTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil (we use Pink Himalaya Sea Salt). Cook macaroni in bohealthy mac and chziling water, stirring occasionally, until coked through but still has a bit of texture (firm). About 8 minutes. Drain.
  2. Melt 2 Tbs butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour. Slowly add milk-stirring constantly. Stir in cheeses and cook over low heat until it’s thick and melted (about 3 minutes). Place macaroni in a large baking dish (we used a glass 9×13 pan) and pour sauce over macaroni. Stir well.
  3. (for the Topping) Melt 2 Tbs butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs and stir until the butter has soaked into the crumbs (2 to 3 minutes). Spread it on top of noodle/cheese mixture and then sprinkle with Paprika.
  4. Bake until cheese sauce is hot and breadcrumbs are browned (about 30 minutes)

 

 

 

This healthier homemadepyrex macaroni and cheese recipe (modified/adapted from allrecipes.com) has approximately 700 calories and  is divided into 4 servings (175 per serving) and we broke it into 8 servings (at approximately 90 calories per serving). You can ditch the bread crumbs and lighten the cheese (if you are really concerned but…). It took less than an hour to prep and cook and cost us about $10 total for the whole pan.

 

We store it in one-cup Pyrex glass dishes that can go from the freezer to the oven and are dishwasher friendly (the pink ones pictured here).  Storing it this way allows me to grab-and-go and I am far less likely to skip meals knowing I have this alternative that isn’t going to blow my calorie intake for the day. Enjoy!

Margarita Chicken

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YUMMMM Margarita Chicken!  Want a new chicken recipe that is amazingly good?   Get festive with tequila, without the embarrassing side effects! This marinade gives chicken a tangy citrus flavor with extra kick. (The alcohol evaporates during cooking.)

Total Time: 2 hrs. 20 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 10 min.
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. tequila
½ cup 100% natural orange juice
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
½ medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
4 (4-oz.) raw chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1 dash sea salt
1 dash cayenne pepper

Preparation:
1. Combine tequila, orange juice, lime juice, onion, and garlic in a medium bowl; whisk to blend.
2. Place chicken in glass dish. Pour marinade over; toss gently to coat. Refrigerate, covered for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
3. Preheat grill or broiler on high
4. Remove chicken from marinade. Season with salt and cayenne. Discard marinade.
5. Grill or broil chicken for 5 minutes on each side, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle.

Nutritional Information: (per serving)
Calories: 146
Fat: 3 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 67 mg
Sodium: 438 mg
Carbs: 5 g
Fiber: 0 g
Sugars: 3 g
Protein: 23 g

Sweet Potato Bites

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Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins and easy to cook. Make these with just salt, pepper, and a touch of olive oil.  This is something good to take to a party or a dinner where you are sharing dishes.

Sweet Potato Bites

Total Time: 30 min.
Prep Time: 10 min.
Cooking Time: 20 min.
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 dash sea salt
1 dash ground black pepper
Nonstick cooking spray

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Combine sweet potatoes and oil in a medium bowl; mix well.
3. Season with salt and pepper; mix well.
4. Layer sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lightly coated with spray.
5. Bake for 10 minutes; turn and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender-crisp.

Nutritional Information (per serving):
Calories: 172
Fat: 7 g
Saturated Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 214 mg
Carbohydrate: 26 g
Fiber: 4 g
Sugar: 5 g
Protein: 2 g

Spinach Salad with Turkey

 

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Want to try a really good salad that has a lot flavor?!  Then you have to try out the Spinach Salad with Turkey recipe by Kathy Smith!  Let me know how you like it!

Spinach Salad with Turkey
Kathy Smith
Spinach Salad with Turkey

8 oz. washed leaf spinach, stems removed
1 small red onion, finely sliced
1 tomato, diced
1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
12 oz. cooked turkey breast meat

1/2 cup Dressing:

4 Tbsp. orange juice
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. olive oil
1-2 small garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Whisk together all dressing ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients. Drizzle dressing on top and toss gently. Serves 4.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Nutritional Information: (per serving)
Calories: 193
Protein: 22 g
Fiber: 2 g
Carbs: 12 g
Fat Total: 8 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g