Category: Skinny

Family Favorites · New Favorite · Skinny · Vegan · Vegetarian

Fresh Peach Salsa…Oh my!

cathysmaha5 Comments

Peach Salsa was a new discovery a few years ago.  We’re lucky to live in the great state of Colorado which produces some of the finest peaches in the world.  I love salsa, but fresh peach salsa is my favorite.  My family has grown very fond of it and we can’t wait to have the first peach salsa of the season.

Peach Salsa was served last year as one of the dishes at daughter Megan’s bridal shower and included in the favor of three of her favorite dips.  Today we’ll savor it and enjoy the last few days of summer in Colorado.

PEACH SALSA

2 cups diced fresh peaches
1/2 cup sweet onion
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely diced
fresh lime juice
salt

Mix all ingredients together. Fantastic with chips; also great with grilled fish or chicken.

New Favorite · Skinny · Vegan · Vegetarian

Cucumber Cup Appetizers

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Pinterest is a wonderful invention, giving us instant access to so many wonderful ideas.  One of those ideas that daughter, Sarah, and I chose for one of the wedding appetizers was cucumber cups.  What the heck is a cucumber cup, you say?  Read on….

Wash the cucumber.  Using a potato peeler, peel stripes around the cucumber.  Cut off the round end of the cucumber.  Cut the cucumber into 1″ slices.  Taking a grapefruit spoon or teaspoon, hollow out about 2/3 of the center of the cucumber.

Fill each cucumber cup with the filling of your choice.  Some of the ideas I’ve used include:

  • hummus with a chopped piece of red pepper on top
  • goat cheese with a drizzle of honey and a pecan or walnut on top
  • cream cheese with salmon/lox and a sprig of fresh dill
  • dip…any dip you please

It’s cucumber season, so cut some cups for an easy appetizer that will chill you down after a hot day.

New Favorite · Skinny · Vegan · Vegetarian

Fresh and Light Carrot Salad

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As the days get hotter, I crave light and cool foods (except for my occasional Mexican food craving). The Carrot Salad is light, simple and delicious.

IMG_5039

FRESH AND LIGHT CARROT SALAD

1 pound carrots
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 small shallot finely chopped

  • Peel the carrots and shred in a food processor.
  • Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  Stir in the shallots and pour over shredded carrots. Mix well.
  • Cover the salad and sit for a few hours for the flavors to blend.
New Favorite · Skinny · Vegan · Vegetarian

French Green Bean Salad…light and fresh!

cathysmaha1 Comment

Our Book Club meets every other month and tries to match the pot-luck cuisine to align with the story.  This month our book was ‘Sarah’s Key’. I loved this book!  If you’ve not read it, I highly recommend it.  The story takes place in France during WWII.  While food and cooking wasn’t the topic of the book, French Cuisine was the food du jour.

French cooking brings Julia Child to mind but I was looking for something light and fresh.  I was delighted to find a French Green Bean Salad that was perfect!

French Green Bean Salad

FRENCH GREEN BEAN SALAD

Kosher Salt
1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

Ingredients for French Green Bean Salad
  • Fill a large bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Add the beans and cook for 1 minute only so the beans are crisp tender. Drain the beans and put them in the ice water until completely cool. Drain the beans again, dry on paper towels. Place the beans in a large bowl.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the pepper. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil to make an emulsion.
Dressing for French Green Bean Salad
  • Pour enough dressing over the beans to moisten them well, reserving the remaining dressing for another use. Toss with the dill, season to taste and serve at room temperature.

Recipe by foodnetwork.com, 2010 Barefoot Contessa

New Favorite · Skinny · Vegan · Vegetarian

Strawberry Spinach Salad…rite of spring

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What says Spring more than fresh spinach and strawberries?  I have a lonely bunch of spinach that popped up volunteer in my garden in late March.  The strawberries at the market are beautiful, so time to celebrate spring with this luscious salad.  I opted to top the salad with red onion and walnuts today but top with other items to make your salad unique!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

STRAWBERRY SPINACH SALAD

12 ounces fresh baby spinach
2 pints fresh strawberries, sliced
Optional Toppings: sliced red onion, walnuts, crumbled goat cheese, chopped fresh broccoli, blanched sugar snap peas,

SESAME-POPPY SEED DRESSING:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup oil
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons poppy seeds

  • SALAD:  Combine baby spinach and strawberries in a large bowl; toss with 1/2 cup Sesame-Poppy Seed Dressing just before serving. Service with remaining dressing and toppings.
  • DRESSING: Pulse first 5 ingredients in a blender 2 or 3 times or until smooth. With blender running, add oil in a slow, steady stream; process until smooth. Stir in poppy seeds; chill 24 hours.
New Favorite · Skinny · Vegan · Vegetarian

Mexican Pizza…Friday night Vegetarian delight

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Pal Maribeth first introduced me to this wonderful pizza. I love the combination of flavors and how easy (and relatively healthy) it is! The recipe can be modified to be vegan or gluten-free.

I baked the pizza on my pizza stone and found the baking time doubled. Bake until the bottom of the crust is light brown before removing from the oven to add the toppings and bake again.

Slice of Mexican Pizza

MEXICAN PIZZA

1 can spicy fat-free, vegetarian refried beans
1 cup salsa
18 inch pizza crust
2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
4 medium thinly sliced green onions
1/4 cup ranch salad dressing
1 cup crushed tortilla chips (add more as desired)
1 cup shredded pepper jack or Monterey Jack cheese (or more if desired)

  • Heat oven to 450 degrees. Mix beans and 1/2 cup salsa in a medium bowl. Place crust on cookie sheet, then spread the bean mixture over crust. Bake until crisp, about 10 minutes.
Pizza Crust with refried beans and salsa ready for the oven
  • Remove from oven, top with lettuce and green onions. Dollop with remaining salsa. Drizzle ranch dressing over. Top with chips and cheese. Bake approximately 2 minutes longer until cheese melts.
Pizza ready for the oven for two additional minutes
  • Cool slightly. I added fresh chopped avocado to the top with bowls of sour cream and salsa to add as the guests desire.  Slice and serve.
Mexican Pizza ready to serve
New Favorite · Skinny · Vegan

Mexican Quinoa Casserole…Vegan/Vegetarian OR not!

cathysmaha2 Comments

I love quinoa! There, I’ve said it. I love quinoa salad and always looking for new ways to cook with this protein-rich, healthy grain. This Mexican Quinoa Casserole is now an honored member of my recipe collection. I made the recipe without the ground beef and taco seasoning, enjoying every wonderful bite! If you are vegan, make it without the ground beef and substitute a vegan cheese. If you’re a meat lover, go for the whole enchilada…um, I mean casserole!

Colorful ingredients for Mexican Quinoa Casserole

MEXICAN QUINOA CASSEROLE

Mexican Quinoa Casserole served with sour cream

1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
1 14.5 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup canned corn
1/4 cup green chiles
1/4 cup salsa
1/3 cup broth (vegetable or chicken)
1 cup toasted quinoa
1 pound lean ground beef (optional)
2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix (optional)
3/4 cup water (optional)
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
sour cream
chopped fresh cilantro
wedge of fresh limes

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Mix together the tomatoes, black beans, corn, chiles, salsa, broth, and quinoa. Pour into a greased 2 quart baking dish and cover with baking lid or foil.
  • Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and stir and bake another 30 minutes.
  • While the quinoa is baking, brown the ground beef. Add taco seasoning and water. Simmer until water has evaporated. Stir in beef mixture with quinoa mixture. Top with grated cheese and brown under the broiler.
  • Serve with sides of sour cream, fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

Adapted from food.com by Captain’s Lady

New Favorite · Skinny

Cocoa Roasted Almonds…nuttin’ to it!

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Everyone in my life knows I’m a little nuts about nuts.  Last week I purchased a box of cocoa roasted almonds at my local King Soopers and loved them!  The bit of sweetness along with the nut crunch and cocoa blast was divine.

Cocoa Roasted Almonds

I searched the web and discovered a low-cal recipe: www.ehow.com/how_5850786_make-cocoa-roasted-almond-recipe.html

They were easy to make and store well.  I had dry ingredients left over, so I tried the recipe with English Walnuts.  They were equally wonderful!  Cocoa roasted almonds and walnuts are my new, favorite afternoon snack!

COCOA ROASTED ALMONDS

1 pound raw, shelled almonds
cooking spray
8 Stevia sweetener packets (next time, I’ll try it with powdered sugar)
1/4 teaspoon popcorn salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup cocoa powder

  • Pour the almonds in a large bowl.  Spray the almonds lightly. Toss the almonds and spray again, to assure that the almonds are lightly coated.
  • In a small bowl, combine the Stevia, salt, cornstarch and cocoa powder. Pour the dry ingredients over the almonds and toss to thoroughly coat the almonds.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Bake at 250 degrees for 25 minutes, stirring every 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the almonds (or walnuts) on paper towels. Cool.

Each almond has about 7 calories.

Nuttin’ to it!

Recipe adapted from ehow.com Cocoa Roasted Almonds

New Favorite · Skinny

Asparagus Goat Cheese Omelettes…indulging skinny style

cathysmaha1 Comment

Spring is just around the corner and while I really don’t care about swimsuit season, I do care about looking and feeling better and looking ‘fabulous’ for daughter Sarah’s summer wedding.

While I love to indulge in wonderful foods, I find that a healthy, Mediterranean style diet works well for me.  I tried this recipe and loved it.  Fresh asparagus and goat cheese with protein…a winner!  Each omelette only has 180 calories, an extra bonus.

ASPARAGUS GOAT CHEESE OMELETTES

1 cup liquid egg substitute or egg whites
4 eggs
1/4 cup fat-free milk
2 tablespoons chopped scallions or red onions
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup water
4 tablespoons crumbled reduced fat goat cheese

  • Whisk together egg substitute, eggs, and milk. Stir in the scallions, thyme, parsley, pepper and salt.
  • Place the asparagus in a microwaveable bowl and add water. Cover with waxed paper and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave 2 additional minutes. Drain and pat dry.
  • Heat a medium nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Pour one-quarter of the egg mixture into the skillet, allowing it to cover the bottom of the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the bottom just begins to set. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon goat cheese and one-quarter of the asparagus. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the eggs are almost set.
  • Using a large spatula, fold the omelet in half. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the omelet is golden and the cheese is melted. Turn onto a plate and keep warm.
  • Coat the skillet with cooking spray and repeat for 3 additional omelettes. Garnish with chives, pieces of asparagus or goat cheese.

Adapted from South Beach Diet Cookbook

New Favorite · Skinny · Vegan · Vegetarian

Kale Chips…for the chipaholic in me!

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KALE CHIPS

My oldest daughter first told me about making kale chips.  I like kale and I LOVE chips so what’s not to like?  She didn’t have a recipe to give me but explained how she made them.  I tried it and was instantly a fan.  Good for me, crispy/salty and easy….a winner!

KALE CHIPS

1 bunch fresh kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt (or flavored salt of your liking)

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the baking sheet.
  • Wash the kale and dry thoroughly.   Remove the stem from the kale leaves.
  • Tear the kale leaves into bite-sized pieces.
  • Place kale on greased baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil and salt.
Raw kale with oil and salt
  • Bake about 10 minutes or until the edges brown.  Watch carefully because the kale burns easily.