Roasted Asparagus-Orange Salad

My husband loves asparagus, but I only knew one way to cook it.  Boil, blanch, and season; very boring.  This recipe adds a much needed pop of citrus and it looks beautiful on a plate.  Of course we ate it before I got a chance to take a picture, but you can see what it looks like from the original link below (but it looks much more vibrant and delicious in person!).

Roasted Asparagus-Orange Salad
(adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)

Serves 8

Roasted Asparagus

• 2 pounds asparagus (green, white, and/or purple) spears, trimmed
• Pam Olive Oil

Dressing:

• 2 oranges
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.  Place asparagus in a 15x10x1 inch baking pan.  Spray with Pam Olive Oil until all spears are coated.  Roast, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, until asparagus is crisp-tender, tossing once.  Transfer to a serving platter.
2. For dressing: Zest approximately 1tsp from one orange; set aside.  Juice half and orange.  Peel then slice the remaining half and whole orange half in rounds.  Combine orange peel, orange juice, garlic, mustard, fennel seeds, olive oil, and vinegar.  Cover with a lid and shake to combine. 
3. Drizzle a little of the dressing on the asparagus; toss to coat.  Carefully toss in orange slices.  Use remaining dressing as desired. 

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries and Balsamic Vinegar

You must be a somewhat adventurous eater if you got past the title of this post.  Almost every time I have told people about this recipe I have gotten the same sour face and look of disgust, but I have turned many of these same people into Brussels sprout believers! This is a super simple recipe that will change people's minds about that once hated vegetable.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Cranberries and Balsamic Vinegar:
(adapted from Thyme)

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts
• Pam Olive Oil
• Pepper
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 375 F.   Trim/clean Brussels sprouts and cut them in half, lengthwise.  Arrange them on a foil lined baking sheet and spray generously with Pam, making sure both sides are coated.  Sprinkle with plenty of pepper and roast 25-30 minutes or until brown.

While the brussels sprouts are roasting, combine the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a  sauce pan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and reduce until very think, approximately 15-20 minutes.

Once the Brussels sprouts are out of the oven, transfer them to a serving dish and drizzle the balsamic reduction on top.  Sprinkle on the dried cranberries.  Toss and serve immediately. 

Cinnamon Roasted Sweet Potato and Apple Salad with Honey Vinaigrette Chicken

I have always been a sweet potato fan.  More specifically if they were served in the form of pie or french fries!  Needless to say, I have been looking for a healthier alternative to prepare for dinner.  I came across this recipe and it has been a crowd pleaser!  I have served this 3 different occasions and everyone has loved it!  It is such a hearty salad (even the men agreed) and it's just so pretty to look at!

Roasted Sweet Potato and Apple Salad with Honey Vinaigrette Chicken
(adapted from Sweet Treats & More)

Serves 4

• 4 cups spring mix or romaine lettuce
• 1 medium sized sweet potato
• 1 large red apple
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch (or two) or sugar
• PAM Olive Oil spray
• 2 chicken breasts, thawed (or four chicken tenders), OR substitute 1 cup Quinoa to make this meal vegetarian friendly
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat Feta Cheese
• 1/4 cup candied pecans
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries

Honey Vinaigrette (in place  of Caramel Vinaigrette):

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey

1. Whisk together balsamic vinegar, oil, ground mustard and honey.
2. If using Chicken: Place chicken tenders in a large zip lock bag and put 3/4 of the vinaigrette over the chicken.  Let marinate for 1-2 hours. 
   If using Quinoa: Make one cup of Quinoa and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 425
4. Peel and cut the sweet potato and apple into slices or chunks.  Place slices in a bowl and generously spray Pam with Olive Oil over the top.  Toss to coat.  Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar in and toss until evenly coated.  Use additional Pam spray as necessary
5. Spread the potatoes and apples in a single layer on baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes until tender (tossing halfway through)
6. If using chicken: Cook chicken over medium heat until cooked through.  Cut into chunks or shred.
   If using Quinoa: toss quinoa with sweet potatoes and apples 
7. Lay chicken or quinoa, potatoes, apples over a bed of lettuce.  Sprinkle with reduced fat feta cheese, pecans, and cranberries.  Drizzle remaining Honey Vinaigrette.

Breakfast Tostada

On my latest trip to the grocery store I found a great new brand of chips called Sanissimo.  I cannot find a website for them to save my life and the only place I have seen them is at HEB.  They are oven baked corn chips, tostadas, and crackers.  These are a great alternative for full fat chips, especially if you are having Mexican food.  One serving of the chips has only 2 grams of fat, 120 calories, no cholesterol, and 190 mg of sodium.  Plus, they are gluten free if that's a concern for you.  Easy snacks are hard to come by so I stocked up!  I decided to use them yesterday at lunch and came up with what I'll call an Egg Tostada.  You can make as much or as little as you need.  The following made 2 tostadas (1 serving)

Egg Tostada

Ingredients:

• Extra Firm Silken Tofu (optional)
• Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• 1 clove minced garlic
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 2 Tablespoons minced shallots
• 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup Egg Beaters
• 2 Tablespoons Pace Picante Pico de Gallo 
• 1/4 cup Daiya Pepperjack Cheese Shreds (or any low-fat cheese)
• 2 Sanissimo Oven Baked Corn Tostadas
• 1 Tablespoon chives

Directions:
Cut tofu (as much as you want) into 1 inch cubes.  Heat pan on medium-high heat. Add tofu, garlic, shallots, cayenne pepper,  mushrooms and a few tablespoons of chicken broth (enough for the tofu and mushrooms to soak up).  Cook for about 10 minutes, until mushrooms are done.  During this time, add additional chicken broth if mushrooms begin to look dry.  Add Egg Beaters and cook until eggs are scrambled.

Divide egg mixture and put onto each tostada.  Top each with pico de gallo, cheese, and chives. 

Quick and easy for breakfast or brunch!

Eating Out

Since Eric's heart attack we have been very limited on places to go and eat.  Thanks to friends, a great deal of research, and Mac's dietitian, we have come up with the following places.  If you have any others we can add to the list please feel free to share!

1. Escalantes: Chicken Fajitas with no oil/butter, corn or whole wheat tortillas, fat free black beans, and cilantro rice.  You can also ask your waiter for baked chips instead of fried. 
2. Ruggles Green: Quinoa Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs, Grilled Asparagus, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
3. Ruggles Cafe Bakery: The Griller, Tomato Basil soup
4. Chicken Kitchen: Chop-Chop Salad, Original Chop-Chop, Single Breast Platter (tons of options here!)
5. Hungry's:  The Anaheim Chicken, The Tuscan Chicken, Southwestern Portabella Delight
6. Chatter's
7. Freebirds: Whole wheat tortilla, charro black and pinto beans, veggies, salsa, and cilantro rice
8. Rustika: Egg white tacos and egg white scrambles with black beans
9. Goode Company Seafood: Order any fish with no butter or oil and request dry bread (no butter)
10. Thai Spice: Steamed chicken or shrimp with veggies with no sauce.  Add hot sauce instead

And for the kids

1. Beck's Prime: Texas Children's Hospital actually worked with them on their grilled chicken meal.  Substitute a veggie for a side. 
2. Boston Market: Turkey kids meal

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

Are you ready for the most fantastic blueberry muffin you've ever tasted???  These are a great idea for breakfast or even an after dinner snack.  And with no oil, no butter and no fat they are a great way to treat yourself to something sweet!

Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp salt (use Morton's Lite Salt for lower sodium)
• 1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• 1/4 cup honey (substituted for maple syrup)
• 3/4 cup blueberries, frozen
• 1/2 cup of flax seeds (my addition)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spray a muffin tin with non stick spray.  In a large bow, whisk flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt, flax seeds, and spices together until well combined.  Then add applesauce, sugar, and honey then stir until combined.  Add frozen blueberries, stirring until just combined.  Fill 12 muffin tins 3/4 full.  Sprinkle additional oats and a small amount of brown sugar on top.  Bake for 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Notice that I added flax seeds to this recipe.  If you are interested in learning more about the health benefits of flax seeds click here.
 
You will not be disappointed with these!  Quick and easy to make and everyone in our house has a new favorite breakfast food. 

Spinach Cupcakes

We've gotten into a little rut at snack time in our house.  All Mac seems to get it applesauce.  My friend Heather told me about a recipe for Spinach Cupcakes (yes, I said spinach) and they are fantastic!  Plus, they are a fun green color that just about any kid would like.  Eric was a bit skeptical at first, but once I got him to actually taste one he has been asking for them in his lunch too.  The recipe is very easy and if you make a big batch you can put the extras in the freezer to save for later.  Just pull out the amount that you need the night before and leave them in the refrigerator. 

Spinach Cupcakes:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup Egg Beaters (in place of one large egg)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup fresh spinach, packed
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce (in place of vegetable oil)
• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
  **the recipe calls for 1/2 tsp of salt but I have eliminated it**

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Place the first 6 ingredients in a food processor and puree
3. Place the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and combine
4. Pour the spinach puree in a large mixing bowl
5. Slowly mix the dry ingredients into the wet until combined
6. Scoop batter into a mini muffin tin, filling each cup 2/3 of the way
7. Bake for 11 minutes (original recipe calls for 12)
8. Serve

This has now become Mac's favorite snack.  I know it sounds a little strange, but we all love them and it's a great way to get some spinach into our diets.

Chicken Breast With Honey-Balsamic Glaze

All I can say is YUM!!!  This might be one of our new favorites.  And just to make it a little better, it's super simple and quick to make.  I've been looking for a way to make chicken a little less boring, but I didn't want a recipe that had a ton of ingredients.  I found this one on Food.com and made a few little adjustments.  Eric doesn't like "thick" chicken so I always cut one chicken breast into 2 or 3 layers (depending on how thick the breast is).  It actually is a really good idea because instead of only tasting the seasoning on the outside, the whole bite has flavor.  I also cut the amount of salt in half and substituted a few sprays of "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" in place of olive oil (in bold print below). This recipe is enough for 4 servings. 

Chicken Breast With Honey-Balsamic Glaze:

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
A few sprays of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter (3 or 4 sprays are enough)
4 (4 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons honey

Directions:

1. Combine first 3 ingredients; sprinkle over both sides of chicken breasts
2. Spray I Can't Believe It's Not Butter (or about a teaspoon of olive oil) over medium high heat.  dd chicken; cook until done
3. Transfer chicken to a platter; keep warm.  Reduce heat to medium-low; add vinegar and honey to pan.  Simmer 1 minute or until glaze thickens; stir constantly.  Pour glaze over chicken. 

This entire dish only takes about 15 minutes to make start to finish and it's made with ingredients that I always have in my pantry.

For sides I made brown rice and a few spears of grilled asparagus....delicious!

I was also able to find the nutritional information for this meal, but remember that if you cut out the olive oil, you will cut out some of the fat/calories as well:

Calories: 179.9
Total Fat: 4.1 g
Saturated Fat: 0.8 g
Cholesterol: 72.5 mg
Sodium: 424.8 mg
Protein: 24.2 g

Christmas Eve Tamales

Tamales were a Christmas Eve tradition for my husband when he was younger and last year we decided that we would do the same in our home each year.  After the heart attack, I really wanted to find a way to make some delicious tamales for him to eat.  After a good deal of searching, I found the recipe for "Mama Totota's Tamales."  Having never made tamales, I was not too sure how well this cooking endeavor would end, but Eric loved them!
I made a few of my own changes to the recipe to make it healthier and a little easier.  The real recipe calls for 1 lb. of pork tenderloin, but I substituted it for 98% fat free ground pork.  Less fat and much faster to cook.  The recipe below has my additions/changes in bold print.

Mama Totota's Tamales:

Ingredients:
14 large dried cornhusks

Filling:
1 lb. ground pork
1 1/2  teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 chopped onion

Dough:
3 cups masa harina
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Preparation:

1. Place cornhusks in a large bowl of hot water; weigh down husks with another bowl.  Soak for at least 30 minutes.  Drain husks; rinse with cold water.  Drain and pat dry.  Make sure that the ENTIRE cornhusk is submerged in water or you will have a difficult time folding them once you have rolled the tamale!
2. To prepare filling, combine ground pork, onion, cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, salt, and paprika in a skillet over medium high heat until no longer pink.  Drain excess fat from pork and put into the food processor until pork is all the same consistency.
3. To prepare dough, combine masa harina, paprika, and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl.  Add water and oil, stirring to form a soft dough.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface;  knead lightly 4 to 5 times.  divide dough into 12 equal portions.  Working with 1 portion, place dough in the center of 1 husk.  Press the dough into a 4 x 2 1/2 inch rectangle, leaving about a 1 1/2 inch border at the tapered end and a 1 inch border at the broad end.  Arrange about 1 tablespoon of filling down the center of the dough.  Take 1 long side of husk and roll dough around filling, making sure dough seals around filling.  Twist both ends of the corn husk tightly and fold underneath each tamale.
4. Arrange tamales in steamer, and cover with steamer lid.  Add water to a large skilled to a depth of 1 inch; bring to a boil.  Place steamer in pan; steam half of tamales for 12 minutes or until the husks peel away cleanly.  Repeat procedure with remaining tamales. 

I personally am not a huge fan of tamales, but I loved the flavor of the pork filing.  To make it a complete meal we topped these with a little fat free sour cream and salsa, added a green salad, some brown rice, and a few avocado slices and it was delicious!

Getting Started....The Winter Green Salad

When your husband has a heart attack at 31 what do you do? You get in the kitchen! I have always enjoyed cooking, but creating meals for a heart attack patient (particularly one with a hereditary form of high cholesterol) can be quite daunting at times. I have discovered that "healthy" meals don't always equate to being heart healthy and some of the most basic food items are actually packed full of ingredients that should be avoided. To add to our dietary concerns, our two-and a half year old son, Mac, also has this condition. It is my goal to keep him from going through this same experience by providing him with the nutrition he needs to live a long and healthy life.
I have made almost all of our meals from scratch over the past month and our new way of life has already started to show visible benefits. Within 2 weeks of his heart attack and introducing our new dietary changes, my husband Eric's cholesterol was cut almost in half and within a month he is down 15 pounds and 5 inches in his waist!
So many friends and family members have asked for recipes so I thought that starting a blog would be the best way to share them with everyone. There has been a great deal of trial and error in this process and that is what I plan on documenting in my posts. For every new meal we try I will post the recipe and our review of the meal so that you can decide for yourself if it's worth making it. I am trying to find meals that anyone can enjoy...the meat eater, the vegetarian, the kids....everyone!
To start this off I'm going to give you the recipe for an INCREDIBLE salad that we have been enjoying almost every night either as a main course or a side. When we were in Colorado a few weeks ago, Eric and I found this amazing little place called Mod Market (http://www.modmarket.com/). They have a great menu including salads, sandwiches, pizzas, and soups made from scratch. Not only do they provide the calorie and fat content for each meal, you also get a print out with your receipt of the calories, fat, sodium, etc. for the meal you purchased. Such a great idea and so appreciated for someone in our position. What would I give for a place like this in Houston?!?!? So here is the recipe for their Winter Green Salad with Honey Herb Vinaigrette (with a few of my own modifications):

Salad:
2 cups Spring Mix Greens
4 Heirloom/Cherry tomatoes (halved)
1/4 cup shelled walnuts
1/4 cup of cranberries
1/4 cup of green apple
Sprinkle of goat cheese (as much or as little as you like)
Sprinkle of parmesan cheese

Honey Herb Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons basil
1 Tablespoon shallots (or green onion)

I know this probably doesn't sound fantastic, but trust me, it is amazing! The walnuts and the parmesan give it a little bit of saltiness and the cranberries and honey herb dressing provide just the right amount of sweetness. You will love it!

The best part is that there is no fat at all in the dressing. The only calories in the dressing come from the honey (60 calories per Tablespoon). And the added benefit in our situation is that walnuts are proven to reduce the risk of heart disease when eaten as part of a healthy diet. Enjoy!