Flatbread Mexican Pizzas

Do you ever latch on to a recipe once you try it and make it everyother night or so for weeks on end? Well, while it hasn't been weeks yet, this recipe is quickly becoming a favorite. It's fast, easy, flavorful and filling and, as many of our recipies are, easily adaptable.

Enjoy!

Flatbread Mexican Pizzas

4 Flat Out flat breads
1 can black beans, rinsed
½ c cheese
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped
1 bell pepper, diced
4 green onions, sliced
1 c tomatoes
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Garlic powder
Cumin
Salsa

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place flat breads on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for about 4 minutes (keep an eye on them, they go from crisp to burnt pretty quickly).

Meanwhile, season black beans with garlic powder and cumin to taste. Microwave for about a minute. Set aside until flat breads are done.

Combine bell pepper, green onion and tomatoes in a microwavable bowl. Microwave for about 1-2 minutes, until warm but still crisp.

When flat breads are done, top with ¼ of the beans, and 1/8 c cheese. Place back in the oven until the cheese is melted.

Top with ¼ of the warm veggies, ¼ of the avocado, cilantro and as much salsa as you’d like.

Serves 4.

Lettuce Wraps

By now you should know that our recipes are more like suggestions on how to arrive at a good meal. There is always a lot of room for substitution. Should today's recipe be any different? We didn't think so either. This is perfect for spring, light and easy to prepare. It would make an excellent luncheon if you're into that kind of thing. Regardless, we hope you enjoy these lettuce wraps, no matter what source of protein you try them with. Also, about the photo, I'd like to note that while these are lettuce wraps in the photo, they took a small deviation from the recipe, so your final version may look a tad different, but will promise to be just as yummy.

Enjoy!

Lettuce Wraps

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (Tofu, shrimp, lean steak or pork tenderloin would make good substitutions) 

Cooking spray 

4 cups packaged coleslaw mix

2 bell peppers, thickly sliced 

1⁄2 cup chopped, fresh cilantro 

1⁄2 cup unsalted peanuts 

12 Boston lettuce leaves

Sauce: 

1⁄2 cup natural peanut butter 

1⁄2 cup hoisin sauce 

White wine or water 

Garlic chili paste

Prepare chicken on grill or in a large, nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray. Chop cooked chicken into strips once fully cooked. Set aside.

Combine coleslaw, cilantro, bell peppers and peanuts; set aside.

To prepare the sauce, mix peanut butter, hoisin in a food processor. Add garlic chili paste to taste. Add white wine or water until the desired consistency is reached. Set aside.

Arrange 3 lettuce leaves on each plate, top with chicken, coleslaw mix and sauce. 

Serves 4.

Grilled Salmon with Avocado Spread

This recipe is a smidge summery. But, we all know summer time will be here eventually! It's about this time of the year I stop finding comfort in soup and want to start eating a lighter, more summery menu. I keep envisioning this dish next to a nice spinach salad, maybe with some diced mango, red onion, cilantro and vinegarette dressing. But, it would be nice with a rice pilaf too.

Enjoy!

Grilled Salmon with an Avocado Spread
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

For the Fish:
6 salmon steaks, 4-6 ounces each
2 teaspoons garlic power
1 lime
Pepper to taste

For the Spread:
2 avocados, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons low-fat Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Pepper to taste
Sea-salt to taste

Preheat a grill pan or outdoor grill to medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grates.

In a medium bowl, mash together avocados, garlic, yogurt, and lime juice. Add sea salt and pepper, to taste. Set aside.

Rub salmon with lime slices, sprinkle with garlic powder and pepper. Place on the prepared grill and cook about 15 minutes, turning once. They are done when they are easily flaked with a fork.

Serve fish with the avocado mixture alongside.

Serves 6.

Peanut Udon Soup

Thankfully for readers here in Michigan, soup weather seems to be winding down. Or, at least it feels that way this week. But, before it is gone altogether, we invite you to try this soup. This quick and easy dish is great next to a light salad and the udon really reheats well the next day.

Enjoy!

Peanut Udon Soup

Prepared Udon noodles for 4
4 cups low sodium vegetable stock, divided
4 green onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, sliced
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
1T tomato paste
1T low sodium soy sauce
Hot chili sauce to taste

Heat 3 ½ cups stock over medium heat, adding garlic and carrot, simmer 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, put remaining ½ cup stock, peanut butter, tomato paste and soy sauce in a food processer. Once combined, add to stock. Add prepared noodles and green onion. Serve when noodles are heated through.

Garnish with chopped peanuts, toasted sesame seeds or green onion.

Serves 4.

Tex-Mex Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

We've got another easy one for you. Stuffed peppers are a hearty comfort food, and this version is pretty darn healthy and low in calories.  It seems like it has a lot of ingredients, but it will go together quickly. It is another one that can easily be adapted to use up items in the fridge.

If nothing else, try making your own stuffed pepper recipe with quinoa next time (And, since quinoa is high in protein, feel free to leave out the ground beef that is also likely in your own recipe).

Enjoy!

Tex-Mex Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Adapted from Vegetarian Times (February 1, 2009)

2 large red bell peppers, halved

½ cup quinoa
1 c water
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes, drained, but reserve liquid
½ cup corn
½ medium sweet onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups packed spinach, chopped
½ cup grated reduced fat pepper-jack cheese
1T cumin
Olive oil
Sea salt
Pepper

Heat oil in sauce pan over medium heat, adding onion and garlic; sauté until soft. Add cumin, drained tomatoes and spinach. Cook until spinach in wilted and liquid has evaporated. Add quinoa, water, black beans and corn. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, until quinoa is tender – about 20 minutes. Season with sea salt and pepper, to taste.

Preheat oven to 350. Fill each pepper half with ¼ of the mixture and place in a baking dish. Pour liquid from tomatoes into the bottom of the pan. Cover with foil, poking a few holes in the foil, and bake for an hour. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the cheese. Return the dish, uncovered, to the oven for 15 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 4.

Skillet Salad

Just like a light, fresh delicate salad is perfect in summer, this skillet salad is perfect in winter. Hearty, filling and warm, it is great as a main dish (feel free to throw some protein on top) or as a side. Don't limit yourself to the ingredients listed here. Any vegetable in your fridge that needs to be used up would probably taste good in this salad.


Enjoy!


Skillet Salad

1 large bowl greens, trimmed, torn, rinsed and drained

2 carrots, sliced

½ sweet or red onion, sliced

6 crimini mushrooms, sliced

½ c red cabbage, sliced

1 c broccoli, cut into small florets

1 bell pepper, sliced

½ c squash, cooked and cubed

1 can beans, drained and rinsed

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Sea salt and pepper

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the carrots, onions, mushrooms, cabbage and broccoli in a small amount of olive oil.  Cook for about 2 minutes, until softened. Turn up the heat and add bell pepper, beans, greens and a dash of water. Cover for about 3-4 minutes, stirring every minute. Add the squash and stir in. Top with balsamic vinegar or oily dressing of your choosing, and sea salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 2 large servings.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Recently, a client brought in a favorite recipe looking to have it adapted to be made more healthfully. By switching out a few ingredients for lower calorie ones, and changing the portion size a bit, the recipe was transformed. The original recipe had an estimated 805 calories with 28 grams of fat and 118 grams of carbohydrates. The adapted recipe is still carb heavy with 84 grams, but that can be expected from a meal of squash. The calorie count now rests at approximately 425 with 5 grams of fat. The protein count took a hit, and is now only 17 grams, but most don't look to squash for their protein now, do they? 


Enjoy!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Adapted from a client’s recipe

2 large acorn squash 

1⁄2 sweet onion, chopped 

4 oz. crimini mushrooms, chopped 

3⁄4 C low-fat ricotta cheese 

4 wedges Laughing Cow light cheese 

Egg whites from 2 eggs 

3 packed cups fresh spinach, chopped 

Sea salt and pepper to taste 

Pinch of nutmeg 

2 slices whole grain bread, toasted dark

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cut both squash in half and scoop out the seeds and discard.

Mix together all remaining ingredients, except for the toast.

Turn toast into breadcrumbs by mixing in a food processor.

Spoon 1⁄4 of the cheese and vegetable mixture into each half of squash. Top with 1⁄4 of the breadcrumbs.

Bake the filled squash in a shallow cooking dish for about 1 hour, or until a fork easily pierces the skin.

Serve immediately. 

Serves 4.