Tasty Tuesday

Here are a few fabulous and healthy recipes to bring in the new year.

I like to eat Fage 2% Greek Yogurt after I lift weights (I'm in stage 5 of the New Rules of Lifting for Women program, which I highly recommend).  My body needs the high protein to recover and build muscle.  I usually make a smoothie, but when I saw this recipe I had to give it a try.  It tasted like a dessert!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Greek Yogurt

1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 TB brown sugar
dash of vanilla
1-2 TB mini chocolate chips

Mix together until sugar is dissolved and eat!

I thought this lentil stew had great flavor and it's packed with veggies.

Crock Pot Lentil Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

4 large carrots, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion, diced

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1.5 cups chopped green beans

2 cups green lentils

1 tsp minced fresh rosemary

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried oregano

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes

64 oz vegetable broth

2 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Turn heat on low and cook for 10 hours, adding a little more broth at the end if soup seems too thick.

I've made these banana muffins several times.  The yogurt makes them really moist, and you cannot tell there is whole wheat flour in there.

Healthy Banana Muffins

Ingredients

• 3 whole Overly Ripe Bananas
• 2 whole Eggs
• ½ cups Canola Oil
• ½ cups Low-fat Or Fat-free Plain Yogurt
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• ¾ cups All-purpose, Unbleached Flour
• ¾ cups Whole Wheat Flour
• ¾ cups Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoons Salt

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine bananas, eggs, oil, yogurt, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix until combined and bananas are broken into small pieces (you can pre-mash them if you want but that’s one extra step that I don’t want to do so why not let the mixer do it for me?).

Add all the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until combined but don’t mix too much or your muffins will be tough. Pour into a greased muffin tin and bake for 20-25 minutes until muffins are golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool.

This can also be made into one large loaf of bread. Just pour into a loaf pan and bake for approximately 55-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Tasty Tuesday

I'm back into making a big batch of soup on Monday evening.  We all loved this Chicken Lentil soup.

Slow Cooker Italian Chicken Lentil Soup

Ingredients

1

lb boneless skinless chicken thighs  

1

medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)

4

medium carrots, sliced (2 cups)

1

cup dried lentils (8 oz), sorted, rinsed

4 1/2

cups chicken broth (from two 32-oz cartons)

1/2

teaspoon salt

1/4

teaspoon pepper

1

can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

1/4

cup chopped fresh or 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves

Directions

Combine ingredients in slow cooker and cook on low 5-6 hours.
Before serving, shred the chicken.

We made meatball sandwiches with these meatballs.  I seriously had never had a meatball sandwich before!  I would suggest cutting back on the red pepper flakes.  It was spicy for us, and if it's spicy for my family you know it is really spicy!

Cheesy Chicken Meatballs

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup roasted garlic light cream cheese  **I used regular cream cheese**
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon dry bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with cooking spray.
2. Combine the chicken, eggs, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, vegetable oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; mix well. Form mixture into 20 meatballs; place on prepared pan.
3. Bake in center of preheated oven until juices run clear, 17 to 18 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

I don't like traditional coleslaw very much, but I do like different variations.  This apple coleslaw is great for fall and went perfectly with pulled pork.

Tangy Apple Coleslaw

Ingredients

• 1 medium head green cabbage , cored and finely sliced
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 2 apples, cored and cut into thin matchsticks
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Toss cabbage and salt in colander set in the sink. Let stand until wilted, about 1 hour.
2. Rinse cabbage under cold water, drain, dry well with paper towels, and transfer to large bowl.
3. Add apples and green onions, tossing to combine.
4. Heat oils, vinegar, sugar, mustard, and red pepper until hot in saucepan over medium heat. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat.
5. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until cold. Store leftovers in the fridge (the coleslaw stays crisp ~3 days).