Tag

low fat

Banana Rice Pudding

BananaRicePudding.jpg

Rice, rice, baby!! We love rice in our house. We love it so much that we own not one, but two rice cookers. When my mother was still alive, God rest her soul, she would buy me a fifty pound bag of rice every year along with my favorite soy sauce. When you have that much rice at your fingertips, you want to find different ways to cook it. I like it plain, fried, in risotto & it also makes a lovely rice pudding. For a smoother, creamier pudding use a smaller grain of rice. If you prefer your pudding with a bit more texture use a longer grain of rice.

Ingredients:

1 cup of uncooked rice

2 ripe bananas

1 egg (beaten & at room temperature)

2 tbsp brown sugar

2 cups of water

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp margarine or butter

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, combine rice, water, margarine & salt. Bring to a boil. Cover & cook for 2o minutes. Do not stir! In a mixing bowl smash up the bananas with a fork. Add brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon & 1/2 cup of milk to the banana. Mix well. After rice is done cooking, pour the banana mixture over the rice & stir. Cover & simmer for an additional 20 minutes stirring occasionally. After 20 minutes remove from heat & beat in the egg. Beat for a minute & then add the other 1/2 cup of milk. Chill. Top with whipped cream & serve.

001 003

004 005

006 009

011 012

019

 

013       015

Mai really liked the rice pudding. In between every bite, she kept telling me “Thank you, Mama.” You are welcome, sweetheart.

Kale Chips

Kalechips.jpg
I am finally jumping on the kale bandwagon. People keep telling me about the benefits of kale. I was told that kale chips were a must try. This sounded so bizarre to me. I couldn’t imagine that a lettuce like green like kale could be a tasty snack, but I had to try it out.

Ingredients:

Kale (washed & dried or pre-washed)

Olive oil

Sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Tear the kale leaves from the middle veins. Discard the veins. Rub the leaves with olive oil & sprinkle with sea salt. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake for 15 minutes. Kale does shrink during baking.

002 004

I definitely see what all the buzz is all about. These were wonderful. They bake up light and crispy & have a great flavor. The leaves do shrink quite a bit while baking, so make extra. These are a great alternative to greasy or sugary snacks.

 

Chick Pea Burgers

ChickPeaBurger.jpgI have a love/hate relationship with food. I love food, but it hates me. If I have one day of bad of eating, my body pays for it for days. I am in the throes of body payback right now. I don’t know when I will learn my lesson. The funny thing is I enjoy eating healthy, sometimes it is just too fun to be bad. Today,I am back to being a good girl. I am a big fan of veggie burgers & bean burgers. They are a staple in my diet. The same thing is the case with chick peas. I was craving falafel today, but as I am trying to stay away from fried food I wanted to make a baked version of one of my favorite meals ala a burger patty.

Chick Pea Burgers

1 can of chick peas (drained)
1/4 cup of diced onions
1/2 cup of diced water chestnuts
1/2 cup of diced red peppers
1 tsp minced garlic
1 egg
1/3 cup of wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
2 tbsp of grated parmesan
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp sea salt
Pepper to taste
Additional wheat flour for dusting

Preheat oven at 350. In your food processor combine, chickpeas, onion, water chestnuts, red peppers, garlic, cumin, salt, pepper & egg. Blend ingredients leaving it somewhat slightly chunky. Add in the flour, parmesan & baking powder. Blend slightly on pulse. Dust your hands with some wheat flour to keep mixture from sticking to hands. Roll a plum sized ball between your palms. Place on a greased baking sheet & flatten the ball into a patty by pressing with your hand. Continue until all the mixture is gone. This will make about 6 patties. Bake for 10-15 minutes. Serve on a bun with lettuce & yogurt dressing or tzatziki sauce. https://thepinterestedparent.com/2013/11/06/greek-nachos/.

005 006007 011012 013IMG_20140412_202727825

IMG_20140412_202615608

 

These were wonderful. If you like chick peas, hummus and falafel, these are a must try. My husband even liked these.

Thank you as always for stopping by. Please follow us on Facebook as well.

Sweet Potato Chips

IMG_20140312_210509627

I started a new job a few weeks ago. While I love my new job, it has been quite a change for me. My last job had me on my feet all day. I was used to being on the run. With my new position, I am at a desk more the majority of my day. Not only am I not getting as much activity, I am also snacking much more while sitting at my desk. I needed to find healthy snacks to bring to work that did not make me feel guilty. A while back my mother-in-law bought us a bag of sweet potato chips & I absolutely loved them. How difficult could they be to make at home?

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp of cinnamon

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven at 400 degrees. Wash & peel the potatoes. Slice the potatoes in thin even slices.( Try to cut the slices as evenly as possible.) Drizzle & rub with oil. Toss with cinnamon & paprika, coating each potato evenly. Spread out potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer & sprinkle with the sea salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes. (Cook times will vary) Turn off oven &

The baking can be a tricky process. Watch them carefully to make sure that they do not burn. If you have some slices that are thicker or thinner than the others they will cook differently. Thicker cut slices may not be crisp.

020

023

024

026

IMG_20140312_210509627

I made these to bring to work the next day but ended up eating almost all of them as a late night snack. I guess I will have to double the batch the next time.

Related Topics:

http://fitdishdiaries.wordpress.com/2014/03/13/roasted-smokey-spiced-chickpeas/

http://dontforgetyourveggies.com/2014/03/12/my-favorite-granola/

http://fairyburger.wordpress.com/2014/03/12/apple-chips/

Crunchy Soy Sauce and Ginger Chickpeas

CHickpeas.jpg

One of my biggest diet issues has always been that I am a huge snacker. My husband is a snacker, our 2 year old little girl is a snacker. It makes it very difficult to stay on track when bags of Doritos and Skittles are being passed around.

Roasted chickpeas are a healthy crunchy alternative to greasy chips. They are also a simple treat to make. So, if you are looking for a low fat, healthy & yummy option to your late night cravings, try these.

Ingredients:

1 can of chickpeas

1 tsp of soy sauce -Use the good stuff. Green Mountain or Maggi is my favorite. (Kikkoman & La Choy just don’t taste the same)

1/4 tsp of ground ginger

1/4 tsp of garlic salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450.

Empty out the can of chickpeas and blot off the excess liquid.

019

In a bowl combine all ingredients and mix until evenly coated. Roast at 450 for about 40-45 minutes or until crunchy. Remove from the oven & let cool.

021

Serve and enjoy your yummy & healthy snack

029

Related Topics:

http://alearningwife.wordpress.com/2014/01/21/the-homemade-hummus-adventure/

http://thevegaquariantimes.wordpress.com/2014/01/21/super-fast-and-healthy-curry-kale-chickpeabowl/

Low Fat Frozen Yogurt Pops

IMG_20131226_222200_016 (1)

Now that the holidays are over, it is time to get back on the low fat horse. It was a difficult few weeks for me sticking to my restrictions. I admit, I cheated far more than I should have & I paid for it. I have felt horrible from all of the junk food & I am ready to get back to my old healthy life style. The problem is I have an enormous love for sweets.
My one indulgence since the doctor put me on my special diet has been non fat frozen yogurt. It is my favorite evening treat. I like to jazz up my fro-yo from time to time to keep it fun. This recipe is two of my favorite things, quick & easy. They are also delicious & did I mention low fat.

Frozen Yogurt Pops

Ingredients:

Fat free or low fat frozen yogurt (vanilla,chocolate or strawberry will do)

1 cup of fat free Cool Whip

1 Tbsp of fat free chocolate pudding

1 Sleeve of graham crackers (crushed)

Cake pop sticks

Directions:

Crush graham crackers using a potato masher.

002

Mix Cool Whip & pudding until well blended.

003

Scoop the a ball of frozen yogurt using a scooper. Roll between palms if needed to create a ball.

004

Originally, I inserted the cake pop stick into the ball & then rolled it into the pudding/cream mixture but then found it difficult to roll into the crumbs without falling out after. So I used my hands to dip for the rest & then inserted the pop sticks.

005

Roll the coated yogurt ball into the cracker crumbs until well covered.

009

Insert the stick & repeat. Place pops on a plate, cover loosely with plastic wrap & freeze.

010

Serve and enjoy.

IMG_20131226_222320_635

Related Topics:

http://strawberrypepper.com/2013/12/25/big-apple-sensation-cake/

http://healyourselfwithfood.wordpress.com/2013/12/24/gluten-free-apple-tart/

http://balancedbaby.me/2013/12/24/bonbon-balls-brownies/

Daddy’s Slow Cooker Turkey Soup

0651

I am going to gush for just a moment about my husband. I like to poke fun of him a lot in my posts. He is a really good sport about it. I tease about him being a “Yes daddy”, which he is, but he is the best “Yes daddy” out there. The truth is my husband is amazing. I often don’t give him enough credit for all that he does for the family. Lord knows, I am not always a picnic to be around, but he is consistently loving & supportive and I adore him for it.

Let me let you in on a little secret, I am not the greatest home maker. After the birth of our daughter, my housekeeping skills have become virtually non-existent. Thankfully, my husband helps with the household duties. He does the laundry & I hate doing it. I clean the bathrooms and floors & he rarely picks up a broom. We have a great balance for keeping our happy, messy home.

We also share in cooking duties. This weekend daddy did all the cooking. He made two of his specialties. He made his family recipe for venison mostaccioli, which unfortunately I can’t share & he made his famous crock pot turkey soup.

I am not much of a soup fan. It has never been a meal that excited me or filled me up, but my hubby’s soup is hearty & delicious and I love it. It is also a healthy and low fat meal option for those watching their diets.

Slow Cooker Turkey Soup

Ingredients:

Leftover turkey carcass (12-14 lbs starting weight)

3 whole celery stalks

3 whole & peeled carrots

2 whole medium onions (peeled)

2 bay leaves

1 tsp dried minced garlic

1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper

1/4 tsp celery salt

1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder

1 tbsp salt

1 15 oz can of Veg-all (mixed vegetable blend)

1 14.5 oz can of chicken broth

1 2.25 oz pack of dry noodle soup mix (Lipton or store brand)

1/2 cup of pearled barley

Place all ingredients except last 4 to the bottom of a 6.5 quart slow cooker, with the carcass being added last. Fill the slow cooker with water. Cook on low for 6-7 hours. After 6-7 hours, strain the loose meat, whole vegetables & bones. Pick out the bones carefully, return the meat. Chop up the cooked carrots & celery stalks and add to slow cooker. Add the remainder of the ingredients & cook on low for 1 more hour.

0031 0041

0131

0121

0561

0581

0571

0621

0656

The soup was delicious as always. Our picky girl even enjoyed two bowls. Thanks daddy.

Up Next: Don’t Forget Your Furry Babies

Related Topics:

http://mobitesfood.com/2013/12/09/thai-vegetarian-minestrone-a-soup-for-all-seasons/

http://theculinarycapers.com/2013/12/07/best-tomato-soup-i-ever-ate-how-to-make-awesome-grilled-cheese/

http://whatsintheoven.wordpress.com/2013/12/07/bacon-cheeseburger-soup/

http://meggsalad.com/2013/12/07/creamy-butternut-cauliflower-soup-with-chicken-and-kale/