Who knew that cauliflower could be used in so many yummy ways? I certainly didn't. Before changing the way we were eating and eliminating most of the processed food from our daily diet, there were so many foods that I thought I didn't like. But now that I've re-trained my tastebuds, it's amazing how many yummy foods have opened up to me! And cauliflower is at the top of that list!
This recipe came to me via Sarah Corbin. I'm not sure where she first tracked it down, but I will be forever grateful she shared once she found it! And now I will pass it along to you!
Cauliflower Lasagna
Ingredients
4 cups cooked cauliflower, grated or shredded in the food processor
3-4 cups shredded low-fat mozzarella, divided
1 cup eggbeaters
1 - 1 1/2 cups non-fat (or low-fat) cottage cheese
6 Tbsp parmesan cheese (optional)
16 oz 99% lean ground turkey, cooked with Italian seasonings
2-3 cups no sugar added, low-carb spaghetti sauce (or no sugar, no salt tomato sauce)
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and spray 9x13 casserole dish with non-stick spray. In a medium bowl, mix cauliflower, eggbeaters and half the mozzarella. In another small bowl, mix the cottage cheese and parmesan cheese (if using).
Spread half the spaghetti/tomato sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish. Spread half of the cauliflower mixture over the sauce. Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture over the cauliflower mixture. Spread half the ground turkey over the cottage cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Spread remaining mozzarella over top of lasagna.
Bake for 45-55 minutes, then allow to cool for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
This makes 4 "lean and green" portions and is a perfect dish for leftovers! It is extremely filling and super tasty. I made it last night and could hardly finish a full portion. My hubby and I will be having the leftovers tonight, and I'm already looking forward to it!
The cost breakdown makes it pretty economical too. About $2-3 worth of cauliflower (I used frozen & 2 bags was perfect), $2 for spaghetti sauce, $2 for the ground turkey (we got it out of the discount bin - I know it's not usually that low!), $1 for cottage cheese, a few cents worth of Parmesan, $4 worth of mozzarella, and about $1 worth of eggbeaters. Total cost for 4 servings was $12-13, which comes out to about $3 and maybe a few cents per serving. Sure not going to find any form of lasagna for that price at a restaurant! And it's about $2 a serving cheaper than my famous lasagna recipe!
April 27, 2011
March 31, 2011
Sun-Dried Tomato Shrimp Salad
I just have to admit up front ... I can claim absolutely NO credit for this recipe. It is from the TSFL Lean & Green Cookbook. But it was so yummy that I just had to pass it along. If you are following this program and don't have this recipe book yet, you really should get it. So worth every penny!!
Ingredients
1 lb (16 oz) raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined OR 14 oz fully cooked frozen shrimp, thawed
2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped or shredded
1 cup (2 medium) tomatoes, diced
1 cup cucumber, sliced
8 Tbsp Sun-Dried Tomato dressing, divided (recipe specified Newman's Own, but I couldn't find it at my local store, so I used the Kraft equivalent)
Preparation
Marinate shrimp in 6 Tbsp of dressing for 1-2 hours (I was only able to marinate it for about 30-45 minutes, and it still absorbed the flavor well). Prepare salad by washing vegetables and cutting them as indicated above; set aside. After shrimp has sufficiently marinated, pour entire contents (shrimp and marinade) into a skillet and cook over medium heat until shrimp are cooked through (or turn opaque in color), about 3-5 minutes. Place shrimp on top of salad and drizzle remaining dressing over.
Each serving counts as: 1 "Leanest" Protein Serving, 2 Healthy Fat Servings, 3 Vegetable Servings
Serves 2
Total cost of this meal was about $4-5. So, leaning towards the more expensive side, it cost about $2.50 per person. It was light, refreshing and super tasty. And as easy as it sounds. We will definitely be having this one again!
Ingredients
1 lb (16 oz) raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined OR 14 oz fully cooked frozen shrimp, thawed
2 cups romaine lettuce, chopped or shredded
1 cup (2 medium) tomatoes, diced
1 cup cucumber, sliced
8 Tbsp Sun-Dried Tomato dressing, divided (recipe specified Newman's Own, but I couldn't find it at my local store, so I used the Kraft equivalent)
Preparation
Marinate shrimp in 6 Tbsp of dressing for 1-2 hours (I was only able to marinate it for about 30-45 minutes, and it still absorbed the flavor well). Prepare salad by washing vegetables and cutting them as indicated above; set aside. After shrimp has sufficiently marinated, pour entire contents (shrimp and marinade) into a skillet and cook over medium heat until shrimp are cooked through (or turn opaque in color), about 3-5 minutes. Place shrimp on top of salad and drizzle remaining dressing over.
Each serving counts as: 1 "Leanest" Protein Serving, 2 Healthy Fat Servings, 3 Vegetable Servings
Serves 2
Total cost of this meal was about $4-5. So, leaning towards the more expensive side, it cost about $2.50 per person. It was light, refreshing and super tasty. And as easy as it sounds. We will definitely be having this one again!
March 28, 2011
Cabbage casserole
So, this is a little late, but figured I'd post my new St. Patrick's Day cabbage recipe. We really enjoyed this, and there are so many variations you could do to make it fit your lifestyle. As usual, I changed it up from the recipe I originally stumbled across, mainly in an effort to get it to fit fully within our "lean and green" meal requirements. But also to fit with what was actually in my pantry! I have never, ever wanted anything to do with cooked cabbage ... but I have changed my tune since eating this meal! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef (I got a GREAT deal on the 97% lean ground beef straight from the butcher's block - but you could also use the super lean ground turkey for an even leaner meat)
1 tsp olive oil
1-2 tsp onion powder
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp salt (or salt substitute)
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup brown minute rice (this part was not within our current lean & green, but we splurged, because the recipe really needed something to help absorb the wet ingredients)
2 10-oz cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes
3 cups coarsely chopped cabbage (I had the pre-bagged dry coleslaw mix on hand that I'd gotten for 49 cents a package, so I just used 1-1.5 bags of it)
Preparation
In a large frying pan, stir and break up the ground beef in oil for 1-2 minutes (I actually just substituted olive-oil flavored cooking spray to cut back on the fat). Add onion powder, salt, pepper, mushrooms and rice. Mix well and continue sweating for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir well. Put cabbage into bottom of a greased baking dish. Pour meat mixture over raw cabbage and bake covered at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.
Extra bonus tip: You can easily double the recipe and store in tupperware containers and freeze for up to a couple months. Have an easy meal to pull out of the freezer on a day when you don't have time for the extra effort!
Meal prepared as listed above cost me about $6 to make, or $3 a serving.
Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef (I got a GREAT deal on the 97% lean ground beef straight from the butcher's block - but you could also use the super lean ground turkey for an even leaner meat)
1 tsp olive oil
1-2 tsp onion powder
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp salt (or salt substitute)
1/8 tsp pepper
1/2 cup brown minute rice (this part was not within our current lean & green, but we splurged, because the recipe really needed something to help absorb the wet ingredients)
2 10-oz cans no-salt-added diced tomatoes
3 cups coarsely chopped cabbage (I had the pre-bagged dry coleslaw mix on hand that I'd gotten for 49 cents a package, so I just used 1-1.5 bags of it)
Preparation
In a large frying pan, stir and break up the ground beef in oil for 1-2 minutes (I actually just substituted olive-oil flavored cooking spray to cut back on the fat). Add onion powder, salt, pepper, mushrooms and rice. Mix well and continue sweating for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir well. Put cabbage into bottom of a greased baking dish. Pour meat mixture over raw cabbage and bake covered at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.
Extra bonus tip: You can easily double the recipe and store in tupperware containers and freeze for up to a couple months. Have an easy meal to pull out of the freezer on a day when you don't have time for the extra effort!
Meal prepared as listed above cost me about $6 to make, or $3 a serving.
March 1, 2011
Spanish Crockpot Chicken
I am all about making my life as easy as possible. And any meal I can make in the crockpot qualifies as just that! I adapted this recipe slightly from getskinnybehappy.com. The recipe as I found it only called for enough veggies for 1 person, but there was enough chicken to feed 3 or 4 people. So I added more veggies. And it was amazing! My hubby was practically licking the remains off his plate, and my 2 year old ate 2 full platefuls! Took all of 5 minutes to prepare, and the total cost for the entire recipe was about $4.50.
Ingredients
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 large onion, diced
1 can of no-salt-added green beans
4-8 oz sliced mushrooms
1/2 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash chicken seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 (16 oz) can of diced tomatoes (I used Italian-style with basil)
1 large green bell pepper, diced
Arrange chicken in bottom of crockpot. Add remaining ingredients on top. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Serve and enjoy!
Ingredients
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 large onion, diced
1 can of no-salt-added green beans
4-8 oz sliced mushrooms
1/2 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp Mrs. Dash chicken seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 (16 oz) can of diced tomatoes (I used Italian-style with basil)
1 large green bell pepper, diced
Arrange chicken in bottom of crockpot. Add remaining ingredients on top. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Serve and enjoy!
February 13, 2011
One more, just for fun!
And, for those of you who are following the TSFL program and are looking for a little variety or something fun to try with some of your Medifast food, here's one of my favorite recipes. It's a good little comfort meal, and it is absolutely on program!
Medifast Tomato Soup Pizza
Preheat oven to 375
Mix 1 packet of Medifast Cream of Tomato Soup
1/2 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Basil (dried)
3 Tablespoons water
Put on a cookie sheet or a metal pie tin that has been sprayed with Pam and spread out to about a 4-inch circle. Bake for 10 minutes. You can eat it plain if you want, but I opt to use one of my daily condiments at this point. I spread a little Light Laughing Cow cheese on the crust (my favorites are Sundried Tomato or Queso Fresco). I have also been known to chop up 1 mushroom and add it to it, just for a little extra texture. If you do that, throw it back in the oven for 2-3 minutes. Then, eat and enjoy!
Medifast Tomato Soup Pizza
Preheat oven to 375
Mix 1 packet of Medifast Cream of Tomato Soup
1/2 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Basil (dried)
3 Tablespoons water
Put on a cookie sheet or a metal pie tin that has been sprayed with Pam and spread out to about a 4-inch circle. Bake for 10 minutes. You can eat it plain if you want, but I opt to use one of my daily condiments at this point. I spread a little Light Laughing Cow cheese on the crust (my favorites are Sundried Tomato or Queso Fresco). I have also been known to chop up 1 mushroom and add it to it, just for a little extra texture. If you do that, throw it back in the oven for 2-3 minutes. Then, eat and enjoy!
Zesty Wings
A great recipe that I found on ZestyCook.com. I made these for Super Bowl Sunday & they were a hit. I have done them since in a slightly healthier version, using chicken tenderloin. Cook time was the same using the tenderloin, but all ovens are different, so you might want to check them around 30-35 minutes to be sure. I also used a salt substitute, since we're cutting back on sodium. The sauce was to die for. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Total cost was around $1.50 per serving.
Ingredients
- Chicken Wings ( tips removed )
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1/4 Cup Hoisin Sauce (couldn't find any, so I just used a wing sauce I found that had no sugar in it)
- 1/4 Cup Ketchup (Hunts - with NO high fructose corn syrup)
- 3 Tbsp. Brown Sugar (I used the Splenda/Brown Sugar which has 1/2 the sugar in it)
- Splash of Vinegar
- 1/2 Cup Sweet Chili sauce
- 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 Tsp. red pepper flakes
- 1/2 Cup Water
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pat chicken dry. Season chicken wings with salt and pepper. Place them in the oven and cook for 40-50 minutes.
- In a separate sauce pan, place on medium heat and add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. One everything is combined thoroughly bring to a boil.
- Remove wings from the oven and place in a large bowl.
- Add the sauce over the wings and toss to coat.
- Serve with some fresh veggies and a big glass of ice water!
- ENJOY!
January 23, 2011
The best way to save money ...
... is to live healthy! I know the opposite seems true when you go to the grocery store and look at produce prices and organic food prices. In the long-run, however, it really is true.
I am discovering many things about becoming healthy. Sure, some healthy foods may cost more. But I'm not wasting money on sugary snacks anymore. I'm not buying any products that have high fructose corn syrup in them ... a product which never satisfies your hunger, which your body can't process, and which makes you want more and more ... thereby causing you to purchase more food with no nutritional value. People always complain that healthy food is so expensive. I used to be one of them. But I've realized that when I am eating healthy food, I don't need as much of it in my shopping cart. I have learned how to eat smaller portions, which helps stretch that grocery budget a little further. I wish there were more coupons for healthy foods, and hopefully if enough of us start changing our lifestyles, the producers and stores will take notice and try harder to get our business. But I can no longer wait for a good coupon while I put my health on the back burner.
When you are healthy, you're not going to be spending as much money on doctor's bills, over the counter medication, prescription medication, etc. I have met people in recent months who have eliminated as many as 17 prescription medications from their life, just because they started changing their eating habits and got their bodies into an optimally healthy state. Can you imagine how much all that medication must have cost them over the years? What a good motivation to change your eating habits!
This last one may seem trivial to some ... but you also save money on clothes when you're healthier. When you have to pay for plus-sized clothing, you're usually paying anywhere from $10-25 more for the same item of clothing that someone in a smaller size might buy. And you have no choice, because you just can't squeeze into anything. They know they have you, so they charge even more. Since starting my journey to a healthy me, I have gone from a 22W and a 2X down to a 12 Petite and either a small or medium top. I can actually go into a regular department store and get good deals on the clearance racks now! I officially cancelled my email subscription to Lane Bryant a couple months back, because all their clothes are too big for me now! I am no longer stuck paying exorbitant prices just to buy myself a nice pair of jeans and a top. An outfit that cost me $75 a few months ago ... now costs me about $30. That is a huge savings!
If you would like more information about getting healthy and changing your life for the better, please contact me. As I have made the decision to get healthy, I have also decided that I owe it to those around me that I love to share what I've learned and help spread the health. If you're curious about how I've lost 75 pounds in 6 months (and my husband lost 40 pounds in 2 months!), head on over to my site and check it out. And then contact me to let me know what questions I can answer. I would love to help you get healthy AND save money as you do it!
I am discovering many things about becoming healthy. Sure, some healthy foods may cost more. But I'm not wasting money on sugary snacks anymore. I'm not buying any products that have high fructose corn syrup in them ... a product which never satisfies your hunger, which your body can't process, and which makes you want more and more ... thereby causing you to purchase more food with no nutritional value. People always complain that healthy food is so expensive. I used to be one of them. But I've realized that when I am eating healthy food, I don't need as much of it in my shopping cart. I have learned how to eat smaller portions, which helps stretch that grocery budget a little further. I wish there were more coupons for healthy foods, and hopefully if enough of us start changing our lifestyles, the producers and stores will take notice and try harder to get our business. But I can no longer wait for a good coupon while I put my health on the back burner.
When you are healthy, you're not going to be spending as much money on doctor's bills, over the counter medication, prescription medication, etc. I have met people in recent months who have eliminated as many as 17 prescription medications from their life, just because they started changing their eating habits and got their bodies into an optimally healthy state. Can you imagine how much all that medication must have cost them over the years? What a good motivation to change your eating habits!
This last one may seem trivial to some ... but you also save money on clothes when you're healthier. When you have to pay for plus-sized clothing, you're usually paying anywhere from $10-25 more for the same item of clothing that someone in a smaller size might buy. And you have no choice, because you just can't squeeze into anything. They know they have you, so they charge even more. Since starting my journey to a healthy me, I have gone from a 22W and a 2X down to a 12 Petite and either a small or medium top. I can actually go into a regular department store and get good deals on the clearance racks now! I officially cancelled my email subscription to Lane Bryant a couple months back, because all their clothes are too big for me now! I am no longer stuck paying exorbitant prices just to buy myself a nice pair of jeans and a top. An outfit that cost me $75 a few months ago ... now costs me about $30. That is a huge savings!
If you would like more information about getting healthy and changing your life for the better, please contact me. As I have made the decision to get healthy, I have also decided that I owe it to those around me that I love to share what I've learned and help spread the health. If you're curious about how I've lost 75 pounds in 6 months (and my husband lost 40 pounds in 2 months!), head on over to my site and check it out. And then contact me to let me know what questions I can answer. I would love to help you get healthy AND save money as you do it!
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