Beef and Vegetable Barley Soup

For some reason, I am on a soup kick this week. I think the colder temperatures make me really crave it. I also think soup is really easy to whip up for an easy weeknight supper. I wanted to try a soup with beef because I realized that I post a lot of recipes for turkey, pork, and chicken, but not a lot of beef. This recipe is great because you get your grains, protein, and vegetables all in one bowl. :) This soup can be ready in an hour or you can cook it in your crockpot and let it simmer on low all day.

This soup is great all by itself but a homemade grilled cheese compliments it wonderfully. Just make sure you use whole wheat bread and reduced fat cheese if you are wanting it to be a healthy side dish.

Beef and Vegetable Barley Soup
Serves 8 (1 cup servings)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup carrots - chopped
1/2 cup celery - chopped
1/2 cup sweet yellow onion - chopped
1 tablespoon light butter
4 cups reduced sodium beef broth
2 cups of water
1 can diced tomatoes
1 pound beef - I use lean ground beef but stew meat or leftover steak would work fine also
3/4 cup barley - can be quick-cook barley if you wish
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons black pepper (use less if you don't want it spicy)
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions:
-In a nonstick skillet, season and brown your ground beef and drain well. Set aside.
-In a large skillet, melt butter on medium heat.
-Add carrots, celery, and onions and saute for 4-5 minutes.
-In a large stock pot or dutch oven, add the sauteed veggie mix, along with the beef broth, water, tomatoes, cooked ground beef, barley, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic and stir together, making sure to mix it real good.
-Bring the pot of soup to a boil on high heat
-Once the soup is boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for an hour. Stir occasionally. Taste halfway through cooking to see if any additional seasonings need added. Season accordingly.

Suggestions:
*if using quick-cook barley, add the barley about 20-25 minutes before the soup is done. It takes a lot less time than regular barley to cook.
*feel free to add additional veggies if you want and substitute ground turkey if you don't like beef.

Enjoy! :)

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze

Saturday I met up with some sorority sisters for a brunch. I wanted something that would be delicious and everyone would like, but I also wanted it to be healthy. These are a perfect muffin recipe for this time of year because they are made with pumpkin, which reminds me of fall weather. These are very easy to make and they will stay stored for several days. I doubt they will last that long in your household though.

Original Recipe is from: http://mihow.com/articles/2009/09/21/mom-it-down-whole-wheat-pumpkin-spice-muffins-super-healthy/

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Serves 8 large muffins or 12 smaller muffins

Ingredients:
-1 3/4 cup King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
-3 tablespoons brown sugar or brown sugar substitute (2 tablespoons Splenda Brown Sugar Blend)
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
-1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-1/4 teaspoon baking soda
-1/8 teaspoon salt
-1 beaten egg or 1/4 cup Eggbeaters
-3/4 cup milk (I use skim milk)
-2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
-1/2 cup Libby's Canned Pure Pumpkin
*Optional Add Ins: 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 chopped walnuts, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
(I added the ground flaxseed for added nutrition)

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 375 degrees
-Lightly grease and flour muffin tin pan or use cupcake liners
-In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, and baking soda.
-In a separate smaller bowl, mix milk, egg, applesauce, and pumpkin with an electric mixer until blended completely.
-Combine the wet and dry ingredients together and mix with electric mixer until the mixture is combined completely.
-Add your raisins, walnuts, or flaxseed and combine with the mixture, only if you wish to add these.
-Pour batter into your muffin tin cups and bake 15-18 minutes.
-You will know when the muffins are done when you stick a toothpick into the center of one and it comes out clean.

*Modifications:
- use 2 tablespoons light margarine melted if you don't have unsweetened applesauce
- add 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla for added flavor

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Glaze
*Disclaimer: let the muffins cool completely before adding the glaze

Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup softened cream cheese (reduced fat cream cheese)
-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
-milk for thinning out glaze

Directions:
-Combine powdered sugar, cream cheese, and cinnamon together with an electric mixer.
-Add a splash of milk to the mixture and keep stirring until the mixture is at the consistency you want for drizzling over the muffins.
-I used 2 tablespoons of milk for my glaze
-Drizzle glaze over the muffins

Enjoy! :)

Crockpot Turkey Taco Soup

It is a dreary and rainy day today. It's crazy to think it is only September and it is this chilly. Last night I made a loaf of homemade honey wheat bread so soup and grilled cheese sounded perfect for tonight. This recipe is delicious and very easy to put together. The original recipe idea comes from http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=1004066

This is a very healthy meal loaded with fiber and lean protein. I think you will truly enjoy this soup recipe. :) 

Crockpot Spicy Turkey Taco Soup
Serves 8  (1 1/2 cup servings)

Ingredients:
1 pound Honeysuckle White ground turkey breast (99% fat free)
1 sweet onion - diced
1 medium green bell pepper - diced
1 can reduced sodium pinto beans - drained
1 can reduced sodium black beans - drained
1 can Green Giant reduced sodium corn - drained (or use 1 1/2 cups frozen corn)
1 can original rotel
1 can Del Monte diced tomatoes - do not drain
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon ground cumin
McCormick taco seasoning 33% reduced sodium - I use the whole packet but the recipe calls for 1/2 a packet
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano

Directions:
-In a skillet, add onion and ground turkey and season
-Brown turkey meat until its done
-In a crockpot, add your bell pepper, pinto beans, black beans, corn, rotel, diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and all seasonings.
-Add in your turkey and onion mixture and stir until the entire contents are combined
-Cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours

*Add ins:
-Once you scoop some soup into a bowl, feel free to top it with some low fat sour cream, reduced fat shredded cheese, chopped green onions, or some crushed tortilla chips.

*Optional:
-Feel free to use ground beef or shredded chicken breasts instead of ground turkey. This is a recipe that you can change up to your preference.
-A crockpot doesn't have to be used for this soup recipe. Just put everything in a large pot and bring to a boil and then simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Enjoy! :)

Honey Dijon Baked Chicken Breasts

Looking for a healthy entree to serve your family during a busy work week? Well, here is a very simple recipe that is great for during the week because it doesn't require a lot of prep work and the end results are so delicious. I make this dish when I want something healthy but don't want to spend an hour in the kitchen after a long day at work. This recipe is a huge hit in my household. I like it so much because it is a versatile recipe. You can use pork chops, chicken, or turkey as the meat. The idea for this recipe came from this original recipe: http://www.pink-parsley.com/2011/08/baked-honey-dijon-chicken-tenders.html

Honey Dijon Baked Chicken Breasts
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs or whatever kind you prefer
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon red cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons light butter - melted
1 tablespoon local honey
1/3 cup dijon mustard (we use country style Grey Poupon)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 400 degrees
-On a baking sheet, spray with nonstick cooking spray
-In a bowl, combine breadcrumbs, pepper, garlic, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
-In another bowl, combine melted butter, honey, and dijon mustard and stir together.
-Take each chicken breast and dip it in the mustard mixture and then into the breadcrumb mixture and place on baking sheet.
-Bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
-After 20 minutes, turn the chicken breasts over and continue to cook until they are completely cooked. (depending on the thickness of the chicken, it can take up to 25 more minutes)

*Tips
-We use the leftover chicken and cut it up in salad or serve it in a whole wheat pita drizzled with additional honey dijon mustard.

Enjoy! :)

3 recipes: Banana Walnut Oatmeal, Raspberry Almond Oatmeal, and Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal

I am pretty much hooked on oatmeal these days. I eat it almost every single morning for breakfast. It is much more nutritious than most cereals on the market and it is just incredibly easy to change up each morning. Now, when I say I am hooked on oatmeal, I mean the plain oatmeal, not the store bought packets that contain all kinds of junk and tons of added sugar. I like to know exactly what is in my breakfast, so I make it from scratch. The best part about these recipes is that they don't take a long time to make at all, which is always helpful on days you need to get to work on time. Here are three of my favorite kinds right now. I hope you at least try one of them. :)

Side Note: I typically make eggs and chop some fresh fruit when I have oatmeal for breakfast. It's very important to have some protein, whole grains/carbs, and healthy fats at each meal, while remembering that fresh fruit and veggies are also important. This always keeps me satisfied until lunch time.

Banana Walnut Oatmeal
Serves 4-6 servings (This can be made in a huge batch and then eaten a little each morning)

Original Recipe: http://mywoodenspoon.com/old-fashion-banana-nut-oatmeal/

Ingredients:
3 cups skim milk or water (I use 1 1/2 cups water and 1 1/2 cups skim milk)
3 tablespoons brown sugar or brown sugar substitute
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned will work)
2 ripe bananas - mashed

Optional ingredients: honey and pecans

 Directions:
-In a large saucepan, combine milk/water, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a gentle boil.
-Add the oats and return to a gentle boil.
-Cook approx 5 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.
-Remove from heat and stir in bananas and chopped pecans
-Drizzle some local honey on top if you prefer.
Enjoy! :)

Raspberry Almond Oatmeal
Serves 1 (can be doubled for 2 servings)

Original Recipe: http://greenlitebites.com/2010/11/16/raspberry-almond-oatmeal/

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oats
-6 to 8 ounces water or skim milk
-pinch of salt - optional
-1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
-1/4 teaspoon pure rasbperry extract
-1/2 cup fresh organic raspberries
-Chopped almonds (a few tablespoons to 1/4 cup)

Optional ingredients: honey

Directions:
-In a saucepan, add your oats, water/milk, and salt.
-Cook approx 5 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed
-Remove oatmeal from heat source and stir in almond and raspberry extracts.
-Pour oatmeal in a bowl and top it off with raspberries, almonds, and a drizzle of local honey.
Enjoy! :)

Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal
Serves 2

Original recipe: http://marcussamuelsson.com/recipes/lindsay-hunt-a-healthy-valentines-day-recipe-apple-cinnamon-oatmeal

Ingredients:
-1 cup old fashioned oats
-2 cups of water or skim milk
-1 medium to large apple chopped in chunks (I use fuji, braeburn, or honeycrisp apples for this)
-1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
-1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
-1 tablespoon brown sugar or brown sugar substitute

Directions:
-In a large saucepan, add water or milk and bring to a boil.
-Add old fashioned oats and gently boil for approx 5 minutes or until liquid is mostly absorbed
-Add cinnamon, nutmeg, apples, and brown sugar and stir together until combined.
-Pour in a bowl and enjoy :)

Cajun Style Turkey Meatloaf

Original idea:
http://www.food.com/recipe/cajun-turkey-meatloaf-low-fat-hubbies-favorite-390954

Bryan has been asking me to make meatloaf for quite some time now, so I decided tonight I will make a new turkey meatloaf recipe I have been wanting to try. Meatloaf is one of my favorite dishes to make because I change it every time I make it. You can add so much and change it up every time. Sometimes I add shredded zucchini and carrots to my meatloaf to make it more nutritious. Other times I make a bbq bacon meatloaf with caramelized onions on top. Bryan's favorite is my Italian Meatloaf that I got a recipe off CookingLight. Hopefully this one will come out just as tasty as the others have in the past. I plan on serving this meatloaf with sundried tomato florentine brown rice, some baby sugar snap peas, and cut up nectarines.

Now, with this particular recipe, you can use ground chicken, ground turkey breast, or very lean ground beef/sirloin.

Cajun Style Turkey Meatloaf
Serves 8 1-inch slices

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds of ground turkey breast
1 large sweet onion chopped (use vidalia if you can)
1/2 cup green bell pepper chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup oats or breadcrumbs (feel free to use plain, whole wheat, or italian seasoned breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup fresh parsley chopped
1.5 tablespoons of creole seasoning
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg white beaten
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons spicy mustard/dijon mustard


Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-In a loaf pan, spray nonstick cooking spray.
-In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, onion, bell pepper, garlic, oats/breadcrumbs, parsley, creole seasoning, black pepper, cumin, and thyme. Make sure you combine all ingredients very well.
-Form mixture into a loaf and place in loaf pan. Cover pan with foil.
-Place in oven and bake for 20 minutes.
-Remove meatloaf from the oven and top with spicy mustard.
-Place back in the oven, uncovered, for an additional 35-40 minutes.
-Check your meatloaf with a thermometer for doneness
-Slice and enjoy!

*Tips:
-You won't need to add any salt to this meatloaf because the creole seasoning should be salty enough.
-If you don't have any breadcrumbs, you can take croutons and blend them up in a grater or blender and make your own breadcrumbs.
-Using oats in this recipe will add to the nutrition of the dish and give it more fiber and whole grains.

Enjoy! :)

Chicken Philly Pizza on Whole Wheat Crust

I am a huge fan of bell peppers and onions. We probably cook with them at least 5 or 6 days a week. I am also a huge fan of pizza. We don't ever order it anymore because I have found that homemade is just so much tastier and healthier. This is my version of a chicken philly sandwich, except on a pizza instead of a sub sandwich. Pizza is great because the choices of toppings are endless and you can sort of become an artist and create exactly the pizza you like. This is one of my favorite kinds of pizza.

For the pizza dough, you can make the recipe I will provide or you can use your favorite pizza dough. I know they have some pretty decent whole wheat dough's at the store these days. Try to use whole wheat though for the whole grains. This is what will make pizza a healtheir choice for supper.

Chicken Philly Pizza on Whole Wheat Crust

For the Pizza Dough: Enough for 2 very large thin crust pizzas
(You will need a breadmaker for this recipe)

1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
3 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour

-Bake bread according to your breadmaker instructions.
-For our breadmaker, you add the liquid ingredients first, then the dry ingredients, and the yeast goes last. You make a little hole at the top of the ingredients and pour the yeast in that.
-My breadmaker takes about 1 1/2 hrs to make the pizza dough.
-When the dough is done, you will divide the dough into 2 equal portions.
-Using a silicone dough mat or another nonstick surface, place some cornmeal on the surface and roll out your dough with a rolling pin. You can make it as thin or thick as you prefer.

*tip:
You can freeze pizza dough. I usually make a large batch of dough and then freeze several smaller portions in separate bags in the freezer for later use.

Pizza:

Ingredients:
8 oz fat free or reduced fat cream cheese
1 pound/16 oz grilled chicken breast strips (you can buy these already cooked from the store or cook up some fresh chicken strips)
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup diced mushrooms - optional
1 bag/2 cups shredded low fat mozzarella or provolone cheese

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 500 degrees
-Place rolled out pizza dough onto a pizza stone or a nonstick baking sheet (make sure to coat your baking sheet with some nonstick cooking spray and cornmeal for easy removal once pizza is done)
-Bake pizza crust for 5 minutes without any toppings on it
-Remove pizza crust from the oven
-Spread cream cheese on pizza crust. You can slather it on there or use just enough to cover the crust with a thin coat of cream cheese.
-Top pizza with chicken, bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, and then top with cheese.
-Bake an additional 10-15 minutes.
-Crust will be light brown and cheese will be melted.

A side salad or some fresh fruit would compliment this pizza.

Enjoy! :)

Oven Roasted Green beans, Carrots, and Red Onions

Original recipe from: http://www.foodchannel.com/recipes/recipe/roasted-green-beans-and-carrots-with-red-onion/

We are about to go on a vacation to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary, so I am trying to use up any fresh produce and fruit that we have. We just picked about a pound of green beans from our garden yesterday, so this is a great way to use them up. This is a simple side dish that is scrumptious. It would go well with almost any entree you choose to serve it with.

Oven Roasted Green Beans, Carrots, and Red Onions
Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients:
1 pound Fresh Green Beans - cleaned and ends trimmed off
1/2 pound Carrots - peeled and cut into small coin size pieces or use baby carrots and split them in half lengthwise
1 large Red Onion
2 cloves of Garlic diced or 1 teaspoon minced garlic in oil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground Cumin
Pepper for seasoning
Chicken Broth or water - I use low sodium chicken broth to give more flavor

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-In a roasting pan or on a foil covered baking sheet, spray some nonstick cooking spray on it.
-In a large pot, boil water or chicken broth. Add your fresh green beans and a pinch of salt and boil gently for 2-3 minutes.
-Drain the green beans
-In a bowl, combine the green beans, carrots, onion, garlic, and olive oil. Sprinkle the cumin and pepper and stir together until combined.
-Pour your veggie mix on your baking sheet and roast in the oven for approx 45 minutes.
-Your oven may cook them faster and some ovens may take longer. Make sure you toss the veggies around every 15 minutes or so.

*my oven only took 35 minutes to cook these veggies to a crisp tender stage

Enjoy! :)

Banana Nut Bread Cookies

I was looking in my kitchen tonight and trying to figure out what ingredients I had on hand to make some cookies for my coworkers tomorrow. I realized I had 2 bananas that were a little overripe. I decided to make "healthified" Banana Nut Bread Cookies. These are extremely delicious and taste just like banana nut bread. The best thing about this recipe is that if you don't like nuts or are allergic, you can just omit them in the recipe. I think you will truly enjoy this delicious treat! :)

Banana Nut Bread Cookies
Makes approx 50 cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups White Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
3/4 cup Brown Sugar or brown sugar substitute (I used 1/2 cup Splenda Brown Sugar Blend)
2 sticks Light Butter
1 Large Ripe Banana - mashed up
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Optional: 1/2 cup of Chopped Pecans or Chopped Walnuts

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-In a medium size bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice and stir until combined well.
-In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, combine granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 2 sticks of butter and cream together until blended.
-Once the butter mixture is blended well, add your vanilla extract and your mashed banana and stir together until blended.
-Add your flour mixture a little at a time to the butter mixture. Keep adding more flour until you have added it all and all ingredients are mixed well.
-If you wish to add chopped nuts, do so now.
-Place by spoonful onto a nonstick baking sheet.
-Bake approx 10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies are brown
-Let cool on a cookie rack and then store

Enjoy! :)

*Suggestions:
-If you find that the cookie dough is a little dry, feel free to add about 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce to the mixture and combine well.

Healthy Vegetable Lasagna

A great way to use up fresh vegetables is to throw together a stir fry or roast them. Another great idea is to throw them all together and put them in a pasta dish. You can never go wrong doing this. I love pasta, even though I try not to eat it very often, and this is a great way to incorporate my indulgence in pasta and also get benefits of vitamins and minerals from tons of vegetables. This is a great vegetarian entree that I think you all will enjoy. You can definitely add meat to this lasagna if you wish, but I think it tastes fabulous without it. If you did add meat, I would suggest chicken or ground turkey, not beef. This recipe could be prepared and then frozen for a later time if you are looking for ways to get in healthy dinners during the week but not have to spend hours cooking dinner. Another great thing about this dish is that it is so incredibly filling that one serving is plenty for a meal. We had just the lasagna for dinner and then had some fresh fruit on the side for dessert.

Healthy Vegetable Lasagna
Serves 6 (can be doubled if you want a 12 serving meal)

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup carrots - sliced
1 cup zucchini - sliced
1/2 cup red bell pepper diced (feel free to use a red, green, yellow, or orange bell pepper )
1 cup baby spinach leaves - chopped
1/2 large red onion - chopped
1 cup fresh broccoli florets - chopped
1 1/2 cloves of garlic - minced (or use 1 teaspoon minced garlic in oil)
1 cup low fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup low fat or non fat ricotta cheese
2 large eggs or 1/2 cup eggbeater egg substitute (I use eggbeaters)
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups Marinara Sauce or Spaghetti Sauce (I use Muir Glen Organic Marinara Sauce)
9 lasagna noodles - cooked (I use Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles)
Grated light parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top of lasagna

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-In a large stock pan, boil water and cook lasagna noodles according to box directions. (you can add a little olive oil to the boiling water to prevent pasta from sticking together)
-While noodles are cooking, in a large skillet, add olive oil and heat on medium high heat.
-Add your carrots, zucchini, bell pepper, onion, and broccoli and saute for about 7 minutes. Stir occassionally. Add garlic and baby spinach and saute for an additional minute. Set aside.
-In a medium size bowl, combine cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, eggs, basil, oregano, and pepper and combine well.
-In an 8 x 8 or 9 x 9 baking dish, spray with nonstick cooking spray.
-Place some marinara sauce on bottom of baking dish (just enough to sort of cover the bottom of the dish)
-Place 3 lasagna noodles in a row on top of the sauce
-On top of lasagna noodles, add a layer of the vegetable ragu and then a layer of the cheese mixture. Then add some marinara sauce on top of that.
-Repeat the same steps for the remainder of the lasagna noodles and mixtures of veggies and cheese.
-The final layer should be lasagna noodles and then a little marinara sauce on top. Sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese on top of that.
-Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

Enjoy! :)