Sweet Potato Soup

During the cold days of Fall and Winter, try this smooth and tasty soup. Not only is this great for the cold weather but it is perfect for the Fall and early Winter for those wanting to take advantage of the in season produce. This recipe is brought to us by Dannon. Take advantage of their easy to find coupons to make this very budget friendly recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp. canola oil
• 1 large sweet onion, sliced
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1-1/2 qt. chicken broth
• 1-3/4 cup Dannon® Plain Yogurt
• 2 Tbsp. chopped parsley or cilantro
• 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions:

• 1. In a soup pot heat oil. Add onions and cumin and sauté 3-4 minutes. Add potatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer soup 20-25 minutes.
• 2. Puree soup with 1-1/2 cups Dannon® Plain Yogurt and parsley or cilantro. Serve each portion of soup with a dollop of remaining yogurt and a sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.

Yields: 12 Servings (8 oz. per serving

Greek Salad

This delicious and very nutritious salad comes to us from Betty Crocker. This particular recipe was used at a recent family reunion and was a hit! Some people do not like olives or cucumber. Both can easily be set aside and added by those who would like it in their salad.

Ingredients

Lemon Dressing
1/4	cup vegetable oil
2	tablespoons lemon juice
1/2	teaspoon sugar
1 1/2	teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4	teaspoon salt
1/8	teaspoon pepper
Salad
7	oz spinach, torn into bite-size pieces (5 cups)
1	head Boston lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces (4 cups)
1	package (4 oz) crumbled feta cheese (1 cup)
4	medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
24	pitted ripe olives
3	medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
1	medium cucumber, sliced

1.	In tightly covered container, shake all dressing ingredients.
2.	In large bowl, toss salad ingredients and dressing. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information:

1 Serving: Calories 140 (Calories from Fat 100); Total Fat 11g (Saturated Fat 3 1/2g, Trans Fat0g); Cholesterol 15mg; Sodium 680mg; Total Carbohydrate 6g (Dietary Fiber 2g, Sugars 2g); Protein 4g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 70%; Vitamin C 30%; Calcium 10%; Iron10% Exchanges: 0 Other Carbohydrate; 1 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Mixed-Berry Coffee Cake

Crushed low-fat granola creates a deliciously crunchy and streusel-like topping in no time flat! From eatbetteramerica.

Prep Time:15 min

Start to Finish:1 hr

makes:8 servings

1/3	cup packed brown sugar
1/2	cup buttermilk
2	tablespoons canola or soybean oil
1	teaspoon vanilla
1	egg
1	cup Gold Medal® whole wheat flour
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1/2	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8	teaspoon salt
1	cup mixed berries, such as blueberries, raspberries and blackberries or Cascadian Farm® frozen organic harvest berries (do not thaw)
1/4	cup low-fat granola, slightly crushed

1.	Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray.
2.	In large bowl, mix brown sugar, buttermilk, oil, vanilla and egg until smooth. Stir in flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt just until moistened. Gently fold in half of the berries. Spoon into pan. Sprinkle with remaining berries and the granola.
3.	Bake 28 to 33 minutes or until golden brown and top springs back when touched in center. Cool in pan on cooling rack 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Nutritional Information

1 Serving: Calories 160 (Calories from Fat 45); Total Fat 5g (Saturated Fat 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 30mg; Sodium 150mg; Total Carbohydrate 26g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 12g); Protein 4g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 2%; Vitamin C 2%; Calcium 4%; Iron 6% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 1/2 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2 MyPyramid Servings: 1 tsp Fats & Oils, 1 oz-equivalents Grains
*% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

NOTE: Since not many people have buttermilk sitting in their fridge, an easy conversion is to use plain yogurt. Use the same amount as called for with the buttermilk. If you do not have plain yogurt but have vanilla yogurt, go ahead and use that but omit the vanilla called for in the recipe.
Also, you may choose to use honey instead of brown sugar. If you do choose to do that, use less then 1/4 cup of honey as that will be plenty. Since the fruit contains sweetness and if you are using vanilla yogurt and that contains sweetness, you may choose to omit the brown sugar/honey altogether.

Meatloaf "Muffins"

Meatloaf is known as a comfort food and as with many comfort foods, meatloaf can be a little fattening. Below is a delicious version of meatloaf that reduces the fat and sugar (yes meatloaf does have fat). The reason this recipe is called cupcake meatloaf is because it is shaped in muffin tins. The best name for this really would be Meat-Muffins since the meat is not shaped into a loaf.

Ingredients:

1 lb of lean ground turkey
3/4 C of rolled oats
1 egg
dash of salt and pepper (and any other spices you desire)
1/2 C of tomato sauce (no salted - usually the salted contains way too much salt)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. If you have a toaster oven, this is a great time to use it as you will make 6 meat muffins out of the amount above.
2. Spray a 6 muffin tin with cooking spray or use cupcake liners.
   
3. In a bowl mix all ingredients except the tomato sauce.
4. Press the meat into the muffin tins.
5. Cover the tops of the meat muffins with the tomato sauce and the spices of your choice.
6. Cook in the oven for about 30-35 minutes.

NOTE: You will notice in this recipe that there is not worcestershire sauce or ketchup. Those have been either completely removed or replaced because both contain high-fructose corn syrup - something you want to avoid.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Many do not think about cabbage rolls as a tasty addition or main part of a meal but it is a delicious main course. This recipe is very simple and allows for adaptation depending on one's diet restrictions. For those doing the South Beach diet, this is a permissible recipe beginning even from phase 1.

Image is from eatingwell.com

Ingredients:

12 cabbage leaves
1 lb. ground turkey
1/4 cup of green onion
1/4 of green pepper
1 can of tomato sauce (no salt added)
Garlic salt and pepper (to taste)

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place cabbage leaves in a pot filled with boiled water. Set the pot aside - do not continue to boil the water. Let is sit for 10 minutes.
   
3. While the cabbage "cooks," fry the ground turkey, onion and green pepper with the seasoning of choice (garlic salt and pepper are listed).
   
4. Pour 1/2 a can tomato sauce in the meat mixture, mix together and set aside.
   
5. Pour the water out of the cabbage pot and let the cabbage cool.
   
6. Place 1/4 cup of the meat mixture onto a leaf of cabbage. Tuck the leaf sides under so the the seams are on the greased cookie sheet. Repeat this step until all the meat mixture and cabbage leaves are used.
7. Use the other half of the tomato sauce to pour spoonfuls on top of the cabbage leaves. Sprinkle the sauce with some salt.
8. Cook for 20 minutes.

Note: The meat can be combined with cooked brown rice or other types of veggies. The choice is yours.

Berry Smoothie

Many enjoy going to places like The Smoothie King to get a "healthy" smoothie. Although this is better than no smoothie at all, imagine knowing exactly what goes into your smoothie and having a better version then what is provided at a place like The Smoother King.

This recipe is also a great way to get a serving of fruits, a good amount of calcium and vitamin D. I highly recommend this for breakfast. You won't need much more to accompany this delicious treat.

Image compliments of thehealthyeatingsite.com/banana-berry-smoothie

Ingredients:

1/2 c. cup of plain yogurt
2 teaspoons honey (amount is to taste)
1/2 c. mixed frozen or fresh berries (choices are up to you :) )
1/2 c. low fat milk

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and mix to desired consistency.
2. Pour and enjoy!

Crustless Spinach Quiche Cups

For those who LOVE breakfast but know that there are can easily be many calories, fat or bread involved, these quiche cups are a great alternative. Many believe that quiche has to have bread, but let me assure you, they do not! The quiche cups are just as good without the bread and can easily be frozen to be taken out and warmed the morning or evening of the meal.

Ingredients:

4 eggs (or 3/4 cup of egg substitute)
1 pkg of spinach (thawed)
1/2 evaporated milk
Green onions (amount is to taste)
Dash of salt and pepper or spice of choice (I use Mrs. Dash garlic and herb mix)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
   
2. In a bowl beat the eggs then add the milk and mix.
   
3. Microwave the spinach and let cool before adding it to the egg mixture. When the spinach is cooled, add it, the green onions and spices to the egg mixture. Mix well but not too much.
   
4. Using a 1/3 cup measuring utensil, scope the egg mixture into each muffin pan. Place pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
   
5. Cool for 10 minutes before taking the quiche cups out. Using a knife, loosen the side of the quiche so as to not leave any quiche in the pan.
6. Serve with turkey bacon or sausage.
   

Hummus and Veggies

Hummus a wonderful snack filled with good nutrients. This is a snack that can help you encourage your children to eat the much needed 4-5 servings of veggies a day. Hummus is also a great appetizer to a healthy and tasty meal. There are many twists to the hummus recipe but the version I am sharing below is the basic one.

The image above is provided by womansday.com

Ingredients:
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1 clove of garlic (number of cloves is a taste preference)
Dash of salt
Dash of cumin

Place all ingredient in a blend and mix until smooth. Serve with veggies of your choice. Options of veggies include carrot, yellow squash, zucchini, cucumber, or peppers.

Note: You can easily change up the recipe by adding other spices such as basil, oregano, parsley, Cajun spice or any other spice you enjoy.

Greek Whole Wheat Pizza

Every week, my husband and I have a group of friends over. We share a time of good food and fellowship and each week we have a different theme. So on our pizza night, I made a version of the recipe below and for the healthy conscious people, it tasted good. For the men who think that whole wheat isn't really a great option, my husband liked this recipe. Who doesn't like pizza, right? This is simply a healthy version that allows you to have more pieces without worrying about your health.

The following recipe comes straight from Eat Better America website.

50 % less fat • 66% more fiber • 33% fewer calories than the original recipe. We tossed up a heart-healthier, whole wheat flour crust, dashed the salt and olive oil, and added plum tomatoes to make this pizza a wiser choice. From eatbetteramerica.

Prep Time:20 min
Start to Finish:1 hr
makes:12 servings

Crust

• 1 package regular active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F
• 2 cups Gold Medal® whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cornmeal

Topping

• 3/4 cup organic pizza sauce (from 15-oz can)
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (4 oz)
• 1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast
• 2 medium plum (Roma) tomatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (2 oz)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1. In medium bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in flour, sugar, salt and oil. Stir with fork until dough forms. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead 12 times. Return to bowl. Cover; let rest 20 minutes.
2. Heat oven to 425°F. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray; sprinkle with the cornmeal. Gently push fist into dough to deflate. Spray hands with cooking spray; press dough into 15x10-inch rectangle on cookie sheet.
3. Bake 8 minutes. Spread pizza sauce over partially baked crust to within 1/2 inch of edge. Top with mozzarella cheese, chicken, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese.
4. Bake 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until cheese is melted and edges of crust are golden brown. Sprinkle with basil.

Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 160 (Calories from Fat 45); Total Fat 5g (Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 20mg; Sodium 270mg; Total Carbohydrate 19g (Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 2g); Protein 10g % Daily Value*: Vitamin A 8%; Vitamin C 2%; Calcium 10%; Iron 8% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 Medium-Fat Meat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 MyPyramid Servings: 1/2 c Dairy, 1 oz-equivalents Grains *% Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.