Crockpot Tortellini & Spinach Soup

I have been a little behind in posting new healthy recipes, but I have been cooking them and taking pictures. So I have a few new ones to share from the last week or two. This recipe can be vegetarian or also tastes good with sausage, if I have extra bratwurst from a BBQ or something, I always slice it and freeze it and add it to soups or pasta dishes later on. This soup is good with or without the sausage addition and definitely healthier without it.  Click on the image to view close up, right click to save to your computer or print.

My hubby does not like the cabbage flavor in this soup, so that is optional too. I love cabbage, so go with what you like. I adapted this recipe from here:  http://www.food.com/recipe/tortellini-tomato-spinach-soup-35988   the recipe link is a much simpler version- less ingredients-so if you are in a hurry this recipe is good too. I just like it heartier, so I added this and that. If you leave out the sausage and Parmesan cheese, I think this is an A on the health-o-meter, the only thing that isn't totally good for you is the tortellini, but I think everything else makes up for it.  This soup is good with a roll or breadsticks, I was short on time so I just thawed frozen Rhodes Rolls to go with the soup, which is a great way to have hot fresh rolls in a pinch if you do not have time to make them yourself.

Also, a note on seasonings- I really hardly ever measure them out, I just sprinkle a generous amount across the pot or pan of what ever I am cooking as a general rule of thumb, so if I do not specify a measurement on spices, default to this same technique.  Happy Healthy Eating!

Low Cal/Low Fat Chicken Pot Pie

I was not going to list this recipe on here, but I guess it depends on what you consider healthy. In my opinion, I am more focused on nutritional value than I am on calories, fat, or carbs. I am more interested in cooking meals that have a good portion of fresh vegetables/fruit, a healthy source of protein and whole grains as well as limiting processed foods as much as possible.

So in my opinion, this meal does not quite make the Healthy dinner cut because it is lacking in these areas since it uses mostly frozen veggies (fresh is best), canned soup (processed food), sour cream (processed food), cheese(processed food), a pre-made pie crust (processed food) and white rice instead of brown (no longer a whole grain). BUT, if you are watching calories and fat...this recipe is not too shabby. At any rate, it is a delicious home cooked meal that does not have a lot of prep....and my kids have been begging me to make it.

So, how to make this recipe more healthy as far as it's nutritional value? Maybe make a whole wheat pie crust from scratch, sub out white rice for brown and find an alternative to canned cream of "X" soup that you can make yourself and cut out sour cream and cheese.....I have not found a version like this that also tasted good! Haha, but if I do I will share, until then we will have to settle for low calories/low fat and if you divide this pie into 6 servings, it is about 300 calories per slice including a 1/4c serving of rice.  As for the health-o-meter, this meal gets a B- by my standards.

Healthier Homemade Pizza

Ok... Pizza is does not have a reputation for being healthy, BUT their are healthier ways to eat it and my kids enjoy making it. I use my wheat breadstick dough for my pizza dough: 

Directions for easy pizza dough using a breadmaker dough setting:

Ingredients

· 1 cup warm water

· 1 tsp. sugar

· 1 (1/4-oz). packet active dry yeast

· 3 tbsp. olive oil,

· 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

· 1 cup whole wheat flour

· 1 tsp. salt

Directions:

1. Place 1 cup warm water in a small bowl. Stir in the sugar until dissolved, then sprinkle the yeast onto the surface of the water. Let the yeast float there for 1 minute, then stir it into the water. Let the yeast sit and "proof" for 10 minutes. It should bubble a bit; if it doesn't, the yeast is outdated and inactive.

2. While you wait for the yeast to activate, put flours, olive oil, and salt into a bread maker, Add yeast/water mixture when ready, select the dough or pizza dough setting on the machine. Let the machine do the stirring and rising for you. My dough setting is 50 minutes, I leave it in the breadmaker for another hour to keep rising, just leave the lid closed, it will do the rest.

3. Then preheat oven to 450, use a pizza stone if you have one or else a regular cookie sheet will do also. When dough has finished rising, shape into a long fat log, sprinkle flour and smooth onto the exterior  of dough so that it does not stick to your surface. Cut into 1 in slices (for personal pizza size- this makes 5-6 personal pizzas), sprinkle your surface with some corn meal then using a rolling pin, roll out into circular shape or get creative and make other shapes, I have found the thinner pizzas work best, so roll out thin. Now you are ready for your toppings, see below. When your pizza is ready, bake for 7-12 minutes depending on the thickness of the crust and pan you use. 

Healthier topping alternatives:

Veggie pizza:  Add a generous amount of pizza sauce (make your own or they sell pizza sauce jars at Walmart) Add Italian cheeses, less is more. Chop up what ever veggies you love! I do onions, red/green/yellow bell peppers, sliced olives and mushrooms and add to dough, lightly sprinkle a little more cheese and bake. 

Tomato Pesto: (My Favorite!) Spread pesto paste and minced garlic (instead of pizza sauce) on the dough , then add sliced roma tomatos or cherry tomatoes and pine nuts (and basil or spinach leafs if you have them)... sprinkle lightly with Italian cheeses and bake. 

Miso soup with shrimp and tofu

Here is another quick recipe that was requested in advance, I will add a picture and put it onto a "print out ready" recipe card when I make it again in the upcoming weeks. 

Miso soup with shrimp and tofu

• 2 teaspoons dashi granules... http://www.lafujimama.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/Dashi-Granules.jpg  I (found it at albertsons in the asian isle)
• 4-5 cups water
• 3 tablespoons miso paste- white or yellow like this  http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sy5oWjxKCKg/Te56e6OO3tI/AAAAAAAAAa8/g7Ct1rRGD_E/s1600/miso+paste.jpg 
•  (or use the instant miso soup packets- http://teasphere.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/kikomantofumiso.jpg?w=450 )
• 1 (8 ounce) package firm silken tofu, cut into cubes
• 2-3 green onions, sliced diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 cup frozen salad shrimp, rinsed and thawed
• garlic seasoning
• 1 can water chestnuts, drained, sliced in half
• Sliced mushrooms
• 
  

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine dashi granules, garlic and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and whisk in the miso paste or miso packet. Stir in tofu and shrimp. Separate the layers of the green onions, and add them to the soup, along with sliced mushrooms and water chestnuts. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes before serving.  (you could add rice noodles too to make it heartier. )

The shrimp, mushrooms and water chestnuts are not normally found in the typical miso soup, this is sort of a miso/wanton soup hybrid, minus the wantons. I added these to make this more into a meal than just an appetizer. The Miso paste/instant packets and dashi makes this meal a little higher on the sodium than what I typically cook, that is about the only negative thing I can say about this recipe, so it gets an A- on the health-o-meter. Serve this with a small Asian salad and you have a nice cozy meal!

Shrimp and Black Bean Quinoa

Here is another quick recipe that was requested in advance, I will add a picture and put it onto a "print out ready" recipe card once I make it again in the upcoming weeks. Kudos to my sister Tiffani Higbee for making this one up, I think I added a few changes from her original recipe, though I am sure she won't mind :) 

Shrimp and Black Bean Quinoa

1 to 1.5 cups Quinoa (measured raw, cooked according to pkg directions) 

1/2 onion, chopped

1 stock chopped celery (slice in half long ways, then chop for smaller pieces)

1 package of thawed salad size shrimp or 1-2 cups frozen salad shrimp, rinsed and thawed

Jerk Seasoning, Garlic powder

1/2 to 1 can blk beans, drained & rinsed

1/2c-1c shelled soy beans, thawed

1 can pineapple tidbits, with juices

1/4c sliced raw almonds

Sweet and Sour sauce- just buy a jar of it pre-made from the store

Cook Quinoa, meanwhile then saute onion and celery in minced garlic and coconut oil until translucent, add shrimp (season with garlic and Jerk) then add soy beans, blk beans, pineapple, almonds and sweet and sour sauce (a little sauce goes a long way so add a small blurp, stir and see if you need more, heat through- stir in quinoa and serve. 

 This one is a goody, it does have the store bought/pre-made full of sugar sweet and sour sauce though, but I'd say it gets an A- on the health-o-meter since it uses minimal sauce. It is packed full of healthy protein: shrimp, black beans, soy beans, raw almonds and quinoa (which is also a whole grain) as well as fresh veggies and that is some good nutrition! 

Chicken and fresh veggie stir fry with brown rice

Last night I made Teriyaki Chicken and fresh veggie (not frozen) stir fry with brown rice. Right click-image below to download and print. 

I love, love, love this meal! My favorite flavor is how the cashews taste with the chicken and I use all the veggies that I/we love to eat, so everyone gobbles this one up and if I am lucky I have some left overs for lunch the next day. This gets a B on the health-o-meter ONLY because of the Teriyaki sauce- it has a good amount of sugar it in. But there are so many vegetables in this dish and the short cook time on the vegetables means they are not fully cooked, still semi crunchy for good texture and better for you. I have made many stir-frys and this recipe has evolved overtime into this perfect blend of yumminess!  Change the vegetables around to your liking to make it your favorite meal too. 

Pumpkin and quinoa soup

My sister asked for a few recipes in advance, so I don't have a picture for you yet. I will revise this post into a recipe card with a picture when I make it again. 

Pumpkin soup- I use this recipe http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Curried-Pumpkin-Soup, with these changes:

Ingredients

• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 box vegetable broth or 3 cups
• 1 canned pumpkin or 1 small pumpkin, cooked 
• 2 tablespoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoon curry powder
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, optional
• generous ground pepper and garlic powder
• 1 Can evaporated milk
• Wait until boiling--
• 1/4 to 1/2 raw quinoa 
•   Chopped cilantro, optional garnish

 I do it in the crock pot, I use fresh pumpkin too- the small ones that you use to make pie (you cut it into quarters, de-seed it and put it rine down in glass dish with small layer of water at bottom-you want it low enough that it does not reach the pumpkin meat inside the rine-, cover and microwave for 20 mins or until soft, add 5 mins until cooked through or bake it, same prep, but bake for 350 for 45 min uncovered....remove from rine and pulse-not blend- into baby food consistency, I also cut up some small chunks to put in)

 Cook all ingredients(minus quinoa) in crock pot 3-4 hours on high, once it is bubbling I add the 1/4 to 1/2C quinoa (depending on how hearty you want it), let the quinoa cook another 20 mins on high in the soup, once the quinoa is done, it is ready to eat. (I have also thought about putting in potato chunks, to make it heartier, but have not done so yet.) Chop cilantro as a garnish on top. 

I make the wheat breadsticks shown in this recipe to dip in and eat with it: 

http://eathealthy-alifestylenotadiet.blogspot.com/2012/01/here-iswhat-i-made-today-cauliflower.html

This is very good and a completely nutritious meatless meal, but because it has quinoa in it, it still has protein. I give it an A on the health-o- meter. 

Black Bean Veggie patties topped w/ Guacamole & Lettuce

Tonight I made Black Bean Veggie patties topped w/ Guacamole & Lettuce, just right click the image below to download or print. 

This recipe can be made with any veggies you have in your fridge or whatever your favorite vegetables are. I usually just use the vegetables I have in the fridge and those are the ones I listed in the recipe, you might also add olives, water chestnuts, lime juice, jalapeno or other peppers...the combinations are never ending. I have tried these dressed like a hamburger on a bun with all the fixings and without a bun as shown, both are good. Again, all members of my family enjoy this meal, but I must say, Guacamole is the key no matter how you serve this, they are dry without it. I usually just buy 2-3 avocados and whip it up myself by mashing them and adding chopped onion, garlic, lemon juice and pepper.  Also note, you are not deep frying them in coconut oil, just use a small amount to cook each patty. I believe that coconut oil is good for you in moderation, so because of that, this recipe gets an A on the health-o-meter due to the fiber, protein, whole grain and vegetable ingredients.... this meatless meal is a winner at my house.

Here is a link to a quinoa black bean burger that I was thinking of trying soon: http://tashaandsage.blogspot.com/2011/09/spicy-black-bean-quinoa-burgers.html

Spaghetti squash spaghetti W/ Veggie on side

Tonight's dinner was Spaghetti  squash spaghetti with sliced Cucumber on the side. It was pretty easy, just make your favorite spaghetti sauce, whether it be from a jar, homemade or a little of both. Then serve your sauce over spaghetti squash instead of pasta.

First, buy a spaghetti squash from the store, cut in half, de-seed and put sliced sides down in a pan, I add a little water, then bake at 375 for 40-45 mins. Then start making your sauce. 

 I saute 1/2 diced bell pepper, 1/2 onion, 5-6 mushrooms with  1/2 lb lean ground turkey and a small can of sliced olives (the heavy mushroom and olive addition makes up for the smaller amount ground turkey used) spiced with garlic and Italian seasonings (add spices to make it spicy if you don't have little ones, I had to omit spice from my sauce when they came around!). Then add a jar of spaghetti sauce to the meat/veggie pan. I have a homemade sauce recipe, but that is a different post for another day!

Once the Squash is done you should be able to just take a fork and scrape the strands of squash right out, super fast and easy at that point.

 Not everyone in my family likes the spaghetti squash alternative to noodles, so I always make both and to be honest I do half pasta and half squash in my bowl too, only because I love pasta more than anything! But adding half squash noodles really makes the dish more filling and I tend to eat less because I get full faster.  Making whole wheat noodles is another healthy alternative.

I give this recipe a B+ because the sauce is not homemade and because we still eat pasta along with the spaghetti squash, but maybe someday we will fully commit?  At any rate this meal is quick and easy and has a lot of veggies in it. It is my favorite dinner :)

Grilled Crab legs,corn on the cob, and pineapple

At the beginning of each week I run to smiths to get fresh fruit and produce for whatever I am cooking that week and I always check out the Butchers Corner to see what deals they are having on seafood. They usually have a special running on Salmon or shrimp, but every now and then they have a deal on Lobster tails or Crab legs. Today was Lobster tails for 5.99ea! I ended up buying 1lb of crab legs, 1 lobster tail and some shrimp, total cost was $20...but I rationalized it because you can spend $20 on two salads at Cafe Rio without thinking twice, so why not spend it on fresh seafood? After buying the corn on the cob ( in husk) and fresh pineapple, our total was about $25 including tax. This is definitely a more expensive healthy meal, but really when you compare the costs to eating out at Wendy's for a family of 4, that is about $6/person=$24 anyway, but this is much healthier...and kind of fun to make- especially because my hubby does the grilling! It is a nice treat to have every now and then...

Heat grill to high heat:
Corn: Leave the husks on and put them on the grill first, they take the longest- approx 20 mins, longer if you like it kind of mushy. Remove husks and enjoy a corn flavor that does not even require butter or salt/pepper.

Pineapple: Cut off the stem and bottom and the pokey outer casing, and add to grill, turn every time you open the grill so every side gets cooked, approx 15 mins.

Crab Legs: (usually these come pre-steamed at the butcher)Wrap in tinfoil with a little bit of water, seal ends, add to grill, heat until warm through...about 5 mins on both sides

Lobster Tail: (This was a first for us, we found instructions here: http://www.grillingcompanion.com/grilling-lobster-tails/) which we followed minus the butter if you want to be healthier.

Shrimp: (also precooked from butcher) Make a tinfoil tray by folding up each sides into a square, spray with cooking spray, add lemon pepper and garlic seasoning, lemon juice, sliced lemons. Add to grill, cook until warm 5-10 mins.

The lobster tail isn't pictured here because we ate it as an appetizer since it was done first. I have to say next time lobster tail is on special, I will just buy 4 and skip the shrimp and crab legs, it was the best! I'd say this is an A on the health-o-meter, pure protein, vegetable and fruit and oh so good!

Here is another picture of BBQ Seafood night at our house, just from buying what is on sale at the butchers: 4 Lobster- halved, 1 Salmon Fillet, corn on the cob, mini potatoes, zucchini.

**Just to note, during the first 3.5 months of my pregnancy the constant nausea made eating anything a chore and I ate whatever I could stomach, which regrettably was usually something unhealthy, I did not follow a single one of my healthy eating rules for the first time in over a year. I also did not cook for my family during these months, because the mere prep made me nauseous, needless to say they ate very poorly as well. I swear we all looked sickly by the end of my first trimester. My hubby has lost 7 lbs already since the new year (a little over a week) just by eating healthy meals again, just more affirmation to the importance of eating healthy and how quickly it can make a difference.

Homemade Southwest Black Bean Chicken Soup with Quinoa Oatmeal Bread

Sorry this is another soup/bread recipe...but great to make in the morning before church, I love coming home to dinner ready after church :) I am always starving!

 Here is the recipe for Homemade Southwest Black Bean Chicken Soup with Quinoa Oatmeal Bread, just right click the image below to download or print.

(**Note: In the soup, the brown rice is measured 2/3 cup raw, then cooked according to the directions on the bag, before adding to the soup, I add it last, just before serving so it doesn't get mushy. Also I much prefer short grain brown rice, rather than long grain, the texture is so much better in my opinion.)

The soup I give an A on the health-o-meter, it is a good source of protien, grains, and veggies. If I would omit anything it would be the can of cream of celery, but it does soften the tomato/spice flavor for the kids. This is one of my original recipes, created one desperate Sunday and became a fast family favorite.

This was my first time making the Quinoa Oatmeal bread, I am pleased to say it had a really, really great flavor and was really moist! I think next time I will experiment with the dough and shape it into muffin tin rolls.The bread I give an A-, only because it has butter in it, but it does have 3 different whole grains -wheat, quinoa and oats, so I still consider it nutritiously valuable! Replace the white flour with wheat flour and it is even better for you!  Quinoa  is a great source of protein and so versatile, you can add it to stir frys, soups, cake or muffin batter and bread dough. I buy it at Walmart, next to the rice. It has a mild nutty flavor and I love adding it into anything I can think of.

Cauliflower Soup and Wheat Breadsticks

Here is what I made today-Cauliflower Soup and Wheat Breadsticks... I put it all on one sheet so it could be easily downloaded and printed (right click image to do this). I also took a picture of it, so you can decide if it looks appetizing to you. Hopefully this works...let me know you can't download/print it...

 ‎-Notes- I give the soup a B rating on the health-o-meter since it does have a little butter/cheese, but using skim milk helps and it is packed with fresh veggies. Also about the wheat breadsticks, if your family is used to wheat bread, use more or all wheat flour instead of using part white flour. I transition my family into wheat bread by slowly adding more wheat flour each time I make it. My whole family loves this soup- even the kids. If you have picky eaters, chop all the veggies really finely....and work up to bigger chunks down the road if you like it chunkier. 

Healthy Dinner List

Over the past few years I have made it a personal goal of mine to find healthier meals to feed my family. I am looking for nutritionally sound recipes that have minimal processed food, natural ingredients (fresh veggies/fruit/raw ruts, lots of whole grains) and as many meatless meals I can find. I am not vegetarian, but simply trying to cut back to only eating meat 1 or 2 times a week and when we eat meat, I'd like to stick to the leanest/low fat content meats like chicken, lean ground turkey, and lean steak. Incorporating more fish (a great source of protein and really good for you) into our meals is also something I am working on.

 I have recently put together a list of my family's favorite recipes of what we have tried so far. By popular request, I will try to start posting the recipe each time I make a healthy meal. My goal for 2012 is to find 30 healthy recipes so that I have a whole months worth of verity in healthy meals to make for my family. If you come accross a healthy meal that your family likes, please feel free to share it here!!!

Here is the list I have so far, as I post them I will rate each one a rating of A or B, "A" being what I consider Very Healthy,  the "B" is when it has a few ingredients that I do not considered healthy, but overall it is a big step up from processed foods like boxed, frozen or canned dinners and much better than eating out....right??

So here is the list so far...lets continue to build it! 

1. Grilled Lemon pepper Salmon, Corn on cob, cantaloupe 
2. Cauliflower Soup and wheat rolls 
3. Stuffed Peppers with brown rice and lean ground turkey, Strawberry Spinach Salad
4. Chicken and fresh veggie stir fry with brown rice
5. Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Soy Beans
6. Vegetable Minestrone Soup with wheat rolls
7. Shrimp and black bean quinoa (Tiffani's Recipe)
8. Stuffed Capped Mushrooms filled with chopped Veggies and TVP ( (Tammi's Recipe) , grilled Zucchini on the side 
9. Black Bean Veggie patties and grilled Pineapple
10. Tropical Spinach Salad with grilled chicken
11. Shrimp and Tofu Miso soup
12. Pumpkin and quinoa soup
13. Black Bean and Butternut Squash Tacos (Tammi's Recipe)
14. Tortellini and Spinach Soup, Wheat rolls
15. Southwest Black bean chicken soup

16. Tilapia and Fresh green beans cooked in cranberries ( the only way I like green beans)
17. Spaghetti squash spaghetti with asparagus on the side

18. Grilled King Crab, grilled in husks corn on the cob, grilled pineapple 
19. Chicken Apple Spinach Salad with yogurt dressing (Tiffani's Recipe)
20. Grilled Game meat (Deer/Elk) or lean steak, fruit Salad, Grilled Veggies
21.  Elk/Deer chili, Quinoa corn bread muffins 
22. Potato broccoli soup, whole wheat honey challah bread
23.  Honey Crockpot Chicken and rice


New recipes I want to try:
24. Butternut squash/cauliflower leek soup, wheat breadsticks
25. Spinach and sun-dried tomato pasta with asparagus