So that’s what I did today with a single serve salmon pack. I received a bunch of seafood products in a price pack I won at the Perinatal Nutrition Working Group’s booth at BlogHer. Now you must know when I entered the raffle I didn’t KNOW I was pregnant. So when I won it seemed serendipitous! Oh… you did know I was pregnant, right? I can’t remember if I spilled the beans here on GreenLiteBites so if you don’t follow me on twitter or read my weight loss blog you may not have known. Anyway… I’m 2 months! :)

Pretty big news, I know, but let’s get back to this recipe. It turned out more delicious then I thought and SO simple. It’s super light but really flavorful. My favorite combination!

Oh! even the husband liked it. The little guy wasn’t home but when he saw a picture he said it looked good and that he would have tried it if he was here. He’s too stinkin’ cute!

• 2.6 oz package of cooked salmon (I used Chicken of the Sea Pink Salmon )
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 cloves of garlic diced tiny
• 1 plum or italian tomato diced
• 1 heaping tbsp of chopped chives diced (I think it was about 15 stalks)
• Pinch of Kosher Salt

Combine all ingredients and let it sit for a few minute allowing flavors to merge.

You don’t HAVE to serve it on cucumber slices, it would be great in a pita with some baby spinach or on some whole wheat toast. You could even easily double or triple the batch and serve it on the cucumber slices for a pretty appetizer at a party. Heck.. I was eating it straight up in between scooping it on the cucumber.

The nutritional information is just for salad. The WHOLE salad but just the salad.

Well make her own… of course! Luckily I just picked up a giant tomato from the farm stand. I had a half of a sweet onion and some other stock items that worked perfectly. It was tasty, spicy and so much better then the jarred stuff! Even the husband liked it! Shocker I know! :)

• 1 large ripe garden tomato diced
• 1/2 of a sweet onion diced
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves chopped up
• 1 tsp dried cilantro
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp tabasco
• 1 tsp green chili sauce
• 4-5 sliced jarred jalapenos
• 1 tsp of the jalapeno "juice"

Combine all ingredients and let it site until ready to use. I used mine in about a half an hour and it was perfect.

Here are some shots of the boy in the back of the apartment when I took the bowl outside for pictures. Can you make him out on top of the hill? :)

The husband wasn’t home for dinner tonight so I got a chance to experiment freely. I loved it. In a weird way I needed it. Cooking is such an outlet for me and I take such satisfaction in coming up with an idea, executing it and creating a meal from scratch.

That’s what I did tonight and I’m ecstatic with the results! Seriously tasty and extraordinarily easy. That’s a win-win in my book!

The kid, on the other hand, saw it as a win-lose. He loved the chicken but couscous isn’t his thing. He’s tried it now a few times and when the texture hits tongue I can see it on his face, he doesn’t like it. I got to give it to him though, he always gives it a try. I’m proud of him for that. So I made a deal and told him to just eat the chicken. Then he enjoyed the other half of the mango. :)

Here’s how I made this quick dish.

• about 1/3 of a sweet onion chopped
• 1/2 pound (8oz) boneless chicken breast (about 1 large breast)
• 10 or so grape tomatoes halved
• 1/2 of a ripe mango cubed (with juices)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Couscous (110 g)
• Kosher Salt, Pepper, Non-stick cooking spray, dried parsley

Heat a medium pot over medium heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray. Add the onion and cook until just softened. Add the chicken. Season with kosher salt and pepper. Stir a few times. Once it starts to "brown" add the tomato.

Cut that mango in cubes. It it’s particularly juicy catch that juice and add it to the pot. Stir and let the flavor merge for a bit.

Raise the heat to high, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Once boiling add the couscous, cover and remove from the heat. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Then fluff with a fork and serve!

You’d think, considering I started and run a site called GreenLiteBites I’d seek solace in healthy wholesome food but no. This week I’ve eaten out at least 3 times, ate almost an entire bag of Dorritos and my "handful" of M&M’s were more like cups. So yesterday in the middle of my disaster zone…

…I decided to find comfort NOT in the quick, mindless, junk food munch but in the satisfaction of preparing a healthy meal from scratch. Amazingly the processes of scouring my empty fridge and pantries for what I had on hand and finding a creative way to put it all together was much more of a stress release for me.

I can’t promise many new ideas in the coming weeks but I will try to use my current situation to challenge myself. If I don’t, I see a lot fast food in my future and although the husband would be ecstatic I want to treat my and the kid’s (the toddler recently celebrated is 4th birthday) bodies a just little better then that.

So on to this idea! For some reason I have a gross of zucchini in the fridge. It’s actually the only fresh veggie in there. I also had ripening grape tomatoes, a small chink of onion and some REALLY old garlic. This is what I came up with…

• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 tsp olive oil (4g)
• 1-2 slices of a sweet onion chopped
• 1-2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 carrot diced
• about 10 grape tomatoes halved
• 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa (42g)
• 1/2 cup of our fav broth (water would work but you many want to add bouillon for flavor)
• Dried parsley your fav dried spices (optional)

Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh with a spoon or melon baller. Chop the flesh and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a medium sized pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion starts to get transparent and garlic just starts to brown. Add the diced zucchini guts, carrots and tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes allowing the flavors to merge and the veggies to soften a bit.

Stir in the dry Quinoa. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the quinoa absorbs most of the liquid.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a small casserole dish with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle the zucchini with some kosher salt and your favorite spices (totally optional.) I used garlic powder, onion powder and a bit of chili powder.

By this time the quinoa should be about done. Scoop the mixture into the zucchini boats. You will have more then enough, just pile it in there. Top with a bit of dried parsley and bake uncovered for about 15 minutes allowing the zucchini to soften and the stuffing to dry out just a bit.

Enjoy!

I made them just for myself with some leftover ground turkey meat I had after making Grilled Honey Mustard Turkey Oat Burgers this weekend. You can of course double or triple the recipe for more servings. You know I’m all about the ‘idea’, so take it and run with your favorite taco toppings. I’m thinking pinto beans or even using my Spicy Black Beans and Zucchini instead of the turkey next time.

Here’s what I did tonight…

• 6 oz lean ground turkey raw (around 4 oz cooked)
• about 1 tsp of my taco seasoning
• 4 large inner leaves of romaine lettuce
• 4-5 strips of green bell pepper chopped
• 1/4 of a tomato chopped
• 1 oz Fancy Mexican shredded cheese
• about 2 tbsp salsa

Brown the turkey with the seasoning until gray. While "browning" clean the leaves and chop the veggies.

Evenly distribute the cooked turkey to the leaves, top with diced peppers, tomatoes, cheese and salsa.

Wrap and eat! All the flavor of tacos with a fresh twist!

My first experiment , Avocado Lime Dressing, was tasty but this idea takes the cake. Here’s the thought… I don’t like guacamole because of the texture but I like all the flavors that are in it. So why not use them and make something I do like?

Introducing the Guac Chicken Sandwich.

Let me just say… TASTY! and easy to make. I used a precooked chicken breast from Aldi’s (LOVE them by the way) but you could use leftovers or even a take this idea and run with it for a burger!

Here’s what I did…

• 1 cooked boneless chicken breast
• 1 whole wheat English Muffin
• about 1 tbsp avocado (15g)
• squirt of lime juice
• sprinkle of chili powder, cumin and dried cilantro
• 1/4 of a large green pepper
• handful of baby spinach leaves
• slice of tomato (or in my case a few cherrie ones – I was out)

Toast the English muffin.

On one side of the muffin smear the avocado. Splash the lime juice on and sprinkle with spices.

On the other side of the muffin, pile the spinach leaves, tomato and pepper (you may want to squash the pepper flat first).

Place the chicken on top of the pepper and put the avocado side on top.

Serve with a side of carrot sticks! :)

Here’s my 3 steps… now I’m off to make another one! (these pics were from yesterday)

Boy am I glad I did. So simple, yet SO delicious. Plus you get a healthy oil in paired with tomatoes which is said to be a powerful combo!

• 1 tsp olive oil (5g)
• 1 pint cherry/grape tomatoes
• Kosher Salt
• Black Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Onion Powder
• Basil or Italian Seasoning
• 1 tbsp Parmesan Cheese (5g)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a small roasting or pyrex dish add the oil and swirl around a bit. Add the tomatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle with spices and cheese.

Roast for about 18 minutes shaking once.

Transfer to a bowl making sure to get all the toasted spices and cheese. Allow to cool for a few minutes.

Enjoy!

Here’s a little before and after cooking shot.

I made this on Friday during a complete food fest. The toddler was home form school and we spent the better part of the day in the kitchen like two happy clams chatting and munching. It was so much fun!

This is one of those possessed ideas I have from time to time. Literally I pulled everything out and then I just COOKED. I’m wasn’t quite sure what I was doing or how it was going to come out all I knew was that I wanted to soup. This is when I have the most fun in the kitchen. :~)

I used Bulgur for the first time in this recipe. I picked some up a few weeks ago on the suggestion of some comments and you guys are right, I love it! It added such great texture to the soup. I can’t wait to try it other ways. For those unfamiliar with Bulgur check out this site. I’m planning a post about it but haven’t had time. I’ll get one up this week. (Darn it! Now I committed) ;~P

• 1 red onion
• 3 bell peppers – preferably 1 red, yellow and green
• 1 can of corn drained
• 1 pint of cherry tomatoes
• 6 cups of your favorite broth or chicken stock (3 cans would work too)
• 1 can (15oz) black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can (6oz) tomato paste
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1 tsp each ground cumin, chili powder and dried cilantro
• 1/2 cup dry bulgur (80g)
• Non-stick cooking spray
• Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Arrange the onion, peppers, corn and tomatoes on a large cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt. Roast for about 1/2 hour shaking and turning the the veggies half way through.

While the veggies are cooking, Drain the beans and put the broth, beans, lime juice, and spices in a large stock pot.

Add the roasted veggies and bring to a boil. Add the bulgur and lower the heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes.

Shut off the heat and serve!

Now the calorie count and points are a little high for a mostly veggie brothy soup but it’s is very meal like and filling! If you do want to reduce the calories a bit go easy on the corn. I only had a large can but a smaller can would work just as well. This soup is also good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Thiamin, Folate, Magnesium and Manganese, and a very good source of Vitamin C. Seriously, when I’m eating I feel so "healthy". LOL

This chili I purposely made mild to TRY and get the husband and the toddler on board with my chili obsession but alas, I failed. The husband didn’t try it, he’s just not interested in chili! Unbelievable! And the toddler, well, he said he didn’t like before he even tried it. His mind was already made up and I couldn’t change it.

Oh well, their loss, it was GOOD! Now I have lunches for the next week!

Next time, since they aren’t going to eat it anyway, I’m spicing it up with some ground red pepper, hot sauce and jalapeno peppers!

• 20 oz extra lean ground turkey
• 1 small-medium onion chopped
• 1 large green bell pepper chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper chopped
• 1 small can of sweet corn (8oz) undrained
• 1 can of black beans (15oz) drained and rinsed
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (15oz) undrained
• 1 small can of tomato paste (6oz)
• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa (5g)
• 1 tbsp Molasses (20g)
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp dried cilantro
• 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
• non-stick spray

Brown the turkey in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.

Spray the inside of the crock pot with non-stick cooking spray (makes is much easier to clean!). Add all the ingredients to a crock pot with 1 tomato paste can of water (6oz). Mix well to combine, it will thick and dry (not a lot of liquid). Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours.

Here’s a before and after cooking photo.

Serve with a sprinkle of cheese and cilantro, over rice, or (my favorite) with some baked Doritos! YUM!

One of my favorite school lunches growing up was beef-a-roni. You remember it, right? Overcooked elbow pasta, grade F meat in some kind of tomato base. I don’t know when the concept of “comfort” food begins but at age 9 this really hit the nail on the head for me. Maybe it was the massive amount of fat and carbs that made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Who knows. But whatever it was, that was one lunch I always asked for seconds of.

Well tonight, armed with 8oz of defrosted ground turkey and remnants of weekly produce I gave my old favorite a nutrition lift. I’m calling it “rainbow” as I used a red, orange, yellow and green vegetable. It made the dish really pretty and you know what they say about eating from the rainbow.

As for reviews, well this was the first dish in WEEKS that I got a “Mmmmmm this is a good” from the toddler. However, he did have to be coaxed to eat the veggies that were left in his bowl. I did my best to dice them small, which may have been a mistake. Here he is chowing down and looking awfully cute if I don’t say myself. :~)

Remember this is one of those ‘take it and run’ recipes! Use what ya got!

• 6oz of your favorite whole wheat pasta
• ½ sweet onion diced small
• about 10 baby carrots diced small
• 8oz lean ground turkey
• 1 yellow bell pepper diced small
• 1 medium zucchini diced small
• 1 medium tomato diced small
• 1 8oz can of tomato sauce (like del monte)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried basil
• Kosher Salt & Pepper

Put the pot of water on high for the pasta and cook according to package.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Dice and add the onion. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and leave alone for 2 minutes while you dice the carrots. Add the carrots to the pot, stir and leave alone while you dice the pepper. Add the ground turkey to the carrots and onion skillet and break apart a bit. Once it starts to brown (grey) add the diced peppers. Leave alone while you dice the tomato. Add the tomato and stir over medium-high heat until the turkey is cooked all through.

At this point the pasta should be almost done. Drain the pasta when it’s ready and set aside.

Add the tomato sauce and spices to the skillet, sprinkle a bit more salt and pepper to taste. Add the cooked pasta, continue stirring until everything is coated. Shut off heat and serve or cover until ready to serve.

Honestly it was a keeper, I’ll make it again when it’s just me and the little guy, he really liked it! Just look how pretty it is!

Normally I do a bit of research when I’m trying a new ingredient but this time I felt semi-informed. Alton Brown had a show on okra a while back and I remembered a bit about its properties and how it cooked up.

Honestly, I really didn’t have any intention on posting this, so I didn’t pull my camera out until the very end after I took a bite. I loved the Mexican inspired flavors with the thickened broth and smooth Orzo texture. It was a fun stew-ish type of meal. And you know my stance on on pot meals, I LOVE them! The husband, on the other hand, wouldn’t touch it with a 10 foot pole.

I was thinking of adding a can of corn next time, maybe even some black beans. That was the direction I wanted to go in, but I was attempting to keep the points low as I was just coming off a VERY indulgent weekend. So I chose super light. When I calculated the nutritional information I was shocked, it was pretty filling!

• 2 thick sliced of a large sweet onion chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic diced
• 3-4 medium tomatoes (preferably from a garden and juicy)
• 2 cups of sliced okra
• 1 can (15oz) of your favorite broth, chicken, beef or veggie
• 1 4oz can of diced green chilis
• juice of 1 lime (~1 tbsp)
• 1 tsp each chili powder, ground cumin and dried cilantro
• 2 oz of whole wheat Orzo Pasta
• Non-stick cooking spray

Heat a medium sized pot over medium high heat. Spray with non-stick cooking spray and add the onion.

While the onion is sizzling, dice the garlic. Add it to the pot and stir. The onion should have some nice brown scorches and there may be some stuff stuck to the bottom of the pan. That’s. OK.

Leave the temperature alone and dice one of the tomatoes. Add it the pot with as much juice as possible. Stir. You’ll see the tomato start to deglaze (remove the burned onion) the pan. Dice your second tomato, add to the pot and stir. Do this for all the tomatoes.

Once the tomatoes have been added there should be just a bit of liquid and the bottom of your pot should be clean (no burnt stuff). Stir in the sliced okra.

Then add the broth, green chilis, lime juice and spices. Bring up to a boil. Then lower to a simmer, add the orzo pasta and cover. Cook for about ½ hour.

Serve sprinkled with a bit of dried cilantro and a side of corn bread! YUM!

To make it worse it’s more chipped then sliced and I hate that on my sandwiches (I’m really starting to show you my food quirks, aren’t.) So what do I do with it?

Well… use it for my tastiest, simplest salad yet!

OK, so I’m talking it up a bit but is all seriousness I enjoyed EVERY bite of this salad and I can’t wait to make it again. I love it when a simple idea taste so good!

Warm Turkey Club Salad

• 2-3 cups of your favorite greens (I used baby spinach leaves)
• 1 large tomato cut in chunks
• ~ 6 small slices lean deli turkey meat (51g)
• 1 tbsp real bacon bits
• 2 tbsp Sweet Dried Herb Dressing (recipe below)
• non-stick cooking spray

Pile the greens on a plate and top with the tomato.

Roll and cut the turkey meat (or in my case, chop it).

Spray a small nonstick skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Warm the turkey and bacon bits over medium high heat until warm and the turkey just starts to get brown on the edges.

Top the greens with the warm turkey and bacon. Drizzle with dressing. Enjoy!

Sweet Dried Herb Dressing

Note: Makes 3 servings

• 2 tbsp unflavored non-fat yogurt
• 1 tbsp honey (21g)
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• ¼ tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, dried basil, dried chives
• Pinch of Kosher Salt & Pepper

Whisk all ingredients together and let sit for a few minutes before using.

The dressing makes about 7 tbsp, I’m counting 2 tbsp as a serving. Each serving has about 45 calories, 2g of fat.