Tater Tots for Adults (or Kids)

Cauliflower Tater Tots

Everyone remembers those little fried potato bites that you had in the little school cafeteria; comfort food at its finest.  This is a more sophisticated bite for the diet conneseuar or to trick you kid into eating their veggies.  I must admit that they are not exacly like the fried potato ones (according to my husband) but pretty darn close.  Cauliflower tater tots are my new favorite snack/side dish, only costing you 89 calories per 11 tots.  I make a weekly batch of them, you could freeze them just like tater tots if you like.

Directions: Preheat oven to 400.  Take one large head of cauliflower, cut of stems, and food process the entire thing until it becomes like rice particles.  Pat dry with papertowels.  Add 1 large egg, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, and whatever spices you like (I use garlic powder, salt and pepper).  Mix until well combined.  Form by the tbsp full into little tots and place on greased baking sheet.  Bake until golden on top about 15-20 minutes.  Enjoy with ketchup or a dipping sauce of your choice.

FIsh Tacos.. My New Fave!

Shrimp Tacos w/ Citrus Cabbage Slaw:

The best part about these is that you can have two for the price of one (if you're counting calories that is, only 305 for 2).  I substituted shrimp instead and they were awesome, just make sure to pull them from heat as soon as they pink up.  The zesty lime juice in the cabbage slaw adds a nice complement to the kick of the chili powder on the shrimp.  I love to cook but my new favorite thing is cooking light in 20 minutes or less (this recipe is perfect)!

Shrimp Taco Recipe

A Sweet Little Pork

Sweet & Sour Pork Stir Fry

In an effort to 'lighten up' our dinners, I tried a stir-fry similar to this one.  In place of pineapple, cashews, and snow peas I added carrots, green onion, bean sprouts, and red bell pepper.  I also used basmati rice; which I probably could have cut the amount in half.  The only complaint I had was I wanted a lot more pork.  Be sure not to overcook the veggies until mushy, they should still be crisp and fresh!  So much better than going out for Chinese and done in a flash!

Sweet and Sour Pork Recipe

Murphy, Irish Every Day of the Year!!

Shamrock Shake in a Cupcake

These delicious Irish treats mimic a shake we've all grown to love at McDonald's, the shamrock shake.  The cupcake itself is a light and fluffy vanilla cake with a touch of  'Irish Cream' added to it (buttermilk with Creme de menthe); after all, it wouldn't be an Irish cupcake without a little booze.  The food coloring adds a little bit of green for an Irish flare, I would definitely kick up a notch next time.  The frosting has white chocolate infused to create the milkshake-esque flavor in your mouth.  For the frosting, it looks tricky but it's actually a really nice technique for beginners to try.  Wrap up a log of each green and white frosting in saran wrap.  Make sure they are equal in size, then slide both into a pastry bag so that they are side by side.  When you squeeze, the two come together nicely to create a swirled two-tone frosting look.  The great thing about these cupcakes is that even when the Shamrock shake season ends at McDonalds, you can enjoy these any day of the year!

Just Say no to...Campbells

Chicken & Orzo Soup

This is THE BEST version of a 'chicken noodel soup' that I've ever had.  You'll never eat chicken and stars again after this; it's almost as easy as opening up a can.  This is a light soup that I made healthier and easier on accident.  It calls for making/frying up chicken meatballs.  Instead, I used 2 chicken breasts cut into small pieces and browned in a little olive oil.  I added a little minced garlic to the pan when cooking the chicken as well as seasoning them with salt, pepper, chili powder, and cumin.  These are the same seasonings that were supposed to be in the meatballs.  Also, for the actually soup base, I substituted dry powder ginger instead and it still came out great.  For more flavor, I also think the chicken broth is a must instead of water (just be sure to use low sodium so that you can season it how you want).  My only big complaint is that I didn't notice it was for only 2 people so I recommend doubling or tripling the batch.  This is a left-over that wouldn't have stuck around for long.

Chicken Soup Recipe

Polish Minus the Sausage

Pierogies and Cabbage

This dish might blow you away with the cabbage.  A very simple and healthy dish.  After enjoying rich and fattening meals for Valentine's Day and at an all in-clusive resort we decided it was time to lighten things up.  The apple juice and granny smith apples add a nice zing to the dish but for a little extra I added a splash of apple cider vinegar.  I know my husband would've preferred the sausage too but you can actually eat a large portion of this for few calories.

Pierogie and Cabbage Recipe

She's My Cherry Pie...

Cherry Pie Shooters

So adorable and the perfect little bite!  This was my hubby's Valentine's treat at 12:01am.  If I can make them in the middle of the night then they really are 'a piece of cake'.  Using different shaped glassware makes them really cute.  As easy as they are, you can still dress them up for a special occasion; put them in champagne flutes or martini glasses.  I used fat free condensed milk and cream cheese and reduced sugar cherry pie filling to make them a little lighter.  The smaller the glass, the less guilty you'll feel about this sweet treat.

For the Crust:9 full size Graham Crackers (or one individually wrapped packet inside a box)
2 tablespoons Butter

For the Cheese Pie:1 package Cream Cheese (8 ounce package)
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk (14 ounce can)
½ cup Reconstituted Lemon Juice (bottled lemon juice)
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 can Cherry Pie Filling

For the Crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Add the graham crackers and the butter to a food processor. Grind until the graham crackers are crumbly. Then add the graham cracker crumbs to a cookie sheet, and press them into a thin flat layer.

Bake for about 10 – 12 minutes or until they turn a golden brown (about the time you start to smell them in the oven they’re close to being done). Remove from the oven and let cool while making the cheese pie.
For the Cheese Pie: In a medium size bowl, add the cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat ingredients until light and fluffy.
Break up the brown graham cracker crumbs into small pieces. In small glasses (or dessert dishes), add a layer of the graham cracker crumb pieces, then a layer of the cheese mixture, then a layer of the cherry pie filling. Next, repeat each layer.
If you have time, chill for a couple hours before serving. If not, it tastes delicious as is. These can be made ahead of time and they last nicely in the refrigerator.

Mexican Vacation inspired Chicken Enchiladas

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

My husband and I recently went to Mexico for a week; and yes we lived to tell about it.  Actually, we loved Mexico!!!  Inspired by our upcoming trip, I made on of my husband's favorites, chicken enchiladas.  When we first met this was a dish I cooked for him in his ill-equipped and disgusting apartment.  I won him over through the food, along with all of his roomates.  This recipe makes a whole pan of enchiladas, so invite friends over or have some great left-overs.  The only thing that I like to change is using low fat ingredients and low-carb tortilla shells.  Also, for a little added color and taste you can add chopped poblano peppers along with the green chiles.  They're sure to be a hit!

Chicken Enchilada Recipe

Pizza Pizza!

My Favorite Pizza (tomato, basil, feta & garlic)

This has to be my absolute favorite pizza.  The only downfall is that you won't want to meet your prince charming after eating it.  If it's been a long week, and I've finally made it to Friday then I'll break down and use store-bought pizza dough (otherwise fresh is always better).  Stretch out your dough.  For the garlic sauce, mix up about 1/2 cup olive oil, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1/4 grated parmesan, 1 tsp oregano, black pepper and salt.  Brush over dough.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over top.  Then finish with shredded fresh basil, large thinly sliced tomato, feta cheese, and drizzle with a little EVOO (so that the basil doen't dry out).  Bake at 400 for about 15-20 minutes.  YUM!! 

Healthy Chips

Zucchini Chips

I don't think that for a true potato chip freak that these will do the trick.  It is a nice alternative for kids, or grown-ups that haven't really grown up, and don't like their green vegetables.  Mine did not come out very crispy so I was thinking that putting them under the broiler for less time might work better.  Also, Pasta's spicy hot tomato oil was a nice addition for dipping them in (Any tomato/marinara sauce will work).

http://www.nutritionistinthekitch.com/2012/08/07/oven-baked-zucchini-chips/

Lasagna that Doesn't Pack on the Pounds

Lasagna Soup

Who doesn't love a great lasagna?  It just has too many calories and carbs.  Turning lasagna into a soup cuts the calories by at least half.  It's food you can feel good about.  I found that it was also a great way to use up broken lasagna noodles.  I used hot turkey sausage to add a nice kick of flavor to the soup.  I also omitted the bread since we were looking to cut back on carbs.  The leftovers make a great hot lunch instead of that PBJ sandwich.

Lasagna Soup Recipe

Crabby Weeknight? Turn it into Pasta

Crab Meat Pasta Stir-Fry

A quick, easy, and lite weeknight dinner.  I started the dish with a little EVOO and minced garlic in a large wok.  On the side, boil a pot of salted water for the pasta.  Add a bag of frozen stir fry veggies to the fry pan (any variety will work).  Add the chopped crab meat (the amount depends on how much you like your crabs).  Once the pasta is al dente, add to the wok.  Toss the pasta and season with salt and pepper to taste.  To finish the dish, drizzle with a touch of truffle oil for richness