Mediterranean Pasta

I made this pasta salad with whole grain rotelle pasta, cherry tomatoes, and fresh spinach.  It tasted great with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.  I found this recipe on the back of a can of Bush's Dark Red Kidney beans.  It is is served in a light dressing of olive oil and clove garlic.  As pictured one serving of this pasta salad has approximately 250 calories.

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

8 ounces whole wheat pasta
1/4 cup water reserved from cooking the pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
One 6 oz. bag fresh pre-washed spinach
One 16 oz. can Dark or Light Red kidney beans, washed and drained
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to box directions reserving 1/4 cup water.

Heat olive oil in saute pan and add onion and garlic.

When onion is translucent, add red pepper flakes, fresh spinach, kidney beans, and reserved pasta water.

Simmer over medium heat until spinach is tender.  Cut cherry tomatoes into half slices.

I purchased this handy spice grinder at the supermarket.  It worked great to grind the fresh parsley. 

Next add the cooked pasta, chopped tomatoes, and fresh parsley to the spinach and kidney bean mixture in the saute pan and stir to combine.  Season as needed with salt and pepper.

Sprinkle with some freshly grated parmesan cheese and serve warm.  Yields 6 servings at about 250 calories.

Planning a Healthy Valentines Day

Valentines Day can mean trouble for those of us trying to stick to a healthy routine.  I know it is just one day, but one thing I have learned over the years is that this attitude often gets me into trouble!  Oh it's just Valentines Day, why not enjoy a chocolate or two?  But before I know it I might as well have devoured the entire box.  So on this holiday I hope to not receive any chocolates or flowers.  I know, not very romantic. 

I would love nothing more than a quiet romantic dinner with my sweetheart the day before Valentines Day.  This way we avoid the crowds and can enjoy a peaceful evening without the stress of dealing with an overcrowded restaurant.  I even have one or 2 places in mind. But the important part is that we are spending it together. 

Here are some suggestions of heart healthy ways to celebrate your Valentines Day.

• Plan an active day out sledding, hiking, or visiting an indoor rock climbing wall.
• Prepare a healthy, romantic dinner by candlelight at home
• Dining out is also an option as there are plenty of healthy choices
• Heat things up salsa dancing with your sweetheart
• Show your love by encouraging your partner to give up an unhealthy habit
• Try sharing a bowl of sweet, healthy fruit with your valentine
• Take a jog or walk outside (weather permitting) followed by a date to the movies
• Write a romantic poem or card for the one you love expressing how you feel
• Share the love and volunteer at a local charity in your community with your significant other

Homemade Pizza

My husband was traveling out of town on business last week and I thought wouldn't be fun to relax and have a pizza for dinner?  I enjoy pizza, but I prefer to stick with a healthier thin whole wheat crust.  The pizza sauce recipe I tried did not require the ingredients to be heated on the stove.  I was skeptical about how it would turn out, but it tasted great.  I found the sauce recipe on the allrecipes website.  As pictured one slice of this pizza has approximately 235 calories.

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 package active dry yeast
3/4 tsp. salt
1 cup hot water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon honey

In a large mixing bowl combine whole wheat flour, yeast and salt.

Blend in water, oil and honey.  Stir vigorously until all ingredients are  mixed well.  Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rise to desired size.  While the dough is rising, you can begin preparing the pizza sauce as it needs to sit for a half hour for the flavors to blend.

Place dough in greased jelly roll pan or 12-14 inch pizza pan.  I sprayed the pan surface with  non stick cooking spray.

Pizza Sauce Recipe

6 oz. can tomato paste

6 oz. warm water

3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 tablespoons honey

3/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

1/4 teaspoon dried basil 

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp. dried red pepper flakes

salt to taste

In a small bowl combine the tomato past, parmesan cheese, garlic, honey, onion powder, marjoram, basil, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, and salt breaking up any clumps of parmesan cheese.

Sauce should sit for 30 minutes to let the flavors blend.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Once sauce is ready, spread over the pizza dough.

I sprinkled some freshly grated parmesan on the pizza sauce.  For toppings, I chopped some fresh onions and red, yellow, and orange peppers.  I also added sliced black olives. 

 I used about 1 and 1/2 cups of part skim mozzarella to make the pizza.

Place in a preheated oven and cook for about 15-20 minutes until crust is golden brown and toppings are done.  Yields approximately 8 servings at 235 calories.  Enjoy!

 

Gym Etiquette

I can't believe I am writing this post and I wouldn't be if it was not for an exchange between me and another woman at the gym yesterday.  I love the shared experience of a fitness class with other people because I am sociable and love working out in a group.  So what happened yesterday had me scratching my head in disbelief and frustration.

Zumba classes are great. Although it is not easy for me to memorize the routines, the workout is fun and for the most part people embrace it and have fun.  I know I am not the only one who struggles and occcasionally misses a step.  Well during one of the songs yesterday in the routine, a lady and I accidentally collided.  This has happened to me before, it is fairly common.  Zumba is a fast moving routine and sometimes you make a wrong turn or step.  I couldn't believe what happened next.  This lady turned around to face me, I was thinking we would both brush it off and say "sorry" or "excuse me".  Nope, she lodged some personal insults at me.  I have been taking fitness classes for years and have never been confronted like this. 

The worst part is this other lady is a "regular" and I know we will continue to cross paths.  So what would be an appropriate response if this happens again? I was in such shock yesterday all I did was shake my head in disbelief.

Have you ever had an unpleasant confrontation at the gym and how did you handle it?

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

 

I experimented in the kitchen and came up with this recipe for healthy whole wheat spiced pumpkin muffins.  I added a mixture of 1/2 oat bran and 1/2 whole wheat flour.  The addition of fat free sour cream helped to yield a more moist muffin.  This recipe yields approximately 15 muffins at 172 calories/muffin if sugar is used.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup natural applesauce

1/4 cup preferred sweetener (or sugar)

1/4 cup honey

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup Oat Bran Hot Cereal

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup pumpkin puree

1/2 cup fat free sour cream

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup raisins

Combine the oil, natural applesauce, preferred sweetener (or sugar) and honey.  Stir in the eggs and vanilla.  Stir flour, oat bran cereal, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.  I recently modified this recipe by adding less sweetener and using some honey.  I also used less vegetable oil and added some natural applesauce.

Stir flour, oat bran cereal, baking soda, baking powder, salt and add to the oil mixture.  Add the pumpkin, fat free sour cream, cinnamon, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, walnuts and raisins to the flour mixture.  Stir to combine.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Add muffin liners to the muffin tin and add batter until about 2/3 full.  I added some extra raisins and walnuts to the top of each muffin before baking.

Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes until done.  Yields about 15 muffins.

Edamame and Black Bean Salad

This is a colorful, tasty, and very nutritious salad.   I spotted the recipe on the Allrecipes website.  It is very healthy, tastes great, and is not difficult to prepare.  I especially enjoyed the flavor of the lime and cilantro dressing.  It would be a great dish to serve at an outdoor barbeque or as a side dish for dinner.  The recipe yields 8 servings at approximately 212 calories.  Just a half cup serving of edamame a day is an excellent source of fiber, protein, and vitamins. 

Edamame and Black Bean Salad

5 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons grapeseed oil
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 limes juiced
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound package frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)
3 cups frozen corn kernels
1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

In a large bowl whisk together the red wine vinegar, grapeseed oil, fresh cilantro, lime juice, sugar, salt and garlic.  Set aside.

I used my kitchen aid mini chopper to grind up the fresh cilantro.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add the soybeans and boil for 3 minutes.

Add the corn to the boiling water and continue to cook for 1 more minute.

Drain well and pour into the bowl with the dressing.

 Cut the cherry tomatoes in quarters and thinly slice the green onions.

Gently mix in the cherry tomatoes, green onions, and black beans.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving to chill and blend the flavors.  Yields 8 servings at approximately 212 calories.

Vegetable Lasagna with Broccoli and Spinach

I experimented and came up with a vegetable lasagna recipe using spinach, broccoli, mushrooms and whole wheat lasagna noodles (sheets).   I purchased the fresh lasagna sheets from my local supermarket.  The pasta sheets made the process much simpler given the shorter cooking time (4 minutes) and that I needed fewer noodles than what I would have with conventional oval shaped pasta.  As prepared, this lasagna has approximately 230 calories per slice and the recipe yields 10 servings. 

Vegetable Lasagna

1-2 Garlic cloves
1 TBS. olive oil
3/4 cups chopped onions
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. salt
28 oz. can tomatoes with garlic and basil
1- 12 oz. can tomato paste
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. olive oil
16 oz. chopped broccoli
8 oz. sliced fresh mushrooms
8 oz. fresh spinach
15 oz. fat free or lowfat ricotta
8 oz. part skim mozzarella
2 TBS. fresh parsley
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 egg
Whole wheat lasagna noodles enough for 2 layers (6 sheets or 6-8 conventional lasagna noodles)

Saute the onion in 1 TBS. olive oil with the garlic, oregano, basil, and red pepper for about 5 minutes until the onion is translucent.

Add tomatoes and their liquid , tomato paste, and tomato sauce stirring to break up the tomatoes.  Add the bay leaves, sugar and salt.  Bring to a slow boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.  Discard the bay leaves and remove from heat.

When the sauce is almost done, start the preparations for the vegetables. In a saucepan heat up 2 tsp. of olive oil.  Add the broccoli cuts and the sliced mushrooms.  Saute until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the fresh spinach and saute until just wilted, about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and drain the excess liquid from the vegetable mixture.

Combine the mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, fresh parsley and 1 egg in a bowl and mix until combined.  I used my mini chopper to grind the fresh parsley.

Boil and cook the lasagna noodles as the package directs.

Drain the noodles and wait until they are cool enough to handle. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a 13x9x2 pan, add 1/2 cup of the prepared sauce at the bottom of the pan.  Add the first layer of noodles. Add 1/2 of the tomato sauce.  Spread 1/2 of the vegetable mixture on the noodles.  Then add 1/2 of the cheese mixture.  Then repeat with the second layer of noodles.  Reserve enough sauce to cover the final cheese layer. Then repeat with the vegetables and cheese mixture.

Spread enough sauce on the top to cover the vegetables and cheese. Add some grated parmesan on top.  Before placing the lasagna in the oven, cover with a sheet of foil.  Bake for about 30 minutes and remove the foil for the last 15 minutes of cooking.  Cook for a total of about 45 minutes or until heated through.

Let cool for about 20 minutes before cutting and serving.  Yields 10 servings at approximately 230 calories/slice.