Tag: comfort food

Ever Wonder How The French Stay So Thin? They Eat This!

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French Toast with Strawberries, Cinnamon and Maple Syrup

Okay, maybe not. But this slimmed down French toast is pumped up with extra nutrition and skimps on fat, so you can enjoy this childhood favorite. This recipe uses whole wheat toast and one egg with one egg white, so you can fuel up with fiber and protein. Also, some studies suggest that eating cinnamon with bread may help to maintain blood glucose levels and prevent a spike in blood sugar. Plus, it’s delicious!

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Ingredients (serves 1):

2 slices whole wheat bread (I like Vermont Bread Company Soft Whole Wheat)

1 large egg, 1 large egg white

Splash of skim milk (about 1 Tbsp)

4 medium strawberries

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp butter

nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray

1 Tbsp maple syrup

dash ground black pepper

dash salt

almost ready to flip!

almost ready to flip!

Directions:

1. Spray medium sized pan with nonstick vegetable cooking spray and warm over medium heat.

2. Crack 1 egg into bowl. Crack second egg and separate the egg white by transferring the yolk back and forth between the two halves of the egg shell, allowing the egg white to fall into the bowl below. Discard shells and one remaining yolk (*note: you can also buy a carton of egg whites and use the equivalent of 1 large egg).

3. Add splash of milk (about 1 Tbsp) to eggs. Add salt and pepper and scramble well with fork.

4. Soak each piece of bread in the egg mixture (coating well) and transfer to pan.

5. Cook bread about 7-10 minutes on each side, until French toast becomes golden brown and egg is cooked thoroughly. Transfer to plate. Top with butter, cinnamon, strawberries and maple syrup. Enjoy!

The Goods: What’s Inside?

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:

Calories 300, Total Fat 9 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 196 mg, Carbohydrates 42 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 14 g, Sodium 729 mg, Calcium 114 mg

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Baked Chicken Parmesan

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Baked Chicken Parmesan

In these chilly temperatures, I’m craving comfort food. However, I don’t want to eat food that isn’t healthful – I just want to eat a warm, hearty meal. This chicken parmesan is baked, instead of being pan fried, and uses olive oil instead of egg to glue the breadcrumbs to the chicken. And did I mention the breadcrumbs are whole wheat? If you have thirty minutes, you have time to make this amazing twist on a traditional comfort dish.

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Ingredients (serves 2):

2 chicken breasts, approximately 8-10 oz. (I like using thin sliced chicken breasts)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 C marinara sauce (I like Classico Marinara with Plum Tomatoes)

1/3 C whole wheat breadcrumbs, seasoned (or use plain whole wheat breadcrumbs and season them yourself with garlic powder, salt and pepper)

1/3 C shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray

IMG_0547Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 365 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Warm olive oil and minced garlic in small pan over medium heat (approximately 3-4 minutes).

3. Spray casserole dish with nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray (light coating)

4. Place breadcrumbs in bowl. Set aside. Place chicken breast in skillet, one piece at a time, and coat both sides with garlic and olive oil (be careful – the pan is hot!!!). Transfer chicken breast to bowl with breadcrumbs and coat. Place chicken breast in casserole dish.

5. Bake chicken in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes (the chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit)

6. Remove chicken from oven. Add sauce and cheese and bake chicken for another 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.  Enjoy!

The Goods: What’s Inside?

ready to be baked in the oven!

ready to be baked in the oven!

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving (1 serving is one chicken breast with half of the ingredients listed above)

Calories 489, Total Fat 25 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 106 mg, Carbohydrate 22 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 45 g, Sodium 962 mg, Calcium 245 mg

 

 

 

Slimmed-Down Spaghetti and Meatballs

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Spaghetti and Meatballs

Craving pasta? No problem! This recipe uses lean ground beef (95% fat free) and whole wheat pasta, so you can fuel up without filling out! I slimmed down this classic and pumped it up with some extra nutrition, including a hefty serving of fiber and protein, with only a modest amount of fat. Another secret? Use whole-wheat breadcrumbs to hold the meatballs together, instead of the refined stuff. Make this dish even healthier by using unseasoned whole-wheat breadcrumbs and adding your own spices and herbs (garlic powder, onion powder, salt, parsley, etc.). Remember the fundamental values of nutrition: moderation, balance and variety. Enjoy this favorite as part of a balanced diet and keep fueling your body with whole, real, nutritious foods!

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Ingredients (serves 4):

16 oz (1 lb.) lean ground beef (95% lean, 5% fat)

8 oz whole wheat thin spaghetti

2 C tomato sauce (look for a low sodium brand, or make your own!)

1/3 C whole wheat breadcrumbs, seasoned (note: if using unseasoned, season them up yourself with whichever spices and herbs you’d like)

2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1 Tbsp fresh parsley

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 large egg, scrambled, raw

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (or you can use another oil, such as canola oil)

IMG_0538Directions:

1. Pour oil into large skillet and warm over medium heat.

2. Boil water in large pot over high heat.

3. Combine ground beef, scrambled egg, breadcrumbs, spices (garlic powder, ground black pepper), parsley, and parmesan cheese in large mixing bowl. Use your hands to mix ingredients well. Form small meatballs and place in skillet. (note: this recipe should yield approximately 20-25 meatballs)

4. Add pasta to rapidly boiling water and cook approximately 7-10 minutes. Continue to turn the meatballs in the skillet so they brown.

5. Drain water from pasta in colander. Place pasta back in pot (with no water) and add sauce. Warm over low-medium heat. Remove meatballs from skillet once cooked (they should be brown in color throughout) and place on paper towel over a plate to drain excess oil. Add meatballs to pasta, mix and warm another 2-3 minutes. Serve hot. 

The Goods: What’s Inside?IMG_0541

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:

Calories 488 calories, Fat 23 g, Saturated Fat 7 g, Cholesterol 150 mg, Carbohydrates 32 g, Fiber 5 g, Sugars 7 g, Protein 42 g, Sodium 617 mg, Calcium 130 mg

*note: the sodium content is analyzed using seasoned breadcrumbs and a tomato sauce that is not low-sodium.