Tag: feta cheese

Not Your Average Pasta Dish: Whole Wheat Orzo With Veggies And Feta Cheese

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Whole Wheat Orzo With Roasted Veggies And Feta Cheese

This whole wheat orzo salad is delicious hot or cold and is a great dish to make ahead for the busy week or for entertaining. At under 250 calories per serving and chock full of  fiber and so many vitamins and minerals, this colorful side dish is a perfect way to enjoy  the season’s best veggies while they’re still available!

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Ingredients (serves 6):

8 oz whole wheat orzo

1 medium zucchini

1 medium yellow squash

1/2 medium onion (I like to use vidalia onions)

1 clove garlic, minced

10-15 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 1/2 Tbsp canola oil

1/2 Tbsp olive oil

3 oz reduced-fat feta cheese

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray

Roasted veggies!

Roasted veggies!

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick vegetable oil cooking spray
  2. Dice zucchini, yellow squash and onion. Place on baking sheet and add minced garlic, canola oil, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper and salt. Bake in oven for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Boil water and cook orzo according to directions on package.
  4. Add tomatoes to roasted vegetables, stir and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are slightly browned and tomatoes are softened.
  5. Drain orzo once cooked. Add olive oil to clean pot and add orzo and vegetables. Add feta cheese and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes.

The Goods: What’s Inside?

Nutrient Analysis Per Serving

Calories 214 calories, Total Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 4 mg, Carbohydrates 32 g, Fiber 5 g, Protein 10 g, Sodium 397 mg, Calcium 72 mg

I served seared scallops over my orzo salad! That recipe will be posted on FuelMyFIt, too!

I served seared scallops over my orzo salad! That recipe will be posted on FuelMyFIt, too!

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Watermelon and Feta Salad with Balsamic Drizzle

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Watermelon and Feta Salad with Balsamic Drizzle

Summer isn’t over yet – and thank goodness! This simple summer salad is too good to pass up! This low-calorie salad is a perfect dish to serve while entertaining as a sweet, refreshing appetizer that won’t fill your guests up too much before the entrees. Watermelon contains hydrating water for hot summer days and spinach offers up folate, vitamin K, vitamin C and iron. And the best part? This salad takes less than 5 minutes to prepare!

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Ingredients (serves 2):

2 C watermelon, cubed

1 oz (about 1/4 C) reduced-fat, crumbled feta cheese

2 C spinach, raw

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

*Entertaining? Just keep doubling the recipe until you have enough – this recipe is super simple to make for 1 person – or 20! 

Directions:

1. Divide spinach evenly into two bowls (or small plates).

2. Top each plate with 1 C watermelon and 1/8 C crumbled feta cheese. Drizzle 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar over each plate. Enjoy!

The Goods: What’s Inside?

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:

Calories 96 calories, Total Fat 2 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 4 mg, Carbohydrates 16 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 5 g, Sodium 225 mg, Calcium 86 mg

A Very Veggie Egg Scramble

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Scrambled Eggs with Vegetables

This simple breakfast guarantees you will start the day on top with a rainbow of vegetables before you even walk out your door. Broccoli and spinach offer up vitamin K and folate, while tomatoes and red bell peppers offer vitamin A. Also, eggs will keep you feeling full from their high protein content without weighing you down!

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Ingredients (serves 1):

1 whole egg, large

2 large egg whites

1/4 C broccoli florets , chopped into small florets

6 cherry tomatoes, cut in halves or quarters

2 Tbsp mushrooms, chopped

2 tbsp chopped onion (I love vidalia onion this time of year!)

1 C spinach, raw

1/4 red bell pepper, chopped

2 Tbsp reduced-fat crumbled feta cheese

1 tsp butter or margarine (I like Smart Balance with omega-3 fatty acids added)

splash nonfat milk

dash salt

dash ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Warm butter or margarine in small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cook for 3-4 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes, mushrooms and bell pepper to skillet and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add spinach and cook until wilted (about 2 minutes).

3. Place broccoli florets in covered, microwave-safe bowl and steam for 30-45 seconds, until broccoli is bright green (but still firm).

4. Crack egg in small mixing bowl and add two egg whites. Add splash of milk, salt and pepper. Whisk well and pour over vegetables in skillet. Cook until egg is cooked through (approximately 7-10 minutes). Add steamed broccoli and feta cheese. Cook for another minute (so cheese melts) and remove from heat. Enjoy!

The Goods: What’s Inside?

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:

Calories 206 calories, Total Fat 9 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 190 mg, Carbohydrates 13 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 20 g, Sodium 601 mg, Calcium 145 mg

Farro with Roasted Veggies and Sautéed Shrimp

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Farro with Roasted Veggies and Sautéed Shrimp

Farro is a whole grain that tastes like a cross between brown rice and pasta – and is full of hearty fiber, protein and taste! Farro and shrimp make this simple dish a protein powerhouse, while the veggies offer a ton of vitamins and minerals. I like to make this dish at the beginning of the week so that I can enjoy the leftovers (hot or cold) throughout the busy week. Just be sure to store the shrimp separate from the farro so that it lasts longer.

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Ingredients (serves 4):

1 C farro, uncooked

2 C water or low-sodium vegetable broth (whichever you prefer to use to cook the farro)

1/2 pound shrimp, cleaned

Farro - almost done!

Farro – almost done!

1 medium eggplant

1 medium zucchini

3/4 large red onion

1 red bell pepper

2 garlic cloves

3/4 C mushrooms, chopped

1/2 C reduced-fat feta cheese

1/4 C olive oil plus 1 Tbsp

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika

Ready to roast!

Ready to roast!

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Remove skin from eggplant (optional). Chop eggplant, zucchini, red bell pepper (with seeds removed) and onion into pieces of similar size. Dice garlic cloves.

3. Place chopped vegetables and garlic on baking sheet. Add mushrooms, 1/4 C olive oil, and 3/4 tsp each salt, ground black pepper and garlic powder.

4. Roast vegetables in oven until soft and browned (approximately 20 minutes).

5. Place 1 C farro and 2 C either water or low-sodium vegetable broth (whichever you prefer) in small pot. Bring contents to a roaring boil and allow to boil for about 5 minutes. Cover contents with lid and simmer until all liquid is absorbed (approximately 20-30 minutes).

6. Place shrimp in small mixing bowl with remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1/4 each tsp salt, ground black pepper and garlic powder, and 1/2 tsp paprika. Mix contents and transfer to small skillet warmed over medium heat. Cook shrimp until they are pink on the outside and no longer translucent (about 3-5 minutes on each side). Remove from heat.

7. Combine farro with roasted veggies in large bowl and add feta cheese. Top with sautéed shrimp and enjoy!

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Shrimp are ready to be cooked!

The Goods: What’s Inside?

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:

Calories 431 calories, Total Fat 17 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 115 mg, Carbohydrate 46 g, Fiber 8 g, Protein 24 g, Sodium 652 mg, Calcium 131 mg

*Nutritional analysis uses farro cooked with water (not low-sodium vegetable broth)

No Lettuce? No Problem! Edamame, Cucumber, Tomato and Feta Salad

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Edamame, Cucumber, Tomato and Feta Salad

This simple salad is a cinch to put together and is a great salad to use for entertaining, or to pack for the day to load up with good nutrition on-the-go. Edamame contains soy protein, helping to to fill you up without filling you out. Also, tomatoes contain lycopene, which is a potent antioxidant. But you won’t even be thinking about how good this salad is for you when you’re eating it- you’ll just be thinking about how good it tastes!

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Ingredients (serves 2):

1/2 C cooked, shelled edamame (*tip: try to find a brand that does not add salt to lower the sodium content)

1 C cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 C sliced English cucumber (with skin)

1/4 C reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

dash salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients. How simple is that?!

*If your soybeans are salted, you may choose to skip the extra salt -this can make your salad taste too salty and also makes the sodium unnecessarily high.

The Goods: What’s Inside?

Nutritional Analysis Per Serving:

Calories 150, Fat 9 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 13 mg, Carbohydrates 11 g, Fiber 4 g, Protein 10 g, Sodium 284 mg, Calcium 131 mg