Wednesday, January 31, 2007

YUMMY MONDAYS- HEALTHY SOUTHWESTERN CHICKEN FAJITAS



Chicken Fajitas
This chicken fajitas recipe yields 4 servings and the start to finish time takes 20 minutes.

1⁄4 cup lime juice

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoon cumin

1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

3⁄4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 11⁄2 x 1-inch strips
Olive oil spray

1 medium onion, sliced lengthwise

1 large green bell pepper (or mixture of red and green peppers), cut into strips

1⁄2 cup grated reduced-fat cheddar cheese

1⁄2 cup salsa


OPTIONAL* Just a side note but I love it when Bret adds a bit of fresh pineapple to the mixture. It gives it that freash, sweet, crisp bite that we all crave!!!

8 romaine lettuce leaves
In a large glass or porcelain bowl combine the lime juice, garlic, coriander, cumin, and red pepper flakes.Mix well and add the chicken strips, stir, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Spray with olive oil. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until done. Remove from the skillet. Add the onion and green bell pepper to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through.

Spoon the chicken mixture onto lettuce leaves. Top with cheese and a bit of salsa.

Per serving: calories 164, protein 24 g, carbohydrates 9 g, fiber 2 g, fat 4 g (monounsaturated 1 g, polyunsaturated 1 g, saturated 1 g), sodium 267 mg.

Saturday, January 27, 2007

TURBO JAM ON QVC!!!


It's that time again everyone, Turbo Jam with be appearing on QVC two days only!! I have taken some of my best ladies with me which include my wonderful sister, Jenelle, the ever fabulous Josette, my two fellow Orange County ladies, Danielle and Cindy, and of course I could not leave behind the ever glamorous, Genelle. I wanted you to know that you can see me along with the whole gang on QVC on Saturday January 27th at 11pm PST/2am EST and also Sunday January 28th at 1pm PST/4pm EST. Feel free to call in and remember Turbo Jam is far more than just your average workout!!!

Monday, January 22, 2007

YUMMY MONDAYS: Mandarin Orange Salad Low Calorie Recipe


Ingredients:
6 cups mixed salad greens
Two kiwi fruits, peeled and sliced
One, 11-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained
Two or three thin slices of red onion

Directions:
Rinse the salad greens thoroughly and dry.

Arrange greens on four individual plates.

Scatter the kiwi, mandarin oranges, and red onions attractively on top.

Serve with Orange Balsamic Dressing.

Recipe makes 8 servings.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 80
Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 25mg

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

YUMMY MONDAYS: TURKEY MEATBALL SANDWICH



1 pound boneless skinless ground turkey breast
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 egg white
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 can (8 ounces) whole tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped
1 can (4 ounces) reduced sodium tomato sauce

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
4 Wonder Light buns

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg white, parsley, garlic in a medium bowl and mix well. Form mixture into 16 small meatballs (about the size of a golf ball). Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add meatballs and cook about 5 minutes or until browned on all sides. Remove meatballs from skillet.

Add onion to skillet and cook about 2-3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning and meatballs and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Place 4 meatballs in each roll, spoon sauce over meatballs, sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Makes 4 Servings
Serving Size: 1 roll with 4 meatballs

Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 220
Total fat: 4 grams (12% of calories)
Saturated fat: 1 gram
Cholesterol: 117 mg
Sodium: 308 mg
Carbohydrate: 29 grams (40% of calories)
Protein: 34 grams (48% of calories)
Dietary fiber: 3 grams

Monday, January 08, 2007

YUMMY MONDAYS: Barbecued Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps




2 cups, 4 handfuls, fresh shiitake mushrooms
1 1/3 to 1 1/2 pounds thin cut chicken breast or chicken tenders
2 tablespoons light colored oil, such as vegetable oil or peanut oil
Coarse salt and coarse black pepper
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 inch ginger root, finely chopped or grated, optional

1 orange, zested
1/2 red bell pepper, diced small
1 small tin, 6 to 8 ounces, sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
3 scallions, chopped
3 tablespoons hoisin, Chinese barbecue sauce, available on Asian foods aisle of market
1/2 large head iceberg lettuce, core removed, head quartered
Wedges of navel orange -- platter garnish


Remove tough stems from mushrooms and brush with damp towel to clean, Slice mushrooms. Chop chicken into small pieces.
Preheat a large skillet or wok to high.

Add oil to hot pan. Add chicken to the pan and sear meat by stir frying a minute or 2. Add mushrooms and cook another minute or two. Add salt and pepper to season, then garlic and ginger. Cook a minute more. Grate zest into pan, add bell pepper bits, chopped water chestnuts and scallions. Cook another minute, continuing to stir fry mixture. Add hoisin Chinese barbecue sauce and toss to coat the mixture evenly. Transfer the hot chopped barbecued chicken to serving platter and pile the quartered wedges of crisp iceberg lettuce along side. Add wedged oranges to platter to garnish. To eat, pile spoonfuls into lettuce leaves, wrapping lettuce around fillings and squeeze an orange wedge over.

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

YUMMY MONDAYS: Chipotle Shrimp Taco with Avocado Salsa Verde




Avocado Salsa:

1 small onion, quartered
1 jalapeno, quartered, seeds optional
1 garlic clove, smashed
4 medium tomatillos, (about 8 ounces) husked, rinsed, and coarsely chopped
1/2 Hass avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped

Shrimp:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chipotle or blended chili powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound medium shrimp (about 20), peeled and deveined

8 corn tortillas
8 sprigs cilantro for garnish
2 limes, cut into wedges



Put the onion, jalapeno, and garlic in a food processor and finely chop. Add the tomatillos, avocado, and salt and pulse until chopped but still chunky. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cilantro.

Heat a stovetop or outdoor grill to medium-high. Mix the olive oil, chipotle or chili powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Grill the shrimp until translucent, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side.

Grill tortillas, until slightly charred and pliable, about 20 seconds per side. (Alternatively, wrap in a damp paper towel and heat in a microwave.) Spoon sauce on the tortilla, then top with about 2 or 3 shrimp and a sprig of cilantro. Serve 2 tacos per person, with a lime wedge on the side.


Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis per serving
Calories 233
Fat 10 grams
Saturated Fat 2 grams
Carbohydrates 12 grams
Fiber 3 grams
Protein 25 grams