Grilled Chicken Salad and Birthday Cupcakes!

For the entire week prior to Noah's birthday, it has been a non-stop food marathon. We flew to NY for Thanksgiving which encompassed a slew of restaurant eating- Chinese, Mexican, Deli, Dunkin Donuts (they don't have them in LA!) and of course, our 4-hour long Thanksgiving feast. We pretty much had it with that heavy, I-just-need-to-pass-out feeling after every dinner, so for Noah's actual birthday, I decided to cook nice and light.

On the Menu 

Grilled Chicken Salad 

Grilled Chicken Salad

Serves: 2    Serving Size: 1 salad     Prep Time: 6 minutes    Cook Time: 12 minutes 

Chicken Ingredients:

10 ounces of skinless, boneless chicken breast, pounded until thin 

3 Tblsp. Lemon Juice 

1 1/2 Tblsp. Dried Rosemary

1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt 

Salad Ingredients:

3-4 cups of Fresh Spinach Leaves

1/2 cup of Chopped Onions

1/2 an Avocado 

1/2 Red Tomato and/or 1/4 cup of Raisins (optional)

Dressing Ingredients:

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tblsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tsp. Dijon Mustard

1 packet of Splenda (you can also use Equal/Stevia/Sugar/etc.)

Directions:

Simply throw chicken breasts on a non-stick grill pan over medium-high heat (no non-stick spray needed). Sprinkle Garlic Salt on both sides of the chicken as the chicken gets from pink/clear to white. When the chicken is 3/4th done,  after about 4 minutes on each side have cooked, sprinkle the lemon juice and rosemary leaves on both sides. Cook until the chicken is fully white (another 2 minutes or so on each side). Set chicken aside.

Next, set out your two plates and first lay 1 1/2- 2 cups of spinach leaves on each plate. Then, divide the remaining salad ingredients between each plate just as you did with the spinach. 

Mix all dressing ingredients in a small bowl and use a tablespoon to pour the dressing on each plate. Then top with the chicken and enjoy!

Nutrition Breakdown: per 1 salad with 5 oz. of chicken breast

383 calories (and so big and filling!), 16.4 g fat, 5 g fiber, 31.5 g protein 


Now for the Birthday Cupcakes! 
This recipe couldn't be easier. Just take 1 box of Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownies and mix with 2 Tbls. of water, 1/3 cup of unsweetened apple sauce and 1/4 cup of egg whites. Mix batter well and lay out a lot of adorable, rubber mini-cupcake molds on a large cookie sheet- I made 27 but it will vary with the size of your molds. Lightly spray rubber molds with a non-stick spray then, use a tablespoon and rubber spatula to spoon the batter into the molds (doesn't "rubber molds" sound kind of gross? I'm not sure why).

Bake in the oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes, then take out and add a thin slice of banana to each one. I only used 1 banana so I had about 7 cupcakes that didn't get one. Then, put back in the oven for a remaining 20 or so minutes (until you can place a tooth pick to the side of a banana slice and take it out clean). Now, arrange into a birthday number and Ta Da...Birthday Cupcakes!- no yucky frosting needed! 

Nutrition Breakdown: per 1 cupcake when the recipe makes 27 cupcakes
95 calories, 1.8 g fat, less than 1 g fiber,  1.5 g protein

Hot 'n' Spicy Thai Peanut Stir-Fry

This recipe is so good, the only complaint you'll receive is if you don't have extras for a round of seconds.  It hits the spot for a winter dinner, making you sweat from the chili's heat. It's so savory and satisfying, you'll be licking the plate for every last drop. Don't believe me? Try it for yourself!

On the Menu 
Hot 'n' Spicy Thai Peanut Stir-Fry 

Serving Size: apx. 1 1/2 cups or 1/2 the recipe      Serves: 2
Prep Time: 12 minutes       Cook Time: 15-20 minutes 


Ingredients:
1 14 oz Bag of Frozen Peppers (or you can slice a fresh green, red and yellow pepper)
1 medium-sized Onion, chopped into big pieces (see picture for reference)
1 14 oz Package of Extra Firm Tofu
1 Tbsp. of Reduced-Fat Creamy Peanut Butter
4 Tbsp. Sesame Teriyaki Sauce
2 tsp. Light Soy Sauce
2 tsp. Chopped Red Chili Peppers- can also use the frozen cubes (1 for mild, but I highly recommend using 2)
3 Cloves of Garlic, smashed and chopped

Directions:
First, put the chopped onions in the wok and let them heat up and soften on medium-high heat for about 3-5 minutes. Then throw in the frozen or fresh peppers. If using frozen, take 1 square of a paper towel, fold it up and try soaking up some of the water at the bottom of the wok. No need to clear all of it.

Lower the flame to medium heat and then add chili paste and garlic cloves. While that is cooking, quickly open your tofu package, drain out the water, cut width-wise (by putting the knife on its side and easily sliding it from right to left). Then make 4-5 slices in the block from the top and 3 across and throw the tofu in the wok. Mix around with a rubber spatula (protects the wok). Let the whole mixture cook by stirring around occasionally.

 When everything looks good and ready, add the peanut butter (takes a couple of seconds to melt a bit) and stir around so its evenly distributed. Now you can add 3 Tbsp. of teriyaki sauce and the soy sauce (if you add them too soon, they will cook through too quickly and force you to use more which means more calories!) At this point, you can turn off the flame and let it sit for a minute or two. Lastly, add the remaining tablespoon of teriyaki sauce and stir (this way the flavor doesn't get lost in the cooking).

Plate with 1/2 cup of brown rice or have it plain and Enjoy!

Nutrition Breakdown
372 calories, 15g fat (healthy from the tofu mainly), 6g fiber, 25.5g protein (right on!)


Note: I would suggest trying this recipe with broccoli as well. I only thought of it afterwards but I'm sure it would be delicious! 

Agave-Glazed Golden Carrots

These Agave- Glazed Golden Carrots were an instant hit with the hubby! This dish has been around in traditional Jewish cooking for years (typically made with honey, margarine and raisins- don't worry, you won't miss them) and is commonly referred to as "Tzimmes." This dish is the perfect last-minute put-together that will not only look great on your table, but it also tastes amazing and is good for you. While this recipe is high in natural sugars, agave provides a sweetener that has a low-glycemic index so you don't get an unhealthy sugar spike that you would if say, you were to use honey. The taste of this dish really brings out the natural flavors of the carrot and is the perfect balance of lightness and sweetness that serves a big punch of vitamin A!

On the Menu
Agave- Glazed Golden Carrots 
Serves: 8  Serving Size: 2/3 cup  Prep Time: 10 minutes  Cook Time: 30 minutes 


Ingredients: 
2 pounds of Carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4" rounds (apx. 10 large carrots or 13 medium carrots or 6 cups of chopped carrots...could also use bags of peeled baby carrots to save a few minutes)
1/2 cup Light Agave Nectar
1 Tbls. Lemon Juice (to perserve beautiful color)
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. All Spice 
Pinch of Salt 
Water to cover 

Directions:
Add all the ingredients to a large sauce pan and pour in water to cover the ingredients. Cover the pot and cook on medium-high heat until it is boiling, then reduce to medium heat and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes until the carrots are soft. Then, remove cover and cook on medium-high heat. Boil until the liquid is cooked down and glazing the carrots. 

Note: This photo shows only half of the recipe cooking in the saucepan. If serving 4 people, you can easily halve the recipe.
TADA!!

Nutrition Breakdown:
Per 2/3 a cup: 100 calories, 0 Fat, 2.75g Fiber, 1g Protein


Cost: $$
Agave is a bit more expensive than conventional honey, but it is worth it. The taste is so much lighter and more natural tasting than corn syrup, honey, liquid sugar or any other option you might come across. 

Warm Apple Crispy Goodness..a' la Mode

Ever wonder what that side dish is that your missing but you can't quite figure out what it is? Or, do you ever get sick of serving boring cake, cookies and a platter of fruit like everyone else for dessert? Well, you've come to the right place. Today's recipe is just the thing to add to your table for a side dish to a meal or as a dessert with option to add frozen yogurt or soy vanilla ice cream for the most sensational party for your taste buds!

On the Menu
Warm Apple Crispy Goodness 

Serves: 10    Prep Time: 20 minutes    Cook Time: 40 minutes 
Ingredients:
5 medium-sized Green Apples 
1 14 oz can of Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce (you can definitely make your own version w/ less sugar but this is just so much more convenient unfortunately) 
1 1/4 cups of Old Fashion Whole Oats (not instant) 
4 Tbls. Smart Balance Light Original Buttery Spread (non-dairy/parve)  
1 capful (apx. 1 tsp.) of Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar 


Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Now, peel all the apples with a peeler and slice the apples into 1/2 inch thick slices, lengthwise. Then add them to a loaf pan or cooking dish. No need to grease the pan or anything like that. 

Next, open up the cranberry sauce and disperse it evenly over the apples. Yes, it's that simple. 

Next, to a separate mixing bowl add butter, oats, vanilla extract and brown sugar. Take off any rings or bracelets (ickiness lives behind these things) and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water. Once your super clean hands are dried with a clean paper towel, use your hands to crumble and mix the whole mixture together. Now evenly disperse on top of the apple/cranberry stack. 

Lastly, stick the crispy apple goodness in the oven, uncovered, for 40 or so minutes. You want to open the oven at the 35 minute mark and see the apples bubbling on the sides. It sounds like a lot of time with a lot of heat but seriously, the longer the better. Once you stick that serving spoon in the dish, the apples are going to be oozing with goodness!


Nutrition Facts: (per serving size: 1/10th of recipe)
192 calories, 2.75 g fat, 3.5 g fiber, 1.25 g protein 
Under 3g of fat for the most amazing dessert or side dish + super antioxidants from the whole cranberries, apples and whole oats! I'm Feelin' Good!!


Note: As a special treat, when serving as a dessert, feel free to top with a low fat soy or fat free frozen vanilla yogurt. Your mouth will swoon! If you choose to do this though, just make sure to take into account the extra calories.


Cost: $$
Once you buy the ingredients, you will have them forever! Next time you want to make it (probably the next day), all you have to do really is pick up another bag of apples and a can of cranberry sauce (or stock up when there's a sale!)


Enjoy!!

Edama-ME-licious Salad

This recipe is adapted from my sister's recipe that calls for chopped corn, yet, I've taken out the corn because it's just so not worth the carbs in my opinion. This salad is so light and fresh tasting, you can serve it as an appetizer, a salad, or (in my case for tonight) as the main meal! Everyone loves this salad from kids, to guys to adults. Pick up the few ingredients needed for this recipe next time you're in the grocery store, I promise you wont regret it.

On the Menu 
Edama-ME-licious Salad 

Serving Size: 2/3 cup Serves: 6 for a side dish
Prep Time: 8 minutes 


Ingredients:
Bagged, Shelled Edamame (found in the frozen section)
1 large Red Pepper, chopped
1 medium Orange or Yellow Pepper, chopped
1/4 Red Onion, chopped
1/3 cup White Vinegar 
2 Tbls. Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and serve. Best if chilled for 30 minutes in the refrigerator prior to serving. 


Nutrition Count:
Per serving: 158 calories, 7.4 g fat (good fat!), 5.2 g fiber, 8.75 g protein 
Cost: $$$ 
very few ingredients which makes it very affordable and easy to make.

My Morning Elixer: Strawberry Addiction Smoothie

My husband Noah and I can't live without our morning elixer.. A Smoothie! For this morning, I chose to make my Strawberry Addiction smoothie. It tastes so fresh, bright, light, yet incredibly satisfying and fulfilling, and naturally delicious! One HUGE smoothie has only 160 calories, 2g fat, 18g protein, and 5 g fiber! It's literally the perfect way to start your day! And on top of that, they have over 30% your daily value (dv) of calcium, 40% you dv of vitamin D, 120% you dv of vitamin C (great for fighting those winter colds!) and more! Seriously, stock up on these 3 simple ingredients needed for this recipe and get your mornings going right!

On the Menu
Strawberry Addiction Smoothie

Ingredients
2 Heaping Tablespoons of Herbalife Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix, Vanilla (link to buy below)*
5 Frozen Strawberries
3 oz. nearly Fat Free, High Protein Yogurt (I use Ralph's CARBmaster yogurts: 1 6 oz. container has 60 calories, 1g fat, and 8g protein)
6 oz. Cold Water
3 Ice Cubes


Directions
To a blender, first add water followed by Herbalife powder, strawberries and yogurt and blend until smooth. Then lift the blender's lid and add the ice cubes. Now, re-blend! Pour into a nice tall glass and enjoy! There might be some leftover as an added bonus!

*You can buy the Herbalife powder by clicking here

Peanut BETTER, Gingersnap Cookies!

K, take a breath, spend a moment and reread the title. Yes, these cookies have peanut butter in them, but they are SOOO much better than your average peanut butter cookies that you see in stores, bakeries and people's homes, that you must differentiate the two for a minute. I promise you, you and your guests will be salivating over how good these cookies are. They are so flavorful and satisfying that you will be incredibly satiated by just one cookie, or two or three!
Disclaimer: If these are not your new favorite cookies, I'll give you a full money back guarantee! (hehe)

On the Menu 
Peanut BETTER Gingersnap Cookies
Serves: 12   Prep Time: 35 minutes  Cook Time: 9 minutes 
Ingredients:
3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/3 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda 
2 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ground Ginger
1/2 tsp. All Spice
Pinch of Salt
2 Tbsp Non Calorie Sweetener like Splenda
1 cup of Light Brown Sugar
1/3 cup Reduced Fat Peanut Butter
3 Tbsp. Smart Balance Light Butter 
2 Tbsp Agave Nectar or Low Calorie Pancake Syrup
2 Tbsp Egg Whites
1 tsp. Vanilla 


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside. 
2. In a medium bowl, stir together both flours, baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt. Set aside. 
3. Combine no-calorie sweetener and remaining 1 tsp cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside. 
4. In another medium bowl, beat together brown sugar, peanut butter and butter - I use my hand and get really sticky. Its so hard not to lick my fingers clean! Now add Syrup/Agave, egg whites and vanilla. Beat again until smooth. 
5. Using a wooden spoon, stir flour mixture into peanut butter mixture. It is going to be a stiff, yet gooey dough. Using your hands, shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll balls in reserved cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place on a cookie sheet at least 2 inches apart (they spread a lot when baking!)
6. Bake cookies for 9 minutes. They may appear undercooked but thats okay. They need to sit out and cool a bit to harden. Use a spatula to life the cookies from the pan- if you use your fingers, they might break. Enjoy!!!


Nutrition Breakdown:
Per One Cookie = 102 Calories, 3.4 g Fat, (1.6 g Saturated Fat), 2 g Protein, 0.8 g Fiber
Vs. a Standard Peanut Butter Cookie for 130 calories and 7 g of fat! I'd say, NOT BAD!!

Easy, Shmeasy Cholent (Yiddish Stew)

Hey there old friends, foodies, health- aficiandos and people questioning that good food can be healthy too!

My friend Abby asked for a Cholent recipe that could be healthy, easy to make and delicious, so naturally, she approached me with the challenge. Below find the recipe to this rockin' cholent.

On the Menu:

Easy, Shmeasy Cholent!! 

Serves: 12   Prep Time: 10 minutes   Cook Time: 20 hours!! 

Ingredients:

1 28oz. can of Bush's Best Vegetarian Baked Beans (Fat Free)

1 20oz. can of Cedar 6-Bean Blend 
Note: I just use the canned stuff because I don't want to waste my time soaking beans, but it's up to you

8oz. Bagged Dried Pearled Barley

1 lb. Chuck Meat (looks lean!)

1/2 cup of Ketchup

1/2 cup of BBQ sauce

2 cups of yellow onions, pealed and cut into 1" pieces

2 cups of sweet potatoes, pealed and cut into 1" pieces

Generous with Spices: Garlic Powder, Paprika, Black Pepper, Salt, Onion Powder and everything else you want (think hot sauce if you dare)

Splash of beer to help soften the meat (optional)

Directions:

In a crock pot, layer: 1. Dried Barley 2. Onions 3. Sweet Potatoes 4. All Beans 5. Meat 6. All Spices 7. Beer, BBQ Sauce and Ketchup

Then, add water so that it covers up to the top of all the layers.

Turn the crock pot on high for 2 hours, then drop to low for 20+ hours

Stir occasionally and add water as it evaporates 

Nutrition Breakdown:

1 serving (1 cup) = 250 calories, 1.5 g fat, 15.5 g Protein 7g Fiber!

Leftover Tip: use throughout the week:

1. On top of a Tumaros Gourmet Tortilla (Multi Grain, Low In Carbs) with salsa and 2 Tbls. Guacomole , shredded lettuce and diced onions and cilantro 

2. With Brown Rice and steamed zuccini for a well rounded Monday night dinner

3. As a dip for Baked Pita Chips (simply made by cutting up pitas and baking with cooking spray and seasonings)

After picture to come...

Semi-Homemade Tortellini's & "Meat" Sauce!

My husband, Noah, has been on healthy eating overdrive and I can tell that he is starting to crave some serious carbs. By stating "serious carbs," I'm alluding to the fact that even our tortilla wraps have more grams of fiber and protein than they do carbohydrates! So I decided to indulge him in some genuine tortellini's and meat sauce. But of course, I had to do it my way: healthily, easily, and inexpensively. And the reviews were absolutely scrumptious!!
On the Menu
Tortellini's and "Meat" Sauce 
Serving Size: 20 tortillini's and 1/2 cup of meat sauce  Servings Per Recipe: 4
Prep Time: practically non-existant Cook Time: 10 to 15 minutes

Ingredients: 
1 box of New York Pasta Authority California Sun-dried Tomato Tortellini...270 cals, 3g fat, & 6g fiber per serving (brand uses enriched flour so the tortellini maintains a high fiber content)
For the Sauce
2 cups of Morningstar Soy Meat Crumbles ("Grillers Recipe Crumbles")
Suggestion: Forget about the ingredients listed below and just use 1 1/4 cups of an awesome ready-made tomato sauce (less than 3g fat and 90 cals per serving)...or else use, 
1 small can of Tomato Paste
2 tsp. of Vegetable Consume 
2 Tblsp. Crushed Garlic
2 Tblsp. Herb Seasoning Blend to Taste
1 cup of water 

Directions:
Boil the box of tortellini according to the box directions. It is super easy, prepare as you would pasta.

Next, take out a sauce pan and combine all ingredients for the meat sauce aside from the Morningstar Meat Crumbles (if you followed my suggestion above, you would just be adding the jarred tomato sauce to the pan- Now, that was easy!!!). After 2-3 minutes on sim to low heat, add the meat crumbles and stir. 
Tip: feel free to throw in meat crumbles straight from the freezer. 

Now just make sure you count out exactly 20 tortellini's so you don't overdue it (or take more, just keep track of it!) and add your yummy meat sauce! Bon Apetite!

Tip: Grab a grater and grate a folded slice of low fat swiss cheese for a nice kick! 

Serve With: 
I steamed up some giant artichokes (my favorite at just 70 calories a piece) and made Tabachniks 100 calorie Cabbage Soup! 

Used the Fork to Illustrate the Hugeness of this Artichoke! MMM

Nutrition Breakdown:

For the Tortellini & "Meat" Sauce, per serving: 361 calories, 4.5g fat, 11g fiber, 20g protein

Add Soup and Artichoke: 531 calories, 5.5g fat, 22g fiber, 25 g protein

Cost: $$ 

About $5.50 per serving (including side dishes) 

Note: Tabatchnick soup was on sale for $1.99 and includes 2 servings. Artichokes were priced per item instead of per pound, so I took the largest ones they had! SCORE!

I'm-a-Fraud-Spaghetti-&-Meatballs

I am proud to introduce the star of my blog post!!.... Spaghetti Squash! I've heard so much about it but it wasn't until I watched my brave best friend, Abby, make it that I was willing to give it a shot and boy- I'm so glad I did!

On Today's Menu 
I'm-a-Fraud-Spaghetti-&-Meatballs
Serving Size: 2 big Cups of "Spaghetti" or apx. 1/4 of a Spaghetti Squash and 1.5 Tofurkey Sausages worth of Meatballs! aka HUGE!!
Serves: 2.. easy to double the recipe for 4 people but take a look below at what I do with my leftovers!!

Ingredients:
1/2 Spaghetti Squash
1/2 Jar of Your Favorite Marinara Sauce (watch the fat content.. should have less that 3-4 g fat)
1/2 Onion
1 Package of Your Favorite Flavor Tofurky Sausages ( You will only use 3 of the 4 in the package)
Mushrooms (optional)
Garlic (optional)
Parsley to Garnish (optional)

Directions:
Microwave the whole squash for about 5 minutes until it's soft enough to cut in half, lengthwise. Next, place both sides (you might as well cook both sides right away.. the other half refrigerates great once its cooked) in baking pans and cook at 375 F for about an hour (might even take longer!!) until the squash falls apart easily using a fork.

P.S. Don't listen to cooking sites that say you have to boil the squash in water or anything like that. I experimented with that and it took away the flavor of the squash and tasted bland.. Yuck!

While the squash is baking, cut up your Tofurky Sausages into chucks aka Meatballs!

Then throw into a sauce pan with Your Favorite Marinara Sauce! Here is your chance to add additional spices, garlic, mushroom and onions if you like.

When the squash is ready, use a fork (metal not plastic, plastic will melt!) to pull apart the meat of the squash (no! not literal meat, silly!) and scoop about 2 cups worth on to each dinner plate. Then pile the "Meatballs" and Sauce right on top! Garnish with Parsley if you like (I'm not that fancy for a Tuesday night dinner) and Voila! You got Ilana's take on "Spaghetti & Meatballs"

Tip: Mix it all together before you take that first bite, you want the sauce to coat all of the spaghetti.

Nutrition Breakdown: 489 cal, 19 g fat (not terribly low so eat lower fat foods the rest of the day, it'll be worth it!), 14g Fiber (wowza!), 45 g Protein (woohoo!)
Note: Its a massive portion, so if you eat less, it will be less!

Cost: $ The spaghetti squash was $5.67 for the whole thing.. meaning just $1.42 per huge serving. The Tofurky Sausages are $5-6 for the pack of 4... just $2.10 per serving. And the sauce is up to you but, you will probably use about $1 per serving.
Total: $4.52 for a bangin' dinner!! Me likey!!

What To Do With The Leftovers You Ask??
I threw the spaghetti into a delicious stir-fry with boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut up veggies! Perfection!

Breakfast of Honeymooners.. Challah Bread French Toast That You'll Love the Most! and a Low-Carb Crepe for your Slimming Shape!

WE'RE BAAACKKK!! I know it's been so long but Noah and I have literally been "on the road!" We went straight from the wedding to New York to our Honeymoon in Puerto Aventuras, Mexico, where we ate way to much of Muchos Nachos Machos... don't even ask!

Now we are back, settled in our apartment and ready for our new healthy, loving lifestyle! We were invited out Friday night for dinner so I kept it really simple for Saturday lunch and just made my Hummus, Bok Choy Salad (curtesy of the Kosher Palette.. just used less olive oil than the recipe calls for), and Pretzel Shnitzel/ Pretzel-crumb Covered Chicken Strips ( Sliced Empire chicken breasts soaked in Egg Beaters and battered in blended fat free pretzels with garlic powder, paprika and onion powder, covered and baked at 375 for one hour... and garnished with Honey Mustard MMM). For dessert I made a fruit salad using 2 cut-up red apples, 2 sliced bananas and 3 clementines and soaked in plain ol' orange juice. It came out great and was just enough for a 4-person simple Sabbath meal.

And on to Sunday Morning Brunch!

On the Menu
Challah Bread French Toast That You'll Love the Most! 
Total Time: 10 min
Makes 4 slices, 2 servings ( or 1 serving if you have a growing man in the house and it's his breakfast and lunch)
Ingredients:

• 4 slices of yesterdays Stale Challah Bread (We would normally use Whole Wheat! A guest brought it for us though so we had to use it) .....apx. 120 calories per 1" slice
• 3/4 c. Egg Whites... 100 calories 
• 1 c. Blue Diamond Vanilla Almond Milk...90 calories
• 1 tbls. of Splenda Brown Sugar Mix ... 20 calories
• dash of Cinnamon, optional 
• PAM nonstick spray

Directions:

Lay out 2 shallow bowls and pour the Almond Milk in one and the Egg Whites in the other. First take a stale piece of Challah Bread and soak in the Almond Milk then transfer to the Egg White Bowl and fully coat the bread on both sides. Next, coat a skillet with non-stick spray and place your soggy challah right on the pan. Repeat with remaining slices. When all 4 slices are in the skillet, lightly sprinkle the Brown Sugar Mixture evenly over each slice, flip and repeat on the other side. Feel free to use Cinnamon as well. When both sides are a golden brown and look delicious, place on a plate and serve!

I served mine with half of a banana, sliced, and fat-free peach yogurt. 

Suggested condiments: Sugar-free Pancake Syrup, Apple Butter, Prune Butter, and Agave Syrup

Guaranteed Results!!

Calorie Count: Per Serving of 2 pieces: 345 Calories, 4 g Fat, 7.5 g Fiber, 10 g Protein...might be a little less of everything because there was leftover batter (see below with what to do with it!)

Cost: $... you would have thrown out the challah had you not made this recipe anyway!

Next on the Menu:

Low-Carb Crepe for your Slimming Shape! 

Total Time: 5 minutes

Makes 1 crepe for 1 serving

Ingredients: 

• Leftover Egg White and Almond Vanilla Milk mixture from the French Toast (above). About 1/4 c. Egg whites and 1 oz. of Almond Milk...About 95 calories 
• 1/2 container of Ralph's CARBmaster peach yogurt... only 60 calories per container, Kosher and was only $0.50 this week on sale! 
• 1/2 banana (also leftover from the french toast garnish, above)... 55 calories
• 1 tbls. Prune Butter.. 40 calories
• PAM non-stick cooking spray
• 1 Packet of Splenda sweetener

Directions:

Mix together the remaining Almond Milk and Egg White mixtures and pour into a PAM-coated pan, let sit for a minute on medium heat and don't flip. Stir together 1/2 container of Peach Yogurt with a little less than the whole Splenda Packet and pour down the center of the crepe mixture in the pan. Place sliced bananas on top and fold over the crepe on both sides, creating a perfect looking crepe! Put the prune butter on top and ENJOY!!!

Ignore the bubbles... they come from using the Almond Milk

Calorie Count: 220 calories, 1.5 g Fat, 14 g Protein, 2g Fiber

Cost: $ ... I bet the whole thing cost under $1!!! 

Hummus to Max!

I love to make my classic hummus recipe for guests. It comes across as so homemade and gourmet and yet, its probably the easiest thing you can make. Let alone- its healthier, cheaper and more creative than just making another batch of guacamole (which I'm not downright dissing because I happen to love guaco). The whole recipe- which serves up a large batch- costs less than 5-6 bucks and you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry.  

For Friday night, I made the Olive variety but they are all amazing. (photographed below is also my sundried tomato version that I made for a previous event).

Hummus Recipe:

yield: 32 servings

one 16 oz. can chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved,

1/4 cup lemon juice or the juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp.salt

 1-2 cloves garlic.. i find that fresh garlic cloves are much stronger than using the chopped up, jarred kind

 2-3 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp dried cilantro or a small handful of fresh cilantro

1 pinch paprika for garnish

Directions:
Place the chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, garlic, and most of the cilantro in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, gradually adding the reserved liquid to the thick hummus batter until your happy with its creamy consistency. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl. Drizzle olive oil over the hummus and top with a sprinkle of paprika and cilantro to impress your your friends!

For Spicy:  Add 8 splashes of hot sauce and 2 Tbsp of roasted red peppers to the blended mix

For Olive: Get a jar of green olives and instead of reserving the juice in the chickpea can, reserve the juice from the olive jar to be added to the Hummus mixture to achieve a creamy consistency when the batter is too thick. Add about 3 Tbsp of green olives to the blender along with the other ingredients. Use olives to garnish.

For Sun dried Tomato: Get a jar of sun dried tomatoes in oil. Replace Olive oil in original recipe with the oil from the jar of sun dried tomatoes. Add about 3 Tbsp of sun dried tomatoes and an additional clove of garlic to the blender along with the other ingredients. Use sun dried tomatoes to garnish.

Tips: Use a good blender and set it to "Liquefy" when blending the Hummus. Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts:

Per 2 Tablespoon. 

30 Calories. 1 gram of fat. Just under 1 gram of fiber. Just over 1 gram of protein. 

Cost: $

About $0.17 per serving

A very Blogworthy Weekend!

Blog-wor-thy [blog-wur-thee] 

adj. Healthy, Affordable, Easy-to-Make, Delicious


My mom came in for the weekend so I wanted to take full advantage of bonding time with her, and what better way to do it than by cooking together! For the first weekend in the new apartment, we decided to go all out and create a beautiful, traditional Shabbat Dinner feast- but healthfully, cost-consciously and of course, deliciously!
Our table of guests, including Noah of course, were absolutely delighted at the variety of colors and flavors on the table. A great rule of thumb- the more (natural) colors on the plate, the healthier the dish. Many of the health properties associated with fruits and vegetables come from the rich phytochemicals and antioxidants in their colors themselves- that's why it is never as healthy to take a supplement as it is to eat the actual fruit or vegetable.
Read my article on Natural Cancer Fighting Foods on Livestrong.com

On the Menu:
To Start
My grandma's famous gefilte fish, made by my mom
Artichokes- so easy to make, so beautiful on the table, so healthy, and sooo yummy!
Salad with Walnuts, blueberries, strawberries and other goodies, also made by my amazing mom
My Hummus and crudite (recipe to come)

For the Main
Brisket- made by my mom... she flexxed the budget a bit.
A Chicken dish- made by mom
Ratatouie (recipe to come)
Mashed Swatatoes (recipe to come)
Roasted Cauliflouer- literlly cut up cauliflour, with cooking spray, sea salt and paprika in the oven at 350 degrees, made by using Dr. Borgans classic trick of overcooking them... DELISH!

Dessert 
Amazing Fudgy Chocolate Cake (recipe to come)
Lots of fruit

Deluxe Roasted Turkey Wraps just 40 Days till the Wedding!

A couple of months ago I got engaged to the most amazing man in the world. His name is Noah. I love to cook and can't wait to make Noah dinners every night so I decided to start writing this blog so I can share my quick, easy and delicious recipes with everyone. However, there is a catch. I have my Bachelors in Nutrition and always only cook healthfully. I also happen to be one of the cheapest people that you will ever meet, so I need to catch deals at the market and shop responsibly on a newlywed budget. And lastly, we're also Kosher. So needless to say, I spend 3x as much time at the grocery store checking for nutrition facts, prices and kosher symbols on every item.

We just signed the lease on our new place and I started living here before the wedding. Although I won't be able to officially blog full force until after our wedding  when we are living together, I'm going to get started on the meals that I make us when he comes over (in between building furniture, finding space for our oddly shaped wedding gifts, and constantly straightening up). 

ON TONIGHTS MENU:  Deluxe Roasted Turkey Wraps 

Total Time: 6 minutes

Serving Size: 1 wrap 

Note: 1 was more than filling for me. Noah is 6"3 and a growing boy, so he had 2

Ingredients (per 1 wrap)

Note: ...=Calories per item- in case you want to substitue an ingredient.

1 Mission Multi-Grain Tortilla ...150

2 Slices of Empire Turkey Salami...50 

4 Slices of Empire Smoked Turkey Breast Slices...45 

1 T. Sweet and Sour Mustard...10 

2 thin slices of Avocado...40

1/4 Red Pepper...5

1 T. "Eel" Sauce (leftover from Noah's sushi the night before) or Teriyake Sauce...20 

Garlic Salt to Taste

Start by washing and julianning your pepper. On a great grill pan, like my trusty Calphon, lightly spray with PAM and start grilling your red peppers- I like to sprinkle Garlic Salt over them. After 2 minutes, add your meat slices and flip when slightly brown. After another minute or so, add your wrap and wait 30 seconds before assembling. To assemble: first squirt the mustard down the center. Next, stack the meat, followed by the grilled peppers and sliced avocado. Lastly, top off with the eel sauce or teriyake sauce.  Enjoy!

Nutrition Facts:

320 calories. 8g Fat. 6g Fiber. 18g Protein 

Cost Count: $$ / $$$$$ 

apx. $5.50 per wrap 

Feel free to munch on some edamame as a healthy side dish and chew on some fresh grapes for dessert like we did. 

Have a delightful night!

~Ilana