Thai-Indian Spinach and Fruit Salad with Non-Fat Curry Dressing

Ingredients
8 ounces spinach, fresh, shredded
1 cup thinly sliced strawberries
1 cup sliced peaches
1 red onion, chopped (If you are not a fan of raw onions, please caramelize them on the stove with a light serving of olive oil and Balsamic vinaigrette)
1/2 cup walnuts, or the nuts of your preference; I prefer cashews
8 ounces Paneer cheese (This is an Indian cheese, but Feta or Goat Cheese would work just as well)

Non-Fat Curry Dressing
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Rice Vinegar
4 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Wash and dry the spinach. Whip together the dressing ingredients and toss with the spinach lightly. Garnish with the fresh fruit, onions, nuts and choice of cheese.

Serves: 6

Strawberry, Goat Cheese and Candied Walnut Spinach Salad with a Fresh Strawberry and Peanut Butter Vinaigrette

I absolutely love this salad! The ingredients are so simple, but the kicker is the dressing; it is refreshing and so flavorful. I suggest strawberries for this time of the year, however, if blueberries or peaches are in season they are a wonderful alternative. As you use the substitution of fruit in the salad, use it in the dressing as well. I have not tried it, but I cannot imagine a fresh blueberry or peach vinaigrette to be anything but fantastic! Toss the dressing with the greens, and then top them off with the desired fruit, goat cheese and candied walnuts, simply seasoned with ground black pepper. I served this last night with my Eggplant Parmesan; hit the spot!

Salad
Ingredients
1 bag of spinach leaves, washed (If you prefer Butter or Iceberg Lettuce, they serve just as well)
1 1/2 cups of strawberries, washed and thinly sliced (I like a lot of fruit, please feel free to use less)
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup candied walnuts (recipe follows)
Strawberry, Peanut Butter, Balsamic Vinaigrette, drizzled to taste (recipe follows)
Ground black pepper, to taste


Strawberry, Peanut Butter, Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. dijon-style mustard
1 tsp. honey
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fresh strawberries
4 teaspoons peanut butter


Preparation
Blend all of the ingredients together in a blender or Cuisinart until desired consistency. Add additional olive oil or balsamic vinegar if you prefer it to be thinner.

Candied Walnuts
Ingredients
1 pound walnut halves
1 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread nuts in a single layer over a baking sheet. Roast for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until the nuts start to turn brown and the smell of roasting nuts fills the kitchen.
Stir together sugar, cinnamon, salt, and milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for 8 minutes, or until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage of 236 degrees F (113 degrees C). Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla immediately. .
Add walnuts to sugar syrup, and stir to coat well. Spoon nuts onto waxed paper, and immediately separate nuts with a fork.

Serves: 4

Pork Loin Baked in Mushroom Soup and Brown Rice

When I think of mushroom soup I think of green beans baked with it, topped with fried onions...it may be comfort food, but extremely unhealthy; high in calories, fat and sodium. This recipe came about the other day when I made very low-fat mushroom soup (the minimal fat came from the olive oil I used to saute the mushrooms before blending them into the soup) and had an unseasoned pork loin* I needed to bake. I simply placed the pork loin in a glass baking dish, covered it with a considerable amount of mushroom soup, and topped that off with sixteen ounces of sliced mushrooms. Approximately ten minutes prior to removing from the oven I added prepared brown rice to the sauce. Serve the pork loin between medium-rare and medium with the rice and mushroom sauce alongside broccoli or any lightly steamed vegetable...even green beans are acceptable!
*If you have accessibility to Trader Joe's, I absolutely love their pork loin, as it is low in sodium, and not flavored, so you are able to marinate it as you wish...they also have the best haricot verts that I have found; a perfect vegetable compliment to this dish


Pork Loin Baked in Mushroom Soup
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin

5 Tablespoons olive oil
4 cups mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 bunch (6 to 8) green onions with about 2 to 3 inches of green sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

2 cups of brown rice (cooked and pre-prepared)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Steamed vegetables to accompany

Preparation
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Saute the mushrooms in the 5 Tablespoons of olive oil until fairly tender, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Separate the mushrooms into 2 bowls. In a Cuisinart blend half of the mushrooms with the remainder of the ingredients, less the parsley, left for garnish. Bake the tenderloin, covered in the mushroom soup and the remaining mushroom slices, covered with Aluminum foil for approximately 15 minutes. Remove the foil and add two cups of prepared brown rice and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Depending on your oven, you may need to cook it further for desired temperature.
Remove the tenderloin from the sauce and slice. Serve the mushroom and rice sauce over the pork loin, garnished with chopped fresh parsley and compliment with steamed vegetables.

Serves: 4

Brown Rice (Prepare ahead of time, either in a rice cooker, or on the stove)
Ingredients
2 cups brown rice
Salt to taste

Preparation
Simply boil the rice in a 1 (rice) to 2 (water) ratio in water, and season with salt.

Sauteed Prawns in an Indian Curry Sauce, Served with a Mint, Lime and Crushed Almond Brown Rice

I absolutely love Indian food. This is a light take on a prawn curry. I make my own curry sauce, saute it in prawns, but if you have a preference for another seafood or even for chicken, I know it would be just as flavorful. Serve it over the whole grain brown rice, tossed with minced mint, chopped almonds (the Cuisinart is your best bet to make the pieces small enough and consistent) and the juice of one lime.

Serve the prawn curry over the rice with a heavy dose of the sauce. It is fantastic with a simple green salad with a peanut vinaigrette.

Sauteed Prawns in an Indian Curry Sauce
1 lb. shrimp (I prefer 41-50...ie. 41 to 50 per pound), sauteed
Curry Sauce (Recipe follows)

Curry Sauce

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil, divided
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons red curry paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Blend all ingredients.

Brown Rice with Mint and Almonds

1 cup Brown Rice (cooked appropriately with 1-1 3/4 ratio of rice to water on the stove at medium until the rice absorbs the water)
1/2 cup of fresh mint, minced
1/2 cup of roasted almonds, chopped finely
Combine all ingredients.

Saute the prawns in the Curry Sauce and serve over the Brown Rice with Mint and Almonds.
Serves: 4

Applesauce Bread

I made this Applesauce Bread the other day, and for such a healthy recipe, it is a fantastic option for a quick breakfast or an addition to any brunch menu. If you are on the go, simply brush a layer of low-fat or fat-free cream cheese on a slice, and you are all set. I am making it this weekend for a family breakfast with a light cream cheese blended with frozen raspberries and a vegetarian scramble alongside sliced melon.

I based this recipe on one that a friend gave me from www.epicurious.com. However, the online recipe calls for store-bought applesauce in addition to raisins and nuts. First of all, making applesauce is such a piece of cake. There is absolutely no excuse not to make it yourself. Homemade applesauce has considerably less sugar, therefore less calories than any store-bought option, and, in addition, is the perfect way to use up the apples sitting in your pantry that you know are a day away from the compost pile. (I have included my extremely simple and tasty concoction for Homemade Applesauce below.) I also excluded the raisins and nuts, because excluding them makes the outcome product a lot less dense and also much more versatile, as you can serve it in the morning, or even with a light sorbet or non-fat vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Please let me know what you think of this recipe!

Enjoy!

Homemade Applesauce 
Ingredients
3 pounds of apples, peeled, cored and diced (If you decide, for the nutritional benefits, to keep the peel on, realize that the final Applesauce Bread recipe may not have the desired smoothness of texture)
2 teaspoons cinnamon OR 2 teaspoons apple or pumpkin pie spice
2 Tablespoons brown sugar

Preparation

Boil 1 gallon of water (covered, as it boils faster). Peel, core and dice the apples into small pieces, simply so that they soften rapidly. Place the apples in the boiling water, covered, for approximately 10 minutes, or until they have reach desired tenderness.

Applesauce Bread
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups applesauce
1 cup raisins (optional)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sour cream

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans.
Beat together eggs, sugar, and oil. Blend in applesauce, and then sour cream or buttermilk. Mix in flour, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon. Stir in raisins. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 80 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Salmon and Bok Choy Poached in Parchment with Cilantro-Lime Brown Rice

Hands down, this is my Mom's and my favorite way of cooking salmon; it is unbelievably easy, extremely low in fat, and, not to mention, the most convenient clean-up to boot! I traditionally use a plain salmon, but last week I made a Chimichurri Sauce (recipe follows) and marinated the salmon in it overnight to add a depth of flavor. It was wonderful! Your need for vegetable has been taken with the inclusion of boy choy, peppers and bean sprouts in the parchment "packet", so I serve this with a simple Cilantro-Lime Brown Rice (recipe follows) and possibly a light salad of mixed greens, tomato and cucumber in a light peanut-cilantro dressing (recipe follows) to accompany. If you are not a fan of cilantro, simply omit it from each aspect of every recipe, and you will be left, still, with an absolutely fantastic and healthy meal!
Serves: 4 generously


"Bon Appetit!"

Salmon and Bok Choy Poached in Parchment
Ingredients

1 teaspoon peeled, minced fresh ginger
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
2 heads baby bok choy (ends trimmed and cut into thirds through the stem makes for optimal flavor) 
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 cup bean sprouts
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup diagonally thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Combine the ginger, soy sauce, orange juice, vinegar, and sesame oil together in a small bowl; set aside.
Fold 4 (16 by-12-inch) parchment paper squares in 1/2 lengthwise.
Evenly divide the bok choy, bell peppers, and bean sprouts among the 4 parchment packets. Season the vegetables with 1 tablespoon sesame-ginger marinade. Place a salmon fillet on top of the vegetables and season with the black pepper and an additional tablespoon of the marinade.
Fold the top half of the parchment over the fish, and overlap small folds along the open edge to seal. Brush each packet with olive oil. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the parchment paper puffs up.
Serve, either on a plate with the parchment for an eclectic presentation, or formally on separately.



Chimichurri Sauce
Ingredients
1 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Puree all ingredients in processor. Transfer to bowl. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)

Cilantro-Lime Brown Rice

Ingredients
1 cup brown rice
1/2 lime, juice of
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
3 tsp vegetable oil

Preparation
In a small heavy pot, add rice, water, 1 tsp oil and salt. Boil on high until most of the water evaporates. When the water just skims the top of the rice, reduce to low and cover about 15 minutes. Shut off flame and keep covered an additional 5 minute.
In a medium bowl, combine chopped cilantro, lime juice, rice and remaining oil and toss until completely mixed.


Peanut-Cilantro Dressing

Ingredients
4 Tablespoons natural peanut butter (although it is quite a bit more expensive, natural peanut butter makes all of the difference)
2 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon poblano pepper, chopped (with seeds if you want an extra kick)
1 Tablespoon tamari (if you do not have tamari, soy sauce is an appropriate alternative)
1.5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon agave nectar or honey
1.5 teaspoons ginger (powder)
1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
1.5 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice
1/4 cup water

Preparation
Combine all ingredients in food processor.  Process until mixture is smooth and uniform.
(For best taste, refrigerate for 3 or 4 hours prior to serving.)

Eggplant Parmesan with a Ground Turkey Mushroom Sauce

I absolutely love thick and flavorful tomato sauces, filled with vegetables and lean meats. However, I am rarely a fan of pasta dishes. I looked for a healthy recipe that combined an Italian tomato sauce loaded with vegetables, herbs and spices and my favorite protein, ground turkey. I was out of luck. So, I came up with this twist on a traditional Eggplant Parmesan of my own.

For the most part, the recipes for Eggplant Parmesan online, although traditionally vegetarian, contain an exceptional amount of calories, fat and sodium, with a lack of substantial fresh herbs and seasonings for depths of flavor. This recipe is fantastic, because, as it is made from scratch, you can monitor the amount of sodium in the dish because the stewed tomatoes have no added salt, the fat content by choosing both the leanest ground turkey available and low-fat Parmesan cheese, used conservatively. In addition, with the inclusion of sauteed mushrooms and onions the substance of the sauce is increased without additional calories and fat.

I hope you enjoy my take on such a traditional recipe. Of course, if you are vegetarian or vegan, you can easily omit the ground turkey, or simply replace it with crumbled tofu, and can always vie for vegan soy-milk cheese in lieu of the dairy version. As with any traditional Italian-inspired dish, this is perfectly served with a rustic bread and Caesar Salad. (Recipe below). Please, as always, let me know what you think of this recipe; I would love to hear about any improvements or substitutions you would make!

"Mangiare, bere e stare allegro!" (Eat, drink and be merry!")

Ground Turkey and Mushroom Tomato Sauce

This is absolutely my "go-to" meat sauce, as it is low in fat and high in protein. Furthermore, it is as simple as it gets using wonderful ingredients. If you would prefer it vegetarian, simply omit the ground turkey, or use ground tofu in it's place.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 sweet, raw onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tablespoons oil + 2 Tablespoons butter

16 ounces ground turkey

8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

2-32 ounce cans of stewed tomatoes, unsalted

4 Tablespoons Italian seasoning*

2-32 ounce cans of stewed tomatoes, unsalted

Salt and pepper to taste

*Italian seasoning is traditionally a blend of dried basil, oregano, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, rosemary and red pepper flakes

PREPARATION:

Over medium heat, in a large skillet pan, saute 1 sweet, chopped onion for approximately 4 to 5 minutes in 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Add in the minced cloves and maintain on the heat for an additional three minutes, until the onions are tender. Remove from heat. In a second skillet saute the ground turkey and the sliced mushrooms on medium heat in butter and oil, until cooked through. In a Cuisinart, combine the garlic and onion mixture with the ground turkey and mushrooms, 2 cans of stewed tomatoes, Italian seasoning and salt and pepper. Pulse blend until the sauce has reached an ideal consistency; I prefer a chunky sauce, where the ingredients are still identifiable. 

Eggplant Parmesan with a Ground Turkey Mushroom Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggplants, cut vertically into 1/2 inch slices

Ground Turkey and Mushroom Sauce (see above)

2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Spray a 9"x13" glass baking pan with a nonstick spray. Layer the eggplant slices on the bottom of the pan, cover the eggplant with the tomato sauce, in it's entirety, and top with the shredded Parmesan cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for approximately 8 to 10 minutes, covered, and serve.

Serves: 8

Caesar Salad

Caesar salads are a dime-a-dozen; 99% of the quality of the salad completely depends on the dressing and croutons in addition to the freshness and quality of ingredients. My mother is absolutely addicted to Caesar dressing, motivating me to develop a recipe less complicated than any other that I have come across, and one that contains less fat and calories than the store-bought, bottled alternative.

DRESSING INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup plain non-fat or low-fat Greek yogurt, drained 

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2-3 garlic cloves, crushed (please reduce if you or your guests are sensitive to garlic)

Salt and pepper to taste

ADDITIONAL SALAD INGREDIENTS:

Croutons

2 heads Romaine lettuce, chopped

3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

PREPARATION:

Either whisk or blend in a Cuisinart all dressing ingredients. Chill until just prior to serving. Toss with Romaine lettuce, croutons and shredded Parmesan cheese.

Serves: 4