Cucumber, Tomato and Feta Salad

This is super fast, easy and is absolutely delicious. I have been eating it for lunch a lot lately.

1-2 cups cucumber chopped
1-2 cups tomato chopped
1/4 cup feta cheese
1 Tbs. red wine vinegar
1 Tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper

Mix the red wine vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Pour over other ingredients. Toss until coated. Delicious!

Liz's Baked Zucchini Sticks

Liz’s Baked Zucchini Sticks
Contributed by Candice

I got this recipe from my sister in law and I think it is a fun and yummy way to eat zucchini.

3 medium zucchini sliced into 3" x 1/2" sticks
1 large egg white
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 tsp garlic powder
salt & fresh pepper

Dip zucchini sticks into eggs then into bread crumb and cheese mixture, a few at a time and shake to coat. Place the breaded zucchini in a single layer and spray more cooking spray on top. Bake at 425° for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.

Crab and Avocado Salad

Crab and Avocado Salad
Contributed by Candice

Do you remember this recipe in Mom's Lion House Classics cookbook? I used to love it then and I found the recipe in my file and decided to try it and see if it was as good as I remembered. I think it is even better than I remembered. Peter wouldn't try even a little bite. In fact he sat there and stared at me, telling me that I was disgusting and I eat disgusting things. In other words, he is not a fan of this recipe. But that is okay because I love it.
• 2-3 large avocados, chopped
• 1 pkg. imitation crab meat
• 1 cup finely diced celery
• 1/2 - 1 cup radishes
• 2 Tbs. lemon juice
• 2 Tbs. vinegar
• 4 Tbs. oil
• 2 Tbs. green onion
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• Salt
• 3-4 tomatoes, chopped
Mix lemon juice, vinegar, and oil in small bowl. Pour over other ingredients and toss gently to coat.

Celery Citrus Salad

Celery Citrus Salad
Contributed by Candice


This is a keeper. So yummy, yet very healthy. The feta cheese is the only fat in the salad. I did add some walnuts because I had some and they sounded good. Delicious!
5 honey tangerines, Murcotts or Satsumas
1 ounce (about 1/4 cup) feta cheese crumbles
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 cups (about 1/4 pound) mixed salad greens
1 cup roughly chopped celery leaves
3 cups sliced celery

Method
Squeeze juice from one citrus fruit into a large bowl. Add feta cheese and vinegar and mix with a fork, mashing the cheese to make a dressing. Peel remaining citrus and separate into segments. Transfer to bowl with dressing. Add salad greens, celery leaves and celery and toss well.

Nutrition

Per serving: 110 calories (15 from fat), 1.5g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 5mg cholesterol, 190mg sodium, 23g total carbohydrate (5g dietary fiber, 17g sugar), 4g protein

Greek Barley and Chicken Salad

Greek Barley and Chicken Salad
I love this salad and will be making it in the future over and over again.
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 cup uncooked pearl barley
2 cups cubed seeded cucumber
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup cubed yellow bell pepper
1/3 cup reduced-fat feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
Dressing:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
Preparation
1. To prepare salad, sprinkle chicken with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Add 1 cup broth; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until done. Cool; shred chicken. Discard broth.

2. Bring 3 cups broth to a boil in a large saucepan; add barley. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork. Cool. Combine chicken, barley, cucumber, and next 4 ingredients (through olives) in a large bowl.

3. To prepare dressing, combine 3 tablespoons oil, rind, and remaining ingredients; stir well. Add to barley mixture; toss well. Cover and chill.

Nutritional Information
Calories:230
Fat:9.8g (sat 2g,mono 5.7g,poly 1.1g)
Protein:18g
Carbohydrate:18.3g
Fiber:3.2g
Cholesterol:38mg
Iron:1.2mg
Sodium:611mg
Calcium:38mg

The Yummiest Brussel Sprouts Ever

Peter hates brussel sprouts, and to be honest, so do I most of the time. They have a very strong flavor that is often overpowering. But this recipe tastes great. The garlic and olive oil (even better if you use butter, but not as healthy) gives it a great flavor. Seriously, when I make these, I can't get enough of them. Peter likes them, too.

2-3 cups brussel sprouts
1 Tbs. olive oil
6-10 cloves of garlic (depending on the size of the garlic cloves)

Wash brussel sprouts and cut off the core on the bottom. Slice each sprout into 4-5 slices. Slice the garlic cloves into medium to large slices. Combine all ingredients in a frying pan and sautee on medium until brussel sprouts are tender.

Quinoa with Corn and Basil

I thought I'd break the posting silence. I love this salad. You can do so many different variations of it. For example, last time I made it I cooked the quinoa in chicken broth and added sauteed chicken to the salad. Made it so it was a full meal instead of a side dish. I especially like this salad in the summer because it's so stinkin' hot in our house and so a hot meal does not sound good. This is cool, healthy and refreshing.

1 1/2 c. quinoa

1 t. salt

1/2 c. roasted red pepper (jarred) chopped, wring out liquid

2 c. frozen corn, thawed

1 c. (packed) basil

2 T. olive oil

5 T. lemon juice

1. Cook Quinoa in 2 cups water with salt until all water is absorbed - 15 min or so. Cool.

2. Add olive oil to quinoa. Toss.

3. Add all vegetables.

4. Add lemon juice.

Black Bean Salad

I made enchiladas yesterday and was looking for a healthy recipe for a side salsa/salad that would go well with it. I found this recipe online. It turned out so well. We LOVED it. So colorful and super healthy. The fresh basil was amazing in it, which surprised me - I would never have thought of putting basil in something like this. Only change we made was we used cherry tomatoes instead of plum because they're sweeter.

Black Bean Salad Recipe

INGREDIENTS

· 1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, thoroughly rinsed, and drained (or 1 1/2 cup of freshly cooked black beans)
· 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, defrosted (or fresh corn, parboiled, drained and cooled)
· 1/2 cup chopped green onions or shallots
· 2 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced, or 1 whole pickled jalapeño pepper, minced (not seeded)
· 3 fresh plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
· 1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
· 1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro
· 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil
· 2 Tbsp lime juice (about the amount of juice from one lime)
· 1 Tbsp olive oil
· 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of sugar (to taste)
· Salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

Make sure to rinse and drain the beans, if you are using canned beans.

In a large bowl, combine the beans, corn, onions, jalapeno chile peppers, tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, basil, lime juice and olive oil. Add sugar and salt and pepper to taste. (The sugar will help balance the acidity from the tomatoes and lime juice.) Chill before serving.

Serves 6 to 8.

Healthier (& more delicious) Mashed Potatoes

My children love mashed potatoes so lately I have been testing them to see what they will stand for in them. Here are the results:

Spinach -Yes! Just saute in a little olive oil and add to potatoes after boiling and before mashing.

Turnips- Yes! These were undetected yet added a very good flavor. Dice one turnip (because they are tougher) and boil with quartered potatoes.

I also have added carrots. This did not go over well at all and I haven't done it since.

I also like to add 3 garlic cloves to the water before boiling. They will disappear but you will notice the difference.

Always add sour cream or cream cheese once the potatoes are mashed.

Season with McCormic Montreal Steak Seasoning. It makes them so much better.