Recipes

TGIF!  Today’s Skinny Recipe comes from guest blogger, Kim Galeaz of The Dietitian Does Dessert. Kim is a registered dietitian and culinary nutritionist with a passion for blending great taste with good health. We’re both so excited to share this wonderful recipe with all of you. Here’s what she had to say:

There are triple benefits packed into this zesty salsa – easy, tasty and filled with health-promoting nutrients! In-season mango and strawberries are blended with zesty jalapeno and garlic to create a refreshing and unique dip for corn tortilla chips or an accompaniment to grilled fish or poultry. Tart lime is balanced with just a hint of sweetness, but no extra calories, thanks to no-calorie sweeteners. Picnics, graduation parties, BBQ’s, cookouts and reunions….you’ll find unlimited reasons to make this great-tasting and healthy salsa!

Check out the recipe below and if you like it, visit her website for more or follow her on Twitter @kimfoodtalk.

Makes 9 servings of ½-cup each

Ingredients

1 pound strawberries, hulled and diced (roughly 3 heaping cups diced)
1 large mango, peeled, pitted and diced (roughly 1-2/3 cups diced)
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and very finely diced
Zest from 1 lime
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
¼ cup very finely chopped cilantro
1 to 2 packages calorie-free sweetener (such as Splenda, Nutrasweet, Sweet ‘n Low, Truvia)
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Directions

In a large bowl, gently toss strawberries, mango, red onion and jalapeno pepper together. In a small bowl, whisk together lime zest, lime juice, cilantro, calorie-free sweetener, salt and garlic powder.  Pour over berry mixture and toss lightly to blend. Serve immediately or refrigerate in a tightly covered container.

Calories: 40
Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 10g
Protein 0.5g
Fiber 2g

Recipe created by Kim Galeaz, RD CD

Today is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day and I think it’s probably my favorite of the little-known holidays! Those of us trying hard to eat healthy and/or lose weight shouldn’t be left out of this very important celebration, so here’s an extra special low-cal chocolate chip cookie recipe that will melt in your mouth with ooey-gooey goodness!

Ingredients

2/3 cup margarine, softened
2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2/3 cup granulated sucralose sweetener, like Splenda
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter, brown sugar, granulated sweetener, and vanilla together in a medium mixing bowl. Mix until well blended and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape sides of bowl. Add flour, baking soda and salt. Mix until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips.

Place level tablespoons of cookie dough on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire cooling rack.

Nutritional Info:

Calories:90
Total Fat:5g
Total Carbs:11g
Sugars:7g
Dietary Fiber:0g
Protein:1g

This recipe is so rich and so creamy it’ll make you feel guilty about eating it, but it’s only 80 calories a serving! Replacing some of the sugar with your favorite low calorie sweetener is the best way to reduce calories without sacrificing flavor. This cold custard is the perfect warm weather treat for the chocolate lover in your family.

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

2 cups skim milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 packets Sweet One® granulated sugar substitute
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon chocolate extract

Directions

In a medium saucepan, whisk together skim milk, sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch and Sweet One. Whisking constantly, cook 6-8 minutes, until mixture boils and thickens.

Remove saucepan from heat. Slowly stir ¼ cup milk mixture into beaten eggs, stirring constantly to avoid curdling. Pour egg mixture back into saucepan and stir in chocolate extract. Cook, stirring constantly over low heat 2-3 minutes or until custard thickens. Do not let custard come to a boil.

Pour custard into individual dessert cups or a serving bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving.

Nutrition:

80 Calories
13g Carbohydrates
4g Protein

Registered Dietitian, Carolyn Reynaud is a new guest blogger with TSOLC. Carolyn is a health coach specialist with over ten years of experience working in corporate wellness, clinical disease management, research, and health promotion. This post is sponsored by Calorie Control Council.

Spring has sprung! This has been a long and cold winter, but the air is getting warmer, the sun is staying out longer, and you can finally shake off those winter blues. This is my favorite time or year and one of the reasons it is my favorite is spring produce! You are finally seeing all of those colorful and tasty fruits and vegetables that go into hiding over the winter come back into season.

Fruits and vegetables are the foundation of a healthy diet and research has shown that a colorful plate helps promote healthy eating. So, this is a great time to get in the kitchen and experiment with ways to color your plate.

Have trouble getting in your fruits and veggies? There are several ways to dress them up a part of your meal that you will look forward to.

A low-cal sweetener can be a great addition to your recipes. Your favorite sweetener will satisfy your sweet tooth without adding to your waistline. These products have been used for the last 30 years as a safe way to enhance your food without adding additional calories. Here is some great light and delicious recipes using these products that can help you get in your fruits and veggies this spring!

Garden pasta salad

Raspberry swirl peach soup

Fresh and light celery salad

Cucumber and tomato salad

While it may not be an official American holiday, Cinco de Mayo is certainly celebrated every 5th of May with “mucho” enthusiasm for Mexican inspired food. Unfortunately, a lot of those dishes can run high in calories and sodium –making quite a dent in your pre-summer diet plans.

My friend Lauren from the blog Stevia Benefits, pulled together some healthy guilt-free  remakes of classic Cinco de Mayo party foods for you to serve at your fiesta. I hope you enjoy these recipe round ups! Share your favorite Cinco de Mayo recipe in the comments.

Crockpot Lime Chicken Fajitas

Typical fajitas can be well over 1,000 calories, depending on how you top them off. Try this recipe adapted from DashingDish to cut down on oil, sugar, and fat. It’s so light, flavorful and easy to make, you’ll want to make it year round! (Recipe and Image via DashingDish)

Ingredients

• 1 cup of your favorite salsa or pico de gallo
• 1.5 lb (or about 4-5) Chicken breasts
• 1 pkt of sweetener of choice (optional)
• 2 tbs Fajita seasoning 1
• 2 tbs Lime juice
• 3 Bell peppers (color of choice)
• 1 medium Onion

Optional:

• 4 Low carb flour or corn tortillas OR lettuce wraps.
• Diced tomatoes, green onions, low fat Greek yogurt, shredded lettuce for topping

Cooking instructions

Skinny Margarita

Try our skinny Ruby ‘Rita for a twist on the traditional lime-based margarita. Save the calories and sugar – this margarita is fresh, homemade, and much skinnier than its original counterpart.

Ingredients

• 2 ounces Raspberry Zinger tea
• 1 ounce pomegranate juice
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 packet Stevia In The Raw®
• 2 teaspoon Triple Sec, Cointreau or other citrus liqueur
• 1 ½ ounces Blue Agave tequila
• Chilled martini glass, optionally salt-rimmed
• 1 thin lime slice, for garnish, optional

Mixing Instructions and Nutritional Information

There are lots of “skinny” variations you can do one your own like blackberry and blue margaritas. You can’t go wrong!

Baked Tortilla Chips

Oh those delicious crispy triangles –how we all love them with salsa, guacamole, and queso. But the kinds that you get at the store or at the restaurant are both really full of fat and salt. Make these yourself and enjoy with less guilt –even less if you skip the salt. Recipe via EatingWell.

Ingredients

• 8, 5- to 6-inch corn tortillas
• Canola oil cooking spray

*Optional:1/4 teaspoon cracked sea salt

Cooking Instructions

Other Lighter Tex-Mex Inspired Recipes:

Salsa Fresca
Mini Mexican Pizzas
Quick and Healthy Black Beans & Rice
Avocado-Free Guacamole
Baked Churros

And don’t forget to plan some outdoor activities to burn some calories while having fun!