Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

The other night Frank and I went to dinner at one of our favorite Montclair restaurant, 32 Church. We actually sat behind a Jonas Brother...don't know which one. Anyway the special soup was Butternut Squash with Apple. So I was intrigued to try it without using cream...I wanted a lightly spiced clean feeling. So here is what I did. Ingredients: 1 Batch of already cut butternut squash (or half of a whole one) 3 Honeycrisp Apples (skin removed and sliced) 1 small onion chopped 1 Container of Low Sodium Vegetable stock (organic) Dash of Thyme Dash of Black Pepper 1 Tbsp Olive Oil 1 Small Container of Fage 0% Yogurt Preheat Oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet place your squash, apples, and onions. Coat everything with the thyme, olive oil, and pepper. Place into the oven for about 30 minutes. In a pot place your vegetable stock and heat, once heated thru turn on low and simmer till vegetables are done. Take your vegetables/fruit from the oven place it in the pot of vegetable stock. Let it come to a boil for about 5 minutes so that everything is soft. Take a blender, food processor or emulsion blender and whip everything together. Remove from heat for and let it cool a bit before you place your yogurt. Once cooled add the yogurt and some more pepper to taste whip or stir on last time. Heat again and serve. Tips: I loved the way this came out. It sounds weird but it is so clean tasting and healthy that you can eat 2 bowls and not have all that salt and crazy spices. Plus you get added fiber from the apples, and protein from the yogurt. I used yogurt so that I can get a creamy texture without the fat.

Stuffed Acorn Squash

So fall has come and it is time to start using the great fruits and vegetables at the markets. So with that said I decided to try Acorn Squash. Never cooked it but hey how hard can it be. So I researched different ways to prepare it, but none strikes me as healthy. I didn't want to use butter or brown sugar (it's not dessert). I decided to stuff it, with something other than ground turkey. I must say it was delish and I got 5 stars from the bossman (he did eat all of this and 1/2 of mine again). Ingredients: 3 Acorn Squash (or use however many you are serving) 1 package of Sweet Turkey Sausage links (casing removed) 1/2 tsp Minced Garlic 1/2 tsp Olive Oil 1/2 tsp Pesto 4 Vine Tomatoes (chopped) 1 cup Chopped Spinach 3 Tbsp cooked Quinoa 3-4 Tbsp Marinara Sauce Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Take you acorn squash and slice the tops off, scooping out the seeds and taking the stringy flesh out. Place squash in the microwave for 3 minutes till slightly soft. Remove and let sit to the side to cool. Now take your saute pan and place your olive oil, garlic and sausage. Let the sausage cook till no longer pink. Put your pesto, spinach, quinoa, chopped tomatoes, and marinara to the mixture and stir together over medium heat. Let it blend together for about 5 minutes. Remove pan from heat and place your squash on a spray baking tray, scoop your mixture into the squash and place in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve. Tips: I served this with a roasted vegetable salad. It was really good and yes you can eat the skin. Make sure the squash is really soft, so that it is easy to eat with a spoon or fork. This is a great complete meal. You get protein, complete grain, and vegetable. Easy to serve for large party or group.

Chicken Roll with Goat Cheese and Asparagus

I love asparagus, I eat it just about every night. I actually go to Costco and buy 3 large bunches for myself and Frank for the week. I also like how quick easy and healthy chicken is, and to add some extra excitement I fell in love with goat cheese after eating a salad made with it and asparagus. I know that most people would say that goat cheese if fattening but NO. It has CLA in it which is a fat burning agent plus a little won't hurt....just don't tell my husband. It took me so long to get him into goat cheese; still working on Feta. So here is the recipe: Ingredients: 4 Thin Chicken Breasts 1 Small Roll or Herb Goat Cheese 5 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar 1 Tbsp Olive Oil 1 tsp Ms Dash Tomato Basil Garlic Seasoning 8 Asparagus Spears cut in half Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl combine your balsamic, olive oil, and seasoning, stir together. Take your chicken breast and place flat on the cutting board. Use your goat cheese roll and spread a layer along the top of the breast. Take your 2 spears of asparagus and place it to the top of the chicken and slowly start to roll the chicken breast down to the other end; wrapping the spear with it. Take a baking dish sprayed and place your chicken. Use your balsamic marinade and coat the top and sides of the chicken with a brush, making sure you get everything coated. Place in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and serve. I made this dish over the weekend for my client....So yummy. Tips: Serve with vegetable and quinoa, or salad and sweet potato.

Fit Cuisine Enterprises

This weekend launched what is about to become Fit Cuisine Enterprises. I was hired by a great client to cook up and plan out breakfast; lunch; dinner; and snacks for just about 1 week. It was GREAT! I got to cook up some dishes that I have shared here on the blog and ones not yet posted. It was time consuming I will admit but if you know what the client likes and dislikes it makes the process that much easier. I realized that this is what I love to do with my clients. Not only make them feel better through proper exercise but teaching them how to eat better, and by cooking up healthy meals they can see you are not depriving yourself of foods you like you are just making better choices planning meals out and watching portion sizes. I want to thank my client for the opportunity to let me help her and do what I enjoy. I also want to thank my loving husband Frank for his support, cutting skills and encouragement to do what I love. I am looking forward to more Fit Cuisine ventures to come. Speaking of which.... Please Join My Very First Fit Cuisine Cooking Class: Space is limited so please reserve your space: October 15th 6:30pm My Home RSVP October 1st at fitness121@aol.com Cost $25 Meal TBA in one week.

Eat Real 100 or 200 Calorie Food for Energy

So my clients ask me all the time about what they can snack on that is healthy, good, and will give them energy. Since I am not a big fan of the 100 calorie packs I did some research and came up with this: I do eat these and recommend them to my Nutrition Clients.

100 CALORIES

1 hard-cooked egg;with half a slice of toasted wheat bread

1⁄2 cup ice milk or sherbet 1 large rectangular graham cracker; with 11⁄2 tsp peanut butter 1⁄2 cup wheat-flake cereal ; with 1⁄2 cup nonfat milk 1 small (4") whole-wheat pita; with 1 Tbsp hummus

1⁄2 cup cranberry juice cocktail; and 1⁄4 cup nonfat plain yogurt blended with ice

1 slice whole-wheat bread; with 1 oz sliced turkey breast and mustard

1⁄2 cup 1% lowfat cottage cheese;with 1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 cup baby carrots, celery and bell peppers with 2 Tbsp light dressing

1⁄4 cup 1% lowfat cottage cheese with 1 cup berries

200 CALORIES

6 oz nonfat yogurt;mixed with 1 TBSP fruit spread

1 slice whole-wheat bread;with 1 Tbsp peanut butter; and 1 tsp jelly

One 8" flour tortilla; with 2 oz sliced turkey;lettuce, tomato and balsamic vinegar

1 medium baked potato; with 1⁄4 cup 1% lowfat cottage cheese

Pomegranate Marinade

I am not one who gets creative in using fruits and oils to make a marinade, but I was inspired by watching Rachel Ray the other morning so I tried it. Not so bad so here it is. FYI I gave the basic formula I used but taste it and see what you want to add more of. Enjoy!

3 Whole Pomegranates (or 1 cup POM Juice)

1 Bay Leaf

3 Cloves

4 Tbsp of Balsamic

2 Limes Juices

1 Lime Rind (grated)

1 Squirt of Honey

1 Lemon juices

1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

In a small sauce pan or pot, juice your whole pomegranates by rolling it on the side so the seeds burst and pop. Then make a small slice on the side and squeeze the juice out into the pot. (or you can just use the POM juice) Place your bay leaf and clove into the pot along with all the rest of the ingredients. Place over medium low heat and cook stirring the mixture together. About 5 minutes. Before you pour onto over your meat, or fish, remove the bay leaf and cloves.

Tips:

I used this marinade on chicken, and served it over salad. I took my the chicken and placed it in a Tupperware container. Then I poured the marinade over the chicken, and placed it in the fridge for about 30 minutes. Bake in a 400 degree oven (which I did) or grill them which ever you prefer.

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

I absolutely LOVE zucchini and I always wanted to do something different with it other them roasting. So I wanted to try something that was flavorful and healthy. The only problem was I didn't make enough for Frank to eat. When you slice the whole zucchini in half you get two small pieces...let just say that wasn't enough. So I gave him mine (he ate 1 1/2 stuffed boats). Gotta luv him. These boats are so quick and easy they are sure to impress your guest or family. So give it a shot and let me know what you think. Ingredients: 3 Zucchini sliced in half ½ lb of ground turkey 3 Tbsp Quinoa (cooked) 1 Tbsp olive oil 2 Squirts of pesto Jarred Marinara Sauce 3 Chopped Roasted Peppers (jarred) 1 Palm full of baby spinach chopped Handful of Low Fat Mozzarella (shredded) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a sauté pan heat up your oil, cook ground turkey, peppers, spinach, and quinoa till turkey is no longer pink. Add you marinara (eyeball till the meat is just about coated) and pesto; stir together. While that is finishing up scoop out your sliced zucchini halves (make sure that you leave some zucchini flesh on the bottom for taste and texture) and place on a sprayed baking sheet. Once they are hollow place your meat mixture inside the boats, pour a Tbsp of marinara on top and sprinkle with a your cheese. Place in the oven for about 20 minutes and serve. Tips: I served this dish with an arugula salad and roasted asparagus, and of course white wine.

100 Calories of Nuts

So when I am talking to people and they ask for a healthy snack, I always say Nuts. The next question people ask is how many, and are they fattening? Well I did some research and found out how many are in a 100 calorie serving. Use this to make some healthy trail mix for yourself or for your kids. Almonds: 14 (whole unsalted) or Dry Roasted with salt Cashews: 10 (raw) Cashews: 9 (oil-roasted with salt) Hazelnuts: 10 (dried unsalted) Macadamias: 5 (raw) and dry salted Peanuts: 17 (raw) Peanuts: 16 (salted) Pecan halves: 10 (raw) Walnuts: 13 (raw) Pine Nuts: 77 Dried Pistachio Nuts: 29 (dried and Salted) So use this info to mix up a trail mix, just make sure to read the serving size when doing so. I have made one with Frank that includes plain Cheerios 1/3 cup, dried cranberries 1 TBSP, and almonds 6. We broke it up in little sandwich bags (about 2-3)Just try not to make any with chocolate, stick to dried fruit and nuts. Enjoy