Basil Hummus and Roasted Veggie Stuffed Pitas

When trying to decide on a healthy meal to cook together, my friend Hannah suggested a dish using homemade hummus and roasted veggies. We decided to try a twist on traditional hummus by making a basil hummus and adding spice to the veggies. The result is a delicious sandwich, perfect for lunch or dinner. This meal is packed with fiber, super filling, surprisingly hearty, and as always, yummy.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 1/2 cups chopped Red Bell Pepper (about 2 medium peppers)
1/2 cup peeled and chopped Yellow Onion (about 1/2 of one onion)
1 cup peeled and chopped Carrots (2-3 whole carrots)
3 cups small Broccoli Florets
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper Flake
1 cup Sweet Basil Hummus (click for recipe)
1/2 cup Reduced-Fat Feta Cheese, crumbled
4 100% Whole Wheat Pita Halves (2 whole pitas, halved)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a foil lined sheet pan, toss chopped veggies (all should be bite-size and approximately the same size), salt, red pepper flake, and olive oil together and spread into an even layer across pan. Roast veggies for 18 to 20 minutes, turning once mid way through cooking.
Once veggies are slightly cooled, fill each pita pocket with 1/4 cup Basil Hummus, 1 1/2 tablespoons of crumbled feta, and 1/4 of the roasted veggies.

Servings: 4; 330 calories per serving (serving size is one pita half stuffed with hummus, veggies, and cheese)

White Bean, Spinach, and Tomato Spaghetti with Oregano Roasted Shrimp

This pasta recipe is fresh, light, and elegant. I think shrimp adds an easy touch of sophistication to any recipe. I made this dish for my best friend to celebrate her new job in NYC. A bottle of champagne and a simple salad made for the perfect meal. This entertaining-friendly dish looks impressive, but it's so hard to mess up that you can enjoy your company as you cook.
Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Olive Oil, divided
2 pounds Jumbo Shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 teaspoon dried Oregano
2 cups Grape Tomatoes
3 cloves Garlic, peeled and finely minced
2 cups low-sodium Chicken Stock
Juice of one Lemon
Zest of one half Lemon
1 can White Beans, drained and rinsed
1 bag Fresh Spinach
1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt, divided
6 ounces 100% Whole Wheat Spaghetti, cooked according to package instructions to al dente

Directions:

Preaheat oven to 400 degrees. On a foil lined sheet pan toss Shrimp, 1/4 teaspoon salt, oregano, and 1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil together. Spread shrimp out in an even layer. Bake Shrimp for 6 to 8 minutes, until just pink.

Meanwhile, heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat in a large pan. Add tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic to pan, cook for 1 minute. Add chicken stock, lemon juice and zest, white beans, and salt to pan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until stock reduces to half, about 8 minutes. Add spinach and continue to cook and toss mixture until spinach is fully wilted. Add parmesan, cooked spaghetti, and shrimp to sauce. Toss and serve.

Servings: 4; 350 calories per serving
Tips: 
Make this dish vegetarian by omitting shrimp and using veggie stock instead of chicken stock.
You can use frozen shrimp in this dish. Just defrost in fridge no more than 1 day before cooking.

Creamy Avocado Chicken Salad

Whenever I go home to St. Louis I make sure to get the low-fat chicken salad from my favorite local lunch cafe. Now that I am no longer a student and my time at home is limited, I thought it was time to come up with my own mayo-free chicken salad recipe, one I wouldn't feel guilty about eating. Tangy fat-free yogurt and creamy avocado create a delicious and mild sauce, similar to the one I love from home. Pair this sauce with freshly roasted chicken, crunchy celery, and spicy green onion and you've got a delicious and healthy version of the luncheon classic.

Ingredients:

1 to 1.25 pounds boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/4 cup mashed Avocado (approximately half of a small avocado)
1/4 cup non-fat Greek Yogurt
1/2 cup finley chopped Celery
1 tablespoon finely chopped Green Onion
Black Pepper and Additional Salt, to taste

Directions:

Preaheat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken breasts on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Coat with olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon paprika. Bake chicken breasts for 25 minutes. Once cooked, allow chicken to cool slightly then either shred or dice the chicken into bite-size pieces. Refridgerate until completely cooled then add yogurt, avocado, celery, and green onion. Mix until completely combined. Add salt and black pepper to taste. For best result, refridgerate for an hour before serving.

Servings: 4 Serving Size: approximately a heaping 1/2 cup; 210 calories per serving
Tips: 
I sometimes like to add banana peppers for a little kick or grapes for some sweetness
Enjoy this chicken salad on it's own with a side of fruit, in a wrap, or club style on wheat bread with lettuce, tomato and turkey bacon

Spicy Chinese Beef and Mushroom Lettuce Wraps

Nothing makes a night in front of the TV like greasy Chinese takeout, but  it's typically not the best choice when it comes to your health. My Spicy Beef and Mushroom Lettuce Wraps are easy and healthy, but taste simply sinful. Full of vegetables and flavored with ginger, garlic, and soy, you don't have to feel guilty about eating my version of Chinese takeout, and your taste buds won't miss a thing!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Oil (either olive or canola)
2 medium Carrots, Peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
1 medium Yellow Onion, diced
1 pound 96% lean Ground Beef
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated Ginger Root (peel first with a veggie peeler)
1 medium Red Bell Pepper, cored, seeded, diced (about 1.5 cups)
10 ounces Baby Bella Mushrooms, diced
1/4 cup chopped Scallions (plus more for garnish)
1/4 cup low-sodium Soy Sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons Sriracha Sauce (depending on how spicy you like it)
Romaine Lettuce Leaves (kept as whole as possible)

Directions:

Preaheat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced carrots and yellow onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add ground beef to pan, breaking it up as it cooks with a spoon. After 5 minutes add salt, garlic, ginger, bell pepper, mushrooms, scallions, soy sauce, and Sriracha. Cook until veggies are tender and ground beef is cooked through, 5 to 10 more minutes.
Allow mixture to cool slightly. Fill lettuce leaves with beef mixture and garnish with scallions.

Servings: 4 Serving Size: 1 1/4 cups beef mixture and 3 lettuce leaves;  less than 250 calories per serving
Tip:  Prep all veggies before beginning cooking process....makes it so much easier.

Falafel Burgers with Tomato-Cucumber Vinaigrette Slaw

Falafel is one of my all time favorite foods, but, because it's deep-fried, it's not the most healthy dish in the world. However, eating falafel doesn't have to mean cheating on your healthy lifestyle. My nutritious and lightened-up Falafel Burgers are incredibly flavorful and tasty, especially when paired with my Tomato-Cucumber Vinaigrette Slaw. They are equally delicious served in a more traditional fashion, stuffed in pita bread and topped with tzatziki sauce. The choice is yours!

Ingredients:

1 cup Yellow Onion, peeled and roughy chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
2 cans Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons Cumin
1/2 cup chopped fresh Parsley
2 Eggs
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Olive Oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt (plus more to taste)
Freshly cracked Black Pepper, to taste
4 cups Tomato-Cucumber Vinaigrette Slaw (click for recipe)
1/2 cup Reduced-Fat Feta Cheese

Directions:
Preheat 1 teaspoon of Olive Oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion to skillet and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add minced garlic to pan and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, remove from heat. Combine chickpeas, onion and garlic mixture, cumin, salt, and pepper to a bowl. Using an immersion blender, blend mixture until smooth. You can also use a food processor for this step. Add egg and chopped parsley to chickpea mixture and combine using a fork. Cover mixture and refridgerate for 20 minutes. Form mixture into 8 patties.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Preheat 2 teaspoons Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium heat (or 1 teaspoon if cooking patties in two batches). Add patties to skillet and cook 5 minutes per side. Transfer patties to a cookie sheet lined with parchment or coated in non-stick cooking spray. Bake patties for 10 minutes, flipping once. Serve hot Falafel Burgers with slaw and/or any other desired condiments.

Servings: 4 Serving Size: 2 Falafel Burger patties, 1 cup of slaw, and 1 1/2 tablespoons Feta; 325 calories per serving (just the Falafel is 290 calories per serving)

Vegetable-Chickpea Curry Stew

I absolutely love curry. There is just something so comforting about the deep and warm flavors. My Vegetable-Chickpea Curry Stew is super simple and delicious. I serve this rich stew with fiber-packed whole wheat couscous and top it all off with chewy, sweet dried apricots, a sprinkling of crunchy almonds, and a squeeze of lime. All of the flavors and textures come together perfectly to create one of my all time favorite Indian-inspired dishes.

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium Yellow Squash, cut into 1/2" to 1" pieces, about 1 to 1 1/4 cups chopped
1 medium Yellow Onion, outer layer removed
2 medium Carrots, peeled

2 1/4 teaspoons Kosher Salt, divided

3 cloves Garlic, peeled and finely minced (approx. 1 tablespoon)

3" piece of Ginger, peeled with a veggie peeler and finely minced
2 14-ounce cans of Chickpeas (aka Garbonzo Beans)
1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Curry Powder
2 cups low-sodium Broth or Stock (either Chicken or Vegetable)
2 tablespoons Sliced Almonds
12 Dried Apricots, chopped into small pieces
1 Lime, quartered
2/3 cup dry Whole Wheat Couscous

Directions:

Prep yellow squash, onion, and carrots. Chop the onion and yellow squash into 1/2 to 1" pieces (comes to 1 to 1 1/4 cups of each). Using a vegetable peeler, make long ribbons of carrot as if peeling until only the top of the carrot is left (comes to about 1 cup of tightly packed ribbons). The bright orange ribbons will look pretty running through the stew, but you can also finely dice. Heat olive oil in a large skiller over medium heat. Add squash, onion, carrot and 1 teaspoon of salt. After 4 minutes (stirring occasionally) add garlic and ginger. After 5 minutes (stirring occasionally), add chickpeas, cumin, curry powder, stock, and an additional teaspoon of salt. Bring mixture to boil uncovered and continue boiling until reduced to 1/3 of the liquid is left, approximately 10 minutes after boiling starts.

While stew is cooking, prepare 2/3 cup coucous according to package, using the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and no butter (makes approximately 2 cups).

Serve stew in a bowl, topped with couscous, dried apricots, almonds, and lime wedges for squeezing on top.

Servings: 4; Calories per Serving: 460

Serving Size: 1 1/4 cups of stew, 1/2 cup couscous, 3 dried apricots (chopped), 1/2 tablespoon of sliced almonds, and 1/4 of the lime (juiced)

Fennel and Parmesan Meatballs

Whether on pasta or on a toasty sub, the combination of meatballs and tomato sauce is one of my absolute favorites. My Fennel and Parmesan Meatball recipe can only be described as a knockout.  The fennel seed adds a touch of sweetness that compliments the salty bite of the Parmesan perfectly. I brown the meatballs on the stove top first then they finish cooking in the sauce, making them moist and adding even more flavorful. For best results, be sure to use my  Tomato Basil Sauce with Leeks and Mushrooms.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds 96% lean Ground Beef
1 1/2 teasoons Kosher Salt
2 tablespoons Fennel Seed
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1 egg plus 1 egg white
6 Whole Wheat Melba Toast Crackers, crushed
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 cups Tomato Basil Sauce with Leeks and Mushrooms (or any good quality tomato basil sauce)

Directions:
Preheat a large skillet and the olive oil over medium heat. In a medium size mixing bowl combine the ground beef, salt, fennel, Parmesan, egg, crushed crackers, and oregano. Mix with hands until well combined (be sure not to over mix to avoid drying out the meat). Score the meat mixture into 4 equal sections then divide each of the 4 sections into 3 meatballs (12 meatballs total). Place meatballs into heated oil and brown the meatballs by gently turning them every few minutes, about 12 minutes total. Add tomato basil sauce to the meatballs, turn heat to high, and cover. As soon as the sauce begins to boil reduce to low heat and simmer for 20 more minutes or until meatballs are cooked through. Serve with pasta, on a whole wheat roll, or simply solo.

Note: if you are making a homemade sauce with the meatballs, remove meatballs from pan after browning, make sauce with pan drippings, and add meatballs back in once sauce is ready to simmer to finish cooking.

Servings: 4
Serving Size: 3 meatballs plus 1 cup of sauce; 400 calories per serving (around 94 calories per meatball)

Spicy Mexican Black Beans

This spicy and satisfying mixture of black beans, red bell peppers, and onions is a go to recipe for me. Use it for hearty vegetarian burritos, as a filling for omelettes, as a simple side dish, or on top of fresh lettuce, baked tortilla chips, reduced-fat shredded cheese, and black olives for a delicious taco salad. I always have the ingredients in my kitchen so I can quickly whip up a satisfying, healthy, vegetarian meal. 

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Clove of Garlic, peeled and finely diced
1 Medium Onion, peeled and sliced into ½ inch half moons
1 Medium Red Bell Pepper, seeded and sliced into ½ inch strips
1 Tablespoon Cumin
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
1 14.5 Ounce Can No-Salt Added Black Beans, drained and rinsed
1 14.5 Ounce Can Diced Tomatoes

Directions:
Heat Olive Oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onions, toss to coat with oil. After 2 minutes add Red Pepper, Cumin, Chili Powder, and Salt (reduce salt to 1 teaspoon if canned beans contain added salt). Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add Black Beans and Tomatoes, increase heat to medium-high. Continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes, or until desired thickness/consistency.

Servings: 4 (1/4 of mixture per serving)
Calories per serving: approximately 170
**The picture shown is of a burrito made from my mexican black beans. I used one La Tortilla Factory Whole Wheat Tortilla (high fiber, low fat, only 100 calories), 1/4 cup reduced-fat mexican blend cheese, salsa, shredded romaine lettuce, and pickled jalapenos for each burrito.

Creamy Goat Cheese and Veggie Penne

This pasta dish is actually made up of mostly vegetables and while the sauce is packed with flavor and tastes rich, it is very light. This recipe is simple, filling, nutritious, and impressive, but most of all it is super tasty.   

Ingredients
For Pasta:
1 Cup 100% Whole Wheat Penne Pasta (dry)
1 Cup Asparagus Spears, ends trimmed, cut into 1’’ pieces (about 10 spears)
1.5 Cups Orange or Red Bell Pepper, seeded, cut into strips (1 medium pepper)
2 Cups Zucchini, cut into 2’’ long strips (1 medium zucchini)
4 Cups Broccoli Florets (approx. 2 whole broccoli heads cut into bite size pieces)
2 Palm-fuls Kosher Salt (for pasta-cooking water)
For Sauce:
1 T Olive Oil
¼ t Red Pepper Flake
3 Garlic Cloves, finely diced
1 Pint Cherry Tomatoes, halved (1.5 cups)
½ t Salt
6 to 8 Baby Bella Mushrooms, sliced
½ Cup Basil Leaves, tightly packed, torn into pieces
6 oz Goat Cheese, crumbled

Directions:
For Pasta:
In a large stockpot, bring 3.5 quarts (14 cups) water to a boil. Add two handfuls of Salt and then pasta. Cook pasta according to package instructions. With 2 or 3 minutes cooking time remaining, add Asparagus, Bell Pepper, Zucchini, and Broccoli. When pasta is fully cooked and veggies are tender, strain and return to pot.
For Sauce:
While water boils and pasta and veggies cook, make sauce. Preheat medium sauce pan on stove top over medium heat. Add red pepper flake and garlic to heated oil (watch carefully, burnt garlic happens fast and ruins the dish). After one minute add the cherry tomatoes and salt. Cook for 5 minutes (the tomatoes should be popping and a sauce should be forming). Add mushrooms and continue to cook for 8 minutes. Remove from heat. When Pasta is returned to its pot and while it’s still hot, add the cherry tomato sauce, torn basil leaves, and goat cheese. Stir until goat cheese has begun to melt and all veggies and pasta are coated with sauce.

Serves: 4, 1.5 cups per serving (under 300 calories per serving)

Helpful Hints:
Wash and chop veggies earlier in the day to make this a super fast dinner
Use 6oz Reduced Fat Feta for a flavor twist
Mix It Up by using any combination of approximately 6 cups raw and sliced veggies
Make the entire recipe, even if it’s just for one person. The leftovers are great for later in the week, especially when you don’t feel like cooking.