Cool Summer Veggie Salad

Ingredients:

4 large tomatoes, chopped
4 avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (8 ounce) bottle balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing

Instructions:

Place tomatoes, avocados and onion in a large mixing bowl.  Sprinkle with pepper.  Add salad dressing and toss to cover vegetables completely.  Cover and chill in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.  This will help all the flavors to blend together for better taste.  Serve cold.

Tip:  Avocados are a great source of serotonin a helpful agent for stress relief.

Additional Nutritional Information:

Calories: 364 Total Fat: 32.9g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 491mg
Total Carbs: 20.1g Dietary Fiber: 8.2g Protein: 3.8g

 

 

Healthy Recipe: Lettuce Wrapped Fish and Vegetables Ingredients:

6 large lettuce 1 medium carrot, shredded 1 small zucchini, shredded 1 1/2 pounds fresh or frozen (thawed) fish fillets, cut into 6 serving pieces 1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves Salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions:

Wilt lettuce leaves. Placing in hot water for 1 minute can do this. You will see the lettuce leaves start to droop. Be sure to drain the leaves well after removing from water. Place lettuce leaves flat. Take a small portion (enough to cover lettuce leaf) of vegetables and place in single layer in leaf leaving edges clear. Place a piece of fish on top of the vegetables. Add marjoram, salt and pepper taste. Put a small portion of butter on top. Fold leaf around vegetables and fish.

Place in a large baking dish seam side down. Continue until all ingredients are used. Cover dish with aluminum foil. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven and bake approximately 30 minutes.

Fat-Free Valentine’s Day Pavlova

This dessert is actually much easier to make than it sounds.  It’s very light and delicious and the perfect ending to a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner.

Ingredients:

3 egg whites
¾ cup fine sugar
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 ½ cups fat-free whipped topping
1 cup sliced, fresh strawberries

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 250F.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Take a 9-inch plate and place upside down on the parchment paper, then draw an outline of that plate (to make a nice even round shape)

Place the egg whites in a bowl and beat the eggs until very foamy using an electric mixer.  Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites then continue mixing on medium speed until peaks start to form.  Slowly add the sugar a little bit at a time and beating on high between each addition.  Keep mixing until egg whites are stiff.

Now carefully spoon the meringue mixture onto the parchment paper, following the outline to shape into a circle.  Flatten the center of the meringue a little bit so that the edges are slightly higher. 

Gently place in the oven and bake for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.  Switch off oven and allow meringue to dry (in oven).  This may take about 2 hours.  Finally, remove from oven and allow to cool.

Once meringue is cool, spread the fat-free whipped topping over it and top with the sliced strawberries.  Serve immediately.

 

Corn and Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
7 ½ cups of vegetable stock
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 medium sweet potato diced
1 lb corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
Salt and ground black pepper
Lime wedges to serve

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large soup pan and gently fry the onion until soft (approximately 5 minutes).  Add the garlic and gently fry for another 2 minutes.  Add 1/14 cups of vegetable stock to the pan.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the cumin and diced sweet potato and simmer a further 10 minutes.  Season to taste and add the corn and remaining stock.  Simmer approximately 10 minutes. 

Remove soup from heat and let cool slightly.  Transfer half of the soup to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.  Stir the smooth soup into the pan and mix together with the chunky remaining soup and gently stir together.

*Serve into warm bowls with lime wedges on the side.

Mushroom Omelette

1 cup of trimmed and sliced mushrooms
8 large eggs
2 oz grated Gruyere cheese or Swiss cheese
2 tablespoons butter
Fresh parsley to garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

Add one tablespoon butter to a non-stick frying pan and add the mushrooms.  Sautee over low heat for approximately 5 minutes, remove mushrooms from pan and set aside.  Add a little more butter to the pan and add one quarter of beaten egg mixture, lift the edges of the omelette so the egg can run under and set.  Once the omelette is almost set add one quarter of the cooked mushrooms and sprinkle with a little bit of the cheese.  Fold the omelette over and gently place on the serving plate.  Repeat 3 more times with remaining ingredients.

Serves 4

*Low GI, Low Carb, Sommersize plan

Quick Chili Shrimp Pasta

2 cups of cooked, peeled, and ready to eat shrimp
1 clove garlic crushed
1 tablespoon deseeded and chopped chilli
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of one lemon
Fresh chopped parsley to garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Whole wheat spaghetti for four

Cook and drain the spaghetti according to package instructions and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a non stick pan and add the garlic and chilli, stir over low heat for approximately 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and shrimp and heat through for a minute or so.  Toss the mixture and spaghetti together, add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with a little parsley and serve.

*Low GI, low fat