Tuesday, January 27, 2009

as promised

I totally had fun with the pizza challenge.  I am cooking up some more fun recipes (delicious and sneakily filled with vegetables).  But for now, let's get down to it.

Greek-Inspired Pizza, a.k.a Flavor Explosion

the dough:  I used this recipe.  I substituted two of the cups of flour with whole wheat flour, increased the water to 1 1/4 cups, used olive oil and used honey instead of sugar.  You can let it rise for 30 minutes - I didn't.  I just rolled it out really thin and pre-baked for about 5 minutes.  You can also buy ready made dough at Trader Joe's and that makes everything a little quicker.


1/2 cup shredded part skim mozzarella 
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped 
6 artichoke hearts  (frozen or jarred), quartered
20 cherry tomatoes, quartered
10 calamata olives, pitted and diced
1/3 cup lowfat or fat free feta, crumbled

Layer everything atop your pizza dough in the order listed.  Bake for 8-10 minutes (if pre-baked) at 375, or until the crust is slightly golden.  

Slice and eat up!  This TASTY pizza is one you can feel good about - iron, protein, calcium, fiber,  antioxidants galore, plus loads of vitamins.  

If you've got picky eaters, you can do what I did:  halve the recipe (I even slice the dough in half before topping it), and slather one side with this sauce (super easy and even more antioxidants and nutrients! And you can freeze what you don't use) and top with 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella and 2 tablespoons of parmesan.  Now everyone is happy! 

**correction:  I totally left out the olive oil!  Oopsie.  Just drizzle the dough with a little less than a tablespoon of olive oil before topping it.  

Thursday, January 22, 2009

light, healthy, delicious...tortilla soup

I love all the ideas coming in - and I am going to work on some good pizza recipes very soon, I promise.  In the mean time, here is some soup I whipped up last week that I think was a big success.  I hope you think so, too...

Tortilla Soup (and it's good for you!)

1 lb. cherry tomatoes

2 med. carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

2 tablespoons pickled jalapenos**

32 oz chicken broth

2 cups water

1 t. salt

2-3 T taco seasoning (this is what I use - so easy and no MSG)

1.25 lbs ground turkey breast

1/2 lg onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

15 oz. frozen corn 

15oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 avocado, sliced

shredded reduced fat cheese (I use a mexi-blend from TJ's)

4 whole wheat tortillas, toasted and crumbled (I did this in my toaster oven, but you can also do it under the broiler)

1 lime, sliced into wedges


**Before we get to it, I used 2 tablespoons of jalapenos from the jar in the fridge.  This was one spicy soup.  You can use one fresh jalapeno (seed it if you want to cut down on the heat) or if you don't like too much spice, dice up 1/2 of a bell pepper instead.  


Place tomatoes, carrots and jalapeno in the food processor or blender and pulse until coarsely blended.  Make it as smooth as you'd like.  (I like to see little bit of tomato and carrot in there, but use some creative freedom.)


In a stock pot, brown ground turkey (I used ground turkey breast because it's lower in fat and calories, but use what you like) with onions and garlic.  Once cooked through, add taco seasoning and let simmer for one minute.


Add in tomato/carrot mixture, broth, water, beans, corn and salt, if needed.

Simmer 30-45 minutes.


Ladle soup into bowls, and sprinkle each with toasted tortilla strips, 2 tablespoons of cheese, and 3 slices of avocado.  Serve with a wedge of lime, and squeeze over the top just before serving. 


This is one of our new favorites - enjoy!

© One Healthy Mama 2009

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

what do YOU want?

I have a few ideas rolling around that I am trying to decide on for my next attempt, but what I really want to know is:  

What do you want to see on here?

Is there some recipe you'd like to see get a healthy makeover?  Do you want to see more kid-friendly recipes?  Main dishes?  Soup?  Apps?  You decide what comes next.

Challenge me!

Thursday, January 15, 2009

homemade grahams

                              © One Healthy Mama 2008
I have been wanting to make these for a long time. I am so glad I finally did - they are delicious!  My kiddo loves graham crackers, but they all have high fructose corn syrup in them (I know there are some ads out there that say it's okay, but it really isn't. There may be more on that later.).   So I looked for a recipe to try, and this was just the ticket.  I found it on a few different blogs, and they were pretty much all the same.  This is the version I made, a collaboration of them all. 

3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat graham flour (you can use reg. whole wheat flour, if you want)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup cold, unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (keep it in the fridge 'til you need it)

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons molasses

1/4 cup cold water

1 teaspoon vanilla 

Mix together the flours, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. 

Add the cold butter and mix or process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (this took my kitchen aid a few minutes).

Add the honey, molasses, water, and vanilla. Mix until the dough comes together in a ball.

Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick between wax paper or plastic wrap. 

Chill for 1 hour, until firm. Lightly flour the dough and roll 1/8-inch thick. 

Cut into 2-inch squares (I used my pizza cutter). 

Arrange on a nonstick or parchment lined cookie sheets. 

With a fork, prick several holes in each cracker.

Bake at 350 for 10 minutes, until lightly browned at the edges (mine actually took 8). 

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan.

You'll never go back to the box.  These are SO good and rich and satisfying and you can feel good about eating them.  Try it!

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

some thoughts on fitness

I was never really that into "working out".  Some of my friends in college were runners (and still are), some visited the gym, and I was always sort of "meh" about the whole thing.  I think most of it stemmed from being self-conscious about my lack of coordination, not being as fast as them, worried about wearing out quickly... basically I had a long list of excuses.  Blah, blah, blah.

After college I moved to Washington, DC to intern in a house with inner-city kids, and my roommate was a cute little Norwegian (not little in the sense that she was a kid, but active, stylish and dainty).  She worked out every single day at 5am.  Talk about subconscious guilt.  So I decided to join her.  It took about 2 days to realize that I am not friends with the early morning, but I did get into a routine of going most days of the week in the afternoon.

I have had ups and downs as far as my dedication goes, but all in all, I get a deep satisfaction from a good workout.  These days, I get in at least three per week, but the goal is four or five.  They usually consist of a 3 mile run on the treadmill or some time on the elliptical.  But the latest workout that I love and definitely feel the burn from:  Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred.  I love it!  It's three workouts, each 25 minutes, and it's a combo of strength, cardio and abs.  My husband even does it with me, which is a bonus.  Plus, who doesn't have 25 minutes of spare time?  So there really is no excuse for me to miss out.

Another discovery yesterday: On Demand.  We haven't had cable for 2 years.  It was kind of a spur of the moment decision to get it again, and the guy came yesterday to hook it up.  Now we have On Demand and it comes with an exercise channel with at least 50 workouts.  If you have OD, you should check it out, because The 30-Day is on there for a few more weeks.  It will kick your tush!

It's a new year... never a better time to get motivated.  It is really hard to do on your own.  I certainly wouldn't have started without the help of my favorite European.  Don't get discouraged if you've hit a slump - find a friend, some online buddies, a partner, spouse, sibling, parent - whatever it takes to get you moving.  Something my husband tells me whenever I hem and haw about it: you'll never regret doing it, but you'll definitely regret not doing it.

So what gets you going? What's your routine?  Who keeps you motivated? Do you have an end goal?  I love hearing what keeps people moving!

Sunday, January 11, 2009

roasted cauliflower

Mmmmmmm.... This is one of the simplest, best tasting side dishes I have eaten in recent history. I have never been a huge fan of cauliflower - not that I had a distaste for it, but it just seemed so boring.

Until I tried it like this.  I wanted to eat the entire pan (I practically did).   It is so delicious and so easy and, of course, SO good for you.  One serving supplies almost all the vitamin C you need for the day, plus a bunch of other good stuff (vitamin K, folate, fiber, etc.) and it has cancer-fighting properties.  So go grab some and let's get started!

I had a 12 oz bag of fresh cauliflower, already washed and chopped from TJ's.  If you are buying it whole, just aim for about 1 pound of it.

Wash it and cut it into bite size pieces.  Blot dry and throw it on a cookie sheet.  
Drizzle it with about a tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.  
Toss to coat and spread evenly on the pan.
Roast for 15-20 minutes at 425, until golden and tender.
Try not to eat it all straight from the pan.  Try to share it.

And enjoy!

Saturday, January 3, 2009

power salad

© One Healthy Mama 2008
This salad is packed with nutrients and major flavor.  Talk about starting the year off right! One serving of this delivers a healthy dose of iron, protein, fiber, calcium, vitamins A, B6, C, E, and K, plus potassium, maganese, folate and tons of antioxidants.  Plus, it can lower cholesterol.  

Oh yeah, and it is deeeeeelicious.   It's based on yet another recipe discovered on allrecipes.com, with some additions and subtractions, and my own dressing, of course. 

Here's whatchya need:
2 cups shelled edamame (soybeans)
1 cup shredded carrots
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 10oz bag frozen sweet corn
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon cumin
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

Combine edamame, carrots, tomatoes, corn, beans and onions.
Whisk lime juice, oil, honey and cumin.  Toss with salad.
Sprinkle with about 1/4 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper.
Cover and refrigerate for about an hour to let flavors meld.  
Eat up!

You could fill up on this as is, throw it in a tortilla, or serve it with grilled chicken or shrimp for dinner.  It is filling and fresh, and you really ought to try it.

Happy new year!

Friday, January 2, 2009

how about a giveaway?

"The Secret is in the Sauce" is having a fantastic giveaway.  Check it out here!  

You can win a Keurig Platinum Brewing System, plus $50 worth of K-cups... and it's not just for coffee - you can whip up tea, hot chocolate, chai... something warm and toasty to melt away winter.  Go enter - don't miss out!