Chicken and Bean Tostadas!

Happy July Long Weekend!  Here's hoping that your days are filled with fun, family, friends, great weather, and outdoor activities.  Here's an easy, tasty, and healthy crowd pleaser that can easily be thrown together as a light meal, without having to spend much time cooking and missing out on all the fun!  I haven't changed the recipe much from the original.  Serve with a big summer salad to make a delicious, filling, and healthy meal!  Note that this recipe is not low on salt (salsa is especially salty - consider making your own as a lower salt alternative!).

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups shredded chicken (breast from a rotisserie chicken works well)
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 10 corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Toppings:

• shredded lettuce
• chopped tomato
• chopped green onion
• chopped cilantro
• 10 tsp reduced fat sour cream
• hot sauce

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 2 baking sheets with nonstick spray and spread corn tortillas on baking sheets. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, salsa and beans.
3. Top each tortilla with chicken and bean mixture, then add cheese on top. Bake in 375 degree oven for 12-14 minutes until tortillas are crisp and cheese is melted.
4. Serve immediately and with toppings of choice!

Makes 10 Tostadas.  Per Tostada (approximate): 

Calories: 217

Fat: 8.3g

Carbs: 19g

Protein: 17g

MMmmmmm.... Enjoy!

Follow me on twitter! @drsuepedersen

www.drsue.ca © 2016

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Flavour Country! Baked Salmon with Olive Tomato Tapenade

Salmon is a very versatile fish to cook with, as it takes well to a seemingly endless variety of flavourings.  That being said, this is probably one of the tastiest salmon recipes I have ever come across -  I made this at home and it was dubbed 'Flavour Country' with the first bite!  Mmmm.  You will be hailed as a gourmet cook - and it's so easy to make!

I found the original recipe here, but I have modified it, including a marked decrease in the amount of oil - only a little olive oil is needed to sauté the onion and garlic.  There is lots of healthy fat (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated) to be had in the salmon and olives.    On that note, you could cut down the calories and fat further by using wild salmon and less olives.  (I used farmed atlantic salmon to calculate the calories as this is what is most commonly available.)  Note also that there is quite a lot of salt in the ingredients (capers, olives etc) - so if you are on a salt restricted diet, you may consider a tapenade with just tomato, garlic, herbs and onion (also delicious). 

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 pounds plum or cherry or grape tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped oregano
• 1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced
• 1/3 cup drained capers
• 1/3 cup sliced pickled jalapeños
• Four servings of salmon (3 oz (85g) each)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are just beginning to break down, about 5 minutes. Stir in the olives, capers and jalapeños and simmer for 2 minutes longer. 

2. Place the salmon on a foil covered baking tray. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. Transfer the fish to plates, spoon the sauce all around and serve.


Makes 4 servings.  Per serving: 

Calories: 305
Fat: 19g
Carbs: 15g
Protein: 20g

**note: there are variations in estimates of nutritional info for kalamata olives out there - I have used a middle ground between estimates in calculating the nutritional info.

**note: bed of rice and greens in the picture is not included in nutritional info. 

Follow me on twitter! @drsuepedersen

www.drsue.ca © 2016

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Whole Wheat Ginger Snaps!

Every year, I look for a healthier slant on a yuletide treat to enjoy during the holiday season.  This recipe caught my interest as its focus (in the title) was on the whole wheat ingredient.  It’s interesting, because although whole wheat does contain more fiber and has a lower glycemic index than white flour, it makes very little difference in the actual calories (58 calories less for the entire recipe, or just over 1 calorie difference per cookie!).  Just a note not to be wooed by the seemingly healthy titles of recipes. 

This brings me to the reason why I actually chose this recipe, which is the small size of the cookies.  Portion control is key when our senses are assailed by so much temptation during the holidays!  Eating only 1 cookie (for 43 calories) or 2 cookies (for 86 calories) from this recipe is not a damaging onslaught of calories; rather, a delicious and flavorful treat to include in your daily calorie intake total.   

The recipe comes from Lively Table, but I have switched up the ingredients a little – particularly the coconut oil for the healthier canola.

Ingredients:

½ cup canola oil

¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup molasses

1 large egg white

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp grated ginger

1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp ground cardamom

pinch of ground white pepper

Directions:

1.     In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat canola oil and sugars until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add molasses, egg, vanilla and ginger. Beat until combined.

2.     Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and spices into bowl with wet ingredients. Beat until well combined. 

3.     Cover mixture and refrigerate 2 hours. 

4.     Preheat oven to 350° F. Remove dough from refrigerator.

5.     Scoop into small balls (about 1 tsp). Roll to shape and place at least 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat. Flatten balls slightly.

6.     Bake cookies 6-8 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and let cool a couple of minutes before transferring to cooling rack. 

Makes 48 cookies.  Per cookie:

Calories: 43

Fat: 2.3g

Carbs: 5.4g

Protein: 0.5g

Happy Holidays, everyone!   See you again in the New Year. 

Follow me on twitter! @drsuepedersen

www.drsue.ca © 2015 

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Slow Cooker Mexican Delight!

The other day, as I walked down to our clinic kitchen to get my lunch, I was greeted by mouthwatering aromas of Mexican spices filling the air... I turned the corner to find my dear friend and coworker Chantelle heating up her delightful lunch that she had brought from home.  She graciously packed a lunch for me at work the next day, and it tasted even better than it smelled... this recipe needs to be shared!!


INGREDIENTS:

• 5 chicken breasts
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 can of tomatoes (796 mL size)
• 1 can of corn (341 mL size)
• 1 can black beans (540 mL size)
• 1 package of low sodium taco seasoning
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 cups chicken stock
• And a little bit of love

DIRECTIONS: (slow cookers are so easy! :)

1.  Throw all ingredients in the slow cooker.  Cook for 4 hours on high or 6 hours on low. 

2.  Shred the chicken in the mixture and leave it on low for another hour or two – just to get the flavor all the way through the chicken.

And...you're done!

This dish can be enjoyed as is or in a taco, but my favorite option is to put it over a mixed green salad!  This adds lots of FreeVeg to the meal.  If you put it over a salad or in a taco, drain fluid first.

Makes 10 servings.  Per serving: 

• calories: 183
• carbs: 20g
• fat: 2g
• protein: 19g

Thanks so much to my dear friend Chantelle, and her friend Amy, for the delicious recipe!

Follow me on twitter! @drsuepedersen

www.drsue.ca © 2015

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Gluten Free Cauliflower Pizza Crust!

While pizza is a favorite food around the world, it unfortunately usually comes with a mega dose of calories.  A thick crust, piled high with fatty meats and oozing with cheese all contribute to the final count.   In addition to choosing healthier meats (eg chicken breast) and enjoying a thinner layer of cheese, have you ever considered switching up the crust altogether?  Here's a great recipe for a gluten free pizza crust that is not made with flour, but with cauli'flour' instead!

There are lots of cauliflower crust recipes online - this one is derived from allrecipes.com, but I switched up the cheeses and upped the spice content for better flavor.  One slice of this pizza crust has only 67 calories - compare this to a standard pizza crust slice which comes in around 180 calories!

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 head of cauliflower, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese (from a block of parmesan), shredded
• 1/4 cup part skim mozza cheese, shredded
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1.  Pulse cauliflower in a food processor until all cauliflower is shredded.

2.  Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer.  Bring water to a boil.  Add cauli, cover, and steam until tender (around 15 mins).  Put cauliflower into a bowl and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until cooled (about 15 mins).

3.  Preheat oven to 450F (230C), and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. Add remaining ingredients to the cauliflower and stir until blended.  Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and form into shape of a pizza crust.

5.  Bake until lightly browned (about 15 mins).

Makes 6 servings.


NUTRITION PER SERVING:

• calories: 67
• fat: 3.6g
• carb: 3g
• protein: 5.8g

Thanks to Leah for the recipe idea!

Follow me on twitter! @drsuepedersen

www.drsue.ca © 2015

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Skinny Slow Cooker Chicken Marinara

Love this slow cooker permutation of chicken marinara - SkinnyMom wins the award for an awesomely healthy recipe that didn't need any 'doctoring' to make it DrSue.ca approved.  Imagine how much you'll love coming home from work, cracking open the front door to find the delicious scent of your dinner wafting out to great you....

Ingredients

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 4 tomatoes, chopped or one 14.5-ounce can low-sodium tomatoes, drained
• 4 medium ribs celery, diced (1 cup)
• 2 small zucchini, diced (2 cups)
• 1 bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
• One 18-ounce jar low-sodium marinara sauce
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried thyme

Instructions

1. Place the chicken in the slow cooker; add the garlic, tomatoes, celery, zucchini, and pepper.
2. Pour the marinara sauce over all, and sprinkle the basil and thyme on top.
3. Set the slow cooker on low and cook for 6 to 8 hours (make sure the chicken is cooked through!).
4. Before serving, shred the chicken with a fork.

Makes 8 servings.  Nutritional Info per serving (approximate): 

• calories: 172
• fat: 3.6g
• protein: 27g
• carbs: 7g

Follow me on twitter: @drsuepedersen

www.drsue.ca © 2015

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Scrumptious Zucchini Apricot Muffins!

Here's a delectable recipe to help you bring in 2015 in healthy style.  These packets of goodness make a super mid morning snack, and are great to help fuel winter mountain adventures!  I cut back from the original recipe on the walnuts; they could be cut down further to further drop the calorie and fat count, but at 1/2 cup in the recipe, you get a healthy dose of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats (the 'good fats') in one serving.   Also, be sure to use no sugar added jam - at 60% less calories than regular jam, it's really the way to go!

INGREDIENTS: 

• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup unbleached white flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup no sugar added apricot jam
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 1-2 tsp cinnamon (to taste)
• 1/2 cup walnuts, crushed
• pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 F.  

2.  In a large bowl, combine flours, baking powder, baking soda, walnuts, and salt.  Mix very well. 

3.   In a separate bowl, combine eggs, apricot jam, vanilla, and canola oil.  Mix well.  Add zucchini and mix again.  

4.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until all are moistened.  Don't over mix!

5.  Spoon the mixture into a 12 muffin tin prepared with non stick spray.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing.  

Makes 12 muffins.  Per muffin (approx): 

• calories: 145
• protein: 3.6g
• carbs: 13.5g
• fat: 7.6g

Kudos to Alternatives Natural Food Market in Oakville, Ontario for the original recipe!

Follow me on twitter! @drsuepedersen

www.drsue.ca © 2015

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