Trail Mix

With finals coming up I have been spending a lot of time at school studying and working on projects. I noticed that I was getting hungry after being there after a few hours. I tried going to the little cafe in the Marriott Library but nothing there seem to catch my eye, that was healthy that is. So I came home the other night and decided to make a snack to bring with me while I study. I love trail mix so I looked for healthy recipes. This recipe is so good and the best part is there is endless combinations you can do to make your perfect trail mix.

Ingredients
1 C pretzels
1/2 C walnuts
1/2 C almonds
1/2 C raisins
1/2 C M & M's

Directions
Combine all ingredients into container or ziplock bag.

Calories: 165
Fat: 7.6 g

Tomato and Chicken Pizza

I dont know about you but I love pizza. But I dont love how greasy it is. I found this recipe and it is so delicious and not greasy.

Ingredients 
Nonstick cooking spray
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 10-ounce package refrigerated pizza dough
3 medium plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
4 ounces cooked chicken, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons snipped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Coat a 12-inch pizza pan with cooking spray; sprinkle with cornmeal. Press refrigerated dough into pan, building up edges.

2. Arrange tomato slices and chicken on dough. Add basil and pepper, and top with mozzarella.

3. Bake in a 425-degree F. oven for 13 to 18 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Calories: 281

Fat: 8g

Pasta Salad

This is a very simple and delicious recipe. Its one of my favorites and I make this all the time. The nice thing about this recipe is it is easy to make a bigger or smaller recipe depending on the number of people you are trying to feed.

Ingredients
8 oz Ronzoni Smart Taste Penne pasta (or any pasta you might have on hand)
1 cup fresh mozzarella, cut into little cubes
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup light italian salad dressing
1/4 c fresh basil, chopped
1/4 c red onion, finely chopped

Directions

Cook pasta and combine all ingredients in large bowl. Enjoy!

Calories: 121.3

Fat: 4.5g

A Jerky Chicken

This weekend I attended a party and this was one of the dishes served. I loved it and asked my friend for the recipe. Surprisingly it was a healthy recipe so I figured I would share it with everyone.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon onion, finely chopped

3 tablespoons brown sugar

4 tablespoons soy sauce

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

1 teaspoon sesame oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 habanero pepper, sliced

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch strips

Directions

1.  Combine the onion, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, thyme, sesame oil, garlic, allspice and habanero pepper in the container of a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Place the chicken into a large resealable bag, and pour in 3/4 of the sauce. Squeeze out excess air, and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

2.  Preheat your oven's broiler.

3.  Remove chicken from bag, and discard marinade. Broil chicken for 10 to 15 minutes, turning once to ensure even cooking. Heat remaining sauce in a small pan, and pour over chicken when serving.

Calories: 197

Fat: 2.7 g

Grilled Pineapple

One of my favorite restaurants in Salt Lake is Tucanos Brazilian Grill. They have amazing grilled pineapple. The other day I was really craving it so I looked up recipes for it on the internet. This is what I found. It was pretty tasty. 

Ingredients

For the marinade:

1 T olive oil

¼ t ground cloves

1 t ground cinnamon

2 t dark honey

1 t fresh lime juice

1 firm, ripe pineapple

1 t dark rum (optional)

1 t grated lime zest

Direction

1. Heat grill.

2. Combine marinade ingredients and whisk to blend. Set aside.

3. Cut off the crown of leaves and the base of the pineapple. Stand the pineapple upright and using a large sharp knife pare off the skin, cutting downward just below the surface in long, vertical strips. Cut off any remaining small brown “eyes” on the fruit. Stand the peeled pineapple upright and cut in half lengthwise. Place each pineapple half cut-side down and cut it lengthwise into four long wedges, slice away the core.

4. Place pineapple in the bowl with the marinade and stir to coat the pineapple.

5. Place on the grill and cook about 3-4 minutes, basting once or twice with the remaining marinade. Turn the fruit and move it to a cooler part of the grill or reduce the heat. Baste again with the remaining marinade. Grill until the pineapple is tender and golden, about 3 more minutes.

6. Remove pineapple from grill and place on a platter. Brush with rum and sprinkle with the lime zest.

7. Serve hot or warm.

Serving size: 1 wedge

Calories: 79

Fat: 2g

Warm Chocolate Pudding

I am not one to make things out of a box. I would much prefer to make my recipes from scratch. Especially when it comes to pudding. The stuff that comes out of the box always taste so fake to me. This recipe has a very rich chocolate taste. It is delicious!

Ingredients

1 large egg

2 1/4 cups nonfat or low-fat milk, divided

2/3 cup sugar, divided

1/8 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
1.     Lightly beat egg with a fork in a medium bowl.
2.     Combine 1 1/2 cups milk, 1/3 cup sugar and salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
3.     Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, cocoa and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Whisk in the remaining 3/4 cup milk until blended. Whisk the simmering milk mixture into the cocoa mixture. Pour the mixture back into the pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and glossy, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
4.     Whisk about 1 cup of the hot cocoa mixture into the beaten egg. Return the egg mixture to the pan and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until steaming and thickened, about 2 minutes. (Do not boil.) Whisk in vanilla. Serve warm.

Calories: 164

Fat: 2g

*Image courtesy of eatingwell.com

Chicken Tortilla Soup

I spent the weekend sick in bed and all I wanted was soup. One of my favorite soups is Tortilla soup. My roommate found this recipe and decided to make it for me. It was so delicious and she said it was so easy. But instead of making the tortilla strips she just bought them.

Ingredients

2 1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil

6 (6 inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch strips

3 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite size pieces

1/2 cup salsa

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add half of the tortilla strips, stirring often, until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining 1/2 teaspoon of oil and remaining tortilla strips and set aside.

2. Add the broth, cumin, chili powder and oregano to the pot. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil.
3. Add the beans, corn, chicken and salsa. Reduce heat to low, stir and simmer for about 2 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside.

4. Add the cilantro and half of the reserved tortilla strips. Ladle into individual bowls and garnish each bowl with some of the remaining strips. 

Calories: 257

Fat: 5.5g