Sneaky Ways to add Healthy foods to your family's meals

All right, so my oldest daughter has been having BAD stomach problems lately. Actually, this has been an on and off thing for a while now. The doctor has told us repeatedly it is because of the way she eats. This of course, falls back to me. I fix dinner almost every night. But, I’m Italian. So, even though I’ve learned how to personally control eating the bad stuff…. Pasta, potatoes, bread, etc…. I haven’t quite mastered how to consistently shy away from cooking them for my family. My bad. So I’ve recently taken up preparing healthy dinners for my family along with the healthy lunches and breakfasts I was already making for myself.

I’ve found some really interesting (and admittedly delicious) ways to “sneak” healthy foods into the ones that I already make. So as not to cause a huge rebellion from my husband and kids.

Here are a few that I’ve tried with tons of luck! They actually went over big. Of course I didn’t tell any of them what was really in the food they were wolfing down, I just smiled to myself and watched as my family began the journey to healthy.

-Sloppy Joes-
My family LOVES ground beef. In pasta sauce, meatloaf, burgers, sloppy joes, you name it. Here’s an easy way to turn these otherwise not so healthy foods into ones you can be proud of.

For sloppy joes…. Forget the canned sloppy joe mix. Brown your lean ground beef in olive oil. Instead of all ground beef, use half ground turkey and half ground beef. To the browned meat, add ¼ cup ground flax seed and 1 pureed avocado (I place mine in the food processor with a bit of olive oil, garlic powder, and pepper). Mix well. Then add 1 small can tomato sauce and 1 cup of BBQ sauce. Mix well and heat through. Serve with whole wheat buns if desired and TADA! You’ve just made HEALTHY sloppy joes!!


-Sweet fruit Salad-

My kids actually love fruit, so I capitalize on this.
Mix peaches, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and grapes in a large bow. (I use frozen fruit, except for the grapes) In a small bowl, mix together 3 TBS. honey and the juice from half of a lime. Add a dash of cinnamon and 1 packet of Splenda. Pour over your salad and serve at room temperature.

-Pasta Sauce-

This is an easy one. Tomatoes are healthy by nature. You just have to make it homemade. It takes barely any more work than opening a jar and heating it. But the rewards are soooooo much better.

In a food processor, pulse 1 can chickpeas, 1 TBS. olive oil, garlic powder, and a dash of MRS. DASH until smooth. Heat 2 TBS. olive oil in a large pot. Saute ½ of an onion until they begin to carmelize. Add about 1 cup of red wine to this. Boil down for about 5 minutes. Then add 1 can of whole tomatoes to the pan. Let them heat through, then begin lightly smashing them down. Add 1 can tomato sauce and the chickpea mixture. Mix well to combine. Your sauce will be a bit light in color, so add another can of tomato sauce if desired. Season to taste with Italian Seasonings, garlic powder, and pepper. I add a packet of Splenda because we like our sauce not quite so tart. Serve this with Smart Taste Pasta of Whole Wheat pasta.

If you would like to see more of these easy healthy ideas, let me know. I have an eBook that has so many more ideas in it. I’d be happy to send it to you!!

Tilapia with Roasted Corn

Here's our recipe from this past Tuesday.

Tilapia:
Ingredients:

1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. chili powder
salt
4 tilapia fillets
1 1/2 cup
1 lime cut into wedges

Directions:
-Preheat the broiler. In a small bowl, combine the mayo, chili powder, and 1/4 tsp. salt.
-Grease a 9-inch square baking dish with 1 tsp. of the mayo mixture.
-Place tilapia fillets in he baking dish and coat with the remaining mayo mixture.
-Top with the corn.
-Broil until the corn is lightly browned and the fish is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
-Garnish with the lime.

Chickpea Salad:
Ingredients:

1 can chickpeas
1/2 can diced tomatoes
1 cucumber, diced
2 TBS. olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:
-Heat oil in large pan.
-Add all ingredients.
-Saute about 5 minutes, stirring often.
-Remove from pan and place in bowl.
-Refrigerate until ready to serve.
(Best served cold, but can be eaten warm). Also delicious on a salad!!

Lean, Mean Meatloaf

Okay, as mentioned in my Menu Plan Monday post, here is the recipe for:

MONDAY"S recipes

Meatloaf:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup oats
1 red onion, quartered
1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes
2 TBS. Olive oil
1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 egg + 1 egg white
salt and pepper
6 TBS. parmesan cheese

-Pulse oats in food processor until they have a crumb-like texture. Set aside in large bowl.
-Place onion in processor and pulse until finely diced.
-Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions, cook, stirring until soft. About 5 minutes.
-Place diced tomatoes in processor. Pulse until mostly smooth.
-Combine tomatoes (reserving about 1/2 cup), egg, egg white, parmesan, salt and pepper, and ground beef with crumbled oats. Mix very well.
-Add onions to mixture. Combine well.
-Pat into 9x9 baking pan. Top with remaining 1/2 cup tomatoes.
-Bake, at 375 for about 45-50 minutes.

I topped ours with a little mozzerella at about 40 minutes. Let it melt and then placed it in the broiler for a minute to golden brown it. Yum!

Papaya Salad with Honey Lime Dressing:

Ingredients:
-Papaya
-Peaches
-Blueberries
-Blackberries
-Strawberries
-Grapes
2 TBS. honey
Juice from 1/2 of a lime
1 tsp. cinnamon

-Place all fruits in large bowl.
-Mix well.
-In small bowl, combine, lime juice, honey, and cinnamon.
-Pour over fruits and combine well.

Menu Plan Monday

I'm taking my inspiration from THE Mrs. Rachel Ray this week. I'm a subscriber to her magazine (hell, I'm a subscriber to A LOT of magazines) and there were some DELICIOUS looking recipes this week. So, without further ado:

Monday-Lean Mean Meatloaf, Papaya salad with honey lime dressing, Mashed garlicky cauliflower

Tuesday-Tilapia with roasted corn crust, chickpea salad, baked corn fritters

Wednesday-Deconstructed Lasagna, Honey flax bread

Thursday-Swiss Burgers with Baked Zucchini Chips

Friday- Inside out Pizza rolls, Peach and Berry salad

Saturday-Fried Chicken roll-ups, Strawberry salad with honey lime dressing, salsa and whole wheat pitas

Sunday- Greek Chicken Salad and Garlic Cottage Fries

Menu Plan Monday

Okay, this is my first 'official' Menu Planning Monday. I actually do this every week, but on paper. I found this great site, Orgjunkie.com that does a link up to like a billion people who do this electronically.

I've not been feeling the greatest today, so I'm only going to post partial info for right now. Tomorrow I will have it completed and with recipe links!!

Monday- (I cheated) Takeout Pizza :(

Tuesday- Bacon, Tomato Bagel Melts (thanks Laura, these sound DELICIOUS!!), kicked up salad, and Homemade Mac n Cheese

Wednesday- Inside out tacos, spanish rice, and sister-in-law dip

Thursday- Black forest Reubens, Homemade potato chips, hummus and grapes

Friday- Pork Chop Balsamico, corn salad, hawaiian rolls, baked potatoes

Saturday- Filet mignon in wine sauce, double baked potatoes, broccoli au gratin

Sunday- Stuffed shells, homemade garlic bread, kicked up salad, white chocolate pudding

I'll post recipe links tomorrow everyone. Check back for them and more posts. I made this AWESOME cranberry bar the other night and just haven't had the energy to post the recipe on here. So that will be up as well as a few more little things. :)

Weeknight Chicken Sammies

Okay I guess it's pretty apparent that we eat chicken. A LOT. :) It's good for you though, and very versatile. So without further ado, I present:

Weeknight Chicken Sammies:

Ingredients:
- 2 large split chicken breast*
- 4 cups water
- 4 TBS. Chicken bullion
- 1/2 jar pasta sauce*
- provolone cheese
- kaiser rolls or buns

Directions:
Boil chicken in water and bullion. I usually cook these in the crockpot overnight, but if you forget to throw them in there, they take about 35 minutes in a pot with water.

Remove and shred. *I always take out half and place in zip top bag. Then I put in the freezer for later use.... chicken and dumplins, etc...*

Toss with warmed pasta sauce (I usually make my own, but storebought is just fine).

Slice rolls open and place cheese on them. Fill with chicken. Oala'!

Enjoy!!

Calzones

Here's the recipe of our classic Monday night dinner. I like to make this on Mondays because it's super easy and my girls and fiance LOVE it!

Ingredients:
-1 container refrigerated bisquits (I use flaky buttermilk)
-garlic salt/powder
-1 small can pizza sauce
-1/4 pound ground beef*
-shredded cheese
-1 egg white, whipped

Open bisquits and flatten to circles about 2 in. x 2 in.
Sprinkle each with garlic salt/powder

Spread a teaspoonish of pizza sauce on bisquits
Add a spoonful of ground beef (cooked) to one side of the circle
Top with cheese

Fold one side of circle onto the other and seal with fingers
Brush each with egg white

Bake at temperature specified on package until golden brown on top.

*When I make pasta sauce, I always save a little bit of the ground beef for these. Just toss about 1/4 pound of the cooked meat in a ziptop bag and toss in the freezer. Pull out the day before and put in fridge to dethaw. You can do this with taco meat as well. Pepperoni, chicken, or anything of your choosing can be used in place of the ground beef.

Enjoy!!

Easy, Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup

So, this store right by our house makes the best Chicken Tortilla Soup....I absolutely LOVE it. But they only make it on Wednesdays (grrrrrr) so I decided to make a big batch for us for dinner and then I'll individul-size freeze the rest for me at a later time.

This soup is my own (easiest in the world) recipe and is jus phenominal!!

Ingredients:

- 2 large split chicken breasts
- 1 jar salsa con queso (I used mild but use whatever you like)
- 2 cups water
- 3 TBS. chicken bullion
- 1 can chili flavored diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 can white hominy
- tortilla chips, corn chips, or homemade tortilla chips

Put all ingredients except hominy and chips in slowcooker. Cook on low overnight. Remove chicken the next day and shred or "chunk". Return to slowcooker and turn to WARM. Let sit another 3-4 hours at least. When ready to serve, saute hominy in sauce pan with 1 TBS butter and a dash of salt and pepper. Add to soup, let sit on warm for another 10 minutes.

Serve with chips on top for crunch and shredded cheese if desired.

All I can say is YUMMY!!