Spicy Carrot Fries w/Garlic Dipping Sauce

   

by Tara Wright

Serves 2-4 

This concoction is for those of you who say there are only so many ways to eat a vegetable!  When you need a little variety in your veggies, go for this tasty recipe. With the creamy garlic dip, you will think you’re cheating; but with this kind of fry, it’s okay to go back for a second helping:)  

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 lbs carrots, peeled & sliced julienne (I used baby carrots)
  • 2 egg whites, whipped
  • 1+ tsp Sriracha sauce (“Rooster” chili sauce located in Asian food aisle)
  • sprinkle of pepper & seasoned salt
  • sprinkle of chili powder
  • 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, sprayed evenly or drizzle & toss

Garlic Dipping Sauce

  • 1/2 cup 2% Greek Yogurt (Fage brand makes a 2%)
  • 2 tbsp minced/finely diced garlic
  • *Optional* squirt of Sriracha for added zesty heat

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 (unless your oven runs hot, then go 400).  Prepare carrots by slicing into “fry” julienne shape; I found that quartering each baby carrot worked well.  Throw all carrot fries into large bowl.  Whisk olive oil with Sriracha, drizzle over carrots in bowl and toss until coated.  Spread carrots out in single layer onto pregreased (read: light coat of non-stick spray) cookie sheet, sprinkle a light layer of chili powder.  Whip up egg whites and, using silicone or pastry brush, brush egg onto the surface of each carrot slice.  Last, sprinkle a touch of pepper and a light dusting of salt over the batch.  Pop them in the oven for 20-30 mins (really depends on the oven here, so after about 18 mins, start to watch closely for browning).  You definitely want them to be browned for the crispiness factor, but be careful that the small pieces don’t char!  Every few minutes, open up the oven and toss the fries with a spatula for even cooking.  

While the fries are cooking, you can whip up the garlic dip!  In a small bowl, add yogurt and chopped garlic.  Don’t be shy with the garlic, people.  If you love heat, go ahead and add a little Sriracha to the mix too.  

These “fries” are a great substitute for a carby side dish and have even been kid-tested and approved!  Let us know what you think:)

Suggestions:

Chop up a handful of fresh italian parsley and add it to the garlic dip, or sprinkle it over the top of the cooked carrot fries for a little extra pop of flavor.  

I cannot stress how important it is to keep an eye on the fries during the 20 minute mark.  You don’t want soggy fries, but you don’t want them to burn either. Check in on them every 1-2 minutes until done to your satisfaction:)

As you can see in my pic, I could not resist putting some extra garlicky goodness on my fries prior to cooking.  This did add flavor, but those little bits do char rather quickly.  We didn’t mind, but do realize this if you decide to go the extra garlic route!

Good news: this recipe would work just as well with sweet potatoes.  

Enjoy!!

Waist-Friendly Zucchini Lasagna

   

by Tara Wright

Yields 10-12 servings

There’s nothing like the down-home feeling of a delicious lasagna dinner! Unfortunately, lasagna doesn’t exactly meet or exceed our nutritional standards….like, ever.  This lasagna takes a ton of the guilt out of eating this Italian dish, but it still resembles the flavors that we all love so dearly.  

Ingredients:

  • 4 large green zucchinis (I was able to use one giant garden zucchini, but this measurement is based on your likely store availability)
  • 2 cups lowfat (2%) cottage cheese
  • 2 links Jennie O Italian turkey sausage (uncooked; found in meat section)
  • 1 jar low sodium spaghetti sauce (or homemade as long as it is low sodium & no sugar added)
  • 1 cup shredded low-fat/skim mozzarella 
  • 1 package ground lean turkey 
  • 2 large fresh tomatoes, diced (or 1 can of *drained* diced will work in a pinch—no salt added)
  • 1/2 medium white onion, diced
  • 2-3 cloves garlic, minced (depends on how garlicky you like it)
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • salt & pepper to taste (probably won’t even need any)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375.  Remove casings from turkey sausage.  Brown entire package (1.25 lbs is standard) of ground turkey along with the raw turkey sausage, breaking apart the meat frequently as it cooks.  Add diced onion and garlic to the meat. Pour jar of sauce into the skillet, followed by diced tomatoes; turn to low and let it simmer.  Cut off and discard the ends of each zucchini.  Turning the zucchini vertical, slice in long, thin strokes all the way down the veggie.  The result will be a long, flat shape that will work very nicely in place of a noodle.  Using a 9x13 glass or metal pan (pre-treat with non-stick spray), lay out a layer of zucchini slices on the bottom of the pan.  Measure out 2 cups of cottage cheese, then scoop a dollop at a time for the next layer, spread with the back of a spoon.  Next, roughly estimate 1/2 of your meat/sauce mixture and pour it in for the next layer; spread.  Follow this up with another layer of zucchini “noodles” to cover the sauce.  Pour the remainder of the red sauce on top of the zucchini layer.  Last, sparingly sprinkle no more than 1 cup of shredded mozzarella on top.  Pop it in the oven for 25-30 minutes (be sure the zucchini slices are tender) and divide into 10-12 squares. Devour immediately.  

Suggestions:

A nice slice of this with a big salad is a perfect meal!  And, this dish serves plenty, so you should have leftovers too.  I found that it keeps at least 2-3 days if stored properly in an airtight container in the fridge.  

You might know by now that I love a little heat.  Don’t be afraid to sprinkle a bit of crushed red pepper on top of this or even a few drops of Sriracha.  Yum!!  

If you are one of the lucky few who can have whole wheat pasta, I have seen lasagna noodles available at several grocery stores.  If brown rice is incorporated into your diet, there are also brown rice lasagna noodles in many stores!  Adjust the dish accordingly, but know that the zucchini does add a touch of something different- so maybe keep a little in as a layer all its own:)  

Chopped spinach would be great in this too!  Throw some into the pan when you are cooking the meat to give it time to wilt/heat up.  It is always nice to pack extra veggies into your main dish.  

Enjoy!  

Quick Apple Feta Salad

   

by Tara Wright

Yields 1 serving

Some days you just don’t have time to think about your veggies!  This awesome salad tastes like it took way more thought and effort than it actually does:)

Ingredients:

  • 3 slices Granny Smith or Fuji apple, roughly diced
  • 2 tbsp light Feta cheese
  • 2 cups spring mix salad (or any darker green lettuce), rinsed & dried 
  • 1/8 cup shredded carrots (mine were already in the salad mix)
  • 3 tbsp red onion, finely diced
  • 2 tbsp light balsamic vinaigrette

Directions:

Prepare all components of the salad as directed.  Lay a bed of greens onto a large plate, followed by an even sprinkle of your carrots, onions, and apples.  Measure out and pour your dressing, followed by the Feta crumbles on top.  That’s it!  

Enjoy!

Suggestion:

This salad goes lovely with grilled chicken!  Use it as a side, or throw some slices right on top.  The chicken, apples, and tangy balsamic go very nicely together.  

WBF "Fried" Brown Rice & Veggies

   

by Tara Wright

Yields 8 servings

Ingredients:

  • 4 cups cooked, day old brown rice
  • 8 oz ground uncooked turkey sausage
  • 1 cup shredded carrots, roughly chopped
  • 1 zucchini, diced small
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 small white onion, diced
  • 6 stalks green onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, diced
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
  • 4 egg whites
  • 3 tbsp Bragg Liquid Aminos (low sodium soy sauce alternative)
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tsp Sriracha sauce
  • 1/2 tsp ground or fresh ginger
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Start by preparing all veggies (and cilantro & garlic) as described above, then dump them into a large bowl and set them aside.  Spray a large skillet or wok with a touch of non stick, then proceed to brown and crumble the turkey sausage. Once sausage is cooked thoroughly, add egg whites and continuously stir until cooked.  Remove eggs & sausage from pan, set aside for later.  Measure out 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, turning pan up to medium high.  Once the oil is hot, spread it out across the pan and add cooked brown rice to the skillet.  Let it sit for a few seconds, then toss to be sure all of the rice has a turn at the bottom of the pan.  A few grains may be a bit browned, and that is ok!  After the rice has had a few minutes to “fry”, add the eggs and sausage back to the pan and incorporate.  In a second skillet, apply another quick spritz of non-stick, warming the pan to medium high.  Dump the veggies into the pan and toss occasionally as they soften.  Mix the liquid aminos, ground ginger, chicken broth, and Sriracha.  Once the zucchini is tender, transfer the veggies to the rice pan; stir.  Last, add the liquid evenly throughout the pan and stir it up. Taste and season with pepper and a touch of salt if needed.  Dish up 1/2 cup servings and enjoy!  

Suggestions:

This would also be very good with grilled or pan cooked chicken instead of (or do 1/2 and 1/2) sausage!

This lasts for days.  This is a bulk or large family recipe, but you can easily eat this for 4-5 days if you store it in an airtight container or ziploc bag in the fridge.  

"BLT" Chicken Parmesan Pasta

     

by Tara Wright

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients: 

  • 2-3 decent sized boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced
  • 3 cups whole wheat or brown rice pasta, cooked and drained
  • 1 carton grape, cherry, or mini heirloom tomatoes, halved or quartered
  • 10-15 large fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade(<——-click for instructions)
  • 4 strips turkey bacon
  • 1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes, no salt added
  • 2 cups spinach, washed, dried & chopped 
  • 2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • fresh shredded parmesan cheese
  • salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Prepare basil, spinach, garlic, tomatoes, pasta and chicken as directed above; set each item aside until further notice.  Start cooking chicken in a non-stick skillet with a spritz of nonstick spray or olive oil.  Prepare turkey bacon (skillet w/nonstick is probably your best bet here too); be sure it is a bit on the crisp side without burning; set aside to cool.  Once diced chicken is cooked through, add canned diced tomatoes, chopped garlic and spinach.  Season a bit with salt, pepper, and dried basil to taste (I used frozen basil cubes by Dorot—available at Trader Joe’s); remove from heat or turn to low once spinach is wilted.  Portion out the cooked pasta, top each pasta plate first with basil chicken mixture, then fresh cut tomatoes, sprinkle with basil chiffonade pieces.  Top with 1 tbsp of fresh shredded parmesan cheese per serving, add a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes on top.  Finish the dish by chopping up your crispy turkey bacon and sprinkling the bits on top, then drizzle up to 1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil per serving.  Toss a bit and serve!    

Suggestion:

I had leftover chicken when I prepared mine, and I turned around and used it for a salad using everything but the noodles the next day for lunch, adding a bit of low cal/fat italian dressing instead of olive oil.  Delish!

Enjoy:)