Bacon-Corn Chowder with Shrimp

We had this for dinner tonight and we were very pleasantly surprised. Neither of us has ever had chowder of any kind so we had no idea what to expect. We left out the celery and the shrimp and I didn't even miss it. Husband on the other hand keeps not-so-slyly hinting that he "likes shrimp" so I think next time we will have to make it according to the recipe minus the celery. I also think I will try adding a few chunks of avocado since you really can't go wrong with that. One of the best things about this recipe is that it gets a kid-friendly badge. Thing 1 is going through one of his picky stages so he didn't eat it although I know he normally would have but when he refused to eat it we threw his portion in the blender and gave it to 8 month old Thing 2. He gobbled it up and actually cried when I waited too long in between bites. Gotta love those dishes that appeal to the masses. 5 out of 5 stars.

 

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 6 slices center-cut bacon chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ¹⁄₂ cup chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 4 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels thawed
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ³⁄₄ pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
• ¹⁄₃ cup half-and-half
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add bacon to pan; saute 4 minutes or until the bacon begins to brown. Remove 2 slices bacon. Drain on paper towels. Add onion and next 3 ingredients (through minced garlic) to pan, and saute for 2 minutes. Add corn, and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add broth; bring to a boil, and cook for 4 minutes.
2. Place 2 cups of corn mixture in a blender. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape), and secure lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in the blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Return pureed corn mixture to pan. Stir in shrimp; cook 2 minutes or until shrimp are done. Stir in half-and-half, pepper, and salt. Crumble reserved bacon over soup.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 294

Fat: 7g

Cholesterol: 144mg

Sodium: 547mg

Fiber: 4.3g

Protein: 26.8g

Mixed Greens with Berries & Honey-Glazed Hazelnuts

We did this salad a few nights ago and it turned out pretty good. We didn't have the greens so we used romaine lettuce which I don't really recommend. I think the greens would have taken it up a notch. Also this batch of blackberries was a little tart so the flavor was overpowering. I didn't use all of the dressing and I should have. It just looked overdressed but I was deceived. The best part of this salad was the honey glazed walnuts. So yummy. We gave it a 4 out of 5 stars but next time I will try the right greens and use raspberries.

 

Source: www.eatingwell.com

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• ¹⁄₄ cup chopped hazelnuts or walnuts
• ¹⁄₃ cup raspberries blackberries and/or blueberries
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 small clove garlic crushed and peeled
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon honey
• ¹⁄₈ teaspoon salt or to taste
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
• 10 cups mixed salad greens (about 8 ounces)
• 1 cup blackberries raspberries and/or blueberries
• ¹⁄₂ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese (4 ounces)

Directions

1. To prepare nuts: Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a small baking dish with cooking spray. Combine oil and honey in a small bowl. Add nuts and toss to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and bake, stirring from time to time, until golden, 10 to 14 minutes. Let cool completely.
2. To prepare dressing: Combine berries, oil, vinegar, water, mustard, garlic, honey, salt and pepper in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in shallots.
3. To prepare salad: Just before serving, place greens in a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the greens and toss to coat. Divide the salad among 4 plates. Scatter berries, cheese and the glazed nuts over each salad; serve immediately.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 232

Fat: 17 g

Cholesterol: 17 mg

Sodium: 349 mg

Carbohydrate: 15 g

Fiber: 6 g

Protein: 7 g

Kid-tastic Pizzadillas

I'm not gonna lie, I have yet to try this recipe. It's not really my cup of tea. That being said this recipe satisfied the pickiest kid eater I know so you know it's a winner. Beware of the cook times given in the recipe because they are far too high. Instead of 5 minutes on each side once it's folded I did 3 and it came out perfect. Since I didn't eat it I can't rate it so I have to trust my sweet picky niece who said "100 out of 5" stars.

Source: Cooking Light

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1 ounce turkey pepperoni
• 1 cup marinara sauce (such as McCutcheon's)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Brush canola oil over a jelly-roll pan, and top with tortillas. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons cheese over each tortilla, and divide the pepperoni among tortillas. Top each with 3 tablespoons cheese. Bake at 400° for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and carefully fold each tortilla in half. Bake an additional 10 minutes or until browned and crisp, turning after 5 minutes. Serve with marinara.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 308

Fat: 15.5g

Cholesterol: 37.3mg

Sodium: 849mg

Fiber: 11g

Protein: 17.6g

Rocky Road Brownies

We haven't made a dessert in a while so of course our sweet teeth were driving us mad! I didn't want to go to the store so I searched for recipes of healthier desserts that used ingredients that I have on hand and this is what I found. I had to borrow some marshmallows because Thing 1 depleted my stash a while ago but we had everything else. We only had a little less than a cup of cocoa powder left and a little more than a teaspoon of vanilla so we were worried these would lack in flavor. Not so. We didn't even notice anything missing. We didn't have a ton of walnuts but when we started putting them on it looked like there were tons on there so we went a little light on them anyway and we regretted it. You could hardly taste the nuts and it would have been much better with the full amount. I asked Thing one how much he liked them and he said "Three Much" which I think is more than too much. Just make sure that you separate out the servings immediately and ONLY EAT ONE. That means you husband... 5 out of 5 stars.

Source: www.eatingwell.com

Serves: 16

Ingredients

• 1 cup less 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon baking powder
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
• 4 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¹⁄₂ cup plus 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder preferably natural (see Note)
• 1 ¹⁄₄ cups sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 8 regular-size marshmallows
• ²⁄₃ cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans
• ¹⁄₃ cup chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate or large chocolate chips

Directions

1. Line the bottom and sides of an 8-inch-square baking pan with parchment paper or foil coated with cooking spray. (Leave enough of an overhang to be able to lift the brownies out of the pan later with the liner.) If you don’t plan to let the batter rest at the end of Step 3 before baking, position a rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F.
2. Thoroughly whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.
3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan until sizzling. Remove from the heat and stir in cocoa, then sugar. (The mixture will look like a mass of very dark brown sugar.) Add egg, egg whites and vanilla. Stir briskly until smooth and glossy. Stir in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Then stir briskly for about 50 strokes. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. The batter will be very shallow in the pan. If you have time, cover the pan and refrigerate for a few hours or up to 12 hours. (This hydrates the cocoa powder and flour and brings all the flavors into sharper focus.) Remove from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking; preheat oven to 350°F.
4. Quarter marshmallows with an oiled knife. Distribute the pieces over the batter, pressing them in. Distribute nuts and chocolate (or chips) around the marshmallows.
5. Bake the brownies until the marshmallows are golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes. (If you can find a place to test for doneness where there is no melted chocolate or marshmallow, a toothpick should come out with some moist, gooey batter clinging to it. Brownies in a metal pan will bake faster than those in a glass pan; if you’re unsure, bake a few minutes longer to make sure the brownies are done in the middle.) Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack for about 2 hours. Lift the ends of the pan liner and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 16 brownies.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 190

Fat: 8 g

Cholesterol: 22 mg

Sodium: 60 mg

Carbohydrate: 29 g

Fiber: 2 g

Protein: 3 g

Chicken & Sun-Dried Tomato Orzo

This was only my second time trying orzo and I really like it. It's a lighter way to do pasta and doesn't leave you feeling weighed down like some other pasta. We didn't have the fresh marjoram so we just left it out. I didn't notice anything missing. The only other change I would make is either cut the artichoke hearts smaller or use a little less. I love artichoke hearts but they were a little overpowering to the other flavors in this dish. Thing 1 loved the "rice noodles" and gobbled them up so that puts a lovely "kid friendly" stamp on this one.  4.5 out of 5 stars.

 

Source: www.eatingwell.com

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 8 ounces orzo preferably whole-wheat
• 1 cup water
• ¹⁄₂ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed), divided
• 1 plum tomato diced
• 1 clove garlic peeled
• 3 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram divided
• 1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil divided
• 4 boneless chicken breasts skinless chicken breasts, trimmed (1-1 1/4 pounds)
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 9-ounce package frozen artichoke hearts thawed
• ¹⁄₂ cup finely shredded Romano cheese divided

Directions

1. Cook orzo in a large saucepan of boiling water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse.
2. Meanwhile, place 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, plum tomato, garlic, 2 teaspoons marjoram, vinegar and 2 teaspoons oil in a blender. Blend until just a few chunks remain.
3. Season chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, adjusting the heat as necessary to prevent burning, until golden outside and no longer pink in the middle, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
4. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Measure out 1/2 cup sauce to a small bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes to the pan along with the orzo, artichoke hearts and 6 tablespoons cheese. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Divide among 4 plates.
5. Slice the chicken. Top each portion of pasta with sliced chicken, 2 tablespoons of the reserved tomato sauce and a sprinkling of the remaining cheese and marjoram.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 457

Fat: 12 g

Cholesterol: 68 m

Carbohydrate: 54 g

Fiber: 10 g

Protein: 36 g

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

We make a bunch of different muffins but this is absolutely the best. Thing one devoured several in one sitting so you know they are kid friendly! The greatest news is that they are also the lowest calorie count of all the muffins we make. They are super moist and taste like a yummy banana bread. I think next time I would do walnuts instead of chocolate chips and while I was eating them I actually thought blueberries would be good in them. We will definitely make these a lot!!! 5 out of 5 stars!

 * Again, as with any muffins, make sure you spray the liners before filling them.

Source: www.food.com

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• ³⁄₄ cup mashed ripe banana (about 1-1/2 medium bananas)
• ¹⁄₂ cup granulated sugar
• ¹⁄₄ cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¹⁄₂ cup low-fat plain yogurt or 1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
• ¹⁄₄ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

1. 1 Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. 2 Spray a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray.
3. 3 In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat together bananas, sugar, oil, egg, and vanilla until well mixed.
4. 4 In another bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and baking soda; stir flour mixture into banana mixture.
5. 5 Stir in yogurt.
6. 6 Fold in chocolate chips.
7. 7 Divide among prepared muffin cups.
8. 8 Bake in centre of oven for 15 minutes or until a tester inserted in centre of muffins comes out clean.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 153.0

Fat: 6.2 g

Cholesterol: 15.9 mg

Sodium: 147.7 mg

Carbohydrate: 22.7 g

Fiber: 0.7 g

Protein: 2.3 g

Barbecued Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps

"The next day was Sunday again. The caterpillar ate through one nice green leaf, and after that he felt much better."

We did it!!! This is the LAST of the very healthy caterpillar recipes and we saved a good one for last! This is a recipe we had while staying with one of the best cooks ever in California! We begged her for the recipe and had to make it ourselves. There are some slight alterations I would make. First of all I would use butter lettuce since I'm not a huge fan of iceberg. I think next time I will either leave out the orange zest or at the very least cut back A LOT! I also used just plain old mushrooms rather than shitake, added a lot of water chestnuts since they are fantastic and ate it with the home made peanut sauce from this recipe. You really can't screw this up though. It's good and it's healthy. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Source: www.foodnetwork.com (discovered by Nancy Costa of Santa Rosa, CA)

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2 cups shitake mushrooms fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 1 ¹⁄₃ to 1 ¹⁄₂ pounds thin cut chicken breast or chicken tenders
• 2 tablespoons light colored oil such as vegetable oil or peanut oil
• Coarse salt and coarse black pepper
• 3 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 inch ginger root finely chopped or grated, optional
• 1 orange zested
• ¹⁄₂ red bell pepper diced small
• 1 small sliced water chestnuts 6 to 8 ounces, sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped
• 3 scallions chopped
• 3 tablespoons hoisin Chinese barbecue sauce, available on Asian foods aisle of market
• ¹⁄₂ large head iceberg lettuce core removed, head quartered
• Wedges of navel orange -- platter garnish

Directions

1. Remove tough stems from mushrooms and brush with damp towel to clean, Slice mushrooms. Chop chicken into small pieces.
2. Preheat a large skillet or wok to high.
3. Add oil to hot pan. Add chicken to the pan and sear meat by stir frying a minute or 2. Add mushrooms and cook another minute or two. Add salt and pepper to season, then garlic and ginger. Cook a minute more. Grate zest into pan, add bell pepper bits, chopped water chestnuts and scallions. Cook another minute, continuing to stir fry mixture. Add hoisin Chinese barbecue sauce and toss to coat the mixture evenly. Transfer the hot chopped barbecued chicken to serving platter and pile the quartered wedges of crisp iceberg lettuce along side. Add wedged oranges to platter to garnish. To eat, pile spoonfuls into lettuce leaves, wrapping lettuce around fillings and squeeze an orange wedge over.

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 182

Fat: 8

Carbohydrate: 10

Protein: 13