Recipes for a Healthy New Year

Commit To Be Fit

Tuscan Vegetable Soup

Serving Size:  makes 6 1-cup servings

Ingredients:
1 (15-ounce) can low-sodium cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)
2 Carrots, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 stalks celery, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 small zucchini, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
32 ounces low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1 14.5-ounce can no salt added diced tomatoes
2 cups chopped baby spinach leaves
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional

Instructions:

• In a small bowl, mash half of the beans with a masher or the back of a spoon, and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, thyme, sage, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add the broth and tomatoes with the juice and bring to a boil. Add the mashed and whole beans and the spinach leaves and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes more.

Serve topped with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Source: Food Network, Ellie Krieger, 2007

Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 140
Total fat: 4 g.
Saturated fat: 0.5 g.
Carbohydrate: 19 g.
Fiber: 4.5 g.
Protein: 8 g.
Cholesterol: 0 mg.
Sodium: 310 mg.

Curried Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

 1 small onion, sliced thinly
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons curry powder, divided
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 cup orange juice
1 15-ounce can mandarin oranges, drained well
4 scallions, chopped finely
1 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons, sweetened, flaked coconut, divided
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
24 whole-wheat crackers

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Scatter onion slices on the bottom of a medium baking dish. Place chicken in baking dish and sprinkle with curry and garlic salt. Pour orange juice around chicken.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through. Cool, then cut into bite-sized pieces.
• In a medium bowl, mix chicken, oranges, scallions, raisins, and 1 Tablespoon of coconut. Stir in mayonnaise.
• Transfer to serving bowl and top with remaining coconut. Serve with whole-wheat crackers.

Serves 8. Approximate per serving: 300 calories, 7 grams of fat.

A mandarin orange is a category of tangerine. They have a light orange color with a mild, sweet flavor and few seeds. Citrus fruits like mandarin oranges contain vitamin C, an antioxidant, which stops free radicals from damaging skin cells. Vitamin C is thought by some to enhance the immune system by stimulating the activities of while blood cells and anticancer agents.

Source: ACS cookbook Celebrate! Healthy Entertaining for Any Occasion.

Banana Split Cake

Ingredients:

6 1/2 graham cracker sheets (two 1 1/2-inch squares per sheet)
1 ounce sugar-free, instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups fat-free milk
8 ounces light cream cheese
10 ounces canned, crushed pineapple packed in juice, drained
4 medium bananas, sliced
8-ounce container light whipped topping
3 Tablespoons pecans, chopped

Instructions:

• Cover the bottom of a 9”x 13” pan with graham cracker sheets.
• In a medium bowl, prepare pudding with 2 cups fat-free milk, according to package directions. Add cream cheese to pudding and whip together. Spread pudding mixture over graham crackers.
• Spread the crushed pineapple over the pudding layer and top with bananas, then spread with whipped topping. Sprinkle pecans on top.

Exchange:

1 fat, 1 1/2 carbohydrate (makes 16 servings, 156 calories per slice)

Source: Healthy Calendar Diabetic Cooking