Fettucini Alfredo - the healthy way!

I love Alfredo sauce. I could eat it by the spoonful - right from the pan. But, of course, it isn't so helpful for my weight goals. After several attempts, I made a tasty and healthier version of this great comfort food! What I love, is that most of the ingredients are pantry staples, so you've got dinner anytime in about 30 minutes. The calories have been cut from 550 to just at 200 for the sauce. Fat grams have been cut from 35 grams a serving to around 12 a serving. What helps to make this lower calorie is the use of chicken broth to thin the sauce instead of half and half and heavy cream. Also using some white wine gives the dish a great rich tasting flavor. When paired with whole wheat pasta and some steamed broccoli, you've got a delicious meal and a non-guilty one too!

INGREDIENTS

2 TBSP. olive oil

2 TBSP. whole wheat flour

3 cloves of garlic minced or chopped

1 cup of fat-free chicken broth

1 cup 1% or skim milk

1/2 cup dry white wine

3 TBSP. reduced fat cream cheese

1 TBSP. reduced fat sour cream

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

Sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

Favorite pasta

Favorite add-ins (steamed broccoli, lump crab meat, grilled chicken, shrimp, etc.)

DIRECTIONS
Heat olive oil in a large skillet and add chopped garlic over medium low heat.

Stir frequently so the garlic doesn't burn.

Once the garlic is lightly browned, stir in the flour. This is how you make a roux. This is the basis to all white cream sauces. I first learned how to make a roux at a cooking class in New Orleans. Being able to make my own roux, gave me power..made me super chef...then I woke up!

Let the flour and oil cook together for about 2 minutes. This makes sure the flour taste is cooked out. Don't cook on high heat, you don't want the roux to brown.

Add a cup of chicken broth and stir until well combined. The sauce is kind of brown in color. This is because I used whole wheat flour. If you use white flour, the sauce will be white, unless you cook your roux too long!

Once this starts to get thicker, add the cup of milk and stir until well combined.

Next add the white wine. This is my most favorite white wine in the whole world.

Pour a little, drink a lot! ;-))

At this point I added about 2/3 a cup of sun-dried tomatoes. I love the tangy taste of them in Alfredo sauce. If you don't love it...leave it out.

Once this starts to thicken, add the cream cheese and the sour cream. Stir until well combined and smooth.

Add the Parmesan cheese about a 1/3 a cup at a time and stir until well combined and the cheese is melted. You can grate your own, but I prefer the easy stuff! I've even used the stuff in the green can in a pinch!

If the sauce starts to get thick....mine ALWAYS does, add a little bit of chicken broth until it is the consistency you prefer. I normally have to add chicken broth about 2 - 3 times during the course of cooking, as I don't always time my noodles to be done when my sauce is!

I cooked a whole wheat fettuccine noodle to serve with the sauce, but I also like Penna pasta too. Whatever makes you happy!

Tonight, I served the pasta with steamed broccoli. To save time, I threw a bag of broccoli florets in with the pasta water when the pasta was just about done.

You can also serve it with chicken, shrimp, crab or other vegetables. Take the sauce and run with it! So glad there was enough for left overs!!!!!!

Sweet Potato Burritos with Chili-Lime Cream Sauce

I got this burrito recipe from my friend Christina who got it from Allrecipes. Got that?? I, of course, added my own touches and spices like most cooks do. This is written how I made it. You can also do a search at Allrecipes for Sweet Potato Burritos. The recipe there is a bit different. I think part of the fun of cooking is taking recipes and making them your own!

I wanted a sauce to go with them other than just plain sour cream and I didn't think salsa would taste quite right. I love the flavor combination of chili pepper and lime, so I based a sauce around those flavors. It ended up working really well with these burritoes!

Although this sounds like a super weird combination, it was really yummy. Interesting flavors and other than baking off the sweet potatoes last night when I was cooking some thing else (time-saving tip from Christina). I assembled these (7 minutes) and cooked them (20 minutes) after church today. Beginning to table~ less than 30 minutes. They were yummy, filling and filled with great vitamins (and really budget friendly too~I think the entire meal cost me less than $8!!!!)

INGREDIENTS:

Sweet Potato Burritos

2 large sweet potatoes

1 can fat-free refried beans

1 pkg. (2 cup) shredded 2 % reduced fat Mexican Cheese

1 pkg. whole wheat tortillas

1 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. chili pepper

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

Bake sweet potatoes until tender and oozing. (I did these the night before and just left them in their skins in the refrigerator until I needed them - you could probably do this up to 2 days in advance. )

Scoop out sweet potato flesh and mash lightly once cooked.

Mix can of refried beans with the listed spices.

Assemble the burritos in the following order: Beans, sweet potato, cheese. 1 can of beans and 1 package of cheese with the sweet potatoes made 6 burritos with a little cheese and sweet potatoes left over.

Place burritos seam side down in a baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray. Brush the tops of the burritos with some olive or canola oil. Just a little bit.

Bake at 375 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Chili-Lime Cream Sauce

1 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/4 - 1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper (added to spicy preference and to taste)

zest of one lime

juice of 1/2 a lime

1/4 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. black pepper.

Zest a lime.

This is my zester, it is super easy to use and makes really pretty zest strings!

Add zest to the sour cream. Add the juice of 1/2 the lime. Stir in remaining ingredients. Chill until ready to serve.

Enjoy this yummy - but totally different type of burrito. If you like sweet potatoes, I promise you will love these burritos! The Chili-lime cream sauce adds another great layer of flavors. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Zucchini Fries

Yummy Dish! We like these with the horseradish dip that is listed below. But you can also eat them plain or with your favorite Ranch dressing.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup seasoned dry whole wheat bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 egg whites
2 medium zucchini, cut into 3-inch sticks or in 1/2 inch rounds

DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Combine bread crumbs, pepper and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Place the egg whites in a separate bowl. Dip zucchini into the egg whites, then coat with the bread crumb mixture. Bake for 5 minutes in the preheated oven, then turn over and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes, until browned and crispy. Serves 4.


Horseradish Dip

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
3 tablespoons minced chives (optional)
2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon snipped fresh dill
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, chives, mayonnaise, dill, horseradish, mustard, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

This dip is also good on other favorite veggies as well as roast beef and pork roast.

Fish Tacos with a lime cream sauce

My friend, Lisa, was telling me about fish tacos. My husband loves them and sometimes orders them when we go out to eat. I decided to try my own hand at them. They made for a really yummy dinner tonight.

INGREDIENTS
1 TBSP Olive Oil
2 -3 cloves minced garlic
4 - 5 TBSP lime juice
4 - 5 shakes of hot sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
2 TBSP fresh chopped cilantro (could use dried as well, just use less)
Zest from 1/2 a lime
1/2 small can chopped green chilis
4 - 5 Tilapia fillets (or your favorite type fish, I think any would work)
Whole wheat tortillas
Toppings: Finely shredded cabbage, sliced avocado or guacomole, chopped tomatoes, favorite salsa, black olives, black beans, etc.

Heat olive oil in large skillet. Add garlic and lime juice cook for about 1 minute. Add next 5 ingredients. Heat through for about 2 minutes. Add fish fillets and cook through - white and flaky. (make sure not to overcook)

Lime Cream Sauce
1 cup Reduced-fat sour cream
Zest from the remaining 1/2 of lime
Juice from that lime
Remaining 1/2 of the can of chopped green chilis
1 TBSP of chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp ground cumin
4-6 shakes of hot sauce (more if you like it hotter)

Stir all ingredients together. This would actually make a great sauce for fajitas, tacos, etc.

Layer on top of the tortilla ~ fish pieces, lime cream sauce and any other toppings you like.

Super quick, easy and tasty!

Spiedies (or the best marinade for grilled chicken)

My dad grew up in upstate New York near Binghampton. I remember as a child going to visit my grandparents and having the most delicious grilled chicken I'd ever eaten. They eat Spiedies up in New York in small bite-sized pieces, but my grandmother would marinate split chickens (or chicken breasts) and grill them. I'm going to have to make some soon~

INGREDIENTS
5 pounds chicken, cubed or 6 split chicken breasts
2 cups olive oil
1 cup white vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon garlic salt
3 tablespoons crushed dried mint
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
12 wooden skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes (only if using cut up chicken)

Place the cubed chicken or chicken breasts into a large resealable plastic bag or container, add the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, garlic, garlic salt, oregano, garlic salt, mint, basil, and black pepper. Seal the container and shake until combined. Refrigerate for 1 to 3 days (the longer the better), shaking the container and turn the meat every 6 to 8 hours.

If you are cooking the split chicken breasts, put the chicken and marinade in a large baking dish and cover with aluminum foil. Cook in the oven in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes. This will help cook the chicken all the way through without risking it being scorched on the grill.

Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil grate. When you are ready to cook, remove meat from the marinade and place on skewers or take the partially cooked chicken out of the oven and put on the grill.

Place the skewers on the preheated grill and cook, turning every three minutes until cooked through and the internal temperature of the meat reaches 170 degrees F. Be careful not to overcook or the meat will be very dry. The bite-sized chicken is great by itself, on whole wheat hoagie rolls or on a salad.

Sugar-free BBQ sauce

I made this sauce and my husband couldn't tell it was sugar free! Tastes great on grilled chicken, pulled pork or ribs.

INGREDIENTS
1 - 8 oz can of tomato sauce
2 TBSP white or apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 clove chopped garlic (can use garlic powder)
1 TBSP Splenda Brown sugar or sugar-free maple syrup
1/3 cup diet cola

Mix all ingredients together. Simmer over low heat stirring occassionally until thickened. (I normally cook mine for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours.