Asparagus

It's in season right now, and such a delicious vegetable that you can SO much with.

How about these?

 Filled with provolone cheese, wrapped in proscuitto, drizzled with lemon and balsamic....fasten with toothpicks. GRILL.

courtesy of tasteofBBQ.com

Asparagus Gruyere Tart

I also made this the other day...I took it to a luncheon party and served it in small squares. A huge hit. Courtesy of Martha Stewart.

Ingredients


Flour, for work surface

1 sheet frozen puff pastry
5 1/2 ounces (2 cups) Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 1/2 pounds medium or thick asparagus
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. Trim uneven edges. Place pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score pastry dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce dough inside the markings at 1/2-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes.

2.Remove pastry shell from oven, and sprinkle with Gruyere. Trim the bottoms of the asparagus spears to fit crosswise inside the tart shell; arrange in a single layer over Gruyere, alternating ends and tips. Brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake until spears are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Treats- My guilt free version

I LOVE these!

Too simple to make...are you ready?

Simply mix 1 large tablespoon of reduced fat peanut butter in a container of thawed fat free Cool Whip.

Put in mini-muffin pan...top with a chocolate chip. Freeze.

sounds too simple to be good, but they are delicious and satisfy my " sweet cravings"

It's GRILL time!

I love grilling and it really can help keep food fresh and healthy.  Grab all the leftover veggies in your fridge..throw them into one of these..

lighty spray with olive oil ( keep it in a spray bottle, so you don't add a lot)  Season with minced garlic and chopped onions...toss and grill.

Easy.

Add some meat of your choice, and sliced potatoes.  I pre-cook my potatoes in the microwave, otherwise they take a long time to grill.  Toss the potatoes in a similar grilling wok, and serve all on one platter.

Keeping it simple.

Fitness Tips for the day!

Yes, you're busy, we ALL are.... but you can still squeeze in a workout or a healthy meal between stops, phone calls and meetings. Whether it's a two-minute breathing break between meetings or a long training run with your dog, make daily fitness a priority. Keep this tip sheet handy as a reminder to think about your health every day.

Sunday--the laziest day of the week

It's easy to be lazy on the weekend, but use today for a functional training session. Play your favorite sport at the park or get in that long workout that is difficult during the hectic week. Also, take a few minutes to plan for the upcoming week. Choose which days might be best for your workouts, then schedule some exercise time and commit to it.


Monday--success day


Get a jump on your week. Set your alarm a few minutes earlier today so you can enjoy a cardio workout. This will start your day with a sense of healthy accomplishment and will get that heart pumping.



Tuesday tip

Use exercise to relieve some of that stress. A short walk outside or training session at your favorite studio can make you feel like a million dollars in just an hour.



Wednesday--health day

Hump day for most can mean health day for you. Use Wednesday as the day to eat at least 2 additional servings of fruits and vegetables. Maybe enjoy a glass of red wine with friends and family while you relax.



Thursday--I can see the finish line

You can see Friday on the horizon like the finish line of your last race. Use a good strength training session to rocket boost you into Friday. Think of a full body workout as your rocket fuel.



TGIF

The weekend is the easiest time to sabotage all of the hard work you did throughout the week. Use today to prepare for the weekend by taking some extra time to stretch. Gentle breathing and some relaxing stretches will make a difference as you move into the weekend.



Saturday--play day

Remember Saturday as a kid? Well, use this day to refuel your inner child. Play some games, go for a hike or try a Zumba class. Your favorite activity is what Saturday is all about.

Setting the Table for Spring-Easter

 a bit busy, but still very cute.

Looks great- but might be a bit of big clean-up.

My favourite place setting.

Crustless Quiche

I love quiche, but for something that looks like it should be so healthy, the fat content from the crust can really add up.

I was at friends house not that long ago and she served crustless quiche. I asked her for the recipe. It was delicious and versatile.

Crustless Spinach, Onion and Feta Quiche


1 medium onion, diced
6-oz fresh baby spinach
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1 1/3 cups milk (low fat is fine)
1/2 cup feta cheese

Preheat oven to 400F.

Lightly grease a 10-inch quiche/tart pan (or a pie plate)

In a medium frying pan, cook diced onion with a bit of vegetable oil (or cooking spray) over medium-high heat until translucent and tender. Add in fresh spinach and cook until just wilted. Set aside to cool for a few minutes

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk, then stir in spinach-onion mixture.

Pour quiche base into prepared pan. Top with feta cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until center is set and the outside edge is golden brown.

Let set for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
Serves 4.

salt and pepper, to taste

Sausage and Mushroom Crustless Quiche


1/2 medium onion, diced (1/2 cup)
6-oz cremini mushrooms (1 cup)
approx 4 links Italian turkey sausage- casing removed, crumbled
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1 1/3 cups milk (low fat is fine)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400F.

Lightly grease a 10-inch quiche/tart pan (or a 9-inch pie plate)

In a medium frying pan, cook onion, turkey sausage and mushrooms with a bit of vegetable oil (or cooking spray) over medium-high heat until onions are translucent and tender, and mushrooms are browned. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in milk, then stir in mushroom mixture and diced, cooked sausages.

Pour quiche base into prepared pan. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 25 minutes (30-35 minutes in a pie plate), or until center is set and the outside edge is golden brown.

Let set for 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
Serves 4.

salt and pepper, to taste


OR, better yet...why not make little mini ones that you can freeze and quickly warm up each morning for breakfast?

Off to work and school you go!  Protein, Dairy, Vegetables all in one! Eat with one hand.

What's for dinner on this cold night? Mini Turkey Meatloafs with Mushroom/Madera Sauce

courtesy of one of my favourite Chefs- Michael Bonacini


3 cups ground turkey breast


2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 medium Spanish onion, finely diced

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp freshly chopped thyme

1 whole egg, lightly beaten

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Splash of vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

In a small frying pan over medium high heat, gently cook the diced onion and garlic in a splash of vegetable oil until soft and tender, about four or five minutes. Once cooked remove from heat and allow to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, place the ground turkey, egg, milk and breadcrumbs. Season well with salt and pepper.
Add the cooked and cooled onion and garlic, followed by the Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and mix thoroughly. You may wish to fry a little of the mixture up in the pan to taste and check for seasoning.
Once satisfied that the seasoning is correct, divide the mixture into six or eight muffin piece sizes and place into a lightly oiled muffin pan. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350F to 375F degrees for approximately 35 to 40 minutes.

Serves 6 to 8.

Mushroom Sauce

2 cups mushrooms of your choice, sliced and diced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup Madera
1 tbsp butter
Splash of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a frying pan over medium-high heat, begin to sauté the mushrooms in a splash of olive oil, stirring and seasoning with salt and pepper.

Once the mushrooms begin to soften, add Madera and reduce by half.

Add the chicken broth and reduce by half.

Remove from heat, add the butter to enrich your sauce and serve.




I always make double, serve it on mashed potatoes and then freeze the left over meatloafs for another day.  One of my favourite recipes, and pretty healthy too!

Healthy Version of Moussaka

Lovely to make ahead...

and after---lovely to eat!

I love Moussaka, but not a huge fan of the fat content. I will be in a bathing suit in a few days, so this is  my healthier version! Enjoy.

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

1tsp salt

Cooking Spray

1 lb extra lean ground chicken

1 small onion- chopped

2 garlic cloves- minced

1 can of tomato sauce

1/3 red wine

1/2 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 large egg white, beaten

1 tsp dried parsley

1/4 cup grated fresh Parmesan.

Bechamel Sauce ( light version)

 3 cups skim milk

1/4 cup corn starch

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 nutmeg.

Fresh Parmesan for top.

Preheat oven to 350F. Place eggplant on paper towels and sprinkle with salt on both sides. Let stand for 15 minutes and then rinse and pat dry.

Spray non-stick frying pan with cooking spray, saute eggplant over medium high heat until lightly browned on each side.  Place on paper towels when done.

In the same pan, saute chicken, onion,  and garlic until meat is cooked through and onion is tender.  Drain any fat ( there shouldn't be much - if any) Stir in 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, wine, parsley, remaining salt, oregano and cinnamon. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Stir egg white into meat mixture, constantly, mix well, Cook for 1 minute.

Pour remaining tomato sauce on bottom of 9X13baking dish. Place 1/2 of the eggplant slices on top of the sauce, then spoon the meat mixture on top.  Place another layer of eggplant. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Put milk cornstarch and eggs  in sauce pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a whisk until thickened. 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan , nutmeg, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Pour Bechamel sauce over the Moussaka and  bake when ready ( can be stored in the fridge over-night)  Bake until bubbly and set. Approx. 30-40 minutes.