VEGGIE MONTH WEEK 5 MEAL PLAN

Huevos Rancheros. Mmm.

January is almost over! For those who are still hanging in there, here is a very-short-week vegetarian meal plan for you.

I've had a lot of fun finding new recipes to try and creating these plans. I hope you've found something new for dinner at your house!

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VEGGIE MONTH WEEK 4 MEAL PLAN

Monday night: Cornmeal crusted bean burger. Yum!

It’s week four! After this week, there are just two days left of vegetarian month, a fact for which my older son is very grateful.

He’s been a good sport, though. And while we’ve tried a couple dozen or more new recipes by now, only a few have been deemed worthy of adding to our regular dinner rotation.

So far, my family has loved: Spicy Peanut Noodles, Lentil Quiche, Fettuccine with Creamy Red Pepper Sauce, Spicy Szechuan Stir Fry, Rigatoni with Cauliflower, Mushroom Polenta Pie (well, to be honest, only I loved that), Crispy Black Bean Tostadas, White Bean & Toasted Cumin Chili, Pumpkin Corn Muffins, Pappardelle with Goat Cheese and Onions (again, only the grownups loved this one), and Ancho-Lentil Soup with Grilled Pineapple. 

Others were good enough, or “oddly tasty,” like the Coconut Rice with Butternut and Edamame (week 1), Cajun Dirty Rice (week 3), Sweet Potato Burritos (week 2), or Pasta Della California (week 3). A couple recipes never got made, either because I ran out of time or used the ingredients for something else. There wasn’t one we just hated.

Which recipes did you try? Did you find any new family favorites? 

Happy cooking!

DOWNLOAD THE WEEK 4 PLAN

VEGGIE MONTH WEEK 3 MEAL PLAN

TGIF! This pasta will make everything all better.

It’s already week 3! I’m finding that this year’s vegetarian experiment is much easier and smoother than last year’s. My boys aren’t mutinying and Scott and Owen are even battling it out for who will win the vegetarian lunch challenge. Owen is currently winning; Scott slipped up by eating a Caesar salad with anchovies in the dressing, but Owen ate his peanut butter sandwich while all his friends had hamburgers at school. He reported it was “torture.” I’m pretty sure a school lunch hamburger is its own form of torture.

I also think it is easier because cooking methods and ingredients are more familiar, and since I had to cut most cheese and dairy after my heart attack, I’m finding it easier not to rely on cheese as the protein. This opens up new categories (beans, beans, and more beans!) and new recipe options.

Some new resources I have on hand have also helped make it easier, including my vegan cookbook “Veganomicon” and the “Moosewood Restaurants Low-Fat Cookbook.”  After some disappointments with low-fat cookbooks that merely try to substitute or fake dishes usually made with high fat ingredients, I realized that I should start with something that tastes good because it is a good vegetable– or lean protein-based recipe, not a modification. This has definitely improved my enjoyment of cooking and eating, and broadened the range of available meals.

I hope you enjoy this week’s menu!

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VEGGIE MONTH, WEEK 2 MEAL PLAN

Spicy Szechuan Tofu Stir Fry is set for Monday.

Hurray for learning new technology skills! I upgraded my desktop software so I could make a PDF of this week's vegetarian month meal plan, then learned how to add it to my blog so you can download it. I must really, really like sharing food ideas and recipes. Oh yeah, I do.

Last week's menu plan was done in a big hurry, so I think this week's is better. More varied (e.g. pasta only once), more use of beans and whole grains, more uniformly low-fat, and more clip art too. I love clip art.

If you try any of these, please come back and comment and share your review and your family's reaction. Or, you can share your favorite healthy vegetarian recipe. I would love to talk about food!

DOWNLOAD WEEK 2 MEAL PLAN

ODDLY TASTY

My nephew gave his mom this recipe "in case
you don't like what Aunt Jenny sends." Love.

Today was day 1 of vegetarian month, and my brother and I cooked the same rice dish 200 miles apart. Was it fried rice? Was it risotto? It was hard to say, but my sister-in-law described it perfectly: oddly tasty. It was a strange dish, and maybe a little far out for the very first day, but in the end most of the kids ate it and we all got a serving of soy, mushrooms, and squash so I'll call it a success.

Dinner table conversation was interesting. Owen: "What's wrong with meat anyway?" My nephew: "I just don't understand WHY we have to be vegetarian!" But we all survived and everyone is looking forward to tomorrow's offering: Spicy Peanut Sesame Noodles. I'll share that recipe with you now in case you want to cook along.

RECIPE: SPICY PEANUT SESAME NOODLES

P.S. If you'd like a copy of my weekly meal plans, including recipes and shopping lists, leave me a note in the comments.

JANUARY FOODIE FUN AND WEEK 1 MEAL PLAN

I'm so excited to be reprising Vegetarian Month this January. My family did this last January and I blogged about it at Fair-Weather Vegetarians. (A friend pointed out this is January in Minnesota, so it should have been titled Foul-Weather Vegetarians). The blog and project was fun, but it ended on February 1, when my boys (all three of them) requested a pound of bacon for breakfast.

My purpose then was just to try something new, get out of a cooking rut, and detox from the holidays. And while we did maintain the vegetarian diet all month, we weren't exactly eating healthy all the time (see Best Macaroni and Cheese and Spinach Quiche for exhibits A and B).

This year, vegetarian month takes on a new meaning and challenges. Vegetarianism (or veganism) is really the best way for me to eat heart-healthy. This year's challenge, though, will be not relying on cheese, eggs, or dairy to round out the menu or make it feel richer and more satisfying. (My boys are not exactly thrilled about this either - check out this video from last year!)

I'm also creating weekly meal plans and recipes and sharing them with my brother and his family, 200 miles away, who have signed on for this month's experiment. I can't wait to hear their reviews of the recipes, especially since they have four kids 7 and under! And of course, I plan to share the best we discover here.

Stay tuned for updates on my kind of mid-winter foodie fun. I can't wait to get started!

DOWNLOAD WEEK 1 MEAL PLAN

RECIPE: BEEF AND BROCCOLI

This is my mom's recipe. She first made it for us when Owen was in the hospital and she lived near us. She shopped and cooked and fed us for weeks. If she hadn't, I don't know what we would have eaten!

1 large bunch broccoli (about 1 ½ pounds)

1 pound beef tenderloin steaks, trimmed and cut into ½ thick inch slices

3 garlic cloves, minced or crushed with garlic press

1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 tsp. olive oil

¾ cup chicken broth

3 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. cornstarch

¼ tsp. Asian sesame oil.

Cut broccoli florets into 1 ½ inch pieces. Peel broccoli stems and cut into ¼ inch diagonal slices. In nonstick skillet, heat ½ inch water to boiling over medium heat; add broccoli and cook 3 minutes, uncovered, until tender-crisp. Drain broccoli and set aside. Dry skillet.

In bowl, toss beef with garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper. Add ½ tsp. olive oil to skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add half of beef mixture and cook 2 minutes until beef just loses its pink color, stirring quickly and frequently. Transfer beef to plate. Repeat with remaining ½ tsp. olive oil and beef mixture.

In cup, mix broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, and sesame oil until blended. Return beef to skillet and stir in cornstarch mixture; heat to boiling. Cook 1 minute or until sauce thickens slightly, stirring. Add broccoli and toss to coat. Serve with rice.

Nutritional Information: 245 calories (not including rice), 28 grams protein, 11 grams total fat, 3 grams saturated fat; 3 grams fiber, 57 mg. cholesterol, 1,010 mg. sodium

WHAT TO HAVE FOR DINNER, VOL. 2

It's been awhile since I've shared some recipes. And though it is the busy holiday season and other projects seem to take precedence, dinner still needs to appear (as if by magic) every night. So here are some fast, tasty, and healthy dinner ideas to keep you fueled for shopping, wrapping, baking, and partying. I hope you enjoy them!

COMFORT FOOD: NORTH AFRICAN MEATBALLS WITH COUSCOUS AND CARROTS

This is as comforting as your favorite meatloaf, but interesting and a little different too. I found this recipe through watching Food Network while at Exercare; the chef for this show cooks French food so it is usually an exercise in irony watching her while on the elliptical. But this recipe is full of healthy fats and plenty of spices, and though the recipe calls for ground beef, I substituted ground turkey and it was completely delicious.  

Fat Free Foodie Note: Ground turkey works almost interchangeably with ground beef, with one caveat: Do not buy ground turkey breast. You need something labeled "ground turkey" so there's some dark meat in it, or it will be just too dry for use in ground beef recipes. Ground turkey is about 94% fat free, while ground turkey breast is 99% fat free. While the breast seems like the more virtuous choice, that 5% of flavor is really needed to keep you on the heart-healthy eating path. Trust me on this one.

THERAPY ON A PLATE: PAPPARDELLE WITH GOAT CHEESE AND ONIONS

The first time I made this it was a near-religious experience. Featuring feta cheese, one of the better cheese options, and onions, garlic, olive oil and your dark leafy green of choice, it is creamy, toothsome, and completely satisfying. And even better, it's super fast and easy. Make this when you get home late on a cold, snowy night and serve with a nice light red, like Chianti or Pinot Noir. Everything will be all better.

(If you haven't started trying Real Simple's recipes, I recommend it. I've found many of my favorites there, and they always include nutritional info.)
 
WORTH IT: CRISPY ASIAN CHICKEN WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS

This recipe, also found in Real Simple, is simple but time-consuming. It took much longer than I thought (about 45 minutes), but it was worth the wait. Chicken is dredged in corn starch and pan-fried in canola oil (see, crispy but still allowed!), then stir-fried with sliced brussels sprouts.

It was a huge hit with Owen, who loves all flavors Asian.

YOU HAD ME AT POLENTA: PARMESAN POLENTA WITH SPICY SAUSAGE SAUCE

I get a little emotional when I get to eat something that replicates the smooth creaminess normally provided by fat, cream, and cheese. This one does that for me. Fast, easy, spicy, creamy, tangy, and hearty. Yum.

This is a Cooking Light recipe, torn from a waiting room copy. Yes, I'm that person.



FRIDAY NIGHT AT HOME: PUMPKIN FONDUE

Scott and I have a new Friday night tradition: feed the boys pancakes or eggs early, put them to bed, then eat grown-up food with a glass of wine and some peace at 8:30.A couple weeks ago we had pumpkin fondue with bread, apples, pears, and Pinot Noir. Perfect, but you know how I feel about pumpkin.

I found this recipe on Eating Rules, a great recipe blog. Try it - it's boozy (hello, entire bottle of hard cider), spicy, creamy, and cheesy. And only 64 calories for 1/4 cup.

THE GREAT PUMPKIN

My boys' masterpieces, ready for Halloween!

In honor of Halloween, I present what may become a multi-volume series about how much I love pumpkin. I've been cooking with it all month - first buying one can of pumpkin, then two at a time, then four. Then one pumpkin at the farmer's market, then three at a time . . . I'm pretty much obsessed.

I've tried recipes for pumpkin bread, pumpkin hummus, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin-chili vichysoisse, pumpkin corn bread, pumpkin-feta risotto, cinnamon-pumpkin pull-aparts, and pumpkin scones. I have a couple more to try: pumpkin fondue (yes please!) and pumpkin curry soup, but I thought I'd better get this post done by Halloween or I've sort of missed the point.

Pumpkins are easy to use (see below) and ridiculously good for you. Super low in calories (good) with virtually no fat (even better!), they pack a huge vitamin A and C, E punch, as well as fiber, iron, magnesium, and potassium. They are good for your eyes and ward off cancer and yes, even heart disease. They can substitute for fat in baking, be sweetened and traditionally spiced, or used in savory or spicy dishes. Pumpkin is so mild and smooth it can adapt to many dishes or even disappear. I was trying to explain this to Scott, and I was reduced to just saying "pumpkin is kind of, well, magic." Charlie Brown was right.

Through exhaustive kitchen and family-testing, I've narrowed down the collection to six tasty, easy, and healthy recipes. (Owen has also learned to like pumpkin in the process. Noah, not so much.) I still have one pumpkin left to roast, so I might have a few more recipes for you before Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

RECIPE: PUMPKIN FETA RISOTTO
RECIPE: CINNAMON PUMPKIN BREAD WITH RUM GLAZE
RECIPE: PUMPKIN PANCAKES
RECIPE: PUMPKIN BREAD
RECIPE: PUMPKIN CHILE VICHYSSOISE
RECIPE: PUMPKIN CORN BREAD

MAKING PUMPKINS EASY

After roasting

If you are new to pumpkin, here's how to make it easy. Just roast the whole thing first, let it cool enough to handle, and remove the skin, seeds, and pulp with any blunt instrument (it will just fall off!). Put all the pieces in your processor and voila, pumpkin puree.

Here's how to roast it: Poke a few vents into the pumpkin with a sharp knife (so it doesn't explode in your oven), put it in a shallow baking dish or pan, and cover the stem with tin foil (so it doesn't burn and stink up your kitchen). Roast at 400 degrees for about an hour for a small pumpkin, longer for larger pumpkins. Check for doneness by sticking a knife or fork into it - it should go right through with no resistance.

Puree being strained. This was a small
pumpkin, and yielded about 2 1/2 cups.

After you've peeled and de-pulped your pumpkin, whirl it in your food processor until it has reached your desired consistency. Drain in a strainer lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter for about 30 minutes. (Pumpkins are mostly water, and you want to remove that extra moisture.) All done and ready to cook!

RECIPE: PUMPKIN PANCAKES

I first had these at a girls weekend of high school friends several years ago. I started making them for winter breakfasts at holidays and my kids and nieces and nephews all love them. I discovered this time around that they taste just as good with Egg Beaters and whole wheat flour.

1 1/2 cups skim milk

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 egg (or 1/4 cup egg beaters)

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vinegar

2 cups all-purpose flour (or white whole wheat flour - I used King Arthur's)

3 tablespoons brown sugar        

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a bowl, mix together the milk, pumpkin, egg, oil and vinegar. Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, allspice, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a separate bowl. Stir into the pumpkin mixture just enough to combine.

Heat an electric griddle to 350. Pour onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. 

I serve these with real maple syrup and chopped pecans. Butter is good too, if you can have it, but it isn't necessary. The pumpkin makes the pancake itself so creamy.

WHAT TO MAKE FOR DINNER, VOL. 1

I haven't been posting much lately because I've been too busy cooking. I'm working my way through a stack of pumpkin recipes (inspired by the insanely good and still-on-top pumpkin bread) for a recipe collection to share, but meanwhile I've been making dinner for my family every night too.

Happy kids = happy dinner = happy mom.

What to make for dinner is the perennial question for any family, and most often for the mom. (Though my husband did cook for two years when he was a stay-at-home dad, and if there's anything a working mom needs in her life, it's a househusband. That was the bomb. But I digress.)

What to make for dinner gets a little more challenging when special diets are involved. Allergies, diabetes, epilepsy, celiac, and others become not only life-altering but dinner-conundrum-causing diseases. As if dinnertime wasn't complicated enough.

(Digression alert: I was a working mom for 10 years, I've been home with my kids for one. The witching hour, roughly 4:30 and 6 p.m., is same crazy-train it always was. I really thought that would improve, but at least I no longer have guilt.)

A few weeks ago, my sister suggested I write about how I've incorporated my new diet into my family's, and I've thought a lot about that. I've come up with some solutions for us, but mostly I just make what I make and expect them to at least try it -- and that hasn't changed from my pre-heart attack days. Nevertheless, here are a few of my strategies:

Make dinners that are interactive or require final assembly by the individual. Tacos are a great example. I make beef or turkey taco meat for Scott and the kids, black beans and Mexican rice on the side, and then put out the lettuce, onion, tomato, cheese, peppers, cilantro, corn, and so on. My tacos are black beans on corn tortillas; the boys have meat, cheese, and lettuce on flour, and Scott piles his so high with everything he'd need a degree from Chipotle to wrap it up. This way I've made one dinner that creates three happy boys, and I can control what I'm eating too. Other similar meals are kebabs on the grill or make-your-own pizzas (I like veggie-olive oil pizza better anyway).

Spicy Szechuan stir-fry.

Make recipes that have multiple ingredients prepared in stages and mixed together at the end. Think stir-fry. Kids usually like carrots, broccoli, chicken, beef, and maybe even shrimp too, but might balk if they are all mixed together with a sauce. Stir-fries often call for cooking the protein, removing it, adding new oil, cooking the vegetables, then returning protein to pan, adding the sauce, and heating through. Just set some protein and veggies aside at each stage, then proceed with the recipe for the adults or adventurous kid eaters. This works great for us: Owen will eat it as prepared, I pull out the components for Noah, and since I've made the stir-fry sauce, I've controlled the fat and sodium, and I take mostly vegetables and just a tiny bit of protein (leaving the lion's share for Scott). Again, only one dinner made, many problems solved.

(Another digression alert: I know you are supposed to teach your kids how to eat by just putting whatever you've made in front of them and letting time and their hunger do the trick. All I can say is that doesn't work for me. Noah simply will not eat anything at all, and the witching hour extends to bedtime and then he wakes up at 2 a.m. And it's not like I'm making him mac and cheese while we eat tofu stir fry, and since this is the method I used with Owen and now he eats pretty much everything, I'm gonna go with what works.)

Farmer's Market haul. Eggplant went in the
sauce. Don't tell them (until they are done!).

Swap out the protein. If it is summer and you love to grill, prep chicken or steak for your family and a portobello mushroom for you. Or, turkey burgers for them and veggie burger for you. Or shrimp or salmon for everyone. Make a salad or veggie sides, and roasted potatoes or whole-grain pilaf to go with it and everyone's happy and healthy.

Make pasta. Always a family pleaser and easy to make heart-healthy if you just forget that cream and cheese sauces ever existed. I use Barilla Pasta Plus because it has added protein and flax and I love the flavor and texture. This way, if all my boys eat are noodles and raw carrots, they are getting some nutrition.

Make soup. I love soup and it is easy to make tasty and heart-healthy. I have a huge bowl and a gigantic salad. The boys have a smaller salad and grilled cheese or just plain cold deli sliced turkey (they like it) with their "tasting portion" of whatever vegetable-based concoction I've made.

Use your food processor, blender, or immersion blender and lie to your kids about what's in the food you're serving. I've done this more than once. Eggplant marinara looks just like marinara. Kale and spinach pesto looks just like the basil version. Again, I know the whole hide-veggies-vs.-teach-kids-to-love-bok-choy debate, but when this works in my favor, I use it. Also, Noah loves to help me use these kitchen tools and if he's helped me make it, he usually will eat it. We made saag paneer yesterday and he licked his fingers and proclaimed "Mmm!" Who is that kid?

Once he figured out Huevos
Rancheros are basically nachos
with eggs, Owen was all in.

Make breakfast for dinner. Everyone loves this and pancakes or waffles are just as good when made with whole wheat flour, Egg Beaters, and margarine and they'll never know. Make them real scrambled eggs and make yours with whites. Make Huevos Rancheros and skip the chips and cheese and have eggs on beans with warm, spicy sauce. Cut up some apples and call it good. Easy peasy dinner pleasy. 

Just make what you are making and if they've tried it without (too much) complaint, and really don't like it or it is too spicy, let them eat peanut butter or cereal and enjoy your tasty meal in peace while congratulating yourself for taking care of your family and your heart. Remember, avoiding stress is heart-healthy too.

And last, make sure you have leftovers, for your lunch or for those nights when it is just too busy to cook and your family is having frozen pizza and you shouldn't. Freeze your leftovers in single-serve portions just for you and don't share; they will run out faster than you think. If it is stir-fry or pasta sauce, leave the rice and pasta out and make that fresh when you reheat the sauce.

If you've read my (unsolicited) advice this far, here's your reward: A few good recipes to answer the question "What to Make for Dinner" Volume 1.

• THE ASSEMBLY: TACO NIGHT
• COMPONENT PREPARATION: SZECHUAN STIR-FRY
• PASTA PLEASE: RIGATONI WITH CAULIFLOWER AND SPINACH (and don't even start with any you-don't-like-cauliflower objections) 
• BREAKFAST FOR DINNER: HUEVOS RANCHEROS
• LIE ABOUT: EGGPLANT MARINARA
• I MADE IT, YOU'LL EAT IT: SMOTHERED SALMON (have I mentioned I hate salmon?)

And after you've enjoyed a happy, healthy family meal, make your kids do the dishes!

RECIPE: SZECHUAN STIR FRY

I've made this several times, varying the protein and veggies based on my mood or what we had around. Most recently I made it with tofu, which Scott tolerates and Owen actually likes. But it would be just as good with cooked chicken or shrimp. This is adapted from the Joy of Cooking.

Serves 4

1 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger (or in a jar, which is what I use)
1 tsp minced garlic (again, a jar!)
1 cup firm veggie of your choice (cauliflower, broccoli, baby corn)
4 cups sliced cabbage or greens of your choice (bok choy, red cabbage, even kale)
1/2 small onion, sliced into half moons
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp black bean sauce or black bean paste
1 tbsp dry sherry
2 tsp chili-garlic paste (adjust heat for your family's taste here!)
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper
10 1/2 oz package firm tofu, pressed and cubed
1/4 cup shredded peeled carrots
2 tbsp sliced green onions
Chinese egg noodles or rice

Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for one minute. Add the vegetables and onion and stir-fry 3-4 minutes, until whatever leaves you are using are wilted. Combine the sauce ingredients (from stock to pepper, above) in a large glass measuring cup or small bowl and whisk. Add to the pan and boil, stirring until thickened, about 1 minute. Add the tofu and heat through, about 2-3 minutes.

Serve over noodles or rice and top with shredded carrots and scallions.

RECIPE: HUEVOS RANCHEROS

Serves 4

28 oz. can plum tomatoes, lightly drained

2-5 serrano peppers, depending on your spiciness preference, stemmed and coarsely chopped

1/2 small yellow or white onion, chopped

1 large clove garlic, chopped

1 tbsp. canola oil

Salt to taste

Refried Black Beans (recipe below)

4 eggs

2 tbsp. feta cheese, crumbled

Tortilla chips*

 

To make sauce: place tomates, serranos, onion, and garlic in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat. When very hot, add the sauce (which will sizzle) and cook, stirring, until the sauce is bright orange-red and thickened. Add salt to taste.** The sauce can be made a day ahead.

To assemble: make the refried beans (recipe below), or reheat if made ahead. Put some beans on a plate and make a hollow for the eggs. Fry or scramble your eggs any way you like them. Add eggs and top with sauce and cheese. Serve chips on the side of the plate. 

Refried Black Beans

1 tsp. canola oil

14 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beans and stir to coat with oil. Add cumin and oregano and stir and mash until heated through and the consistency you prefer. Add water or vegetable stock as needed to achieve desired creaminess. Add salt and pepper to taste (up to 1/2 tsp, but consider the whole plate as described above).

* To make this heart-healthy, either use baked chips, warm corn tortillas, or just skip the chips altogether. You could skip the cheese too, though in small amounts feta is not that bad for you.

**I had to add almost a 1/2 tsp. of salt, but check the saltiness of your chips before seasoning your sauce. I have had the overall dish turn out too salty because I made the sauce "just right" and didn't consider the chips.

RECIPE: TACO NIGHT

Everyone knows how to make tacos and likes them their way, but I just wanted to share a couple yummy recipes to accompany and garnish your tacos.

I make my taco meat using the Joy of Cooking recipe, or, if I don't have time, Frontera Grill Taco Sauce (you can find it near the other sauce packets). It is really tasty and if you read the ingredients, it passes the "whole foods" test - it has less than five ingredients you can pronounce. You can't really say that about the powdered packets.

We like Organic Valley's reduced fat Monterey Jack (an exception to my "no substitutions" stance regarding cheese), shredded romaine lettuce, avocado, red onion, pickled jalepenos, heated-up frozen corn kernels, cilantro, and Salsa Lisa (hot) on our tacos, as well as this yummy spicy cream sauce.

Chipotle Cream

1 tablespoon (or more or less depending on your heat preference) of finely minced canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce*
About 1/3 to 1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon low-fat or regular mayonnaise

Jen's Easy Black Beans

These are the beans I serve on the side on taco night, but that sub for the taco meat on mine.

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp lime juice

Mix it up and warm up in the microwave. That's it!

* If you open a can of chipotles for this you will use less than a quarter of the can each time. So pack the remainder up in a small container and freeze them. Next time you want make this sauce (also great for fish tacos and squash quesadillas), just scoop out one or two peppers with a fork and mince them while still frozen. Once mixed with the yogurt and mayo they'll thaw in time for dinner. 

RECIPE: TURKEY MEATBALLS IN SPICY MARINARA

This is from Ellie Krieger's book "The Food You Crave," and also found on Food Network.

For the meatballs:

1 pound ground turkey meat

1 slice fresh whole-wheat bread, crusts removed, pulsed into crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1/2 cup finely grated carrot

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves

1 egg, lightly beaten (I used 1/4 cup Egg Beaters)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, liquid included

1 teaspoon finely minced canned chipotles in adobo sauce, or more to taste (I actually used less, for mass appeal)

2 teaspoons chopped oregano leaves

1 sprig fresh rosemary

Salt

1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

First, make the meatballs. Mix all ingredients together and form into 2.5 inch meatballs (this is is a big meatball!). Bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes until lightly browned on the outside and nearly cooked through (but not all the way).

While the meatballs are baking, make the sauce. Saute the onion in the olive oil until translucent (about 3 minutes) then add the garlic and cook one more minute. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, chipotles, oregano, rosemary, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until thickened. Add the basil and correct seasonings to taste. (I also blended the sauce a bit with my immersion blender, because I like marinara sauce to be smooth and all ingredients of even size, not chunky. But that's up to you!)

Add the almost-done meatballs to the sauce and simmer another 10 minutes until meatballs are completely cooked and have soaked up some of the sauce.

Serve over whole wheat pasta (I'm partial to Barilla Pasta Plus) with some parmesan on top. A serving is 1 1/3 cups pasta and sauce, and 2 big meatballs. You will be full. Total fat 10.5 grams, saturated 3 grams.

RECIPE: CHICKEN FINGERS WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE

From the American Heart AssociationServes 4

I bought this little American Heart Association kids cookbook because Owen likes to cook with me. We made the chicken fingers and I probably loved them more than either Owen or Noah did. I guess they are just one of those kid foods I never outgrew. But, Scott liked them too, so you can confidently embrace your inner child and enjoy, for only 3 grams (and 1 gram of saturated fat) per serving.

1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt
1 lb chicken tenders, all visible fat removed
Vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1 tbsp flour
1 tbsp + 1 tsp. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup all fruit raspberry jam or preserves
2 tbsp low-fat mayonnaise
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

Place chicken and yogurt in a bowl and stir to coat. Preheat oven to 375 and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Mix cornmeal, breadcrumbs, flour, Parmesan, paprika, basil, garlic powder, and salt in another shallow dish or bowl. Dip chicken into the coating mixture, turning over and patting to coat (push off excess yogurt with your fingers first). Arrange in a single layer and spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes, or until chicken is done through and coating is crisp. For sauce, mix up jam, mayo, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

RECIPE: ROASTED RED PEPPER AND TOMATO SOUP

This is my sister, Anna Mayer's, recipe

Makes 8 bowls of soup (how many that serves is up to you!)

The way your house smells when the veggies are roasting is the best part of this soup, but it tastes only slightly less amazing. Super easy and super healthy -- did you know tomatoes are a heart-health super food? If you use fat-free Greek yogurt you're looking at about 2 grams of fat per serving, 0 saturated.

1 red bell pepper, quartered
2 or 2.5 pounds tomatoes, quartered (I used 40 ounces of canned whole tomatoes because I didn't want skins in my soup)
1 red onion, quartered and separated
Three cloves of garlic, smashed
1-2 red hot peppers, quarted and seeded (or leave seeds in if you like it really hot)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp brown sugar
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock (or more, depending on how thick you want your soup)

Put all your veggies and garlic in a shallow baking dish (like an 8x8 baking pan; you want the veggies close together so they don't burn), and drizzle oil over all. Sprinkle with brown sugar and roast at 350 for two hours. Let cool a little, then add stock and blend til smooth. (I used my immersion blender; if using a regular blender follow advice to remove center of the blender top so it doesn't explode.) Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt and some chopped fresh parsley.

RECIPE: LIGHTER MAC & CHEESE

From Cooking Light Magazine

Serves 8

Sounds weird, is good. Trust me. The sweet nuttiness of the squash combines with the salty, tangy cheeses to create a great approximation of cheddar Bechamel, but with only 6 grams of saturated fat for a really generous serving (vs. 36 grams for the real stuff). I've had other squash mac-and-cheese dishes and this one is the best one I've tasted so far.

3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about a 1 lb. squash)

1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth

1 1/2 cups skim milk

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fat-free Greek yogurt

5 ounces shredded Gruyère cheese

4 ounces grated pecorino Romano cheese

1 ounce finely grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1 pound uncooked cavatappi

Cooking spray

1 teaspoon olive oil*

1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
 

Combine squash, broth, milk, and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat. Place the hot squash mixture in a blender and add salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt. Remove the center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape) and place a towel over the opening. Blend until smooth.

Preheat oven to 375°. Place blended squash mixture in a bowl; stir in Gruyère, pecorino Romano, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir until combined. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well. Add pasta to squash mixture, and stir until combined. Spread mixture evenly into a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine oil and breadcrumbs and sprinkle evenly over the pasta. Lightly coat topping with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley.

*Next time I make this I'm going to try half olive oil, half truffle oil.