A quick clean eating lunch idea, full of iron and flavor.

Sometimes it can be hard to plan your meals for the week, especially lunch ideas. One of my favorite recipes that is also easy involves black beans, salsa and my favorite herb cilantro.
If you're looking for a great substitute for a vegetarian protein the black bean is a great choice. It is also high in fiber and iron (which is especially great for women).

Once you spread the bean mixture on a whole-wheat tortilla you can top it with fat-free Greek yogurt, low-fat cheddar or more salsa. It's entirely up to you. I do sometimes opt to eat this meal alongside a grilled chicken breast or sometimes I have a small salad to go with a black bean wrap (or two). Great flavor and this is a recipe that you can throw together quickly.

Bean & Cheese Burrito Pinwheels

Ingredients:

• 4 whole-wheat tortillas
• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 tbsp freshly squeeze lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp salsa
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 oz low-fat cheddar, shredded
• Additional salsa and Greek yogurt to taste

Instructions:

ONE: Warm tortillas according to package directions; set aside and keep warm.
TWO: In a food processor, blend together the black beans, lemon juice, garlic and olive oil. Remove bean spread into a medium mixing bowl and stir in salsa and cilantro.
THREE: Evenly portion bean spread between tortillas. Roll up tightly and slice evenly into one-inch thick pieces. Serve with salsa and Greek yogurt, as desired.

**Nutrients per serving: Calories-343; Fat-8g; Sodium-364mg; Carbohydrates-53g; Fiber-6g; Sugars-1g; Protein-17g; Iron-5mg

Bison. Better than your average 'beef' burger.

Bison is a healthier alternative to beef if you're in the mood for a burger. It's much leaner and higher in iron which makes it a great grilling choice.
I'm always up for trying something new and challenging myself so tonight's dinner consisted of ground bison burgers and party quinoa salad.

I did stray slightly from the Clean Eating version of the recipe for the bison burgers, however, it was in the interest of adding more flavor while allowing the delicious ingredients to shine. I cooked these burgers on the stove top, but as the directions suggest you can absolutely grill them up on your barbecue outdoors.

The quinoa salad is slightly similar to my fiesta quinoa recipe with the addition of a few spicy ingredients to kick it up a notch. Dinner worthy, indeed!!

Yee-haw. Bon appetit.

Bison Burger Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml olive or safflower oil
• ¾ cup / 180 ml finely chopped onion
• 2 egg whites
• ¼ cup / 60 ml oat bran or oatmeal ground in a coffee grinder
• ¼ cup / 60 ml cooked, mashed sweet potato
• 1 Tbsp / 15 ml molasses
• 1 tsp / 5 ml crumbled, dried oregano
• ½ tsp / 2.5 ml sea salt
• ½ tsp / 2.5 ml freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lb / 454 g ground bison

Instructions

• Heat oil over medium heat in a skillet. Cook the onion until soft and golden. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together egg whites, oat bran or oatmeal, sweet potato, molasses, oregano, sea salt and pepper.
• Stir in onions and bison. Mix the ingredients together with clean hands until just combined. Take a handful of the meat and create a flat patty. You can get your family involved here too, so they can make patties that fit them. Just make sure they use clean hands.
• Grill the patties for 7-10 minutes on each side or until the burgers reach desired doneness.
• If you would like to store the patties in the freezer to use later, wrap the patties individually in parchment paper. They can be stored for up to one month in the freezer.

**Nutrients (per patty): Calories-143; Fat-2g; Protein-22g; Carbs-6g

Quinoa Party Salad Ingredients
2 cups quinoa
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice 1 lime
1 tbsp ground cumin
Pinch red pepper flakes
3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium orange bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste


Instructions

ONE: In a fine-mesh strainer, rinse quinoa thoroughly; drain well. In a medium saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil. Add quinoa, cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Let cool.
TWO: Meanwhile, prepare dressing: In a small bowl, whisk oil, lime juice, cumin and pepper flakes until combined. Set aside.
THREE: In a large bowl, combine corn, beans, bell peppers, jalapeno and cilantro. Add quinoa and stir to combine. Top with dressing, season with salt and black pepper and mix well. Serve cold or at room temperature.


**Nutrients per serving: Calories-364; Total Fat-10.5g; Carbs-56g; Fiber-10g; Sugars-3g; Protein-14g

Lasagna Without The Noodles

When you think lasagna you usually picture a heavy entree with noodles, cheese and sauce. Scratch that thought!!

For dinner tonight I made eggplant lasagna with tomatoes, spices, skim mozzarella & of course eggplant.

The is the 1st time making the dish but it immediately became a new favorite as it is full of flavor and very filling. I'm honestly not a huge pasta fan but on rare occasion when I'm looking to indulge I'm all for a tomato-y dish and this one that incorporates ground turkey & ricotta cheese (who would complain about the extra protein?!?).

Serve this delicious and healthy casserole with a salad of mixed greens or fennel & apple salad and you've got a well-balanced meal.

Enjoy!!

Ingredients:

·         1 lb ground turkey or chicken

·         2 minced garlic cloves

·         1 (8oz) can of tomato sauce

·         1 (32oz) can of chopped tomatoes (or Italian herbs added canned tomatoes)

·         ½ tsp of salt

·         ½ tsp of pepper

·         ¼ tsp oregano

·         ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

·         1 Eggplant (peeled and sliced)

·         1 small container of fat free cottage cheese

·         8 oz sliced fat free mozzarella cheese

·         Pam cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown the ground turkey with the garlic in a saucepan coated with Pam cooking spray. Add the tomato sauce and canned tomatoes, stirring and chopping tomatoes with the spoon. Add the salt, pepper, and oregano; stir, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Layer eggplant, cottage cheese, turkey sauce and mozzarella in a baking dish. Add second layer of eggplant and then sauce and mozzarella. (repeat til no more ingredients with last layer of mozzarella) Bake in oven for 30 minutes.

**Nutrients per serving: Calories-304; Fat-4g; Carbs-23g; Protein-53g

A Happy Clean Eating New Year!!

Happy New Year to everyone!! I don't know about you but I certainly have a lot of goals and hopes for 2012. Clean Eating is on the top of that list. Trying new recipes but also sticking with the tried & true ones too.
A recipe that I've made a few times but I absolutely love is fiesta quinoa pilaf.

You can eat it by itself as it has all 9 essential amino acids making it a complete protein. Serve it with a chicken breast or grilled fish for extra protein or even stir it in your vegetarian chili for added health benefits and texture. Quinoa is a nutritional powerhouse and it is naturally gluten-free!!

The great thing about quinoa is that it is so versatile. I've found some recipes that change up this commonly considered cereal-like grain (actually related to leafy greens) and have made it into a breakfast option incorporating raisins, cinnamon and skim milk. Don't feel intimated by something that you've never used before, you might surprise yourself with the possibilities.

Happy experimenting!!

Ingredients:

-1 tsp olive oil
-1/2 yellow onion, diced
-1/2 yellow or orange pepper, seeded and diced
-1 tsp sea salt
-1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 tsp ground cumin
-1/2 tsp chili powder
-1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
-1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
-2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
-Juice of ½ lime (about 1 to 2 tbsp)
-1/4 cup chopped scallions
-1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, more for garnish

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, yellow/orange pepper, salt and black pepper and sauté until soft, three minutes. Stir in garlic, cumin, chili powder and cayenne and cook for one more minute. Stir in quinoa and broth.

Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until all liquid is absorbed and quinoa is plumped up. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and let sit for five minutes, covered.

Stir in lime juice, scallion and cilantro; serve.

Pizza, it doesn't have to be bad for you.

Pizza doesn't have to be unhealthy, although, it is definitely considered a treat. Anyone that knows me, knows that pizza is my absolute favorite food in the whole world. True, it's nothing fancy but there is something about a thin crust and fresh toppings that makes me happy. Veggies, chicken, cheese, anchovies, olive oil... you name it, I've put it on my pizza!!

Since I do love this food so much I decided to go on a hunt for a "clean eating" version of the normally carb-loaded and thick crust that you get in your normal day-to-day pizzeria. I have found the perfect whole-wheat pizza dough recipe and piling on healthy veggies and low-fat cheese is as easy as pie (pun-intended).

Bonus if you have your own canned tomatoes or any other straight-from-your-garden veggies, the sky is the limit really when it comes to what you put on your perfect pizza.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp raw honey
• 1 cup less 1 1/2 tbsp lukewarm water (105° F to 110° F), divided
• 1 pkg active dry yeast (1/4 oz or 2 1/2 tsp)
• 2 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour, divided
• 4 tsp vital wheat gluten
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 3 tbsp olive oil, divided

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, mix together honey and 1/3 cup water. Sprinkle in yeast and allow to proof, undisturbed (do not stir or move bowl), for 10 minutes or until yeast is foamy. (NOTE: If yeast does not foam, it is dead and your dough will not rise. Discard and start again with fresh ingredients.)
2. While yeast is proofing, mix together 2 cups flour, wheat gluten and salt in another large bowl.
3. Once yeast is foamy, add remaining water and 2 tbsp oil to yeast mixture. Pour in flour mixture and gently fold in with a bowl scraper or spatula until just combined. Mixture will form a very wet ball. Coat the bottom of another large bowl with remaining oil (ensure that bowl is large enough so that, when doubled in size, the dough will not reach the top). Transfer dough to bowl, rolling ball a bit to coat with oil. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature to rise for 1 hour. Dough will be very soft and sticky.
4. Lightly dust counter with about 1/4 cup flour. Transfer dough to floured surface and roll lightly in flour as needed. Gently knead dough, using remaining flour as needed, for about 1 minute. Form dough into a ball and place back into bowl. Cover bowl again tightly with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature to rise for 30 minutes.
5. Transfer dough back to floured surface, adding more flour to prevent dough from sticking, if needed, and cut dough in half to form 2 balls. Lightly knead each for about 30 seconds and reform into balls. Dough is now ready to be formed into crust or wrapped for future use. To store, wrap each dough ball individually in plastic wrap. Dough can be kept refrigerated for 24 hours or frozen for up to 1 month.
6. Top dough with all your favorite fresh veggies, low-fat cheese, chicken and of course sauce and bake at 400 degrees until cheese has melted and dough is cooked through.

To Use From Refrigerator
Remove dough from fridge and allow to warm a little at room temperature, about 10 minutes. Form a pizza crust.

To Use From Frozen
Transfer dough from freezer to fridge and let it defrost overnight before following the Use From Refrigerator steps above.

Nutrients per serving (1/8 of each dough ball): Calories: 96, Total Fat: 3 g, Sat. Fat: 0.5 g, Carbs: 15 g, Fiber: 2 g, Sugars: 1 g, Protein: 3 g, Sodium: 121 mg, Cholesterol: 0 mg.

3-Cheese Stuffed Shells

Ingredients:
Sauce

• 3 cups chopped tomatoes
• 12 oz roasted red bell peppers (packed in water), drained, patted dry and roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 packed cup whole parsley sprigs, roughly chopped

Shells

• 4 ears corn, husked
• olive oil cooking spray
• 30 large whole-grain pasta shells (or 12 whole-wheat lasagna noodles)
• 1 1/2 cups low-fat ricotta cheese
• 3 oz goat cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley leaves or chives, plus additional for garnish
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 3 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated

Instructions:



ONE: Prepare sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine tomatoes, roasted peppers, rosemary, oregano, red pepper flakes and black pepper. Bring to a simmer on medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a blender and add parsley. Remove plastic center from blender lid to allow steam to escape, hold a kitchen towel loosely over the opening and purée. (NOTE: Exercise caution when blending hot liquids.)
TWO: Prepare shells: Preheat broiler. Mist corn with cooking spray and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil 8 to 10 inches from heat until light golden brown on all sides, turning as needed, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit until cool enough to handle. Carefully remove kernels: Hold corn upright on a cutting board and use a chef's knife to cut off kernels, starting at the top of the cob and carefully sliding knife downward. Transfer kernels to a bowl.
THREE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile, prepare pasta shells according to package directions, cooking until just al dente. Drain thoroughly. In a large bowl, combine ricotta, goat cheese, mint, parsley, egg and half of corn (about 1 1/2 cups). Season with black pepper.
FOUR: Spread 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Fill each of 24 pasta shells (6 additional were cooked to allow for damaged shells) with about 1 rounded tbsp ricotta mixture and place in baking dish, stuffed side up. Cover shells with remaining sauce, remaining corn and mozzarella. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbling. Let cool for 10 minutes, garnish with additional parsley and serve.

OPTION: If you can't find large whole-grain pasta shells, you can transform this recipe into roll-ups using whole-wheat lasagna noodles! Cook 12 noodles to al dente, top with 1/4 cup ricotta mixture, roll up and place in baking dish, seam side down. Proceed with recipe. Serves 6; 2 roll-ups per person.




**Nutrients per 3 shells: Calories 429, Total Fat 8g, Carbs 69g, Fiber 6g, Sugars 9g, Protein 18.5g

Summery Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:
-Cooking spray
-1 lb green beans, rinsed, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
-2 tbsp plus 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
-1 red onion, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
-Scant 1/4 tsp sea salt, divided
-Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
-8 oz sliced button mushrooms
-1/2 tsp lemon-pepper salt-free seasoning (TRY: Mrs Dash Lemon Pepper Seasoning Blend)
-3 cloves garlic, chopped
-3 tbsp whole wheat-flour
-1 3/4 cups low-fat milk (not skim)
-1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
-1/4 tsp dried rosemary
-1/4 tsp dried thyme
-1/2 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
-1/4 whole-wheat panko (or rice crumbs)

Instructions:
ONE: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Mist a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
TWO: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add beans and cover until water returns to a boil. Cook, uncovered, until tender-crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Meanwhile, place a colander in the sink and fill a large bowl with ice water. Drain beans in colander and immediately add to ice water. Let sit for 10 minutes, then drain. (Beans may be cooked up to 1 day ahead; cover and refrigerate).
THREE: In a large skillet, heat 2 tsp oil on medium-low. Add onion, season with scant 1/16 tsp salt and pepper and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and golden brown. Transfer onion to a bowl. Coat skillet with cooking spray and bring to medium heat. Add mushrooms, lemon-pepper seasoning and scant 1/16 salt. Cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 8 minutes; set aside.
FOUR: Add remaining 2 tbsp oil to saucepan used to cook beans and heat on medium-low. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Increase heat to high and slowly whisk in milk. Bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thick, 4 to 6 minutes. Reduce heat to low and stir in 1/8 tsp salt, coriander, rosemary, thyme, tomatoes, beans and mushrooms. Mix well, adjusting seasoning as desired. Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish and cover evenly with a layer of onion, followed by a layer of panko.
FIVE: Bake until liquid is bubbling, 15 to 20 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes and serve.

TIP: Step one through three may be done 1 day ahead. Simply cover and refrigerate until you're ready to cook. Increase baking time by 10 to 15 minutes.

Nutrients per 3/4 cup serving: Calories: 166, Total Fat: 8g, Carbs: 23g, Fibre: 5g, Sugars: 8g, Protein: 7.5g, Sodium: 266mg