Pineapple and Feta Mini Pizzas 293 calories for 2!

Here is one of my favorite snacks and/or lunches. With 2 kids (ages 1 and 3), its really easy to forget to eat, or put making food for myself because I have so much to do. But, now that I'm working to lose weight, I can't afford to skip meals. I came up with these mini pizzas as a quick throw together lunch (add some fruit or a salad to fill you up a bit more) or snack that still keeps me in my calorie allotment for the day.

Pineapple and Feta Mini Pizzas


1 Sandwich thin divided in half (I like the herb and olive oil type)
4 tbs spaghetti or pizza sauce (l use spaghetti sauce because I like the chunks of tomato)
1/4 cup part skim mozzarella
4 Tbs. crushed pineapple
2 Tbs. crumbled feta cheese


1. Spread 2 Tbs. sauce on each thin
2. Sprinkle 1/8 cup mozzarella on each
3. Add 1 Tbs. pineapple and feta to each
4. Either bake at 450F for 10-15 min until cheese is melted and bread crispy
or, (my preferred method) place in the toaster oven on the "dark" setting. (watch for burning)



Nutrition Info

Calories		293.8
Total Fat		13.8 g
	Saturated Fat	7.7 g
	Polyunsaturated Fat	0.2 g
	Monounsaturated Fat	1.3 g
Cholesterol		45.2 mg
Sodium		858.4 mg
Potassium		17.6 mg
Total Carbohydrate		31.7 g
	Dietary Fiber	6.2 g
	Sugars	6.2 g
Protein		15.9 g

*nutrition info courtesy of  Spark People Recipe Calculator
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-calculator.asp

Ryan's Minestrone Soup (without pasta)

My hubby Ryan is not too big on veggies but he does love Olive Garden's Minestrone. So, shortly after we got married (5 years ago November), I made it my mission to develop a Minestrone recipe that he would deem just as good as OG's, so that I could get as many veggies into my picky husband as possible. Well, after about 4 years of working on it, I have accomplished the impossible. I have come up with a minestrone, that my husband not only said was as good as OG's, but that he liked it BETTER! Well, I knew I had to write this down. And since I started leaving out the pasta, this delicious soup is LESS THAN 150 calories for 2 cups!!!! And its SO EASY!!! 

Hope you love this as much as my hubby does.


Ryan's Minestrone

*Photo note: This picture makes the soup look a lot more tomatoey than it is. The purple cabbage will turn your soup a darker red when it cooks.



1 small onion- chopped (about 1/3-1/2 cup)
1 med sized zucchini- chopped
2 carrots- chopped or shredded (shredded will cook faster)
1-2 celery stalks with leaves- chopped (celery leaves add so much flavor!)
2 cups purple &/or green cabbage (Chopped)
2 cups baby spinach
5 cloves garlic- minced
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup basil
1 Tbs. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbs. sea salt (more or less to taste)
1 can white beans (drained and rinsed)
4-5 cups vegetable broth (I recommend Swanson brand)
*I have tried this with chicken broth and it didn't turn out as good.
1 can chopped Italian tomatoes with juice. (I recommend S&W Italian recipe diced tomatoes)


1.Prep all ingredients
2.Throw them in a big pot
3. Bring to a boil
4. Turn down heat and let simmer about 30-45 min or until all veggies are cooked. 
(usually when the carrots are done, so is the soup)
5. If you can spare a few extra calories, top with some Parmesan or pecorino Romano.



Nutrition Info

Per 2 cups

Calories- 148.5
Fat- .5g
    Sat- .1g
    Poly- .2g
    Mono- .1g
Chol.- 0
Potassium- 700.8mg
Carb.- 29.5g
Fiber- 6.6g
Sugars- 4.8g
Protein- 8.1g
 

Enjoy!

145 Calorie Blueberry Muffins

I have found a lot of low cal muffins that require the use of fake sugars. Not so here! You will never find any fake sugars (except maybe all natural Stevia) anywhere in my kitchen or my blog.

I found a version of this recipe online and I made them when my Vegan in-laws were visiting for the weekend. I make a few changes to make them healthier but the final result was  absolutely delicious!


145 Calorie Blueberry Muffins (makes 12 standard size muffins)

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 lemons worth of lemon zest (save the juice, you will need that too)
3/4 cup bakers sugar (you can go up to 1 cup if you like your muffins sweeter)
1 cup milk ( I used organic soy but any type of milk will do)
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbs. lemon juice
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries


1.Preheat the oven to 375F. Spray muffin pan with cooking spray or use liners.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt
3. In a different bowl, combine the lemon zest, sugar, milk, applesauce, and lemon juice.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. Don't over mix!
5. Gently fold in the blueberries.
6. Fill the muffin tins about 3/4 of the way full
7. Bake at 375F for about 20-22 min until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. If you didn't use liners, let them cool for 5 min before removing them from the pan.

*Sorry I don't have a photo for this one, but trust me, they look just like muffins.


Nutritional info

Calories- 145.3
Fat- .7g
Cholesterol- 0
Sodium- 159.6mg
Carbs- 32.4g
Fiber 3.3g
Sugars- 15.9g
Protein 2.8g


Enjoy!

Jalapeno Popper Chicken Salad!

For my first recipe post, I'm going to share one of my favorites. It's a chicken salad with a spicy kick. This slightly spicy concoction works great as a meal with some whole grain bread or as a wrap; or as a protein packed snack with some crackers or toast. And at only 166 calories per 1/2cup, does it really get any better than that? Well, I will let you be the judge of that.

Jalapeno Popper Chicken Salad

* Pictured with 2 slices Dave's Killer Bread and fresh baby spinach. 389 calories, 11 grams of fat, 48g carb, and 31g of protein for the whole sandwich!



4 cups cooked boneless/skinless chicken breasts- shredded or chopped
1 jalapeno pepper- seeded and minced (if you want it spicier, leave in some seeds)
1 small onion- minced (about 1/3 cup)
3 cloves fresh garlic- minced
8 oz low fat cream cheese (room temperature for easier mixing)
1/4 cup pecorino Romano cheese- shredded (shredded Parmesan would also work)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and for best flavor, refrigerate overnight.


Now, here is the nutritional breakdown for you.

Per 1/2 cup serving

Calories- 166.6
Fat- 7.9g
    Sat-4.7g
    Poly-.4g
    Mono-2.2g
Cholesterol- 58.4mg
Sodium- 212.6mg
Carbs-3.5
Fiber-.2g
Sugars-.2g
Protein- 19.2g



Please comment and let me know if you make any changes that improve it. I would love input! Hope you enjoy!