Cold Sesame Noodles

This recipe is another one of those that’s been in my recipe binder for years…the printed date at the bottom of the page is September 5, 2004.  I’m almost positive my mom printed it out and told me that it looked good and that we should make it.  And it is! So good!

I loved to make this when I lived with friends in college.  Who doesn’t love pasta?  It’s one of Tyler Florence’s recipes, which are always really good but sometimes lacking in the health department.  Did he really think 2 green onions were enough vegetables?  And the original recipe also included 5 tablespoons of oil and 1/2 a cup of peanut butter…a little too much fat for me!  Not that fat is a bad thing!

The original recipe looked like this:

4 servings
729 calories
78 g carbs
5.5 g fiber
35 g fat
21 g protein

My version looks much better:

4 servings
410 calories
61 g carbs
9 g fiber
13 g fat
16 g protein

You could add shredded chicken to it for a little more protein, or just leave as is for a vegetarian meal.  Either way it’s delish!

Cold Sesame Noodles
adapted from Tyler Florence

makes 4 large servings

8 ounces whole wheat spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 tablespoons sesame oil
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 1/2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups snow peas, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon red chili sauce, such as Sriracha, optional
1 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter (preferably natural and unsweetened)
juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce

Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain immediately and rinse with cold water until cool. Drain the noodles really well and transfer to a large bowl; toss with the sesame oil so they don't stick together.  Add all of the sliced vegetables and cilantro; toss to combine. 

In a blender, combine the ginger through the soy sauce.  Blend until smooth.  Toss the pasta and vegetables with the peanut sauce until well coated. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Note - Other things you could add:  edamame, cucumber, chicken, chopped peanuts

Per serving - 410 calories, 13 g fat (2 g saturated), 61 g carbohydrates, 9 g fiber, 11 g sugar, 16 g protein (exchanges: 2 vegetable, 3 starch, 1/2 protein, 2 1/2fat)

Curried Tuna Salad

I know, I know…another salad recipe.  I can’t help it!  Its what I eat when I know I’m not going to have time to cook THE WHOLE WEEK.  For the past 8 days (Saturday to Saturday) I have been wrapped up with all things dance.  Extra rehearsals, privates, teaching class, choreography for Saintsations, Saintsation practice, 2 days of dress rehearsal, 3 recitals. 

And sure enough, I didn’t find time to cook (besides quickly grilling some zucchini to eat with pesto and mozzarella for a quick lunch…and making cookies for some deserving dancers).  So it was a good thing I found time to make this earlier in the week. 

The recipe was inspired by this and this.  I love curried chicken salad, so why not tuna?  And I haven’t had fish in a while (something I try to eat regularly), so it was a perfect solution.  I buy water-packed canned light (as opposed to albacore) tuna for the lower mercury levels.   

The biggest differences between my recipes for chicken and tuna salad and other traditional ones is that I try to add more veggies and use less mayo (swapping Greek yogurt for SOME of it…you can read my opinion of mayo here). 

And while I did have a tuna salad sandwich one day, the rest was eaten over romaine with cucumbers.  Love a salad on a salad!

Curried Tuna Salad

makes 5 servings

3 5-6 ounce cans light tuna packed in water, drained
4 celery stalks, diced finely
3 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup raisins, chopped
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Greek yogurt (I use Fage 0%)
1/2 - 1 teaspoons curry powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well to combine, breaking up any large pieces of tuna.  Taste for seasoning, adding more salt, pepper, or curry powder if needed.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

Per serving (about a cup) – 258 calories, 11 g fat (2.4 g saturated), 10 g carbohydrate, 1.6 g fiber, 29 g protein (exchanges: 1/2 vegetable, 1/2 fruit, 2 fat, 4 protein)

Strawberry Vinaigrette

I eat a lot of salad and am constantly in search of new salad inspirations.  One of my favorite blogs, Annie Eats, featured a strawberry spinach salad with a light strawberry vinaigrette.  I couldn’t wait to try it!

The dressing was originally fat free (no oil).  I’m always skeptical of fat free dressings…but I told myself that I’d try it first and then make a decision of whether or not I wanted a little extra virgin olive oil.  I added it :) but you can make your own decision. 

If you do go the fat free route, make sure there is SOME fat in your salad.  Fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K…found the veg in the salad) need fat to be absorbed by your body. 

Like the original recipe suggested, I made a spinach salad and then topped it with toasted almonds, shredded carrots, diced red bell pepper, steamed asparagus, sliced strawberries, baked chicken, and little feta.  Goat cheese would be fabulous too.

Strawberry Vinaigrette
adapted from Annie Eats

makes about 1 cup of dressing

1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
2 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons champagne*
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil**
1/2 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of salt

In a blender, combine the strawberries, vinegar, champagne, olive oil, sugar, and salt.  Blend until the mixture is well combined and completely smooth.  Transfer to an airtight bottle or container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Per serving (3 tablespoons) – 65 calories, 5.5 g fat (0.8 g saturated), 4 g carbohydrate, 2.6 g sugar (exchanges: 1 fat)

* I bought a mini bottle of champagne, rather than having to open a whole bottle for a couple tablespoons.  If you wanted you could use white wine or skip the separate vinegar and champagne, and instead use champagne vinegar (about 3 tablespoons).

** The dressing kept for a week in the fridge without separating…not sure if it was because of the oil I added or not. 

Coconut Almond Granola

Granola has a reputation for being healthy, but much of what you can buy at the store is far from it…lots of added sugar and fat (in the form of some type of oil – some healthier than others).  Or all of the fat has been removed and all that’s left is carbs (a little oats plus a lot of other starch and sugar). 
For example:
 
Besides the fact that there are 14 grams of sugar (3.5 teaspoons) and 40 g of carbs in half a cup, LOOK at the ingredient list…do you really need all that to make granola?!?



My granola has a much shorter ingredient list.  And it has fat in the form of coconut and almonds, but no added oils.  The applesauce serves two purposes, to naturally sweeten the granola and to make it clump; so it replaces the oil and some of the sugar. 



The grains, oats and puffed brown rice cereal (think whole grain rice krispies), are both whole grains.  That and the applesauce/sugar/maple syrup are the foundation for this mix and match granola recipe.  The combinations of spices, nuts, and dried fruit are endless. 



I chose not to add dried fruit to mine.  I’d rather add fresh fruit to the plain Greek yogurt (Fage) I plan on eating it with. 




Coconut Almond Granola adapted from bakingbites.com

makes 18 half cup servings*

3 1/2 cups rolled oats
3 cups puffed brown rice cereal
1 cup sliced of slivered almonds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, optional
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut (unsweetened if you can find it, if not reduce the amount of brown sugar by 2 tablespoons)

Preheat the oven to 325F and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat.

In a large bowl, combine oats, puffed rice cereal, almonds, spices, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, applesauce (do not use chunky applesauce), maple syrup, and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir to combine. Spread on prepared baking sheets in an even layer.

Bake for 30 minutes, then turn over the granola carefully using a large wide spatula.  Add coconut, stir to combine, and bake for additional 15 - 30 minutes, until crisp and golden**. Depending on the size of your baking sheet, the center might not be fully dried if your granola layer is thick, so if necessary remove the edges of the cooked granola to a cooling rack and let the rest cook for another 10-15 minutes until done.

Cool on pan.  Break granola up as desired and store in an airtight container.

Per serving (1/2 cup) – 160 calories, 6.4 g fat (2.4 g saturated), 24 g carbohydrate, 3.2 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 3.6 g protein (exchanges: 1.5 starch, 1 fat)

* I prefer to do a half cup serving because I always eat granola with yogurt (usually Greek because I like the thickness/creaminess and the extra protein) and fruit and I think a whole cup would be too much.  However, if I were to eat it with milk I might do a whole cup.

* * The granola continues to harden and get crunchy as it cools.  After 15 minutes into the second part of the baking I took a few pieces out of the pan to cool on the counter and then tasted for desired “crunchiness”.  I continued this until I was satisfied.  I also reduced the oven temperature to 275F at the end to prevent it from getting to dark. 

Mango Curry Chicken Salad

I have been waiting for this since last year…mango season!  The champagne mangos at Whole Foods are so good right now!!!  I can’t get enough of them.  I’ve been eating them plain and in my overnight oats…but this week they went in chicken salad. 

Chicken salad, as you probably know, is a staple in my diet.  And this version is delish!  So are both of these.

Mango Curry Chicken Salad
created by me

Makes 6 1-cup servings

3 cooked* boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
5 celery stalks, diced (I like to use some of the leaves too)
1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
2 champagne mangos (or 1 large mango), diced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
juice (and zest) from 1 lime
2 teaspoons curry powder
salt and pepper

* This is how I cook my chicken:  Preheat oven to 425°F. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and place on baking sheet/dish.  Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and black pepper.  Cook for about 20 minutes until until juices run clear (not pink) when poked with a sharp knife.

Once the chicken is cooled, shred it with a fork and add to a large mixing bowl.  Add the celery, bell pepper, and mango, and stir to combine. 

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, lime juice and zest, and curry powder.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the dressing to the salad ingredients; stir to combine.  Re-season with salt and pepper if needed.  If not creamy enough, add more yogurt.

Per serving (1 cup) - 247 calories, 11 g fat (2 g saturated), 9 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 28g protein (exchanges: 2 fat, 1/2 vegetable, 1/2 fruit, 4 protein)

Busiest Time of the Year

For me, Spring and Fall are the busiest times of the year.  Obviously Football season occupies my life from August thru January.  Every weekend I’m at an LSU game, a Saints game, or both.  The weekdays are filled with teaching at the studio, running Saintsation rehearsals, choreographing, driving to and from Nola…

But I honestly think I’m busier in the Spring.  For me it’s “dance team tryout season” and everybody needs a private dance lesson, a solo, a tryout outfit, a weight loss plan…

I’ve choreographed 12+ audition solos, helped several girls lose weight, given countless hours of private lessons to make sure these girls are ready to make their dance team.  I love being able to do this for these girls.  I was on a dance team from 7th grade until I graduated from LSU (excluding my freshman year at LSU when I didn’t make Golden Girls)…11 years!  And then I lived vicariously through Hilary for 4 more years.  Then I stared working with the Saintsations.  So for the last 18 years I’ve been involved with a dance team in some way or another.

Tryouts start this week for me.  The first high school tryout that I’m helping girls prepare for is Friday.  Next weekend there is the second Saintsation workshop.  The first weekend of April are Saintsations auditions (which are a week long process Saturday – Thursday), the second weekend are Golden Girls, and the third Tiger Girls.  And all throughout that time are more high school auditions.  And I have students auditioning for all of them!

As you can imagine, I’m practically living at the dance studio right now.  And I don’t have much time to cook…I haven’t posted anything since February 8th.  But that doesn’t mean I’m eating out 3 meals a day!  When I can’t “cook” I find myself eating things that I can “assemble”…salads, sandwiches…or defrost from my freezer…soup. 

Going to the grocery store is my PRIORITY.  If there isn’t healthy food in my fridge I end up eating out more which equals spending more money and eating things I normally wouldn’t.  At the beginning of the week, usually Sunday night or Monday morning, I shop for groceries and then prep/cook for the week.

For the last couple of weeks I’ve made some sort of salad “topper” to eat over a green salad…chicken salad, tabbouleh, a cold bean salad.  I take a little help from Whole Foods too.  I love buying their Broccoli Crunch salad (broccoli, raisins, onions, a little bacon, and mayo) and chopping it up over lettuce.  Last week I added baked chicken breast, shredded carrots, bell pepper, Forte Grove crostini, and a little lemon vinaigrette (not too much though, because the mayo on the broccoli salad acts like dressing too).

Another recent menu item has been Chicken Feta Tabbouleh lettuce wraps.  Bibb/butter lettuce works the best for this. 

Sandwiches are convenient too.  I love all kinds of toppings, but I think bread can make or break a sandwich.  Whole Foods seeduction bread is one of my favorites.  Whole grain usually…but not always (I love French bread…reminds me of childhood sandwiches).

Some of my favorite combos:

- ham, cheddar, apple, tomato, lettuce, honey mustard
- turkey, Havarti, Dijon, tomato, cucumber
- turkey, avocado, tomato, cilantro
- turkey, green tomato relish (or another sweet pickle), Dijon, Havarti
- hummus, cucumber, shredded carrot, feta…love this one!

As you can see, I try to make my sandwiches have 3 things: a veg/fruit, a protein source, and some kind of fat.  I’m not opposed to mayo, but I would rather cheese or avocado!

I’m not going to lie though, I have been eating out more this past month…sandwiches from Jimmy John’s, chicken salad (over salad) from Maxwell’s, pimento cheese sandwich or hummus & salad plate from Zoe’s, salads from Whole Foods, and turkey melts from Counter Culture.  These have all been a little more frequent!  Still eating healthy though :)

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

I get a kick out of finding a recipe that uses up multiple things in my refrigerator and pantry…not sure what that says about me?  I enjoy being thrifty?  I hate letting things go to waste?  I’m way too type-A?
As you can see below I am WELL stocked with lasagna noodles…and have been for over a year (remember two Christmases ago when I made lasagna for 100 people?? Well I bought too much then and have had it since). 

I also had half a container of cottage cheese leftover from last week’s overnight oats.  Whole Foods now carries their own line of organic CC and I had to try it.  Pretty good…but favorite is still Breakstone’s.  I wish it was organic!

So I used up two things…plus I already had the parmesan and spices.  Like the nutmeg.  Did you know nutmeg is actually a seed that you can buy whole and grate yourself?  My dad just learned this (from Dr. OZ no less) and was very impressed with his new discovery.
 
The recipe is one that I tore out of Cooking Light in 2003 and have never made.  I left it mostly unchanged, with the exception of doubling the mushrooms.  There can never be too many mushrooms!  I also omitted the parsley and used a little extra salt to season the mushroom and leek mixture.  Don’t be scared of leeks if you’ve never used them.  They are just like a big green onion.  Once sliced, make sure you rinse them well…they are very sandy/gritty.
You would never know this is a “light” recipe.  Don’t be tempted to add extra cheese…you don’t need it, promise!  I suggest doubling the mushrooms too.  Adds a little more substance the layers.  And extra veggies can't hurt either!

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
Makes 9 servings
9  uncooked no-boil lasagna noodles (Barilla is my fave)
1/4  cup  all-purpose flour
3  cups  1% low-fat milk
1  cup  (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1  cup  1% low-fat cottage cheese 
1 teaspoon  salt, divided
1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
1/8  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
1  (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
2  teaspoons  butter
1 1/2  cups  thinly sliced leek (2 medium)
2  (each 8 oz*) packages button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2  teaspoon  dried oregano 
3  garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray
1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shredded fontina or mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 400°.
Place the flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add the milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook until thick (about 5 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, cottage cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt and next 3 ingredients (cottage cheese through spinach).
Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leek and mushrooms; sauté 7 minutes or until tender. Drain well, and return to pan. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, oregano, and garlic.
Spread 1 cup spinach mixture onto the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over the spinach mixture, and top with 1 1/2 cups of the mushroom mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Top with 1/2 cup spinach mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and fontina. (order: spinach, noodles, mushrooms, spinach, noodles, mushrooms, spinach, noodles, spinach, cheese)
Cover with aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray and bake at 400° for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes.
* I LOVE mushrooms so I double the amount…2 16oz packages
Per serving (1/9th) - 262 calories, 8.5 g fat (5 g saturated), 18 g protein, 31 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 30 mg cholesterol, 353 mg calcium; (exchanges – 1 veg, 1.5 starch, 2 protein, 1 fat)