Spring asparagus, shallots and Swiss cheese is a delicious combination in this slimmed down frittata which is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

This is really filling, and the leftovers for perfect for lunch or breakfast the next day. Fritattas are also great if you’re watching your carbs, and they are so inexpensive to make. I love having a Fritatta for Meatless Mondays with salad on the side.

Whenever asparagus is in season, I buy it and steam it right away to use for quick recipes throughout the week. It’s great to add to eggs, salads, served chilled with a simple Dijon Vinaigrette or even to add to paninis (LOVE this asparagus prosciutto panini)!

Asparagus is loaded with nutrients, it’s a great source of fiber, vitamin A and C, and it’s packed with antioxidants, which makes it a super star in my book!

Asparagus and Swiss Cheese Frittata
Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 4 • Size: 1/4 of frittata • Old Points: 4 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 226 • Fat: 11 g • Carb: 13 g • Fiber: 3.5 g • Protein: 21 g • Sugar: 0 g  
Sodium: 276 (without added salt) • Cholest: 161.9

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb asparagus, tough ends trimmed off
• 1/2 cup shallots, chopped
• 2 tsp butter
• 3 large eggs
• 5 large egg whites
• 1 tbsp 1% milk
  
• 2 tbsp fresh grated Pecorino Romano
  
• 3 oz reduced fat Swiss cheese (I used Sargento)
  
• salt and fresh pepper to taste

Ingredients:

Steam asparagus crisp and tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Thinly slice on the diagonal into 1/2-inch pieces.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat butter in a 10-inch oven safe skillet over medium heat. Stir in shallots and saute until golden, about 4-5 minutes. Add steamed asparagus, salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl whisk eggs, egg whites, grated cheese, milk, salt, and pepper. Add the swiss cheese and mix well.

Add eggs to the skillet making sure eggs cover the asparagus. Cook on medium for about 4 minutes, until the edges begin to set. Move the skillet to oven. Cook about 16 to 18 minutes, or until frittata is completely cooked. Serve hot, cut into 4 to 6 equal wedges.

Skinnytaste

Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

NYT > Recipes for Health

Put all of your ingredients in a big bowl.  Mix together with a whisk.  You can use all whole wheat if you want, or even try other whole grain flours.  

Place in an airtight container.  You can store this for up to 3 months.  I write the ingredients to make a batch on the container and then you have it right there when you want to make them.  

Then when you are ready to whip up a delicious batch of these all you do is add:

• 1 1/2 cups mix
• 1 cup water
• 2 Tbsp Canola oil
• 1 egg

This will make about 6-8 pancakes (smaller size).  If you like thicker pancakes, add up to 1/4 cup more mix to your batter.  These pancakes are seriously the best I have ever made from scratch.  They are super fluffy and full of flavor.   And these pancakes freeze beautifully once they are made.  Then if you are really in a rush, you can pull them out and pop them in the toaster for a breakfast on the go!

Some of our favorite things to add to our pancakes are:

Norpro Batter Dispenser                    Presto Liddle Griddle

Super Healthy Kids

Juice recipes to look & feel great! Experience juices that are good for your body and taste delicious. Whether you’re bored with your current juice recipes, don’t know what to make, or want recipes to instantly create mouth-watering juices, this book is for you.

With just one click you can access juice recipes such as Your New Sangria, Enlightened Sensei, Emerald Tonic, Breath Deep Asian Elixir, and more!

Take charge of your health and nourish your body with these handc

Something about Spring and the warmer weather that puts me in such a GREAT mood. It also makes me crave more salads, and this simple salad is a favorite of mine, I make this all the time for myself.

I love the combination of the sweet, juicy oranges mixed with the peppery arugula and the pungent taste of the creamy Gorgonzola cheese, they work together harmoniously. My husband doesn’t agree; he is not a fan of Gorgonzola at all so I usually make this for myself for lunch. If you want to make this for two or four, just multiply the ingredients. If you’re like my husband and don’t care for Gorgonzola, you could use goat cheese or feta instead.

Orange, Red Onion, Gorgonzola and Arugula Salad

Servings: 1 • Size: about 2 cups • Old Points: 4 pts • Weight Watcher Points+: 5 pt
Calories: 196 • Fat: 10.5 g • Carb: 18.5 g • Fiber: 4 g • Protein: 8 g • Sugar: 11 g
Sodium: 294 mg (without the salt) • Cholest: 20 mg


Ingredients:

• 1 small orange, peeled, and sectioned
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp honey
• salt and fresh pepper, to taste
• 2 cups baby greens such as arugula and spinach
• 3 tbsp crumbled gorgonzola cheese (blue cheese works great too)
• 2 – 3 slices red onion (to taste)

Directions:
Take 2 sections of the orange and squeeze into a small bowl, whisk in the balsamic, oil, honey, salt and pepper.

Cut the remaining orange sections into bite sized pieces.

Place the baby greens on a plate, then top with cut orange pieces, sliced red onion and Gorgonzola cheese. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the top and enjoy!!

Skinnytaste

While at the Palo Alto California Avenue farmer’s market today, I picked up a tamale from The Oaxacan Kitchen booth. That was the extent of my Cinco de Mayo activity for the day. It’s not much compared to whipping up a tableful of Mexican dishes or hanging out at a party, but it sure was tasty.

There’s only one vegan tamale, the Roasted Butternut Squash – Fresh corn, guaillo salsa, big chunks of butternut squash and zucchini. Really good flavor. Available mild, spicy or extra spicy. I got the middle spice level, spicy but not mouth-on-fire kind of spicy (at least for me), $ 4.00 for one.

I haven’t tried anything else there but while waiting for my food, I spotted the lady making corn tortillas to order. She would grab a bit of the dough from a giant pile, flatten it out in a large hand press and then cooked it up. Man, she was fast.

And all this in basically the middle of the street (a section is closed down for the farmer’s market). Next time, I going to have to try to get something that has those handmade tortillas.

Chow Vegan

WebMD News from HealthDay

By Mary Elizabeth Dallas

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, May 15 (HealthDay News) — Weight gain in men and women is predicted by two different genetic variations — so-called polymorphisms, according to a new study from the Netherlands.

Men with a certain mutation of the FTO gene had an 87 percent greater risk for gaining weight over 10 years. Meanwhile, women with a different variation on the MMP2 gene had a two and a half times increased risk for weight gain over the course of a decade, the researchers found.

The research involved two groups of people: The first group, which consisted of 259 people, maintained a stable weight; the second group consisted of 237 people who were considered weight gainers. These participants gained about 17 pounds over 10 years.

Starting body-mass index — a measurement of body fat based on a person’s ratio of height to weight — for the participants ranged from normal to obese. Participants were between 20 and 45 years old when the study began.

The research, led by Freek Bouwman, from Maastricht University, and Dr. Jolanda Boer, from the Netherlands’ National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, focused on several different polymorphisms associated with weight gain in previous studies.

The genetic distribution of a particular FTO polymorphism in men was consistently different between the weight-stable group and the weigh-gainer group, the study revealed, according to a news release from the European Congress on Obesity.

Similarly, among the women, the genetic distribution of the MMP2 polymorphism varied between those considered weight stable and those in the weight-gainer group.

“We found that FTO in men and MMP2 in women are predictors for weight gain over a 10-year follow-up period,” the study authors wrote.

They suggested that more research into these polymorphisms could help determine who is at greatest risk for weight gain and improve weight-control strategies. They said differences in male and female hormone levels also could play a role in weight regulation.

The study was presented Tuesday at the European Congress on Obesity in Liverpool, England. Findings presented at medical meetings should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.

WebMD Health Channel – Diet & Weight Management

]]> http://www.cookinghealthyfoods.com/gene-variations-may-explain-weight-gain-among-men-women/feed/ 0 http://www.cookinghealthyfoods.com/superfood-triple-berry-chia-pudding/ http://www.cookinghealthyfoods.com/superfood-triple-berry-chia-pudding/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 22:38:04 +0000 admin http://www.cookinghealthyfoods.com/superfood-triple-berry-chia-pudding/

 

I LOVE chia pudding! And what can be easier than throwing a few chia seeds into a mason jar with some fresh fruit and almond milk and giving it a good shake! Side note: please excuse the manicure.

If you’ve never tried chia pudding, I highly recommend picking up some chia seeds and Blue Diamond Almond Breeze almond milk and give it a try. Chia is a super food; an excellent source of omega fatty acids, has more antioxidants than blueberries and it’s full of minerals, calcium, protein, vitamins and fiber. Plus it is low in calories and is incredibly satiating.

Some of you may have tried my Mango Coconut Chia Pudding which is always a favorite of mine, but I wanted to try something with all the berries I bought this week and used fresh blueberries, raspberries and blackberries… delicious!

All I do is combine the chia seeds with milk (my favorite milk to use when making chia pudding is Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond-Coconut Milk) then add fruit and a little liquid stevia or whatever sweetener you like, then shake it all up, let it sit 15 minutes and give it another good shake and keep it in the refrigerator overnight. Karina, my oldest loves this! Madison, my youngest wanted to help me style the shot, perhaps I have an assistant in training…

Isn’t she such a ham : )

This is so healthy you can even eat this for breakfast, which is what I did this morning. Did I mention this fits into so many dietary restrictions; gluten-free, dairy-free, low sodium, low sugar, low calorie, vegetarian, vegan… enjoy!! By the way the lovely spoon is by For Such A Time Designs.

Superfood Triple Berry Chia Pudding

Servings: 2 • Size: about 1 cup • Old Points: 2 pts • Weight Watcher Points+: 2 pt
Calories: 110 • Fat: 5 g • Carb: 12 g • Fiber: 7.5 g • Protein: 4 g • Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 64 mg • Cholest: 0 mg

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsweetened almond/coconut milk beverage (used Almond Breeze)
• 3/4 cup fresh blueberries, blackberries and raspberries
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 5-6 drops Nu-Naturals liquid stevia (or sugar/honey to taste)

Directions:

Combine the Almond Breeze almond-coconut milk together with the chia seeds and fruit in a glass jar with a lid. Cover and shake well, set aside for 15 minutes. Give it another good shake then refrigerate overnight or at least 5-6 hours.

Divide into 2 bowls or glass serving dishes and serve. Enjoy!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Blue Diamond Almond Breeze. I only share products I am passionate about and use in my own kitchen on a daily basis. I created this recipe and received compensation to do so.

Skinnytaste

]]> http://www.cookinghealthyfoods.com/superfood-triple-berry-chia-pudding/feed/ 0 http://www.cookinghealthyfoods.com/fermented-foods-for-health-use-the-power-of-probiotic-foods-to-improve-your-digestion-strengthen-your-immunity-and-prevent-illness/ http://www.cookinghealthyfoods.com/fermented-foods-for-health-use-the-power-of-probiotic-foods-to-improve-your-digestion-strengthen-your-immunity-and-prevent-illness/#comments Wed, 15 May 2013 22:32:43 +0000 admin http://www.cookinghealthyfoods.com/fermented-foods-for-health-use-the-power-of-probiotic-foods-to-improve-your-digestion-strengthen-your-immunity-and-prevent-illness/

Fermented foods have shown to be beneficial for a number of health conditions including candida overgrowth, IBS and digestive difficulties, sugar/carb cravings, and other inflammatory disorders. What’s more, science is starting to show that our modern lifestyle of completely eschewing bacteria via pasteurized foods, hand sanitizers, disinfectants, and antibiotics is actually making us more, not less, susceptible to illness and allergies. Regular inclusion of fermented foods in the diet natural

List Price: $ 21.99

]]> http://www.cookinghealthyfoods.com/fermented-foods-for-health-use-the-power-of-probiotic-foods-to-improve-your-digestion-strengthen-your-immunity-and-prevent-illness/feed/ 0 http://www.cookinghealthyfoods.com/beths-sloppy-lentil-joes/ http://www.cookinghealthyfoods.com/beths-sloppy-lentil-joes/#comments Tue, 14 May 2013 23:33:24 +0000 admin http://www.cookinghealthyfoods.com/beths-sloppy-lentil-joes/ Do you think Bobby Flay is as legit as I do? I tend to like his recipes because they’re pretty down-to-earth, and my take of his recipe from here (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/lentil-sloppy-joes-recipe/index.html) has earned me brownie points in my house. See, my kids think eating anything in a hamburger or hotdog bun is really special, so they didn’t balk the first time I served them these. They taste like traditional sloppy joe’s, and the lentils hold enough bite to them that in some ways it’s similar in texture to eating saucy ground beef. This supports my theory that it’s not so much meat that is delicious, but what flavoring you put on meat that keeps kids coming back for more. Here some pictures to help you visualize your kids eating these up for dinner tonight.

 

A few of the ingredients you’ll need.

Grated and chopped vegetables ready to be sautéed.

Veggies have cooked for about five minutes and have begun to soften, which means we’re ready to add the cooked lentils.

Add the beans right in. So easy, right?

Mmm! The tang from the ketchup, then the sweetness from adding a bit of sugar, with cheese and pickles on top. Who can resist that?

All five of my kids ate their sloppy joe’s, and I didn’t even bribe them with dessert afterwards.

If you’re going to make lentils for sloppy joe’s, normal cooking time is 25-35 minutes. Because I had lentils pre-made and in my freezer, this meal took me 10 minutes, start to finish. I defrosted the lentils while I chopped and grated vegetables. While the vegetables were sautéing, I grabbed some fresh asparagus out of the fridge, drizzled olive oil on the asparagus and roasted them in the oven while I finished the sloppy joe’s. It was a simple and easy meal to fix, it made my budget happy, and I fed my family something nutritious. Win, win, win!

 (This is a post written by my sister -in law Beth! Check out Beth’s Asian Lettuce Wraps as well!)

Super Healthy Kids

]]> http://www.cookinghealthyfoods.com/beths-sloppy-lentil-joes/feed/ 0