Roast Pork Loin

So in an attempt to keep the low calorie, healthy eating interesting, I decided to cook a pork loin. I bought a pre-marinaded one on sale, froze it until I was ready to cook it and then thawed it out. The package (and my little calorie wonder book) tell me that 1 serving is about 140 calories and that the pork loin serves an average of 7 servings. I was able to get 8 good portions out of it so that makes it great for families who need something affordable and easy. And one of the hosts on the Food Network (Melissa D'Arabian) says that pork loin is one of the cuts of meat that most often goes on sale. I don't know if it is true or not, but the next time you see one... buy it. I then chopped up a single serving of celery and carrots, an entire onion and 2 yukon gold potatoes. I also tossed in some green beans and a chopped up apple. I spread the veggies over the meat (that was resting nicely in a pyrex baking dish) and then covered them with tin foil and threw the entire thing in the oven at 375 for about an hour (or until the pork's temperature was 170 - which is what my meat thermometer said it should be). After removing it from the oven, I put the pork on the cutting board for a little bit to let it "rest" and then carved it up... so juicy, so tasty (I got the garlic/herb marinaded one)and with just a cup of the veggies it was only about 250 calories for a hearty and healthy meal! I love this new adventure of cooking and eating healthy (don't get me wrong... I still enjoy a good, old fashioned fattening meal from time to time too!!).
Happy Eating!

Peanut Butter Dream Bars

Yup... you guessed it! The recipe came from the cookbook Cook Yourself Thin... these little bars are so decadent and tasty. One little square seems so small but the flavour is amazing! And only for 157 calories a serving.
The basic idea is to mix low fat chocolate wafers (crushed up) with butter, oats and a little peanut butter. That makes the crust. Then you whip together some low fat cream cheese, peanut butter and vanilla together and spread that over the top. Finally, you melt some semi-sweet chocolate to spread over the top and freeze the whole thing to set it. I am not typing in the exact recipe because that would be fraudulent to claim it as my own or whatever... and also, I believe that this is an amazing cookbook that people should get whether they are hoping to lose weight or not. The recipes are super yummy, low in fats and really healthy!

Need a Pad Thai Alternative?

I know no one ever NEEDS that, but it's nice to have a really good healthy option. Today my friend Sunny and I went through the Cook Yourself Thin book and tried the Sesame Peanut Noodle meal... we added shrimp and chicken and did broccoli as a side instead of the coleslaw greens that were suggested in the recipe. The calorie count for 1 serving is 308 calories and then you have to add the calories for the shrimp and chicken. I think it came out to about 500 calories total for the meal and it was SO TASTY!!!!!!

Happy Eating!

Steak and Roasted Veggies

Even though I am cutting the calories in my life, I am refusing to cut my flavour! I love a good steak, so I grilled a super lean angus steak (4.5 oz) on my George Foreman grill and then sliced it up (I lightly salted and peppered it before grilling) and then I tossed some veggies (baby beetroot, baby zucchini squash, 1 thinly sliced yukon potato and some asparagus spears) onto a cookie sheet, salted them with some garlic salt and then lightly sprayed them with olive oil and threw them in the oven to roast. The result was a meal that was about 300 calories, very filling and YUMMY (oh... I only ate 1 cup of the veggies).

Skinny Lasagna?!?!?!

Yes, you read right... skinny lasagna. I have this fabulous book that is full of really yummy recipes that are low in calorie, high in taste. Today I decided to try and make one so that there would be yummy lunches or dinners for the week. You'll have to buy the book to get the recipe, but I am here to tell you that it is very tasty and it makes about 12 servings that are listed for 337 calories... can't be all that bad, right?! So match that with a little green salad and a low fat garlic bread (I use 100 calorie sandwich rounds with a light spreading of real butter and garlic)and you have an amazing meal for about 500 calories total!

Jazzing Up Salads

Okay, I know that with my healthy eating can't translate into boring food options to some but I think it can be really fun and kind jazzy if you want it to be. So here are some ideas for salads that I think are tasty and healthy:

Guac It Up!!

1 1/2 cups of salad greens
a sprinkle of green onions
1/4 cup of cucumber
1/4 cup of salsa (you pick the heat)
1 whole or 1 half avacado

* chop it all up and add the salsa last, it's simple and SUPER easy but it's like a little party in your mouth.

Hot Spicy Chicken

1 Chicken Tender (or part of a breast of chicken grilled on a Foreman grill)
Some Slap Ya Mama! spice
1 1/2 cups of salad greens
10 grape tomatoes
1/4 cup cucumber
Oil/Vinegar Dressing (I use my own, see recipe below)

*spice the chicken with the Slap Ya Mama!, grill it up and then when the chicken cools, put it over the salad. Pour the dressing over the top and EAT!!

Yummy Dressing

3 parts balsamic vinegar
1 part Extra Virgin Olive Oil
a sprinkle of dried oregano, garlic salt, and pepper

*pour, shake and enjoy!

Mary Salad

(This one is inspired by my friend Mary and her yummy salads)

1/4 cup seedless grapes
1/4 cup chopped up chicken
1 oz cheese, chopped up
1 1/2 cups salad greens
1/4 cup celery

* put it all together and dress as you like, I think Mary often uses an Asian style dressing with this one and it looks amazing!


So that's what I've had or seen that I like. I am thinking of some new ideas and will post them soon!!

Happy Eating!

Healthier Choices

One thing I have never been known for in my cooking is being overly health conscious. I cook what I think will taste yummy and will leave a lasting memory. However, this kind of cooking hasn't helped me to have a skinny body! hahaha So in an effort to get healthy, I am trying new ways to cook healthy. I've found great ways to make salads exciting (using salsa instead of dressing) and have taken old favourites and made them healthy. Today I made meatballs. My previous recipe consisted of beef, pork and turkey all together with cheese, breadcrumbs and all kinds of goodies to make a delectable meatballs. But those were calorie loaded and full of fat and carbs: not good for the hips.
So, in order to make it healthy and still yummy I did this:

1 lb 99% fat free ground turkey
1 egg
1 clove crushed garlic
1 scallion chopped up
a little season salt
a little dried, crushed chilies
a little poultry seasoning

I mixed it all together and made little meatballs that I baked in the oven... yum yum!! About 4 meatballs is a serving.

Happy eating!