Friday, February 26, 2010

Black Bean Hummus

Black Bean Hummus
from Biggest Loser Club Newsletter

Beans are full of fiber, which will keep you feeling full longer, and an inexpensive source of protein.

1 cup black beans, cooked, drained
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup soft silken tofu
1½ tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 small lime
Dash of salt
Ground pepper, to taste
Sprinkle of ground paprika

Place the beans, garlic, tofu, tahini, cumin, oil, and lime juice in a food processor. Whirl until the mixture is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve in a bowl, garnished with a sprinkle of paprika. Black Bean Hummus will keep for 4 to 5 days, tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Yield: 4 Servings

Per Serving
Calories: 111
Fat: 5 g
Carbohydrates: 12 g
Protein: 6 g

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Barbecue Lentils

Barbecue Lentils
From Biggest Loser Club Newsletter

This is a contestant favorite, going all the way back to Season 1!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped red onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
2 cups fat-free chicken or vegetable broth
3/4 cup tomato sauce
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
1 1/2 cups dry (uncooked) brown lentils, rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and spices and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute; do not brown garlic.

Add broth, tomato sauce, vinegar, mustard, agave, and lentils, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until lentils are tender, but intact, about 30 minutes. Lentil cooking times vary. If necessary, add an additional ¼ cup water and simmer for 5 minutes longer if lentils are not tender. Season with salt and pepper.

Yield: 2 quarts; 8 (½-cup) servings

Calories 150, Prot 11 grams, Carb 28 grams, Total fat 1 gram, Sat fat 0 grams, Poly fat 0 grams,Mono fat 0 grams, Choles 0 mg, Fiber8 grams (Sol 1 grams), Sodium 54 mgs

Pina Colada Punch (non-alcoholic)

Pina Colada Punch
From the Kitchen of Hannah Reed

Pina Colad pre-made mix
Seltzer water
Pureed fresh pineapple

Mix together Pina Colada pre-made mix (frozen or not) with seltzer water to taste. I also added fresh pineapple that I ground in the blender. Serve chilled or with ice. For a nice touch add umbrella toothpicks or a slice of pineapple with a cherry on a toothpick. :)

"Sangria" Punch (non-alcoholic)

"Sangria" Punch
From the Kitchen of Hannah Reed

1 can of frozen grape juice (or whatever juice you want)
2 liters of seltzer water
Assorted fruit (oranges, limes, lemons, peaches, apples, etc)

Make juice with three cans of seltzer water (instead of tap water). You may need more seltzer depending on your tastes. Add fruit to juice. Serve chilled.

Coffee Punch

Coffee Punch
From the kitchen of Hannah Reed

1 Can of Hersey's Chocolate Syrup
1 Half Gallon of Vanilla Icecream
12 cups of strong coffee (regular or decaf)

The hot coffee melts the icecream. Mix together, add ice cubes, serve.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Saturday Breakfast: Ham and Cheese Breakfast Melt

Saturday Breakfast
Ham and Cheese Breakfast Melt
From: BiggestLoser.com


"You can add mustard or a slice of tomato to customize this sandwich, if you like. It reheats well, too, so you might want to make two at a time and warm the second one the following morning!"

1 Thomas' Light Whole Grain English Muffin, split
1 slice (1 ounce) lean, low sodium ham or leanCanadian bacon
2 egg whites
1 slice low- or reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Coat an egg ring (see note) with olive oil cooking spray.

Toast the muffin halves until they're lightly browned. While the muffin toasts, warm the ham for about 1 minute in a small nonstick skillet. Remove the ham from the skillet and place it on half of the toasted English muffin. Cover to keep it warm.

Place the prepared egg ring in the nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour the egg whites into the ring. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until the eggs are nearly set. Run a knife or spatula around the inside edge of the ring to break the egg loose. Remove the ring. Flip the egg over and cook it for about 30 seconds longer, or until done.

Place the egg on top of the ham. While the egg is piping hot, lay the cheese over it. Top with the remaining muffin half. Serve hot.

Note: If you don't have an egg ring, you can use the ring from a wide-mouthed canning jar, sprayed with olive oil cooking spray.

Makes 1 serving

Per serving: 230 calories, 25 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates (6 g sugars), 6 g fat (2 g saturated), 20 mg cholesterol, 8 g fiber, 570 mg sodium

Friday, February 5, 2010

Valentine's Day

I have a bunch of Valentine's Day recipes....don't forget to scroll down on the side to the
Valentine's Category and find a fun and tasty treat to make for either your kids or for
that special someone in your life.

Mexican Black Bean Soup with Lime and Cilantro

Mexican Black Bean Soup with Lime and Cilantro
From Biggest Loser Website:Biggest Loser Club nutrition expert Greg Hottinger shared this healthy soup recipe with one of our members. We thought you'd enjoy it too!

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 small jalapeno chile, stemmed and minced (don't use the seeds)
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
Salt
12-ounce bottle beer
(3) 15-ounce cans black beans*, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons lime juice
Low fat yogurt
4 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro leaves

1. Heat oil in large saucepan. Add onions and sauté over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and jalapeno and cook until garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add a sprinkle of water if needed to keep from sticking.
2. Add cumin, chili powder, and salt to taste and cook, stirring frequently, until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Pour beer and 1 cup water into pot. Bring mixture to a boil and simmer until alcohol aroma fades, about 3 minutes.
4. Add beans and bring mixture back to a boil.
5. Remove 2 cups of beans from pan and puree in a blender. Return to pan.
6. Stir in lime juice and salt to taste. Reheat if necessary.
7. Serve soup in bowls, swirl with yogurt, and sprinkle with cilantro.