Creamy Cucumber Salad

Creamy Cucumber Salad
From BiggestLoserClub.com
A lighter version for summer's bounty

Typically, this classic salad is made by dressing the cucumbers with full-fat sour cream or heavy cream. We lighten the salad by using reduced-fat sour cream and mixing it with yogurt.

Ingredients
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/3 cup fat-free plain yogurt
1½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
1½ teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 large cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 medium Vidalia or other sweet onion, thinly sliced
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, yogurt, vinegar, sugar, salt (if using) and pepper.

In a medium bowl, combine the cucumbers and onions. Add the dressing and toss to coat well.

Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes to blend all the flavors.

Yield: 8 Servings

NUTRITIONAL VALUES
Calories: 44
Fat: 1 g
Carbohydrates: 7 g
Protein: 1 g

Quinoa and Goat Cheese stuffed Bell Peppers (Remake)

Quinoa and Goat Cheese stuffed Bell Peppers
A recreation by Stephanie of Haley's Recipe


Prep Time: 20 Min Cook Time: 40 Min

Ingredients
1 cup Chicken Broth
1/2 cup uncooked Quinoa
2-3 green bell peppers, hollowed and seeded
1/4 lb of Ground Turkey
1 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 of a small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 zucchini, finely chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoons dried basil
1 Pkt Italian Dressing seasoning (I used Simply Organic)
1 tsp minced garlic (1-2 cloves of garlic)
1 teaspoons salt
1 pinches ground black pepper
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1 cup crumbled goat cheese
Directions

This recipe will yield enough for three stuffed peppers, but I made two stuffed peppers and kept some of the filling in a separate ramekin for my daughter who is not a fan of green bell peppers.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.

Prepare Quinoa as directed on packaging. Remove from heat, and set aside. (I made mine in my rice cooker...takes about 35 minutes. Also, I use chicken broth instead of water when cooking the quinoa...it gives it a lot more flavor).

Place the peppers cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Roast 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until tender and skin starts to brown. (mine were done at about 22 minutes)

While the peppers are roasting:

Cook Ground Turkey and onions with 1/2 of the Italian Seasoning Pkt. Set aside when cooked through.

In another skillet, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onions, carrots, yellow peppers, zucchini, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in oil for 5 to 7 minutes (until carrots are tender). Stir in the diced tomato, and cook for 5 minutes. Spoon in the ground turkey, stir until heated through.

Remove from heat, mix in the quinoa and the goat cheese, and spoon the mixture into the pepper halves. (I poured all of the ingredients into a glass bowl (ground turkey, veggies, quinoa, and goat cheese before stirring).

I had left over of the mixture, so I just put it in a ramekin to heat it through and I ate it for lunch the next day!

Return to the oven for 5-7 minutes. Serve immediately.

**Next time I would probably dice up celery and add it as well! To be honest and veggies would probably be great in this recipe...maybe I'll try asparagus too!

Hope you enjoy!

Greek Salad

Greek Salad
From BiggestLoserClub.com

A delicious way to eat your veggies!

Extremely light and lemony, this is one of Chef Devin Alexander's all-time favorite recipes for eating lots of veggies.

3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
4 pitted kalamata olives, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
4-5 tablespoons lemon juice, preferably fresh-squeezed, divided
½ medium cucumber, seeded and chopped
½ medium red or orange bell pepper, chopped
1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1/3 cup finely-chopped red onion
1 ounce (heaping 1/4 cup) crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese, divided
1 small (4 ounce) grilled chicken breast, sliced (optional)

In a serving bowl, combine the parsley, olives, and garlic. Whisk in 4 tablespoons of lemon juice. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, onion and 3 tablespoons of the cheese. Toss to coat the ingredients with the dressing. Taste and add 1 tablespoon more lemon juice, if desired. Scatter the chicken over the salad, if desired. Top with the remaining cheese.

Makes 1 entrée salad if served with chicken or 2 side salads without.

1 serving (1/2 recipe without chicken) has: 106 calories, 5 g protein, 15 g carbohydrates, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, trace polyunsaturated fat, 2 g monounsaturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 3 g fiber, 315 mg sodium

Cheese Enchiladas

Cheese Enchiladas
From the kitchen of Mary and Stephanie

12 corn tortillas
Green Onions (chopped)
Enchilada Sauce (I prefer Trader Joes or Rosarita)
About two cups of cheddar cheese (shredded)

Pre-heat the oven to 350

Dip each tortilla in the sauce, sprinkle in a little cheese and roll and place in 9x13 baking dish (not greased). Repeat until all 12 are rolled. Sprinkle left over cheese on top along with chives. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 min and then take foil off and bake 5-10 more minutes to desired "doneness!" I serve them with sour cream and guacamole!

Quinoa and Goat Cheese stuffed Bell Peppers

Quinoa and Goat Cheese stuffed Bell Peppers
From the Kitchen of Haley

Servings: 4


Prep Time: 20 Min Cook Time: 40 Min

Ingredients
2 cups water
1 cup uncooked Quinoa
4 green bell peppers, halved and seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons dried basil
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons salt
2 pinches ground black pepper
2 tomato, diced
1 cup crumbled goat cheese
Directions

This recipe's Ingredients were scaled to yield a new amount. The directions below still refer to the original recipe yield of 2 servings.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
Prepare Quinoa as directed on packaging. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Place the peppers cut-side down on the prepared baking sheet. Roast 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until tender and skin starts to brown.
While the peppers are roasting, heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onions, basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper in oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the diced tomato, and cook for 5 minutes. Spoon in the cooked rice, and stir until heated through. Remove from heat, mix in the goat cheese, and spoon the mixture into the pepper halves.
Return to the oven for 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Southern Fried!

Southern Fried!
From BiggestLoserClub.com

A regional favorite with a dash of garlic

To achieve an even crisper, oven "fried" crust, cook the chicken on the bottom rack of your oven.

• 4 small bone-in chicken breasts (approximately 7 to 8 ounces each), trimmed of skin and visible fat (see note)
• 1 1/4 cups low-fat buttermilk
• Olive oil spray (propellant free)
• 2 teaspoons all-natural salt-free garlic herb seasoning or your favorite all-natural salt-free seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste, if desired
• 1 cup all-natural whole wheat panko-style bread crumbs

Add the chicken breasts and buttermilk to a large resealable plastic bag or container. Rotate the breasts so they are completely coated, then seal the bag or container. Marinate them in the refrigerator at least 6 hours or overnight, rotating them once or twice.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly mist a medium nonstick baking sheet with spray.

In a small bowl, mix the seasoning and salt.

Add the panko to a medium shallow bowl.

Remove 1 chicken breast from the buttermilk. Let any excess buttermilk drip off it, then sprinkle the entire breast (both sides) evenly with about one-quarter of the seasoning mixture. Dip the chicken in the panko, rotating it to cover completely. Place the breaded chicken breast face down (ribs up) on the prepared pan. Repeat with the remaining breasts, arranging them on the baking sheet so they do not touch.

Lightly mist the chicken with spray. Bake for 10 minutes, then gently flip the breasts, being careful not to remove any breading. Lightly mist them again with spray and continue to bake for 12 to 15 minutes longer, or until the breading is crispy and the chicken is no longer pink inside. Sprinkle with additional salt, if desired. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 2 days to eat cold.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 176 calories, 25 g protein, 14 g carbohydrates (1 g sugar), 2 g fat, trace saturated fat, 55 mg cholesterol, 2 g fiber, 393 mg sodium

Ratatouille with Spicy Sausage

Ratatouille with Spicy Sausage
From BiggestLoserClub.com

A traditional dish with a rich and satisfying flavor

Ratatouille is a classic Provencal dish consisting of slowly simmered eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes, onions, and fresh herbs.

2 (4-ounce) links spicy Italian turkey sausage
3 zucchini (yellow or green), cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
1 medium white or red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rings
1 eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds), cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 red, yellow, or green bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch squares
1 (14.5-ounce) cans no-salt-added fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
Salt and ground black pepper (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, for garnish

Remove the sausage meat from the casings. Cook in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until there is no more pink. Drain well, crumble, and set aside.

Prepare a grill and heat to medium-high heat (when the fire is ready you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for no longer than 3 to 4 seconds). Insert a toothpick horizontally through each onion slice going through all the rings to the center to hold the slices intact. Lightly coat the onion, zucchini, and eggplant with olive oil cooking spray. Grill the vegetables on the grill rack, turning once, until done, about 4 minutes total. (Onions may take longer.)

When cool enough to handle, cut the grilled vegetables into 1/2-inch dice and transfer to a bowl. Add the roasted pepper, tomatoes, lemon zest, basil, and thyme. Stir in the sausage. Season with salt and black pepper, if desired. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with the parsley.

Makes 4 servings

Per serving: 170 calories, 6 g total fat (1.5 g saturated), 35 mg cholesterol, 389 mg sodium, 21 g total carbohydrates (11 g sugars), 8 g fiber, 12 g protein

Apricot Brie Cups

Apricot Brie Cups
From the Kitchen of Kristi Cox


You buy the Athens Phyllo Dough Shells (mini) (I have only found them at Super Walmart They sell out really fast around the holidays).


Then I go to Trader Joe's and get
-Apricot Preserves
-Brie (or gorgonzola is tasty too)
-Sliced Almonds

Put the brie at the bottom of each phyllo shell and then fill with the apricot preserves. Top each one with one sliced almond (It makes it look extra special). I just bake them for a little bit until they bubble (I can't remember if there are heating instructions on the phyllo shell box but if there is, then just follow that)

ENJOY!

Strawberry Cake

My sweet friend Courtney made the most delicious Strawberry Cake and posted how she did it on her AMAZING website A Diamond in the Stuff

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Click here to view the recipe, pictures included!

Avocado Crab Dip

Avocado Crab Dip
From the kitchen of Melissa St. Clair

Ingredients:
2 whole Avocados, seeded and peeled
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon chopped onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
1 package 8 ounce cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound crab meat, drained of any juice
1 pound baguette

Directions:

Slice baguette. Lay slices out on a cookie sheet and toast in a 350 degree oven. Cool. In a blender or food processor, combine avocado with the lemon juice. Pulse a couple times. Add the onion and Worcestershire. Pulse until combined, but keep a little bit lumpy, do not puree. Add cream cheese, sour cream, and salt. Pulse a couple of times. Stir in the crab meat. Chill dip until needed. Keep in mind that the avocado will discolor within a few hours, so make no more than a couple of hours before serving!

Serve with toasted baguette.