In Love With Pizza and Pasta ROW#4

Two of my faves are pizza and pasta. Who says you can’t be fit and have them both? Well, portion control and the right ingredients are important to enjoy these two dishes without being frightened of an expanding waistline. I just wanted to show you in this ROW how you can do this. First is the vegetable pizza.

I whipped this little pie up last night. I used a thin whole wheat crust with pizza sauce. I chopped green pepper (still producing from my garden), onion, fresh basil (from my garden), tomato, and a little mozzarella (the pic shows I may have gone a little nutty with the cheese). I baked on 400 degrees until golden and bubbly. See pic below.

Now, I did not go nuts with my portions. I had a couple of slices with a healthy side salad.

I love pasta and I enjoy whole wheat variety even more. I got home after the gym tonight and put together this dish.

I call this Easy Pasta Primavera. Just boil the noodles while lightly steaming cut broccoli, asparagus, carrots. Dump pasta and veges in a bowl and drizzle 1 tbsp of EVOO, dried oregano, sea salt, and coarse pepper. Toss together and top with tomatoes and avocado. It is delightful. Again, I exercise portion control so I can enjoy my faves.

ROW#3 Beer and Chicken

I thought beer might get your attention. I really liked last weeks ROW because I love the chili garlic sauce. I am obsessed with that right now. This weeks ROW is Crock Pot Beer Chicken. It is so easy to prepare, high protein, low-fat and you get to put a beer in it. I found this recipe over on laaloosh.ziplist.com This is how it was done.

• 2 lbs skinless boneless chicken breast or thighs
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 cloves chopped fresh garlic
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp coarse black pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 bottle or can of your favorite beer

You can use more or less of the seasonings to your liking. I put in the fresh garlic because I like it very garlic-y. Dump all that in the crock pot and cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 4-5 hours. Done.

I served the Beer Chicken with Sweet Potato No Skins (better than potato skins) and steamed asparagus. The Sweet Potato No Skins recipe came from Prevention Magazine and I think it was a “Biggest Loser” recipe. This is how they are done.

• 3 large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 inch rounds
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt
• cayenne pepper
• low-fat cheddar cheese
• non fat Greek yogurt
• just a few bacon bits (the real deal)
• chopped green onion

In a big bowl toss cut potatoes with olive oil. Line pans with foil and place potatoes on pan without them touching. Sprinkle with salt and cayenne pepper. Cook on 400 for about 10 minutes and then turn them over. Cook for another 7-8 minutes or until done. Top with a little cheese, Greek yogurt, bacon bits, and green onion. These are so tasty and healthy, a definite do over at my house:)

This is how it looked plated.

Are you ready for this week? Please comment and let me know how you like this recipe.

ROW#2 Vegetable Stir-Fry with Grilled Sirloin

This week I decided to go with a beef dish. This is a personal favorite of mine. I love stir-fry and I love steak so I am going to health it up. When I cook stir-fry, I do not measure because we love leftovers and lots of veges. You could say I bulk stir-fry (the husband & supermodel love my cooking), but we do exercise portion control 🙂

• lean beef grilled (I used sirloin seasoned with a citrus garlic blend)
• broccoli (a bunch)
• carrots
• onion
• squash
• zucchini
• shredded cabbage
• asparagus
• EVOO
• Sea salt and ground black pepper
• chili garlic sauce (optional)

I washed and cut up all the veges while I grilled the steak.

I  very lightly steamed the veges except the cabbage then lightly stir fried all veges together in a tiny bit of EVOO (except cabbage) just until tender. I like mine crunchy not soggy. I removed from pan when it was done and stir fried cabbage lightly. I sliced the beef. Place cabbage on the bottom then top with the veges and the beef. I love the chili garlic sauce (a little goes a long way) so I drizzle mine delicately. This is a low carb meal full of nutrients.

For all of you vegetarians, just skip the beef and try tofu.

OMG! So good! Are you going to try this? I want to see your pictures! Holla!

Gives it a kick!

Chow down!

ROW#1 Chicken Taco Chili

The first ROW (Recipe of the Week) is chicken taco chili. I thought this would be a good one because it is a one pot meal. The Crockpot. Who is the genius that invented the crockpot? Anyway, on a cloudy rainy day it is always comforting to smell something slowly cooking, leaving a mouth-watering smell lingering throughout the house. When I think of comfort food I usually think of recipes high in fat and sugar. Well this chicken taco chili is comforting and healthy. Go figure. I got this recipe from this great blog Skinnytaste. Check it out, there are tons of healthy dishes to try. It was a hit and a definite do over at my house. This is how it went.

• 1 onion chopped
• 1 16 oz can black beans
• 1 16 oz can kidney beans
• 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 10 oz bag frozen corn
• 2 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes with green chilies
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 3-4 skinless chicken breasts
• chopped green onion, tiny bit of cheese, or cilantro for toppings

Dump first nine ingredients in crockpot and then top with the chicken. Cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours. One half hour before time is up, remove chicken and shred and place back in the pot to finish cooking. Can be served with brown rice. I ate it with just a tiny bit of cheese and chopped green onions. Delicious and filling.

We have a good bit of leftovers, so I am going to try a yummy chicken taco chili salad tomorrow for lunch. I will take a pic and post to the FB page. This is a great recipe because it is low-fat, high protein and fiber. It is great for fueling these workouts. I hope someone out there cooks this and sends me a picture.

October is here. Time to get serious about my goals. Has anyone done the fit test?