Here is the second half of the recipes we collected during our recipe challenge last month. ENJOY!!
1. Grilled Lemon Pepper Chicken Breast
chicken breast (as much as
you want)
Juice of one lemon for every breast
olive oil ( enough to brush on brush very lightly before putting on the grill (
or oven if not cooking outside)
garlic powder (1/4 tsp per breast)
cracked black and white pepper to taste
1. Juice lemons,
soak chicken breast in lemon and garlic powder overnight
2. Brush with oil
3. Pepper to taste
4. Grill till done
2. Skinny BBQ Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1½-inch pieces
½ cup pineapple chunks, fresh or canned in it's own juice
2 medium-sized red bell peppers, cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 medium-sized white onion, cut into 1½-inch pieces
½ cup reduced-sugar BBQ sauce
3 Tbsp reduced-sugar frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
Instructions
1.Soak 8 wood skewers in water for about 15 minutes.
2.Heat grill to medium-high heat.
3.Thread chicken alternately with pineapple, onion, and pepper onto skewers.
4.In a small bowl, mix BBQ sauce and orange juice concentrate. Brush ½ of sauce
evenly onto threaded skewers.
5.Grill 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is done, turning and brushing
occasionally with remaining sauce.
Per Serving (1/4th of recipe):
Calories: 203
Fat: 4g
Carbohydrates: 20g
Ingredients
Nonstick cooking spray
2 medium red bell peppers, quartered lengthwise and seeded
2 medium yellow bell peppers, quartered lengthwise and seeded
2 large red onions, root ends intact, each cut into 8 wedges
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons slivered fresh basil
8 3-ounce fully cooked Italian-flavored chicken sausages
Directions
1. Heat a grill to medium and coat with cooking spray. Grill the bell peppers
and onions 12 to 15 minutes, turning 2 or 3 times, until charred and tender.
2. Combine the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, and black pepper in a large
bowl. Add the vegetables and the basil; toss well.
3. Place the sausages on grill and cook 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until
heated through and grill marks appear. Slice sausages in half at a sharp angle
and transfer to a large platter. Serve with peppers and onions alongside.
My favorite Chicken Salad: 250 calories if you
eat it all!
Makes a very large salad, with lots of chewing time so you may not
want it all at once.
One boneless skinless chicken breast, about 100 grams (see me use metric for
our non-USA friends?!?!!)
One Granny Smith apple, medium to large size.
Two or three stalks celery, depending on your taste.
A teaspoon apple cider vinegar, up to a tablespoon if you like more zing.
About five to ten drops vanilla stevia, depending on your sweetness preference.
I use Sweet Leaf brand. It's the only one that doesn't leave an aftertaste for
me.
Put chicken breast in a non-stick skillet and add garlic powder, a little salt,
and fresh ground black pepper. Using medium heat, cook until done, adding a
little water to help steam the meat and also keep it from sticking to the pan.
While the meat is cooking, chop up the apple and celery into uniform sized
pieces and stir in the vinegar to keep the apple from discoloring. Chop the
chicken into uniform pieces and add with stevia to the apple and celery.
It can be eaten right away while still warm, or chilled overnight and eaten cold
for lunch the next day. I also like to add a bit more garlic and a sprinkle
more of salt right before I eat it."
Summer time is almost here, so what a better time to start gathering some new summer dish ideas ~ especially some that will fit in with your choice of a healthier lifestyle! All the recipes you will see were gathered through a weekly challenge that we had in May. I hope you enjoy them.
1. Cool Cucumber Relish
2
English cucumbers sliced thin with peel left on.
1 purple onion sliced thin
1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
3/4 cup light sour cream
Salt/pepper to taste
Mix vinegar and Sour Cream together.
Place cucumber and onion in mason jar. Salt and pepper. Pour liquid mixture
over veggies and close lid. Set in fridge to marinate overnight inverting the
jar every few hours to ensure 100% coverage. This goes great alongside any type
if barbecue meat from chicken to brisket to pork 😄"
2. Thai Cucumber Salad
Thai Cucumber Salad http://allrecipes.com/recipe/thai-cucumber-salad/
Original recipe makes 4 cups
3 large cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/4-inch
slices
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar (you can substitute a sugar alternative for lesser
calories.....Truvia,Splenda...)
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
Directions
Toss the cucumbers with the salt in a colander, and leave in the sink to drain
for 30 minutes. Rinse with cold water, then drain and pat dry with paper
towels.
Whisk together the sugar and vinegar in a mixing bowl until the sugar has
dissolved. Add the cucumbers, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro; toss to combine.
Sprinkle chopped peanuts on top before serving.
1 cup = 238 calories (would be less with the sugar substitute )
3. Pear and Walnut Salad
317 calories per serve (can add 125g smoked chicken = 349 calories per
serve)
2 pears, cored and thinly sliced
80g baby spinach
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley
Freshly cracked black pepper
1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1. Combine the pears, spinach, lime juice, oil and half the parsley in a large
bowl. Season and gently toss to coat.
2. Sprinkle with the walnuts and remaining parsley
I make all of my summer
salads with low fat cottage cheese instead of mayo. It is SSSSOOOOOO GOOD!! 5. Healthy Deviled Eggs
You
can't have a summer picnic without deviled eggs -
Here is a lower fat version:
12 large hard-boiled eggs peeled
1/3 cup nonfat cottage cheese
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives or scallion greens
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1/8 teaspoon salt
Paprika for garnish
To prep asparagus rinse and
take each stem in hand bending until end snaps off, discard end. While cool put
aluminum foil on grill grates and spray with nonstick spray. Place asparagus on
grates and cook until desired doneness; I like a little char. Sprinkle with
garlic powder and parmesan before serving.
100g asparagus is 20 cal; 1serving parmesan is 20 cal
Unless you go crazy
with the parmesan its very healthy.
This recipe got my husband to try and like asparagus.
7. BBQ Corn on the Cob
4 ears of corn with silk
removed but husks still on
reduced-sodium soy sauce
With husk shoved down so corn is all visible, sprinkle soy sauce all over the
corn kernels. Replace husks and place ears on hot BBQ grill. Grill for 15-20
minutes, turning every 5 minutes, until kernels are fork-tender. Remove from
grill & serve--doesn't even need butter!
8. Light & Fresh Potato Salad
Dressing:
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salad:
5 cups cubed red potato (about 2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped peeled cucumber
3/4 cup sliced grape or cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped orange bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 (2 1/4-ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
Prep:
1. To prepare dressing, combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; stir with
a whisk.
2. To prepare salad, place potato and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan.
Cover with water to 2 inches above potato; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and
simmer 8 minutes or until tender; drain.
3. Add potato to dressing in bowl, tossing gently to coat; let stand 15
minutes. Stir in cucumber and remaining ingredients; toss well. Cover and
chill.
Elsie Gonto, Savannah, Georgia, Cooking Light
April 2008
For those of you who don't
know, I apologize in advance for introducing you to a fabulous temptation.
Halloumi cheese comes from Cyprus and has a unique texture so it can be grilled
and get a brown outside, melty inside and still hold together instead of turn
into a gooey mess.
Although it has cheese in it, this is a very satisfying dish, no mayonnaise
involved (the reason I get into trouble at bbqs,) and watermelon is an almost
perfect food! You might find that if you eat this, you are so happy that you
aren't tempted by dessert!
Measurements are not exact because of the variable size of watermelons:
1 medium watermelon
1 brick Halloumi cheese
1 bunch of mint
That's easy enough! Now, cube the watermelon (or take the time to make pretty
little melon balls if you must.) Slice or cube the Halloumi cheese - larger
pieces are easier to grill but you can cook smaller pieces in pan. Cook or
grill the cheese until it gets brown on the outside. Cut or tear the mint into
bits. This is not scientific but it sure is good! Toss everything together and
enjoy as a side or salad or, as I mentioned above, eat it last as dessert. I've
also seen it with a slice of watermelon topped with a slice of the cheese and
garnished with mint as an appetizer. Don't worry about what to do with
leftovers.
Each ounce of cheese is 90 calories. They also make reduced/light versions with
only 68 calories per ounce. 3 ounces of watermelon is about 24 calories. I like
a 1:3 ratio of cheese to melon so a 4 ounce serving is 92 - 114 calories.
Directions
--------------
Position rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 450°F.
Blot chickpeas dry and toss in a bowl with oil, cumin, marjoram, allspice, and
salt. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring once or twice, until
browned and crunchy, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 15
minutes.
Nutritional Information
(per serving)
-----------------------------
Calories 103
Total Fat 5g
Sodium 303mg
Total Carbohydrate 14g
Dietary Fiber 5g
Protein 4g
We laughed at my mom when she said she
"had a recipe for celery", but it wound up being pretty tasty. Feel
free to use light/low fat versions of the cream cheese/sour cream. And we leave
out the olives because nobody likes them.
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
20 green olives with pimento, chopped
1 bunch celery, cut into bite-size pieces
Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese and sour cream. Stir in the
walnuts and chopped olives. Spread filling onto the celery pieces. It's also
good on crackers
(Do yourself a favor and stuff the celery first, then cut it into pieces.)
Nutrition (for the recipe as written)
Calories - 76
Carbohydrates - 1.8 g
Cholesterol - 16 mg
Fat - 7.1 g
Fiber - 0.6 g
Protein - 1.7 g
Sodium - 187 mg
7%"
Welcome to all our "newbies!!" Today we focus on our tush's....the things we tend to spend too much time sitting on!! Today we work those wonderful muscles that many of us tend to spend most of the day on! So, for just a few moments, let’s actually work them....instead of just sitting on them. Check out our new additions, starting at #15. Enjoy!
Same rules apply:
FIRST: Choose 3 (not many, right??) exercises you will do ~ out of the 12 listed below. SECOND: Choose what level you will perform each exercise at ~
Novice Level ~ no specific number required. The idea is to encourage you
to try an exercise and not be overwhelmed by a set number, just be
honest with yourself about it.
Beginner - repeat the exercise TWICE
Intermediate - repeat the exercise THREE TIMES
Advanced - repeat the exercise FOUR TIMES
You can be at different levels for each exercise. The goal is to challenge yourself and ~ most of all ~ get in the habit of moving!!
THIRD: Respond to your team captain that you completed your daily challenge (and have earned another point for your team.)
1. 25 Frogs (Tami’s favorite.....Gayle's, not so much!!)
Lie facedown with knees bent and open to sides, feet flexed and heels pressed together. Bend elbows and stack hands so that you can rest forehead on top. Keeping heels touching, squeeze glutes and lift thighs off the floor. Lower back to the starting position; repeat.
2. 20 Heel Bridges
Lie face up with knees bent and feet flexed so that just heels remain on the ground, arms down by sides. Engage abs and lift hips off the floor. Slowly lower tailbone to the floor and lightly tap down before lifting back up into bridge.
3. 20 Kneeling Rear Attitude
From an all fours position, bend elbows to the floor below shoulders and clasp hands together. Bend left knee behind right, curling left heel in closer to body, pointing toes.
Lift left leg up behind hip as knee turns out to the side into a rear attitude position (avoid shifting hips side to side during the exercise). Bend left knee back behind right. Do all reps on the first side, and then repeat on other leg to complete the set.
4. 10 (per leg) Marching Leg Raise
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Rest your arms on the floor, palms up, at shoulder level. Raise your hips so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Brace your abs and lift your right knee toward your chest. Hold for 2 counts, then lower your right foot. Repeat with the other leg.
5. 1 minute Mountain Climbers
Assume a pushup position with your arms straight and your body in a straight line from your head to your ankles. bring your right knee to your chest and place your foot back on the ground behind you. Quickly switch to the other leg and repeat. It will seem as though you are running in the pushup position. Alternate back and forth as fast as you can. Do as many as you can for one minute and then rest.
6. 25 Squats (EVERYONE'S FAVORITES....RIGHT???)
I think everyone knows how to do these! I was just nice enough to show you three different versions.
(Pay attention to that Advanced Version ~ on that one you JUMP up from the squat)
Yep, similar to the squats in Number 6, this time you just stand like a ballerina. WHAT FUN!!!
8. 15 - Single Leg Dead Lift
Stand on right leg with knee slightly bent, left leg extended behind hip with toes lightly tapped on the floor, both hands behind head. Keeping weight in right foot and spine naturally straight, hinge forward from hips and lower chest until parallel to the floor.
Maintaining a flat back, raise torso back upright, lifting left leg higher behind hip, balancing on right foot (shoulders should be over hips). Lower left toes and hinge forward to repeat. Do all reps on the right, and then repeat on opposite side to complete the set.
9. 25 (per leg) Side-Lying Power Kick
Lie on right side, with right elbow bent under shoulder, lifting ribcage away from the floor with hips stacked and knees bent at 90 degrees in front of hips. Extend top leg straight in front of hip, foot flexed.
Bend knee into chest, then press out through heel to extend leg straight (imagine pushing something away from body with heel). Do all reps on the right side, and then repeat on opposite side to complete the set.
10. 25 (per leg) Standing Rainbows
Stand on right leg, left leg extended out to the side slightly in front of body (aim to the front corner of the room), foot flexed, with hands behind head.
Open leg out to the side and in line with hip, lifting leg slightly higher as it opens. Bring leg behind body (aiming to the back corner of the room) without letting foot touch the floor, then lift and open side to return to the starting position. (Imagine tracing a rainbow shape with heel.) Do all reps on the right, and then repeat on opposite side to complete the set.
11. Side-Walking Lunges
This exercise tightens up the outer part of your butt: Instead of lunging forward and backward, step out to the side, bend your right knee and lunge sideways. Repeat 10 times, and then switch to your left side.
12. Floor Y Raise (because we all know you love frogs 😃)
This is a three-exercise combination move. You'll simply perform 8 to 12 repetitions of each exercise, one after the other without resting. So do 8 to 12 reps of the Floor Y raise, followed immediately by 8 to 12 reps of the Floor T raise, followed immediately by 8 to 12 reps of the Floor I raise.
Floor Y Raise
Lie facedown on the floor with your arms resting on the floor, completely straight and at a 30-degree angle to your body, so they form a "Y." Your palms should be facing each other, so that the thumb side of your hand points up
13. SHORT VIDEO - Talk Dirty (by Jason Derulo) 2:56 minutes
*** Same choreographer and group as the Royals'
song.
*** Low impact, good for legs and butts, and
any level of person could do it.
14. SHORT VIDEO - Zumba Fitness - 3 minutes
*** Just Dance 2014
Zumba version
*** Beginner to intermediate level
*** Your buns will hurt!
15. Toe Taps
Lie
on the floor with your arms on your sides.
Lift your feet, bending both knees to 90 degrees so your thighs are
perpendicular to the floor.
Now slowly and quietly tap your left toes to the floor, then your right.
Alternate tapping feet for one minute.
If you feel any lower back pain, don't bring your toes all the way down.
Beginner - 1 rep, 1 minute
Intermediate - 2 reps, 1 minute each
Advanced - 3 reps, 1 minute each
Since
I am just a beginner, I didn't do as many reps as they recommend, and I felt it
all over my body! (I'm old and out of shape!)
Intermediate, I'd say do 3 sets of reps 2 x a week.
And for Advanced, I'd suggest 3 sets of reps every other day, so 3 x a week.
18. Side Kick on All Fours
This side-kick exercise is great for working the deep glute muscles, which help give the butt a lifted look. It might feel like an old-school Jane Fonda move, but we're still doing this classic exercise because it's so dang effective.
Start on all fours with hands underneath your shoulders and knees under your hips. Keeping the knee bent 90 degrees, lift the right leg until it is parallel to the floor.
Keep the right thigh still as you straighten your right knee, kicking your leg out to the side. Don't let the leg lower as you kick it.
Bend the right knee back to 90 degrees, then lower the leg. This completes one rep.
Do three sets of 20 reps per side.
19. Kettle Bell Workout
19. Marathon
Stand facing away from a bench or chair that is approximately knee height. Raise right foot off the floor slightly, reaching arms in front of body for balance, and sit down slowly on the bench or chair. Pause for 1 second, then push through left heel to return to standing. Two or three nonconsecutive days a week, do 2 to 3 sets of 10 to 15 reps on each leg.
Let's choose the 3 we are working on and get busy! Have a great day!
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