Tag: Nutrition

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Beef and Beer Chili

A cup and a half of this beef and beer chili is 261 calories and a good source of fiber.
Ingredients:
            1 1/2 cups chopped red onion (about 1 medium)
            1 cup chopped red bell pepper (about 1 small)
            8 ounces extralean ground beef
            2 garlic cloves, minced
            1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
            2 teaspoons ground cumin
            1 teaspoon sugar
            1/2 teaspoon salt
            1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
            1 (19-ounce) can red kidney beans, drained
            1 (14.5-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
            1 (14-ounce) can low-sodium beef broth
            1 (12-ounce) bottle beer (such as Budweiser)
            1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
            1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Preparation:
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook 5 minutes or until beef is browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in chili powder, cumin, sugar, and salt; cook 1 minute. Add oregano and next 4 ingredients (through beer) to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Stir in cornmeal; cook 5 minutes. Stir in juice.

Courtesy of Myrecipes.com

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White Bean and Turkey Chili

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 2 cups diced yellow onion (about 2 medium)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 3 (15.8-ounce) cans Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
  • 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 3 cups chopped cooked turkey
  • 1/2 cup diced seeded plum tomato (about 1)
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 8 lime wedges (optional)

Preparation

  • Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 10 minutes or until tender and golden. Add chili powder, garlic, and cumin; sauté for 2 minutes. Add oregano and beans; cook for 30 seconds. Add broth; bring to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes.
  • Place 2 cups of bean mixture in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Return pureed mixture to pan. Add turkey, and cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Add diced tomato, chopped cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper, stirring well. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.
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A Guest Blog From Chef Melissa & The Dinner Rescue Crew!

LET’S DO LUNCH!

If you think you’ll just skip lunch, think again. A healthy lunch is a beneficial meal for several reasons.  
1.       Eating lunch fills in the “gap” between breakfast and dinner which keeps your metabolism running in “drive”.  Even a small lunch will re-energize you and keep blood sugar levels in check. Include a serving of protein along with carbohydrates for maximum benefit.
2.       Eating lunch gives you the right ammunition against becoming ravenously hungry later…then blowing out your calorie intake late in the day – most likely with junk food. Skipping lunch is setting yourself up for nutrition sabotage later.
3.       Eating lunch within 4 hours of exercise has shown to enhance workout benefits as compared to those who do not eat within 4 hours of exercise.
Folks with hectic lifestyles can still find time to eat a quick, healthy lunch. Next time you go grocery shopping add turkey, roast beef, yogurt, pre-cut veggies and fruit and whole grain crackers to your cart for quick grab and go lunch options. No more skipping lunch!
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Stuffed Chicken Divan From Food Network


Notes

We’ve updated this classic dish while still keeping all the elements that people love: crisp broccoli, juicy chicken, and a tasty Parmesan sauce. By stuffing the chicken breasts we were able to cut down on the overall cheese in the dish while still maximizing flavor. A mixture of low-fat evaporated milk, broth and sherry with a touch of cornstarch makes a creamy sauce that tastes as rich as the full fat version.

Ingredients

  • Cooking spray
  • 2 cups (4 ounces) fresh broccoli florets
  • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Gruyere cheese
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 4 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup low-fat evaporated milk
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup dry sherry
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Preheat the broiler. Mist a shallow rectangular baking dish with cooking spray. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli and cook until bright green and crisp tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well and run under cold water until cold. Drain well again and squeeze dry in paper towels.
Chop the broccoli and toss in a bowl with the Gruyere and garlic. Insert a paring knife into the thickest part of each chicken breast to make a 3-inch deep pocket. Stuff each chicken breast with equal amounts of the broccoli mixture. Rub both sides of the chicken breasts with oil and thyme and season with salt and pepper.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. Put the chicken in the pan and cook until golden brown and just cooked through, about 6 minutes per side. If the chicken begins to brown too quickly, turn the heat down to medium to finish cooking through. Transfer to the baking dish.
Meanwhile, combine the milk and stock in a small pot, season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir the sherry and cornstarch until smooth and pour, whisking constantly, into the sauce. Cook until just thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan. Top each chicken breast with 2 tablespoons of sauce and place under the broiler. Broil until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes and then cut each breast in half on an angle. Whisk the mustard into the remaining sauce and spread a few tablespoons on each plate. Top with a halved chicken breast.
Nutritional analysis per serving
Calories 347; Total Fat 11g (Sat Fat 5.1g, Mono Fat 3.9g, Poly Fat 1.1g) ; Protein 50g; Carb 10g; Fiber 1g; Cholesterol 126.5mg; Sodium 433.5mg
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Eating In Rather Than Out

One way we can avoid eating junk and taking in too many calories is by choosing to cook more at home.  If you find yourself eating out several times during the week try to substitute one or two of those days with a home cooked meal.  Eating in may be a simple way to clean up your diet and save some money for the luxuries in life like in home personal training! 😉

Check out www.supercook.com for home cooked meal ideas.  This website allows you to list the ingredients that you’ve got in your kitchen in return for free recipes that don’t require a trip to the store.  It’s a nice and easy way to make a meal with what you’ve got and learn some new recipes in the meantime!

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10% OFF For Napoletan Fitness Clientele!!!

I have told most of you about this wonderful personal chef service and all that it has to offer!  Now I’m SUPER excited to announce the fact that Melissa has been kind enough to extend a 10% off special to the Napoletan Fitness clientele!!  Take advantage of this while you can and contact Chef Melissa via email at ChefMelissa@DinnerRescueCrew.com.  Her delicious meals have yet to disappoint!!  Enjoy!
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Cutting Back on Sodium

We often get caught up in looking for low-fat and low-carb options while completely overlooking the amount of sodium a certain dish may have.  It’s important to pay close attention to how much salt you are taking in.  Meals that are high in protein are often times high in sodium as well.  Pay close attention to how meat is marinated and how much sodium is present.  Below are a few tips in cutting back on your sodium intake.  Consider using these tips to your benefit and cleaning up part of your diet in the process.
1. Mix low-sodium foods with regular foods

2. Add pepper, rather than salt, to a dish that needs more flavor

3. Switch to kosher salt.  (coarser salt means less sodium per unit value)

4. Be on the lookout for non-salt sources of sodium (MSG, sodium citrate, baking soda, etc)

5. Drink water over sports drinks

6. Eat regular potato chips over flavored potato chips

7. Use lemon juice as a marinade or to add flavor


8. Eat potassium to counter the sodium you do take in


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Cajun Spiced Pork Chops

In 15 minutes you can have a delicious meal for four with each serving totaling just 84 calories!  Check out www.allrecipes.com for more healthy ideas!!

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon rubbed dried sage leaves
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 center cut pork chops

Directions

  1. Mix paprika, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, sage, and garlic salt on a plate. Liberally coat each pork chop with the spice mixture.
  2. Heat olive oil and several pumps of non-stick, butter-flavored spray in a large skillet over high heat. Place pork chops in the skillet, reducing heat to medium. Cook until the pork is no longer pink in the center, 8 to 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

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What’s for Dinner?

Why not make life a little easier and check out Dinner Rescue Crew, a personal chef service that provides you with enough healthy meals to last all week long.  Follow @ChefMHura on Twitter or become a fan of the Dinner Rescue Crew on Facebook.  Whether you’re looking to cater a graduation party or birthday bash, or just looking for an easy fix for dinner all week long, Melissa and the Dinner Rescue Crew can help!  The food is great and it really doesn’t get more convenient than having a week’s worth of dinners for your family in the freezer.  Check it out!
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Beer Lime Grilled Chicken

Try this recipe for four courtesy of allrecipes.com.  It takes less than an hour to prepare and has just 182 calories per serving! 

INGREDIENTS:
1 lime, juiced
1 (12 fluid ounce) can light colored beer
1 teaspoon honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast
halves
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a bowl, mix the lime juice, beer, honey, garlic, cilantro, and salt and pepper until the honey dissolves. Pour the mixture over the chicken, cover and marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat and lightly oil grate.
3. Remove chicken from marinade and shake off excess; discard remaining marinade. Grill chicken until tender and juices run clear, about 7 minutes per side.