The Nifty Foodie

Skinny

Southern Shrimp & Grits

by 5 Comments

This is a very well known dish around here. The last time I had this was at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans in a BBQ Shrimp form with brie mixed in the grits. It was decadent and wonderful!

DH’s dad gave us a bunch of frozen shrimp and at first, I was going to make a Shrimp Scampi. However, after watching a throwdown for Shrimp & Grits, DH and I changed our minds. 🙂

We knew that we couldn’t have the heavier versions featured, so I turned to Cooking Light online for some inspiration and I found a great recipe! I will say, the only thing we will do next time is omit the bell peppers. DH and I agreed that it just tasted like it didn’t belong in there at all.

Southern Shrimp & Grits
Source: Cooking Light

Ingredients:

  • 3  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2  teaspoon  hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
  • 1 1/2  pounds  peeled and deveined large shrimp
  • 2  bacon slices, chopped
  • 1  cup  frozen chopped onion
  • 1/4  cup  frozen chopped green bell pepper
  • 1 1/2  teaspoons  bottled minced garlic
  • 1  cup  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2  cup  chopped green onions, divided
  • 5  cups  water
  • 1 1/2  cups  uncooked quick-cooking grits
  • 1  tablespoon  butter
  • 1  teaspoon  salt
  • 3/4  cup  (3 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:

  1. Combine first 3 ingredients; set aside.
  2. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to drippings in pan; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in shrimp mixture, broth, and 1/4 cup green onions; cook 5 minutes or until shrimp are done, stirring frequently.
  3. Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually add grits, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low; simmer, covered, for 5 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Stir in butter and salt. Serve shrimp mixture over grits; sprinkle with cheese and remaining green onions.

Nutritional Information
Serves 6

Calories: 408, Fat: 12.5 g, Fiber: 2g
POINTS*: 9

Low Fat Cake Batter Ice Cream

by 4 Comments

I told myself that I needed to find a WAY lower fat ice cream after making the cake batter ice cream last time. I didn’t calculate the nutritional facts until recently and I was shocked. Most low-fat ice creams calculate by the 1/2 cup so I decided to stay consistent with that to get comparative information.

Full Fat Version
Calories: 363.6
Fat: 24.8 g
Fiber: less than 1 g

Whoa! Look at the amount of fat in there! I will admit, it tasted dang good, but is 1/2 cup of ice cream worth THAT much fat and calories?

So, I went to Cooking Light to find some lower fat alternatives. I then found this recipe for Peppermint ice cream and decided to use the base to see where that would get me.

Low-Fat Cake Batter Ice Cream
Source: adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients:

  • 2.5 cups of 2% milk, divided
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 14oz. can of fat-free condensed milk
  • 2/3 cup cake mix
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

  1. Take 1 1/4 cup of milk and mix with egg yolks in a heavy saucepan at medium heat for about 8 minutes or until thickened. Do not let the mixture boil. Let the mixture slightly cool.
  2. Mix remaining milk, vanilla and condensed milk together in a separate bowl. Slowly add the egg mixture to the milk mixture. Mix in cake mix until thoroughly combined. Refridgerate mixture for about 1 hour.
  3. Put in your ice cream maker for 25-30 minutes. Makes about 1 quart or 8 – 1/2  cup servings.

Here’s the nutritional information on this recipe:

Low Fat Version
Calories: 311.4
Fat: 4.4 g
Fiber: less than 1 g

Unfortunately, for this trial, I didn’t save much in calories. However, look at the fat difference! Wow!! So, I’m getting there in finding a good diet-friendly alternative for cake batter ice cream. 🙂 I’ll continue to play with ingredients, though, to try to get the calories lower.

Baked Pizza Casserole

by 6 Comments

I like to peruse The Nest a lot. I read forums about cooking (of course), gardening, financial matters and fitness. I found this blog on the health & fitness forum and I’m SO glad I did. Amanda of Random Ramblings posted this great recipe that I just had to try. It’s W/W friendly and involves PIZZA. I’m there!

Baked Pizza Casserole
Source: adapted from Random Ramblings

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb lean beef
  • 1 can chunky italian tomato sauce
  • 1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese  (We used 1 1/2 cups…I love cheese!)
  • 1 refrigerated roll of pizza dough
  • 1/2 tsp. each of oregano, marjoram and basil
  • 1 tsp. each of salt and pepper

Directions:

  2. Brown meat in a pot and add spices during the cooking time. Add tomato sauce and stir together.
  3. Put meat mixture into pan. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Add cheese and cook another 5 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Spray a 9×13 pan (or use parchment like I did) and spread dough onto bottom. Make sure it goes up the side a little to catch the toppings when you put them in the pan.

 
Serves: 6   POINTS* value: 8 (since I added extra cheese!)

Smothered Chicken

by 2 Comments

If the title sounds familiar to you, it is. Remember when I called it my one of my best dishes to date? Yes, it STILL cannot be topped. So, I decided to make it last night for DH and I. This time, I added more Tony Chachere’s spices (in case you didn’t know, it’s a Louisiana cajun spice mix.) to it to give it more of a kick. The results? It was even better! That kick is just what it needed!!

Check out the recipe here!

Actually Delicious Turkey Burgers

by 2 Comments

We had one more package of ground turkey left, so my fiance figured we should make turkey burgers. As always, Allrecipes had the perfect recipe for us!! We will definitely remake these in the future!

Actually Delicious Turkey Burgers
Source: Allrecipes

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon seasoned bread crumbs
  • 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon finely diced onion
  • 2/3 egg whites, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1/3 clove garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, mix ground turkey, seasoned bread crumbs, onion, egg whites, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Form into 4 patties.
  2. Cook the patties in a medium skillet over medium heat, turning once, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C).

Rosemary Garlic Chicken and Glazed Carrots

by 5 Comments

I got these recipes in an email from Real Simple magazine. When I saw them, I thought they looked very healthy and tasty, so I saved the recipes and made them! The chicken was very flavorful and I think it would be wonderful in a salad, too! The carrots tasted very good and were the PERFECT compliment to the chicken!

Rosemary Garlic Chicken
Source: Real Simple

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken-breast halves
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup sherry vinegar (I used balsamic vinegar)
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions:

  1.  Using a rolling pin, pound the chicken between 2 sheets of wax paper until they are of uniform thickness.
  2. Heat the oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers and the garlic browns. (Don’t burn the garlic.) Add the chicken breasts and cook until golden, 3 to 5 minutes on each side.
  3. Add the salt, pepper, vinegar, chicken broth, and rosemary. (When you add vinegar, face away from the pan, otherwise, the vinegar will clear your sinus, seriously!)
  4. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook 3 minutes longer or until the chicken is fork-tender. Remove the chicken to a platter and keep warm. Increase heat to high and boil the sauce until thickened or syrupy, 3 to 5 minutes. Whisk in the butter and pour the sauce over the chicken.

Yield: 4 servings

POINTS*: 5

Glazed Carrots
Source: Real Simple

Ingredients:

  • 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch sticks
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Kosher salt

Directions:

  1. Place the carrots in a large skillet. Dot with the butter and sprinkle with the sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
  2. Add enough cold water to come halfway up the sides of the carrots. Simmer, partially covered, until the carrots are tender and the liquid has reduced to a glaze, about 20 minutes. (If the carrots are done before this point, transfer them to a bowl, increase heat to high, and cook the liquid, uncovered, until reduced. Return the carrots to the pan and toss.)

Yield: Makes 6 servings
POINTS*: 1

Spicy Meatballs & Spaghetti

by 1 Comment

Here’s another recipe from Ellie Krieger, out of the book, The Food You Crave. This was REALLY good. We ended up saving the leftover meatballs and sauce to make whole wheat meatball poboys another night. In fact, I found the sauce to be way better as leftovers, since the flavors developed more!

Spicy Meatballs and Spaghetti
Source: Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

For the sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, liquid included
  • 1 teaspoon finely minced canned chipotle chiles en adobo and sauce, or more to taste
  • 2 teaspoons chopped oregano leaves
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • Salt
  • 1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

For the meatballs:

  • Cooking spray
  • 1 pound ground turkey meat
  • 1 slice fresh whole-wheat bread, crusts removed, pulsed into crumbs
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
  • 1/2 cup finely grated carrot
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 2 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 box (16 ounces) whole-wheat spaghetti

Directions

  • Fill a large stockpot with water and bring to a boil for pasta.

For the sauce:

  • In a 4-quart saucepan heat the oil over medium heat.
  • Saute the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
  • Add tomato paste, tomatoes, chipotles, oregano, rosemary, and salt. Bring all the ingredients to a low boil, reduce heat and cook for approximately 15 minutes, until liquid has evaporated slightly.
    Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • While sauce is cooking, make meatballs.

Meatball Directions:

  • Preheat the broiler. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine the turkey with all other ingredients in a large work bowl.
  • Form into 2 1/2 -inch balls and place on a baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes, or until browned and almost entirely cooked through.
  • Meanwhile, remove rosemary sprig from sauce and add fresh basil. Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and cook additional 10 minutes, or until sauce has slightly thickened and meatballs have
    absorbed some of the sauce.
  • While the meatballs are cooking, cook the
    whole-wheat spaghetti according to package directions.
  • Drain the pasta and return it to the pot. Add the sauce and meatballs, toss and heat through over medium heat. Divide evenly among 4 pasta bowls and garnish with parsley and 1 tablespoon grated
    Parmesan.

Yield: 6 servings (1 serving equals about 1 1/3 cups pasta and sauce, plus 2 meatballs

POINTS*: 7

Crispy Oven Fried Fish Fillets

by 1 Comment

My fiance decided to surprise me with a healthy meal one night and cooked this wonderful fish recipe that he found online. I LOVED the way this fish came out, and I hope he wants to make it again sometime soon!!

Crispy Oven Fried Fish Fillets
Source: Campbell’s

Ingredients

  • Vegetable cooking spray
  • 1 lb. firm white fish fillet, cut into 4 pieces (he used Louisiana catfish)
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups Pepperidge Farm® Zesty Italian Croutons, crushed

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Spray baking sheet with vegetable cooking spray.
  2. Dip fish into milk. Coat with flour and then dip in milk. Coat with crushed croutons.
  3. Place fish on baking sheet. Spray fish with vegetable cooking spray. Bake for 10 min. or until fish is done. Serve with tartar sauce.

Garlic Fries

by 6 Comments

This was a side dish to the oven fried chicken, and another Ellie recipe. OMG…these were fabulous! A little tedious to cut the potatoes into sticks, but wow, super super good!!

Garlic Fries
Source: Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 3 large baking potatoes, 12 ounces each
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
  2. Heat the garlic and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Strain the garlic from the oil with a small mesh strainer. Set both garlic and oil aside.
  3. Cut the potatoes into 1/4-inch sticks. In a large bowl, toss the oil, potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and spread the potatoes onto it in a single layer. Bake until golden and crisp, about 35 minutes.
  4. Remove potatoes from the tray with a metal spatula. Toss with parsley, reserved garlic, and additional salt, to taste. Serve immediately.

Oven Fried Chicken

by 3 Comments

My fiance and I are currently changing our lifestyle around to less eating out and more healthy cooking. I recently made this chicken from Food Network’s website that encouraged me to buy Ellie Krieger’s “The Food You Crave”.

This chicken was pretty darn tasty!! 🙂 Here’s the recipe!

Oven Fried Chicken
Source: Ellie Krieger

Ingredients

  • 1/2 sleeve (about 20) whole-grain salted crackers, pulsed in a food processor until fine (about 1/2 cup)
  • 2 1/2 cups corn cereal flakes, pulsed in a food processor to fine crumbs (about 1/2 cup)
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 cup lowfat, plain yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Olive oil cooking spray
  • 4 medium sized skinless chicken breasts and 4 skinless chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry (about 3 1/2 pounds chicken)

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly spray a baking sheet with olive oil.
  2. Combine the crackers and corn cereal crumbs, sesame seeds, cayenne, and garlic powder in a shallow bowl. Reserve.
  3. In a large bowl, combine egg whites, yogurt, Dijon mustard, and salt. Add the chicken pieces and coat thoroughly with the yogurt mixture.
  4. One at a time, dip the chicken pieces in the cracker mixture, packing crumbs onto chicken. Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet and spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray.
  5. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a knife.