Healthy Macaroni Salad

I’ve got a macaroni salad for you that taste like Grandma’s but, with creamy yogurt and tangy feta stepping in to replace the heavy mayo-based salad. With crunch, color and cool, your picnic will be the envy of them all.

·         1 pound dried whole wheat macaroni (or other noodle of choice)

·         1 1/2 cups 2-percent Greek yogurt

·         1/2 cup crumbled feta (about 4 ounces)

·         1/4 cup olive oil

·         Zest of 1 lemon

·         2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

·         1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

·         1 clove garlic

·         1 bell pepper

·         3 stalks celery

·         1 bag frozen peas (thawed)

·         Red onion (optional)

·         DIRECTIONS

·         Bring a large, generously-salted pot of water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook according to package instructions. Drain in a colander and run under cold water until the macaroni is completely cooled. Shake the colander well to get rid of excess water. Transfer the macaroni to a large bowl. 

While the macaroni is cooking, make the dressing. Combine the yogurt, feta, olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons salt, pepper and garlic in a food processor. Blend until well mixed. Scrape the dressing into the bowl with the macaroni. Add the bell pepper, celery, and peas.to the bowl and toss well. Check for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper if desired.

Healthy Baked Shrimp Egg Rolls

Healthy Baked Shrimp Egg Rolls
(Courtesy of Neal Lockhart)

I love egg rolls, but the deep fried food doesn't sit well with me later and is DEFINITELY not a healthy choice. I wanted to make my own. My husband, Neal found a great recipe. He worked with the recipe and created this; a delicious healthy baked shrimp egg roll that is low in salt (skipped the soy sauce), great in taste, AND with only about 60 calories for one egg roll!! You can substitute the shrimp for another protein like pork, and add other veggies of your choice too, like mushrooms! 

INGREDIENTS

12 egg roll wrappers
1 cup cooked baby shrimp
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 (16 ounce) bag shredded cabbage and carrto coleslaw mix
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce




PREPARATION

Make filling:

Stir together oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and salt in a small bowl until sugar and salt are dissolved. Set aside.

Place the bag of coleslaw mix into a pan of boiling water and cook for two minutes. Immediately transfer cabbage mix to a strainer sitting in a bowl of ice water. When cabbage mix is cool, transfer to a salad spinner and spin dry. It is important that the cabbage mix is as dry as possible, so your egg rolls will be crisp. (You can place the mixture on a towel and dry too if needed).

Place the shrimp in a pan and sear in the pan for a few minutes, enough to take some of the moisture out of them.

Add the filling and shrimp to the cabbage mixture, and stir well.

With an egg roll wrapper sitting in a triangle toward you, place a large spoonful of filling about 2 inches from the point of the triangle. fold the point up and over the filling. Fold the left side over and the right side over. Roll toward the top of the triangle. Leave about an inch to the end and brush egg on the corner and fold over. Place the egg roll on a cookie sheet (I prefer Pampered Chef stones), and brush with egg. Repeat with the other egg roll wrappers.

Bake at 350 degrees until egg rolls are browned. Continually check on them and brush more egg on top for a crisper egg roll. Let cool and enjoy!

Julie's Turkey Noodle Soup

Julie’s Turkey Noodle Soup

Ingredients

Turkey carcass

1-2 cups reserved turkey

1 frozen package of crinkle-cut carrots (or fresh carrots)

4 stalks chopped celery

1 yellow onion chopped

1 cup left-over turkey stuffing

3 cloves garlic crushed

1 package egg noodles

Salt

Pepper

2 Tab.parsley

Preparing the Turkey Carcass

1 Remove all the usable turkey meat from the turkey carcass to save for making sandwiches later or for adding to the soup once the stock is made.

2 If you are working with a large turkey carcass, you may want to break up the bones a bit so they fit better in the pot. Place the turkey carcass into a large stock pot (at least 8 quart or 12 quart depending on the size of the turkey), and cover with COLD water by an inch. Let the carcass simmer on the stove for several hours, or until the meat has fallen off the bones.

3 Place in fridge overnight.

4 In the morning, scrape off the grease layer and pull out the large bones. Pour the stock through a strainer to remove unwanted skin and any remaining bones and place the stock onto the stovetop and bring to a simmer.

Making the Turkey Soup

1 In a large pan, heat some butter or olive oil on medium high heat. Add chopped carrots, onions, and celery in equal parts. Cook until the onions are softened, about 10 minutes. Add a couple cloves of garlic, chopped, and cook for a minute more, until the garlic is fragrant. Then add to the pot with the turkey. Add some parsley and seasoning—salt, pepper, or seasonings of choice. I added the left-over stuffing for additional seasoning.

2 Bring to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are just cooked through. Add egg noodles. Take some of the remaining turkey meat you reserved earlier, shred it into bite sized pieces and add it to the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Crock-Pot Fajitas

Slow-Cooker Bolognese Sauce

• Makes3 quarts sauce, serves 12
• Hands-On Time35 min
• Total Time8 min
• February 2004

INGREDIENTS

1. 1medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
2. 1stalk celery, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
3. 1carrot, finely chopped (3/4 cup)
4. 2tablespoons olive oil
5. 1pound ground beef
6. 1/2pound ground pork
7. 1cup milk
8. 16-ounce can tomato paste
9. 614-ounce cans diced tomatoes
10. 4teaspoons kosher salt
11. 1/2teaspoon ground nutmeg
12. Long pasta (such as pappardelle), for serving

Make Delicious, Family Pleasing Meals Fast

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large skillet, combine the onion, celery, carrot, and olive oil and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until tender, about 10 minutes.
2. Add the meat and cook, stirring frequently, until it loses its pink color. Add the milk. Increase heat to high and cook until the milk has evaporated. Transfer the mixture to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker.
3. Return the skillet to the heat and add the tomato paste; cook over low heat to reduce its bitterness, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste to the cooker, along with the tomatoes, salt, and nutmeg.
4. Cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 4 hours. Serve warm over pappardelle or some other long pasta.

By Jane Kirby

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION

Per Serving

• Calories101 calories
• Calories0 calories from fat
• Fat5 g
• Sat Fat2 g
• Cholesterol22 mg
• Sodium683 mg
• Protein7 mg
• Carbohydrate7 g
• Fiber1 g
• Iron1 mg
• Calcium69 mg

Slow Cooker BBQ Cranberry Chicken Ingredients 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1/2 cup diced onion 1 can whole cranberry sauce 1 cup BBQ sauce

Instructions 1. Place all ingredients in slow cooker, cook on low 6 hours. 2. ***If freezing, place all ingredients in gallon­sized freezer bag. Thaw in refrigerator overnight, cook on low 6 hours.*** Notes Adapted from: Crock Pot BBQ

Cranberry Chicken http://whoneedsacape.com/2014/01/slow­cooker­bbq­cranberry­chicken/

Lockhart GYM