Even Better Broccoli Salad

 

NGREDIENTS

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups broccoli florets (about 1 1/2 pounds), chopped
• 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 a red onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated

PREPARATION

Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook broccoli very briefly, 1-2 minutes, until broccoli is bright green and still crisp.
Drain broccoli and put into bowl of ice water to stop the cooking, then drain again and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, honey and salt and whisk to combine.
Add the broccoli, cheddar cheese, and onions and toss to coat with dressing.
Cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
Before serving, add bacon crumbles and toss again until everything is thoroughly incorporated. Enjoy!

Easy Sweet And Sour Chicken

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ pounds chicken breast, pounded to even thickness
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons water
• ½ cup corn starch
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup crushed pineapple
• 1 chili pepper, seeded and finely diced OR 1 bell pepper, seeded and diced
• ½ yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• 3 tablespoons honey
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro, garnish

PREPARATION

Whisk honey, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, ketchup, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and crushed pineapple in a small bowl and set aside.
Combine corn starch and flour in a large plastic bag. Set aside.
In a shallow dish, beat eggs with 2 tablespoons water. Dredge chicken breasts in the egg mixture. Transfer to the plastic bag and shake until well coated with flour mixture.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken breasts, 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.
In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Sauté chili pepper (or bell pepper, if using) and onion until softened. Pour in soy sauce mixture and stir until just thickened. Add red pepper flakes, if using, and stir to combine.
Return chicken to skillet and toss with sauce.
Slice into thin strips and serve over top of rice or noodles, spooning extra sauce over top of the chicken to serve.

Italian Meatball Soup

 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (20 oz) package frozen meatballs
• 1 (24 oz) jar marinara
• 4-5 red or new potatoes, quartered
• 2 carrots, sliced into ½-inch rounds
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 5 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 3 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1 dried thyme seasoning
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 8 oz spaghetti noodles, broken in half
• Fresh thyme, for garnish
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

PREPARATION

In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat marinara, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, garlic, dried thyme, and crushed red pepper over medium-high heat until sauce reaches a low boil, about 10 minutes.
Add meatballs to stockpot and cook for 15-20 minutes before adding pasta.
Add pasta and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until pasta is fully cooked, about 10-15 minutes.
Just before pasta is done, add frozen peas and continue to simmer until peas are warmed through. Top with fresh thyme sprigs.
To serve, ladle soup into a bowl. Add more salt, to taste. Garnish with fresh cracked black pepper, if desired.

Grilled Cheeseburger Wraps

 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (I used a little more to taste)
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
• pepper and salt to taste
• 5 flour tortillas (the larger ones)
• shredded cheddar cheese
• sliced tomatoes
• yellow mustard

How to Make It:

Brown ground beef in large skillet and drain. Add Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, dried onion, and salt and pepper to the beef and simmer for 5 minutes. Sprinkle shredded cheese down center of each tortilla. Add a few heaping tablespoons of the beef mixture on top of the cheese. Spread some mustard on top of the beef along with some slices of tomato. Roll up tortilla burrito-style and place wraps on preheated indoor grill (I used my George Foreman).
Grill wraps for about 5 minutes until cheese is melted. Cut on a diagonal and serve immediately!

Mom’s Swedish Meatballs Recipe

 

Ggghh

15 Foods With Almost No Calories and a Ton of Nutrients

 

15 Nutrient Dense Foods

1. Celery
Celery is your classic zero calorie food. Consisting of mostly water, by the time you’re done all that chewing, you’ve probably expended more calories than you’ve consumed. A 100-gram serving contains just 16 calories. Just don’t go overboard with dips or spreads or whatever topping you usually prefer.

2. Broccoli
Broccoli is one of my all time favorite vegetables. In a stir-fry or as a side, I absolutely love it. It’s great because it contains a ton of fiber, helping your digestive system, and even some plant protein. There’s just 34 calories in a 100-gram serving.

3. Apples
At 52 calories per 100 gram serving, apples actually have more calories than most of the foods on this list. But filled with fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals, they’re more than worth it. Personally, I like to eat one as a snack between lunch and dinner to stop me from turning to something a lot less healthy.

4. Cucumber
Growing up cucumbers were one of the few vegetables I liked to eat. Filled with water, they are great for hydration and are delicious when added to a pitcher of water. At 16 calories per 100-grams, they are extremely low in calories and make an excellent addition to any salad.

5. Oranges
I’m not really a big fan of oranges, but their health benefits are undeniable. Filled with vitamin C, oranges come in at just 47 calories per 100 gram serving, far fewer than many other fruits.

6. Cabbage
Cabbage has been known to help fight cancer and heart disease. It can also help you lose weight, coming in at just 25 calories per 100 grams. I absolutely love cabbage soup and it’s a great soup to love because it’s so filling and has so few calories.

7. Cauliflower
Cauliflower has anti-inflammatory properties and can help your heart and digestive system. It contains just 25 calories in a 100 gram serving and can be used to make delicious pizza crusts. You may even burn more calories preparing it than you will eating it.

8. Asparagus
Grilled asparagus in the summertime is one of my favorite side dishes. It’s filling but doesn’t have many calories, just 20 in a 100-gram serving.

9. Kale
Kale is one of the most nutrient dense foods around. For just 49 calories you get a ton of fiber, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, and protein. You can try making kale chips, put it in a salad, or I even regularly eat it in wraps.

10. Mushrooms
Pretty much all kinds of mushrooms are low in calories. Chanterelles have just 38 calories in a 100-gram serving, portabellas just 22. Put them in a sauce, a sauté, or even make them into a burger, they add nothing but earthy flavor and nutrients.

11. Carrots
Carrots aren’t just good for your eyesight. They also have anti-inflammatory properties, are a natural diuretic, and can help stabilize your blood sugar levels. All that for just 41 calories per 100-gram serving.

12. Brussels Sprouts
Brussels sprouts are a cruciferous vegetable, like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower, and so have many of the same benefits, including being low in calories (just 43 per 100 grams). But they aren’t everyone’s favorite vegetable. My sister absolutely despises them.

13. Watermelon
Watermelon is another summertime favorite of mine. So sweet and juicy – who would’ve guessed that it is so low in calories? With just 30 in a 100-gram serving and containing loads of beneficial antioxidants, it really is a guilt-free treat. It’s even been known to boost your metabolism. Just be sure not to overindulge – something I’m definitely guilty of on occasion.

14. Zucchini
Zucchini has just 17 calories in a 100-gram serving. I love it in a stir-fry or a pasta sauce, but you can use it in a ton of different ways, even in bread.

15. Onions
Onions are the starting point for a lot of different recipes. When I don’t know what I’m doing in the kitchen, I always start with frying some onions in a pan to get some flavor going. It’s nice to know that I’m not adding many calories, just 40 per 100 grams. They also contain beneficial flavonoids.

Some other nutrient dense foods include beets, lemons, tomatoes, grapefruit, and turnips.

 

INGREDIENTS

• 6-8 chicken thighs (boneless, preferred)
• 2 (10.75 oz.) cans condensed cream of cheddar soup
• 1 (10.75 oz.) can condensed cream of herbed chicken
• 3 cups cooked white or brown rice
• 1 1/2 cups milk (whole or 2%)
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Bacon bits, garnish, optional

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350º F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl, combine cheddar and herbed chicken soups and whole milk and whisk until combined, then whisk in garlic, onion powder, paprika and red pepper flakes. Optional: stir in cheddar cheese if you don’t want to top the casserole with it later.
Spread cooked rice out on the bottom of greased baking dish, then top with chicken thighs. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
Pour soup mixture over chicken and rice, making sure everything is evenly coated, then top with cheddar cheese (if you didn’t already stir it into sauce) or bacon bits, if using.
Place baking dish in oven and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
Remove from oven and serve hot.

Recipe adapted from South Your Mouth