Red Pepper Alfredo

This is from the book Eat This, Not That by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding. As a self professed addict to Chicken linguine alfredo this recipe was a welcomed addition to my meal plan. (Photo coming soon)


You will need:

10 oz dried fettuccine

1 and 1/2 Tbsp butter

1 and 1/2 Tbsp flour

1 cup Milk

1/4 cup half and half

3/4 cup chopped bottled roasted red peppers

2 cloves garlic Halved

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Salt and Pepper To Taste

Bring large pot of salted water to a boil

Add pasta and cook until al dente

Meanwhile melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for a minute until the two are fully incorporated. Slowly add the milk and half and half whisking to avoid lumps. Add the Red Pepper and Garlic. Turn heat to low and simmer for ten minutes.

Pour mixture in blender and puree until smooth and uniform in color. Return to pan and stir in Parmesan. Simmer until pasta is done cooking.

Add pasta to sauce and coat evenly. Divide amongst 4 bowls or plates.

Calories per serving 390

Low Cal Chili Mac Recipe

One of my biggest weaknesses is pasta. I don't know. Maybe I was Italian in a past life or something. But the point is when I have pasta I tend to overdo it. I'm talking a mountain of pasta heaped up on my plate. Usually topped with about a quarter of a jar of Parmesan cheese. Yeah mega calories city. When it comes to healthy eating pasta has been and always will be my weakness. However, I found a group on my facebook page one day called Weight Watchers Recipes. and let me tell you these people have some recipes that make your mouth water! I was a happy girl when I found a recipe for chili mac. It has 325 calories a serving. That may seem a little high however not to bad if you have one serving and pair it with some steamed broccoli and a side salad. Here is the recipe. Enjoy! If you would like to add Weight Watchers Recipes to Your Facebook you can find them at

http://www.facebook.com/wwatchersrecipes?ref=sgm

Ingredients:

16 oz. extra lean ground turkey or beef
1 cup chopped onion
1- 16 oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can Healthy Request Tomato Soup
1 cup reduced-sodium tomato juice
2 tsp. chili seasoning
1- 8 oz. can red kidney beans, drained
1 cup whole grain elbow macaroni
Cooking spray

Directions

In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, brown meat
Meanwhile, in a Crock Pot container coated with cooking spray, combine
onion, undrained tomatoes, tomato soup, tomato juice and chili seasoning
Stir in kidney beans and uncooked macaroni
Add browned meat
Mix well to combine
Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours
Mix well before serving

Serves 8

325 Calories

Fajita Ranch Chicken Wraps 224 Calories

Found this online one day courtesy of Heart Healthy Living on
recipes.com. These are absolutely delicious! Pair with Steamed Broccoli and a side salad for a complete healthy meal! You can buy store bought salsa in place of the homemade salsa if you wish.

Ingredients

12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast strips for stir-frying

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Nonstick cooking spray

1 small red, yellow, or green sweet pepper, seeded and cut into thin strips

2 tablespoons bottled reduced-calorie ranch salad dressing

2 10-inch whole wheat, tomato, jalapeno, or plain flour tortillas, warmed*

1/2 cup Easy Fresh Salsa*

1/3 cup reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Sprinkle chicken strips with chili powder and garlic powder. Coat a medium nonstick skillet with nonstick spray; heat over medium-high heat. Cook chicken and sweet pepper strips in hot skillet over medium heat for 4 to 6 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and pepper strips are tender. Drain if necessary. Toss with salad dressing.

2. Divide chicken and pepper mixture between warmed tortillas. Top with Easy Fresh Salsa and cheese. Roll up; cut in half.

3. *To warm tortillas: Wrap tortillas tightly in foil. Heat in a 350 degrees F oven about 10 minutes or until heated through.

4. *Easy Fresh Salsa: In a medium bowl combine 2 seeded and chopped tomatoes, 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion, 1/4 cup chopped yellow or green sweet pepper, 2 to 3 teaspoons snipped fresh cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/8 teaspoon salt, a dash of black pepper, and, if desired, a few drops bottled hot pepper sauce. Serve immediately or cover and chill for up to 3 days. Stir before serving. Makes 1 2/3 cups.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 224, Total Fat 7 g, Saturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 59 mg, Sodium 316 mg, Carbohydrate 15 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 25 g. Exchanges: Starch 1, Fat 1.

Healthy Fast Food Options

Ok everyone knows healthy organic food is always best. But lets be realistic here. Fast food is not just convenient it is cheap! and when you are out of groceries and only have a few dollars to your name until payday it may be your only option. So if this happens don't beat yourself up over it. Just try to make better decisions when making your fast food selections. My Friend Jessica compiled this list of some of the low cal fast food options available to you. Thanks Jessica!

So here's a list of some low calorie fast food items and yes some of them are even cheap. Just remember that when you order one of the lower calorie burgers, don't follow it up with the artery clogging, heart attack inducing french fries or the ultra sweet soda. Yes, you can have fast food, but make healthy choices with it by choosing to drink water and have a side salad or some fruit with it. Also, while yes these items are low in calories and cheap don't overdo it on them. Please don't assume that just because they are healthier you can eat a ton of these items. One thing that people overlook all the time is their portion sizes.

Wendy's Jr. Cheeseburger
PER SERVING (1 burger): 270 calories, 11g fat, 26g carbs, 1g fiber, 15g protein
This burger with their mandarin oranges or a side salad with a light amount of dressing isn’t too bad.

McDonald's Fruit 'n Yogurt Parfait
PER SERVING (1 parfait): 160 calories, 2g fat, 31g carbs, 1g fiber, 4g protein
Not a meal it’s more of a snack, but it’s yummy.

Taco Bell Fresco Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco
PER SERVING (1 taco): 170 calories, 4g fat, 22g carbs, 2g fiber, 12g protein
Taco Bell has a new Fresco menu and you get almost anything made fresco style it’s really good, plus Taco Bell is super cheap. I love these soft tacos!

Burger King Tendergrill Chicken Sandwich w/o Mayo
PER SERVING (1 sandwich): 380 calories, 9g fat, 51g carbs, 3g fiber, 25g protein

Chick-Fil-A Hearty Breast of Chicken Soup
PER SERVING (1 large bowl): 220 calories, 6g fat, 30g carbs, 3g fiber, 12g protein

Subway 6" Turkey Breast and Black Forest Ham on 9-Grain Wheat
PER SERVING (One 6-inch sub w/o cheese, dressing, or mayo): 300 calories, 4g fat, 47g carbs, 5g fiber, 19g protein
Pair the lean-meat duo with tasty 9-grain wheat bread, load it up with every veggie possible, and dress it with a shake of vinegar and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Maximum flavor with minimum fat and calories!

Chipotle Burrito Bowl with Chicken, Fajita Veggies, Black Beans, Tomato Salsa, and Lettuce
PER SERVING (1 bowl): 355 calories, 8g fat, 32g carbs, 13g fiber, 41g protein

Sonic Chicken Wrap with Grilled Chicken w/o Dressing
PER SERVING (1 wrap): 326 calories, 8g fat, 37g carbs, 1g fiber, 26g protein
Best way to go with this one? Get the light ranch on the side, and use half of it for about 35 calories.

Arby’s Jr. Roast Beef Sandwich
Per serving : 270 calories, 16g protein