The Busy Girl's Diet

*these recipes were found in self magazine, may 2010

BREAKFAST
breakfast burrito
cook 1 amy's breakfast burrito as directed on package and top with 2 tbs nonfat plain yogurt. serve with 1 orange.

5-minute egg and smoked salmon sandwich
crack 1 egg into a microwave-safe bowl. cover with paper towel and nuke until egg is cooked through and not runny, about 1.5 minutes. layer 1 wedge of the laughing cow light cheese, egg, 2 oz smoked salmon and 1/4 cup raw baby spinach in a whole wheat arnold sandwich thin. serve with 1 large apple.

strawberry almond oatmeal
prepare 2 packet instant plain oatmeal with 1/2 cup skim milk instead of water. top with 3/4 cup fresh or frozen strawberries, thawed; 2 tbsp sliced almonds, and 1 tsp brown sugar.

LUNCH
spring chopped salad
combine 1.5 cups chopped romaine lettuce with 1/3 cup each of the following raw vegetables: chopped asparagus, chopped yellow bell pepper, chopped hearts of palm, chopped red onions, and sliced cucumbers. Toss salad with 1/2 chickpeas, rinsed and drained; 3 tbsp shredded lowfat swiss cheese; 2tsp olive oil, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp white wine vinegar, 1tsp chopped garlic and a pinch of salt and pepper. serve with one whole-wheat pita.

crunchy cranberry-almond tuna salad
combine one 5-oz. can of chunk lite tuna packed in water, drained and flaked with 1.5 tbsp light mayo [sub miracle whip], 2 tsp dried cranberries, 1 tbsp diced celery, 1 tbsp shredded carrots, 2 tsp slivered almonds, and a pinch of cinnamon (optional). Sandwich all of the tuna salad between 2 slices whole-wheat bread.

chunky black bean and corn soup
mix 1/2 cup frozen corn into 1.5 cups amy's black bean vegetable soup and heat thoroughly. top soup with 1/4 avocado, chopped or sliced; 2 tbsp nonfat plain yogurt; and 1 tbsp salsa. finish with 1 tsp fresh cilantro. serve with 10 baked tortilla chips.

DINNER
ginger pork and veggie stir-fry over wild rice
saute 4 oz. pork tenderloin strips in 1 tbsp sesame oil. brown pork on both sides, then add 1 tsp chopped garlic. 1 tsp chopped fresh ginger, 1 cup sliced bok choy, 1/2 cup broccoli florets, and 1/4 cup sliced yellow onion. cook, stirring, until cooked through. serve over 1.5 cups wild rice.

roasted veggie-beef burger and baked potato
form a 4-oz. extra-lean ground beef patty and bake at 350 degrees, turning once, until desired doneness, about 20 minutes. coat 1/2 cup each zucchini and onion slices with vegetable oil cooking spray and roast on baking sheet in the smae oven. toast a whole-wheat hamburger bun and spread with reduced-fat chive cream cheese. sandwich patty, zucchini, and onions in bun. serve burger with 1/2 baked potato topped with 2 tbsp nonfat plain greek yogurt and 1 tbsp salsa.

eggplant parmigiana over couscous
beat 1 egg white in a bowl with a fork and pour 1/4 cup whole-wheat breadcrumbs into another shallow bowl. dip three 3/4 inch-wide eggplant slices into egg, then dredge in bread crumbs. bake at 350 degrees, turning once, until eggplant is soft and browned, about 20 minutes. top with 2/3 cup low sodium marinara sauce and sprinkle with 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella. broil slices on a baking sheet until cheese melts. serve over 1 cup whole-wheat couscous.

SNACKS
triple-p (pear, peanut butter, and pita) pocket
spread 1/2 toasted whole-wheat pita pocket with 2 tsp natural peanut butter. fill with 1/4 pear, sliced, sprinkled with cinnamon.

Sesame Ginger Spinach Salad

*This recipe was found in Self Magazine, May 2010

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (16 ounce) bottle Newman's Own Lighten Up Low Fat Sesame Ginger Dressing
1 tbs black pepper
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
2 tsb fresh herbs
6 cups baby spinach, washed, stemd removed
1/2 cup raspberries, washed
1 ounce feta, crumbled
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place chicken in oven-safe baking dish; tenderize slightly with a fork. Whisk together dressing, spices and herbs. Pour over chicken, turning a couple of times. Dressing should cover bottom of baking dish. Bake 45 minutes.
3. Combine spinach with raspberries, feta and nuts in large bowl; toss to mix.
4. Once breasts are fully cooked, remove from oven and let rest 3 to 5 minutes. Add small amount of dressing to salad and toss. Slice chicken into strips and serve on top of salad.

Artichokes with Quinoa

*This recipe was found in Self Magazine, May 2010

2 artichokes 1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms, cut into small pieces
3 cloves garlic, 1/3 cup red quinoa
sliced 1/8 cup raw, unsalted pumpkin seeds
1 parsnip, sliced 1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 head fennel, 3/4 tsp ground cumin
cored and sliced 1/3 tsp garlic powder
1/2 onion, thinly 1/4 tsp kosher salt
sliced 1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 lemon, sliced
3 sprigs thyme
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup plus 1/2 tsp
olive oil, divided

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off stems and top 1/2 inch of artichokes, then, with scissors, trim 1/2 inch off leaf tips. Seperate leaves with thumbs, then pluck soft leaves from center to expose fuzzy choke. Scoop out choke with a spoon until you see heart (discard choke). Place artichokes in a pot, cover with water and boil for 30 minutes; strain. In a large pot, place garlic, parsnip, fennel, onion, lemon, thyme, wine, 1/4 cup oil and 1/2 cup water; add atichokes. Simmer, covered, until bottoms are tender, 20 minutes. Remove artichokes; strain veggies, discard lemon, and reserve liquid. Boil 3/4 cup water; add mushrooms and quinoa. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa absorbs water, 20 minutes. Mix pumpkin seeds, paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and oil. Toast pan in oven until brown, 7 minutes. Mix seeds with quinoa. Spoon 2 tbsp. quinoa into each artichoke. Place remaining quinoa in a baking dish; top with veggies. Nestle artichokes in quinoa. Roast, uncovered, 10 minutes. Divide, serve.

Not-so-Healthy but Delicious Peanut Butter Bars

I got this yummy recipe from sweet Debbie back when I served at the Olive Garden. She brought these in for us starving servers and they were gobbled up within minutes! This is a very simple and straight-forward recipe and makes a ton.

Mix together:
1.5 cups peanut butter
1.5 cups butter
1.5 cups brown sugar
1.5 cups sugar

Mix and add:
3 eggs
1.5 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Add:
3 cups oats
3 cups flour

Pour into greased cookie sheet and spread out evenly. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Pour 2 packages of chocolate chips (she recommends milk chocolate) over bars and let sit for 10 minutes. Spread and let cool.

These are best if you can put them in the fridge for a few hours so the chocolate sets nice and hard.

There you have it. The tricky part is only having one!