Asparagus Risotto

Ingredients
1/2 tsp table salt, for cooking water
1 pound(s) asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
2 spray(s) cooking spray
1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 small shallot(s), minced
1 cup(s) uncooked arborio rice
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
4 cup(s) canned chicken broth
1/3 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese, such as Parmigianno-Reggiano
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Instructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Add asparagus to pot; blanch for 2 minutes. Immediately remove asparagus from pot and place them into ice water (to stop them from cooking and help retain their bright green color); set aside.

Coat a medium pot with cooking spray and set over medium heat; melt butter. Add shallots; cook, stirring frequently, until translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add rice and toss to coat; cook for 2 minutes. Add lemon juice; cook, until all lemon juice has been absorbed, stirring continuously so rice does not stick to sides of pot, about 1 minute.

Meanwhile, bring broth to a simmer; keep warm.

Add 1/2 cup of hot broth to pot at a time; stir until absorbed. Repeat with remaining broth, making sure each addition of broth is absorbed before adding more. This process takes about 20 minutes.

When rice turns creamy and just done (should be slightly chewy and not mushy), remove pot from heat; add cheese and stir well. Stir in asparagus; season with salt and pepper. Yields 1 scant cup per serving.

Source: Weight Watchers

Anatomy of a Healthy Breakfast

Filling up on a healthy, nutritious breakfast is the best way to start your day in general, but especially when on a diet because it will cut down on hunger later in the day. The key is to give your body what it needs...which doesn't mean donuts, giant muffins or pancakes.

Benefits of a healthy breakfast:
* Eat less fat and cholesterol
* Have better concentration and productivity throughout the morning
* Control your weight
* Have lower cholesterol, which may reduce your risk of heart disease

Key components of a healthy breakfast:
* Whole grains. Options include whole-grain toast, whole-grain english muffins, oatmeal, whole-grain cereals, small low-fat bran muffins
* Low-fat protein. Options include eggs (preferably egg whites or egg substitutes), peanut butter, lean slices of meat and poultry, or fish, such as water-packed tuna or slices of salmon.
* Low-fat dairy. Options include skim milk, low-fat yogurt and low-fat cheeses, such as cottage and natural cheeses.
*Fruits and vegetables. Options include fresh fruits and vegetables or 100 percent juice beverages without added sugar. Vegetables are great when added to omelets or scrambled eggs.

How to put it all together?
Egg white omelet with veggies and low fat cheese
1 piece whole wheat toast with 1 tsp peanut butter
Fresh fruit

Oatmeal with skim milk, a few raw nuts and blueberries or dried cranberries
Fresh fruit

Whole wheat english muffin or small whole wheat bagel
Low fat cream cheese
Thinly sliced salmon
Fresh fruit

Need a quick on the go breakfast? Try a high fiber granola bar, a banana and a glass of skim milk.

Miss your Egg McMuffin? Try a whole wheat english muffin, 1 egg cooked with no butter, 1 piece canadian bacon and a sprinkle of low fat cheese.

Tip: Don't like egg whites on their own? Include just 1 yolk to give the color and texture of full eggs

Source: portions of this post are from The Mayo Clinic

Romantic Dinner for Two: Seafood Risotto

Risotto must be served immediately so you can best savor its rich creaminess. With this version, there's just enough for two healthful portions. Complete the meal with a salad and crisp white wine.

Yield: 2 servings (serving size: about 1 1/4 cups)

Ingredients:
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
2 teaspoons butter
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup uncooked Arborio rice
1/8 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
4 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 ounces bay scallops
2 tablespoons whipping cream
Chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Preparation:
1. Bring broth and clam juice to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add rice and saffron to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add lemon juice to pan; cook 15 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in 1/2 cup hot broth mixture; cook 2 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly. Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 18 minutes total).
3. Stir in tomatoes; cook for 1 minute. Stir in shrimp and scallops; cook for 4 minutes or until shrimp and scallops are done, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cream. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 400 (23% from fat)
Fat: 10.1g (sat 4.9g,mono 2.6g,poly 1.1g)
Protein: 30.2g
Carbohydrate: 49.1g
Fiber: 2.6g

Source: David Bonom, Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2008

Super Bowl Snacking

Lots of people will be attending Super Bowl parties this weekend and with these parties come lots of snacks! Unfortunately, most party snacks are not diet friendly.

Tips:
1. Have a plan. Decide how much you are going to each and stick to your plan. Maybe cut back the day before or after to make up for it or just decide you are going to go over your daily calories. Whatever you decide, make a plan and stick to it.

2. Bring food with you. Not sure what will be provided at the party you are attending? Bring something with you. Or even better, host the party yourself and you can control the food.

3. Limit alcohol. I didn't say NO alcohol, but limit it to avoid making poor decisions. See the prior post about drinking tips.

4. Avoid the chicken wings. Just one of these is so loaded in fat and calories that it will make it hard to stick to any plan. And who eats just one wing???

Snack Ideas:

• Veggie tray with low fat dip (make out of low fat sour cream or yogurt)


• Low fat popcorn


• Baked tortilla chips with salsa


• Smart Ones makes little pizzas that are 50 calories each


• Fresh fruit


• Angel food cake


• Meatballs made of extra lean turkey, chicken or beef


• Fat free cream cheese covered with fruit spread, then put on low fat crackers


• Flour tortillas cut into wedges, sprayed with butter Pam, sprinkled with sugar & cinnamon and then baked until crispy


• No Pudge Brownies

Good luck!

Diet Soda Cake

Here's a really easy recipe for cake and you can be creative with the flavors.

Ingredients:
1 (18 ounce) box dry cake mix (any flavor)
10 ounces diet soda (any flavor)
1-2 egg white (slightly beaten, optional but cake stays together better and is fluffier)

Directions:
Mix the dry cake mix, the diet soda, and the egg white(s) until well blended.
Pour into a 9 X 13 sprayed pan or prepared cupcake tins.
Cook according to the directions on cake mix box.

Try white cake with sprite or chocolate with cola...play with other combinations too! Top with fat free or low fat cool whip.

Nutrition: (12 servings)
184 Calories
4.7 grams fat

Source

Chocolate Lovers!

Think you need to give up the taste of chocolate because you are trying to lose weight? Not necessarily. There are plenty of options out there to give you a taste of chocolate for a relatively small amount of calories. There is no need to deprive yourself or you may go on a binge. If you like chocolate, check out some of these tasty treats.

1. Skinny Cow products have a variety of frozen ice cream products including sandwiches, cones and bars. 100 to 150 calories

2. Jell-O Pudding snacks in sugar free (60 calories) or non fat (100 calories) versions.

3. Eskimo Pie makes a low sugar version for 150 calories.

4. Weight Watchers and Smart Ones have a variety of ice cream treats, muffins and cakes.

5. Vitalicious has muffin tops, brownies and cakes for 10o calories.

6. No Pudge brownies are 120 calories each.

Enjoy! But remember that too much of anything adds up to too many calories.

What other chocolate diet friendly products have you tried?

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Cheese

This is a warm and comforting casserole that the entire family will like on a cold night. Serve with a green salad for a complete meal. Watch your portion sizes.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients
1 (1-pound) package uncooked ziti (short tube-shaped pasta)
1 pound hot turkey Italian sausage links
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain the pasta, and set aside.

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 413 (26% from fat)
Fat: 11.8g (sat 6.1g,mono 2.2g,poly 1g)
Protein: 24.1g
Carbohydrate: 53g
Fiber: 4.5g
Cholesterol: 49mg
Sodium: 941mg

Source: Cooking Light, November 2003